Sir Valiant and the Will

By Miss Allie

Sir Valiant stepped softly as he inched deeper into the cave. He recalled to mind the mission that Lady Humility, a servant of the King, had conveyed to him. He was to retrieve a pendant, called the Will, which had been stolen from the King by the dragon Pride. Of late this dragon had been the scourge of the country side and Lady Humility had begun to fear for her life, for Pride hates Humility.

The dragon Pride lived in the Cave of Lies, the dark dismal place in which Sir Valiant now stood. While Sir Valiant began to look about the cave for the dragon, he also began searching for the Will. Lady Humility had described it as being of a golden colour and that it shone brightly as a star. She had also told him to be wary as Pride would be the most formidable antagonist that he would ever encounter.

Suddenly, from behind him there rose a guttural growl. Sir Valiant drew his sword and spun around. Behind him was a huge creature covered in scales, it stood there glaring at Sir Valiant and swinging its tail slowly back and forth.

Now that he was face to face with Pride, he could not remember a single word of advice or warning from Lady Humility. Fear began to grip at his heart. How could he ever defeat such an adversary? Then some words of Lady Humility found their way to his distracted mind, Pride may seem impossible to defeat, but if thou wilt stay humble and keep the thought of thy King always before thee, Pride shall fall. Strength surged though Sir Valiant as he thought of the King for whom he was fighting.

He leapt aside as Pride sprang at him, he then lunged at the dragon with his sword, but Pride jumped, causing him to stumble. Thus the brutal fight continued for some time till Sir Valiant, with a last, desperate effort, struck Pride. The dragon gave a deafening screech then fell heavily upon the ground where it lay still at sir Valiant's feet.

Sir Valiant looked around him at the lair of his fallen foe, and saw a little shelf which he had not noticed before. On it was laid a rusty, black pendant. He stepped toward the shelf and reaching up took hold of the pendant.

“Thou hast done well, Sir Valiant,” said a voice. He turned quickly and saw the King and Lady Humility behind him.

Sir Valiant then noticed that the lair of the dragon Pride, the Cave of Lies, had melted away in the presence of the King. They were now next to a sparkling lake with the King’s castle rising majestically upon the opposite shore.

The King looked at Sir Valiant and then at the pendant in his hand. “Give me the pendant, Sir Valiant.” Sir Valiant looked down in surprise, for he had forgotten all about it.

Sir Valiant hung his head in shame as he handed the pendant to the King. “I am sorry my King, I did not find the Will.”

“Do not be sorry,” said the King kindly, “thou hast found it.”

“But my King, I thought it was of the colour of gold and that it shone as a star,” said Valiant raising his head with a puzzled expression.

“Watch,” said the King as He took a rough cloth, called Testing, from beneath his cloak. He began to rub the pendant briskly with the cloth, and as He did so it changed slowly from the rusty black to a golden colour.

“But my King it shineth not.” The King then took, from the outstretched hand of Humility, a small bottle containing a polishing liquid called Sacrificial Love. The King put a few drops on the will and he again rubbed it vigorously. The Will began to sparkle and shine brightly.

When He was finished He handed the Will to Sir Valiant. “What now, my King?” Sir Valiant asked.

“Thou must guard the Will carefully."

"From whom?"

"Pride."

"But I..."

"Yes thou hast defeated the dragon Pride but pride has many different forms that thou must be wary of."

"Remember what I told thee before thou camest here," Lady Humility said. "Stay humble and keep the the thought of thy King always before thee. If thou doest this pride shall always fall."