The Messenger Misadventures

By Jemima Pett

In the wilds of north-west Mull, three friends have their duties to the laird of their castle, but it doesn't stop them getting mixed up with myths and legends. Dylan is the messenger, sent off on journeys all over the island to gather information and send the laird's communications to their addressees. Dougall is his brother, a quiet chap with a knack for science, who spends his nights watching the stars with his uncle Hamish. Deirdre is the smith's daughter, and her duties mostly keep her close at home, but she would love to go exploring the island like Dylan.
This collection of stories introduces Dylan, in his original guinea pig form; he eventually becomes a key player in the author's Princelings of the East series. In the first tale, Dylan's life is in danger when he discovers something brewing in the hillside, the reason the whole castle is in dire straits. The second story sees Dylan accidentally washed into the sea, and Deirdre using her initiative to find him, with a little help from a mythical friend. The third story brings Dougall to the fore, when he makes friends with a reindeer who has lost his compass, or so he says. And in the final story some mysterious lights on the island of Ulva prove a temptation to Dylan, despite the warnings in an old legend.
These four fantasy adventures with guinea pig characters are written for readers aged 8 and upwards. Each runs to about 7,000 words, with 4, 5 or 6 illustrated chapters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Princelings Publications
• Release date: Apr 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005666156

Jemima Pett

Jemima Pett has been living in a world of her own for many years. Writing stories since she was eight, drawing maps of fantasy islands with train systems and timetables at ten. Unfortunately no-one wanted a fantasy island designer, so she tried a few careers, getting great experiences in business, environmental research and social work. She finally got back to building her own worlds, and wrote about them. Her business background enabled her to become an independent author, responsible for her own publications.Her first series, the Princelings of the East, mystery adventures for advanced readers set in a world of tunnels and castles entirely populated by guinea pigs, is now complete. The tenth and final book, Princelings Revolution, came out in October 2020. Jemima does chapter illustrations for these. She has also edited two volumes of Christmas stories for young readers, the BookElves Anthologies, and her father's memoirs White Water Landings, about the Imperial Airways flying boat service in Africa. She has compiled four collections of flash fiction tales, publishing in the first half of 2021. She is now writing the third in her science fiction series set in the Viridian System, in which the aliens include sentient trees.Jemima lived in a village in Norfolk with her guinea pigs, the first of whom, Fred, George, Victor and Hugo, provided the inspiration for her first stories, The Princelings of the East. She is now living in Hampshire, writing science fiction for grown-ups, hatching plans for a new series, and writing more short stories for anthologies.

Book preview

The Messenger Misadventures

the Dylan, Deirdre and Dougall Collection

Four stories for junior (middle grade) readers

by Jemima Pett

Chapter illustrations by the author

Cover photos by the author

Published by Princelings Publications

© J M Pett 2021

Edition 1.0

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your online retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Author’s note

These four 7000-word, c5-chapter stories are suitable for readers aged 8 and over. Reading ease rated level 4. They have been fully revised since Deirdre joined the team.

Overall Contents

Dylan’s Yuletide Journey

Deirdre and the Mermaid

Dougall’s Reindeer Adventure

Dylan and the Lights of Ulva

Acknowledgements

About Jemima Pett

About the Princelings of the East series

Dylan’s Yuletide Journey

by

Jemima Pett

Contents

Chapter 1: The Case of the Missing Strawberry Juice

Chapter 2: Dylan takes a message

Chapter 3: Solstice

Chapter 4: Round the Rugged Rocks

Chapter 5: A Strange Coincidence

Chapter 6: Dougall Uncovered

Chapter 1: The Case of the Missing Strawberry Juice

In which Dylan overhears something to Dougall’s disadvantage

Dylan sprawled on the edge of the crag. He was looking for anything useful on the rocky shore below. All sort of things might have been washed up after the howling winds and crashing waves that came with the storm last night. It was peaceful now, though.

He had run outside as soon as he heard the screams of rage from Uncle Donal echoing through the rocky tunnels of Castle Haunn. He wasn’t going to get blamed, oh, no. It wasn’t Dylan’s fault the lights had gone out and the ship carrying their provisions had missed the harbour. It wasn’t his fault it had been a stormy night. The captain of the ship had not been able to find a safe haven. But whoever’s fault it was, there would be no extra food, no extra wood and no extra strawberry juice for the next two weeks at least.

It was going to be a cold, cold, yuletide this year.

Down on the shore he shrank against a rocky ledge while the eagle went over. Rich pickings for him, Dylan thought. Poor pickings for Dylan, though. He’d found an empty crate which might have held the strawberry juice bottles. They’d probably floated away, sunk, or been smashed to smithereens. He wondered why there was such a shortage. They weren’t allowed to drink it any more. Too precious. It was all needed for the new fuel system. He gave up on his search and decided it was time to play games with his brother.

Dougall was not in the power plant room, where he worked. He was not in the library, nor the arena. Dylan checked out the little cubbyhole where they slept, and stayed there as he heard his uncles Hamish and Heath coming closer, discussing something.

He was trying to help, that’s all.

It was stupid, he should know better. Interfering in grownups’ business!

He’s still a wee thing; he’s got bright ideas and his heart’s in the right place.

That’s my point! He should keep his nose out and listen to his elders!

They passed Dylan without noticing him. Dylan was very good at flattening himself into his thick dark coat and hiding his white chin and feet so that they didn’t show. He gave a good impression of a mop. Dylan wondered who they were talking about. There weren’t many ‘wee things’ around the castle. The prince and princess weren’t likely to be classed as ‘wee’ any more. The smith’s daughter, Deirdre, wasn’t going to be referred to as ‘he’. That rather left their second cousin Rory and themselves. Dylan got a bad feeling. What had Dougall done now?

~~~

Dougall was curled up in the corner of the dry dungeon. His forlorn expression would melt the hardest of hearts. Dylan was used to it.

What happened? he whispered through the grill of the dungeon door.

The power ran out. I tried raspberry juice but it didn’t work.

Why didn’t you use strawberry juice? Isn’t that what it runs on?

There isn’t any! Dougall seemed surprised that Dylan didn’t know.

So, because we didn’t have any left, the ship that was bringing us our winter’s supply crashed into the rocks, Dylan summarised.

Yes. Dougall drooped so far his head sank onto the ground. His fringe fell over his eyes so Dylan couldn’t see him crying.

Why isn’t there any? Dylan asked, but there was no reply.

~~~

There was no reply as Donal, Laird of Haunn, asked his court the same question. A few people in the large meeting room shifted anxiously in their seats. Hamish and Heath exchanged glances and looked at their laird expectantly.

I want to know where it’s gone! Donal was not happy. I want to know how we are going to heat the place through Yule. How we are going to eat? And how we are supposed to celebrate Solstice without our supplies?

Perhaps it would help if we found out how long it’s been missing? suggested Hamish.

It ran out last night, Hamish. It’s obviously been missing for days.

Well, I don’t think that’s right, sire. The keepers of the fuel cell have been worried about supplies for some time. That’s why we asked for the urgent delivery. In fact, hm, they’ve been experimenting with raspberry juice for a few weeks now. It seemed to be working all right if they diluted the strawberry juice with it.

Raspberry juice? The Laird was surprised, but interested. Strawberry juice was like gold dust in the northern climes.

Yes. It’s plentiful of course, since we grow the raspberries ourselves. Those wee wild strawberries don’t give enough juice to be worth picking.

Who thought up such a stupid idea?

Hamish hesitated. It was one idea out of a number that the team thought up together, he said. Since his team were responsible, they might as well share it rather than let Dougall take all the blame. After all, they’d gone along with the idea of diluting it. Just not switching over entirely.

So, Hamish. What are you going to do to make sure we don’t all starve and freeze over Yuletide? the Laird asked, making it quite clear where he laid the blame for their predicament.

Chapter 2: Dylan takes a message

In which Dylan’s new route leads him astray

Dylan sped along the grassy trail at the side of the glen, climbing ever higher. He watched carefully for hawks, ravens and eagles. They might think he made a better snack than a rabbit. He was the fastest and cleverest runner at Haunn. It was his job to carry messages to the other castles. This time, the message needed to go all the way across the sea to Kerrera. The post office there would send it onwards to the legendary Castle Buckmore. He repeated the message to himself from time to time. He had to make sure he remembered it all when the time came to write it down and send it by vacuum tube. He also repeated the second message that Dougall had given him.

They let Dougall out of the dungeon in time to see him off. He made Dylan tell him the official message, then made him remember another one, full of technical detail, that he had to address to a very particular person. Dougall had shown Dylan an old newspaper in the library to help him remember. Dylan liked the picture in it: a clever princeling called George Marsh, who had invented strawberry juice power. He was shaking hands with the Prince of Castle Buckmore, one of the grandest places in the country. Dougall wanted to be like George, but had failed.

As Dylan reached the end of one glen and scampered down into the next, he thought of Dougall’s ambitions. Dougall couldn’t be wrong to try to fix their problem with raspberry juice. He’d managed to keep the light going for months by diluting strawberry juice with it. Raspberry juice must be some help. Just not enough.

The sun was dipping behind the mountains as he reached the Bridge of Aros and turned along the shore towards Castle Sarlen. With luck, he would pick up a cart going to Castle Craig, or even a boat going directly to Kerrera. Otherwise, he’d have to run through the night.

His luck held.