I'm writing a fantasy kids book. I'm guessing it will be middle grade, but not sure yet. anyway, Here is the latest chapter. Some background first. Glory, Maverick, and Beck are horses. Jenny is a donkey. Nico, age 6, and Evander, age 16, are stable boys, and Anya, age 8 almost 9, is a witch with limited power. Pasha is a Woogart (a mouse-like creature) but in reality, is a half-magical princess that was turned into a Woogart years before.
Knowing they had a destination in mind didn’t make going up the mountain less creepy. Evander chose to be at the back of the line. Jenny’s lead tied to his saddle. He questioned whether he should have been the first to lead the way. He reasoned with himself that it would be easier to shoot an arrow from behind everyone else than to have to twist in his seat to shoot.
Anya, at the front of the line, felt the pull of Waheema. She could hear fairies singing “Welcome home!” She fought the urge to spur Glory into a gallop and go as fast as she could.
Pasha hid in Anya’s pocket. The frightening dream becoming a reality with every tree they passed, every rock they jumped over, and every sound they heard. She shivered as they neared the top.
Nico rode Maverick in the middle. He felt none of the stirring emotions of the others. He couldn’t wait for something fun to happen. He practiced pulling the knife from the spot in his belt where he stuffed it and fought imaginary beasts in the air around him.
They reached the plateau. Anya waited for the others to catch up to her then they rode side by side, with Nico in the center, across the grass towards the barrier to Waheema. They had gone only a few yards when Evander yelled, “Stop!”
They pulled the reins. The horses snorted and Jenny brayed at the sudden break.
“What’s wrong, Evander?” Anya scanned the horizon.
“Something’s not right.”
“It’s just the barrier telling you to turn around.”
“No, it’s not that. I am getting that message loud and clear and ignoring it like you said to. It’s Beck. He’s sensing something.”
Anya realized then that Glory must have been born in the magical kingdom. She didn’t have the same fears as horses from the human world. Maverick was the same way. But she noticed Beck’s ears twitch and his muscles quivered. “Beck is definitely fearful of something but I don’t see anything.”
Nico pulled out his little knife. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
“Thank you, Nico.” Anya spurred Glory forward. “We just have to keep going and deal with whatever comes.”
They started moving again. The voices telling Evander to turn and go another way screamed at him in his head. Nico too, tapped his head as if to quiet a raging storm inside.
They heard the growls before they appeared, as if out of thin air. Five large tiger-like creatures crept towards them. Anya guided Glory closer to Nico and Evander did the same with Beck on his side. Jenny pulled at the rope which broke free and she retreated back the way they had come.
Evander lifted the bow and set an arrow. “I can get the one closest to us.”
Anya lifted her hand and tried a freezing spell. All it did was make the large cats shake their heads for a moment. She shook her head, “I don’t have enough magic to stop them.”
“Then try stopping only one of them.”
Evander let the arrow fly. He’d never shot a bow before but the arrow knew exactly where to go. It hit the closest cat between the eyes. The cat screamed and the other cats growled along with it. They picked up their speed.
Evander set another arrow and pointed it at another cat.
Anya pulled a knife from her bags and held it above her head. “Nico, if they strike at you, try to shove the knife between their shoulder blades.”
Nico hunched his shoulders in fear but raised his knife. “Okay, Anya.”
Pasha couldn’t stand doing nothing. She climbed out of Anya’s pocket and scampered down Glory’s legs until she hit the ground. She ran straight for the tigers then veered in another direction. “You stupid ugly cats, you can’t get me. C’mon. Come and get me.”
“Pasha, don’t. Come back!”
One of the tigers spotted Pasha and headed straight for her.
The other three took that opportunity to run at the children.
Evander shot the arrow. It hit one tiger in the same place as the last one. The last two tigers prepared to leap. He didn’t have enough time to load another arrow. “Watch out!”
The ground started shaking. Dozens of deer ran toward them. Pasha saw the dirt flying and the hooves advancing. She quickly dug a hole in the ground and jumped in. The deer flew over her.
Quade led the charge. Using his huge antlers, he bent his head and stabbed the tiger. With a twist, the tiger flew to the right. The rest of the herd trampled the big cat.
The other two cats, disoriented from the shaking ground, turned to run. That gave Evander enough time to load and shoot another arrow which again, hit its mark.
The last tiger ran quickly out of the meadow and into the forest. The rumbling stopped.
Anya recovered first. She looked around to make sure everyone was alright. She noticed the dozens of deer all around them. Her eyes met Evanders then they both looked at Nico.
Nico sat in a ball with his feet in front of him on the saddle. His eyes were squeezed shut but his hand still held the little knife in the air.
Quade walked toward Nico and stopped in front of Maverick. “You are brave. I am happy to serve you.” Quade then bowed and the other deer did the same.
Evander whispered, “Nico, open your eyes. You did it.”
He opened one eye first, then the other. His hand slowly fell, his feet dropped to the side of Maverick, and his mouth opened. “Wow!”
They heard a braying and Jenny trotted up. Pasha stood between Jenny’s ears with a paw holding each ear for balance.
They all started whooping and laughing.
Quade waited for the hoopla to die down before approaching Anya. “You seek the Ramkin for his horn. Your mission will not be easy. He does not wish to give humans back their kingdom. I made a promise to aid you as best I could but once you enter Waheema, I cannot be of service.”
Anya nodded. “Thank you. I understand.”
“What’s he saying?” Evander pulled Beck around to stand next to Anya.
She didn’t want to scare anyone but knew she had to tell the truth. “He said we will need to be very careful. Not everyone wants us to succeed in our mission.”
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