feat: drafted forty-three

chapters/chapter-39.md

@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ Linsan followed after Brook who stood in the entrance of the forge area. When sh
 
 Calibo and Miska had dragged the buggy into the center of the forge area. Twisted and torn metal stuck out in all directions. The front looked like it had been crushed as easily as a paper box.
 
-Miska stood near the front, wearing a pair of functional and stained trousers, a heavy leather apron, and a shirt more appropriate for winter. To Linsan's surprise, she didn't have a hammer in hand.
+Miska stood near the front, wearing a pair of functional and stained trousers, a heavy leather apron, and a greasy shirt. To Linsan's surprise, she didn't have a hammer in hand.
 
 Wearing gloves, Miska picked up one end of a fender. Bracing it against her thigh, she raised her fist into the air and brought it down. The impact sounded like a hammer strike and the metal shook violently from the impact. A blast of warm air blew past Linsan bringing the smell of scorched metal and wood.
 

chapters/chapter-42.md

@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@ Brook's nose crinkled. "I stink of sweat."
 
 "You're wearing a dress in the field."
 
-Her eyes widened as she looked up. Before Linsan could say something, she tigthened her grip on her dress as if she was going to be told that she had to take off the dress.
+Her eyes widened as she looked up. Before Linsan could say something, she tightened her grip on her dress as if Linsan would insist she change.
 
-Seeing the look of fear, Linsan realized there was something more than just wearing pretty dresses. She smiled as sweetly as she could and then ran her thumb through the dirt smeared on Brook's cheek. "I'm never going to tell you to take off a dress."
+Seeing the look of fear, Linsan realized there was something more than just wearing pretty dresses to Brook. It was important to her friend. She smiled as sweetly as she could and then ran her thumb through the dirt smeared on Brook's cheek. "I'm never going to tell you to take off any dress."
 
-"Y-You aren't?"
+"Y-You aren't? My sisters always said I was being childish."
 
 "No. I won't."
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ Brook's arm tightened around Lin. She looked longingly at the warm light spillin
 
 "Come on, let's see how your Coaster is doing."
 
-Heat rolled out of the opening as they approached, the hot air sending swirls of nearly invisible eddies across the ground. The beat was steady and pwoerful, not unlike Brook's clapping during the fight. With every slam, the ground shook underneath their feet.
+Heat rolled out of the opening as they approached, the hot air sending swirls of nearly invisible eddies across the ground. The beat was steady and powerful, not unlike Brook's clapping during the fight. With every slam, the ground shook underneath their feet.
 
 Brook broke away from Linsan and hurried forward. But as soon as she looked inside, she came to a stumbling halt. Her jaw dropped as she peered inside.
 
@@ -77,11 +77,11 @@ The heat caused more sweat to prickle along Linsan's brow, but she was fascinati
 
 Miska turned and smiled. "Like what you see, Princess?"
 
-Brook made a gasping noise and then turned awya. She was blushing.
+Brook made a gasping noise and then turned away. She was blushing.
 
-Linsan frowned and then she noticed that Miska appeared to only be wearing a pair of canvas shorts and an apron, nothing else. Sweat and soot covered her entire body, causing it shimmer in the light glowing from the metal she worked.
+Linsan frowned and then she noticed that Miska appeared to be wearing a pair of canvas shorts and an apron, nothing else. Sweat and soot covered her entire body, causing it shimmer in the light glowing from the metal she worked. Her tattoos covered more than Linsan guessed, from just below her knees up to the nape of her neck. Swirls of patterns and shapes were dark against her glistening skin and covered every visible inch.
 
-Miska grinned as she set it down and walked closer. As she did, she fanned the apron to move the air underneath. "Working metal is hotter than you think and I'll be damned if I'm going to do it in a pretty dress."
+Miska grinned as she set it down and walked closer. As she did, she fanned the apron to move the air underneath. "Working metal is hotter than you'd think and I'll be damned if I'm going to do it in a pretty dress to ruin. Besides, the embers don't burn for long in sweat and skin."
 
 Brook's lips parted as she started to say something, then she stepped back to stand next to Linsan.
 
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ Linsan took in the sight and then gestured to the car. "How is the Coaster?"
 
 Miska sighed. "Sorry, but that won't happen."
 
-Brook whimpered and Linsan felt a tighteness in her chest.
+Brook whimpered and Linsan felt a tightness in her chest.
 
 "But, I'll have you on the road by first light, come the winter winds. Even if I have to get out and push you all the way."
 
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ Brook tensed.
 
 "What about someone to help you?"
 
-"The nearest smith is over in Tausin, that's twenty miles away and the bastard hates me. You have to go at least thirty north or west to find someone who would work for me. And without your car, you're looking at twenty or thirty hours walk."
+"The nearest smith is over in Tabin-Over-Bridges, that's twenty miles away and the bastard hates me. You have to go at least thirty north or west to find someone who would work for me, as a woman or tribe. And without your car, you're looking at twenty or thirty hours walk to find out."
 
 "I could get a horse."
 
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ Brook inhaled sharply.
 
 Linsan caught her hand and squeezed it. Then she addressed Miska. "Thank you. Is there anything we do to help? Buy you dinner or something to drink?"
 
-Miska's shoulders relaxed perceptiablbly. "No, smithing and drinking are a good way to lose a finger. After, maybe." She stepped back. "I need to get back to work, Dancer, but I appreciate the offer."
+Miska's shoulders relaxed perceptibly. "No, smithing and drinking are a good way to lose a finger. After, maybe." She stepped back. "I need to get back to work, Dancer, but I appreciate the offer."
 
 Then she looked at Brook. "Good night, Princess."
 
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ Linsan tugged Brook away. "Come on, let's get dinner and a bath."
 
 "She is helping us, Brook, and we need to let her work."
 
-Brook flounced back toward public house, muttering under her breath, "... ungrateful cow, what does she think...."
+Brook flounced back toward public house, muttering under her breath, "... ungrateful cow, what does she think...!"
 
 Linsan trailed behind, enjoying the moment of silence except for the steady beat of fist against metal. She swayed to it, it was definitely something she could dance too.
 
@@ -141,4 +141,8 @@ Her ankle twinged and she stumbled.
 
 With a hiss, she stopped and mounted the stairs. "Too bad we can't ask her to join us."
 
-But that wasn't a question she could bring up with Brook nor one she could ask of Miska. She sighed and headed inside.
+But that wasn't a question she could bring up with Brook nor one she could ask of Miska.
+
+Then a thought rose up. The "choose the fields of your battles" line was from a play that her father had written about, _The King of All Moles and Other Insignificant Accomplishments_.
+
+"Damn the gods, I thought I was being wise for once." She sighed ruefully and headed inside. She had to tell Brook.

chapters/chapter-43.md

@@ -1,6 +1,168 @@
 ---
-title: WIP
+title: Repaired
 teaser: &teaser >
-    WIP
+    The Glasscoaster is repaired, but there is an unexpected setback before they could chase after Tabil and the other killers.
 summary: *teaser
 ---
+
+Neither Brook nor Linsan slept well that night.
+
+For Linsan, 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. 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 had already packed and left the room. 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. 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 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."
+
+"I don't have to 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?"
+
+Har reached out and pushed the tools away from Linsan. "You have a pressing need to be anywhere. 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."
+
+"If Miska said she would be done, she would have never stopped. She was working all night and finished up only a few hours ago. One thing about the tribal folks, if they swear on the winter winds, they will walk past the Couple to fulfill their promise."
+
+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. "Could we get something to go? Something simple that won't make a mess?"
+
+He grunted.
+
+"Come on, Brook, let's check out the Coaster."
+
+"But, my breakfast...." Brook pouted as she inched away from the pot.
+
+"I will deliver whatever you call that with the rest of your breakfast."
+
+Reluctantly, Brook let Linsan lead her out of the public house and across the road to the smithy. It was dark and silent, but the front of the Coaster was clearly visible. The front appeared to be pristine, from the shimmering metal to the smooth surfaces. There was no hint of a hammer or even Miska's fist.
+
+Brook let out a squeal and rushed forward. Her heels rapped against the ground as she plunged into the smithy.
+
+Linsan followed slower. As she approached, she noticed a piece of paper tucked underneath a bar near the windshield. Tugging it free, she started to read it.
+
+"What in the Father's fury!?" Brook's voice was a mixture of surprise and anger.
+
+"Let me guess, we have a smith in the back seat?"
+
+"She's practically naked!" Brook snapped. "Why is she there!? This isn't a bed!"
+
+Linsan finished 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. "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. She can fix the car if those men attack us again and she isn't asking for money."
+
+"I can---"
+
+Linsan tapped her friend's sternum. "Quiet! 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 star? 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 more right now. We need her to do what we set out to do, right?"
+
+Brook's cheeks colored again as she balled her hands into fists. Then she sighed. "Damn the Couple."
+
+"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 car we brought in only yesterday. If it drives, then we're good. Right?"
+
+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 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 get my drinks and breakfast."
+
+Linsan let Brook go before she headed into smithy herself. Curiosity rose and she peered into the back of the Glasscoaster where Miska was sprawled out in the back seat. She had on a short top and her stained shorts on. A pair of boots were resting on the floor but there were no other travel supplies.
+
+Automatically, Linsan glanced at her toes and winced at the rough-cut nails, dirt and 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.
+
+She glanced up at the tattoos, trying to discern the pattern. There was one, but she couldn't figure it out. They didn't appear to form words she knew or images she could picture.
+
+Setting Miska's appearance aside for later, she checked the boot of the Glasscoaster to drop off her own supples but didn't see anything else. To occupy herself until Brook returned, she circled around the smithy looking for Miska's clothes.
+
+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 repair supplies. 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 in what looked like to be frequently used tools.
+
+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. "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.
+
+Linsan thought she saw her hesitate but then Brook was back in her seat.
+
+"Come on, Lin."
+
+Shaking her head and wondering what she had gotten herself into, Linsan settled into place.
+
+Brook started the engine before Linsan closed her door. The entire buggy roared to life, shaking underneath them with the familiar gurgle and hiss of the steam boiler heating up. Moments later, gauges began to climb on the dash.
+
+With a sigh of contentment, Brook eased it out of the smithy.
+
+Har stood at the entrance of his place and waved.
+
+Linsan waved.
+
+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.
+
+"How does it feel," she asked.
+
+Brook's smile was all the answer she needed.