The Maid of Baybrook

Chapter 1: Too Young a Child

I grew up as one of four children of a poor farmer who lived just outside the walls of the mighty kingdom of Baybrook. As the youngest child, I was not of much use. My two older brothers, Zariah and Marc, were both seventeen and farm hands, who, were actually helpful. My older sister and eldest child of mother and father, Sarah, who was eighteen, had married a cobbler's son and now lived in the town Shyla south of here.

 I, Nora, was fifteen and was deemed too 'delicate' to do any serious farm work and was confined to watering the fields every dawn and eve and doing the house chores. I was tall though, and not short in the least. Father often told me I was "as tall as overgrown wheat stalks near harvest time."

The past few days had been stressful as of late because the Festival of Colors was coming up and we were desperately trying to get all of our goods prepared. We needed to keep everything according to plan to have a chance at keeping our cottage this year.

This morning had started out the usual. I woke up before the sun rose and went out to water the plants. I brought along my flute, for sometimes I liked to sit down and play for the plants. As I watered the plants, I hummed a song that had sprung into my head. I finished watering them and took out my flute, playing the same tune I had just been humming. As soon as I started, I spotted a gray bushy tail dart around the hen house out of the corner of my eye. Thinking it was our old gray dog Rudy dutifully chasing an unwanted creature down, I followed the animal and called out "Rudy, what have you got this time?"

As I rounded the corner, I realized I was wrong. It was not Rudy, but a gray coyote attacking our chickens! The coyote did not see me and I became frightened. How could I stop the coyote? How can we go by without eggs? I panicked, and dropped my flute. Not knowing what to do I picked up a pitchfork from a pile of hay nearby and yelled at the creature. 

"Hey! Leave them alone! I said stop!" I whacked the coyote on the hind. He turned and snarled at me. My heart skipped a beat. Then the coyote lunged.. I screamed and jabbed with all my might.

Clunk. Then a whimper sounded and was cut off.

The coyote was dead. I had went for the legs but underestimated the weight of the pitch fork and thinking it was heavier, swung too high. The pitchfork was now lodged in its chest. I tried to get it out of the coyote's chest but it was stuck. I stood back, breathing hard. In the distance, I heard a noise. It was mother and father coming to see what all the fuss was about.

Father came into view, leading the rest of my family, and carrying another pitchfork. He shouted "Nora? Nora! Are you okay? What happened?" They all stopped in their tracks. They seemed to take in the scene. I already knew that all but three chickens had not made it. I started apologizing, wondering how we were going to make up what we had lost but Marc shushed me. 

"Nora, walk to me very slowly." He said. I tried to tell him not to worry, that the coyote was dead, but he shook his head. I saw mother hold back a scream and wondered what was wrong.

I took a step towards Marc and heard something behind me. I turned. As I did, I saw yet another coyote lunging towards me. I knew that there was no time and no weapon that could help me this time. Screaming, I felt the impact of the creatures claws and a second later, the pain. I knew that I was injured in the chest, much like the coyote I killed. As I fell it was almost as if I was going in slow motion. I grabbed for my flute. Then, the pain stopped. I heard echoes of many shouts as my family came into my view. But everything was hazy, almost like falling asleep. My last thought before I lost all consciousness was oh goddess Liliah, please take care of my family.