The Journey of Five 1.0

By Jenny Phillips
SKU 359.7
Written by Jenny Phillips
Cover design by Phillip Colhouer
Illustrations by Edward Stevens

Colored by Nada Serafinovic
© 2023 The Good and the Beautiful, LLC
goodandbeautiful.com
Table of
Contents
1. The Mystery of the River�� 4
2. 200 Gold Coins�� 13
3. The Meeting�� 21
4. The Five Are Chosen�� 30
5. Finn Gets Ready�� 37
6. The Five Begin�� 44
7. The Bridge�� 52
8. Surrounded�� 60
9. Back to the Bridge�� 68
10. Mountain Lion�� 76
11. The Suspicious Soldier�� 83
12. The Shelter�� 91
13. Work�� 97
14. Finn’s Story�� 103
15. Justin the Just�� 109
16. Moving Again�� 117
17. Nora�� 123
18. Stuck�� 131
19. Deep in the Cave�� 138
20. Guilty�� 146
21. The Two Brothers�� 153
22. The Red Diamond�� 160
23. Enemy Territory�� 167
24. Meeting the King�� 175
25. All the Pieces Fall into Place�� 183
Introduction
Read to the child: I’m excited to read this book with you. I’ll
read the sections following the parent/teacher banner. You’ll
read the sections following the student banner. I’ll help you
with difficult words.
Reading this book together increases your enjoyment of

reading and your reading speed, accuracy, and confidence.
It will also help you practice decoding difficult words and
increase your vocabulary, which is all the words you know the
meanings of.
Before reading each chapter, we will complete a practice

page. In many chapters I will read vocabulary words, their
definitions, and example sentences that use the words. Each
vocabulary word will then be used in the chapter.
Most words from the Challenging Words List break English

phonics rules (often because they originated in a foreign
language). You will most likely need to learn the challenging
words by sight rather than sounding them out. Thus, all the
challenging words (listed on the next page) will be repeated in
multiple lessons.
Beric Abigail
Debbie Finn
Maximus
Challenging Words List
These words—which are difficult to decode phonetically (sound
out)—are included repeatedly on the practice pages.
coyote receipt disguise

obnoxious pheasant amphitheater
expertise sergeant
Vocabulary Words
These words are learned on the practice pages, included in the
chapters, and reviewed in the Level 3 Course Book.
equivalent bondage loathsome

savor inkling
provisions turbulent
Practice Page Principles
Level 3 Phonics Principles
These principles are reviewed repeatedly on the
practice pages.
• ALLY can say /lee/

• Decoding skills
• ER can say /air/ and /ear/
• GN says /n/
• I can say the long E sound
• OUS, IOUS, and EOUS can say /us/
• Phonograms review
• QUE can say /k/
NOTE: Please remember that this is a fictional story and that

you should never drink water from a natural source without
purifying it first.
2
Chapter 1: Practice Page
PHONICS
Decoding
Read to the child: A phonogram is a letter or group of
letters that together make a sound. The green boxes below
show many of the phonograms that almost always say the
same sound. Place an index card under each phonogram
to cover the pronunciation hint. Then point to each box
and say the sound of the phonogram. As the child reads,
use a pencil to lightly circle the phonograms that the child
does not say the sound for quickly and correctly. (You can
erase the pencil mark in order to use this book for another
child at a later date.) This book will not review these
phonograms again, but it will direct you to return to this
page and practice the phonograms that you circled.
ai ar au aw ay
paid car pause saw say
dge er gn igh ir
badge her gnaw high bird
kn oa oi or oy
knit boat oil for boy
ph ur qu wh wr
phone turn quack when write
3
I Can Say the Long E Sound

Parent/teacher note: If the child can’t read the word, don’t
tell the child the word. Help the child sound out the word.
For example, you can ask, “What does OR say?” Read to the
child: The letter I can make the long E sound. Also, remember
that A can say /uh/. Read the words and sentences in purple.
Whenever an I is red in this book, it makes the long E sound.
trivia media
triv i a me di a
• Here is a trivia question: How many moons does Saturn have?
The answer is 83.
• Media is a way of communicating with a lot of people, such
as news media, social media, or print media (newspapers,
magazines, etc.).
malaria magnolia
ma lar i a mag no li a
A can say /uh/ AR can say /air/
Lyd i a Sophia Olivia

Ly di a So phi a O liv i a
Y in the middle of a word can make the long or short I sound
millennium chia seeds

mill enn i um ch i a seeds
• A millennium is a period of a thousand years.
• Chia seeds have been used by humans for many millennia.
4
Chapter 1: The Mystery of the

River
Since turning twelve a couple of years ago, Finn had trained

himself to wake up with the first rays of morning sunlight. He
could feel those rays now softly falling on his face.
Today, however, Finn was sorely tempted to stay snuggled in
bed. The changing weather of early autumn had moved into the
land, leaving the mornings with a slight chill. Warm under his
heavy quilt, Finn dreaded stepping onto the cold wooden floor of
his little bedroom.
Swinging his feet out of bed, he looked down at his right foot,
which had been twisted since birth. The heavy limp it caused
slowed him down considerably. He pressed his lips together
firmly, gripping the edge of the bed. He was determined to wake
up early in the morning. It was the only way he could do all the
chores and work for his parents that any other boy his age could
do. He had to start early.
As quickly as he could, Finn got dressed, laced up his boots,
and made his way to the top of the nearby hill.
I actually love being awake at this time, Finn thought as
he breathed in the strong scent of pine and earth damp with
morning dew. From the top of the hill, he could see the village
center nestled in the curve of the big river. Little cottages and
big barns were scattered here and there for miles along the
riverbanks. Near most cottages were either orchards or plowed
fields.
6 The Journey of Five
Finn entered the forest at the top of the hill, looking for
dead branches that had broken off but were caught in the
tree instead of having fallen to the ground.
Aunt Debbie taught me well, Finn thought as he snapped
off dry branches and placed them in his bucket. During
her many visits over the years, she had shared her expertise
about nature and taught him many things. Her words ran
through his mind: Gather sticks that snap easily. Hold wood
to your cheek. Wood with moisture in it will feel cooler on
your skin.
With his bucket full of dry sticks, Finn descended the
hill, noticing how the leaves of some magnolia trees had
started turning yellow and bronze. Briefly, Finn stopped to
pull a strip of bark off a paper birch tree. His aunt Debbie
had taught him that the bark’s oil made it a very flammable
material.
Finally back at home, he used shavings from the birch
bark to start a fire, hoping it would warm the room before
his parents woke up.
Now it’s time for water, Finn thought. Every morning he
walked the short distance to the river and filled his bucket
with the water needed to cook, drink, and clean in the
morning.
Chapter 1: The Mystery of the River 7
As he marveled at the yellow hue bursting throughout the

morning sky, he swung his bucket and walked through the cool,
dew-covered grass.
However, as soon as Finn turned his eyes toward the river, he
gasped and stopped in his tracks.
“The river! What happened?” he cried. Something was terribly
wrong.
The deep water had always flowed near the top of the banks,
but today the water was several feet lower than usual. It looked
so strange to see the bare banks of the river. Every day for years,
Finn had come to the river, and nothing like this had ever
happened before. He dropped his bucket and limped home as fast
as he could.
Finn burst into the door of his house. His parents

were warming their hands in front of the fire, which was
crackling cheerfully.
“The river!” he gasped. “Its banks are bare!”
Finn’s parents were as surprised as he was.
“How could the river drop like that in one day?” asked
his mother.
“I have no idea,” replied his father.
Finn and his family were not the only people to notice
how low the river was. In the village square, everyone
gathered and talked about it.
The next morning, Finn once again gasped in surprise
when he saw the river. It had dropped even more! The river
no longer made its familiar, rich rushing sound as it moved
along. Instead, it moved slowly, with just a slight tinkling
sound.
I don’t understand, Finn thought as he peered over the
edge of the bank. Usually, he was able to scoop up water
right from that spot, but now he had to climb carefully
down the steep, muddy bank. Cool water moved slowly over
his bare feet as he stepped into the river. He took several
steps into the water and then stopped.
The water used to go as high as Finn’s shoulders when he

walked just a little into the river, but now it went up only to his
ankles.
Finn’s mother and father came to evaluate the river for
themselves. His mother, Greta, shook her head, her long
black curls bouncing. “I can’t even imagine how this could be
happening. A river doesn’t just nearly dry up like this in two
days. What are we going to do?”
Finn’s father, Gabriel, who was a skilled carpenter, rubbed his
chin and then put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Whatever
happens, we will get through it together.”
All the villages in the land were built along the wide, winding
river. There were no lakes and no wells in the area. The huge
river was their only source of water. From the sparkling river, the
villagers got their water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. They
also watered their fields, gardens, and crops with the river water.
Little ditches connected to the river had been dug around many
of the homes. By simply cranking a lever, the villagers could lift a
square wooden stopper that allowed water from the river to flow
into the ditches. When they had enough water, they lowered the
stopper back into place to stop the flow of water.
Now, when the townspeople cranked the stoppers up, only a
trickle of water filled the ditches. It would not be enough to water
all the gardens and crops in the village.
Finn thought about his neighbor, Charlotte. She was elderly
and would not be able to climb down the riverbank to get water
for herself. Finn decided that he would fetch water for her.
Chapter 1: The Mystery of the River 11
The next day, Finn woke up right as the sun started to

rise. After dressing, he grabbed his bucket and an extra one
for Charlotte’s water and headed to the river.
As he walked, the sunlight stretched across the land and
began to wake up the world around him. The gray shadows
of night now gave way to green, gold, and brown. Typically,
Finn loved to spot the furry brown bunnies with little white
fluffball tails that hopped around at this time of day.
This morning, however, his mind was focused on the
river. With all his heart, he hoped the river would somehow
be higher. What he saw made his heart race. Forgetting his
buckets, he hobbled quickly toward home.
“Mother! Father!” he cried as he burst into the house.
“The river! It’s gone! It’s all dried up!”
12
Idioms
Read to the child: Read the information to me below about
idioms used in this chapter.
get to the bottom of

To get to the bottom of something means to discover the true
reason or cause of something. I’m not sure what is causing the
leak, but the plumber will get to the bottom of it.
in the same boat

To be in the same boat means to be in the same unpleasant
situation as other people. When the store went out of business,
all the employees lost their jobs and were in the same boat.
through thick and thin

When you stick with someone through thick and thin, you always
support and stay with that person. Through thick and thin, I won’t
give up on you.
heart skipped a beat

You can say, “My heart skipped a beat,” to symbolize being suddenly
surprised or nervous. When I saw the bear, my heart skipped a
beat.
QUE Can Say /k/

Read to the child: QUE can say /k/. The red i in each of the
words makes the long E sound. Read the words.
unique critique antique

13
Chapter 2: 200 Gold Coins
Finn and his family inspected the muddy river bottom.

Cloudy brown puddles dotted the mud. One deep pool was still
full of clear water, but there was no water flowing from upstream.
Finn’s mother held her apron up to her face as a few tears leaked
out of her eyes. “How will we ever survive without the water? The
village will be in such dire need.”
“There has to be some explanation. Water doesn’t just
disappear into thin air,” Father declared. He pulled Finn and his
wife into a hug. “Through thick and thin, we’ll get through this,
Greta.”
As Finn glanced up and down the dry riverbed, the

situation seemed like a bad dream, but he knew it was really
happening.
Father looked at the deep pool that was left. “At least we
have this, but it will only last us a week or so. We need to get
to the bottom of this mystery.”
The family took water from the deep pool and trudged
home, feeling scared and completely baffled.
Finn remembered Charlotte and went back to the river to
fetch a bucket of water for her.
The elderly woman accepted the water with a grateful
smile, took Finn’s hand, and patted it. “Finn, you always
remember me.” She looked out the window toward the river.
“What are we going to do? Will the water return?”
“I don’t know,” Finn replied, realizing that Charlotte’s
wrinkly hand was trembling. “Don’t be scared, Charlotte,”
he reassured her, leading her to a chair and helping her sit
down.
“I can’t help it, Finn. I have lived in this home my whole
life—for eighty-one years. The river has always stayed
steady.”
Chapter 2: 200 Gold Coins 15
Instead of sitting around wondering what had happened, the

villagers swung into action, doing anything they could think of to
collect water.
Neighbors began plans for digging wells together. But how far
down would they need to dig, and would they be able to reach
water? They weren’t sure. No wells had ever been needed in the
land because of the river.
The village potter began making huge pots, and the village
basket maker began making huge, watertight baskets for
collecting rain. Finn’s father drew up plans for a wooden
invention to funnel the water into one of the big baskets or pots
when it rained, although that might not be for weeks.
Three days after the river had dried up, a unique- looking
wagon rattled down the main village road.
“Hear ye! Hear ye!” cried the man driving the wagon.
“Two hundred gold coins will get your river flowing again. If
you value the river, each town and village in this land must
come up with two hundred gold coins. Until every town and
village pays, the water will not flow again.”
Finn was shocked! Before the man continued down the
road, Finn took note of the man’s unusual clothing. He wore
a dark blue hooded tunic and a yellow sash across his chest.
Ten men on black horses followed the man’s wagon, and
all the men wore the same dark clothing with the yellow
sash.
“What is going on?” Finn asked his father. “I’ve never
seen people like that.”
“They look like soldiers,” Father said. “But who would
they be soldiers for? There are no rulers anywhere in this
land. Each village or town handles its own affairs.”
The villagers were all in the same boat, and they had worked
unitedly in the past to help each other during hard times. They
came together again now. Chattering excitedly, they all gathered
in the town square.
They had so many questions. What happened to the river?
Who were those soldiers? How could they demand money to
make the river flow again, and could they really do it?
Every day for the next week, the river remained dry, and every
day the soldiers came and demanded two hundred gold coins.
With growing worry, the villagers took water from the pools
that were left in the river, but the pools were almost gone.
“Those soldiers are doing something wrong. I just don’t know
what,” said Finn’s father.
Within a week everyone felt the villagers had no choice but to
pay the gold coins. They would soon have no water at all, even to
drink. Could the soldiers really make the water flow again? No
one knew, but they were desperate and felt that they had nothing
else left to try.
Ultimately, all the villages and towns along the river paid the
two hundred coins, each family contributing what they could. It
was difficult to come up with that amount of money, for none of
the villagers had much to spare.
The day after the coins were paid, Finn woke up to the sound
of rushing water coming through his open window.
“The river!” he cried. “The river!”
Chapter 2: 200 Gold Coins 19
Finn, his father, and his mother ran to the gushing river
with their buckets. Finn spent the morning joyfully dangling
his feet in the cool water and playing by the river. He built
little boats out of sticks and leaves, guiding the boats with
a long stick as they cruised through the river’s waves and
ripples.
Unfortunately, Finn’s joy did not last long. A week later,
he woke up, grabbed his bucket, and started walking toward
the river. His heart skipped a beat when he realized that he
did not hear the rush and roar of water. He discovered that
the river was once again lowering. In two more days, the
river was totally gone.
20
Have the child practice the phonogram boxes

that you circled on page 2.
PHONICS
OUS Can Say /us/

Read to the child: OUS can say /us/. Read the words.
generous poisonous miraculous
Read to the child: I can make the long E sound. A can say
/uh/. Read the name of each country. Each column shows the
continent the country is on.
Europe Asia Europe

Estonia India Romania
Albania Cambodia Serbia
Bulgaria Saudi Arabia Latvia
Read the following information to the child:

Equivalent means equal in value.
Three yards is equivalent to nine feet.
21
Chapter 3: The Meeting
With the second disappearance of the river came the soldiers

asking for two hundred gold coins once again. When nothing
else could be done, the villages all along the river again paid the
coins that were demanded. Their crops were drying up. It had
only rained once in the past month. No one had dug a successful
well yet.
When the river dried up a third time, the villagers had run out
of gold coins.
“We have no coins left to give!” they told the soldiers. “Please
leave our river alone and let us live in peace!”
Instead, the soldiers explained that a cartload of hay or lumber
would be accepted as an equivalent of one gold coin. Also, in
exchange for a gold coin, the villagers could give a bushel of
wheat, corn, or barley, or a barrel of vegetables, apples, pears, or
apple cider.
With heavy hearts, they gathered the equivalent of two
hundred gold coins, and the river flowed once again.
The villagers in all the land knew something must be done.
They couldn’t keep giving so much to keep the river flowing.
It seemed that the river would dry up about every three weeks
without payment. Not only that, but word was spreading about
another alarming situation: in some of the towns, the soldiers
were starting to build forts, where they intended to house
soldiers permanently. Arrogantly, the soldiers declared that a
fort would eventually be built in every town and that their leader
would become the ruler of all the land.
But who is their leader? Finn wondered one night as he

gazed out his window. The enormous moon lit up the edges
of dark clouds that scuttled across the sky. A few sparkling
stars showed between the broken clouds.
In awe of the beauty he saw, Finn thought of the world’s
glorious Creator, as he often did. God, help us, please, Finn
called out in his mind. Thou who art so mighty, please help us
see the way to keep our land safe.
Finn’s mind again turned to the leader of the soldiers.
Why does he want to take over our land? Where are these
Chapter 3: The Meeting 23
soldiers coming from? How can we, a peaceful people, stop

these soldiers and their plans? The thoughts swirled around
him as he drifted off to sleep.
Father came home one afternoon with exciting news.
“Thomas has called for a meeting of all the villages and
towns in the land. He has a plan.”
Finn felt a little hope spring up in his heart. Thomas was
an older man who was known for being very wise.
“The meeting is this afternoon,” Father replied. “It’s in
our town. Representatives are coming from each village and
town. Let’s get ready to go.”
Finn had never seen such a large gathering of people. A sea of

faces crowded together in the town square and spilled out onto
the hillside. So many people were uniting for peace.
“How many villages and towns are there in this land?” Finn
asked his mother.
“I believe there are around seventy-five,” his mother replied.
“With several representatives from each town and our whole
village here, there must be over five hundred people in this
crowd.”
Finn’s family had brought their neighbor Charlotte and Aunt
Debbie with them. She always has a lively smile, braided hair, and
wears a brightly patterned tunic, thought Finn as he moved over
to stand by his aunt.
Although she lived in the next village over, Finn saw Debbie
often. When Finn was just a toddler, her husband had died,
leaving her a widow.
It seemed to Finn that Debbie could do everything. She knew
all about the plants of the land and taught people which leaves to
dry for tea, what plants to use for their healing properties, and
which roots and plants were safe to eat. She was an inventor, too,
always showing Finn some new gadget she had made.
One of the things Finn loved doing most when he visited
Debbie’s home was to look at her book of maps. She had helped
make extensive maps of the land, exploring all the way to the
ocean in the south and to the mighty Mountains of Mist in the
north. These mountains took several weeks to travel to.
Around a crackling fireplace on cold winter days, young

Finn had listened breathlessly to her stories and experiences.
He especially loved her stories of the mountains with jagged
gray cliffs, which she never saw the tops of because they
disappeared into a thick mist.
Finn was almost as tall as Debbie now. He put his hand
nervously on her shoulder. “Aunt Debbie, what do you think
is making the water disappear?”
Debbie’s dark brown eyes twinkled as usual, but she

shook her head. “It seems they are blocking the water
somehow, Finn, but I’ve never heard of that happening
before.”
Just then, a trumpet played, announcing the beginning of
the meeting. A hush fell quickly over the crowd as everyone
was anxious to listen to Thomas.
The honored and respected man and a small group of
people—who Finn had learned was Thomas’s council—
stood bravely on a platform in the middle of the square.
Although he was old, Thomas’s voice was loud and clear.
“We gather together against some tremendous and
mysterious wrong that has come into our land. First, we will
work together to try to build wells, but wells will not provide
enough water for our crops. It’s not a good long-term
solution. Not only is the loss of our precious water a
problem, but we also can’t allow these soldiers to build forts
in our towns and rule over us.”
Finn joined the sea of nodding heads.
Thomas continued, “We must find out who leads these

soldiers, where they come from, and how they are controlling
the water. We must figure out how to stop them and make them
leave our land. The soldiers refuse to talk to anyone. They do not
allow anyone to follow them. However, I did overhear some of
the soldiers talking, and I believe they come many days’ journey
from here. We also believe they are coming from the north,
although we can’t be sure. I have counseled together with other
wise men and women from several villages, and we have formed
a plan.”
Like a still lake without a ripple, the crowd stood motionless
and quiet, giving Thomas their full attention. He wrapped his
scarf tighter around his forehead as a chilly gust of early fall wind
blew.
“We will not fight these soldiers with weapons. We will not
gather together in large numbers to pursue the soldiers. Instead,
we will call a group of five to conquer our enemy with their skills
and gifts.”
A sudden wave of voices flowed from the crowd as everyone
began talking, but the voices quickly quieted down again,
allowing Thomas to continue.
“We have carefully chosen the group of five, and I will
announce them shortly. These five will journey forth bravely and
wisely, representing every person in the land, to discover how we
can overcome this challenge without weapons and without war.
We expect that the group of five will not return until the mission
is completed. Our freedom and our way of life will never be the
same if this mission does not succeed. The Journey of Five will
begin in the morning.”
Finn looked up at his father in astonishment.

“The Journey of Five?” Finn whispered. “How can just
five people figure out how to get all those soldiers to leave
our land?”
His father shrugged and shook his head, astonishment
filling his eyes as well.
Thomas spoke again. “I will now announce the group of
five. We have not had time to talk to any of the members
of the group, but they have each been carefully chosen. The
council and I are very sure of our choices, and we ask for
your full support of each member of this group who will
work bravely for all of us. As I call your name, please come
forward onto the stand with me.”
29

PHONICS
OUS Can Say /us/

Read to the child: OUS can say /us/. Read the words.
continuous prosperous boisterous
ALLY Can Say /lee/

Read to the child: ALLY can say /lee/ as in BASICALLY. Read
the words in purple.
typically logically
typ ic ally lo gic ally
Y in the middle of a word can say the G is soft (says /j/)
short or long I sound before E, I, or Y
specifically automatically
spe cif ic ally a u to ma t ic a l l y
C is soft (says /s/)
before E, I, or Y
Challenging Words
Read the words repeatedly until you can read them all without help.
coyote expertise pheasant disguise

obnoxious receipt sergeant amphitheater
30
Chapter 4: The Five

Are Chosen
The crowd was so quiet that Finn could hear himself

breathing. Every eye was glued on Thomas as he spoke.
“The first person in the group is from a town far from here,
but he is known to us all. It is Beric, also known as the Bear.”
The crowd burst into applause and whistles.
Beric the Bear was known to be the strongest man in all the
land. He was also known for his outdoor skills, like identifying
animal tracks, fishing, fire building, wood carving, and knot
tying.
Finn nodded. I’m not surprised. He is a good choice. I’ve heard
he can even mimic the sounds of many animals and birds. I wonder
if that will come in handy.
“Next,” bellowed Thomas as the cheering died down, “we call
Beric’s wife, Abigail, also known as the Mountain Goat.”
Again, the crowd broke into applause and cheering.
Abigail is also a great choice, thought Finn happily.
Her talent for quickly and nimbly climbing cliffs and high
walls earned her the nickname of the Mountain Goat. Also
impressive were her skills of escaping from ropes, picking locks,
and holding her breath under water for long periods of time.
Abigail made her way up to the stand and stood by her
husband, Beric. Finally, the noise of the crowd calmed down.
Everyone was excited to find out the three remaining members of
the group.
Chapter 4: The Five Are Chosen 31
Thomas held up his hand again. “I’ll now announce

the third member of the group. She is from a neighboring
village: Debbie, the Mapmaker.”
Finn couldn’t believe it. In awe, he looked at his aunt
Debbie. Her mouth automatically opened in surprise.
“That’s you!” cried Greta.
“Go up to the stand,” Gabriel encouraged his sister, giving
her a nudge.
Finn had to admit that he was surprised, but logically,
the choice made sense. Debbie’s wisdom was famous. People
came from all over the land for her advice. And of course,
no one knew the trails and the land better than she did.
Debbie made her way up to the stand amid cheering
and whistling. Although she was in her late fifties, she was
spry and full of life. Finn was proud of her, and apparently,
everyone else was, too. They were cheering for her even
more loudly than they had for Beric and Abigail. Debbie
was greatly admired.
Yes, thought Finn. Aunt Debbie is a great choice. She might
not be strong or climb walls, but her knowledge and wisdom
will be a tremendous help to the group.
“I have two more members of the group to announce. I now

call Finn, nephew of Debbie, to come join the group.”
Finn caught his breath, and the world seemed to move in
slow motion. Finn’s father and mother looked at him in utter
amazement.
“He couldn’t mean me,” Finn whispered fiercely to them. “Not
me. I have no special skills. I even have trouble walking. It must
be a mistake.”
“Finn, son of Greta and Gabriel, please come to the stand,”
called Thomas firmly and confidently. “You have been chosen as
one of the five.”
Everyone was looking around, and Finn heard someone
nearby ask, “Who is Finn, son of Greta and Gabriel? I have never
heard of him.”
Finn looked up into his mother’s eyes, now misted with tears.
“Mother, I can’t.”
“Son,” Greta whispered, “you can. Go! I believe in you.”

Finn turned to the stand. As he clumsily made his way
through the crowd, painfully aware of his limp, there was no
applause. There were no cheers. There were no whistles.
A low murmur rippled through the crowd. Finn’s ears caught
bits of whispered phrases here and there as he continued his slow
walk to the stand. “Who is he?” “He limps.” “He’ll slow down the
group.” “He’s only a boy.”
Finally, Finn made it to the stand, labored up the steps, and
took his place next to his aunt Debbie, who hugged him tightly.
Still, there was no applause from the crowd. The murmuring
died down, and Finn felt a thousand eyes evaluating him—five
hundred minds wondering why he was standing there. He
wondered the same, and, unable to bear the crowd analyzing
him, he hung his head.
It was so silent now that Finn could hear the cold breeze
moving among the trees close to the town square.
Thomas went over to Finn and spoke very quietly so
that only Finn could hear. “Hold your head up, Finn. Our
council feels the mission could not be successful without
you. You were specifically chosen for this group. You must
believe in your mission.”
Finn nodded and looked up again at the crowd, searching
for his mother’s face.
Abigail and Beric came over and shook Finn’s hand,

welcoming him to the group with big smiles. Relief flooded over
Finn to know that the group accepted him. Then, he suddenly
wondered who the last member of the group would be. He didn’t
have to wait long. Thomas held up his hand one more time.
“The last member of the group is not a person. It is a very
special dog from the village of Greenfield, and most of you have
probably heard of this massive dog. His name is Maximus, and
his owner is allowing him on the journey. He will bring Maximus
up now.”
Finn had never seen such a big dog. Truly, he was the size of a
large lion. However, he did not look fierce at all. His shaggy, light
brown fur was soft, and his big brown eyes looked kind.
Maximus sniffed the feet of each member of the group

and then went back to Finn and sat in front of him, leaning
gently against the boy’s legs. Finn reached down and petted
the dog, feeling an instant connection with this huge, gentle
creature.
Thomas closed the meeting with some final words.
“Everyone now return to your homes. Since no one in this
land has yet had any success with building a well, represen-
tatives of each town will meet here on the first day of each
week to give advice on building wells and to share news. The
group of five will begin their journey tomorrow from this
square.”
36
PHONICS
ER Can Say /air/

Read to the child: ER usually says /er/ as in HER, but it can say
/air/ as in INHERIT. Read the words.
terror prosperity inherited

heritage therapy therapist
ceremony stereo inheritance
C is soft before ster e o ANCE can say
E, I, or Y /ence/
QUE Can Say /k/

Read to the child: QUE can say /k/. In these words, the red i
makes the long E sound. CH can say /k/. Read the words.
technique mosque antique
Challenging Words


Savor means to really enjoy and appreciate something.
We savored every moment of the trip. We savored the taste of the
flaky pie.
37
Chapter 5: Finn Gets Ready
With a long sigh of relief, Finn slumped back in his chair by

the fireplace. Finally, he and his parents were alone. All day after
the meeting in the village, people had been visiting Finn’s home,
bringing him items for the trip, giving him advice, and wishing
him well. Finn was soft-spoken and shy, and having to talk to so
many people exhausted him—especially because he could see
hints of uncertainty in the people’s eyes. He could sense that they
all were still wondering, as he was, why he had been chosen as
part of the group of five.
Sunset was just beginning, and slants of golden light glowed
against the cottage walls.
“Look at all the items people brought!” Gabriel exclaimed as
he started sorting the pile, which contained canteens, knives,
gloves, fur caps, wool blankets, a folding saw, a compass, a small
hatchet, a tin cup and bowl, a coil of strong rope, candles, leather
pouches, bottles of medicinal herbs, small tins of salves, and an
assortment of travel food: hard biscuits, seed cakes, dried berries,
pumpkin seeds, raisins, strips of smoked meat, and packets of
cornmeal and flour.
The hard work Finn insisted on doing around his home for
years now had made his muscles strong, but still, he knew he
could carry only so much.
A flash of movement outside the window caught Finn’s
attention, and he glimpsed the tail of a horse pass by. Finn loved
horses, but his had died last year, and he hadn’t gotten another
one. What’s a horse doing here? he thought.
After a soft knock, Debbie opened the front door and

entered the home, the radiance of the sunset streaming in
around her.
“May I stay with you tonight so Finn and I can set out
together in the morning?” Debbie asked.
“Of course! That would be wonderful!” Greta cried with
genuine gratitude. “You can help us figure out what to pack.
We need your expertise in wilderness travel. Please, come
in! We’re going to eat soon.”
“Did you bring a horse?” Finn inquired excitedly.
“Yes! And I also brought you a horse,” Debbie replied
with a broad smile. “Thomas and the council provided the
horses for us. Come meet Sebastian.”
Relief washed over Finn as some of the heaviness on his
heart lifted. I won’t have to walk! I won’t slow down the group
with my limp!
Eagerly, Finn followed his aunt outside and then gasped
audibly when he saw his dapple gray horse.
“He’s . . . he’s beautiful,” Finn whispered as he slowly went
to the horse and stroked his light gray mane.
Chapter 5: Finn Gets Ready 39
With his dark eyes, Sebastian regarded Finn. Then, much

to Finn’s delight, Sebastian put his head down and gave Finn a
gentle nudge, as if saying hello.
They all went back inside to eat, and Finn savored each
bite of his mother’s roasted potatoes, meat pies, and apple tart,
wondering when he might have such a meal again.
Indeed, Debbie was a great help at packing, knowing which
herbs and salves would be of the most help, what types of knives
were best in the wilderness, and so on.
Most everything Finn needed was able to go in saddlebags
that the horse would carry, but Finn also chose a small leather
pouch to wear that attached to his belt under his long, warm
tunic.
In his pouch he placed some lightweight things: waterproof
leather gloves, a tight-knitted wool hat with ear flaps, a beeswax
candle, an extra empty water flask, and a small blue bottle of
powder labeled “Aspilia” that one of the villagers gave to Finn and
told him was valuable. Debbie had told him that this powder was
rare and powerful. It came from the leaves and flowers of a wild
sunflower from a land far away, and she had only heard of it.
“Aspilia stops bleeding, even in major wounds, and promotes
healing like nothing I’ve heard of before,” Debbie explained.
“Should anyone get badly wounded, this will be so helpful. Guard
it carefully.”
Stars were starting to prick the sky when Finn’s elderly
neighbor, Charlotte, appeared at the cottage door.
“I’m sorry to come so late,” she apologized as she bustled into
the cottage. “I’ve been working hard all day to finish this!”
She handed Finn a warm-looking, dark brown scarf with
beautifully embroidered white leaves on the ends.
“Charlotte! Thank you!” Finn cried.

“That’s not all,” Charlotte said. From out of her coat
pocket, she pulled a tiny leather pouch held on a long, soft
leather string.
“It’s so small that you can wear it around your neck under
your shirt,” Charlotte said. “If you are captured, you might
be able to keep it safe. It’s a very unique item.”
Captured? thought Finn with a shudder, trying not to
visualize himself being captured. He glanced at his mother,
who held her apron up to her eyes, dabbing a few tears.
“What’s in the pouch?” Finn asked.
“Open it and see,” Charlotte said, hardly able to contain
her enthusiasm for the gift she was giving.
Gently, Finn pulled the pouch open and reached his
fingers in. He felt something smooth and cold, the size of an
acorn. He pulled out a heart-shaped gem that was as red as a
cherry and dazzled lustrously in the firelight.
“What is it?” Finn whispered. “I’ve never seen this kind
of gem. I’ve heard of rubies. Is it a ruby?”
“It’s a red diamond,” Charlotte proclaimed quietly.
“A red diamond!” Gabriel bellowed so loudly that everyone

jumped. “Charlotte, those are extremely valuable and rare. It
must be worth a fortune—literally! You could buy an entire
village with a red diamond—especially one that size. Finn cannot
accept such a precious gift. It would be terrible if he were to lose
it or it were taken.”
“I already gave it to him. It is in his care now,” Charlotte
replied simply. “I trust Finn to use it as he sees best. Besides, it
is doing no good just sitting in a box under my floorboards. It’s
time to put it to use.”
“Where did you get such a treasure?” Debbie inquired.
“It’s an heirloom handed down for many generations. One of
my ancestors who came from a land far away found it in a river.
My family always kept possession of the diamond quiet. But I
don’t need it. I’m old and have no children. Let Finn use it on this
journey. Maybe it will end up helping his mission somehow!”
Finn threw his arms around Charlotte. “Thank you!” he said.
“I’ll try to use it wisely.”
“Use it in any way you want, Finn. It’s yours. Just keep it safe
until you find the right time to use it.”
“I will,” Finn promised.
After Charlotte headed home in the moonlight, Debbie, Finn,
and his family said a prayer and then bedded down for the night.
The day had exhausted Finn, and he was soon in a deep sleep.
43
Have the child practice the

phonogram boxes that you circled
on page 2.
PHONICS
ER Can Say /ear/

Read to the child: ER usually says /er/ as in HER. It can
also say /air/ or /ear/. Read the words in which ER says
/ear/. The red i in each of the words makes the long E
sound. Read the words. Exterior means outside.
experience period exterior

ex per i ence per i od ex ter i or
material mysterious superior

ma ter i al my ster i ous su per i or
severe atmosphere periodic

se vere at mo sphere per i o dic

Read to the child: The red i in each of the words makes
the long E sound. Read the words.
trivia media
phobia V i c to r i a
pho bi a Vic tor i a
44
Chapter 6: The Five Begin
The pink glow of a glorious dawn illuminated the group

gathered in the square. Finn sat on Sebastian, feeling
nervous but also enjoying the atmosphere of excitement that
seemed to twinkle in the air.
Beric the Bear was mounted nobly on a huge brown
horse with white down its nose and shaggy white fur on
the bottom of its legs. Abigail the Mountain Goat rode a
medium-sized, cream-colored horse with a blonde mane.
Debbie sat on a horse with a shining, brownish-red coat.
Every horse carried saddlebags.
Maximus stood with his tail wagging. A pack the same
color as his fur was strapped around him.
Goodbyes had been said, and Thomas gave a final piece
of advice. “The soldiers will likely hear about this group of
five, so it is best you don’t travel on the roads. The first thing
to do is find out who is leading these soldiers and where
they are headquartered. The only reliable information we
have gathered is that it would take more than two weeks to
reach the headquarters.”
Chapter 6: The Five Begin 45
Thomas took a deep breath and looked at the group. “I have

nothing more to say. Are there any questions?”
Finn couldn’t help hanging his head a little and quietly asking
a question. “Good sir, I don’t believe I belong in this group.
Even my father would be a better choice! He is strong and more
experienced than I am. May he take my place?”
“I’m sure your father would willingly take your place, Finn,
but it is not his mission. It is yours. However, you can choose not
to go, for you always have a choice.”
“I will go, sir,” Finn said, still looking down.
“Good!” declared Thomas. “Finn, son of Greta and Gabriel
and son of our mighty God, raise your head. Your mission will
fail only if you lack faith.”
Beric urged his horse over by Finn. “I believe in you, and I am
glad to have you by my side.”
“As am I!” cried Abigail, urging her horse closer to Finn.
Debbie nudged her horse over to the group, and Maximus
stood up.
Together they prayed and then held their first council.
“Which way do you think we should start?” Beric asked the
group. “We see soldiers coming from all directions. How can we
find out where their headquarters are?”
Wise Debbie had already thought about this. “We need a
bird’s-eye view. We need to see far off and observe the patterns
of soldiers. To do that, we must get up high. Well, actually, not
we. Here is my proposal: We all ride our horses to the top of the
tallest hill over there, and then Abigail can scale the cliffs to get
up on the plateau and climb the tallest pine trees close to the
edge. From there, she can see much of the land.”
Abigail nodded confidently. “That’s a good plan.”

“I like it,” Beric agreed. “Finn, what do you think?”
“Oh, I . . . yes, it’s a good plan.”
“Then let us go!” Debbie called loudly. She clucked to her
horse, leaning forward and squeezing the horse’s flanks with
her knees.
Beric and Abigail clucked to their horses. Little puffs of
dust were kicked up as the horses dashed out of the forest
clearing and into a nearby field.
“Ya!” Finn cried loudly after waving to his parents.
“Come, Maximus!” he called as his horse broke into a gallop.
The Journey of Five had begun.
Stretched out on a field bathed in golden morning light,
four splendid horses galloped, their manes flowing in the
wind. The massive dog, Maximus, ran alongside Finn.
As the cool wind of early fall washed over Finn’s face, he
felt excited and hopeful. Right here and now, I am making
the decision to have faith and confidence, Finn thought. I will
not doubt or wonder. Each day, I will simply do my best.
In just ten minutes, the group reached the hill. Slowing the
horses to a walk, they made their way up the hill to the base of
the steep cliff.
Abigail fastened on a harness and pulled out ropes and gear.
“It’ll take me about an hour to scale this cliff. Then, I’ll need to
find several different trees around the plateau that I can climb to
look out in all directions. I’m guessing I’ll be back in a few hours.”
As Finn watched Abigail make her way up the cliff, he was
grateful for her expertise. She truly did look like a mountain goat
going nimbly up the craggy cliffs.
While waiting at the base of the mountain, hidden in a grove
of trees, Finn and Debbie got to know Beric and quickly learned
to love his booming laugh.
It didn’t take long to perceive that Beric was not only strong in
body but was also confident and cheerful. He spoke highly of his
wife. They’d been married for only six months. Beric described
his in-laws and his parents, and it was easy to see the love and
loyalty he felt toward his friends and family. It also didn’t take
Finn long to realize that Beric already considered Finn and
Debbie to be part of his close circle of friends.
When Beric went over to check on the horses tethered by
some shrubs, Finn turned to Debbie. “I noticed something about
Beric. He is not only confident himself, but he also makes me feel
more confident when I am around him.”
“That is a really great quality to have,” Debbie replied.
“Everything we do impacts the people around us. We can lift
people up or pull them down based on how we talk to others and
how we treat them.”
Debbie stood up and started looking around. “I’m going
to make use of this time. Instead of eating only food from our
packs for lunch, we can save some of it and forage for some food
instead.”
“I’ll help!” Finn declared enthusiastically, grateful for an
opportunity to contribute to the group.
By the time Abigail started back, the sun was straight
overhead, indicating that it was noon.
Beric and Finn had made a small fire, and Debbie had
collected and roasted pine nuts that she found on a nearby tree.
She then added to the pot handfuls of young dandelion leaves
and clover, which were abundant in the area. She also added a
few pinches of salt and some peppercorns that she had stored in
her saddlebags.
As the food finished cooking, the group watched Abigail

climb back down the cliff. Beric then helped her wind up
her ropes and pack her gear.
Her face was shining from exertion and from excitement.
“I have a lot to tell you, but I see lunch is ready. Let’s sit
down and eat while we talk. Then I’ll describe what I
observed.”
Finn breathed in the aroma of the steaming greens and
roasted pine nuts. This is good stuff, he thought. However, he
was also grateful when Beric took a small loaf of bread out
of the saddlebag and passed large hunks of it to everyone.
The greens and nuts hadn’t felt like enough food.
“Well, first,” started Abigail, “there are a lot of soldiers,
and they are spread out in all directions, except none of
them seem to be going south.”
“That makes sense,” Debbie nodded. “There are just dry
canyons and desolate lands to the south. I don’t know of any
villages there or anyone who would want to start a village
there.”
Abigail continued. “After some time of observing, I was able to

tell that the soldiers are definitely coming from and going back to
the north. Beyond the farthest northern village, which is not too
far from here, they have built a huge bridge spanning the deep
canyons and chasms there.”
“Incredible,” Debbie stated. “We’d have to journey for two
days to get around those chasms with our horses. It sounds like
we need to head north, and we can use the bridge to get there
more quickly.”
“Except,” Abigail replied, “I saw four soldiers guarding the far
side of the bridge. I doubt we can cross it.”
Debbie looked at Maximus and clapped her hands. “Oh! I
have just the plan! Maximus is going to help us. And I’ve heard
you can howl like a wolf, Beric. You’ll need to use that skill.”
51
PHONICS
OUS, IOUS, and EOUS Can Say /us/

Read to the child: OUS, IOUS, and EOUS can say /us/. Read the
words and definitions.
gorgeous various melodious

beautiful different kinds pleasant sounding
hazardous numerous horrendous

dangerous many terrible
amphibious ambitious victorious

able to live/operate having a strong having won/
on land or water desire to succeed succeeded
hilarious righteous
hil ar i ous righ t eous
AR can say /air/ T says /ch/ in this word
c o u ra g eous contagious
cour a geous con ta gious
Read to the child: Read the sentences. Then tell me which

sentence you wish were true right now.
• Numerous birds are singing melodiously.
• We have an amphibious pet: a frog!
• We have a gorgeous horse and a hilarious goat.
52
Chapter 7: The Bridge
Dusk was finally starting to fall over the land with its
deep hues of blue. A pale star twinkled above the grove of
trees where the group of five was hidden. Being right next to
the bridge entrance, the grove was the perfect spot.
“It’s time,” declared Debbie quietly. “Let’s go over the plan
one more time. Thankfully, there are no guards on this side
of the bridge. The chasm is not easy to cross but definitely
possible for someone in excellent physical shape who has
a rope. But the horses can’t cross that kind of terrain. So,
Beric, you’ll take Maximus and cross the chasm farther
down to the east where you won’t be seen crossing. You
should get to the other side in less than an hour, just after
complete darkness falls.
Chapter 7: The Bridge 53
“As you make your way toward the bridge, you will give a
couple of wolf calls. If that is not enough to scare the guards
away, quietly go to that big group of bushes by the guards. You
will need to keep whispering ‘hush’ to Maximus. He is trained so
well; he will not growl or bark when you have said ‘hush.’”
“But he will growl when you say ‘growl’ and bark when you
say ‘bark,’” Finn inserted, excited about Maximus’s skills that he
had learned about that day.
“That’s right,” Debbie affirmed. “So, Beric, have Maximus
follow you and position him in the bushes right by the guards as
quietly as you can, and then whisper to him to growl. The guards
will shine their lanterns in that direction and see glowing eyes. At
that moment, start shaking the bushes and whisper to Maximus
to bark. A wolf ’s bark can actually sound a lot like a dog’s bark,
but I don’t think the guards will stick around long enough to
notice much.”
Finn smiled, thinking how brilliant Debbie’s plan was.
“As soon as we hear the barking,” Debbie continued, “Abigail,
Finn, and I will cross the bridge, bringing your horse, Beric, and
then all of us together will hurry up the hill into the forest.” She
paused briefly and looked at everyone. “OK, Beric, go now.”
Soon Finn could not see Beric anymore, and the waiting
began. Half an hour dragged on as Finn watched several more
stars pop out in the sky.
Debbie silently motioned for the group to mount their

horses. A shiver ran down Finn’s spine when he heard a
clear, long wolf call break the night. Even though he knew it
was Beric, it sounded so real that it was eerie. A few seconds
of silence reigned. Then another wolf call split the silence of
the night.
The group nudged their nervous horses to the edge of the
bushes. Within a minute, barking was heard.
“Hold for one minute!” Debbie whispered firmly.
Finn could feel his heart beating in his chest as he waited
tensely.
“OK, go!” Debbie finally said.
The sound of barking covered the clatter of hoof beats on
the bridge, but it didn’t matter. The guards were fleeing in
total panic to the safety of the nearest camp.
“Come!” Beric said quietly but firmly to Maximus, who
started to follow the guards.
The group didn’t even come to a complete stop when they
got to Beric. He grabbed on to the saddle and swung up, and
the group sped up the hill under the cover of thick darkness.
“Slow down now. Let’s walk our horses,” Debbie called when
they entered the dense forest. “It’s so dark in here. We don’t want
our horses to stumble and get hurt.”
It’s a little scary in here, Finn thought as he sat on his horse.
The pine needles covering the ground muffled the horses’ steps.
The big black silhouettes of trees blocked out much of the
little light that came from the night sky. Crickets chirped, and
occasionally Finn heard the flap of wings or the lonely call of an
owl echoing through the trees.
“How far are we going?” Finn finally asked, exhausted from
the long day of travel.
“I think we’re far enough into the forest now,” Beric declared.
“We just need to find a good place to sleep.”
Much to Finn’s relief, they soon found a suitable spot—a
clearing in the middle of some tall evergreens. As best they could
tell, there were no dead limbs in the trees that could blow off
onto them in the night.
“I’ll build a fire,” Beric offered. “We’ll want to build a fire each
night, not only for warmth but also to keep animals away. Abigail
and Debbie, can you gather pine boughs to lay our bedrolls on?
Finn, can you put the saddle packs way over there on those trees,
and then tie up the horses on the other side of camp? There’s
nothing we can do if bears want to come raid our packs, so we
don’t want the packs close to us.”
“I thought the fire kept away animals?” Finn asked.
“Yes, wolves, coyotes, and rats stay away from fire. But fire
doesn’t scare bears. Still, bears are not likely to come near us. The
danger is accidentally stumbling upon them.”
When Finn finally crawled into his bedroll, he was too tired
to care about the forest being so dark. Neither did he care much
about being so hungry. Exhaustion was stronger. I’ll eat in the
morning, he thought.
But before Finn closed his eyes, Abigail spoke as she lay
in her bedroll and looked up into the trees. “I don’t know
how we can possibly stop all of these soldiers. What are we
doing here?”
Everyone was quiet. Then Finn spoke. “It reminds me of a
story my mother once told me.”
“Wouldn’t a story be nice right now!” Abigail declared.
“Will you tell us the story, Finn?”
“Sure,” Finn replied. He sat up and began.
Once there was a young woman who was banished unfairly

to a tall tower. In the middle of the tower was a massive, solid
boulder. She was told she must stay there until she had cracked
the boulder in half. She was given only a small hammer as her
tool. For days, she banged the rock as hard as she could with
the hammer, but only tiny chips here and there came off. It soon
became apparent that no matter how she pounded the rock, she
couldn’t crack it in half. Things felt utterly hopeless. She turned to
God for help. After praying, she listened for God to answer. God
did answer. As she snuggled tightly into her thick blankets by the
fireplace, He turned her mind to the icicles hanging outside her
window.
“Ice expands!” she cried, an idea forming in her mind.
The next day she climbed onto the top of the rock. All day, she used
a fork to scratch a row of thin, small cracks into the rock. Before going
to bed, she poured water into the cracks. When the water turned to
ice, it expanded the cracks. Each day she deepened the cracks and froze
more and more water in them until, finally, so much pressure was put
on the middle of the rock that it cracked in half.
“Wow! I love that story, Finn,” Beric said.
“Lovely, just lovely,” murmured Debbie sleepily.
“It’s my mother’s story,” Finn said. “She’s the storyteller, not
me. She’s told me a story every night for years and years.”
“Really?” exclaimed Abigail. “Well, you have quite a
storytelling voice yourself, Finn: genuine and gentle, yet
animated. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed listening to a story so
much. Why don’t you tell us one of your mother’s stories every
night?”
“You really want me to?” Finn asked.
“Yes,” said Beric, Debbie, and Abigail in unison. They
chuckled softly and then snuggled deeply into their bedrolls,
ready to close their eyes.
Finn thought of his mother sitting by his bedside, telling
him a story each night. I’ll like telling her stories, he thought. He
missed her already, but something inside of him knew that he
was where he was supposed to be at this time.
Sleep soon overtook all the members of the group. The
soldiers knew nothing yet of this group of five who were sleeping
in the forest only a mile from one of their major camps.
The group of five didn’t yet realize that they were so close to
the camp, nor that they would encounter soldiers the next day in
a very unfortunate event.
58
PHONICS
ALLY Can Say /lee/

Read to the child: ALLY can say /lee/ as in BASICALLY. The last
word ends with AL (/uhl/) + LY. Read the words.
a t h l et i c a l l y automatically
ath let ic ally au to mat ic ally
h i s to r i c a l l y occasionally
his tor ic ally o cca sion al ly
Review from Kingdom of Kind.

ON, ION, and EON
Read to the child: ON, ION, or EON says /en/, /un/, or
/yen/ or /yun/ (those in red can vary by dialect). Read the
words.
carton reasonable onion

scorpion napoleon demonstrate
abandon union pigeon
regionally luncheon rebellion
Challenging Words

59
Idioms
Read to the child: In your course book, you have learned
about idioms. The chapter we are about to read contains
several idioms. Read the information to me.
high time
When it is time to do something that should have already been
done, you can say it’s high time to do it.
It’s high time to work in the garden; the weeds are almost as
tall as I am!
get your bearings

To get your bearings means to find out where you are or what
you should be doing.
It took me a minute to get my bearings in the dark, but then I
realized where I was.
give it your best shot

When you do something as well as you can, you give it your best
shot.
I’m not sure if I can fix the bicycle, but I’ll give it my best
shot.
stopping dead in your tracks

Stopping dead in your tracks means you suddenly stop moving
because of surprise.
When I saw the bear, I stopped dead in my tracks.
60
Chapter 8: Surrounded
The first glow of dawn usually woke up Finn, but not today.
Instead, he was stirred out of sleep by a slobbery tongue—
Maximus’s tongue, which had just licked Finn’s hand. The huge
dog decided it was high time for the camp to wake up. Finn was
not used to the hard ground and the chilly fall air and hadn’t
slept well. The rest of the group began to stir from their bedrolls,
except for Abigail who was already up. She started to hum as she
set out oatcakes and dried apples for breakfast.
After everybody ate, Abigail stood up. “If you all agree, I’ll go
see if I can find some higher land and climb the tallest tree I find.
We can get our bearings before we decide how to proceed.”
Everyone was in agreement, and Beric and Abigail left, Abigail
humming happily again.
Debbie headed to a pond that the group was fortunate to find
very close to them. She took along fishing gear to catch Maximus
some breakfast.
Finn followed along behind Debbie and led the horses to the
pond to drink. He then gathered some firewood to stoke the fire
and boil water for their flasks. With a feeling of excitement for
the day, he left the clearing and entered into the quiet trees.
The forest looked much different in the daytime. Several
shades of evergreens were mixed in with deciduous trees that
burst with bright yellow leaves. Here and there, leaves twirled
and floated in the air silently and peacefully. They almost look like
fluttering butterflies, Finn thought.
Chapter 8: Surrounded 61
Honking sounds drifted into the forest, and Finn gazed

at a flock of geese flying by in a patch of bright blue sky.
Bending over to grab some wood, Finn saw a cricket frog
with slender webbed toes jump away from him.
“The world is alive,” Finn remarked quietly.
Back at the camp, Finn collected and boiled water,
brushed the horses, and put their saddlebags back on.
Debbie had caught and cooked six fish and deboned
them. Maximus gulped down three of the fish in practically
moments, and then Debbie wrapped the others in large
leaves to feed to Maximus for dinner.
Beric and Abigail finally came striding back into camp,
and Abigail gave her report.
“I saw the river not too far from here. It’s dry again. We’ll
see how long the villagers can hold out without paying
for the water to come back. The river, as Debbie has told
us previously, curves around the east of the Mountains of
Mist, which I saw in the distance. It appears the soldiers
are building a road right by the river as it goes around the
mountains. Eventually, I hope we’ll discover the reason they
are building that road. I also spotted a soldiers’ camp of
some sort not far from here. We should leave quickly.”
“What do you all think of following the river?” Beric asked.

“It will lead us where we need to go, and there don’t appear to be
any roads with soldiers along the river until we get nearer to the
Mountains of Mist.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Finn said.
“I have a pretty smart husband,” Abigail stated before standing
on her tiptoes and planting a kiss on Beric’s cheek.
“I like this plan, too,” Debbie confirmed. “Let’s pour this water
into our flasks, and then we are ready to go.”
As they traveled along the river that day, Beric pulled his horse
up next to Finn and rode beside him. Finn felt a little intimidated
by the confident, muscular man and felt awkward talking to him
at first. But Beric was so friendly and encouraging that Finn soon
found that he was able to talk comfortably and openly.
In fact, Finn dared to ask a question that had been on his
mind. “How are you so confident, Beric? Is it because of your
strength and your special talents?”
Beric gave a little laugh. “Well, if I need to lift a heavy log, then
yes, my strength gives me confidence that I can lift the log. Or if
I need to howl like a wolf, my skills give me confidence to do it.
But that kind of confidence is not the important kind.”
“What do you mean?” asked Finn, feeling confused.
“Well, let’s talk about you for a minute, Finn. Do you feel like
you lack confidence?”
Finn felt a little embarrassed. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Hmmm,” Beric mused. “You have kind parents who love you
and encourage you, right? What do you think makes you feel
unconfident?”
“Yes, my parents are very kind. I guess . . . I just don’t

think there is anything really special about me.”
“I think I know what you mean,” Beric said. “You are
not known for discovering a new invention or winning an
archery competition. You feel like your limp makes people
think differently of you and look down on you and basically
judge you. Am I right?”
Finn nodded and swallowed. “Yes.”
“Well, I’m going to be honest with you, Finn. I think
you’re seeking confidence in the wrong way. Being smart or
talented is not what makes a person great. Having a straight
foot is not what makes a person great. Being handsome or
thin or well dressed or rich or strong is not what makes a
person great.”
“What does make a person truly great?” Finn asked.
“We are all of great worth to our Creator, Finn, but we
show greatness of character by seeking a good and beautiful
heart. Potentially, every person can become mighty and
great and noble. Greatness is not something we inherit or
achieve by fame or beauty.”
Finn thought about that, and the two rode side by side in
silence for a while.
Chapter 8: Surrounded 65
Finally, Beric spoke. “What is something you do to show your

parents that you love them, Finn?”
“Well, I wake up early each morning to gather firewood and
start a fire. I want them to wake up to a warm house. I pick
flowers for my mother every week.”
“And do you do anything to help any of your neighbors?”
Beric inquired.
“Well, there’s Charlotte. I help her with a lot of things.”
“Why? Does she pay you?”
“No, I wouldn’t let her pay me,” Finn replied. “She is old and
lives alone. She’s lonely and can really use my help.”
“Do you pray?”
“Yes. Often, but sometimes I forget.”
“Do you feel gratitude for the world God made?” Beric
continued.
“Yes.”
“Well, well. It sounds to me like you ought to have more
confidence in yourself. You are a truly amazing young man.”
“I am?” Finn raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Yes, you are! So when you talk to people, look them in the
eyes. You never need to hang your head. Give people a vigorous
handshake when you meet them. Don’t worry about what people
think of your limp,” Beric supplied helpfully.
Finn nodded. “OK, I will give it my best shot, but I’m not
always good to my parents. Sometimes I complain or get
grumpy.”
Beric smiled widely. “You mean you’re not perfect?” He
laughed. “You don’t have to be perfect or even close to perfect to
be a great person. You just have to be trying and desiring to do
what’s right.”
Finn thought some more and then said, “But . . . it would

be neat if I had a special talent, too.”
“Oh, you do,” Beric replied quickly.
“I do?”
“Of course! You have multiple special talents.”
“What are they?”
“I think I’ll let you figure that out for yourself, but I will
say that I think I’m going to learn a lot from you.”
Finn was astonished by this conversation, but it was cut
short when Maximus started growling and then barking
loudly.
“Hush!” Beric demanded, stopping his horse dead in its
tracks.
Maximus instantly obeyed and quieted down, and the
group stopped to listen and look around.
Is it a bear? Finn wondered as he heard crashing noises in
the trees nearby.
But it wasn’t a bear.
“Why is there a dog around here?” called a gruff voice
nearby.
Within seconds a group of soldiers on horses burst
through the trees and surrounded Finn and his group.
67

PHONICS
ER Can Say /air/

Read to the child: ER usually says /er/ as in HER, but it can
say /air/ as in STEREO. Read the words.
inherit prosperity inherited

terror therapy territory
ceremony heritage inheritance
C is soft before AGE can say /ij/ ANCE can say
E, I, or Y /ence/
QUE Can Say /k/

makes the long E sound. Read the words.
technique mosque antique

grotesque plaque critique

Provisions are a supply of something.
I put all of my provisions for the camping trip into my pack.
68
Chapter 9: Back to
the Bridge
NOTE: To help transition to the Level 4 Language Arts Course, the
remaining chapters will at times contain two pages in a row for the
student to read.
Finn spun around, studying the six soldiers surrounding his

group. They each wore the standard dark blue uniform with a
yellow sash across the chest, except one man, who wore a different
purple sash. Regally, the man sat on his white horse. He was
definitely the soldier in charge of this group, so Finn was not
surprised that he was the one who spoke to them.
“What are you doing traveling in this territory? The roads are
all guarded. How did you get here?”
Finn wondered what their answer would be. Surely, none of
them wanted to lie, but it didn’t seem like a good idea to tell the
soldiers about their mission. Simultaneously, everyone turned to
Debbie.
Calmly, Debbie looked the lead soldier directly in the eyes.
“We’re explorers, sir. We are heading to the Mountains of Mist.”
“You’re not heading to the Mountains of Mist anymore,” said
the leading soldier. “It is not permitted for any villagers to go past
the bridge a couple of miles back.”
“We did not know that, sir,” replied Debbie. “We will be on
our way.”
“Yes, you will,” replied the man. “And your way is back where
you came from. We will lead you back over the bridge. Everyone
get in line and follow the soldiers.”
Finn’s heart sank. They had worked so hard to get over

the bridge with their horses. How will we ever get our horses
back across the bridge again? he wondered.
Finn got his answer as soon as they crossed the bridge:
they wouldn’t have any horses.
“Dismount!” said the leader in purple. “These horses now
belong to us. Give us your water flasks and packs.”
As Finn got off his horse, he felt conquered. How can
I take this journey now with my foot? I will slow the group
down significantly.
Abruptly, Finn’s thoughts were interrupted by a glimpse
of red in the woods quite a ways ahead of him. Peeking from
behind a wide tree was a soldier with shaggy red hair that
hung loose to his chin. The man was dismounted from his
horse and looked very suspicious. When the man caught
Finn’s eyes and saw that he was discovered, he spun around
and instantly disappeared.
“Surely, you are not going to take our provisions!” Beric’s
voice boomed, drawing Finn’s attention back to his group’s
situation.
But the lead soldier ignored Beric and had his soldiers
take everyone’s flasks and packs.
Chapter 9: Back to the Bridge 71
“Our soldiers can use these horses and provisions,”

the leader declared with a haughty smile. “Since you are
trespassing on our land, these things now belong to us.”
Before thinking, Finn spoke out. “You wouldn’t really
leave people without their water flasks, would you?”
Bringing his horse up closer to Finn, the lead soldier
looked him up and down. Then he took the flasks from a
nearby soldier. “Sure, you can have them,” he sneered as he
slashed a hole in each water flask before handing the bunch
to Finn.
Beric balled up his fist next to him in anger, but no one
in the group said anything as the soldiers rode away. After
standing in stunned silence for a minute, Abigail spoke.
“Let’s move into the grove and take stock of what we have.”
“What we have?” asked Finn. “They took everything.”
“Not everything,” declared Abigail. “Even if they had, it
wouldn’t stop our journey. We cannot turn back now.”
Back in the grove by the bridge, Finn had forgotten about
the soldier behind the tree. He felt deflated that they had lost
progress, but then he felt astonished as he watched Abigail.
From her boot she pulled out two knives in leather sheaths.
From her other boot, she pulled out another knife and a small
leather bag, which contained a metal rod and striker for starting
fires. Reaching to her back, she pulled out a long, thin bag that
she said was filled with dried meat. And from her belt she pulled
out a hatchet in another leather sheath.
Finn smiled. Leave it to Abigail to have three knives and a
hatchet hidden on her, he thought. Then he remembered his own
pouch around his waist, which contained waterproof leather
gloves, a tight-knitted wool hat with ear flaps, a beeswax candle,
an extra empty water flask, and a small blue bottle of Aspilia
powder.
With sudden remembrance, Finn then put his hand on the
leather pouch hanging against his skin under his shirt. His red
diamond was safe. No one knew about the diamond except for
Debbie, and Finn decided not to tell the others about it yet.
Debbie also had a bag under her tunic. It held fishing cord,
fishing hooks, wool mittens, a small wooden bowl, and a beeswax
candle.
“Will you lead us, Debbie?” Beric asked.
Debbie nodded. Under her direction, they moved about a mile
east, staying under the cover of the trees. No one said anything
about the slow pace required because of Finn’s limp.
At Debbie’s chosen location, Beric and Finn were assigned
to start a fire. Abigail and Debbie went to hunt for pine sap and
bark.
Crouching down, Finn gently blew on the newly glowing fire
that Beric had created by striking the metal rod.
Chapter 9: Back to the Bridge 73
When the women returned, Debbie filled her little

wooden bowl with pine sap and set it near the fire. Once
the sap was melted, she stirred charcoal powder into it with
a stick. Then, she spread the black, gooey substance over
each hole of the water flasks. As the substance dried, Debbie
looked around and found some plantain, a plain-looking
weed, for their lunch.
A handful of plantain leaves and a very small strip of dried
meat? Finn thought gloomily as he bit into the peppery,
grassy-tasting weed. This will never fill me up.
“Wow, I’m so grateful for these plantains,” Abigail said
cheerily. “We found them so quickly. It’s not always easy to
find greens in the autumn!”
Finn grinned to himself. I just realized one of Abigail’s
talents: gratitude. I should be more grateful, too.
Debbie had chosen that stopping point for a reason. A
short walk brought them to a tiny stream that spilled over a
ledge in little more than a trickle.
“Running water is safer than standing water,” Debbie
explained as the group washed their faces and hands, drank
deeply from the sparkling little stream of water, and then
filled their newly repaired flasks.
The group no longer needed the bridge for their horses,
so they found an area that wasn’t too steep and crossed the
chasm. Finn struggled to keep a decent pace as they traveled
north for a couple of hours, guided by the sun and the moss
on the trees.
“We’ll need more time to prepare for camp tonight,”
explained Beric. “The leaves on that maple tree are turned
over, meaning a storm is coming soon.”
Swirling playfully around Finn’s hair, a sudden breeze
seemed to be giving him the same warning.
As the group created a shelter with dead logs and pine
boughs, they chewed on the strips of pine bark that they cut
from nearby trees. It eased Finn’s hunger only a little, but he
tried to be grateful.
It began to drizzle just before dusk. The group, including
Maximus, crammed into the shelter, and it wasn’t long
before everyone was asking Finn for another story and
then another. There was nothing to do in the shelter, and
everyone was pulled into Finn’s stories and the exciting way
he told them. For hours, he told stories that he recalled his
mother telling him. Finally, the moon was high above them,
and the group drifted off to sleep.
75
Review from The Kingdom of Kind.

PHONICS
IE
Read to the child: IE can make the long E sound (as in MOVIE).
Read the words on the chart. When you get to the word that
is a name, tell me which animal below you would be most
likely to give that name.
chief retrieval medieval

calorie grieving smoothie
achievement Christie scrunchie
Read to the child: When the letters I and E together make

one sound, like the long E sound, they make a phonogram.
However, I and E are not always a phonogram when they are
next to each other in a word. Read the words below, in which I
makes either the long I sound or the long E sound.
obedient expedient nutrient

o be di ent ex pe di ent nu tri ent
orient audience variety
or i ent au di ence var i ety
fortieth society barrier
for ti eth so ci ety barr i er
76
Chapter 10: Mountain Lion

Read to the child: This book talks about collecting rainwater to drink,
plants to eat, etc. Never do these things without a parent’s permission
as they can be dangerous if done in the wrong way.
Instead of a dog’s wet tongue, it was Abigail’s cheery, soft

humming that woke Finn the next morning. She was humming
a song that his mother had often sung to him. When he crawled
out of the cramped shelter and was finally able to stretch, he
didn’t blame Abigail for humming. The morning was warm and
glorious. In fact, Finn started humming with Abigail, and she
flashed him a big smile.
“What are you two humming about?” Debbie asked as she
came out of the shelter, followed by Beric and Maximus.
“Look around,” Abigail said, waving her hand at the early
morning sky and the area around them.
Warm sunlight flooded the forest clearing with a golden glow.
Thousands of sparkling dewdrops clung delicately to the ends
of the pine needles, and the sweet fragrance of damp grass and
earth filled the air.
“Whoa! Now I’m going to start humming!” cried Beric as he
inspected the water flasks they had left out the night before. They
were propped up under contraptions of sticks and leaves that
Debbie had made to collect rainwater.
“It worked!” Beric proclaimed. “The water flasks were half full
last night, but now they are completely full.”
Several feet away, Maximus gave a little bark, as if to proclaim
that he, too, had water. He stuck his mouth down into a large
puddle and lapped up the water.
Debbie and Abigail soon left to forage for food while Beric
and Finn worked on starting a fire.
Chapter 10: Mountain Lion 77
An hour later, everyone gathered around the crackling

fire to eat the unique breakfast: blackberries and a plant
called purslane. They had given Maximus the rest of the
dried meat, which wasn’t too much.
Finn was about to comment on how horrid it was to be
eating raw weeds again, but then he saw Abigail smiling as
she munched away. Instead, he said, “Hmmm. This weed is
full of nutrients, and it tastes slightly better than yesterday’s
weed.”
Everyone laughed, and then Debbie spoke, suddenly
turning serious. “We need to keep heading toward the
Mountains of Mist, but I’ve been thinking. We could face
some bitterly cold weather soon. Our bedrolls and extra
clothes were in the saddlebags that the soldiers took.”
“Not only that,” added Abigail, “but they also took our
pots, cooking utensils, and our tents.”
“And our dried beans, dried fruit, nuts, and other food,”
Finn said as he looked at the weed in his hand.
“That’s right,” Debbie nodded. “We are going to have
to stop for a while to gather and prepare food, make some
things to cook with, and figure out how to get some blankets
or something to keep us warm when the temperature drops.”
“So are we stopping here?” Finn asked.

“I was thinking we should find a better place,” Debbie
explained. “There’s no water source here. Moreover, we
probably need to travel north for at least a full day to get far
enough away from the soldiers. Also, as much as I love you
all, I don’t want to sleep cramped up together in that little
shelter again.”
Everyone smiled and nodded in agreement.
Finn could hardly choke down the rest of his purslane
weed, but he forced himself to do it. I’ll need the energy, he
thought. He had saved the berries for last, and he savored
the juicy sweetness of each one.
Without much to pack, it wasn’t long before the group set
out.
All that day, they traveled. That night, they slept in the
open air and then started out the next morning.
As they pushed up a hill, Finn found himself wishing
with all of his heart that he didn’t have to slow down the
group.
A couple of times, he saw Abigail pause and wait when she

realized she’d gone too far in front of the group. Finn hung his
head as he walked.
Seeming to sense his distress, Maximus bounded up to Finn’s
side and kept leaning into him gently.
Finn realized that he could lean on Maximus with the side
of his body that had the twisted leg, and it made walking much
easier. Gratitude for the huge dog flooded his heart.
“Lift up your head, Finn,” Beric said softly as he came to walk
next to him.
“I’m slowing the group down, though,” Finn said quietly.
“It’s not a race,” Beric replied. “Your mission is not about
speed. Believe in your part of this mission, Finn. We need your
confidence.”
Finn lifted his head. Beric is right, Finn thought. It doesn’t help
anything to hang my head and get down on myself. Plus, hanging
my head is focusing on myself. I’m here to help with this mission!
Grateful for the unusually warm day, Finn looked around
and noticed how delightful the trees were on this trail. Bare
and stripped of most of their leaves after last night’s storm, the
beautiful branches twisted and stretched against the sky.
The trail forked. Abigail and Debbie decided to take Maximus
down the right fork to see where it went.
“You guys take a break,” Debbie said. “We’ll be back in a while
and let you know if we want to take the right fork or not.”
Ten minutes later, as Finn sat on the ground with Beric, they
heard a sound in the thicket close to the fork in the trail, and
then three small creatures popped out in front of them.
“Kittens?” Finn asked, looking at the adorable creatures with
spotted fur and bright blue eyes.
Chapter 10: Mountain Lion 81
“Those are not kittens,” Beric said, suddenly standing

up and pulling Finn up with him. “They’re mountain lion
cubs, and they are very dangerous to be around. The mother
would be furious if we were around them. Hurry, let’s go up
the hill and get away from them.”
Before they could take a step, the mother was there by
her babies. She growled and slowly took a step forward
toward Finn and Beric.
“Don’t turn your back to the mountain lion,” Beric said
loudly. “Make lots of noise and back away slowly. Don’t run.
Don’t crouch down and try not to fall.”
Finn’s and Beric’s shouting made the mountain lion
momentarily stop, but then it started forward again.
“Put your hands up to look tall,” Beric said, “and keep
walking backward.”
They were headed up the hill. Walking backward was
very hard for Finn. After a few minutes, the mountain lion
was still following them. Although the mountain lion was
farther away from them now, Finn’s leg was trembling and
aching. As if in slow motion, Finn felt himself stumble and
fall forward.
82

PHONICS
ER Can Say /ear/

Read to the child: ER usually says /er/ as in HER. It can also
say /air/ or /ear/. Read the words in which ER says /ear/. The
red i in each of the words makes the long E sound. Exterior
means outside.
cafeteria bacteria exterior

caf et er i a bac ter i a ex ter i or
periodically superior imperial

per i od ic ally su per i or im per i al
severe atmosphere serious

sev ere at mo sphere ser i ous
Review from Heather and the Highland Pony.

AIN Can Say /in/
Read to the child: AIN can say /in/. Read the words.
b a rg a i n c e r ta i n c u r ta i n
p o rc e l a i n villain c h i e fta i n
Chapter 11: The Suspicious Soldier 83
Chapter 11:
The Suspicious Soldier
With a quick movement, Beric grabbed Finn and pulled him

up. They were now right at the top of the hill by large boulders.
Using all of his massive strength, Beric leaned against a boulder
and pushed it, sending it rolling wildly down the hill. Much to
Finn’s relief, the mountain lion quickly turned and fled from the
crashing rock.
Cheering, Beric and Finn watched as the mountain lion and

her cubs traveled far across the mountain, down into a ravine,
and disappeared out of sight.
“Beric, you were amazing!” Finn said. “Thank you!”
After making their way back down the hill, Beric and Finn
didn’t wait long before Abigail and Debbie returned.
After discussing the incident of the mountain lion, the group
turned their attention back to the trail.
“Let’s try the left trail,” Debbie said. “This trail to the right
started going through a particularly marshy area.”
So left they went.
Large gray clouds covered the late-morning sun, and a light,
chilly breeze started whispering through the trees.
Large gray clouds covered the late-morning sun, and a

light, chilly breeze started whispering through the trees.
Leaning on Maximus, Finn was grateful for both his
support and warmth. However, Finn was beginning to feel
somewhat weak from eating little more than edible weeds
for the past two days.
“Stop!” Abigail suddenly whispered. “Listen.”
Everyone stopped and listened. At first, Finn heard only
the breeze. But then he heard something. What is that? he
thought. It sounds like . . . moaning—like a person moaning.
Carefully and quietly, the group followed the sound,
which was coming from a little farther up the trail.
Just to the side of the trail, the group saw a man lying on
the ground next to a motionless bear. The man was wearing
the clothes of a soldier, and he was curled up and moaning.
Finn gasped. “That looks like the suspicious soldier with
shaggy red hair I saw a few days ago!”
“What do you mean?” asked Beric.
Finn quickly explained to everyone how he had seen
the soldier watching them from the trees while they were
surrounded by the other soldiers.
No soldier had ever shown kindness or mercy toward
anyone in the group, yet they didn’t hesitate to go and help
the man. It was their natural instinct to help someone in

need.
“Hello!” Debbie called as the group quickly made their
way to the man. “We will help you! What happened?”
The man peered up at the group and spoke, obviously in
great pain. “I was on the trail when I saw this bear attack
a large moose. After the fight, the bear seemed dead, so I
came down to check it out.”
The man stopped for a moment, and Finn could see
wound marks on his arm and leg. With effort, the man
spoke again very weakly. “But the bear wasn’t quite dead. He
started attacking me, but he didn’t have much strength and
died soon after.”
“It doesn’t take much for a grizzly bear to hurt a person.
When did this happen?” asked Beric.
“Just an hour or two ago, I think,” said the man. “My
horse got scared and ran off with all of my supplies.”
“What are you doing out here alone?” asked Debbie as she
knelt down and began inspecting his wounds. “We always see
soldiers in groups, but never alone.”
The man didn’t answer, and it seemed to Finn that a hardened
look came into the man’s eyes.
“What’s your name?” asked Debbie.
Again, the man didn’t answer. He just looked away.
“Well, even if you won’t talk to us, you need help,” Debbie
declared.
Abigail had been looking around as Debbie examined the
man. “Look over there!” Abigail exclaimed. “Up that hill a little is
an overhanging cliff.”
“Oh, and there is water trickling down the rocks close to the
cliff,” Finn pointed out. “It’s dripping off the rock in a steady
stream. Maybe this is just the place we have been looking for—a
place to stay for a while.”
“Indeed!” Debbie declared. “I don’t believe this man has any
broken bones, but he does have terrible wounds. And I hate to
be so frank, but these wounds from the bear’s claws are quite
deep. Some are bleeding badly, and we can’t move him until they
are bound, and the bleeding is stopped. I also don’t think he can
walk.”
“But we have no bandages,” Abigail said.
“If only we had some yarrow plant,” Abigail said, “we could
use it to help stop the bleeding, but it could take us hours to find
some.”
“I have Aspilia powder!” Finn exclaimed as he opened the
pouch around his waist and pulled out the little blue bottle.
“Finn, that medicinal powder is very rare and very special.
Are you sure you want to use it on this man?” Debbie asked. “We
would need the whole bottle.”
“If one of us gets wounded later, we won’t have any

powder left for us,” Abigail explained.
“Yes, I’m sure!” Finn declared.
“No!” said the man. He breathed heavily for a moment
and then said, “I don’t want your help.”
“Why not?” asked Finn in bewilderment.
“It would be too embarrassing for people to know that
my enemy saved my life.”
Finn handed Debbie the bottle. She spoke as she took out
her bowl and some water. “Well, no worries then. We’re not
your enemies. We’re your friends.”
“I am not your friend,” the man said feebly.
“An enemy is someone who wants to hurt you,” Beric
said. “We want to help you, not hurt you.” The man didn’t
say anything as Debbie made a paste with the powder and
washed the wounds gently.
“We need bandages, or this won’t work,” she explained.
“The bandages need to hold the paste on and keep
continued pressure on the wounds. We had bandages in our
saddlebags. Unfortunately, the soldiers took everything we
had.”
Before anyone realized what he was doing, Finn had removed

his thick traveling tunic and had taken off his white long-sleeved
shirt. The sound of tearing material finally caught everyone’s
attention. “Finn!” Abigail said. “What are you doing?”
“I’m tearing my shirt into bandages,” he said as he tore another
long strip off his shirt. “I’m afraid it’s not too clean, though.”
“That’s OK,” Debbie said. “Do you see that tall plant over there
with long leaves, Abigail? If you bring me some of the leaves, I
can put them on top of the paste and then put the bandages on
top of the leaves. The leaves are clean, and then the bandages will
give the pressure we need.”
Finn put his tunic back on his bare skin. Then, holding all the
strips of his shirt, he walked over to Debbie and knelt down by
her.
The man looked at Finn with hard, angry eyes. “What are you
doing? Don’t you realize how cold it could get? Do you want to
freeze to death? I don’t need the help of a boy.”
Debbie started laying the soft, large leaves on the man’s
wounds and then wrapping them tightly as Finn spoke to him.
“My mother once told me a story about a bear attack, actually.
There was this young man who had fought off a wolf with
his bare hands, and he felt he was so brave. He snubbed the
gentleness of his mother and felt he was too good to do chores
around the house to help her—”
Finn continued the story as Debbie expertly dressed the man’s
wounds and as Beric and Abigail started working on making a
type of stretcher. Surprisingly, the man did not interrupt Finn’s
story.
Everyone was pulled into the story, and each was

surprised at the ending when the gentle mother saved her
son’s life during a bear attack. The love shown by the mother
at the end of the story was so moving that Debbie wiped a
tear from her eye, but the man simply turned his head away
from Finn.
“All right!” Debbie declared. “All the wounds are cleaned
and bound. The bleeding has stopped. There was enough
Aspilia for all the serious wounds. However, this man will
not be able to walk for at least ten days, and he needs some
nourishing food.”
Beric and Abigail held up the makeshift stretcher.
“Let’s get him to the shelter of the overhanging cliff then,”
Beric said.
90
PHONICS
ALLY Can Say /lee/

the words.
electronically dramatically tragically
OUS Can Say /us/

Read to the child: OUS can say /us/. Read the words in
purple.
h a za rd o u s humorous
haz ard ous hu mor ous
AR can say /er/ OR can say /er/
s i m u l ta n e o u s spontaneous
si mul ta ne ous spon ta ne ous
ve n o m o u s desirous
ven om ous des i rous
Challenging Words

91
Chapter 12: The Shelter
It took two painstaking hours to get the soldier to the

overhanging cliff, even though it wasn’t far. Both Beric and
Abigail were worn out. They were also frustrated with the
man, who had complained whenever he was accidentally
jostled too much on the stretcher.
“I’m ready for some of that nourishing food,” the man
demanded when they got him settled in the shelter under
the overhanging cliff.
“We don’t have any,” Debbie said. “But we will go find
some.” She turned to Beric. “After losing so much blood, this
man needs to be kept as warm as possible.”
As quickly as they could, they built a fire and then had
Maximus lie against the man, who fell asleep quickly. Beric
graciously laid his tunic over the man.
A painful tightening of Finn’s stomach told him that he
needed more food. He offered a silent prayer for help so that
they might find the food they needed.
They split up, Debbie and Finn going to forage for food,
and Beric and Abigail going back to the bear.
The group had already discussed the blessing the bear would
be. They would have meat to eat, and the bear skin would provide
the extra warmth they needed to continue their journey.
However, getting the meat and bear skin was a lot of work.
Even though they were already exhausted, Abigail and Beric
worked steadily, taking several trips back and forth from the bear
to the shelter, carrying meat and skin on the stretcher that they
had made.
In the meantime, Debbie and Finn wandered around their
new camp, searching for something other than green weeds to
eat.
“Chestnuts!” cried Debbie when she spotted the large, glossy
nuts scattered on the ground. “Unbelievable! Chestnuts are
delicious and filling. Hurry, let’s gather as many as we can.”
Since Finn had no shirt under his tunic, Debbie took her tunic
off and laid it on the ground. They collected a huge pile of dark
brown, glossy chestnuts on the tunic and then gathered it into a
bundle.
On their way back to the shelter, Debbie was delighted to find
oyster mushrooms and a plant called lady’s thumb.
Seeing the sun sink lower and lower in the sky, the group
knew they needed to hurry with their preparations.
Chapter 12: The Shelter 93
As Beric finished covering the bear meat and skin with

a huge mound of rocks several yards away from the shelter,
Finn chopped firewood with Abigail’s hatchet. Now he had
quite a nice little stack of wood piled against the back wall of
the cave.
“I wanted to make soup tonight,” Abigail said, “but
we don’t have a pot. We’ll have to settle for roasting the
chestnuts in coals and cooking some bear meat on some flat
rocks that we can put next to the fire. We have to cook the
meat really well for it to be safe to eat.”
“And we have some delicious green weeds!” Finn
declared, causing Beric to laugh.
“I’m praying for no wind or rain tonight,” Abigail said.
“This overhang is nice, but we have a lot more work to do to
make this shelter truly protective against wind and rain.”
As the smell of dinner filled the air, Beric was nowhere
to be found. Finally, he returned with a huge armful of thin
pine roots. “Will you help me make this into rope?” he
asked Abigail.
“Sure. What is the rope for?” she asked.
Beric sighed. “Unfortunately, we are going to have to bind

the soldier’s hands and feet in another day or two. I know he
is wounded, but we also have to protect ourselves. He seems
quite hostile and could potentially be dangerous.”
Nodding her agreement, Abigail took some pine roots
and started helping Beric.
Bright stars were starting to dot the darkening sky by the
time they finished their dinner.
Finally, Finn’s stomach felt full and satisfied. After
heaving a huge, contented sigh, he looked over at the soldier
lying on the cold, hard ground. The man had finally woken
up. Finn noticed that Beric had not taken his tunic back,
even though the night air was chilly. He also noticed that the
man had bright blue eyes.
“I wish we had bedding for you,” he said to the man. “You
must be in a lot of pain. I’m sorry we can’t make you more
comfortable.”
The soldier remained silent.
“I have an idea,” Abigail said. She emptied out her cloth
bag and filled it with Finn’s leather gloves, her wool mittens,
and plant leaves.
Chapter 12: The Shelter 95
“A pillow!” she said, propping up the man’s head and placing

the pillow under it.
Again, the man said nothing, but Finn thought he could see
the man’s face relax a little.
“You will freeze without your tunic tonight, Beric,” Abigail
whispered.
“Wait a minute,” Beric replied. “I have something.”
Beric got up and brought a long tree trunk close to the fire.
“I brought this dead trunk up to the cliff earlier. We are going to
create a long fire, long enough to burn all night. I’ll be okay if I
can be by the fire.”
It had been a very long day, and everyone was exhausted. The
soldier had already drifted back to sleep. Once the long fire was
made, everyone got as close to it as possible. They kept Maximus
by the side of the wounded soldier, knowing how much warmth
the dog offered.
Even with the fire and his warm hat, Finn still felt a little cold.
He now realized how much warmth his long-sleeved shirt had
given him under his tunic. The man has been so ungrateful and
grumpy, thought Finn. He didn’t even thank me for anything.
But Finn knew that he couldn’t start feeling angry toward the
man. Mother taught me to avoid hatred and anger like poison, he
thought. He also remembered something his mother had said to
him once: “One of the best ways to avoid being angry at someone
is to serve them.”
Finn looked over at the strips of his shirt that were now
bandages, and he knew he had done the right thing.
Staring off into the star-filled, glittering sky, Finn felt a heavy
tiredness wash over him. He closed his eyes and wondered, What
are we going to do with this soldier when he is well enough to travel
again?
96

PHONICS
ATE Can Say /it/

Read to the child: ATE can say /it/. Read the words.
considerate immediately accurate
appropriate desolate
ap pro pri ate des o late
I can say /ee/ O can say /uh/
pomegranate corporate
pom e gran ate cor po rate
E can say /uh/ O can say /uh/
ANT Can Say /ent/

Read to the child: ANT can say /ent/. Read the words.
applicant significant participant
SS Can Say /sh/

Read to the child: SS can say /sh/. Read the words.
session permission compassion

discussion pressure percussion
97
Chapter 13: Work
“Looks like we are blessed with another sunny, warm

day,” Abigail declared when everyone woke up.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do, though,” Debbie
commented. “This nice weather is not likely to last.”
“Well, put us to work!” Finn suggested considerately.
After giving out several assignments to each person,
Debbie attended to the soldier, who could not yet even sit
up. As Finn swept twigs and stones out of the shelter with a
pine branch, he watched Debbie lift the man’s head and help
him take sips from her wooden bowl.
“What is it?” the man asked.
“Pine needle tea. It’s safe and very nutritious,” Debbie
assured him. “We want to do all we can to help your body,”
Debbie said compassionately.
On the large, flat rock Finn had put by the fire, Debbie
cooked the fragrant mushrooms and lady’s thumb greens.
Finn thought it was actually quite a flavorful and satisfying
breakfast.
Throughout the day, Finn was amazed to watch the
transformation that took place in the shelter.
Chapter 1
The Dragon’s House
For hours, Beric brought in long sticks, logs, piles and piles
of large and medium rocks, heaps of dry grass, and mounds of
reddish dirt.
After chopping up the dry grass with the hatchet, Beric mixed
it in the dirt. Abigail had been collecting water from the stream
trickling down the cliff. She poured it on the dirt, and Beric
mixed it with a big stick.
Then Beric began making a stone structure for the fire that
would let the warmth into the shelter but keep the smoke out. It
was also somewhat like a stove—flat on top of the fire so that they
could cook things. Finn was amazed at how skillfully Beric used
the stones and the cement-like mud.
When his stone structure was done, Beric began laying logs
against the outside of the shelter, putting them as close together
as he could. Then, he laid long sticks on the logs. Later, he
collected pine boughs, which he placed on top of the sticks, and
then he stuffed moss and leaves into all the cracks.
Meanwhile, Abigail was working on the bear meat, cutting it
into thin slices, which would be smoked over the fire. When she
had enough meat cut up, she turned her attention to the bear
hide, working on it the rest of the day.
Chapter 1
The Dragon’s House
Debbie took several trips into nearby areas to forage,

bringing in significant amounts of chestnuts, berries,
mushrooms, roots, and greens.
Under Debbie’s guidance, Finn worked on making pots
and bowls by placing hot coals on large- and medium-sized
chunks of wood and burning out holes. Continually, he had
to take out the coals when they cooled down, scrape out the
burned part, and then put in more hot coals.
It took a considerable amount of time to make the pots
and bowls, but Finn was pleased with the results. When
waiting for the coals to burn the wood, he stripped sprays
of feathery evergreens off extra boughs that Beric had
gathered. He also gathered huge piles of dry leaves and pine
needles onto their handmade stretcher and dragged several
loads into the shelter.
The soldier slept the entire day, except when Debbie

woke him to eat and drink. At times he moaned in his sleep,
obviously still in much pain.
That night, Finn couldn’t see the stars, but it was much
warmer in the shelter. Not only did the leaves and pine
needles make the ground beneath him softer, but they also
shielded him from the cold.
With full stomachs and warmer beds, the entire group
slept better and longer that night.
Wispy gray clouds scuttled across the sky the next
morning, and the group worked as fast as they could, not
knowing how long it would be until the weather worsened.
Abigail continued making the bear hide into two
blankets, which was a long and difficult process. Debbie
used twigs and plants to make two baskets to tie onto their
backs when they traveled again. She then used the baskets
to collect pine cones, hickory nuts, more chestnuts, a variety
of herbs and greens, and blue elderberries. Beric brought
logs and sticks to Finn, who chopped them into firewood
and stacked them along the walls of the shelter. Finn also
collected water in the flasks, while Beric whittled some
cooking utensils.
Chapter 13: Work 101
With all the supplies and the bear hide in the shelter now, it
felt crowded, but Finn felt immensely grateful for a dry place
where they could cook, eat, and sleep.
At dusk, they all made their way into the shelter. Soon
afterward a fine, misty rain began to fall. Before long, it picked
up, and the shelter proved to keep out the rain and the wind.
When Finn woke the next morning, he was surprised to see
the soldier sitting up.
The soldier didn’t say anything as Beric tied up his hands and
feet.
It rained off and on all day and was quite dark in the shelter.
By the light of the fire, the group worked on drying berries and
mushrooms and getting pine nuts out of the pine cones.
After an early evening meal, there was no work to be done,
and everyone was feeling quite bored.
Beric tried to get the soldier to talk, but he wouldn’t, except to
ask them repeatedly what they were doing and what their journey
was all about. Of course, they didn’t give him any information
and were careful about what they said.
“All right,” Abigail said, turning to Finn. “I could really use
something relaxing and inspiring. Will you tell us another story?”
Finn thought for a moment. “You know, I think I’ve told you
all the stories my mother has told me. She used the same stories
over and over again.”
“Well, make up your own!” Beric boomed.
Finn shrugged. “OK, just give me a few minutes to think about
it.”
102

PHONICS
ER Can Say /ear/

red i in each of the words makes the long E sound. Inferior is
the opposite of superior. Interior means inside.


severe inferior severely

sev ere in fer i or sev ere ly
interior material experienced

in ter i or ma ter i al ex per i enced

OUR Can Say /er/
Read to the child: OUR can say /er/. Read the words.
j o u r n ey c o u r te sy d i s c o u ra g e
nourish s c o u rg e journalist
103
Chapter 14: Finn’s Story
Everyone was silent and still as Finn lay back on his bed of
leaves and pine boughs and tried to think of a story. The fire
crackled lightly, but the pattering of rain had stopped. Little gusts
of wind whistled periodically outside the shelter.
I’ve never made up a story, Finn thought. I don’t know if I can.
His mind seemed blank.
Startling Finn, a sound suddenly sliced through the stillness
of the night: the loud, bold screech of an owl. Finn thought of a
falcon he had seen that day, and his mind started whirling with
ideas: a king and queen long ago, a family with three sons, a
contest, a majestic ice falcon.
“I’ve got it!” Finn declared as he shot up into a sitting position.
“I have a story . . . I think.”
Abigail clapped her hands and snuggled down by her
husband, Beric. “Wonderful! Please tell us, Finn.”
Everyone looked expectantly at Finn. As he began, he
was amazed to feel the story come alive in his mind and flow
smoothly into words. The words wrapped around everyone in the
shelter and drew each person instantly into the story.
Long ago, there was a land of hills carpeted in golden grass.
Scattered through the hills, dozens of gray, rocky plateaus rose
sharply from the ground. Like wreaths, feathery evergreen forests
circled the bottom of each plateau. On the largest plateau stood a
white, sparkling castle that happily waved its blue flags.
Carved into the steep cliffs, an ancient road wound its way up to the
castle’s massive iron gate, which stood tightly closed every day except
Friday.
“Why is the gate open on Fridays?” Abigail asked.

“Shhh! Let him tell the story! You’re breaking his
momentum!” the wounded soldier snapped, surprising
everyone. It was the first time he’d spoken in two days.
“His momentum?” Abigail asked.
“Yes,” replied the soldier. “I’m very interested in stories. I
like to be entertained. I’ve listened to storytellers from wide
and far, and never have I heard a story beginning that has
pulled me in so quickly or painted a scene so vividly. Let’s
hear the rest of this story without interruptions from you.”
The group was stunned by the man’s rudeness.
After a moment of silence, Abigail said gently, “It would
be polite if you said please.”
“I don’t say please to anyone,” the man stated gruffly.
“I don’t tell stories to people who don’t say ‘please,’” Finn
declared firmly but kindly.
The man sighed deeply and sat there for a full twenty
seconds before saying quietly and a little mockingly, “Please,
most gracious madame, would you be so kind as not to
interrupt the story any further?”
Chapter 14: Finn’s Story 105
Abigail smiled and decided to use good-hearted humor

in reply instead of being offended by the soldier’s mocking
tone. “Why, yes, good and most noble sir. I would be deeply
honored to fulfill your request.”
Debbie and Beric chuckled. The soldier shook his head,
but Finn saw the hint of a smile on his face.
Gathering his thoughts, Finn continued the story.
The king and queen didn’t believe in taking money from the
people for their own living, so all week the king and queen worked
hard to both run the kingdom and tend the castle’s magnificent
gardens and pomegranate orchards.
Every Friday the great iron gate was swung wide open, and
anyone and everyone in the kingdom was invited to a grand
market on the castle grounds where the king and queen sold their
pomegranates, flowers, and vegetables. They also invited farmers
and craftsmen to sell their wares. The people loved the king and
queen so much that they took turns cleaning and maintaining the
interior and exterior of the castle when they came on Fridays.
During that time, gifts and donations to help fund the castle’s
upkeep were also left by the people.
One fine Friday during springtime, when the road to the castle
was lined with blossoming trees, hundreds of people made their
way up the steep, winding road, pushing carts that were laden
with baskets and crates.
However, as the people poured through the great gate, they

quickly noticed that something was different about this day.
The king and queen had not set out their wares, and the market
was closed off. Assistants of the king were directing people to
the vast lawn below the castle’s second-floor balcony.
Once everyone was assembled, the king appeared on the
balcony, his red cape flowing around him. With a delicate gold
crown upon her head and her pale pink dress trailing behind
her, the noble, gentle queen accompanied her husband.
A hushed silence blanketed the crowd, and all was still.
“Dear citizens, thank you for hearing my words today,” the
king began. “After I speak, we will open the market. As you all
well know, my wife and I were not blessed with children. We
have been too old to bear children for many years. Traveling has
been a dream of ours, and we will be too old to do so unless
we leave soon.” The king then put his arm around his wife’s
shoulder and urged her to speak.
“We feel it is time to turn the kingdom over to a new king
and queen,” she declared in a gentle yet regal voice. “Since we
have no child to inherit the throne, we now invite Sir Garrett,
the leader of our kingdom’s elected council, to come and read
the laws of the kingdom that guide us in this situation.”
A tall man with short black hair and a small, pointed beard
came forward and unrolled a scroll. After clearing his throat, he
read from the scroll with his booming voice.
Chapter 14: Finn’s Story 107
“If the king and queen both die, or if the king and the queen
both wish to pass along the kingdom, and they have no heirs, the
following procedure should be followed. First, the kingdom’s council
chooses a trusted, respected family from the kingdom. Then the
king and queen choose one of the family’s sons or daughters to
inherit the throne.”
The man stopped reading from the scroll and looked up at the
crowd. “The council has chosen the Oakley family, who has three
young adult sons.”
Like a flood, excited voices burst out in the crowd. What news
this was! What a shock this was! But the news was agreeable to
the citizens, for the Oakley family was well admired. The sons in
the family were known for their expertise in catching and training
top-quality falcons.
A sudden downpour of rain outside the shelter drowned

out Finn’s voice, so he stopped his story. “I’ll finish it
tomorrow,” he said. “I think we are all getting tired anyway.”
As Finn lay down and closed his eyes, he thought of his
mother and father and also his neighbor, Charlotte. They
need our help, he thought. He also touched the pouch with
the red diamond and wondered if it would play a part in
their journey.
108
PHONICS
ALLY Can Say /lee/

Read to the child: ALLY can say /lee/. Read the words in
purple, which might be unfamiliar words, so you have to
decode the words with phonics principles. You can use this
same decoding process to read unfamiliar words when
reading on your own, rather than skipping the words.
sarcastically erratically
sar cas tic ally er rat ic ally
vertically classically
ver tic ally class ic ally
stereotypically whimsically
ster e o typ ic ally whim sic ally
ER can say /air/ Y can say the short I sound
Read to the child: ALLY can also say /uh–lee/. Read the
words.
accidentally additionally originally

Review from Timothy of the 10th Floor.
Challenging Words
iron stomach acre ancient

licorice ballet canoe leopard
109
Chapter 15: Justin the Just
Finn had trouble falling asleep after telling part of his story.
Finally, when he was starting to drift off, a noise made him open
his eyes. In the firelight, he saw the wounded soldier trying to
work the ropes off his hands. It quickly became apparent to the
soldier that the ropes were not coming off, so he gave up, but he
saw Finn watching him.
“I know what your group is doing,” the soldier whispered so
quietly Finn barely heard him. “I’ve heard of this Journey of Five.
What surprises me is why they chose you five.”
Looking around and listening, Finn realized everyone else was
asleep. Not wanting to give the man any information, Finn chose
not to respond to the man’s comment, but he did ask him some
questions.
“I saw you peeking around a tree when we were surrounded
by soldiers. What were you doing? Why were you spying on those
soldiers?”
The man simply turned his head, and Finn eventually closed
his eyes again and fell asleep.
Light, misty rain greeted the group in the morning. Finn
sighed when he sat up, knowing that they wouldn’t be leaving the
shelter anytime soon.
After a breakfast of oyster mushrooms, berries, and wild
greens, the group lost no time in asking Finn to continue his
story. He was excited to get the story going again.
The king and the queen invited the three Oakley sons to their
castle the next day. Bryce, Forester, and Justin were all close in
age, but they didn’t look alike.
Bryce was tall and handsome, with striking eyes the color of
the ocean. Forester was stocky and strong, with deep green eyes
the color of the forest. And Justin was thin and short with hair
that always seemed to poke up on the back of his head.
Of course, the sons had heard that one of them was going to
be appointed as the new king, but they wondered, as did all the
kingdom, how the king and queen would choose their heir.
Assuredly, it was deeply important to the king and queen to
choose the most noble, qualified Oakley son to take their place, so
they had made a plan. Each boy would go into the wilderness on a
journey to catch the finest young falcon he could. The king’s friend,
Theodore, would travel with them to observe and report back to
the king. To help prepare their food and shelters, the king also sent
his gardener, Wesley, as their attendant.
Forester went on his journey first. The kingdom cheered when
he returned in five days with a saker falcon, which was, indeed, a
valuable falcon.
Bryce went second. It was only four days until he returned and
astonished the kingdom by presenting the king with an ice falcon.
The majestic, white ice falcon had not been seen by any citizen for
generations.
Justin went last. After two weeks, the citizens worried. Why
Chapter 15: Justin the Just 111
was Justin gone so long? After three weeks, the king and queen
fretted. What had happened to Justin and Theodore, who was
observing him, and their helper, Wesley?
Finally, after four weeks, Justin returned. The kingdom was
soon all abuzz with the shocking, sad news that Justin had not
been able to capture a falcon. Yes, he was an expert falconer like
his brothers, but he told the king and queen that, although he had
searched high and low, there just had been no young falcons on his
journey.
So the time came for Theodore to report his observations from
the journeys of the three sons. On a Friday the castle gates swung
wide open, and the citizens poured in, eager to hear Theodore’s
account.
The king asked Theodore to report specifically on one question:
How had each of the Oakley brothers treated Wesley?
Wesley? thought the crowd. Why does it matter how Wesley
was treated? He was just the attendant to carry baggage, cook,
set up, and take down camp.
Theodore had everyone’s attention as he spoke to the king and
queen in front of the crowd.
“Forester was a little impatient and a little demanding at

times toward Wesley,” Theodore started. “To me, who would be
reporting back to the king, he was gracious in every way, taking
every opportunity to show me his bravery and strength.”
“What about Bryce?” asked the queen.
“Bryce was not unkind to Wesley,” Theodore reported. “But he
practically ignored him except when he needed something. And he
did not thank Wesley for his help.”
“And what about Justin?” asked the king.
Theodore smiled. “Justin treated Wesley like royalty. He

learned all about him and his life, thanked him constantly for his
help, and even went out of his way to say and do thoughtful things
for Wesley.”
With huge smiles, the king and the queen looked at each other
and nodded.
The queen turned to the crowd and spoke. “This journey was
not to test bravery or strength or skill in falconry. This journey
was a test to find the man who treats people with true love and
kindness, for that man will be the most noble and just king you
could have. We have chosen your next king: Justin Oakley.”
The crowd burst into applause and cried, “Justin the Just!”
Even Forester and Bryce cheered, for they knew the decision was
wise. For the rest of their lives, they strove to follow the example
of their brother Justin, and they, too, became men who treated all
people with kindness. And thus ends the story of Justin the Just.
With his story done, Finn moved closer to the fire and
warmed his hands.
“Finn,” Debbie said, “that was a remarkable story.”
“It was an incredibly remarkable story,” Beric agreed.
Abigail turned toward the soldier with a huge smile. “I
didn’t interrupt the story, just as I promised.”
The soldier only grunted.

“Did you like the story?” Abigail asked the soldier.
“I . . . don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never heard a story like that.”
It rained all day, and the group convinced Finn to continue
telling the story of Justin the Just. Ideas flowed out of Finn’s
mouth: adventures and mysteries and even humorous stories
about Justin’s noble reign as king.
Right after their dinner of bear meat and chestnuts, Abigail
stood up.
“Listen!” she whispered.
The group could hear a faint roaring sound, and Beric and
Abigail went out of the shelter to investigate.
“It’s the river!” Abigail reported once inside. “It’s flowing
again. The villagers must be desperate to have paid again so soon.
Oh, the poor villagers. They must have nothing left!”
“I’m having a hard time understanding why you soldiers are
doing this,” Beric said, turning to the soldier. “Who is leading
you? Why and how are you stopping the river?”
With a hard look on his face, the soldier turned his head and
was silent.
That night, Finn was having trouble sleeping again and heard
the soldier trying to remove the ropes from his hands.
“I see what you are doing,” Finn whispered. “You’d better stop,
or I’ll wake up Beric.”
The man stopped. Then he replied softly, “I think your stories
about Justin the Just are all wrong.”
“What do you mean?” Finn whispered back.
“In all the stories that I have heard, it is the brave and strong
man, the cunning and ambitious man, who is the great one. I’ve
never heard stories like these.”
“Well, maybe you would be different if you had grown up

with these kinds of stories,” Finn said.
“What do you mean by that?” asked the soldier quietly.
“Well,” explained Finn, “do you think you would consider
me an enemy and take advantage of other people unfairly if
you had grown up hearing the kind of stories I tell? If Justin
the Just had been your hero as a child, maybe you would see
true greatness differently.”
Finn had no idea what was going on in the soldier’s mind
because the man never answered him. Finn snuggled closer
to Maximus and fell asleep.
Seven hours later, the cave rang with Beric’s voice,
startling everyone awake. “He’s gone!”
“Who’s gone?” Abigail said sleepily, wiping her eyes.
“The soldier!” Beric cried.
116
PHONICS

CH Can Say /sh/
Read to the child: CH can say /sh/. Read the words.
chef machine Michelle

chaperone chandelier mustache
pistachio Chicago machinery
ER Can Say /air/

Read to the child: ER usually says /er/ as in HER, but it can say
/air/ as in TERRIBLE. Read the words.
terror Jerry inherited

heritage therapy prosperity
ceremony generic inheritance
C is soft before G is soft before ANCE can say
E, I, or Y E, I, or Y /ence/

Bondage means being under the control of another person.
The Egyptians were in bondage to Pharaoh.
Inkling means a slight suggestion or hint.

I had no inkling that Ed was upset; he seemed happy.
117
Chapter 16: Moving Again
Finn glanced beside himself and saw that the soldier’s bed
was, indeed, empty.
“Unbelievable!” Abigail said. “That man could not possibly
walk on his wounded leg without a lot of pain.”
Debbie went near the fire and picked up a sharp rock and
the discarded ropes that had been on the soldier. “It looks to me
like he must have scooted over here and used one of these sharp
rocks to rub his ropes on until they broke. Then he was able to
use his hands to untie the ropes on his legs.”
The group left the shelter and blinked in the sunlight of a
clear, bright morning. Everyone looked around.
“There are his tracks in the mud,” Beric pointed out.
“There he is!” cried Finn, pointing to the south.
From the higher ground of the hillside, the group could see
the man limping heavily down the trail.
“He’s moving so terribly slow,” Debbie said. “Look how he is
practically dragging his wounded leg behind him.”
“He is determined not to be in bondage,” Beric said.
“I think we should leave as quickly as possible,” Debbie
suggested. “The soldier is moving slowly, but he knows where all
the soldiers’ camps are, and once he gets to one, he is sure to tell
them where we are.”
Quickly, the group packed and filled their water flasks.
Gratefully, they noticed that the soldier had not taken any of
their provisions.
It feels so good to be moving forward in our journey again, Finn
thought as the group headed out.
With the storm now moved out, everything seemed fresh

and alive, especially to the group who had been stuck in the
shelter for days. The air smelled of damp soil. Many little
puddles sparkled in the sun, and deep green pine trees stood
out boldly against the pale blue sky.
“We can’t take the trail anymore since the soldier knows
what trail we were on,” Debbie said. “Also, let’s avoid the
mud so we don’t leave tracks. If caught, we will likely end up
in bondage.”
The group faithfully followed Debbie as she walked in a
zigzag manner toward the river that rushed and swirled a
little way in the distance. They walked on rocky areas and
carpets of leaves and pine cones.
Once at the river, they started following it north.
Turning a corner, Debbie pointed ahead. “Look, you can
see the tops of the Mountains of Mist now.”
Finn gazed at the mountaintops in awe. They were
majestic with their craggy, snow-capped peaks surrounded
by swirling clouds. Then, Finn’s heart sank. I could never
make it that far, he thought. Before this trip, he had never
walked much farther than to the town square or up the hill
by his home to gather firewood.The group had stopped, and
Maximus’s head perked up. He bounded off the trail into
Chapter 16: Moving Again 119
the grove of trees nearby and quickly returned, barking and

walking back and forth from the group to the grove of trees.
“I think he wants us to go into the grove,” Finn said.
“I think you’re right,” Debbie replied. “I can’t imagine
why, but let’s go check it out.”
Not far into the grove, Finn heard some bushes moving,
and then he saw a gray form.
“It’s a horse!” Finn shouted.
“What is a horse doing in here?” Abigail questioned.
Gently, Finn patted and calmed the nervous horse. “Oh,
his reins are caught in the branches. There’s a little stream
right by the horse. He must have come in here for a drink.”
“Look! There’s a saddle and a saddlebag,” Beric pointed
out. “This is not a wild horse.”
Debbie gasped. “I bet this is the wounded soldier’s horse.
He told us that his horse had been scared by the bear and
had run off.”
In the saddlebags, they found dried meat, a small pot, a
water flask filled with apple cider, and some hard crackers
that were wrapped well and were still dry.
Two wool blankets were also tied to the horse, covered in a

large tarp, so they were still dry.
“We can use this tarp to help with a shelter at night,” Debbie
said. “We can also tie our baskets of chestnuts and berries to the
horse.”
“And Finn can ride the horse,” Abigail said, and the others
nodded.
Both excitement and worry filled Finn’s heart. Oh, I would love
to ride and not slow down the group, he thought. But the others
should be able to ride, especially Aunt Debbie.
“What if I ride half the day and Aunt Debbie rides half the
day?” Finn offered.
“That’s OK,” Debbie said carefully. “I’m quite used to walking
very long distances. I’d like you to use the horse.”
Finn felt a little anger rise in him. They all think that I need
extra help. Because of my foot, no one else gets to rest upon a horse.
It’s not fair to them. I won’t do it.
“No,” Finn said a little more harshly than he liked. “I will only
ride the horse half the day. Aunt Debbie shall ride the other half
of the day. I will move even faster than I have been moving on
this journey. I don’t need the horse all day.”
After a slight pause, everyone nodded lightly.
“Well, up you go!” Beric said to Debbie. “Why don’t you take
your turn first?”
With all his might, Finn tried to move faster as the group
continued on. He did go a little faster, but he stumbled and fell
twice. Now he had a badly bruised knee and a stinging scrape on
his hand. After two hours of walking, Finn’s hip muscles felt like
they were on fire.
“Perhaps you should just ride the horse,” Beric told Finn
quietly after Finn had fallen again.
Chapter 16: Moving Again 121
Finn shook his head stubbornly.

When the group stopped for a break to drink from their
flasks, Finn was relieved to sit down.
“I think I’ll put one of these bear skins on the horse,”
Abigail said. “I don’t have any rope, but I think I can strap it
in here with the wool blankets.”
A minute later, Abigail cried, “Look! It’s a message.”
From inside the wool blankets, she pulled out a sheet of
thick parchment paper and read aloud.
King Fergus,
O great ruler, I send you my update for the week.
The people of this land know we are stopping the water
somehow and are forcing them to pay, but they do not have
any inkling of our great plans to take over their land. They
are not resisting as we start to build forts in the towns. To
conquer us, they have sent a group of four people and a big
dog—the Journey of Five. Their plans are laughable. They
are unarmed, and one of the members of the group walks
with a limp. I should also tell you that some soldiers are
becoming disgruntled toward you, but do not fear; we’ll
punish those speaking negatively.
Sincerely,
Lord Michigan
122
PHONICS

Read to the child: I can make the long E sound. Read the
name of each country. Whenever an i is red in this book, it
makes the long E sound.
Estonia
Slovakia
Latvia
Croatia
Cro a tia Romania
Albania Bulgaria
AR can say /air/
Syria
Y can make the
short I sound in the
Nigeria middle of a word
er can say /ear/
Ethiopia
Zambia
Challenging Words
choir message debt peculiar

nutritious hallelujah aroma pierce
123
Chapter 17: Nora
Astonished by the contents of the letter, Finn and the group

discussed their new knowledge and their new questions.
“Well, it sounds like the soldiers are led by someone named
King Fergus,” Debbie stated. “I wonder if the wounded soldier
had been carrying this message from Lord Michigan to the
king?”
Abigail stood up abruptly. “We must go! More than ever, this
journey must succeed, and we must not lose any time. King
Fergus and his soldiers have bigger plans than we thought—even
though we don’t know what they are.”
Finn was feeling embarrassed that the letter had mentioned
his limp.
“It’s your turn on the horse,” Debbie said to Finn.
“No,” Finn said firmly. “It hasn’t been half the day.”
Debbie frowned slightly.
Suddenly, Finn thought of Justin the Just from his story. Justin
had acted humbly, caring more about his people than himself.
Deep inside, Finn knew he was being prideful and stubborn, and
thus, he was slowing down his group.
“Wait!” Finn called to Debbie as she started to get on the
horse. “I’m not being humble and helping the group as much as I
can. I’m not being like Justin the Just. If I ride the horse the whole
day, we can go much faster, and this journey is so important. If
you are sure, Aunt Debbie, that you are very used to walking,
then I will ride.”
“I’m absolutely sure,” Debbie said with a tender smile, stepping
down from the horse. “It’s a wise choice, Finn.”
With Finn on the horse, the group moved much more

quickly. For two days, they traveled directly toward the
Mountains of Mist, keeping off any main roads and feeling
grateful for the clear, warmer weather.
At the end of the second day, exhausted and hungry, the
group was quite near the base of the mountains. With haste,
the group made camp before dark descended. They were
at a higher altitude now, and the air was colder. Finn knew
he’d be warmer if he hadn’t given his shirt to be used for
bandages, but he focused on being grateful for the bear-hide
blankets.
The next morning, the group packed and then stood
together, the Mountains of Mist looming before them.
Debbie spoke. “These mountains extend far to the east
and the west. A narrow valley goes through the mountains,
but that is where the soldiers built their road, right by the
river. Obviously, we need to stay far from the road.”
Beric spoke up. “In fact, I don’t think we can go into the
valley at all. It’s too narrow.”
Finn gazed at the mountains in awe. Many of the tallest
peaks were hidden in swirling mist. “Will we go over the
mountains? Surely we couldn’t make that journey!”
“I don’t know,” Debbie responded. “I don’t think we can
go over the mountains either.”
“Oh, Finn, I’m remembering your story,” Abigail said. “It’s the
one about the young woman having to break the boulder in half.
It seemed impossible, but she asked for God’s help, and He made
a way for her. Nothing is impossible to God.”
“Ah, I agree with my wise wife,” Beric said. “Should we join
together in prayer?”
The group bowed their heads and prayed for direction and
help as the golden morning sunlight washed over them.
“I feel peace and comfort,” Debbie explained after the prayer,
“but I still do not have any ideas. Do any of you?”
They all shook their heads. “Then I vote that we just continue
toward the mountains and see what happens when we get closer
to them,” Debbie proposed. “I think God will guide us when it’s
time if we keep moving forward in faith.”
Nodding their agreement, everyone fell in line behind Debbie,
and the group began moving forward.
Late in the afternoon, Maximus trotted in front of the group,
his big ears flopping. He barked a few times and then started
running forward and then back to the group and then forward
again.
“He wants us to follow him again,” Beric said.
Bursting into a clearing, the group suddenly stopped.
A woman with gray streaks in her brown hair sat on a log,
grimacing in pain. Finn noticed that she was not dressed the
way that he was used to seeing villagers dress. He also noticed a
white-and-brown llama close to her that was laden with packs
and a large basket.
“Hello,” Debbie called. “You look like you’re in pain.”
The woman nodded. “Yes, I am afraid that I stepped on a rock
and badly twisted my ankle this morning. I can hardly walk on
it, but I can’t just stay here in the wilderness until it heals. Since
llamas aren’t strong enough to ride, I have been trying to walk.
I’m afraid I’ve made it worse. I don’t think I can walk another
step now.”
Chapter 17: Nora 127
“May we ask your name, where you are from, and where
you are headed?” Debbie inquired.
“I’m Nora from Cradle Mountain. My son came here
with all the soldiers. I’m widowed,” she raised her chin with
determination, “so I’m coming to live with my son.
“Cradle Mountain?” Debbie asked. “Where is that?”
“It’s quite far from here—a four-week journey by foot. I
have no horse, only my trusty llama to carry my pack and
food. I think I am only half a day’s journey from the main
road, where I can get help, but I don’t know how I can go on
with my ankle like this.”
Finn’s heart went out to the woman, who looked so lonely and
scared.
“Well, let’s get that foot of yours taken care of,” Debbie said,
searching in her bag. “Finn, please gather some of the small sticks
around the log so we can make a fire,” she instructed.
With her supplies, Debbie mashed comfrey [KUM–free] root
that she had found the day before.
Excited about the llama, Finn went over to pet it. As he was
doing so, he saw the woman reach down by the logs and pick
something up—a leather pouch. As she peered inside the bag,
Finn put his hand up to his chest. His pouch was gone. It must
have come loose and fallen off when I was leaning over to pick up
sticks for firewood. Finn froze, unable to move or say anything.
“I’m guessing this pouch belongs to someone?” Nora
questioned, holding up the pouch.
“It’s mine.” Finn found his voice and managed to limp over
and retrieve the pouch with trembling hands.
She saw what was in it, and she gave it back to me, Finn
thought in amazement.
As Finn partially opened his tunic to put the pouch back on,
Nora gazed at him.
“Why . . . you have no shirt! Why do you have no shirt in this
weather?”
“It’s a long story,” Finn replied.
“I didn’t know you had a pouch under your tunic, Finn,” Beric
stated. “It’s so small. What’s in it?”
“Oh . . . I’ll tell you about it sometime—not now.”
Finn made the fire, and then Debbie boiled the mashed
comfrey. In the liquid, she soaked some cloth the woman gave
her.
Chapter 17: Nora 129
Finn saw Nora studying him curiously.

Of course she’s curious, Finn thought. I have a red
diamond valuable enough to buy a whole village.
Debbie worked on bandaging the woman’s leg. “Comfrey
root is wonderful for sprained ankles. It will help greatly
with the swelling and pain. Also, put your leg up on the log.
You should keep it elevated.”
“Well, what do we do now?” Abigail asked. “Nora won’t
be able to walk for days. We can’t leave her here.”
Quickly, Finn spoke up. “Let’s give her my horse.”
“We probably should,” Beric said, “but when she gets to
the road, she could tell the soldiers about us.”
Nora spoke. “I can tell that you are not of my people from
Cradle Mountain. Probably, my son is your enemy. But I
promise not to tell the soldiers about you.”
“How could we possibly trust that?” Beric asked.
Finn thought about the red diamond. “We can trust her,”
Finn stated confidently.
Although the group didn’t understand Finn’s remark,
they accepted his trust in Nora, and soon Nora was riding
off on the horse, the llama walking by her. Still without a
plan and now without a horse, the group continued on their
journey.
130
PHONICS
ER Can Say /air/

say /air/ as in INHERIT. Read the words.
terror prosperity Kerry

stereo therapy Erin
ceremony heritage inheritance
C is soft before AGE can say /ij/ ANCE can say
E, I, or Y /ence/
QUE Can Say /k/

makes the long E sound. CH can say /k/. Read the words.
technique grotesque unique plaque

Challenging Words
machine rhinoceros suite silhouette

coupon spaghetti meringue croissant

Turbulent means wild, violent, and disordered.
The turbulent water tossed the small boat to and fro.
World War I was a turbulent time.
131
Chapter 18: Stuck
Boom! The sound of thunder rolled across the land, echoing

and crackling against the mountains.
Finn sat up at the same time as the rest of the group, each of
them suddenly roused from sleep.
Blinking in the weak morning light of the gray sky, Finn
noticed the air felt heavy and damp. Suddenly another boom
of thunder pierced the morning air, this time softer and farther
away.
“The weather can change so suddenly,” Beric said, standing up
and searching the sky.
A single cold raindrop splashed on Finn’s head. “I felt rain,” he
declared.
“I see snow!” Abigail exclaimed, pointing to the mountains.
Finn turned his head and saw a thin layer of snow covering
the whole base of the mountain, and just a little way up the
mountain, the snow looked much deeper.
“Oh, dear,” Debbie said. “Getting through the mountains was
going to be hard enough, but with snow, it might be impossible—
and dangerous.”
“Well,” sang Abigail in a cheerful voice, “perhaps if we make
it to the top of the mountain, we can make sleds and save a lot of
time getting down the mountain!”
Everyone laughed, and Finn was grateful once again for the
way Abigail kept things positive.
After eating some nuts and the last of their dried meat, they
counseled together and decided that they really couldn’t attempt
going over the mountains.
Looking up at the turbulent sky again, Beric advised

the group, “At some point, I think it is going to really start
raining, and that rain is likely to turn into snow. We can’t
travel in a snowstorm, and we need a better shelter than we
can make with a small tarp and pine boughs.”
“We also need food. We have only some nuts left,” Debbie
verified.
“What if I go scout around the mountains?” Abigail
offered. “We’re at the base now, and we might find an
outcropping that would help with a shelter.”
“I’m coming with you,” Beric stated. “Let’s hurry!”
As soon as Abigail and Beric ran off, Maximus bounding
behind them, Finn and Debbie turned their attention to
finding some food. While Debbie foraged around the area,
Finn was fortunate to find a little pond not far from their
camp. We have fishing line and hooks, but what can I use for
bait? Finn wondered. Reaching down, he decided to search
under a big rock for a worm or other bug that could be
bait. To his surprise, he found a whole group of snails. He
remembered Debbie telling him years ago about snails and
how they often grouped together to hibernate under rocks
when it got cold.Knowing that this particular type of snail
was safe to eat, he turned over other rocks and was able to
Chapter 18: Stuck 133
find enough snails to fill a small basket. Also, using snails

as bait, a technique he’d learned from Debbie, he caught six
fish. After cleaning the fish, he threw them on the coals of
their fire, along with the remaining snails.
His success had him beaming, and Debbie was beaming,
too, as she came back to camp, having found an admirable
supply of honeycomb, acorns, and rose hips.
Just as a few flakes of snow swirled around Finn’s face,
Abigail, Beric, and Maximus came striding into camp.
“We found a cave!” announced Abigail. “It’s not going to
be easy to get there, but it will be a great shelter.”
Debbie shared some food with Abigail and Beric before
the group set out for the cave. After hiking slowly up the
snowy mountain for ten minutes, Abigail told Finn to veer
onto a wide trail that went alongside the mountain. With a
shiver, Finn stopped.
“I could stumble easily with my foot, especially in this
snow. I don’t think I can do this!” Finn called against the
wind, which was now screaming in his ears.
No one heard him, but Maximus sensed his fear and
moved by Finn, allowing him to hold on to his fur.
Chapter 18: Stuck 135
The biting wind reminded Finn that he had no shirt on under

his tunic. His mind turned to the wounded soldier whom they
had helped. He really slowed down our journey. I wonder if we did
the right thing? Instantly, Finn thought of Justin the Just. Even
though Justin was a fictional character, Finn knew that he would
have helped the wounded soldier.
Finally, the gaping opening of the cave appeared before
Finn. The group went in not a moment too soon. Huge feathery
snowflakes began to fall heavily outside, whirling wildly in the
fierce wind.
“It’s cold in here,” Abigail said as she led the group farther
into the cave, “but not quite as cold as outside, and the wind is
blocked when you go around this wall. Also, if that woman Nora
did decide to tell the soldiers about us, they are definitely not
going to find us here.”
It’s so dark in here, Finn thought. Debbie and I have candles,
but we need to save them in case of an emergency. No fire can be
built in here. This is miserable!
Abigail’s cheerful voice broke into his thoughts. “Ah, we have
bear-hide blankets and the wool blankets from the horse we
found. We can all huddle together tonight, and we won’t freeze.
And oh, Finn! How wonderful that you cooked so many fish.
What a blessing we have food! Oh, and honeycomb! We even
have honeycomb!”
Shaking his head, Finn smiled. I have to admit that Abigail
does cheer me up.
It was difficult for everyone, however, to spend the whole day
and night in the cave. The snow was falling so hard that it wasn’t
possible to leave. In the morning, Finn went around the wall and
peered out the cave entrance.
“It’s still snowing wildly,” he said.
As Finn rejoined the group, Maximus started to whine.

Confused, Finn watched the dog as he paced back and forth
nervously, still whining.
“This is so unlike him,” Debbie declared.
Then Finn felt and heard a low rumble that seemed to be
coming from the ground under him and the ceiling above
him. Rapidly, the rumble grew into deafening sounds of
smashing, sliding, roaring, and crashing.
Finn was startled to feel snow fly into his face and to
see snowflakes whirling around inside the cave. Then
everything was dark. The light from the cave entrance was
gone. The sounds outside the cave faded and finally died
out.
“What was that?” Finn cried in alarm.
“An avalanche, I believe,” Beric said gravely.
It took ten full minutes to find Debbie’s candle and the
metal fire striker and light the candle.
They took the candle to the entrance of the tunnel and
found that snow completely blocked the cave entrance.
Panicked, Beric began digging in the snow. After a few
moments, he gave up. “It’s too deep and dangerous. We’re
stuck.”
137

PHONICS
ER Can Say /air/

say /air/ as in INHERIT. Read the words.
generic prosperity heritage

terrorize therapy ceremony
merit inherited ferry
GN says /n/
Read to the child: GN says /n/. Read the words.
gnat gnaw gnarled assign

Review from Heather & the Highland Pony.
AGE or IAGE Can Say /ij/
Read to the child: AGE can say /ij/. Read the words.
advantage manage carriage

bandage percentage discourage
Read to the child: Read the green sentences.
The bandage managed to fall off.
What percentage of individuals are managers?
138
Chapter 19: Deep

in the Cave
“We don’t need to panic,” Debbie reassured the group. “We

only have light for as long as this candle lasts, so I suggest we
take our things and move farther into the cave. Perhaps there is
another way out.”
The flicker of the candle didn’t give the group enough
light to even see their things, so Finn dug out his candle and
used Debbie’s candle to light it. Still, the light in the cave was
incredibly dim.
“Dogs see much better in the dark than we do,” Abigail
explained. “Let’s let Maximus lead.”
Dear Maximus! Finn thought as the dog confidently took the
lead and Finn held comfortingly to his warm fur. It was a great
relief when they realized that the cave had a natural tunnel, tall
enough to walk in. The ground sloped slightly upward in parts of
the tunnel.
For half an hour, they walked in the silent cave, amazed that
the tunnel just kept going. Each person wondered, however, if the
tunnel might suddenly end.
“You know,” Beric began, “if this happened to me five years
ago, I would have said, ‘We prayed for help, and look what
happened—an avalanche closed us in a cave.’”
“So why don’t you say that now?” Finn asked.
“Because I have gained the great blessing of having faith
in God,” Beric replied simply. “This challenging situation is
requiring me to really exercise faith right now. But we can’t have
faith only when it is easy. Strong faith endures when things are
hard.”
Chapter 19: Deep in the Cave 139
Under his feet, Finn felt something squish as he walked.

Investigating with his candle, Finn saw a lot of animal
droppings.
“Are these deer droppings?” he questioned.
Bending over, Debbie took a look. “Hmmmm. These
droppings definitely look like they come from some kind of
antler-bearing animal.”
“I’ve been feeling something under my feet, too,” Abigail
said. “I think droppings like these have been throughout the
tunnel.”
“I think so, too,” Beric added.
“How strange,” Debbie muttered. “There are so many
droppings. It’s not like a lone animal was in here, but whole
herds of animals.”
“Are we going to come across a huge group of deer?” Finn
wondered aloud.
“I don’t think deer stay in caves,” Beric said.
After another twenty minutes, Abigail clapped her hands
and cried out encouragingly. “I see light ahead!”
Dim as the light was, Finn saw it, too, and everyone
picked up the pace.
How wonderful is light! Oh, how glorious is light! Finn
thought as the light grew brighter and brighter. He blew out
his candle and walked excitedly.
“Stop and listen!” Abigail suddenly said to the group.

Finn heard the noise, too—silvery, tinkling bells. It
sounded like there were hundreds of them.
“What a beautiful sound,” Debbie marveled. “But . . .
what is it?”
The group received the answer to their question as the
tunnel led to an opening in the cave, and the group walked
out into the brilliant sunshine.
Blinking his eyes, Finn looked around and drew in his
breath. “Unbelievable!” he whispered in awe.
They were near the bottom of a beautiful valley in the
Mountains of Mist. There were, indeed, many bells. They
belonged to hundreds of reindeer scattered around the
snow-covered fields, which were enclosed by fences.
Finn realized that he was standing on a little cement road
that had been freshly plowed and led right to the opening
in the cave. His eyes followed the plowed road to two huge
barns. A little way down the road stood a huge green trian-
gle-shaped home and some large sheds. Smoke curled out of
the home’s chimney. The whole scene was so inviting.
“Incredible!” Debbie explained. “I had no idea that
people lived in these mountains.”
Beric shook his head. “I would have never guessed.”
“What should we do?” Finn asked. “Should we let the people

who live here know about us?”
“I think they already know about us,” Abigail replied, her face
turned toward the home.
Finn followed her gaze and saw that two men had just
emerged from the home, one older and one younger. Walking
briskly toward them, the two men wore long, heavy coats and
large fur hats.
“They don’t look like soldiers,” Beric said. “That’s good. Let’s
go meet them.”
Abigail raised her hand in greeting, and the group moved
forward on the plowed road.
When the two groups met, the men stared at them curiously,
and then the older man spoke. “What in the world are you doing
here?”
Debbie looked at Abigail, Beric, and Finn, and they all
nodded, knowing she was asking their permission to tell these
men about their journey.
“We have been called by our people to find a way to stop the
soldiers who are overtaking our land. We took shelter in a cave,
and after an avalanche blocked our entrance, we made our way
through the cave’s tunnel here.”
Chapter 19: Deep in the Cave 143
“Incredible!” the man said. “I believe your story, and I’m

grateful for your journey, but I don’t like that you found this
place. My son and I live here alone, and no one knows about
this place but us. We like it that way.”
“Why?” Beric asked.
“If you were here in the summer, you’d know why. It’s one
of the most beautiful places, with waterfalls and streams
and wildflowers everywhere. If people knew about it, they
wouldn’t stay away. We like to be alone.”
“Father,” the younger man said, “we should invite them
into our home where we can talk more.”
Never had Finn been in such a big and beautiful home,
nor could he even have imagined one.
Huge Oriental rugs were scattered over the white pine
floor, and large blue-glazed pots held small trees and large
plants of all kinds. A gray cat was curled up on one of the
plush yellow chairs. On one wall, huge windows overlooked

the beautiful reindeer pastures and perfectly framed the
craggy mountain peaks at the far end of the valley. Bear
skins were spread before the biggest fireplace Finn had ever
seen. Large bookcases, packed with leather-bound books,
lined one of the walls.
I feel like I’m in a dream, Finn thought as he gnawed on
freshly baked warm bread and ate spicy vegetable stew while
they talked to the two men: Noah, the father, and Nicholas,
the son.
“If you live in seclusion,” Beric asked, “have you heard
about the soldiers before? Have they been here?”
Noah explained that they used the tunnel four times last
year to bring reindeer through the mountains and then
traveled two days to the east where they sold the reindeer to
traders. The traders had told them about the soldiers, but no
soldiers had been to the reindeer valley.
The rest of the day was spent talking, and the travelers
took turns having hot baths—something that felt luxurious
beyond words to everyone.
It also felt luxurious to sleep on the bear-skin rugs in
front of the blazing fire. However, in the middle of the night,
Finn was roused out of a profoundly deep sleep by Beric
yelling, “Fire! Fire!”
145

PHONICS
GUE Can Say /g/

Read to the child: GUE can say /g/. The red i says the long E
sound. Read the words.
intrigue meringue dialogue
league plague tongue
INE Can Say /in/ and /een/

Read to the child: INE can say /in/. Read the words.
d ete r m i n e fe m i n i n e
doctrine m a rg a r i n e
Read to the child: INE can also say /een/. Read each word.
t ra m p o l i n e ta n g e r i n e
submarine ro u t i n e
AR can say /er/ O U c a n s a y /e w /

Loathsome means disgusting and unpleasant.
We plugged our noses as a loathsome smell filled the air.
146
Chapter 20: Guilty
Finn shot up and rubbed his eyes just as Noah and Nicholas
ran into the room in their nightclothes. Out the window, Finn
saw angry flames leaping into the sky.
“What has happened?” Nicholas cried, stopping at the door to
pull on his boots.
Beric was pulling on his boots, too. “I don’t know! I just heard
a noise and then saw flames out the window. That’s all I know.”
Abigail was at the window, peering out into the night. “It’s the
barns! They are on fire.”
“Both of them?” cried Nicholas. “How is that possible?”
For an hour, the group tried to put out the fires, three of them
working on each barn. They had first opened the huge doors to
let the reindeer out, but there were none in the barns.
“The doors allow them to come and go as they please,” Noah
explained. “They always come in at night, but they must have left
when the fire started.”
Sadly, it became apparent that the fire was going to run its
course, burning down the barns and everything in them. Six
people trying to fight the massive fire seemed as ineffective as a
person trying to stop a roaring waterfall with just one finger.
They stood back and watched the loathsome flames licking
and dancing. A stiff wind arose and fueled the fire as it raged
until both barns had completely burned down.
Chapter 20: Guilty 147
Noah sighed deeply. “It’s only an hour until the first

morning light,” he said. “Let’s go into the house, and I’ll
make everyone some tea. We are all fatigued.”
As they sipped from steaming cups, Abigail asked, “You
didn’t question whether it was one of us that started the
fire—why?”
“Oh, there’s no reason to suspect you,” Noah responded.
“I see goodness in each of your faces. Yet I am intrigued by
this sad mystery. Those fires had to be started by a person.”
“There are no lamps in the barn that could have tipped
over?” Beric asked.
“No, there are no lamps or anything in the barns. The
barns are far apart, yet they both caught on fire, and it
appears they must have caught on fire at the same time.”
Nicholas ran his hand through his hair and shook his
head. “Why would someone do this? My great-grandfather
built these barns, and—” He broke down and couldn’t finish,
so Noah finished for him.
“And we have no idea how we could build barns like
that again. Not to mention that our tools, grain, farming
equipment, and seeds for planting are now destroyed.”
“And, Father,” Nicholas said, “we also lost all the feed and
alfalfa hay that we had stored for the winter.”
Looking at Nicholas pulled on Finn’s heartstrings. There

were tears on the young man’s cheeks.
This is disastrous. Truly disastrous! Finn thought. And,
yes, mystifying!
As if unaware of the great tragedy that had taken place
that night, the first rays of morning light danced through
the window, and the group went out to assess the damage
now that they could see it better.
The wind had picked up even more, tearing at Finn’s
tunic, and long gray clouds were speeding above him,
quickly closing up all the patches of blue sky. Hanging in the
air was the musty, gloomy smell of smoke.
Everyone was so focused on the barns that no one had
seen the problem in the fields yet.
Nicholas was the first to notice. “Oh!” he cried. “Oh,
Father! The reindeer—they are all gone!”
Finn looked around. It was true. The fields were empty.
Hoping to find the reindeer, Noah followed the tracks left in
the snow. Huge snowflakes suddenly began to envelop them,
making it impossible to see the fields and mountains beyond
the house.
“Someone has driven them off,” Noah claimed. “Our reindeer

wouldn’t go off on their own.”
After some more inspection, Noah determined that someone
had driven all the reindeer through a narrow mountain pass and
must have driven them very far, as there were no reindeer to be
seen. With heavy hearts, Noah and Nicholas left to see if they
could find any of the reindeer. They insisted that the group stay
and wait for them.
The group waited anxiously for many hours, watching the
blizzard outside. Finally, Noah and Nicholas returned with six
reindeer.
“These are all the reindeer we could find,” Noah

explained as the group came out to meet the men. “The
other reindeer were nowhere to be seen.”
Surprising everyone, Maximus suddenly started barking
and running back and forth. “Oh, Maximus,” Debbie said,
“we can’t follow you this time. I don’t think we can go out in
this storm.”
Realizing that no one was going to follow him, Maximus
started running off through the pasture at full speed. Abigail
and Beric decided it was important to follow him, and they
ran off, too, quickly disappearing into the white curtain of
snow.
Again, Finn found himself waiting anxiously.
Debbie kept the fire stoked, and Finn stood by the window,
watching where Abigail and Beric had gone.
Finally, he saw a form coming through the whiteness. “It’s
Abigail,” he cried. “But Beric isn’t with her.”
“Hurry!” she cried as she burst through the front door. “We
found two young men stuck in the snow,” Abigail explained to
Noah. “Do you have sleds we can use to pull them? They are too
frozen to walk.”
“Yes! In our sheds,” said Noah. “Thankfully, those didn’t burn
down. We’ll help you.”
Finn couldn’t believe it when he saw the group returning
through the pasture, pulling two men on sleds.
“Debbie,” he called, “they are back. And the men they found
are soldiers.”
When the men were laid by the fire on the bear rugs, Beric
and Nicholas started removing the men’s wet coats.
Wanting to help, Debbie began preparing some warm tea, and
Abigail warmed blankets up by the fire.
Both of the young men, who looked to be in their early
twenties, were unconscious. As Finn studied them, he was
suddenly startled. “They look exactly alike!” he declared.
“So they do!” agreed Beric, removing wet socks from one of
the men. “It looks like they are identical twins.”
When warm blankets had been tucked around the men, one of
them stirred, and Debbie rushed to help him drink some of the
warm tea. After his head was laid down again, his eyes fluttered
shut, but he spoke, obviously delirious. His words sent chills
down everyone’s spine.
“Ron, don’t do it. Not a fire. Not both barns. The reindeer are
all gone now. Let’s leave. Ron, what have you done?”
The soldier quieted down again, and the room was still.
Noah finally broke the heavy silence.
“These men are the ones who set the fire. We just saved
the lives of the men who have ruined us.”
The rest of the day, Noah and Nicholas didn’t speak. In
fact, hardly anyone spoke. When night came, Nicholas,
Noah, and Beric took turns watching over the men.
At one point in the night, Noah came in and gruffly tied
the men’s hands and feet. “I won’t have them burning down
my house, too!”
Soon after the sun rose in a clear sky, one of the brothers
woke up. He moaned and sat up, looking first at the ropes
on his hands and then at the room around him. With a
loathsome scowl on his face, he accepted warm tea and a
warm slice of bread from Debbie.
“You’re Ron,” Finn said.
The man’s eyes widened, and the other man awoke.
“How did you know my name?”
Finn shook his head sadly. “Your brother spoke in his
sleep. We know all you have done.”
Ron turned to his brother. “Edwin! You disappoint me!”
The brother hung his head and whispered, “You
disappoint me, too. I told you not to do this.”
152
PHONICS
Decoding
Read to the child: Read the words.
c o n c e i te d conceive
con cei ted con cei ve
acquaintance exquisite
ac qu ain tance ex quis ite
A can say /uh/ ANCE can say /ence/
negotiation decisive
ne go ti a tion de ci sive
TI can say /she/
margarine parakeet
mar gar ine par a keet
AR can say /air/
wardrobe warrant y
ward robe warr an t y
AR can say /or/ AR can say /or/
p a r a l y ze parallel
par a lyze par a llel
AR can say /air/
Y can say the long I sound in the middle of a word
153
Chapter 21:
The Two Brothers
“Things will go easier for you if you tell us the true story of
what you have done and why,” Beric said after both of the soldiers
had drunk cups of warm tea and eaten their bread.
Ron refused to talk, but Edwin sighed and nodded. “It won’t get
us in any more trouble than we are already in. Ron and I . . . well,
we have a father who is difficult to please. We . . . wanted to do
something that would show him our worth. We want to be great
in his eyes and in the eyes of the army. Ron thinks we were born
for greatness.”
Debbie interrupted. “I see that you have a red sash on your
uniform. Most soldiers wear yellow sashes, and we saw one
soldier with a purple sash.”
“Yes,” said Edwin. “The different colors show different ranks.”
“What does red mean?” Finn asked.
“Don’t you dare tell him!” spat Ron.
“I won’t, but I’ll continue my story. When we were in a village,
we overheard an old man talking about legends of the Mountains
of Mist. He spoke of a tunnel through the mountains. He believed
it was based on fact, but none of the villagers believed him. Ron
thought it was worth investigating. If we could find the tunnel,
it could be used by the army, and we would be recognized and
honored.”
“But we found this place instead!” Ron snapped. “You’re
not supposed to be here! No one from this land is allowed to
live north of the great bridge we built. We realized we could
be honored for ruining this place. I would’ve burned down the
house, too, if it weren’t for Edwin. He’s weak!”
Finn saw the dejected look in Edwin’s eyes. Beric and

Abigail passed steaming bowls of beans to everyone.
“Well!” said Noah angrily. “You must face the
consequences for what you have done. You can stay in here
by the fire until this evening to recover, but then I’m taking
you to the shed to sleep.”
An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Finn felt so
bad inside. Ron’s and Edwin’s words swirled in his mind: We
wanted to do something that would show him our worth. We
want to be great in his eyes and in the eyes of the army. He’s
weak!
Finn couldn’t keep his feelings in. He shot out of his
chair. “Greatness! I’ll tell you how to find greatness!”
Everyone stopped eating in surprise, and their eyes were
glued to Finn as silence hung in the room. Looking around,
ideas flowed into Finn’s mind: piles of snow, beans, and two
brothers.
“I have a story.”
“Tell it to us, please,” Abigail said.
“I don’t want to hear your story,” Ron declared.
“You can listen quietly or go stay in the shed right now,”
Noah said.
“Just be nice, Ron,” Edwin said weakly.
Chapter 21: The Two Brothers 155
Finn sat back down and began.
A star-studded sky and a glowing moon shed light over

Atticus and his younger brother, Amos, as they wearily
crunched through the snow in their snowshoes.
“I can’t go any farther,” Amos declared, sitting down in the
cold snow and putting his head in his hands.
Amos had been small and weak his whole life, while Atticus
had been tall and strong.
“You should never have come on this trip,” Atticus sighed.
“But I guess we didn’t know we would get lost.”
Desperately, Atticus looked around. His eyes stopped on
something reddish brown behind the trees.
“Painted logs!” he said. “I think there is a cabin through the
trees. Come, Amos!”
It appeared that the cabin was abandoned. All they found
inside were an old table and chair, an iron pot, a few tin bowls,
a sack of dried beans, and firewood lining a whole wall from
floor to ceiling.
In no time, Amos had expertly started a fire in the fireplace,
and Atticus had a pot of snow and beans hanging over the fire.
The brothers were surprised to soon hear the wind whistling
and to see snow falling outside the window.
“It was clear just an hour ago,” Atticus commented.
The brothers didn’t know it yet, but the snow was the
beginning of one of the biggest and longest blizzards that the
area had ever experienced.
All night and all day, the wind howled. Snow was already
piled as high as the windows.
Amos opened the door every now and then and pushed snow
away. “We have to be able to open the door to get snow for
water,” he explained to Atticus.
When the snow was piled higher than the windows, Atticus
and Amos realized they would be stuck there for a long time.
“Let’s divide the bag of beans into two equal sacks,” Atticus
suggested. “Then, we will each have enough to have a cup a day.
That will last us two weeks, which may be how long we are stuck
here with this kind of snow.”
Amos took an empty sack from his traveling bag, and they
divided the beans equally.
A cup of beans a day was not nearly enough to fill the young
men up, and they were constantly hungry. Soon, Atticus regretted
his decision, thinking, I’m larger and stronger than Amos, so I
need more beans than he does. I found this cabin. I deserve them.
Without me, we would never have found the beans.
Atticus knew that Amos slept very deeply, so in the middle of
the night, Atticus crept to Amos’s bag and took a cup of beans.
Quietly, he cooked them over the fire and went back to bed. This
he did every night. Also, he ate more of his beans every day than
he had rationed as he just could not control himself.
Amos, on the other hand, started sneaking quietly over to his
brother’s bag every morning, knowing that Atticus slept heavily
and late every morning. However, Amos was not taking beans from
Atticus’s bag; he was putting beans into his brother’s bag each
morning. Amos is larger than I am, and I want him to have more
food. I will only eat a half a cup of beans a day, and I will give
Chapter 21: The Two Brothers 157
the other half to Atticus. I must secretly give it to him because he

would never ask me to give him more of my beans. He is too good
and just to do that.
Thus were Amos’s thoughts, for you see, Amos always thought
the best of everyone and gave people the benefit of the doubt.
After two weeks of being snowed in at the cabin, there were
hardly any beans left in Amos’s bag. Weakly, Amos took the last of
his beans in his cup and walked to Atticus’s bag. Atticus woke up
and saw Amos sneaking across the room. Quietly, Atticus watched
Amos as he lay there. I will catch that thief right in the act! As
soon as he takes my beans, I will jump up and let him know what I
saw!
But what Atticus witnessed instead was Amos putting beans
into his bag, not taking any out.
Atticus sat up. “Tell me truly, Amos, is this the first time you
have given me some of your beans?”
Not wanting to lie, Amos shook his head. “No, I have been doing
this every morning.”
Atticus went over and lifted Amos’s bag. When he discovered
it was empty, his eyes filled with tears.
That very day, the snow melted enough that the young men
could leave, but Amos, having eaten so little food, was too weak
to walk far. Atticus pulled his brother home on a little sled
that they found by the front door. The whole journey, Atticus
felt terrible, but he also felt as if he were pulling a king behind
him—a man of royalty. Surely, he thought, there is no better man
than Amos.
Finn had finished his story, and the room was still except for
an occasional pop or crackle from the fire.
A sniffle came from Edwin, and Finn saw him brush a tear
from his cheek. “Ron,” Edwin started, “maybe we have greatness
all wrong. This story makes me feel something I haven’t felt
before. And think about this: if that is true greatness, then
anyone can achieve it, right? It’s not only leaders of the army that
can be great. Anyone can! Imagine that!”
Ron didn’t respond. Finn observed the faraway look in Ron’s
eyes and wondered what he was thinking.
From a big blue chair, Noah stood up abruptly. “Incredible
story, Finn! Incredible. But now Nicholas and I must go get the
shed ready for these men. They will not stay in our home tonight.
Nicholas, get our locks and chains. We will not let these men
escape. I’ve decided that I will be sending them to Judge Gorby
on Black Rock Island tomorrow. Justice must be served.”
Finn’s jaw dropped. “No! You can’t send them there. I’ve heard
of that place. Judge Gorby is harsh and unmerciful, and Black
Rock Island is a terrible prison.”
“They’ve ruined me, Finn. We cannot recover from this. All
is lost for Nicholas and me. These men have committed serious
crimes. We have no judges or prisons in our land. To Black Rock
Island they will go! Crimes have consequences!”
159
PHONICS
ALLY Can Say /lee/

the words.
periodically athletically poetically
OUS Can Say /us/

Read to the child: OUS can say /us/. Read the words in
purple. Meticulous means very clean or detailed.
p re p o s te ro u s hazardous
pre pos ter ous haz ar dous
E can say /ih/ AR can say /er/
poisonous spontaneous
poi son ous spon ta ne ous
m et i c u l o u s industrious
me tic u lous in dust ri ous
Challenging Words

160
Chapter 22:
The Red Diamond
All night, Finn tossed and turned anxiously in front of Noah’s

big fire. Things felt like a mess. What have we accomplished on
our journey? We have been gone for weeks, and it seems we are no
further along in stopping these soldiers than we were when we left.
Little did Finn know that throughout this journey, their group
had been accomplishing their mission in important ways, and
soon, God would line up all the pieces perfectly. Finn could not
see it all now, and he had to walk in the unknown with faith for a
little longer.
When shafts of morning light shone through the windows and
woke Finn, he had made a decision. He knew what he was to do.
“Sir,” Finn said to Noah as soon as everyone had eaten
breakfast. “Have you changed your mind about sending Ron and
Edwin to Black Rock Island?”
“Not in the least,” came the quick response.
“Then I would like to talk with you. Would you release the
men if someone were to pay their debt in full?”
“You mean pay me the full amount of all the lost reindeer and
the barns and all that was in them?” Noah asked.
“Yes, that is what I mean,” Finn affirmed.
“Oh, Finn,” Noah sighed. “Do you have any idea how much
that would be? No one in this land could come close to paying
that much.”
“But if someone could and was willing, would you let the men
go?”
“I suppose I would,” Noah stated.
Chapter 22: The Red Diamond 161
“Can you promise me?” Finn questioned.

Noah looked at Finn quizzically. “Sure, Finn, I can
promise that.”
With no hesitation, Finn pulled his little leather pouch
over his head, opened it, let the huge red diamond slip out
into his hand, and then handed it to Noah. “I hereby pay the
debt for Ron and Edwin.”
Every other person in the room gasped.
In shock, Noah took the diamond out of Finn’s hand and
held it up. “A red diamond. A huge red diamond. Finn, these
are incredibly rare. This would pay for much more than all I
lost.”
“I’m glad,” Finn stated. “Could I request, then, four of
your reindeer and the two sleighs that are in your shed?”
Noah laughed. “Yes, Finn! With this diamond, I could
buy many more sleighs in addition to all that was lost.”
“May I go and release the men?” Finn inquired.
Noah nodded, and everyone headed to the shed.
Debbie had insisted the night before that the men have
plenty of thick blankets in the shed and also rocks that had
been heated by the fireplace. However, the group found
them cold and downcast that morning.
“May I invite the men to your fireplace one more time

and tell them another story?” Finn asked Noah.
Noah bowed slightly. “Yes, you may.”
Finn turned to his group. “Are you comfortable with my
telling these men the story of our journey?”
After some pause and consideration, each of the other
members of the group nodded.
“It seems like that would not be smart to do,” Abigail said
cautiously, “but it actually feels very much like the right
thing to do for some reason.”
With the men warm on the bear rugs by the fire, Finn
began his story. It started with a boy who had a twisted leg.
It moved to a village of happy, friendly people who now
lived in fear of soldiers who were taking over the land that
their grandfathers and great-grandfathers had cared for and
lived on peacefully. Woven into the story was an elderly
woman named Charlotte whom the boy with the twisted leg
loved. A rare red diamond was also given into the care of the
boy. A group of five was chosen to take a journey of great
importance. And thus the story continued, so beautifully
and powerfully told that both soldiers had tears in their eyes
and realized it was a true story.
Chapter 22: The Red Diamond 163
Crossing a heavily guarded bridge, having horses and supplies

stolen, finding a badly wounded soldier and sheltering with
him, finding the soldier’s horse, giving it to the woman with the
twisted ankle—it was all told while the others in the room hung
on every word. The cave with the tunnel and finding the reindeer
farm came next. A terrible fire, a devastated father and son, guilty
brothers condemned to Black Rock Island—Finn had told it all,
up to the point of the young men being locked in the shed.
“Then the boy with the twisted foot woke up the next
morning,” Finn continued, “and his hand went to the pouch
he wore around his neck. The boy took out the precious gem
and held it up in the sparkling morning light. As the boy was
reminded that the diamond held the shape of the heart, he
suddenly knew what the diamond should be used for—love.
And so he gave the diamond away to pay the debt of the men—
because he loved the men and believed that there was true
greatness in them. And they were free to go.”
The story ended. Abigail and Beric, who had been sitting right
next to the men, undid their ropes.
“Wait!” Ron said. “The ending of this story is true?”
Noah, greatly moved by the story, nodded. “Yes, it is true.”
Nicholas handed the men their heavy cloaks, which had been
dried by the fire.
“We have two reindeer and a sleigh for you if you are ready to
leave,” Finn explained.
The men looked dazed by this turn of events.
“I . . . I don’t know what to say,” Ron stammered. “What we
did was wrong, and I am very sorry. But Finn . . . people can’t just
change and become like the men from your story.”
Finn smiled. “Of course they can,” he said softly. “It’s just a
choice.”
Edwin looked at Finn. “This gift is incredible; it’s

undeserved. But I don’t want to disappoint you. I want to
change, but my people are so hardened. They are not kind
and good like you. What are we to do?”
“I don’t know,” Finn replied. “But I have learned that
when there doesn’t seem to be a way to accomplish
something, a way is opened up if you just work hard and try
to do the right thing. But it’s not usually easy.”
Edwin swallowed and nodded.
Ten minutes later, Finn watched the sleigh holding Ron
and Edwin disappear down the mountain.
From such a long and strenuous journey and the
distressing events of the past two days, the group was
completely exhausted. Wisely, they decided to spend a
couple of days at the farm before continuing their journey,
but another storm rolled in and delayed their journey for
two additional days.
Finally, the group was packed tightly in their own sleigh,
waving goodbye to Noah and Nicholas.
Finn turned his head toward the road ahead of them,
sensing that they were headed into the final leg of their
journey and that big things were about to happen.
166

PHONICS
ER Can Say /ear/

red i in each of the words makes the long E sound. Superior
means excellent. Inferior means lesser.


severe inferior severely

sev ere in fer i or sev ere ly
interior material experienced

in ter i or ma ter i al ex per i enced

DU Can Say /jew/ or /juh/
Read to the child: DU can say /jew/ or /juh/. Read the words.
schedule g ra d u a te p ro c e d u re
individual g ra d u a l e d u c a te d
167
Chapter 23: Enemy

Territory
As the sleigh flew down the hill with the reindeer bells
tinkling, Finn threw back his head and laughed. “Abigail!” he
called. “Remember how you said that maybe we could sled down
the mountain? Well, we are!”
The group talked for the next two hours as they traveled.
“I was thinking,” Finn reflected. “I believe that sometimes it
is the best thing for people to have to bear the full consequences
of their actions, but sometimes mercy is the right answer. That’s
why I’m so grateful we have God to guide us. What do you think,
Aunt Debbie?”
When there was no response, Finn turned to Debbie, who was
sitting next to him.
She’s asleep, Finn thought. That’s kind of strange. I guess this
trip must be wearing her out. I’ll let her sleep.
When the group stopped to eat a quick lunch, however,
Debbie didn’t say a word as they ate, and Finn felt a twinge of
worry.
In the late afternoon, the sleigh came to the top of a ridge, and
Beric stopped the reindeer. With amazement, the group looked
out across the valley below them, trying to take in all they saw.
They had found their destination.
A huge lake filled half the valley. One end of the lake was held
in by a dam that also had a bridge along the top. So massive was
the dam that the people walking across the bridge looked like
little ants. Snowy roads connected many rectangular buildings,
and soldiers were everywhere.
Some little cabins were tucked in on the hillsides. Finn

saw a few women and children, but mainly soldiers.
“Look at that!” Beric said, pointing to the west side of the
lake. There against the hillside stood an impressive fortress
with tall towers.
Chapter 23: Enemy Territory 169
Just then, there was a flurry of activity. Many soldiers

assembled at the dam, which had a large opening through
which water flowed into the river—the huge river that
everyone in the land depended upon.
Finn saw a huge, unique piece of machinery that was
being used to lower a large metal door. When it banged
completely shut, the water from the lake stopped flowing
into the river.
“Oh!” cried Abigail. “The mystery is solved! This is how
they are drying up the river. They have blocked the river
and created this lake. By lowering and raising that massive
metal door, they are able to control the river. I’ve never seen
anything like this.”
“Yes, and it looks like they just stopped the river again,”
Beric frowned.
“But we don’t know how to stop them,” Finn said. “What
are we going to do?”
No one said anything.
Finn turned to Debbie. “She’s asleep again,” he said. “I’m
worried about her.”
“Me, too,” Abigail agreed. She went over and placed her
hand on Debbie’s forehead. “Oh! She’s burning up!”
Finn’s mind raced. Debbie is always well. She’s always the strong
one. I can’t believe she is sick.
“She can’t stay the night out in the cold air—not even if we
make a shelter,” Beric stated. “And besides, we can’t build a fire
so close to the soldiers. We have to find a warm place for her to
stay—inside a structure. We need to get her help.”
“But we are in the soldiers’ territory—King Fergus’s territory,”
Finn observed. “We can’t make it back to the reindeer farm
before dark. What can we possibly do?”
Abigail was searching the valley, and she suddenly sat up
straight. “I might have an idea. Look at the area right below us.
Just along that road, there are a few little houses. If you look
closely, you can see that outside of one of the houses there is a big
shed and an animal pen. Inside the pen is a llama.”
“A llama!” Finn cried, his mind quickly making the
connection to Nora, the woman with the sprained ankle.
“Look around,” Abigail urged. “I actually don’t see any other
animals in the valley except horses. That has just got to be the
woman we helped. And if there is anyone in this valley who
would possibly help us, it might be her.”
“You’re right! You’re right! You’re brilliant!” Beric boomed.
“We have to try. We have to connect to that road, but no one is
on it. It mainly goes through the trees, which will hide us from
the view of the valley. The road leads right to her home. We’ll
have to risk it.”
“If anyone comes on the road and sees us, though . . .” Finn let
the sentence trail off. Beric was right. They had to risk it.
Everyone was silent as they made their way to the road,
knowing that they could be heading into danger.
Chapter 23: Enemy Territory 171
The crunching, squeaky sound of the sleigh on the snow

seemed extra loud to Finn now. Once the open road entered
the cover and safety of the forest, he felt relief. The sun was
sinking low in the sky, and it was quite dim in the forest.
“Stop!” Abigail yelled so loudly that Finn practically
jumped out of his tunic, and Debbie stirred awake.
Everyone else had been looking out into the trees and
hadn’t seen what was in the middle of the road—an adorable
little girl who Finn guessed was around five years old. She
looked terrified as the sleigh came to a stop a few feet in
front of her. Everyone stared at her.
“I was looking for my bunny,” the girl said. “He got lost.
But now I’m lost. And I’m cold.” She sniffled. “Can you take
me home?”
Finn looked at Abigail and Beric, having the same
thought they did: We can’t take her home. We’ll get captured.
But we absolutely can’t leave her here, especially with it almost
being dusk. It will get dark and severely cold.
Debbie spoke weakly. “Maximus. Have him pull the girl
on the sled tied to the side of our sleigh. He’ll take her into
town where people can help her get home.”
Finn smiled. “Even when you are sick, Debbie, you are so
wise,” he declared. “I would not have thought of that.”
“But how will we get Maximus back?” Beric asked
Debbie. “The soldiers might keep him. They could realize
that this is the dog that is part of the Journey of Five.”
“Yes,” Debbie said quietly and slowly. “They may
recognize him and take him, but this little girl will die out
here in this cold.”
“There is also a good chance Maximus will return to us.
The house we are going to is on this road. Maximus could
find our scent,” Finn noted as he stepped out of the sleigh
with Maximus. Beric and Abigail worked on tying the little
sled around the dog’s shoulders and waist. Finn spoke to the
girl.
“We can’t take you, but this is Maximus. He is gentle
and strong. He will take you back into town. Can you have
enough courage to ride on this little sled?”
The girl nodded, her lip trembling. “I think so.”
Gently, Finn set the girl on the little sled. With emotion
welling up in his chest, he looked into Maximus’s eyes, and
then he waved his hands down the road. “Go, Maximus!
Go!”
Amazingly, the dog seemed to understand, and he trotted off
gently, went around a bend, and was soon out of sight.
Just a few minutes later, the group pulled up to what they
believed was Nora’s home. Abigail jumped off the sleigh and
knocked on the door. To everyone’s great relief, it was Nora, and
she welcomed them in. Soon Debbie drank some of Nora’s herbal
drink for fevers and was tucked in a bed. Nora invited everyone
else to sleep in front of the fire and suggested they hide the sleigh
in the woods and keep the reindeer in her large shed. Beric
insisted on standing in the cold darkness on the road, waiting
for Maximus, in case he returned. It was in the wee hours of the
morning that Beric finally gave up. Maximus had not come back.
174
PHONICS
Decoding
Argentina Mandarin
Ar gen ti na Man dar in
A can say /uh/ AR can say /er/
acquaintance charitable
a cqu ain tance char it able
A can say /uh/ AR can say /air/
ANCE can say /ence/
irresistible perspective
ir re sist ible per spec tive
The prefix IR can say /ear/
accelerate perishable
ac cel er ate per ish able
C before E, I, or Y is soft ER can say /air/
essential variation
e ssen tial var i a tion
TI can say /ch/ AR can say /air/
commercial paradise
com mer cial par a dise
AR can say /air/
175
Chapter 24: Meeting

the King
When Finn awoke the next morning, he found three little

pairs of eyes staring at him.
“These are my grandchildren,” Nora explained. “King
Fergus chose mainly young adults who weren’t married yet
to be in his army. However, my son is a sergeant, and most
sergeants are more experienced and older and married.
Some of their children live in this valley. My son is gone for
a couple of weeks.”
The grandchildren were still staring at Finn.
“Are you scary?” the smallest boy asked.
“Did you know that our names all rhyme?” the oldest girl
asked. “We are Chloe, Joey, and Zoe.”
Finn smiled. He hadn’t been around kids for a while.
Nora explained that Beric and Abigail had left at first light
to go find Maximus. “I told them it wasn’t a good idea,” she
said. “But they were determined. Also, Debbie has already
eaten this morning, and I gave her more herbs. She still has
a fever, but it is not as high. I’ll keep her in my room until
she is well again.”
After breakfast, Finn took care of the reindeer, chopped wood

for Nora, and then played with the children.
Nora also offered information about King Fergus. “He’s from
an island in my land. His family was poor, and as a child he
always dreamed of being someone great. For years, he formed
a master plan in his mind. Then, he traveled and found your
beautiful land. Apparently, your people are peaceful, and he
thought you would be easy to take over. I’m sorry to say that
it appears your people have been easy to conquer. King Fergus
came back to our land to recruit men. He has offered the soldiers
great rewards in the future if they remain loyal to him.”
Before Nora could say more, a loud clanging, ringing sound
came from outside, startling Finn.
“It’s the fortress bells!” Nora said. “Those bells are only played
when all the soldiers are being called together because King
Fergus himself is going to speak to his army. The bells hardly ever
ring. Something must be going on.”
Finn kept out of sight as the streets filled with soldiers. After a
couple more hours, Finn was so nervous about Abigail and Beric
not returning that he could only pace back and forth in front of
the fireplace and check on Debbie.
Suddenly, there was a banging at the door. “Open, by orders of
King Fergus!” a man’s gruff voice called.
Nora motioned for Finn to go into her bedroom and shut the
door. The man’s voice was so loud that Finn heard every word
through the door.
“A message is being sent to every home. Three members of the
Journey of Five have been found and captured in our valley, and
King Fergus is sure the others are here.”
Chapter 24: Meeting the King 177
Finn gasped as he hid, and the man continued. “The king

demands that the other two members of the group appear
before him and the army immediately. If they do, he will
release them all after questioning and escort them back to
their homes.”
With the information delivered, the man left.
Finn turned to Debbie.
“I heard it, too,” she said. “There’s no possible way I can
go, Finn. I’m too sick. What will you do?”
Nora flew into the room. “Did you hear the man?”
“Yes,” Finn replied. “Can King Fergus be trusted? Do you
think he will really let the others go?”
Nora shook her head. “I really don’t know.”
“I’m going,” Finn said. “I must.”
Nora nodded. “Take the horse you gave me. Then just
follow the road. It leads straight to the fortress.”
Finn hadn’t gone too far down the road before soldiers
spotted him. They asked him where the other member of
the group was. After Finn explained Debbie’s sickness, the
soldiers escorted him to the area below the fortress.
“We will wait here,” a soldier said. “The others will tell
King Fergus that we have found you.”
Finn was up on an elevated rise where the hundreds of

soldiers that were gathered could see him. From that place, Finn
could also see the fortress gates. His heart began beating wildly
when he saw three black horses with red banners floating behind
them fly out of the huge fortress gates. The soldiers started
chanting loudly. King Fergus! King Fergus!
The king is coming to see me, Finn thought. I always thought
the whole group would be with me, but here I am, all alone.
Finn could not help feeling as tiny as a grain of sand in the
whole mighty ocean. Who am I to be meeting the king, and what
will I say? What will I do? It’s my mission to stop him, but I’m
just a fourteen-year-old boy with no special gift. Suddenly, Finn
remembered Beric’s words about being confident. Abigail’s
positivity came to his mind. Finn stood up tall. All I can do is
have faith and be honest and true.
The three horses came to a halt in front of him. The king was
obviously on the horse in the front. He wore a rich velvet cloak
with a hood that covered most of his face. Soldiers sat on the
other two horses behind the king.
After slowly circling him, the king dismounted his horse and
approached Finn, leaving only a few feet between them. Finn
could still not see the king’s face.
“Finn!” the king called loudly. “Why did your people send
you to try to stop me? What could you possibly do to stop me?”
“I don’t know, sir,” Finn said, resisting the urge to hang his
head.
“I know why!” the king declared. “I know exactly why!”
Finn was confused. He watched the king as he slowly brought
his hands up to his hood and took it off.
Finn knew that face and that shaggy red hair. It was the
wounded soldier!
“Yes, it’s me,” said the king. “I had heard that some of
my sergeants were being disloyal to me, so I dressed as a
common soldier and spied on them. That is when I got
attacked by a bear and you found me. Now, Finn, let me
bring my two sons forward.”
The king motioned to the men on the horses behind him.
Obediently, they dismounted their horses, and Finn noticed
they had red sashes on their uniforms. Finn gasped when
they took off their helmets. It was Ron and Edwin, whom he
had saved at the reindeer farm.
“I want to be great, Finn!” King Fergus declared. “But
thanks to you, I can no longer seek greatness by leading this
army against your people. The story you told of Justin the
Just will not leave me. Over and over again, that story has
played out in my mind, each time piercing my heart. Then,
my missing sons return. The same people who saved my life
had also purchased the freedom of my sons, even though
we were your enemies at the time. And your story of two
brothers has changed the hearts of my sons. Your stories and
the mercy and love of your group have shown me the way I
want to go.”
Finn’s eyes filled with tears. “Sir, you said you were our enemy.
Does that mean you are not our enemy any longer?”
“I am no longer your enemy, Finn,” the king proclaimed. “I am
disbanding the army.”
A murmur ran through the crowd of soldiers, and the king
held up his hand to silence them.
“What we are doing here is not right!” King Fergus called. “I
ask for the forgiveness of each of you, and I urge you to go home
to your families. I will no longer be your king!”
Finn studied the soldiers in the crowd. Some were cheering
and already leaving. Others were shaking their heads in
frustration or bewilderment.
“Finn,” the king said, “will you get on your horse?” Then, after
looking at the horse more closely, he added, “Well, actually, I
think that might be my horse.”
Finn laughed. “It is your horse!”
“Well, then, will you get on my horse and follow me up to the
fortress? There are some surprises for you there, and I also have a
favor to ask.”
182

PHONICS
Decoding
p e r s u a s i ve productive
per su a sive pro duc tive
recreational intelligent
rec re a tion al in tell i gent
ve g et a r i a n miraculous
veg e tar i an mir ac u lous
pedestrian fo r t u n a t e l y
ped es tri an fo r t u n a t e l y
ATE can say /it/
Challenging Words
coyote receipt disguise crepes

obnoxious pheasant aroma pistachio
expertise sergeant bough amphitheater
183
Chapter 25: All the

Pieces Fall into Place
Finn felt as if he were in a dream as his horse’s hooves clattered

on the plowed cobblestone road leading up to the fortress. Wind
streamed around him as his horse sped through the big gates,
flew past the bell towers, and stopped at the gigantic front doors.
As he dismounted his horse, Finn heard a familiar bark.
Whirling around, he saw Maximus running full speed toward
him. What a happy reunion it was, but it wasn’t the only happy
reunion that took place that day. When Finn walked with awe
into the elaborate entry hall of the fortress, he saw Abigail and
Beric standing there with fresh, new clothes and huge smiles.
“Will you all dine with us?” Fergus asked.
Maximus barked, and everyone laughed. “I think that’s a yes
from Maximus,” Beric joked.
As they walked to the banquet hall, Fergus explained that
he had sent his doctor and a nurse to Nora’s house to help care
for Debbie. Also, he explained that men had already started
dismantling the dam so that no one could ever use it to stop the
river again.
At the meal, Finn turned to Fergus, who was sitting next to
him. “You said that you knew exactly why I was chosen to be in
the group. What did you mean by that? Why was I chosen?”
“Well, because of your great gift, of course!”
“What great gift?” Finn asked.
“Isn’t it obvious? Your gift of storytelling,” Fergus replied.

“I have come to realize that stories are powerful—powerful
enough to change someone—even someone like me, and
that brings me to the favor I want to ask of you.”
Finn wondered what favor he could do for Fergus.
“Let me explain some things first,” Fergus began.
“I told you that I can’t help desiring to be great. I’m a
driven man. So I’ve decided to seek greatness in two ways.
First, I would like to take care of my aging parents. I was
ashamed of them because they are poor, and I was not good
to them. Somehow, I would like to make up for that. Second,
I want to change people with stories the way you have
changed my sons and me. I . . . well, I wonder if I might have
the gift of storytelling, too. Since I listened to your stories, I
have ideas swirling in my mind. For example, I saw a pot—
just a simple pot—and it sparked all these thoughts for a
story about a pot, a grandmother, and a secret recipe. And
that happens when I see a lot of things. Do you know what I
mean?”
Finn smiled. “Yes, I know what you mean.”
“Well,” continued Fergus, “this is the favor I’d like to ask.
Actually, it’s two favors. First, I’d like you to write down all
Chapter 25: All the Pieces Fall into Place 185
the stories that you told my sons and me so that we can

share them with our island. And second, I was wondering if
you could teach me about storytelling. For example, maybe
I could practice telling some of my stories to you until I’m
more confident?”
“Absolutely,” Finn replied.
Fergus beamed. “Fantastic! Ron, Edwin, and I were
wondering if you wanted to stay here at the fortress with us
while you write your stories and help me get started with
mine—before I head back to my island.”
Finn looked over at Abigail and Beric, who were smiling
at him. He knew that all he wanted was to go home and see
his mother and father and Charlotte and tell them stories
and help them with chores.
“Well,” Finn began, “we have three deer skins in front of
our fireplace in my humble home. I wonder if you wouldn’t
mind staying there while we work on stories?”
Fergus looked around at the fancy fortress and then at
his sons, who were nodding. A huge smile spread across
Fergus’s face. “Yes, Finn, three deer skins in front of your
fireplace sounds just perfect to me.”
The next day, Fergus and his sons and Finn and his friends
dismantled the large metal door that had stopped the flow of the
river, so that no one could ever close the metal door again. As
Finn then stood on the bridge and listened to the water gushing
and roaring down the dry riverbed, he thought about what would
happen when the water reached his village. The villagers would
see the water flowing without having paid. It would be a message
to them that the Journey of Five had completed its mission. A
warm, beautiful feeling of light and joy spread throughout Finn’s
chest. It has been so hard, but we did it! We did it!
The next day, the group of five and Fergus and his sons started
out on their journey back to Finn’s village. All on horses now, the
journey went much more quickly. It was cold, but the snow held
off until the group neared the village. A group of children out
tending sheep spotted the travelers and ran ahead into the village
shouting loudly, “The Group of Five is back! The Group of Five is
back!”
As Finn rounded a corner, large flakes of snow started falling,
drifting slowly and peacefully to the ground, filling the sky with
beauty. People lined the road, cheering and clapping wildly. But
then, as the eyes of the villagers landed on the last people in
the group, Fergus and his two sons, the cheering died down. A
soldier who had decided to stay and live in the village called out.
“It’s King Fergus! The one trying to take over this land. What is
he doing here?”
The happy faces of the crowd turned from joy to confusion
and even anger. In silence, the group made their way to the town
square. Finn dismounted and walked to the platform, knowing
what he must do.
Chapter 25: All the Pieces Fall into Place 187
The confused villagers gathered tightly around the

platform, and Finn began telling a story.
“Once there was a journey, a journey of five, who set out
on a cold fall morning—”
Like they had on the journey, his words wrapped around
those who listened and drew them instantly into the story.
There was a bridge, a wounded soldier, days stuck in a cave,
a woman named Nora, two brothers found lost in the snow,
a red diamond . . .
As the words flowed, Finn saw the villagers’ faces
change from looks of confusion and anger back to joy and
excitement. Among the crowd he saw Charlotte, and he
noticed that she smiled hugely and nodded when he got to
the part about giving away the red diamond.
Finn finished his story, and a loud cheer arose from the
crowd. Through the flakes of snow, Finn saw his parents
rushing toward him. Finn turned toward the others in the
group who were on the stand with them, each one of them
so dear to him now. He nodded to each of them, and each
nodded back. The Journey of Five had ended.
By Jenny Phillips
SKU 359.7

The Journey of Five 1.0

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By Jenny Phillips

Cover design by Phillip Colhouer

Illustrations by Edward Stevens

© 2023 The Good and the Beautiful, LLC

Reading this book together increases your enjoyment of

Before reading each chapter, we will complete a practice

Most words from the Challenging Words List break English

coyote receipt disguise

equivalent bondage loathsome

• ALLY can say /lee/

NOTE: Please remember that this is a fictional story and that

I Can Say the Long E Sound

A can say /uh/ AR can say /air/

Lyd i a Sophia Olivia

millennium chia seeds

Chapter 1: The Mystery of the

Since turning twelve a couple of years ago, Finn had trained

As he marveled at the yellow hue bursting throughout the

Finn burst into the door of his house. His parents

The water used to go as high as Finn’s shoulders when he

The next day, Finn woke up right as the sun started to

get to the bottom of

in the same boat

through thick and thin

heart skipped a beat

QUE Can Say /k/

unique critique antique

Chapter 2: 200 Gold Coins

Finn and his family inspected the muddy river bottom.

As Finn glanced up and down the dry riverbed, the

Instead of sitting around wondering what had happened, the

Have the child practice the phonogram boxes

OUS Can Say /us/

generous poisonous miraculous

I Can Say the Long E Sound

Europe Asia Europe

Read the following information to the child:

Chapter 3: The Meeting

With the second disappearance of the river came the soldiers

But who is their leader? Finn wondered one night as he

soldiers coming from? How can we, a peaceful people, stop

Finn had never seen such a large gathering of people. A sea of

Around a crackling fireplace on cold winter days, young

Debbie’s dark brown eyes twinkled as usual, but she

Thomas continued, “We must find out who leads these

Finn looked up at his father in astonishment.

Have the child practice the phonogram boxes

OUS Can Say /us/

continuous prosperous boisterous

ALLY Can Say /lee/

coyote expertise pheasant disguise

Chapter 4: The Five

The crowd was so quiet that Finn could hear himself

Thomas held up his hand again. “I’ll now announce

“I have two more members of the group to announce. I now

“Son,” Greta whispered, “you can. Go! I believe in you.”

Abigail and Beric came over and shook Finn’s hand,

Maximus sniffed the feet of each member of the group

ER Can Say /air/

terror prosperity inherited

QUE Can Say /k/

technique mosque antique

coyote expertise pheasant disguise