Excerpt: The Town with the Feather Crest

(An excerpt from The Town with the Feather Crest)

Drew met the guard having afternoon tea.
He offered bread and told his name.
“I’m Will, and it’s good that you came.”
He bid Drew to hear his tale with a plea.

“A great horned beast has threatened our demise.
What we need is a brave knight
who can slay it and win the fight,
or our town will soon dwindle in its size.”

“The beast is not far. It lives in a cave.”
“Shall I shoo it away?” Drew asked.
The guard grew stern, grave, and aghast,
“A joke like that you would do well to save.”