The World Walkers: Taithmarin: Astrid: Arriving in Little Hill (part 4)

[k_a_webb]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

“Understandable,” Nerys said, nodding. “I knew for certain that both Mother and Father were dead, because I was the one to find them, and I can’t imagine what it must be like to just not know when it’s someone you’re so close to.” She sat down on what appeared to be some sort of seating, although it was very different to the blankets they’d used to keep themselves slightly warmer. “Even though it was a horrible experience I guess I was lucky, really.”

“Nerys, this isn’t just a really vivid dream, is it?” Astrid asked, as she made her way over to sit next to Nerys.

“I promise you Taithmarin is real, you’re on another world, and you don’t have to deal with the fear of being hunted ever again.” Nerys touched her nose to Astrid’s again. “Take some time today to get used to what’s happened, then tomorrow I’ll take you into town.”

“Why me?”

“Luck, maybe.” Nerys sighed. “I asked myself the same question and sometimes I still do, because there are so many Gadael I know that died but I found a door that brought me to another world.”

Astrid shook herself, trying to stop the feeling that she shouldn’t be on Taithmarin from taking over. “What’s Little Hill like?”

“Safe. There are different areas of town that are inhabited by different races, so we can each have our own space, and then around the centre there’s the mixed area where all the races of Little Hill can live together. Every year that part of tow grows, because all the races here get on well, unlike some of the towns where there are humans.”

“What are humans?”

“They’re a bipedal race that look a little like the people that hunted us who come from a world called Earth. I’ve met a few really nice humans who are happy to spend time talking to me and then there are those who, I think, are scared of me for some reason. Some of them have talked about me as though I wasn’t there, asking why a dog was walking around without a lead in the middle of town.”

“What’s a dog and what are leads?”

“Dogs are creatures like us, but they don’t talk or have any magic. Humans keep them as pets and use leads to walk them, because dogs can’t just wander around otherwise they might get hurt or taken away from their owners. I’m certain that any human who goes it a shop owned by a Gadael, or an Alati Felis, was in for a big shock.”

“What’s an Alati Felis?”

“It’s…” Nerys shook her her. “An Alati Felis is hard to describe. They’re quadripedal creatures, like us, only they’re much smaller and the humans compare them to cats, which lead them to wonder why we get on so well. Hopefully they left the books and maps in here like I asked them to, because then I can show you what an Alati Felis looks like, rather than trying to describe them.”

Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.

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[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

>>“I promise you Taithmarin is real, you’re on another world, and you don’t have to deal with the fear of being hunted ever again.”<<

I would say "don't have to fear being hunted" because dealing with the fear is a very different thing and PTSD is a real likelihood here.

>>Every year that part of tow grows, <<

That should say "town" above.

>>I’m certain that any human who goes it a shop owned by a Gadael<<

Should that say "goes into" above?

>>They’re quadripedal creatures, <<

That should say "quadrupedal" above.