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The sun was directly overhead the sky window. Its harsh glare, on a direct path to Nathan's eyes, beamed through the penetrated oculus, waking her. She sat up quickly, only to find a half dozen elderly women in robes surrounding the garden around her bed.

The elders smiled politely, except for the woman facing Nathan directly, who remained sober, almost sullen. Nathan could see the open doors ahead of her. The garden outside was wrapped by the dwellings of the village. The sober elder knelt before Nathan, sensing the young woman's irritation.

"Be calm child. We mean you no harm, though we fear for your safety. Who are you, and how did you get lost in the Worm Woods?"

"I'm not a child. Worm Woods?" Nathan asked, "I'm really not in Huntingdon anymore, am I?"

"You are in the village of Nenkyo, which is amidst the great grass plain of Narlon. I am Lady Garasa of the village elders. What is you name young one? Are you from Narlon, do you hail from the plain of free men, perhaps the desert of Lothalos?"

There was a whisper from the goddess in her head.

"My name is Nadia Mavenslick. I live on 431 Mackenloo road in Huntingdon County Pennsylvania. I have a feeling you won't know where that is."

"Sounds like pure nonsense to me," said another.

"Nadia, such a lovely name," said another.

"Nadia!" Nadia exclaimed in disbelief.

She was unable to remember her former name. Ambrosia found it unsuitable. It seemed strange to her, yet it remained at the top of her mind. From now on, this would be her name, it would be what she would say and write by compulsion whenever asked.

"Nadia is very beautiful name young one. Are you from the valleys in the north where that name is more common?" Lady Garasa asked.

"It is quite a beautiful name, nevertheless, we will address her as Lady Mavenslick."

"Nadia," Nadia mumbled, laying her front teeth gently on her bent index finger, "That isn't my name, but I can't say the right one. What in the world is going on? Who or what is in my head!? My Dad gave me that name, I want it back!"

"Are you okay girl?" one asked.

"Don't say that!" Nadia gasped, "I'm not a girl!"

"Why do you wish to deny the obvious child?" Lady Garasa asked.

"Obvious?" Nadia repeated softly.

"Do you hold malice against your own womanhood? Is that why you have taken to harsh traveling? Yet your hands are as smooth and soft as those of a princess, so you must be a girl of high blood who has taken to traveling recently, even though you don the garb of a male explorer," Lady Garasa said, "where are your attendants?"

"These are my school clothes," Nadia explained.

"Those are not robes of the learned," sternly said by a woman with a long, wrinkled face.

Another lady swooned among them, "I understand her perfectly. She is a young princess of a northern tribe who was scorned by her lover, and rather than live amongst her people in shame, she renounced her title, even her very womanhood, to undertake a suicidal adventure. How I would love to get my hands on the enemy of her womanhood, that man who scorned her affections after toying with them. I would tear him apart limb from limb."

"Aren't you assuming a wee bit much?" Nadia asked dryly.

"Your look of despair tells all!" the lady exclaimed.

"You got me there, scorned lass syndrome, no doubt about it," she smirked, "Well, it's been a blast and all, but I think I'll go now."

Nadia jumped up from among the women surrounding her and opened the screen. This time in broad daylight, she examined the terrain with awe once again. Paths meandered through rice paddies. Beyond the rice were wild and overgrown grass lands. Nadia collapsed onto her hands and knees; her hair fell in front of her face as her head went down. From inside that veil, she examined her palms before squeezing them ultra-tight.

"These people are different. This land is different. I'm even completely different! What's happening to me? I don't know where to go anymore. Why has everything changed like this?! Am I even me anymore?! Am I insane? It's not fair, it's not fair at all!" she cried.

Her hands shaking, Nadia hunched down, her long hair spread forth as her forehead touched the wooden floor. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tapped her fist. Lady Garasa approached slowly and knelt beside her while glancing at the others, which was a signal for them to stay back. The woman's voice was filled with compassion.

"You obviously are a confused young woman, perhaps when you hit your head your thoughts went into disorder. Why don't you stay with us for a while? You'll be treated as an honored guest."

"I don't want to be your guest! I have to find my way home,"

Nadia reached for her pendant, but when she found no chain around her neck, she sat up. The grain of the floor left faint red patterns on her forehead. No pendant! She remembered her life rather clearly, but could that all be just a fabrication created by a knock to the head? Was this world real and her memory a lie? There was nothing but the tattered school clothes on her back that held evidence of her reality.

"The jewelry you wore," Lady Garasa said, understanding, "It is with your bag."

Nadia turned toward them, almost screaming.

"You have no right to take that from me!"

"We'll let you go with everything you came with. We are a just people, and we treat our guests with respect. However, your life was saved from the worms by the protector of this village. At the very least you owe him your gratitude."

"Can't you just tell whoever it is I said thanks for me?" Nadia asked.

Lady Garasa frowned, "You'll partake of a meal as his guest of honor. One simple meal is all we ask. We will provide you with a bath and your attire for the evening. In return for your mere gratitude, we will return what is yours. We'll even clean and repair the travel clothes you are wearing now."

"I'd rather just leave now."

"Then we'll keep your possessions as fair trade for your stay here; not to mention that you couldn't survive easily on a long journey if you have no provisions and an empty stomach."

"You're not playing fair!" Nadia protested, "Fine, but don't expect me to gush gratitude at some guy just because you people all think I'm some girl! How do I even know he saved my life? I was out cold! I mean, I'll thank him if he saved my life, but that's it."

"As long as you are clean and appropriately dressed for the feast," Lady Garasa explained, ignoring Nadia's perceived ingratitude, "Right now you are neither."

Nadia's mouth watered; her stomach growled; a banquet didn't sound half bad. She even forgot to ask what they meant by appropriately dressed.

"We get to eat?" she asked.

"In due time, but first, you will come with us," Lady Garasa said as she clapped for the others.

The elders guarded Nadia closely. They walked the main path past the inner gardens in such tight formation that the other young women working in the fields could barely get a glimpse of the strangely dressed visitor who had captured the heart of the young lord. Wooden ceiling panels with dragon faced lamps hung outside the bath house, always five feet apart from the next lamp.

Besides the steps to the interior were wooden shelves where sandals and slippers were to be left, but Nadia had no sandals and her socks had been lost, so there was no need to fuss with them. As Nadia took to the steps she looked down; her tiny feet caused her to stop and stare until she was nudged inside. The bathhouse was divided into two sections by a bamboo partition. Steam billowed from the large pool, though because it was well ventilated it wasn't hard to see. The woman's side was empty in preparation for Nadia's bath. The elders formed a circle around her as they waited for her to undress.

"I said I'd take a bath," Nadia said, "I didn't say I'd take a bath with you people here."

"No need to worry Lady Mavenslick, we take our baths first thing every morning. We only want to make sure you are cleaned properly. Do you want people to believe you are from an uncivilized wilderness tribe?"

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"I have no idea what you mean, and I can wash myself without being watched, thank you very much!"

"No need for modesty child," Lady Garasa said, "there are no men around."

"That's not what I meant!" she screamed shrilly, "I want privacy!"

The elders weren't intimidated; they ended the argument swiftly. Two lifted her shirt overhead, another two pulled down her pants and boxer shorts. Her clothes, almost in tatters from the confrontation with Dead-leaf, were thrown aside. She could only gasp at her scarlet skin, everything happened so quickly she offered no resistance.

"My clothes--!" she exclaimed.

A pail of ice cold water was dumped over her head before she could finish speaking. Together they lifted her up and dumped her into the middle of the warm sudsy bath. She stood quickly in the waist high tub, spitting out water she had almost swallowed.

"What are you old hags trying to prove!?" she asked.

They gave her a cloth and a sponge, and with icy gleams in their eyes they admonished her to scrub. Nadia immediately knew the alternative was to be scrubbed by them. She chose the former, submitting to being watched and checked over by the elders, who seemed satisfied with her bathing habits and made little fuss about time, even though she stopped often, examining herself carefully. The elders noted this as well.

"This is my entire problem," she finally said as she lifted her foot on the edge of the pool to finish scrubbing her leg slowly with the soapy sponge. "I can't find it in my conscience to fight old people. That's why I'm here in the first place."

When she was done, she jumped out of the tub to avoid being helped. Another bucket of cold water caught her off guard so she gave them a short high-pitched scream. Shivering, she stood by the bath until the elders came to dry her with a big towel. Nadia refused such service, but accepted the towel. Amid all this Lady Garasa left, only to return a few minutes after Nadia finished drying. Her long black hair proved more difficult to dry, but Nadia dabbed it with some determination. A folded kimono with depictions of crocus petals and a pair of sandals carved from birch wood were laid in Nadia's lap.

"Don't you have something without flowers, at least?" Nadia asked.

"This is my daughter's favorite gown," Garasa said indignantly, "She is offering it to you as a gift. If you want to refuse it, you may have to wait quite a while for another. Would you prefer to remain here unclothed?"

"My apologies, I'll wear it," Nadia said with a sigh.

There was no sense in fighting with them when they put things so bluntly. Nadia unfolded the kimono; it slid easily over her slender shoulders. The elders showed her how to tuck the folds in the front. They tied an obi sash around the middle, leaving a butterfly bow in the back. Lady Garasa even managed to get Nadia to sit quietly in another room of the bath house as the others finished drying and arranging her hair.

When they were finished, it was locked in a bun on the back of her head, apart from a short veil of hair that covered her neck without reaching her shoulders. Two thin tails of hair fell from behind her ears and rested over her chest. Nadia sat silently through the whole ordeal, lost in thoughts of food, even thoughts of home were now dwarfed by her hunger. All the elders thought the new hair style suited Nadia well. They told her they would teach her how to arrange it herself if she stayed in the village. When she was introduced to a full-length mirror, Nadia drank her reflection.

"My God," she exclaimed, "She's...... beautiful."

"That is a mirror girl," Lady Garasa laughed, "You see only yourself."

"I know it's a mirror. It's just... never mind, you people could never understand the changes I'm dealing with."

"Ahh, we understand," One said, "To be young. Have you gone through your first cycle?"

"No, I've already had two bikes," she said.

"Oh, I see, then, well, you should be used to it by now."

"Used to what?" Nadia asked, puzzled.

She stared at the mirror in a dispirited awe, blushing slightly as the elders whispered amongst themselves about attributing her words and behavior to shyness. Then her stomach growled loudly.

"Excuse me, but when do we eat?" she asked, a little ashamedly as they escorted her from the building.

"Most eat when they get back from the fields, but tonight we are celebrating the return of the village protector. Don't worry child, you'll eat soon enough."

"Well, where are we going now?"

"The man who saved your life wishes to meet you alone before the banquet. He is the brother of Awlena Nenkyo, whom you met last night. His name is Dew."

"Dew, like the soda? I'd rather return to my room," Nadia sighed, "I need some time to think."

"Don't you think you should express your gratitude to the man who saved you?"

"As long as he doesn't expect anything more than gratitude," Nadia said, indignantly sulking. She had been a woman for little more than a day at most, out cold for most of it, but it was easy enough to see that these old crones were trying to play match-maker.

"If you're implying that he would dishonor you in any way, then you are wrong," Lady Garasa explained. "He's a noble man of great strength, the protector of our village."

Outside the circle of dwellings was a slight hill where a young man was waiting alone. He had a wholesome, boyish face. His dark brown hair tied in a ponytail. He donned a plain brown kimono with a belt that held a sheathed katana. The elders pushed Nadia toward him before scattering to leave them to their own devices. Still, they kept watch from afar, lest they miss something important.

"So, you're healed," Dew said, smiling nervously, "This is the first I've seen you standing on your own. You're... a marvel."

"Great," Nadia smiled, waving to go, "Nice to meet you. Thanks for saving me. I'll see you at the feast."

He caught her hand as she turned away, his grip strong enough that she couldn't break free without being rude.

"Wait, please don't go...." he said, "Your bruises have healed extremely well,"

"How observant of you,"

She looked at his hand scornfully until he let go of her wrist with an apologetic bow. He was gazing at her in such an awe-struck fashion that she almost felt sorry for him.

"I'm sorry," he said, "Please don't run off. Can't we merely talk a little bit?"

"Why?" she asked.

"Because a split second's gaze at your astonishing beauty repays any service, I could ever render you."

As she felt her cheeks heating up her first impulse was to run, but it would have been rather awkward running in this kimono. She was in an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar body, she was hungry, and she needed her things back, especially her pendant. Dew had saved her life, and he had no way of knowing that Nadia had been a boy only a few days ago and that she didn't want any part of this recent change.

Dew pushed the tips of his index fingers together; the edge of his short nails touching. There was dirt ingrained in his flesh and stuck underneath his nails, even though he had washed before waiting here.

"How do you find this village?" Dew asked

"Look, I don't want any part of this," Nadia explained, blushing deeper, "I don't want a husband. I just want to get on my way and go home. You may have saved my life. I don't know or even remember, but that doesn't mean I'll ever be interested in you. You're making a big mistake if that's what you think. If that means I'm going to starve out here, then fine, just please have them give me my stuff back."

"Fine then, I'll respect your wishes," Dew sighed, "but we are not going to make you starve. I'll see that you have enough before you leave. I didn't save you because I wanted you to starve, so can't I at least show you around the village?"

"I guess that couldn't hurt," she sighed.

He took her by the hand and she pulled away, wiping her hand on the back of her kimono.

"No touching," she said, "You are capable of giving me a tour of this village without touching me, right?"

He grabbed both her hands, turned her to face him, and drank deeply from her soft hazel eyes. She was startled to find herself staring back, and forced herself to look away. This wasn't good, she thought. Her heart was thudding. Aware of herself, she tilted her head sideways before pulling her gaze away, almost sighing.

"I... I'm sorry," Dew said, "I'll try not to."

"How about now?"

Nadia blushed nervously while waiting for him to let go. She couldn't believe the way her own mind and body betrayed her with the way she had almost succumbed to his unintentional charm. She could only wonder if Jody ever felt this way around... who... her?

"Sorry," Dew said.

When her look became sullen as he loosened his grip, he let go completely and they walked the paths crisscrossing the rice fields. The same light breeze that swayed the tops of the rice plants entered the bottom of her kimono and twirled around within her clean robes as the mid-afternoon sun shone in a cloudless sky. The crickets chirped in solid tenor; grasshoppers jumped to the beat as frogs occasionally bellowed. Low clouds of dust hung around their sandals as they walked. Nadia realized that she felt at ease for the first time since she woke in this strange place. It was so peaceful.

"Why did you rescue me?" Nadia asked.

"Because you needed help."

"If I had been a boy, you would have left me for dead then?"

"No! Not at all! That is the forest of the worm spirit. She used to be docile, but something hasn't been right the past few years. Anyone who goes into that forest risks being eaten these days. No innocent deserves that. The worms have become demons in the past few years. They used feed only on the dead, but now they feast on the living. Even I'm afraid of them."

"Worms?" Nadia asked. "You expect me to believe that?"

Dew took her hand again, causing her to clench her teeth and stiffen in place.

"It's the truth," he said.

Nadia pulled her hands from his grip, almost causing Dew to lose his balance as she ran back toward the outer wall of the village. Dew gave chase and took hold of her sash. The bow came undone as she pulled away, which led to the front of the kimono coming loose as she turned to face him. Nadia slapped his arms aside and quickly closed her robe as he gawked at her.

Without care for her garb she grabbed him by the arm and flipped him into a pool of rice, where he splashed hard through the still water and became caked with the mud underneath. Lady Garasa rushed from the dwellings. Her jowls had dropped about two inches, yet Nadia was rather proud of herself as she re-tied her sash into an ugly front knot. She peeked into the pool as Dew's muddy form emerged.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen," Dew said, wiping mud off his eyes.

"How dare you!" Nadia yelled, tensing her arms, "Even your own leaders saw what you did. I'm going back to the village. Don't even speak to me again,"

Nadia suppressed a grin as she kept a red face and an infuriated frown while walking fast.

"Wait, I'm sorry!" he said, climbing out of the pool to chase her.

Lady Garasa and the others allowed Nadia to pass freely yet blocked Dew, who stared in the direction she was running off while the indignant women took turns smacking his face, hard. By the time they were finished, Nadia was already inside the village. Mud fell from the folds of Dew's robe as he stood before the elder matrons. A hundred thousand whips with a spiked chain could not erase his smile, much less a few mere slaps of reprove.

"The nerve of what you did to her," Lady Garasa scolded, "I've never seen you treat a young woman so rudely. What has come over you?"

"She ran, all I did was reach for her. I caught her sash by accident and..." he said, "Did you see how she caught me by the arm and flung me! It was spectacular. How can such a beauty hold such strength and prowess?"

"Stupid child!" Lady Garasa slapped him so hard that he fell to the ground. "Are you determined to make her hate you! She will not have to bear the burden of sitting beside you tonight, and when the meal is through the elders will announce your punishment. Do you understand?"

"Give her my sincerest apologies. I will banish the memory of what I saw from my mind with a thousand lashings."

"Don't bother, a million lashings couldn't banish that memory. But that is all you might ever see, for now the girl has an honorable reason to refuse you, and will likely never accept you, no matter how much dowry is offered."

"I'll find a way," Dew said.

He walked off quickly with an air of military pride, clumps of mud were still falling off his shoulders.

"His stupidity will be the downfall of this village," Garasa moaned.