Timeless

2

The man sets his load down more gently than he wishes to, but his orders were to protect her at all costs. He doesn't know why, so far she has shown herself as a silly woman that allows herself and those with her to suffer and even die, as her lady's maid did in the cold. And as one of his men did when he deflected the fireball from her.

But still it was her warning that sent them scrambling down that hill before the first fireball hit and that saved his other men. But the way she looks and acts around him it's like she's a half wit.

It's his fault that she is sporting that knot and huge bruise on her head just now. He can't blame her for falling behind when she is so obviously injured. Head injuries are tricky.

He's seen some truly nasty looking ones that were almost entirely show and others that looked innocent that killed. He's worried that maybe she might be suffering from something like that.

He looks at her again to find her watching him warily. "Who are you?" Her voice is funny, half way between a demand for information and fear of daring to ask. She hides it well but he can tell that she's preparing to run from him again. He's not worried he could easily overtake her if she does.

He is too busy controlling things to pay her too much direct attention, but he manages a small bow to her, "I am Lord Captain Grey, Commander of Lady Anna's army." He keeps his voice soft and even. He told her all this not even an hour ago when Lady Anna sent him out to her with warming blankets to keep her and her lady's maid alive in the freezing cold. But it was already too late for the maid. Fortunately his men sent to guard them were smarter and had brought their own warmth.

His words seem to relax the woman at his side and she turns from him to watch the people enter the bathing room. It is the only room large enough for the majority of the castle this deep in the castle. And most definitely the strongest room anywhere.

Ariele watches the people in bemusement. There is only one door yet the people act as if there are two, one for the men and one for the women. She watches as the men and women act as if it is two different rooms. She is therefore startled when the captain grabs her arm and tells her it's her turn to enter.

He opens the door for her and gives her a little shove to get her moving. Ariele moves into the room. The woman are all undressing and preparing to go into the bathing pools. But what has her the most interested is that the women are ignoring the men doing the same thing just across the way. And the men are ignoring the women.

And that is just plain weird to her, because men always seem interested in the female upper body and seem to be fascinated with it. She should know. But these men don't even look at the women.

Finally all the women except her have left the bathroom changing area. And all the men except for Lord Grey have left the men's area. Ariele is more afraid of the strangeness than she is of the commander and goes over to him.

"Lord Grey, what is going on here? Where am I and how did I get here?" Unbidden tears come to her eyes and even her voice takes them on. The last thing she remembers is killing her planet and the nearly seven billion people on it.

Grey stops what he was doing and stares at her. She walked through a foot thick solid stone wall. Perhaps she is a ghost like the stories tell of. But no, she had felt solid enough when he picked her up and when he threw her down to protect her. He feels that maybe it's time his cousin Lady Anna take a hand in this.

"How did you walk through that wall?" Grey demands even as he grabs his breastplate and puts it back on. After buckling on his breastplate she still hasn't answered and he looks at her again.