He frowned. "What, you wouldn't fly? I would expect that to take about a week to get back, and another to get back here. We can be defensive for that long. I am only abrupt when it is tactically sound to do so. Here, fighting a dragon on its own terms? I am prepared to wait as long as I can for the right time to strike. As the dragon stalkers say, 'any fool can walk up to a dragon, challenge it to a fight, and get eaten for their pains; a true hunter strikes a fatal blow before it even knows it is in danger.' I considering proper preparations to count as an early blow. Besides, that would give me more time to learn the spells, and maybe one to keep it from just flying off if it starts to lose."