Moment Defined

By John Crianza

Four unique short stories, Moment Defined introduces us to resolute individuals facing untimely junctures in their lives.

A young shepherd finds himself face to face with brutal truths in the duties of life. A betrayed maiden sold into a king’s harem stumbles across salvation in the unlikeliest of places. A cabin boy aboard a merchant ship discovers his true nature will encompass more than a life at sea. An aristocrat loses her family and fortune before taking on a surprising responsibility.

Occasionally, the gods will nudge fate, and as the ethereal exerts influence on living mortals, a cascade of personal catastrophes ensues. Bound between the beacons of compassion and violence we each find our own fortitude that has been relentlessly forged within the fires of circumstance. Collective moments shape our lives, but only a select few will ultimately define our purpose and destiny.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781387240999

Book preview

Moment Defined

Moment Defined

John Crianza

Los Noven Publishing

2017

Edited by Michael S. Weir

Copyright © 2017 by John Crianza

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2017

ISBN 978-1-387-24068-5 (sc)

ISBN 978-1-387-24099-9 (e)

Los Noven Publishing

www.losnovens.com

Athealani

Moving quickly and easily through thick brush, Narsan followed Sami, a short-legged agile dog, with perpetual excitement. A gift from Narsan’s father the year before in celebration of his 16th harvest, Sami had been just a pup brought home from a far off northern land. His father gone for months at a time, he’d only see Narsan a few times a year. He had missed watching Narsan grow into an admirable young man. Now considerably taller than his father with shoulders broader, he remained lean yet strong. Wavy hair a softer brown from his mother along with hazel eyes, he had his father’s wide nose and strong jaw. The pup, a little more than a year old when his father brought him home, quickly took to tending the family’s goats with Narsan. Finding a natural rhythm from the first day, they became companions and comrades, searching for wayward charges that wandered from the herd. On this mild spring afternoon, smelling damp from afternoon rain still scattered in puddles, they tracked several kids through underbrush . With a bow and quiver across his back as usual, Narsan thought to the wolves who had been preying on neighboring herds recently. Night before last they had taken a lamb from Looka’s herd, even more concerning as their farms shared a common fence. Looka, an agreeable and fair man, had always treated Narsan well and he sought to keep it that way as he’d hoped to someday marry his eldest daughter, Jorjan.

Tiny hoof prints in soft soil led up a sharp embankment and Sami followed with his nose to the trail. Scrub brush thickening, branches tugged at Narsan’s cotton clothing and after a short climb, a small clearing opened to several wild apricot trees scattered through tall grass. Two young goats browsed through leaves among the branches, eating fruit still green.  Sami stopped at the brush line with hackles raised and a low defensive growl.

What is it, Sami? Hairs along the back of Narsan’s neck standing on end, he sensed something and instinctively readied an arrow in his bow while he scanned the clearing. Do you see that last goat? Sami’s growl deepened, rolling onto the verge of a bark, and Narsan followed the dog’s eyes to a low outcrop beyond the trees where the last goat scraped lichen from rock. Shaggy gray slowly creeping along the top, Narsan drew his arrow back and readied aim. If the wolf hadn’t moved, Narsan wouldn’t have seen it, but Sami had not missed the threat, Easy, Boy, Narsan sought to reassure his companion, just hold steady and I’ll take care of him from here. Having a clear shot between two trees, he pulled hard, confidence keeping the arrow steady.

A low profile making for a difficult target, Narsan took the risk of waiting for the lunge. A moment of tense stillness passed before the wolf growled loudly. The young goat let out a sharp warning bleat, leaping from the rock. The others took flight from the trees, all three bounding through the clearing in panic. Seeing the wolf jump from the outcrop, Narsan let the arrow fly. Pierced through the shoulder into his chest, the wolf hit the ground with a slump and a yelp. Zigzagging goats ricocheted through tall grass that now came alive with more wolves. Narsan pulled out another arrow in surprised confusion, setting it by instinct as Sami darted out into the clearing. A wolf grabbed a sprinting goat, pulling it into the grass with frenzied head shaking. Hearing a scream of terror from the kid, Narsan’s gut twisted with fear and anger, and he let the arrow fly with the movement so natural he didn’t even know it happened until the string snapped back.

A startled yelp echoed out at the arrow’s point. The screams faded beneath Sami’s barking as he and Narsan followed desperately into the clearing. Another arrow set, Narsan watched the two remaining wolves snatch the small goat and flee. Sami pursued, but Narsan called out to him and the pup skidded to a halt. Looking to his partner with confused expectation, the pup barked stubbornly.

Narsan hesitated briefly before sending Sami away. Take the goats back home! The pup cocked his head and whimpered sharply before giving a sharp woof of acknowledgment. As Sami broke into a sprint after the other two kids, Narsan knew he would ensure they made it back without further delay or distraction.

Surreal stillness descending, Narsan listened to the quietness. A moment passed before he heard a soft whimper in the grass. Beyond a patch of hot blood smelling of fear and urine, he found a female Athealani Wolf dying in the grass. With their silver coat and yellow eyes, some considered these wolves to be the noblest. Certain peoples held them in sacred reverence, however, Narsan’s village had never been one of them. Barely missing her heart, the arrow nicked her aorta. With her front shoulder impaled, she didn’t have the strength to stand, and attempted to growl as Narsan approached. Feeling anger boil up the back