The Boy, his Dog, and the Butterfly

[Simon Danvers]

He thought there would be nothing to it. Two backpacks on his back, a bag in his hand, an envelope in one of the bags and his best friend by his side. Simon Danvers thought he could just walk into the castle, talk to the Queen and her hand, and become a squire.

Little did he realize that the two would be busy, and he would not be allowed into the castle until they were not.

He begged and pleaded with the guards, showing them the envelope his father had placed the letter in, asking desperately just to be allowed ten minutes with the two to discuss the possibility of him becoming a squire, and eventually a knight. But no, the guards were on strict orders. Sadly, Simon had to respect them. He would not enter through the front gates of the castle.

But who was to say he didn't have other ideas?

When he was sure no one was looking, him and his faithful dog checkers walked on towards the gardens, as if they were meant to be there. Servants that did see them did not question, and no guards had spotted them yet. To Simon's relief.

The boy planned on sneaking in through another door, perhaps one through the gardens. Or so he hoped. But he was impatient- after mere minutes of walking, he pursed his lips and looked around in frustration, not being able to find a door.

Standing by an in-ground, rectangular fountain, to which he was weary of because of how deep it looked, Simon opened his map and looked at it. Mostly, it showed the city and its attractions, important places. Things such as that. And, to his disappointment, it only showed the front of the castle, and the gates at the front to get in.

But Simon was sure that there was more than one entrance. He just had yet to find it.

As he folded up his map and put it away, his border collie Checkers ran around playfully as it chased a butterfly. Luckily for Simon his dog was not yet destroying property.

Simon dropped his bags onto the ground, exhausted on how tiresome it was to carry them. He wore simple clothing- he had taken off his coat in the carriage, and put it in one of his bags. Now he only wore simple trousers, a long-sleeved tunic and boots with decorations on them. His short sword was attached to his hip, his dagger to the lower part of his leg, hidden by his trousers, and his longbow was resting atop his bags. Because his clothing was not as thick as usual, it was easy to tell he was skinny, making him look taller. His hair was kept, knowing he would have to present himself well to the Queen and her hand. Despite that, he still had a bit of scruff on his face, despite his mother's protest.

Simon continued to look around, when he noticed the butterfly that Checkers had been chasing fly gracefully over his shoulder, and above the fountain. He thought nothing of it at first- then quickly Simon's eyes went wide as he whipped around and commanded, "Checkers, no!"

But it was too late- Simon had turned around just in time to see his dog leap into the air, and tackle him into the fountain.

At first Simon panicked. He realized soon though, that the water was barely half way up his chest while he sat down in the water. He was soaked from head to toe, and looked rather miserable.

Checkers seemed to sense this, as the dog did not move from his owners side, a look of guilt on the poor dog's face. Simon slowly looked at the dog, sighed, and pat its head. Checkers happily licked his hand in appretiation.

Looking around, Simon went beat red, as people were staring at him.

Although he was thoroughly embarrassed, he just hoped that he wouldn't be kicked out.

[Deleted]

His hood was pulled low over his face. His eyes were just visible by a slight glint from the light of the city. He wore a long-sleeved shirt lined with tough leather under a fur tunic. A bearskin cloak was draped along his back and attached at the shoulder by a silver brooch shaped after an eagle. His longbow and quiver of arrows was slung across his shoulders and his short sword hung from his belt. He sat atop a tall horse the color of a shiny new gold coin with a mane and tail as black as night. Behind the saddle, various pelts and other cargo were strapped to the animal's back. The gallant stallion walked confidently through the streets as the rider on his back looked back and forth warily.

His name was Sunden Anover. He'd been a hunter since a very young age, and that was the only life he'd ever known. It had been years since he'd decided to leave the destroyed woods of his home country and venture further into the world. Not only had the woods been burned to mere skeletons of what they'd once been, they'd began to bore Sunden. Who wants to only hunt deer and smaller game for their whole lives?

So, he'd gone to find himself a more challenging, thrilling life. Years after living like that, he'd learned of the city of Avaleur. From what he'd heard, it had seemed like a paradise. The woods around it were teeming with prey, and, as it seemed, anyone would be accepted into the city. Perhaps they'd open up a place for a poor, lonely young hunter as well?

For almost a year, Sunden had searched for the city. At last, after so long, he'd found it. It had been quite a long time since he'd been in a large city with so many people around. It made him nervous. He had only just entered the city, and already was beginning to regret it. Where was he going to start? Who should he talk to? Should he start by finding a place to live? It now seemed rather foolish to walk into a city without a plan of what to do when he arrived. But, the thought of belonging somewhere again was too tempting to resist. So, now, he'd made it to the city of his dreams, and he had no idea what to do now.

Suddenly, a noise, like a watery explosion, sounded off to his right. The great stallion threw his head and whinnied, dancing to the side.
"Easy, Jo," said Sunden, absently. He'd been riding next to what seemed like a garden in the shadow of a castle. From what he could tell, someone had just taken a giant fall into a fountain. He saw more clearly now that it was a young lad with a dog at his side.

[Simon Danvers]

After a moments hesitation, Simon slowly stood up, and began ringing out his shirt as he nervously looked around. Really, it was definitely not a good start to his beginnings of a future Knight. He found himself lucky, at least- the only people out there at the moment, it seemed, were gardeners and servants.

Until, that is, Simon turned his head to the side, and went a deeper shade of red at spotting the man on the horse.

Checkers decided to run off again to chase the butterfly, after realizing he wasn't in trouble. Simon would have scolded the dog if he were not so busy worrying about the man on the horse. Was he a knight, or a guard? What if now that the man had seen his foolishness, Simon would no longer be allowed to become a squire?

The thoughts ran through his head fast, his face now not red, but turning white. The dreams he had of becoming a knight, the battles he would face fighting for a kingdom that would soon become his. Would it now never happen?

He lifted himself out of the water, and slipped off his boots that were soaked in water, like the rest of his clothing. He just hoped that water had not gotten into either of the sheaths for his dagger and sword- though it was probably the case.

Not worrying about it too much, Simon turned to the man and called out, "Excuse me! Are you a knight? Or a guard? Or...something?"

[Deleted]

Sunden watched as the young man slowly hauled himself out of the water. He seemed to be eyeing the hunter. The dog went racing away to chase a butterfly, and Sunden's horse started kicking his feet again. Sunden clicked softly to him.

When the boy called out and asked him if he was a knight, Sunden almost laughed, but didn't. He wasn't really sure how he could be seen as a knight. The young hunter slowly raised his hood and dropped it back behind his head. It wasn't like anyone here would recognize him anyway.

"No," he called back to his watery interrogator. He hoped he didn't seem as wary as he felt. "And from the looks of it, I'm guessing that you're not, either?"

[Simon Danvers]

Simon raised his eyebrow, as he ran his fingers through his hair to shake out some of the water. Oh boy, how he was happy that water hadn't been deep.
"Nahh," he called out, looking himself over. Oh how he hoped that he might be emitted into the squire wing soon, if he were to become a knight. Simon was of high hopes that he would not have to walk around with damp clothing all day.

He looked back at the man, looking him over. He was at least relieved that this man was not one of the knights. At the same time, he wished that this man was- after all, the sooner he could start his training, the better.

The boy hadn't even been accepted yet, but he was so stubborn that he thought it was impossible to not be accepted in.

"Though, I'm gonna be," his eyes finally rested on the man's head, as the boy grinned widely.

[Deleted]

Sunden nodded, and even allowed himself to crack a small grin, though it disappeared quickly. So, this boy wanted to be a knight? Sunden would never be able to do that. One of the few conditions he'd promised himself if he were to come live in this city was that he would leave and spend a lot of time in the woods. Being a knight, he'd have to be in the city a lot. The young hunter wouldn't be able to stand that long before suffocating.

"I am a hunter, though. I just arrived here maybe an hour ago, actually," he said. Perhaps this young boy would know the city better than he did. Sunden would have to utilize his resources as best he could. "Do you, uh, have any suggestions for where I should start here?"

Sunden wasn't the type to always be asking for directions. In fact, he was the one who would rather search for a particular woods by himself for years before he would ask anyone for directions. But, he was out of his element here. Maybe this once, asking for help would be all right.

[Simon Danvers]

Checkers had watched as the butterfly flew over the wall to the outside of the city. He waited, and waited, and waited, and came to the conclusion it wasn't coming back. With a slightly droopy head and tail, Checkers made his way back to Simon.

"Well, uhm..." Simon thought for a moment, pursing his lips and crossing his arms over his chest, looking down.
He had always wanted to go to Avaleur for the sheer sake of becoming a knight. And because of that, he had studied the city a little bit in the past few years.
But to say he knew his was around the city was an overstatement.

Checkers nudged at the boys hand, and Simon absentmindedly rubbed at the dog's head. Checkers sat down pleased as his master rubbed at the top of his head.

"I just got here myself, to be honest. But I mean, if you're meaning to stay here long you might want to buy some land. This is a city that travelers like to come to. So inn stays usually aren't that cheap. Other then that, I mean, there's an arena? And a theater...oh, and there are some guilds in the area, so I hear. You're a hunter? There's a circle of hunters, I think. If you're interested in that sort of thing."

The boy finally shut up, having not much more to say about Avaleur. Most of what he learned was about politics, or the knights. Not much else. And that was practically the extent of his knowledge.

[Deleted]

Sunden nodded as the boy rattled off places he could start. A hunter's guild, eh? That might be interesting. It seemed a little soon to be buying land of his own, but he didn't have a lot of money to stay at an inn. He supposed he could just set up a hunting camp out in the woods and stay there at night.

Not to mention he'd done absolutely no research about Avaleur. He didn't even know who the leaders were, or what kind of leaders they had. An inn might be a good place to pick up information.

Sunden reached forward and scratched his horse's neck absently, shrugging to the boy before him.

"Well, thanks, I suppose. Good luck becoming a knight. My name is Sunden, by the way," he said, preparing to move out again, then hesitated. "Well, can you at least tell me who the king is here?" he asked sheepishly, feeling helpless and ignorant.

[Simon Danvers]

A slight chuckle escaped Simon's lips. Clearly Sunden didn't know much about Avaleur, Simon felt. After all, Avaleur had no King.
And for Sunden to wish him good luck to becoming a knight...I don't need luck. My position's in the bag, the boy thought to himself.
"I'm Simon," he stood up a little straighter, a smile on his face.

"As for a King, Avaleur doesn't have one. But it has a Queen. Queen Namari Lovelle" Simon replied finally, his smile turning into a grin.
"Any particular reason for asking? Or are you just curious?" he asked,assuming the man was just curious about the city with all of these questions. A regular tourist.

Simon began removing his sheath from his hip and taking out the blade slightly. It didn't seem wet, to Simon's relief. He then began to place the sheath back on his hip as he awaited an answer.

[Deleted]

Sunden narrowed his eyes. So this was Simon, and there was no king? Okay, so this was a queendom. He began to nod. His last country had a king, but the town where he was born was basically left alone by the government. When he'd left to lead his own life, the entire was country was his as far as he was concerned. It had been his kingdom.

When Simon asked why he wanted to know, a flag rose inside him. He'd never really liked people who asked a lot of questions. But, he decided, he was asking a lot of questions, too. Maybe it would be okay for now. And, if he was going to be staying here in the city for a while, he might as well be used to it.

"I was just wondering. I might as well know if I'm going to be staying. I don't want to come off as completely incompetent to everyone I meet. That name, Namari Lovelle, does sound familiar, I suppose."

Sunden, feeling his legs cramping up, swung his leg over his horse's back and landed lightly on the ground. He pulled the reins down over the golden animal's head and took them just under the bit.

[Simon Danvers]

Simon nodded in understanding- of course anyone staying in any new town, or city would want to know more about it.
That thought made Simon realize that he would need to explore the city after he was registered, and all of his things were in his new room.
To think of owning a room in the castle, and training to be a knight. It was making Simon even more excited. He hoped that the Guards at the front would let him in soon- perhaps his conversation with Sunden would pass the time by quick enough.

Of course, Sunden was wondering all the right things at this point- after all, Simon knew a lot about the politics of Avaleur, and the Knights of Avaleur. He knew where each of the head Knights came from, and what they specialized in.
"Well, the Queen wasn't born here. She used to be the Princess of Fidelite, I hear. The heir to that kingdom. Don;t really know why she came here though- but she's been here for years. Have you ever been to Fidelite? Maybe that's where you know her."

Simon shrugged, the smile still dancing on his lips. Talking to Sunden at that moment made Simon feel extra good about himself- after all, he had a very large ego. And knowing things that other people may not made his ego get even bigger. But, a part of him did enjoy helping this man.

[Deleted]

Sunden began to feel more comfortable around this confident young man the more he talked to him. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad to make a few friends here. As he talked to Simon, the sense of belonging that he was hoping he would find here began to bloom inside of him. But, he suppressed it. It may still be too soon to tell, he thought.

When Simon mentioned Fidelite, memories poured into the hunter's mind.

"Yes, I spent a year hunting in Fidelite. That must be where I heard of her." He sighed deeply and led his horse over closer to Simon into the garden. He didn't really ever plan on meeting anyone of royalty here. All he wanted to do was hunt and sell his furs and meat here. But, it might be useful to know someone who may someday become a knight. This could work in his favor someday.

"So," he said, at a loss for words. "If you're going to be a knight, what are you doing out here?" he asked, at length.

[Simon Danvers]

The boy was glad he could help the man remember- he didn't have any other ideas on how he might have heard of her, other than being the Queen of Avaleur. Which clearly he had not known in the first place,

Simon opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again. Then opened it again, his face going red.
"Ahh, well, I'm not exactly registered yet. Practically just got here...I'm from the City of Hollow. My folks are rather wealthy, and since Avaleur's trying to get the alliance of a few places...my dad wrote a letter to the Queen and her hand, to ask I become a squire."

He stopped petting Checkers, who looked up at Simon quizzically.
Simon placed both of his hands on his hips and grinned.
"The Queen and her hand are busy right now, so I'm not allowed in the castle to talk with them. So I'm just sort of...waiting out here so I can show them the letter."
In reality he was looking for a different door to sneak into. But, Simon wasn't about to tell anyone that.

[Deleted]

Sunden had heard of the City of Hollow, but he'd never been there. He'd never met anyone from there either. He listened intently as Simon told his story. He was glad he was able to meet up with someone else who was new here, too.

Simon seemed rather confident that he'd become a squire. It didn't seem completely fair to Sunden that the young man's father needed to get involved. The wealth of one's parents didn't make a good warrior. But, it really wasn't his business. For all he knew, Simon was already a good fighter.

"Well I hope, for your sake, that they'll be able to see your letter soon. Leaving you out here to wait has already been a disaster," he said nodding over to the fountains. "Who knows what will happen if you have to wait any longer?"

[Simon Danvers]

Of course, his face went red again, and Simon rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly.
"Usually stuff like that doesn't happen...guess Checkers over here just got a little too excited," the boy looked over to his dog in a way that a child might look to his parent when the parent has embarrassed them.

Checkers of course, only wagged his tail and barked up at the two humans.

Though what he said was not true at all- things like that often happened to Simon, whether it was Simon's fault or Checkers. It was hardly anyone else's fault. But the boy was too stubborn to admit it to anyone, including himself.

"So any reason in particular to come to Avaleur? Or are you just here to enjoy the scenery?" he decided to move the conversation away from his little accident- his clothes were beginning to dry, but not very fast. And his ego was weakening by the moment with the embarrassment. Which was probably a good thing for Simon as a whole.

[Deleted]

Sunden nodded and shot a look down at the dog. Many times he had considered acquiring himself a hunting dog as a companion, but he'd never been able to find one. Not to mention, he probably wouldn't be able to take care of it right, anyway. He barely made enough money for himself and his horse.

"I had just heard that there was a city that all kinds of people were flocking to, and that the hunting was good, so I thought I might come check it out. It's not like there's anything else I really have to do." It was true, too. Sunden had no family that he needed to be with, and few friends, either. He had a few business partners, but he only saw most of them a few times a year.

It was nice being able to run your own agenda and never have anyone tell you what to do or how to live your life. But, it might also be refreshing to not have to make your own plans and decisions all the time.

Jonah, the gallant golden stallion, let out a loud snort and pawed at the stone of the garden path. The sound brought Sunden back out of his own mind.

"So, do you have any fighting experience, being a potential knight? Or are you just jumping right in?" he asked Simon.

[Simon Danvers]

"I may have sparred with the locals in my town one or two times," Simon grinned, folding his arms across his chest with pride. In reality, he got his ass handed to him on multiple occasions. The only times he had actually won? When his opponent didn't know they were fighting.

"But, that's really the point of coming here. I might not have a grand amount of experience, but that's what being a squire is about. They're gonna teach me how to be the best I can be," though they'll have a hard time with that, the boy cockily thought to himself, as if he knew how to do everything already.

Simon really was in over his head- he didn't know what he was getting himself into. He thought he did, but he didn't. He thought being a squire would be all about swords, and bows and arrows. Fighting, and war.
In reality, he did not know about the teachings he would go through. Maths, writing and reading, history. Things he learned briefly in Hollow- but was unaware of how much he would have to learn here. Not knowing he would have to learn things like that at all.

Unbeknown to Simon, Checkers began gnawing lightly on one of his boots left on the ground to dry. Perhaps payback for Simon not petting him anymore.

"You seemed to have traveled a lot. What's the coolest place you've ever been?" his smile brightened as he asked the man. Simon knew that, after he became a knight, that he would want to travel. To become a knight of many kingdoms, and fight for glory. And coin, of course.
Perhaps the boy would have been best to become a mercenary- but he wanted to earn his shield. To be blessed by the King- Queen, in this case, as he is knighted. He was living for that.

[Deleted]

Sunden snorted when Simon admitted how little he'd fought. It made sense to become a squire first, he supposed.

To the boy's question, Sunden sighed and looked up at the sky, thinking back to all the different places he had been. He'd been hunting in so many places, but he finally decided on one that he thought was rather interesting.

"That would probably have to be the woods and prairies of a country directly south of the one I was born in. The scenery was excellent and there weren't a lot of people. There were basically just other hunters like me. But there were enormous herds of elk and deer there. The hunting was excellent, but the best part were the packs of wolves who were hunting the deer along with people. It was great to watch how they all worked together."

Sunden suddenly realized how much he was talking. He had to admit, he had the tendency to become carried away when talking about the different hunts he had been on. It really wasn't like him to talk a lot to people. Usually it was just, 'Here's your bear pelt you wanted. Thanks for the coin. Bye.' Nobody really asked about his lifestyle a lot.

[Simon Danvers]

Simon listened intently, the smile on his face growing larger as he heard about the place. Sure, he was more for the city. What he had seen of Avaleur, so far, he enjoyed very much. But Sunden seemed quite passionate about this place. And passion was everything to Simon.

"Seems to me you enjoyed it there! Why not settle down there, then, instead of continuing to travel?" the boy asked curiously.
He had only ever been on Hollow lands. Avaleur was his first time out. So a part of him could understand why he might want to travel- the excitement of a new place, the new foods and people. The different cultures and traditions.
And in Sunden's case, the rush of a new, foreign beast to take down might be another exciting thing.

[Deleted]

Sunden smiled a little at Simon. At least he didn't seem bored, which was a good thing. He stroked his horse's nose, wondering if the animal remembered that wild country.

"I did think about settling down there and staying. But, there weren't enough people to sell my furs to. Plus, the other hunters there were willing to fight other hunters off the lands they had claimed. It eventually just became too dangerous," he explained, now more confident with talking more to Simon.

"Also, I'm the type that can't stay in just one place very long. Though, I hope Avaleur will change that. Do you ever think about travelling?" he asked. He didn't mind the conversation going on like this. He didn't have anywhere else to go. Not to mention he was reluctant to be alone in the city again. At least here he knew someone.