Falling Into the Woods Ch. 03

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Athela wasn't listening to her brother. "Falls, you said you saw a Queen wear this?" She ran her hand down her dress.

"It's a great replica. I don't know who wore it though. It's lovely. I'm sorry if I offended you."

"No, I am not offended. What year was it that this was copied from?"

"Not sure. It looks like something a royal would wear back with there were Knights and all that... Kings and Queens. 1600, 1700's. I don't know really." Falls shoulders slumped. Exhaustion suddenly overwhelmed her. She figured the three days of living off berries and sleeping in a cabin with little heat was finally taking its toll on her.

Lucas's face paled, as did his sister's even further. Athela said nothing, too surprised by the woman's claims. "We have not yet passed one thousand years. How have you passed seventeen of them?" he asked, his voice showed a hint of some unnamed emotion.


"Huh?" Falls muttered, rubbing her temples, "What do you mean?"

"Lucas, please, let me get Patterson. He can help. I know he can!" Athela begged. She stepped back to Falls and gripped her hand tightly. "Falls, this is only 863. Please come with me. We will get you settled. Patterson will..."

"What sick, twisted, fucked up fairy tale are you trying to pull on me. It's 2006 and you guys are real asses to try and pull something like this on someone! I could almost believe it... if I was drunk!" She stepped back, each step taking her slightly further than the last. Her gaze shifted from right to left, as if looking for an exit. She stopped suddenly when her back came in contact with what she assumed was a wall. Falls spun around, jumped back and stared into a massive mountain of chest, covered in leather. With a squeak she turned to run back to Lucas, however she was stopped in her fleeing by two large hands gripping her and hauling her back.

"Tristan, let her go," Lucas said, the sound in his voice told his brother that he was not toying with him.

Tristan did. He watched her hurry back to Lucas, who pulled her against him. He couldn't help but notice how the woman stiffened in response to his brother's touch.

"Athela, if you feel she needs to speak with Patterson, then you may seek him out. He does speak some of her language, so perhaps he can find out what happened to her and where her people are."

Athela turned and ran from the room. Lucas watched her flee and felt a part of himself relax. His sister was out of harms way in case Falls became hostile.

"I'm not staying here. You people are sick fucks. I want to go home. That's all. Please, please just let me go back to the woods, walk around and I'll find my way."

"Falls, we are not telling you falsehoods," Lucas muttered, "You are ill and..."

"STOP IT!" she screamed and fell to the floor, covering her ears to block any more words that spilled from Lucas's mouth. "I just need to get back to the woods," she whispered over and over again.

Lucas and Tristan stared at her. Several long seconds drifted by as she wept and rocked herself. Eventually Lucas bent down and gathered her into his arms. He was surprised that she did not struggle as he carried her from the room, and the curious gaze of his brother and servants that had reappeared upon hearing her screams. Lucas took the steps easily, the burden of her weight was nothing compared to the burden he felt on his heart. He had promised her safety and he was not sure he could keep her safe from herself.

The Lord of Wolf's Den passed several rooms that had been readied for arriving guests as well as those that already occupied such beings. He made his way down a long hall, turned to the right and proceeded down another. All the while he felt her tears seeping into his shirt and the shivering of fear flowing over her. He also was very much aware that his brother followed him.

Lucas reached his private chambers, kicked open the door and heard Tristan shut it softly behind them. He passed the room that served as his personal library, another door was opened, this time by his brother, so the woodwork was safe from any bootprints. He nodded his head in gratitude, walked across the threshold and passed his own bed. For a moment he pictured the red-flamed beauty in the center of it, her hair spread out and a sheen of sweat covering her ivory flesh. A low rumble was swallowed as he pushed the image away and then walked into what would have served as his batman's rooms, but since Lucas had no one playing that role, the room sat empty, save for his collection of oddities from various countries.

Once Tristan moved the blankets away, Lucas deposited his guest on the center of it and covered her up. He stared down at her as she rolled over and buried her face in the rough fabric, stuffed with feathers. "She's not normal," Lucas whispered, shaking his head in sadness.

Tristan stared down at the mop of red hair. "She looks normal, speaks odd, but..." he shrugged his shoulders, "perhaps Athela is right, a good talk with Patterson could straighten all of this out. She does speak a similar language."

A sniffle came from the bed. "I'm still here," Falls answered.

"Falls Britain, I will leave you to rest. Clothes will be available to you soon. Please... for your safety, remain in this room, till I or one of my brothers come for you."

She didn't want to stay. She wanted to run away, find her way home and put this nightmare behind her. Falls, however knew that right now, she had no home; she wasn't sure what had happened to her, but she knew in all likelihood she was not going home any time soon. "I'll stay," she told the two men. They both thanked her and turned away. Lucas stopped at the door and looked back at her. "Don't lock me in," she whispered; her eyes glanced at a key that had suddenly appeared in his hand. "I promise. I'll not leave this room."

Lucas frowned, pocketed the key and left, closing the door behind him. A sigh of relief left Falls lips when no clicking sound of the lock echoed through the room. "Thank you," she whispered to the air.

Outside the room Lucas and Tristan moved to his library. He walked over to a sidebar and poured a drink from a clay jar. He handed it to his brother, then tipped the jar to his lips and drank deep. Tristan watched with growing concern, as well as curiosity. "It should have become apparent to me when I found her where I did," Lucas muttered after swallowing the amber fluid, "Her manner of talk. Her knowledge of places no other knows of. Her clothing..."

"She is not of this world?" Tristan asked, "another traveler?"

"Those stories are not true. They are just stories told to us as children, stories designed by a mother's fanciful imagination."

"You are right in saying 'she is not of this world.' She is from a darker more sinister place."

"Lucas, do not speak it; you will condemn her to death if any hear you."

"Witch," he said, with a raised brow, "she is not a witch, or she would have taken herself back to her world. She is possessed though, some illness invades her mind. This world is lost to her and she lives in another."

Tristan shook his head. "I believe she needs to meet with Patterson. He..."

"Patterson is a fool!" Lucas shouted, slamming his drink onto a nearby table. He walked over to a window, pushed his fingers through his hair and stared down into the gardens. He saw his sister, clutching her betrothed close to her. Even from the great height he had over them, he could see the tension in both of their bodies.

"Our sister will enjoy knowing you hold your brother-in-law to be in such high esteem."

Lucas chuckled. "There is no secrets when it comes to how I feel about that man. He is nothing. A man that came to Wolf's Den and stole the heart of my sister... our sister. The fact that all of you welcomed him with open arms still sickens me. He is not one of us. He brings no wealth, no title, no lands. He came to Wolf's Den wearing..." Lucas's words stopped as he recalled exactly the manner of dress Patterson had been clothed in. His face paled slightly. He turned and sat down hard on a wooden bench.

"You finally see it; don't you?" Tristan asked as he walked over and took a seat opposite of his brother.

"Aye, Patterson's family has come for him. Athela will be crushed."

Tristan rolled his eyes and stood again. "Lucas, you are blind to reality. You have never accepted that there are some things in life, in our world that can not be explained. I believe this is another one of them. Go find your lady some clothing. I will stay here and watch over her," he watched his brother rise and make his way to the door, "also, as much as you do not want to do it, you need to bring Patterson to her."

Lucas frowned, said nothing and left his chambers. He made his way past the rooms he had carried Falls by, fully knowing he could have dropped her off in any one of the empty ones, yet he had chosen to keep her close by. For the safety of his people, he told himself, though a part of him knew there had been other reasons.

Tristan walked back into his brother's bedchamber; he eyed the door that kept Falls hidden from others. He could hear her weeping and a part of him ached for the pain she was feeling. He thought back to when Patterson had arrived at Wolf's Den. It had been almost a year ago, perhaps even on this day, he thought as the memory of the dirt-covered lad stumbled into the village. He had worn shoes similar to the ones that the girl in the room wore. Yet they were larger and more worn. His clothing was an oddity. No snaps or buttons, but a long metal strip with teeth held the material closed. He still marveled at how easily and quickly the device opened and closed. 'A zipper,' Patterson had called it. Tristan wondered if under Falls's skirt he would find a zipper.


The door opened; Tristan rose. "I'm sorry," Falls whispered, peeking her head around the sturdy plank of wood, "but I have to pee."

Tristan stared at her, cataloged her words, her expression and blushed. "I think I understand." He stepped forward and watched her jump back. Inside the room where his brother had placed her, he walked over to a screen, looked behind it and nodded his head. "There is a clean pot. Use it and later a servant will come in and take care of its contents."

Falls blanched. "I was afraid you were going to say that," she whispered, blushed and stared at Tristan.

He chuckled, walked out of the room, leaving the door open behind him. He heard the sound of the woman relieving herself and knew a true gentleman would have given her more privacy, but he had never been accused of being a gentleman.

Tristan was a large man; he was a dedicated son to his parents, a loyal brother to his siblings and a great leader for those under his command. He was also a trusting husband, or had been at one time. His wife, Elizabeth had passed away several years ago along with their unborn child. They had been promised to each other since the cradle. A match that for them both had been everything one could hope for in an arranged marriage. They had learned the likes and dislikes over the years, loved for months, and then when a sickness ravished the lands, Elizabeth had been one of the many victims, as had their son Micheal.

"I'm finished."

Tristan turned and saw Falls coming back into the room. They both stood staring at each other. "That room is very small... could I stay in here?"

Tristan frowned, glanced at his brother's bedchamber and chuckled. "If I know Lucas, you will spend a lot of time here," he saw her eyes grow wide and laughed, "I tease you; come into his library. There are more places to sit besides just the edge of his bed."

Falls blinked back the surprise that his words had brought her. She felt her cheeks grow warm as she glanced at the mammoth bed that Lucas spent his nights in. A lump formed in her throat, she swallowed it, then scurried after the man. They entered another room, one that Falls would call an office more than a library. Books were shelved, but a large desk of some unknown wood swallowed up the space, making itself the center of attention. "Sit down," Tristan commanded in a soft, yet firm voice.

She moved to a bench, and sat, then stared at her feet and hands. Her fingers were curled into fists and she felt cool to her own touch. The clothing she wore was still damp and she shivered inside the fabric. Tristan slapped his forehead and quickly muttered for her to forgive him.

"For what?" she asked.

"For not starting a fire for you. It is obvious to me, or so it is now, that you are chilled. Your clothing looks to be wet. What happened?" Tristan moved to the fireplace and began to start a fire, hoping to put the woman at ease.

"He threw me in the water," she muttered.

Tristan smirked. "He is not the ogre he pretends to be."

"Sure as hell does a good job," she answered back.

He lifted a brow, winked and stirred the logs. He stepped away and nodded toward the growing heat. "Come sit closer. The fire will help and even though you may not believe us... you are safe here."

Falls swallowed, fought the tears that still seemed too ready to fall and slipped from the chair. She made her way to the fire and sat down in front of it. Her hands went out to capture the heat that floated toward her. Another shiver rolled down her spine as the heat invaded her cold flesh. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You are quite welcome."

Tristan turned back and dragged a chair closer to the fire. He took a seat on the firm cushion and watched the girl embrace the warmth.

They sat there together in silence. Tristan wondered what time the woman was from. Though he knew his brother did not believe in the magic of the woods, Tristan did. He itched to ask Falls questions about her world, the same world he was sure Patterson had come from. The more he looked at the odd way she was dressed and heard her voice, the more he knew the two were of the same ilk, even if Lucas refused to admit it.

A soft knock was heard on the door to the library. Tristan rose, motioning for Falls to remain where she was. He slipped his hand to the small blade at his waist and approached the door. Though there were no signs of danger, Falls was still such an oddity that he knew some in the keep would be superstitious of her.

Tristan opened the door, smiled and stepped away. "It is about time," he muttered when the door was closed swiftly behind the couple that entered. Athela rolled her eyes at her brother and tugged on the arm of the man that stood next to her.

"Falls, this is Patterson, Lord Maltiese to those here at Wolf's Den."

Falls glanced at Athela and then at the man she'd just introduced. He too was a large man, not as well-structured as Tristan or Lucas, but still an opposing force. Then again, the more she stared at him the more she saw that he looked to be more average than either Lucas. "Everyone seems to think you can answer my questions," Falls said as she rose from the floor and walked toward the couple.

Patterson stared at Falls. His head shaking slowly left and right; his eyes traveled up and down her figure, taking in the clothing she wore under the borrowed ones. He glanced at his betrothed and back to her brother. "What does Lucas say about this?" he asked.

"He refuses to listen," Tristan replied, "he doesn't believe you will be of any help and as much evidence as there is, he still won't believe the tales of old."

"Or mine for that matter," Patterson said, "a stubborn fool your brother," he hissed.

"He said the same of you... the fool part, though I am sure he would happily throw in stubborn as well."

"Please, please stop talking as if I am not here," Falls begged, "You are Patterson, right? Everyone seems to think you can help me. So help me. Take me home. Please!"

Patterson sighed, stepped closer and took Falls's hand. He lead her to a bench, near a window. "Sit down, we have a lot to discuss."

The sound of his voice brought a feeling of dread to Falls. She took a seat, closed her eyes, said a prayer and then opened them to look into those of the people around her. "I'm ready," she answered, though deep in her gut she was far from it. Everything in her being told her that she was far from ready to hear what this man was about to tell her.

Patterson took a deep breath, continued to hold her hand and spoke softly. "What year are you from Falls?"

"2006," she answered quietly.

"I knew it!" Tristan exclaimed, immediately quieting when he was rewarded by the look of hostility that came from Athela.

Patterson blew out a large puff of air. "2006...so many years," he whispered, then squeezed Falls fingers again, "I am from 1996 and you are in the year 863, but not... not the year of 863 in our history, but in theirs."

Falls face paled even further; she felt herself swaying as Patterson continued to speak. "When I woke up in the woods, I like you thought I had gotten lost. I had been beaten bloody by a couple of thugs who had cornered me in the city park. Beat the shit out of me, left me for dead. I remember stumbling around, and that was it. I woke up in the middle of the night, felt around for something, anything to aid me, and felt the box this old hag had given me."

Falls's eyes shot up to Patterson's. "A box!? An ivory or marble one, with designs on it?"

"And a candle with some sparkling dust."

She nodded her head. A tear trickled down.

"I lit it with some matches that I had buried in the bottom of my pocket. I didn't have my Zippo... my father gave me that," he muttered, for a moment lost in an old memory, "but the point is, I fell asleep to the glow of that candle. Woke up and found myself still in the woods, yet it wasn't the same woods. It was different. I stumbled along, picking at various fruity trees until I emerged into a clearing. I took a deep breath and saw plumes of smoke rising. I walked toward it. I still hurt, everywhere. I knew I had either a few broken ribs or cracked ones, but I also knew I had to go on. I made it to the village. What I saw...well, I'm sure you saw it too. Shocked the hell out of me as it did you, no doubt."

Falls shook her head, but could not speak.

"I fainted," Patterson muttered, "woke up again, but this time in a dungeon. I still owe your brother for that," he said under his breath, directing his gaze toward Athela and Tristan.

"He came here with nothing, much like you. No coin and sadly no memory about his trip here. I assume Lucas found you the same way."

This time the words came from Athela, who had knelt down and placed her hands on Falls knees. "Falls... this is not your world. This is not your Earth," she used the name of the planet that Patterson had told her so much about, "We are not as advanced as your world seems to be. We are simple. It seems we live similar lives as those that those in your past lived, but our stars are different. Again... something Patterson has seen fit to teach me."

Falls closed her eyes, a headache pounded behind her clenched lids. "Time travel?" she whispered, "space travel? You expect me to believe this?"

"It will take time," Patterson whispered.

"What is going on here?"

The booming voice brought all conversation to a halt. Falls jumped and slid behind Tristan. Her gaze was wide as she took in the angry expression on Lucas's face.

"You are filling her head with lies. Already her mind is raged with sickness, yet you are determined to add to it!"

"Lucas, please," Athela said, stepping forward. Patterson pulled her back.

"Lucas, I speak only the truth. You are the one that refuses to believe it," he turned to Falls, "rest and when you are ready to speak again about all that is happening to you... find me. I too have questions. Ten years have passed on your side of the world, where only one has passed on this one."