KADE Part 1 Revisited

Kade was in trouble again. She rolled angular emerald eyes as her mother yelled.

“Why did you do that, Kade? Now I’ll have to do even more work.”  Kade flinched as her mother swung the wooden spoon at her head.  “I just don’t understand how you can keep getting into so much trouble.”

“Can I go now, Mom?”  Her tiny legs swung impatiently from the chair Kade was sitting on.

Her mother’s jaw dropped in astonishment. “Elementals save us! You just don’t get it. If you keep acting up, the Shydoseiradyrn will come for you. Do you really want that?”

Kade’s eyes rolled again as she let out a sigh. “Come on Mom, those are just stories.  The cave demons don’t really exist.”

“How can you say that? Your best friend, Lilly, disappeared a month ago and she got into just as much trouble as you. You’ll be lucky to see your tenth birthday if you don’t learn your place. Now go feed the animals before noon meal.”  Her mother swung the spoon again for good measure and turned to stoke the stove’s fire.

Kade quickly jumped down, not wanting to give her mother a chance for more scolding. A puff of dust flew up as she hit the dirt floor.  She turned and left out the front door not making a sound.  She hated feeding all the animals. The chickens chased her and horses tried to bite her. And not to mention, it was just too hot.  She would rather be swimming in the river nearby to cool off.

She turned the corner and stopped in front of her family’s wooden fences. Kade could hear the horses neighing in the far back lot. It sounded almost as if they were making fun of her. Weighing the odds, she stood there for a moment. She was already in trouble so what could it hurt? If her older brothers weren’t busy in town, she wouldn’t have to feed them at all.

With a skip in her step, Kade walked away from her chores and towards the river, completely oblivious to any danger that might lie ahead.