The Raven and the Witch Hunter Omnibus

BIG BEAR CHAPTER 2

BIG BEAR CHAPTER 2

As she exited the plane, Vanessa stepped into the arrivals gate at airport, feeling as though her true life was about to begin. She'd finally received clearance from the police to leave the city, since there was no logical way they could blame her for all the decomposing or suddenly senescent dead people. The camera guy's death had been a little dicier, but since he'd attacked Vanessa from inside her own home, with witnesses attesting to the fact that he'd fallen down the stairs without her even touching him, the police had closed that file, deeming it a self-inflicted accidental death, or something that sounded similar. She hadn’t understood everything the police officer had told her, just that she was allowed to go.

Time off work had been easier to wrangle than she’d anticipated. It had been plausible for her to cite stress and a serious need for an isolated vacation in the mountains to relax, but when she’d spoken to the director, she'd ended up worried about him. She wondered if he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, even though he’d seemed okay on her first day back. Her impression was that the stress had continued to pile up from a variety of sources during the week before Vanessa and Emma Jane had departed, as he’d continued to struggle with both the producers and backers. Hoping she still had a show to go back to, Vanessa put thoughts of work aside as looked around for the exit sign and their luggage. Spotting an arrow pointing to the right, she turned to Emma Jane, becoming concerned when she saw her paler-than-usual face.

"Are you okay, Emma Jane?"

Emma Jane was slowly walking down the gangway behind her. Surprisingly, even though Emma Jane was an older and more experienced traveler than she was, it seemed she didn't do well with heights and hardly ever flew if it was avoidable. It was possible their trip to the mountains would end up being just as hard on Emma Jane after all, but for an entirely different reason than Vanessa had anticipated.

"I'm okay," Emma Jane whispered, holding onto the railing a little too tightly for someone who was actually okay.

Vanessa wanted to hold her arm or her hand, to do something to help her out, but she was working hard on being as hands-off as possible. They'd made a deal with each other, and with Cat, that unless one of them was falling off the side of a cliff, they wouldn't touch, at all, until after they’d found the item that could protect Vanessa from accidentally being drained of life. At first, it had seemed unfairly harsh to Vanessa, but Cat had pointed out that without anyone around to provide healing, Vanessa wouldn't last more than a day if she touched Emma Jane as often as she wanted to. Grudgingly, Vanessa had bowed to reason, but she didn't have to like it, especially now, as she watched Emma Jane suffer from the aftereffects of her fear of flying.

She sighed while watching Emma Jane make her own way. "Well, at least we don't have to fly again until we go back. Hopefully I'll be able to hold you and keep you safe on the next flight." Vanessa tried to reassure Emma Jane, but also said the words out-loud as part of a fervent prayer.

God, I want this trip to be a success, just so that I can hold her without limits.

"That would be nice," replied Emma Jane, forcing a weak smile. "Which way are we supposed to head?"

"The bags and exit are to the right. Once we get our luggage we can catch the commuter bus to Banff. It's probably the most popular destination in the Canadian Rockies, so it's easy to get there. After that, all bets are off."

Vanessa had just a vague outline of a plan, since Evelyn had only had a vision of the mountains they needed to be in but not the specific location where they'd need to hike. Vanessa had researched the areas she thought sounded most likely to be successful, based on a combination of the geography that Evelyn remembered from her vision, local legends, and pictures she'd seen online. So, she had place to start, although no idea whether or not she was on the right track. Banff had seemed ideal though, being so accessible and nestled in the center of everything. Vanessa had heard about it before, and since she'd always wanted to see the beauty of the mountains, she'd booked them there instead of somewhere else because it seemed like the quintessential tourist destination.

Emma Jane nodded, opening her cane up. While she didn't need the cane to get around, Vanessa had already discovered how useful it was for Emma Jane to carry one. No one questioned why she kept her sunglasses on or expected her to move fast. The flight attendants had been extremely attentive and helpful in response to her perceived disability. That had been an unexpected bonus which led to extra snacks, which Vanessa had enjoyed immensely.

The path to the baggage area involved several escalators which made Vanessa nervous, although Emma Jane smoothly navigated each one without issue. Their bags were waiting when they arrived at the luggage carousel and they caught the shuttle with plenty of time to spare. The bus was half empty, as it was technically the shoulder season in the mountains. To be on the safe side and avoid accidental contact with each other, they sat apart and in their own seats. Vanessa thought about napping, but the scenery as they approached the Rockies took her breath away, instantly removing any thought of sleep.

"Have you ever been to the mountains before, Emma Jane?" Vanessa felt her spirits rising in response to the beauty outside. She knew she was going to have a cold and miserable trek up at least one mountainside over the next several days, but from the inside of the bus, it was so beautiful she couldn't care less about the potential future discomfort.

"Yes, I've been here to the mountains once before, when I hunted a witiko."

Vanessa looked confused, so Emma Jane explained.

"You may have also have heard it called a wendigo, but it has many names depending on who tells the tales. They are lost souls full of evil that are being punished for something they did during their lives."

"Like what?"

Vanessa felt herself settling into her seat, anticipating another one of Emma Jane's stories coming to life, but Emma Jane just shrugged.

"Oh, you know, the usual things, like selfishness, or cannibalism."

"That's a big spread in sin level."

Emma Jane nodded. "Maybe, but when you’re dependent on a small group of people to survive, the worst sins are those against a group, like keeping valuable commodities to yourself, or breaking cultural taboos. Every society has a set of rules that its members are expected to follow. In the case of the wendigo, it's seen as a punishment to end up as one, not a reward. No one wants to have this power."

Vanessa tilted her head curiously. "What power do they have?"

Emma Jane looked off into the distance.

"It's said that they have superhuman strength, speed, vision, and hearing. They have physical skills beyond the understanding of any human."

She then looked at Vanessa seriously. "But in exchange for their new abilities, they lose their humanity and are fated to roam hungry and greedy forever, with each life they take never satisfying them but merely increasing the hunger that burns inside. They are horrible, man-eating ice beasts, hence why I was here the last time hunting one. The only way to kill one is to melt their heart."

She smiled mischievously. "Or in my case, by absorbing its powers and burning its heart over a campfire.

Vanessa shuddered. "Ugh. I don't think I want to hear any more about ice monsters while we're driving. I won't be able to sleep. Maybe when we get to the bed and breakfast you can tell me the full story, if I feel a bit braver. On second thought, maybe after we’re done hiking in the isolated mountains, where we could be killed and eaten by a wendigo."

Emma Jane inclined her head. "Of course. Have you ever been to the mountains before?"

"No. We moved around a lot growing up, but never traveled just to visit places. I've seen a lot of North America, but pretty much none of the exciting parts."

Vanessa looked at the peaks now surrounding them with appreciation and their conversation lapsed into companionable silence. They passed a picturesque lake on the side of the road which was nestled between two high rocky ranges and Vanessa felt as if they were entering a different land, one where giants could walk freely and birds could coast on the air. Her spirits continued to rise. That's right. I don't need to walk, necessarily. I can fly. Smiling, she sat back and enjoyed the rest of the ride.