You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons:

This IP address has been blocked from editing Wikipedia.
This does not affect your ability to read Wikipedia pages.
Most people who see this message have done nothing wrong. Some kinds of blocks restrict editing from specific service providers or telecom companies in response to recent abuse or vandalism, and can sometimes affect other users who are unrelated to that abuse. Review the information below for assistance if you do not believe that you have done anything wrong.

The IP address or range 3.85.0.0/16 has been blocked (disabled) by ‪ST47‬ for the following reason(s):

The IP address that you are currently using has been blocked because it is believed to be a web host provider. To prevent abuse, web hosts may be blocked from editing Wikipedia.
You will not be able to edit Wikipedia using a web host provider because it hides your IP address, much like a proxy or VPN.
We recommend that you attempt to use another connection to edit. For example, if you use a proxy or VPN to connect to the internet, turn it off when editing Wikipedia. If you edit using a mobile connection, try using a Wi-Fi connection, and vice versa. If you are using a corporate internet connection, switch to a different Wi-Fi network. If you have a Wikipedia account, please log in.
If you do not have any other way to edit Wikipedia, you will need to request an IP block exemption.

How to appeal if you are confident that your connection does not use a web host's IP address:
If you are confident that you are not using a web host, you may appeal this block by adding the following text on your talk page: ((unblock|reason=Caught by a web host block but this host or IP is not a web host. My IP address is _______. Place any further information here. ~~~~)). You must fill in the blank with your IP address for this block to be investigated. Your IP address can be determined here. Alternatively, if you wish to keep your IP address private you can use the unblock ticket request system. There are several reasons you might be editing using the IP address of a web host (such as if you are using VPN software or a business network); please use this method of appeal only if you think your IP address is in fact not a web host.

Administrators: The IP block exemption user right should only be applied to allow users to edit using web host in exceptional circumstances, and they should usually be directed to the functionaries team via email. If you intend to give the IPBE user right, a CheckUser needs to take a look at the account. This can be requested most easily at SPI Quick Checkuser Requests. Unblocking an IP or IP range with this template is highly discouraged without at least contacting the blocking administrator.

This block will expire on 21:48, 22 February 2026.

Even when blocked, you will usually still be able to edit your user talk page, as well as email administrators and other editors.

For information on how to proceed, please read the FAQ for blocked users and the guideline on block appeals. The guide to appealing blocks may also be helpful.

Other useful links: Blocking policy · Help:I have been blocked
Your IP address is in a range that has been blocked on all Wikimedia Foundation wikis. The block was made by ‪Jon Kolbert‬. The reason given is Open proxy/Webhost: See the help page if you are affected .
- Start of block: 05:35, 21 February 2024
- Expiry of block: 05:35, 21 February 2029
Your current IP address is 3.85.235.113. The blocked range is 3.85.0.0/16. Please include all above details in any queries you make. If you believe you were blocked by mistake, you can find additional information and instructions in the No open proxies global policy. Otherwise, to discuss the block please post a request for review on Meta-Wiki. You could also send an email to the stewards VRT queue at stewards@wikimedia.org including all above details.

You can view and copy the source of this page:

((Short description|1999–2002 series of books by Tamora Pierce))
((Italic title))
((Multiple issues|
((long plot|date=January 2010))
((in-universe|date=January 2010))
))
((Infobox book series | 
| name            = Protector of the Small
| image           =<!-- Deleted image removed:  [[Image:PierceFirstTestCover.jpg|200px]] -->
| image_caption   = Original Random House U.S. hardcover of the first book.
| books           = [[First Test]]<br />[[Page (Tamora Pierce novel)|Page]]<br />[[Squire (Tamora Pierce novel)|Squire]]<br />[[Lady Knight]]
| genre           = [[Fantasy]], [[young adult fiction]]
| publisher       = [[Random House]]
| author          = [[Tamora Pierce]]
| illustrator     = 
| country         = United States
| language        = English
| pub_date        = 1999-2002
| media_type      = Print ([[Hardcover|hardback]] and [[paperback]])<br />[[Audiobook]]
| preceded_by     = [[The Immortals (series)|The Immortals]]
| followed_by     = [[Daughter of the Lioness]]
))

The '''''Protector of the Small''''' quartet is a series of books written by [[Tamora Pierce]] that tells the story of '''Keladry of Mindelan''', a heroine in the fictional kingdom of Tortall.<ref>((Cite web |last=Francis |first=Madeleine |title=The Protector of the Small Archives |url=https://www.tamora-pierce.net/series/the-protector-of-the-small/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Tamora Pierce |language=en-US))</ref> This is the third series written in the Tortallian Universe, but fourth in the in-universe timeline. It follows Keladry (also known as Kel), the first girl to openly seek knighthood in centuries. In the FAQ section of her website, Tamora Pierce confirmed that Kel is aromantic asexual.<ref>((Cite web |last=Francis |first=Madeleine |title=Tortall Universe FAQ (Contains Spoilers) |url=https://www.tamora-pierce.net/series-extra/tortall-faq/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Tamora Pierce |language=en-US))</ref>

==[[First Test]] (Book one)<ref name=":0">((Cite book |last=Pierce |first=Tamora |title=First Test |publisher=Random House |year=1999 |isbn=0-67988914-0 |series=Protector of the Small quartet))</ref>==
The story opens in the realm of Tortall. After King Johnathan IV<ref name=":6">((Cite web |last=Francis |first=Madeleine |title=The Song of the Lioness Archives |url=https://www.tamora-pierce.net/series/the-song-of-the-lioness/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Tamora Pierce |language=en-US))</ref> made a decree, ten years prior, women have been legally allowed to train for knighthood, but, so far, no one has tried.

Keladry (Kel) is a serious 10-year-old who is determined to become the first official female knight of the realm in over a 100 years. Conservative elements of Tortall's nobility are reluctant to let this happen for fear that it will derail training for the boys. One of the realms most outspoken conservatives, Wyldon of Cavall, insists that Kel is put on a year of probation to determine her fitness for the program. While Kel is bitterly resentful of this additional burden atop the many other challenges that she has to face as the only girl in the entire training program, she is determined to prove to him that she is as good as any boy.

While, initially, Kel's only friend is her year-mate and sponsor, Nealan (Neal) of Queenscove, she slowly finds her way with his help, along with the assistance of a mysterious benefactor who occasionally sends her useful "gifts." Her determination, skill at arms and inborn sense of justice gain her both friends and enemies. Her primary opponent is fellow page, Joren of Stone Mountain, who has been marked by Wyldon as the best page in his year. Joren hates Kel's subversion of traditional practices. His unspoken antagonism takes physical form when Kel declares an unofficial war against the hazing of the first-year pages, something that Joren and his gang revel in. As Kel 'rescues' more and more victims, her circle of allies widens, and others join her in both fighting and friendship.

At the summer camp for pages which takes place at the end of the year, Kel and her friends assist Lord Raoul<ref name=":6" /> and the King's Own on a Spidren hunt. Her role in the skirmish that ensues showcases her natural ability as a leader. Her successes do not go unnoticed and at the end of the year Lord Wyldon surprises everyone by allowing Kel to continue to train to become a knight.

==[[Page (novel)|Page]] (Book two)<ref name=":2">((Cite book |last=Pierce |first=Tamora |title=Page |publisher=Random House |year=2000 |isbn=0-679-88915-9 |series=Protector of the Small quartet))</ref>==
Kel is now officially a page, but she has still to get through the next three years of training if she ever wants to fulfil her dream of becoming Tortall's first openly female knight.

At the outset of the book, Joren, her archenemy, appears to have stopped tormenting her. Even though, initially, Kel is distrustful of this apparent reversal, eventually she lets go of her animosity.

While Joren has backed away, another antagonist comes to the fore. Vinson is a member of Joren's gang and also a squire. Kel catches him attacking her timid maid Lalasa Isran. Although Kel successfully stops the assault, she is torn between her responsibility to report Vinson or stay silent to protect Lalasa's reputation. Eventually, she chooses silence, but this decision weighs heavily upon her.

Despite these internal personal struggles, Kel's aptitude with weaponry and her skills as a leader continues to grow. Over the course of the book, Kel's prowess with the lance, staff and bow is refined, and her knowledge of battle strategy is developed through mock fights. Her expertise serves her well when she and her friends are attacked by bandits whilst camping in the Royal Forest. Despite the overwhelming odds, Kel keeps a cool head and leads her friends to safety until Lord Wyldon and his troops can arrive, once again demonstrating natural leadership abilities.

While Kel makes extraordinary progress throughout the book, her fear of heights torments her throughout her time as a page. Though Lord Wyldon attempts to force her to face her fears by assigning height related chores/punishments, she remains terrified until the day of her page examinations. An hour before the exams, she gets an anonymous message that Lalasa has been kidnapped and left atop Balor's Needle – the highest tower in Tortall. Even though Kel is determined to save her, she knows this means both potentially missing the exams – the punishment for which is repeating the last four years of study – and confronting her own shortcomings. Despite these challenges, Kel climbs up Balor's Needle and successfully rescues Lalasa.

For her bravery, and because of the extenuating circumstances, Kel is allowed to retake the examinations alone; she passes with flying colors and officially becomes a Squire.

==[[Squire (novel)|Squire]] (Book three)<ref name=":3">((Cite book |last=Pierce |first=Tamora |title=Squire |publisher=Random House |year=2001 |isbn=0-679-88916-7 |series=Protector of the Small quartet))</ref>==
Kel's last hurdle before she can become a knight is spending four years as a squire.

Her new knight-master, Raoul of Golden Lake and Malorie's Peak and Lord Commander of the King's Own, is as different from her original master, Lord Wyldon, as a man could be. He introduces Kel to a new way of life, one that's as much fun as it is challenging. With his help, she becomes a formidable new force on the tournament field, sending shock waves through the world of young Tortallan knights-in-training, and intriguing young lady nobles, who are exposed to the genuine possibility of women training successfully to become knights.

In this book, Kel learns that a fast, skilled group of warriors known as the Queen's Riders – whose main job is to quickly travel around Tortall and aid various groups of warriors as needed – has, in addition to their main duties, been tasked with map-making. The Queen's Riders are constantly roving around the country, and draw maps as they travel which help improve the accuracy of the maps available.

As Kel travels with Raoul and his regiment, she encounters Neal's handsome cousin Domitan, as well as other interesting folk. When Raoul finds himself pressed into escorting the "progress," a group of noblemen and women who are travelling across the entire realm to celebrate Prince Roald and Princess Shinkokami's wedding, Kel has a chance to reunite with her childhood Yamani friends, including the Princess.

Old friends and foes appear: Neal of Queenscove, Owen of Jesslaw, Cleon of Kennan, and the still-bullying Joren of Stone Mountain. Through it all, Kel never allows herself to forget what awaits her after her night-long vigil in Midwinter of her fourth year as a squire: the Chamber of the Ordeal. All her work eventually pays off and she eventually successfully emerges from the Chamber as Tortall's second Lady Knight.

==[[Lady Knight]] (Book four) <ref name=":4">((Cite book |last=Pierce |first=Tamora |title=Lady Knight |publisher=Random House |year=2002 |isbn=0-375-81465-5 |series=Protector of the Small quartet))</ref>==
Lady Knight Keladry is now an official Knight of the Realm.

As war with the neighboring country of Scanra is declared, Kel finds herself in charge of a refugee camp. While she fears that her district commander, Lord Wyldon, has given her this assignment because he views her combat skills as inferior to those of other men, he disproves this notion. He explains that she was chosen for her post because she is the only knight Wyldon knows that wouldn't discriminate against the poor and disenfranchised, using noble status for power rather than to help. Kel soon comes to realize that these refugees are her responsibility and she is able to be a hero, even off the battlefield, and demonstrates her abilities as a leader independent of any mentors or knight masters.

In her work, she receives help in the shape of her old friends Neal and Merric, the horses Peachblossom and Hoshi, the dog Jump, and her personal sparrow flock. Moreover, she receives the aid of a myriad group of others, including: the Wildmage Daine;<ref>((Cite web |last=Francis |first=Madeleine |title=The Immortals Archives |url=https://www.tamora-pierce.net/series/the-immortals/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Tamora Pierce |language=en-US))</ref> Daine's lover, the great mage Numair;<ref>((Cite web |last=Francis |first=Madeleine |title=The Numair Chronicles Archives |url=https://www.tamora-pierce.net/series/the-numair-chronicles/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Tamora Pierce |language=en-US))</ref> Neal's own father, the healer Duke Baird of Queenscove; and a stolid, unusual boy named Tobe who, after Kel frees him from indentured servitude, dedicates himself to watching out for her.

While Kel struggles with her responsibilities and the urge to simply abandon the camp and find a real fight, another obligation hangs over her. Before the war began, she was given a task by the Chamber of the Ordeal: to find and destroy the mage who is using foul, evil magic to create the rat-like, swift-moving, deadly metallic things known as "killing devices." But, tied to the camp, she cannot pursue it. However, as the summer wears on and the war intensifies, Kel crosses paths with that perverted mage and his conscienceless war leader.

At last, her resolve is tested, and she and all of Tortall find out if she is truly worthy of her shield. Kel tricks her guards into letting her slip away from them, and pursue a journey to bring back her stolen refugees. She is quickly accompanied by her friends, and once and for all, given the chance to earn her name as a Lady Knight, protector of the small.

==Characters==

*'''Lady Knight Keladry "Kel" of Mindelan''': The protagonist of the series, a young [[nobility|noble]] striving to become the first official Lady Knight in Tortall in over one hundred years. She is the youngest daughter of Piers and Ilane of Mindelan, and has several older siblings. She spent six years of her childhood in the Yamani Islands, where her father, a Tortallan diplomat, negotiated a peace treaty between the two countries. As a result, Kel adopted several Yamani customs, which she continued to practice after returning to Tortall.
*'''Sir Nealan "Neal" of Queenscove''': Kel's first friend and year-mate in the training program. He is the son of Duke Baird of Queenscove, the chief of the palace healers. Neal has got a very strong healing Gift, which, like his father's, is emerald green. Neal is several years older than his year mates, since he initially studied healing at the university of Corus before deciding to carry on the family tradition of always having a Queenscove knight in royal service.<ref name=":0" />
*'''Wyldon of Cavall''': Lord Wyldon, nicknamed "the Stump" by Neal, is the stiff, conservative training master when Kel tries for knighthood, and is the one to demand a year of probation for her, because she is a girl.<ref name=":0" />
*'''Joren of Stone Mountain''': Joren is an enemy of Kel, and tries to drive her out. He has a group of followers who are against women being knights. He bullies first-pages, claiming that it is making them obedient. In [[Page (Tamora Pierce novel)|Page]], Joren seems to have changed, but it is later shown that this was just a ruse.
*'''Lalasa Isran: '''A maid to Keladry, and niece to Gower Isran. Joren hired two thugs to kidnap her, and this made Kel face her fear of heights and overcome them.<ref name=":2" /> Once Kel becomes a squire, Lalasa transitions to being a full-fledged seamstress, even opening her own shop in Corus. She closes her shop early everyday to teach self-defense to the city girls.<ref name=":3" />
*'''Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak''': Kel's knight-master when she is a squire. He is an old friend of Sir Alanna, and the Knight Commander of the King's Own. He teaches Kel that there is more than one way to help people, explaining that "Commanders are as rare as heroes. They are people with an eye not just for what they do, but for what those around them do as well."<ref name=":3" />
* '''Tobe''': A young boy Kel freed from indentured servitude. He goes on to dedicate himself to Kel, very insistent that someone has to make sure she takes care of himself. And Kel, always one to protect others, lets him do it.<ref name=":4" />

== Merchandise ==
In November of 2018, the first line of officially licensed merchandise was created in partnership with Dual Wield Studio, featuring a selection of pins, apparel and accessories developed in collaboration with creators from the Tamora Pierce fanbase.<ref>((Cite web |last=Pierce |first=Tamora |date=November 13, 2018 |title=@TamoraPierce |url=https://twitter.com/TamoraPierce/status/1062406837448949762?s=20 |website=Twitter))</ref> The collection expanded in 2020 to include a rendition of the map of Tortall and continues to grow.<ref>((Cite web |last=Pierce |first=Tamora |date=June 25, 2020 |title=@TamoraPierce |url=https://twitter.com/TamoraPierce/status/1276212403047301120?s=20 |website=Twitter))</ref>

==References==
((Reflist))

Articles:
*Lennard, John.[http://www.humanities-ebooks.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_LENNARDPROTECTOR "Reading Tamora Pierce's ''The Protector of the Small''"]
*Melano, Anne L. [http://www.uq.edu.au/crossroads/Archives/Vol%203/Issue%202%202009/Vol3Iss209%20-%2013.Melano%20(p.89-98).pdf "Utopias of Violence: Pierce's Knights of Tortall and the Contemporary Heroic"] (''Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of History, Philosophy, Religion and Classics'', vol 3 issue 2, 2009)
((Portal|Children and Young Adult Literature))
((Tamora Pierce))

((DEFAULTSORT:Protector Of The Small))
[[Category:Series of children's books]]
[[Category:Fantasy novel series]]
[[Category:Tortallan books| 3 Protector of the Small]]

Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page (help):

Protector of the Small (edit)
Template:Ambox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Cite book (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite web (view source) (protected)
Template:Hlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:In-universe (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox book series (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Italic title (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Long plot (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Main other (view source) (protected)
Template:Multiple issues (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Multiple issues/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Template:Portal (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Reflist (view source) (protected)
Template:Reflist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Template:Short description (view source) (protected)
Template:Short description/lowercasecheck (view source) (protected)
Template:Tamora Pierce (edit)
Template:Template other (view source) (protected)
Module:Arguments (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/blacklist (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/shared (view source) (protected)
Module:Check for unknown parameters (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1 (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/COinS (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Date validation (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Whitelist (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Disambiguation/templates (view source) (protected)
Module:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Infobox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Italic title (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Message box (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/ambox.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/configuration (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/disambiguation (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/setindex (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/softredirect (view source) (protected)
Module:Portal (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Portal/images/aliases (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Portal/images/c (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Portal/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Module:String (view source) (protected)
Module:Unsubst (view source) (protected)
Module:Wikitext Parsing (view source) (protected)
Module:Yesno (view source) (protected)

Return to Protector of the Small.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protector_of_the_Small"