“Grandpa Rodan? Why are there so many different kinds of knights?”

A certain six year old Rowan Oak asks his grandpa after being read a story. A story about how a hero went off to rescue a princess from an evil queen and her faithful knight.

“Hmmm. That's a tough question. Let me see…just like how there are many different kinds of people, there are many different kinds of knights.”

“I thought knights were supposed to protect people? Like dad.” Rowan inquired with his head tilting to the side.

“Every knight thinks differently. They all have their own reasons to be in the place they are.  Like how there are good knights like your father, there are also evil knights.”

“Then why do the knights protect the bad people?”

“Oooh you’re asking a lot of hard questions today. Let me ask you a question in return. Do you know what makes a knight different from a common person?

“I don't know. That questions sounds a lot like a question dad will ask,” Rowan answered.

“ Haha! Well the answer is courage. What separates a knight from a common person is courage. The courage to uphold justice and the rights of people.”

“Okayy. What does that have to do with bad knights?”

“Everything. They lack the same courage to tell right from wrong. It takes courage to believe in a person and also courage to tell them they are in the wrong. That’s why the evil knight didn’t stop the evil queen in the story. They believe she is right, but he isn’t brave enough to tell her actions are wrong.”

“How come the knights can’t tell their queen is wrong?”

“A lot of knights make the mistake thinking that they are the servant of the person they serve, but that's the wrong way of thinking. A knight is much more. They are a protector, confidant, friend and much more to the person they chose to serve.”

“How can a knight have so many roles? How do they tell themselves what to do?”

“It all depends on the knight, but it all boils down to one thing. As I said previously, courage. The courage to believe in a master and help them with all their power. Courage to entrust another person to their back in the face of danger. Courage to tell someone they are wrong even though you believe in the person so much.”

“....It sounds really hard Grandpa. I don't get it.”

“Haha. Don't worry too much about it. After all, this story is just a fairy tale.”

Rowan nodded his head gingerly. He wasn't sleepy even though he should go to sleep soon.

After a moment of silence, Grandpa Rodan spoke “You know I was once a knight.”

Rowan's eyes opened wide in surprise at the news.

“Grandpa Rodan, how did you become a knight? I thought you were a farmer.” 

“I retired a long time ago and became a farmer after. As to how I became a knight? It's been so long since someone asked me that question. It was one of those moments you never really  forget,” Grandpa Rodan,  stopped and took a moment to reminisce.

“It was a coincidence that I became a knight. “

“Coincidence? What does that mean? ”Little Rowan asked, not understanding since his vocabulary was still developing.

“ It means that by chance I became a knight. You can also think of it as the whims of the gods. I just happen to be at the right place at the right time. I happened to meet a great person by chance when I was young. I became their squire because I performed a great deed for them.”

“Oooh, who was this great person? What did you do to help them?” Rowan asked with his eyes stars truck. Boys always loved to hear about great men and their adventures.

“I’ll tell you the name of the person another day since you wouldn't be able to recognize his name. Maybe after you start your studies then you will be to recognize the name of the person. All you need to know is that this person was one of the greatest people I had the fortune to encounter even to this day. I met him by chance inside a forest and helped him out of a tough spot.  He returned the favor and so much  more. If I never met him, my life would be completely different. I wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn't for him.”

“Where would you be then grandpa?”

“Hard to say. All I can say my life would certainly be less exciting that's for sure.”

“Did you fight a lot of bad guys and go on a lot of adventures with the person?”

“Oh, we sure did! The kind of adventures that bards sing tales about. However, it's been so long that no one remembers those stories anymore. Stories that can wait for another day. Come on it's time for you to go to sleep.”

“Okayyy,”  young Rowan said as he turned in his bed.

-

Ten year old Rowan woke up with a start. 

He looked around, but could not find anything amiss. The room was still covered in darkness. He could hear his roommate Aaron still sleeping not far away. Rowan wanted to go back to sleep, but couldn’t.

What a strange dream.

The conversation he had with Grandpa Rodan had been completely forgotten…until now. To be honest, Grandpa Rodan had been one of the main factors why he became a knight. The stories he shared made him want to go out on some of his own. However, now that Rowan thought of it, Grandpa Rodan must have dampened the stories a lot when he was telling them. If his grandpa was a grandmaster, then the battles in the stories must have been more fierce than what was actually told.

Maybe the dream came about how he decided to take on Buckbeak? That seems like a good reason as to why he suddenly remembered the old conversation. 

The dream left a lingering feeling in him that just wouldn’t leave him, so Rowan decided to get up from bed. He quickly got changed and then tiptoed out of the room. Maye once he was out of the room, he could figure what he would do next. It was his first time waking up this early on the far.

Just as he left the room he found a certain elderly man walking about, fully changed and ready for the day. “Oh you're up early Rowan. Its rare for you to be up before Buckbeak's call.”

“Yes, I could not sleep anymore. I had a strange dream.”

“Oh? What was the dream about?”

“About conversation we had long ago. About knights and courage. Do you remember it grandpa?”

“I remember. I just finished reading you the tales of the Bucket Knight. You enjoy that story very much.”

Rowan felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “ I’m ten now! I don't read those kid stories anymore.”

“ Now now, there is no need to be embarrassed about it. I enjoy a good story just like any other person and the Bucket Knight tale is a good one. Since you’re up do you want to come and watch the sunrise with me then? We don't have any good spots but the fields are as good as any.”

“Sure,” Rowan said and headed towards the door.

The two of them left the house and Grandpa Rodan led them to sit on one of the farm fields that they had plowed. The dirt felt wetter than usual thanks to the morning air.

Curious, Rowan asked his Grandpa a question. “Grandpa, do you always watch the sun rise?”

“Yes, I try whenever I can. It's one of the greatest pleasures on this farm.”

Both of them sat in a comfortable silence after that. Rowan began to witness the sun as it slowly peeked its head over the horizon. 

“Hey Grandpa? What makes knight?” Rowan had asked a lot of people, but he never asked his grandpa. 

“ Don't you know the answer to that already? Do you remember what i told you long ago? My answer is still the same.”

“Courage, that's what you said.”

“ Yes, courage makes a knight. When a knight swears to a lord, that is the courage to trust someone with their life. When a knight enters a brotherhood, that is the courage to entrust someone with their back. When a knight upholds justice, that is the courage to uphold righteousness instead of evil. Everything a knight does all boils down to courage in the end.”

 Rowan Oak sat there in silence and mulled over Grandpa Rodan’s answer.

His answer was … a lot deeper than other answers he had received. He supposed it had something to with Grandpa Rodan’s age and experience.

When Rowan ask the men of knights squadron, they all gave different, but similar answers to each other. Some said strength, while others said righteousness makes a knight. There was one who had even said money makes a knight otherwise they would not be able to afford for a knight’s equipment.

Rowan liked  his grandpa’s  answer the most. It stood out and was different from all the answers he had ever received,

COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!

“There’s Buckbeak. That means it time to start preparing for the rest of the day. It was a good talk. If you have any other questions you can ask as we go along.”

Both man and boy got up, shook the dirt off their pants and then began to get ready.

-

The day had passed quickly.

Chores, meditation, and plowing. At this point, everything that Rowan needed to do had already been ingrained into his body.

However the strange feeling from the morning persisted throughout the day and Rowan just couldn’t shake off. As he concentrated on his daily tasks, it disappeared into the back of his mind. Not fully gone, as it was still there in the background.

Even when Rowan was about to go to sleep, the strange feeling lingered.

Just as Rowan was about to go into dreamland, the house shook.