Go outside and look for Roderick

Alex orders a sandwich to go with his fire water and gulps it down ravenously. He plops down his 10 pieces of silver next to the empty plate and glass and heads toward the exit.

As he passes Kelly, she smiles and says, “Don’t be a stranger. Now that you’ve had a sample of what we have to offer, you’ll definitely want to try everything on the menu.” She gives him a sultry wink, and Alex feels his prick twitch at the thought.

He steps outside and walks toward the place where he left their horses. Sure enough, Sir Roderick is already outside. Alex realizes he was half hoping his master was still inside Kelly’s, so he would have an excuse to hang out longer and possibly sample something from another of the brothel’s workers.

Roderick is talking to an elderly man. As Alex approaches them, he notices the man is quite well dressed and gives the impression of wealth. Not far away is an expensive carriage, drawn by fine horses. Alex can tell there is someone inside the carriage, but it is closed, and it is too dark to see who the occupant or occupants are. As he draws closer to the man, he can see that he appears to be injured and has one arm in a sling and is using the other arm to lean heavily on a crutch.

“Ah, there he is now,” says Roderick as he sees Alex. “Alex, this is Lord Horglesby. He has a mission for us.”

Alex listens as Roderick explains the situation.

“Lord Horglesby was escorting his granddaughters to Central City when they were attacked by highwaymen. They only just escaped with their lives, and he was badly injured.”

Alex looked at the man in the light of the streetlamps and wondered how such a frail, old man could survive any encounter with anyone stronger than a 10 year old girl.

“His eldest granddaughter is to be married to Count Sedgway next week, and that’s where they were heading when they were attacked,” explains Roderick. “Although they escaped with their lives, the thieves made off with the young lady’s dowry.”

Lord Horglesby speaks up. “It was most fortunate that I came upon Sir Roderick at this time. I doubt I could make the rest of the journey in my condition, and even if I could, it would be a grave insult to the Count to present his bride to him without the customary dowry.”

Alex is familiar with the concept of a dowry. The bride’s family presents money or a gift to the groom to seal the marriage. Where Alex is from, a dowry is typically a cow or a few chickens.

“What was the dowry?” Alex asks.

“It was a priceless family heirloom,” says Horglesby. “A gold chalice, covered with diamonds and rubies. Its value is inestimable, but not just because of its material. It has certain magical qualities about it as well that cause the holder to become quite wealthy.”

He looks sadly in the direction of the carriage. “It has been in the family for generations and has made me very wealthy, but my granddaughters are the last of our family, and I promised them it would stay with the first one of them to be married. Tabitha is the eldest, and it is her birthright.”

Roderick picks up the explanation. “Tabitha’s sister, Cinda, is with her in the carriage. They must arrive safely at Capital City for the wedding, and we must locate the thieves and retrieve the chalice so it can be given at the wedding.”

“And the wedding is next week?” Alex asks, doubtfully. The journey to Central City from there is three days by carriage. That doesn’t leave much time for finding the chalice. Plus, Lord Horglesby looks like he needs medical attention. And if there are highwaymen in these parts, it wouldn’t do for two young women to travel alone, unescorted by an armed guard.

Roderick picks up on Alex’s doubts. “I was telling Lord Horglesby that this is exactly the sort of thing a Knight of the Realm is charged with: protecting the good citizens of the Kingdom, fighting injustice, and upholding all that is good and decent.”

Alex nods in agreement, but he wonders what Horglesby would think if he knew that these two upholders of goodness and decency just came from getting their rocks off at a whorehouse.

“I can make my way back home on my own,” said Horglesby, “but I am of no use to anyone in my condition. Sir Roderick suggested that the two of you could see my granddaughters to the wedding and retrieve the chalice.”

“We certainly can try,” said Roderick, “but I think our best bet is to split up, with one of us escorting the ladies and the other going after the thieves.”

Horglesby considers this. “Ordinarily, I wouldn’t dream of sending one man to be alone with two unmarried women — particularly when one of them is about to be married. But it was fortunate that I came across a knight and his squire. If there is anyone who can be entrusted to safeguard a maiden’s virtue, it would be someone such as you, am I right?”

“Lord Horglesby, I pledged my heart, hand, and the steel of my blade when I was dubbed knight that I would be the very model of fidelity and valor. You have my word that we will regard your granddaughters as if they are our sisters and treat them as such.”

Alex glances again toward the carriage and wonders about the occupants. He also wonders about Roderick’s solemn pledge. He has only known the man a short time, but in that time, all he has shown interest in is getting laid. Perhaps he lets his guard down while in the company of his squire, but is otherwise the model of chivalry. Time will tell.

“So which of you will accompany the ladies, and which will go after the chalice?” Horglesby asks.

Roderick looks toward Alex and raises an eyebrow. “What say ye, young squire? Which adventure are you up to?”

Babysitting a couple of rich girls is not how Alex envisioned his training as a knight. He wishes he could get a look at them, because if they are pretty, that might be a different story. Ashamed, he silently rebukes himself and reminds himself that they are not like the women in Kelly’s brothel; these are women from a noble family, and one of them is on her way to her wedding. With that thought, he wonders about the wisdom of having Roderick escort them; he has not shown himself to be the most honorable in terms of how he views members of the fairer sex.

He considers that going after the chalice would be much more exciting, but it would undoubtedly be more dangerous. Alex has had virtually not training in combat. Then again, how tough can these thieves be, if an old man like Horglesby was able to fight them off?