The Truth Over The Wall

Chapter 1 Part III: A Noble Hero

With a deep breath and a deeper sigh, let us move onto the next champion.

                                                       A Noble Hero

Sir Richard the kindly knight in charge of Hanalea's protection was father to three children.

A shy little boy, and two very loud, very lovable, almost extraordinarily confident twin baby girls.

And he had a very intelligent and wise and learned wife, Ellie. Who knew that their son - Alistair - was not quiet because he did not know what to say.

But because he could not quite decide what needed to be said first. Or which of the many questions he meant to ask, took precedence? Or how many words was he allowed to put into each sentence.

So, actually, he just had too much to say.

Sir Richard would have been incredibly happy and proud if this quite boy who could learn any move his father taught him in a single turn would take his father's place as knight.

And Alistair could do that, sure.

I mean if he had to? To make his father happy, why not?

But what he really wanted...?

Alistair climbed the stairs behind his mother who had to walk first because she carried the candle.

The light chased the shadows as she turned to hold a finger to her lips and smile at Alistair.

But what he would love?

Ellie, his mother, opened the heavy latch that led to the roof and climbed up. Then she reached down and lifted Alistair to stand beside her.

The one thing that he would give anything to be...

...Was to be just like his mother. A scholar that studied life.

While Alistair stood next to his mother on their roof; all he could see was the bright candle flame that lit his mother's gold hair like fire and created a protective circle of light all around them. The dark pressed around them like a physical being, holding them close.

"Look Allis," His mother blew out the candle and broke the little protective circle; letting in the dark.

"Wow," Alistair gasped as he took in the mighty. dark sky.

In the dissipating candle smoke, Ellie had conjured a hundred – a thousand! - stars that shown in the sky like the candle had in his mother's hand.