The Knight at Dawn

Annie was calling from above.
    â€œI’m in … the moat!” said Jack, gasping for air. He tried to tread water and put his glasses back on. With his backpack, his shoes, and his heavy clothes, he could hardly stay afloat.
    SPLASH!
    â€œHi! I’m here!” Annie sputtered.
    Jack could hear her nearby. But he couldn’t see her.
    â€œWhich way’s land?” Annie asked.
    â€œI don’t know! Just swim!”
    Jack dog-paddled through the cold black water.
    He heard Annie swimming, too. At first it seemed as if she was swimming in front of him. But then he heard a splash behind him.
    â€œAnnie?” he called.
    â€œWhat?” Her voice came from in front. Not behind.
    Another splash.
Behind
.
    Jack’s heart almost stopped. Crocodiles? He couldn’t see anything through his water-streaked glasses.
    â€œAnnie!” he whispered.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œSwim faster!”
    â€œBut I’m here! I’m over here! Near the edge!” she whispered.
    Jack swam through the dark toward her voice. He imagined a crocodile slithering after him.
    Another splash! Not far away!
    Jack’s hand touched a wet, live thing.
    â€œ
Ahhhh
!” he cried.
    â€œIt’s me! Take my hand!” said Annie.
    Jack grabbed her hand. She pulled him to the edge of the moat. They crawled over an embankment onto the wet grass.
    Safe!
    Another splash came from the moat waters.
    â€œOh, man,” Jack said.
    He was shivering all over. His teeth werechattering. He shook the water off his glasses and put them back on.
    It was so misty he couldn’t see the castle. He couldn’t even see the moat, much less a crocodile.
    â€œWe … we made it,” said Annie. Her teeth were chattering, too.
    â€œI know,” said Jack. “But where are we?” He peered at the foggy darkness.
    Where was the drawbridge? The windmill? The hawk house? The grove of trees? The tree house?
    Everything had been swallowed up by the thick, soupy darkness.
    Jack reached into his wet backpack and pulled out the flashlight. He pushed the switch. No more light.
    They were trapped. Not in a dungeon. But in the still, cold darkness.
    â€œ
Neeee-hhhh
!”
    A horse’s whinny.

    Just then the clouds parted. A full moon was shining in the sky. A pool of light spread through the mist.
    Then Jack and Annie saw him just a few feet away. The knight.
    He sat on the black horse. His armor shone in the moonlight. A visor hid his face. But he seemed to be staring straight at Jack and Annie.

Jack froze.
    â€œIt’s him,” Annie whispered.
    The knight held out his gloved hand.
    â€œCome on, Jack,” Annie said.
    â€œWhere are you going?” said Jack.
    â€œHe wants to help us,” said Annie.
    â€œHow do you know?”
    â€œI can just tell,” said Annie.
    Annie stepped toward the horse. The knight dismounted.
    The knight picked Annie up and put her on the back of his horse.
    â€œCome on, Jack,” she called.
    Jack moved slowly toward the knight. It was like a dream.
    The knight picked him up, too. He placed Jack on the horse, behind Annie.
    The knight got on behind them. He slapped the reins.
    The black horse cantered beside the moonlit water of the moat.
    Jack rocked back and forth in the saddle. The wind blew his hair. He felt very brave and very powerful.
    He felt as if he could ride forever on this horse, with this mysterious knight. Over the ocean. Over the world. Over the moon.
    A hawk shrieked in the darkness.
    â€œThere’s the tree house,” said Annie. She pointed toward a grove of trees.

    The knight steered the horse toward the trees.
    â€œSee. There it is,” Annie said, pointing to the ladder.
    The knight brought his horse to a stop. He dismounted and helped Annie down.
    â€œThank you, sir,” she said. And she bowed.
    Then Jack. “Thank you,” he said. And he bowed also.
    The knight got back on his horse. He raised his gloved hand. Then he slapped the reins and rode off through the mist.
    Annie started up the tall ladder, and Jack followed. They climbed into the dark tree house and looked out the window.
    The knight was riding toward the outer wall. They saw him go through the outer gate.
    Clouds started to cover the moon again.For a brief moment, Jack thought he saw the knight’s armor gleaming on the top of a hill beyond the castle.
    The clouds covered the moon completely. And a black mist swallowed the