Becoming a Knight

	Day in and day out, people go about their lives, dealing with whatever happens to cross their paths in that moment. Some people work on simply walking from one place to another. Others deal with the work that they have been given that day, or the work that they know needs to be done. Some people deal with their lives being entirely uneventful, peaceful, and happy. Others deal with their lives as though it were ending within the next fifteen minutes.
	But, with a certain pair of individuals sitting by the campfire, stripping out of their armor and setting it on the side to be cleaned, things were looking to be laid bare. A fire was crackling and snapping, and simply making its existence known to the two onlookers.
	"Gideon, I have a question for you, if you will pardon me, er... stopping your cleaning." The speaker, a brown hair covered being with the purple snout and tail of a dragon, and the horns that swirl back like a ram turns towards the other member of the campsite, a canine wearing a royal purple cloak with tatters and holes dotting the fabric, a kilt with the classic sort of tartan design, and a set of leather armor covered with swirls, straps, and buckles all around. He looks to the Draconic Caorern across the way with a bit of a smirk before stripping himself of that darkened leather.
	"Wot, an' 'ave y' bother me abou' all th' fings tha' bother y' t'day?" The canine smirks a bit more to his travelling companion. He always had a bit of a fascination for beings with draconic heritage, and every time he got to look upon his squire, he was always welcomed with a sight that brought his thoughts to life. "Kara, y'know bett'r than tha'! Y'know I'm alw'ys daen fer' list'nin'!" And with that same smirk on his face, he plants his elbow right onto the side of his leg, leans his head onto his palm, and simply looks towards his companion.
	"Yes, well... I am wondering how it is you... How do you say... How did you become the Captain of your Guard?" The half-draconic being strips off his own plate mail, and sets it aside his mace for the time being. He'll clean it in but a moment; first, he wanted to see how his mentor had gotten to where he was right now. The canine smirks a bit, and scratches behind one of his ears.
	"Well, i's no' th' bes' story ah c'n tell, bu' it's wot I go'. Rath'r dark 'n' bleak, 'tis. Y' still wan' tae hear it, then?" In response, the Caorern nods, sits up straighter on his log-turned seat, and leans in a bit to hear the tale of his Captain's past.



	"Oi, Gidy, can ye' grab my pole, and bring it o'er here, then? An' bring one for yourself, too, yeah?" The white hair of a Cu-Sith male shines in the sunlight by the water. Today was an absolutely perfect day for fishing. The wind wasn't too warm, and it certainly wasn't too cool, either. The fish were going to be lively today. He could feel it in himself!
	"Da'! I ha'e yer' poles!" As if on cue, just cresting over the hill is another Cu-Sith, this one but a toddler. This one is covered with green fluff and has two nearly-glowing yellow eyes on his face. He toddles his way towards the larger of the canines with two river cane fishing poles in his hands. Once he arrives, he holds the smaller of the two out to the white-haired canine, who, instead of taking it, reaches for the larger one in his child's hands.
	"There y'are Gidy. Now, catch a spot tae sit down, yeah? An' don't get much of tha' bait on yer' hands if ye' can help it. Stinks somefin' fierce it does." The white-haired canine shuffles a bit in his seat to give his son a bit more room to make himself comfortable. The young one, though, gives his father a hug before sitting right next to him, and makes sure to be careful of his father's stump. He had been told that bad people did bad things while his dad was away, and that was why he didn't have both of his legs. For now, though, he was simply happy as a river clam at being with his father. Before long, the larger canine is helping the smaller one haul up a fish onto the docks.
	"Hey, Da'? I wanna... Wan' be like ye' when I grow up."
	"Oh? How's tha', child?"
	"I wan.. I wan' tae be a fisher-man when I get older."
	"Hah! If ye' wan' tae, be my guest, child!"
	"I love ye' Da'..."
	"I love ye', too, child."



	"Da', did y' 'ear wot's goin' on over' by th' gate? I 'eard talk of 'umans tryin' tae force their way in!" The green-haired canine opens the door to his family's hut, and makes his way into the warmth. Immediately, his father turns towards the door, furrows his brows, and hauls himself up before grabbing a nearby cane to help himself towards that plank of wood.
	"Stay 'ere. Dinnae open the door unless it's from the Guard, ye?" And like that, the white-haired canine makes his way out of that hut, and down the road towards the nearby guard towers. The green-haired canine, however, started to pace around the room. All of this talk was making his entirely too nervous for his liking, and with all the villagers getting riled up from such a rumor, it wasn't something that he wanted to hear. For now, though, the boy simply sits at the dinner table, reaches across it for a chunk of good crusty bread, and lets out a nervous sigh before taking a bite out of that loaf. Ugh, could use some butter or something to make it less bland. He sits back in his seat for the time being, and tries his best to calm his nerves.
	The sound of the front door closing jars the green-fluffed canine from his reverie. His father's returned from the guards...! He turns to look, and spots his father making his way towards his seat once more.
	"Damned 'umans. 'Fink they own the place, they do. Hup-" And like that, he flops into his chair. "Ah, there we are. Ye' Didnae leave the place, did ye' child?" His father looks back towards his green-haired child for a moment.
	"Nae, Da', been 'ere's all. Ye' dinnae think tha' they're gon' break through, do ye'?"
	"Gidy, dinnae worry. We've already dispatched fer 'elp from the Guard Corps. They'll be 'ere in a day or two's time. Nae, ye' just sit tight, relax a tad, an' try tae no' worry, ye ken?" And with a bit of a sigh, the white-haired canine leans back into his seat for the time being, making sure to move his cane beforehand. No need for that thing to be in the way, after all. Soon, though, the two of them retire for the evening. Though, from all the rumors and such that he's heard, the green haired canine is certainly not going to get a good night's rest.
	The net morning comes by quickly, and the night left the green-haired dog with a dreamless sleep. He was awoken by the smell of porridge being made on the open fire, and by the time he had gotten himself dressed, everything was ready for the meal to begin. Both the green haired canine and the white haired canine were simply eating their food in near silence, the only difference in sound being from the crackling of the fire in the hearth, and the people outside going about their business. It seems as though that things were on the uptake from now on.
	"Gidy, apparently, one o' them 'umans made their way in last night. Caught by the guard and executed. Thank th' gods."
	"Wot...!? You're kidd'n' me, Da'! Those 'fings made their way in?! We need tae board up our wind'ws! I dinnae wan' somefin' ba' tae happen tae ye'!" The green-haired canine stands up from his seat, and plants his hands on the table. The prospect of something like that happening sent shivers down his spine. There was no way that he wanted something bad to happen to his family. Absolutely nothing!
	"Nae, ye' need tae stop ye' worryin'. The Guard's go' things under control, so ye don' need tae worry yer Shamrock Slacks off, ye ken? Nae, eat yer breakfast. We need tae get fings gathered for stock. Ye can handle an axe, ye? I need ye t' chop up some firewood fer later on." The white haired canine points at the green haired one for a bit before going back to eating his porridge once more. He certainly didn't want anything bad to happen, but he didn't want to scare his kid, too, did he? Well, now that he's done, he might as well get things started. "Nae, iffin' ye' need me, I'll be by the docks with m' pole. Ye' take care, and if anything 'appens, you come runnin' 'ome, ye? No 'ifs', 'ands', or 'buts'." And like that, he stands up, grabs his cane and his pole, and starts to head towards the door.
	The green haired canine lets out a sigh, and cleans up the table before giving everything a scrub down in the basin. No need to keep everything dirty, right? That would just make his father mad, after all. So, with that done, he heads into the back room of the hut, grabs an axe, and starts to make his way out towards the side of the house. Once he was there, he lets out a sigh before grabbing one of the logs by the side of the house. He puts it onto a nearby stump, hefts up the axe in his hand, and lets out a grunt before that log is split into two. "There we ar', one daen, a bunch tae go, then." And like clockwork, he starts to split each of those logs down the middle, one by one, until there's nothing but a pile of firewood left. Once that's done, he gathers up as much as he can, and starts to bring it inside. No need for it to be left out there when it's going to be used inside anyway. Though, on the fourth haul, something meets his ears.
	Someone's screaming.
	He turns to look around to see what was going on, and sees the guard at the gates of the village swinging their blades and raising their shields. The green haired canine furrows his brows before hauling the last of the wood inside. Things were starting to get bad. Things were starting to get VERY bad for them. Nevertheless, he simply waits inside for his father to return. He didn't want to go against his wishes. Certainly not with how bad things were starting to get.
	Soon, though, he's met with the sound of the door opening and closing. His father was back, thank the gods. He looks towards the door to see his father carrying a large trough of fish under his arm.
	"Goo' catchin' taeday, Da'?"
	"Yeh', one o' the slimy bastards go' away, though. I'll catch 'em next time. Thank ye' fer gettin' the firewood in, too, Gid."
	"Uh-huh. By the by, saw a bunch o' thos' Guard a' th' Gate. I go' a bad feelin' 'bou' somefin', Da..." At that point, the green haired canine rubs the back of his neck. Clearly, he was feeling nervous about everything going on.
	"Ye, y' tellin' me, Gidy. Well, how's this, 'hen? We have supper, we head tae bed, and we hope tha' the Guard go' us covered. Sound good, ye?" The green-haired canine furrows his brows.
	"'ope th' Guard 'as it covered?! Ar' y' daft, Da?! We need tae ge' ou' the'e and 'elp 'em out!" now, it was the white haired canine's turn to knit his brows.
	"Absolutely no', child. I will no' 'ave my son resign 'imself tae his own death, do ye' understand me? Yae are no' tae leave this 'ouse." He jabs a finger at his son before hoisting himself up out of his chair, and making his way over towards his room. "Call for me when supper's done, Child." And like that, he disappears into his room. The green-haired canine grinds his teeth for a moment or two, lets out a sigh, and gets to work on dinner...
	"Ugh, damn it, Da'. Need tae get 'fings safe, no' si' 'ere idle loike ruddy livestoc'. Hells, I can jus' take ye' blade an'-." He stops in his tracks... His father's blade. Why didn't he think about it before...!? He sets the food on the side for the time being, grabs a chair, props it in front of the hearth, stands on top, and reaches for the blade that was hanging there like a trophy. Should be simple enough, right? He chops wood most days, anyway, so this should be simple. Once he gets the blade down from its hooks on the wall, he quickly takes his leave out the front door. He was going to help them whether his father likes it or not.
	By the time he makes his way to the gate, there's already a good number of people jabbing their pikes and pushing people back with their shields that there's just a general din about the area. He puts his father's blade against his side for the time being, and makes his way towards one of the nearby soldiers.
	"Oi, 'scuse me. Sir? Mister soldier? Y' got anyfin' ah c'n do tae help?" The green haired canine pats the blade at his hip, causing a bit of a clanging sound. The soldier in question turns his head towards the green haired canine for a split second before turning back to the task at hand.
	"Hey, kid, perfect timin'. You good with that sword there?" At this, he smacks away a snarling humanoid from getting too close to him and the rest of the gate. "Ah, fuck it. You see any of 'em gettin' through, cut 'em down, kid!" Suddenly, the soldier charges forward and starts to drive the invading humans away as best he can.
	"Oh, gods... ther's a right lo' o' 'em, aren't the'e...?" Just then, though, a one of the beasts breaks through the line, and starts running towards the village! With wide eyes, the green haired canine draws his father's blade with a slick "SCHHHHING!" sound, and holds it out towards the invader! "Oi, you, stop roight the'e!" The being skids to a halt, and starts to back up a bit... before suddenly being tackled by one of the soldiers behind them! "Gah! Ca'eful there, sca'ed th' life ou' o' me."
	"You alright, kid? Good, keep that blade pointed at any o' these blokes you can see, yeah?" The canine nods in response, and turns back towards the growing crowd of people...

	The next morning, the green-fluffed canine lets out a sigh turned into a yawn. HE'd been keeping watch all night, and it was starting to get hard on him... Thankfully, around dawn, the reinforcements that had been called the day prior had gotten their way there, and had been working on getting the invaders out of there. For now, though, he was just taking a seat by the nearby gate to try and rest as easy as he could right now. He ended up getting at least two or three of them away from the village, thankfully.
	"Hoy there. Youngster. Are you okay over there?" A Caorern in full armor walks up to the green-clad canine. "Can you stand?" The canine looks up for a moment, wipes his face with the sleeve of his tunic, and stands up a moment later.
	"Ye'? Can I 'elp ye'? Somefin' I can take ca'e o'?"
	"Ah, no, no, not at the moment. You're mister Gideon, yes?"
	"Er, ye', bu' who's askin'?"
	"Me. I'm asking, my good man. How would you like to be a knight in my order?" The green canine's eyes widen a bit at the sound of that.
	"Wait, wot? The ruddy 'ells d'you mean?"
	"Ah, wait, my apologies, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Blitzen. I command the knights that came here to protect this village. And, judging by the way that you helped protect your fellow people, I want to know if you would be willing to join my order." The canine stands there for a moment, blinks his eyes a bit, and just stands there slack-jawed.
	"I, er... no' tryin' tae be rude an' such, bu' d'you really 'fink tha' I'd be knight m'terial?"
	"Well, you've certainly got the stones for it. You helped your guard out, no?"
	"I- you- well, ah mean, I did a li'le bi' o' help's all, bu' I dun' think tha' const'tute's joinin' the Knights!"
	"Well, think on it a bit, then. I'll be here for the next few days to make sure that everything is in order." And like that, the Caorern in plate armor starts to make his way off towards one of the gates.
	"W-Wait, wait, Sir Knight! 'Old on, then. Jus'... Yea', I'll do it, then." The canine looks behind him towards the village. He's got family here, but... Why shouldn't he go? It's an honor, after all.
	"Ah, good. We leave within the next few days. I suggest you talk to your family about this entire debacle, and we'll get things sorted. Welcome to the troupe, my good squire..." The Caorern motions for the canine to say something, and only a second later does he do so.
	"Er, Gideon."
	"My good squire Gideon. Come, now. We need to eat, and you, sir, need to get your strength back up."
	"Er, yes, m'lord." And like that, the canine starts to follow the Caorern towards a camp site nearby.



	"An' tha's 'ow I go' m'way intae th' Knight'ood. 's a good tale, eh?" The canine, who had been polishing and cleaning his leather armor with a good washcloth and a bit of water from his canteen looks over to his own squire, who is currently just watching his commander like his life depended on it.
	"My goodness, that is... how do you say... Unbelievable to hear. To think that such a village could be attacked by beasts and crazy people. Commander, I am glad that you are here." The Caorern gets back to scrubbing his own armor, and squirms a bit in his seat. The canine, though, lets out a bit of a chuckle.
	"Me, too, lad. Me, too..."