By. Meagan Jones

On a warm Sunday Afternoon…
 

"Bronwyne? Bronwyne? Where is that girl, she has to finish her chores!" cries Madeline Darke. Wiping her flour coated hands upon her apron. The exasperated mother sighs and heads back indoors to finish the bread baking.

The loud hollow sound of wood against wood followed by the excited cries of laughter resounds in the field approximately a mile away from the Darke homestead.

Dust is kicked in the air; a small figure darts behind a tree as a wooden toy sword is swung and slams clumsily against the trunk of the tree.

"Touch wood eh Liam?" Remarks a scrawny figure, a row of white teeth gleam through the tousled hair and dirt streaked face.
"Oh hush and keep still!" Retorts Liam, a boy in his early to mid teens. Sporting simple clothes consisting of a tunic, leather pants and boots.
"Not on your life Liam!" The figure obscured behind the tree replies. Picking a handful of dirt and gravel it is hurled into the air, more taunting laughter is heard.

Coughing and spluttering, Liam covers his face with his forearms. Soon enough the figure darts behind Liam to slap him across the behind with their wooden sword.

Liam lets out a startled cry and whirls around. Grey-blue eyes level on the figure.
"Bronwyne, you know that's cheating!"

The figure now revealed as Bronwyne, a young girl of approximately twelve years. Slender body with clothes that are hand-me-downs sizes much too large. Blonde darts of hair constantly over her sharp sky blue eyes. Cheeks flushed from active exercise, her hands on her hips.
"No it ain't, I was using tactics!"

"It is so" Responds Liam.
"Is not" Retorts Bronwyne.
"Is so" Liam replies.

Above the tree an apple is thrown followed by a voice calling to the squabbling,
"Will you two stop the racket I am -trying- to read."

Both stop and look up; it is Alec the third eldest in the large Darke family. Unlike Liam and Bronwyne, Alec prefers reading and studying than working up a sweat with wooden swords. Raking tendrils of inky black hair he clears his throat and gives the pair a warning look.

"Well if it isn't Miss Prissy Pants herself, looks like we'll have to go otherwise he'll have a hissy fit to mother." Liam remarks with a lopsided sneer.

Taking the insults like a ducks rolls water off its back, Alec scoffs and flicks through pages of his book. He replies without glancing a Liam,
"How quaint, one day ye'll learn insults get you into further trouble."

His square jaw shifts, stern grey blue eyes narrow at Alec as he sits there nestled in the apple tree.
"Ye think you're so damn high and mighty Alec... come here and say it." Liam barks, now directly under the tree.

The small scrawny girl watches with wide sky blue eyes, flipping the crude wooden play sword in her hand. Bronwyne knew better than to interject in her older brothers’ 'discussions'.

Shifting his body as he sits there nestled in the fork of the apple tree Alec closes his book and peers down at Liam.
"Such a temper, shame you cannot direct these energies towards the tasks Mother wanted you to do instead of clowning about playing soldier."

With his temper now hitting sky high, Liam shouts and begins to climb up the tree after Alec. The three rustles and ripe apples start falling around the trunk.

Worried, Bronwyne gasps and immediately drops her toy sword. Racing over to Liam she leaps up and tugs at his pant leg she calls after him,
"Stop it! Get down before you do something stupid!"

Stubbornly he shakes off Bronwyne, giving her an aggressive shove.
"Go away Bronwyne." Shouts Liam, and along with other hurtful insults. The youth continues to scramble up the tree after Alec.

Alec widens his grey eyes, clutching onto the book watching Liam. The usually neutral one of the quartet, he takes action into his own hands. Plucking apples near his head, Alec proceeds to throw them down at Liam as he tries to catch Alec.

Covering his face with one raised forearm, the angered Darke curses furiously at the apples hitting him and at Alec getting away.
“Stop throwing those apples will you, ouch, hey! Watch it!” An apple smacks Liam on top of his head he winces. With one grab he reaches out to pull Alec from the tree. Fingers curl around Alec’s tunic, with a sneer he yanks down hard. Causing the pair to fall onto the grassy floor.

Widening his eyes with surprise and fright. Alec cries out and he plummets to the ground with Liam on top of him. Pinned under his older brother, Alec wriggles and squirms, he swats at Liam in an attempt to drive him off somehow.

Pinning Alec with his legs. Liam continues to curse as he tries to restrain Alec balling his fist he begins to lay into Alec. With one swift strike after the other, mostly at his chest to wind him.

Watching the pair fighting, the small scrawny girl widens her blue eyes and races towards them waving her hands about.
“Stop it! Stop fighting, break it up or else I will tell Mother! Quit it you two!” Bronwyne cries out. However, the quarreling siblings do not adhere to her requests. So the youngest out of the three, Bronwyne screams loudly and leaps on both of them to try and break them up. Now they all are rolling about in the dust making a loud hullabaloo.

“Just what is going on here?” A loud and deep voice resounds, cutting through the screaming and shouting. Hands on their hips they move to the three bickering and with ease plucks off Bronwyne holding her under one arm. 

“Gareth, let me go! They be fighting and I can’t make them stop! They are not listening to me!” Bronwyne cries out as she wriggles underneath Gareth’s arm. He is a strong lad in his late teens, almost a man. Blonde hair that has been sun-kissed. He too has piercing sky blue eyes like his sister. However carries the aura of a protector unlike the hothead, tomboy and pacifist. 

“Well, we shall have to see about this!” The eldest Darke remarks. Moving towards Liam, he grabs him by the scruff of the neck and holds him up there. Leveling his sky blue eyes upon Liam’s grey-blue. He is clearly not amused or particularly happy.

“Okay Mister Bravo, just why are you trying to beat the snot through Alec? Besides, Mother is not happy at you. Leaving her to tend to feeding the farm animals all by herself.” Gareth states. He raises a brow waiting for an answer as Liam is held just above to ground. All this is happening whilst Bronwyne is under one arm and Alec is just dusting himself off and standing beside Gareth.

“Hey! Do not blame me about not feeding the animals. It was Bronwyne’s idea and besides Alec started it!” Liam exclaims he grumbles and kicks his legs in the air to wriggle free. However remains there.

“I did not such thing” Alec replies calmly with a raised brow. He flicks inky black hair from his face. Explaining to Gareth just how the argument started.

With a faint nod he then narrows his eyes, and Gareth looks at the scrawny bundle under his arm and frowns.
“Bronwyne is this true? I hope you have not been goofing off again to play soldier.” The little girl under his arm wriggles and whines. Finally she sticks her bottom lip and pouts.

“No I ain’t I have been practicing just in case the barbarians from the North might attack our home. Always have to be prepared you know.” Bronwyne states. A small and indeed crooked playful grin etches on her features.

Shaking his head, Gareth places Bronwyne beside him then lets go of Liam. She is only twelve and here she is carrying on about war and combat as if it was just a walk to the village market.
“Bronwyne, we live on a cluster of Islands. The barbarians will not attack this place anytime soon. Mother and I are disappointed in your behaviour lately.”

Shrinking away a little Bronwyne pouts and sighs. Chewing on her bottom lip she scratches her forearm and kicks a rock nearby. Liam however remains where he is with his arms crossed over his chest rolling his eyes and finally snorts.
“Told ya Gareth, she is nothing but trouble. Mother ought to teach her how to be a proper lady.”

Gareth waves a hand up to dismiss anymore outbursts of tempers between the three. He looks at them all and sighs shaking his head.
“You all are as bad as each other. Liam, picking fights with Alec just because you cannot handle remarks that justify your bad behavior. Alec, Mother and I know you should not outside all day in the sun because it makes you feel faint. As for you Miss Bronwyne Kathryn Darke avoiding your chores and then racing around the village playing soldier is irresponsible and inappropriate. Women are simply not meant to be fighters.”

The younger three look up at Gareth as he wordlessly begins to make his way back upon the beaten main track leading to the Darke Household. Expecting the others to follow. Alec moves alongside to Gareth’s left and Liam is a little behind to Gareth’s right. As for Bronwyne, she lags behind dragging her feet. Darts of blonde hair fall over forlorn and saddened features. Gareth’s small lecture was not particularly fair nor was it nice, the small girl thinks. Flipping the wooden play sword in her hand she heaves a loud sigh and jogs to catch up with her three older brothers.