And if it wasn't for that stowaway, the entire crew of the Mary Glory would have been lost.
— The Ghosts of the Mary Glory (Act 4, Scene 11)
Linsan did not sleep well that night.
The thought of heading out back on their hunt was terrifying. As she bobbed in and out of consciousness, nightmares gnawed at the edges of her thoughts. If it wasn't getting lost in the wilderness with a broken car, it was holding Brook's body in her arms as her best friend bled out. Or feeling the flames and being unable to escape before they took her life. It felt like a hundred ways of failure beat against Linsan's thoughts and there was a hint of despair lurking her mind when she finally drifted to sleep.
When she woke up again, Brook's room door was open and she was gone. The smell of perfume brought a smile to Linsan's lips and she dressed quickly before inspecting the drying bow. The glue had set and appeared to be hard though a day wasn't nearly enough to cure properly. In a perfect world, she would have let it still for another week, but in that same world, she would have her family's wood to repair it, her father's glue and traditions, and probably a violin crafted directly for her.
She enjoyed the idle fantasy of having the perfect instrument while she set the bow into the case, made sure the violin didn't have any new scratches, and then sealed it up. She gathered up the borrowed tools to carry everything down to the main room.
Down below, she saw Brook and Har at the bar. Brook wore her yellow formal dress, with little blue embroidery along the bottom and matching gloves, boots, and a narrow-brimmed hat with a blue flower on it.
“Are you sure?” asked Har as he poured a canvas bag of what appeared to be sugar directly into a cast iron pot on the counter.
“Yes, yes,” Brook said with a purr as she stirred. “Just a bit more and it will be perfect.” She reached over the counter to grab a handful of leaves and dropped them in.
Har shook his head as he emptied out the bag. “How are you able to sleep after drinking this?”
Brook grinned and stirred the pot. “Oh… this is just about right. Please simmer it for about ten or twenty minutes until it is just about syrup and then add the milk.”
He groaned as he set aside the empty bag. “A girl as thin as you should not be able to drink this. For what? A week's supply?”
Linsan grinned as she set down her case and tools. “That's probably just for today.”
His eyes widened and he looked at Brook who nodded sagely.
“I like to drink while I drive,” she explained.
“You probably go further if you don't have to stop to pee every hour.”
“I don't stop. Besides, a lady doesn't talk about that.”
He glanced at Linsan who shook her head. Then his gaze dropped to the tools. “Why don't you leave those here? I'll get them returned.”
“Are you sure? I have hours until we leave.”
Har had a strange expression as he reached out and pushed the tools away from Linsan. “You have a pressing need to be somewhere. Besides, if I don't get you out of my village, your friend is going to consume every sweet thing we own.”
Brook looked up from stirring the pot. “I'm sorry. How much?”
“Only what you've already paid, Princess.”
A flicker of annoyance crossed her face.
“Sorry. I should have asked. Do you mind being called that or do you prefer Lady Kabisal?”
She shrugged. “Princess is fine as long as I'm on the road soon.”
“You will…” He stopped. “If Miska said she would be done, she would have never stopped. She was working all night and will be finished soon. One thing about the Feil, if they swear on the winter winds, they will walk past the Couple to fulfill their promise. Miska is one of the good ones, you can trust her.”
His behavior caused the hair on the back of Linsan's neck to prickle. She frowned and stepped back to look out the window.
The Glasscoaster was parked in front of the forge. At first look, it still looked damaged with the pink paint stripped away and the scars of being crumbled clear on the metal body. But, once she looked past the superficial damage, it looked ready to drive away without a second's preparation.
She looked back at Brook and then at Har.
He watched Brook who was peering into her tea and shrugged. It was clear, he knew that Brook would be rushing out the door if she knew the Coaster was ready to drive.
With a shrug of her own, Linsan nodded and stepped up to the counter.
He smacked the counter. “So, what can I get you for breakfast?”
Brook pointed to the pot. “I'm good.”
Har looked pained.
Linsan chuckled. “You need something besides sugar. Could we get something simple and quick? And maybe something we can take… um, for a picnic if we are going to practice more?”
Brook glared at her before she sighed. “Probably a good idea.”
He grunted.
Between Linsan and Har, they kept Brook occupied until they finished their breakfast. While Brook had one large mug of her sweet tea, Har poured the rest into a large wineskin and set it down next to a basket with lunch.
Brook reached out for it, then pulled her hand back. She glanced at the door and then at the sunlight that was creeping along the tables.
Linsan could tell that the sweetness was beginning to make Brook excited. She picked up the basket and said, “Come on, Brook, let's check out the Miska and Coaster.”
Brook's face brightened. She slammed back the rest of her tea before she stood up. A brief look of horror crossed her face before she let out an indelicate burp.
Grinning, Linsan lead the way out of the public house.
She knew exactly when Brook saw the Glasscoaster from the gasp. She rushed forward to run her hands on the repaired metal.
Linsan was surprise, there was no hint of a hammer or even Miska's fist along the surface. Even the top had been replaced, though the metal work looked entirely different; no doubt since the original was in some field miles away.
Brook let out a squeal and rushed forward. Her heels rapped against the ground as she circled the car like a hungry wolf.
Linsan followed slower. As she approached, she noticed a piece of paper tucked underneath a bar near the windshield. Tugging it free, she read over it.
Don't leave without me. You need me.
— Miska
Looking into the Glasscoaster, she saw Miska curled up in the back seat.
“What in the Father's fury!?” Brook's voice was a mixture of surprise and anger. She stood on the side of the buggy and was looking into the window with a look of horror and disgust.
“Let me guess, we have a smith in the back seat?” Linsan grinned as she realized that she was about to get her wish. Miska had the potential to be a good addition to their little group, though it would be delicate to figure out how to keep everything running smoothly. She saw it many times when a new actor or crew was brought on board with her mother's tours.
“She's practically naked!” Brook snapped. “Why is she there!? This isn't a bed!”
Linsan pretended to finish reading the note. “Because she got the Coaster running but doesn't think it can take more stress. So Miska decided to come with us—”
“No!” snapped Brook as she stormed out. Her face twisted in anger. “We are not letting that… woman in my Coaster!”
“She's a mechanic, Brook.”
“I don't care! I want to get away from her! She's like a tick, sticking in where she isn't wanted!”
Linsan stared for a moment. She knew there was an attraction between the two, but then she realized that Brook didn't realize it was going to last longer than a few days. The look of desperation between the raging words confirmed it. “Calm down.”
“I will not—”
“Brook!” yelled Linsan.
Brook snapped her mouth shut.
“She repaired your Coaster. She is getting us on the road to get your daddy's killers. Almost a full day early, if you remember. She can fix the car if those men attack us again and she didn't ask for more money before she crawled back in there.”
“I can—”
Linsan tapped her friend's sternum. “Listen! You may not like her right now, but she's offering something we don't have but we desperately need.”
“She's….” Brook quieted at Linsan's glare.
“Look, I know it sucks. But you can see that we need to move and we need to catch Tilbin and his assholes. What if they do that fire hammer on us again? Can you afford to give them a few days head start? Can you trust you'll find a mechanic that happens to be willing to work for us?”
Brook's lips tightened.
“We'll keep you two apart from each other. Different rooms, even if I have to busk to pay for it. But we need her, don't we?”
Brook's cheeks colored again as she balled her hands into fists. Then she sighed. “Damn the Couple. I didn't think she would be following us.”
Somehow, Linsan thought that Brook was protesting too much. It was clear there was at least some interest between the two of them. “Let's not piss off the gods right now. We still don't know if Tilbin is actually heading to Stone Over Moon Waters or not. The faster we can catch them or know their destination, the better we have a chance to fight on our terms instead of being tricked into being cursed by a damn tree.”
“What if she is tricking us?”
“Then she's putting an awful lot of effort into the con. That Coaster looks nothing like the wreck we brought in only yesterday. If it drives, then we're good. Right?”
Har came up with a large bag. “I know you don't know me that well, but Mis is a good girl. She talented, doesn't need tools, and she's been looking for a way out of this village for years. She doesn't have much family and she's growing out of her garden very fast. I'd vouch for her, if it means anything.”
Linsan glanced at him. After hearing other things he said, he clearly saw the situation as an opportunity to get Miska away from the village. She worried briefly about Old Gab, but pushed it down.
Brook let out a long sigh. Tears glittered in her eyes but she nodded. “For Daddy.”
“For your Daddy.”
Brook sniffed and then pulled Linsan into a hut. Her body trembled with tears as she squeezed for a long moment before releasing her. “S-Sorry… I don't know how much more drama I can take.”
“Just focus on the goal. We need to catch his killers. We've practiced and we know what we're going to do. He won't play the same tricks on us again.”
“I… I should…” She gulped loudly. “I should put our luggage and supplies into the boot.”
Linsan let Brook go before she looked into the window.
Miska was curled up in a remarkably small corner of the back seat. She had switched out her apron for a long, stained shirt. Her blonde hair was a mess of grease and soot. It tangled against the leather apron she was using for a pillow.
Automatically, Linsan glanced at her toes and winced at the rough-cut nails, dirt, grime, and scratches. She was used to the delicate flowers that stood on the stage whereas Miska looked like she could walk miles in her bare feet.
Linsan peered to the side but didn't see a pack or bag. Only a pair of her boots and what appeared to be a spur of a moment decision to come along. A quick check to open the trunk and look inside told her that Miska had brought nothing else.
She smiled to herself and headed into the dark forge to pack something for Miska.
There was a chest of drawers in the back next to a hammock. Inside where crumbled clothes and tools jammed into each of the drawers. Gathering a healthy supply, Linsan put them into the cleanest canvas bag she could find and tossed it into the trunk of the car.
She started to close the trunk but then wondered if Miska would need supplies for repairing. She used her fists to shape metal, but there were pliers and other strange tools, not to mention stacks of metal bars. Worrying her bottom lip, Linsan looked over them and scooped up a handful of the metal bars and tossed any tool she found on top of the materials.
The carriage of the Glasscoaster sank slightly and Linsan worried that she was overloading the buggy.
“Got it!” Brook said, her voice a little more sullen than before. She grunted as she dragged her luggage.
Linsan helped her get it into the back of the buggy and added her own, much smaller pack. Miska's belongings filled the remaining space.
With a dour look, Brook looked at the full trunk. She looked like she was struggling with her emotions. Then she gave a dejected sigh and a slump of her shoulders. “You're right. She can help.”
Inwardly, Linsan screamed in joy. She was careful to keep her face neutral. “If it doesn't work out, we'll let her off at once of the towns or villages along the way.”
“That would be good.” Another sigh. “Ready?”
Without waiting for an answer, she slipped into her Glasscoaster and settled into place. Her bright yellow gloves were almost shining as she set down her first drink in the holder and put the rest next to Miska's boots. She glanced at the newcomer and froze.
Then Brook settled back into her seat. “Come on, Lin.”
Shaking her head and wondering what if she had made a mistake in convincing Brook, Linsan settled into place.
Brook started the engine before Linsan closed her door. The entire buggy roared to life, rumbling underneath them with the familiar gurgle and hiss of the steam boiler heating up. It sounded different than before, a guttural growl of a some beast anxious to charge forward. Moments later, gauges began to climb on the dash.
A little moan of pleasure escaped her lips as she ran her fingertips along the shaking surface. There was a brightness in her eyes as she slowly wrapped her fingers around steering wheel.
The vehicle rolled smoothly forward.
Har stood at the entrance of his place and waved goodbye.
Linsan waved back.
The buggy lurched forward, engine rising in pitch as it accelerated. Moments later, it was out of the small village and racing along the road. The force pushed Linsan back into her seat with the familiar sense of acceleration. The pressure grew rapidly, pushing her with more force until she was pinned against the leather.
“How does it feel?” she asked.
Brook's smile was all the answer she needed.