by V F Sharp
She smiled at the thought of it. Just then she heard another agonizing groan. She looked around to see where it was coming from.
“Over here,” said Aldus.
She ran to see Aldus trying to lift a fallen white horse that had several bodies lying underneath it. She and some of the knights helped him drag the horse away and an arm slowly rose from underneath the bodies. Ezstasia and Sir Aldus removed the dead bodies and saw the injured man who lay underneath them.
It was King Izhar, covered in sand and blood.
“Sire!” said Sir Aldus.
“You’re alive!” said Ezstasia.
Izhar coughed. “For the moment it seems,” he said.
“I’ll get help, Your Majesty,” said Aldus.
Izhar held up a hand to stop him and shook his head.
“Tell me,” said the king, weakly. “Did my son make it? Did the ships leave?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” said Aldus. “Thanks to Lady Arrow.”
King Izhar sighed with relief and grabbed Ezstasia’s hand. “And Zaros?” he said.
“He took his army and left,” said Ezstasia. “We don’t know where he went.”
“I know where he went,” said the king, holding a large wound on his ribs. “He’s gone to his ship.” He coughed and then looked at her and Sir Aldus. “But he won’t find it.”
“I don’t understand,” said Aldus.
“I had my men burn that Valtan monstrosity to ashes last night. I knew he was planning to intercept our ships at sea. This mission was far too important to risk it. I just didn’t count on him coming here with the bloody Vorokians.”
He tried to sit up, so Ezstasia helped him.
“He’s a formidable foe,” said the king. “Pity. He could’ve been a powerful ally. Now, I fear you’ll have your hands full keeping the peace.”
“He’ll declare war on us now,” said Aldus.
“We were already at war,” said the king. “From the moment we announced this journey, he was ready to attack. It’s better to have a clear enemy than a duplicitous friend.”
King Izhar groaned again and held his ribs. Ezstasia put her arm around the back of his neck for support.
“My son left this land as a prince,” said Izhar. “And he’ll return as a king.” He grabbed Sir Aldus and pulled him closer. “Until then, you must form a resistance. Zaros will declare martial law as the dark magic spreads. Gather all of the villages. You must not give up. I know Zaros will not.” The king paused to catch his breath. “Tell my son when he returns, that I believe in him and that I know he will be a great and powerful king.”
Izhar turned his head toward Ezstasia. “Lady Arrow,” he said. “I believe in you, too. You’re more essential to us than even you know.”
His head lay back against her palm.
“Long… live… King… Alazar,” he muttered with a long, painful breath.
That breath would be his last. King Izhar the Great had passed to the great beyond.
Ezstasia watched as Sir Aldus was overcome with great emotion, tears rolling down the sides of his cheeks.
“He’s gone,” he said quietly to Ezstasia. “Eliezer is regent now. He’ll need our help. I’ll head to Old Vynterra and inform the others. We’ll need help placing these bodies on the wagons to take for burial.”
“I’ll catch up,” said Ezstasia as they both stood. “I need a moment,” she said, as her lips quivered and her eyes welled up with tears.
Sir Aldus bowed his head and returned to his horse.
Ezstasia took one long look at the fallen king, the man that she had heard so much about, and yet had only just met. It had only taken a short encounter with him, a man of such preeminence and strength, yet great humility, to make a lasting and powerful impact on her. As she took a deep breath, his last words to her, ‘I believe in you,’ filled her heart with strength. It infused her with a renewed commitment to help sustain the kingdom until the new king returns.
She walked toward the shore, stepping over the masses of fallen bodies as villagers and knights alike wandered around tending to the injured.
She stepped onto the wet sand and felt the water wash over her feet. Just then she heard footsteps in the sand walking toward her. She turned to see little Aurelia, the girl she’d carried on her rabbit from the town of Rhyceton. Her auntie and sister stood a ways back.
“You didn’t tell me you were Lady Arrow,” said Aurelia.
Ezstasia smiled and picked her up.
“You’re right,” she said. “That wasn’t fair, was it? You told me your nickname was Pickles, and I should’ve told you mine was Lady Arrow.”
“It’s okay,” said the adorable girl. “I do feel a little scared though.” She looked toward the war-ravaged beach with wide eyes. “Do you have any stories you can tell me?”
Ezstasia held her tightly and redirected the girl’s attention seaward, pointing out to the horizon.
“Do you see those ships way out there?” she said. “On those ships are the bravest warriors I’ve ever known. One of them is my sister. And another is our future king. One day, they’ll return. And their stories will be the greatest stories of all.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a celebrity hair stylist who's worked on Marvel's The Avengers, Furious 7, and many other major motion pictures, V.F. Sharp is no stranger to entertainment. But in recent years, she's decided to follow her passion for the storytelling side of the business, a passion she's had since she was a young teen telling ghost stories to her friends.
The Forest of Arrows: The Prince of Old Vynterra is her debut novel and is the first in the Forest of Arrows trilogy. The concept for the entire trilogy came to her in a dream, and she hopes to inspire readers of all ages through this mystical tale of epic fantasy, infused with a touch of wonder, horror and suspense.
To stay up to date on Ms. Sharp’s work or to be the first to know when the next book in the trilogy is released, please visit her website at www.vfsharp.com, where you can sign up to receive email updates, as well as read other news about her writing and appearances.
Ms. Sharp loves hearing from her readers and can be reached via email at [email protected].
