Chapter 4
The first thing I noticed after I got back from my excursion to that world, was that the girl seemed to smell and look dirty. She needed a bath, badly. The second, was I was very drained and hungry. I almost collapsed. Guess traveling to wherever I did and back, took it out of me. It hit me suddenly, like a rush.
I had been worried we might not be able to communicate, but whatever power allowed me to travel to and from the other world seemed to include the language. I had wondered about this, before. But as I had been able to talk to the wizard earlier and with this girl now, with no problem, I wasn't overly worried about it.
"I'm going to make something to eat. I'm starving," I said, and stumbled off towards the kitchen.
"Damn. I should have thought of that, considering what happened yesterday," Matt said in his rumbling voice.
The girl was looking around with large eyes, and the tiger/wolf was watching both of us with interest. I started to go to the kitchen and found the girl clutching my arm.
"What's wrong?" I asked her.
"You're not leaving me, are you?" she asked in a small voice.
"I'm just going to the kitchen, to make something to eat. Would you like something, too?" I asked her as an afterthought.
She nodded, and we all went to the kitchen. The timora padded along beside the girl.
"Does your, uh, timora have a name that you call it?" I asked when we got to the kitchen.
"She has a name, but we can't pronounce it. She allows us to call her 'Rasha'," the girl answered.
"I see, and what would your name be, Girl?" Matt asked her?
She pulled herself up to her full height of five foot five, and responded.
"I am the princess Beáta, daughter of king Andrin and queen Lorine, of the Kingdom of Fairellon. I am grateful for the rescue, and ask to be returned forthwith to my rightful place," she said, and dropped me a curtsy.
I introduced first myself, and then Matt. I'll be damned if Matt didn't bow slightly at the waist! She was dressed in a filthy wet thick nightgown. She was shivering, but she seemed to exude confidence. I could not believe I had just been on the receiving end of a curtsy from this waif.
"I'll be back with something for her to wrap herself in. Then I suggest getting her into a tub, to warm her and clean her up," Matt said and took off, just like that.
I made roast beef sandwiches, and the girl ate like she'd not had anything to eat in a long time. I poured a glass of milk for her and set it beside her plate. Matt returned with a thin blanket, and draped it over her shoulders.
I dug out a steak and thawed it in the microwave. I put it, raw, on a plate. I set it on the floor for the timora, Rasha.
"What is this? Have you no ale, or wine?" she asked me after sipping the milk.
"How old are you, anyway?" I asked her.
"I am in my fifteenth year. My day of birth was just celebrated a month ago," she responded.
"Well, I think you could use milk more than a glass of wine. You were suffering, and your body needs to replenish the vitamins that are in this milk," Matt rumbled firmly.
"Once you're done in here, I'll run a bath for you, or you can shower first, then run a tub for soaking yourself," I told her.
"Bathe? In this weather? Are you mad? I would catch a chill if I did that. I am already in danger of catching a chill as it is," she told us haughtily.
"Frank, I think we should get something for her to wear from town. Get some jeans and a good pull over shirt. You can pick up shoes for her too. Just trace the outline of her feet on piece of your sketch paper and take the outline with you. Find her a pair or two of shoes and then get back here," Matt instructed me, then pulled out a cloth tape measure and asked the princess to stand a moment. She did so calmly.
I looked at him. Hell, I was tired too, but I guess there were priorities. Maybe she would be more comfortable with Matt instructing her bath and the toilet features of a bathroom. I had just realized she probably had no clue as to what modern conveniences looked like or how they performed.
I nodded. I was done with the meal I had wolfed, so I wrote her measurements down, and had her stand on pieces of sketch paper. I traced the outline of her feet, got up, and went to get my jacket.
Wyoming in the fall was cold indeed. The leaves of the trees were turning colors, and the air was brisk and clear. I got into town and found the items easily enough. The shoes were a problem, so I bought several pair of slightly varying sizes that were a close match to the feet outlined on the sketch paper. The pants had been easier, as I had measured her waist and leg length.
With my mission complete, I returned to Matt's place to find a freshly scrubbed and very clean young girl wrapped in a robe, sitting with a blanket wrapped around her. Matt had turned up the furnace, and the place was nicely warm.
Beáta was fascinated by everything, of course. Matt had her sitting on a couch and had the Celtic Women's DVD on. They were singing in their beautiful voices and the princess was glued to the TV, watching them, and listening.
Matt turned off the set when I started pulling my purchases out of the bag, and nodded at my choices.
"Looks like they'll do. Princess, why don't you go into the room I told you would be yours, and try these things on. If you need help with anything, just call," Matt told her.
The timora had an amazing ability. She could blend in so well, you forgot she was there! I mean it. It was almost as if she clouded the mind somehow, or turned herself almost invisible. You had the impression that there was a dog around, but weren't worried about it. Which came in handy for our trip to Laramie.
The reason we were in Laramie was because we were picking up 'period' clothing, for both Matt and myself. It seems that Matt was determined to make the next trip to this other world. I could not talk him out of it.
We all loaded up in my Jeep and drove to the city. Beáta's face was pressed to the window of the jeep the whole way. She was looking and watching everything.
I had the feeling that the timora was much more intelligent than either of them were letting on. I had mentioned this to Matt. He said 'of course', and was glad I had spotted it, also.
Matt had counseled I wait a day or three before trying the 'world walking' as he termed it. He said he had noticed the weakness and the hunger I'd had after performing that particular feat, rescuing Beáta. He said that obviously energy had been used, and I was the main source. It would not be wise for me to over do it. I agreed.
We explained to Beáta what was going on. She nodded her understanding once it was explained that I would be working to send her back to her home, as soon as possible.
I figured my best bet was to make connection with the wizard again, if I could. Once I did that, I could draw a doorway, and we could all step through. I would deliver the princess home, and Matt and I would visit a short time.
This is what prompted our trip for period clothing. Well, at least, more appropriate clothing. We didn't want to stand out too much in that world. It was going to be hard enough as it was, since Matt was so tall. Apparently the people there, were much shorter than either he or I.
We arrived at the outskirts of Laramie. Matt directed me to a shop he knew, which was run by an old friend of his. All of us, including the timora, trooped into the shop. Inside, was the strangest collection of items I had ever seen.
It was located on the outskirts of the city, in what looked to be a somewhat large old warehouse. It was set off by itself, and I wondered if Matt had brought us to the right place. Apparently he had. When we entered, he was greeted and returned the greetings of the diminutive lady who came out of nowhere, to give him a welcoming hug.
"So, what brings you off your mountain?" the elderly lady asked curiously.
"We need a complete outfitting of items. Frank has some sketches to show you the styles of clothing we will need," Matt said, pointing at me.
I opened my case and handed her my drawings and she looked them over, and nodded.
"I can do this easily as I have everything here on hand. What else do you need?" she asked in a raspy voice.
"A sword and dagger for my young friend, Frank, and I want the staff I left here," Matt said casually.
The old lady looked sharply at Matt, as a sort of desperate look came over her face.
"Is... is it... coming back?" she asked breathlessly.
"No, Megan, it's not. However, I might have use for my staff, soon," Matt answered cryptically.
What surprised me the most was she seemed to notice the timora, even though it was doing the "I'm not here" thing it seemed to do so well. Strange old lady, if you asked me. After we were outfitted, Matt was handed a somewhat longish staff. I swear it had that same "don't notice me" trick that the damned timora had. Ok, there was something going on. I had to know, but no one was saying anything about it.
As we were driving back to Matt's place, I decided I was going to confront him and get some answers. When I thought about it, it seemed funny that Matt seemed to have all the answers when he gave me advice on using my um, new ability. Just how much did he know about magic anyway? That's what I had done after all... magic.
The trip back was uneventful. Matt had loaned me his DVD of the Celtic Women, as well as another movie. Beáta was happily listening to 'Orinoco Flow', which was a song that I sort of liked, as well. The movie was an old Errol Flynn movie and she had eaten this up as well.
She was fascinated with the visual aspects of my laptop and Matt's TV at home. Also, the movie was not to far from the period of time and the style of the place where she lived. Still, she was taken with the magnificent full rigged, and barkentine sailing ships that appeared in the Errol Flynn movie.
We were finally ready for me to try to get the doorway established to Beáta's world. I had drawn picture after picture of her father until I had one that she was definite about as being the picture and likeness. I established a connection, and could feel the power energizing it and it moved, and took on definition and detail. All that remained was to power a doorway to the world, but I wanted to wait until he was alone or in some sort of secluded area.
I already had a large area prepped and at the ready. Most of the doorway was already drawn. Now we waited, dressed appropriately for me to finish it. Finally, it was time. I completed the last section, and the powered the doorway.
The response was almost immediate. The King sprang for his weapons rack and grabbed a sword, while yelling for the guard. The timora stepped through followed by the princess, and then me. Last to 'cross', was Matt. As soon as he stepped through he closed his eyes and whispered he had it. He turned to the glowing doorway and did 'something' which caused it to disappear.
"MATHEW! What the hell are you doing!?" I screamed at him.
"Calm down, Boy. It's not gone, just placed into hiding, is all," he responded calmly.
I glared at him. Ok, I really should have questioned him more after our trip to the store in Laramie, but things kept coming up.
I had been neatly side tracked, repeatedly, I suddenly realized, from asking him about his apparent knowledge of magic. I narrowed my eyes, and stared and him, while a noisy reunion was going on between father and daughter.
Several guards had responded to the King's yell, and were pointing pikes at us. Others had swords in their hands.
Edited By TeNderLoin