The Cadre of Embers

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

1755, England.

Althea awoke screaming from the gruesome nightmare that had haunted her for the last fortnight. Her lady's maid, Cynthia, shot to her side from across the still moving carriage.

"Ma'lady, please settle, t'was only a nightmare," she spoke warily, having been awoken from her own, likely more peaceful, slumber.

Althea clutched her lady's arm tightly and sat up, panting. Her throat was dry and rubbed rawly as it bobbed with each laboured breath. She reached for the closed curtain and yanked it open, letting the cool night kissed air into the rumbling carriage.

They had been travelling for nearly three days from her fathers estate in Manchester to her distant, widowed aunt in London, whom she was supposed to stay with. Althea had never met this aunt. Apparently, though, she had married a wealthy merchant from France and they'd settled in London. When he became ill and eventually expired, her Aunt Harriet had received all of his various estates and riches.

The cool air that blew in from the window, made quick work of the tendrils of sweat that had formed from her nightmare.

"Drink ma'lady, you must be parched," Cynthia was now holding a small canteen near Althea's mouth. She had been so dazed she didn't even hear her lady reach for the bottle.

Althea smiled graciously.

"Thank you."

She took a long drink, filling her cracked, dry mouth with the cool liquid.

It had been weeks now since she had slept even somewhat normally. She could hardly bear to think about what had occurred the night of summer solstice, that which now occupied her mind while she slept and, unfortunately, in her waking hours as well.

Althea's father was a magistrate, and in his daily life he spent his time divided between enforcing resistance against the Scottish Jacobites, and ensuring the townspeople obeyed the laws set by the throne, and paid their taxes. But when the sun grew low in the sky, and those duties were set aside for the evening, her father became a much more lively sort. Over the years she had come to realise that he had a special taste for the bizarre, and would flaunt that taste at every season's solstice party, which he threw at their Manchester estate.

From live caged tigers, to hired naked Indian dancers, to the world's most outlandish forms of entertainment, her father had nearly done it all. And people came from not only their own town, but even from bigger cities, such as London, to attend these events.

This season was no different. Her father spent months planning out the details for this year's summer solstice revel. There were tables upon tables of food imported from all corners of the world, and as always, he wanted to add something nobody had seen before. He had sailed in a group of over fifty males from a remote region of the world, to do a traditional war dance for all of those in attendance. The dance was meant to be intimidating towards their enemies and consisted of grunts and jab-like movements. She'd always admired the different cultural rituals and dances that were performed at her fathers parties. And this was no different, she'd watched in awe of the men as they executed each calculated movement. Yet, her memory of the night would forever be tarnished by the events that followed.

That night as the celebration continued, Althea had only eaten a bit, before she became tired and retired to her room for the night. The pounding drums and grunts from the courtyard had made it difficult for her to sleep, even with the windows closed. But eventually her restless mind silenced, and she fell into a deep slumber. She was only awoken when a thud and a clash from the hallway caused her to jolt awake. It had taken her a moment before she could register her surroundings. A dark silhouette of a large male barged through the doorway of her chamber, the candlelight from behind illuminating his towering form. She blinked and noticed the painted markings on his chest and face, one of the warrior dancers, she realised. Perhaps he was in search of a powder room... or perhaps he was seeking one of the ladies of the night who she knew her father employed during these events.