Hours ter, a line of trees appeared before me, but something beyond them almost had me dancing. A wide river carved through the countryside, with a road traveling along its banks. But the ruins confirmed something, although people existed somewhere, the nearest inhabitants might still be many miles away. I prayed that wasn’t the case.

  Then, once I finally reached the crossroads, I had another decision: where to go? Up or down river?

  “I don’t even have a coin to flip,” I sighed, running a hand through my tangled hair.

  The simple motion settled my nerves, allowing me to think clearly. Then, it struck me, I needed to head downstream. I wasn’t sure if I'd read it in a book or seen it in a documentary, but traveling downstream was the best course when lost.

  By the time the sun had almost vanished from the sky, I had covered a good number of miles, putting distance between myself and those malevolent ruins. But it was getting dark, and wandering blindly seemed like a terrible idea.

  I needed a safe pce to sleep.

  Well, shoot, options were pretty limited in the middle of nowhere. Out in the open? Nope, bad idea. Climb a tree? Yeah, probably roll off, even if I could reach the lower branches, and break something important.

  With it already dusk, and few good choices, so I pushed through the brush, finding a rge tree to shelter against. A hollow just my size offered protection from the wind and hid me from the road. Snuggling in, it had been a rather long day, so I prepared to try to get some sleep. At least my bodice kept me warm enough, though my arms were chilled. Hopefully, the temperature wouldn't drop further.

  Something woke me.

  It had taken me forever to fall asleep; my brain wouldn't shut off. It didn’t help that I was chilled and anxious, but now something moved in the shadows across the road. Suddenly, I was hyper-aware.

  Wolves? The small amount of moonlight revealed something else—twisted, unnatural canines with powerful bodies, bone-shattering jaws, and glowing red eyes. These monsters were anything but. They had a horrible presence, and there were too many of them.

  Terrified, I shrank further into the tree, hoping they’d pass without noticing me.

  Surprisingly, the sun woke me next.

  Somehow, I managed to fall asleep again, monsters or not.

  Brushing myself off, I pulled twigs from my hair and wandered grumpily toward the river. After pulling up my dress and watering the ground, I realized this was no dream and that I was undoubtedly a woman.

  Staring at the reflection in the water, an unfamiliar girl looked back at me. She was young, maybe a little older than half of my previous twenty-nine years. Reaching to touch my face, I brushed my bangs away to reveal icy blue eyes.

  This was not my body, but I did not feel uncomfortable about it. Still, a sense of dread settled over me. I was truly here, far from home. Memories of books, games, and stories filled my head. As much as I tried, I couldn’t remember a pce like this.

  The sun finally broke the horizon when I moved again. A rocky outcrop provided easier access, or at least less muddy, to the water. For a fleeting moment, I yearned to strip and dive in. But the memory of those creatures kept me cautious.

  Sitting at the water’s edge, I washed my face, hands, and legs, pulling more debris from my hair. I wasn’t sure why I cared about my appearance, but the routine grounded me. This was so far out of my little comfort zone that I built for myself. Lying back, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and enjoyed the morning sun.

  Then, hunger reared its head.

  Not that I could do much about it with my ck of survival skills, I had no clue what was safe to eat. Let's be real, roughing it for me was calling room service. I even spied bushes with tasty-looking dark blue berries, but hesitated; poisoning myself also wasn’t a choice. Instead, after taking several handfuls of water, I brushed myself off and returned to the road.

  The endless walking at least drowned my growing panic, but questions still gnawed at me.

  ‘What were those wolf creatures?’

  ‘How did I get here?’

  ‘Why am I here?’

  Hours ter, answers were not forthcoming, but sounding like a lunatic would do me no favors, especially now. Ahead, a rge bridge spanned the river, its central arch high enough for boats to pass beneath. Beyond that, the road continued along the banks and climbed a slight hill toward a vilge, its stone walls unmistakable. And unlike the ruins, this one was inhabited.

  Yet any hope of finding a phone evaporated instantly. The residents’ clothes were straight out of the Middle Ages. Everything suddenly smmed into me. A wave of dizziness threatened to topple me. Hyperventiting and passing out sounded awful, and the ground looked inviting.

  Sinking to the dirt, I put my head between my knees and took slow, measured breaths. Safety stood only half a mile ahead. All I had to do was walk there.

  As the sun moved across the sky, the vilgers busied themselves, working the docks and tending the fields beyond the stone walls. Meanwhile, my mind churned through countless horrible scenarios. Old, unnecessary fears and new, unexpected ones reared their ugly head. Could I understand their nguage? Would I even be safe? Women weren’t exactly treated all that well back then.

  Shaking off my nerves, I finally spped my cheeks lightly and straightened my clothing. “Okay, enough of this.”

  As I crossed the bridge, I couldn't help but marvel at the craftsmanship despite my ignorance of ancient or any type of engineering. However, crossing its center, something tugged at my chest, a warm, protective sensation, but then one of the guards leveled a long spear.

  That should have caused me to panic; instead, I stared at the sudden appearance of words floating in front of me.

  The Goddess of the Waters has blessed you.

  What! Was this some type of game? Now I was suddenly really confused.

  “Halt! What business do you have?”

  The younger of the two, cd in a heavy leather jerkin and a metal cap, called out in a nguage I thankfully understood.

  Before I could respond, his companion reached over and smacked him on the back of the head. “Enough of that.”

  “What? She might be a monster in disguise,” the young guard grumbled, reluctantly lowering his weapon.

  I couldn’t help but giggle at his whining, though I quickly swallowed the sound. Approaching cautiously, I offered a polite greeting. “Good afternoon. Can you tell me where I am?”

  “The Vilge of Erith,” the young man answered, eyeing me suspiciously before asking, “How can you not know where you are?”

  I shrugged. “Because I’m lost.”

  “Enough, Osric. Go check if your brother needs a break at the docks,” the older guard ordered.

  Grumbling, Osric cast me one st look, which was suddenly not hostile but made me uncomfortable, before trudging off.

  “Apologies, my dy. My nephew can be excitable.” His uncle sighed.

  I hesitated before waving off the title; I wasn’t a noble but instead offered a smile. “It's no problem. I admire his diligence.”

  “Thank you. He’s a good boy.” His expression then turned serious. “No offense, but you don’t look prepared for travel.”

  Gncing down at myself, I held back an undylike snort. I had no real answers for him, only half-truths.

  “Two days ago, I suddenly found myself standing in the middle of a forest. I’ve been walking ever since.”

  “By the gods, that must have been harrowing!” he excimed.

  I smiled softly. He had no idea. “It's been memorable. But I’m relieved to have reached your vilge. If possible, I could use some help.”

  “Well, you’ll want to speak with Mayor Wymond. He should be able to sort things out for you. Oh, and I should introduce myself; I’m Dustin, Senior Guardsman and Constable.”

  On impulse, I nearly curtsied. “A pleasure, Dustin. My name is Alex.”

  Looking confused for a second, he smiled and gestured toward the hill. “Follow me, my dy. Mayor Wymond owns the inn; you can rest and freshen up there.”