The falcon shield, p.1
The Falcon Shield, page 1
© 2009 Melissa Rowley.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, Shadow Mountain®. The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of Shadow Mountain.
Illustrations by Michael Walton
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rowley, M’Lin.
The falcon shield / M’Lin Rowley.
p. cm. — (Knights of right ; bk. 1)
Audience: 4–6.
Summary: While exploring the woods behind their house, brothers
Joseph, twelve, and Ben, ten, discover the castle of King Arthur, who
has traveled through time to train them as modern-day knights of the
Round Table, sending them on a quest against a real-life enemy.
ISBN 978-1-60641-103-2 (paperbound)
[1. Knights and knighthood—Fiction. 2. Conduct of life—Fiction. 3. Drug abuse—Fiction. 4. Brothers—Fiction. 5. Arthur, King—Fiction. 6. Kings, queens, rulers, etc.—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.R79834Fal 2009
[Fic]—dc22
2009003593
Printed in the United States of America
Malloy Lithographing Incorporated, Ann Arbor, MI
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
* * *
Also by M’Lin Rowley
Knights of Right, book 2: The Silver Coat
Table of Contents
The Black Knight
Inside the Castle
The Two-Headed Snake
Heart of a Falcon
True Heart's First Clue
Clueless
Ben's Battle
Joseph's Test
Protected from the Enemy
The Third Knight
Reading Guide
About the Author
1
The Black Knight
Ten-year-old Ben excitedly climbed the fence in his backyard. He turned around to see if his twelve-year-old brother, Joseph, was following him. They had lived in their new house a whole month and they still hadn’t explored the woods behind it. Mom and Dad were on vacation, and Samantha was their babysitter. Sam was pretty cool for an eighteen-year-old girl. She had known Joseph and Ben forever, because she was the daughter of their parents’ best friends. At the moment, she was busy playing games with their little sister, Katie. Sam thought the boys were in the tree house. It was a perfect time to check things out.
“I don’t think this is a good idea, Ben. We probably shouldn’t be out here,” Joseph whispered, glancing around nervously at the huge trees. Ben smiled to reassure his older brother and ran off into the woods, motioning for Joseph to follow. They soon found a squirrel to chase, and Joseph forgot to be worried.
They chased the squirrel into a hollow log. Ben stood at one end while Joseph stood at the other, hoping they could catch it when it came out again.
“I told you that you would like it out here,” Ben said, but Joseph wasn’t listening. He was staring at something behind Ben, and his jaw dropped. He pointed and began stammering. Slowly, Ben turned around to see what Joseph was looking at.
Standing between two trees about fifty feet away was a large man in shiny black armor. He looked like something straight out of a history book—a really scary history book. The sun glinted off the knight’s helmet, and Ben had to shield his eyes.
“Okay, that’s . . . weird. M-maybe he’s some guy getting ready for Halloween,” Ben suggested in a shaky voice.
“Getting ready for Halloween in August?” Joseph squeaked. “I think we should run.” As the knight raised a slick, black crossbow loaded with a very real-looking arrow, Ben agreed. In a panic, both boys took off running, forgetting which way they had come. Ben stumbled and almost fell as an arrow struck a tree right above his head.
“He’s really shooting at us!” Ben yelled, looking up at the arrow above him in the tree.
“This way!” Joseph cried, running to the right.
For once Ben didn’t complain about being bossed around. The whole forest seemed against them as they tried to get away. Roots reached up to trip them, branches blocked their path, and the sun shone hotter and hotter as they ran. Soon they couldn’t see the knight behind them. Finally, Ben had to stop to catch his breath. “Hold up, Joseph. I can’t run anymore.”
Joseph stopped and stood panting by his brother.
“If I’m sweating this bad, imagine how stinky that guy is in full armor.” Ben laughed nervously at his own joke as he stared into the trees behind them. He couldn’t see or hear any sign of the knight. Maybe they had just imagined it.
“Do you think we lost him?” Joseph asked hopefully.
Just then the Black Knight stepped out from behind a tree. He was closer than he had been when they’d first seen him.
Frightened, the boys ducked behind a huge fallen log. “You’d think that armor would slow him down a little,” Ben gasped.
Joseph pointed at something in the distance. It looked like a stone wall, but they couldn’t see much of it through the trees.
“Let’s head for that wall and see if we can find somewhere to hide,” Joseph whispered nervously. They crept slowly away from the knight, making sure he couldn’t see them. When they thought they were far enough away, they ran quickly toward the wall.
The two boys had almost reached it when they skidded to a stop before a wide stream. Up close they could see that the wall was actually part of a crumbling old castle. First a knight in armor, then an old castle. What kind of forest was this?
“Hey! This is the moat for that castle!” Ben motioned toward the still water that circled the wall. “Do you think there are alligators in it, or could we swim across it to get away?”
Joseph pointed across the water. A drawbridge was lowering not far from where they stood.
“What do you think?” Joseph asked.
“This could be the Black Knight’s castle, and we’re running straight into his trap!”
An arrow whistled into the ground at Joseph’s feet. “We don’t have a choice. The knight’s shooting at us out here. Let’s get in there!” They raced across the drawbridge. On the other side, Joseph found the crank, and both boys pulled with all their might to turn the handle and raise the drawbridge again. Ben caught sight of the knight’s black helmet and his fist raised in anger as the drawbridge closed.
The courtyard looked deserted, but then, across the square, the large doors of the castle began to creak open.
2
Inside the Castle
“Did Mom and Dad tell you we were moving near a haunted castle?” Ben asked as they stood, watching the doors open.
“No,” Joseph answered. “And they didn’t tell me our new neighbor was a crazy killer knight.”
Before Ben could reply, they heard someone calling to them from inside the castle. “Welcome, welcome, my friends! Come in, come in. I’ve been hoping you’d come!”
Ben and Joseph looked at each other in surprise. The voice sounded friendly. They walked toward the door. As they entered the castle, they could see an old man sitting on a throne at the end of a long room.
“Yes, come closer now,” the man motioned, still smiling. A crown sat gently on his head, and his dark red cloak just touched the floor. A sleek hunting dog slept by his feet.
“Wow,” Joseph whispered in awe. “He looks like King Arthur in that book at the library.”
“If you say so,” Ben whispered back, shrugging his shoulders. “He doesn’t look anything like the King Arthur in the movie.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” the king laughed. “My name really is Arthur, although I don’t know anything about—what did you call it—a movie?”
“Oh, sorry,” Ben stammered. Joseph elbowed his brother, and together they bowed as low as they could without tipping over.
“I have been expecting you, young Joseph and Benjamin,” the king continued, as the boys raised their heads in disbelief. “But shouldn’t there be another? A girl?”
Ben looked at Joseph and shrugged. Ben thought what Katie’s reaction might be to the Black Knight. She wouldn’t be scared. She’d want to get close to him with a stick so she could scratch his black armor to see if there were rainbow colors underneath. She did that to anything black ever since Mom bought her that special scratch-off art-paper stuff. The Black Knight would love that!
So how did King Arthur know about his family—and what was an old guy from medieval times doing here? Joseph wondered.
“A girl with us? If you mean my sister, Katie, well, she’s barely three. I don’t think it would be a good idea to bring her here,” Joseph answered hurriedly.
“Well,” King Arthur said, “I may be wrong. Please, allow me to explain why you are here. You have been chosen as knights in training for the Round Table. Your task as knights, if you choose to accept it, is to fight against evil and stand for truth. It is a hard task but very rewarding.” Arthur looked at them as calmly as if he were telling the time.
Joseph’s eyes widened and Ben’s jaw dropped. “Us? You want us? We’re just kids!” Joseph gasped.
“Children you may be, but you are noble and brave. I do not believe that age prevents anyone from choosing right,” Ki
“Cool. I accept!” Ben said excitedly. The king smiled and then looked to Joseph for his answer.
Joseph shook his head to clear it. “Um, King Arthur, sir, Your Majesty, or whatever we should call you, I don’t get it. Did we travel back in time or something? I mean, you lived a long time ago, and no offense, but there aren’t kings and castles and knights that fight evil anymore.”
“Ah, but that is where you are wrong, young Joseph. If ever there was a need for knights, that time is now. And to answer your question, you have not traveled back in time. I am the one who has traveled forward to find you.”
“Well, okay, we’ll be glad to help you,” Joseph said. “But it can’t take too long. We have to get home. Sam’s probably looking for us by now.”
“Wonderful! But there is one thing you must learn before you can begin. Before you can become knights, you must first protect yourselves against the enemy.”
“How do we do that?” Ben asked, picturing himself coming out of the castle with an awesome secret weapon to face the Black Knight.
“I was hoping you’d ask.” King Arthur smiled. “Come sit here in front of me, and I’ll tell you a story.”
Joseph quickly sat down next to King Arthur’s hunting dog and petted it. The dog nuzzled closer to him. Ben sat down too, disappointed that they were hearing a story instead of getting a cool weapon.
The king leaned forward, and his eyes sparkled with excitement as he began his tale.
3
The Two-Headed Snake
“In my kingdom there was once a terrible knight, who was feared by all.” As King Arthur began his story, Ben perked up.
“We saw him!” Ben said excitedly.
“Be quiet, Ben!” Joseph whispered. “Stop interrupting.”
“I was only going to say that one little thing,” Ben grumbled.
“You saw the Black Knight, Ben. He is evil, yes, but this knight was twice as coldhearted and ruthless. He was called the Two-Headed Snake because he carried two swords and fought with them both at once. He was so skilled and quick that no opponent had a chance. Not one knight ever hit the Two-Headed Snake with a sword stroke of his own,” King Arthur continued. “Many of my noblest and best knights were brought down trying to protect my people from his cruelty. All the living knights gathered at the Round Table to discuss what could be done.
“As we talked, a young boy about your age crawled out from under the Round Table where he had been hiding. He stood before all the knights and claimed he could defeat the Two-Headed Snake. Every knight laughed at him. But I sensed his pure heart and I agreed to let him face the knight, even though everyone in the kingdom thought I was mad, sending an innocent boy to his death.”
“Did he make it?” Ben asked worriedly.
King Arthur smiled and held up his hand. “If you let me continue, I will tell you,” Arthur laughed. “The boy approached the Two-Headed Snake. While he was still a good distance away, far from the range of the evil knight’s swords, he shot a small poisoned dart with a blowgun. The dart struck the knight through a small flaw in his armor. The Two-Headed Snake fell dead. Even two deadly swords could not stop a tiny dart. Peace was restored.”
The king finished and sat back, looking at them expectantly. Joseph continued to pet the dog thoughtfully as he considered the story.
“That is so cool!” Ben declared. “When do I get a blowgun and some poisoned darts?”
4
Heart of a Falcon
King Arthur chuckled softly. “I am sorry, young Benjamin. You have to earn any weapons you receive. But there is a different lesson that I want you to learn from this story. It is a lesson the Two-Headed Snake never learned.”
“Does it have something to do with protecting ourselves from the enemy?” Joseph asked as the dog next to him snuffled quietly in its sleep.
“Yes, it does. Remember this story as you complete your first quest. When you have successfully defeated your first enemy, you may come and see me again.”
King Arthur whistled. The dog’s head perked up as a beautiful falcon flew in through an open window, carrying two long leather gloves in its talons. The falcon dropped the gloves in the king’s lap and landed on his arm.
“This is True Heart. He will help you prepare for the enemy you will face. Watch for his clues. The first step in defeating an enemy is to know who or what your enemy is. True Heart is a brave bird and has served me well. Take good care of him for me.” King Arthur stroked True Heart’s head and then handed one glove to Joseph. “This glove will protect your arm from his claws.”
As soon as Joseph put on the glove, True Heart fluttered over to his arm. The king handed the second glove to Ben.
“We get a falcon? No way!” Ben said with excitement.
“Yes,” King Arthur said. “It is . . . how did you say it, Benjamin? So cold?” The boys started laughing at Arthur’s mistake.
“You mean so cool, Your Majesty.” The king laughed with them.
“Now, boys, it is time for you to return to your home. I sense the Black Knight has left the woods for now. You will be safe if you hurry. Good luck on your quest, my friends,” Arthur said as Ben and Joseph stood up. “I believe in you. I know you will do well.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t let you down!” Joseph called back as he and Ben left.
Together they let down the drawbridge. Then they slowly crept across it, watching the trees on the other side for any sign of the Black Knight. When they were halfway across, they heard the castle doors closing behind them.
It doesn’t matter, Ben told himself. An old guy like Arthur wouldn’t be able to help them if the Black Knight appeared anyway. Joseph felt a little better with the falcon on his arm.
Once they crossed the drawbridge, they ran to the nearest fallen tree and crouched down. After several long moments of silence, Joseph raised his head above the log and scanned the woods around them. When he signaled that everything was clear, they crept to the next tree and waited. Then they sneaked to the next tree. The Black Knight never appeared.
“Sam will kill us if she finds out we were out here,” Joseph winced. “With all this spy stuff, ducking and hiding, it will take forever to get home. Let’s just run for it.”
“Can you lead us home, T. H.?” Ben asked the falcon.
“T. H.?” Joseph asked.
“True Heart is a nice name and all, but it’s too long. I thought T. H. could be our nickname for him,” Ben said.
True Heart took off and flew slowly above the trees, circling and waiting for the boys to catch up. They made it to their back fence and started to climb.
Sam was standing on the back porch, hands on her hips. “You guys are so dead,” she informed them. “And what’s up with the bird?”
5
True Heart’s First Clue
“We’re really sorry we went into the woods without telling you, Sam. Can’t we have cookies now?” Ben begged.
Dinner was over, and they were still sitting around the table. Sam had believed Joseph when he told her they found the falcon in the woods. She even let them bring True Heart into the house. All she said was that the falcon was clearly tame and they should put up flyers to try to find its owner. The boys didn’t argue with her, mostly because they were too busy eating dinner.
Their current problem was that Sam was still mad they’d taken off into the woods without telling her. She and Katie were enjoying the cookies she had made, and Ben and Joseph were practically drooling.
“Birdie want cookie?” Katie asked while holding up a piece of cookie towards True Heart, who stood on Ben’s arm. The falcon climbed off Ben’s arm carefully onto the table and then hopped over to Katie. He nibbled at the cookie, making Katie giggle. After the cookie was gone, True Heart ran his beak through Katie’s curly hair, trying to get her to feed him again and making her giggle even more.
