The Jenny's Journeys

Hester and Tom

Above the clouds of Africa, soaring above its plains and dunes, were a line of airships of variable size, distinguishable colours and differing patterns. There were gigantic air freighters that carried spice from the Hindref Islands, luxury liners that bore the names of Old World celebrities and even rare sky-trains ( a group of airships that connected themselves using rope to form a long line of airships ) that shipped goods for wealthy and prominent merchants.

However, one could only see them in the current night sky as they were illuminated by beacon lights that flashed periodically like light bugs and fireflies in the nightsky. Their individual lights seemingly forming a colourful pattern that illuminated the Birds Roads. Those same lights too guided airships to nearby Traction Citites, Trading Clusters or Static towns, attracting groups of traders like a lamp attracting moths. Though at this time of night, there was little activity.

The airships themselves seemed to be sleeping, their engines silent and their gondolas creaking here and there when a gust of wind blew over it. There were few airships with lights on ( apart from the beacon lights ) as most aviators and aviatrixes were fast asleep.

Apart for one aviator, who was awoken in the middle of the night and could not seem to return to sleep. Thus he went to the bridge to make a cup of tea, re-checking the goods that he and his lover had brought with them from Airhaven and listened to a little night-time radio, currently playing an old-world song that had something to do with getting caught between the Moon and an old American City, coming from small traction cities and trading clusters below as he watched the trail of airships slowly drifting in the nightsky.

As the hours passed, he felt himself slowly drifting back to sleep, noting that there were still some hours before dawn for him to get a few hours of sleep.

Creaakkkkkkk

He was stirred from the pilot's seat, straightening his body as he turned towards the back of the gondola to see what was making the noise. He had expected to find nothing and believed the sound to be made by the wind giving the red airship a little push, however, he found a woman lazily getting out of the bedroom, her copper hair covering her scarred face and walked out of the room as if she were in a drunken stupor.

"Oh, did I wake you up." The aviator asked in an apologetic tone. The woman smirked as she made her way towards the pilot's seat, her arms raised as she inched closer and closer before wrapping them around the aviator's neck and whisering a few words into his ear.

"Yes, you did Tom." She said wearily and half-asleep. "I woke up when I didn't feel you in our bed."

"I'm sorry Het, we can go to bed." Tom Natsworthy replied as he reached to switch off the radio, only to find that the hand of Hester Shaw was grabbing it and stopping him from continuing with his action.

"Let's just stay like this for awhile."

And so for a moment that seemed to last forever, they were locked in that position, a young former scavenger and scarecrow of a girl hugging her similarly young former Third Class Apprentice Historian from London, in the airship of a former Anti-Traction League agent above the Great Sand Sea of Africa. Tom smiled at that, recalling his dream of being "rescued" by some beautiful League Agent from his life in London and going on wonderful adventures, only to find that he was currently living that dream. He let out a soft laugh

"What are you laughing about." Hester asked as she found that her lovey-dovey moment was being interrupted.

"Oh it's nothing." Tom replied, turning to face Hester. They found themselves eyes locked with one another. Tom thought of the woman infront of him, she was the complete opposite of that "beautiful" agent, with him but yet he found himself loving her with all his heart. Hester, too, found their little situation somewhat funny as well though she did not show it, a former scavenger falling in love with a soft London Historian who killed her surrogate Stalker father that wanted to turn her into a Stalker as well.

"Let's go to bed." Tom said, turning the radio off and making final checks on the instruments.

"Alright" Hester replied, planting a kiss on his lips and leading him back to their bedroom. Re-joining the quiet slumber on the Birds Roads.