Order of the Heart

Darby worked closely with the mysterious lady from the café and the veterinarian, at least when it came to her new friend. She decided to call this mare “Sky” as she found her as close to the sky and heavens. Within ten days, she found herself an English saddle and would often be seen riding her new friend for short distances. The general belief amongst those in the RV camp and at the radio transmitter was Darby enjoyed adopting half-dead beasts.

One night on Oscar, November, Echo broadcast echoes out, " The Irish Rovers.” Darby loved this song as it was about Noah’s Ark. Darby was sure if there were a unicorn anywhere on the planet, it would someday find her. Darby was also painfully aware that many people feared her four-legged friends and often wondered about her. True was though Darby did not really care. She would make sure the humans had food, and she would make sure her herd received care and love.

Many of the elders in the RV Resort and leadership in “Chilliwack One” worried about these friends of Darby and often spoke in meetings or private groups. Yes, they received the cattle they needed; Darby also gathered goats, chickens, pigs, and other farm animals. She had an uncanny way of looking after the animals in her care. Darby also always ensured that if an animal was to surrender its life to feed others, it was fully appreciated.

Patrick and the others from the Order of the Heart met one night and, after much discussion, decided to give Darby one of their pendants and chain. Patrick really believed Darby needed a positive connection with those around her and that knowing that she was an important part of the team might be helpful.

Mary had in many ways become a friend to Darby, or at least as anyone could be. Their ages with close, and both had attended the same high school. Sometimes they would sit and talk or, on a rare occasion, share a meal. Mary quickly discovered Darby, as much as she loved burgers and bacon, rarely ate these items anymore. She had her own ideas why, but she did not know the truth till one afternoon. It was in the latter part of August, almost eight months now since the order broke down. She went up to the fields to find Darby. After looking around, she found her on the edge of one of the fields. Several cattle were on one side of the fence, and in the adjoining pasture was “Sky.”

As Mary moved closer, she heard Darby talking to the beasts, “Now I know you do not like me smelling of beef or pork, and the smell of chicken on my breath drives you all mad.” Darby waved her arms around as she spoke, “Humans eat meat; sorry, it is a fact. I am still a human and will try to eat less meat and more fruit if this helps.”

Mary told her old principal all about this discussion she heard. Mary finally realized Darby's conflict with being a human but being so close to her animals. Patrick thought it was time Darby should go out on a foraging party that was seeking out fruit to store for the winter and spring. He brought this up with the leadership the following night and thought she would be helpful when they checked the Wetlands; there were many stories of old overgrown orchards in or near the Wetlands. The “Infected” rarely seemed to journey in this region due to the boggy conditions and narrow trails.

Darby agreed and went off to find “Sky” and see if she was in the mood for a ride across the highway to find lots of delicious fruit. She loved the wild upper fields as not many of the others ever travelled up that way. Along her path, she found fresh bobcat and coon tracks and some fresh bear scat. She eventually found her beloved friend almost at the top of the fields where such a fine animal could easily breach the fencing.

The following morning as the morning sun slowly crept across the land, Darby mounted upon her friend “Sky” and led the procession of two trucks, two motorcycles across the overpass. Soon she was moving across the overpass, looking down on the highway below. Except for the occasional bird or bunny, everything appeared quiet.

They passed the ranch that had been home to Moses and the cattle; Darby had been back around the ranch a few times in recent weeks, gathering stray cattle and supplies. Now the land seemed to belong to nature itself once more. As she road past the Firehall, she spotted several deer and knew one of them as Emily. Emily had been stuck in a thicket a few weeks ago, and Darby had Mary and a boy named Theo help her get the deer free.

They went by several farmhouses as they moved along; one truck would stop near the Patterson’s home as there were several large fruit trees in the rear yard and some of the biggest blackberries the area ever scene. Matthew Patterson, heir to the property, should the world ever return to normal, led a small group onto the property.

Darby continued the ride up a long hill on a roughly paved road toward the wetlands. They moved past rolling hills once home to cattle and goats and a herd of sheep, most of which were now under the care of Darby at the fields near the RV Resort. “Sky” slowed suddenly with her nostrils flaring and her eyes opening very wide. Darby, without a sound, raised her right hand high in the air. A short distance behind them, the convoy came to a stop as those that had weapons stood ready.

“O.K Sky, you are in charge,” she whispered into the horse’s right ear.

The horse slowly moved forward, her head arching in each direction. Darby waved her left arm a few times. A large black dog was released from the grey pickup truck following the horse. The dog ran forward toward the horse and looked up at Darby.

“Hello, Francis.” She said to the dog. “FIND," as she pointed ahead.

The dog barked excitedly and ran a little distance ahead, sniffing as it went. The horse moving a little faster to keep up with the dog. A few moments later, Darby saw the overturned sedan on the side of the road and the scattered dishes and human effects all over the place. The following motorcycles stopped and examined the crash scene and picked through the debris for useful matters. One of the drivers tossed a few weapons into the pickup truck while the other investigated closer. A few minutes later, Darby saw one “Infected” human wandering down the road towards them, Darby removed a large bat, and a moment later, the “Infected” man was finally at rest.

The gates to the Wetlands were wide open, and the caretaker's house appeared partially overgrown with brush and blackberry bushes. Darby could see the form of what appeared to be an apple tree. She road her friend as a slight breeze whirled through the fruit tree. After a moment or two and a few bites later, Darby knew they were not apples at all. These were the rare Apple Pears. She knew an old Japanese businessman with several of these trees behind his own, calling them Asian Pears. They were much juicier than traditional pears or apples, for that matter.

From her saddle, Darby filled her special burlap saddlebags with these delicious Asian Pears. She leaned forward and gave one to “Sky,” who seemed to enjoy the fruit almost as much as she was. The others were nearby picking an assort of fruit and found some tomatoes that had managed to survive and pick those as well.

One group ventured into the caretaker's house and came back with a sack filled with canned goods and some bottles of spirits. Darby climbed off “Sky” and gently rubbed her neck, and told her what a brave, noble lady she truly was.

Matt called out to Darby. He was excited when he exited a small log hut; a fine-looking old sword in a sheave was in his hands. He handed it to her, “Darby take it, a noble horse and fine rider deserves a sword.” It would be the only weapon Darby would take from one of these trips, and she would carry it for the remainder of her life. Once back at the RV Resort, she would discover this sword was not as ancient as it appeared and had belonged to a “Frontiersmen,” maybe as far back as the 1940s.

The ride home as the sun began to retreat was a pleasant surprise for all. Fresh fruit, vegetables filled their trucks. The motorcyclists also carried similar burlap sacks to the ones “Sky” had on her back. Once they passed through the gates, Darby handed the burlap sacks down to those waiting to process the goods and pick prepared for canning and freeze-drying. Everyone was in a very festive mood. It appeared that Darby and her animal friends were excepted and finally not feared as they had been for so very long.

Darby dismounted “Sky” and slowly led her through the people towards her preferred field to rest as the final moments of the afternoon sun faded away. Three of Darby’s K-9 friends raced forward and followed Darby and “Sky” as they entered the fields. Patrick waved to them both and told “Sky” she was a fine horse.

Darby could hear “Oscar November Echo” in the distance, “Oliver’s Army” by Elvis Costello. Mary walked up to Darby and smiled, saying, “ Guess this is Darby’s Army” as she looked at the cattle, horses, dogs, goats and other critters that all seemed to greet Darby whenever she appeared.

Darby grinned back with her hand on the hip of her sword, “Maybe so.”

The song came to an end suddenly as a voice crackled out, “To our friends in Blaine, White Rock and South Surrey areas, reports indicate a large group of “Infected” in your area. Please take shelter; reports indicate they are unusually swift and aggressive. Please radio updates to us.”

Darby and Mary looked at each other; that was still some distance away, but to learn that they were in a large group was not good. Darby, for the moment, was more worried though at this moment with feeding her friends and preparing for her nighttime critters to come by.

For the moment, baskets were filled with fruit, potatoes and other produce as people stayed busy preparing food for the coming months. Large pots of corn-boiled tomatoes were cut, and the lettuce was washed with care. Despite the news on the radio, everyone seemed so pleased with life for the first time in many months.

As the evening wore on, Darryl Thiessen, a former United Church Minister, gathers the less desirable pears, apples, and some potatoes to make his own special brew. The still he created would brew away for days to come. Many worried it might explode at any moment; little did anyone know how important this device would become in the future.