Travelers

Chapter 1 - The Arrival

Wind. He felt it blowing fiercely into his face, but there was something strange about it. It wasn't changing direction. It was always blowing right in his face, but that wasn't the only thing that was strange. It seemed to consume him, like an envelope around him. Then he opened his eyes, or at least he tried to. He could feel his eyelids slide away from his eyes, but he still only saw black. He reached out through the wind, trying desperately to reach something as he fell. Oh, that explains the wind. He must be falling, but why couldn't he see? He glanced from side to side looking for some source of light. He flipped upward, looking desperately for a single ray. Then, the wind stopped. He felt the solid ground he was now sprawled upon. It seemed to be hot or scorched. Hundreds of questions flew through his head, just as fast as he had been falling. How was he not hurt? Why was he in complete darkness? Where was the sun? How did he start falling? He began to stand when he heard a voice calling.

"Come friends, I believe I have found the fallen star!" The voice called out through the darkness. It was a fair voice, kind and smooth, yet it seemed to hold an authority in it, or a pride. It continued to come closer, growing in volume. Suddenly the voice was right next to him, asking him if had seen... what were they saying? The see-la?

Confused he asked, "Who's there? Where are you?" He searched frantically, feeling the grass around him. Then he thought aloud, "For that matter, where am I?"

The kind voice asked, confused, "Where are you? Do you not see, friend? You are in the fields around Amon Sul, and I am Defréndel." Though the name of the man seemed strange, he thought he recognized the place, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it before. Then he realized that the man could see him.

"How can you see me?" He asked, "It's completely dark here, man." Then, Defréndel's response shocked him, as he had never expected such a response.

"Can you not see, friend, and why do you call me man? I am of the house of Elrond, and you are standing in broad daylight." Then it hit him like the ground should have when he fell. He remembered. He knew his name, and he knew why he couldn't see. He was named Jacob, and he was blind.

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She had fallen from the sky, she was blind, and she had been found by a soldier in this strange land. Now she was in this land called Gondor, in a city called Minas Tirith. A captain had found her in the field, after she had fallen from the sky and landed, unscathed, leaving a burn on the ground around her in the shape of the tree of Gondor, whatever that was. Now she was here, sitting in the captain's home, his wife checking for bruises or breaks from the fall, and his children helping him prepare a meal for themselves and their unique guest. She talked with the woman, learning her name was Enma, and her host's title was Captain Drinian Redwin. Enma talked about the city they were in, asked where she was from, and what her name was.

"My name is Cat. I live in the United States, but travel to all sorts of countries in my spare time, though I'm Canadian. I fell from the sky, blind, into a completely different world. Good to meet you Enma." She answered kindly, with a small hint of sarcasm. Enma simply looked at her, perplexed by her statement. "That's right, you have no clue where the world I'm talking about could possibly be. Oh well," She sighed.

"Cat is a strange name," Enma finally said, "You should change it while you are here. Something less foreign. You should be lady Hánna, because that name is more suited to our world." Cat thought about what Enma said, rolling it over in her mind like a ball of clay.

Finally, she said, "I think that's a good idea. I will go by the name Hánna until I can find a way home." Enma smiled at her as Drinian called them to the table for the meal. Cat figured that in a different world, the food would be drastically different, so she was surprised when their meal consisted of thoroughly cooked steak and a salad that had a fine crunch to it. As she began to eat, her memories of specific events slowly returned to her mind. Her personality returned and her vigor for culture returned, for on earth she had been highly interested in cultures, geography, and languages. As all of this happened, she began to realize how she had come to arrive in this world. Suddenly, she stood, knocking into the table, disturbing the meal. Everyone turned to look at her.