Here is the first chapter of the original storyline I thought of before I used Asa in THE HIDDEN. I still don't know which one I like better so I thought I go ahead and as the old saying goes 'run this up the flagpole and see if anybody salutes it.' Or in this case Reviews it. Here goes:
1
Eight year old Danielle De Barbarac was wandering down the side of a hill near the manor. She approached the mysterious old Cave in the side of the hill. It had a wide entrance and Danielle like to play there. She had a lot on her mind this day what with expecting her father back any day now with his new wife. She wondered what it would be like to finally have a mother and sisters.
She was suddenly jarred out of her thoughts by a most unusual sight. A huge boulder with legs under it came walking up the trail from the river bed. It was at this point that Danielle noticed what appeared to be a fort made of huge stones sitting in the wide mouthed entrance of the old cave there on the hillside.
The boulder was easily deposited on top of the other and it was then that Danielle saw the owner of the legs was a tall handsome brown haired boy about her own age. When he turned and saw her standing there is face went pale.
"How did, you do that," asked Danielle, blurting out the first thing that popped into her mouth, "where does your strength come from?!"
The boy winced a little and looked around nervously as if he was thinking about running. Finally though his shoulders sagged and he spoke.
"I really don't know," he said, "I was born with it. and I'm supposed to keep it a secret."
"Don't worry," said Danielle, "I won't tell.'"
The boy let out a big sigh of relief.
"Thanks," he said, "By the way my name is Asa Steele."
"Danielle de Barbarac," said Danielle.
After that the two became good friends. They played together there for a few more days then Danielle's father died and everything changed.
TEN YEARS LATER….
A ornate carriage bounced along the road toward Hauteford that evening. Duke Michael, Duchess Amelia Le Valle and their godson, whom they had raised since the death his parents when he was 4, were on their way to the royal Masque. Their godson was a handsome boy about Danielle's age with brown hair and blue eyes a quick wit and a ready smile. The Duke was King Francis's Cousin and one of the few people who wasn't afraid to tell the king off when he was being thickheaded.
At this point the boy was gazing out of the Carriage window looking at nothing in particular.
"What are you thinking about, Asa," asked his mother
"Oh nothing Mother Em," he said, "I'm not entirely looking forward to this so called Masque." The Duke chuckled,
"He's just worried that Lady Corinne is going to be there, Em."
"Ugh," groaned Asa, "even one hour with that woman is enough to drive anybody crazy, she's vane, selfish, has a voice like a bent tin whistle, the laugh to match and she can't get it through her thick skull that I'm not interested in her."
"Well you seemed to manage last time." Said Amelia
"Only because I was able to lose her in the hedge maze thanks to that hidden door Laurent showed me." Replied Asa. suddenly there was a clap of thunder and the skies opened up. Within minutes the roads were a mud hole. Asa looked out the window again.
"Lousy weather for a party," he muttered suddenly something laying on the road up ahead caught his attention. As soon as the carriage got a little closer he could see that it was a person with long red hair.
The memory of a childhood friend suddenly shot to the front of his mind.
"LaRoche," he cried out , "Stop the Carriage!"
The driver immediately reigned in the horses.
"What on earth is wrong, Boy," said Duke Michael
"There's someone lying in the middle of the road." Said Asa Jumping out of the coach. Ignoring the still pouring rain he raced to the side of the prostrate form and found it to be a young woman in what he was sure had once been a very nice gown.
She was lying face down in the mud with a gash and a bruise on her shoulder. When he turned her over she coughed and sputtered a little. She was alive. Asa picked her up and carried her back to the carriage. He climbed back inside and laid the girl on the seat next to him with her head in his lap. He began to wash the remaining mud off her face.
"She looks like she's been hit by at least a couple of carriages, the poor thing," said the Duchess, "we must summon a physician and try to find out who she is."
When Asa saw the face under that mud he stopped short and let out a small gasp.
"I know who she is!" he cried.
"What, who," said Duke Michael
"This is my childhood friend Danielle De Barbarac!"
"The little girl you used to play with all those years ago?"
Asa nodded.
"I'm sure of it," he said, "But how did she come to be laying face down in the mud on the road to Hauteford?!"
"LaRoche," Called out the Duke, "Forget about the Masque turn this buggy around and take us back to the Chateau!"
"Yes sir," came the Reply
An hour later they were all back at the Chateau. Danielle was still in the bed unconscious but dry. Asa had dried off too and now he and his god parents were all standing around waiting anxiously as the Doctor examined Danielle.
Finally after a few minutes he straightened up.
"The most major injury she has is the blow to the head she took that knocked her out. The rest of the injuries are minor," said the Doctor.
"When will she wake up?" asked Asa
"Impossible to tell," replied the Doctor, "It could be anywhere from a few minutes to a few days, considering the severity of the head injury she sustained. Just keep her warm and comfortable."
"Strange business," said Asa, a few minutes later as we watch the doctor scurry to the Carriage that would take him back to the palace, "A girl I know to be the daughter of a Baron, is found face down in the mud in a torn gown with a shoe missing. And now all those whip marks on her back that look like they could have been healing for more than a day and all those right on top of all the others that are almost white with age."
"I doesn't seem to add up, does it?" said the Duke coming to stand by Asa. They stood together in companionable silence watch the rain fall. As the rain subsided Asa spoke,
"First thing in the morning I'm going to pay a visit to the royal archives, maybe they can shed some light on this subject."
The Next day found Asa pouring through the registry of nobles looking for the name De Barbarac. Finally he found it.
"That's strange," he said to himself, "It says here that Baron Auguste de Barbarac and his daughter died ten years ago!"
"That's only a half truth! Danielle's alive and should be listed here as Baroness De Barbarac at least! Why is someone trying to cover up Danielle De Barbarac's true identity?"
Asa was so lost in his own thoughts and his conversation with himself that he didn't notice a shadow moving away from the door. A few minutes later the Baroness De Ghent received a message from the royal page that acted as her informant inside the palace. It read:
Milady,
There is young nobleman inside the palace who knows Danielle's true identity, and he has already discovered the phony death report in the archives. His continued investigation could prove most Dangerous.
Baroness De Ghent's message in reply was quick and to the point.
Claude,
For our own safety and the safety of our plans you must make the proper arraignments to dispose of this young snooper.
An hour later, Asa was sure he had gleaned all the information he could about the De Barbarac family from the record in archives and was on his way back home to speak with his Godparents. He was riding through the woods on his way. Unbeknownst to him up ahead near a small clearing where two roads intersected. Claude the Page was waiting in the trees with a group of seedy looking Mercenaries. Since this was the only road in and out of Hauteford he knew that his young man would have to take it as far as the Crossroads.
Claude pointed to Asa as he approached the crossroads.
"That's him," he said, "the Rider in the White shirt, Black trousers and black leather knee boots."
"This'll be the easiest fifty francs I ever made." Said the biggest and roughest looking Mercenary, "and as a bonus I think I'll keep them fancy armbands the boys wearing on his wrists. Those silver clasps on it ought to be worth something."
"Just get the job done," said Claude before heading back through the trees in the direction they had come. It disgusted him that he had to pay so much of the gold, he had been systematically liberating from the palace coffers to these ruffians, but it was better than what would happen if this boys snooping exposed the Baroness and himself to the king.
Asa had stopped right before he reached the Crossroads. The Forest around him had suddenly gone strangely quiet. Asa remembered what his Godfather had taught him on their frequent hunting trips together.
"When bird's songs and the other normal forest noises stop you can be sure something is wrong!"
Asa's horse Echo was fully alert as will. Suddenly a heavy rope net was thrown over Asa and he was dragged off his horse. He found himself on the ground surround by six grinning Mercenaries.
"See boys," said the leader, the burly Mercenary Claude had been talking to, "I told this would be the easiest money we ever made." the men drew their swords laughing at their good fortune, but their laughter was cut short when the boy suddenly ripped the net apart like paper and jumped to his feet.
"Don't spend that money yet!" Asa snapped the mercenary leader was momentarily taken aback by the boys feet of strength but he quickly recovered himself.
"Get him," he cried one of the mercenaries grabbed Asa from behind while his leader made to attack. Asa jumped up and kicked the burly man right in the chest with both feet and sent him flying backwards twenty feet.
As soon as Asa's feet touched the ground he smashed his heel bone in the groin of the man holding him. The man crumpled to the ground in the fetal position holding his injured body parts and gasping for breath.
That was another thing that Asa's godfather had taught him about fighting.
"In a real life or death fight, forget about rules, honor, fair-play, or even fighting clean, you fight to win!"
Another Mercenary attacked. Asa sidestepped the attack and knocked the man's feet out from under him. The man landed face down in the mud. Asa grabbed the fallen man by the belt and the scruff of the neck and with one move sent him skidding across the ground until he cracked his head on the base of a nearby tree and was knocked out.
Then Asa whirled around the face the remaining three, grabbing a ten foot log from the side of the road he lifted almost effortlessly over his head and threw at three men flattening them to the ground, and just like that the fight was over.
Asa walked over to the leader of the Mercenaries who was just waking up. He grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to his feet.
"Alright, who sent you?!" he demanded. Before the man could answer there was a dull thud and a man lurched like he had been hit in the back. Asa watched as the life seemed to drain out of him. Asa let go of the man and as he slumped to the ground Asa saw the reason for the man's sudden demise. A foot long Dagger in his back!"
Asa immediately looked in the direction that it had to have come from but there was no way of telling who threw it.
When Asa returned to the Chateau Le Valle he told his Godparents what happened.
"Oh my boy," said Amelia hugging Asa tenderly, "Could have been killed!"
"I'm okay mother Em," said Asa hugging her back and kissing her cheek.
"Calm yourself, My Dear," said the Duke clapping Asa on the shoulder, "With his strength, this boy could whip a whole regiment and not even mess up his shirt. Now what did you find out at the archives?"
"Plenty replied," Asa, "But first, how is Danielle?"
"No change yet, I'm Afraid," said his Godmother, "her minor wounds are healing as they should but she's still in a coma."
"Too bad," said Asa, "But the girl I knew was feisty and a fighter, she'll through I just know it."
"What did you find out at the Archives?" repeated the Duke.
"Danielle De Barbarac's sharing of a last name with the Baron Auguste De Barbarac is not a coincidence, she's his daughter."
"She's Baroness De Barbarac?!" said the Duchess,
"Yes," said Asa, "And there's more, I found a copy of her birth certificate and cross referenced it with the registry of nobles, Danielle is also the Daughter of the Duchess Nicole du Lancret which Makes her the Granddaughter of your dear departed friend Duke Julian Du Lancret!"
"But that doesn't explain the way she's obviously been mistreated they way she has." Said the Duke.
"I know," said Asa, "and it gets stranger, in the registry of nobles Baroness Danielle De Barbarac is list as deceased! Someone is trying to erase her linage and true identity!"
The Duke shook his head in wonder reviewing the situation.
"What in blazes have we stumbled on to here." He said
"Something big I'd say," replied Asa, "Don't forget not more than two hours after I started digging someone tried to have me killed!"
"What are you going to do now?" asked the Duchess
"I think my next stop will be the Manor de Barbarac," Replied Asa, "I'm almost positive that I will find some answers there."
TO BE CONTINUED…
AN : Please please please, if you like it and want me to continue, let me now. Leave a review. I love to hear from you. Comments, opinions, and Constructive criticism are always welcome. Happy Reading !