I read this book a few years ago and really liked it but can't find it again.
In it a dragon is slain and its head is brought to a village, a woman in the village gets sick and starts to dream about a man who says he can help her. eventually she goes to look for him and when she finds him he cures her by making her immortal. They travel together and as they do, they fall in love, but she has to leave him because she promised to return to her village and another man, but before she leaves she also promises to return to the man who saved her. As she arives at the village she realizes that the dragon head was making her sick and is currently making others sick and takes it from the village. I also seam to remember something about blood stones or something like that. A small ruby like stone that can be found in spilt blood after a creature dies but is usualy too small to see but in the instance of this particular dragon it was easy to find. Actually, I think the woman may have worn it around her neck and that also contributed to her sickness, maybe. Am I making any sense? Can anyone help me?

Rayadriel

Oh I love this book! It's The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. The next book is called the Blue Sword, I think.