Chapter Nine

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Marle walked through the strange village, wondering what to do next. Obviously, she had not gone back to the year 600 A.D. It looked like she had gone back much farther. All of the people were dressed in animal skin and were living in huts! She decided that wandering around in this era would be a waste of time, she she proceeded to leave the village, and the time all together.

"YOU THERE!"

Marle turned around to see a woman with thick, light blonde hair walking up to her. She was wearing what appeared to be an animal skin bathing suit with matching shoes and was carrying a large wooden club. Marle gulped. "Yes?"

The woman walked up to her. "You there! Where you get nice cloths?" She pointed to Marle's atire.

Marle looked down at herself. "These? My father bought them for me."

"I am cheif of village! No other cloths nicer than mine!"

Marle began to understand. It was a domanince issue. "Oh... I can show you how to make your own cloths like this, if you like."

The woman nodded and smiled as she took Marle's hand. "Come to my hut!"

o O o

Inside the hut, there were animal skins hanging all over the place. There was a hole in the roof that let the sunlight in and the whole place was held up with sticks and stones. The cheif woman pointed to a lepeorde skin. "There! Make me cloths!"

Marle understood and took the fur down from the wall. After she examined the woman's figure, she was given the proper utinsals and started cutting and sowing.

The cheif watched her. "What name?"

"Marle," she replied as she sowed. "What's yours?"

"Me Ayla, cheif of village. What village you from?"

"Guardia." At that moment, a grumbling sound came from Marle's stomach. "Uh, sorry," she replied. "I guess all that time traveling made me hungry."

Ayla clapped her hands three times. "KINO!"

In came a young man about Ayla's age with the same color hair, kept up in a short pony tail. He wore the same kind of clothing as she did. "What, Ayla? Me busy!"

"Get food for me and cloths-girl!" Ayla comanded.

Kino grumbled as he marched back out the door to get some food.

"Who was that?" Marle asked.

Ayla smiled wide. "My man," she replied. "He takes care of me and helps around village. Me love Kino very much."

At that moment, Kino came running back into the hut. "Ayla! News! Big News! Come quick!"

o O o

The villager handed Ayla the strange item. "Me found it floating down river," he explained.

Ayla took the long, sharp item and examined it. "Hmm... Too thin to be animal's tooth."

Marle took a good, long look at it as well. It was a sword -- a very familiar looking sword. She gasped. "That's Chrono's weapon!"

Ayla looked at her. "Who Chrono?"

"Um, my... my man." Marle blushed as Ayla handed her the sword. Marle turned to the villager. "Where did you say you found this?"

"Down stream, on river bank," the man replied.

Marle thought for a moment. "It couldn't be... Did Chrono come to look for me? And if so, is he still here, in this time?"

Kino ran up to Ayla. "Red haired man coming!"

Everyone looked on to the enterance to the village. Marle could not believed who she was seeing.

He looked right back at her with the same reaction. "Marle!"

Marle blinked, still overwhelmed. "Chrono... I can't believe it."