"We were so close."

My head snaps up as she steps inside, and the dude is very obviously a she now that her hood is folded back and the cloth covering her lower face is pulled down as she shakes free her thick hair braid. She looks around at my sparse unfinished abode and just fold her legs and sits down on the stone floor. It's not like I was expecting company today. She pulls a water bottle from her hip and just gulps it down. She offers me, but I decline as I've already soothed my thirst, and she empties it before introducing herself.

"Reiley of Clan Tomol."

Instinctively I reply: "Arne Svensson."

"I apologize for putting you in danger, but we didn't know you were here. We attracted the Dragons attention a while back, but we kept in the middle of the river. We were so close to reaching the sea, but a submerged tree ripped up the side on the canoe and we had no choice but to bail and run for this ridge. Tiola wasn't a fast runner and knew that it would probably be the death of her some day."

I'm honestly lost for words, and don't know what to say or ask first. Reiley is a fairly good looking woman, but that is far less important than the fact that she obviously isn't human. The eyes are a dead give-away with their shimmering green-pink colour, which is confirmed by her ears and slight fangs that becomes visible as she talks. It's not like she is a cat or something, and more some cosplayer with contacts, simple movie props and a bit of makeup instead of full Hollywood CGI, but I am utterly convince those features are real. And I don't think that is dirt or coal but some kind of natural fuzzy tiger stripe on her face and neck. She remove her leather gloves and she have human hands but her nails are obviously thicker short worn claws and there is a bit of thin hair on the back of her hands. Too much and fine to just be hair like a human, and a bit of those tiger stripes. That is weird and unexpected enough, so why the hell is she speaking Swedish with an Irish accent?! And why doesn't her lip movement fit with what I hear her say?!

I'm just speechless. She seem to notice my reaction, and I can see the ball drop.

"Oh! Am I the first Chosen you've meet since waking up here?" I just slowly nod. "Crap." She makes a couple of false starts before continuing: "As fas as I know every Chosen is from a different kind of people, and no-one knows why. I don't know why the Spirits brought us here, and there are many different thoughts and beliefs about it. Some think it is a test to prove their worth, or a punishment for their previous life or lost faith. Other that this is an opportunity for unclaimed bountiful rich land. The Spirits have blessed us with the gift of understanding, so we can understand each other. I hear you speaking my language but from a far away clan, but our languages won't have all the same word and concepts, and for those that can write, writing doesn't translate. Measurements for things like time, distance and weights are approximated unless detailed. The Spirits can bestow other gifts and sights, and there are many of us that pray for their guidance as we try to make a life here."

Oh, those Damn Alien Bastards! They want to play Gods! And Reiley seems to be a believer, so I probably shouldn't insult them as I usually do. Getting killed as an unbeliever and blasphemer would suck, although it would be an ironic death considering the dinosaurs and lack of food and such.

"Do you understand what I say?" Reiley's eyes focus on me, and I can't help notice that her hand is resting close to the stone knife in her belt, and her spear and bow is beside her. Shit. And she have noticed me noticing it, and slowly move her hand away and rests it on her knee. Probably no real difference in reaction time. She looks way fitter and deadlier than me. I catch her eyes and nod.

"Yes, I understand what you say."

"I understand this is a bit overwhelming, but I mean you no harm, and I hope you mean me no harm. You helped me escape being eaten by the Dragons and have taken me into your home. I don't worship the Dark Spirits, and I swear on my honour that I won't violate the code of being a guest in another's sanctuary."

"Okay." The silence is uncomfortable and I want to say something. Awh, shit. "What do you mean about Dark Spirits?" Bad feeling. Really bad ominous feeling.

"There are some Chosen who follow the path of violence and take what they want and enslave others. They pray to the Dark Spirits, and some sacrifice other chosen to them." Those damn alien bastards! The bloody Dinosaurs wasn't bad enough now was it? Reiley deflates a bit. "I come from a camp a really long day upstream from here. It takes at least two paddling upstream or walking. There are a couple of high waterfalls to pass, and you have to unload the canoe and carry everything up in several trips. Raiders attacked our camp at dawn, and we fought a loosing battle. We where 9 against 17, so it didn't matter that we killed a few of them. The plan was to fall back and barricade in the tower before the defences fell, but Tiola and me got cut off, so we took one of the prepared canoes and fled across the lake to an island. The battle was lost, and the raiders would kill, plunder, rape and take slaves. We saw fire and smoke rising. So we continued to flee downstream to the sea. Tiola have made the trip to the sea two times before to collect salt. We planned to head left or right along the coast until we found a settlement and just hoped for the best. The water is the safest way to journey and should be safe as long as you stay in the middle of the river and stay along the coast. Our journey went well until an hour or so ago when the pack of huge Dragons noticed us and started to follow. They might have picked up the scent of battle and blood on Tiola. She was wounded."

So many questions. So so many questions that I don't know where to start, but Reiley continues:

"I woke up here three weeks ago. Tiola had been here five weeks. My leader Manous that started the camp had been here eight weeks." Reiley sigh. "Well, their trial is over."

Of course this isn't a fair game too where we all start at the same time. Damn Alien Bastard! I really want to give them all the birds, but I might as well inform her.

"This is my seventh day."

"Seventh day?" Reiley is surprised and look around in my hut. "You made all this alone in just seven days?" I just nod. Her eyes grow wide as she realise something. "Then you haven't had a vision yet, and don't know about the Pillars of light or Star Falls." The what? Reiley hurry to continue: "The day after tomorrow - a little after sunrise - there will be faint pillars of light reaching for the sky, and where each pillar rise, a new chosen will wake up for the first day. If we climb up on the ridge before the sunrise we will be able to see far, and choose if we're going to try to help or avoid anyone near. It is the start of everyone's week and happens every eight day."

"You been here 24... no. 22 days?"

Reiley nods and reply: "The same dawn you will get your first vision or sign. I woke up in a mountain meadow, and Tiola's group found me on my second day. The large valley with the lake where the river starts is safer than the lowlands and coastal plains. The surrounding mountains and high cliffs that the river falls down, stops the larger Dragons from reaching it. The grass is not that high up there and the trees bigger and further apart. There are people sized Dragons that are fast and dangerous, especially as they roam in packs, but a lookout can usually see them coming and you might be able to climb up a tree to avoid them. The camp had a few towers and prepared trees spread out to climb up in. The Dragons mostly hunt smaller animals, but will attack one or more people depending on their own numbers. My camp was on a large rocky outcrop in the lake, with either palisade and steep rock all around, surrounding it with at least a four meter high wall, so those Dragons were no threat. Didn't stop the raiders much. The camp was visible from a long way, and they came prepared and had made ladders. We took a few of them out, but some of those people we're like no people I ever seen before. One bounced arrows on the skin. We were not prepared enough, and didn't have much time when we saw them coming. There was no negotiation."

So many questions, but there will be time for that. Reiley seems to take it for granted that she will stay here for a while as she said that thing about going up on the ridge and look for arriving Chosen. Chosen. Right. I admit 'Toys for Damn Alien Bastards' sounds a tad worse. But yeah, I can understand that need to stay together and I would really like to have someone watch my back and help. I can't really trust what she say or will do, but I would say her story make sense. And I have so many questions.

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"You have some kind of vision?"

"Yes, but it was not unique in our camp. I can pray about finding something like a certain animal or plant, and if the Spirits seems fit to help me and there is some within my view as I move through the day, I might see an orange light guiding me to it. Being high up with a good view helps, and it will be like the sun reflecting on metal, but orange and well... weird. Tiola could always find her way back to camp and knew which direction it was and how far. She could have a blindfold and be turned around until she was dizzy, but she just said 'Mighty Spirits, direct me home' and then she could point in the right direction. She describe it as the same kind of orange light pulse, but it changed depending on distance. She could say if it was a short walk or half a days walk or several days."

That might explain my eyes sharpness, as that sounds like something Augmented Reality could do. Earth have experimental contact lenses that can make a light dot or show low pixel stuff, and there are working AR spectacles. But that also means there have to be a camera and a computor with sensors involved to sync the overlay with reality. Shit. The translation stuff and vision have to mean I have a small alien computor in my head listening, that might be tapping into my optical nerve or there is a small camera in my eyes blind spot or something to see what I see, and some kind of AR lens or reflective projector inside my eye. One of those machines that opticians use to look into the eye with would be really handy right now, but then again, so could a lot of other stuff be. Anyway, that alien computor probably have a wireless interface, because why shouldn't it? So I'm not just tagged. Those damn alien bastards might be watching a live stream of what I see and hear, so of course they want me to have sharp vision. Oh, fuck! There might be a self-destruct on that computor. Just a tiny explosive and I'm dead or paralysed. Should I let the damn alien bastard know what I think? Shit! Shit! Reiley starts speaking again:

"Sometimes the Spirits award gifts, and it can happen anytime in the week. It will look like a star is falling and there will be a translucent glowing egg that dissolves." I bet some of those eggs have facehuggers or similar in them just for laughs. "Some Chosen are directed to it before, but the egg glows in the sky and on the ground, so visible for all to see and try to claim. Green is health or food, red is a weapon, armour or tool, and white is other things like clothes or blankets."

Damn Alien Bastards! I bet they're finding all of this real hilarious and interesting, and I don't doubt there are points and betting. I really don't like being manipulated like this, but it's not like I have much choice. I really really would like to know what those damn alien bastards have done with or in my body, or if I am even the real me or a some kind of clone, but Reiley distract that thought by showing me her water bottle.

"This and three more of the same water carriers were in a white Star Fall."

I didn't really think about her water bottle as it looks like a fairly normal elliptical shape canteen with a concave bottom in some kind semi transparent material and maybe 1.5-2 liters with a screw on top. It's empty and feels light but very solid. There are no seems. And cold to the touch like metal more than plastic, and not a scratch on the surface. Could this be aluminiumoxide or something? The aliens high tech version of sapphire glass? It doesn't really matter and I give the bottle back to Reiley, and she stores it securely in a leather pouch. It sure is a valuable thing here. Wish I had one. I might as well make it official and invite her to stay and help.

"Sooo... Want to stay here and help me get through daily life for a while? The living accommodations should quickly improve as I planned to start making furniture and other stuff tomorrow, and I have a kiln making pots."

Reiley gives me a tired but beautiful smile as she looks around. Yeah, those a short fangs, but since she have a very human face except the eyes, she looks more like a Vampire with tiger stripes than a large cat or werewolf.

"I would be happy to. I swear on my honour to not divulge this sanctuary. You obviously went through great lengths to secure it and build something safe, solid and hidden at this important location. I offer my help and knowledge. If we go down in forty minutes or so it should be safe from Dragons, and we might be able to salvage some of my and Tiola's belongings. I offer that you take Tiola's belonging as your own. I might be able to repair the canoe too."

Shit, I get that she want to see what survived as tools and stuff is a matter of life and death, but it doesn't feel safe. Still, it might be good stuff and the canoe will eventually loosen and drift out to sea. Or it might stay there and be very visible for anyone passing by either along the beach or river. I never really though about water being a safe highway, so maybe there isn't giant alligators or something. Well, at least around here. It kind of make sense that the damn alien bastards want people to be able to move around, and the river it is also a choke point where the chance of people encounters increase instead of everyone staying alone in one spot or sneaking around in jungles or mountains. Great for ratings! Or prayers. Damn alien bastards!

"We need to prepare for the night. I was on my way back from the river with that fresh caught fish, so that needs to be taken care of. Today was the first firing of my kiln, so I don't know if I have any bowls, so we might have to eat with our hands. I have made two simple wooden spoons. I would also like to finish the roof as it rains a lot and it would feel safer. This hut will loose sunlight in a couple hours, and we can talk then. The sun will set in about three and a half."

"My time, knowledge and hands are yours."

Reiley take of her cloak and weapons and help me. Reiley takes care of the fish and I show her how my forge-kitchen works, and the kiln. She really likes the built in salt evaporator on the kilns top and is fascinated that salt comes from sea water. Salt was very expensive in her old life, and she have never seen an ocean before today and have taken quite a few looks out at it. I guess we will have both bacon and fish tonight with a bit of coconut, and Reiley is eager to show her worth and skill with my meager options. I get envious of her usual food options. They fished in the lake, hunted and trap animals, and had a large vegetable garden both inside and outside camp, but coconut is something new for her, and she really isn't as careful about food as I am. But if I can eat it, then it's likely that she can too. Apparently no-one in her old camp had any real food problem except the meat-eater slash omnivore slash vegetarian issues. 'Pray' helped people find plants they needed. I'm a bit jealous that they had tamed a couple of goat things to get milk from. And wool. But the fact that her camp had all these things mean I have a fair chance of at least getting some more vegetables I can eat.

I notice Reiley glancing at my clothes and Earth tools, and she is so incredibly impressed with them and my smartwatch. It really fascinates her, and she is awed that I come from one of the advanced cultures like Tiola, and apparently Reiley is well aware just how wide a difference that can be. And that some people are completely lost, helpless and kind of useless if they come from too advanced cultures. Like Tiola was. Reiley's camp had a couple of people from advanced cultures and Tiola's stories basically sounds like magic, tall tales and fantasy to Reiley. We of course talk while we work, and Reiley's culture seems to be low-tech iron age. Any metal is highly valued as they don't have much locally, and gold seems to be far more common that iron. Iron have an almost mythical appreciation, and bronze is the main metal for cutting weapons and tools, but bronze is also rare and traded for. Stone knives and weapons are common in daily life. Barter, crafts, silver, gold and rare pretty stones is how trade is made. Reiley is used to living in some kind of savannah-jungle type half mountain nature in houses made from mud or mud bricks with thatched or tiled roofs, so she feels quite at home here technology wise and in the landscape. It's the huge Dragon predators that is her problem. Reiley's culture is Clans having a town and controlling territory around it, and there are of course wars. The really good thing is that she is far more prepared to live like this, and she can eat vegetables but needs a certain amount of meat. I got a bit worried by her Vampire like fangs. Shit, there might actually be blood sucking people here, and I need to ask her details about the raiders and people in her camp, but it can wait for tomorrow.

Reiley is also knowledged in a lot of crafts, and have learned more since arriving here. She didn't do it as work, but knows how to treat fur and tanning leather, and can make clothes from wool. She made the clothes she wears, and made her and Tiola's camouflage cloaks after arriving here. Reiley sure don't seem to sweat like hell in this warm climate like I do, but she is basically wearing an armless top and shorts in leather that also have darker stripes to match her body. Her body isn't covered in fur-hair. There is just more hair than a human woman have, with a faint sandy-dark brown tiger stripe colouration, and that colouration is also in her skin and looks like dusted spray paint more than body paint. And just like a lot of animals - including humans - the amount of hair change with wear surfaces, but the colour is still there and the hair just makes it even fuzzier. I was kind of expecting the tiger stripe to be horizontal from ancestors walking on all four, but its more diagonal and slightly wavy. Might work better both standing, crouching and crawling.

Reiley is very curious about my culture and life, but seems to focus on answering my questions and to not be a bother, so we make the most of the time and will finish the roof with improvised sections of rain gutter before cleaning the hut a bit. Work helps to keep the mind of what happened. There will be time to grieve, but you don't survive 22 days here without learning some hard lessons about priority and paranoia. Her old life have also prepared her far better than my old life did.

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