Under two Moons

Light

Chapter 1

A night to remember

She should have said no – no, thank you; nice of you to ask, but I have better things to do with my time. She should have let him go all by himself. Should have told him that he was a big boy now and if he wanted to pursue this stupid girl, then he could do it alone.

Yeah, she should have said all that, but she hadn’t. She’d said yes instead and now she was going to a bonfire evening with the in-crowd from her old school. It was, as things go, pretty high on her list of things not to do. Actually, getting bamboo splinters pushed under her fingernails sounded like fun in comparison. Leah sighed deeply.

We shouldn’t have come. I don’t think they want us here, she said as they got out of the car. It was her last attempt to prevent the inevitable.

Nonsense, Nora invited me. She texted me only today to remind me. I’m her hero after all. Remember, I fixed her laptop and saved all her precious data. Jason grinned broadly. You need to loosen up, Leah. Come on, school is over, live a little.

Easy for you to say. You know I wasn’t really invited.

What are you afraid of? You’re my wingman – sorry, wing woman, so of course you can come too. It’ll be fun. He mock punched her on the arm and gave her a confident smile.

Her best friend’s boundless enthusiasm and endless positivity was really mind boggling. No matter how many times he struck out with the girls he admired he carried on, hoping against hope that one day one of them would say yes.

He was one of life’s eternal optimists. She normally liked this about him. Today – not so much.

They made their way over to a large bonfire in a clearing. A group of teenagers was already there. This was going to be so much fun! Yeah, as if.

Leah had spent most of her years at school being either totally ignored or tortured by this particular group. Now that school was over she had finally drawn a line under this dark chapter in her life. And then Jason had phoned her up with his request. It sucked to have a best friend who called in favours like this one.

So, what exactly do you want me to do? I mean what are my duties as your wing person.

You have to make me look good, laugh when I tell a joke, you know? If Nora should ask, tell her what a great guy I am. That sort of thing.

Right, okay. So I should tell her the story about the picnic at the beach when you were seven and couldn’t find a loo, she said innocently.

Ha, ha, very funny, Leah. If you do, I’ll start talking about your year six project for book day, he threatened.

Leah was really going to miss him. In a couple of days he would leave for sunny California to be an intern at some giant software company before going to college there. It would probably spell the end of their close friendship.

Ever since she could remember, they had stuck together through thick and thin. Especially the thin parts. It hadn’t been fun going to an elite grammar school where the average monthly income of the student’s parents was about as much as her mum made in a year. Without Jason by her side she wouldn’t have survived it.

They were close enough now to see who was there. She spotted Finn Taylor, the rowing team captain, the star. He was popular with the girls and always the centre of attention. Rumour had it that he’d slept with most girls in their year - the good-looking ones anyway. If arrogance had a face, it would be his. He was as always surrounded by a posse of his friends. Just now, he and Tom Brown were having a drinking competition with Tyler Graham cheering them on.

So, it was that kind of party. Double yeah!

A bit to the side sat Ben Lawson, Finn’s best friend and the fourth member of this year’s most successful rowing team. Here was one who had developed the air of being indifferent to the people around him into an art form. Leah knew, from overhearing bathroom gossip, that the girls thought him deep and therefore interesting, not that she cared.

However, she did care about his academic success. Surprisingly, for one of the sporty types, he was a good student as well. Through the years at St Vincent’s Grammar School, he and Leah had often competed for the top marks in tests. If she was honest, he had been the benchmark against which she had measured her own achievements.

Ah, there is Nora. Jason interrupted her thoughts. Hi, Nora! he shouted and sped up while Leah came to a halt.

Why the hell did he have to fancy Nora Masters? In Leah’s opinion, Nora was a real piece of work. From the first day of school, Leah had been the target of Nora’s little jokes. They had never been funny.

Jennifer Summer, Nora’s best friend, was waving at Jason as he approached. Nora and her were dressed the same, as usual. They could have been twins if their hair colour hadn’t been different. Jenny was peroxide blond while Nora was naturally dark.

Leah watched as Jason stopped in front of them and Nora smiled. She patted the space between her and Jenny invitingly. It didn’t look like he would be needing her help after all. Unbelievable as it was, it really seemed that Nora was interested in him. She was listening in rapt attention to him talking, playing with her long hair. Who would have thought it?

Leah found it hard to accept that one saved hard drive could lead to such a dramatic turnaround. Last she’d heard Finn and Nora were still an item. Looking over to him and his mates, she caught him staring at Jason with a shrewd expression, and then he grinned slowly, nudging Tyler, who grinned as well. Something didn’t feel quite right here. When Leah saw Nora wink at Jenny, her suspicions were confirmed. Jason wasn’t going to be as lucky as he hoped to be. Yet again. Fantastic! Even if she wanted to, there was nothing she could do about it now.

Because the wind was getting up a bit and she was only wearing a thin top she drew closer to the bonfire, looking for a place to sit that was out of everybody’s way. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She should have stayed home. If she could have, she would have left. Unfortunately, it was out of the question. It would mean walking back through the darkening forest and then forever along a hedge-lined country road. Not an inviting prospect. She would have to hang in there and wait until the bitter, bitter end.

Hi, what the hell are you doing here? Leah looked up to see Nika Miller standing in front of her. In the firelight Nika’s gothic ensemble of black lace and heavy eyeliner made her look like a vampire.

She shrugged and pointed over to Jason. Moral support.

Doesn’t look like he needs it, Nika observed.

I know.

They are having him on, of course. Kind of their end of school joke. Nika sat down on the edge of Leah’s log and watched her friends.

I know that, too. But he wouldn’t listen to me if I told him. So, I’ll have to sit tight. What other choice do I have? Sometimes life sucked. Boys could be so stupid and so easily manipulated.

Boys, Nika shook her head sadly, echoing Leah’s own thoughts. The good news for you; I don’t think they are going to waste their time on him all evening, so it shouldn’t take that long. It sounded harsh but it was probably true enough.

You never told me how you did in maths. Leah decided to change the subject.

Sorry, I suppose I should have phoned. It actually went great, thanks to all your help. I think I passed with a reasonable margin. Thank God, I don’t have to look another equation in the eye for as long as I live. My dad was so happy I passed he bought me a car to celebrate, Nika snorted.

Mind you, I would have preferred some concert tickets for the rock festival in New York.

Despite the fact that Leah had got on well with Nika during their study sessions, she still couldn’t get over the fact how differently they saw life. Her own reward for years of hard work was a bursary in Cambridge. Her mum hadn’t actually cared enough to ask how she had done in her exams.

Well, I’m happy for you.

Thanks. There are drinks over there. Do you want one? Nika offered.

No, I’m good, thanks anyway. Leah wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue talking. There wasn’t much they could talk about and commenting on the weather was beneath her.

Oh, okay. I just thought it would take the edge of waiting. Well, if you change your mind, help yourself, and with that Nika got up and walked back to the others.

Yep, this was going to be a really fun night. Everybody was getting drunk, Jason was going to have his heart broken and she had a ringside seat for the whole show. The only thing missing to make it perfect would be a nice little downpour. Go British weather!

I’m going to get a bit more firewood with Nora. She says it is her turn but she doesn’t like to go alone because it’s getting dark. Jason interrupted her cheerful musings. He waggled his eyebrows at her and grinned in a meaningful manner. Obviously he still hadn’t figured out what was going on. Great!

Before she could reply, he had already rushed off with the air of an eager puppy. She looked after him in total disbelief as he and Nora left. What a total nightmare. This is what you got if your best friend was a bloke with his brain still wired directly to his trousers.

Leah looked round feeling gloomy. Nika was sitting next to Jenny talking, and by the looks of it the drinks seemed to have been consumed already for quite some time. Finn, Tom and Tyler were getting louder and louder, laughing hugely about something or other. Only Ben was still sitting a little apart from the group, staring moodily into the fire. He kept on running his fingers through his hair as if something was bothering him.

She wondered why he wasn’t laughing with his friends, having a good time. It occurred to her that she hadn’t seen him together with Finn towards the end of the school year. Actually, come to think of it, he’d been hanging around the library a lot, same as her, before the exams.

At first she’d been annoyed by his presence, feeling that he was intruding into her own personal space. The library was her second home in a lot of respects; she definitely spent more time there than anywhere else outside school. It was as if he’d suddenly started sitting in her living room. When he didn’t bother her, however, and worked silently in his corner she had relaxed again. It wasn’t a crime to try and beat her in the exams; after all, she was going to give him a run for his money as usual. French was the only subject he had ever beaten her in by a mile.

Her brain, which could remember mathematical equations and any other facts with amazing accuracy, refused point blank to make sense of other languages. Meanwhile, he spoke French fluently and conversed with their teacher like a native. It had been totally humiliating and she had dropped the class as soon as possible.

What was he going to do now that school was over? Probably study at an expensive university or spend a year travelling. His family had enough money for both.

Suddenly he looked up and directly at her. For a moment their eyes locked and she had the strangest feeling that he’d been thinking about her, just as she had been thinking about him. Embarrassed she dropped her gaze, turning red at being caught staring. Feeling more than a little awkward she watched the fire, trying to block out everything around her. Hopefully he hadn’t realized how long she’d sat there idly looking at him. It was not the end of the world, she reminded herself. What was one stupid evening here compared with the rest of her life? Her bags were nearly packed and soon she would be off to Cambridge, leaving this boring little town and every bad memory behind her.

Surprisingly her mum had been a little upset that she was going to be so far away. Leah thought it was worth it, just to get away from her stepdad Peter. London would be a reassuring bolster between Maidenhead and Cambridge or between him and her. How her mother could marry such an idiot was still a mystery to her, and it had made life at home more than a little difficult for the past year.

It was part of the reason that the library and Jason’s house had become her refuge. In a way it had helped her to focus even more on her work so that she had managed to get into her chosen university easily. Her application for a bursary had been granted and if her student loan application was accepted as well, she would manage to get by as long as she was careful. The trust fund her dad had set up didn’t come into effect until she was twenty-one. It wasn’t a vast sum anyway. It hardly deserved the posh name, but it would help her getting started. She was glad she had it all figured out. Her whole future life planned, organized and totally her own.

Leah was so absorbed in her thoughts that at first she didn’t notice that something had changed around the fire.

Only when the other girls started to shout and laugh hysterically did she come back to the present.

For some reason that escaped her, Finn, Tom and Tyler had smeared mud on their faces and stuck leaves and branches into their hair. They looked absolutely ridiculous. While Finn banged a large log with a stick, Tom and Tyler were approaching the girls with large monkey-like leaps. The two girls were shrieking, especially Jenny, and fled around the fire towards Leah. The boys fell back now and came at them from the other side.

If this was the kind of fun that the Upper Crust got up to, Leah was glad that she’d never been invited to one of their parties before. She stood up to get out of the way. After all, she wasn’t sure what the intention was here, but she didn’t want to get involved. As she moved backwards to avoid being crushed by the slightly hysterical Jenny, she fell over the tree trunk behind her. The fall winded her a little and she stayed down to catch her breath. When she got pulled up she thought they were helping her at first. But instead of being stood back on her own two feet she got hoisted up into the air by her arms and feet.

What are you doing? Put me back down. I’m okay.

She had to shout against the din Finn and his friends were making. They didn’t answer and she started to wriggle to get out of their grip. Tyler had taken her feet and Tom was holding her under her arms.

Do you know what we do with uninvited guests?

Finn turned up in her line of vision. The grin on his face was not a friendly one. She was starting to get a bad feeling about this.

I’m here with Jason and he was invited, you moron. This was ridiculous. Why were they picking on her?

Well, I can’t see him. Can you? he asked the others. No? Uh oh. That would make you a persona non grata after all. He laughed hugely.

Leave Leah alone, you’ve had your fun scaring her, Finn. That was Nika. She sounded put out.

Oh, but we haven’t even got started yet. This is just too good. First Jason, now her. Finn was obviously excited.

Finn, leave her be. Can’t you see she’s scared? Ben’s voice came from her left. This is a really stupid prank and you wouldn’t do it if you weren’t so drunk, yet again.

Oh sorry, Mr Perfect. I sure don’t know why you came along at all if we all bore you so much. Finn’s voice was slightly slurred.

By now they were swinging her wildly from side to side and Leah was starting to feel sick. The motion and the smell of alcohol on Tom’s breath was quite nauseating. Every time she reached the top of the arc, they made a whooping sound. Her stomach started to heave.

Let me go. I’m going to be sick, she managed to press out from between tight lips. And that was exactly what they did.

Oh shit!

She heard Tom’s shout, and then she was airborne, flying towards the heat of the fire.

Chapter 2

Light and dark

It was a soft darkness, these moments between waking and sleeping. Leah didn’t want to open her eyes, hanging on to the warmth of her bed. But then again she did want to get up. That had to be the most horrible nightmare she’d ever had. To her relief she had woken up before she had landed in the fire. What would it feel like to be burned alive? She shuddered at the thought.

Just when her sleepy contemplations had come to that point, she realized she was not alone. There was somebody else in her room. She could hear steady breathing. It had better not be Peter again.

It was really creepy the way he turned up in her room with the flimsiest of excuses, often without so much as a knock on the door first. The looks he gave her made her skin crawl. The sooner she left home the better. Cautiously she opened her eyes a little, ready to scream at him to go away. Catching him red-handed like this might make her mum see him for what he really was.

She was lying on her back and was therefore looking straight up. Above her was a wooden ceiling and she blinked in surprise. It took her a moment to put two and two together. Her bedroom didn’t have a wooden ceiling. Something was very wrong here.

There was a muted flickering light as if from a candle to her right. Slowly she turned her head to the side. Next to the bed was a small wooden table with an old-fashioned rush light on it, the kind you sometimes see in period dramas. Next to that, on a chair, sat a young woman with a totally unfamiliar face.

How are you feeling, Leah? she asked in a friendly voice.

Leah just stared. What the hell? Was this bizarre dream not finished yet? She tried to push herself upright, but discovered that she couldn’t use her left arm. It felt numb, like it had gone to sleep.

You broke your arm in the fall. Don’t worry; it’s mending just as well as your burns.

The woman stood up and helped her into a sitting position. Burns? Fall? Had all that really happened? A slow panic was starting to take hold of Leah. Where the hell was she? This place sure didn’t look like a hospital.

Where am I?

The woman sat down again and straightened her dress. There was something odd about her. She spoke English well, but the strong accent and the halting way of speaking made Leah feel like she had to be a foreigner. That alone wasn’t enough to explain her oddness though.

Leah’s eyes travelled over her clothes. She wore a flowing robe that appeared very plain, mainly grey, in the flickering half-light and then there was her hairstyle. It was mostly hidden under a long, blue scarf with only thin braids of dark hair peeking out. It looked like someone had drawn overlapping semi-circles on her forehead and down the side of her face. When the woman looked back at her, Leah finally got it. The strangest bit of all were her eyes. They were almost completely green with hardly any white around the irises and only the smallest pupils.

Who was that woman? As if she’d heard Leah’s thoughts, the woman began to answer them.

My name is Serahl. You are in the Warden in Younak, where all our sick are treated.

This explanation made absolutely no sense to Leah. The panic she was trying to control slid up a few notches. What was a Warden and where was Younak? It didn’t sound as if it was anywhere near Maidenhead. This was just too weird. Maybe it was still a dream.

She slid her legs out from under the covers and tried to get out of bed. She didn’t get very far. Serahl pushed her back gently.

You need to rest a while longer. The journey must have been quite a shock and your injuries need to finish healing first.

What journey? Why are you keeping me here? Tell me! Leah’s voice was getting shrill with anxiety and then she looked down at her left arm for the first time. It was bandaged from her wrist to her elbow. But the bandage was the strangest thing she’d ever seen. It was dark green and brown and looked rather more like a thick snake than fabric. As she watched, it pulsed and moved a little. In shock she grabbed at it with her right hand. A pain like several needles boring into her arm made her cry out.

What is that? Take it off! It’s hurting me. Her breathing was accelerating quickly.

No, no. Just relax. You’ve just startled the nagy. They are very sensitive and do not like to be pinched.

The snakelike creatures seemed to tighten their grip and further stabbing pains shot up her arm.

Take it off, take it off! Leah screamed desperately.

All she wanted was to wake up from this horror. She thrashed around on the bed and another wave of pain in her arm made her terror peak. She was only dimly aware of footsteps and hands holding her down and then the slightly stinging sensation when something was injected into her good arm. Everything went dark and she was lost to oblivion again.

When Leah awoke bright shafts of sunlight streamed past her face. She blinked until she could open her eyes normally. For a while she watched the dust motes swirling in the breeze that her breathing created. She decided that Jason could go to the bonfire without her if the thought of it caused her to have such horrible nightmares. That one had been just too strange. He was sure to have a good time without her assistance and she could get on with some more important stuff like reading a good book. Well, better to get up and have breakfast rather than lying in bed all day. She opened her eyes fully and pushed herself up at the same time.

I hope you are a little calmer this time round, a quiet voice remarked.

Leah shut her eyes again. It had all been a bad dream, hadn’t it? It had to be! She didn’t just hear that woman talk to her again.

I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you something to eat. Take it slow though as you have not eaten much for the past few weeks. Your stomach will take a while to adjust, the voice carried on relentless.

Please let me wake up, please let me wake up. The mantra echoed around her head but when she smelled the food she realized it was a futile attempt. She never smelled anything in her dreams.

Serahl was sitting in the same spot as before but instead of the rush light, a tray with a couple of bowls stood on the table. Suddenly Leah remembered the weird snakes and looked down at her arm. It seemed to be all right. No bandages, definitely no snakes. She lifted her hand and flexed her fingers.

It might feel a little stiff but apart from that it is perfectly healed. Nagy are very good at healing such complicated breaks – if you let them do their job that is.

Was there a hint of disapproval in her voice? Leah wasn’t sure.

This is Yakma, a dish made from milk and grain and this is Nafti, a thin fish soup. The herbal infusion will help to calm your nerves. I am sorry we had to make you go back to sleep so soon. It would have been dangerous for you if the nagy had got more frightened or even angry.

So far Leah hadn’t said anything. She was still not sure what to make of it all. If this wasn’t a continuation of her strange dream she would need a few answers.

What exactly happened to me? Could you please explain who you are and what is going on?

Serahl looked at her for a long moment, seemingly to size her up, to see if she was up for it maybe. Then she leant back in her chair.

You seem a little bit calmer today. How about you eat and I explain everything as far as I can?

All things considered, Leah decided that she was too hungry to argue and so she nodded, reaching for the first bowl. As there were no spoons or any other bits of cutlery, she lifted it to her mouth and drank a little. It tasted amazing, a veritable taste explosion, and for a moment she forgot Serahl’s warning to take it slow.

This is going to be a shock but you are on Minvela, a planet apparently quite far away from your own world. This city is called Younak and it is the main settlement on the eastern continent. You could probably say it’s our capital. There are many more settlements but this one is the largest. As I told you before, my name is Serahl and I am a novice to the Varga. The Varga govern Minvela. We are by and large a peaceful race and have welcomed you and your friends in our midst. She stopped her explanations when she saw Leah’s frozen expression.

This was completely crazy. How could she be somewhere else? Had she been abducted by aliens? Did a giant UFO come to Earth and beam her aboard? Believing in life out there was one thing but finding out you were right was something else entirely.

This composed young woman, sitting there and telling her this outrageous story in fluent English – albeit with an accent – might look a little alien, but so what. The clothes, the hair and the strange eyes could all be props, like those contact lenses they used in vampire movies. Maybe it was all just a giant joke, not funny, but a set-up all the same. It just couldn’t be true!

I’m not on Earth. Are you kidding me? First of all, your English is way too good, you don’t even have a universal translator, and your looks could be just a disguise. You look too human. Is there a hidden camera somewhere? Leah looked around the room for a possible candidate.

Serahl’s face looked puzzled for a moment. Then she leaned forward and placed a calm hand on Leah’s shaking one.

There is no need for you to be frightened. We mean you no harm. My English is good because we have the ability to learn other languages quickly. Besides, Ben has been a very effective teacher. I thought I was already quite good, but I have not heard the words ‘kidding’ and ‘camera’ before. What do they mean?

Ben is here? The shock at this new piece of information derailed Leah’s train of thought. If she was not the only one, there might be a logical way to figure this out. But why Ben? Was he the only other one? In this chaos, even people like him would be welcome despite recent events. Who else is here?

Let me see. There are Finnegan and Tyler, who have been sent for training with the guards. Thomas has gone to work at the forge. Veronika is living in the schoolhouse and Jennifer has been blessed to become a healer here in the Warden. Ben was hurt, of course, so he came to the Warden as well. He’s still here, as his future path is not clear for the Lightened Ones yet. I am sure though that his life will be determined as those of the others were given time. This brings us back to you. Do you think you can stand up?

This woman could change direction at the speed of light, but this time Leah wasn’t that easily swayed. After all, she was still putting her head around not being on Earth and being stranded on an apparently different planet with a bunch of people who had almost killed her during their last encounter.

What about Jason? Didn’t he come too? He was in the forest with us.

Please let there be at least one person she could rely on. Jason was clever; he might find a way out of this nightmare. She clung to this hope for a whole five seconds until Serahl pulled the rug out from under her feet.

No, I am sorry. There are some clothes here for you. Yours were rather beyond repair, I’m afraid. I will see you when you are ready. With that, Serahl took the empty tray and left.

Leah was still starring at the closed door five minutes later. How could she just leave like that? There were still so many unanswered questions. Why and how were they here, for example? And what had she meant by his life? Surely, Serahl’s grasp of English wasn’t as good as she claimed and she had meant to say stay, not life. Yes, that had to be it.

Finally, Leah climbed out of bed. Her whole body felt stiff, not just her arm. What had Serahl said? A few weeks? Sure, a broken arm took a few weeks in plaster. She thought back to the clearing in the forest. So, she had ended up in the fire after all, not a dream then. She was in a way glad that she didn’t remember it. Here at least should be some proof; there should be some scars at the very least.

As she took off the long white nightdress she was currently wearing, she checked everywhere but couldn’t find any. Her skin looked smooth and unblemished. The only difference she could find was her hair. Her hands stroked the uneven haircut. It had reached down to her waist before, now it was barely touching her shoulders. In places there seemed to be patches with only short stubble.

Leah froze with her hands still on her head and then slumped back down on the bed again, tears rolling slowly down her cheek. Crazy as it seemed, the loss of her hair hit her harder than anything else had so far. Somehow, it made it all real.

The embarrassing truth was that her hair was the only thing she had truly liked about herself. It wasn’t that she was particularly ugly, she was just normal looking, but her long brown hair had been her one pride and joy. And now it was gone. Ridiculous, totally ridiculous to get so worked up about it. She told herself to pull herself together and started getting dressed. She needed to find the others and find out how to get back home.

The clothes were a bit of a shock. Normally she was a strict jeans and t-shirt kind of girl and she felt out of her depth looking at all the different garments that were laid out for her. There were several long skirts made out of various materials. Some were soft and of a plain grey-blue fabric. One was quite stiff and had ornate patterns on it in black. Then there were the shirts and vests. A few seemed not quite finished yet. The sleeves were not attached to the bodice and the collar was separate too. For some of the clothes she didn’t even have a name. To top it all off there was even a bonnet! The colour scheme of blues and greys continued here. Worst of all, nothing had a zip or a button. Thin ribbons were attached everywhere!

They had apparently decided to give her an entire wardrobe. Nobody could wear that many clothes in one go, so Leah did the best she could. She ignored the stiff skirt and matching broken bodice because they looked uncomfortable, possibly meant for more formal occasions. In the end, she went with the bits that looked easiest and felt most comfortable, but frankly, it still was guesswork. She pulled and pushed and got knots in the ribbons. How could people live like this? Surprisingly the only thing she really liked was the bonnet as it hid her awful hair.

When she was done, she was undecided about what to do next and looked out of the window to get her bearings. It overlooked a courtyard. The sort you sometimes got in medieval monasteries but bigger. Flowerbeds were surrounded by paved paths and here and there stood a bench. She might not be the best horticulturalist, but if this had been Earth, the plants would look like the season was the beginning of autumn. Surprisingly it didn’t look all that alien; actually, she could see one large tree growing in the middle, its leaves already turning from yellow to red, which reminded her of an oak. Trunk, branches, leaves – all totally normal, tree-like. The courtyard was quite tranquil and at the moment totally deserted.

Suddenly she felt desperately alone and lost. What was wrong with her emotions today? They seemed to be a few sizes too big for her. The fear of being alone, the annoyance at her new clothes, even the taste sensations when she had eaten her food had been so strong and overwhelming that it frightened her. She needed to get out of this room and talk to a sensible person before she went insane.

Cautiously she opened her door. Outside was a long corridor with doors at intervals along both sides. Before she could decide whether to turn left or right, a woman stepped out of a room a bit further along the passageway and turned towards her. She, too, was dressed in a grey robe with dark green trimming around the edges of her long tight fitting sleeves and wide skirt. A large white apron covered up the front and her hair was hidden under a fitted scarf that trailed over her shoulders. She also had those curved braids surrounding her face; hers were blond though not dark like Serahl’s. The woman smiled at Leah when she saw her.

I’m so glad you are better. You had us all worried, you know. The face was only faintly familiar, the voice, however, immediately triggered a memory.

Jenny? Is that you? Leah wanted to be sure and took a step closer for a better look.

Yes, silly. Do you like my uniform? It’s all about the right outfit. I’ve always said so. Jenny gave a happy little twirl before frowning at Leah. OMG, you can’t seriously dress like this. You can’t run around in just your underwear. Come on, we need to fix that before anyone else sees you.

In her underwear? Perplexed Leah looked down and scrutinized her attire, but before she knew how to respond to such an accusation, she was pushed back into her room with Jenny closing the door behind her.

Okay, let’s see. We better start over. With brisk movements she started to untangle the knotted ties.

Leah felt awkward letting Jenny take her clothes off again and then pull the apparently right things back on. Jenny didn’t seem to notice her discomfort though and chatted happily without taking time to breathe.

I can’t tell you how exciting this all is for me. I mean, we never went on holiday anywhere further than Scotland. My dad always said that the Europeans couldn’t be trusted and don’t get him started on America or the Caribbean. And now here I am, on a totally different planet! I still can’t believe it! Her voice made a little excited squeaking sound. "Okay. Lift your arms now. Finn is totally blown away. He says Tyler and him are having the time of their life. All these new weapons they are allowed to use and of course, he has always been good at shooting with a bow and arrow. I mean, he was the club’s archery champion two years running, you know. Now, put them down again.

Tom is totally bummed about spending his time making swords rather than using them, but there you are. That oracle thingy said it was his destiny and that’s that. And Nika, hah, she’s teaching young children, can you believe it? Her face was so funny; I couldn’t stop laughing until it was my turn to go in. Now turn round please. Well, now I’m training to be a healer and that is sooo interesting. Some of it is gross like blood and that, but they have such cool stuff here for different treatments. It’s a bit like in a horror movie and I just loved those. Everyone has been ever so nice to me and of course, there was that stuff with you and Ben being hurt, but you are all better now and that’s all that counts. You are going to love it here. They could do with a good hairdresser or a nail studio though. I mean, oh...

She stopped abruptly, because she had just taken off the bonnet. The sight of Leah’s short hair had her struggling to maintain her upbeat mood. Gently she tied the bonnet back on and stepped back.

You have a lovely face for hats, you know. It looks really good on you and is miles better than my scarf. Jenny’s smile was genuine. There, you’re all finished.

Leah took a deep breath. What she had taken to be an entire wardrobe turned out to be just one outfit. Layers and layers of clothing. The stiff, cardboard-like skirt and bodice were the final pieces that went on top of it all and the broken bits were not broken at all. They were laced in place by long strings that looked like endless shoelaces. She felt like one of those dress-up dolls that she’d had when she was little.

Thanks for your help, Jenny. I would never have worked out how to put all this together. Leah meant it. Despite her previous less than flattering opinion of Jennifer Summer, she was thankful for all her help now. What did you mean about the oracle? she asked, picking out one new piece of information at random.

Oh, I don’t understand it all, but they have a sort of test here to find out what you are going to do when you grow up. You have to go into this room and there is one of the Varga there with you who asks you a few questions and then he meditates, sort of, and then he tells you. Takes all that worry out of the end of school. I sure would have liked to go to college and go to all those parties but you know, this is good, too. I just miss Nora. She didn’t come with us and we always did things together. I don’t see the others so much either. Now Jenny sounded forlorn, not her usual upbeat self. For a moment she stared at the floor, but then she looked up.

Best not to worry though. Let’s go and see the First Varga. She can explain it all a lot better than me. The smile was back in place and left Leah floundering.

Unexpectedly, she had felt rather sorry for Jenny when she’d looked so sad. Again, her emotions were way too strong. She was almost in tears at the thought of Nora not being here, how totally absurd. When her emotional rollercoaster had caught up to that fact, she had to fight hard, so she didn’t laugh out loud.

They walked along what seemed to be endless corridors and up several flights of stairs until they reached an ornate wooden door. Jenny stopped and knocked quietly. A commanding voice shouted something in a language that Leah didn’t understand and Jenny opened the door.

The room beyond was large but sparsely furnished. Along the back wall was a shelf, made presumably from wood, consisting of rows and rows of small square holes, each one filled with what looked like paper scrolls. There was a heavy desk and only one chair, which stood behind it. A tall woman sat on the chair wearing dark brown robes. Unlike the other, more drab robes that Jenny and Serahl had been wearing these ones were decorated with gold thread on the wide sleeves and bodice. She didn’t wear a scarf and her dark hair was piled on top of her head in intricate braids, which made her look even taller. Her face was ageless and her eyes were a disconcerting silver-grey colour. It was like looking into two mirrors.

Welcome, Leah. It is good to see you dressed and out of bed. Thank you, Jennifer. Please go and see Nastor Targa. He has requested some extra help today.

Thank you First Varga. See you, Leah. And with that and a low bow, Jenny was gone.

Left alone with the First Varga, Leah wasn’t certain how to proceed. There was no other chair to sit down on and just standing there by the door felt stupid.

My name is Yelandi. I am the First Varga of Minvela. I am sure that you have many more questions, besides the ones that Jennifer has probably already answered. Yelandi looked at her with an intent expression.

Yes, no, I … I don’t. I just want to go home.

Leah was surprised at blurting that out, but then again, it was the truth. She really didn’t have any questions to ask. She didn’t care about this weird new world or the people in it. She didn’t think it was exciting or fantastic to be here, as Jenny did. What did it matter to her what the others were doing? All she really wanted right now was to get back to her nicely organized life back home where everything made sense and where she could give Jason the thumping he deserved for dragging her to this stupid party in the first place.

Yelandi sighed. I’m afraid it is not within my power to get you home. We don’t understand how you came here and we therefore don’t know how to send you back. Other visitors to our planet have often come in one kind of spacecraft or another and returned home with it, but you didn’t. Even though we always welcome visitors, we have never wanted to explore the space around us ourselves and so we don’t have any technology that could help you either. Our knowledge of space doesn’t even include the position of your planet. All we can do is to integrate you into our society and give you a new life here. Some of your friends have already accepted that and are happy to work in their new calling. You have seen how happy your friend Jennifer is. Veronika, Thomas, Finnegan and Tyler are relishing their new tasks and I am sure, in time, you will adapt and be content here too.

They are not my friends! Leah snapped, anger erupting inside her like a volcano. None of them are. They are the reason why I was hurt. I don’t want a new life like them, because I already have a perfectly good life back home. I’m going to Cambridge in a few weeks. I really don’t have any reason or inclination to adapt! She almost spat the last word.

Her response wasn’t reasonable, all of this wasn’t Yelandi’s fault after all, but her calm and rational manner made Leah feel irate rather than soothed.

I didn’t ask for this, any of this. I want to be back where I belong. Do you understand me? She stood right in front of the desk, her hands placed on the smooth wood, leaning forward until her face was only a few inches away from the First Varga. Funny, she couldn’t remember moving forward.

Yelandi shook her head sadly, unfazed by Leah’s temper tantrum. I am more sorry than I can say, Leah, but there is no way we can help you do that. We would if we could, but we do not travel through space. You are stuck here now and will have to learn to adapt whether you want to or not.

Stuck- the word stood out and flipped her mood. No longer angry, Leah suddenly turned and ran for the door. All she could think of was getting out. The sudden feeling of being trapped overruled everything else. They were all lying. All she had to do was run far enough and she would get home again.

She raced down the corridor and down a flight of stairs. Randomly she opened doors. There had to be a way out somewhere. There were shouts behind her and doors opening in front of her. People came out and stood in her way. She pushed them aside, hurtling down a corridor to her right and down another flight of stairs. Again, there were shouts she couldn’t understand, and the feeling like a noose tightening around her neck, trapping her where she didn’t want to be. She was frantically searching for a way out. People were barring her way forward and she heard running footsteps behind her. As if in slow motion, she suddenly turned and saw her only escape route: a window.

The glass was thin, but it cut her all the same when she threw herself against it. She hadn’t realized how high up she still was. She hit the ground with a sickening crunch and a stabbing pain shot up her right leg. Her head hit the floor hard and before she could recover or get her breath back, she heard further screams from all around her and footsteps running. Gentle hands were turning her over; brown-green, human eyes were looking at her in concern. A sudden sensation of relief washed through her at the sight of something familiar after all the alien encounters. It didn’t last.

When he picked her up the strong pain in her leg sent her back into the dark.

*

Chapter 3

New beginnings

Hey Ben, can you come here please?" a voice shouted up. Ben looked over the side of the scaffolding and saw Medion waving up at him. He turned, thanked the builder who had just explained to him how one of the roof joints was assembled and then climbed down the ladder to join his friend at the bottom.

Sorry, did I forget a lesson? I must have lost track of the hour, he apologized in broken Minvelan. It irked him that they had picked up English so much better than he had picked up Minvelan. However, he used every opportunity to improve his skill, speaking to everyone prepared to talk.

Medion was his greatest help. He’d met him shortly after arriving here in Minvela when he’d been assigned to Ben as a helper and they had become firm friends since. They were of roughly the same age and both liked music.

While Tom, Tyler and all the others had been given the opportunity to learn a new craft, Ben had been left behind. At first his injuries had prevented him moving on, although they had healed quickly in a rather miraculous fashion, and then nobody in Minvela was allowed to choose their future role in life for themselves. An oracle was consulted, and they were assigned accordingly.

The catch was that it hadn’t worked for him. Once it had been established that the seven young people from Earth couldn’t return home, they each had been led into a room in their temple and the priests had chanted and handed out destinies like orders in a fast-food restaurant. When it had been his turn, the divine oracle had apparently run out of jobs. The Minvelan priests