Misty Lake
Book One of A Story Found
By Carrie L. DeAtley
The Journey
Only hours after her birth, as she lay sleeping in her mother’s arms, Clarisse receives the invocation of the calling to her destiny. Granny Zelda, midwife and ancient sorceress, gives the pronouncement. Clarisse will shelter the people of Ryinswel in her arms like a mighty oak, providing protection, healing, and the courage to fight for the restoration of their land.
Once a land of dragons and magical races, Ryinswel is now reduced to a smoldering image of its past. The human House of Dekator, with its greed and lust for political power, is determined to rule all of Ryinswel and the land’s magic.
Prodded by the warning voice of a falcon and a tale from the last high bard, three young friends begin their journey on a mid-autumn morning—each for different reasons. Matt carries his calling on his back, though he doesn’t yet know it. The two named blades, Honor and Justice, each hold a magical calling to the land of his birth. Ebon is almost as lethal with a blade, but he struggles to hide the touch of The Gift in his life. He longs to own an inn and cook, using his knowledge of herbs to delight the palate of his friends, but his hidden Gift and compassion won’t allow it.
The seed of fear is planted in the young travelers’ hearts by a cryptic comment from a captain and the anger of a snarling mage who seeks to find people with The Gift. Chased by bandits and devastated by the loss of a elderly, dwarf friend during an ambush, the three push on to Misty Lake and its old magic school.
Can Clarisse, Matt, and Ebon blow life into the smoldering embers of magic and begin the restoration promised by an ancient prophecy? The challenges of their journey lead them to Finding Courage, the second book in The Story Found series.
The World
Tucked away at the end of a rural valley, Sand Shell is a quiet, peaceful town. Neighbors travel from their farms into town by horse and wagon. Events like the Harvest Home Festival bring the small community together to celebrate, gossip, and enjoy life together. But Sand Shell is a small, sheltered place compared to the rest of Ryinswel. Few people there truly understand the state of the world.
To the south is The Shield Island, part of a large caldera, where the House of Dekator had been banished by wizards and dragons of the past. But generations of Dekator’s heavy hand have changed the political landscape. Through the cutting of magical, ancient trees call Father Trees, Lord Dekator created a stranglehold on magic, limiting its influence on the peaceful land. Eventually, the wizards fell, the dragons died, and the house grew in power. Dekator’s grip can now be felt from the Backdoor Hills all the way north to Dragon Spine Mountains.
Along the Blue River, magical races such as dwarfs resist Dekator’s rule as much as they can without starting another war. Humans, elves, and dwarfs alike all fear the bandits along the road, but more dangerous are the patrols: the constant reminder of the grip upon the land, and the suppression of magic.
Despite past Dekators cutting down ancient trees, some magical forests still persist, and within them, so do creatures with The Gift. These wolves, falcons, and other creatures can use their touch of magic to communicate with the races. But few humans have been granted such connections with The Gift, unlike all dwarfs and elves, part of which has fueled the ire of the House of Dekator.