I awoke to the sound of people on the streets. Down on the cobbles outside the station hotel, people swarmed round the place. Mothers and nannies with children, top-hatted gentlemen, all moustached, young men with suitcases, exhausted servants carrying bags.

Past the station I could see stalls, some on wheels, some set up in a hurry. They were staffed by women in aprons or men carrying baskets of vegetables.

There were shops all down the street, and I could see a butcher, a chemist, and a delightful shop displaying marvellous cakes topped with swirly icing, arranged around a pink vase of roses.

I had not been to a town before, but I knew all the shops from reading books on the train.

I searched for my work clothes, only to remember I was wearing them, and the train was no more. I left my room to explore the world outside.

Instinctively, I put my hand on the wall as I went downstairs to leave the hotel. Then I realised the hotel would never sway under my feet, as it couldn't move. I reached the reception, paid my room fee and left the hotel promptly.

Outside, it was heaving with people. Never before had I seen so many in one place!

I walked carefully, feeling the uncomfortable knobbliness of the cobbles under my feet and I breathed in the air of this new place - it smelt of coal and dust, not unfamiliar to me.

I heard a shrill roar that sounded like mechanical flames, and the crowd parted.

I leapt to the side as well and watched a fast moving steel machine. It was a steam-horse - a new, horse-like invention, and it pulled a carriage full of people. The only differences were that it wasn't alive, it was grey and cold, and it belched out steam from its metal nostrils every so often during the journey. It was steam-powered, you see.

Once it had gone, I walked past. I crossed the road and then stopped.

How would I find Dalere?

I looked behind me, knowing the name of the place would be on the station. I saw the sign behind me, and recognised where I was: Averat station.

Well, knowing where you were was a good start.

Quickly I realised I needed to be transported to Welhae before Dalere left. I looked around me, and removed my money pouch from inside my jacket. I counted my coins, and added up my money - 7 pounds in total: I could buy a lot for that. So I could easily pay a cab driver.

I went across the street to rent a steam-horse, but they'd all been rented already. I sighed and looked around the town square for another transport.

That's when I spotted a 16 year old boy coming out of the bakers shop.

He stopped at the edge of the high Street and looked towards me. He carried a small sack of corn. His face was oval-shaped, and his strawberry blonde hair stuck up spikily, like mountains in a desert land.

He wore creased black trousers, twill fabric, that looked as if he'd ironed them a million times but given up. He also had a plain grey shirt, coal-smutted, with silver cufflinks. In addition he had a bright red silk waistcoat with a black tie. I waved at him cheerily.

He waved back and then crossed the road quickly. But as he crossed, he spilled his corn. He cursed. I laughed as he ran back into the bakers, and continued to stroll along the highstreet.

A carriage which was operated by a real horse passed the bakers, and after each clip-clop of the horses hooves, the corn crunched.

The boy emerged from the crowded bakers shop, and shook his head. He ran over to me crossly, folding over the opening of the sack of corn as he did so.

"Look what you've done madam! You distracted me! The baker offered me some corn to feed my chickens at a special price, but he didn't offer it again when I went back." He told me angrily.

"You got distracted, not me." I replied, giggling. I stopped and then continued, "But I have plenty of money - because I distracted you, I'll pay the price of the corn."

I reached in my pocket where I always kept a few coins, and handed him a penny.

"Hey, uh... Thanks." He replied, as I handed him the coin.
I turned to walk away, and he caught up with me. He asked me:

"I haven't seen you here before. Have you just come off a train?" He enquired, his light Yorkshire accent showing through.

"Funny you should say that." I answered. "I didn't stop here intentionally - there was an accident."

The boy paused and looked as if he wished he hadn't asked. He apologised and then quickly changed the subject:

"Why are you wearing trousers? The girls around here always wear dresses."

"I wore a dress once. I hated it. So impractical when stoking." I laughed light-heartedly.

"Very well. I'm Benjamin. I only came here to buy corn for my hens: the baker sells corn as well as bread. But it seems I've found you too." He smiled.

"I'm Mila." I announced confidently. I then remembered my mission to find Dalere. "By the way, have you ever heard of a lady in purple and blue, with a rat on a golden chain, called Dalere? She's part of the Secret Engineers, and I'm trying to find her in Welhae."

Benjamin shook his head.

"I know a lot of people Mila, but I have never heard of Dalere. However I know about Welhae." He replied.

"Do you know about The Golden Finch Hotel then? I'm looking for transport to take me there, but all the mechanical horses have left, and the trains are cancelled as they're cleaning up after the locomotive explosion." I explained.

The boy paused to consider this preposition for a second. Then he answered:

"I'm a trained aeronaut, with an airship. It's a bit primitive but it'll do. I suppose I could take you to that hotel for a small fee..."

"Oh will you? Please do, Benjamin! It would make my day!" I begged.

Benjamin sighed. He looked as if he was regretting starting a conversation with me.

"Alright, I will. But don't try and interfere with the gadgets on board when I'm driving." He concluded.

I thanked him and we continued walking at a faster pace. We left the town square, and wandered through networks of red brick streets. A factory above echoed the familiar sound of engines chugging away, and a tall chimney towered above, releasing steam and dirty smoke.

Benjamin coughed, and then looked at me oddly when I didn't. I was very much used to the smell of smoke and used to breathing dirty air when stoking on board the train, so I had no reaction to the declining air quality.

Benjamin led me to the park, and through the tall,black, wrought-iron gates. And there, on the left, there was an iron sign reading 'Aeronaut Society'.

A gentleman wearing a top-hat over his aviator goggles looked at his silver pocket watch, then at Benjamin and I.

"You're early. Don't you go at 7pm?" The man enquired.

"Yes but I'm on a mission now." Benjamin said, flashing an identity card at the man.

We turned left, and there was the most fascinating machine I had ever seen. It was composed of a large, egg-shaped balloon, the size of a train carriage tipped on its side and it was made of a silver filmy fabric, painted with a red unicorn silhouette.

I could see large patched up areas on the airship - clearly it had been used in rough weather. Two propellers were on the sides of the airship's basket. They were slightly rusted.

A woven basket was suspened from the baloon and There was a metal box extending from the end of the basket and 3 pipes for releasing steam extended from it like the branches on a tree.

The airship was a bit like a hot-air balloon, but you could actually drive it using levers and pulling loops. The balloon was filled with helium, which is how it floated.

Benjamin unlocked the door of the basket, and entered. He beckoned me over and I hopped in. The balloon shook violently before I lost my balance and fell out again. Benjamin took my hand and pulled me back inside.

"Wow, your common sense." He muttered. "When you enter an airship, step in gently, don't go barging in." He told me.

I nodded, shrugging. If he minded so much about my clumsiness he wouldn't have given me a lift. Benjamin locked the basket door, before arranging himself at the front of the ship. There was a rudder on the end of the ship, beside the boiler, controlled by two strong ropes and levers.

Benjamin warned me not to touch anything as he put on a black leather aviator helmet, with two lighter coloured ear flaps. There were stitches down the middle of the helmet and brass-rimmed glass goggles attached to the helmet.

He donned a pair of black leather gloves, and then flicked a switch. I heard a coarse hiss as a flame was lit in the engine, before a puff of steam shot from the pipes on the box.
The fans clicked before chugging and banging into life, while another cloud of steam shot from the boiler pipes.

Benjamin saw me looking at it and comforted me,

"Don't worry. I've stocked up the boiler with a shedload of coal. It'll be fine."

Benjamin untied the mooring ropes and I rolled them up before gathering them into the basket.

Finally, the airship began to ascend.
We drifted high above Averat, above the town and the railway track.

As the airship ascended, I could still see the ruined train of last night, Crimson Comodo, lying defeated on the oily tracks. I had a final look at the train that had been my home for 15 years, before Benjamin turned the airship around. Then we flew away and a new chapter in my life began.

******
Liking the way the plot's going? The story is beginning to pick up speed now, so hang in there!
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