They say any landing you can walk away from is good, right? Well, it seems I need help not with my piloting skills, but my landing skills. I’d aimed for a heavily forested area outside of the state of Berlin, according to the reading the sphere was giving me I was right on target, but for some reason, I’d landed upside down. I flipped a few switches and made the sphere go invisible before carefully unbuckling myself, and working open the hatch, I just knew it was going to be one of those days.
As I popped my head out of the open hatch I carefully looked around for anyone in sight and found thankfully that I was at least on the ground, not up in some tree. Seeing no one, I climbed out fully, closed the hatch, and found some heavy rocks to place right near the sphere to find the place again when I was ready to head back to my own time.
With a heavy sigh, I straightened myself out and wondered how in the world I was going to make it to the nearest semblance of town. Just the idea of walking in these shoes gave me blisters, but I was supposed to be a woman of fairly high rank and status at this time, so running around the countryside like a farm girl, while fun, would be undignified.
So, of course, I compromised. I leaned against a rock, removed the shoes and stockings, and began gingerly making my way out of the farmland hoping to find a farmhouse or at the very least a road.
Luck must have been on my side, since not even a five-minute walk has me along a fence line and an obvious dirt road wide enough to be more than a farm track. I very carefully climb over the fence and for once in my life manage to land on my feet on the other side without mishap. Looking up and down the road, I lean back against the fence to put the shoes and stockings back on, but pause when I hear the faint jingle of metal and the clop clop clop sound of a horse moving at a steady pace. Looking up quickly I notice the flickering lights of a lantern approaching from down the road heading at a steady and sedate pace. This person, whoever was out this late, was in no hurry. It wasn’t long before a handsome black horse came into view pulling a simple but rather elegant carriage behind it. It pulled up alongside me and the driver in full proper livery hopped down and bowed with elegance before opening the side of the carriage without saying a word. A young man, probably no older than mid 20s stepped out, dressed in full evening attire. He removed his hat upon seeing me, and a smile crossed his full-tanned face.
“Ah just the right time, good evening my lady, are you in need of conveyance? Someone surely such as yourself should not be alone on the side of the road in the middle of the night.”
His voice was refined elegance itself, though he had an accent that seemed…off. His shock of jet black hair was styled and his clothes screamed of wealth and high class. A strange gold bracelet around his left wrist was the only thing that seemed out of place. It was made from pure gold that was sure, but the detailing and style were out of place in this time frame. It looked well cared for and may simply be an antique.
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He helped me up into the enclosed carriage and spoke quietly with the driver before getting in himself and closing the door. The two of us were completely alone, and after a brief pause and a slight jolt the carriage began moving again. The silence between us was not uncomfortable, though the way he was eyeing me was a little unsettling. After a while, he spoke again, in near-perfect English, but again with that funny accent that I wasn’t quite able to put my finger on.
“Seems improper for a young noblewoman such as yourself to be out and about this far from any homes. Are you well? Are you injured? Should I summon a healer for you?”
He nodded as I quickly denied being hurt or ill, and made up some excuse why I was out so late, inwardly trying to think why my landing time was so late at night when I’d calculated for midday, math makes things too complicated.
We sit in comfortable silence for a while longer, he reading out of a very slim leather-bound book though I could see no title, while I stare out the curtained windows in thought, contemplating on how I could start my investigation. I was startled out of my thoughts by the man speaking again, “Please forgive me and my lack of manners fräulein, my name is Eric Von Richter, I was traveling into the city with my manservant when he noticed you on the side of the road and we simply could not allow a fine noblewoman such as yourself to remain alone to be accosted by any ruffians.”
His smile was all grace and charm though there was still that odd twinkle in his eye. How in the world did he know that I was English?
I offered him my bare hand, and replied in kind, “My name is Amaya Tennan, traveling through the region on the way to visit friends in the city. There is a nobleman around this area that I have been invited to spend some time with, and I intend to accept his invitation.” He gracefully took my hand and brushed his lips over it, and I could barely contain a blush at the motion that had the appearance of long practice.
“A woman such as you should hardly travel alone, please allow me to accompany you till we find your friends. I seem to find myself without plans and I am attempting to meet more of the nobility, my family has finally risen enough from the common man to begin to be noticed.” He looked at me with that funny little smile, it was almost like he knew something I didn’t and it was beginning to annoy me slightly.
He leaned out of the curtained window and spoke something to his driver in such fluid German that even I had a hard time keeping up with it, something about the change in plans?
If there was a reply I couldn’t hear it over the rumble of the carriage over the uneven road, making the ride increasingly uncomfortable as it picked up its pace. We made small talk through the journey and after what seemed like no time at all, the carriage slowed and then came to a stop. There was a slight jostle as the driver hopped down and opened the door, offering me a hand down, and was quickly followed by Eric. We had stopped in front of a lavish hotel with candlelight blazing from most of the windows. Eric pulled a satchel out of the carriage and offering his elbow, escorted me into the grand entrance.
“It is late in the evening and I have been traveling most of the day, let us rest for the evening and continue in the light of day.”
We walked to the lavish front desk, and after a quick conversation, we were handed two keys. A bellhop came and took his bags then we were escorted up to our private rooms. I was hardly tired since my internal clock was still on midafternoon, but the sight of a real feather bed drew me towards it and I soon found myself drifting off into deep slumber.