# I: The Skull on the Crag explained — Conan Stories > Chapter companion for Conan Stories by Robert E. Howard. ## What happens Conan and Valeria are trapped on a crag by a dragon. They descend and flee through the forest, with the dragon pursuing them. Conan slashes at the dragon, which crashes into a tree and dies. They escape onto the plain, but later discover that the dragon has killed their horses. They retreat back up the crag as the monster rears up. ## Themes in this chapter ### Survival and Individualism Conan and Valeria rely on their wits and strength to survive the dragon attack and escape the forest. ### Nature and the Wild The dragon represents primordial nature; Conan feels kinship with it, while Valeria is horrified by its savagery. ## Character check-ins ### Conan Leads the escape from the dragon, shows primitive kinship with the beast, fights and kills it. ### Valeria Companion to Conan, terrified by the dragon's ferocity, nearly killed but saved by Conan. ## Key lines > To the barbarian, no such gulf existed between himself and other men, and the animals, as existed in the conception of Valeria. Conan sees no separation between humans and animals, unlike Valeria. _Highlights Conan's primitive worldview._ > He sat watching it tranquilly, and pointed out the various changes that were taking place in its voice and actions. Conan calmly observes the dragon's behavior as the poison takes effect. _Shows Conan's understanding of nature._ > He leaped, slashing like a wildcat, felt his sword cut deep into the scales that sheathed the mighty snout—and then a terrific impact knocked him rolling and tumbling for fifty feet Conan attacks the dragon, cutting its snout, but is knocked back by the impact. _Climactic moment of the dragon fight._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/i-the-skull-on-the-crag - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/conan_stories_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters