GAWAIN ORKNEY!'

'Woah!'

'Watch where you are going boy!'

'COME BACK HERE YOU THIEF!'

Pushing past people in the busy street, Gawain held onto a package. Wrapping in cloth, he held it close to his chest as he dashed through the busy streets of New Camelot, the capital city of the entirety of Avalon.

'Gawain!' yelled a small boy, dashing alongside him. The two ran parallel before Gawain tossed him the package and he dashed off back into the crowd.

'Take it to the hideout,' cried Gawain as he lost sight of his friend. Grinning, he cast a glance behind as he looked at the Baker huffing after him. 'I will lose Renfrew.'

The young boy of seven summers, with a mess of brown hair made his way to the city center. His feet flying over the cobblestone streets, he laughed as he watched the middle aged Renfrew chase after him.

'Catch me if you can Renfrew!' he cried, running to the stone pedestal in the center of the city. Raised on a stone platform, the pedestal had words etched into it. Words that Gawain could care less for. Standing atop the platform, he turned to Renfrew and stuck his hands into his short pockets, his fingers grabbing what he needed.

Huffing to a stop before the small child, Renfrew, his face beet red, eyes widened in anger as he saw that the boy no longer had what he had stolen.

'What is the matter Renfrew?' asked Gawain innocently. 'have you lost something?'

'You...little...brat!' wheezed the Baker as he walked towards Gawain, who made no indication of moving. 'Where are my tarts?'

'I have no idea what you are talking about,' said Gawain, putting up some puppy eyes, 'me steal something? I am a knights son dear sir, i would never steal.'

'A knights son are you? Mark my words Sir Lot will hear of this!' swore the Baker, as his eyes gleamed when he saw the boys hands inside his pockets. 'What is in you pockets, oh son of a knight?'

'Nothing my dear Renfrew,' swore Gawain, grinning on the inside. He took the bait!

'Take your hands out of your pocket if you are so sure,' said the Baker as he walked even closer to Gawain, standing less than a meter away.

'You hurt me sir,' feigned Gawain as he took out his hands, clasped around something.

'Open them.'

'As you command,' said Gawain, as in one swift movement he threw flour into Renfrews face, blinding the Baker.

'WHY YOU!' roared Renfrew as he rubbed his eyes. Blinking furiously, he saw that the boy was nowhere to be seen.

'Renfrew?' Turning around, the Baker saw the owner of the new voice and smiled. 'He thinks he is so smart does he.'

◊◊◊◊

Giggling as he ran down the streets, Gawain could not help but laugh. It had been hilariously easy to steal those strawberry tarts from Renfrew, he had not even to resort to his plan B. That had involved a water bucket and a horse.

'This was easy,' he said to himself as he ran. Running for a bit more he slowed down and repeated to himself, 'this was easy...' Coming to a complete stop the boy looked down at the ground and started rubbing his head frantically. 'This was too easy!' Why was it so easy? Why was it not harder? This was just boring! This was a waste of time!

Starting off again, these thoughts plagued him as he walked instinctively towards the 'hideout'. That had been the entire reason for him to steal those tarts. They were exactly expensive or tasty, it was the pure fact that it was in one of the most heavily patrolled areas of New Camelot that he had done so. Yet his plan had gone off without a hitch, it was all so boring.

Turning down an alley, he walked over to a fairly inconspicuous door and knocked twice, then once, then twice. The clicking of a lock behind the door filled his ears, as it was opened by a fairly large boy.

'Did Morris bring the tarts?' asked Gawain as he walked into the small square room. In the far corner was a small hearth, with a metal kettle slowly steaming away.

'I did boss,' said Morris, a smaller boy of around eight who was wearing the exact same outfit as Gawain. A pair of brown shorts with a bright white tunic. 'Here it is, still warm from Renfrew's oven.'

'Give me one,' asked Gawain, sitting down on the carpted floor and holding out his hand. Feeling the tart in his hand, he began nibbling at it.

'Something wrong boss?' asked the large boy, sitting across from Gawain.

'Did Renfrew do something to you?' 'Renfrew did something to Gawain!' yelled the fourth member of this paltry crew, a bob haired girl who was prodding the fire. Turning her head, she looked angrily towards Gawain.

'What did he do, that old fart!'

'Nothing Alis,' replied Gawain, spreading his arms out for them to see. 'In fact I sprayed him with his own flour.'

'Shows him right!' laughed Alis, carefully taking the kettle off the fire. 'You want some tea Gawain?'

'Yeah! You showed him Gawain,' laughed Morris as he walked over and sat beside the large boy. 'He did, did he not Carwyn.'

'Hmm,' said Carwyn, eating a tart. 'Alis can i get some tea as well?'

'Sure,' she piped up, making the tea in the corner of this small hideout of theirs.

This was his childhood gang; Morris, Carwyn, Alis and Gawain. They had made a name for themselves as a group of troublemakers. The three boys were all enrolled at the Knights Academy, their parents knights or friends of knights. Alis on the other hand could not join the Academy. Not for any superficial reason, but simply because she was a sickly child. Of course, she never showed it and often enough the boys would forget, but there were sometimes days when she would not come out form her home.

'Alis how are you feeling?' asked Gawain as he took the cup from her. 'Not having anymore attacks?'

'Not since that nice wandering Aagario came by and helped, his disgusting leaf packets actually help.' The girl stuck out her tongue and shuddered, 'taste horrible though.'

'Alis is a bit like a horse you reckon,' joked Morris, 'eating leaves and all.'

'The last time you went near a horse Morris, you got kicked in the rear and landed in the feed tray,' laughed Carwyn, 'this horse might kick you as well.'

Going red Morris began sipping his tea. 'It was the handler i tell you,' he mumbled under his breath, amidst a room full of laughter. While Gawain laughed, his heart was empty. He enjoyed this, he did truly. But he was still not satisfied, he was still bored. He craved excitement, he craved danger, but he was still a kid. He was not stupid, there was a limit he should not cross. He wanted to get older, to graduate and experience real thrills of the world beyond the walls of New Camelot.

'Speaking of horses,' interjected Alis, giving Morris the stink-eye, 'I heard there was a species of horse that travel across the land at lightning speed. They were called Yes..yesbri...? I cant recall, but I know they are massive and have manes of fire!'

'Yesbryd,' said Gawain, smiling a bit. 'They can run fast and have amethyst eyes, their manes are blue-green and they are very hard to tame.'

'Oh how I would love to ride one,' sighed Alis, teetering as she dfifted into a daydream.

'Not me,' proclaimed Morris, standing up, 'I want to be a Wyvern Rider, defending Avalon from the skies!' Mimicking the beat of a wyvern's wings, he zoomed across the small room making the noises that the winged reptile would.

'What about you Gawain?' asked Carwyn, eating another tart. What would you like to ride?'

'A drake.'

Alis leaped out of her daydream and Morris stopped moving. 'A drake?'

'Yes a drake,' repeated Gawain, preparing the next few answers to their reactions. Here we go.

'Everyone knows you cannot tame a drake Gawain!' laughed Morris, grabbing him by the shoulders. 'They are just inferior Wyverns, all they can do is run real fast. Their tempers are the worse of all, it just is not realistic.'

'Gawain, why do you want a drake?' asked Alis, curious.

'No particular reason,' shrugged Gawain, 'I just wanted a challenge.'

The other three burst laughing, much to Gawain's embarrassment.

'That explains it!' cried Corwyn, holding his stomach. 'The ever challenger Gawain, does anything that strikes his fancy.'

'Remember the time he tried to feed Helios the Salamander, the Underforge blacksmiths had to pull him out of the creatures mouth.'

'Do not joke about that,' pouted Alis, looking at Gawain, ' he was covered in burns for a week.'

'I hope you all did not forget about the time Gawain let loose all the horse in the stables and wanted to test how fast he could get them all back, without anyone knowing.'

'That did happen,' thought Gawain as he ate a tart, stopping it from reaching his mouth as he looked to the scared faces of his friends.

'What?'

'Behind you,' pointed Corwyn, looking down at the ground.

Sighing Gawain turned around and smiled, 'oh hello Sir Bertilak, how are you doing.'

'Just fine,' smiled the eighteen year old, grabbing Gawain by the collar and lifting him into the air easily with one hand. 'Just caught a thief see, so I am feeling quite pleased.'

'Damn it...'grumbled Gawain as he saw that Bertilak had not come alone. Behind the blonde knight, was a retinue of other knights who were chuckling under their helmets.

'You two, head back to class,' said Bertilak, looking at Morris and Corwyn, 'I will make sure that you are punished. Not much as this one, but enough.'

'Yes Sir,' moaned Corwyn and Morris, passing by Bertilak and into the hands of the other knights.

'Corwyn,' said Bertilak, without looking back, 'give the tarts in your pockets to my friends here.'

Corwyn sheepishly took out the tarts and handed them over to a knight, having stuffed them into his pockets as soon as he realized Bertilak had entered the hideout. 'Delyth, please take Miss Alis back home. Make sure to instruct her to be a bit more responsible,' asked Bertilak, holding Gawain under his arms exited the hideout.

'At once Sir Bertilak,' replied the only female knight present, stepping into the hide out and waving to Alis, 'Again Alis?'

'Sorry sister,' murmured Alis, taking her sister's hand as they walked off.

'What will I do with you?' sighed Delyth, picking up her sister in her arms as she nodded to Bertilak and headed to their home. 'I will return shortly.'

'No need Delyth,' said Bertilak, continuing to head back towards the castle, 'take the day off. Use this time to spend time with your sister, maybe then she will not be so keen to join their ridiculous pranks.'

'Thank you Bertilak,' said Delyth, as she continued.

'Oi Bertilak,' complained one of the other knights. '

No complaining Sawyl, we went drinking the other day when we were not supposed to,' said Bertilak, waving off the others.

'Sawyl is a lightweight Captain, he does not remember anything from that night,' laughed one of the other knights.

'I am not!'

◊◊◊◊

'Ah I am so bored!' yelled Gawain as Bertilak carried him through the castles portucllis, the banners hanging off the sides whipping in the wind. The blue and gold arms of the Pendragon family rippling, the Three Crowns glistening. The towers of the castle loomed high above them as Bertilak carried the rambunctious Gawain through the corridors.

'You missed a turn,' said Gawain, pointing to the path leading to the Academy, which was an extension of the castle. He could hear the other knights turning away and hear his question echo in the voices of his friends.

'You are not going to the Academy,' replied Bertilak, grinning, ' you would just finish all the work and laze around anyways. Instead you and me are going to have a talk.'

'Oh no,' groaned Gawain, letting his hands hang limp, 'not another lecture. I get those enough from father and mother.'

'No, it is not going to be another lecture,' promised Bertilak, as he continued onwards through the castle. 'My arms are getting heavy, promise to follow quietly and not make a scene?'

'Fine,' said Gawain. Feeling the ground beneath his feet again, he followed the massive Bertilak as they made their way deeper into the castle. As they walked the halls of the castle, they passed by various tapestries that hung upon the walls. Some were new, with their artwork gleaming in the light of the lanterns, the Everbright flames within flickering.

There were some old ones, some very hold ones from the time the castle had been built. Their colors faded, their stories faded yet ever present. Casting them a glance, Gawain stared at them a bit too long and garnered Bertilak's attention. 'Do you know of all the tales that hang on these walls?'

'I know they were all boring men, serving, defending...always doing the same old rut. The enemies were different, but the story is always the same. Kingdom in danger, lone knight saves the kingdom...impossible really. All of these stories are just exaggerated,' replied Gawain, shrugging, 'nothing new.'

Chuckling Bertilak stopped and pointed at one of the many tapestries, ' I cannot argue with that. There is something about a single knight against the fate of the world that is so interesting. How about this one.'

'What is this?' murmured Gawain, walking in for a better look at the faded tapestry. It depicted a knight in black armor facing a man with a crown and a sword. 'What story is this?'

'The kind of story they do not tell you,' explained Bertilak. 'The tale of the Black Knight, the one man to defeat Arthur in a tournament.'

'Really?' his eyes gleaming. 'Who was this man?'

'No one knows...in fact no one knows what happened afterwards.'

'Damn it,' swore Gawain, kicking the wall. 'Hey!' exclaimed Bertialk, knocking the boy on his head, 'language.'

'Rotten history tellers....'

Turning the corner after a while, they came across a small garden pond that seemed so underwhelming for something in such a glorious castle. Dragonfly's zipped across the smooth surface of the water, small reeds growing on the sides. It looked as if no one ever visited it, the grass wild and untamed.

'What is this place?' asked Gawain, casting his gaze all around it. He never thought such a place existed within the castle walls, he had though the most interesting place within was the Underforge beneath the castle itself. But there was something about this place, something almost mellow and sad.

'This is called the Pool Of Tears,' answered Bertilak, sitting upon the grass and looking at the pool. 'Take a seat Gawain.'

Plopping himself next to Bertilak, Gawain also cast his gaze to the pond, the water almost like glass.

'You should come here at night,' said Bertilak, 'Moon Lilies bloom under a crescent moon here, one of the prettiest flowers. They are one of Delyth's favourite.'

'Hmm.'

'Gawain I know why you do these stupid stunts,' said Bertilak. 'You are just bored of life, am I right?'

'Spot on Sir Bertilak,' said Gawain, picking up a reed and sticking it in his mouth. 'Nothing is interesting anymore...nothing poses a challenge.'

'You can call me Big Brother you know,' grinned Bertilak, ruffling Gawain's hair, 'Sir feels so stuffy.'

'But you are not my brother,' argued Gawain, slapping the hand away.

'True, but after how much I had to cover for you and since I am technically in charge of you, it would not be a stretch,' he laughed, continuing to ruffle Gawain's hair. Eventually Gawain gave up and instead began to focus once again on the pond.

'I cannot tell you I know how you feel,' began Bertilak, 'since I am not a genius.'

'You are the most mundane of the mundane,' slighted Gawain, getting a rap on his head in response.

'I try my best,' said Bertilak, feigning hurt. 'You are a great swordsman, a knowledgeable student and a good friend. There is nothing left for you to do, or so you think.'

'What do you mean?' asked Gawain, gaining interest. There was more to do? Was it interesting? Would it be hard for once?

'Actually putting it all into practice. There is a great difference from learning something in a book and seeing it in real life.'

'Aww,' sighed Gawain, 'I thought it was something great.'

'Listen to me Gawain, this may not mean anything now. But remember, no one can go through life aimless. You are a student and your goal is to graduate the Academy as a full-fledged knight, but what is after that?'

'No clue.'

'So fast!'

'I do have no thought of anything beyond, but I do not want to be stuck in a office like my father. I have no desire of joining you in the Roundtable Knights in defending this city, it is far too boring.'

'Then you would venture out of the city into the lands of Avalon? Travel across the provinces and experience life?'

'Hmmm, maybe,' thought Gawain. Then he recalled Alis talking about the creatures and how he had felt happy talking about them. 'Or maybe I will set out to document every creature that exist in our kingdom.'

'Ah, there you go!' grinned Bertilak, 'you have an idea what you want to do.' 'I might start in the north-west, travel through the islands of the Horaians, then through the Elf forests of Alfheim. Then afterwards continue to the east and see the lands of the Pengalaians and then to the Vittalians and Dwarves and finally end in the north, Odinsvollur.' As he spoke, he got more and more excited realizing he had found what he wanted to do.

'Make a journal of all your findings,' said Bertilak, smiling that his plan had worked. He had spent a long time agonizing over the best way to get Gawain to focus. Him and Delyth had spent nights discussing how to do it, both of them running into walls. They had just decided the best way, was to get Gawain to decide for himself.

'What about you Big Brother Bertilak,' chuckled Gawain, saying it for the first time, 'what do you plan on doing?'

'I get it, it sounds stupid. Just call me Bertilak,' cringed Bertilak, 'I plan on living a quiet life, a small house for me and Delyth to raise a family. It might not be this year, or the next but I will make it happen.'

'I will make sure to visit you then, in between journeys,' swore Gawain, realizing how much Bertilak meant to him. 'I know, I can call you Master!'

'What, why?' spluttered Bertilak, surprised.

'Well, it felt natural. You always are there to teach me when my parents are busy. I never listen to the teachers, but I always listen to you.'

'Alright!' proclaimed Bertilak getting to his feet and slamming his closed fist over his chest, 'I will be your Master.'

It was then that Bertilak stopped smiling, and his face contorted into one of horror before settling down into an uneasy smile. 'Gawain, do you think you can make your way back to the Academy?' he asked, casting a nervous glance to the pond.

'Sure,' said Gawain, unaware of Bertilak's change in expression. Getting to his feet, he dashed off, waving to Bertilak before he was out of sight.

Now left alone, Bertilak looked to the Pool of Tears and frowned. 'Who are you?' he asked to the figure on top of the pool, a fair faced lady who walked upon the water. 'And why do you speak in my mind?'

'You have plans for a future Sir Bertilak, but as of this moment those will have to be put on hold. I am choosing you as my knight, for you to inherit my Blessing.'