Darius: The Home Place

By Zach Zacharias

Darius feels something seriously wrong at his place of birth. Not sure of what he will find, he sets out to do what he can to help. He finds the property in horrible shape and about to be sold.

Can Darius use his special talents and save the place of his birth?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543411850

Book preview

DARIUS

THE HOME PLACE

ZACH ZACHARIAS

Copyright © 2017 by Zach Zacharias.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2017904816

ISBN:             Hardcover                             978-1-5434-1183-6

                      Softcover                              978-1-5434-1184-3

                      eBook                                    978-1-5434-1185-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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.

Rev. date: 03/28/2017

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter One

Darius stood on the ridge above the place of his birth. His paws were blistered and sore from his long trek back. His heart grew heavy when he saw how rundown the stables looked. Had he arrived too late?

His stomach growled with hunger, and his fur was matted, no longer the gleaming black it had been when he had begun his return to the home of his birth. Misty and the children weighed on his mind; he missed them so!

With tired, aching muscles, Darius forced himself to pick his way down the ridge. He had to remember to watch for rattlers here as he had grown unaccustomed to doing so in the city. There was still a deep chill in the air, so they should still be denned up, but one never knew.

Reaching the pasture, Darius went to the water trough for a drink. It still leaked, and Darius drank long and deep. The mud felt cooling to his paws. Somewhat refreshed, Darius sat down to think out his next move. He had to get himself cleaned up somehow before he presented himself to Mom Hardy—the first human he had ever known. He badly needed food and a long sleep.

A shadow fell over him as he sat there thinking. Looking up, he saw his oldest friend, Fred, the stables’ stallion. The beautiful bay coat had spots of gray in it, and the tail and mane were thinner.

Well, Fred said in his deep, chesty voice, if it isn’t Darius, the cat who would travel the world.

Hello, Fred, Darius replied with a warm voice. Have you won the Triple Crown yet?

No, but two of my sons have, Fred replied with obvious pride.

I thought you would be chasing mares in heaven by now, Darius teased his friend.

Not yet, but I dream about it—a lot, Fred said. You look awful, Darius. What have you been doing?

I had a feeling something was wrong here, Darius explained, so I had to come see. It was quite the trip, – and getting back will be too.

Well, you were right about that, my boy. Mom and Dad may have to sell out if things don’t change soon, Fred sadly told him. They gambled everything on buying a young colt that hasn’t done so hot thus far.

What about Lucy? Why isn’t she at least pushing the trainer and jockey? Darius asked with some anger.

You need some rest, my friend, Fred advised. You curl up in my stall and take a long sleep. It’s the first one as you go into the barn. I’ll explain it all later.

The feeling of hopeless exhaustion overwhelmed Darius as he thanked Fred and headed for the stable and a little nap in the stall bedding.

Later Darius felt something nudging him. Let them eat me. I’m too tired to run or fight, he thought. The nudging grew more insistent, so Darius opened one eye. Where and why he was here came rushing back to him.

I get warm gruel now, Fred told him. I thought you might like some.

Darius’s stomach answered for him with a tremendous growling. He stretched his body full length, enjoying how much the nap had revived him. Fred tipped the feed bucket with his nose so Darius could reach the gruel. Darius ate as fast as he could. It had been such a long time since he’d had warm food.

Better slow down, partner, Fred advised, or you’ll get a belly ache.

The two friends laughed at how Darius had flung gruel all over his head in his haste. He did eat more slowly, enjoying every mouthful. When at last his stomach could hold no more, Darius moved out of Fred’s way so the horse could finish his dinner. While washing himself, Darius noticed how much gruel versus hay Fred’s dinner consisted of.

Poor Fred, his teeth must be going, Darius thought. He watched Fred lick up the gruel and slowly munch his hay. Fred had always protected Darius. Darius mulled over the problems of the stables and patiently waited for Fred to explain more.

Finally, Fred turned away from his half-eaten hay. Mom and Dad had several good years after you left, but the economy went bad, and things got real tight. I’d over hear Dad talking it over with himself while doing chores. You know how he always hated to worry Mom. Pretty soon, the stable hands started disappearing, one by one. Now there’s just Jake, the old trainer, and Lucy. I think Jake stays out of loyalty more than money, and where could he go at his age?

Darius remembered Lucy. She had been a young lady just coming into womanhood when Darius had left. She was a cute little tomboy with curly brown hair and deep brown eyes that could melt the coldest heart. She had gotten into as much mischief as Darius. Mom Hardy had despaired of ever teaching her to be lady like. Darius chuckled at the memory.

Fred continued his tale of the farm’s slow decline. Then my most promising colt broke his leg playing in the paddock. Fred’s voice broke a little. He was a beauty and could run. Boy, howdy! Could that boy run – just for the fun of it. It liked to kill the folks to him put down. Things were getting desperate, and Dad borrowed on the stables to buy this Tom horse. He insists on being called Thomas – his registered name is about a mile long. Fred frowned. He can really run when he wants, but he’s just lazy too much of the time. Thinks he’s caught the gravy train and doesn’t have to work at it! Going to put us all in the dog food can if he doesn’t get with it. I keep trying to tell him, but he’s so arrogant! Fred finished tiredly. Everyone’s afraid of what that idiot could do to all of us!

Let me sleep on it, Darius requested. He could see that the telling had worn Fred out, so he leapt up to the rafters to curl in the dark and think.

If Fred says the kid has it, then he has it, Darius thought. But how do you get him to understand that he has to give it his all, all of the time? Darius fell asleep with the question rolling over and over in his mind.

Morning arrived, and Darius was awakened by the sounds of Dad and Lucy beginning morning chores. He was deeply saddened to see how gray and bent Dad Hardy had become. He was thinner, and his face was so worry-lined that he looked like one of those dried apple dolls. Lucy had become a beautiful woman, but she, too, had worry lines beginning to crease her face. It would kill the family to lose this place. It had been their whole life.

Darius moved farther back into the shadows as he watched. He wasn’t ready yet to reveal his presence. He watched as Dad measured the feed and Lucy carried it to each stall in turn. Only five stalls of the thirty-stall barn were occupied. There were three beautiful mares that Darius didn’t know yet. He realized how many years he had been wandering around the country.

He only saw two barn cats watching and waiting to eat any dropped feed. They looked fat and sleek, so Darius knew the rodents had moved in as the place declined. Darius’ heart ached with the want to go rub on the humans’ legs and tell them everything would be all right, but he was still unsure of just how to help the situation, and he was still dirty and matted. Much as he hated the thought, he would have to take a bath in the little stream and find some way to get combed.

Fred shared his breakfast with Darius and asked, Get any inspiration yet?

Not yet, he said between mouthfuls. But I will. I just have to!

Fred laughed and teased Darius. "You look even worse this morning. Got cobwebs all over you along with the grime. If you’re going to share my stall, you’re going to have