The Raven and the Witch Hunter Omnibus

BIG BEAR CHAPTER 4-2

AN HOUR LATER, FULL of bacon, pancakes, and eggs, Vanessa patted her stomach.

"That's what I'm talking about."

Vanessa practically purred with satisfaction, smiling contentedly at Emma Jane, who'd eaten a more modest, human-sized breakfast.

"Are you up for a nice, cold hike?" Emma Jane asked.

Vanessa wondered how many layers she should wear then remembered what she’d wanted to tell Emma Jane.

"Oh, yeah. What I was going to say is that when I was out flying last night, two places called to me. I’d initially planned for us to hike the Johnstone Canyon trail today, but last night I thought I also saw something down in Sundance Canyon.” She looked at the clock on the wall, nodding when she saw the time. “Sundance is closer to town, so I thought we could check it out first, then tomorrow we can head to Johnstone Canyon. The ink pots at the end of that trail are where we need to get to, based on what Evelyn said and what I saw last night, but I think we’ll need to get an earlier start to reach them before dark. I don’t think we can make it all the way up today, based on what time it is already.

"What are the ink pots?" Emma Jane asked, raising an eyebrow while she waited for Vanessa to explain.

"They are basically pools at the end of the trail that are supposed to be pretty, but also, they apparently never freeze."

Emma Jane nodded absently at her explanation, looking out the window into the bright daylight. Vanessa followed her gaze, watching as the sun sent shards of fire through Emma Jane's mahogany hair. The sun pouring into the room made it feel like summer, although the thermometer on the bird feeder outside read +2 Celsius, which Vanessa knew meant that it was freezing cold.

"I'm open to starting wherever you think we should, but we should get going now," Emma Jane said. "Daylight never lasts long at this time of year and I’d like to be back to shelter before nightfall. I'm assuming the natural terrain of the mountains themselves is harsh, but if there are any creatures out there, supernatural or otherwise, night is when they’ll be the most active."

Vanessa stood up and took a deep breath. As she changed positions, her pants felt uncomfortably tight and she wondered if she’d made a mistake eating so much. "I'll get my long johns on and meet you in the lobby. The guide book recommended three light layers for this kind of weather, or long johns and a pair of heavier pants."

Emma Jane rolled up her pant leg, revealing her already insulated leg. She flashed Vanessa a sideways look.

"Okay, so you're already set, obviously," said Vanessa. "I'll be back in just a minute."

She rushed to add another layer, once again feeling unprepared and flighty in comparison to the quiet and competent Emma Jane.

Maybe some of her talent for preparation will rub off on me. That would be nice.

This time, Vanessa moved quickly and made it back in the lobby in under two minutes, where Emma Jane waited patiently for her. Before announcing her presence, Vanessa took the opportunity to watch the stunning woman, marveling again at her quiet, strong beauty before.

“I’m back. Give me a moment and I’ll ask the front desk if they can call a cab.”

Emma Jane smiled. “Sure. I’ll wait here.”

Vanessa shook her head at the calm that always seemed to radiate from her girlfriend then went over to the desk where she was able to secure a taxi and a driver that was willing to take them the short distance to the trailhead.

Less than twenty minutes later, they were staring at an empty parking lot with small snow banks lining both sides of the path, as the taxi disappeared into the distance. Vanessa looked at Emma Jane, who was biting her lip.

“Are you ready?” Vanessa asked. What was making Emma Jane look so apprehensive? Surely, she’d had worse experiences during her years of tracking than what the path in front of them seemed to promise.

"Umm, are you sure the trail's open?" Emma Jane asked, frowning as she looked around suspiciously. "What about bears?"

Vanessa glanced up the trail. It seemed innocent enough. She didn't see anyone else ahead of them, but it was a sunny day and the path at least appeared to have been cleared at the entrance.

"It's a quest, right? I'm thinking if we run into a bear, it's part of the gig. Plus, don't they hibernate at this time of the year anyway?"

She shot a questioning look at Emma Jane, but she ignored it and threw her backpack on resolutely.

"Okay, let's see what's up ahead then," Emma Jane said, not turning to wait for Vanessa's reply.

Vanessa nodded anyway, putting on her backpack as well and praying she'd dressed warmly enough. The path was easy enough at the beginning, as she’d expected, and relatively flat and wide. It was just off Cave Street, a short distance from the main town of Banff. It seemed strange to discover that hiking in the mountains could be as flat as this trail was, but then she realized the hike was all about the views, which this one had aplenty. As the trail meandered along the river, providing vistas each more gorgeous than the last, Vanessa stopped frequently to take pictures. She was completely unable to resist the tourist’s eternal struggle of attempting to capture a small measure of the beauty around her.

Each time she stopped, Emma Jane waited patiently, indulging Vanessa as she gushed about the river and the mountains, but not contributing much. After a while, Vanessa remembered that Emma Jane wasn't having the same experience, as she was unable to see the non-living scenery and was horrified that she’d been so inadvertently insensitive.

"I'm so sorry, I forgot. And I'm holding us up," said Vanessa, putting her phone away with a grimace.

Emma Jane shook her head, holding a hand out to stop her from apologizing. "No, don’t stop. I'm enjoying your happiness. Please, don't feel bad for trying to share your excitement with me. Just because I don’t see the world in the same way as you doesn't mean that I can’t appreciate its beauty. Pictures aren't something I find useful, as they can't capture the spirit of the land around me. I can’t look back at these wonderful moments later the way you or others can."

Vanessa was relieved Emma Jane wasn't bored by her tourist glee, but simultaneously saddened that she wouldn't be able to look at the pictures with her afterward and enjoy them in the same fashion. She'd forgotten once again about Emma Jane’s limitations, as they were so rarely a hindrance and invisible the majority of the time.

Changing subjects, Emma Jane pointed down the path. "You said you’d seen something that captured your attention last night? Do you know what it was?"

Vanessa shook her head. "Not really. I mean, it wasn't like I saw a pot of gold or anything. It was more a feeling that there was something there. Something different than what I should have seen. You know what I mean?"

Emma Jane pursed her lips, thoughtfully turning her head from side to side while appearing to listen to the forest around them before she nodded. "I think I feel what you're talking about. I can see the silent fires of the trees, asleep for the winter until the sap begins to run again. I can see the small creatures moving under the snow, or sleeping in their small winter nests. But I can also feel another presence. Something larger hides in these woods.”

Vanessa stood closer to Emma Jane, spooked by the hushed quality of her words. She wondered if they needed to be quiet to avoid the creature Emma Jane had sensed.

"Should we go? What do you think it is? Are we in danger?"

Emma Jane tilted her head again, then shook it slowly. "I'm not clear on that. I don’t think I’ve ever sensed whatever this being is; it has an unfamiliar energy. It doesn't feel clearly dangerous, although I still think we need to be cautious. Whatever it is though, I can feel it ahead, only a short distance away."

Emma Jane looked back at Vanessa, who felt her body hum with a sudden shot of adrenaline. "I felt like we needed to come here for some reason. Maybe I was distracted by something shiny, or maybe whatever's ahead is a challenge we need to encounter as part of our quest. I’ll go with what you think is the best plan."

Emma Jane shot Vanessa a look that passed for a smile, barely quirking the corner of her lips before she pointed her chin at the path once more.

"Let’s see what lies beyond. This whole journey is a quest to find our way together. I agree, maybe this is part of the larger goal."

Vanessa took a breath, then led Emma Jane further up the trail. The trees began to thicken as they approached the hot springs Vanessa had looked forward to seeing. As they neared the water, their surroundings acquired a surreal quality. The trees hung thick with frost where as the steam from the springs coated everything above and beside them. When they crossed a bridge encrusted with ice, Vanessa ruefully wished she had crampons on her boots to assist with keeping her balance. As she didn't, she instead called a small gust of wind to levitate her, allowing her to float just above the ice and gracefully maintain her balance. Emma Jane raised an eyebrow at this magical cheating, but didn't say anything. Her own steps were as smooth as those of any wildcat and Vanessa fell a little more in love with her as she watched Emma Jane move along the trail with her natural abilities on full, impressive display.

The crack of a nearby branch a few feet to the right made Vanessa's head snap up as her eyes moved in the direction from which the sound had originated. Yet Emma Jane was already gone. To Vanessa's ordinary eyes, she was hardly more than a blur of long, dark hair swirling beneath her red, wool hat as she almost flew across the icy ground. Vanessa's mouth dropped open when Emma Jane effortlessly scaled a tree and swung silently into the branches. Vanessa looked around, then realizing that Emma Jane was almost out of sight, hurried to catch up. Spotting the trail looping around behind the tree, she used the air to move her closer. She didn't change yet in case what they were hearing was something human or natural. She could pass off her use of air magic as an optical illusion, but not an entire transformation into a large, black bird.

However, when she arrived on the other side of the tree, nothing was there, including Emma Jane. Terrified that something had happened to her, Vanessa squinted as she peered through the dense forest. She wanted to shout out, but didn't want to call attention to herself in case there actually was something to be wary of. Setting her jaw, she dropped her backpack on the trail and changed. The familiar warm tingle of transformation spread through every nerve ending and when it was over, Vanessa stretched out her wings to their full six-foot span and felt alive in a way she never did as a human. With her sharp, avian eyes, she looked again into the trees, this time spotting a solitary splash of red in the branches of a tree ahead of her. She flew over, pecking at it and holding it up with a claw. It was a piece of yarn from Emma Jane's hat. A caw of anger left her as frustration and worry burst through her attempt to remain silent.

Spreading her wings again, Vanessa lifted off from the branch. She flew in slow circles above the trees and the trail they'd been on a moment earlier. About a hundred feet away, she spotted another piece of fabric, this time black yarn from Emma Jane's scarf. Vanessa wondered if she was leaving her a trail, or if she’d become completely absorbed in the hunt and forgotten Vanessa was with her. Either way, Vanessa was going to have a bone to pick when she finally found her.

She continued to search the air, following the sporadic trail of yarn that she found in the trees, spaced out every fifty to one hundred feet. Soon, she saw something glittering in the deep woods, far from the well-marked trail they’d been walking on. Vanessa flew over, landing on a tree a few feet from the spot where the flash of light had caught her attention. Was this what she'd seen the night before? Even with her extra powerful vision, she couldn't be sure. The forest was now silent. All noise had ceased. There was nothing that suggested Emma Jane was in danger, but nothing to say that she wasn't, either. The woods had an eerie stillness that didn’t feel right. With apprehension in her stomach, Vanessa spread her wings and glided closer.

There, almost completely hidden by several thick and ancient pine trees, was the small opening to a cave. It was tall enough for an average adult male to enter, but narrow, almost as though the mountain had cracked open at one point in time and then slightly fallen apart. A glimmer of light briefly flickered from inside the hole before vanishing once again. Vanessa knew without a doubt that this was what had caught her attention the previous night. She also knew she’d find Emma Jane inside, but had no idea what condition she’d be in or what danger lurked within the cave.