I do not like the next two chapters. Try as I might to rewrite them, they don't come out any better, so I figured to get them out of the way, I'll just upload them as is. Please don't get put off by these next two, I'm just no good at writing dialogue.

Jester awoke to a cacophony of insults drifting in through his bedchamber window.

'Filthy biscuit weevil!' came a bad tempered female voice.

'You'll be maggot meat when I'm through with you!' responded a snide male voice.

Jester groaned and rolled over, pulling his pillow tightly around his ears. Jane and Gunther were at it again. Jane may have been his best friend but that did not excuse her from waking him up so early in the morning. Giving up any thought of sleeping in as the continued shouting penetrated his pillow fortress and rang around his head, Jester reluctantly roused himself.

As Jester entered the training yard, Jane was taunting Gunther spiritedly, obviously enjoying the fact that she was winning. She jabbed her wooden practise sword towards Gunther's stomach. He parried her thrust and sent a clumsy swing in her direction which she dodged easily before slicing in a downwards arc, landing a blow on his arm that would have almost severed it had they not been using practise swords.

'Hello Floppy-Hat,' said Dragon from the battlements, noticing Jester's arrival in between shouts of encouragement for Jane and shouts of derision towards Gunther.

Gunther noticed Jane's concentration waver as she heard Dragon and glanced behind her. Gunther saw the opportunity and he took it.

'Hey dung breath,' he sneered, 'looks like your boyfriend is here to watch you lose!'

'He's not my boyfriend,' Jane snapped, her ears becoming hot, 'and I'm not losing!'

But even as she said it, Gunther had gained the upper hand, his sword slashing at Jane's knees and knocking her from her feet.

'Yield!' Gunther shouted triumphantly, his sword pointed at Jane's throat as she lay sprawled in the dirt. Jane, embarrassed, quickly turned to look at Jester once again. She had to be sure he wasn't making fun of her. Jester however was staring very determinedly at the wall, his face having turned almost burgundy beneath his jingly hat.

Sir Ivan and Sir Theodore had been watching the duel from the sidelines and they began to make their way over to the pair of squires.

'Well done lad,' said Sir Ivan, clapping Gunther on the back. Sir Theodore however looked disappointed as he helped Jane up.

'Very clumsy Jane. A knight must learn to control their emotions, not let their emotions control them.'

'Yes, Sir Theodore,' replied Jane, downcast.

Sir Theodore moved to stand beside Sir Ivan and cleared his throat. It was time at last to reveal to the graduating squires what their final challenge was to be.

'Your final opportunity to prove to the King that you deserve to be a knight,' he began, 'has so far been shrouded in secrecy. This is because we do not know what it will be. It is not I, or Sir Ivan, or even the King who decides.'

'Aye, it is something you must choose for yourself,' chipped in Sir Ivan.

'You must complete a quest of your own choosing. It must be worthy and it might be dangerous, but it is you who will take the responsibility,' finished Sir Theodore.

Jane and Gunther glanced at each other nervously. This was nothing like anything they had done before.

'Off yer go then! Go Prepare,' shouted Sir Ivan, startling everyone.

Dragon dropped from the battlements and lurched over to Jane.

'Come on, we have a quest to go on!' he said impatiently.

'Wait, that's not fair!' yelled Gunther, 'Why does Jane get to take Dragon with her? Of course she'll do better with that overgrown lizard to protect her useless hide!'

'You watch what you say about Jane,' Dragon snarled, his eyes narrowing at Gunther.

Jane placed her hand gently on Dragon's snout and said,

'No, Dragon. He's right. This is something I must do alone.'

As Jane and Gunther left the training yard with Sir Ivan and Sir Theodore, Jester looked up at Dragon nervously.

'Jane has never had to do anything like this without your help before. Do you think she will be alright?'

'This is Jane we're talking about, Jingle-Boy,' Dragon replied haughtily, trying to disguise his own anxiousness, 'Jane is brilliant and brave, the best knight in the kingdom. She can do anything.'

'Of course you are right, Dragon.'

Jester sat down and stared at his shoes, feeling guilty that he was not entirely convinced.