Sara rousts me with a kick and a Kaniwa curse. She may not have fully learned the tribal language from Pell, but she can cut a blue streak for a lady. I step out of the tack compartment of the horse trailer and shake Losau awake. By the time we emerge, Dondie is preparing Brunhilda with a sidesaddle under Sara’s instruction.

“How did you bust Dondie out of Social Services?” I ask through coffee breath while straightening my belt.

“You’re looking at my new foster child,” Sara says. There is barely five years of age between Sara and Dondie.

I look at the boy. Dondie wears new blue jeans, a black polo shirt, and leather boots. He has cleaned up and looks quite handsome.

“If I don’t like it, I’ll leave,” Dondie says.

“I’ll hunt you down like a weasel after a rat if you leave. We’re responsible for you now. Besides, you’re better off staying with us.” I don’t know where my outburst came from; maybe it’s because I was a street kid myself.

Dondie looks at me open-mouthed, then settles into a devious smile, letting me know he will be a challenge.

Dondie participates in morning exercises of his own volition. I count that as good. He wants what we have despite his protests.

In the lists, staff practice begins, and I notice Wolf sparing with a short man in a hooded robe. They quit and shake hands, and then he brings him over. The man whistles, and a bunch of teenagers surround us.

“Meet Ishmael,” Wolf says.

Ishmael bows and introduces his fourteen teens: Angel, Sean, Jesus, Reggie, Ralphy, Izzy, Keladry, Johnny, Little Sara, Bobby, Pettie, Sandy, Jackson, and Erica.

Wolf and I introduce our horses to the gaggle of kids. Nudge, because of his great size, gets more attention. But, I don’t mind; Peggy receives her share.

It’s time to prepare for jousting, the big Medieval Faire event. And we have no shortage of eager volunteers. Thankfully, these youngsters prove to be quick learners.

~

I mount up in full armor and walk Peggy to the lists to learn which competitor I will come up against in my first round. There are sixteen competitors in the tournament: twelve men and four women. Women knights are to eliminate each other in the first two rounds, and only one will advance to the semifinals. So, the sponsors have no confidence that we ladies can beat men for four rounds, Grrr. I have been slated for the first run with Tatiana, who I have never met.

I look around for Tatiana and find her in the staging paddock. I wouldn’t like to meet her in a dark alley— She is big. I ride up to greet her; however, she isn’t wearing the ensign of a knight. I suggest we make our first run with light lances to create a burst of splinters for the crowd. She agrees, and we ride side by side to the center of the lists to salute the patron and patroness of the fair. To my surprise, the patroness is Lady Mary Stewart. She recognizes me and introduces the Patron, His Honor, Michael, mayor of New York. Returning to my end of the lists, Losau passes a light lance to me.

“Send her flying,” Wolf says.

“I’m a lady; we don’t do things like that,” I respond with a wink.

“Yeah, right.”

The flag goes up, Losau slaps Peggy’s rump, and the charge begins. As we close in on each other, I see Tatiana carrying a heavy lance, marked by a thin ring of red tape. Too late, I brace myself for the impact. My lance shatters, and I am knocked back on my horse but stay up as Peggy grinds to a halt to stay under me. I’ve lost the point but saved myself from elimination. As we return to our squires, I take my left gauntlet off and slap Tatiana’s armored arm with it. Cheers and whoops ring in my ears as I make it back to the start. I’ve just made it personal, and the match will go on until one of us falls.

Asking for a heavy lance, Losau passes it up.

“I thought you were a lady.” Wolf teases.

“She’s not. I’m going to crush her,” I say.

“That’s the Wachinga I know.”

This pass, to counter her brute force, I aim carefully for the upper part of her shield while she aims straight on. Then, I neatly pop her out of the saddle, plunking her to the ground. Tatiana doesn’t accept her loss and walks off the lists without a salute.

My next opponent, Lady Knight Ophelia, doesn’t have the warrior spirit, and I unhorse her on the first pass with a light lance.

When Wolf starts his charge against his first opponent, I hoop and holler in the tradition of our knight school. He turns and acknowledges me. Despite my distraction causing him to lose focus, he rallies and wins.

After the tournament’s first half and before the final two rounds, a long lunch break is a much welcome break in the hot midday sun. Other participants of the fair offer the crowd amusing entertainment. A samurai horseman shoots arrows at watermelons on poles from a charging horse. He chops each melon in half with his curved sword upon his return. Lady Sara, wearing a white dress, sitting side-saddle, jumps the five-foot barrier between lanes.

Two medieval clowns provide comedic relief by jousting while wearing cardboard box armor and paper horses and using pool noodles for lances. They crash and fall. Another man, wearing a paper horse, and the most oversized codpiece I’ve ever seen, rides in to save the horses. He pulls a baguette from the rear of one horse and a glass of wine from the other. The three men start singing Yankee Doodle, and the audience joins in.

I spend my time taking care of Peggy and our equipment, helped by Ishmael’s children.

The competition restarts with Wolf against the Black Knight. There can only be one outcome, The Black Knight — now Amaryllis to me after our toast yesterday — will clean the lists with Wolf. And then I might face him. But somehow, Wolf knocks a tremendous blow to his chest, and the man struggles to stay up. Wolf wins by decision, and I hear the black knight compliment Wolf on his win; he may act the villain to fans, but I see he is a real gentleman.

I face Sir Gregor as the remaining female, a real sour puss. We ride to salute Lady Stewart and the Mayor. The Mayor jests that I would be a good champion if he were a lady and I were a man.

But before I pick up my lance Amaryllis is by Losau’s side, offering me a reminder on where to aim. Next, Losau hands me a heavy lance. Next, I stand up on my stirrups and respond loud enough for all to hear, “I am a Lady, and I would be honored to be your champion.”

The Mayor offers a sly grin and bows. I nod my head in return. Trotting Peggy to the start, I hear women talking. “Who is she?” “She’s riding such a small horse.” “The cheek of the girl, and that tattoo, it's disgusting; she’ll never get a job with that.” I’ve heard it all before; at least the Mayor is friendly.

The charge begins, and I dump Sir Gregory face-first onto the ground in a painful exchange.

There is another break, with more demonstrations of skill. I take time to tighten Peggie's tack and provide her with water.

I look down the lists and see Wolf on top of Nudge. Wolf is as tall as me but weighs half as much again, and he’s all muscle, and Nudge, that horse ripples power. I shudder.

I see someone step up and talk to him; it’s Sir Gunter’ and Sir Amaryllis is again at my side, handing a light lance to Losau. He says, “On the first three rounds, pay attention to how he lowers his lance and aims.”

“But, He’s stronger; I need to take him down quickly,” I answer.

“He’s getting the same instructions. Remember, use light lances on the first three rounds.”

“But?”

“No buts about it. This final round is a show for the crowd. wait until I tell you to take Wolf down.”

“It’s just a show? I thought this was for honor.”

“It’s the kind of honor you receive that counts. Now use a light lance, and try not to knock him off, not yet at least.” Amaryllis says.

I hold my lance over my head crossways in a challenge, and Wolf pumps his up and down in response. The flag goes up, Losau slaps Peggy’s rump, and I realize I am trying to impale my best friend. However, it doesn't happen like that; my lance bends and splinters it a shower of wood. I drop the broken lance and pull to a stop to look at Wolf, and he has dropped his broken weapon. I return to Losau, passing Wolf, and say, “That’s one.” His feral grin says it all; he is trying to take me down.

Once again, Amaryllis makes sure Losau hands up a light lance. He says to make Peggy dance around nervously as if anxious to charge. Peggy is a calm horse and a willing runner, so I step her up to the line, and while waiting, I swing the reins right then left, pulling her back, and step her forward. The horse responds to the confusing commands by kicking the dirt and snorting. Finally, Amaryllis hisses, “Enough.”

I calm Peggy down, but her muscles ripple between my legs. The flag goes up, and the charge is on. This time I watch the tip of Wolf’s lance and see it drop too low, and he fights to draw it up to hit my shield. As I suspect, we both hit our targets, and the pine shatters. As we re-pass, he says, “You can hit harder than that.”

I see Sir Gunter giving Upatu another light lance to hand up; a small green tape wrapped on the tip is the giveaway. Nudge suddenly stands up on his hind legs, and attendants scatter. The horse is massive, and I bet Wolf did it on purpose, more to whip up the crowd than to intimidate me, and I bet Gunter told him to do it. Once Nudge settles down, Losau slaps Peggy and hooves' thunder. Wolf’s lance makes the same slight dipping motion and rises back up. I have it; he’s trying to draw me to dip my lance where it will do no good. It’s dangerous; my lance could come too close to Nudge.

My lance hits Wolf squarely in the chest and shatters. I don’t feel it; I’m beyond that, but his lance shatters against my shield, and I lean back. Peggy stops and turns to stay underneath me, and I sit back up. I mentally thank Bear for teaching Peggy that trick. I return to Losau, and she hands up a medium-weight lance. I look at Amaryllis, and he says, “It will allow you to aim at his shoulder; don’t be fooled by his fancy little dip. Just keep your eyes on his shoulder.”

Losau delivers the slap to Peggy’s rump, and I am sucked into the whirlwind. Bringing my lance level, I aim high and use leverage to pop Wolf out of the saddle, and my lance bends then pops, while his lance just shatters against my shield; It doesn’t matter; I feel like I’ve been impaled.

Upatu stops Peggy. And points back behind me and says, “Wolf fall.”

I see him sitting in the dirt and start to ride towards him, but children surround him, helping him up. A few come over and take Peggy’s reins and start to stroke her forehead to calm her down.

I dismount and approach the Mayor’s box, and he presents me with the key to the city. There is also a monetary prize, but I won’t receive it right away. Instead, the Mayor invites me to dinner tomorrow night. After I recover from this surprise, I ask him if he is comfortable dating a former street kid. He laughs, so I tell him I will be wearing blue, As if that matters.

~

This evening I share glasses of Madeira with Amaryllis and his friends. They all bow and kiss the back of my hand. They also sing praises of the Rattlesnake Knight. Next, we wander over to Sir Gunter’s tent, where serious wine drinking commences. Wolf proposes making a real school for Ishmael and his children be safe and not sleep in abandoned buildings. In addition, there needs to be a horse to keep the kids together. Wolf surprised me by being the one who remembered our real mission.

The knights to a man and woman agree to support our cause, and all agree to contribute; some with pledge money, others volunteer their skills. Lady Stewart offers to organize the job as a retired businesswoman with excellent contacts. Her first order is for me to attend the diner with the Mayor the following night.

What!