First Steps for a Hero

By Judith Rook

Living on a farm in the north country of England in 1969, David Eldwick has finished high school and is looking forward to his new adult life. His enemy, Martin, lives on the farm next door. Martin is jealous of David and has made his life at school as unpleasant as possible.
Soon, Martin and his father will try to seize ownership of the Eldwick land by forcing David’s sister into an early marriage with Martin. David warns Martin off, but Martin wants Jenevieve and is determined to have her.
An enigmatic man comes to work on the Eldwick farm, and things begin to change. David discovers the stranger, the Captain, comes from Arrath, an Earth-like world, existing in a parallel universe. He teaches David the Arrathan way of self-defence, and David develops in skill and character.
At the end-of-summer ball, Martin kidnaps Jenevieve. Stronger now and more confident, David faces his adversary. He saves Jenevieve, and the Captain invites him to visit Arrath.
Now David learns that malevolent alien beings have also found their way to Earth, intending to infect it with evil. As he helps the Captain to deal with the dark invaders, he meets the greatest danger of his life, but he must overcome his fear and protect both Arrath and Earth.
What will be David’s path into his future? Does he truly believe the other universe exists and can affect the lives of people on Earth? Will he become a farmer or a warder of Arrath?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Judith Rook
• Release date: Sep 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370818716

Judith Rook

Judith Rook was born and raised in rural Yorkshire in the UK. The nearest city was Bradford, the great centre for wool processing, but she remembers fields running up to moorland much more clearly than mill chimneys. Judith’s early writing was done in old accountants’ ledgers which had blank sheets interleaved with the ruled pages. She wrote on the ruled pages as well. Not thinking of becoming a writer, Judith wrote whatever she felt like writing: stories, poems, reflections. Then life intervened and her imagination went underground. For some time, she worked in education and wrote articles and reviews about music. After a few years, Judith began to write fiction. Recording ideas that had been bottled up for a long time, she thought she had become an author. When rejection notices came in, she joined two writing groups, developed her technical skills and learned how to write stories for other people. Judith is a compulsive reader. Sci-fi is her favourite genre, then come the great classics, followed closely by fantasy. She is fascinated by developments in human space exploration and reads a great deal of contemporary cosmology. Judith also admires good crime writers and one day she may try her hand at thrillers or crime stories. As a young woman Judith emigrated to Western Australia where she lives now. From time to time she stirs herself to rally around important social issues and has been known to take to the streets in support, so long as there are good cafés along the way. Periodically Judith turns to short stories. She finds the challenges of short story writing refresh and strengthen the techniques which she uses in her novels.

Book preview

FIRST STEPS FOR A HERO

A Young Adult Novella

Published by Judith Rook at Smashwords

Copyright 2016 Judith Rook

ISBN 9781370818716

License Notes

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Other titles by Judith Rook

Planet Woman

Man of Two Planets

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

About Judith Rook

Judith Rook Says

Connect with Judith Rook

CHAPTER 1

"Ouch! Leave it, Mum. I can do it."

So you say. Keep still. Antiseptic stung his face.

Flinching, trying not to move, David looked through the kitchen window into the farmyard and thought about Martin Horner. On the way home from school, Martin had sprung another attack, his fist catching David’s cheek this time, tearing the skin, before Martin belted off, guffawing, followed by his suck-up friends.

You’re too old now, said his mother, dressing the cut. Your father and I can’t do anything more to help. Why don’t you talk Martin round? You’re both young men. Fighting’s no way to carry on.

Tell that to the idiot. You don’t think I want to fight?

No. His mother closed the first-aid box and pushed it to the middle of the big table. But what are you going to do when you both get to York? David winced. The way things worked out for him he’d probably end up in the room next to Martin’s in the student quarters.

Don’t worry, Mum, I’ll do something. David patted her hand with a reassurance he did not feel. One good thing. He would never have to see Martin at school ever again. The education year was almost over; just a few matters to be cleared up in his own time, books to be returned, goodbye visits to teachers, and then his days on the bus and in the classroom with Martin Horner, his black-headed enemy, would be over.

I’m sure you will. It’s just a pity Martin’s going to agricultural college too. His mother stood up, then sat down again. David, you’ve got to know. Martin’s after Jenevieve. He’s told her, by the end of the holidays she’ll be his girlfriend, and everyone in the district will know it, and no-one will dare to even talk to her while he’s away.

Mum! David was shocked. No, that can’t happen. What does Dad say?

He doesn’t know, and he mustn’t. David’s mother grasped his arm. You realise what he’ll do if he finds out Martin’s trying to force himself on Jen. He’ll confront the lad–and his father–and what that will lead to, the lord only knows. Don’t tell him.

All right, Mum, I won’t. The brown-haired, pleasant-faced youth looked at his mother, his green eyes serious. It’s the land, isn’t it? They’re after our farm, and this is one way they could get it.

His mother nodded, got up again and crossed to the cooking range. I’ve been waiting for something like this, she said. William Horner’s tried to buy us out before, but of course your father wouldn’t hear of it. How could he, after all our generations here? He just laughs. He doesn’t think William can be serious.

A mistake, Mum. I’d say Mr Horner would be as serious as he could ever be, and I’d also say his son’s with him. What does Jen say about it all?

She wants nothing to do with Martin. She just wants to finish school next year and start her design course. I think the lad has frightened her. But you know Jen, she’ll never show it.

You did right to tell me, Mum. And this settles it. I’ll have to sort Martin out one way or the other before summer’s over.

Without fighting, said his mother hopefully, busy with pans.

Without fighting, if I can, David replied. Easier said than done, but he’d think of something; he would have to.

David took up a battered metal tray with two large covered plates on it, a small loaf of brown bread, butter in a crock and two bottles of Bentley’s Pale Ale. The familiar job was easier, now he’d come into some decent strength. In earlier years, he’d had to go twice across the yard to take a meal to a wanderer, but now it was one simple trip.

Tell him he’s welcome to come and watch the evening news at seven o’clock, if he’d like to. His mother’s voice followed him.

Aye, Mum. David’s late adolescent voice was deepening, but sometimes, as now, it still cracked unevenly and the youth blushed as he became aware of a figure standing in the open doorway of the shippon. The cows had been milked and had gone back into the fields, it being a warm summer this year of 1969, and David supposed the man had done the swilling out and cleaned the milking parlour after them. It was the job his father often gave to the men who had no home and still wandered the small ways of the countryside.

We’ve always had a bit of work for the wanderers, said his heavy, bull-shouldered father once, and we always will have. Think on, lad. A bit of work and a bed for those who come wanting it will never be bad for a farm.

No, Dad. The wanderers came and went, and only once or twice had things gone wrong. Last year his father had beaten one of them badly because he’d tried to force Jenevieve into lying with him. The girl had shouted and fought, bringing first her mother from the house and then her father from the paddock below the kitchen.

By the time David got home late from school, it was all over. The man had been taken to the local doctor’s surgery, and the village policeman had taken statements. He slapped David’s father on the back as he left.

This one won’t make a complaint. You tanned his hide, and he deserved it. But be careful, Fred. I’ve been hearing some funny things coming out of the city courts, and we don’t want you to end up on the wrong side of the law because you protected your daughter.

David’s father stared sombrely after the police car, cautiously making its way down the farm track towards the road leading to the village five miles away. He shook his head. Things are changing, lad, he said, and turned back to the farmhouse.

Jenevieve was not very disturbed by the incident. I tried to give him a good kick where it would hurt, she said with satisfaction, but he was too strong. Mum did what she could with the big pan, but the best thing was to see Dad laying into him. I saw his knuckles split, he was that mad!

David nodded. He knew his father was strong, like many of the hill farmers around the district. A man had to have strength for this life, and so did the women who lived with them; strength, good humour, patience and compassion. Given those things, a person could live the best life in the world on the edges of the great moor.

David also was growing strong, but not in the way of his father. He was more like his mother; lithe, slender and fast moving. But on his legs and upper body muscles were taking shape, and his mind was beginning to look towards a greater world. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to beat Martin Horner in a contest of strength, but in a contest of stamina, say a run along the fell-sides, he’d be able to out-do him any day now.

Indeed, said the stranger, standing aside as the