Prologue~Ch. 1~Ch. 2~Ch. 3~Ch. 4~Ch. 5~Ch. 6~Ch. 7~Ch. 8~Ch. 9~Ch. 10~
Ch. 11~Ch. 12~Ch. 13~Ch. 14~
“She is very fair.”
“Gareth, you should not be in here,” a woman’s voice scolded.
“I was sent by His Highness. How fares the lady?”
“He seems over anxious concerning this stranger . . .” it was more question than comment.
“He believes her to be one of Power,” Gareth whispered. “’Tis his hope she can be persuaded to aid our cause.”
“For truth?”
“Aye. She came upon us as we stood upon Death’s Head. Her wounds are from the attack of a gerishawk. There is much that is strange about her, her manner, her dress . . .”
There was a rustle of cloth as someone moved around.
“Come,” the woman said. “I would have His Majesty hear from mine own lips how fares his guest.”
Jessica waited until she was sure they were gone before she opened her eyes.
“Damn,” she said, but not too loudly. She’d been hoping the whole stranded-on-the-beach, cliff-climbing episode had been nothing more than a Very Bad Dream. Unfortunately, she recognized the voice of Gareth as the younger of the two men who’d helped her over the cliff-top.
Gingerly she levered herself up into a sitting position. She appeared to be in one of the tents she’d seen in the distance. Her arm was wrapped in cloth bandages from wrist to elbow.
“That bird,” she said with a shudder, remembering. She had a strong urge to just curl up and close her eyes until everything was back to normal. She was hallucinating; someone had slipped her some bad drugs. All she needed was a good night’s sleep and everything would be okay.
“Jessica . . .”
Jessica stifled a yelp at the sound of the disembodied voice.
“Jessie? Are you there?”
She glanced around wildly. “Howard? Is that you?”
“Jessie, I –”
“Howard? Where are you? Never mind,” she said quickly. “Just get me out of here.”
“I can’t, Jess.”
“What?” Her voice rose to a shriek.
“Calm down and just listen for a minute. Something went wrong with my spell –”
“So I noticed. Jeez, Howard. When you screw up, you screw up big time.”
“– something powerful enough to yank you out of our time continuum interfered.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re trapped in a parallel universe.”
“A what? What do you mean, trapped?”
“Will you stop interrupting me!” Howard had never in his life spoken so forcibly.
Jessica shut up.
“That pendant of your mother’s . . . I told you I sensed something powerful about it. I think that it belongs in the universe you’re in and it pulled you in with it. It’s also the reason I’m able to communicate with you. I still have the other half – it acts as some kind of magical link. Whatever you do, don’t lose that pendant.”
“Howard –”
“Look, Jess. I know this is a lot to throw at you all at once but you’re just going to have to hang on until I can bring you back.”
“When’s that going to be?” Jessica asked in a small voice.
“I don’t know, Jess. I’m working on it. Now, there’s a few things you should know about your situation –”
“Only a few? Do you know what I’ve been through so far?” She was getting angry again. “I just about drowned in the ocean you dropped me beside, I climbed a goddamned mountain, I was attacked by a bird with poisonous claws and now I’m being held prisoner by two sword-waving lunatics who think I can help them in some kind of who-knows-what crusade!”
“Jessie, remember all those sword and sorcery movies you used to make me watch with you? Well, brace yourself. Your fantasy of living in that kind of age is about to come true. The dimension you’re in is similar to our middle ages, with one major difference. Magic is very real where you are. And I’m not talking about the kinds of spells I’ve been struggling with, I’m talking about wizards and dragons and unicorns. The whole sheebang.”
“Are you serious? Howard –”
“Jessie? The link is weakening. Don’t worry, I’ll be back later. Just be careful, you’ve got . . .”
“Howard? I’ve got what? Damn!”
Jessica lay back on her pillows feeling utterly drained. This whole thing was just so impossible.
Moments later the tent flap lifted to admit one of the most gorgeous men Jessica had ever seen. He looked like he belonged on the cover of one of the historical romance novels Ellen was so fond of. Bodice rippers, she called them.
He was tall and tanned with golden hair that curled down to his shoulders. His eyes were turquoise and the teeth he flashed as he smiled were perfect.
“The healer believes thee free of the poison,” he told her, dropping down onto a small stool at her bedside. “How fares thy arm?”
Jessica flexed her hand, “Mostly numb.”
“It will pass,” he assured her. “I am Ewan, Commander of the Narrows Outpost, Keeper of the Royal Seal, and heir to the throne of Ghren.”
“I’m Jessica,” she said, too bemused to think of a suitable, if not fictitious, title.
He bowed from the waist, an elegant gesture even done sitting down. “Be thee welcome amongst us, Lady Jessica, for however long thou hast need.”
“I, uh, thank you.” Jessica struggled to sit up again. He reached behind her and deftly arranged the pillows to make her more comfortable. “How long was I out?”
“Out?”
“Uh, unconscious.”
“Ah. It has been three days and two nights since the attack of the gerishawk at Death’s Head.”
“Whoa,” Jessica held up her hand. “What’s a gerishawk and what’s Death’s Head?”
“The fowl that attacked thee was a gerishawk, very rare in our land, but drawn to those of Power. Death’s Head is the point of land my squire and I met with thee upon.”
“Death’s Head,” Jessica repeated. “Good name.”
“Aye, that it is. Hast thou need for aught? A drink perhaps, some victuals?”
“I . . . ah . . . thank you. If it’s not too much trouble I could stand something to eat.”
He arose gracefully. “I will return with a feast,” he promised.
Jessica stared at the tent flap as it closed behind him. A grin spread across her face. Maybe being stuck in this dimension wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
1 comments:
Just one question for understanding: How did Howard find out the connection of those two pendants? And how did he just catch the right moment to talk to Jessica? Did he hear something coming out of the pendant? Where did he get his information about that parallel universe and what it's like?
Then Jessica's reaction on Howard's voice: She just thought she might sleep and then a minute later, she heard Howard's voice - her reaction on that is very rational and she's a fast believer!!! Well, I would first believe, that I was sleeping and all that action (beginning with that place-to-place-transportation plan) was not real and had only happened in my dreams. It would take me a little longer to realize, that this all was really real ... and then I would curse Howard and be very, very angry at him!!!
And what about the others outside the tent: Don't they hear her talking?!?
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