The Distant Daughter

By Catherine Johnson

Evie lives a carefree life on her parent’s farm. But her peaceful existence soon takes a fateful turn when she accidently falls into a freezing world of deep darkness, a world beneath.
Evie meets Diego, a strange man who lives alone. He confesses to Evie that he has been living there a long time, waiting...waiting for her.
His world, Alendria, is in peril, taken over by the selfish ruler of the underworld, Hadian.
Together, Evie and Diego embark on a journey through the doomed and dying land, in a desperate attempt to reclaim Alendria.
In order for Hadian to be defeated a prophecy must be fulfilled, a prophecy in which Evie plays a vital part.
Can Evie follow her destined path and save Alendria? or will this strange and wondrous world remain forever, in the greedy and hateful hands of Hadian?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Catherine Johnson
• Release date: Oct 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370376452

Catherine Johnson

Catherine was born in New Zealand before moving to Melbourne, Australia in 2001. It was here she discovered her desire to write. After traveling Australia with her husband and three boys she relocated to Townsville. Catherine is continually inspired by her favorite authors Juliet Marillier and J. K Rowling.

Book preview

The

Distant Daughter

Book Two

An Alendrian Trilogy

Catherine Johnson

Copyright © 2016 Catherine Johnson

Smashwords Edition

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2 - Diego

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Epilogue

Connect with the Author

Chapter 1

It had been an incredibly long and hot day, which was unusual for this time of year as spring had only just begun. My parents and I had been at my Great Grandmother’s funeral. She, Evelyn, had lived to a ripe old age of...well, nobody actually knew, but she was really old. The funeral was sad, as most funerals are, but this one was more of a celebration of Grandma Evelyn’s life, her happy moments and the joy she had brought others.

Everyone had come back to my Grandma Eve's house, Evelyn’s daughter, for afternoon tea. Grandma lived by herself as Grandpa had died many years ago when I was a child. I only have a few vague memories of him, nothing in particular, just that once he was here and now he is not. I am sure my Grandmother missed him very much but she is fiercely independent and quite capable of being on her own.

She lives in an old stone cottage which is located in Oakwood, the next town over from where I live with my parents. It is a beautiful old building with vines growing up the front of the house and all the way up to the second floor, winding around the wooden rails of the balcony. The vine sprouted vibrant pink flowers in spring. In the front yard stood a dozen cherry trees and rose bushes of many colors, pink, white, yellow and the deepest blood red. They lined the path leading up to the veranda.

In the back yard was a small fruit orchard my grandpa had planted many, many years ago before I was born. The apple, orange and lemon trees had produced delicious fruit year after year. The old cottage was a bit outdated now, the aging water system would always run cold during a shower and there was an ancient stove in the kitchen. Thankfully, this was just for decoration now as Grandma had a new oven installed after Grandpa passed away and she was slowly learning to use technology such as the microwave we had brought for her last Christmas.

All the people from the funeral had gathered in the dining room, they chatted away quietly. Grandma was fussing over everyone, as she does, making sure they had a biscuit or slice of cake and Mum was running around helping with tea and coffee.

It was so crowded with people that the dining room soon became hot, stuffy and completely unbearable, so I stayed in the kitchen trying to keep out of the way. My two younger cousins, ten year old twins, were following me around everywhere, they were wonderful girls but after a while I needed a break from their constant presence. I poked my head through the doorway between the kitchen and dining room, spotting the twins as they squeezed through the mourners, heading my way. Quickly, I left the kitchen, sneaking through the crowd on the other side of the room and with some effort, I managed to get up the stairs without the girls seeing me.

I went into Grandma's bedroom hoping this would be a good enough hiding place, for a little while at least. There was an old fireplace with a mantle above it. On the mantle were photos of our family. My Mum when she was young, and her again with Dad on their wedding day. My grandparents laughing about something and a picture of their dog, Ernie. The last one was of Grandma and me when I was about ten years old. I picked up the frame to get a closer look, it was funny I thought as I stared at the image, nine years later and Grandma still looked exactly the same. We shared similar features as did all the women in our family, straight chocolate brown hair, large brown eyes with long eyelashes, a small button nose and as we have all been told, a contagious smile.

I walked over to the window and after pushing aside the lace curtains, I looked out over the blossoming orchard. Beyond the sea of fluffy pink flowers, I could just see part of the Wilson River, glistening in the late afternoon sun and I spotted Ernie lazing about under the shade of the old oak trees. I remember when I was young walking though the orchard with Grandma or laying under the cherry trees in the front yard listening to her telling magical stories about princesses, sorcerers and beautiful pixies. My Grandma had always seemed quite magical herself, she could do anything and everything with the greatest of ease.

But I had now outgrown all the children’s stories, I was more interested in shopping or going to the movies with my best friend, Penny.

I was feeling a bit drowsy, so I lay down across Grandma’s bed, took my Ipod out of my pocket, put the earphones in and hit random.

XXX

I awoke to Grandma shaking me, Evie, Evie wake up dear. she said Everyone has left now.

Oh I said, removing my headphones and stuffing my Ipod back into my pocket. I'm sorry Grandma, I didn't mean to fall asleep I said.

That’s alright dear, I have something to give to you before you go home

Grandma walked over to her wardrobe, she opened it and reached high up to the top shelf. She started pulling out boxes of all different shapes and sizes. Finally, Grandma pulled down a small wooden jewelry box and brought it over to where I sat on her bed. She sat down beside me, opened the box and slowly pulled out a beautiful silver locket on a long thin silver chain.

Your Great Grandmother made me promise to give this to you before she passed away she told me with a sigh. She said 'It was time', what she meant by that I don't really know, but I suppose she had her reasons.

Reluctantly she handed me the locket. Maybe it was just my imagination, but for a second I felt a burning sensation flash across the palm of my hand. I opened the locket, inside was a sparkling gemstone, the color was strange. It seemed to change between shades of red. One minute it was like fire, the next it was the color of blood, never settling on an exact shade.

Closing the locket, I noticed engraved on the front was the name Evelynne.

Who is Evelynne? I asked Grandma.

Well, Evelynne is believed to be your Great, great, great, great, great grandmother she explained while counting on her fingers and then taking a breath. It has been passed down through all the women in our family and now I am passing it on to you.

But what about Mum? I asked.

Oh, I tried to give it to her the day before she married your father, but she said it was much too precious and asked me to keep it where it would stay safe.

I wonder what Great Grandma meant by 'It was time I said thoughtfully.

That was all she said, I guess you will find out when the time comes.

She took the locket back off me and placed it around my neck. While doing it up she said with a serious tone Never take this off, Evie Then she came around to stand before me, placed her hands firmly on my shoulders, gave me a stern, determined look and said Promise me.

I promise, Grandma I replied nervously.

Good. She said with satisfaction and with that done she gave me a big hug, kissed me on the forehead and shooed me back downstairs.

XXX

It would be a long drive home. It took almost an hour to get from Grandma's to our house. We lived in the next town over, across the river in Woods End. I sat in the backseat looking up at the stars through the window as dad drove us home. I could never get sick of watching the stars, they just seemed so infinitely endless. The moon was bright tonight and hung high in the sky. I was fiddling with my locket, it still seemed warm. I wondered what Evelynne would have been like. Did she look like the rest of the women in my family and was she as magical as my Grandmother?

Soon we arrived home. We drove up the long gravel driveway which was with lined with small pine trees. We lived on a big old farm that had been in my family for many generations. There were two large paddocks at the rear of the property for the sheep. In the house paddock was a huge shed and an enclosure for our many chickens. In the front paddock was a small wooden gazebo, picnic table and an old swing set dad had built for me when I was younger. Also in the front paddock was a small lake. A creek run out of the lake, flowing quietly alongside the farm and eventually running into the Wilson River.

Dad parked the car in the temporary carport. My parents had been renovating the house which, after what seemed like forever, they had finally finished and now they had begun working on getting a new garage built. Mum wanted to modernize the place. The house was very old, the whole water and electrical systems had been replaced. It was so nice not running out of hot water or losing power whenever there was a storm. We also had replaced the old, creaky wooden floorboards with new ones, painted every room and had a new kitchen installed. There was barely a scrap of the old place left.

We all stumbled inside and I went straight to bed, exhausted from the long, hot and depressing day. That night I had the strangest dreams, well just flashes really, of bright neon lights, never ending forests and a beautiful river with clear, sparkling water. Then, everything went dark and cold, like a moonless night in the middle of winter.

I awoke early in the morning. I was shivering and sat up to find all of my blankets had fallen in a pile on the floor. I stretched and swung my legs out of bed, it was going to be another hot day once the sun came up. I dressed in a black singlet, and khaki three quarter cargo pants, then grabbed my Ipod and went downstairs.

My parents had booked a cruise months ago but could not get a refund when my great grandmother died due to it being so close to the departure date. So they decided they would still go and have a break. I found my parents in the kitchen, they were leaving today and still had a few last minute things to organize before they had to leave. I could not wait. Two parent free weeks was going to be great.

Thankfully Dad had organized Jim, our neighbor, to look after the sheep while they were gone. Jim and his wife, Mary had put their property on the market a few months back. They decided they'd had enough of the farming game and brought a house by the beach. They had not sold their farm yet, but the settlement on their new place was nearly finalized and they were eager to start their new life by the seaside. Jim and Mary were not moving until the week after Mum and Dad got back from their cruise. Jim had already sold off the last of his sheep, Dad had brought about fifty, so looking after our flock would give him something to do. And Dad said that this way all I would have to do was to focus on not burning the house down.

I decided to go for a walk, as I did every morning, while my parents finished organizing themselves. I grabbed a few slices of old bread from the cupboard, pulled on my runners, plugged in my earphones and, after turning on my Ipod, I headed down to the front paddock to feed the ducks in the lake. It was early, the morning sun pierced brightly through the tall trees and there was still a slight chill in the air. It was going to be a lovely day once the sun had fully risen. It was a peaceful morning, a gentle wind swept through trees making their branches sway and the leaves rustle. I loved it here. I knew every corner of the farm and the name of every tree. I had spent my childhood discovering the best hiding spots, climbing trees and looking down rabbit holes. I could not imagine a better place to live.

I walked over to the edge of the lake and slowly broke up the bread throwing it into the water. Soon all the ducks had floated over and were fighting over every piece. I threw in the last of the bread and dusted the crumbs from my hands.

Rushing water on the opposite side of the lake caught my eye, the sound was like that of a small waterfall. There was a large weeping willow tree growing on the edge of the lake, its long thin branches dangled lazily into the water and it looked as though it had hollowed out at the bottom. Strangely, the water from the lake seemed to be gushing into the hole. It definitely was not like this yesterday, perhaps the tree had died and was slowly rotting away. But then, I thought that cannot be right, the tree was covered with leaves, vibrant and green with life.

I wanted to swim in and investigate, I hesitated but then I swear from within the hollow of the tree I could hear a soft and lonely tune, I stood and listened carefully for a minute. The music sounded beautiful yet sad somehow. Curiosity got the better of me. I removed my Ipod and set it down on the picnic table. I was just about to step into the lake when I heard Mum calling me.

Evie, we are nearly ready to go She yelled out from the front door.

Damn! I thought. I would have to come back later, after they had left.

I snatched up my Ipod and quickly made my way back to the house. I began to think that now they were leaving I did not really want them to go. My Mum, Yvette, was so great. She was just like Grandma, magical. She was always there when I needed her and she could light up the room with just her smile. My Dad, Michael, always made me laugh, he had this cheesy grin he would use after telling his lame dad jokes which I stilled laughed at despite having heard them a thousand times and he always had a hug for me when I needed one.

I kicked off my runners, leaving them at the front door and went into the kitchen. Mum was double checking she had their tickets and Dad was sitting at the kitchen table finishing his coffee. I dropped my Ipod on the bench and sat down at the table next to him.

Now, Evie Mum was saying The cupboards are fully stocked, but if you need anything else there is some money in the old cookie jar or you can always call Grandma of course.

No problem mum I said I will be fine, just make sure you two have a great time and don't worry about me.

You know we're going to worry, Sweetheart but thank you, I'm sure we will have a great time she replied with a smile.

Dad had already packed the car. I walked them out and gave them both a hug. Then I watched as they drove down the driveway and out of sight.

My stomach rumbled, I realized I had not yet eaten. I strolled back into the kitchen, turned the kettle on and started rummaging through the cupboard. Sweet, Mum brought double choc muffins. After making a coffee I sat at the kitchen table and ate breakfast. It was so quiet. I thought about calling Penny to see if she wanted to come over, but then I remembered that she was working and would not be finished until five. I would have to call her later. She was probably going to see her boyfriend Chad anyway.

I did not have a job myself, well not really. Dad needed all the help he could get on the farm and as I was an only child I did not really have a choice. But to be honest, I was pretty happy. My life was easy. I worked where I lived and I did not have a boyfriend. The most complicated decision I had to make was deciding what to do in the weekend. I had thought that perhaps next year I might do some agricultural courses online, as the farm would one day be my responsibility but I had not completely made up my mind. For now, life was simple, just the way I liked it.

After breakfast, I grabbed my pink water bottle from the fridge, put my runners back on and went back down to the front paddock to see what was going on in the lake.

Still the water rushed down into the trunk of the tree so I carefully wadded into the lake. My runners squished in the slippery mud. The middle of the lake was deeper than I expected, I would have to swim. I let my bottle go, it floated gently on the surface. I kicked my legs out after yanking my runners free from the sinking mud and swam to the other side of the lake. The water shallowed out and I crawled through the mud to the bottom of the tree. I leant into the hollowed out tree, the water continued to run around my arms and deep down below. I breathed in, the air inside felt cold and damp and it was dark, too dark to see where the water was going. I could no longer hear the sad tune I had heard before. Perhaps it had been Mary playing the radio next door or maybe it was just my imagination. I leant in further and my hand slipped on the slimy mud. I overbalanced and tumbled head first into the hollow of the tree. Beneath me felt like a cold, hard and slippery slide. I twisted and turned inside this strange underground tunnel until I was the right way around whilst sliding down faster and faster. There was a sudden turn. I was going too fast. I started frantically searching for something, anything to hold on to and stop myself from sliding further, but there was nothing. The slide angled downwards into an almost vertical drop, my stomach felt like it had jumped into my throat and I let out a scream that echoed through the darkness. I was still sliding, I felt the ground starting to flatten out. I slowed down and finally, I came to a complete stop.

Breathing hard, I struggled to stand, the ground was slippery. I was dripping wet and covered in mud. I managed to get onto my feet, my wet hair stuck to my face, I swept it back with my cold fingers. Spinning around, I found there was nothing but darkness, I could not even see my hands stretched out before me let alone figure out from which direction I had come.

I stood there, trying to catch my breath, my heart was beating hard in my chest with fear. My nose ran, goose bumps crawled across my skin and I was shivering from the absolute cold that bit with fierce intensity. It settled heavily on my skin and sunk in deep causing an instant ache in my bones. My wet clothes hardened against my skin as they froze in the icy air and the muddy water I was covered with ceased to drip as it froze in my hair and on my skin. Having lost any sense of sight I tried to listen for a trickle of water or any sound to find my way, but the complete absence of noise frightened me almost as much as the infinite darkness. If not for the solid surface I stood on I would have thought I had fallen into some kind of nothingness.

I thought that maybe this was some type of underground cave, I had to find a way out, and there must be all sorts of creepy crawlies down here. I shivered again and not entirely from the freezing air that surrounded me. I rubbed my hands on my arms trying to warm up. My anxiety grew, I took a few steps then stopped, there was no way of knowing which way to go. I spun around again trying to find anything in the dark, any clue of where I was and how I could get out of here.

Then, there in the distance a light flickered, like a small flame. It was slowly coming towards me. I stood still, not knowing whether to wait or run in the opposite direction. The light got closer and closer, surely it was too late to run now. Whoever was holding the flame was only a few steps away from me. I took a step back getting ready to run if I had to.

I held my breath, then there before me someone stood, he was human like, but not quite.

He stared at me with wide eyes and I stared back, paralyzed with fear.

Chapter 2

Diego

Diego sat before the crackling fire, admiring his craftsmanship. He had just finished carving another staff. This was not just any ordinary old staff, this one was special. It was tall and sturdy with a curved section at the top, similar to a small bowl which was designed to hold a flame. In the center of the staff Diego had spilt the wood in four, three parts spiraled around a central shaft to make a handle that provided protection for the hand that held it. He had carved it from an old willow branch he had found at the bottom of the waterfall on the far side of the lake. The lake and waterfall had frozen over long ago. Diego had polished the staff with careful attention and it now had a nice, satisfying shine to it.

Diego stood up and gently placed the newly crafted staff on the mantle above the fireplace, there it would stay until the person he had made it for came to claim it. He stood staring into the fire. His mind wandered, he thought of times past. The good times of peace and harmony, when the world was as it should be, before the cold and the darkness engulfed this world. He deeply missed those times and with these thoughts a single tear ran down his cheek. Diego’s sacrifice was great but with every passing day he came closer to the possibility of living the life he had so longed for. With a heavy sigh, he wiped away the tear and cast these painful memories from his mind.

Diego walked over to the entrance of his carven, he pulled his heavy brown hooded cloak that was worn with age, over his brown tunic and black trousers. He pulled the hood up over his head and wriggled his big hairy feet into a very old pair of thick leather boots. He then wrapped a leather knife belt around his waist which contained a single and very blunt, old knife. He took hold of his own staff. This too had a curved section on top to hold a flame. Diego raised his hand above his staff and a soft warm flame appeared. He then picked up