A Wonderful Outing! pt. 1
This story is set in the mid 1400's. Our story involves James Cartman, a 17-year-old human. He has lived with his father, alone, for most of his life, and was beginning to hate his father for his attitude towards his only son!
James looked up at the evening sun, now glowing a dark orange. It illuminated the landscape, reflecting off the tall mountains, and drifting into the small town of Granville. James had lived here all of his life, so he was used to seeing it's miracoulous beauty.
"James!" his father shouted up the hill to where James lay. James' father did not approve of James lazing around some of the time. He had always said to James as a child: "If you work for it, you will get it!" James had to bear his father not being truly fond of him. It was not his mother's fault that she had died in an attack on their village. James remembered watching her die, bringing a tear to his eye, and he just wished that he could get away from this town. James was pulled from his daydream as his father shouted up to him again, signalling their evening meal, and James left his perch to join his father, unwantedly.
It was a routine to James. After they had finished their meal, James would go and clean the stables while his father prepared everyting for the next day. James kept his sheepdog, Rusty, near him at all times in case his father let fly at him, which he often did! Unbeknownst to James though, Rusty was a special dog. A magical dog. A dog that could speak human! James didn't know of Rusty's power, but he was soon to find out!
James opened the door to the stables. The smell of hay and dung wafted thorugh his nose, but James was used to that too. James' father did not own many horses, but each one took a good enough time to clean out! James' personal horse, Beatrix, was always the last to be cleaned out, and James always made sure that she got a bit extra food than his father's horses. Beatrix was also a special horse though, because she could talk too. Not all animals of England could speak like Beatrix and Rusty could, but it had to be a secret kept from them. Just think about what would happpen if a dog went up to you and said "Hi!"?
James closed the door of the fourth horses' stable, and moved onto Beatrix. He swung open the door, and started to rake out some of the hay. Beatrix watched as he replaced her hay, counting handfuls as he went.
"Three, four, five, six, and six and a half for you, Beatrix!" Beatrix watched as James filled her water basin in as well, and poured a little longer than he did with the other horses. Because of this bit of extra food and extra time in the field, Beatrix was a stronger horse than the rest of them. Beatrix loved James for everything he did with her, and wished badly that she could express her feelings to him. Every time James walked in, Beatrix would get very excited. In fact, she was a six year old horse, so in her early adulthood if it was converted into human years. Therefore, she got excited, in both ways we know today.
Beatrix flinched a bit when James aid goodbye to her, stroking her muzzle, and a call from his father made him leave her. He made sure all the stables were closed, and left Beatrix in peace. Beatrix watched out the window as James walked home with Rusty close by, and she went to sleep and dreamed about a better life with James. This, of course, was going to happen later on!
the cockerel crowed for dawn, and James woke up. Another normal, boring day was in order for James, so he just got up, dressed and went downstairs. His father had to go to a meeting that morning, and it would probably last the day, since he was the mayor of the town, and that just meant that James was going to have a boring day, alone. James just sighed when his father had finished telling him what to do that day.
"And don't you forget to feed the horses at noon!" His father shouted, before closing the door and leaving James alone. James got to work on his chores so he could have a wander around in the town. James' father had always told him: "Get a girl while they are young, preferrably rich, and buy a house so you can get away from me!" It was noon now, and James had just finished tidying the kitchen. All he had to do now was clean out the horses, and then he could take a wander in the town. The sun was warm, since it was April, and James took off his long sleeved top and put on a short sleeved one. James family was of medium wealth, so James lived in anice house, with lots of clothes!
James unlocked the door to the stables, and opened it. Sunlight got everywhere, and all of the horses turned to look at James, especially Beatrix. James began to do what he normally did with the horses, and started on the first one. Rusty ran over to Beatrix, since they knew each other's power. Rusty made sure James had his back turned.
"Hey, Beatrix!" Rusty whispered. Beatrix took her eyes off James and looked down at the small dog.
"Hi, Rusty", she whispered back, before motioning her head over to James who was turning round to look at them.
"Rusty!" James whistled to him, and Rusty came bounding over to him. James did trust him to be around horses, but he just wanted someone to keep him company while he worked. Rusty waited until James had got to Beatrix, before walking outside, and runnig around to Beatrix's stable window. Rusty knocked on the window, before seeing James' father return from his meeting. He walked into the house, and shouted for James.
"James! Where are you?" His father shouted for James, and James quickly finished on Beatrix, not being able to give her extra food and water. Beatrix slouched back as James closed her stable door, and ran off to attend to his father. "Listen, boy. Listen closely!" James father beckoned him closer.
"What is it, Father?" James whispered. They wanted to keep this conversation private, in case any other townsfolk overheard them.
"You know down that path is a village called Guallian?" He waved his hand over to the west, and sure enough James saw a small, rocky, sandy path that led into a forest. He hadn't known where it lead before.
"Yes. What about it?" James looked unsure of this, because the path looked scary. It just led into a dark hole and a deep forest.
"Well, they sent one of their people to tell us that a dragon had flown over them, and they want someone from anwhere nearby to go and kill it before it attacks everyone!" James' father had a slight grin on his face.
"Yes?" James knew there was more. There always was with his father.
"And I have volunteered you to go and kill it!" James' father's grin was bigger now, and James was wondering why on earth he would do that to James? "Hey. you are strong, fast, agile, and can use a sword! (Thanks to me!)" All of this was actually going through James' mind as he thought about it. He had never met agirl before, and if he killed the dragon, he would get more than he could hold! James was actually thinking about going to fight the dragon. 'I would also be away from my father!' James had made his decision, and the grin on his beaming face told Rusty and Betrix everything. This was not what they had imagined to happen to him!