| Fantasy Fiction posted February 2, 2025 | Chapters: |
...11 12 -13- 14... 
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Diantha gets a lesson on shooting a bow.
A chapter in the book Body of a Horse, Heart of a Man
Lady Archer
by davisr (Rhonda)
| Background A fanciful tale of adventure. Phoebus, son of Poseidon, is a god turned Centaur by Zeus. Diantha, is a young lady in peril. Together, they must face an evil foe, and make some difficult choices. |
Ending of last chapter:
Mary smiled to herself. If anyone could pump spirit back into a lost soul, it was her. Diantha's strength was healing sick babies. Mary's was mending sick hearts.
She vowed not to let this one leave her household until she was fully healed... that is, if they survived the next week intact. Her husband and Atrius might think they were being secretive with their garden meetings, but a person doesn't have to see smoke to smell it.
The New Chapter Begins:
Diantha stood in the flower garden belonging to her new friends, the Burtons. What an amazing, yet tiring day. She'd shopped for clothes, gone out to eat, and visited more family and friends than Diantha thought the valley could hold.
The usual topics of conversation were the baby she'd helped Mary deliver the day before, favorite recipes, the threat of the valley's enemy, the Karacki, and most importantly, the festival just 3 days away.
They all wanted to know which event she was going to compete in. Diantha tried to explain she had no particular talents, but they'd brush off all protests with a promise to teach her one of their own. They brought up cooking, baking, horse races, sewing, ax throwing (who did that?), log rolling, and many more.
To stop their bugging her, she finally agreed to sign up for archery. She had practiced with her brother's bow when she was younger and it sounded like as good a contest as any.
Mary had gotten way too enthusiastic and promised the tutoring of Brandon, her very handsome and single brother, to teach her more. Remembering him from breakfast the day before, Diantha readily agreed.
So, here she was, waiting in the yard for her instructor. She sat on a tree stump, taking in the beauty surrounding her. Never had she known such tranquility. The scent, the breeze, the calmness all went together to form both a blanket of comfort, and a whirlwind of adventure.
Beyond these intangibles, existed something else... an added mystique... something exotic and tantalizing.
It was him, she thought... the Centaur. His humble presence was everywhere. His touch was in the flowers and his essence in the air.
With a tension relieving sigh, she stroked a tender blossom, inhaled its heady fragrance, and waited.
"That's my favorite flower," Diantha heard. Startled, she quickly rose to her feet. She wasn't sure if it was the striking appearance of one of the most handsome men in the valley, or the silence of his approach, but her head swooned and she almost lost her balance.
"Woah," Brandon reached out a hand to steady her. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Diantha wanted to retort with, "Then maybe you shouldn't sneak up on people," but decided to be nice and said instead, "so, you're here to teach me to shoot arrows."
It was a statement more than a question, but she was taken off-guard.
"I'm here to help you better your aim. I've heard you're already an expert." Brandon's clear blue eyes danced as he spoke. Diantha couldn't tell if he was teasing her or really believed she knew what she was doing.
"I wouldn't exactly call me an expert," she said. Dark red hair flowed attractively around her trim shoulders. She subconsciously ran her fingers through it and was graced with an admiring smile.
"Okay, not an expert," he said in a way that gave her to believe he hadn't expected that she was to begin with. "What experience do you have?"
"My brother was on the archery team at school, and he'd let me mess about with his bow sometimes."
"Were you any good?"
"I was 5."
Brandon's face broke into a smile. That's okay. I brought you a bow that's easy enough to handle. He pulled a bow and quiver of arrows off his shoulder and handed them to her. "This is for you. It might not win you any championships, but it won't break your arm, either."
Diantha grinned. "Thank you. Are you going to teach me to use it?"
"Of course." He bowed low, then helped her onto his enormous bay stallion.
"Where are we going?"
"To the agriculture tier," Brandon explained. "I have some bales of hay set up for practice. It's not safe to shoot here in the residential area."
Diantha was quite sure she agreed, and told Brandon as much.
"Where's your horse's saddle?" she asked as they left.
"We don't use them in Concorde Valley," Brandon explained. "A true horseman can guide with his words and the pressure of his knees."
Diantha hoped she didn't look as aghast as she felt. She had always loved to be around horses, and riding them was a great pleasure. But, bareback riding, she wasn't so sure about.
~~~~~~~
Several gruelling hours later, Brandon returned his exhausted charge to the door outside his sister's cottage.
"You did well," he said, brushing hair away from Diantha's cheek. "I'm sorry for that burn. It should heal without a scar. It happens to everyone from time to time. Ask my sister for some cream."
Diantha touched her swollen face. "It was my fault. You instructed me to lean away from the string when I shot. I'll bet I remember from now on."
"Not to worry," Brandon said. "You'll get it right."
"I would prefer sooner rather than later or I'm going to look like I've been in a fight with a tiger."
"We don't have too many of those in Concorde," Brandon replied.
"Hopefully not any."
"You never know what lurks beneath mountain passes," Brandon said mysteriously. "It never hurts to be ready for anything."
"And hence my archery lesson."
Brandon nodded. "And hence your archery lesson. I know you won't have time to practice tomorrow before I get here. Mary is taking you with her on rounds, but I'll give you another lesson once I get home. I only live a few houses down."
"I look forward to it," Diantha said, "and thanks for teaching me."
"It was my pleasure. Good night."
Brandon caught her hand in his. He pulled her gently toward him and brushed a light kiss on her uninjured cheek. With a sigh, he turned to leave. Diantha felt a mild attraction to Brandon, a man it was apparent she was being urged towards, but there was something about him she just couldn't get close to. Was it just the hinted danger she felt as palpable as the scent of roses around her?
"What are you not telling me?" she muttered to his retreating back. For a moment, she thought he hadn't heard her... hoped, really he hadn't.
Turning, he replied, "ask him." He motioned toward the cobbled walkway.
Diantha's eyes adjusted to the darkness in front of the house even as she heard a familiar clip clop of hooves.
"Atrius," she whispered, and her heart leapt in her throat.
The usual topics of conversation were the baby she'd helped Mary deliver the day before, favorite recipes, the threat of the valley's enemy, the Karacki, and most importantly, the festival just 3 days away.
They all wanted to know which event she was going to compete in. Diantha tried to explain she had no particular talents, but they'd brush off all protests with a promise to teach her one of their own. They brought up cooking, baking, horse races, sewing, ax throwing (who did that?), log rolling, and many more.
To stop their bugging her, she finally agreed to sign up for archery. She had practiced with her brother's bow when she was younger and it sounded like as good a contest as any.
Mary had gotten way too enthusiastic and promised the tutoring of Brandon, her very handsome and single brother, to teach her more. Remembering him from breakfast the day before, Diantha readily agreed.
So, here she was, waiting in the yard for her instructor. She sat on a tree stump, taking in the beauty surrounding her. Never had she known such tranquility. The scent, the breeze, the calmness all went together to form both a blanket of comfort, and a whirlwind of adventure.
Beyond these intangibles, existed something else... an added mystique... something exotic and tantalizing.
It was him, she thought... the Centaur. His humble presence was everywhere. His touch was in the flowers and his essence in the air.
With a tension relieving sigh, she stroked a tender blossom, inhaled its heady fragrance, and waited.
"That's my favorite flower," Diantha heard. Startled, she quickly rose to her feet. She wasn't sure if it was the striking appearance of one of the most handsome men in the valley, or the silence of his approach, but her head swooned and she almost lost her balance.
"Woah," Brandon reached out a hand to steady her. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Diantha wanted to retort with, "Then maybe you shouldn't sneak up on people," but decided to be nice and said instead, "so, you're here to teach me to shoot arrows."
It was a statement more than a question, but she was taken off-guard.
"I'm here to help you better your aim. I've heard you're already an expert." Brandon's clear blue eyes danced as he spoke. Diantha couldn't tell if he was teasing her or really believed she knew what she was doing.
"I wouldn't exactly call me an expert," she said. Dark red hair flowed attractively around her trim shoulders. She subconsciously ran her fingers through it and was graced with an admiring smile.
"Okay, not an expert," he said in a way that gave her to believe he hadn't expected that she was to begin with. "What experience do you have?"
"My brother was on the archery team at school, and he'd let me mess about with his bow sometimes."
"Were you any good?"
"I was 5."
Brandon's face broke into a smile. That's okay. I brought you a bow that's easy enough to handle. He pulled a bow and quiver of arrows off his shoulder and handed them to her. "This is for you. It might not win you any championships, but it won't break your arm, either."
Diantha grinned. "Thank you. Are you going to teach me to use it?"
"Of course." He bowed low, then helped her onto his enormous bay stallion.
"Where are we going?"
"To the agriculture tier," Brandon explained. "I have some bales of hay set up for practice. It's not safe to shoot here in the residential area."
Diantha was quite sure she agreed, and told Brandon as much.
"Where's your horse's saddle?" she asked as they left.
"We don't use them in Concorde Valley," Brandon explained. "A true horseman can guide with his words and the pressure of his knees."
Diantha hoped she didn't look as aghast as she felt. She had always loved to be around horses, and riding them was a great pleasure. But, bareback riding, she wasn't so sure about.
~~~~~~~
Several gruelling hours later, Brandon returned his exhausted charge to the door outside his sister's cottage.
"You did well," he said, brushing hair away from Diantha's cheek. "I'm sorry for that burn. It should heal without a scar. It happens to everyone from time to time. Ask my sister for some cream."
Diantha touched her swollen face. "It was my fault. You instructed me to lean away from the string when I shot. I'll bet I remember from now on."
"Not to worry," Brandon said. "You'll get it right."
"I would prefer sooner rather than later or I'm going to look like I've been in a fight with a tiger."
"We don't have too many of those in Concorde," Brandon replied.
"Hopefully not any."
"You never know what lurks beneath mountain passes," Brandon said mysteriously. "It never hurts to be ready for anything."
"And hence my archery lesson."
Brandon nodded. "And hence your archery lesson. I know you won't have time to practice tomorrow before I get here. Mary is taking you with her on rounds, but I'll give you another lesson once I get home. I only live a few houses down."
"I look forward to it," Diantha said, "and thanks for teaching me."
"It was my pleasure. Good night."
Brandon caught her hand in his. He pulled her gently toward him and brushed a light kiss on her uninjured cheek. With a sigh, he turned to leave. Diantha felt a mild attraction to Brandon, a man it was apparent she was being urged towards, but there was something about him she just couldn't get close to. Was it just the hinted danger she felt as palpable as the scent of roses around her?
"What are you not telling me?" she muttered to his retreating back. For a moment, she thought he hadn't heard her... hoped, really he hadn't.
Turning, he replied, "ask him." He motioned toward the cobbled walkway.
Diantha's eyes adjusted to the darkness in front of the house even as she heard a familiar clip clop of hooves.
"Atrius," she whispered, and her heart leapt in her throat.
 Recognized |
The AI image is from IZEA.
Diantha: Female protagonist. Born and raised in Tennessee. Her father is the Governor of Tennessee. She is going to college to study pediatrics.
White Lightning: Diantha's new filly... a gift from Wilson's family. Her Horse Name is Champion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phoebus: Young son of Poseidon. He works for Apollo as a horse tender and has started a line of horses of his own. He is cursed by Zeus and sent to Concorde Valley as a Centaur.
Atrius: Pseudonym of Phoebus. He has amnesia from his youth and was renamed by a caretaker. Now lives in Concorde Valley.
Mary Burton: The wife of Atrius' captain, Burke. She is Diantha's caretaker and new friend. She has 6 children, and is a midwife.
Burke: One of Atrius' captains, husband of Mary
Brandon: Mary's handsome little brother who works with his father, Burke in the guard.
He's a romantic interest of Diantha's, but one she feels pushed into a relationship with.
Tabitha: Mary's oldest child, 14-year-old and helps her mother as a midwife
Brenda: Mary's 12-year-old daughter. Also helps deliver babies, but is still in school
Brice: Mary's 8-year-old son
Tommy: Mary's 5-year-old son
Carter: Mary's 2-year-old son
Hank: Mary's 6 month old baby.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eudora: Youngest daughter of Zeus and Hera - She's spoiled and petulant and purely made up on my part. She's also the indirect reason Phoebus is turned into a Centaur.
Eternal: Phoebus' favorite black stallion. A gift from Poseidon to get his youngest son started in horse breeding. He's an immortal and hopefully the father of Phoebus' planned bloodline.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Diantha: Female protagonist. Born and raised in Tennessee. Her father is the Governor of Tennessee. She is going to college to study pediatrics.
White Lightning: Diantha's new filly... a gift from Wilson's family. Her Horse Name is Champion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phoebus: Young son of Poseidon. He works for Apollo as a horse tender and has started a line of horses of his own. He is cursed by Zeus and sent to Concorde Valley as a Centaur.
Atrius: Pseudonym of Phoebus. He has amnesia from his youth and was renamed by a caretaker. Now lives in Concorde Valley.
Mary Burton: The wife of Atrius' captain, Burke. She is Diantha's caretaker and new friend. She has 6 children, and is a midwife.
Burke: One of Atrius' captains, husband of Mary
Brandon: Mary's handsome little brother who works with his father, Burke in the guard.
He's a romantic interest of Diantha's, but one she feels pushed into a relationship with.
Tabitha: Mary's oldest child, 14-year-old and helps her mother as a midwife
Brenda: Mary's 12-year-old daughter. Also helps deliver babies, but is still in school
Brice: Mary's 8-year-old son
Tommy: Mary's 5-year-old son
Carter: Mary's 2-year-old son
Hank: Mary's 6 month old baby.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eudora: Youngest daughter of Zeus and Hera - She's spoiled and petulant and purely made up on my part. She's also the indirect reason Phoebus is turned into a Centaur.
Eternal: Phoebus' favorite black stallion. A gift from Poseidon to get his youngest son started in horse breeding. He's an immortal and hopefully the father of Phoebus' planned bloodline.
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