Ideas and Rejects

Possible chapter: Game

A/N: I know I need to be working on the next chapter to the Lights that Guide My Hearts...but this was stuck in my head and needed to get out. I wanted to put it into LtGMH but I wasn't finding a good place for it. So here's a little chapter for my readers interested in that...

Leon was brushing Sir Heinrich's horse Blizzard. It was a magnificent animal with a snowy white coat and creamy mane and tail. Much taller than most other horses in the stable, the stallion was a perfect knight's mount. It was Leon's daily duty (among others) to see that Blizzard's coat was curried, he was fed and watered, and his stall was cleaned. Granted, being a stable boy was only part of his duties. Just as Helia had told him, he was more or less an errand and chore boy for Sir Heinrich, with knight's training in between. It wasn't as heroic as he imagined and the droll of everyday duties seemed too long. He truly wanted to move past this and gain his knighthood. But, as he was so often reminded by older squires and younger knights, he had to earn his way.

Though he wasn't met with open hostility from the other squires, Leon could tell he wasn't part of the group. He was still the "new guy". The only one who gave him a hard time was Neil, a taller, dark haired, older boy who was on the cusp of becoming a knight. Leon wasn't sure why but anytime they interacted there seemed to be subtle rivalry bubbling.

So, he was surprised when Neil approached him with five other squires.

"Hey! Hey, Leon." He called out casually.

Leon turned from Blizzard's brushing, "Yeah?"

"You done brushing your girlfriend or what?" he joked.

The other boys snickered.

Leon sighed and rolled his eyes, "Gotta get Blizzard brushed before I head over to the smithy to get Sir Heinrich's new shield."

"Well...aren't we dedicated?" He tapped his hands along the stall beams, "But how dedicated?"

Leon looked at him, "I swore an oath to Sir Heinrich to be his loyal squire."

"Of course. We all took that oath too. But did you ever pass the squire's challenge?" he asked enigmatically.

"Squire's challenge? What's that?" Leon was confused.

"Just an initiation. You know, to prove you're brave enough to become a knight?" Neil gestured. "We've all done it."

Leon was curious, "Well...what did you do?"

"Me?" he pulled out a primitive bone knife, "I snuck into a goblin camp and stole this."

Leon frowned, "Knights aren't supposed to steal."

Neil shook his dark hair, "It's a test of bravery." He pointed to the other boys, "He jumped on and rode a tiger hog, he stood in the North Woods for two hours, he swam across the Green Ribbon...stuff like that. What brave stuff have you done?"

It sounded exciting. But standing in the North Woods would be nothing. He'd lived there his whole childhood.

"I could stand in the North Woods for two hours."

"No. It can't be the same ...it has to be longer...or better." Neil corrected.

"Like what?"

The boys seemed to think until Neil said, "Meet us right before sunset...we'll find something."

Though it sounded a bit strange, Leon couldn't resist the temptation of adventure. Especially if it could gain him friends.

...