Ascent from the Shadows

One

Thalia watched as the trees rolled by outside her window. The sky was a mess of dark, gray clouds, and she prayed they would pass before the rain came.

The glass was fogging with her breath, and she wiped it away with her white sleeve. She was alone in her cabin despite the elderly man sleeping across from her. He wasn't much for company. A blanket covered him so she couldn't even see his face.

The train whistle sounded, and she wondered how much longer until they reached Saint Gorgon Station. Sure there was enough time for a short nap, she stuffed her large, leather-bound book into her satchel and leaned back, resting her head against the firm headrest behind her.

It felt like no time had gone by when she heard the voice.

"Excuse me, miss," a young attendant said from the door of the cabin, jarring her from the dream she was beginning to conjure. He wore a faint smile as he stood awkwardly, watching her awaken from  her nap. "We've reached the station. I'm assuming it's where you'll be getting off."

She sat up and stretched, trying to overcome her grogginess. She exhaled a breath, then said to the attendant, "Right, I'll be off. Thank you."

He nodded and slipped away to his duties. She looked out the window one last time to see the sun was now shining. People were carrying away their luggage and greeting their families. She hoped Nolan might be out there waiting for her.

Grabbing her satchel and throwing it over her shoulder, she immediately noticed something was wrong. It was much lighter than it should have been. Prying it open, she discovered her book was missing.

Fear crawled up her throat. The old man was gone, and she knew he had stolen it.

She rushed off the train, searching desperately for her previous cabin mate. The problem was, she didn't have a clue what he looked like.

"Thalia!" Nolan practically sang as he swept up behind her and embraced her in a hug. "Three days I've been stuck in that cottage with Simon. Three freaking days. It's been hellish."

"Sorry to hear it," she said, squeezing out of his grip. She snatched his wrist and dragged him along, her head whipping in every direction in hopes of catching sight of her thief. "My spell book was stolen. An elderly man robbed it from me while I was sleeping."

"How do you know it was him?"

She stopped to look up into his big brown eyes. "I just know."

He ruffled his cocoa brown hair and sighed. "You have anything I can use to catch his scent?"

She wished she could say yes to her werewolf Companion, but she shook her head. "I do have something that can help us, though."

She reached into a hidden pocket in her brown cloak. Pulling out her compass, she held it out before them. The arrow spun in two circles before finally aiming to her right. It was a gift she'd received as a child, charmed to point toward her most desired place or object.

"Alright," she said, throwing her hood up and turning in the direction her compass pointed. "Let's go get my book."

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A/N
Hiiii everyone. So first off, this is Stevie and thanks for the read and I hope you liked it. Keep on reading for Megan's chapter coming up! I'll be writing the chapters following my character Thalia along with her companion Nolan, and Megan is going to be writing the chapters following her own characters that you'll be meeting next. Leave a comment and vote if you would, and stay tuned;)
- Stevie