Chronicles of Steele: Raven 3: Episode 3

by Pauline Creeden

  PAULINE CREEDEN

  CHRONICLES OF STEELE: RAVEN

  Episode Three

  © 2014 Pauline Creeden

  Cover Design Copyright © 2014 by Alchemy Book Covers

  Interior formatting and design by Marcy Rachel of Backstrip Publishing

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Synopsis:

  Episode 3 of a 4 part Steampunk Fantasy set in an alternate universe. A tenuous alliance and the hunt for a kidnapper. Can sworn enemies become allies?

  Remain open minded.

  Watch for change in both people and environs.

  When things do not go as expected, be willing to change one's expectations.

  RAVEN HELD NIKKI on a leash and trudged in the knee deep snow after the three guardsmen. They were so different one from another. The fair hair and skin of nobility proved Colton’s heritage. He could almost blend with the snow. In contrast, Rupert’s dark tone rivaled Raven’s hair. And Captain Jack Grant’s appearance lay somewhere in between, with his russet hair and green eyes. He stood taller than the other two, but seemed younger than Rupert. His eyes met hers and she averted her gaze.

  The morning sun cast long shadows from the trees overhead, and reflected off the snow in clear spots. Rupert stopped and bent low to the ground. “The tracks are becoming hard to follow. The wind has blown snow into the prints and made them shallow.”

  Raven shook her head and unhooked the leash from Nikki’s collar. The camel-colored Great Dane bounded ahead, woofing as she loped over the snow. Raven passed the men in a jog after the dog. “I suggest we follow her. I’m sure Rupert is a fine tracker, but I’ve never heard of anyone who could out-track a dog.”

  The guardsmen crunched in the snow after her. Raven’s legs were tired, and her thighs yelled at her that they wouldn’t be able to keep up this jog for long. She ignored them, hoping for a second wind as they burned. A flock of blackbirds took off at the sight of the dog barreling toward them. The ruckus they made didn’t slow Nikki as she continued bounding across an open field. On the other side of the clearing, a dark figure stood and bent over an object.

  Raven bolted toward the other side. Her legs and arms pumped hard as she raced across the field. The snow had been blown into drifts along the edge of the woods, making the field itself shallow and ankle-deep rather than half way to her knee. The easier running helped her gain that second wind.

  As she approached, the hunched over body stood erect and turned toward her. Nikki reached the person and greeted him with tail wagging. Monroe! He pulled the hood of his cloak from his head and held a stern face in greeting. His eyes looked past her and focused on the three guardsmen behind. He swept his rags to the side and exposed the hilt of his sword.

  “Stop!” Raven cried out as she slowed in front of him. “They are with me.”

  He nodded and bent down again. A shock of red hair hinted at who the dark form might be, half -hidden in a snow drift. Monroe’s blue eyes met hers. “She’s dead.”

  Raven started. “Did you—”

  “No,” Monroe shook his head and pushed the snow from the woman’s face. “I only got here a moment before you.”

  Grant, Rupert, and Colton assembled beside them. She felt indignant at their gasping for air. Did guardsmen not run to stay fit? She shook her head. Grant met her gaze and offered her half a smile before standing up straight. He nodded toward the body. “Is there any sign of the young baron or the witch?”

  “None.” Monroe drew up to his feet.

  The body suddenly jerked. It startled the men and caused all four to unsheathe their weapons. The redhead spoke in a garbled tone, deeper and less feminine than before. “Mother where are we going? Snow is getting in my joints . . . can’t . . . keep . . . up.”

  It jerked again and died.

  “An automaton?” Colton stepped forward, studying the body on the ground.

  Monroe’s eyes grew wide and he shook his head. “Her flesh felt cold, but soft and human. This is the first time I’ve ever seen one which actually looked human.”

  Raven narrowed her eyes at the redhead. “It moved and spoke like a human. I, for one, was completely fooled.”

  Rupert stepped forward and shook his head. He spat at the mechanical woman and his nostrils flared. “Witchcraft.”

  Captain Grant pushed back his long coat as he leaned forward to take a closer look. He studied it for a moment, lifting a limp arm and letting it drop back into the snow. “Well, I’m willing to bet the Baron’s condition caused this automaton to fail. I guess we’re lucky she didn’t explode.”

  The mouth dropped open and a hiss of steam escaped from the body. Everyone took a hesitant step back. Raven shook her head. “This is a distraction. It makes no difference. We need to keep following the trail.”

  Nikki sniffed around in the snow, running in all directions as if searching for a scent. They watched her for a moment, the automaton all but forgotten. The Great Dane howled and bounded off to the north. The chase began again. Snow crunched beneath Raven’s boots, and the going became slow as she pushed through drifts. She heard the running water before they reached the fast running stream. Nikki ran back and forth on the bank. Raven looked both directions. No bridge.

  Monroe had stayed right behind her through the woods and stopped at the river with her. He didn’t pant or huff, and she couldn’t help but smile at his reaper ability to stay with her. He assessed the fast moving water. It seemed only a few feet deep, but in no way crossable. “It appears the trail stops here.”

  “Nikki can’t find a scent either direction, so they must have crossed.”

  Monroe pointed to an empty patch of shallow snow where the drift had failed to cover completely. “Or there may have been a small boat moored here for the witch to use.”

  Raven nodded.

  The three guardsmen finally caught up to them. Sweat dripped from Colton’s forehead and caused his blond curls to stick to his face. He was the first to speak. “I’m starting to wish we’d brought the horses.”

  Monroe eyed him. “Nobility can afford to keep their horses in shape while their bodies are spoilt. Guardsmen used to walk and run when I was one.”

  Captain Grant held up a hand. “Monroe, there is no need to insult us. We are all on the same side here. Let’s keep the hostilities toward our common enemy.”

  The red band on his jacket had been caught by a tree branch, and hung loose on his arm. He ripped off the loose portion and wiped the sweat from his forehead on his sleeve.

  Monroe nodded and paced up river. Raven split into the opposite direction and paced downstream. There had to be a way to cross, or another boat, or some clue. Nikki stayed beside her and trotted a few steps ahead. The day grew warmer, and the snowmelt dripped from the tree branches overhead.

  Colton and Grant crunched in the show behind her while Rupert had gone with Monroe. Raven attempted to ignore them. It had been two years since she’d travelled with her father, and she’d grown accustomed to being alone. Darius had not been the same. He needed her protection and took orders from her. These two men could take care of themselves, and if anything, she might need to defend herself from them at any time. This tenuous alliance kept her alert.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she sa
w Colton glance at the sword attached to her back. The red cord hung over her shoulder and occasionally tickled her neck. Was it his? In the darkness, she couldn’t tell which of the guardsmen she’d taken it from. He didn’t say a word about it, but his eyes were drawn to it magnetically. Should she give it back to him? Part of her wanted to. Maybe it would work as a peace offering and garner trust between them. But the sword was a spoil of war, hers by right. Would he see himself as weak if he didn’t win it back from her?

  Captain Grant strode next to her, jogging to keep up. “What are you thinking?”

  “What do you mean?” Raven furrowed her brow at him and then continued to look for a means to cross or travel the river.

  “You shrugged and threw your hands up. I thought maybe you’d come up with a plan and rejected it.”

  Raven shook her head. She didn’t need to tell this man her thoughts. “I didn’t think that the Wood Witch lived so near the road. In the stories, she always lived deeper in.”

  “Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. I remember hearing stories about her being in the center of Preston Woods, near a lake.”

  “Right, not a road. Not a river, for that matter.”

  “Could she have more than one house? It would make sense then.”

  He lost his footing as he stepped in between two stones. Raven shot out an arm to catch him. She smiled. Maybe it wasn’t just Gregory who lacked sure-footedness. She continued. “I thought at first that the house belonged to her daughter, and she was there to pay a call. She talked to the automaton as though it had thoughts of its own. Thoughts, choices, answers, even. But now we know it was just gears and cogs—it makes little sense anymore.”

  He nodded, his eyebrows furrowing together.

  Raven stopped and Colton stepped on her heel, unable to halt as suddenly. He apologized, and she rolled her ankle to relieve the small pain. She checked back upstream but could find no sign of the other two. “Do you think the others might have found something?”

  Captain Grant shrugged. “Maybe, but I’m sure Rupert would give us a whistle if he wanted our attention.”

  Raven nodded and continued downstream. The water had gained intensity and depth as they walked. Their walking became more difficult, as the shore drew into a narrow strip against the forest. Still, no matter how far she looked ahead, she found nothing helpful. She stopped again.

  Colton caught himself just before stepping on her this time. The pale-haired man got on her nerves a bit. She eyed him as she spoke to Grant. “What do you suggest, Captain? Should we continue this endeavor downstream or turn back and rejoin the other two?”

  As she finished her question, she spotted a dark object bobbing on the river and it was heading swiftly toward them. She shook her head and pointed. Grant and Colton followed her gaze. As the object drew near, she smiled. The dark-skinned guardsman sat at the middle of a small boat, with oars. Monroe, at the back, handled the rudder. He steered it to shore right where Raven stood. Grant and Colton grabbed the bow. Rupert hopped out and the three of them pulled it ashore.

  The rickety johnboat seated more than six. Nikki leapt into the boat uninvited and lay at the stern with Monroe. He rubbed the dog’s ears, and she licked him full on the face. Raven tilted her head and grabbed the side, bound in and sat in the bow. Colton and Rupert sat in the middle, each with an oar. Captain Jack Grant pushed the boat off and hopped in. She caught him by the arm as he lost his balance. He settled in beside her, and she drew comfort from his close proximity.

  Raven grabbed Grant's arm as the choppy water threatened to tip their craft. They settled into the fast flowing waves, and it seemed the oars were hardly necessary. Her cheeks burned, and she released Grant's arm, turning slightly away.

  Monroe manned the rudder like a professional boatman. The morning sun that had followed them all day reached a zenith overhead. The woods surrounding the river swept by in a monotonous rush, unchanging. Raven yawned.

  Captain Grant leaned toward her and whispered, “If you’d like to doze off, we could keep an eye out.”

  She shook her head, but tired tears stung her eyes and she yawned again. Could she let her guard down around these men? She trusted none of them like she did her father. Without showing Grant what she was doing, she pinched herself in the thigh. She needed to stay alert. These men had had no more rest than she’d had. If they could continue, so could she.

  Captain Grant nudged her with his elbow. In his gloved hand, he offered her a stick of jerky. His jaw moved in an even rotation as he bit off a stick from his other hand and chewed. Raven’s stomach growled. She hadn’t realized she’d been hungry until the food sat right under her nose. Grant smiled and moved the jerky toward her again. She nodded, took the small stick of meat, and said, “Thanks.”

  Unused to sitting close to a stranger, she found it difficult to position herself comfortably. Their thighs touched on the small bench of the bow. It reminded her of when they’d ridden his horse together. Why hadn’t it felt uncomfortable that time? She’d never been so close to a man, except her father and Gregory. Unless it was in a fight, she’ never let one get this close. Her face flushed as she took her first bite of jerky and stared at the dappled light reflecting off the water. She needed to think about something else. “What do you know about the Wood Witch?”

  Grant swallowed the last of his jerky and looked at the water on the other side of the boat. “We’ve all heard tales. Stories to keep us out of the woods and in our beds at night when we were children. I’m sure they are mostly exaggerations.”

  “Maybe, but maybe there’s truth to them, too.”

  He shook his head and gave her a half smile. “I doubt it. I don’t think she flies on a broomstick or she would have used that as her means of escape, don’t you think?”

  “Well, that’s for certain. And I didn’t see a crumb of gingerbread around that house of hers . . . it had more substance than one made of candy or confections.” Raven shook her head, racking her brain for more details about the Wood Witch.

  Rupert leaned forward. “But does she eat children? Would that part of the stories be true?”

  Raven’s jaw clamped so hard and fast her teeth clicked together. If that witch had intentions of eating Darius, Raven would rip her throat out.

  Colton spoke up. “In the palace, there are fewer fables about the witch. She’s considered an amalgam of apothecary and alchemist. Occasionally she’s called on if a noble has an ailment the doctors cannot cure.”

  Grant shook his head and turned so that he straddled the bench and could see his companions. His movements rocked the boat and forced Raven to grip the seat. He asked, “So among the common populace, tales of woe surround the witch, but among the rich, she’s just a healer?”

  Colton nodded. “That about sums it up.”

  Monroe cleared his throat from the back, drawing all eyes to him. “The Wood Witch is a bit of both, I’m afraid. A person is rarely ever purely good or evil . . . black or white, but rather has shades of grey. They have good points and bad ones.”

  Raven ground her teeth. How could she have brought Darius to this woman even if it had been at the Baron’s request? “Wait. I thought the duke doesn’t approve of witchcraft? Isn’t he the top of the nobility?”

  Colton tilted his head, and his blue eyes met hers. “That’s also true. Some of the nobility still call on the witch for her services, but rarely do they do it in the open. If a spy brought news to the duke about her use, it would be fodder for a possible ousting of their seat.”

  Grant leaned forward, his eyes alternating between Colton’s and hers. “So you’re telling me this woman has been shunned by the nobility because of the duke’s prejudice?”

  Colton nodded.

  Raven’s eyes grew wide as she connected the dots. “She has a motive to hurt the baron. If she could hurt the duke through his son…”

  Grant nodded. “She’d get revenge.”

  Remain vigilant to one's own needs and those of one's allie
s.

  Stay strong at all costs.

  Do not let one's body grow weak because of failure to care of its needs.

  JACK GRANT LEAPT from the boat and pulled it ashore. He offered his hand to help Raven from the boat. She eyed it and gripped the sides of the vessel and jumped out on the other side. Jack dropped his hand, but continued to smile. Obviously, she didn’t want him to treat her like a woman. He removed his hand and gave her a smile and a curt nod. If that was what she wanted, he’d do his best to oblige. As their portion of the boat reached land, Rupert and Colton jumped out and helped him haul the boat to the sandy beach. Jack surveyed the busy docks just ahead of where they drove ashore in Ipswich.

  The large ships and tugs could have run them over without ever taking notice of them. If the witch had run her boat to the mouth of the river and brought the young baron all the way here to the port of Southbend, she’d have been forced to go aground as well.

  “Where to, Captain? Where should we begin the search?” Colton asked as he stood, eyes wide and taking in the sights.

  Raven snapped a leash on the Great Dane and called her over the side of the boat. Nikki leapt over and sniffed around along the shore. She searched in both directions, but failed to find a scent. After a moment of watching, Jack finally answered Colton. “I’m not sure.”

  Rupert had walked up the shoreline toward the docks and started on his way back toward them. He called out as he approached. “Chances are this is all a part of the witch’s plan. She prepared the boat. Even coming here was not an accident. She likely frequents this port. I suggest that we canvas the area and ask questions.”

  Jack took a deep breath of the cold, salty air and nodded. “Logical,” he said as he met eyes with the two reapers huddled together over the dog. “What do you two think?”

  Monroe eyed the three guardsmen. “I suggest disguises. The duke has no jurisdiction over these southern provinces, and we’re hours south of Moorshead now. Raven is wearing her travelling dress, and only needs to get rid of her weapons. In my rags, I look more like a vagrant than a reaper. But you three in your brown coats and blue suits look the part of Duke’s Guard. If we’re going to be asking questions around this town, you three will not gain much in the way of answers.”