Chapter 1 The Tree Line and the Knife

Here I am laying at the edge of a tree line looking at the noon summer sky. There is only one thing on my mind and that is Bianca. She is a beautiful woman that knows no end to her love. I have been with her now for more than two years and yet still she remains a constant distraction. I have always been the type of man that loved and loved fiercely, yet this one drives me to want more from life. I tend a farm here in Abbon, and I wish to make Bianca my wife, and today is the day I will ask her to marry me.

“Hey silly what are you doing way out here?”

Of course she knows exactly where to find me.

“Hey, Sweet heart.”

“You only come out here if you have something on your mind, so spit it out, what is it?” she says teasingly

The question is do I tell her and ask her here. It would be the perfect spot in the summer’s noon, the trees rich and full. Beyond the way in the distance are rainbows of summer flowers.

“I only came out here to think of Betty, she is not well and refuses to give milk. I think we will lose her, and we cannot afford to buy another cow.”

Of course I lie, but it is only a half lie. I am worried about Betty, but am extremely anxious about asking Bianca to marry me.

“Well the truth is Betty is old, and not much can be done for her, yet to let her live out the rest of her days.” Says Bianca

She deserves more than a simple man like me. I have worked these fields since I was thirteen. It was my father’s farm who unfortunately passed two years ago, and my mother died in child birth. I am now twenty four and the woman I look at now is only a few months younger than me. I met her two years ago outside our small town and no one knows where she came from, not even me. I saw her riding home from my friend Davin’s, she was lying at the side of the road beaten and batter in torn clothes; cuts on her arms and legs with a bloody pool around her. When I saw her I thought she was dead. I could not leave the body there so I went to take it back into town; when I discovered she still lived. I tended her wounds for three day before she woke, and when she just smiled at me I knew I loved this woman.

“We can let her graze I suppose, yet we should sell her to the butcher.” I say

“We can’t do that how long she been part of the family Ray. She is too much like a sister to send to the butcher.”

I know she speaks the truth, yet we could use the money.

“So what did you do with your day today?” I ask such a silly question as my hand goes to cradle the ring in my left pocket. Bianca takes a seat next to me and smiles.

“I got you something.” as her left hand unfolds to reveal the handle of a knife that I was unaware she was holding. The handle is bone and trimmed with silver. A bear wrestling another bear is engraved on the handle. I have no idea where she got it but I love it.

“And what am I supposed to do with that?”  I ask

“I don’t know I thought you’d like it.”

“I do very much, but the handle is all wrong to work with on the farm. It’s not made to do tedious tasks.”

Judging from the side of the handle it is made for hunting. Yet there is something about it that makes it feel more like a weapon.

“And where did you get something like this?”

“Well I was making lunch, which you were not home for by the way, and an old woman knocked on the door. She asked for food and drink, and since there was so much I gladly invited her in. We talked for hours and she wanted to know everything about me. As it turns out a lot about me is you.”

A lot about her is me. I could not help but smile and she quickly smiles in return.

“As a parting gift for the lunch and tea she gave the knife to give to you.”

“Well that was a kindness for this must be worth much more than a lunch.” I pull the blade from it sheath, and strange engravings are upon the blade. “Did the old lady say why she wanted you to give it to me?”

“Yes and that the strange thing it came with a message, this knife will help in the days to come.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I say as I sit up.

“I don’t know I just took it as it was. Anyway are you staying here for a while?”

“I am there is still more I need to think about.” I say

“Well don’t think too hard for I expect you home for dinner.”

I watch her walk away towards the house, and I decide that I will ask her at dinner to marry me. I close my eyes, lay back down, and satisfied so I drift off to sleep.

                       ****

I awaken and it is almost dusk, I feel like I am in a daze, and I know that I have over slept. I could have sworn that I was not that tired, yet the sleep held me for too long. The sky still holds light, and the waxing moon has creep up over the horizon.

“S**t” I say. “She was expecting me for dinner.”

I turn toward the house and in the light of the setting sun I can see smoke rising in the distance. My feet act before my brain can process it and I start in a full run towards the house.

I arrive to a grizzly sight, as the house and fields are ablaze.

“Bianca!” I call.

“Bianca!” still no response.

There is almost nothing left of the house as I approach. My mind races, was she inside? Or did she get out safely? No she must been inside she knew where I was. Did she fall asleep while cooking? I pause for a second. This fire looks intentional. No way would the blaze have spread to the fields so fast. I sink down to my knees and cry her name one last time.

My grief and the fire before me almost keep me unaware of the man that approaches almost half hidden in the shadows. His weapon is drawn and the flickers of the flames reflect off his blade. He is dressed in a warrior’s uniform and his face is covered. I quickly rise to my feet.

“Did you do this?!” My words are venom, as he flinches as I speak to him, as if he thinks he went undetected. I don’t care he has a sword in his hand and I charge at him. The warrior swings too late and I catch him square in the chest with my shoulder, but his other hand wraps around my neck and pulls me to the ground with him. I start punching him wildly in the stomach trying to get him to let go of my neck, but his grip is locked like a vice. We roll on the ground for a moment and he gains the upper hand pinning me to the ground as he raises his sword over his head to cleave my skull. My hand reaches for my belt where I placed the knife. Up and out into his belly in one fluid motion which stops him in his tracks. His grip relaxes and his body falls off of mine. I quickly rise to my feet, kick the sword from his hand, and grab him by his leather collar.

“Did you do this?!”

He laughs as he chokes up blood. “Mariana will have her way, you stupid boy. You have no idea who you have lived with for these last years.” The warrior spits blood into my face as I quickly wipe it away to see the warrior put something in his mouth.

“You will have no answer for me.” He says softly as his body goes limp.

Reviews

[Kelsey Schadt]

Also, your male character doesn't use contractions when he talks, which makes his speech seem a little false. Consider this.

[Kelsey Schadt]

I like your first sentence but not the words "Here I am." I am not even 100% sure why those words don't work for me. I think maybe Here I am is implied anytime a speaker talks. Maybe "As I lay at the edge of a tree line looking at the noon summer sky, the one thing on my mind is Bianca."

" It would be the perfect spot in the summer’s noon, the trees rich and full. Beyond the way in the distance are rainbows of summer flowers." Love this imagery, which really allows me to visualize your setting

"I saw her riding home from my friend Davin’s" I would change to "I saw her while riding home..." because as I read I thought she was riding but was then suprised to findout she was beaten on the ground.

"'...As it turns out a lot about me is you.' A lot about her is me. I could not help but smile and she quickly smiles in return," What an excellent sentence to let the reader understand how these characters are woven together by their love.

I would like to see more of the characters' reflection on the woman's prophesy that the knife will be needed in days to come. It seems creepy that someone would say that, but your characters appear to brush it off, as though that is not a big deal.