Sorry for taking such a long time to continue with this. I am in my final year at college and have been so busy. I havent forgotten about this story though. I hope you all like it. Reviews are most welcome. Chapter 3
Trinity looked at the woman in front of her, really looked at her, and decided she must be someone important. She had an air about her that indicated authority and so Trinity decided to answer the question without any kind of fuss.
"Trinity, my name is Trinity. And before I answer about astral projection, I would like to know who you are, both of you and where I am."
The young healer looked at Trinity with an expression of shock. How could someone speak to the Queen like that with no regard for proper protocol and manners? Glancing at the queen she saw a wry smile on the queen's lips and decided for the moment that Selenay was more intrigued than irritated at the woman's indiscretion.
"I am Queen Selenay, and you are in the Kingdom of Valdemar. This is Krista, a novice healer, as indicated by her robes," Selenay replied almost immediately. She had decided to be up front with Trinity, considering how unusual the current situation was.
"Queen Selenay, in the Kingdom of Valdemar? Are you screwing with me? As far as I know there is no such place on planet earth called Valdemar, although I guess it could be a really small country I've never heard of. But that begs the question of how I ended up here when I am supposed to be at the hospital in Houston. How long have I been here? And what time is it?"
Selenay was having trouble following what Trinity was talking about. Something about planet earth, and hospital in a place called Houston. She briefly wondered if the young woman was in her sane mind. Though, she did appear out of the grove, so wherever she came from and thus was babbling could make perfect sense to her.
"Well I certainly have a lot more question to ask of you Trinity, but those will have to wait. You have been here for exactly a week and it is currently close to sunset, and you arrived in very bad shape I might add. Now I will ask you again, what is astral projection?"
Krista looked at the Queen and decided to leave these two women alone. Trinity did not look to be in pain so Krista started to edge out of the room. She was stopped momentarily by the Queen, "Krista can you go get Talia and Elspeth for me? Oh and might as well fetch Alberich as well, this could take a while."
"Yes ma'am, I will go fetch them."
Turning back to Trinity the Queen crossed her arms over her chest waiting for an answer to her repeated question. She cocked her eyebrows and was pleased to see Trinity take a quick swallow before answering.
"Well, astral projection is kind of like an out of body experience." She saw Selenay's confusion immediately and continued on. "It denotes the astral body, or spirit as some might say, that leaves the physical body and consciously take shape outside of it. A person's astral projection can usually interact with the people or objects around it. Usually a person's physical body will collapse since the spirit is no longer inside of it to animate it. If I remember correctly from my reading it has also been suggested the truly powerful can literally be in two places at once and can control the physical body as well as the astral body into interacting at the same time. Although that would easily exhaust someone very quickly." Trinity looked at the Queen and wondered if she gave too much information too fast. It didn't really matter though, magic wasn't real.
Quickly absorbing the new information Selenay replied, "Well that actually makes perfect now." It was Trinity's urn to look confused. "Did you know that people all over the castle have been claiming to have seen you for a couple minutes, dozens of times, and your body was lying in that bed and not moving?"
"Wha-? I don't see how that's possible, magic isn't real. Its fantasy, made up, just stories that keep people entertained. There is no-," Selenay cut her off with a raised hand.
"Wait. Are you telling me Trinity that where you are from there is no magic? Not even mind magic?"
"What's mind magic?"
Before Selenay could answer her Krista returned with Talia the Queens Own, Elspeth the heir and Alberich the weapons master. Krista also seemed to have acquired some bread and water for Trinity, which was good thinking on her part.
"Very good Krista, thanks for bringing the water. Please give it to Trinity and give us some time. I will come find you when we are done."
Krista did as she was asked as well as a quick curtsey and left the room, closing the door behind her. The small room in the healers hall was somewhat cramped now but it couldn't be helped. Some decisions had to be made in private and this was the best solution.
*Caryo, can you please tell me what's going on now? She is finally awake and I want answers.
*I am sorry Selenay; I still cannot reveal everything yet. She might be awake but there are still many things I cannot tell you. I can say that she is correct; her home has no magic, mind magic or mage magic. And she is perfectly sane, just confused
*If her world has no magic then can she have it Caryo? I am very confused Caryo as well as annoyed. I hate it when all you companions get like this. Hiding so many secrets and revealing close to none. I thought we got passed this after we dealt with Ancar. Why are you behaving so again?
*You know I cannot answer that. And I do not relish is hiding things from you, but it is for the best. All will be revealed in time. Trust her Selenay. She is very open minded and I am sure you can charm her.
Selenay snickered at that final remark. She then noticed that Trinity was staring at her and the others, having finished drinking the water Krista gave her.
"Well mother? What has Caryo said?" Elspeth asked.
"Very little I am afraid," she said with a look of annoyance. "Trinity this is my daughter Elspeth," gesturing to her. "And this is Talia, the Queens Own and Alberich, the weapons master."
"Nice to meet you all," Trinity began "but what is going on?"
Selenay took a moment to explain to the new arrivals what Trinity had said while they were waiting for their arrival. "It seems Trinity; you have somehow landed yourself in a land full of the same magic you claim does not exist. And we have no idea how you got here." Deciding not to bring up the companions just yet Selenay said, "We found you out in one of the tree groves on Palace grounds. You were hurt pretty severely, something took a chunk out of your neck as well as having an artery severed in you thigh from a small piece of metal we found in the thigh bone. At some point you are going to have to explain that piece of metal and the clothing and gear we found you in, but for the moment I want you to rest and gather strength."
"I-," Trinity started but the Queen cut her off again.
"No, we will talk more tomorrow. Right now we have some decisions to make and I need to confer with some people. Alberich I want you to increase the guard on this hallway. Talia I need you and Elspeth to come with me to my chambers. I will see you two in half a mark." With that Selenay swept out without looking back, intent on some mission none of the others could fathom.
"Well," Talia started, "it seems you are to be with us for some time Trinity. I suggest you make yourself comfortable and listen to the healers. Drink what they tell you, it will improve your strength."
With that Talia, Elspeth and Alberich left the room. Leaving Trinity with far too many questions than answers. A few minutes went but when a different healer came in. He handed her a cup filled with something and told her to drink it. She did, it tasted awful, but the look the healer gave her told her to swallow and not spit it back out. Not long after Trinity found herself sinking into sleep.
xXxXxXx
Trinity woke with a start a some hours later. She wasn't sure what woke her but she felt the need to get up and move, to escape the confines of the room she had been in, to be outside. She wasn't sure how she was going to accomplish that though. A quick peek out the door showed four guards in the hallway, and very little chance she could slip away unnoticed. Suddenly though all four guards turned in response to a noise down the hall. They left their posts and Trinity took the opportunity to flee the room.
She discovered she had been on the ground floor of a very large building, and not too far from a door that led outside. Once outside she realized she didn't have any shoes on, but for some reason something was pulling her towards what looked like pastures. In no time at all she had crossed the entire pasture, through some trees, into a second pasture where white forms stood, almost as if they were expecting her. They looked like horses, but their coats were pure white, their eyes the most riveting shade of blue and the hooves were silver. It was no horse Trinity had ever seen and she briefly wondered if magic was indeed real.
The supposed horses didn't move as she continued walking forward. They looked at her with intelligence in their eyes, letting her pass unhindered. Eventually she came to a grove of trees, and the pull got stronger. She ventured closer to it and as the pull seemed to become stronger than ever a great flash of light blinded Trinity for a few moments. She wasn't sure what had happened. Then she heard a voice, not with her ears, but with her mind.
*My name is Graviel. And you are mine Trinity. Just as I am yours. In a masculine tone.
She looked in the "direction" of the voice and saw a stallion standing before her. A beautiful stallion that had the same eyes as blue as sapphires, holding the same intelligence as the other horses. Trinity had a moment to contemplate what had just happened before she collapsed in a faint at the horse's feet.
xXxXxXx
-*The grove. The grove. Back to the grove!
Every herald in Valdemar heard the ringing through their companions voices. They were all shocked to know that something else had come through the grove only a week after the first presence arrived. Selenay, Talia and Elspeth were still awake discussing what to do about the new arrival that was in the healer's hall when they heard the call. All three looked to each other, with disbelief on their faces.
"Another one? What is going on?" Talia asked.
"We better go to the grove mother. Everyone else would have heard that as well."
They left the Queens chambers immediately and before long they were in the companion's field, near the grove. Alberich was there as was the chief healer and a few other heralds. All the companions had again circled around something and this time they let the Queen and her entourage through without any hassle. What they saw took their breath away, as well as shocked them to the core.
Trinity was lying next to a large stallion. A stallion with the blue eyes of a companion. However there was something different about this stallion from all other companions. He was black, black as night and shadow and darkness. So black they could barely make him out in the darkness.
"He's black. There has NEVER been a black companion before. It's impossible," Selenay stated.
*As I am sitting here at this very moment it is indeed possible Queen Selenay. Graviel projected his mind towards all that were there. I would appreciate it if you took my companion back inside. She has collapsed from shock and exhaustion, and I want no more harm to come to her.
All the heralds looked at each other in mute shock, before springing into action. Something was indeed about to change in Valdemar, as indicated by this unlikely pair, both arriving from the sacred grove. What it meant they had no idea. They would just have to deal with it when the time came.