In medieval times, a sport arose. Embraced by noble and peasant fans alike though only noble knights could compete. The sport was jousting.

For one of these knights, an over-the-hill farmer champion, it was the end. But for his peasant squire William, it was merely the beginning.

"Should we help him?" Roland asked. He glanced back at the slumbering, old knight.

"He has to be in the lists in two minutes," William replied.

"Lend us those," the larger man said. He plugged his nose and walked to the seemingly sleeping knight. A few seconds later, he tilted down the visor of the helmet. "Dead," he said.

Eleanor gasped and hurried over, her golden hair trailing behind her. She covered her nose with one of her long plaits, hiding her somewhat bulbous nose. "Nous n'avous pas de chevalier a la concurrence...Il etrait comme un pere pour moi," she said, sadly. (We have no champion to compete...He was like a father to me) William stepped over to his sister and placed a comforting arm around her. She leaned into it, taking a deep, calming breath.

"Three scores to none after two lances. All Sir Ectaire needs 'do is not fall off 'is 'orse an' we've won!" Watt said happily, coming over to stand beside the siblings.

Eleanor looked up and shook her head sadly, walking away from the clueless one. Roland put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. His whiter skin stood out against her nearly golden skin. He said, "He's dead."

"What do you mean dead?" Watt asked, disbelieving.

"The spark of his life is smothered in shit…His spirit is gone, but his stench remains. Does that answer your question?" he said, annoyed.

"No. No, no, no! No, he sleeps. Rouse him!" Watt said, coming over to the body.

"We're minutes from victory. I haven't eaten in three days!"

"None of us have, Watt!" William exclaimed.

"We need to fetch a priest," Roland said, standing up fully.

"No, he's not dead! Wake up! Come on!" Watt yelled, knocking on the helmet of the armour. He started to kick Sir Ectaire's body.

"The herald," Eleanor said quietly, gesturing quickly to an approaching horse.

"Horse squire, Sir Ectaire must report at once or forfeit the match," the mounted herald said.

"He's on his way," William said, pulling Roland, who dropped his hand from Eleanor, to the side to block the knight's body from view.

The herald gave them a long look before departing for the lists. All the while, Watt continued to kick the body.

"I'll ride in his place," William said suddenly.

"Will, no! They'll catch you!" Will's sister immediately exclaimed. Roland merely stared.

William walked over to the body and said, "Strip his armour. I'm riding in his place. Watt, calm down! I'm riding in his place! Help me! Please!"

"What's your name, William?" Roland asked, looking at the squire as he stripped the corpse of armour. Eleanor walked back to the body and reluctantly helped William take the armour off, though she shot her brother dirty looks for even considering such a dangerous scam.

"I'm asking you, William Thatcher, to answer me with your name. It's not Sir William. It's not Count, or Duke, or Earl William. It's certainly not King William," Roland continued.

"I'm aware of that," William answered as Watt and Eleanor helped him into the armour.

"You have to be of noble birth to compete!" Roland said, exasperated.

"A detail! The landscape is food. Do you want to eat or don't you?" William answered.

"If the nobles find who you are, there'll be the devil to pay," Roland said.

"Then pray that they don't," William said, smiling.

"Roland, have some faith," Eleanor whispered with a slight smile, still helping William.

"At least, you're warming to the idea," William said gratefully, glancing up at the other blonde in their little group.

Eleanor scoffed and said flatly, "I'm not. I just know you're too set on this to be convinced not to by any of us!"

William sighed but gathered his resolve and led the group back to the lists. William would compete.

"We're late, Roland!" Eleanor exclaimed. Her voice was too quiet for any of the others to hear.

"We're late!" Roland said louder so that William could hear. They group sped up, knowing the consequences should they be late.

The same herald announced the score as the four of them stood, or sat in Eleanor's case, at the end of the field. The three men continued to talk quietly while Eleanor laid back on the grass to feel the grass on her cheeks and the sun on her face. She only sat up when she heard William begin to gallop toward his opponent.

The other knight struck William on the head, earning two points. William stayed on the horse. She and the two men immediately ran to William, celebrating already.

"We won!" they all said joyfully.

They had to stop celebrating for the award ceremony. Eleanor, being a woman and a peasant, could not stand alongside Will. She held the horse by the end of the field as the prize for tournament champion was awarded to her brother.

Later, they sold the golden prize for 20 silver florins, giving each of them five. Roland handed them out, more than ready to go back to England with his share.

Three of them readied themselves to go their separate ways, William said, "We could do this."

"We've done it, Boy. That's silver in yer hand," Roland commented.

"No, I mean we can do this. We can be champions," he continued.

Watt and Roland processed this for a second while Eleanor asked pointedly, "Do you have patents of nobility?"

"Give me your coins," William said. None of them moved.

"Come on now. Give me your coins!" William insisted. They reluctantly did so.

"Right. That's one for you, one for you, two for Eleanor and me, which leaves…sixteen. Sixteen for training and outfitting. The tournament in Rouen is only a month from now. In one month we could split a prize bigger than this one! In one month we could be on our way to glory and riches none of us ever dreamed of."

"In one month, we could be laid in a ditch with Sir Ectaire. I don't want glory and riches, William. I just want to go home!" Roland said.

Watt starrted to name foods he wanted to eat to their (and their empty stomachs') chagrin until Eleanor said with a sigh, "I'll help you, William."

"Thank you, Eleanor. Watt? Roland?" William said.

"Why did you agree to it, Girl? You could go home," Roland protested.

"He's my brother. I think he can do it," Eleanor said, looking at him seriously before turning to walk away into the trees. Her direction caused the men to give her odd looks before William started to walk down the path with their money. Roland and Watt followed quickly.

"But you can't even joust!" Roland said.

"Most of it is the guts to take a blow, to strike one. Guts I have! And technique, well I have a month to learn that. Besides, the sword. Name a man better with a sword than I!"

"In the practice ring!" Watt said.

"You're not of noble birth!" Roland exclaimed.

"So we lie. How did the nobles become noble in the first place, huh?" William said.

"They took it at the tip of a sword," William said, motioning with a stick as if it was a sword. "I'll do it with a lance!"

"A blunted lance!" Watt interjected.

"Oh, no matter what. A man can change his stars! And I won't spend the rest of my life as nothing," William said forcefully.

"That is nothing," Roland said seriously, pointing at a corpse hanging from a crossroad stand. "And nothing is right where glory'll take you!"

"We're the sons of peasants. Glory and riches and stars are beyond our grasp, but a full stomach, that dream can come true, Will!" Watt said.

William walked a bit farther along the road before turning back to the two of them and saying, "If you can take your coins, got to England, eat cake; but if you can't, you come with me."

He and they waited for a second. In that time, Eleanor gracefully climbed a tree and sat on a limb ten feet from the ground, well out of sight of any passing traveller.

When Watt and Roland didn't move, William smiled, opened his palms face up, and said, "You see money doesn't matter."

Just then, Watt and Roland ran forward with a roar to try to take their money from William. They knocked Will to the ground, grappling for awhile before Will pushed them off. However, Watt was able to bite his hand first, proving his hunger.

"You see how hungry I am!" Watt exclaimed.

"Damn your stomach, Watt!" Will yelled as Roland laughed.

"Roland, please. Sixteen silver pieces, four people can change their stars…" Will pleaded.

Roland thought for a few seconds before saying, "God love you, William."

"I know, I know. No one else will," William said in high spirits.

Soon after, Watt agreed. Only then did the three of them notice that Eleanor was nowhere in sight. Will was the first to notice that. He asked, "Where's my sister?"

Watt and Roland looked around and Roland said, "She's gone."

Just then Will had an idea. "The trees."

"What?" Watt asked, not comprehending.

"She's always climbing trees," Will said as though it was obvious.

"So?" Watt asked, giving a blank stare.

"Look in the trees for her," Will said, starting to do so himself.

The three of them looked around for awhile before Will spotted a leaf green fabric hanging from a branch high above the ground.

"I've found her!" he called as he looked for a way to climb the tree.

Finally, he found one. He climbed up the tree and found his sister sleeping peacefully on a tree limb. He shook his head. He had never understood why she was so comfortable perched high in the trees.

"Eleanor. Eleanor, we need to go," Will said gently, shaking one of her shoulders gently.

"Will?" she asked, opening her eyes slowly.

"Yes. We need to go now," he said, prompting her to get down from the tree.

"Very well," she said with a nod. A second later, she had dropped gracefully to the ground. Will shook his head as he climbed carefully down. Last time he had tried a jump like that, he had ended up with a twisted ankle.