I know, I know, it is Day 11, Letter K. I asked my three youngest children for "k" words and this is what I got:
knowing
knowledge
kindness
knight
kiss
kinetic (this one was from Leo. Thanks. I had to look that one up to really see what it means.)
In the Kingdom of Kievelli, a young, thin lad with a lock of sandy hair over one eye, held very still as he crouched beneath the low hanging branches of the ancient apple tree on the edge of the barley field. The stag was coming out of the forest about twenty paces off to his left and he knew he may not have this good of a chance again. Kyan was nearly twelve years old and had yet to accomplish this feat unlike his older brothers, his father and his grandfather who had all brought down their first stag before their twelfth year. Kyan's birthday was three days hence and he was feeling the pressure to succeed.
His arrow was nocked, his hands steady even though his heart was not. Beating wildly in his chest, he felt each beat and heard it as a faint whooshing sound in his ears. Surely the young stag must hear it too. Kyan drew in a quiet breath to calm himself, letting it out slowly so the wispy streams of white fog wouldn't be noticed.
The last few years were spent, in part, training him for this very moment. Kyan had the knowledge and even the skill to do what needed to be done, but he just couldn't ever quite bring himself to the point of execution. His father said it was time that he proved himself. His oldest brother said he was afraid to be a man. Kyan didn't know what he thought. Knowing what he did about himself though, he wondered if his hesitancy didn't have something to do with an occurance that happened when he was about 7 years old.
He and his mother had been walking to the village to get needed supplies and they had come across a wounded rabbit in the road. Kyan had not liked to see it in pain; it made him sad. He watched as his mother very gently picked it up and using a piece of cloth torn from her underskirt, she cleaned the wound and then bound it. He was touched by her kindness and something in him changed that day.
Life was more than the hunt, but what?
At age 7, a boy could enter into service as a page to a knight but Kyan's parents couldn't afford to do this. He remained at home and his father who had aspired to be a knight, never making it past squire after being wounded in battle, taught him what he had learned with the hope that maybe Kyan could move up the ranks in a few years if he proved himself worthy. The problem was this: He didn't know if being a knight was what he aspired to be. He found himself to be at a crossroads and right now, the stag was in his cross-hairs.
Converting to kinetic energy, the arrow shot from the string, sinking deep into the stag's shoulder. For a moment, it stood looking stunned before falling to the ground slowly. Kyan closed his eyes for a moment, giving thanks to God for His provision, for while he hated the killing, he knew his mother would be grateful as meat was not common in their household. Rising from his crouched position, Kyan prepared to dress out the stag.
The sky was just showing the first of the evening stars when Kyan came into the yard, the stag on a pallet he had made from branches to making dragging easier. His mother came out of the house, wiping her hands on the front of her skirts before coming to meet him. She alone knew how difficult this had been for her tenderhearted boy and she gave him a kiss on his forehead, pushing that same errant lock of hair out of the way. Knight or not, he was her boy who was nearly a man. What his future held was not certain, but she knew his heart and that he had given it to God and in that there was certainty.
(The End...at least for now.)
Love,
Dianne
He and his mother had been walking to the village to get needed supplies and they had come across a wounded rabbit in the road. Kyan had not liked to see it in pain; it made him sad. He watched as his mother very gently picked it up and using a piece of cloth torn from her underskirt, she cleaned the wound and then bound it. He was touched by her kindness and something in him changed that day.
Life was more than the hunt, but what?
At age 7, a boy could enter into service as a page to a knight but Kyan's parents couldn't afford to do this. He remained at home and his father who had aspired to be a knight, never making it past squire after being wounded in battle, taught him what he had learned with the hope that maybe Kyan could move up the ranks in a few years if he proved himself worthy. The problem was this: He didn't know if being a knight was what he aspired to be. He found himself to be at a crossroads and right now, the stag was in his cross-hairs.
Converting to kinetic energy, the arrow shot from the string, sinking deep into the stag's shoulder. For a moment, it stood looking stunned before falling to the ground slowly. Kyan closed his eyes for a moment, giving thanks to God for His provision, for while he hated the killing, he knew his mother would be grateful as meat was not common in their household. Rising from his crouched position, Kyan prepared to dress out the stag.
The sky was just showing the first of the evening stars when Kyan came into the yard, the stag on a pallet he had made from branches to making dragging easier. His mother came out of the house, wiping her hands on the front of her skirts before coming to meet him. She alone knew how difficult this had been for her tenderhearted boy and she gave him a kiss on his forehead, pushing that same errant lock of hair out of the way. Knight or not, he was her boy who was nearly a man. What his future held was not certain, but she knew his heart and that he had given it to God and in that there was certainty.
(The End...at least for now.)
Love,
Dianne
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