An avalanche starts with one stone, dunnit?

“Your family are slave traders?!” I asked incredulously.

“We are of old money. A holdover of a nobility waning wiþ þe passing of each day. Were’t my decision to make, we’d sell what land we no longer haþ need for to our people and live as no more þan an affluent family. But my faþer be'þ a man who holdeþ ambition þat far outweigheþ common decency and morality. A loaþsome man, who happily pursueþ any means to retaineþ his perceived influence, wiþ nary a þought in regard for þe harm he bringeþ upon oþers. A man truly despicable beyond reason.”

Her face contorted in anger. Considering how gentle and kind she had seemed up to that point, it was almost like looking at another person. Then again, I could hardly blame her. Just the idea of slavery alone was enough to get my blood boiling. I couldn’t imagine growing up on blood money and having to accept that your own dad is part and parcel of that very problem.

“So ya jus' booked it in the night?" Seeing her tilt her head in confusion, I clarified "You ran away? Left ya family be'ind with nuffin' but the clothes on ya back and whatever shite you could pilfer on the way out? Surely you could've at least prepared more for the road?”

“Were't only so simple. In my foolish desperation and naïveté, I squandered any such hopes wiþ my rash behaviour yester eve. I had foolishly believed I could appeal to what little remained of my faþer’s humanity, and sought to raise mine objections wiþ him directly. Instead of þe compassion and love of a faþer, I was met wiþ þe rage and hatred of a dragon, defyantly and paþetically sat upon his þrone of blood-soaked gold, bilt upon suffering and cruelty. He ordered me imprisoned for speaking out against him, but I narrowly escaped and fled þe town. In þat moment I swore to renounce þe name Edelweiss in condemnation of my faþer's misdeeds.”

She spoke resolutely, but her expression was þat of abject sadness. þough, after all she had just said, I could hardly be surprised.

“So… what ya plannin’ from ‘ere? If ya left in the dead a' night, I guess you’ve ‘ardly ‘ad a proper chance to really think things through, ‘ave ya?” I asked.

“You ask... what actions I plan to take, yes? At present, I shall seek refuge wiþ a good friend of mine whom liveþ in Romshi town. þere I will seek a domicile to which I may permanently relocate and live out my days among þe common folk, nobility in neiþer name nor position.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to try and change things from the inside? End your family’s nasty business and take the reigns of the household.”

“Believe you me, were’t possible, I would do so in a heartbeat. But, even were I a son and not a daughter, my faþer’s hold on his power is firm. Noþing short of deaþ could remove him from his seat. Nay, I act as I do to deal a deaþ blow to þe family altogeþer, for it be'þ my last and only resort.”

“Deal a death blow? How do you achieve that by running away?”

“My faþer haþ sired no sons, nor doþ he have any broþers to pass his title to. Of our bloodline, only he and I remain, and wiþ my moþer passed on from þe world, it shall remain as such. By renouncing my claim to þe family name, I leave him no heir. þe family shall die wiþ him.”

“I see…” in theory, the idea had it’s merits. With no one to pass it on to, the Edelweiss name would die with its master. However… “that only means some other rich bastard is gonna come along and claim his mantle. The problem won’t go away, it’ll just change hands to someone else.”

“Aye, no solution at all it is. For þe chains of slavery haþ bound þis kingdom tight, so tight þat no man nor woman may truly contest it. Bring about þe end of þis horrid institution? Would þat I could. þe disgraced daughter of þe main propagator can have no such effect, not once in ten þousand years.”

“Every avalanche starts with one stone, dunnit? If you really wanna see change, dunnit stand to reason you’ve gotta kick it in gear yaself?”

Alice looked at me and cocked her head, her expression seeming somewhere between curiosity and confusion.

“þough I’ve not þe faintest of ideas what ‘kick a tin gear’ means, I believe I grasp þine idea. But… ‘tis not someþing to take so lightly. ‘Twould nary be just mine own house against me, but þe very institution upon which þis nation is built. Mine enemies would be powerful and numerous, and mine allies few and far between. ‘Twould be akin to rattling a hornets nest wiþ naught but my bare hands to fight wiþ.”

“Well it might not count for much, but you’d have me for an ally. Overthrowin’ the evil powers that be sounds like exactly the heroic shite you’d expect from an otherworlder, dunnit?” My declaration earned another light chuckle from my companion, and I was glad to have slightly lifted her sour mood

“þou must be truly brave to so boldly accept þe world as þy enemy.”

“Spent me ‘ole child’ood ‘idin’ like a damn coward, didn’t get me bloody anywhere. Times like these, ye’ve gotta stand up an’ fight, even if the bastards knock ya flat on yer arse.”

“What a truly charming choice of words.” Despite the sarcasm, her smile told me she at least felt better than she did before. “…might þou tellest me about it?”

“Hmm? About what? My arse? Not much to tell on that front, to be honest.”

“I suppose I ought to’ve predicted such a crude response,” she sighed. “I mean þy world of origin. þou speak as if abhorrence to slavery is þe complete default. In þy home, haþ þe dreadful institution truly come to an end? How? How be life wiþout it? Please, I ask þat þee tell me all þat you can.”

“Well if that’s what you wanna hear, we’ve got a lot to talk about.”

***

“Nay, surely þou jest?”

“I’m sayin’ nothin’ but facts, swear to god.”

“Horseless wagons? Powered by naught but þe burning of an oil?”

“The actual mechanism’s more complicated than that, but that’s about the gist.”

“And þou sayest one may travel upwards of hundreds of miles in but a day?”

“Furthest I’ve gone is closer to 400, but that was a real killer. ‘ad to switch drivers ‘alfway.”

“I… can hardly imagine such a þing to exist.”

“Where I’m from, they’re so common that every bugger ‘as one. You don’t have a car, your choices for work and travel are cut in ‘alf, more or less.”

“Extraordinary…” every detail I told Alice about Earth made her eyes sparkle like a kid reading a book about dinosaurs. “And all þis is achieved wiþout þe necessity for forced labour? All workers be adequately paid and properly treated?”

“Well that’s up for debate, but we definitely ain’t slaves. ‘least not in the UK, anyway. Some places still ain’t kicked the practice, but it’s illegal across the whole western world. ‘as been for a couple ‘undred years at this point.”

“Incredible…” she seemed well and truly enamoured by the idea of our world. Couldn’t exactly be surprised. Earth ain’t perfect, but it’s a damn sight better than it was four hundred years ago. In comparison to this place, it probably seemed like a wonderland.

“If I figure out a way back there, I’ll take you for a visit if you want. You can see it all for yourself,” I said, though I had no idea if crossing back over was even possible, let alone bringing someone else along. “Hell, if you like it there, you’d be free to stay. If you really believe you can’t change your world, mine would be happy to take you.”

“I…” she hesitated for a moment, a conflicted look on her face, before eventually letting out a sigh and wearing a melancholic smile. “I truly appreciate þe offer, but I’ve a duty to my home. What said duty is, I’ve yet to fully determine, but in my heart of hearts I know þis place is where I belong. Wheþer I can effect change upon þis world, I cannot tell, but I will not abandon it entirely. For better or worse, ‘tis my home.”

“Glad to hear y’aint throwin’ in the towel yet. I may not know a thing about this world, but I reckons you can do more than you expect. You just needs to ‘ave some faith in yourself.”

“My, dost þou speakest as such to any maiden?” She said playfully. “I þank þee true, Barry. þou hast given me much to þink on þis night.”

It was on those words I realised the Sun had begun to set, and the day began to draw to close.