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Olly Dart Key

Mystery/A Ring/A Tree

By Kitty FermengsPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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“Wonderful shot, your grace!” Clapping and praise; the normal mediocrity of my life. The crowd surrounding me filled with superficial smiles as they continued their praise.

“I missed the target,” I said, smiling to them. I hoped to catch them in their lie, but they only solidified their artificial personalities.

“Ah, the point is not to hit the target, but to have fun!” I rolled my eyes and turned away from the target to speak directly with the praise machine.

“Duke, you and I have very different versions of how archery is to be done.” That shut him up. I smirked and grabbed an arrow from my quiver. Before I could let it fly, another’s arrow hit the target, bullseye.

“Who did that?” I raged, I raved, furious that someone dared to shift my spotlight away from me. I looked at each member of my entourage.

“Was it you, Duke? Lord El? Lady Haych? Who Let Loose that arrow?”

They denied wholeheartedly in turn. I was obliged to believe them. They were sheep that only bleated for me, after all. I walked up to the arrow and examined the angle it hit the target. A piece of paper was attached to it. A single word scrawled upon it.

Soon.

“What does the note say, your grace?” I looked up and addressed Lord El.

“It merely says, soon,” I said with a confused and frustrated look on my face. I turned around several times, trying to pinpoint where the arrow originated from. My eyes settled on the big olive tree at the entrance to the garden. Confusion riddled my face. No one was standing at the gate. No archer, nor any guard.

“Oh duke, where do you suppose the guard ran off to?” The duke turned to look where I was pointing. He went white as a sheet and ran off to investigate. He returned some minutes later with a ring.

“This is all I found.” The ring glistened and shimmered in the afternoon sunlight. It appeared to be a diamond ring with many varieties of colors to the precious stones. It entranced me as the colors bounced off the ring, creating a rainbow on the dewy grass.

“The guard must have run to answer nature’s calling.” The duke sounded so sure that he was right, but the look on his face suggested otherwise. He handed me the ring, and I placed it in my pocket, not thinking of the consequences.

“Let's go further down the range and shoot a few more arrows before the sun sets,” I suggested. Time to lead my flock away. I can always lead them to the slaughter if need be.

“That’s a wonderful idea, your grace! I’ll go collect your arrows.” Lady Haych, always so eager to please. Just another sheep happily waiting for me to lead to the slaughter. She gleefully gathered my arrows up, placing them in my quiver. I nodded to her with a shy smile. If they were to be artificial in their praise, then I was to be artificial in my love. She blushed and started walking behind me with the others. We walked till the previous target was out of view, and the next in my line of sight. What I saw was jaw-dropping. Lord El walked up to examine the damage done. When he returned, the sun was resting on the tree line.

“Your grace, it appears that the target has been burned from a distance with flaming arrows. I also found this,” he said as he handed me a ring. It was the same ring as the one the duke found. I quickly ran between the remaining targets. All had been set aflame. All had a single multicolored diamond ring affixed. There was no mistaking the signs of coincidence. There was a wolf. It was time to test the bravery and loyalty of sheep.

“Where are the guards?” Lady Haych’s voice cracked. I noticed her trembling and turned my head to suppress a laugh. So sheep-like she was in that moment. An arrow whizzed through the air and landed too close to comfort. Everyone looked to see where it came from. I, too now trembled in fear like a pathetic sheep.

The figure that let loose the arrow was shrouded and masked, but, one thing was easy to recognize. The sun, now setting the sky ablaze as it sunk into the earth, illuminated the ring they wore. Their hand sparkled with a rainbow of light. I knew instantly who it was; the wolf.

“You will atone for your sins.” This wolf took no time in bearing their teeth.

“What sins do you accuse me of?” I scoffed at them. The arrogance they showed me, to accuse me of such things. It was truly laughable.

“Count the rings, for they are your sins.” I counted them and then smiled.

“You too, have a ring. Are you one of my sins as well?” my sheep laughed at my clever wit. The laughter abruptly stopped when the wolf lit an arrow and aimed it at me.

“You are responsible. Now enter the ground as the sun, and die!” so much bark from this menacing wolf.

“If you mean to bury me, then do it!”

“So be it.” the arrow flew. In the blink of an eye, one of my sheep was sacrificed. Lord El used the last seconds of his life to burn for me. Another arrow loosed. This time Lady Haych took the shot.

“I’ve been poisoned.” Those last words of hers echoed in the silence. I looked around for my last sheep. The wolf removed their mask. It was the duke. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. In all my frustration, I never noticed him leave.

“Duke, what is the meaning of this?”

“You have brought this upon yourself, your grace.” He rushed me with a knife and stuck me before I had a chance to react. “Not all sheep obey the shepherd.”

fact or fiction
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About the Creator

Kitty Fermengs

I try to write a little bit of everything, from a small poem to an epic prose. I live in A constant state of denial that I am any good at what I have chosen as a profession. Give my works a read. Judge for yourself.

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