We had been travelling for a while.
Benjamin huffed as he pulled a lever and turned the airship left to avoid a thunderous cloud. I was quiet as I looked around the ship. I had only ever seen an airship in stories: never in real life.

Benjamin didn't know this.

Suddenly, a red brick factory chimney spewing black smoke stuck up through another upcoming cloud, tall and imposing.

"LOOK OUT! WE'LL CRASH THE AIRSHIP!" I screamed, pulling Benjamin's right arm.

"What on earth - !" Benjamin yelled, before the airship lurched violently left, going sideways!

This time we both screamed. I lunged for the steering wheel and levers, and the airship shuddered. The propellers trembled savagely, before juddering to a halt. Then the airship stopped and started and I felt it fall quickly.

"Aaahh!" I screamed again. Benjamin cursed.

With the airship on its side, I clung onto the basket and Benjamin jumped up, pressed a switch to restart the engine and then pulled both levers furiously. The airship roared back into life, and I relaxed as it slowly rose back into the air with a trail of steam.

"Oh my word..." I cried, dizzy from the experience.
Benjamin faced me, angry.

"What in Queen Victoria's reign did you do that for?" He spoke.

"I didn't know it would do that." I answered plainly.

Benjamin didn't look any more pleased with this response.
"I hardly believe you were once a stoker." He muttered. "Did no one teach you not to touch?"

"I always touched everything because I always had to fix everything." I responded truthfully.

Benjamin facepalmed. He turned back to the airships controls and mumbled to himself:
"Why on earth did I agree to this? I must be a simpleton."

Benjamin continued to fly the airship and I watched the rolling green hills far below the ship throttle by. We passed a great forest at one point, and I heard the neighs of wild ponies as they cantered on the grassland below the airship. I wondered how long the journey would take and guessed it would be a day or two. The airship was much slower than the train.

I decided I might as well make the most of the time I had with Benjamin. I asked him:
"So if you farm chickens, why do you need an airship?"

Benjamin was silent for a moment to think, but then answered:
"I haven't always farmed chickens. When my father was alive, I was an aeronaut enthusiast. I built this airship myself, with a little help from him with the steam-power boiler, and joined the Aeronaut Society in Averat. I used to race there too, and win trophies and medals. Then he died and I became poor when my inheritance ran out. My mum had died when I was a baby and I had to make a living so I now own a croft. My story's a bit pathetic really." He shrugged like his story wasn't an important thing.

"But what about you? Why exactly are you going after this 'Dalere'?" Benjamin asked curiously, without turning around so he could control the airship.

I supposed I might as well tell him. I had nothing else to do.

I began:
"I met Dalere in second class after finishing stoking, and she was very gracious. She told me about the Secret Engineers, and how they've come up with a brilliant new steam-powered machine! But they needed someone who was strong enough to fix it, but delicate enough to avoid the tiniest, most intricate parts. They want a girl, not a guy, because guys are too rough and break the tiny parts. They can't fix it without this person. They say only one such person exists in the land, and she's going to the Golden Finch Hotel in Welhae to find this girl."

"Sexist!" Scoffed Benjamin. "Bet I could do it. Still, they want a girl, so a girl they shall have. I bet you think you're the one."

"Yes, actually." I said matter-of-factly.

Benjamin grinned. I smiled cooly.

"How strong are you actually?" Benjamin questioned, a playful glint in his eye. "Could you beat a boy at an arm-wrestle?"

"Sure I can. I've practised with stokers." I announced confidently.

Benjamin laughed.
"Prove it." He told me, smiling playfully.

He tied the two levers and ropes together with another piece of hemp rope, so the airship didn't move. He got his arm in position on a ledge of the airship, and I did so likewise.

I counted down from three then we began.

Benjamin pushed hard. I felt strain on my muscles, but pushing with all my strength, I pushed Benjamin's arm over the side of the ship, so it touched the basket outside!

I punched the air with my winning arm, victorious.
"What?" Benjamin gasped, horrified to have lost.

We had a rematch with our other arms, but it was the same result. I cheered again.
Benjamin nodded slowly, not quite believing this.

"Okay, I believe you now when you talked about Stoking..." He stated.
Benjamin replaced his aviator hat, which he'd taken off for the challenge and resumed piloting.
"I've challenged a couple of farm girls in the past to an arm-wrestle. They always lost to me." Benjamin told me, embarrassed.

I rested my right arm on the airship basket and flung the long end of my coal-stained hair over my shoulder to stop it blowing in my face.

Smiling warmly, I told Benjamin,
"Your winning streak is now over."

Benjamin looked over his shoulder at me and tried to frown. Instead though, he ended up laughing lightly.
"You are impossible." He laughed.

Benjamin pulled another lever, and the ship began to sink. I looked up, and saw we were passing under a ginormous cloud. Grey and billowing, it reminded me of a ferocious monster.

"Cumulonimbus cloud, all too common in Chelare. Best not fly into one in case the electrically charged ions inside it ignite the airship's baloon." Benjamin explained.

"Chelare?" I repeated. "Is that the country we're in right now?" I questioned.

Benjamin pulled a face at me, puzzled by my question.
"Yes. It is a large island in the Atlantic, under Queen Victoria's reign: it is part of the British Empire." He answered slowly.

"Okay, thanks for letting me know." I replied.

Benjamin frowned confusedly.
"How on earth did you not know that..." Was his response.

*****
As usual, thanks for your comments on this chapter! I am always looking to continually develop my writing so please comment/vote if you like the chapter :)
Have a good day and see you in the next chapter.