The Meadow Child

Chapter 1: The Meadow

In the meadow, there was a boy sitting in the grass and dirt taking in the beautiful scenery. The bees flying by with a humming sound. The flowers of every kind and color. The slight breeze waving the meadow back and forth ever so slightly. It was a peaceful place.

The boy laid upon the ground and closed his eyes and listened. There was footsteps getting closer. The boy looked around startled only to see his friend standing there looking back at him with a smirk on his face.

"It's just me, your freind Wiz. Can I join you, Bix?" his friend said and then laughed.

"Yeah, I guess........Its peaceful here. I wish the rest of the village could appreciate it as much as we do." Bix said with a sigh. Bix looked at his freind who, to his surprise, wasn't listening to him. Wiz was looking into the distance.

"Bix, what do you figure that big brown thing is?" Wiz pointed. "There, by the woods. Let's get out of here."

"Ok, lets go. I don't know what that brown thing is, but it doesnt look freindly." Bix said. He got on his feet and began walking away alongside Wiz when they heard a deep roar. The two boys looked around and saw a brown animal walking slowly but confidently towards them.

"You two, run! I'll take care of this!" A man said to them as he stepped in front of them. The man drew a sword and raised his shield. The animal kept coming closer, and the glint of the sword reflected in its eyes. The beast stood on two legs and was about three times as tall as the boys.

"Didn't I tell you two to run?!" The man yelled and swung the sword downward. The attack did nothing but anger the animal and cut some of the fur off. The beast swung a paw at the man's head, who just barely ducked under it in time. The man struck as he ducked and this time he cut into the animal, drawing blood. The beast took no notice and swung its other paw which missed.

"Die, you damn beast!" The man yelled at the animal. The man then struck again at the beast's stomach. Blood spattered from the wound. The animal fell on all fours and struck for a final time. This time, the beast hit the man's shield and knocked the man off his feet. The man picked up a rock off the ground and threw it at the animal. It hit the animal but the animal didnt seem to notice. The man grabbed his sword off the ground beside him and swung it downward into the beast's skull and got stuck. The beast fell to the ground and lay still.

"What was that thing?" Wiz asked.

The man turned to the boys and got to his feet.

"That beast was a Grizzly Bear. It is considered one of the most deadly animals in this area of the country. You boys should probably go home before you encounter another." The man said as he picked up his shield and walked towards the woods.