A Kingdom Divided Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Eighteen years later

Swish!! Andrew Pearl ducked under his attacker’s blade and then countered with a low foot swing hoping to gain an advantage. His attacker easily jumped over his swing and Drew dropped down to one knee and brought his sword over his head just in time to block his attackers strike up and over his head. Drew knew that now was his only chance to make a move while his attacker was getting ready for the next blow. With the speed of a tiger lunging at his prey, Drew did a complete turn of his body and brought his sword to his attacker’s throat. Andrew glared at his attacker and said darkly, ''Now Johnathan Sholts you die.''
Johnathan smiled at his pupil. ''Well done Andrew the day the student can defeat the teacher is a good day indeed. Now, if you don't mind removing your sword, I would like to breath better and mother would kill me if I came home without my head.'' Andrew laughed and lowered his sword, ''Good fighting John, I would say though that after eleven years, worth of training I better be able to at the very least, hold my own against you in a sparring match.''
Johnathan nodded and then went over and placed a hand on Drew's shoulder and looked into his deep blue eyes, his voice was that of a teacher but the heart of a friend, ''My work with you in the art of training with the sword is done Drew. I have known that for a while now but you have been holding back. Today I held nothing back from you and you defeated me as I knew you would. I have taught you all I know and you have become a master at the sword Drew and no one can take that away from you.
Drew nodded, ''I held back John because I didn't want this to end.'' Johnathan stepped back and looked at Drew, ''Don't want what end Drew? Hey, look pal, I'M not going anywhere. Nothing is going to change between us Drew aside from not training anymore. I'll still be around if you ever need me. Drew nodded, ''Besides,'' John called over his shoulder, ''With a build like that you better be done with your training.''
Andrew laughed. At eighteen he had left all the features of boyhood behind and replaced them with the young looks of a man. He was about six foot three and had a trim yet solid build. His hair was jet black and cut just above his neck line to where in the morning it gave him, as his ten year old sister Sarah put it, ''a do ta do something with''. With his sharp facial features and a mildly deep voice, Drew was, a constant cause of heart break in many a fair ladies wishful dreams.
Johnathan Sholts had been Drew's friend and mentor for as long as he could remember. Even though John was seven years his senior, the two men were rarely seen apart and were as close to each other as any friends could be. Johnathan had a stocky build and anyone looking at him would have thought him slow and fat.
But, when John drew out his sword he was a sight to fear and Drew never underestimated his stocky friend. With hazel eyes and sandy light brown hair, John was a man people went to with their problems and his kind gentle features gave him the look of a kind and gentle man.
Drew was thinking on these things when he suddenly snapped his head up and looked at the sky. The sun was just beginning to set in the west behind the mountains. Drew sprinted over to his brown stead and yelled over at John, ''Have to go John I told mother and father I would bring Sarah home from school and I think I might already be a bit late see you tomorrow!'' And with that said Drew leapt into his saddle and galloped off in the direction of Bird Valley.

Bird Valley was rightly named as the valley where all the people from this part of the kingdom lived was the home of hundreds of birds. It was a peaceful valley with a lot of open land and fresh running water. The many people who lived here were all mainly farmers and ranchers, as the grass was green and grew in abundance.
The valley was home to a diverse mix of people. The main group was made up of wealthy ranchers and, like Drew’s father, farmers who harvested wheat and other grains. The main town was situated in the heart of the valley, about three weeks from the nearest main port in York. Although the people were all different in their backgrounds, they all lived together peacefully in the valley.
As Drew entered the town he took a look around. On his right ran the path that lead to the open street markets where all got together on Fridays and Saturdays and sold their weekly produce. The blacksmith was a little ways to the left of the market and was always busy. Several other shops and stands were in the town at various places and then there was the school house about two miles west of the town.
When Drew neared the school house he still saw children on the school grounds playing and breathed a sigh of relief. He was not late after all. Drew tied his stead to the hitching stand and walked around the yard looking for one green eyed red headed girl with ponytails. His eyes finally caught his charge near the side of the building under an old oak tree playing dolls. Smiling Drew whistled like a robin and waited.
Sarah popped her head up at the sound of that familiar whistle and saw Drew. She threw down her dolls and squealed with delight as she ran and jumped into his waiting arms. For as long as Drew could remember Sarah always ran to him no matter the time of day or who was present. Sarah never knew how much Drew liked the fact that she did it even if it was in front of twenty school kids. Drew was never sad or angry for long in her company.
''How are you today Robin?'' Drew asked as he caught Sarah up and spun her around. Sarah smiled as she looked at Drew, ''Fine thank you Drew how about you how was training?'' Drew adjusted Sarah to the front of his body and Sarah saw that Drew looked a bit unhappy. She put both her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes, ''What is wrong Drew,'' she asked softly, ''Are you all right, did you do something wrong in training today?''
Drew shrugged slightly and then sighed, ''No nothing is wrong with me. I'm alright Sarah it's just that'' but here Drew stopped and gave her a slight hug then set her down, ''Ah it's nothing to worry you pretty head over Robin.'' Anxious to change the subject Drew asked how she did on her spelling bee. Sarah knew that something was wrong with Drew, but she knew he would tell her if or when he wanted.
''It went really well Drew I got a gold star and Lady Emily brought cookies, sugar cookies!'' Drew put on what he thought was a fierce glare and spoke sternly to his sister, ''I hope for your sake you saved me at the very least one cookie Sarah Jane Pearl because I would hate to leave you behind because you couldn’t pay for your ride.'' Sarah put her hands on her hips and glared right back at him, “Is that so, well you just go right ahead and ride home. I would hate to be in your shoes when mother finds out you left me here on account of some cookies you failed to receive.” Even though Sarah was sweet and innocent to a fault, she could, when provoked, get in touch with her red head temper and sass.
Drew tried to keep a straight face but his little sisters eyes gave her away as they twinkled with laughter that, in the end, Drew laughed. ''You can't hold a straight face to save your life and neither can I you little Robin.'' Sarah smiled again and then reached into her pocket of her checkered dress and withdrew a small hankie. ''Do you want them now or later Drew?'' she asked as she held the hankie up to him.
Drew shook his head, ''Save them for later Robin, do you have everything you need?'' Sarah nodded, ''All my school supplies are in the school house, let me run in real quick and grab them.'' Drew grimaced slightly, ''Well in that case I think I will take one now. You never just grab something quickly Sarah, you always talk and you always take your pretty little time doing it.'' Sarah smiled gave Drew her hankie and skipped towards the school house.
Drew watched Sarah enter the school house and then seated himself down on a stump. He opened the small hankie and bit into the sweet smelling treat. Drew raised one eyebrow, ''Wow this is really good, better than what they sell at the market.'' A soft voice spoke behind him, ''Why thank you Sir Andrew, I was not made aware of your liking for sweets, but, then again, I guess every young man is prone to them at one time or another.'' Drew snapped his head around and then jumped up and bowed slightly, ''Lady Emily, pardon me and my lack of manners of having not risen earlier, I was not made aware of your presence.''


Smack! Ruth smiled happily. Out of ten arrows shot at fifty paces away nine hit the bull’s eye mark but the other was off by a few mere inches. At eighteen years old Ruth was a lovely young woman. With jet black hair that was mainly put in a single braid down her back, many woman often complimented Ruth on it because it was so long and naturally straight. She was right at six feet and with ocean blue eyes and a fine figure, Ruth was the envy of many of the city girls who had to work hard for their looks.
Ruth was the daughter of a wealthy merchant and his wife, Sir Jimmy and Lady Lucy Martin who owned the property of Lake Manor. Lady Lucy had taught Ruth the ways of a lady, how to serve tea properly and sew and host many guests. She had also taught Ruth how to dress like a lady and present herself like one but without putting on airs. Even though Ruth obeyed she did not like all the glamor and wealth that her parents had, nor the many suitors who came calling after her and for her wealth.
But, one day, she overheard her father say how he wanted Ruth to have choices in the world and to be able to defend herself if the time ever came. So, at the age of ten, Ruth had started learning three weapons of her choice. Ruth had chosen the sword, the bow, and knife throwing. With all that she did Ruth never backed down when it became too hard. Rather, when something hard did stand in her way Ruth put all her stubbornness into it and became a master at it in days.
Ruth was a master at the bow and sword and knives and quickly silenced anyone who said otherwise. One of the things Ruth was complimented on the most was her voice. It was a soft and gentle voice that people have a hard time trying to describe it, but when her quick temper was riled up it could become cold and dangerous. Ruth walked over to her target and once again thanked God for allowing her to wear pants when she was training.
At first, Lady Lucy would not even hear of it, but after Ruth came home one day at the age of twelve and had ripped her skirt in two she reconsidered. When Ruth put on her first pair of pants she was so happy. Her pants were well fitted to wear, but they did not cling to her but fit her just right. It also had two pockets in the back and two pockets on the upper leg were she kept a knife at all times. Her shirts, though long were not so long as to hinder her movements. Her mother wanted her shirts to at the very least cover her bottom and be a bit lower if possible. Lucy always taught Ruth to be modest in her manner of dress, and although it was hard to keep her movements in training modest all the time, her outfits were, at the very least covering the essential parts of her body.
But at home Ruth was all Lady with her hair as we said in a simple braid or in a bun and in long simple but elegant and modest dresses and skirts with simple shirts. Ruth hardly ever wore her hair down as it always got in her way and only let it out at night when she combed it out one hundred times as her mother had told her since she was a child. Ruth also wore simple flat footed house slippers in the house and when training wore sandals.
As she put her arrows back in her quiver Ruth happened to glance up at the sky. She gasped slightly, it was already past midday and she was supposed to be at the manor for a dinner party her father was having. Whistling sharply for her horse Ruth snatched up her weapons and waited for her black horse Hartanna to come.
Hearing the horse’s hooves approaching, Ruth ran over to her and caught the reigns. She quickly put everything in her saddle bag and swung into the saddle as she turned her horse towards home. ''Oh please God,'' Ruth murmured softly as she rounded the corner towards the meadow that would lead her to the one hundred acres of pasture land her father owned, ''Don't let me late for the dinner party.'' And with that thought in mind Ruth gave Hartanna the reigns and let her gallop towards home.