Luna's Chosen Beloved

A New World

Lydia~~

"Come Eric, pick the woman up and bring her to my home."
"Yes A-mah."
I heard the voices, and felt myself being lifted into strong arms. My head cradle to the mans chest but try as hard as I could my eyes wouldn't open.
"W-wh-wha..."
"Shhh child, your body is exhausted from the crossing. Be still and quiet, I will answer all of your questions later."
The old ladies voice was soothing and I found myself relaxing into the arms that carried me. It was the warmth that let me know we entered into shelter. The warmth and a wonderfully savory smell that set my stomach grumbling. When was the last time I ate? I tried to remember but everything was foggy, clouded over, and just out of reach.
"Set her on the bed beneath the window Eric, she will want to see the moon."
His grunt of understanding was all I heard before being gently laid down on a soft bed. It was small, twin size, but the blankets were inviting and the pillow consumed my throbbing head. I sighed contentedly and snuggled further into the pillow.
"Is there anything else A-mah? I must get back to the village."
"No no nothing now, thank you Eric, tell your father I said hello."
"Yes ma'am."
With that I could hear his foot steps get farther away and soon all that was heard was the breathing of the woman and the occasional clink of metal against metal. I stayed as I was until my head stopped throbbing so hard, and once it was bearable enough to move I opened my eyes. For a moment everything blurred together and I thought "I can't see without my glasses", but then the room came into focus and the images were sharp and clear. As my sight came back I took some time to look around me. The bed I was in was indeed a twin size, but a little wider. It set on a wooden frame and had been placed beneath a window. I turned enough to see out and saw the moon staring back at me. She was beautiful and full, pregnant, and she shone with all the beauty she could muster.
"You must be special for her to shine upon you as she does. Many would be very envious of her attention."
Her long silver hair hung plaited over her shoulder as she stirred what was cooking in the pot. The pot looked like a cast iron Dutch oven and it hung over a fire in what could only be described as a hearth. Whatever she was cooking smelled delicious and my stomach grumbled again. She laughed at my expression and my stomachs vocal outburst.
"Come child, find strength to come eat with me."
She looked at me and smiled patting the chair that was close to the one she sat in. I took a deep breath and forced myself into a sitting position. Immediately my head began to swim and I steadied myself by grasping my knees as I hung my head slightly.
"No rush child, I won't be going anywhere soon, and the food will be here. Take all the time you need."
I nodded slightly and sat there breathing deeply for a few moments, once my head decided to get its act together I slowly stood and made my way to the chair holding onto the wall to my right. She watched me as I made my way, slowly, to the chair.
"Good good. Now let us eat and then we can talk"
She smiled her beautiful smile and tottered over to the hearth spooning two bowls full of food. She looked ancient yet her eyes spoke of a young woman. She was short but only because she hunched over, her arms were still strong and stable. She sat the bowls down and resumed her seat sliding a spoon over to me.
"Now eat dear and then questions."
She smiled and winked picking up her spoon and eating. I looked at the bowl, curious about what it was but my stomach asserted itself and I gave in, taking the spoon and eating a big bite. The stew was delicious, savory and filling. The woman slid over a piece of corn bread and I nodded thanks as I ate more. We sat in silence, neither of us willing to break it. Once done the woman scooted her bowl out of her way and looked at me, I did the same.
"Now, ask your questions and I will do my best to answer them."
Her voice was still strong even though she looked frail, and her gaze penetrated through any mindless chatter I may have thought about.
"Who are you and where am I?... to start."
She smiled her radiant grandmotherly smile again and spoke
"My name is Aliana, the people here call me A-mah, because I am what is considered a healer, a witch, and the only reason the beasts have stayed away.....as to where you are well...you are in my home which is a little ways away from the village Hamdorf, on the northern most continent of Eres. I'm going to take a guess and say you got here the same way I did. Now, what is the last thing you remember before waking up here?"
I should be laughing, listening to what she said was like I was reading one of my stories. A witch from a far away land talking to me, but this was to real, me headache contested to that, add the fact that Alaina wore a somber facial expression just brought home the fact that "I'm not in Kansas anymore."
"My-my name is Lydia, I come from Earth, Texas to be more precise and the last thing I remember was drinking a glass of wine on my back porch staring at the moon. My kids were at their grandparents and I was enjoying some quiet time....then I was here."
We sat in silence as we both absorbed what we told each other .
"Alaina what's going on? How did I get here and can I please go home?!"
I knew I was never leaving before she said a word, it was the sigh that left her, the dropping of her shoulders, and the sad look upon her face that spoke to me.
"No child, I've been trying to get back for close to 100 years now. I was 23 when I got here, it took me this long to finally piece everything together. My body has grown old but my mind is quick. There were others before me, the woman who taught me was my age when I came. I think it's a passing of the mantle. As for how you got here, well she brought you."
I followed her gnarled finger and saw it pointed towards the window. I got up to look but all that could be see was the moon, shining brightly as if to affirm what Alaina had said.
"I-I don't understand?"
Alaina got up and slowly made her way over to me, sighing she sat on the bed I was in and patted for me to take a seat.
"Here Luna is the powerful one and Sol chases her not the other way around, and they are not just "planets" but true deities. She has the power to choose whom she brings over. For thousands of years it has been women from our world, seeing as how Earth is a near sister planet to this one. But I don't think you are just here to learn and watch over as I and others before me have. No you have been brought to tame a beast, I was told I would train such a one when the beast begins stalking the lands. It has taken her 45 years to bring you here. How old are you?"
Everything rolled around in my head, the logical side of me saying I'm in a coma or I'm asleep, while the whimsical side rejoices at the chance to live like one of my books. She cleared her throat obviously waiting for an answer and I mumbled I'm sorry before saying
"37"
She looked at me and shook her head only to turn it to glare at the moon.
"Couldn't choose someone younger that's not set in their ways just yet ?"
We sat in silence for a moment and then she asked
"How old are your children?"
I smiled
"18 last month, they start college in a year, taking some time to travel with their grandparents. "
With that I started crying.