Waking up in a nice warm bed was a vast improvement from the day before. Although there were still vast uncertainties and questions plaguing my mind, at least I didn't spend the night half-awake waiting for monsters to appear.

Even my lodging was upgraded from the day before, from sleeping on the ground to being given the best room in the inn. Well, it helped that I could now afford it. Pushing aside the great down-filled cover, I looked up and almost screeched, finding Revna setting down a bowl of water and a couple of washcloths on the dresser.

"Good morning, Lady Alexandria," she greeted me with a curtsy and a smile.

"Not you too." With a groan, I plopped back down on the bed.

Revna snickered.

I threw a pillow at her, which she expertly dodged.

Everyone got uncomfortably polite after discovering I was a Healer. Dinner ended up being somewhat of a celebration for Gomes and his wife’s safe return, with me as the guest of honor. The two were very popular in the village and saving Eira’s life pushed me into local celebrity status. Quite a few of the villagers, especially the women, came by and introduced themselves, too many to keep track of, especially after a few drinks.

I swear Waymond tried to feed me to death, but I admit, the inn served a mean dinner. Better than the porridge I suffered through for lunch. I also discovered that the local brew wasn't too terrible and that I really enjoyed the southern wines. And that I am now a lightweight compared to my old body.

“You probably need to get used to it, Alex. Especially around my mother. Anyway, we do have some of the gentry spend the night here several times a year, so it's good practice."

Rolling my eyes, I conceded the point. "How about laying off a little when it's just us?”

Before she could answer, Frida came in from the sitting room carrying what looked like my clothes.

"Morning, Alex. Are you sure these aren’t magical?

"Wah?"

Frida ginned and then rushed over to show the two of us. "Look, mom said to give your dress a good clean. Since you slept next to the river yesterday, you would think it would be stained. I didn't need to do anything other than brush it off."

Revna frowned while looking it over. "Pretty sure there was blood all over the hem too."

All I could do was shrug, then slip out of bed, dancing a bit. The floor was cold. Really had no clue what was up with my starting outfit. Did it make me a magical girl? No, that way led to madness.

Well, one less thing to worry about. Even with my bag of gold, I doubted there was a place in the village where I could buy clothes off the rack. What was the chance of finding some pants that fit? Yea, not likely. Still, I needed something else to sleep in, at least. Currently, I was wearing one of Frida's large woolen night dresses, itchy, and I had to pull it up to keep from tripping on it.

With the lack of running water and flushing toilets, the girls gave me some privacy to use the chamber pot, blah. It definitely reinforced the whole, not in a game thing. Wonder if being a guy would make a difference; probably not; it's still gross. Eventually, Revna returned while I washed my face, neck, and hands and began to lay my clothes out for the day.

Although she offered to help me dress, I convinced her I was more than capable. None of it was difficult, and thankfully the bodice closed at the front, pushing up and supporting my new assets. Yes, I had a pair. They might not be as large as Frida's or, heaven forbid, her mother Serena’s, but they were mine.

Alone at last, I stripped and tossed the nightdress on the bed, getting a good look at myself for the first time in the sunlight. Well, without a mirror, it was just from the top down, but still. Short, young, and well-female. Really, how was one supposed to react?

One more odd thing, stacked on top of the dozen others, I should have been weirded out more, but I wasn’t. Maybe it was shock. Hmm, angry, annoyed, and frustrated, well, sure. Then again, I was never one to lose it, although cussing up a storm could be therapeutic.

OK, who am I fooling? Why am I not being morose about it? Between you, me, and the wall, holy shit, I’m in a fantasy world: magic, monsters, adventurers, and the rest. I spent the night in an authentic fantasy inn, drank some ale, and listened to some bard sing songs; well, most likely, he was just a villager but still.

A decade of making VR games can’t compare to what I have experienced these last few days. Encountering the pack of wolves, I could have done without, and the Redcaps sound like bad news, but I can cast magic! Healing magic, sure, so I won’t be tossing fireballs, but meh. I can live with that. Hopefully, I’ll find out how or why I arrived here in the first place and how do I get home.

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Frustrations aside, looking at my legs and feet, I realized that my dress might be self-cleaning, but my body wasn’t. Shivering a bit in the morning air, I washed the rest with a damp washcloth instead of bemoaning my loss.

I do have something to look forward to later. Revna mentioned a bathhouse near the bakery. Very practical as the heat from the ovens warmed up the water. Although men's and women's baths were separate, it wasn’t private, so I was a little hesitant but was told this was an excellent time to go as there weren’t many visitors in the village.

So, one must accept the good with the weird.

Finishing up, I realized I still had questions about teeth brushings, soap, and shampoo. If I’m lucky, I could get some answers without sounding like I was touched in the head. Half remembering the half a dozen bottles of expensive liquids left by an ex-girlfriend in my shower at home, I imagined it might be simpler here. Although probably not. My shopping list at the general store seemed to be growing.

Dressed and ready to start the day, I didn’t get too far before running into Frida in the hallway. I greeted her, but she instead stared at me for a few uncomfortable seconds, which caused me to look myself over. Skirt on, check, and nothing was turned around or inside out. My shoes seemed fine too.

“Your hair,” she finally said.

I reached up and touched it.

“Let me do something with it,” she insisted.

We took the back hallway to the family’s part of the inn. Dragging me into her bedroom, she sat me in front of a dresser. Looking around, I could see it was smaller than the one I slept in last night but looked very comfortable. Frida shared it with her sister, while her eight-year-old brother Arne slept in their grandma’s old bedroom, although he had to share it with a lot of storage.

“Goodness, your hair is so pretty,” she gushed while brushing it out.

“Err, yours is nice too.”

“No, it’s not; it’s the color of mud like everyone else’s around here.” Frida then sighed. “You have a lithe figure, so graceful, and with your hair, you must attract all the boys like bees to honey.”

Not sure what I thought about that and told her so. She laughed, and we jumped around topics while she poked and prodded my head. I mostly kept up.

At least I learned a little more about why healing was expensive. Most small villages don’t have an apothecary, so simple cures and remedies were well-known and made at home. However, in towns and cities, especially if you had the gold, there were other options for a wound or aliment that was more serious.

Unfortunately, this was not a world where anyone could simply walk into the nearest store and buy a potion or two from a vendor. Well, at least the better-than-average ones since they require a healer's help. And since time was better spent doing other things, not hiding away in some lab, good healing potions could be relatively hard to come by.

“When I was little, the village had a healer, a retired adventurer. So, I expect dad’s going to try and convince you to stay,” Frida cautioned as she started to braid my hair.

“Well, I don’t have any plans,” I pointed out.

She simply shrugged. “Eventually, some noble or adventuring party will come by and ask you to join them. I mean, why wouldn’t you.”

Satisfied with her work, Frida then panicked a little. “Mom’s going to kill me. I needed to finish upstairs. Shoo, she will find something for you to eat.”

Sometime later, wrapped in another shawl, fed, watered, and looking presentable, I left the inn. Serena told me that Njal had come by earlier with the news that his aunt was awake and looking forward to my visit. So, I made my way to the Garthom Company, although this time alone as the girls needed to finish their chores.

And with the streets full of villagers, I let my Healers Senses go. It did feel a little like I was intruding on their privacy, but it at least told me the people I met were hail and healthy. Other than a few minor ailments, nothing screamed pestilence' or plague.

I played more with the skill as I continued walking through the village. My range wasn’t too bad, as I could get a good feel of a person’s health from about ten, maybe fifteen feet away. Thankfully, it took a little concentration, so it wasn’t exactly passive. That would have been annoying.

“Lady Alexandria, good morning,” a familiar voice called out to me.

It doesn’t look like I was going to get to play in the store just yet. Visions of a typical fantasy merchant shop full of adventuring supplies, weapons, and armor filled my head, but I imagine the reality was much more prosaic.

Saying farewell to the two village women who had stopped to talk to me, I gave a small wave. “Good morning, Conrad. I hope everyone is doing well.”

“Yes, and it's all thanks to you,” he said, motioning me to follow him through the busy courtyard toward a large home on the other side of the stables.

Two stories, with a couple of large brick chimneys and glass windows, the architecture had a Tudor feel. I could now also see a little bit of the same construction in other homes in the village, but this was just taken to the next level.

Conrad then bade me a good day, returning to the courtyard while a female servant led me inside. I couldn’t help but look around. The home was missing all the modern amenities but was still very beautiful. From the servants, rugs on the floor, paintings on the walls, and beautiful, handcrafted furniture, it was the home of a wealthy family.

Njal caught up to me as we made our way through the house. Yesterday, he was dressed in a simple green tunic. Today, he wore a fancy dark blue and silver doublet, black trousers, and leather boots. I will admit he cleaned up nicely.

“Good morning, Lady Alexandria.” He greeted me with a bow. “How are you?”

“I’m doing well.” I then asked, “And yourself?”

“Better knowing that my aunt is on the mend.” Njal smiled.

“It’s a lovely home,” I said as we took the stairs.

“Thank You; it's my aunt’s favorite, although the one in Mannfort is larger, but it gets too hot in the summer. So, she says.” He laughed.

“That’s where your parents live, correct?”

While working on my hair, Frida filled me in about her crush. Njal was an apprentice to his uncle, learning about the family business from the ground up. Unfortunately, rumor has it that he was soon to be engaged to some girl from another wealthy family. Frida has it bad for him, but as an innkeeper’s daughter, she knows that nothing will ever come of it.

“Yes, my father runs the warehouses with my cousins. Since he will inherit the company as the eldest son someday, he rarely travels.”

“Sir, Lady Alexandria is here,” the servant said, stopping at a doorway.