The Daughters Daring (The Daughters Daring & The Enchanted Forest Book 1)

by Steven J. Thompson

  The

  Daughters

  Daring

  Steven J. Thompson

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2015 by Steven J Thompson

  Illustrations Copyright © Steven J Thompson

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be mailed to the following address:

  Permissions Department,

  KECELJ Publishing,

  PO Box 577, Biggs, CA 95917

  For information about the book and the author visit: www.daughtersdaring.com

  ISBN 978-0-9967232-1-3

  Illustrations by Steve Ferchaud

  Cover Design by Cindy Grundsten

  Printed in the United States of America

  First U.S. Edition

  Prologue

  Elizabeth Daring stood facing her target. Her arrow was nocked and bowstring drawn back with the fletching touching her upper cheek, just as her father had shown her. Her back was straight and her feet a shoulders-width apart, one in front of the other. Her target stood motionless, a simple disc made of burlap and hay, soaking in the first rays of sun. It was morning in the Kingdom of Highcynder and The Shining City would soon awaken, along with Elizabeth’s mother, who wouldn’t be pleased to find her daughter gone. She had time for one more shot, so she took aim and counted to three.

  One.

  Emily Daring hung from the rafters of the large overhang behind her sister. It was meant to provide shade and storage for the King’s Archers while training, but it was also a great place for the twelve-year-old to exercise while her younger sister practiced her archery. Unfortunately, while great fun, archery and rafter climbing were looked down upon for young girls of noble upbringing. So they had agreed to sneak in this scandalous fun in the early hours of the morning while most people were still asleep. Highcynder was a beautiful kingdom with lovely people; it just got a bit tiring sometimes. Grownups could be so stuffy, expecting everything to be just-so.

  Two.

  Elizabeth took a breath.

  Nathan Wormington thought Highcynder wasn’t at all exciting, that is, until he saw the Daughters Daring sneaking past the soldiers’ barracks and into the training arena. He had been tasked with fetching milk for his mother, fresh from the dairyman, when he had spied the girls (strangely dressed like peasants) and decided that whatever they were doing seemed much more interesting than his current task. And, he was ten years old now, they would certainly want his help if they were doing something important. A chubby boy, he had struggled to keep up, but now he was here, watching Emily Daring swing from the rafters while her sister Elizabeth seemed nowhere in sight. That was when Nathan saw the most beautiful blue and red butterfly.

  Three.

  Elizabeth hoped to win the confidence of their father, the hero of Highcynder, Duke Daring. Not born a noble, the duke had achieved his title through heroic deeds and legendary adventures (that and marrying their mother, who was cousin to the king). Her father loved archery almost as much as swordsmanship. Elizabeth cared little for swords but loved to shoot. Someday she would convince him to let her shoot in a tournament. She exhaled and focused on her target. As she did, a beautiful red and blue butterfly fluttered past the target. She let it pass, then released the bowstring, letting the arrow fly.

  That was when she saw Nathan Wormington.

  Elizabeth gasped! She saw the arrow, as if in slow motion hurtling toward the annoying, chubby boy who always seemed to get her in trouble. Oh No! She thought, wishing she had waited a second longer. Nathan ran past the target just as the arrow sailed in, hitting him right in the buttock!

  The boy let out a howl that could wake the whole kingdom.

  “Elizabeth, what did you do!?” cried Emily from the rafters. She dropped and ran to her sister.

  “It wasn’t my fault!” Elizabeth answered, “He ran right in front of me!”

  Emily glanced at her sister’s quiver, relieved to see only training arrows and not the more dangerous broad heads. She quickly ran over to Nathan, who was now thrashing about on the ground trying in vain to reach the source of his pain. If Nathan Wormington was known for anything besides being chubby, it was his very loud voice. He now used it to scream at the top of his lungs! Emily wrestled the boy onto his side and pulled the arrow from his backside while trying to quiet him, but it was too late. She looked up to see several soldiers pouring from the barracks to see what the matter was.

  “What in the king’s name is going on out here?” The captain of the Guard exclaimed as he approached, “Ah, the Daughters Daring. I should have known.”

  “Oh boy,” Emily said. “Mother is not going to be happy with this one.”

  Chapter 1

  The Kingdom of Highcynder sat at the edge of the Crystal Sea, soaking in rays of sunlight like a blooming flower of gold. The king’s castle stood at the center of this land, surrounded by beautiful buildings of carved stone and artisan brick. Wealthy merchants and traders flourished here, selling all manner of goods within the great walls that enclosed Alcyndra, or what was commonly known as The Shining City. It came to be known throughout the world of Marcynder as a place of peace and prosperity, and merchants sailed from across the Crystal Sea to sell their exotic wares. For those in Highcynder it was a prosperous time, if not for everyone else.

  The people of Highcynder considered themselves to be amongst Marcynder’s most enlightened. Despite the appearance of royal tradition, their people enjoyed a relative freedom and equality that was unheard of in other kingdoms. Here men and women alike could hold titles of nobility. Such freedom of trade had been established that even the poorest could earn relative fortunes through ingenuity and hard work. People here were judged on their merit, not the color of their skin, or the social class of their birth.

  Still, Highcynder enjoyed upholding some traditions, such as a royal family. King Lamont was known as a fair and just ruler. Having lost his queen to illness before having an heir, it was wondered who would take up the throne when Lamont was gone, or if the throne would be retired. The Council of Knights had discussed a more representative form of government, an idea that was gaining popularity with the people.

  While such freedoms made Highcynder prosperous, they also caused distrust among other kingdoms. Tyranny and even slavery existed in lands not so far away. Foreign rulers viewed Highcynder’s ways as an insult, or even worse, a threat to their own dynasties. To them, freedom was a dangerous idea that could only spark revolution from those less fortunate. This was especially true for the desert kingdom of Dublari. Built on the edge of the Great Sands and the Sea of Fire, the Dublarian culture was built on slavery and other customs that seemed barbaric to most Cynderians.

  Although born of Highcynder, the nation of Newcynder had much to be suspicious of as well. Highcynder had been their motherland, and Alcyndra their capitol, until King Lamont had declared them their own country and cut ties. This had come after great political strife, and the loss of Lamont’s wife, but Newcynderians had never forgiven what was seen as a great betrayal. Some still aspired to return and lay cla
im to the throne.

  Still, the people of Highcynder considered themselves relatively safe. To the north were the Craggy Mountains. To the south, beyond the Sweetberry Fields, lay the Putrid Swale (which the Daughters Daring considered just a fancy name for a stinky swamp). Both were nearly impassable, affording Highcynder a strategic barrier to invading armies. The only two ways to approach Highcynder were by the Crystal Sea, which was guarded by the formidable Royal Navy; or through the Enchanted Forest—an approach of last resort.

  The Enchanted Forest was a mystical place, both wondrous and scary for the common folk of Highcynder. Those who dared wander in often ended up either lost, or the victims of strange pranks the forest liked to play, which made it very unpredictable. Items could be pilfered from backpacks; vines could grab you by the feet and hang you upside down; and strange voices could call you from different directions. There were trees so old and tall that one could not see their tops. And there were tales of gnomes, goblins, faeries, and the occasional ogre living within it. Eventually, the king of Highcynder declared the forest off limits to anyone not on official business. Though time passed, the people of Highcynder continued to tell the hair-raising tales of the forest’s enchantments so that every generation and every traveler could beware.

  There were, however, two young adventurers who did not fear the Enchanted Forest. In fact, it was in the Enchanted Forest that one of the Daring Daughters’ most amazing adventures took place. It could even be said that the daughters came to be because of the forest, because their parents had met and fallen in love there. To the sisters, it was a place of beauty and adventure, a vision born of their father’s grand stories and a daily sight from their bedchamber window. The Daring manor sat at the very edge of The Shining City that overlooked the forest. Being so close, it seemed to be calling to them—a call they had not yet answered.

  

  “Ouch!” Cried Emily.

  “Hold still,” her mother responded, running a brush through Emily’s dark curls.

  Emily swore this had to be punishment. There was nothing she hated more than having her hair brushed. As beautiful as it was, she would rather have it cut off and be done with such nuisance. Her mother wouldn’t hear of it. To heap insult on injury, she sat looking out her window at the Enchanted Forest while enduring her mother’s grooming.

  Her sister, Elizabeth, giggled and made faces at her when she thought she wasn’t noticed.

  “Mother,” she said, “I really don’t see why this is necessary. We’re only—ouch—going to the market for a short while, and it’s too early to—ouch—see anyone we know anyway.”

  Her mother was firm. “A young lady does not go out in public with uncombed hair.” The Duchess Daring was a lovely woman, with the poise and dignity of her station. As cousin to the king, she bore certain responsibilities that came with the privileges of nobility. She wished to encourage her daughters’ creative and outgoing spirits, but first, they had to learn how to properly behave.

  Emily was the Daring’s first child. When she was born, her father had run through the streets of Highcynder, stopping at every inn and tavern to share the news. If not for his wife, he would have had the baby along to show his pride. The duchess, however, had protectively kept Emily with her (as much for her sanity as her daughter’s safety).

  Emily had an explorer’s heart from her first days in the crib and was always getting into some kind of trouble. Now twelve, almost in her teens, Emily already stood as tall as her mother. She was also as athletic as any of the boys her age, with a love for horseback riding, sparring, and tree-climbing, much to her mother’s chagrin.

  “Emily,” the duchess said, “the Sweetberry Festival is approaching, and your impatient father is craving sweetberry pie. I need you and your sister to go to Whipperpeel’s for me—without causing any trouble.”

  “Did someone say sweetberry pie?” The duke asked, strolling in from the hallway. He had incredible hearing whenever anyone spoke of treats.

  “Sweetberries!” A little voice yelled from down the hall. Even from his room, Emily and Elizabeth's younger brother Joseph had an ear for sweets matching his father's.

  “Father!” Elizabeth exclaimed, running to hug his waist.

  “And how is my notorious little archer today?” he asked.

  Elizabeth blushed. It had only been a couple of weeks since her accident with Nathan Wormington, but it was likely she wouldn’t hear the end of it anytime soon. Being a younger sister was always harder, at least in her mind. She had two parents and an older sister to constantly remind her of her mistakes.

  Elizabeth was also the petite one. Not athletic like her sister, she was sharp-minded and a skilled negotiator, able to melt even her father’s stern heart with her sapphire blue eyes. Like many of her stature, she had to rely on her charm and wits to gain attention. If only her wilder exploits weren’t so infamous!

  “Father,” she said, changing the subject, “Mother is sending us to Whipperpeel’s Sweets Shoppe for some sweetberry pie!”

  “Really?” he asked, his eyes lighting up. “That is a splendid idea!” Just then, he noticed his younger daughter’s pose. “But what is this?”

  Elizabeth now stared up at him expectantly, arm outstretched, palm up.

  “Oh,” he said, dropping a coin into her hand.

  “Mother asked us to get two,” Elizabeth said, keeping her palm out, “on account of your nearly eating the last one all by yourself.”

  “She did? Oh, well ahem, of course, my dear,” he said, dropping more coins.

  “Thank you Father,” she said. With a quick curtsy, the coins vanished into her pocket as she bolted for the door.

  “And where do you think you’re going?” her mother asked sternly, brush in hand. “Come here, it’s your turn now.”

  Elizabeth sighed as her older sister stuck out her tongue at her.

  Chapter 2

  It was a warm and sunny morning and yet the streets of Highcynder seemed strangely quiet. The daughters had passed only a few people on their way to the market district where normally there would have been dozens. Emily, now tugging at her uncomfortable dress, seemed not to mind having less of an audience. The last thing she wanted was to have to stop and talk to all the nobles and recount some adventure of her father’s for them, all with a graceful bow at the end.

  Elizabeth was relieved as well (especially at not having seen Nathan Wormington’s mother), however she was worried. It was too close to the Sweetberry Festival for the capital to be this quiet. Normally there would be signs with streamers proclaiming everybody’s favorite time of year. There would be picnic tables in front of shops, and carts and market stalls popping up in every last available space. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

  Despite the gloomy atmosphere, the daughters were relieved to find that one thing hadn’t changed. The smell of baked goods lingering in the air as they rounded the corner to Whipperpeel’s Sweets Shoppe. Annie Whipperpeel’s bakery was always filled with delicious treats. Just walking in brought the incredible smells of apples and cinnamon, berries, peaches and, sometimes, even rare chocolate! Annie was a delightful lady who always threw in a little something extra when the girls shopped there, too.

  Unfortunately, on this day, Annie was out of sweetberries.

  “I’m so sorry girls,” Annie said, “but I haven’t had any sweetberries in a week! No one has. This spring, the bushes were heavy with berries, but now there aren’t any. We may have to cancel the Sweetberry Festival.”

  No sweetberries. That was bad news indeed. The ingredient to father’s favorite pie was also one of Highcynder’s most treasured treats. People traveled to Highcynder each year for the delectable, burst-in-your-mouth sweetness of the large, purple berries. And the pies were the highlight of the Sweetberry Festival that everyone so loved.

  “But what happened to the sweetberries?” Elizabeth asked.

  “I don’t know. It’s the strangest thing,” Annie answered,
then leaned in to whisper, “But if you ask me, it was those Forest Gnomes what took’em!”

  Forest Gnomes! Although Emily and Elizabeth had never seen one, they had heard plenty of stories about them, mostly told by their father at bedtime. Forest Gnomes were not particularly scary, but they were absent-minded and sometimes caused mischief for humans in carrying out their tinkering or grand schemes. Farmers who found their crops planted upside down, or their fences re-crafted into elaborate mazes, even village folk with missing socks, all knew that it had to be those mischievous gnomes! So it wasn’t surprising that the gnomes could have taken the sweetberries, but perhaps it was a little odd.

  “Why would the gnomes take all the sweetberries?” Emily asked.

  “Well,” Annie answered, scratching her chin for a moment, “I don’t know. They’ve never done this before, but that doesn’t mean anything! Those gnomes are always up to something! Now all the sweetberries in the valley are gone, and I have half a mind to alert the King’s Guard about this! Now please excuse me, young ladies, I need to find my spectacles.”

  Emily and Elizabeth knew that this wasn’t a good situation. The missing sweetberry problem was bad enough, but the thought of the King’s Guard being alerted was even worse. The King’s Guard was the local authority that handled issues too great for the local constable. Their father believed, however, that they used their authority too heavily, often causing more problems than they solved.

  “Liz,” Emily said, “if the King’s Guard gets involved, it won’t be very pleasant for the gnomes.”

  “No,” Elizabeth replied, still disappointed that there would be no pie. “But they should have thought of that before they stole all the sweetberries!”

  “But how do we know they did it?” Emily retorted. “What if they’re innocent? Who is going to stick up for them and help get to the bottom of this?”