The sun's light grew larger on the dark horizon as morning awoke the world from it's sleep. The sun krept through the cracks in the tweed windows leaving a line of sun just over Bavol's closed eyes. He tried to pull his blanket over his head to shelter him from the rays but it was no use, he was already awake. He stretched himself out knocking his covers to the floor while he rubbed his bewildered eyes. He was up very late last night bringing the sheep back into their fold. He shuffled across the room to put on his shirt and withered pants. When he reached for the door it opened itself revealing a small pudgy woman behind it. She was shorter than he was by at least a head. "Oh good you're up." She turned back into the kitchen, "I was just about to wake you. Father needs you in the pasture." Bavol hated mornings just as much as he hated the animals he had to take care of. What he longed for was adventure and according to his mom "It's just a dream of something you'll never have." She was a very brutally honest woman. He grew up on the farm with his two sisters and brother: Aldreda, Meggy, and Noll.
"Put on a shawl before you go out. It's colder today than it was yesterday." His mother called out to him as he was just about to open the door. He grabbed his shawl off the of the floor and ran out to smell the fresh air. Bavol's horse was close to the house, "And how are you this morning Ada?" He smiled to his horse as he slung a saddle onto it's back. He climbed on as she trotted away in steady strides that hit the ground perfectly. They always road to a certain spot and it came to a point where Bavol didn't even have to direct her where to go. She just knew.
It was the beginning of summer and the leaves were a bright lush green. You could smell the fresh grass from the ground as they rode on to their destination. When they reached the edge of the forest there was a small cliff and another cliff right across from it. "Ready girl?" The horse started to back up and then went into full gallop as she leaped from one cliff to another. They were in the air and it felt like they were flying. It was the most adventure he could get out of his small little village. They hit the ground with impact but still galloped onword till they got to the most beautiful place you'd ever see. Flowers grew all around of all different colors and kinds. The ground was soft and when you would lay it felt like feathers. There was also a small stream that trickled through the flowers with many twists and turns with stones in the water to create the magical sounds. But just above that river lay a mountain named Mount Kinalli.
"I could stay here forever." Bavol said as he layed his head against Ada. "I wish this could be my life. That all this," he gestured to the nature around him, "would just be it. No cares, no worries or anything." He sighed and closed his eyes just for a second before they opened again abruptly when he heard a loud cry coming from his home. "Did you hear that?" He mounted Ada, "Come on let's go!" Ada ran as swift and as fast as her legs could carry her as she leaped over the cliffs and rode back to the house.
Ada came to an immediate stop that almost flung Bavol off of her back. It was Bavol's father running towards them with tears streaming like a fountain out of his eyes. "Father what has happened?!" He questioned. He was frightened for himself and his family. "The Watrons they're here in our village!" His father was gasping for air. "Fast we must get back to the family and leave as fast as we can!"
"Come father!" Bavol stretched out his hand for his father to ride with him back to the house. When they got back they found mother getting the other two horses ready. They were already saddled with many of their belongings. "Very nice woman!" Father said as they rode up next to them. Father got off of Ada and mounted another horse taking the two smallest children with him Meggy and Noll. Mother was on the next horse with Aldreda and Bavol rode alone.
"Quickly! Soon our home will be in flames! Move!" Mother called in the most demanding voice she could as we briskly rode off to await our fate in unknown territory. "Mommy where are we going?" Asked Meggy, the youngest. "Well, we don't know." added mother.
"You don't know?" questioned Noll. "Well if we don't know why are we going?" Noll was only nine years old. He was too young to understand what was happening around him. "Well Noll, our home is gone now." Bavol tried to make his voice light, trying to make him feel better. "Our home is g-g-gone?" That's when the tears started to come, and when Noll cried so did the other two.
"Hush! Hush! We may be spotted." They rode for about seven hours before they reached their first stopping point. It was a small cave hidden in some of the mesh in the forest. It was terribly cold and they had only brought along four blankets so they all huddled in together to sleep and surprisingly enough they stayed warm, but Boval couldn't sleep. All he could think about was his home, his room, even the animals he hated, but most of all he would miss his quiet little adventure with just him and Ada my the small river that ran through the flowers and the soft ground beneath them. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he closed his eyes and forced himself to fall asleep.
