The Greatest Knight
“The great knight Alexander!” laughed the blacksmith’s apprentice. “Off to fight the dragon, are we?” He stood with an arm around Agnes, as they watched Alexander walk down the dirt road leading out of Chaffwell, dressed in homemade wood armor, a dull sword tied to his back, and a sack slung over his shoulder containing a blanket for sleep and potatoes to eat.
“Leave him be,” said Agnes, giving the blacksmith’s apprentice a light slap on the chest. She called out to Alexander, “Please come back. You’re a good man, Alexander. I don’t want you to get hurt. I needed a husband; you can understand that. Please come back.” Alexander gritted his teeth and kept walking down the road.
Alexander of Chaffwell was the son of a swineherd, who was the son of a swineherd, and a swineherd is what everyone expected Alexander to become, but he had a different dream. His dream was to become the greatest knight who ever lived. He dreamed of defeating the dragon that lived on Blackburn Mountain, the one that had been terrorizing villagers for generations. And now Alexander was off to Blackburn Mountain to show everyone the knight he could be.
On the second night of Alexander’s two-week trek it would take him to reach Blackburn Mountain, Alexander saw a lamp lighting up a coach, and that coach was being ransacked by a couple of scruffy bandits. One of the bandits had two men, a nobleman and the coachman, in front of the coach, facing the end of his sword, while the other bandit was on top of the coach, going through the luggage.
Alexander wasn’t expecting to encounter troubles like these on his journey. His fight was supposed to begin at the Mountain, not on the road. Instead of continuing on the road, he could go through the woods, and that would allow him to avoid getting caught up in this unfortunate incident. Why should he get involved anyway?
He shouldn’t, was Alexander’s conclusion, but after a few steps off the road and into the woods, he thought more about what he was doing. There were two men in need of help, in need of someone to rescue them from the clutches of the bandits, in need of a knight in shining armor. But Alexander had no shining armor; all he had was a drab set of armor with a dull blade to match. But Alexander couldn’t let the type of armor he had deter him, and he couldn’t ignore people clearly in need, because even if he defeated the dragon of Blackburn Mountain after abandoning these helpless men, what kind of a knight would he be?
With his sword drawn, Alexander emerged from the woods and sprinted toward the bandit in front of the coach. This bandit had his back turned to the direction Alexander was coming from, and when he heard the patter of footsteps fast approaching, he began to turn around, but it was too late, and Alexander swung his dull sword into the bandit’s neck.
The sword only made its way halfway through the bandit’s neck, and the grip was ripped from Alexander’s hands when the bandit fell to the ground. Alexander looked up and saw the two men he just saved staring back at him, shocked. His attention on the men didn’t last long, as it was stolen by the other bandit.
“What in all the hells?” said the other bandit as he stared down from atop the coach. Alexander bent down and snatched the dead bandit’s sword from the ground, preparing his nerves for battle. Seeing Alexander arm himself, the bandit on top of the coach instinctually drew his sword, but this action caused him to lose his footing on a piece of luggage, and the bandit fell to the ground.
The three men stood staring at the bandit for a moment until the coach driver walked over, knelt down, and declared, “His neck is broken.”
The nobleman, wearing his fine clothes, blue velvet chaperon, and several gold rings, said to Alexander, “We owe you many thanks, young man.”
“We sure do,” chimed in the coachman as he walked up and gave Alexander a slap on the back. “You saved our arses, lad. What’s your name?”
Alexander cleared his throat and said, “I am Alexander of Chaffwell, and it was my duty as a knight to help you good men in your time of need.”
The nobleman and the coachman looked dubiously over Alexander, with his dirty russet clothing and his wood plates tied to his torso, his legs, and his arms.”
“Chaffwell you say?” said the nobleman. He turned to his driver and asked, “I can’t say that I’ve heard of it. What say you, Gregor?”
“Not in all my days, milord,” replied the coachman.
“Never mind it,” said the nobleman. “Chaffwell must be an honorable hamlet to produce an honorable young man such as Alexander.” The nobleman looked to Alexander and said, “Honor and bravery such as yours deserve reward. I say 20 gold pieces is just. And where are you headed? It would be to my satisfaction to have such a hero ride in my coach.”
“I greatly appreciate your kindness, good sir, but I am off to Blackburn Mountain.”
“Blackburn Mountain?” said the nobleman. “What business would a young man such as yourself have at Blackburn Mountain?”
With artificial confidence, Alexander declared, “I aim to defeat the dragon.”
“You’re blowing smoke, lad!” uttered the coachman as the nobleman looked Alexander over again. “The dragon would take you out in a huff,” continued the coachman.
Alexander was ready to storm off and continue his journey, but before he got into motion, the nobleman said, “Forgive my coachman. He often speaks before he thinks, but if he wishes to remain in my employ, it will serve him well to linger a bit longer in the realm of thought.” The coachman looked down and kicked some dirt as the nobleman continued, “Alexander of Chaffwell, do me the honor of joining me in my coach. Dine and rest in my home this night, and if on the morrow you still wish to continue on –”
“I will continue,” said Alexander.
“Right you are, young man,” said the nobleman. “On the morrow, when you are well rested and have had your fill, I will not only give you the 20 gold pieces you rightfully deserve, but I will also gift you steel armor and weapons and have my coachman deliver you to the base of Blackburn Mountain. Will you agree to it, Alexander of Chaffwell?”
Alexander thought this proposition over for a moment. He was getting tired of eating potatoes every day and sleeping in the dirt every night. One day wouldn’t hurt his journey, and he could definitely use the new armor and weapons. The dragon wasn’t going anywhere until he got there to get rid of it.
“I accept your gracious offer, good sir,” said Alexander. “Many thanks,” and they were off in the coach to the nobleman’s manor. Alexander had never known a home could be that big. That evening, Alexander had dinner with the nobleman, his wife, and his beautiful daughter Miranda.
After dinner, Alexander and Miranda talked on the veranda, which led to a walk around the grounds until the sun began to rise. Alexander knew he would need to rest and thought another day at the manor wouldn’t hurt.
After a week at the manor, Alexander and Miranda shared their first kiss. After a year at the manor, Alexander and Miranda were married. After 30 years at the manor, Alexander told his grandson how he could’ve slain the dragon on Blackburn Mountain and would’ve been the greatest knight who ever lived. There were many nights when Alexander told his grandson this, and it always ended with Alexander tucking his grandson into bed and kissing him goodnight.