Emma and the Lost Herds

Emma and the Lost Herds, also known as Emma and the Search for the Sunflowers Herd in early releases, was a PDF only novel released about the search for Herd Sunflower. The story was originally released chapter by chapter on the official website, before being released in full sometime around 2015.

Summary
In Emma and the Lost Herds, Emma, Colm, Deru, and Johan traverse the entirety of North of North searching for the pieces of the Sunstone to reunite them and find the missing Herd Sunflower.

Plot
This section contains spoilers.

Chapter 1: Intruder
The story starts off at the end of the festivals in "Bella's Ball". The end of the event is interruped by Ivenna who kidnaps the Starstone Otter after confronting Tyri and Emma. She demands access to the lost herd pendants, before dissapearing with the otter in the Shadow Path. After this, Tyri decides that Emma and Wings, alongside Colm and Soot, and Deru and Twig, should seek out the lost herds starting with Herd Sunflower.

This chapter also includes exposition on the herds and their members.

Chapter 2: Oracle
Awakening early, the group sets out to find Oracle who might be able to help them find the Sunstone. Before they can leave, they encounter Penny Inkwell who interviews them quickly.

After leaving Trail's End, the group encounters Johan Bloom and Cayenne who brings them to Oracle. From Oracle and the Spring Sprites, they learn more about the missing herds and where to find the pieces of the Sunstone. At this time, Johan also remembers that he was the one to hide the pieces of the sunstone and he joins their group.

Chapter 3: First Petal
After hearing wolves are nearby, Emma and the group ride to find the first piece of the Sunstone in Autumn Sands. They find Fiona at the Aria Oasis and she gives them the first piece.

Chapter 4: Fairy Realm
After staying the night in Shahazar Castle, the group heads to the Emerildian Wilds. During the ride, the fate of Princess Avalynn is briefly mentioned by Johan. (Learn more in "Moonfairies")

On the way, the group is attacked by wolves. Johan and Cayenne hold them off and the rest of the group rides away. After meeting up with them again, the full group reaches the entrance to the Fairy Realm. After entering, Colm accidently touches fairy eggs alerting the fairy guards of their appearance. The fairies are angry, but agree to put the group in an enchanted sleep and lead them through the realm without them seeing anything. As they ride, all but Emma dream strange dreams. However, Emma gets a glance of Avalynn and Tiara.

After exiting the realm, Emma shares what she saw with Johan who almost rushes back into the realm to ind his lost love. However, the group agrees they must find the lost herd first and then they will be able to help Johan afterwards.

Chapter 5: Sea Journeys
Next, the group travels the sea surrounding the Islands of Equinesia. There they find Jewel who, after walking across the water with them, takes them to an Island where they find the next part of the Sunstone. Afterwards, Jewel employs her boat and merhorse crew to carry the group back to shore.

Reaching shore, the group passes through the port city of Midhaven, where locals attempt to talk to Emma, who becomes annoyed and flustered. After leaving the city, the group decides to go through the Grass Sea, pulled by Johan's friends Cattail and Reed in a Bubble Carriage under the sea.

Chapter 6: Wolf Attack
After falling asleep in the carriage, Emma and the group eventually reach the other side. Johan goes to a nearby village and purchases winter gear, including horse snowshoes and heatstones to keep them warm in Valeryk Territory. The group rides for a while in the cold mountains before stopping for the night. Johan gives Deru and Twig an Everspring Pinecone, which they make grow with their magic, keeping them warm for the night.

In the morning, the group heads to an icy lake where they meet Tramontane and Captain Frisko who take them across the lake on their boat, the Iceskimmer. Afterwards they meet Thunder, but are almost immediately attacked by Ivenna and Myrfor. Thunder fights them off, and the group snags the Sunstone petal which gets bent in the process. They head towards Valeryk Castle, but not before Emma threatens to send Colm back to Earth if he doesn't flee with them and stay out of the fight. Colm follows reluctantly., and after landing at a hideout owned by Thunder, it is revealed Emma was wounded in the fight. Johan heals her wounds with a healing paste, and Emma goes to talk to Colm. Colm is extremely upset and angry, and the two fight. Emma tries to apologize, but an upset Colm doesn't listen.

Chapter 7: Skylands
Waking up, the group decides to go for the next petal in Windhome Skylands. Using horse snowshoes, they travel until they encounter The Isvind Brothers. After a rocky start filled with mistrust, the brothers agree to take them in their boat after learning Emma is a Valkyrie on a quest. Afterwards they follow Cayenne to the Skylands where they find the next Sunstone petal on the smallest floating Island. Nike appears and helps them pick the petal, and Emma realizes the last petal must be with Bella, so the group heads back to Rolandsgaard Castle.

Chapter 8: Reunion
After returning to the castle, Emma heads to the royal gardens. There she finds Dowager alive and well, and finds the last petal. She also makes up with Colm, who apologizes to Dowager as well for his role in her demise. Emma then places the petals together. However the bent petal won't fit. Emma realizes she needs a jeweler, and goes to visit Shine Anders at the Treasure Trove.

Chapter 9: Shine
Emma approaches Shine to repair the Sunstone. After some hesitation over her skills, Shine agrees and the Sunstone is reparied and placed together. In the process, Emma realizes that the stone is corrupted by wolf rider magic, which she fights with her own Valkyrie magic and in doing so Emma is accepted fully into the ranks of the The Valkyries sisterhood. Afterwards Emma returns to a celebratory feast at the castle and wonders how she can use the Sunstone to find the herds now that it is fixed.

Chapter 10: The Music Box
Emma wakes up in the night, worrying about how to use the Sunstone. She wakes Deru, and the two converse on their ideas. Afterwards, Emma returns to her room and examines Sigga's things. She finds a jewelry box that opens at her touch and places the Sunstone inside. As she does so, a shaft of sunlight shines on the box, and she uses the sunlight to light up the stone which produces a large rainbow leading off of her balcony. Sara then tells her to follow the rainbow, and the group sets out once again.

Chapter 11: Rainbow Path
Following the rainbow leads the group to the Jasmine Forest where they encounter a wall of brambles and roses. They realize this is the Rose Maze just as Ivenna arrives and threatens to attack with her wolves.

Chapter 12: Flower Maze
The group runs into the maze, splitting up and pulling the wolves away from their pack. As they run, the hedges come to life and a giant green man begins helping them by attacking the wolves and Ivenna. Emma escapes them, but they catch up to her again with the Shadow Path. Emma decides not to run, and whips out her shield and the Sunstone pendant. She uses the Sunstone to call the maze to life, pushing Ivenna back into the Shadow Path.

Chapter 13: Petalhome
The Sunstone pulls at Emma and Wings, leading them through the maze. Emma finds a courtyard with a gazebo and eats the food and drinks the water she finds there. They also discover a number of topiaries, and singing weeping willow tree. She then finds a field of corn, which she calls the Maize Maze, along with many Tassel Mice.

Following the pendant, she finds herself under a canopy of foliage where she begins to smell a sweet smell. It makes her tired and relaxed. She can also hear waves somewhere nearby.

She finds Deru and Twig again, who is acting silly and strange. Johan, Cayenne, Soot, and Colm arrive as well both acting strange. Then a wolf bursts into the area, but is immediately buried under a mound of living flowers and is turned into a topiary. Emma recognizes there is danger here, and pulls the group away from the clearing. Together, the group finds Petalhome and move inside.

Chapter 14: Sunflower
When they enter Petalhome, they find the throne room but no horses. They encounter a thick mist and a number of large flowers, and after entering the room begin to transform into various plants. Emma begins to turn as well, and has a minor panic over this before regaining her composure and calling for Sunflower. She verbally shares about the quest and wanting to rescue Herd Sunflower, and places the Sunstone pendant around a large Sunflower in the room. The flower then transforms into Sunflower, and Emma's friends, as well as the members of Herd Sunflower, are transformed back from plants as well.

The story ends with Emma resolving to help Johan find his lost love. (See "Moonfairies")

Characters

 * All Herd Founders
 * Cade Traveler
 * Captain Frisko, Tramontane, and Dordi
 * Cattail and Reed
 * Colm and Soot
 * Deru and Twig
 * Emma and Wings
 * Fairy Gaurds
 * Fiona
 * Horses of Herd Sunflower
 * The Isvind Brothers
 * Ivenna and Myrfor
 * Jewel
 * Johan Bloom and Cayenne
 * Lotus and Waterlily
 * Mother Comfort
 * Mrs. Anders
 * Nike
 * Oracle
 * Penny Inkwell
 * Princess Avalynn and Tiara
 * Ray Smithin
 * Sara and Bella
 * Shine Anders
 * Sigga, Feral, and The Valkyries
 * Starstone Otter
 * Sunflower
 * Thunder
 * The Travellers
 * Tyri
 * Unnamed Merhorses that pull Jewel's ship
 * Unnanmed inhabitants of Midhaven
 * Various Magical Friends: Ambassador Hound, Fleet-footed flowers, Flitterwyrm, Glitterbug, Rose Dragon, Shedderpup, Spring Sprites, Sand Mice, Tassel Mouse

Locations

 * Artisans Way
 * Autumn Sands
 * Bagatella Row
 * Beach at the End of the World
 * Bella and Bello Monuments
 * Bluegrass Narrows
 * Bow Mountains
 * Canter Hollow
 * Cauldron Lake
 * Dowager
 * Darkcomb Forest
 * Drasilmare
 * Emerildian Wilds
 * Emma's Bedroom
 * Everspring Woods
 * Fastalon West Riverbank
 * Finnerlie
 * Grass Sea
 * Icewater Bay
 * Islandar Castle (Celestial Deep)
 * Islands of Equinesia and the Equinesian Sea
 * Jasmine Forest
 * Lowton
 * Maize Maze
 * Midhaven
 * Midwinter Mountains
 * Ochre Mountains
 * Petalhome
 * Pool of Reflection
 * Rolandsgaard Castle
 * Rose Maze
 * Shadow Path
 * Shahazar Castle
 * Trail's End
 * Treasure Trove
 * Valeryk Castle
 * Whitemantle Glacier
 * Windhome Skylands
 * Wishington

Trivia
This story makes reference to the classic film "Wizard of Oz," and the scene with the sleep inducing poppy flowers. Colm also makes a reference to the classic Frankenstein trope, screaming that Petalhome is "ALIVE!"