Dragon Warrior

Prologue

Kara was out in the garden picking flowers when suddenly she heard the loud clang of the town bell. She jumped up and raced towards the house just as her father came running out he picked her up, Kara new the bells meant trouble in the distance Kara heard screams she looked over her father’s shoulder to see armed men running into town. Men raced to meet the invaders while others towns folk were fleeing the invasion.

Kara’s father turned a corner and was heading for an open gate in the town wall, when she looked back she saw a man holding a bow he was aiming for her father she cried out but was to late. Kara’s father stumbled as the arrow imbedded in his lower back but he kept going making it through the gate before he was hit again suddenly they were surrounded by trees.

Kara and her father could hear the footsteps behind them they kept going until they came to a cliff Kara’s father put her down and turned around withdrawing a dagger from his belt to face the men coming out of the woods behind them.

They said something in a language Kara didn’t understand one of the men approached and her father stepped forward to meet the attacker Kara could see her father swaying she saw the arrow in his back a large red stain had soaked his shirt. The man lunged forward and her father blocked his attack, the man attacked again and again finally her father stumbled the man took this advantage to run him through. Kara cried out as she saw the tip of the sword come out off her fathers back she panicked and rushed backward going over the edge of the cliff.

Down she fell plunging into the icy cold water bellow she struggled to stay afloat as the rapids swept her down stream Kara went under when she surfaced she was slammed against the rocks the third time her head slammed against a rock and her world went black.

Nina headed to the river a basket of dirty laundry in her arms her faithful dog Angel bouncing around her feet suddenly angel took off towards the river Nina heard Angels frantic barking Nina picked up the pace she cleared the trees and saw Angel standing near the edge of the water a small figure at her feet.

Nina rushed forward the small figure was a young girl she was unconscious blood running down her forehead from a cut on her head. Nina looked at angel “go get Helen” angel took off back the way they came Nina grabbed a sheet from the basket and wrapped it around the girl then she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it to the open wound on the girls head she looked up stream where the girl had come from off in the distance she could see smoke rising to the sky.

“Not a good sign” she thought to herself.

When Kara came to she was laying in a soft bed in a small room there was a desk against the far wall with a bookcase next to it to her right was a cupboard and to her left a young women sat sleeping in a chair she had long black hair and wore a pale blue dress she was very pretty 

Kara tried to sit up but a sharp pain in the back off her head caused her to cry out as she clutched her head it was enough to wake the young women.

“Don’t try to get up yet” she said gently pushing Kara back down

“Who are you” Kara asked

“My name is Nina, Nina Fairchild I live here with my sister Helen, do you remember what happen?”

“I remember being In the forest with daddy he was carrying me and we were being chased by some strange men but we got trapped on a cliff the man he spoke in a strange language then he fort with daddy but daddy lost and I fell of the cliff and landed in water I remember struggling in the water and than pain in my back and then everything went dark”

“Can you tell me your name and where you came from?”

“My Name is Kara”

Kara stopped and thought for a minute when she didn’t go on Nina asked.

“Is some thing wrong Kara”

“I can’t remember anything before the forest”

Kara started to cry Nina got up laid on the bed next to Kara and hugged her close.

“Its okay sweetie I’m shore your memory will come back”

Nina new it wasn’t true but she couldn’t bear to tell this child, the doctor said that the damage to the girls head my leave her with memory lose, and she may never get those memories back Nina had hoped she would be alright but it seemed the odds were against her the girl had stopped crying Nina looked down to see the girl had cried herself to sleep. Now that the girl had woken up she was out of danger so she got up and went to change and prepare breakfast there was work to be done the army had fort the invaders back but the area was no longer safe they were going to live with their Brother William until they found somewhere safe to live.

Chapter 1

10 years later

The young woman stepped out into the crisp morning air stretching her arms above her head an arm draped across her shoulders.

“Ready to work” asked the women

“Yep this is going to be fun and you said I could explore the city after we finish setting the stale up right”

“Yes as long as you stay out off trouble”

“Me, get into trouble I don’t know what you’re talking about”

Nina stared at her, her face all serious but her Pale blue eyes reflected laughter.

“So then what do you call the time you got into a fight with Mrs. Crane’s son?”

“You know I only did that because he was trying to cut off a cat’s tail”

“And the time Mr. Grayson caught you in his back yard”

“I heard a cat yowling in pain Mr. Grayson’s had it chained to the a post with no food our water I had to help it”

Nina started to laugh

“Kara why is it when a cats in trouble you always mange to find it”

“Guess I’m just lucky”

“Alright miss lucky go get Moonlight hitched to the cart while I wake Helen and we’ll be on our way”

“Yeah good luck with that Nina”

Kara took off running to the barn grinning, she new as well as Nina that Helen was a bear in the morning and if you woke her she was likely to take a swing at you. Kara learnt that the hard way when she tried to wake her for breakfast one morning a few weeks after Nina had found her, she had a black eye for 2 weeks. Both women kept apologizing for not warning her, Kara never tried to wake Helen again.

Kara opened the barn door

“Morning Moonlight how are you girl”

Moonlight whinnied in reply and went back to her hay.

Kara went to the stall door and opened it.

“Come on girl we’re going to the city today”

Moonlight was a beautiful black horse with a moon crest on her face

Kara put Moonlight’s halter on and led her out of the stable to the cart where Will, Nina and Helens brother stood waiting

 “Morning Will”

“Hey kid lets see if you remember how hitched her to the cart”

Will had shown me how to do it a few days ago.

 By the time she was done Nina was walking toward the cart with a grumpy Helen following close behind

Will went over my work

“Very good”

“Alright if your done let’s get going” grumbled Helen

Nina climbed up next to Kara and took the rains, while Helen chosen to climb in the back, she was asleep before they even got on the road.

When they got to the city Kara helped set up the stale. In his free time Will made ceramic bowls, cups, jugs and other little knick-knacks and once a year the rented a stall to sell his work. Will and his apprentice Christian would stay in the stale all week until everything was sold while Kara, Helen and Nina would return to the farm.

After everything was set up Helen and Nina went to do some shopping while Kara chose to do some exploring and shopping of her own. She was to meet back at the stall in 2 hours.

Kara’s first stop was a small book shop where she bought a book she wanted.

Kara left the book shop and headed for the small garden two blocks down the street. The garden belonged to Mrs. Pattson who let Kara use it since she saved her cats two summers ago. Kara was three houses away when she herd voices

“Hold it still” said one

“Its claws are bloody sharp” wined another

Kara stepped into the mouth of the ally and saw two boys one held a small fluffy black cat while the other held a dagger.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

She yelled

The boys panicked

“Run” one said

The boys let go of the cat and they both took off, Kara would off chased them but noticed the cat trying to get up but stumbled.

She approached it and when the cat saw her it hissed, Kara crouched down and stretched out her hand.

“It’s okay I won’t hurt you”

The cat sniffed her hand and then crawled towards her.

Kara gently picked the cat up and stepped out of the ally in the light she could see cuts in the cat’s skin