Chapter 4 Talking Beasts and other Wonders

Anna worried a bit as she followed the strange man, her hand still held lightly in his. When she stumbled, he steadied her. It was the lack of anger that made her trust enough to go with him.

She figured that if he realized that she didn't belong he wouldn't have any reason to hide that fact from her. Besides the curtains of energy were everywhere, there was no reason that she couldn't leave if worse came to worse.

In any case he wasn't leading her towards any of the buildings, instead he was heading out to another part of the field. She was glad he wasn't in a hurry, it was hard for her to walk fast.

It would be some months at least before she would be able to do so. And she wasn't sure she would ever be able to run again. She sighed thinking it would be good when she could get rid of the cane.

He looked back at her and said something in an encouraging tone.

She shook her head and smiled back at him. Soon they came to what looked like an antelope of some kind. She was sure she had never seen this kind, but supposed that there were a lot of things that she had never seen before.

Whatever this was, it was very tame, not backing away as they neared it. They stood for a few moments staring at each other then, she got the shock of her life.

Darin slowed as he reached Brytha. He looked up when it became clear they were heading in his direction.

:Brytha, I have someone who needs to get Valdemaran, Rethwellan and maybe it would be wise it give her Tayledras and Shin'a'in as well:

: How about Karsite too: Brytha sent.

: Sounds like a good idea, if we give her as many as we can at once, she won't have to go through this again:

: I'll need to ask her: Brytha said.

: That's fine: Darin said.

Anna was still looking at the antelope wondering why she had been led here when a strange voice spoke to her.

Almost at once she realized it wasn't that the person was speaking English, it was more she simply comprehended what was being said to her. Her eyes widened as she realized that she wasn't actually hearing a voice, it was more in her mind.

: Excuse me I need to ask if you would like to receive the languages they speak here:

She thought for a moment and tried to respond in kind: That would be nice:

Before she could say more she felt another mind over hers, a pressure then she blacked out. She woke held in the arms of the strange man as he knelt on the ground beside her.

She closed her eyes against a headache rivaling the one she had felt yesterday. At her soft groan she heard his voice.

"Headache" he asked. Surprised she opened her eyes and glanced at him. "I can understand you" she said surprise evident in her voice.

"Brytha gave you our language" he said. "Who's Brytha" she asked.

He nodded in the direction of the antelope. Surprised she looked with wide eyes at Brytha. :Thank you: she sent to him, mindful of her manners even in such a bizarre situation.

He nodded in response then walked away leaving her with the man on the ground. She pushed away from him and grabbed her cane levering herself up. He helped steady her then stepped back.

"I'd like to know who to thank" she said after an awkward silence.

"I'm Herald Darin, and I'm glad I could help" she nodded her thanks and he went on. "I'm on my way out to town, but if you need some help getting back to your rooms to sleep off your headache I can stay around to help".

"That's not necessary, I know where to go, but thanks for your help".

She followed him as far as the pasture where the two horses were still waiting before turning back the way she had come.

She frowned as one of the concepts crowding the back of her mind caught her attention. Companions, that's what the white horses were. She wasn't sure what that meant, only that they weren't horses. More like what Brytha was. She had to keep that in mind the next time she came here.

She had a new group of possible witnesses to watch out for. Another thought occurred to her, there was nothing like Brytha or the Companions in her world. That meant she was someplace completely different.

Looking carefully to check that she had no witnesses, she opened the doorway to her living room then stepped through, swiftly closing it smaller and pulling the opening higher so no one could see it.

Once back she took an aspirin and sat back in her chair exploring all the exotic concepts that crowded her mind.