Day 2

Jessica woke up cold even though Shane was near her he wasn’t next to her. The grass matrices didn’t stop the cold floor from seeping into her bones. She tried to move closer to him without waking him or touching him. But the straw rustled and it sounded so loud to her. She edged in closer feeling his warmth. Then he turned onto his side making him even further away. She edged in closer again, it seemed to be taking forever but she was quiet.

Then Shane asked

“What are you doing?”

He turned to face her,

“I’m cold” she blurted out feeling embarrassed.

“Come here” he sighed.

She wanted to refuse but she was so cold she would start shivering any second. He pulled her in close.

“Spoon” he mumbled with his eyes closed.

She turned,

“Wow you are freezing” he said, rubbing her arm.

They went back to sleep. Jessica woke up to the roar of something big. She sat straight up straight. Just then Shane walked into the room.

“Oh, you’re up” he said.

He was holding a hot drink in a metal cup.

“This is for you, it’s some herbal tea. There is no coffee in this world.”

“What are you talking about” she said taking a big sip of tea.

“Oh” he said casually

“There are dragons here and things that just are real on earth.”

“What are you saying” Jessica said enjoying the hot herbal tea with no sugar or milk.

“We were not abducted by aliens.” Jessica said in a ‘sure I believe you tone’

“No just sucked through a portal which has been closed for fourteen years.”

Jessica stopped drinking her tea Shane was being very serious and he meant what he was saying.

“Like a stargate” Shane went on,

“It’s activated by crystals which no longer exists on this world.”

“You are a man of science and you believe this” she said hoping he would crack a smile or something to show he wasn’t being serious but he went on

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“Yes, and it makes sense, how did we go from you breaking into my house to a forest with flying beasts that look like lions and have wings with feathers, like a mystical griffin?”

He went on not letting her answer

“Now real fire breathing dragons are outside, being trained. We slept together on a stone floor with straw and some type of animal skin. People are really sick around us and we are really in a barracks with an old man as captain.”

He went on

“There is no power, taps, or flushing toilets, there is no coffee, just strange people who speak a kind of Latin.”

Jessica realized for the first time that this was really happening. Her mind could no longer dull her senses or block it out. She was on another world, no friends, no parents, no pets, just crazy or sick people and sometimes both. Flying griffins *known as gogobeasts, dragons and herbal tea.

“Will we be able to go home?” Jessica asked drinking her tea.

“Well, the captain is hoping that we can find these crystals and open a portal, sending us home. But for now, we need to help the sick. They have books which I want to read. I hope the books will help me learn what medicines this world has and what diseases this world has.”

“I need to learn to speak Latin” Jessica said,

“I can’t be a burden on you and I see the way some of the people looked at me. I need to learn,” she said.

“Alright” Shane said seeing she was serious

He was glad she wanted to learn and not follow him around like a lost dog.

She was improving, but he was looking forward to not having her around.

This was a story he could never tell people. He didn’t know what he would believe but if he told the truth they would say he was on drugs.

Jessica cleaned her face straightened up her hair. Which included taking out the bits of straw, and followed Shane to the training yard which was the roof of the barracks. A large stone area with a small low wall around it with turrets. She watched the men saddle gogobeasts and dragons and fly off.

Shane was telling the captain that the whole barracks needed to be cleaned and aired so that the sick can get better.

A group of five men landed. They had baby dragons with them which were very cute.

Shane listened, while pretending he wasn’t.

“A message arrived in Fish telling a man that his brother was killed by something that went bang, bang. No one has any idea what this new weapon is and this weapon killed from a distance.”

Mag said “Tell no one yet. Let’s make sure it is true before we give hope.”

Mag never came over to tell Shane. He kept it to himself.

Shane wondered if that could be a gun and if so, maybe they were not the only people from earth. Meaning not just Jessica and himself where in this world but maybe others and maybe they knew how to get home.

Jessica was looking at the swords and weapons. She had seen the concept of these weapons in museums but never touched one.

A man come over to Shane,

“I am Harnacus, son of Magofilies. I request permission to entertain your sister.”

He was standing to attention. Shane stood up.

“Jessica” he called

She came over

“This man wants your attention”

Shane told her,

“He is requesting my permission as your brother”

Jessica looked at him. He was not handsome but there was a little something there.

“Only if he teaches me how to fight.” Jessica said.

Shane looked at Harnacus who was very confused by what just happened.

“Yes, you may on condition you teach her to fight.”

“Ladies do not fight” he said shocked,

“Where we are from” Shane said

“Women can be warriors. You decide what you shall do.”

He stood to attention and said,

“I shall teach her. But only at night when no one is here to see for she shall be shunned by the other women if they knew.”

Shane told Jess,

“Great” she said,

“Now I can help you during the day and learn to fight at the same time.”

Harnacus arranged to start teaching Jessica that night and every night after dinner.

So, Harnacus did a little bow to her and left.

Jessica followed Shane around and tried to learn as many words as she could. She was also picking up on who was sick and how to make them more comfortable. All the healthy people where cleaning and seeing to their daily chores. Shane kept asking for more and more equipment. He read and read every book he could find on treatments, herbs and illnesses.

He even took the lantern with him to bed and read.

Harnacus gave Jessica a fur coat. She loved it, it was dark charcoal grey and so soft.

“Thank you” she said his language.

He smiled a happy man. She had accepted his gift.

He had started with standing and posture and how to hold the long stick. Learning to fight had been fun.

She snuck into the room to find Shane was still awake and reading,

“That’s a nice coat” he said,

“With a big smile” he added.

“Did you have fun?”

“I did”

She sat down next to him,

“He gave me this coat before we started practicing. Then he gave me a stupid stick to learn with but it was a lot of fun.”

She bounced up and down on the straw.

Shane was happy for her, and in that moment, she really did feel like family.

She put the coat over their animal skin blanket and cuddled up to Shane.

She squealed in delight.

“We still need to discuss your plans against my father” he said.

“In the morning” she replied.