The Princess and The Reluctant Knight

Episode 8

At the edge of the village, Sir Alvin and Sir Theodore stood with the gravity of two men about to challenge a mountain to a wrestling match.

Theodore pointed to a spot on the map. "Here is the Sea of Madness."

Alvin leaned in, squinting. "It looks... extensive."

"By the saints, it is strewn with more hazards than a jester's walk through a lion's den."

The Map Maker, a man whose eyes twinkled with mischief had said, "Tis a journey of peril, of twists and turns, of--"

"Of utter confusion, if you ask me," Alvin had interjected. But now his brow furrowed as he traced a finger along a particularly menacing squiggle. "What in the realm is this supposed to be?"

"That," said the Map Maker, "represents the Whirlpool of Cyclopsus, a maelstrom that devours ships like a hungry troll at a feast."

Theodore gulped. "And we are to cross this... by horse?"

"By courage, Alvin."

"Ah, courage," Alvin mused, "that will be easy to pack. Takes up less space than provisions."

Theodore rolled his eyes. "You, my friend, will need more than courage. You will need wits. Be sure to pack those too."

Alvin sighed. "I am afraid our wits are often found wanting. Especially in matters of... what is the word... everything?"

Theodore remembered something else the Map Maker had said: "Fear not, for the map is enchanted. It will aid you, though you must be clever enough to ask the right questions."

Alvin perked up, his interest piqued. "Enchanted? Well then, perhaps it can summon us a dragon to whisk us away to the beast that holds our dear Princess Brittany captive?"

Theodore chuckled. "If only it were so simple. The map maker said the map only guides, it does not transport. Besides, I hear dragons are notoriously unreliable for appointments."

Alvin nodded. "A shame. I had already envisioned our heroic arrival-- wind in our hair, a dragon at our beck and call."

Theodore, who fancied himself as something of a philosopher on Tuesdays and Thursdays, said, "Instead, we have our legs and our less-than-stellar sense of direction. And should we succeed, I am sure you will exaggerate the tale just enough to befit a legend."

Alvin's smile sagged, threatening to turn upside down. "Do you suppose we will remember half of what the map maker taught us?"

Theodore smiled. "I remember he mentioned something about courage. We have that in spades, or at least we can pretend as much."

"One last thing," Alvin asked, glancing back at the village like a puppy leaving its human friend after getting re-homed for peeing on the floor one too many times. "This courage you speak of, does it come with instructions?"

Theodore chuckled. "No, Alvin. Like the best of life's gifts, you must believe you possess it, and act accordingly."

"Right then," Alvin said, squinting at the map. "To the Sea of Madness, with nothing but our wits and an enchanted map. What could go wrong?"

Theodore, lifting his gaze to the heavens, offered a wry smile. "Everything. Plus the chance of a dreadful death. But that is what makes it an adventure."

The cool breath of twilight whispered a lullaby through the trees as the knights set their course by the stars, stepping into the night with the bravery of those who had everything to prove and nothing to lose except their lives.

And with the last chance at taking a nap shrinking behind them, the pair ventured into the unknown, their hearts beating to the thrill of the quest and the silent hope that, perhaps, they might just find a dragon along the way who would carry them to the dragon holding Princess Brittany captive.