Chapter 3: Chapter 2

It’s been three days since I arrived in this world, and I’m still wandering around lost in the mountains.  I’m completely miserable out here, I’m still naked, dirty, tired.  I haven’t eaten anything at all, only subsisting off some water from several small, brackish pools I found along the way.  I’ve barely gotten any sleep, the nights have been rather cold, I haven’t gotten any decent rest and my body is feeling increasingly stiff.  Aside from that infuriating elf, I have yet to meet anybody.

After running from the elf I’ve lost any sense of positioning, I can’t even trace my steps back to the grove.  I’ve effectively been reduced to hoping I stumble upon something, anything that will point me in the direction of somebody who isn’t an elf.

Meandering through the woods listlessly, I try to distract myself from my horrible situation. 

Why didn’t I think to ask about the Goddess’s Blessings?  These Blessings are literally the only things I have, but what are they and how do I use them?  Though in my defense my patron’s behavior and actions may have disrupted my line of questioning.  Little comfort now that I’m stuck out here.

Now I’m trapped not just in a forest but a world where I have no idea on where I am, where to go or what I’m going to do.  These blessings were supposed to be my secret edge out here, yet I can’t use them.  I don’t even have the experiences from another world, I just have a few scattered, fragmentary memories to draw on.

No, stop.  Thinking about this isn’t helping me right now.  I need to focus on my surroundings, on how to find help, I can worry about my Blessings after I’m out of this forest.

With that I redouble my search for some way out.  Despite feeling weak and sick I push myself forward.

I’ve tried my best to stay in a straight line and to keep track of where I’ve been.  Unfortunately the steep hills and thick underbrush is forcing me to make numerous meandering diversions and its messing with any sense of navigation.  Well I wouldn’t be lost otherwise, but it’s still annoying.

I wish I had some ability to locate the correct path out, or better yet a cute girl with such deductive abilities.  Then it would be fun to get lost out here, we would have plenty of time to ourselves then.  Ha, if only I was so lucky. 

Well something lucky did happen, I had eventually stumbled on a trail.  I turned around a hill and there it was.  It was small and narrow, little more than a line of compacted dirt but it was unmistakable.  This meant that there were people nearby, or at least someone came by regularly. 

I ran to the trail in joy, dropping to my knees and caressing the dirt once I got to it.  I practically wanted to hug the dirt trail, it’s presence a welcome change to the endless forest. 

Now that I had a literal path to go on I have three choices, to travel down either direction of the trail or to stay put and wait. 

Well I’ve long since lost all patience so I’m throwing that last option out.  So left or right, hmm, from where I’m standing neither direction seems particularly different from the other.  I guess I’ll just pick one, this is important but I don’t have much information to go by.  So I’ll go…left then.

Taking the left I move with renewed vigor. 

After several more hours of hiking I finally heard signs of approaching people.  Distant sounds of thumping  and scuffling growing louder every minute, come from beyond the trees.  My excitement caused me to immediately start running at full pace.  A piece of me in the back of my mind I knew that these people may not be friendly, hell they might be elves, but I’m beyond such worries right now.

Charging around a bend in the trail I get my first sight of them.  A whole troop of armed women,  easily twenty or more, marched down the trail towards me.  They appeared to be human(thankfully not elf) wearing brown or tan skirts that went down to their knees with leather cuirasses, arm guards and greaves of varying design and quality for protection.  Spears, slings, short swords and axes were carried by virtually all the women along with various supplies.  My prospective saviors stopped when they noticed me charging at them, more curious than alarmed cause of my obviously wretched state.

Having blown threw what little energy I had remaining, I came to a stop before them panting and exhausted.

“Please, *PANT* I *PANT* need, help *PANT* attacked…by elves *PANT* now, lost.”  I stammered.  That took more out of me than I thought, I mean I know that my condition is bad, but I’ve started feeling dizzy.  Why is everything spinning?  Damnit, this is seriously making me sick.

Falling to the ground was the last thing I remember before blacking out.

 

Light crept into my eyes as they slowly opened.  Groggily I awakened, with a groan escaping my lips as I tried to move. 

“You’re awaking up?”  An unfamiliar voice asked practically right in my ear.

A jolt ran threw me, I was now wide awake and alert.  I’m being carried by another girl on her back, it seemed I had been sleeping with my head on her shoulder.  Our faces are just inches apart, I can make out every detail.  Those beautiful amber eyes, the small scar on her cheek that made her look rugged, even the fresh pine scent of her long brown hair.

*THUMP, THUMP, THUMP* I could hear the marching of feet all around us.  Looking around I saw that the troop of women I encountered were surrounding us marching up a steep trail path.

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“Getting squirmy now are ya?”  I heard from the same source as earlier.

Turning my attention back the girl carrying me, she had her head turned towards me looking into my face with obvious curiosity.

I settled down onto the girl’s back, placing my head back on her shoulder.  There was a moment of silence between the two of us.

“Thank you.”  I said sincerely to her.

“Well we couldn’t just leave a poor girl like you out there.”  She stated cheerfully.

“…A poor girl.  I guess you’re right, I’m weak and pathetic right now.”  I said while wistfully staring at nothing.  “But I hate being so weak.”

“You don’t have to worry, you’ll have our hospitality for as long as you require.”  The girl reassured me.  “My name is Sardura.”

“I’m Louise Yuri.”  I responded, though Sardura cocked her head at my name. 

“You rambled something about elves when you first came charging at us.  What happened?”

“Oh, umm, they attacked me in the forest, claiming they owned it.  I was forced to run away but I was lost once I got away.” 

“Yeah, elves claim pretty much everything as their property, but they rarely patrol these mountains.  I guess it’s just what they do, run around constantly spewing about their ‘great elven empire’ while acting like thieves.”  Sardura’s eyes glazed over while talking about elves.

I noticed that while we were talking the trail had changed to rough stone stairs.  We have risen quite high up in elevation.  Looking up to were we are heading, I can see a town on the peak of the mountain.  It was a cluster of dozens of buildings packed onto what little flat land exists surrounded by steep cliffs.  The buildings looked to be made primarily of stone mixed with wood support structures.  There seemed to be only one way in or out of the town, that being the steps we were currently on.  Overall this place looked like a secluded fortress.

Once entering the fortified town most of the girls in the troop dispersed amongst the residents.  Only Sardura, myself and a couple of other women remained.  Seeing the interior of this village the streets look to be a made of cobblestones or compacted dirt, many houses are basically touching each other and everything had this haphazard, erratic building design, as though it was built piece meal and repaired over centuries.  Sardura is still carrying me and taking me to one of the larger buildings in the center of the crowded layout. 

Entering the building without delay, we came to what had to be a reception room.  What stood out immediately was the couch in the back of the room with three women sitting on it.  The two on either side are almost completely naked, except for a sash wrapped around their waists, though it did nothing to maintain their decency, and a collar around their necks. 

The woman in the middle wore a long skirt that was tied around her waist with a cut running all the way up one side completely exposing one leg.  The top was a stylized fabric that only covered her chest, shoulders and upper body, leaving her arms and belly bare.  Her hair and facial features vaguely resembled Sardura’s.  This woman who has two girls fawning over her is likely related to Sardura in some way.

After walking into the room Sardura helped me back onto my feet, which were sore and battered from the endless hiking.  I wobbled when trying to stand straight, the room spinning in my head for a bit, it’s abundantly obvious I’m still sick and weak.  I must be the sight, naked, dirty, bloody, weak and now about to fall over.  Sardura steadies me by grasping on my shoulder and waist.  Honestly I’m glad to have someone to literally lean on right now.

“Sardura you picked up a…guess?”  The only clothed woman on the couch spoke.

“Yes.”  She responded dispassionately, while I stood in place still fighting my bout of vertigo.

“Judging by her condition let’s make this brief.”  She sighed then turned towards me.  “My name is Makuri, leader of this village, and Sardura’s superior.  As Sardura’s guess you are protected by the sacred laws of hospitality, no one will harm you during your time here.”  She stated impassively.

“Is that all Makuri?  I was sure you’d give her a full body inspection before acknowledging my offer of hospitality.”  Sardura said sarcastically from my side.

“Don’t be like that Sardura.”  She rolled her eyes.  “I have plenty of girls to serve me, I’m not desperate to sniff around random girls you picked up.”  Makuri shot back with a bored look.

“Great then.  We’re off now.”  Sardura finished while pulling me out of the room, she then started directing me out into the street.  “Come on Yuri, let’s get you settled at my home.”

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