Thanks a lot to Kennedy Leigh Morgan, silence0100, Mulder's Girl, justawriter, midheaven, X-Phile, and Annie.
Also, a big thank you to anyone who reviewed any of my one-shots!
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Chapter 2 – First Encounters
Where the hell am I?
Scully took in her surroundings slowly, half-convinced that she was still dreaming.
She was lying in an open meadow, filled with bright green grass and yellow dandelions. Lush clumpings of trees grew surrounding it and there seemed to be no sign of civilization for miles around. Birds chirped overhead, their calls melding with the lulling sound of water smoothly flowing over rocks not too far away.
The sun was rising slowly, casting a pinkish glow and a shimmer of heat across the landscape. A gentle breeze toyed with her hair, carrying with it the scent of flowers and hay.
It was all impossibly beautiful and tranquil – to the point of being surreal. No place on Earth in this day and age could be this isolated and pure.
Disregarding even that, the dreamlike quality remained. Scully was certain of having gone to sleep in her own bed. She blinked repeatedly and stood up, forcing herself to shake of every remaining remnant of sleepiness. Nothing changed.
She ran her fingers through her hair, confused. She should be panicking, or at least worried, she knew, but her surroundings were simply too tranquil to allow for this. Instead, she began walking across the field at a steady pace, waiting for something recognizable.
Idly, she thought of the conversation that she had been having with Mulder the previous night. What was he going on about – time travel? That might explain things.
She laughed out loud upon realizing what she had been thinking. It sounded like something Mulder would come up with at a moment like this.
The smile left her face quickly. Thinking of him made her feel inexplicably lonely. This was an unusual experience for a woman who enjoyed alone-time as much as Scully, but there was just something about Mulder that made her want him near her. Maybe being stuck here with him wouldn't be that bad…
She shook her head again. My God, she thought. I am going to go crazy being stuck here, wherever it is. Look what I'm thinking about already.
Her musings were suddenly interrupted by a resonating noise in the distance. It sounded vaguely recognizable to her. Wild horses? she wondered. Hopefully not, it seems to be getting closer.
That notion was quickly dispelled by the loud shouting that accompanied the approach.
What is going on here!
Finally, the head of the group appeared clearly on the horizon. Scully's mouth actually dropped open. I have to be dreaming, she thought, even as her analytical mind put in, Then again, if I were dreaming I wouldn't have the capacity to comprehend that O was indeed dreaming, so that's an invalid theory. But…what else could this be?
It was truly a sight to behold. The horses formed a gigantic procession that seemed to stretch out for miles. Each was decked out in striking mantles and saddle designs. More bizarre still were the riders. Every man was wearing an old-fashioned breeches and a cotton shirt, and carried a sword or bow at their side. The three men riding in front of the group were most impressive. Each wore a full suit of armor bearing the distinctive insignia of what appeared to be some sort or ruling family.
The leader rode forward rapidly, and pulled up expertly at her side. "Here now, fair lady," he began in a booming voice. "Why be you out alone at this early hour of the morn?"
"And in your, may we even call them undergarments, no less?"
Scully took a moment to gawk in shock and amazement.
"My lady, are you quite alright?"
Taking a deep breath, she roused herself and rejoined, "Good morning, um, Sir. I think I'm fine… Actually, I'm not sure how exactly I got here. I went to sleep in my own bed last night, and awakened here. But, more importantly, I am a government agent and I'd like to speak to your boss, please. Whoever that may be."
The leader cocked his head in confusion. "Please, speak not half so quickly, my lady. It sounds like a case of foul play, in which case, I yearn to rectify it for you. I did hear you comment concerning your connection to the central government. As it happens, it is precisely that location to which we are journeying. Therefore, I enjoin you to come with us now, and we shall make it our responsibility to safely convey you to your husband."
Scully tried not to be insulted. Role-players, perhaps? she thought. Who take their job way too seriously?
"My husband!" she said aloud. "I'm not married, not that it's any of your business. Anyway, as I told you, I am a special agent of the FBI. I would like to…"
"FBI? What is this that you speak of?"
The second-in-command pursed his lips and murmured, "I fear, my lord, that this woman is not quite right in the head. And a spinster, at that."
The leader nodded, then turned back to Scully. "Please, mam, whomever you may be, I could not bear the thought of leaving a beautiful maid such as yourself alone so far from a town."
Scully stared up at him and seriously reconsidered the dream idea. These men seemed to be completely solemn, and not playing characters at all. "Sir, please, first, tell me what year it is? And in which country I am?"
"In England, my lady. The year is 1475, of course. Are you sure you are alright?"
"I… I don't know." Was there something seriously wrong with these people? Or, maybe, was something wrong with her? She couldn't say for sure anymore. Finally, she looked up at the men's concerned faces, and decided that, regardless, it would be best to get to civilization somehow. "Sirs, I would be very grateful if you could take me to the city."
"City?"
"Um, central government."
"Yes, that is currently located in a castle not far from here."
"Oh. Great."
Scully at last felt that panic begin to set in to some degree. She tried to keep her breath even as a soldier came from behind to give her a woolen blanket in which to wrap herself. Gently, he lifted her up behind him on his horse. "Is this okay, my lady?" he asked, obviously concerned about being chivalrous. "Better than walking, no?"
"Oh, yes. Thank you."
She took a moment to get her bearings as the troop began to move forward again. She eventually recovered enough to look around her. She noticed that the horse to the right of her also held two riders, both facing away from her. The soldier was supporting another man in front of him. He seemed to be just waking up
A wounded soldier? Scully wondered. However, the brown hair seemed familiar to her and… was he wearing sweatpants?
She cleared her throat loudly, and the man turned to face her. She gasped involuntarily. "Oh, my God. Mulder?"
He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Hmm?"
"Mulder! It's me. Scully."
"Scully?"
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Next chapter: The real action gets started!
In this chap, I tried to work on visual imagery, scenic descriptions, and old-English type dialogue. I would love it if you could let me know how you think I did with that. Please review!