A Path Toward Home (The Annals of Avonea)

by Lorenz, Heather

  A PATH TOWARD HOME

  Heather R. Lorenz

  Copyright © 2013 by Roseway Press

  All rights reserved

  Cover Designer: Jimmy Gibbs

  Table of Contents

  Cast of Characters

  Prologue

  A New World

  The Journey

  Copper

  The Disagreement

  The Kallies

  Reagan

  Constance’s Admirer

  Dangers

  Moolow

  Princess Penella

  The Meadow

  Castle Melody

  True Love

  The Circle of Return

  ONE LAST THING

  Acknowledgments

  Cast of Characters

  Constance - A brave young woman who magically enters the land of Avonea.

  Prince Drinian - The handsome Prince of Avonea, son of King Simian

  Woodphere - Prince Drinian’s faithful mentor and companion.

  Moolow - A mysterious old man with hidden secrets behind his walls.

  Kathryn - Constance’s mother.

  Uncle Blake & Aunt Eleanor- Constance’s uncle and aunt.

  King Simian – Leader of Avonea, and Prince Drinian’s father

  King Taybayeere –Leader of Moltavia (the Molters).

  Princess Penella - The daughter of King Taybayeere.

  Regan - A young women desperate to marry Drinian.

  Copper - A deceptive young man Constance encounters.

  Prologue

  This is the magical journey of a young woman named Constance Jones who finds true love and learns that even a prince cannot meet all your expectations. I suggest you put this book down at once, if you don't have a spark of imagination.

  First, I will give you a glimpse into the life of Constance when she was six years old. It was 1951- the year of poodle skirts and dances. Although Constance did not follow the latest fashions, her beauty made every girl at school cringe with envy. She had dark brown wavy hair, sparkling periwinkle eyes, a dimple on each cheek and a fair complexion.

  Constance lived in a small yellow cottage house, in Cedarville, Minnesota, with her father and mother, Luke and Kathryn. Constance's favorite room was her bedroom where her mother, at bedtime, would tell her the story of a nurse in a magical land.

  “Mother, please tell me the story of the nurse in the magical land,” little Constance would say.

  “Again? I repeat it every night. Wouldn't you rather have me read ‘The Three Bears?’” her mother replied, sitting on Constance’s bed.

  “Please, about the nurse!” Kathryn gave a sigh of defeat as she began…“There once lived in a beautiful land far, far, from here- a nurse (A nurse was similar to a nanny). She took care of the king’s son whose mother died when he was a baby. The nurse had a good life living in the castle, and she was especially liked by the king. Being confined to the nursery was boring though, so one night when the prince was asleep she quietly slipped out of the castle and ran into the woods. A caracal who crossed her path appeared to be tame and friendly and understand when she spoke to it....”

  Kathryn paused, as if she was remembering something from her past, and looked down at Constance who was now fast asleep.

  “Goodnight, angel” she whispered, bending down to give Constance a goodnight kiss.

  ****************

  For the next two years times were good, then tragedy struck. Luke lost his job in Cedarville and headed to California to work in a mine. Sadly they never heard from him again.

  Kathryn tried to maintain hope that someday he would return. She said nothing to Constance about her fears, for she was always trying to protect her little girl. Now she was forced to get work in a factory and it seemed wise for Constance to stay with Kathryn’s brother Blake and his wife Eleanor in Saltwater, Canada. You can imagine how disturbing this was to young Constance.

  The dark dreary day came when they arrived at Uncle Blake's house. She wished it was a bad dream. Constance stood by her mother, her legs shaking from the cold wind and rain that was pelting her skin. One hand was in her mothers and the other holding a scraggly carpet bag.

  Constance's mother knocked twice before a very tall man came and answered the door. He had dark brown hair and his face was serious until he caught Constance's eye. A huge grin swept over his face as he swooped Constance up into his arms and said, “Well, I wonder who this little lady is?”

  Constance stared at him in bewilderment. After several moments Uncle Blake pulled on a tag that was sticking from the back of her shabby red coat.

  “Well, let's see, it says on this tag here, that your name is Dutch,” as he jokingly read the coat company’s name.

  Constance grinned wryly, showing her pearly little teeth. Kathryn was no longer smiling for she knew it would be a long while until she saw her dear, little daughter again.

  “Now be a good girl while I'm away,” Kathryn said giving Constance a hug and trying to hold back the tears that were swelling in her eyes.

  “I will,” Constance replied, holding tightly to her little rag doll.

  “Can’t you stay for supper, Kathryn?” Uncle Blake asked.

  “I’m afraid not, I told the cab to wait.”

  The cab honked and Constance knew this was the last time she would see her mother in months.

  “Goodbye, my little angel,” her mother said, while tears rolled down her cheeks.

  “Bye Mommy,” Constance replied her eyes red and teary, and her bottom lip quivering.

  “I love you so much.” With that Kathryn gave Constance another hug and left waving from the cab.

  Constance watched as the cab pulled away from the drive. If she had only known that would be the last time she would ever see her mother again.

  “Come on Dutch, let's get inside. The rain is really starting to pour,” Uncle Blake said, putting her down and picking up her suitcase, and leading the way into the house.

  Constance looked back at the road once more, but the cab was nowhere in sight. The house was very gloomy to Constance now, there was little color to the place and very few pictures.

  “Well Dutch, here's your room,” Uncle Blake said cheerfully. It was very small with a red quilt on the bed, a picture of an Indian woman on the wall, and a small desk in the corner. Constance sat down on the bed and looked out the window facing the road, as she held tightly to her doll.

  “Supper will be in about an hour. Oh, and don't expect anything fancy, I'm not a good cook. I'll let you settle in now.” Uncle Blake closed the door and went to his office.

  Constance carefully pulled out a picture of her mother that was tucked away in her carpet bag. A small tear drop splattered onto the photograph before she threw herself on the bed and began to sob

  A New World

  Eleven years later …

  Constance sat under an old oak tree in the front yard waiting for the afternoon mail. It had been 11 years since her mother had brought her to Canada, to live with her aunt and uncle. Constance’s life was good, but her best friend, Clara Vontayvia, had recently moved to Europe. It was now late August and it had been the most boring summer of her life.

  Uncle Blake liked to keep to himself. The only time he left the house was on Sunday for church, science meetings, or going shopping for groceries. Yet he could sit in his study and talk for hours with Constance about anything under the sun.

  While waiting with anticipation for the mail to arrive, Constance closed her eyes and remembered the bleak day her mother left her here with Uncle Blake. I love you so much, flashed through her mind as she remembered her mother’s last words. Last words indeed, fo
r two months later a little girl carelessly crossed a road in front of a truck. Kathryn sped after her, pushing her into the ditch. The truck could not stop and Constance's mother was instantly killed.

  The horrible memory of the policemen arriving at Uncle Blake's house to tell what had happened, and the awful look on her uncle's face, still made Constance’s heart hammer with fear.

  “Miss, are you alright?” the mailman asked standing in front of her.

  Constance quickly opened her eyes,

  “Oh, I'm so sorry I was ... distracted,” she said, hastily standing up.

  “Are you sure you feel well?”

  “Of course I do.”

  The mailman stared at her for a few seconds before handing her the mail.

  “Thank you, have a nice day.” Constance said taking the mail from him.

  “You, as well,” the mailman replied.

  Constance sorted through the mail as she walked up to the house. Bills and more bills. It seems every time I get the mail we get more bills.

  As she entered the door she looked into the living room where her Aunt Eleanor lie sprawled on the sofa sleeping. “Aunt Eleanor, Aunt Eleanor...Aunt Eleanor!”

  “What do you want?” she murmured, rolling over onto her back.

  “You've been sleeping, for over an hour, shouldn't you get up?

  “Yes, whatever you say.”

  Constance sighed, “Is Uncle Blake in his study?”

  “Um.... I think chicken soup... fix it would you darling... while I get some rest.” With that, Eleanor fell right back to sleep.

  Constance rolled her eyes, walked down the hall, and knocked on Uncle Blake's study door.

  “Uncle Blake?”

  “Is that you Dutch?” Uncle Blake asked teasingly.

  “No, actually this is Queen Elisabeth, coming over for tea.”

  “Really, I must put on my best suit at once! Come on in Dutch.”

  Constance walked into the large study, where she found Uncle Blake sitting behind his desk, rubbing a strange looking bone.

  “I presume you have the mail?”

  “Indeed, it looks like we have a bill for electricity, a bill for the telephone, and a bill for the truck,” Constance said handing him the bills.

  “Bills, I'm sure that's all we get in the mail now-days,” Uncle Blake sighed.

  “Couldn't Prime Minister Pearson do something to make things better?” Constance asked sitting down across from her uncle.

  “Prime Minister Pearson has enough on his hands. We shouldn't complain, for God is the one who put him in office,” Uncle Blake replied, resting back in his chair.

  “I suppose so.” Constance replied.

  “Did you see what I got yesterday, Dutch?”

  “No?”

  “I now am a proud owner of a dinosaur bone, a “Tyrannosaurus” bone to be exact!”

  “Is it really?” Constance replied, leaning over the table to examine the bone more thoroughly.

  “Would you like to hold it? It's very heavy though, make sure you don't drop it- it cost a pretty penny.”

  “I'm sure it did. I don't think I'll hold it though, knowing me, I might drop it,” Constance replied jokingly.

  “Why did you purchase such an expensive item, if you can hardly pay the bills Uncle Blake?”

  “I bought this a year ago when times were better, and it's finally here.”

  “I see,” Constance replied resting comfortably in the chair.

  They talked about dinosaurs for several minutes, until Constance decided to go outside.

  “I think I shall go sit on the swing for a bit.”

  “Alright. Oh, before you go, did I ever tell you what your mother said about that swing? She always claimed that it was a magic swing.”

  “Did she really?”

  “Yes, she said that if you swing until you get as high as birds, you would disappear into a land with Kings and Queens.”

  “She must have had a real imagination,” Constance laughed.

  “She did. She would tell me the most convincing stories, sometimes I practically believed her.”

  “How old was she then?”

  “Oh, when she was about seventeen. She always believed those stories, even to her death.”

  “Uncle Blake, are you serious? I gave up believing in fairy tales by the time I was nine! ” Constance laughed as she rose from her chair and headed out the door. “Besides, I’ve been swinging on that swing since I was six, and there's nothing magical about it.”

  Suddenly the telephone rang. Uncle Blake answered and motioned Constance to close the door as she went out. Constance was quietly stepping out of the office when she heard her uncle mention bills. Now Constance was the type of young lady that was curious about everything.

  “Bills ..... Yes, three more came today …. I'm afraid that money's been very tight lately … no I haven’t told her yet, I didn't want to upset her …..... I can't let you do that; we'll get by …..Yes, I'm going to go talk to the bank again … At least to try to save the house.”

  Constance nearly choked on the lump that arose in her throat. Would they have to move? They surely didn't have enough money to buy another house, what would they do? Once Uncle Blake hung up the phone, Constance walked back into his office.

  “Uncle Blake, are we losing the house?”

  “Dutch, you heard that? Were you eavesdropping, again?”

  “Yes... and I want you to tell me what's going on with you and Aunt Eleanor’s finances.” Constance said crossing her arms.

  “Dutch, that's not for you to worry about.”

  “Please tell me, Uncle!”

  “You are so much like your mother, it amazes me. Alright I will tell you, but first you have to promise me that you won't worry about.”

  “I can't promise, but I will try not to.”

  “We are five months behind on our house payment, and if we don't pay the bills by next month the bank will take our house away.”

  “Oh no, what are we going to do?”

  “I'm going to see if I can pick up extra work. And I'm going to talk to the bank.”

  “How can I help, I can see if I can find work somewhere!”

  “No! You are not getting a job.”

  “Mother did! Why can't I? Hundreds of women are doing it now-days.”

  “I want you to live like all other seventeen year old girls that go to dances and stay home helping around the house. Do you understand?”

  “No, but I'll do what you say.”

  “Thank you, now go out to the swing and relax before dinnertime.”

  “Yes, Uncle Blake.” Constance replied while heading out the door.

  As she made her way out to the backyard swing, she was thinking deeply about how she could help. Constance sat down, hung on to the ragged ropes, and started to lightly swing back and forth. It was silly to enjoy swinging when she was seventeen, but she had loved it ever since she was a little girl. That sure is funny about what mother imagined when she was my age, Constance thought as she looked up into the sky and began swinging higher. She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air. The aroma of fresh cut grass and the smell of wild flowers swirled around her. For a moment, she felt as if nothing in her life had ever gone wrong, the whole world was at peace, no bills or problems to face.

  Suddenly that illusion disappeared when a strong gust of wind appeared from nowhere, spinning the swing out of control. Constance was moving too fast to stop and was too high to jump when the swing crashed into the tree! Constance screamed, as she banged her head and tumbled to the ground in a pile of leaves. She lie there stunned and everything was silent, until she heard the sound of footsteps crunching in the leaves.

  “Hello?” A man's voice said.

  Constance’s head was spinning and she was terribly confused, for Uncle Blake's voice sounded different.

  “Who do you suppose, she is?” asked the man's voice.

  “I do not know,” said another man's voice.

&nbs
p; Then abruptly she lost consciousness.

  *************

  Constance slowly opened her eyes, feeling a bit dizzy. She wasn't dead, but in fact very much alive and lying on a sofa of fine fabric. “What a strange dream?” Constance thought as she quickly glanced around. Where am I? It definitely was not Uncle Blake's house. It was a cottage with furnishings of light wood, and from the kitchen came a sweet unfamiliar smell. Immediately a middle aged woman came into view, standing at the stove stirring a boiling kettle.

  “My lands you’re awake!” said the women who came rushing over to her side. The woman had fiery red hair and wore a green dress with a beautiful lace apron.

  “Who are you? And where's Uncle Blake?” Constance asked still rubbing her head.

  “I'm Elaine, and you’re in Prince Drinian's cabin.”

  “Who’s Drinian?” she inquired.

  “Oh, I'm sorry, you still look a little pale, please lie back down.”

  “No wait, am I next door at Drew and Lilly’s?”

  “Next door, whatever do you mean, dear?”

  “Am I at the Simmons - my other neighbors?”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about, dear. All I know is that Woodphere and Prince Drinian found you unconscious in the meadow, so they brought you here.”

  “This place doesn’t look like anywhere near Saltwater?”

  “Saltwater, where's that?”

  “It's where I live,” Constance replied.

  “Well, you are not in Saltwater anymore, you’re in the region of Bellania.”

  “Bellania?”

  “Oh dear, you must have really hurt your head.”

  “No I'm fine, but where is Bellania?”

  “It’s in the country of Avonea, that’s where you are.”

  “I must still be dreaming, either that or I’m going crazy!”

  “What's your name?” the woman asked.

  “Constance Jones.”

  “I am Elaine.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Elaine.”

  “Well Constance, how old are you? You don't look more than seven and ten?”

  “If seven and ten mean seventeen then you’re correct.”