The Four Knights is not told in chronological order, it begins right at the action and then explains what led up to that over the course of a few chapters until the next action sequence.
If it was told in (semi) chronological order then the first chapter would go as follows.
Chapter 1 - In the morning hours:
In the early morning hours, far off in the North Sea, the sun begins to rise in the East.
Far out in the water rides a vessel in full sail, it's back to both the wind and sun.
At the bow of the ship stands a young man, looking out towards their destination, the Eastern coastline of Scotland, as it slowly comes into view.
A sailor steps up onto the upper deck behind the young man and says:
"We'll be arriving shortly, lad. I didn't want to jinx it on any leg of the journey but I think I'm safe now in saying that we got very lucky with the weather this voyage. The Northern Sea is rarely this calm in winter."
The young man turns around, nodding his head in agreement and then replying:
"It's been nearly two years now since I've returned home, the winds have been pushing me back to it since I left."
A few hours passes and the silhouette of first the wharf and then the city and hill behind it come into view through the dawning fog.
The young man goes back down below deck and begins to pack up his belongings.
Standing on one stack of crates is his armor, a Polish-style cavalry helmet (otherwise known as a szyszak).
It is a steel helmet featuring a sliding nasal guard (sticking upright like a feather), protective ear & cheek pieces, and a lobster tail style back guard to protect the wearer's neck.
Below the helmet rests his German style box-shaped design breastplate, otherwise known as a "kastenbrust".
Attached to it are two different kinds of shoulder armor, and a flexible appendage of plate armor which protects the abdominal region.
Each piece appears to have been forged by different smiths, time periods, and regions.
The young man begins to strap himself into his armor, placing the breastplate over his chest and begins to strap himself in.
His clothes are noticeably tattered, worn, and stained.
The young man begins to strap himself into his armor, placing the breastplate over his chest and begins to strap himself in.
His clothes are noticeably tattered, worn, and stained.
He wears a khaki colored leather riding coat over a long grey wool coat, both riddled with many patched holes and stitches.
On his feet are a pair of tall black riding boots and on his legs are a pair of green wool pants tucked into them.
He has outgrown his winter coat or perhaps it was never his size to begin with.
His boots are a size too large for him although that isn't as much of a problem as he wears two or sometimes three pairs of thick wool socks depending on the temperature.
