Free Lance and the dragon's hoard - Chris Riddell

It's a routine job for a freelance knight: a wealthy merchant needs protection on the journey back to his remote home town laden with goods. But on the last night he is woken by the terrified merchant insisting that a dragon said to guard a fabulous hoard in the region has attacked and killed his favourite horse. Free Lance finds the remains of the horse and decides wolves are responsible - dragons aren't real, are they?

On entering town, the merchant immediately tells everyone of the attack, and as evening falls, Free Lance witnesses a strange procession of townsfolk taking a beautiful but frightened girl dressed up as a princess out into the wilderness. He follows and realises that they are offering the girl as a sacrifice to appease the 'dragon'.

Determined to rescue the damsel, little does Free Lance realise the danger he will face in this cracking, wonderfully-illustrated story.