Runaway / The Sword Smith By Eleanor Arnason

Eleanor Arnason’s 1978 The Sword Smith is a stand-alone picaresque fantasy (fantasy? See several paragraphs down…) novel. Having tired of the king of Eshgorin’s management style, blacksmith Limper tendered his resignation. Accompanied by the diminutive dragon Nargri, Limper sets out to find new, more satisfactory employment. Alas, the king’s management style includes a disinclination to accept…