Chapter 1
D’Audrey walked through the marketplace tugging along her faithful stallion, Daniel. The wind blew all the leaves to a corner, clearing a way.
Sending a silent thanks to the Great One, she walked on. It was autumn. Apples were everywhere so was baked apples, crushed apples, apple cider, apples in a pie and apples in a tart. The sweet aroma of apples wafted into D’Audrey’s nose and left Daniel’s mouth watering. Eager to eat one, he pulled away from D’Audrey’s grasp on the rein.
“Come on Daniel, we’ve got to move on.”
“Neigh neigh”
“No. Why?” asked D’Audrey. Her eyes followed Daniel’s mouth, reaching for the nearest apple.
“Ahh….so you want an apple?”
“Neighh!”
“Fine then”
She bought an apple and watched as Daniel crunched it up. She was about to move on when something struck her. She slipped a coin to the shopkeeper and whispered,
“Do you know anything about the Kadketeers?”
“Shush girl! Keep your voice low! We do not speak of them here! We are forbidden by Big..ahem.Follow me.”
D’Audrey followed the woman into a closed room. The room smelt of baking apples. D’Audrey sat down on a cushion.
“Yes, you were saying?
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“The Kadketeers have gone their separate ways, girl. Or so it seems. No, they were disbanded by Big Bulbous Head.”
“Who the heck is Big Bulbous Head?”
“The ruler. We don’t say his actual name.”
“And the Kadketeers? Where did they go?”
“Ahh....long time has gone before we heard the cry of ‘All for one and one for all’ from the mouths of Kimberly, Anne and Daphne.”
“Who are they?”
“Why, girl, they are the Kadketeers. Didn’t you figure it out? K stands for Kimberly, A for Anne and D for......”
“Daphne”
“Yes. Oh, such wonderful girls.”
“And where are they now?”
“ We don’t know, but rumor has it that all of them are in hiding.”
“Uh huh. Well, thank you”
“You’re welcome. Would you like a bag of apples for your journey?”
And so D’Audrey went along her way, crunching on apples with the ever- pleased Daniel.
“Kimberly, Anne and Daphne. Wherever shall I find you in the whole off Prance? Oh, Papa, help me to fulfill your dream for me”, she said and looked up to the sky for an answer.
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