Chapter 1

It was late, to late by far. She could feel her feet getting colder as she tiredly stood, waiting in the cold rain. A small robin dived, circling her once and then gone. That could be my life she though, like a flash of laughter, here now then gone.

Overhead the rainclouds seemed to be chasing the moon and at her feet she could see bleak slivers of herself reflected in the puddles under the streetlight. She was leaving town, there was nothing more for her here. At the age of eighteen, at least that was what the ID told, and with nowhere to go, she thought to herself.

It had taken all courage she had to follow through her decision, She just couldn't take the abuse her new foster family was forcing her through. So here she was, waiting for a magic Greyhound to come, and to carry her away. Running to glory, is that it? She asked herself.

The Cold yellow light from the waving lamp overhead flickered its cold message under the wind driven rain ' alone, so alone'. There was very few cars passing now, and the buss she was waiting for already an hour late. Or is it running away that I'm doing? She found that she had to sit down at the bench to rest. She knew she needed to move to keep her warmth, but she was so tired. If only her parents had been here, but they had been gone since so long ago that she hardly remembered them anymore. Without noticing it she was slowly starting to fall asleep. Her thoughts melting into dreams.

When she woke up she found herself beyond freezing. The only thing sounding was the low hum from the old power lines going to the street lamps, crackling as the icily cold raindrops hit them. She didn't know how long she had been dreaming here but she knew one thing. There would be no bus for her, ever.

She tried to raise herself from the self induced stupor the night had brought her into. As she finally succeeded she started to shiver uncontrollably. 'Oh my God, ' she mumbled to herself as she tried to stop shaking, 'what am I doing'. As she looked around she could see the empty downtrodden neighborhood. Dark empty blocks of warehouses stretching indefinitely, as far as her eyes could see. She started to walk away from the bus stop while rubbing her arms, trying to get some feeling back to her numb hands.

It was then she heard the car, breaking hard behind her, she twisted nervously around to see. The lights had gone out where she was now so she could only see the headlights with that dark mass trailing behind it. 'Miss' she heard a voice 'are you ok'. She tried to smile. 'Just tired' she answered. 'I'm going home now, ' hoping that whoever it was would leave her to her self.

'Look Miss, ' and now she heard the sound of a door opening.' You are practically walking in the middle of the street here, are you trying to get yourself killed?' She felt someone roughly take hold of her arm. 'Jesus, you are cold, come on, let's get you to my car. I will drive you home, you don't have to worry about a thing Miss, what the heck have happened to you anyway?'. She felt someone steady her as she was lead to the other side of the car and helped in.

The car was warm and comfortable and she felt herself slowly relaxing. 'Look, I'm sorry' she said turning to look at the man who now sat at her side. He was somewhere in his forties she though, and he had a friendly even if somewhat irritated expression on his face. 'I was going on the Greyhound but it never came and I think I fell asleep and... ' He shook his head studying her closely. 'Look little miss, do you know how near it was that i drove you over? It was just stupid luck that i saw you with all this rain.' He turned to the backseat and lifted up an old army coat.

'Here' he said 'you're freezing, put it on.' He started the car and moved it out in the fast lane. 'So where was you going then? I thought you said you were going home?' She looked at him fearfully, should she lie? But lies had never helped her none before she thought, in the end she decided on telling him the true even though slightly edited story instead. ' I'm going too see my relatives.'

And it could almost be true, she thought, she had been thinking of searching for them, she still had her parents names and addresses. He gave her another penetrating stare as he maneuvered the car up on the motorway. 'I'm leaving for Nova Scotia myself' he said. 'I've found a engineering job there, and I always wanted to see Canada.' She looked at him surprised. 'Canada!' she said 'Are you going to drive all the way to there?'.

'Yeah' he said. 'I've quit my job and i have three weeks free before my new work starts, so yeah, i decided that I needed some adventure, before its to late'. And now he smiled at her, somewhat shyly as if he knew that he was doing something slightly 'naughty'. 'But hey, what about you then? Walking, that's not normal either girl' and here she too had to smile a little. 'So tell me little Missy, where am I supposed to let you off?'

All she ever owned was in her shoulder bag. If she only could go with him to Canada, somewhere new, she knew she could get a job there too, work had never scared her. But now she needed so terribly to sleep, the warmth had started to sweep her into its comforting balm and she felt so tired. He looked at her again, good-looking little lass, even if a little thin and sad, he thought to himself.

To young for me though, but she surely will make someone very happy one fine day. 'What's your name girl? Miss? Are you awake?' he shook her by her shoulder carefully. 'Missy. Halooo... ' But by now she was already gone into her own world, and his voice came as from far away. 'Linea.' she said. 'My name and ... I'm going to Canada too' she mumbled as she felt herself sink deeper into sleep. 'Please, just let me sleep a little'.

He was surprised over how fast she had fallen asleep. She was definitely to young to travel like that he thought. With only a shoulder bag, waiting alone in the night. Normally he would never had done what he did now, but he had to know. He turned of the motorway into a rest stop. Once there he carefully leaned over to take her bag, seeing how she almost fell of the seat he decided to fell the back down, so she could rest somewhat more easily.

He opened it as quietly as he could and checked it out. It contained mostly clothes and a cheap sleeping bag which didn't help him much. then he hit pay dirt in form of a little pocket containing a locked diary. Half an hour later he just sat there. helplessly staring at her, his hands knotted in rage. Life could suck, that he knew, but this girl, she didn't have anything more than her dignity, and yet people had tried to take even that from her. He could go to the authorities he thought to himself, showing them the diary should let her free from her newest foster parents, but what then? Another shitty place for her.

Even though he knew that there was a lot of caring family's out there, did he dare to take that chance. 'Sh- he whispered to him self, he looked at her again as she lay there sleeping. He knew that he didn't need any passport crossing the border but it would still be taking a risk, and that ID she had definitely looked faked to him. He decided to hold his decision until the next day. He tried to put her stuff back in as he had found it, and then moved her bag to the backseat. He started driving again, and kept on until early dawn where he drove of the motorway to search for a open restaurant. When he at last found one he parked at the corner, and then proceeded with gently trying to shake Linea awake.

She woke up scared, not knowing where she was, finding a stranger bent over her.'It's ok Linea, I gave you a lift yesterday, remember? I was just going to ask you if you would join me for some breakfast?' Linea who now knew who he was tried to get up, the seat was so leaned back that he had to give her a hand before she could get out of the car.

She followed him into the restaurant and then directly excused herself. She desperately needed the ladies room now. Carl smiled as he saw her rush of, then as the guy at the counter asked what they would like he ordered them both blue berry pancakes and sandwiches, coffee for him and tea for her.

She came back looking almost awake now, he watched her smiling as she saw the food. Then, almost immediately, she looked depressed again. He knew from reading her diary that she was very low on cash so he tried his nicest smile on her and said. 'Linea, it has been a pleasure meeting you, without you at my side I wouldn't have come so far so fast, would you mind very much if I was picking up the tab here?' She looked at him surprised and then she smiled back. 'Thanks' she said hesitantly 'but shouldn't I be the one to pay for us? As you're the one who have given me a ride to ... Where are we, by the way??'

Carl looked around and said ' I'm not really sure myself, I just went of the highway to get us some food.' He then said as he made a sweeping gesture over the table with his hands 'I hope this is to my lady's satisfaction? And no Linea, I insist, it's my treat' And as he watched her he became sure that it was to her satisfaction. She ate like she hadn't seen food in days, it made him smile to see how pleased she looked with herself as she took the last bite of the ham sandwich. Then he could see her starting to worry again, she had very expressive eyes he thought, it was almost as they shifted color with her moods, now they looked a very dark gray as she stared at him wide-eyed.

'Are you planning to leave me here?' she asked. 'Is it because of me we stopped?' He studied her thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded. 'In a way it is Linea.' She started to raise herself from her chair feeling tired and sad again. 'No Linea.' He said, sounding forceful. 'Sit down girl, we need to talk. I'm not going to leave you anywhere. At least not until you're ready.' She slowly sat down again looking at him. ' You said yesterday that you too were going to Canada? Is that where your relatives live?'

She thought, I won't lie to him, and answered. 'No, but there might be work for me too there. I need money to search for them.' With that she started to tell the true story of what she hoped to do. She avoided talking about her foster family though, hoping that he would believe her to have lived alone. As Carl listened he got more and more impressed with her maturity, She might not look it but there was a good brain ticking behind her timid exterior, God damn it he thought, I will take her with me, but how? Then it hit him.

'Linea.' He said, looking at her most solemnly. 'You need money right? And I have a problem, a big one Linea. In fact I've been thinking of this ever since yesterday' With that he continued to explain that even though he had already found himself a nice house there, the agency he had worked with unfortunately hadn't been able to find any housekeeper to help him out. And the best thing was that it was true. Well, mostly true, not that he couldn't make it without, but he had been looking for a housekeeper for a while there, part-time but still.

'It seems like people already have jobs there.' He told her smiling. 'Would you consider being my housekeeper? It would only be temporarily of course.' He said hastily as she started to answer. 'I don't know' she answered 'What would it mean? I can cook and clean but is that all? I don't really know you, do I.' And there she seemed to study him most intensely.

Carl who now was even more impressed with her blushed, sh- I haven't felt this small since I was ten, he thought to himself. 'Look Linea.' He bumbled on. 'This is strange for both you and me I know, but it would solve a problem for me, and perhaps for you too? Also Linea, if I was that kind of lowlife, don't you think I already would have tried something?'

Linea thought it over, she stared at him making Carl feel as if it was a eternity. At last she nodded 'What would you pay me?' Now it was Carl's turn to think things over, he answered. 'We will have to check salaries when we arrive, I don't really know. But it will be fair, I promise.' Now Linea looked more satisfied with her situation and Carl felt happy with his decision too. 'In fact I would like to hire you as from today if that is ok with you?' He said surprising himself. She smiled 'Ok, what do you want me to do?'

He thought furiously for a moment and then said 'Well, you will need some ahh, working clothes I suppose, and other things too, and it is cheaper here than in Canada you know. In fact I think you should have an advance so you can get prepared.' As they were finished, he asked for the nearest mall and there they went. He knew from what he had seen in her shoulder bag that she did need some things but even so he got surprised over all the things she bought.

Most of it was things for the house though, and boy was he ever lucky. Soap, detergents and a whole load of other strange stuff that he probably needed, but never would have thought of buying himself, well not before he found it missing that is. In the end she seemed satisfied and they went back to the car with their buys. Thank God I bought a station wagon he thought as he tried to fit in all the new stuff with the old.

When they had packed their thing to Linea's satisfaction, not Carl's, however surprising this might be to the reader, their journey continued. Linea looking at him, a smug smile on her face. Carl drove, now and then sneaking glances at her. I wish she were mine, he thought, then all of a sudden feeling guilty clarifying to himself, daughter I mean.

Thank God she didn't hear that he thought, she would probably run away screaming if she had heard his first thought. 'What?' she said, 'Did you say something?' looking at him. Sh-, don't tell me she can hear me thinking, thought Carl smiling back at her, 'No, I was just wondering if you can drive?' she nodded and said ' Yes i can, but I lost my driver's license.'

'Speeding?' he asked. She laughed surprised. 'No, what do you think of me? I just lost it somewhere.' Could be, he thought, or maybe she got rid of it as she got that fake ID? He just knew he had to do something about that. But hopefully it could wait. 'Well without a driver's license I can't let you drive Linea.' He saw her frustration as she realized that she couldn't help out.

Suddenly he saw that this was his chance to get her a better ID. He looked at her again and asked. 'Would you like to get a driver's license?' 'We could stop at a Police station and fix it for you?' She panicked. No way she was going to test her Id at a Police station, she shook her head violently saying 'No, forget it, I can get it later.'

Carl said 'Don't worry Linea, They won't know who you are, i will fix it.' He had just the town in mind, Pleaville. He had visited it regularly over the years, first at a female friends invitation and then later just because he liked it. He had played with the idea of moving there often enough but somehow never gotten his ass of the wagon. Best of all, it was just eight hours driving away.

And he knew the officers there, they were only three of them and their receptionist Clara and furthermore, it was on the way. 'If you like I can present you as my niece, and then you will just have to take a new driver's license there. They are my friends.' Continuing with telling her about his numerous vacations there. And so it went, three splendid days later they were back on the road again, but now with Linea driving and Carl enjoying himself immensely as the map reader.

She was a good, even if slightly to careful, driver, and a most enthusiastic one too. If one would believe her, then this car was the seventh miracle of good engineering. As he relaxed and listened to her happily chattering away, he thought back on how easy all had been meeting his friends again and getting her new ID/Driver's license. As soon as he presented her they had fallen for her, exactly like him. As they were good men he felt a little guilty considering his 'social engineering' but he justified it to himself with that it was all for a good cause.

Without Clara's help it would have been impossible though. But she had a slight crush on him for a long time, as he for her, even though Clara already was engaged. It had never really led to anything, but it sure helped as he showed her Linea's diary and told her of her predicament. At least it was a real laminated driver's license, and as such no fake he thought. She had used the fake ID and made a very fuzzy copy of it on the application. Afterwards she had firmly told Linea that her old ID was broken and therefore confiscated it.

Now they were nearing the border, he planned on doing some sightseeing in Montreal trying to bypass Toronto. They had had a enjoyable stay in Pleaville, sleeping at some friends of Carl. After meeting them Linea seemed to be able to trust Carl even more. In some mysterious way she now seemed to treat him as her big brother.

He had a surprise for her, and he thought she was going to like it. Because the house he had bought was no ordinary house, it was a lighthouse. That was a passion of his, lighthouses, he had felt so lucky finding out that it was for sale. The Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society NSLPS had tipped him of it as he was searching on the Internet.

As they gave him the link ' http://www.nslps.com/lights/lighthou ... ater%20History ' and as he saw it, he suddenly knew that he had no choice. That was his home, the agency had helped him and his new employer had chipped in guaranteeing security. In just fifty short years it was all gonna be his.

He hoped Linea liked the Ocean. Well, actually the lighthouse was situated inside the bay, at the end of Main Street in the town of Liverpool. It marked the entrance to the inner harbor there situated at the south shore. And outside the bay waited only the wide green stretches of the North Atlantic Ocean, all the way to Greenland and further. Going through customs had been simple, thank God no hassle at all. so now they were in Canada at last on their way to Toronto. Their stops had mostly been for getting quick showers and change of clothes as they now were two to drive. It also meant that the journey had become so much faster and smoother for Carl. And he had someone to talk with, all in all it had made it a very enjoyable transition.

But now they were both becoming tired of driving, he thought that his car would be pleased with a change of oil and a quick checkup too. Passing Lake Ontario and Kingston by highway 401 and then taking a chance turning of the highway, he at last saw a sign for a B&B (bed & breakfast) just outside Cananoque. It was beautiful country and as the spring was slower to come the more north they went it was still budding season up here. It was noon still and Line was sleeping peacefully as she had been doing the last four hours. He turned up a little side road and finally arrived to a small cottage situated next to what looked like a corral with a barn next to it.

He woke Linea and they both went up to knock on the door. Nobody answered so they sat down to wait at the front. Linea looked around, he could see that she still hadn't waked up entirely. 'Hey.' She said, a little more enthusiastically at last. 'They have horses!' And with that she started a brisk walk towards the corral. He followed her more slowly. He wasn't sure that they were allowed to just move around like this at some other persons property, even though it was supposed to be a B&B. She was right, they had horses, what breed it was he couldn't say though.

'Owhh' said Linea, 'ain't they lovely. Come here you, ' and then she made some clicking sound with her tongue. One of the smaller horses lifted its head to study her and then slowly trotted forward. Linea now looked like she was in total bliss, Carl who happened to have a apple in his jacket gave that to her so she could offer her new friend something to eat, as they were standing there feeding the horses he suddenly felt someone. When he turned around he could see a woman approaching, she was petite, dressed comfortably in jeans shirt and a lumber jacket. 'Hi' she said ' you're looking for buying a horse? Or are you just trespassing?'

Owh Sh-! Now we're in trouble, thought Carl as he hastily stretched out his hand. 'Hi, I'm Carl and this here is my niece Linea. I'm afraid we just might be doing that, trespassing here. We were searching for a bed and breakfast?' She looked at them again, Linea who just had given her a quick smile and then ignored her totally for the colt, Carl who now was blushing for the third time since he had meet Linea. She couldn't help laughing, 'I was just having some fun with you' she said. 'You're Americans right? Well, don't worry, we're not so strict here as in the States. But we don't have any Bed and Breakfast here I'm afraid. I'm Hope by the way.'

Linea who now had feed her new friend looked so disappointed that Hope now seemed to reconsider her words. She studied them both intently, as if trying to read their minds, suddenly she smiled. 'Well, we do have an extra guestroom, that is, if you don't mind sharing the room with each other? And if it's only breakfast you're looking for I believe we can help you out.'

Ah ah, not good, not good at all thought Carl. 'No' he started to say. 'It's very good of you but we couldn't possibly impose ourse... ' At that Linea broke in with a enthusiastic 'Oh can we, can we. Thank you so much Hope, I would love to stay. Do you need any help with your horses?' Carl who now realized that those two ladies were overruling him, had the good sense so shut up.

They followed her up to the house were she put on a kettle of tea and started serving out home baked dark bread with raisins in it, then cheese, ham, tomatoes, putting it all on the table. She finished with a little stainless steel bunk in which there was butter floating in the water. It looked very homely to Carl and he smiled at her again thanking her for her hospitality.

Linea though, only wanted to talk about the horses, and Hope told her that they were descended from horses originally sent to the "New World" by King Louis XIV of France in the late 1600's. Their ancestry could be traced to both Arab, Andalusian and Barb horses, the last coming from Northern Africa. She told them that the French horses had bred by themselves for hundred of years in Canada. Eventually developing into what now is called the Canadian Horse, or the 'Cheval Canadien'. They were very tough and hardy horses, and also extremely easy to keep.

Linea who now seemed to just float in her sea of bliss, just kept on smiling and nodding to Hopes tale and even Carl couldn't help becoming interested. 'So you have a horse ranch?' He asked. 'Yes, we feed them, raise them and sell them.' She answered. 'My husband and I have been doing this all our lives and it's a good living for us.' Carl looked around the kitchen, it was a sunny and inviting place, with hooks on the walls from where copper kettles and pans were hanging and with a old iron stove as the main attraction.

'Where is you Husband then?' he asked 'He's coming any minute now, he had to go into town to get a friend of us passing by. That's why we only have one room free.' She smiled and turned to the slightly opened window from where they now could hear the muted sound of a car drawing near. ' It must be them coming.' She said as she went out to meet them. 'Stay here and enjoy your ahh, breakfast' she said to them with a little laugh. 'You will meet them soon enough.' Carl could hear a contented sigh from Linea, looking at her she smiled at him and murmured as if to her self 'I'm dreaming, please don't wake me up.'

Carl who knew what her life had looked like could only concede to her words. To tell the truth even he himself had started to feel more and more as if he was becoming slowly entwined in some fairy tale. If I just wasn't so F-ng old he thought to himself. I could so easily fall in love with Linea and ... But it wouldn't be right towards her, he thought for what must easily have been the thousandth time, sadly admitting to his folly.

Now they were in the vestibule, he could hear someone talking breathlessly and happily. 'And there I was with the Ocean laying in front of me, seeing the Kings ship leaving for Hammershead and... ' Somebody hushed her and then a male voice said. 'Now where are our new friends Hope?' As they all come in to the kitchen Carl got his first good look of Hopes husband. He was a mountain of a man, over six feet tall and as broad and chiseled as a well-barreled old oak-tun. Carl stood up to shake his hand, but the man just waived him back to the chair.

'Sit down and enjoy, ' he said with a smile. 'We will soon enough join you, my name is Derek and this here, ' turning to the other woman beside Hope. ' little thing is Dawn'. As Carl and Linea waited they could hear the others hanging up their clothes, then to join them in the kitchen. Dawn was as lovely as Hope, but she was slightly younger and where Hope was a brunette Dawns hair was a fiery red, with her green eyes she looked so Irish that Carl just couldn't help a small joke. 'Now, Where are the faeries hiding?'

He was not prepared for the reaction he got, first from Dawn who suddenly looked around as if searching for something, and then from Hope who answered. 'Nah Sir. Don't you know that faeries never will intrude without proper invitation.' Looking as relaxed as if they were just discussing the weather. He felt a fool creating such consternation from just a small joke. 'I beg your pardon Dawn, it was just that your appearance made me think of Ireland and... '

Hope laughed relieved and Derek who just had been sitting there studying Carl intently smiled 'Yes, that she does, doesn't she.' He then nodded to Linea. 'And you my girl.' he said. 'Reminds me of those Norse swords maidens, as exquisite in war as in peace.' And that was the first time Carl had seen Linea blush, but blushed she did, and most enchantingly too he had to admit. She looked back at Derek with a slight rosiness in her cheeks answering 'Thank you, I'm happy that we found you. I love your farm and the horses.'

Dawn smiled at her hearing this and said. ' Yes, I already talked to Derek about that, we would both be glad to get some help with the horses, do you know how to ride Linea?' And now Linea most definitely was in seventh heaven Carl thought. He hated to do it, but he just had to make some sense of it all. 'As much as both Linea and me like it I have to point out that we just are traveling through though.' he said. 'We are on our way to Nova Scotia.' But seeing Linea's disappointment and knowing that he still had over two weeks left he gave in to her wish somewhat. 'We would verily appreciate though, if we had the possibility to stay some days?' Derek looked at Dawn who nodded her approval.

'We would be most pleased to have you as our guests.' He answered. 'Feel free to stay for as long as you wish.' And with that said he went to a cabinet where from he took a bottle filled with some yellow substance, he then poured the fluid into small cups of clay. Giving us each one of them he lifted his arm and said 'Welcome to our simple abode, we hope you to enjoy, be your stay short or long.' And then he emptied his cup in one sweep and they all followed through. It was a taste like the very best Single Malt Carl ever had drunk and Derek must have seen his pleasure as he followed up with pouring me another cup. Linea who wasn't used to hard liquor had now gone from rosy to red, so in the end it was him and Derek who kept on enjoying our drinks.

The ladies had taken Linea with them and withdrawn inside what Hope called their sewing chamber. He could hear them laughing and Linea sounded so happy as they were talking. It was a strange but comfortable feeling sitting here in the kitchen. It had become quite cold as the evening proceeded and Derek had lighted a fire in the iron stove that slowly heated the kitchen up again. 'It's good to have such a reliable stove.' He said. 'Did you know that this one has come all the way from Sweden once? He pointed to some words stamped at it 'Husqvarna 1880'. ' Yep, sure is a old one.' He said with obvious pride in his voice.

As the evening slowly moved on into night, it slowly seemed to transform into one of the most magical moments of my life. It was as if we had been friends of long standing and I found myself unexpectedly opening up, revealing dreams and desires. He was very interested in my engineering background, telling me that he himself had been a black smith originally. 'But now I'm more of a jack of all trades.' He laughed. 'So you have already been contracted with this firm?' he asked me as we spoke. 'No, ' I said, 'the contract is waiting on me in Nova Scotia, but as for now I'm still free.' 'Isn't that dangerous?' he said

'To leave all security and throw yourself out into another Country and another job, not even knowing if they will uphold their promises?' Putting it that way he made much sense. So I then found myself with no other choice but to explain to him how tired I had become of my old life, and my newfound need for adventure. 'I have no reason to doubt them' I said describing how my new employer had helped me in finding my Lighthouse and also promising security for my loan. He still looked dubious as he listened to me and it did made me feel somewhat restless, but we went over to other subjects and soon I was feeling that magic again.