The Pioneer and The Savage a novel Jamie Thorogood Badley Project 2020 8th April 2020 Foreword For my Badley Project this year I have written a novel. I started thinking about The Pioneer and the Savage a couple of years ago, but only this year did I actually sit down and write it. It’s been an amazing experience to plan, write and bind, and something I’ll remember for a while. In this story I tried to address the issues of racism, sexism and living alongside – and respecting – nature. It follows the adventures of Piper Morning, a small-minded girl who travels to an island far away with her father. She meets a young, native boy and a friendship forms. It is 67,068 words in total. I hope you enjoy it! Here are some pictures of the binding process. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish it (for obvious reasons), but managed to get about halfway through. I can’t wait to complete the binding when I get back to school. Jamie Thorogood 22nd June 2020 The Pioneer & The Savage Table of Contents Prologue ........................................................................................ 1 Part 1 New Britton ........................................................................ 1 The Mysterious Boy ........................................................................................................... 2 A Visitor ........................................................................................................................... 7 Rhaine ............................................................................................................................ 16 Piper’s Promise ................................................................................................................ 21 The Winged Wolf ............................................................................................................ 25 Two Stolen Necklaces ....................................................................................................... 31 Magical Syrup ................................................................................................................. 33 Xavier Travels ................................................................................................................. 39 The Hartlands Crumble .................................................................................................... 41 Part 2 The Forest of Endless Night ................................................ 44 The Jaguah ..................................................................................................................... 45 Lillianna’s Past ............................................................................................................... 51 Lora Bianca, the Truth-Teller ........................................................................................... 58 An Escape ....................................................................................................................... 61 The Beast with Eight Legs ................................................................................................ 64 Tessa’s Crystal ................................................................................................................ 71 Part 3 Upper Hills ....................................................................... 82 The Journey Begins .......................................................................................................... 83 Tasting the Sea ................................................................................................................ 87 Floridel Roberts ................................................................................................................ 92 Separation ....................................................................................................................... 96 Charles’ House .............................................................................................................. 102 The Beast Behind the Door ............................................................................................. 106 An Ancient Box .............................................................................................................. 110 Piper Fades ................................................................................................................... 116 Charles is Unravelled ...................................................................................................... 118 The Cellar ..................................................................................................................... 124 Part 4 The Dulcimer Basin ....................................................... 128 The First Settlement ....................................................................................................... 129 Emmet Moon ................................................................................................................. 135 Bonemother .................................................................................................................... 141 A Betrayal ..................................................................................................................... 145 Moon-Tribe Gathers ...................................................................................................... 148 Rhaine’s Mother ............................................................................................................ 152 The Crack-in-the-Land ................................................................................................... 157 Queen Haylah ............................................................................................................... 162 Epilogue .................................................................................... 166 Prologue The savages of New Britton were infamous. Although their existence was intended only to be known by a select few, the whereabouts of the savages had somehow spread throughout the whole of the Brittish Isles. Whispered words passed from sealed lips had, over the years, morphed into terrifying tales told to naughty children: a shadow to haunt them while they slept. One particular tale involved a man from Britton itself. He was the one had had discovered New Britton a decade prior, had tricked the savages and seen their blood- curdling behaviour with his own eyes. In order to colonize the island - and in doing so stamp out the savage population – this man formed an expedition. A group of fearless men who were willing to brave the harsh climes and get rid of the savages forever. 1 Part 1 New Britton 1 1 The Mysterious Boy The air was cold, as most morning air is. It hung crisp and cool on the branches of the trees and the reeds on the edge of the river, frosting the earth like powdered sugar. Not a bird sung; it was so early. And Piper Morning was awake, of course. She had risen an hour before usual, and now stood stirring the breakfast stew. The boiling water bubbled happily, spitting hot drops into Piper’s face now and again, tingling her cheeks with the high temperatures. She brushed her hair out of her eyes as she leaned over the mass of meat of vegetables, muttering to herself again how she wished it were shorter. “And they take you into the forest - kicking and screaming - and by your feet, they hang you from a tree. And then, with their teeth, they chew away your ears, bit by bit. And then they take your teeth, starting with the molars, and hang them on strings around their neck. Then they cook you, in a big pot like this one and they chew and chew until you’re all gone." Piper’s father, Xavier Morning, gulped. His naturally pale face had turned several shades whiter. “That’s a nice story, Piper." he said, voice threatening to break. “It’s not a story, Papa. Probably. I bet that is what they do." Xavier had to try his best not to collapse. He knew his daughter was picturing again, but he couldn’t help it; the man had frayed nerves. Plus, a proneness to worry and a pro- active imagination. He had to take a moment to compose himself. “I heard them saying they tan the skins of their victims and turn them into coats.” The girl smiled, relishing such ideas, and continued stirring breakfast. She stayed blissfully unaware at her father as he swooned dramatically. They’d been talking like this for almost an hour, and Xavier had had enough. Usually, his mornings were simple, and he didn’t get out of bed until gone ten. But not today: today, a crow had got inside the caravan, flapped around a bit until everyone was awake, and then left. They’d both been up since five. He yawned, stretching hard. “I think I might go inside and have a little nap, dear. Please do wake me when breakfast’s ready.” He was happy to have an excuse to finally leave his daughter and disappeared inside. Piper gave her best attempt at an enthusiastic smile until she was sure he was gone and then continued to picture, straining her eyes and staring hard at the muggy sky. She conjured up a dragon in the sky to clear the clouds and let the morning sun through. 2 Piper rummaged around in her bag to see if she could find her binoculars. This shoulder bag, which she loved so dearly, lay at her hips, filled to the brim with loose pieces of paper and notebooks. Her fingers closed around the cool metal of the binoculars and she put them to her eyes, searching the grass for any signs of life until a rustle in the grasses told her an animal was nearby. It was a prairie hare, she realised, long and lean, and Piper tried