He pointed to a room just off the living area. “You can change in there, quickly. There are some things in the chest at the foot of the bed that belonged to my late wife. She was about your size. I’ll fix something quick to eat before you need to go.”
I didn’t know why he was pushing me to eagerly to change. I didn’t know this man, nor his home, let alone his intentions. Sure, my clothes were different than what I’d seen, but the cloak was more than sufficient to cover them. But as I looked at him, I could feel that this was no reenactment, not joke, not dream. And I needed to heed his warnings.
“Thank you.” I excused myself. I figured it not only couldn’t hurt but was probably in my best interests to try to fit in as much as possible. I’d read enough time travel themed books. If that was what was going on, I certainly didn’t want to become a cliché. I needed to keep my wits about me.
Sifting through the articles of clothing, I selected the outfit that covered the most, which really wasn’t near as much as I would have preferred. I left the remaining items folded neatly in the chest and returned to the main room, adjusting a buckle that held one of the straps around my waist in place. “Your people like to show their skin?”
He chuckled, setting a plate of food on the table next to a pitcher, two glasses and a book. I eyed the book curiously. I could touch it and read it without him even knowing but refrained. “The people here deal with heat as well as prefer not to be encumbered by attire. Especially if they need to fight.”
“Fight?” My eyebrows pulled in, my gaze leaving the book. “Wars or domestic?”
“Either,” he replied.
I shook my head as if trying to clear it. “Okay. Right.” Lowering myself into a chair at the table, I rubbed my face. “Have I gone back in time somehow?” I wasn’t sure if asking him was the right thing to do, but he seemed to have at least some answers.
“I cannot be sure of that. I do not know what your timeline is in comparison to ours here. But if you’re asking if you are still on your planet, you are not. That’s one thing I can tell for certain.” He took a seat facing me and poured some water into a glass, sliding it across the table. “Please drink, eat, read that and take the bag hanging by the front door to carry your belongings in. I’ve put some food, a flask and some money in it. But please, hurry. You cannot stay here.”
His words had me alert. There was no way he knew of my abilities. Was there? I wasn’t about to assume anything. And I wasn’t about to admit to anything without cause. “Don’t you think it’s going to take me a while to read a book? Or do you want me to take it, too?” I folded my arms across my chest.
The man tensed and started to pull the book away. “I’m sorry. I understood that you could read a book by touching it. Was my vision incorrect?”
“Wait!” I reached for the book. I shook my head and pursed my lips. “No. I can read it. But how do you know that? Very few people know about that. And how did you find me out there? How did you know?”
He released the book to me, relaxing again. “I’m a seer. My visions come when I’m asleep, and I had been taking a nap when I saw a foreign woman from another planet come through. My visions work like quests. They only come when I have something to do, and I’m given limited information. I know only that you are from another planet. You have strong magic in you, and one thing is the ability to read books by touching them. And that you’re in grave danger if you do not blend in and get home. I am in danger if I am caught with you here, which will be soon if you do not get moving, so we must end this conversation.”
A seer? A vision of me? He had to have more answers. “Where am I? Why all the danger?” I picked at the plate of meats he’d set out for me. Meats I did not recognize the taste of.
He stood and started to pace, bringing me the bag he’d mentioned. “There’s not enough time to explain. The book will give you a small bit of information about this planet and enough of our language to get by. Please hurry.”
Still confused, I wanted to ask a thousand more questions. One of which was why he was willing to help if it put him in so much danger. But, after a moment of hesitation, I did as instructed. I lifted the book, closed my eyes and took a breath. Placing it in the palm of one hand and sliding the other hand, palm down, over its cover, I took in its contents. My brain was still scrambled from the circumstances, and I figured I would sort through the information later, but for the moment, I tried to test the language and spoke as clearly as possible, saying, “Thank you for your kindness.” It felt strange on my tongue and strange to my ears, but I had studied more languages I could count. And this one was not at all an undesirable language. It was almost melodic.
He nodded, a worried look on his face. “It’s rough, but it should do. Now,” He went to the door. “Take another bite and finish your water. You have quite the walk. Stay close to the trees and speak to people as little as possible.”
I listened to
