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DISCLAIMER:  Catherine Marshall's beautiful story of Christy is owned by
the LeSourd Family.  I am in no way seeking profit or credit for her
story.  I am continuing the story of Christy for my own amusement
only.  Any characters added to the story are the genius of the Christy List
and the author is grateful for their participation.
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AUTHOR’S NOTE: Besides this being the first chapter of the Knights FanFic, it
is also the first FanFic I have ever written. Please be gentle in your
comments.  Also, this FanFic does not have a lot of Neil or Christy in it
(YET)--it is primarily focusing on the children now.  I hope you like it and
will still read it.  Special thanks to Lisa3, Miranda and RAD for their
encouragement in making me write this even when I hoped all of you had
forgotten I said I would write it.  Enjoy!

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Title:  Chivalrous Deeds
Author: Regina, Maiden of the Mountain Laurel 
Summary:  The beginning of it all

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Chapter 1

        He wasn’t bored.  Boredom is not what caused Creed Allen to turn to look out
side instead of listening to Miss Christy talk about the proper way to
multiply two digit numbers.  
        It was the lure of the spring air, when all of the trees in the Cove
seemed to stand together and shout, “Look at us!”.  The birds seemed to call
his name, “Creed, Creeeeed, Creeeeeed”, with his name taking more and more
time to squawk with each circle the tiny creatures made.
        The hills were not helping his multiplication either.  They loomed outside,
not like towering mounds of earth, but rather like friends that were just
waiting for Creed to burst out of the classroom and to roll down them, walk up
them, or just to give them an appreciative glance.  
        Creed heard Miss Christy say something about bringing down numbers and he
turned around slowly, not wanting to take his eyes off the promise of a warm
day and the loads of fun when he finally got to go outside to play.
        Vincent McHone and Clara Spencer were up at the board working figures with
Miss Christy.  Since they had been working on multiplying for quite a while,
their numbers flew onto the board almost at the speed at which they entered
the children’s minds.
        “Psssst!”
        The sound was not loud enough to attract the attention of everyone in the
classroom, but the wandering mind of Creed Allen was instantly mesmerized by
the message.  Turning to his right and to his left, he looked for the person
who sent the promise of a shared secret.
        “Creed,” the ragged whisper murmured again.
        Finally, Creed recognized the voice behind the whisper.  Sam Houston Holcombe
had a glint in his eye, and although he would not dare to have an open
outright conversation in the middle of class, he knew that Sam Houston had
something on his mind that could hardly wait until after Miss Christy
dismissed them.  Creed held his tongue, but sent out one of the silent
messages that often passes between friends, promising him that after Miss
Christy dismissed them, the friends would be able to pass the time of day.
        Miss Christy’s voice interrupted the communication that the two boys were
sharing.  “Now children, do not forget that our play about King Arthur and the
Knights of the Round Table is only weeks away.  You all have your parts, and
since we have performed so many times before, I know that you understand the
time and work that must go into rehearsing your lines.  Please continue to
give this assignment your full attention.”
        Creed was thrilled about his part in the upcoming play.  He was to play a
knight, complete with a makeshift sword.  He did not have many lines to learn,
so he was not worried about completing the assignment.  He was much more
interested in the simulated sword fighting that his character got to perform. 
        Miss Christy had told him over and over that the sword fighting was merely a
small part in the play and one that did not need to be practiced over and
over, but Creed’s heart just had to disagree.  It was the most interesting
part of his role and by far, the most exciting--certainly more exciting than
reciting lines about fair maidens and sitting around a big ol’ table.  Sword
fighting--there was the part that he liked the best.
        Creed’s attention came back to Miss Christy just in time to hear her say,
“Class dismissed.”  He bounded down the steps and out the door, but instead of
running to the welcoming hills, he lingered in to schoolyard waiting for Sam
Houston.
        Creed kicked the dirt and tried to draw pictures in in with the toe of his
shoe.  He drew a sword  in the ground and then started to write the word
“knights” in the dirt, but Zady Spencer cast him a scathing look that said,
“Creed, you cut that out or I am gonna tell Teacher.”  Honestly, sometimes it
was more than a body could stand to have to be bossed around by a girl.
        Creed felt like sticking his tongue out at her, but he didn’t for two
reasons.  First, it would not do any good.  Not only was Zady a girl and
likely to tell Miss Christy, but also, she was older than he was and was a lot
more likely to tell on him.  So, Creed just turned his eyes back toward the
ground and began erasing his work with the same toe that had created it.
        He started erasing from the top of the sword, the toe of his shoe moving back
and forth slowly in the dirt.  Although he did not want to get in trouble, he
was in no hurry to erase his work.  He had started from the top because with
each erasure his toe made, he made sure the top of the sword was still
pointed.  Soon, it would look like a dagger and that was still a great weapon
for a knight to have.  Creed was so completely entranced by this thought that
Sam Houston was right next to him before he even looked up.
        “Creed!  What’re you doin’?,” said Sam Houston, still breathless from running
down the steps.
        “Nothin’.  I’m just waitin’ for you.  What took you so long with Teacher?  I
thought you had somethin’ to tell me and then you leave me here all bored with
nothin’ to do.”
        Sam Houston thought carefully before he spoke again. “It’s just that I got
somethin’ that I want to show you.  I ain’t been there, mind you, but I heard
about this secret place just the other day from my pa.  You want to go or
not?”
        Creed Allen was always up for an adventure.  The opportunity to have one
never needed to come twice.  Heck, it didn’t even need to come knockin’ on the
door.  It just needed to be in the cove and Creed would pick up on it.  There
was only one problem.  Creed really did need to get home.
        It ought to be against the rules to try a little boy’s resolve the way the
thought of a secret place tried the heart of Creed Allen.  But, even little
boys need to learn not to follow every whispering of their hearts.
        “I cain’t go today, Sam Houston.  Ma expects me home now and I don’t want her
to tan my hide because I went off somewheres with you.”
        “My ma is expectin’ me home too, but I just wanted to let you know that the
place is out there for anybody that has a mind to go.   I wasn’t tryin'’ to
get you in trouble.  I don’t want my hide tanned neither, Creed Allen.”
        With that Sam Houston turned and began the walk home.  Creed felt like he had
chickened out on an adventure and he was not quite sure if Sam Houston
understood that he was not dismissing the idea, only putting it on hold until
he could really enjoy the adventure with no thought of any trouble he might
get into.  Creed called out in a loud voice, “Sam Houston, I’ll see you
tomorrow after school.  Maybe then, we can go to that there special place.”
        San Houston stopped in his tracks and hollered back, “I reckon so.”  And with
that, he broke into a run.


Chapter 2

        The next day at school was excruciatingly painful for Creed.  Sam Houston had
come to school a little late, so Creed had not been able to try to convince
him that before school was as good as time as any to divulge the location of
the secret place.  Sam Houston, for his part, was enjoying knowing that Creed
would have to wait.
        Creed spent most of the day dreaming about what the place might look like.
Sam Houston had given him no details, except to say that he had learned about
it from his father.  Miss Christy, although doing her best to make the
Declaration of Independence interesting, was failing in the mind of the
preoccupied Creed.
        In his mind, he was galloping on a white stallion with a sword at his side.
Sam Houston rode on his left on the back of a black thoroughbred.  Both boys
wore chain mail and had swords hanging at their sides.  They were riding
toward a towering castle made of brick.  Fog engulfed their horses legs and
the drawbridge of the castle loomed large in the distance.  Creed, of course
(after all, this was his daydream) was riding about three paces ahead of Sam
Houston.
        Creed had not thought far enough ahead to come up with a reason to be headed
for the castle, but that is the beauty of daydreams.  They need not have a
rational purpose.  They must only satisfy the imagination.
        Creed’s horse stopped at the wooden drawbridge and Sam Houston followed
shortly behind.  Suddenly, the drawbridge began to lower....
        Creed was jarred out of his reverie by the sound of a book slamming closed.
He looked up just in time to see that Sam Houston had already left the school
house.
        He looked around him, and saw, much to his chagrin, that the school was empty
and the beautiful blue eyes of his teacher rested upon him alone.
        “Creed, I trust that you learned a great deal about the Declaration of
Independence today.  Would you care to tell me about how you feel about John
Adams and his contributions?”
        Creed hesitated and he knew that he had been caught.  In his little boy
heart, he thanked Miss Christy for not embarrassing him in front of the whole
class by calling on him.  “Well, Ma’am, I think he did a right fine thing.”
        Miss Christy had to stifle a laugh at the enigmatic reply.  “Indeed he did,
Creed Allen, and I hope that you can tell me what that fine thing is in the
morning.  It is very important to know about history because it helps us to
understand how things are today.  Now, get home and I will see you in the
morning.”  
        Creed ran out of the schoolhouse, knowing that he would have to ask his older
brother Rob about the Declaration of Independence just as soon as he got home.
His most pressing concern, however, was finding Sam Houston so the exploration
could begin.
        Cutter Gap in the spring was a wondrous place.  The blossoms
of the violets,pansies and daisies seemed to poking their tiny heads up toward the
sun, just to drink in a little more light so they could grow just a little
taller.  The oak and maple trees grew straight and tall with giant leaves that
created a canopy overhead.  Grass grew underfoot creating a thick carpet  that
made even the adults want to take their shoes off and squish their toes in it.

        Creed looked all around this beauty, interested in only one thing:  Sam
Houston.  He hesitated to call out because it might bring Miss Christy out of
the schoolhouse and he did not want to answer questions about  about other
things that he was supposed to have learned that day or why he had not gone
straight home.  So, he employed the same ragged whisper that Sam Houston had
used upon him the day before.
        “Sam Houston!  Where you hidin’?”  His voice was barely louder than the birds
that were chirping overhead.  He began moving away from the schoolhouse in the
direction of the path that Sam Houston usually took to get home.
        Sam Houston contemplated making Creed wait to find him, since he knew that he
had the information that Creed was dying to have.  His honor as a friend got
the best of him, though, and he came out from behind a towering elm.  “Ya’
ready, Creed?  I know right where it is.  My daddy said he found this place
the last time he went huntin’.”
        “Let’s stop talkin’ about it, and get on with it.  I ain’t got all day.  Ma
is goin’ ta be wonderin’ where I got to if’n I ain’t home before dark.”
        Sam Houston nodded as though setting out on the journey was a solemn occasion
and the boys set out in search of the place that was controlling their
imaginations.

**********
        After leaving the school and its environs, the boys walked quickly toward a
hill that Sam Houston seemed bound for.  Truth be told, Creed had to keep up
with Sam Houston, for Sam Houston was becoming more and more excited with each
step.
        They reached the bottom of a hill that seemed quite flat on the top.  Sam
Houston hesitated.  He knew that climbing the hill would be no small feat.
There were loose rocks that seemed to dangle precariously over the edge and it
looked more like a miniature mountain than the rolling hills that he normally
climbed.  He would not have passed up the chance to be seen as brave by Creed,
however, for any reason.  Sam Houston started climbing first.
        He got a handhold and a foothold and then looked back at Creed Allen, who had
yet to move from the spot where he had stopped.
        “Well, are ya’ comin’ or not?”
        Creed knew a dare when he heard one, so he began to climb.  
        After scrabbling up the hill for what seemed like an hour, the boys reached a
ledge.  The ledge was quite wide and the boys sat down to take a much needed
break.
        Sam Houston was the first to speak.  “Creed, you reckon that our folks’ll be
worried about us yet?  It has been a while since school was over and I don’t
want pa to tan my hide.”  He might have been feigning bravery about the
adventure in order to impress Creed, but he could not pretend that a whippin’
from his pa would not matter.
        Creed looked at him with no fear in his eyes.  “We only been gone for an
extra hour or so and they will prob’ly think we are practicin’ for the play.”
        That reassured Sam Houston a little bit, but Creed, being the more
adventurous of the two, had been able to reassure himself more than he had
reassured the younger boy.
        “Look!”  
        Sam Houston stopped imagining the scene when he got home and looked up at
Creed.  
        Creed had spotted the mouth to a cave.  It was not large enough for the body
of a man to fit through, but a boy would have no problem slipping inside.  The
entrance was pitch black and seemed, to the two awe stricken boys, to hold
many mysteries that they were eager to uncover.
        Sam Houston did not remember his father telling him about a cave.  Actually,
his father had only told him that there were some great berry patches and a
tree split by lightening over in this part of the Cove.  The split tree was a
great place to practice the action scenes in the play.
        Creed stood up and approached the mouth of the cave.  He walked surely,
fearing that if he moved slower, Sam Houston would think that he was afraid.
He stopped right at the mouth of the cave, where he heard the strangest sound.
        It seemed to be bells or a chime of some sort coming from just inside the
cave.  In addition, he thought he saw a dim light shining.
        Now, most mountain people would have run away from the cave right then and
there.  Caves are not supposed to glow.  But, Creed and Sam Houston were
little boys who had more curiosity than fear.
        Creed turned around and spoke to his companion.  “Sam Houston, there’s a
light a-shin’ in thar.  I want ta see what it is.”
        Sam Houston had heard the bells and, while his fear was great, he figured
that the wind was causing the sound that was coming through the cave.  “Creed,
what do you reckon that light is comin’ from in thar?  I ain’t never seen no
lighted cave before.”
        At that instant, Creed shouted into the mouth of the cave.  “Is anybody in
thar?”
        At that, his voice began to echo within the cave and for many more seconds,
the boys were still hearing remnants of Creed’s question.  Finally, though,
the echo stopped and was replaced by another voice.
        And this voice seemed to be shouting, from deep within the cave, the word
“Help”.

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Chapter 3

        Creed turned to Sam Houston, his eyes as big as the dinner plates 
used to serve food at the mission.  His mouth hung open and the boy who had 
been so brave now looked as if he were going to turn tail and run.
        “C-c-c-c-reed, did you hear a voice coming from the cave?”  Sam 
Houston asked the question slowly, fearing the reply but needing to ask it 
anyway.  He looked to Creed as an adventurous companion and Creed’s reaction 
was starting to scare him.
        Creed said nothing, but continued to stare at Sam Houston.  He 
repeated his question.  “Creed, I asked ya’.  Did you hear that voice comin’ 
from the cave?”
        Creed seemed to hear Sam Houston for the first time.  “What?  A 
voice?  Yeh, I heard a voice.  I reckon it said somethin’ like ‘Help’.”
        This was not the news Sam Houston had hoped for.  He had hoped that 
his own ears were deceiving him and that Creed had merely heard the wind 
rustling through the nearby trees.
        “Creed, I’m afeared.  I reckon my ma would not like me climbin’ up to 
this here cave.  I want ta go home.”  Sam Houston, despite his little boy 
bravado, was, after all, a little boy.  
        Creed turned to Sam Houston and saw the fear in the younger boy’s 
eyes.  Creed felt the same fear.  It would not do, however, to be seen as 
less than brave in the eyes of the younger boy.  No self-respecting mountain 
man would be afraid of a voice in a cave shouting for help.  Not to mention 
any Knight of the Round Table, thought Creed.  He could hardly imagine Sir 
Galahad turning tail and running at the sound of a stranger calling for help. 
 The thought of the Knights of the Round Table produced a sudden burst of 
courage in  him and he puffed up his chest.
        “That thar’ voice comin’ from that cave is a person in trouble.  
Prob’ly some kid er somethin’ that left his mama to pick berries.  I ain’t 
gonna turn tail and be no sissy just ‘cause you’re afeared, Sam Houston.  We 
gotta be like those Knights that Miss Christy been teachin’ us about.  
‘Sides, whoever it is has a lantern, so maybe, we can get them some help.”
        Sam Houston was not convinced, but the mention of the Knights was 
enough to make him recall the stories about the bravery of the long ago 
soldiers.  He also remembered a story that Doctor MacNeill had told about 
Bonnie Prince Charlie.  He could not imagine that he was a coward either.
        “Well, alright, Creed Allen, I’ll come with ya.”
        Both boys began to inch into the cave.

*****

        Neither boy could see more than a foot ahead.  The light,  that had 
first alerted them to the presence of the cave, was still shining, but it 
only provided enough light for a foot or so visibility.
        As they inched into the cave, both were too frightened to speak.  Sam 
Houston held onto the right arm of Creed unconsciously.  He would never have 
dared to do such a thing in full view of another living soul, but now, 
Creed’s support was the main reason that Sam Houston was still standing.
        Creed felt comfort also in the support of Sam Houston.  He listened 
intently for any more sounds from the cave.   All he could hear was the slow 
but steady footsteps that he and his companion were making.
        Suddenly, Sam Houston stopped moving.  Creed stopped too, and was 
about to ask his friend why he had stopped when he suddenly heard it too.  
The same voice that had asked for help before was repeating it’s request.
        Creed, anxious for something to relieve the tension of the moment, 
ventured, in a voice a little above a whisper, “Anybody thar?”
        Nothing.  There was no reply to Creed’s question. 
        Sam Houston, meanwhile, was beginning to become more and more 
frightened.  “Creed, they didn’t answer.  Let’s go home.  We can tell our pas 
about the cave and the voice.  I want to go home.”
        Creed probably would have agreed with Sam Houston at this point had 
he not seen the object about two feet in front of him.  The glint of 
something shiny caught Creed’s eye, and, intrigued, he forgot all about his 
fear as he ventured closer and closer to the object.
        Sam Houston stayed behind, silently wishing that Creed were not such 
an adventurous boy after all.  It might be safer to be caught in a cave with 
a boy like Rob Allen, who had sense enough to run home at the sight of 
danger.  At this point, thought Sam Houston, I would rather be here with Ruby 
Mae.
        Creed continued to creep toward the object.  With each step, the 
outline of what appeared to be a sword was becoming clearer and clearer.  
When Creed finally recognized the sword for what it was, he rushed on toward 
it, with the intention of picking it up.  
        Creed did pick up the sword, but not a moment before he, himself, was 
picked up and taken through one of the walls of the cave.

*****

        Sam Houston had lost sight of Creed and he no longer heard his 
footsteps.  He seemed frozen to the spot where he stood, unwilling to move 
forward, even if it meant being away from his friend.
        Instead of moving, Sam Houston found the courage to cry out.  
“Creed!!!!!  Creed!!!  Whar’ are ya?  Creed!!”
        The sound he heard was enough to put about ten years back on his 
life; he had lost ten years when Creed had taken his first step forward.
        “Sam Houston, c’mere and see what I found.  Don’t be afeared.”  Then, 
he heard Creed giggle.
        He took one step forward and called out again, “Creed, this ain’t 
funny.  Come back here.”
        The voice of Creed said again, “C’mere.  Don’t be afeared.”
        Sam Houston took another tentative step.  He turned toward his right 
just in time to feel an unseen force pull him through the wall of the cave.


AUTHOR’S NOTE:  Ok, it is going to get a little weird from here on out.  
Cutter Gap has been left behind and now I have to stick all of you in the 
story <VBG>  (that is what is going to make it weird LOL).  Bear with me if I 
describe you as a polka dotted Amazon and you are really a petite brunette.  
Just think of it as my artistic license.

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Title:  Chivalrous Deeds, Chapter 4
Author: Regina
Previously:  Sam Houston and Creed have taken an unexpected trip through the 
walls of a cave.

Chapter 4

        Sam Houston felt himself being pulled backward and a scream erupted 
from his throat.  Since he was only a little boy, the flashback of his life 
took only a few seconds and then he was free to feel the terror of flying 
through the wall of the cave that had seemed so solid only minutes before.  
As abruptly as his trip through the wall had begun, it ended with Sam Houston 
landing on his behind in a startlingly bright meadow.
        Creed saw his friend land with a thump and ran over to meet him.  
“Sam Houston, iddn’t this the gall darndest thing you ever saw?  Lookee over 
thar!  It looks almost like Cutter Gap ‘ceptin’ it is a little brighter and a 
little cleaner.  See over thar?  That is the way to the mission.  And over 
yonder?  See that?  Thar’s that path to El Pano.”
        Sam Houston took a deep breath and looked up at his friend.  He could 
hardly believe that Creed was sounding so excited.  “Creed Allen, ain’t you 
afeared?  We done been sucked into a cave!”
        Creed giggled.  “Just wait a spell, Sam Houston.  Thar ain’t nothin’ 
to be afeared of.  It’s kinda like those stories that Miss Christy told us 
about magical places--like that Camelot place she done read about.”
        Sam Houston was incredulous at Creed’s reaction.  “How are we ever 
gonna get home?  What’r we gonna eat?  I wanna go home!”  Sam Houston started 
to scream the same way that  Lulu Spencer had cried on her first day of 
school when she had to leave her ma.
        Creed put his hand over Sam Houston’s mouth.  “Now, Sam Houston, take 
yerself a deep breath and look around.  This place looks just like Cutter 
Gap.  I know what we can do to make you feel better.  Look over yonder.  See 
that?  That is the path that you take every day after school to go home.  And 
see thar?  Thar’s the schoolhouse over yonder.”  Creed knew that they were no 
longer in the real Cutter Gap, but he thought that pointing out the  familiar 
might be enough to comfort the heart of Sam Houston.
        Just then, the boys felt someone behind them.  They turned to look.  
        The woman was dressed in a chestnut colored robe that stretched down 
to the ground.  In her left hand, she held a cane made of a stalactite--just 
like the kind Creed had seen in the cave.  Her hair was shoulder length, with 
just the slightest bit of wave in it.  Creed smiled up at her and Sam Houston 
looked at her as if she were the brown bear that had eaten his great uncle 
Colton.
        A smile passed across the woman’s lips.  She began to speak, “ I am 
so glad that you have come to visit.  Sam Houston, I hope that fall did not 
hurt too much.”
        Sam Houston was incredulous.  How did this lady, whoever she was, 
know his name?  Before he could ask, the woman spoke again.
        “I know that you boys must be a little confused.  But let me try to 
explain a little bit.  In our land, we do not have names.  We have titles, 
sort of like the Knights of the Round Table that you have been studying about 
in school.  My name is the Keeper of the Cave.  I could not invite you to 
come and visit here in the usual way, going to visit your homes.  So, I made 
it possible for you to travel through the walls of my cave.  I hope that it 
did not scare you too badly.  Creed, you look none the worse for wear.  Sam 
Houston, don’t be afraid.  This place is magical and everyone here is 
friendly.”
        Sam Houston choked out his next question.  “Are we ever gonna be able 
to go home?”
        The Keeper of the Cave giggled at his question.  “Of course, silly, 
you are going to be able to go home.  This is just a fun place to visit.  
Don’t worry.  The Spreader of Cheer, who you will meet later, is taking care 
of things back in Cutter Gap.  Your ma and pa will not be worried about you.  
She has gone back there, secretly, of course, and taken care of everything.”.
        “Sam Houston, this is gonna be an adventure.  Like when we went 
turkey huntin’.  This lady here looks mighty nice.  She ain’t gonna hurt us.  
And lookee--this place looks almost like home”, Creed whispered to his friend.
        Sam Houston desperately wanted to believe Creed.  It would be much 
easier than to believe that he was never going to see his home again.
        Just then, Sam Houston heard the jingle of bells.  Seemingly from out 
of nowhere popped a figure dressed in a bright patchwork overalls.   On her 
head was a cap, like Sam Houston and Creed had seen in a picture on the cover 
of Miss Christy’s book about medieval times.  Her cap was purple, with many 
different points that hung down almost in her face.  On the end of each point 
was a tiny silver bell.
        When she began to speak, her voice was high pitched and sounded like 
the tinkling of the bells on her head.  “Sam Houston, Sam Houston, where can 
he be?  He’s come through the cave to spend time with me!”  When she finished 
this little rhyme, she did a cartwheel and landed on the ground in a heap of 
patchwork.
        The Keeper of the Cave began to laugh and began to shout, rather 
loudly, so that she could be heard by the slumped over woman.  “Cove Jester, 
I was beginning to wonder where you were!  We have a frightened little boy 
here and you know that would not do!  And, you must not forget to make a 
rhyme for Creed too.  He is rather brave to not be afraid, don’t you think?”
        The Cove Jester rolled over and her side and sprang up like she had 
been pulled by an invisible string.  When she was standing upright, she 
looked over at Sam Houston and winked at him.  Then, she stuck her tongue out 
at Creed and smiled a silly grin before she took a deep breath and began to 
sing.  “A brave little boy came through the cave, Oh! what a fabulous splash 
he made, All the Knights are waiting to meet, the boy whose entrance was such 
a treat!”  The Cove Jester erupted into a fit of giggles that proved 
irresistible to the Keeper of the Cave, who leaned on her cane and began to 
chuckle as well.
        The Keeper of the Cave struggled for breath in between fits of 
laughter.  “Cove.....Jester.......you never fail!”
        “I heard they had come and I knew I had better come right away.  I 
had been visiting with the Keeper of the River when I heard Sam Houston land 
with a thud.  Little fella’, I sure hope you are all right!  Your landing was 
heard by every Knight for miles!”  The Cove Jester began a new fit of giggles 
and was joined once again by Creed and Sam Houston.
        The Keeper of the Cave raised an eyebrow.  “Are the arrangements made 
yet, Jester?”
        The Cove Jester stopped laughing and put her hand to her forehead as 
if to salute.  “The Knights have performed their duties, o Keeper of the 
Cave.  Everything is all ready for our two visitors.  Everyone has been 
working so hard.  The Keeper of the Krafts has sewn her fingers to the bone, 
Sissel’s Singing Student has been fa-la-laing all day.  Even that Lurker of 
the Cove has been cleaning up her dark little home waiting for the arrival of 
these two boys.”
        “Very well, then.  Boys, are you ready to start out?”
        Sam Houston and Creed Allen looked up at the Keeper of the Cave.  Her 
eyes were bright and shining and she had a look on her face that reminded 
them of Miss Christy.  They nodded and began to head out for wherever the 
Keeper of the Cave was going to take them.
        

Chapter 5

        Sam Houston never knew what hit him.  One minute, he was trotting 
along behind Creed and the Keeper of the Cave, and the next minute, he was 
lying on the ground, underneath a rather large but altogether friendly possum.
        Creed and the Keeper of the Cave heard the scuffle and turned around. 
 From out of nowhere, much like the possum had come, a woman with a wagon 
full of baby creatures came into sight.  “That Wilhemina!  I tell her to stay 
in the wagon, but she needs to greet everyone she sees.  She nearly scared 
the Protectress of the Mountain Music half to death this morning.  Willie, 
get off the poor boy!  Willie!!  Willie!!”
        With the voice of the woman becoming more emphatic each second, Creed 
began to get frightened.  His best friend was lying under a possum that would 
shame any of the little ones that Ruby Mae had caught, and, despite its 
friendly look, possums are not renowned for their sunny dispositions.
        The Keeper of the Cave looked at the woman with the wagon full of 
animals and smiled.  “Creed, this is the Possum Posse”.  Her voice instantly 
became louder.  “Sam Houston, I believe your introduction has been more up 
close and personal.”  She stifled a giggle.
        The woman who had appeared with the posse hustled over to the prone 
body of Sam Houston and gingerly lifted the large animal off his chest.  
Raising the possum to her face, she rolled her eyes at Wilhemina, gave her a 
kiss on the nose, and deposited her back into the wagon.
        “I am so sorry, but Wilhemina just loves to greet people.  Nearly 
everyone in this Cove has the scars to prove it.  Isn’t that right, Keeper of 
the Cave?”
        The Keeper of the Cave began to laugh.  “That is one of the reasons 
that the cape I wear is so long,” she said, “to cover the scars I got last 
summer when Willie jumped into my underground lake as a was bathing.”
        Sam Houston remained prone on the ground, trying to catch his breath. 
 He looked around and spotted Creed, who was doubled over with laughter.  Sam 
Houston rolled onto his side, got up, and used his left hand to dust off the 
back of his overalls.  He stared, perplexed, at the woman with the wagon load 
of possums.
        “Ma’am, why you carryin’ all those possums?  That one like ta killed 
me, scarin’ me half to death.”
        The woman holding the tongue of the wagon looked at the boys.  She 
was wearing a shirt with the phrase “Possum Lover” stitched across the front, 
and she seemed, in one important way, to bear a striking resemblance to the 
possum that had tackled Sam Houston--both the woman and the possum had wider 
than wide smiles on their faces.
        “Willie sure made our first meeting memorable,” the woman said.  “I 
am the fearless leader of the Possum Posse and I apologize, Sam Houston, if 
Willie scared you out of your wits.  Sometimes, she acts just like a big lap 
dog.”  She turned to face the Keeper of the Cave.  “Where were you and the 
boys headed?  There are doin’s at the river in their honor.  Are you going 
straight there or are you making stops along the way?”
        The Keeper of the River replied, “We were going straight to the river 
before Willie came to greet us.  Jester told us that all of the arrangements 
have been made.”
        Creed could not take his eyes off the wagon full of wiggling possum 
babies.  Back in Cutter Gap, that wagon full of possums would have been a 
great find for any mountain man in need of dinner.  The sight of them made 
Creed’s mouth water a little.  He had not eaten since lunch time at the 
school, long before his descent into the cave.  Knowing the the leader of the 
Possum Posse would not take kindly to these thoughts about her “babies”, 
Creed said nothing but his stomach began to growl so loud that the possum 
leader heard.
        “Creed, you must be powerful hungry.  I assure you there will be food 
at the river,” she said.  She did not want to shame the boy, but she knew 
that to Creed, her wagon looked like a banquet table.
        The Keeper of the River checked on Sam Houston, who had risen to his 
feet and approached the wagon.  He was now petting a possum under the chin.
        “We had better be off.  The Keeper of the River is a very patient 
person, but I can tell that you boys are starving and it would not do to keep 
all of the Knights waiting.  Even though the Keeper of the Knights is away, 
she would most certainly not approve of two hungry boys, when the food is 
waiting for you to arrive.  I’ll be there shortly.  I first  need to make 
sure that the Keeper of Neil’s Bunnies has prepared her charges for the 
festivities.”
        The leader of the Possum Posse nodded her head in agreement, and, 
grabbing the tongue of the wagon, she strolled in the opposite way, humming a 
song as she went.  As the Keeper of the River and the two boys walked on, Sam 
Houston and Creed would have sworn that Wilhemina the Possum winked at them.
         
*************

        As they walked towards the river, Sam Houston and Creed lagged behind 
their guide.  They alternately stared at each other and at the beautiful 
surroundings.  Spring in mythical Cutter Gap was as beautiful as in the real 
Cutter Gap.  Flowers were in bloom, and everywhere, you could hear the sounds 
of nature alive.  The robins and whippopoorwills seemed to be having a 
chirping contest to see who could twitter the loudest.  Sam Houston and Creed 
had a slight disagreement about the winners, with Sam Houston taking the side 
of the robins.
        The lush grass was trampled flat under each of their footsteps, but 
bounded back up again as soon as their feet had passed.  Looking back on 
their path, it was almost impossible to see that anyone had been there at 
all. 
        The trees swayed slightly in the breeze and the boys each took a deep 
breath of spring air into their lungs.  Sam Houston, no longer afraid in this 
strange land, whispered to Creed.  “ I reckon thar are some big doin’s at the 
river.  I wonder what kinda people is gonna be thar.  Everybody has been 
powerful nice, and I cain’t wait to see who is gonna cross our paths next.”
        “Well, I don’t get some supper, I am just gonna fade away to 
nothin’,” Creed replied.
        The sound of muffled voices wafted on the spring breeze.  The Keeper 
of the River stopped and looked back at the boys.  “I think everyone is ready 
at the river.  Are you ready for your official welcome?”
        Sam Houston and Creed looked at each other with sparkles in their 
eyes.  They turned to look at the Keeper , and began to ran, bounding past 
her, headed straight for the river.


Chapter 6

    Creed and Sam Houston heard the river before they saw it.  It was not the 
sound of a mighty rushing watercourse, but rather the gentle trickle of a 
stream over stones that made the boys quicken their steps.
    When they finally came within sight of the river, it was not the water 
that kept their attention, but rather the sheer volume of people gathered 
around.  The only time so many people came together in the real Cutter Gap 
was for a singing or a working.  But what most surpised the boys, was who the 
people were.
    A few of them, the boys recognized.  There was the Cove Jester, in her 
brightly colored overalls, pulling flowers out of a hat for a woman who was 
clutching as many rabbits as her arms could hold.  The Possum Posse was also 
in attendance.  Wilhemina, the possum that had been so friendly with Creed, 
was in her wagon, dozing in the bright sunlight.  Creed scanned the crowd for 
signs of other familiar people.  Maybe there was someone there from the real 
Cutter Gap.  Maybe Doc MacNeill, or Christy, or even his Ma was there, 
somewhere.  
    Sam Houston was not thinking about his mother or father.  He was thinking 
about Ruby Mae.  He could just hear her now, saying, "It's spirits, I tell 
ya'".  He figured it would be right near impossible to convince her that the 
people he had met were friendly, given Ruby Mae's fondess for ghost stories.  
They certainly were not like any people Cutter Gap had ever seen.  Even crazy 
Juniper O'Malley that lived over in Raven Gap could not hold a candle to the 
people that inhabited this strange version of home.
    While the boys stood gawking at the river spectacle, the Keeper of the 
Cave approached from behind them.  Her eyes lit up when she saw the many 
tables piled high with food, including fruits of all kinds, pies, and corn on 
the cob that was as yellow as the bright sun shining overhead.  Many of the 
Knights had already seen the boys and had begun to quiet down, but the Keeper 
of the Cave stuck her fingers between her teeth and emitted a loud whistle, 
which settled down those who were still socializing with one another.
    "Listen up!  Here they are, like I told you!  I know that you have all 
been waiting for this moment.  I present to you, Creed Allen and Sam Houston."
    Applause broke out in the crowd.  After the clapping had continued for 
about five minutes, the Cove Jester led the crowd in several rounds of "Hip 
Hip Hooray".  Sam Houston and Creed began to smile so widely that any 
discomfort they had from being in the presence of so many strangers 
dissipated.
    When all of the shouting had died down, one of the people began to move 
toward the front.  She had long brown hair that reached nearly to her waist.  
Her dress was made from a blue filmy material that seemed to flow around her 
legs, and make her seem more like she was floating than walking.
    "Welcome, Sam Houston and Creed.  This is my river.  Well, it is not 
exactly my river.  But I am the guardian of it. My name is the Keeper of the 
River and I am so glad that you made it safely here.  We have so much fun in 
store for you today.  First, we will eat from all of the bounty that the 
Knights have prepared. You are in for a treat.  The Countess of Christy's 
Culinary Concoctions has been taking lessons from the Cooker of Doc's Dinner. 
 This will ensure that nothing is, umm..."  Her voice drifted off for a 
second as she contemplated the right words to use.  "This will ensure that 
everything will be right as rain.  You will also have the chance to splash in 
the river,play games and meet all of the peolple who have been so anxious for 
your arrival."
    "Thank you, ma'am," the boys uttered in unison.
    A person holding a sketch book stepped forward.  "Please, have a seat at 
this bench and get busy eating before Wilhemina gets it in her head that 
dinner is served.  Last time we had a gathering, we had to pry her off the 
blackberry pie."

***************

    After a good meal and a dip in the river, the boys were beginning to feel 
comfortable.  They had met so many people that afternoon.  There was the 
Washer of Neil's Kilt, who walked around with a bar of soap in her hands at 
all times.  There was another person who always seemed to be on a telephone.  
The Cove Jester seemed to be sticking close to two girls who continually 
fainted the entire day.  Creed thought it might be a case of bad possum or 
something that the girl had eaten, but the Cove Jester took it all in stride. 
 She removed a small bottle of salt from the pouch she carried and put it 
under the noses of the swooning girls. They would wake up for just a minute, 
and then faint once again, at the mere mention of the river or at the sight 
of the bar of soap.  It certainly is a strange place, thought Creed.
    There were also games that the boys were familiar with.  They played some 
of the Highland games that Doctor MacNeill had taught them.  It surprised Sam 
Houston that these ladies knew how to play, but he was stunned when the 
Mistress of Stats suggested a game of baseball.
    Sam Houston and Creed knew how to play baseball from the lessons that 
Reverand Grantland had given them during recesses at school.  They had 
enjoyed learning the game, and now, it was time to demonstrate all of the 
techniques that they had learned.
    One of the Knights drew the baseball diamond in the ground by dragging 
her feet in a square, making the baselines.  The Keeper of the River removed 
four small stones from the river to serve as bases.  Each Knight stood on the 
baseline and teams were chosen by counting off.  Creed and Sam Houston ended 
up on oppostie sides.
    Once the teams were chosen, team captains were appointed by each team.  
The team with Sam Houston on it made him the captain and named their team the 
Sam Houston Sluggers.  Creed's team, in turn, made him the captain and called 
their team Creed's Clubbers.  The Sluggers won a toss and took the infield.
    Just before the first pitch was thrown, a plainly dressed lady ran onto 
the field.  She did not carry anything, but ran straight toward Creed, who 
had been elected pitcher.  She whispered something to him and then turned to 
the Knights in the outfield.  
    "On the count of three.  One, two, three..."
    The Knights seemed to know what to do.  At the top of their lungs they 
screamed, "What could be so hard about hitting a wee ball with a stick?"  
After hysterical laughter, the game commenced.

***************

    Following several hours of fierce play, the baseball game was declared to 
be a draw.  Sam Houston and Creed had both hit three home runs, and nearly 
everyone was showing signs of exhaustion.   
    After each player on Sam Houston's team had shaken hands with each player 
on Creed's team, they all returned to the banks of the river.  It had grown 
quite dark, with the sun having set in the ninth inning.
    Both boys were clearly tired, but the excitement at the new world they 
had entered was too much to allow them to sleep just yet.  As one of the 
Knights lit a fire, the rest of them gathered around.  They seemed 
instinctively to know what was to happen next.
    The Keeper of the Cave emerged from the shadows around the fire.  "Ready, 
boys?  Now, the fun really gets started."
    Sam Houston and Creed looked at each other, and passed a knowing look.  
The look said that they were ready for anything.



Title:  Chivalrous Deeds, Chapter 7
Author:  Regina
Summary of chapter 6:  Sam Houston and Creed have come to the river, played a 
baseball game, and are gearing up for what's in store for them.


    Creed and Sam Houston looked at the Knights, scanning their faces for any 
hint of what was to happen next.  Creed turned his eyes to an imposing 
knight, holding a rather large Bible.  Surely, he thought, if the knights 
read the Bible, nothing tremendously terrible could happen.
    The Keeper of the River, who had earlier impressed Sam Houston with her 
curve ball, winked at the boys.  "Now, boys," she began, "we need to get down 
to business.  I hope that you have had fun today.  The games were diverting, 
and I know that for me, it was nice to be playing baseball instead of making 
sure that there were no peekers down at the river.  But, you are here on a 
mission, you know.  You did not fall through the cave walls just so you could 
play games.  You have things to do--a quest to complete."
    "A quest?," stammered Creed.  "Like that King Arthur and his mission to 
find that sword, umm, what was it called Elves-Caly-Bear?"
    The Cove Jester barely stifled a laugh.  "Elves-Caly-Bear, 
Evles-Caly-Bear, I really want to braid your hair...."
    The other knights began to laugh as well.  It was the calm voice of the 
Washer of Neil's Kilt that was hear above the laughter.
    "Creed, the sword was called Excalibur.  It was a sword that was stuck in 
a stone, and when Arthur pulled it out, he became king."  Creed and Sam 
Houston thought that this washer person sounded a lot like Miss 
Christy--teaching the history of all sorts of things.
    "We gotta take a sword out of a rock?  That seems right near 
impossible!," exclaimed Sam Houston.  He knew a fanciful story when he heard 
one, and it seemed that these Knights had engaged in a little too much frolic 
by the fire.  Now, they were talking nonsense.  Not even in this magical 
world, he thought, could two little boys take a sword out of a rock.
    The Keeper of the Quotes, a woman in a long purple cape with thousands of 
words written on it began to laugh.
    "No, Sam Houston, you do not have to pull a sword out of a stone.  But 
you do have to find something very important.  We cannot do it without you.  
Will you help?".
    Her eyes shone brightly, and it seemed as though she could convince the 
world to stop spinning with her smile.  Creed and Sam Houston looked 
nervously at one another and, as is often the case with friends, spoke 
simultaneously,
    "We'll do it!'" they cried.

**********
    Sam Houston and Creed could hardly believe their ears.  They would be 
searching for, of all things, a book!
    Sam Houston and Creed's hearts fell as they realized that the mission 
that they had in mind--one of swords, daggers and intrigue was not to be.  
They would be searching for some musty old book.  It was not the kind of 
thing that would excite the imaginations of little boys.
    The Cove Historian knew immediately that the boys were disappointed.  She 
looked to the Keeper of the Quotes, who nodded her head solemnly, giving 
silent permission for the Historian to speak.
    "Boys, I know that a book does not sound very exciting.  But, this is not 
any ordinary book.  It belongs to the Keeper of the Knights.  You remember, 
we told you she is on a journey.  She should be coming back any day now. "
    "While she was gone, the Cove Jester went to her house to borrow a needle 
and thread to repair her jingle hat.  She bounced a little too hard, as 
usual, and shook a bell loose.  Her natural curiosity seized her when she 
went into the Keeper's house and she took the book that has all our names in 
it.   We have all been looking for it for days now."
    "What happens if we cannot find the book?", Sam Houston asked.
    "Oh, I don't want to know!," shouted Sissel's Singing Student.
    "It won't be pretty,"  said the Cove Historian.  "If the Keeper's book is 
not found, one by one, the Knights of the Cove will begin turning back into 
ordinary people.  This Cutter Gap that we know will be returned to the inside 
of an ordinary Cutter Gap cave."
    Some Knights gasped, others began to cry, but none reacted so loudly that 
they did not hear what the Historian said next.
    "We have twelve hours to find that book before the first of us 
disappears."
    



*********
Title:  Chivalrous Deeds, Chapter 8
Author:  Regina, Maiden of the Mountain Laurel, TheBoggBabe@aol.com
*********

    The wailing began soon after the announcement by the Historian.  It was 
hard to believe that this gathering had been a cheerful one only moments 
before.  Not even when his mother had hit her finger with a hammer had Creed 
heard such commotion.  Some even fainted.  The Cove Jester was trying her 
best to balance the Drama Queen of the Cove, whom she was holding up with her 
left arm, and the Cleaner of the Cove, who was severely taxing her right arm. 
 Beads of sweat had broken out on the Jester's forehead and the Keeper of the 
River had taken the liberty to use the Jester's own smelling salts to keep 
her standing.

    Sam Houston began to cry, as often little boys will do when they hear so 
many others crying.  Even Creed, with his little boy bravado, could not take 
the wailing of so many of his newfound friends and tears glistened in his 
eyes as well.
    
    As the tears coursed down Sam Houston's pink cheeks, the din from the 
crowd began to subside.  A Knight that Sam Houston had never seen approached 
him.

    "Enough," she said softly.

    Though it was impossible for each Knight to have heard her, the Knights 
all quieted immediately.

    The Keeper of the River spoke up.  "Sam Houston….Creed…This is the 
Guardian of the Joy of the Children.:"

The Guardian was a tall woman who reminded Creed a lot of Miss Christy.  She 
had an air of kindness around her that was nearly palpable.
She smiled and spoke softly.

 "We have a rule here.  While the Knights may make a show of tears now and 
again, we cannot have any children crying.  Childhood is a time for laughter 
and learning about the world.  Never fear.  You are up to the task of finding 
the book.  I know you are.  And everyone here agrees with me." 

She sent a stern look to the rest of the Knights.  The wailing stopped 
immediately and was replaced by tight-lipped smiles.  It was painfully 
obvious to the young boys that when the Guardian spoke, no matter how a 
Knight may disagree, she listened.

  The Guardian continued.  

"Now, Creed and Sam Houston, go out on your quest.  Find that book and bring 
it back here.   Since the book is very lost, we will have to send you on a 
quest for it.  If the Cove Jester had merely left it in a tree like she did 
the last time the Keeper of the Knights was gone, you would have only had to 
recite your multiplication tables.  But, that Jester never does anything 
halfway.  The book is really gone.   Even the sniffing noses of the Possum 
Posse could not find it.  Unfortunately, when the book is very lost, there is 
a series of steps that must be followed to get it back.  This is your quest.  
Do you understand?"

Creed and Sam Houston nodded vigorously.

"The first part of your quest is to find something that is hard to find, but 
not impossible.  You need to find a splinter that makes someone happy."

Sam Houston's eyes grew large.  "Ma'am?"

Creed spoke up in protest.  "Splinters make people mad, Miz Guardian.  My Pa 
got one and nearly cried like a baby when Mama took it out.  Ain't never been 
a splinter that made someone happy!"

    The Cove Jester nodded her head in agreement.  "Even I cannot make 
something happy out of a splinter and I can make something happy out of 
nearly everything!"  She shook her head so hard her Jester hat flew off her 
head and onto the ground.

    The Guardian continued.  "I'm sorry, but that is the first step of the 
quest.  Without the splinter that makes someone happy, we will begin 
disappearing in only a few hours."

    Creed and Sam Houston, though both afraid, looked at each other with a 
mixture of excitement and wonder on their faces.  What kind of place was this 
where you went looking for splinters, they thought.  They had each had more 
splinters back in Cutter Gap than they cared to remember and no one had ever 
asked for one of them before.

    Creed smiled at the Guardian.  
    "I reckon, Ma'am, that we have no choice.  Sam Houston, where you reckon 
we can find us a happy splinter?"


Coming soon-Chapter 9