have lived
for 600 years and I have always had the gift to see and talk to people from
different times, but I was not aware that you had it too, Isabella. But I fear
that we are the only two, although if Trent remains here it may come to light
that some others may see him also."
"But how can he survive here, Elder? He
cannot eat or drink…"
"He can change," the ancient said, as if
it were the most obvious answer in the world. "We can bring him back into
our time, Isabella…" he said, looking at her first and then more intently
at Trent. "But if we do that, Trent, you will be in our time securely.
Your time will not exist. Do you understand?"
Trent nodded his head.
"We can only do this once. I do not have any
ability to send you back to your time if you are unhappy in ours. Therefore I
wish to advise you to take a day or two to think about it first. You are safe
here, and I believe that Isabella will be able to help you to eat and drink,
even though she will have to do it discretely. At night would be better,
Isabella," he said and she nodded in agreement, having already planned in
her mind to find Trent that evening and bring at least some bread with her to
give to him.
Trent saw the ancient look at him closely.
"I sense you are a good man, even though I
equally sense turmoil in your soul. You must take the time needed to make the
right decision. I can see your journey here has taken a toll on your body. We
will be able to amend that for you so you will be able to journey home again if
you wish. If you do that, there will be no advantage to bringing people here in
the future - in your time - as there is nothing really here
anymore," he said and Trent nodded his head, understanding what was being
said to him. "Do you understand what I am saying, young traveller?"
"Yes," Trent replied quietly.
"Good. Now I must stand up and move. Joints
do not work well when you reach the ripe old age of 600!" he said, slowly
raising himself off the ground with the help of both Isabella and Trent.
"Take your time in thinking about what I have said, Trent. It is a one way
trip, what I offer you, so be sure. Isabella here will come to me when you have
made your decision."
"Thank you Sir," Trent said, in awe of
the ancient as he moved away from them.
"I must go to dinner but I will bring some
food for you afterward," Isabella said quietly and watched him sit down
again.
As soon as she was on the path, she heard Adrian
call out to her.
"Isabella! Are you coming to dinner?" he
asked and she nodded, quickly putting on the mask she knew she needed to.
"Yes of course. Let's go."
~~~~~
Left alone again, Trent pondered what he had been
told were now his options. Stay here, eat, recuperate and then tramp home. But
to what? Noise? Pollution? People? And screens? Oh how he had come to loathe
screens!
But what of the other option? He did not know how
they lived, these people, so how could he make that judgement? He could not see
them. He could not even see the landscape unless he placed his hands to the
ground beneath him. But if he did that, would they then see him? It was not a
risk he was willing to take yet. First he had to focus most of all on whether
he even wanted to go home … ever.
~~~~~
Isabella and Adrian sat close together, as they
always did during evening meal times … and morning meal times that Adrian did
not sleep through.
"You are very quiet, Isabella. What is
troubling you?" Adrian asked her, not able to even imagine where her mind
was taking her on this day. She had always been such a fluent person, doing the
same things day after day and never having any different thoughts at all, but
over the past week she had begun to change before his eyes.
Isabella looked at him intently, wanting so much
to share her discovery with him but not knowing if he could be trusted.
On the one hand he was Adrian - her lifelong
friend and confidant. That Adrian would never betray anything that she told
him, and would always support her
for 600 years and I have always had the gift to see and talk to people from
different times, but I was not aware that you had it too, Isabella. But I fear
that we are the only two, although if Trent remains here it may come to light
that some others may see him also."
"But how can he survive here, Elder? He
cannot eat or drink…"
"He can change," the ancient said, as if
it were the most obvious answer in the world. "We can bring him back into
our time, Isabella…" he said, looking at her first and then more intently
at Trent. "But if we do that, Trent, you will be in our time securely.
Your time will not exist. Do you understand?"
Trent nodded his head.
"We can only do this once. I do not have any
ability to send you back to your time if you are unhappy in ours. Therefore I
wish to advise you to take a day or two to think about it first. You are safe
here, and I believe that Isabella will be able to help you to eat and drink,
even though she will have to do it discretely. At night would be better,
Isabella," he said and she nodded in agreement, having already planned in
her mind to find Trent that evening and bring at least some bread with her to
give to him.
Trent saw the ancient look at him closely.
"I sense you are a good man, even though I
equally sense turmoil in your soul. You must take the time needed to make the
right decision. I can see your journey here has taken a toll on your body. We
will be able to amend that for you so you will be able to journey home again if
you wish. If you do that, there will be no advantage to bringing people here in
the future - in your time - as there is nothing really here
anymore," he said and Trent nodded his head, understanding what was being
said to him. "Do you understand what I am saying, young traveller?"
"Yes," Trent replied quietly.
"Good. Now I must stand up and move. Joints
do not work well when you reach the ripe old age of 600!" he said, slowly
raising himself off the ground with the help of both Isabella and Trent.
"Take your time in thinking about what I have said, Trent. It is a one way
trip, what I offer you, so be sure. Isabella here will come to me when you have
made your decision."
"Thank you Sir," Trent said, in awe of
the ancient as he moved away from them.
"I must go to dinner but I will bring some
food for you afterward," Isabella said quietly and watched him sit down
again.
As soon as she was on the path, she heard Adrian
call out to her.
"Isabella! Are you coming to dinner?" he
asked and she nodded, quickly putting on the mask she knew she needed to.
"Yes of course. Let's go."
~~~~~
Left alone again, Trent pondered what he had been
told were now his options. Stay here, eat, recuperate and then tramp home. But
to what? Noise? Pollution? People? And screens? Oh how he had come to loathe
screens!
But what of the other option? He did not know how
they lived, these people, so how could he make that judgement? He could not see
them. He could not even see the landscape unless he placed his hands to the
ground beneath him. But if he did that, would they then see him? It was not a
risk he was willing to take yet. First he had to focus most of all on whether
he even wanted to go home … ever.
~~~~~
Isabella and Adrian sat close together, as they
always did during evening meal times … and morning meal times that Adrian did
not sleep through.
"You are very quiet, Isabella. What is
troubling you?" Adrian asked her, not able to even imagine where her mind
was taking her on this day. She had always been such a fluent person, doing the
same things day after day and never having any different thoughts at all, but
over the past week she had begun to change before his eyes.
Isabella looked at him intently, wanting so much
to share her discovery with him but not knowing if he could be trusted.
On the one hand he was Adrian - her lifelong
friend and confidant. That Adrian would never betray anything that she told
him, and would always support her
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