Zeiglar, Test of Faith

By Willow Love

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to have something you care about deeply snatched away in an instant? What if someone you loved and trusted betrayed you? How would you feel?

In her book Zeiglar, Test of Faith, author Willow Love tells an adventurous and a spiritually oriented story about a group of animals. But these are not ordinary animals. Rhianna, a beautiful cat, is captured by a beast. Leo, her beloved mate, betrays her to save his life. And when Rhiannas children ran away to find a new home for just their own family, they begin the journey and fight to find each other again.

Based loosely on biblical stories, including the book of Daniel, Zeiglar, Test of Faith shows how faith, love, and determination can turn lives around and help you find what has been lost. Though one can have difficult times, there is always hope when one has faith. It works for the animals in Loves story, and it can work for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Oct 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781480837218

Willow Love

Willow Love continues the story of the Zeiglar group seeking their “promised land” in this book. Willow has used the names and temperament of the real animals who lived through the flood of her home in 2010. Leo, Rhianna, Rio, and Lilly are just as they were written. Willow’s daughter has looked forward to this story being published and has drawn courage and laughter from the story. Willow hopes for her readers to understand this is pure fantasy and a way to retell biblical stories.

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Copyright © 2016 Willow Love.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. No harm was done to any real animal in the creation of this book.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Archway Publishing

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-3720-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-3721-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016915635

Archway Publishing rev. date: 10/11/2016

CONTENTS

List of characters

The Zeiglar House Rules

Excerpt from Echoes of the Zeiglar March

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

References

LIST OF CHARACTERS

Rio: a twelve years old brown and black long haired dachshund. He is the wise counsel of the Zeiglar house

Kipper: is an overweight, twelve year old dachshund with long, light brown hair, and constantly hungry

Tommy: red eared turtle, who is about three years old, almost seven inches long and eight inches wide. Tommy is green with black stripes shell, webbed hands and feet, and a red strip on either side of his long neck

Jakey: A black striped tabby male kitten with an oversized bushy tail resembling a squirrel’s. He is mischievous, a good jumper, and believes he is a large puppy.

Rhianna: a medium sized solid black cat with an Egyptian shaped head. She is loving and kind. She has been spaded.

Leo: a large tuxedo cat, partly declawed, large and powerful. He has been living on the streets for a while. He was a feral cat for a while and has been neutered.

Lilly: an Australian Sheppard that appears to have some Blue heeler mixed into her DNA. She is white with black and brown spots. Lilly loves to play chase, run, chew things, and believes she is a kitten.

Rin: an oversized bantam rooster who has learned various bird languages and thinks he is a dog

Skiler: a deep blue young parakeet, who thinks he is a bat, hangs upside down during the night from a dangling hat box

Tweetie: a bright yellow, young parakeet, who has just lost her mother

Jibbles: a parentless baby squirrel who is being bottle fed

Chipper and Kalie- squirrels

Marmie: a young mother hound dog, whose owners got rid of her pups

Tara: A young, full sized, white and black striped Manx

Scraps: a coyote/dog half breed

Ruffs and Rusty: young red foxes

Baron and Fray: young sibling raccoons

Willie and Nell: young sibling chipmunks

Prissy and Cillia: young sister skunks

Prince and king: young brother skunks

Arlo and Alfie: young brother armadillos

Nyla, Sasha, and Rex: baby cardinals

Nite, Gray, Socks, and Boots: baby opossums

Bahar, Halo, Nix, and Zena: light brown flying squirrels

Amiga and Amora: soft grey female tabby (striped) cats

Ghost and Cree: two solid white male cats

Belle and Bonnie: two white with brown spots, female Nubian goats

Brice a black male Nubian goat

Ben: a brown male Nubian goat

Lesser creatures: a single duckling

THE ZEIGLAR HOUSE RULES

Every animal can learn how to pray to God

Every animal can learn the scriptures Toddy and Tommy know by heart

Every creature is important no matter what size they are

No chasing of any animal unless in mutual agreement of play

No complaints or grumbling allowed

No asking for extra food unless extra is available to all present

Everyone has a job to do every day

No teasing of any animal

Every animal will learn how to help others

No injuring any animal inside the house or its fenced areas

No killing any animal inside the house or within the fenced area

Be a good role model for all other animals, especially the children

(Treaties may be given to or made with other animals)

EXCERPT FROM ECHOES OF THE ZEIGLAR MARCH

K RULL HAD ENTERED THE BEDROOM and shut the door behind him. Rhianna thought the floor shook with his weight upon it. As he flexed his muscles; she could barely manage to watch. Then he removed his cape and placed it upon the bed. He moved just a foot towards her and Rhianna trembled.

He stood at the edge of his bed and viewed his valuable possession with evident pleasure. She dared to look up and viewed his deep yellow eyes staring at her. This beast was more than twice her size and she shivered watching Krull flex his claws. She trembled when a cruel grin graced the king’s face and desire entered his eyes!! As Krull whispered her name; Rhianna fought against her fears.

Krull had drool dripping from his mouth just thinking about her. Rhianna could not believe the king was perspiring from the desire beholding her sleek form granted him. Krull realized she was not about to show her true fear of him and laughed maliciously at her position. . Krull had decided not to taunt the beauty with the fact her brother was nothing more than a wimp! Yet, he was not about to let her believe she could get out of the predicament she found herself trapped within.

"You look so lost my sweet!" he stated sneeringly.

Krull purposely licked his lips and looked straight into her eyes. Krull took one step towards her. He laughed at her evident discomfort and stated very firmly,

Cry if you like, my dear, but now you belong only to me!!!"

Will Krull honor his words to Leo?

Will Leo be sent away from the kingdom alive?

Will Leo be able to explain his behavior to their children… to the rest of the Zeiglar group?

What story will Leo tell his family about Rhianna?

CHAPTER 1

K RULL SLOWLY MOVED FURTHER INTO his bedroom to find Rhianna curled up on his window sill. He unfastened his cape, quickly threw it up on the bed, and turned to stare pointedly at his treasure. Krull allowed his eyes to take in every inch of her sleek form.

He did not bother to wipe off the drool that escaped from his mouth. Instead he used his long tongue to lick his lips. Instantly Rhianna gagged, because she found the gesture disgusting. As laughter rolled within his chest; Krull gestured to his bed. Krull smiled, pointed to the bed yet again, but she refused to budge an inch from where she sat.

I’m so very sorry, my sweet, but your brother has…He began, but she interrupted him.

Rhianna stared at Krull and dared to speak. My brother? she all but whispered.

Yes, my dear, your brother left you here! And I alone will decide what will happen to you. he informed her coldly, You obviously realize that with my great strength I could simply lift your body off that window sill and carry you over to my bed.

Suddenly Krull lifted the huge bed with his left paw and easily set it back upon the floor. He grinned believing this had been a fitting example of his strength. Krull’s lips moved into a thin, but evil grin. As he moved backward and sat down; the bed grumbled under his weight.

While he turned down the covers and picked up one of the pillows. He sneered in her direction. Krull looked over at Rhianna to make sure she was watching him and of course she was. He held the pillow lovingly within his left arm. Then he kissed the pillow roughly before replacing it ever so gently upon the bed.

Surely my love, you must find my great animal magnetism and immense strength overly tempting; because what you’ve just witnessed is just a small example, Krull stated coldly, of what I will enjoying doing with you, my pet!.

He stood up slowly and laughed at Rhianna’s obvious discomfort. Krull moved away from the bed. He laughed at her once more before stating, But fear not, Rhianna, you may sleep safely tonight, because everything changes in the morning. he paused and smothered a giggle at the look of unhappiness on her face, For then I will take you for my wife.

But king, you don’t under… Rhianna attempted to speak out.

Krull interrupted her quickly, Don’t worry about the poor, weak-kneed one named Leo, my pet. For I promise you that no harm will befall him, but I will have him banished from my kingdom by the morning. Krull sneered while Rhianna dropped her head in quiet despair.

There will be no one, especially a brother, to free you from my hands. he warned, because my dear Rhianna; what I claim as mine remains mine. Krull paused at the doorway to spit one more warning at her.

The only thing I will hate doing is having to damage your beautiful skin, he began, but you will wear the mark stating you belong to me alone and no one else can ever touch you… under the pangs of death!!

Krull grabbed up his cape, draped it back across his shoulders, and walked to the bedroom door. He laughed while flexing his great claws and then his muscles once more. He turned to stare at her one more time before opening the door.

Now, listen to me well, my prize while I warn you, my pet; not to test my patience, he whispered huskily, Rhianna, my beautiful Rhianna, I can barely manage to restrain myself from discovering what pleasures you will bring me!

As Krull left Rhianna to the coldness of her own fears; far away from the kingdom; the Zeiglar family had finally settled down for the night. Leo had gathered up vegetables from a nearby farm in exchange for his catching several rats within its barn. The family prayed and ate together. Leo was restless after he had settled all the children down for the night. Leo was still worried about the king and what he desired of Rhianna.

Leo had cringed when he had seen the way the king was staring at Rhianna. Leo shook with the realization that the king had desire in his eyes while Rhianna had danced for him. Leo moaned for her dance had brought desire to his own body and he had thought that was impossible. Leo frowned with the realization Rhianna had no idea how enticing her innocent dance had been.

Oh, heaven help me! What will happen to her if she tells him the whole truth? Leo wondered, Will he have her killed or will he send out assassins to kill me and then take her for his wife? Leo shivered with anxiety. He completely understood that Rhianna had no chance of defending herself against such a massive beast.

Lord forgive me, he whispered, for in my panic I have given away the one creature I honestly believed to be my one true love. Forgive me, because whatever happens to her will be my fault. I’m sorry, Lord. Amen.

Still Leo could not rest, because his own behavior or his inability to protect her. His very actions accused him of lying to save himself without any regard to what might happen to Rhianna. As Leo thought about Rhianna and her fate at the cruel king’s hands; sweat rolled off of his forehead. Leo could not shake off the cold blanket of dread he had placed over himself.

Rhianna, I pray you will forgive me for my lack of courage, Leo stated gloomily, I realize I should have told the truth. I should have stood up for you and now I’m miserable.

Leo frowned for in the back of his mind he heard his own ego echo back, Miserable? Miserable you say, It cried, "maybe, but alive… very much alive!’

Leo did not realize Tommy had overheard him speaking and prayed for Rhianna’s safety. Dear Lord, I beg Thee to be with Rhianna for her beloved has failed her. I fear she has been given over into the hands of a cruel and powerful king. Amen.

Within the home of the king; Rhianna continued to pray. She did not know if the Lord of all things wanted her to become Krull’s wife or if she would be rescued. She prayed over the pain and despair she had felt when she heard Leo call her his sister instead of his mate. She shivered with the knowledge her love had chosen to protect and save himself…but not her.

Leo, I cannot believe you were such a coward. she whispered.

She prayed for strength, understanding, and the ability to accept her fate. Rhianna finally slipped off the window sill and pushed a chair up against the door. Rhianna realized the chair would not prevent the powerful king from entering the bedroom, but it would give her a warning that he was coming for her. With the unwanted arms of sleep wrapping around her; she crawled into the huge bed belonging to Krull. She realized that the Lord was helping her rest and shook with the realization that God was with her.

Rhia sighed and recalled a passage from Psalm. Psalm 121: 1-8 in the King James version of the Bible, she began, 1I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. She pause to recall the rest before continuing, 4Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Please let it be so for me. Amen"

With her prayer and plea lifted up into the night; Rhianna closed her eyes and slept.

Within the palace’s walls; Krull was sleeping in one of his guest rooms. He hated having to sleep upon a bed that was far less comfortable than his own, but he promised himself it was for just one night. And he