The Girl in the Tower

Once, there was a knight. And he was tall and just and honest, as knights often are. And he lived in a grand city, where his armor was always polished, and he had six white horses to ride, and his shield was gilded in gold. But as he lived in a time of great peace, there was not much need for knights, and soon he had no choice but to go off in search of an Adventure.

And so, he put on his dented armor, mounted his gray-brown horse, and picked up his wooden shield, for he had been forced to sell all his nice knightley things.

“Damn!” said the knight, as he rode off into the sunset, “I wish there was a war! It would make things much simpler.”

And so he rode, and he rode, until he reached a crossroads in a meadow.

“Which way now?” wondered the knight. And the sky, and the grass, and the flowers responded, “Go left.”

The knight was a bit surprised at this, but although he was tall, and just and honest (as knights often are), he was not very good at thinking for himself, so he turned left. And so he rode, and he rode, and he rode, until he reached a crossroads in a forest.

“Which way now?” wondered the knight. And the trees, and the mud, and the wind responded, “Go left”.

And so the knight turned left, and after a while he encountered a great evil, but that does not come into this tale.

“Well now!” said the knight when he had gotten away from the forest. “That’ll be the last time I listen to the trees and the mud and the wind! No thank you!” And he lay down right on the side of the road and went to sleep, for fighting great evil is very exhausting.

And as he slept, the sun and the stars and the gray-brown horse whispered to him: “Go right and you shall find me and receive your reward.”

The knight woke up, and thought very long and hard, but although he was still tall and just and honest (as knights often are), he was not any better at thinking for himself. Also he was very interested in the prospect of a reward, for he sorely missed his polished armor and six white horses and gilded shield. So he got up and once more mounted the gray-brown horse and rode and rode and rode.

Eventually, the knight came to a tower, and at the top of the tower was a beautiful young girl.

“Hello there!” greeted the knight. “Are you the sky and the grass and the flowers?”

The girl looked surprised at this. She looked down from her window and she said, “I am a princess.”

“Huh!” said the knight. “Well, then, are you the trees and the mud and the wind?”

“I am a curse.” said the girl.

“Interesting!” said the knight. “Are you perhaps the sun, and the stars, and this gray-brown horse?”

“I am a goddess.” said the girl.

The knight was starting to get rather annoyed at this point. “Listen here young lady,” he said. “I came all this way because I was promised a reward. If you could just direct me to whoever can give it to me, I would greatly appreciate it. I would really like to buy back my six white horses.”

The gray-brown horse looked rather offended at this, but the girl laughed and said, “I am all of the things you have said, and all of the things I have said, but I am none of them at all.”

“You talk in riddles and nonsense,” said the knight. “I suppose this is on me for opening the conversation by asking if you were the sky.”

The girl laughed again, and said, “I speak only the truth. If you come back tomorrow I will tell you more of it.”

And so the knight went away and came back the next day.

“Alright then,” he said. “What is this truth you wish to tell me?”

“Lots of things,” said the girl. “Like how I am dying, but I will never die, and how I am vengeance but I am redemption, and how I am powerful, but powerless.”

“None of that makes sense,” said the knight.

“I am so contradictory, it makes me sick.” responded the girl, and although she had never lied to him, the knight knew this was the most true thing she had said.

“What about the reward?” he asked.

“If you rescue me from this tower, you shall have your reward.” she said. “The light of heaven will shine upon us, and you will be mine forevermore.”

“I think you are a little young for me,” said the knight. “But rescuing you does seem like the knightley thing to do. I will go get some rope, or something.”

“That won’t do,” said the girl. “For there is a very powerful spell keeping me trapped here. You must go on a quest to break it.”

“That seems like a lot of work,” said the knight.

“It is,” said the girl. “But you are very tall and just and honest (as knights often are), so I think you will do it.”

“Well,” said the knight, “I guess I don’t have anything better to do.”

And so the knight went on a long and arduous quest, but that again does not come into this tale.

At long last, he completed his quest, and rode back to the tower.

“My lady!” He said, “I have broken the spell! You are now free, and can give me my reward.”

“Excellent,” said the girl, and jumped from the tower. The knight ran to try and catch her, but as he ran, the light of heaven shone down upon him, and it was so radiant that it caused him to go blind. He searched as best he could for the girl, but he couldn’t find her. In fact, he could find no living thing, not even his gray-brown horse.

And so, the blind knight was forced to wander alone for many years, until he was an old, old man who spent most of his time in taverns, reminiscing about his years as an adventurer on a grand quest, and about the good old days when he was a knight with polished armor and six white horses.

One day, a girl came into the tavern and bought him a drink.

“Why, thank you, young lady,” said the old knight. “May I ask why you have shown such kindness to a stranger?”

“I don’t think we are strangers,” said the girl. “For although I do not know you, I am sure that you know me.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” said the knight.

“I know,” said the girl. “I am so contradictory it makes me sick.”