HH Productions

A tale of the young Stephanie Plowman:

On the outer edge of the Plowman family farm a horse-drawn wagon slowly made its way across the uneven terrain. While it was late in the winter, the last few days had been unusually warm and much of the snow had melted. So it was on this bright and sunny day that Orson Plowman, the patriarch of the Plowman family was out to inspect the farmlands with two of his many grandchildren.

Orson was a tall and strong man, so typical in the Plowman family. Even now in his early sixties, he was still a muscular man. However, his once jet black hair had faded to a more silvery color. While he no longer oversaw the day to day operations of the farm, Orson tried to keep busy and help out as needed. The running of the farm now fell to his children and their families.

Seated beside her grandfather was Stephanie Plowman. Much like her grandfather she was tall and had well-toned muscles. She was only fifteen winters old, and she was already over five and a half feet tall. While that was normal among the Plowman family, it wasn't so much among the neighboring families. A fact that insufferable Colin Shepard would taunt Stephanie about every chance he could.

Riding in the back of the wagon playing with the tools was the youngest of Stephanie's three brothers, Jacob, who was only eleven. Her oldest brother Thomas and his new wife Melody were getting more and more involved in aiding her father James and mother Iris in their working of the farm. One day they would take over for them like her father had for her grandfather. The third of four children, Stephanie's remaining brother, was named David and he had left the farm, joining the militia in a town called Taeltell.

Drawing back on the reins, Orson brought the wagon to a halt. Once stopped, he stood up and scanned the terrain. The trio were near the edge of the farmland. The plains started to give way to forest that covered so much of this part of the Kingdom of Maletar. The closest town of Eversen sat many miles away through those woods.

“There's one,” Orson called out pointing off into the distance.

Stephanie stood up and even with her unusual height was dwarfed by her grandfather. She strained her eyes to see what her grandfather had seen. Near the edge of the property was a post and plank fence that surrounded this area. One of the posts had fallen during the winter storms and would have to be reset or replaced before the cows could graze in this field.

“We'll get this one fixed and head back in,” Orson said as he sat back down. Once Stephanie was seated he snapped the reins causing the team of horses pulling the wagon to move forward. “Should be nearly dark by then and we wouldn't want your mother to worry.”

“Why would she worry, Grandpa?” Stephanie asked as she wrapped her arm around her grandfather’s and leaned against him. “I'm with you.”

“Mothers always find something to worry about,” Orson said with a laugh. Taking the reins in one hand, Orson put his arm around his granddaughter. There was so much of himself that he saw in her, even at her young age. He couldn’t help but wonder if she would set out on a life away from the farm much like he had in his youth.

Reaching the fallen fence post, the pair quickly went to work. Orson determined that the post could not be salvaged, but needed to be replaced. What remained of the old post still in the ground would have to be dug out and the new one inserted into the hole. Then the hole would be filled in again and the planks nailed back to it. The cold hard ground made the task all the harder, but they made good time. The sun was already low in the sky and now hidden behind the trees.

“Your mother is worried about you,” Orson said out of the blue as they worked to remove the old post. In the distance, Jacob struggled to drag the new post from the back of the wagon towards the pair. Even at his young age, he was growing into a typical Plowman child.

“Oh?” Stephanie answered in surprise, but inside she really wasn't. She stopped her digging and looked at her grandfather. “Is that why I got out of chores today to come with you and Jacob?

“I am told that Miranda Shepard visited your mother yesterday and had some unpleasant things to say about you.” Orson continued to ignore his granddaughter’s question. “Like giving her son a black eye?”

“He deserved it!” Stephanie cried out defensively.

“What did he do?” Orson asked patiently.

“He...” Stephanie said after a pause. Her grandfather stood there waiting for an answer. It was clear that the work would not proceed any further until she answered.

“He was picking on me,” she finally said, looking down at the ground in the process.

“In what way?”

“He calls me names all the time,” Stephanie answered with a bit more fire in her voice. “Calls me beanpole, and other stuff. I got mad, so I-- I punched him in the face. That's how he got a black eye. I'm sorry.”

Stephanie stood there, waiting for the lecture she was sure to come.

“Fair enough,” Orson answered with a laugh and a grin. “Sounds like he had it coming to him.”

“You're not mad?” Stephanie asked in a confused voice, looking up once more.

“Why should I be mad?” Orson continued. “Oh, my little Stephie, the world can sometimes be a cruel place. You have to stand up for yourself, because you can't always count on others to stand up for you. We country folk take care of our own. Never forget that. I think one day you're going to be a problem solver. As for the Shepard boy, he needs to learn that if you prod a bee's nest often enough, eventually you'll get stung.”

“I stung him a good one!” Stephanie proudly cried out. “Knocked him right on his butt!”

Orson let out a booming laugh. “That's my girl!”

By now, Jacob had dragged the new post to the hole. The lad dropped the square post with a thud on the ground.

“Grandpa?” he said questioningly and pointed off into the distance. “Who's that?”

“What's that?” Orson said looking first to Jacob and then toward where the boy was pointing. Stephanie stopped digging and looked as well.

Some fifty yards away, on the edge of the forest they could make out a man in armor who seemed to be fighting something. It was hard to make out as the shadows of the day were now quite deep as the sky was darkening. A growl could be faintly heard and something leaped at the armored man and he fell.

“Stephanie,” Orson calmly, but forcefully, said, “take your brother back to the wagon and wait for me there.”

“Grandpa?” the girl questioned.

“Do it.” Tightly grasping a digging pickaxe, Orson dashed off towards the armored man in the distance.

“Come on, Jacob.” Stephanie said, taking her little brother’s hand. Together they walked back to the wagon where Stephanie easily picked Jacob up and placed him in the back of the wagon.

Once her brother was in the wagon, Stephanie climbed up in the front seat, set her shovel off to the side and took the reins in hand. Looking back she could see her grandfather swinging the pickaxe at something furry that she couldn’t quite make out.

“We take care of our own,” Stephanie mumbled to herself, coming to a fateful decision. Grasping the reins tightly, she directed the wagon forward at first, but then turning it slowly into the direction her grandfather had gone. With a cry, Stephanie sent the team dashing forward.

As the wagon drew closer, Stephanie could see better what was going on. The armored man was beset by several wolves. Two had him pinned down on the ground, while a third circled close by. One of the wolves had a hold of his leg in its mouth, the other an arm. The wolves were huge! Nearly the size of small horses!

Orson rushed in and brought his pickaxe down hard on the head of the third wolf. The pointed tip smashed through the wolf’s skull, killing it instantly.

Moving closer, Orson could see the armored man was in bad shape. There were many bite marks in his armor. Clearly the armor was not of the highest quality. The wolf holding the man's leg let go of the limb and let out a low growl at Orson.

“Be gone, you mangy mongrel!” Orson called out.

The wolf leaped at him, but Orson was ready and struck with his pickaxe once more. The sound of bones breaking underneath the animal’s fur could be plainly heard. It whelped in pain and trotted off towards the forest.

The second wolf was already in motion. It took a few steps forward and leaped! It latched on to Orson's right arm, its teeth sinking deep into the fleshy part of his limb! The large wolf then jerked back and Orson felt something pop in his shoulder. Had he been a weaker man, the arm would have been ripped off!

Orson cried out in pain from the attack. He quickly moved the pickaxe into his left hand, but found he couldn't land a good blow on his attacker. The two struggled intensely for several moments until the head of a shovel whistled through the air and struck the wolf in its side.

“Leave him alone!” Stephanie cried out as she swung the shovel with all of her considerable might.

The wolf barked out in pain and surprise and released Orson's arm. Blood flowed freely from the older man's wound and dripped to the ground. Dazed from the attack, the wolf turned and started to run off. A second swing of the shovel clipped the wolves back and sent it bounding off into the forest at an even faster pace.

Drawing a sweat rag from his back pocket, Orson used it to crudely bind his wounded arm. Off in the distance the wounded wolves let out a bone chilling howl. A moment later other howls were heard further off in the distance.

“I told you to stay back,” Orson said to Stephanie as he was binding his wound. Already his arm was feeling numb. It would be difficult to properly use a weapon now.

“We take care of our own,” Stephanie answered simply.

“That we do,” Orson said with a laugh. “We have no time to waste. Those worgs will be back and have more with them. Help me get this man into the back of the wagon.”

“Worgs?” Stephanie questioned. She dropped her shovel and moved to help her grandfather beside the armored man.

“A nasty kind of wolf,” Orson explained as he moved towards the armored man. “Goblins use them as mounts.”

“Are you hurt?” Orson asked the prone armored man when he reached him. He wasn't moving and didn’t seem to be conscious as he did not respond to their question. He shield was still attached to his left arm, but his sword had fallen loose and lay on the ground nearby.

The armored man was easily picked up and laid in the back of the wagon. While Orson made his way to the driver's seat, Stephanie picked up her shovel, grandfather's pickaxe, and the armored man's longsword. The tools and weapon were placed in the back of the wagon, then she joined her grandfather on the driver's seat.

“HA!” Orson called out, sending the team into motion. The horses moved forward at a slow trot at first, but rapidly gained speed. The uneven terrain caused the wagon to bounce and jump constantly, forcing the passengers to hang on. Jacob was bounced about wildly in the back, bringing happy giggles from the boy.

Stephanie looked back to where the skirmish had taken place. More dark forms could be seen moving in the shadow of the forests. Then several more of the large wolves broke from the tree line and began to chase the fleeing wagon!

“They're coming!” Stephanie cried out.

“Grab you're shovel and hit them again if they get too close,” Orson calmly said. “I can't feel my arm any more. You're going to have to hold them off, my little Stephie. Just do what you did before and this will all be over with before you know it.”

“Grandpa?” Stephanie said questioningly. “I'm no fighter.”

“Today you are,” Orson countered. “Otherwise, none of us will make it home tonight and I’d just as soon not put your mother through that. Just remember, we take care of our own and you have more strength and courage in you than you realize.”

“We take care of our own.” Stephanie repeated with conviction.

Holding on tight for balance, she stepped over the driver's seat and into the back of the wagon. Looking back she could see three more wolves running after the fleeing wagon. Picking up her little brother, Stephanie placed him where she had just been sitting. Orson wrapped the reins around his good hand and held Jacob tightly in the other.

The armored man bounced across the bottom of the wagon without any sign of life. Picking up her shovel once more, Stephanie waited for the closing wolves to arrive.

“I'm heading towards the forest edge barn”, Orson said as he realized that they were too far away from the main houses to safely reach them. “We can hold them off there.”

“Okay,” Stephanie answered without any thought. Her heart was beating wildly, her hands held the shovel so tightly that her knuckles were turning white from the strain.

The howling wolves were getting closer and closer. At first she could only hear them, and then she could see their yellowish golden eyes in the fading light.

The lead wolf reached the wagon and leaped! It landed half on and half off the back of the wagon. Its front legs were in the back of the wagon, while its rear paws tried to find purchase to propel the rest of the massive wolf in. The wolf made menacing biting motions at the young girl as it tried to lunge forward.

Stephanie let out an unintelligible grunt and swung the shovel in an overhead and downward motion. The shovel head landed solidly on the head of the wolf, dazing the furry beast. A second roundhouse swing knocked the beast completely off the wagon. The wolf hit the ground hard and was quickly lost from sight.

The speeding wagon hit a large bump and Stephanie was thrown in the air and landed hard on top of the armored man. The impact stunned her for a second. During that short time, the next wolf had leaped up and landed on the back of the wagon, breaking the back board under the strain of its weight. Some of the smaller tools bounced off the wagon spreading them across the passing terrain.

Stephanie swung her shovel again and connected once more. Her heart soared with the impact, but then crashed when she felt the shovel handle snap with the impact. The bottom of the shovel hit the wolf, broke free and then was flung out into the darkness. The shovel breaking had greatly weakened the strength of the attack and the wolf snarled at Stephanie in response. It opened its mouth revealing its razor sharp fangs as it prepared to bite the girl.

Acting more on instinct than actual thought, Stephanie took what remained of her shovel handle and drove the broken edge into the wolf’s mouth!

“Bite this instead!” she said through gritted teeth.

The wolf choked in surprise as the crude missile was forced down its throat. Still holding the broken shovel handle, Stephanie shoved it forward again with all her might, driving it deeper down the wolf’s gullet. The wolf gagged and fell backwards. It landed on the last wolf in sight and they both tumbled to the ground in a daze.

“We're clear!” Stephanie cried out happily.

“Good girl!” Orson answered. “We're almost there.”

The barn could barely be seen in the growing darkness. It was mainly for storage when the fields in this part of the farm were being used, otherwise it sat unused over the winter. Orson slowed the wagon down as they drew closer.

Looking back, Stephanie could barely make out more dark shapes chasing them. Just how many of these monsters were there? Already their golden eyes could be seen off in the distance.

“More are coming!” she called out.

“I know,” was Orson's response.

Reaching the small barn, Orson jumped from the driver' seat, carrying Jacob with him.

“Run inside and hide in the loft,” Orson told his grandson.

Jacob turned and ran off towards the dark barn. The lad lifted the latch holding the large double doors shut and pushed one open. He then disappeared inside the barn.

Turning back, Orson could see the wolves rapidly approaching. They only had a few seconds to get to safety. As he moved to the rear of the wagon, Orson was mildly surprised that Stephanie had already picked up the armored man and slung him over her shoulder like a sack of grain. Even at her young age, her strength was impressive!

Stephanie started to run with her cargo towards the barn and Orson paused only long enough to fish the sword out of the back of the wagon before running after her. Orson reached the barn door right after Stephanie and he quickly closed it and latched it shut behind him.

Stephanie set the armored man down on the ground as gently as she could. It was dark out now and the inside of the barn was pitch black. She had to struggle to see her grandfather and could only hear her brother moving in the loft overhead.

“What about the horses?” Stephanie asked.

Orson shook his head. “No time.” Plus he knew that they would also serve to delay and sate the wolves hunger for a short time. Maybe enough that they would leave the Plowmans alone.

Stephanie could only listen in horror as the wolves tore into the horses outside. She put her hands over her ears and closed her eyes praying that it would stop. “Make it stop,” she whimpered as she sat on the ground. All too soon it was quiet outside once more.

Orson focused on the task at hand and ignored the horrible noises coming from outside. He located an old barrel and broke it apart in the middle of the barn's dirt floor. He dowsed the dry wood with oil from a nearby lantern and then lit it with flint from his pocket. The fire quickly took hold and provided some illumination for the barn.

“Find some more wood for the fire,” Orson told his granddaughter. “We have to keep it going.”

“Okay,” Stephanie said, rising to her feet once more trying to focus on her task. “I don't know how you can be so calm through all of this, grandpa.”

“I wasn't a farmer all my life,” Orson explained. “Back when I was young, not much older than you are now, I wasn't content to lead the life of a farmer.”

As Orson talked, he took the handle of an old rake and wrapped it with cloth torn from his shirt. It would serve as a makeshift torch should the need arise.

“I was something of an adventurer in my youth,” Orson continued. “Carrying out tasks for the locals, probably much liked our silent armored friend here.”

Turning his attention back to the armored man, Orson bent down and examined him with his good arm.
As he had feared, the armored man had perished from his wounds. He was unprepared for the sheer number of wolves that had ambushed him.

“You were an adventurer?” Stephanie said in surprise. “Wore armor and fought monsters?”

“Once upon a time,” Orson simply answered.

Before he could say more, a digging sound reached their ears. On one side of the barn, the wolves were trying to dig their way in!

“Why won't they leave us alone?!” Stephanie cried out in confusion and anger.

“They're hungry from a long winter,” Orson suggested. “With the change in weather they came out in force to hunt. We've always had problems with their kind over the years.”

“What do we do?” Stephanie said, panic thick in her voice. “There's nowhere left to run!”

“We fight,” Orson said. He moved closer to Steph and tried to comfort his granddaughter. “Or rather, you have to fight for us.”

Stephanie started to object, but Orson cut her off. “My arm is useless and I can't fight them off with one arm. You're braver than you think, my little Stephie. You fought them off in the wagon and you can do so again. But this time you'll be better prepared and armed. Give me a hand here. Our friend here no longer has need for his armor or weapon, but we do.”

Orson began to remove the armor from the dead man's body. After a pause Stephanie helped him, trying not to look at the man at all. In the background, the hole the wolves were digging was getting larger and larger. While that was going on, something larger pushed on the secured double doors, as if testing their resolve. A moment later there was a loud crash as whatever was out there slammed hard into the doors, but the latch held. The noise made Stephanie work even faster.

“But I don't know how to use a sword,” Stephanie said as she worked.

“I've seen you swing that shovel pretty well,” Orson noted. “The technique isn't all that different with a longsword. From what I've seen, you're a natural.”

The armor was quickly removed from the dead man and the pieces transferred to an uncertain Stephanie. The armor fit poorly as it wasn't made for a girl but would offer her more protection than she had before. She barely felt the weight of the armor, but found that her movement was more limited than it was before. Still the extra protection was worth it. The helm limited her vision, but again it was a necessary sacrifice.

With the armor all on, Orson attached the sword belt and handed Stephanie the longsword. She took a few experimental swings and it felt normal to her. The blade moved in her hand with great ease. Picking up the shield, she secured it to her right arm.

“Keep the shield between you and your foe,” Orson explained. “You want its attacks to hit your shield, not you. There is more I can teach you, but we don't have time now.”

Stephanie raised the shield up, but not high enough to block her vision. It seemed simple enough.

“The hole!” Orson called out urgently. The first wolf was beginning to appear from the hole they had dug underneath the wall.

Stephanie rushed in that direction, her armor making a loud commotion as she ran. Behind her, Orson lit his torch and prepared to use it to fend off the wolves if need be.

The wolf started to emerge from the hole when Stephanie slashed it with her sword. The blade easily tore into the animal’s flesh. Blood issued forth from the long gash on its flank. The wolf tried to rush Stephanie, but she blocked it with her shield. Stephanie used a quick stabbing thrust with the blade to finish off the wolf.

“That was pretty easy,” Stephanie noted, impressed with herself.

“Don't go and get overconfident on me,” Orson responded, a combination of pride and amusement in his voice. She surely was his grandchild!

Another wolf appeared in the hole, but Stephanie struck at it before it could even emerge from the opening. The second wolf died just as quickly and its body served to plug the hole for now.

But the young swordswoman didn't have time to celebrate. A loud crash drew their attention back to the double doors. The latch shattered under the strain of whatever it was that had been crashing into the doors. Looking in that direction, the Plowmans saw a wolf larger than any they had seen so far this day. The beast was nearly six feet tall and looked them both in the eyes! Several of the smaller wolves could be seen circling behind it

“The pack leader,” Orson explained. “He'll be the most powerful one of them all.”

The pack leader slowly stepped into the flicking fire light of the barn. He was the size of a horse and bore many scars on his body from past battles. He growled menacingly as he approached and drooled freely. The other wolves behind him kept their distance, at least for now.

Stephanie raised her shield up to protect herself. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the giant wolf before her. This battle was not going to be as easy at the ones before were.

Suddenly the wolf charged! Stephanie moved her shield to intercept the wolf in time, but with its great size it simply plowed into her and drove her backwards. She stumbled and fell unceremoniously to the barn floor. The wolf was on her before she could recover. Its claws raked her armor, but did not penetrate.

Before Stephanie could react, Orson slammed his burning torch into the giant wolf’s flank, singeing it. The wolf looked away for a moment and Stephanie swung her shield arm into the wolf’s head as hard as she could. A loud clang followed and the wolf moved back a step. Stephanie followed with a sword thrust and drove the blade deep into the animal’s flank and then pulled it back out.

Unlike the smaller wolves, this one did not howl out in pain. It focused its full attention back on Stephanie as she scrambled to her feet. The animal circled to her right, trying to move away from her shield. The combatants eyed each other for long and tense moments.

Finally, Stephanie saw an opening and swung her blade in a wide arc. The blade did strike the wolf, but not where she expected, as it had lunged at her when she attacked! It ducked underneath her shield and barreled into her armored chest. The impact forced the air from Stephanie's lungs and drove her back once more. She hit the back wall of the barn with a crash, spots playing before her eyes.

The giant wolf collided with the swordswoman yet again pinning her to the wall, its mouth right before her face as it attempted to bite its way through her helm. She felt its vile hot breath on her face and the beast’s drool flowed freely onto her armor. This time its claws penetrated the chest piece and tore into her flesh underneath. Stephanie let out a scream of pain from the assault.

Reaching out with her shield arm, Stephanie grabbed on to the hair on the back of the wolf’s neck and with a grunt forced the animal away from her face. Then she stabbed it in the neck with her sword. Blood gushed from the wound and the wolf backed off.

Stephanie pressed her advantage and was upon the wolf once more. She kept the shield between her and her enemy. Her sword lashed out numerous times, further wounding the beast.

It tried to back away, but Orson struck it once more with the burning torch. Seizing the opening, Stephanie grabbed the sword with both hands and drove its hilt deep into the wolf’s back. The blade burst out from its belly in a shower of blood and bone. The wolf took another step and then collapsed in death, the sword still sticking out of its back.

Outside the barn, the remaining wolves wandered back and forth as if in confusion. Far off behind them, torches could be seen off in the distance. The others in the family were out searching for their missing members. Seeing this, the wolves quickly scampered off in search of easier prey.

“It’s over”, Orson stated rhetorically. “I am so proud of you.”

Wearily, Stephanie collapsed to her knees, holding her wounded chest. She then removed the helm and tossed it aside revealing her sweaty and bloodied face.

“Beats chores any day,” Stephanie said with a weak smile.

“That it does,” Orson added with a laugh. “I can train you further if this is the path you wish your life to take. Although I may not have as much to teach you as I once thought.”

“I think--” Stephanie started to say but then paused. “I think I would like that.”

“That was awesome!” Jacob cried out as he climbed down from the left, simply jumping off the ladder the last few feet. “The way the light reflected off the sword made it look like lightning was hitting that monster! When can I do that?”

“Lightning, huh?” Stephanie said. “I couldn't have described it better myself.”

Standing up once more, Stephanie pulled the blade from the dead wolf and wiped the blood away with its fur. She regarded the sword closely.

“Lightning it shall be,” she declared and then slide the blade into the sheath on her sword belt.

Outside the other Plowmans were getting closer and closer. They were already calling out to see if everyone was okay. Orson answered back that they were.

“Too bad about the horses,” Stephanie noted. “They died to save us.”

“Save your pity for me, my not-so-little Stephie,” Orson noted with a grin. Seeing confusion on Stephanie's face, he added, “I have to somehow explain all of this to your mother!”

Arm in arm, grandfather and granddaughter walked off to greet their arriving family members.