Read Online BreadCrumb Trail (The Yellow Hoods, #2): Steampunk meets Fairy Tale by Adam Dreece - Free Book Online Page A

Nikolas could see Jerome was still surprised at what he’d seen. It was clear to Jerome that this was truly Anna Kundle Maucher, and this was indeed a meeting of the Tub—right here, in his café—and he was unsure that was a good thing. Nikolas gave a friendly smile, and continued, “Tea and food for the man, please?”
    Jerome nodded and disappeared.
    The man was uncomfortable sitting, and kept glancing around the room. “Please—there isn’t much time. We must find my daughter!” he said, looking back and forth between Anna and Nikolas.
    “We will. But first, we need to know what happened, so that we can get the right people to help,” said Nikolas calmly.
    The man took a breath and nodded. This made sense to him. “We were attacked by red-hooded bandits, just outside the eastern archway entrance to the town.”
    Anna frowned and looked at Nikolas. “ Red hoods? Do you know anything about this, Nikolas?”
    “No,” replied Nikolas sharply.
    The man continued, “They attacked the cart we were riding on. One of them knocked out the driver with a staff to the head… another had a sword, I think. He jumped on me and roughed me up. The third one had a bow—I remember because an arrow shot past my head. The bowman told Mouni—my daughter, Mounira—to run into the forest, and then they all chased after her as if they were going to hunt her.
    “Please, it happened only five minutes away. I tried some doors, but no one opened. This was the only place I found open. Please help her! I’m sure you don’t want refugees from Augusto, but please have mercy.”
    “Refugees?” repeated Nikolas, trying to put the pieces together. He glanced at Anna, who wasn’t surprised by the man’s statement. She knew that the southern kingdom of Augusto had broken out into civil war months ago, but had no plans on sharing that knowledge with Nikolas.
    “We like southerners just fine,” said Jerome.
    Nikolas finished building a plan in his mind. “Jerome, Anna—take care of this man. I’m going to fetch Pierre de Montagne and the Yellow Hoods.”
    “Who?” asked Anna as Nikolas left, but he didn’t look back. She then turned and looked at the man.
    “Thank you. My name is Alman Benida. Please—help find my daughter,” said the man.
    Anna smiled coldly. “We will.” She turned to Jerome. “Please go find something useful to do.”
    “But this is my café,” said Jerome defensively. He couldn’t believe she would ask such a thing.
    Looking right through Jerome, Anna said, “Lock the door, then. On behalf of the Tub, I need half an hour with this man.”
    Alman looked at Anna in disbelief, and wondered, Did she just say the Tub? What did I just walk into?
    After Jerome left, Anna turned back to Alman. “While we wait for Nikolas’ people to return with your daughter, I need you to tell me everything you remember about what happened in the south, and your trek here. Everything.”

CHAPTER NINE

Spirits of the Red Forest
     
    The expansive Red Forest bordered Mineau’s eastern and southern edges. In winter, the forest’s red pine trees refused to submit to winter’s will, while in the spring most of its deciduous trees would sprout red leaves—save for the odd golden oak. The golden oak was the heartiest of the deciduous trees in the forest, losing leaves last, and growing them first. They were rare enough that many considered a golden oak leaf to be a good luck charm.
    Everywhere Mounira looked was red and white, with brown tree-trunks that all looked the same. The snow was halfway to her knees, and higher in some places. While the frigid morning wind was gentle, it was still able to pierce the warm bundle her father had put around her.
    She’d seen snow for the first time only weeks ago, as she and her father had made their way north. Her father wanted to get as far from the war as possible. Along the way, she’d listened to advice from locals, practiced the local languages, and asked everyone about this