Out of sight of the patrolling sentinels, Randal sits on the gatehouse roof. The orphan is more at home with the hounds he tends, but he yearns to see the new Lord arrive at Arundel Castle. As he leans over the battlements to watch the procession, a fig slips from Randal's hand and lands right on the nose of Hugh Goch's horse. The accident is small, but it will change Randal's entire life. A game of chess, a brave minstrel, a kind old knight, and a friend will point Randal to squirehood, and his own courage will pave his path to become a knight. Battle between the sons of William the Conqueror makes Randal's journey in Norman England an exciting one, but intrigue and deceit may take from Randal a heavy knight's fee.
