The Orchard of Hope

by Amy Neftzger

  The

  Orchard

  of

  hope

  by

  Amy Neftzger

  Smashwords Edition

  Published by

  Fog Ink

  and imprint of

  Fields of Gold Publishing, Inc.

  Copyright © 2013 by Amy Neftzger

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or manner whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher. For more information contact:

  Fields of Gold Publishing, Inc.

  PO Box 128438

  Nashville TN, 37212.

  Edited by Ken McManus.

  Cover design & all illustrations by Cory Basil.

  ISBN: 9781940894102

  The book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to

  individuals, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Except for Newton. He lives with the author and gave

  his permission to be included as a fictional character,

  although we all know that he’s real.

  “You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.”

  ~ Thomas Merton

  Chapter

  One

  Another Quest

  Hope is never gone. But it can be eaten alive, and that’s exactly what was happening in the orchard. The king had told them about the problem before, but the problem wasn’t going away. In fact, the problem was getting bigger and becoming critical, and the king was certain that Kelsey could help. She was excited about the trip and looking forward to the journey to the orchard, wherever that might be and however long it would take.

  It wasn’t as if Kelsey hadn’t enjoyed the past 18 months of training with the king’s army. The battle conditioning had been a wonderful experience for her, but now she was ready for action. Too much time spent in one place had made her restless. When the king first mentioned the quest, Kelsey had jumped up out of her seat with excitement.

  “How do we save hope?” Kelsey asked with undisguised eagerness. After an awkward pause she sat down again and waited for an answer. Her fingers gripped the top of the thick walnut table where she was seated in the king’s study. Every wall in this room was covered with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, except for the places where there were windows, which also stretched the height of the room.

  “That’s a question to which we do not yet have an answer. It’s a bit of a tricky situation,” the king said as he smiled. He was a tall figure with broad shoulders and flowing red hair. Although he ruled this land and was respected by his opponents in battle, Kelsey often thought about him as something of a father figure. His stature conveyed his strength, but his eyes and his smile hinted at the tenderness that Kelsey always saw in him. Of course, she had known him under different circumstances before she knew he was the king. In fact, he had been traveling in disguise and appeared to be a small mute orphan that Kelsey had attempted to help. Only later did she learn his true identity.

  “Why don’t you simply fence the orchard?” asked Nicholas, who was a young boy about the same age as Kelsey. He sat upright in his chair, as if paying attention to a lesson.

  “I wish the solution were that easy,” the king replied solemnly, “but we don’t fully understand the extent of the situation. Implanting obstacles, such as a fence, will solve the problem only if it’s a simple one. However, this issue is complicated.”

  “So, someone has tried a fence already,” Nicholas concluded aloud. He was a rather smart boy who attended the Academy of Miracles, a place formerly known as the Orphanage of Miracles. Nicholas was being raised by his aunt and uncle, who were members of the king’s court, and because of this, Nicholas often spent his vacations from school at the castle.

  “They’ve tried a number of potential solutions, but nothing has worked so far, and the obstacles only make the wolves more aggressive,” the king explained.

  “Wolves?” Kelsey asked as she settled back into her chair. “Hope is being stolen by wolves?”

  “It’s being eaten by wolves, but these aren’t the regular kind.”

  “How are they different?” Kelsey asked.

  “We’re not exactly sure. Our information is incomplete, but we know these are not typical wolves. For one thing, they can smell hope blossoming and they attack at the moment it becomes ripe.”

  “Most animals have very keen senses of smell,” said Nicholas.

  “This goes beyond natural abilities,” the king said.

  “How many are there?” Kelsey asked. “Wolves, I mean.”

  “We’re not sure about that, either,” replied the king. “We don't know if the same wolves are coming back over and over or if different wolves arrive each time hope is eaten alive.”

  Kelsey looked at the king with a mixture of confusion and concern on her face. It’s one thing to go on a quest, but it’s quite another to go when you’re not sure what you’re going into.

  “Do you know how to get there?” she asked.

  “Yes, of course. I know where the orchard is located.”

  “Good! Then you can help me find it, at least.” She stared at the crimson velvet curtains framing the tall cut glass windows near the table where they were sitting. “Another quest,” Kelsey announced to herself with a contented sigh. The past 18 months had been anything but boring, and yet Kelsey had been feeling restless. The thought of traveling again brought a large grin to her face. She turned her head to look around the room and then slapped her hand on the highly polished walnut table, leaning forward as she turned to the king.

  “It’ll be just like old times! You and me together on another quest!”

  “It’s certainly a quest, but I won’t be going with you.” He paused with a thoughtful expression on his face and stroked his red beard.

  “You could go in disguise,” Kelsey insisted. “You’re good at that. You could be my traveling partner again, and it will be just like it was when we met.”

  “No. I’m needed here. There are too many duties to which I must attend. That’s why I’m sending you in my place.”

  Kelsey wanted to protest again, but she settled back in her chair. She knew that when the king had made up his mind it was useless to argue. He was one of the few people she considered more stubborn than herself.

  “Am I going alone?” she asked.

  “No, of course not. This task is too large and dangerous for one person.”

  “I’ve been training with your soldiers for a year and a half,” Kelsey said with undisguised protest. She had practiced drills with knives, swords and maces. She had learned to scale walls with one hand on her weapon and the other grasping the stones. She had worked hard to keep up with boys who were older and stronger than she was, and she had proved herself worthy of being one of the king’s soldiers in training. She was as good as any of them at most skills and better than all of them with a knife. Kelsey was a natural with knives. “I can do this,” she insisted.

  “I know you can do this. That’s why I’m sending you,” the king replied quietly but firmly, “but I’m sending others with you.”

  “I don’t need help.”

  “Wolves run in packs. It’s rare to face one alone, and it will require a team in order to defeat them.” His tone conveyed the firmness and resolve of his decision.

  “Has anything like this ever happened before?” Kelsey asked after thinking to herself for a moment.

  “Yes. Wolves love the taste of hope,” the king replied. “But they’ve never devoured it like this.”

  “You know, I would have thought that our
old enemy, the Sorcerer, would be the one after our hope.”

  “My generals think that he may be responsible for sending the wolves. The sorcerer is clever and wouldn’t spend his own time or effort destroying something if he could convince someone else to do it. His spell of deception is one of his best weapons in this war. It’s more efficient than any army because it can even turn sections of the opposing army upon itself.”

  Kelsey wanted to ask more questions, but she knew it wasn’t the time. She needed to focus on preparing for the quest. This would be her first assignment as a member of the king’s army, and she wanted to make sure it went well.

  “So, what you’re telling me is that first I’ll need to assess the situation,” said Kelsey.

  “Yes. It will take some investigative work to figure out what’s causing the wolves to be so aggressive and destructive. This sort of behavior goes beyond anything we’ve ever seen from them.”

  “I can do this,” Kelsey repeated. She sat up in her chair to emphasize her confidence in herself.

  “It’s going to be dangerous and there may be battles.”

  “Battles.” Kelsey repeated softly with a hint of excitement and relish in her voice. She smiled faintly at the thought.

  “I hope it won’t go that far, but the battles could become quite bloody,” the king continued.

  “Bloody battles!” Kelsey tried unsuccessfully to hide the thrill she felt at the possibility of testing her newly acquired soldiering skills in combat. As her smile broadened across her face, she unconsciously reached down to grasp the hilt of her favorite knife. She carried it with her at all times and even slept with it strapped to her leg so that she could easily reach it. For Kelsey, it had as much sentimental as practical value, since the king had helped choose it for her when he was disguised as Silence, the poor mute orphan.

  “May I go on the quest?” Nicholas asked. He’d never been on an adventure before. In fact, he’d spent most of his life studying, and it seemed that a quest could be a very interesting expedition.

  Kelsey glanced from the king to Nicholas and then back at the king. She didn’t mind the thought of Nicholas joining her. He wasn’t very strong, but he was easy to get along with, even if he couldn’t hunt or fight very well. At least he wouldn’t be annoying company on a trip. He was also smart, so he had the potential to learn.

  “Will you send him with me?” she asked.

  “No,” the king said firmly and then paused for a moment to choose his words. He shifted his weight in his chair and then turned to look at Nicholas before continuing. “You belong here, Nicholas. The time has come for you to learn some new fields of study. You’ll be spending even more time at the castle. We’re going to supplement your education and develop your talents.”

  “What talents do I have?” Nicholas asked, somewhat confused. While he had done reasonably well in school, no one had mentioned any talents to him. He was unaware of anything extraordinary about himself. He placed his hands in his lap and waited patiently for the king to continue.

  “That’s something that we may be able to help you to discover -- but all in due time,” the king replied. “As Kelsey knows from experience, it doesn’t always enhance an education to know exactly where you’ll be going or what you’ll be doing. Sometimes the goal can be an obstacle to the education if you try to reach it too quickly. A little patience will serve you well.”

  “Then who will be going with me?” Kelsey quickly asked, seeming to ignore the king’s last statement concerning patience.

  “I’m sending Roland with you.”

  Kelsey clapped her hands together and smiled. She had met Roland on her last journey and taken an immediate liking to him. While everyone saw Roland in a different form, Kelsey saw him as a red fox, and he was beautiful in her eyes.

  “Roland! I can’t wait to see him!”

  “He’s already on his way here and should arrive in a few days,” the king said.

  “That’s great news!” Kelsey liked the sound of this journey more and more. She could visualize herself with Roland successfully crossing all types of wilderness. There would be no one to slow them down because they were both in excellent physical condition and could walk for miles every day. They would also never be hungry because they were both skilled hunters.

  “There will be three of you,” the king said. He watched Kelsey’s reaction for any sign of protest, but she appeared to be in particularly good spirits about the trip and didn’t mind that there would be another traveler joining her. She was still smiling to herself at the thought of seeing Roland again. The king observed Kelsey’s far off expression and decided not to pursue explaining the identity of Kelsey’s other companion. “One of the things I want you to learn on this trip is how to talk to birds so that we’re able to send messages back and forth quickly.”

  “Absolutely,” Kelsey nodded. “I really want to learn how to do that.” It was a rare skill. Only the king and a few of his higher ranking officials knew how to talk with the birds. Kelsey knew that some of these officials were army generals, and she wondered if learning this skill would help her to become an officer in the army.

  “It’s not an easy thing to learn,” he explained.

  “But I’m willing to learn. I’ll work as hard as I need to in order to learn it,” she assured him.

  “It may take years to fully understand them and also to be understood correctly. Some people pick it up quickly, but that’s rare. This is an excellent opportunity for you to begin your lessons. Roland is already fluent, of course, so he will be a wonderful teacher for you.” Kelsey smiled again. She knew that she could learn a lot from Roland, and not just about talking with birds. She couldn’t wait for this quest to begin.

  “I’m really looking forward to this,” she replied.

  “One more thing,” the king said and then hesitated. He looked back and forth from Kelsey to Nicholas before continuing. “Maggie will be going with you.”

  “Maggie!?” Kelsey and Nicholas both exclaimed in unison. They looked at each other in embarrassment as they shifted uncomfortably and waited for the other to continue. They both started to speak and then awkwardly stopped themselves when they realized that the other was speaking at the exact same moment. This happened a few times, and they both felt more self conscious with each awkward moment.

  “You first,” Nicholas finally said to her. “This is your mission, after all.”

  “First of all, did you say Megan or Maggie?” Kelsey asked for clarification. It was a huge difference because Maggie was a spunky, yet emotionally driven girl who went to school with Nicholas and had occasionally visited at the castle. Megan, on the other hand, was a 400-pound snow leopard with attitude. Although she was friends with them, at times Kelsey found both of them extremely annoying for different reasons. They were both quite different from Kelsey.

  “Maggie will be going with you, Kelsey. Megan will be arriving at the castle, also, but she will be staying here,” the king explained.

  Kelsey didn’t know whether to feel relieved that she would not be traveling with Megan or irritated that she was going to travel with Maggie. At least Megan could fish. But as far as Kelsey knew, Maggie had never been on a journey and had no hunting or survival skills.

  “Why Maggie?” Kelsey asked. She tried to be respectful in her tone, but her disappointment and confusion about the decision came through in her voice.

  “She has skills that may prove useful on this journey. That’s all you need to know at the moment.”

  “But she's a girl!” Kelsey exclaimed, making the king laugh. He was good natured and patient most of the time, even when Kelsey forgot her manners. He understood her and appreciated the forceful way she approached almost everything.

  “You’re a girl.” He couldn’t resist pointing out the fact, although it only irritated Kelsey all the more.

  “Not like her,” Kelsey protested. “She’s a girly girl. She paints her nails. She doesn't know how to use a weapon or hunt or d
o anything useful. She wears earrings, for goodness sake. Earrings! That’s a great way to lose an earlobe in battle!” Now Nicholas was laughing along with the king as he imagined Maggie in a battle. Kelsey felt her face turn red. The king wiped a tear from his eye. He was laughing so hard at Kelsey’s reaction that he had started to cry.

  “You and Roland have enough survival skills for the three of you and more. Maggie does know how to do things. In fact, you may discover that she’s better at you in some areas of knowledge.”

  Kelsey thought for a moment as she tried to figure out what useful skills Maggie could possibly possess. After training with the king’s army for a year and a half, Kelsey found it hard to believe that Maggie could do anything better than she could. Kelsey wondered if the king was teasing, but he appeared serious about sending Maggie. He was also highly amused at Kelsey’s reaction to the decision. Kelsey continued to wonder what he saw in Maggie that she didn’t.

  “Why Maggie?” Nicholas echoed the question when he composed himself.

  “It may surprise you, but sometimes Kelsey has a tendency to focus solely on fighting techniques and she may overlook other possible solutions to the situation. I’m sending Maggie to help maintain balance.”

  “I’m balanced,” Kelsey replied. “I can use both knives and guns.” She sat quietly, brooding for a moment, and then added, “I’m also trained in hand-to-hand combat and how to use a mace. It doesn’t get more balanced than that.”

  Nicholas saw how angry Kelsey was over the situation and struggled to keep from laughing again. He avoided looking at her and stared at the king, waiting for him to finish the conversation. Kelsey, on the other hand, was struggling to maintain a proper attitude of respect for the king’s authority.

  “Well, then, it’s possible that I may be mistaken,” the king replied with a gentle smile. He saw Nicholas’ discomfort and decided to end the conversation there. After all, they had several days to discuss everything and work out the details. “You are dismissed to begin preparations,” he announced.

  Nicholas broke into a grin and rapidly left the room before he started to laugh again. But Kelsey left the king’s study in a dark mood, still unconvinced about Maggie’s ability to contribute. Not even the thought of Roland’s company could cheer her up.