Nicole was a peculiar girl. She never really fit in with any of the typical social groups that one would find in a public school system. She was extremely smart (enough to be grouped with "the nerds") but she was also very outgoing and athletic, like a jock. The worst part, however, was that she did not have the patience to deal with either clique, and therefore stayed away from a close relationship with any group.

Nicole was also an avid reader and her favorite series, by far, was The Ranger Apprentice series. She often day-dreamed about being a part of the heroic action that took place in the books.

She was in such a reverie when out on a nightly jog through the oak forests that covered much of her home town. Not paying attention to where she was going she tripped, hit the ground, and instinctively closed her eyes.

When she opened them, she was standing in the middle of an unfamiliar pine forest and it was much colder than it had been earlier. She didn't know of any pine forests near Homestead, where she grew up. However, she did know that she had gone north from her house, so she jogged South, looking for any familiar landmarks. Eventually, she came to a clearing, which she definitely didn't remember passing. In the clearing was a small house which she curiously walked towards. On seeing it clearer, she decided it was less of a house and more of a cottage; something that would have been a home to people during the Middle Ages.

At this point, Nicole was growing suspicious. She had been exploring the woods around her town since she was little and she had never seen this...cottage before. As she walked closer to the building she saw a woman in a very old fashioned dress getting water from a well. Nicole decided that, besides looking like she was going to the renaissance fair, there was nothing particularly wrong with the woman. So she decided to talk to her.

The woman, hearing someone approach, turned. When she saw Nicole she inhaled sharply and ran over to her.

"Oh, you poor thing!" She exclaimed. "Were you robbed of your clothes?"

Nicole glanced down at her outfit and was confused. She was wearing her normal running attire: tennis shoes, running sorts and an old t-shirt that she had cut the sleeves off of.

Nicole looked back up at the woman and said, "Umm, No. This is what I normally wear when I'm out for a run."

Now it was the woman's turn to look confused. "That is no way for a young lady to dress," she chided, "people might think that you are a harlot."

Nicole started laughing at this comment but stopped when she realized the woman was being quite serious. "You are joking, right?" She asked.

"No, I am not." The woman replied sternly. "Now where are your parents? They should control you better."

"Actually," Nicole answered, "I am quite lost. Do you know how to get back to Homestead?"

"I have never heard of such a place." The woman replied.

"Well, where are we now?" Nicole asked.

"We are in Araluen. About a half-days walk from Castle Redmont."