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.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.
First Test (Book one) The story opens in the realm of Tortall. After King Johnathan IV 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 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 (Book two) 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.