Here is the new Chapter, please enjoy.
"Where is she?" Will asked coming back into the main room of the small cabin. It didn't take Will or Halt long to search for Will's Fiancé. Meanwhile James was studying the small building, observing how it was simple yet charming. "Is something wrong? The village seemed undisturbed." Will muttered as both Rangers looked around. There was no sign of struggle, and none of the valuables were missing. Her cloak was gone, which told the pair that she most likely left on her own.
"Let's go to the Castle, my wife may have some answers for us." Halt told the pair, also wishing to see her after the mission in the North. The trio remounted, the action being difficult for one. They left the shelter of the forest, and the castle grew larger and larger. It was amazing to see another alive and full of action. Men on the walls, and people coming in and out of the gates. The two footmen at the gate nodded their heads in respect to the Rangers as they entered the castle courtyard.
Stable Hands took their horses towards three stalls to keep the steads while they were inside. James noticed how the Rangers seemed to hate giving away their horses. It showed him that the two cared for their equipment highly. To a trained eye it was a telling sign that they were high quality soldiers.
The group started up the main tower, which housed the Baron's chambers and office. The first place to ask where everything might be. Little to their knowledge another stranger was being questioned by the Baron, Lady Pauline, and Alyss.
"You have no idea where any of this is? Never heard of myself?" The Baron asked finding it hard to believe that the woman was completely clueless. This had just begun as the Rangers arrived at the Castle.
Nicole had first been taken to Lady Pauline by Alyss, who tried to figure out where she could be from. However much like with James, it seemed they knew nothing of the world. Now she sat before the Baron, answering the same questions once again. She was starting to get pissed, mainly because it was annoying at this point. "No sir, I haven't the faintest idea who you are." She told him. Her legs were crossed as were her arms, awaiting to see what would happen to her.
Suddenly a knock came at the door. "Come in." Baron Arald called, not sure who would be at his door. A sigh of relief came from his lips as he realized it was Halt, a long time advisor and friend to him. "Good you are here, we need your help." He tells the Ranger motioning him inside. Lady Pauline gave her husband a warm smile, as Alyss was trying to see if Will was accompanying his old master.
"We have some news of our own." Halt tells the Baron as all three come through the door. However the Baron, and two diplomats were confused as to who the strange man was coming with them. "We found someone in the North, who seems to not know where he is." Halt informs the room.
"Well the young woman before you seems to be in the same boat." The Baron adds eyeing up James. The Baron first learned to be a soldier, and that never goes knew he was looking at a trained soldier, he had the build and carried himself in the manner.
It was at this time Nicole turned around and looked at James, who was doing the same to her. They were both trying to figure out if they both came from Earth, and hopefully from the same time. Nicole knew he was a soldier, it was clear from his uniform. She also figured out he was from the United States, Old Glory on his shoulder told her that much. "Are you American?" She offered still, wanting to be sure. The room fell silent now, they wanted to see how these two new arrivals would react.
James could tell by her clothes that she was from the same time period as himself, but god knows if they came from the same Earth. Her accent gave away her nationality, she had an English accent. James didn't know enough to place it from a city or area. "Yes, Green Berets. It was 2008 when I left. What year is it?" He asks hoping she was from the same time.
That took Nicole back, mainly because that was not the year when she sat down at the tree. "No, it was 2018." She told the soldier, now scared as to what this meant. "Barack Obama and John McCain were running for the Presidency. Correct?" She needed to think for a moment to remember who was running for the American presidency that year.
James was shocked for a moment that she was from 10 years in the future. Then again they were in a working castle, so it didn't seem to matter anymore. He nodded to her question. "Yes, it was September. So the elections didn't happen yet." He told her not sure what this meant.
Before either of them could speak more Baron Arald held up his hand. "Can everyone please give me some time alone with our guests." He told them. The Ranger's and Diplomates were unsure of this move, but obeyed his wishes. The door clicked behind the four, and the room fell silent for a moment. "Please, speak. Find out what you both know and where you are both from. Then explain to me." Arald told them, leaning back in his chair.
James pull up a chair across from Nicole, taking a seat and a breath. "Well, I was in Afghanistan." James started, knowing that should be what he told her first. "I was in a helicopter. A rocket hit us and we went down. My memory gets really fuzzy after that, I think more happened but I can't tell you what." He told her. It didn't make any sense, but that is all his mind could recall.
Nicole bite her bottom lip, not exactly sure how to take this. She tried to recall any news of a crashed helicopter and missing soldiers from Afghanistan. Then again that was back in 2008, she was only 11. She wasn't going to pay attention to that sort of thing. And again, the fighting was all over Afghanistan. "It seems we come from the same Earth, just 10 years apart." She told him. "How old are you?" She asked able to tell he was in his mid to late twenties.
James nodded and sighed, thinking none of this made sense. Hopefully he had someone to make sense of this with. "I'm 26, or I was in 2008. I guess I would be 36 when you left." He told her with a smirk on his face. "But still 26."
Nicole turned to the Baron, knowing at least they were on the same page. "Well sir.' She started not sure what to tell him. "We come from the same place, but we came here different ways." She told him. "We have no clue how we got here, we are very sorry." She told him.
He nodded. "Well I'm going to ask you two to step outside, and let me speak to my people." He told them. The two stood up and switched places with the four waiting in the hallway.
Once the door closed behind them James looked at Nicole. "What the fuck is going on?" He asked keeping his voice in a whisper. "I appeared in the North, some half dressed dudes plained blue chased me a couple miles. Then those two men in the Green killed them and took me to some huge castle. Now I'm here." James told her, venting as he recounted the events of the past couple days. It had been a lot to take in, and he was glad to find someone who he could relate to. Without her James thought he would go insane.
Nicole gave him a smirk when he told his story of arrival. "Really? I just fell asleep studying in a park by Cambridge. I awoke in a forest and walked till I found the small cabin the tall younger blonde woman was in. I haven't been here for more than a handful of hours." She told the soldier. She thought it was odd how he was here for much longer than her, but then again they did come from different times. "This is all so strange, what do you think they will do with us?" She asked a bit afraid. Nicole was a student of history, she knew how women were treated in this time period. She didn't exactly fancy the life of being a baby maker for some man.
James gathered his observations from the past few days, collecting them to a single stream. "Well the men that chased me seemed to be in enemy territory." He started. "Some form of raiding party, and the men in Green were searching for them. We also moved south from that area, so that tells me they probably come from the North." He continued walking through his mental process. "This Kingdom is under some sort of attack, which is why they brought me before their commander. They know I'm somehow from the future, and I think they might try and use me to train their troops or fight with them." He told Nicole. "From how they all acted they would have more enemies than just some painted Northern men." James added. "I'm a Green Beret, it wouldn't be the first time I taught soldiers how to fight." He finished with a shrug. "What were you studying in College?" He asked her.
Nicole took in all the Soldier was telling her, not sure how he was able to gather that much information already. But she figured that was his job after all. "I was studying history, actually focusing on this period ironically enough." She told James, thinking how she was seeing history up close. Well what she hoped was history up close. "Not sure how I can help them." She told James honestly with a nervous chuckle.
"You have more skills than you think." He told her honestly. "They will find a use for you, I'm sure of it. And we have to find out if they are worth helping." He added, not sure what kind of people they were. "I don't exactly want to fight for a cruel King." James admitted, keeping his voice down so no one heard him.
Just then the door opened, the four exited the office. Halt was the one to speak first of course, looking at the two foreigners. "James will go with Will, and sleep in the cabin tonight." He told the soldier before looking at Nicole. "You will sleep in one of the suites here in the Castle, we will tell you what will happen going forward tomorrow." He finished before motioning Nicole to follow him. Pauline and the Ranger were of course going to retire to their chamber after showing the young woman to hers. James of course turned to follow Will and Alyss down to their cabin.
Once out of Castle Redmont Will turned to James. "We don't have a bed for you, we will have a mat and some blankets for you. Sorry we don't have anything better for you." He told the man with a shrug.
James looked over at the Young Ranger with a smirk on his lips. "Trust me, I haven't slept on anything that soft in a long time." It had been several months since the Green Beret had any sort of comfortable sleeping arrangement. He also noticed at this time that the taller blonde haired woman was coming down the cabin with them. He figured that the two were married or to become married. "I'm James, and you are?" He asks being nice to the woman, not sure what title she held. He of course noticed the woman had a natural grace and beauty about her, one that he couldn't deny.
Alyss gave the Green Beret a smile. "I'm Alyss, nice to meet you." She greeted him politely as they shook hands. She was surprised how large the man was, taller than Horace who was a giant in his own right.
The trio arrived at the cabin and Will gathered the sleeping mat and blankets that James would use. "You might not fit fully under some of these." He told him with a soft laugh. "Give it your best try." He told him stepping back to make sure he had everything he would need.
James thought it was interesting how everyone kept making comments about his size, he was only 6 foot 2 inches, which sure was tall but nothing out of the normal. That was for his time though, and James was remembering how much shorter people used to plate carrier came off first, James let out a groan of pleasure as he did so. All it did was cause sweat and tire your body, and he loved taking it off. Then his uniform top and boots, leaving the Green Beret in his undershirt and uniform pants.
Meanwhile Nicole settled in her own apartment, shocked how nice it was inside. However both fell asleep, unsure of what would come from this new life here.
