Daughter of the Raven

by Cherime MacFarlane

  She dashed from the bed to rattle around in the wardrobe. After finding a chemise, which she slipped into, Camille took one of the comfortable dresses she reserved for home wear and pulled it over her head. She buttoned the bodice as he found a pair of jeans. He was almost dressed when she pulled on socks and shoes.

  If the fancy society ladies could only see her now. Dmitri thought as he pulled on his own socks. She had always been one who liked plain clothes. He recalled when they were first married how he had been such a ninny about dressing her in style. She was dashing around as usual when Dmitri caught hold of her arm to pull her against him.

  "J't adore." He took his time with the kiss.

  "Enough of that! Let me get something done with this hair." She gently pushed him away.

  Dmitri pulled her long braid. "This looks fine to me. You can come back up here to do your hair after we have that quiet cup."

  "True." That little Gallic shrug, a mannerism which amused him to no end, counterpointed her words.

  "Come on then. Let's sneak out and see what is going on." Dmitri said with a grin.

  Holding hands, they walked out the back door from the hall way. As he had thought, the door of the stable was wide open. A wisp of a breeze barely moved the corner of the big door. A shaft of sunlight speared through into the gloom. Dmitri stopped short.

  Camille glanced into the stable and a slight gasp escaped her. Anya and Stanislaus lay in the hay. Anya was fully concealed, but Stanislaus was only partially covered by the blanket spread over them.

  Both of his pant covered legs and one stocking covered foot were clearly visible. Stanislaus lay on his side, his chest only partially covered by a shirt, which was obviously torn. Anya's head was on one large muscled arm as she cuddled against him.

  Camille looked up at Dmitri not knowing how he would react. After all, she was no longer a virgin ......Camille let the thought die. She was her father's little girl. Now, what was Poppa going to do?

  When he turned, Camille was amazed to see a slight grin on his face. Dmitri laid one finger across his lips. Then he pointed to Stanislaus' legs and sock covered foot. Very quietly, he backed away from the door. Dmitri reached down and retrieved some small pebbles from the dirt near the sidewall of the stable.

  He leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Go into the house through the back door. They need to wake before anyone else does."

  "How?" She mouthed.

  Dmitri pointed to the rocks in his hand. Then pointed to the back door, which led to the hall and kitchen.

  Camille dashed off. As soon as he saw her enter the back door, Dmitri began tossing the rocks. One at a time, the pebbles landed against the stable door with a tapping sound. When he heard movement, Dmitri went quickly and quietly to the back door.

  "Come." Dmitri hustled Camille through the hall into the study. "Wait." He quietly cautioned her.

  Shortly, they heard stealthy movement in the hall. The stairs groaned just a bit. Dmitri opened the study door just as Stanislaus carried a still sleeping Anya, into her bedroom. Dmitri shook his head at her when Camille would have spoken.

  Stanislaus went down the stairs and out the front door. Dmitri and Camille moved to the window. They watched as he walked down to the Arctic Tern where his luggage was. The torn shirt flapped in the breeze.

  "Dmitri Bressoff, what are you doing?" Camille eyed him cautiously.

  "I want a quiet word with the boy. You note he was fully dressed?"

  "Yes, but..." She still wondered what was in her husband's mind.

  "I do not know exactly what happened last night. I am fairly sure of what did not happen. I think Stanislaus staked a claim on her. But I just.....Hush."

  Stanislaus had come back in the house. He was evidently going to the bathroom at the end of the hall.

  When the door closed. Dmitri left the study. "Go see about the coffee Camille, if you would. Make enough for all of us please." He whispered.

  She went into the kitchen. Dmitri barely made a sound as he walked to the bathroom door. Camille listened closely. The man was insane, if he thought she was not going to listen to what was about to take place.

  Pushing the door open, Dmitri leaned casually against the doorjamb. Stanislaus was in the middle of lathering up, as he prepared to shave.

  Dmitri caught him unaware. "How did the taming go last night?" He inquired quietly.

  Stanislaus dropped the shaving brush into the sink with a clatter. He turned to look at Dmitri and turned several shades of pink. "Sir, I did not...."

  "Come now Stanislaus. I was married to her mother. Have you any idea how insufferably 1arrogant a Tlingit of high social status can be? I doubt it. How in the name of heaven we managed to stay married without killing each other, well, I still have no idea."

  Stanislaus stared at Dmitri. His voice caught a little as he tried to explain. "I love her more than she knows. If we cannot be equals in a marriage, we are doomed to fail."

  "I gave you the best chance I could." Dmitri sighed. "Raising her to have an iota of control was the most difficult thing I have ever done. Also, she is not a jealous woman. Her mother was and would have cut my heart out had there been a whiff of another woman on me. Then, she would have wept her eyes out over my dead body. That is a battle you won't need to fight. You will need to let her make her own decisions in many things and support those decisions whole heartedly."

  Camille had heard enough. She smiled as she went about making a fire in the cook stove to brew coffee. She recalled just how enraged she had been when she found out about Dmitri's Juneau woman. He was just lucky she had a practical turn of mind.

  What Dmitri did not know was not going to hurt him. Camille hummed as she lit the kindling in the firebox. She knew, like any man, a pretty girl could turn his head. So long as his body stayed where it was supposed to, he was safe.

  Dmitri smiled at Stanislaus. "The shirt is destroyed I take it?"

  Stanislaus just nodded.

  Dmitri pushed himself upright. "I do believe she is a good bit stronger physically, than she used to be." He turned to leave the bathroom.

  "Much stronger. Physically and mentally Sir." Stanislaus said.

  Dmitri looked over his shoulder at Stanislaus.

  "Drop the 'sir'. In that case, it is a good thing she has forgiven Charles."

  Dmitri found Camille sitting at the kitchen table. She had placed three mugs on the table. The coffeepot was on the stove. There was a slight smile on his wife's face, almost as if she had heard a good joke. Dmitri wondered what thoughts were going through that lovely head of hers.

  The Arctic Tern was slicing through the multi colored ocean off the Oregon coast. Stanislaus was grateful they did not have to try to negotiate the Columbia Bar. He had been panicked enough just getting to Seattle to drop off Dmitri. Knowing he was nowhere near the sailor the Count was, it was comforting to know Anya was more knowledgeable. Although not of Dmitri's caliber, she was the better sailor of the two of them. Petyr was a total novice, but at least the boy did not get seasick.

  In Seattle they purchased a black dress and a hat with a veil. Anya refused to wear gloves or fancy shoes preferring boots. It amused Stanislaus to see the face of the sales clerk when Anya asked to see men's boots. On purchasing a pair of black boots supposedly for a young man, she walked around the store before finally pronouncing them a good fit. The look the clerk and several patrons gave her made it difficult to keep from laughing.

  They were armed also. Petyr did not use a gun, he refused to do so. Anya on the other hand was pleased with a new repeating rifle and new revolver. With a broad smile, she told him such weapons were scarce in Siberia.

  While in Seattle, he checked on his house, which Dmitri would be using during his stay there. Rakov picked up his own revolver before leaving.

  Thinking about San Francisco made him nervous. The entire situation was worrisome. Keetering was still causing him problems, a circumstance he was not happy about.

  Hopefully, they were
far enough out to sea that Petyr would be able to handle the ship through a four hour watch. Anya thought so and he deferred to her judgment.

  The night was clear with sufficient moonlight to see quite a distance. There was a stiff breeze with some chop. He and Anya tried not to leave Petyr on duty by himself, unless conditions were nearly perfect which this night was.

  The necessity for a watch caused a bit of difficulty with their relationship, as for the time being they had no time for a relationship. The watch schedule precluded all but a quick kiss when the watch changed. Stanislaus clambered down into the galley area where he started enough of a fire to heat the coffee. After banking the coals, so the fire would keep the coffee hot, he turned in.

  Burrowing into the covers, the big man pulled Anya close. Four hours and she would need to get up. For now, they could at least sleep together.

  Anya quickly silenced his pocket watch which had been under her pillow when the alarm when off. Before placing the watch near his head, she reset the alarm for another four hours. . It would be time to relieve Petyr shortly. She made her way into the galley. Grabbing the cheese from the cupboard, she cut a chunk of cheese from the block they were quickly using up.

  The coffee was barely warm. She built up the fire in the cook stove, took a tin of canned meat from the cupboard and opened it. At least it was beef. She needed to be sure to let Petyr know it was beef, so he could eat it.

  When the fire was going well, Anya made a fresh pot of coffee. A thick slice of the meat slapped on a slice of cheese and she was almost ready. Anya checked the log on the chart table for the course they were to steer before she went up on deck.

  The moon was beginning to set. The night sky was fantastically beautiful. A few small clouds scudded across the face of the moon. Low in the sky, it cast a bright light across the slightly choppy sea. Petyr was apparently enjoying the evening, as he did not rush to plunk himself in the forward bunk once she was on deck.

  "Anya! Look how beautiful this is. God's handiwork is so amazing!" His voice held a note of reverence.

  "It is quite glorious. I could not have wished for a better night." She sat down next to him. Anya checked the set of the main sail before letting out the jib sheet just a bit. The Arctic Tern was making good time even though they were running with a smaller sail rig.

  "How are you doing? Do you feel more comfortable with taking the helm now?"

  Petyr checked the compass in the binnacle and made a small adjustment to the wheel. "As long as I know you or Stanislaus are handy and as long as it is clear, I am fine. I would not even mind if the sea were a bit higher. I draw the line at a full blown storm such as the one we encountered out of Sitka."

  Anya felt the little schooner hit a bit higher wave before the bow slammed through the white cap. A bit of spume danced across the deck. Anya had forgotten how much fun the Tern could be. When they were finally able to take a wedding trip, she wanted to take the schooner on a cruise around the Inside Passage.

  "I was glad we had Poppa on board for that. I needed a refresher on sailing, but did not expect to get it a day out of Sitka. It is amazing how quickly weather can come up in the Passage."

  Petyr snorted. "Weather? Is that what you call it? I thought it was a gale. "Weather" can mean anything."

  Anya laughed at him. "It was just a bit of a storm. It was a little dicey because of where we were and what quarter the wind was coming from. Had it been coming from a different quarter it would have hit the outside islands. Then the water would have been much calmer."

  Anya ate the last of her cheese and corned beef. She sidled a bit closer to Petyr. "I opened a can of tinned beef. The coffee is ready if you want some. If not, bank the fire for Stanislaus."

  She took the wheel as he slid over to the side off the jump seat. "Off to bed with you. You did well my friend."

  The moon set leaving the night as dark as velvet. Anya watched the stars, clear and bright, just above the horizon. The running lights, which had been filled with kerosene at dusk, were good for the entire night. She knew there were other ships out there, as this was a busy coast, but there were none to be seen now.

  Anya let her thoughts wander to the man she had left in the bed. He made her feel small and delicate. As a tall woman, she had not often felt that way. All the years he had hunted and trapped as a young boy in the winter months and the years he had worked for her father on the island, had left their mark on him. Stanislaus might look big and bulky but she knew better. He moved very quickly.

  She had discovered how quickly the night they had... she could not call it made love. The night Stanislaus had played with her in the stable.

  Just thinking about that night caused her breath to catch. Whatever it was, making love, playing, Anya wanted more of it. She wanted more of him and would settle for nothing less than all of the man. The tingling sensation in her, for want of a better term, nether regions, let Anya know her body agreed.

  She tightened the main sail just a little more, flattened the foresail and pointed the Tern just a fraction more into the wind. Speed, she needed more of it. She needed free of Charles so Stanislaus would finally give himself freely to her.

  Taken aback by her thoughts, the woman laughed aloud. How insane this was. She was like a cat in heat with one objective, the man in the bunk below. Anya eased off the main sheet and the jib. The ship did not need to be driven so hard. If he could wait so could she.

  Several days later they eased into the harbor in Sausalito. Stanislaus felt the further from Chinatown they were, the better. They could see San Francisco where it lay only a few miles away by water but over a hundred miles by land.

  Stanislaus anchored the Tern in the harbor. He cautioned Anya to keep her watch cap on with her hair tucked under it during the day. As they were at anchor, anyone wishing to board the Tern would have to row out to the ship. They would continue to keep the watch schedule, as Stanislaus did not want the schooner unguarded.

  It was a Friday. Anya wanted to immediately get dressed, go to the Keetering home and confront her mother-in-law. Stanislaus was holding out for Sunday, feeling it would be better to contact her in church. Petyr agreed with Stanislaus. Which caused Anya to fume silently.

  On Saturday, Anya gritted her teeth as she reconciled herself to a day of rest and resupply of their stores. The three of them got the dinghy into the water. Stanislaus and Petyr undertook the supply run.

  While they were gone, Anya made herself useful on the Arctic Tern, checking the rigging and sheets. When she was certain the vessel was as ready as possible, Anya turned her attention below deck.

  She opened a can of corned beef and diced four potatoes. The potatoes she put in the frying pan to brown. The corned beef went onto a plate. Anya broke it up with a fork. Once the potatoes were finished she put the meat in the pan with the potatoes. When Stanislaus and Petyr came back, Anya had dinner ready for them. The three of them hauled the supplies in and stowed everything before sitting down at the table to eat.

  They rotated the watch schedule Saturday night. Stanislaus took the first watch, as he knew he would not sleep well until they had left the bay.

  On Sunday, Anya dressed early. She knew what time the service started and was anxious to get there. Stanislaus rowed her over to the San Francisco side of the bay. He would stay with the dinghy.

  Anya caught a cab to the church. Choosing a pew in the back, she sat down to wait. What if she did not come? What if Mrs. Keetering was ill? Worse yet, what if Anya was not able to get close to her? She tried to calm herself, but squirmed on the hard bench as she waited.

  People began to file in. Hidden behind the veil, she watched as the congregation made their way into the church. At last, Mrs. Keetering came through the door on her husband's arm. Anya watched the older couple make their way to their bench. Moving up the side aisle to the Keetering pew, Anya took a seat. Her father-in-law was sitting on the outside, close to the middle aisle. Mrs. Keetering was in the middle.

  Anya fidge
ted throughout the singing of the hymns. Once the pastor said, "Let us pray", Anya lifted the veil and turned to Abigail Keetering. She tapped her on the shoulder. Mrs. Keetering stared at Anya as her hand flew to her throat.

  "Not here!" She whispered to Anya. "One o'clock, the fish market."

  Anya nodded, dropped the veil and quietly left the church. Hailing a cab, she went to back to the dock where Stanislaus waited. He sat on the wharf, legs dangling over the edge above the dinghy.

  Leaning over, she quietly whispered to him. "I am to meet her at one o'clock in the fish market."

  He nodded. Stanislaus looked up at her. "Why don't you go sit in the cafe? You can see her enter from there if you get a seat near the window. "

  Anya did as he suggested and sipped at a cup of coffee as she waited. Finally, Abigail left a hired cab to make her way into the market. Anya followed a short distance behind her mother-in-law. The two of them converged on a corner of the market where they both idly inspected a bin of fish. Abigail dropped her handkerchief as she turned to look at another container of fish. Anya picked up the handkerchief and called out to her.

  "Ma'am! You dropped something."

  "Oh, thanks you." Abigail turned back to Anya and reached for the piece of cloth. "You are alive!"

  "Yes, and I need to find him."

  Abigail nodded. "I am sure you do. But you need to know something."

  Anya shook her head. "No. I understand he is in trouble. Let him explain. Just tell me where to find him, and I will be gone. We need to do this quickly so no one will suspect anything."

  Abigail nodded. "Thank you for being discrete. I do not know exactly where he is. You need to look in San Diego. Ask for a C. Edward Merriman, attorney. He will be working with the Chinese community."

  Anya closed her eyes as she repeated the name under her breath several times. Opening her eyes, Anya nodded. "Thank you."

  Abigail nodded. "God bless you, dear."

  Anya slowly made her way to the wharf where Stanislaus waited. She scanned the area around her, looking for Chinese. She did not see anyone, but knew they were everywhere. Now, that she had a name and location, she was fearful Charles' enemies might follow her.