Out of Time (dabillmann)
 

Anna was curently enjoying herself in the towns mal. She loved shoping, through she wasn't addicted to it like some of her friends. She just loved to wander around and buy herself something she realy liked. Of course it had to be worth the price too. She wasn't rich, so she thought twice before she would spend her money on something.

She was ninteen years old, and a university student. She was the kind that one would call a proper lady, through few people knew the real Anna. She could be wild when she wanted, and she certainly could have fun, it was just that there was a place and time for everything.

She spoted a nice dress and went into the shop to look at it closer. It was exactly what she liked. She found her size and went with it into the changing room. She striped to her underwear, and was about to try the dress when she stood her foot the wrong way and fell over. She braced herself for the impact and even that she would break the mirror, but nothing like that came. She didn't dare open her eyes, but she felt like she would fall, from much higher than she would have guessed. She finaly decided to open her eyes to see what was going on, when she crashed into a person. "Ow! What... how?" she asked standing up and looking around. The human she landed on was still on the ground.

Tibor walked down the trail in the woods on the way to the village of Santolis. He was a good looking young warrior of 21. He was tall and muscular with longish black hair and a mustache. He wore his usual adventuring gear of brown leather pants, black boots, and a black leather jerkin. He had a long sword in a scabbard hanging from his belt. He was hoping the village would hold the promise of adventure for him. Or at least some company for the night! Suddenly, out of nowhere somebody knocked him to the ground, landing on top of him. She stood up and he saw that it was a pretty girl wearing the breifest undergarments he had ever seen, and nothing else. He looked up at her with a charming but obnoxious grin. "Isn't that outfit a little impractical for strolling through the woods?" he asked her.

"What?" Anna aksed looking at the man and then at herself. She shrieked and tryed to cover herself up. She didn't know where she was, but it certainly wasn't the shops changing room. "Where am I?" she asked as she sat down, hugging her knees to cover herself.

Tibor got to his feet. She didn't even know where she was? "You're in the woods just outside of the village of Santoris," he said. "Where are you SUPPOSED to be? Are you ok?"

"Santoris... where is this?" she asked looking around "I'm suposed to be in Poland in a shop, but how did I get in here"

"Poland? Where the Hell is Poland?" asked Tibor, scratching his head. "And how should I know how you got here? You plowed into me remember? I'm guessing you walked here." He had just about decided that this young lady must be crazy. But, he couldn't let her run around like that. there were both bandits and orcs in the area, and any of them would love th get their hands on a pretty, half dressed young woman. he reached into the knapsack I forgot to say was on his back and took out a white shirt. He was enough bigger than her that it should fit her like a mini-dress. "Here, put this on," he said with a smile.

"What do you mean where it is" she said looking puzzled at him "It's in the middle of Europe" she said as if that would solve everything.
"And how do you come at the idea I walked here. I was in the middle of the city and I would never leave the shop just in my underwear to go for a walk." she said and took the shirt from him. It wasn't much, but still better than walking in a bra and thongs. "Thank you" she said as she stood up, eyeing the land once more.
"I don't understand this at all. I was in the room, and I fell, but insted of hitting the mirror I landed here. What the hell happend and how is this actualy possible?" she said through more to herself.

Tibor was half convinced that she was an escaped lunatic when she mentioned the mirror. "You fell through a magic mirror?" he askeed. He had heard of magic mirrors that acted as doorways, allowing the yser to traverse great distances in the blink of an eye. "did you see the mage who enchanted it?"

"Magic morror?" she said and looked as if he was a lunatic "There is no such thing as magic, that's just a tale for small childen. The mirror I landed on, or rather didn't was a normal mirror like every other in the store." she said and moved to a tree "I know, this must be a dream. I hit the mirror and lost consciousness" she said convenient in herself.

Tibor just gaped at her. No such thing as magic? Sure, he didn't understand the workings of magic, and he considered most mages to be insane, but he had seen magic in action enough times to know it was real. He thought she may be right about having hit her head, but instead of dreaming, he thought she had just knocked herseelf goofy. "Ok," he said. "I think you should come to the village with me. There is a healer there who can make sure you didn't hit your head too hard, and maybe there will be a ma.... somebody who can help you get home. Besides, you shouldn't be wandering around this strange area alone, not with bandits and orcs in the area."

(BTW: Is she just in her underwear, or does she have shoes on?)

Anna looked at him a little ssuspicious. She wasn't sure if she could trust him, but then again, she was just in her underwear. He had more than enough time to hurt her, or do whatever else he liked. "Okay, I go with you" she said, finding that it was the best idea for the moment, and if it was a dream she should probably go with it anyway.

(Nope, no shoes. Just underwear :D)

Tibor rummaged in his knapsack some more and dug out a pair of sandals he had bought as a gift for a young lady whose father had told him in no uncertain terms to stay away from her, and handed them to Anna. "Here," he said. "the paths around here get a little rocky. I don't know how well they'll fit, but they should keep you from cutting up your feet. By the way, my name is Tibor."

"Oh, thanks" she said taking the sandals from him "My name is Anna" she said smiling. She felt odd, with sandals on her feet and an too big shirt over underwear, but she could do little about it now.

"Nice to meet you, Anna," Tibor said, giving her his most dazzling smile. he was good looking and he knew it, but he wasn't arrogant about it. Usually. Suddenly, he heard some gutteral voices coming up the path. He grabbed Anna's arm and pulled her behind some bushes, making a "shhh" gesture.

"Hey what are you doing?" she shouted trying to stand up as he hushed her. She knew it was better to play allong so she hid behind the leaves and waited for what would happen

"I tellya, I heard voices!' said a gutteral voice as four greenish-skinned man sized creatures came into veiw, two of them holding swords, the other two hand axes. "I thing they're over this way." He started walking right towards them.
"Orcs," whispered Tibor, cursing."

"What, but..." Anna cutoff. She was about to say that something like orcs didn't exist, but if it was a dream they actualy could. She just wondered why she had such weird dreams all of a suden. She had never dreamed of fantasy stuff before, not since she was five and wantedto be a princess at least.

The orc continued coming right for them and drew his sword back like he was about to stick it right through the bush. Suddenly, Tibor was a whirlwinf of motion. Giving a battle roar, he vaulted the bush and inserted his boot in the orcs face, breaking teeth. he landed between the two with axes and quickly dispatched one of them. The one he had just kicked got up and stood beside the remianing one who had an axe. The other one with the sword stood back and watched as the other two proved they were no match for Tibor's skill. Soon, he was facing oof with the final orc, presumably the leader. "I'm gonna take yer head off, boy!" said the orc as the two circeled.
"I'm no expert," quipped Tibor. "but aren't i gonna need that later?" Their swords clashed.

Anna looked at everything in bewildment. This was better ten movies, and Tibor was realy good at sworfight. Maby he could teach her a little once he kills those ugly beasts

The orc was not amused by Tibors comment, and he attacked viciously. He was good with a sword, and managed a light scratch on Tibors arm. Tibor grinted in pain and attacked in earnest. As good as the orc was, Tibor was better and within minutes, Tibor was standing there breathing heavily, orc blood on his sword, while the orc was on the ground, his head in one spot, his body in another.

Anna got out of the bushes. She wasn't sure what to think anymore. Sure it was something compleatly new compared to her life, but to what extent. "You okay?" she asked Tibor and looked at the orcs.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," said Tibor, giving her a cocky smile. He looked at the orc bodies. The two axemen didn't have anything of value, but the leader had a money pouch and there was a sheath for his sword as well as a sheathed dagger on his belt. Tibor removed the belt, took the sheath off of it and handed it to Anna. "Here," he said. "Maybe you should wear this. People men in the village will be less likely to get grabby if you're armed. He took an old looking shirt out of his knapsack and tore a long strip off of it, then used the rest to wipe othe blood off of bothe his own shword, and the orc leaders. He sheathed his own sword, then put the orcs sword in it's sheath. "This should fetch a few gold,' he said. Indeed, it was a good sword, but not as good as Tibor's. He handed the clean strip of cloth out to Anna. "Could you tie this around the wound on my arm?" he asked. "It's kinda hard to do on your own arm."

"Thanks" she said taking the belt from him. She didn't like it belonged to the orc, but she wanted to be armed just in case. Better cary a weapon and not use it as not have any when you need it. "Actualy you could, but I'll help you anyway" she said and moved onto dressing his arm. "In case I have to stay here more than I like, could you teach me how to use a sword?" she asked him as she was finished "I always wanted to learn swordfight, but there wasn't anything like that at my town"

"thanks," he said. "Sure, I'll teach you. The sword i took off of that leader orc is probably too heavy for you, but the one the other orc had was smaller." He picked it up and handed it to her. "Here, try the weight of that." He stood behind her and put her hands in the proper position. "There," he said, breathing in the scent of her hair. Given where he lived, he had never smelled scented shampoo before. "Like that, you see?"

"Hey, just becouse I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm weak" she said holding the sword with ease. Little did he know about women in the twenty first century, and she wasn't about to explain anything to him. He probably wouldn't belive anyway. She positioned the sword the way he showed her, and shivered. It wasn't exactly warm, and she wasn't exactly clothed.

"that's perfect,' he said. "I can see you're not weak, but let's stick with the lighter sword. Swinging it is a whole lot harder than holding it." He noticed her shiver. "I'm sorry! You must be freezing dressed like that." He retrieved the orcs scabbard and attached it to her belt, then picked up the other orc's more ornate sword. "We need to get into the village. They should have a market where we can sell this and buy you some clothes that fit."

"I could use a few clothes, but didn't you said we should go to someone first?" she asked as she sheathed the sword and went after him.

"You're right," he answered a bit sheepishly. The truth was, he was already getting used to having her around, and didn't want to see her go. "There should be some sort of mage in the village who should be able to figure out exactly what happened and how to get you home." As they walked he told her a little of the pricniples of sword use. "There is one thing," he said. "the sword is a dangerous weapon, not a toy. It is never to leave the sheath unless you are practising or fighting. Never draw the sword unless you intend to use it. Understand." He unconciously echoed the words his own swordmaster had told him when he was a mere lad of 10. He also remembered the strapping he had gotten when he had forgotten that rule.

"Understood" Anna said smiling at him "So, is it far to that'mage'?" he said the last word with a bit of sarcasm, not realy beliving there is anything like magic in the world.

"I guess we'll find out soon," he said, indicating the entrance to the village. There were many people milling around, conducting their daily lives. To a 21st century girl. it must have looked like she had wandered onto the site of some sort of Reneisance Festival. Tibor stopped somebody and asked about a mage. They were directed to a small house, not far from where they had come in.

"So, what are you doing here. I mean, what do you do for a living?" she asked him curious as they were heading for the small house

"I guess you could say I'm a freelance adventurer,' Tibor answered. "A lot of people need someone to clear out a nest of goblins, or guard a merchants caravan on it's way through orc country. The pay is good, when you can find work, and I don't have to stay in one place for too long." He walked up to the house and knocked. A one eyed old crone answered the door. "Yes?" she said.
"We're lookijng for the mage," answered Tibor. "This young lady needs some help."
The old crone looked at Anna in her shirt and sandals. "Come in,' she rasped. "I see you need a lot of help."

"Hey, is he insulting me?" she said with an angry look and went inside

"Nay, I'm not insulting you dearie,' said the crone. "I am merely saying i can sense an aura around you that says you are out of place."She gestured for both of them to sit down. "Now, what can old Esmeralda do for you?"

x.x.x.
Tibor sat and explained how they had met to Esmeralda. "So we need to find a way to get her home," he finished."

x.x.x.
Esmeralda thought a moment. "I should be able to help you," she said. "But first I need to ascertain where you've come from.' She got a few spell components. "Now, it shouldn't be necessary for you to be naked for this spell, but i will need you to remove anything you were not wearing when you arrived."

"I should have known it would end like that" Anna said and remover everything she got from Tibor. She blushed as she stood now, only in her underwear, which didn't cover much actualy. "That's everything I had when I landed here. I hope just, you get me to the exact same place I came from. I don't wan't to land like this in the middle of some freeway or worse" she said still red all over

Tibor sat back and watched, enjoying the veiw.

x.x.x.
Esmaralda mixed a few componants andpoured some dust into her hand. She htrew some dust onto Anna. The reaction was instantaneous, there was a bright flash and bot of them went flying backwards, Anna landing in Tibors lap. Esmaralda looked stunned. Whatever magic brought you here was much stronger than mine. My dear, you are not only from another land, you are from another time! I am afraid you will need to find the one who brought you here if you want to go home."

x.x.x.
"Are you ok?" asked Tibor. He looked at the old crone as she explained. Another time. That explained why Anna had seemed SO out of her element.

"I was brought here by someone!" Anna looked shocked not even realizing she was sitting on Tibor's lap "But who was it and how can I find him. I don't even know where I am" she said not liking the situation she was in

"All valid points, Derie," said Esmaralda. "I don't know if you were specifically brought here, or if you just got caught in a spell meant for somebody else." She dug out a necklace with a freen jewel hanging from it. She spoke a few words over it and it gave a faint glow. She put it around anna's neck. "The jewel will glow more brightly the closer you get to the mage who enchanted the mirror. Only he can send you home."

Anna looked at the stone and just couldn't belive her luck. She stood up, forgeting compleately helack of clothing and started pacing the room "This is just great. Just my fucking luck. How hard can be finding some mage in a country I don't know and who nows how big it is." she said angry not even realizing she had sworn. Anna didn't like swearing to be frank, but sometimes her emotions just overcame her.
"I could get old and don't get even the slightest clue. Can't you find him out someway?" she asked in her last hope

"Sorry Dearie, that's all I can do," answered Esmaralda. "And you SHOULD watch your language. Such language is unbecoming from a young lady."


x.x.x.
"I'll help you find him, Anna," said Tibor. "I know the land pretty well. And she's right about the language."