"What happened?", Cailin asked herself as she regained her composure. "Where am I... where are my clothes, my weapons?", she continued, trying to fathom the events of the last few moments.

"Hello Cailin," a soft voice called to her, "I'm so glad to finally meet you in person."  Startled by the sound, Cailin turned toward the source and discovered a woman standing by the edge of the platform they now occupied, gazing out upon the horizon.  Not wanting to rush into an  unknown situation, Cailin hesitated before speaking or moving.  "Please join me, the scenery from this viewpoint is amazing," the woman spoke, then noticing Cailin's reluctance, added with a slight laugh, "come now child, I promise I won't bite."  As Cailin cautiously approached the woman, she began to question her, "who are you, how did I get here and exactly where is here?" As Cailin arrived beside the woman, the woman turned to face her and began to speak, "well, to answer your first question, I have been called by many names throughout the ages, but I've always liked Alani and I am the one who brought you here." Taking a short breath, Alani continued, "and here is a place that was created just for our meeting, it exists in a dimension of its own.  I'm sure Lilith would be able to explain it to you better than I could... she is quite a learned woman."

"How do you know about Lilith?  What is happening here, am I going mad?", Cailin began to ask herself in a panic.  "Calm down Cailin, you are not going insane," Alani reassured her, "I am what people call a seraph or angel and I serve the One, or as you call it, The Light."  Laughing to herself, Cailin responded, "you're an angel of The Light? Oh, now I know I'm going crazy!"  Putting her arm around Cailin, Alani replied with a sigh, "first contacts are always difficult for the mortals, but I assure you, you are not going mad.  Come with me child, you need to sit and relax... you have more questions and I have much to tell you."   "So... this is real, I'm not imaging this?", Cailin asked the seraph in a trembling voice, "all my friends are going to think I've gone insane when I tell them of this."  "I assure you Cailin, your friends will believe you," Alani replied.  "How can you be so sure?", Cailin queried.  "Well first, they are your friends... second, they know you not to be mad... and third," gathering her breath and giving Cailin a wink of her eye, Alani continued, "remember who I work for."

After placing Cailin gently upon the bed with Petra assisting him in the two women's tent, they both knelt beside their still unconscious friend.  "What do you think happened?", Marren whispered to the dwarf.  "I dunna know, but I'll try to find out," Petra whispered back, then continued, "Marren, I know what I'm going to ask ye to do next will be hard, but I...we, need ye to do it."  "What do you need me to do?", he replied to her.  Petra then told the man, "I need ye to leave, so I can undress her and check to be sure she doesn't have any unseen wounds.  I also need ye to tell the other girls to come in and assist me... three pairs of eyes be better than one.  Can ye do this for me?"  "I'll do as you ask," Marren replied.  As the man rose to his feet to leave, he turned back again to Petra and said with a choked voice, "take care of her, Petra."  Looking up into the man's somber face, Petra smiled and responded, "I will sweetheart, I promise."

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Cailin's Journey - - An Adventure In The Making
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