Little Girls of Wonder - A Squire Named Kate
Chapter 1
Copyright© 2012 by Allan Kindred
All the young boys are excited. Today is known as the Choosing Day. Knights from all over the kingdom of Lavender are coming to the capital city of Pubbabear to choose the young lad that will squire for them for many years to come.
It is a decision that affects all involved. Not only does the young lad get the opportunity to become a warrior from one of the greatest warriors in the magical land, but also it is an important choosing for the knight, because he will have another to care for. If you choose wrong, many days can be harder than they must.
As every hour passes another grand knight comes riding in on a most spectacular steed. All the knights are dressed in magnificent ceremonial armor.
At last the hopeful squires are gathered. The celebrated knights are standing before them looking tall and powerful. Finally the most powerful knight in all the land comes riding in. He is on his pure white warhorse called Ghost.
All the hopeful squires marvel at his grandeur. All the other knights bow their heads in respect. In this land you get what you give. Because of that, the greatest knight in all the magical land returns their bows with a smile of genuine pleasure and honor. He is pleased to be amongst so grand a gathering of people.
Since the grandest knight in the land of Lavender showed up last, he will have to choose last from the gaggle of boys who wish to be squires. Slowly the numbers get smaller and smaller until at last it comes time for the greatest knight in all the land of Lavender to choose his squire. A host of fifteen boys vie for the attention of the last knight to choose a squire this day. They are standing excitedly out in the street.
The great knight looks them over one by one. He is deciding whom he will bring into his sphere of greatness. At last he comes to the end of the hopefuls and he still cannot find that quality that he is seeking. It is true that to judge a book by its cover means you are going to miss out on some truly adventurous stories, but often times signs can be seen deep within the eyes.
The great knight sighs. Then he looks down a dirty and dingy alleyway just behind the last hopeful. He sees a little girl of about eight-years-old. She is wearing a torn and tattered ankle length gray dress. She is digging through piles of trash looking for something to eat or sell so that she may live another day.
The brown-haired brown-eyed knight points, and then in a loud boisterous voice he yells out "I choose her as my squire."
Everybody, from knights to hopeful squires to the leaders of the community, turn to see what he sees. The mayor of the city comes over and says, "Sire, she is just an urchin orphan girl not worthy to serve one such as yourself."
"I am the one who decides who is and who is not worthy to fly under my banner."
"Sire, please! Besides being a girl she is digging through trash."
"Exactly! She is doing whatever it takes to survive, and that is the quality I would wish my squire to possess."
At last the cute blonde-haired blue-eyed girl realizes they are looking at and talking about her. She gets a scared look on her face and starts backing up, as she is getting ready to run away.
"Halt!" she freezes in her tracks. The great knight walks over to her and looks down upon her like a waterfall refreshing the soul. "You there, young girl, what is your name?"
The pretty and petite eight-year-old girl is visibly shaking now. "My name, sire?" she stammers. "Sire, my name is Kate."
"Well, Kate of Pubbabear, I wish to make you my squire."
"Me, sire, but I am just a girl."
Ignoring her own slight, he asks, "Do you not have any family to care for you?"
She shakes her head no with tears coming to her blue eyes. "No, sire." she then pulls her eyes away from the great knight long enough to look at all the boys and other knights staring at her. Her eyes go big.
"Well, Kate, I am Clifford The Brave." Clifford The Brave is a formidable looking man. He stands at six feet tall and weighs two hundred and five pounds.
He kneels before the girl so she does not have to continue to stare up at him, since she is so small. "Kate, I am looking for a squire, and it is not an easy life. The only truth I can speak to you now is if you ever go hungry again it will be because we are both hungry. What do you say, Kate. Will you serve as my squire?"
Everybody behind them gasps and can scarcely believe their ears. The greatest knight in all the land is asking an orphan girl to be his squire. It is unheard of, and many present do not fully know how they feel about it.
She looks around at them very confused. She then looks at the huge knight kneeling before her. It is his kind brown eyes that finally make her relax and smile before she says, "I do not know if I can do what you ask of me, for I have never tried such a thing before, but I will do my best."
It is at that moment that the great knight knows he has chosen well. "I could ask no more than that. You speak words of wisdom and truth for all to hear. I am proud of you."
He turns to the crowd that is in near shock and he says to them, "Kate is now my squire. She will be shown the same respect that are bestowed upon me, for she is now under my banner of protection and freedom."
Many of the remaining squires start to complain. Even some of the full knights are aghast at this new turn of events. The great knight, Clifford The Brave, walks over and takes Kate's delicate hand into his callused worn hand. He walks her over to his horse. He bends over and gently puts his hands on her tiny waist and lifts her up onto his saddle. "Kate, this is my warhorse, known as Ghost."
"Hello," she says in a sweet voice. Ghost nods his head and Kate giggles prettily.
Clifford searches through his packs just behind the saddle, and pulls out a piece of jerked meat, a piece of travel bread and a flask of water. He hands them to Kate with a smile and pats her leg. He then takes the reins of the horse and starts walking them out of the city.
As Clifford The Brave, Kate and Ghost leave the city of Pubbabear and disappear into the Forest of Serene Measure, a fog rolls in and the last thing the stunned city dwellers see is the greatest knight in all the land, and his squire named Kate, disappearing into the fog.
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