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while he was lost in thought. His mum was standing holding her son’s pack. She held it out and Pete slipped it over his shoulder. Mrs McGee hugged him close and then pulled away, her hands on his shoulders, examining him.
    â€˜My young knight,’ she said proudly, tears in her eyes. ‘Thou art truly on thy path to greatness. Nothing will stop thee now.’
    â€˜I thank thee, fair maiden,’ Pete replied, as always enjoying speaking like a knight with his mum. ‘Thy faith doth mean the world to this knight. It gives him strength.’
    His mum nodded, hugged him again and then told him to go or he would be late. Pete’s eyes sparkled.
    â€˜WOOO HOOOO!’ he cried, the kid in him shining through. ‘It’s time to rock this party.’
    With that he started doing a dance on the spot, making it up as he went along, sending his mother into hysterics before she finally shooed him out the gate and on his way.
    Arriving at the castle, Pete McGee was told that Sir Mountable had not yet shown up. It was Pete’s duty, he found out, to make sure that his mentor was present at the castle training sessions. This was not a good start. He had got to the castle just on time as it was. The other knights’ apprentices were watching him and sniggering. Larson Smithers pointed at the sundial and shook his head. It turned out Smithers had been selected as a second-year trainee to help out the new knights. Pete was given a note with Sir Mountable’s address. He turned on his heel and raced out of the castle grounds.
    Sir Mountable’s house did not look enticing. It was, as they say, a renovator’s delight. It had potential. The lawn was overgrown and there were piles of rubbish everywhere. A single goat wandered around, looking bored. It glanced up as Pete walked past and then returned to chewing leftover food. Pete went up to the door, which looked a little shaky on its hinges. In fact, the whole house looked as though it might fall down if Pete knocked on the door, so instead he called out.
    â€˜Hello? Sir Mountable? Are you there?’
    There was no answer. He tried again.
    â€˜SIR MOUNTABLE? IT’S PETE McGEE! YOUR TRAINEE KNIGHT! I’M HERE TO LEARN HOW TO BE GREAT!’
    Again, no answer. Pete went back to the door.
    There was a knocker in the shape of an eagle on the front. He decided to take the risk. He raised the knocker to knock and it simply pulled straight off the door, so he was left there holding a knocker. He sighed and used it to knock on the door. Gently. The good thing was that the house stayed standing. The bad thing was that there was no response.
    Still holding the knocker, Pete walked around the house looking for a sign of life. He got it as he walked past an open window. From inside there was a groan and a thud. Pete glanced through the window and saw that an old man had fallen off the couch and was struggling to get up.
    Oh no, Pete thought. It must be Sir Mountable’s father. The knight must be here looking after him, and now the old fellow has fallen and can’t get up. That part was true. The old man’s arms were waving slowly in the air, making him look like a bug stuck on its back. He was in a nightshirt and long johns. Although he may not have wanted Pete to see him like that, Pete felt as though he had no choice but to help. He slung his pack through the window and climbed through after it.
    Pete bent down to help the old man up and was almost overwhelmed by the smell of what he assumed was ale. He had smelt it before, in the town square, so he was sure that was what it was. Pete reeled back, took a huge breath, leant in and used all his strength to haul the old man up so that he was sitting on the floor with his back to the couch. Exhausted, Pete sat on a chair opposite, letting his breath out slowly.
    â€˜Sir?’ he asked quietly. ‘Can you please direct me to your son?’
    The old man opened his eyes. They were