The Wrong Road Forward

A young squire challenges a knight’s mistake and earns his place in the patrol.

The patrol had been riding for three days when Jared began to notice the road no longer matched the maps Sir Godfrey had shown him. The trees grew thicker, the path narrower, and the air felt wrong, too quiet, as if even birds avoided the place.

Jared rode near the back beside the supply cart, trying to stay useful and invisible at the same time. Sir Thomas led at the front, rein's tight in his hands, his sharp voice carrying orders no one questioned. He rarely looked back unless it was to criticize.

“Keep up, boy,” Sir Thomas snapped earlier that morning when Jared struggled with a pack strap. “Squires are meant to be useful, not burdens.”

Jared bit his tongue. Sir Godfrey had warned him that patience was part of training, but it grew harder each day. A few nights Jared overheard raised voices near the campfire, Sir Godfrey arguing quietly, but firmly with Sir Thomas about respect, about leadership. The conversations always ended in tense silence.

Now, as the road curved deeper into unfamiliar woods, Jared gathered his courage and nudged his horse forward. He studied the sun's position, remembering Sir Godfrey’s lessons.

He swallowed. “I think we’re going the wrong way.”

Sir Thomas turned sharply in the saddle, eyes cold. “And what would a farm boy know of roads?”

Before Jared could shrink back, Sir Godfrey rode alongside them. “He knows what he's been taught,” he said calmly. “Explain, Jared.”

Jared pointed toward a moss covered stone marker half hidden by brush. “The border road should run east of the river. That marker means we’ve crossed west.”

Murmurs spread among the knights. Sir Thomas’s jaw tightened, but another rider confirmed the sign.

For a long moment, no one spoke. Then Sir Godfrey nodded. “We correct course.”



Word Count: 299
Prompt: Write a story that includes the line: "I think we're going the wrong way."
Written for: "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge" 
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