Broken
By Hope Ohlarik
Ch 1 Pg 1
Creeping along she kept low to the ground. Her eyes locked on her target, not wanting to lose sight. Hiding behind a tree, she stood and drew her long bow. Cocking the bow, she slowly took aim. As the tip of the arrow aligned with brown hair, she released the arrow to fly. Watching him fall to the ground, she smiled happily and re-cocked her bow. Carefully she approached the still body, and kicked his leg. When no motion was made, she un-cocked her bow and replaced the bow to her quiver. Pulling out the arrow she brushed the tip in the grass; and placed the arrow back into the quiver, aside the bow. Whistling, she waited for her horse; and smiled as the dark chestnut bay approached. Taking his muzzle in her hands she cooed to him, speaking ever so softly. “Stand fast, Jac,” she said scratching behind his ear. As she whistled again, but in different pitch, she waited. This time a fair white mare came towards her, and she did the same greeting for the mare. Carefully, she got the man’s body upon Jac’s back, and mounted the mare. “Come Jac, come Cleo, let’s be off.” Nudging the horse’s ribs, the horse slowly moved forward in a steady trot towards Dárk.
As they rode she looked to the stars, such beauty they held. She loved the light they gave off, as they shown down upon her. As they lit the trees, and her way; the highlights they gave creatures of the night. And added the evil twinkle to the crechias eyes, and to her own.
“Hold,” a guard shouted. “What business have you in Dárk?”
“Bounty,” she replied motioning to Jac’s back.
“Of?” the guard inquired.
“Jared De Barous,” she replied solemnly.
“De Barous? I had no idea he was in these parts,” the guard said dumbfounded.
“He’s not anymore,” she replied with a chuckle.
“Do you know where the sheri…”
“Across the square by the baker’s house,” she replied happily cutting him off.
“Aye,” the guard said disgruntled.
Riding past him, she made her way carefully across the square. Being sure to avoid the children frolicking in the streets, she stopped in front of the Sheriff’s house. Swinging off Cleo’s back, she tided Jac’s reins to the post. “No running off,” she said patting his muzzle. Walking to the Sheriff’s door, she knocked and opened the door. “Anyone home?” she called looking around. As her eyes came upon the sleeping sheriff she laughed; quietly she quickly slid his feet from the top of his desk and darted back to the door. She couldn’t contain her laugh as the sheriff flew from his seat and drew his sword. “Calm, ye ol’ coyote, it’s only me.”
“Maria Daron,” the Sheriff said lying a hand upon his heaving chest, he then placed his sword back in its sheath. “I should have known. No one else would dare do that.” He said chuckling. “Who’s outside?”
“Jared,” Maria replied stepping outside. Pushing Jared’s body off Jac’s back, Maria looked back up at the Sheriff. “Money?”
“Here ya go,” he said handing a small worn leather bag to her.
“You’re three shy, Jesí,” she said looking at the glint in his eyes.
“Aye,” he said as he smiled and handed them to her. “Ye always guess it.”
“Oh, aye,” she replied tucking the bag away into her coat, she laughed. “I’ll have Baro in soon.”
“Baro is in these parts? I didn’t know that,” Jesí said as his face crinkled with concern.
“Not for long,” Maria chuckled reassuringly.
As they rode she looked to the stars, such beauty they held. She loved the light they gave off, as they shown down upon her. As they lit the trees, and her way; the highlights they gave creatures of the night. And added the evil twinkle to the crechias eyes, and to her own.
“Hold,” a guard shouted. “What business have you in Dárk?”
“Bounty,” she replied motioning to Jac’s back.
“Of?” the guard inquired.
“Jared De Barous,” she replied solemnly.
“De Barous? I had no idea he was in these parts,” the guard said dumbfounded.
“He’s not anymore,” she replied with a chuckle.
“Do you know where the sheri…”
“Across the square by the baker’s house,” she replied happily cutting him off.
“Aye,” the guard said disgruntled.
Riding past him, she made her way carefully across the square. Being sure to avoid the children frolicking in the streets, she stopped in front of the Sheriff’s house. Swinging off Cleo’s back, she tided Jac’s reins to the post. “No running off,” she said patting his muzzle. Walking to the Sheriff’s door, she knocked and opened the door. “Anyone home?” she called looking around. As her eyes came upon the sleeping sheriff she laughed; quietly she quickly slid his feet from the top of his desk and darted back to the door. She couldn’t contain her laugh as the sheriff flew from his seat and drew his sword. “Calm, ye ol’ coyote, it’s only me.”
“Maria Daron,” the Sheriff said lying a hand upon his heaving chest, he then placed his sword back in its sheath. “I should have known. No one else would dare do that.” He said chuckling. “Who’s outside?”
“Jared,” Maria replied stepping outside. Pushing Jared’s body off Jac’s back, Maria looked back up at the Sheriff. “Money?”
“Here ya go,” he said handing a small worn leather bag to her.
“You’re three shy, Jesí,” she said looking at the glint in his eyes.
“Aye,” he said as he smiled and handed them to her. “Ye always guess it.”
“Oh, aye,” she replied tucking the bag away into her coat, she laughed. “I’ll have Baro in soon.”
“Baro is in these parts? I didn’t know that,” Jesí said as his face crinkled with concern.
“Not for long,” Maria chuckled reassuringly.
Pg2
“Arthor, meet Maria,” Henry said with a deep hearted laugh. “And pick up your jaw from the ground.”
“Maria?” Arthor replied his eyes gaping to the surprise in his voice. “Daron?”
“Aye,” Henry replied with a small smile.
“Wow,” Arthor said still in a daze.
“’Tis nothing,” Maria glowed. “Anyway, I am off, Baro needs brou…”
“Baro? De Barous?” Arthor asked quickly, rising a hand to stop her.
“That ‘tis my business. Maybe you should teach this pup some manners, Henry, it seems he lacks them dearly,” Maria grumbled as she spurred her horse forward.
“I am no pup!” Arthor yelled.
“You,” she growled, “you are a pup. You’re as selfish, and cold-hearted as a pup!”
“No!” Arthor yelled back, trying again to stop her from going.
“As I said,” Maria said pulling the horse’s reins in a different direction. “Teach your pup some manners, he severely lacks them.” Then looking back to Arthor she narrowed her eyes, “Iunka vera me timia ya yo.” With that she rode away, Jac trailing behind her.
“What the heck did she say?” Arthor said looking to a surprised Henry.
“She said, she is not wasting her time with you,” Henry replied “Well you managed to get under her skin well enough.”
“Wells he was being rude!” Arthor exclaimed kick the dusty ground.
“Show some respect next time,” Henry laughed.
“Why should I? What has she ever done for me?” Arthor grumbled. “Why should I respect someone who doesn’t respect me?”
“She’s fought more battles that you’ll ever fight. She has kept the King’s forces at bay for years now, through many ways that you’ll never know. She has fought Maric and his evil forces keeping them from taking over our world.”
“Henry, please. I don’t believe in fairy tales….”
“Good,” Maria said riding back up, “fairies don’t have tales. Henry,” she paused looking to Henry’s deep eyes. “Iunka ivor ya Arthor. Ey es my faro, ta faro. Ey wi nuka mezrah, pas la eyo ga.”
“Iu cara,” Henry replied looking deeply back into her emerald eyes. “Yo lavor eyo, Iu car seu za.”
“Nuka! Iu wi nuka lavor eyeo! Ka li beyfa,” Maira said sadly looking at Arthor, her eyes ablaze with anger; and yet a small hint of sadness. Shaking her head she looked back to Henry. “Iu un ya Maycayo, Iu un hapi. Hapir thaya beyfa.”
“Earth to Henry,” Arthor said waving a hand. “What are you two saying?”
“If you don’t understand, then it isn’t for you!” Maria snapped. “Yo es ta faro. Me Arthor es faro.”
“She was saying that you are lost, too lost,” Henry said still looking at Maria. “And that you’d be better off if you were to stay lost.”
“Leave me lost?” Arthor asked, contorting his face to the question. Looking to Maria he conveyed his confusion.
“You es faro. Yor cari es faro, yori mezi es faro. Theyro you es faro,” Maria said softly looking away from Arthor’s eyes.
“Huh?” Arthor questioned raising an eyebrow.
“Maria?” Arthor replied his eyes gaping to the surprise in his voice. “Daron?”
“Aye,” Henry replied with a small smile.
“Wow,” Arthor said still in a daze.
“’Tis nothing,” Maria glowed. “Anyway, I am off, Baro needs brou…”
“Baro? De Barous?” Arthor asked quickly, rising a hand to stop her.
“That ‘tis my business. Maybe you should teach this pup some manners, Henry, it seems he lacks them dearly,” Maria grumbled as she spurred her horse forward.
“I am no pup!” Arthor yelled.
“You,” she growled, “you are a pup. You’re as selfish, and cold-hearted as a pup!”
“No!” Arthor yelled back, trying again to stop her from going.
“As I said,” Maria said pulling the horse’s reins in a different direction. “Teach your pup some manners, he severely lacks them.” Then looking back to Arthor she narrowed her eyes, “Iunka vera me timia ya yo.” With that she rode away, Jac trailing behind her.
“What the heck did she say?” Arthor said looking to a surprised Henry.
“She said, she is not wasting her time with you,” Henry replied “Well you managed to get under her skin well enough.”
“Wells he was being rude!” Arthor exclaimed kick the dusty ground.
“Show some respect next time,” Henry laughed.
“Why should I? What has she ever done for me?” Arthor grumbled. “Why should I respect someone who doesn’t respect me?”
“She’s fought more battles that you’ll ever fight. She has kept the King’s forces at bay for years now, through many ways that you’ll never know. She has fought Maric and his evil forces keeping them from taking over our world.”
“Henry, please. I don’t believe in fairy tales….”
“Good,” Maria said riding back up, “fairies don’t have tales. Henry,” she paused looking to Henry’s deep eyes. “Iunka ivor ya Arthor. Ey es my faro, ta faro. Ey wi nuka mezrah, pas la eyo ga.”
“Iu cara,” Henry replied looking deeply back into her emerald eyes. “Yo lavor eyo, Iu car seu za.”
“Nuka! Iu wi nuka lavor eyeo! Ka li beyfa,” Maira said sadly looking at Arthor, her eyes ablaze with anger; and yet a small hint of sadness. Shaking her head she looked back to Henry. “Iu un ya Maycayo, Iu un hapi. Hapir thaya beyfa.”
“Earth to Henry,” Arthor said waving a hand. “What are you two saying?”
“If you don’t understand, then it isn’t for you!” Maria snapped. “Yo es ta faro. Me Arthor es faro.”
“She was saying that you are lost, too lost,” Henry said still looking at Maria. “And that you’d be better off if you were to stay lost.”
“Leave me lost?” Arthor asked, contorting his face to the question. Looking to Maria he conveyed his confusion.
“You es faro. Yor cari es faro, yori mezi es faro. Theyro you es faro,” Maria said softly looking away from Arthor’s eyes.
“Huh?” Arthor questioned raising an eyebrow.