I sound like a right bloody loony-bin

“An oþer world?” The girl cocked her eyebrow.

“Yeah, that’s me best guess, ‘least for now. S'far's I know, there’s nowhere in my world where people still talk your way. 'f I was to ‘azard a guess, your “Igris and Airan” is probably the same place as our “Britain and Ireland,” just in this world instead of me own.”

It was a fantastical explanation to say the least, but after asking her some cookie cutter questions about the history and geography of the Kingdom, it was the most logical conclusion I could come to. She described ‘Igris and Airan’ as two islands close to the coast of a great continent, with a wet climate that left summers humid and all other seasons drenched in rain. Not only that, but the smaller of the two islands, Airan, had apparently been subjected by the larger Igris for hundreds of years.

It was a dead ringer.

“I know, I probably sounds like a right bloody loony-bin, but it’s the best I’ve got. Either that or the lightning really did fry me brai-“

“I belieþ þee.” She cut me off, declaring that confidently.

“I… really? Just like that?”

“Mistake me not; were’t wiþout precedent, I’d þink þee a madman. And in fact, much of what þee sayst be'þ utterly incomprehensible. But þou be not the first of þy kind. Tales haþ long been told of queer foreign travellers, who speakeþ of untold lands and unimaginable knowledge, appearing in our world. In fact, their appearance seemeþ always to coincyde wiþ dark storms as þat of yesterday. If þou speakest the truth, þou must belong to þat rare and legendary phenomenon.” She smiled gently before continuing with a playful tone, “and that neglecteþ to mention þy utterly unusual manner of speech. Some þings þou hast sayd hath made me uncertain we share a language at all.”

I had no idea how to respond. Honestly I was kinda throwing ideas at the wall, I didn’t expect her to believe me in the slightest. But if what she said was true, my guess might have been right on the money. This really was a parallel world.

Still, that knowledge didn’t help all that much. All it meant was that I was now certain I was stuck in a foreign place without a penny to my name rather than just being pretty sure of that fact. I took a wild guess that they wouldn’t accept Visa or Tesco Clubcard Points in an alternate pre-industrial England, at least.

“Well, seems I’m in a right proper tiff 'ere, then. ‘aven’t the foggiest ‘ow to get back to me ‘ome, and I can’t so very well jus' make do on me own. Reckons I can tag along with ya’s for a bit? ‘least till we gets back to civilisation or sumfin.” I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly, forced to ask another favour of the kindly girl who had already saved my life once. Thankfully, she responded with another warm smile rather than the exasperation I had expected.

“If I understand þy queer words correctly, þou wishest to join me? þere be'þ but one road for many yet miles. Even wert I to object, I and þee wouldst be forced along þe same path. Regardless, I am hardly so heartless as to leave one so helpless as þee to fendest for þyself. Come, traveller. We’ve a long journey ahead of us. Let us use the remainder of the day’s light wisely.”

She beckoned me to follow her as she walked back over to the dirt path. I accepted the invitation and we began our long walk back to civilisation.

***

According to the girl, instead of heading to the aforementioned city, we’d be making our way to a small town less than half the distance away. That meant we’d be on the road for a couple days, likely arriving sometime on day three.

“Upon arryval at Romshi town, I wilt guide þee to the grand cathedral. Summonees from alter worlds be’þ a matter attended by the church, upon the rare occasions in which þey occur. þose of the faiþ will see'þ þat þou art fed and repatriated ‘til a permanent solution may be found.”

“Can’t thank ya’s enough for ya help, Ms…”

“Alice Edelw-“ she stopped herself abruptly. “Alice. I am simply Alice. I do believe I’ve yet to hear þy name yther?”

“Barry Mackay. Pleased to meet ya's.”

“'Tis a pleasure, Ser Mackay.”

“Sir? I’m ‘ardly worth a title like tha'. And anyways, if I’ve got no surname to call you, ya can’t so very well use mine, can ya’s? Just call me Barry, or Bazz or sumfin’.”

Alice covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, though I wasn’t sure what was funny. “As þou wishest, Barry. Likewyse, simply call me Alice.”

“Righty-o then.”

I put my hands behind my head and trudged on alongside my new companion. In contrast, Alice walked with impeccable posture, her left arm tight at her side while her right sat at rest on the hilt of a sword. Though I wasn’t exactly familiar with this worlds clothing, I could tell that her outfit wasn’t one you’d expect a commoner to be wearing. They were conventionally masculine clothes that seemed to be made of good quality fabrics, all dyed a deep blue, though on her back she wore a raggedy old cloak that didn’t fit the look at all. Given her seeming aversion to giving her surname, I had to wonder just what her deal was. From a disgraced noble family? Fugitive? New money with a bad rep among the old gentry? Whatever it was, she seemed to have some sort of special circumstances. Of course, I wasn’t so tactless that I’d ask that right out of the gate.

“So, Alice. You seemed to think I was a right prat for being out and about in a thunderstorm, but considering ya saw the lightning strike yourself ya must have been round here 'swell at the time. What 'ad a lass like you wanderin' the roads alone in the dead middle of a right proper downpour?” I asked casually, trying not to seem like I’m prying too much.

"Beg þee pardon?" She replied, seemingly not understanding a word

"Why were you out in the storm?"

“Ah... I… had to leave myne abode with some urgency. Under better circumstances I’d haþ awaited a clearer day to set out, but better circumstances þese were not.”

“Forgive me for sayin' but ya looks like a pretty well-to-do lass, you couldn’t even stop to take a horse or 'itch'ike?”

“‘þou... askest why I was on foot, I þink? If so, 'twas not by my decision that I did so. The situation was most dire. Forgive me, but I wish to speak of it no furþer.”

“Ah, sorry for pryin,’ just wanted to make conversation is all.”

“Worry þyself naught, þou bearest no fault for my misfortune. I appreciate þy effort to converse casually. Myght I enquire about þy wor-“

Just as Alice began to ask me a question, her ears pricked up at a sound behind us. After a quick glance at the source, her face went white and she snapped back to looking in front of us. She pulled the cloak further over her head, taking extra care to cover all of her shoulder-length white hair, and adopted the posture of an elderly woman, moving her right hand from her sword to a cane in a different holster, which she produced and began to walk with slowly.

“Alice?”

“Gaze not behynd us. I deeply apologyse, but shouldst þey engage with þee, I must ask þat þee lye on my behalf. I shall explain all once þey’ve left our syght.”

“Huh? I don’t get-“

“Hush þyself… þey be'þ approaching.”

Sure enough, the sound of hooves and wheels on the dirt path grew closer and closer, until they were practically right upon us. Alice and I tried to move aside and simply let the carriage pass us, but just as it got near the hooves slowed and a voice called out to me.

“Ye þere, lad. In þe queer attire.” Alice and I stopped, and I turned to face the man calling. “Yester eve, þe young mistress of þe noble house I serve fledeth her home. Some belieþ she took off þis way towards Saus Anton City. Hast ye seen any such person on youre travels? Her faþer be'th dreadfully worried, as I’m sure ye’d expect.”

“Sorry, big man. Me and me old gran ‘ere ain’t been on the road for long. Ain’t seen any young mistresses travellin’ this way, noble or not. Wish I could ‘elp ya's.”

“Worry not, it haþ been many hours since she left, so I had expected as much. Mine apologies for taking youre time. Safe travels.”

Without waiting for a response, the man signalled his horses to move off, passing us by on the edge of the narrow road. He sat at the front of a small cart, and in the back was a wooden cage with a painted white flower emblem along its side. Inside the cage were three dishevelled looking men who had remained silent for the duration of our discussion. They all looked to be in a bad way.

“God above, poor bastards looked like they ain’t eaten in a week. What was tha', a prisoner wagon?” I asked as soon as the man was out of earshot.”

“Prisoners? Nay, þey be’þ slaves.” The previously friendly Alice now spoke with a tone of anger. “Slaves who be'þ sold by þe foremost slave merchants in all of Igris. The Edelweiss clan. Myne own flesh and blood.”