Trance had gone to the Compound looking for food. And maybe looking for someone to traipse into the forest with to look for edible plants with. What she didn't expect to see were two young men sitting on unicorns. Her eyes widened and she ran up to them in delight. It'd been a long, long time since she'd seen unicorns.
"What are you doing here?" she murmured when she reached them, petting their muzzles in turn. She looked up at the boys. "I don't think you were planning on coming here, were you?" This was the kind of island that no one exactly planned on going to. Not even her.
Dennys wasn't sure if the woman was talking to them or to the unicorns. Or why she was purple. Some of the nephilim had purple wings, but not purple skins. They were pale and a cold white. Besides, he didn't think unicorns would ever left a nephil touch them.
And the unicorns seemed happy to get pets from her. "Um, no," Dennys answered, unsure. "We were planning on going home. Do you know what happened?"
Sandy's thoughts were running along the same lines. Purple wasn't exactly a color they saw very often on humanoid beings. Even so, he doubted she was even half nephil since the unicorns took so easily to her.
While his unicorn nuzzled her hand and softly whuffled, Sandy looked to Dennys. "Maybe she called them," he said since she was happy enough to see them and not hesitant at all. "Did you call our unicorns?" Sandy carefully asked her. If so, then they had a terribly problem on their hands.
She stopped petting the unicorns once she heard that and shook her head, biting her lip. "I'm afraid not. This island. It's unique. It...pulls people in, I suppose you might say. People seem to end up here from all sorts of places and I don't know anyone that actually planned on coming to this island." She scratched the forehead of the two unicorns in anticipation of the blow she was about to give them. "And I'm not sure there's a way off."
She herself had had no problem showing up on the island. She wasn't supposed to be where she had been and one place was as good as another. But these boys seemed to have been going somewhere.
Tentatively, she added, "On the good side, this place seems to have no place or time of its own. I've met people from all over and met lots of people from my past. So wherever or whenever home is, I don't actually think you'll waste time staying here." Except for the fact that they'd grow older.
Apparently Dennys' unicorn thought the same, because it stamped its foot and shook its head. Dennys wasn't sure if unicorns were accustomed to being in one place for very long. Or one time.
Dennys did swallow though, just slowly and with a worried expression on his face. "Not waste time. But we've been gone for months, and we've already grown. When we come back home, we really will be giants at this rate. Or college aged and not even have graduated high school."
Frowning deeply, Dennys tried to ignore feeling sorry for him, for his brother, and focus on the problem at hand. "How does an island..." he started.
"... just pull people in?" Sandy finished for him, quite stuck on that point as well and looking vaguely distressed. "Oh no, not like one of Father's black holes...?"
But that's what it sounded like to him -- no place or time of its own. Quantum leaps and black holes; if he thought about them any longer his head would start to hurt. Sandy was a lawyer-in-the-making, not a scientist.
"Den," he started, inclining his head at his brother. He recognized the sense of despair already welling up in his twin and decided then that they couldn't afford to lose hope. "It looks like we'll just have to wait it out again," he said and then looked to the girl. "Sorry, but what's your name if you don't mind?"
"Something like," she agreed. "But if it's any help, it occasionally spits people back out, too, so I don't think you're stuck here forever. I haven't seen it happen, but there's a big monument with the names of people that have disappeared."
Trance ran a hand over the neck Dennys' unicorn. "Easy," she murmured. "Easy. I know you're not meant to be here."
She turned her eyes up to Sandy. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Trance. Trance Gemini."
The unicorn agreed with Trance's statement apparently, and nudged his head gently into her, the horn spiraling up over her shoulder, seeking comfort. Dennys, however, could only grip the silver strands of the unicorn's mane and swallow, looking quickly to his brother. It sounded hopeless, but at least it was him and Sandy. Way better than nothing.
"Have people tried?" he asked, looking back to the girl. "Tried getting off, do you know?" He shrugged and shook his head. "Sorry, I just have to ask. It's nice to meet you though. I'm Dennys Murry."
Apparently Sandy's unicorn was suddenly jealous of the attention its brother was receiving and joined her at her other side, nosing her hand with a familiarity Sandy did not expect.
It made him blink and then return his twin's look, mustering up a wary smile. Yes, at least they hadn't gotten separated along the way.
"And I'm Sandy Murry. Our father would really enjoy your name," he managed to make his smile look more polite. "And if you don't know but you know people who do, can you tell us where to find them?" Of course, that would involve dismounting and Sandy was still loath to do that much.
"I'm sure he would," Trance said, giving the two unicorns a small, secret smile. And then she laughed as Sandy's unicorn decided that he wanted more attention. "Relax," she told him, scratching his forehead. "I'm not playing favorites. Honest."
Then she looked up at the boys again. "Sorry. They like me. Umm, I don't think anyone has successfully tried and succeeded in getting home. I could be wrong, though. I haven't been here much longer than you, myself. About a week and a half."
She thought about it. "You can try in there," she said, pointing to the Compound behind them. "That's where all of the official stuff goes on, including where rooms are for new people."
Dennys looked up when she pointed. The thought that they couldn't get away from this place didn't sit well with him, but if there really was nothing they could do about it, it would be wise to settle in and make the best of what was here. And if there was something they could do, they'd have a better chance of figuring it out if they were familiar with this place and the people.
Of course, that would mean getting off the unicorns.
"Do we have to, I don't know, check in or something? Who's in charge?" He frowned slightly, shifting on the unicorn to look at the other side of the building. The side he saw best only had a pink trampoline, but there looked like there was a garden at the other. "How do we get food and things?"
Sandy read his twin well; he didn't want to get off his unicorn either, but they could hardly trot on into a building, now could they?
"It's not terribly hot, Den," he pointed out. "Maybe we should go have a look about the place first? Excuse me, Trance, but would you happen to know how big the island is?" he asked, doing his best to look hopeful and pleasant.
After all, she only meant to help them, and not how Tiglah had 'tried' to help him by interrogating him about Noah's vineyards.
"There's some kind of council," she explained. "And there's a kitchen and people who routinely make meals, though you're welcome to make them yourself, too. The council office is where we're supposed to send you. Or, at least, it's where I was sent when I first got here."
She thought about Sandy's question and finally had to shrug. "I don't know exactly how big it is, but you might not want to go to the north side of the island. I hear there are things called dinosaurs up there." It had been a hot topic apart from the gender switch when she'd first showed up. "Apparently, they're really mean."
She looked between the boys. They were being very polite, but it would have been even politer to get off the unicorns. Which probably meant they were nervous. "If you want to get off," she said slowly, I could watch over these two. Make sure nothing happens."
"Dinosaurs?" Dennys echoed. Oh, this day just kept getting better and better.
He looked hesitantly down at Trance. The unicorns seemed to like her well enough, and she was nice enough to answer their questions without trying to convince them to do anything. Not like Tiglah. Maybe more like Oholibamah. And that made him feel a little more at ease.
Glancing at Sandy, Dennys raised an eyebrow slightly, signaling that he thought maybe this was a good idea, and waited for his brother's response.
Sandy returned the very slight arch of his eyebrow with a small, decisive nod -- the subtlest forms of agreement. Looking from his twin to Trance, Sandy smiled once again.
"We'd be really grateful to you if you did, Trance," Sandy spoke up then, preparing to dismount.
Eventually he did so in one clean move, finding that the slower he went the more he second-guessed the idea. When his feet met the jungle floor, he released a steadying sigh -- they weren't just stopping over for a rest break anymore. Now they were surrendering themselves to the laws of a whole new world. "Well, Scout camp did a good job of teaching us to know which way is north," he said, eyeing the mossy growths with interest. "But it would be nice to get some sort of official map..."
"I'm pretty sure the Council has one," she said and gave them directions on how to find the offices once inside. She ran a hand along the neck of each unicorn. They seemed to be as anxious as either of the boys and she tried to relax them all.
"If they'll go," she said, addressing the boys, "I'll bring them both over to the garden." She nodded at the side of the Compound. "If they promise not to eat the vegetables or fruits, there's some really good grass over there where one of the old compost pile is. The horses use it for food sometimes. And I can get them some water."
She wasn't sure how tired the unicorns actually were from whatever they'd done, but it was likely that her care of them would relieve all parties a little, since there wasn't much more she could do for the boys at the moment.
"What are you doing here?" she murmured when she reached them, petting their muzzles in turn. She looked up at the boys. "I don't think you were planning on coming here, were you?" This was the kind of island that no one exactly planned on going to. Not even her.
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And the unicorns seemed happy to get pets from her. "Um, no," Dennys answered, unsure. "We were planning on going home. Do you know what happened?"
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While his unicorn nuzzled her hand and softly whuffled, Sandy looked to Dennys. "Maybe she called them," he said since she was happy enough to see them and not hesitant at all. "Did you call our unicorns?" Sandy carefully asked her. If so, then they had a terribly problem on their hands.
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She herself had had no problem showing up on the island. She wasn't supposed to be where she had been and one place was as good as another. But these boys seemed to have been going somewhere.
Tentatively, she added, "On the good side, this place seems to have no place or time of its own. I've met people from all over and met lots of people from my past. So wherever or whenever home is, I don't actually think you'll waste time staying here." Except for the fact that they'd grow older.
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Apparently Dennys' unicorn thought the same, because it stamped its foot and shook its head. Dennys wasn't sure if unicorns were accustomed to being in one place for very long. Or one time.
Dennys did swallow though, just slowly and with a worried expression on his face. "Not waste time. But we've been gone for months, and we've already grown. When we come back home, we really will be giants at this rate. Or college aged and not even have graduated high school."
Frowning deeply, Dennys tried to ignore feeling sorry for him, for his brother, and focus on the problem at hand. "How does an island..." he started.
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But that's what it sounded like to him -- no place or time of its own. Quantum leaps and black holes; if he thought about them any longer his head would start to hurt. Sandy was a lawyer-in-the-making, not a scientist.
"Den," he started, inclining his head at his brother. He recognized the sense of despair already welling up in his twin and decided then that they couldn't afford to lose hope. "It looks like we'll just have to wait it out again," he said and then looked to the girl. "Sorry, but what's your name if you don't mind?"
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Trance ran a hand over the neck Dennys' unicorn. "Easy," she murmured. "Easy. I know you're not meant to be here."
She turned her eyes up to Sandy. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Trance. Trance Gemini."
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"Have people tried?" he asked, looking back to the girl. "Tried getting off, do you know?" He shrugged and shook his head. "Sorry, I just have to ask. It's nice to meet you though. I'm Dennys Murry."
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It made him blink and then return his twin's look, mustering up a wary smile. Yes, at least they hadn't gotten separated along the way.
"And I'm Sandy Murry. Our father would really enjoy your name," he managed to make his smile look more polite. "And if you don't know but you know people who do, can you tell us where to find them?" Of course, that would involve dismounting and Sandy was still loath to do that much.
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Then she looked up at the boys again. "Sorry. They like me. Umm, I don't think anyone has successfully tried and succeeded in getting home. I could be wrong, though. I haven't been here much longer than you, myself. About a week and a half."
She thought about it. "You can try in there," she said, pointing to the Compound behind them. "That's where all of the official stuff goes on, including where rooms are for new people."
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Of course, that would mean getting off the unicorns.
"Do we have to, I don't know, check in or something? Who's in charge?" He frowned slightly, shifting on the unicorn to look at the other side of the building. The side he saw best only had a pink trampoline, but there looked like there was a garden at the other. "How do we get food and things?"
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"It's not terribly hot, Den," he pointed out. "Maybe we should go have a look about the place first? Excuse me, Trance, but would you happen to know how big the island is?" he asked, doing his best to look hopeful and pleasant.
After all, she only meant to help them, and not how Tiglah had 'tried' to help him by interrogating him about Noah's vineyards.
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She thought about Sandy's question and finally had to shrug. "I don't know exactly how big it is, but you might not want to go to the north side of the island. I hear there are things called dinosaurs up there." It had been a hot topic apart from the gender switch when she'd first showed up. "Apparently, they're really mean."
She looked between the boys. They were being very polite, but it would have been even politer to get off the unicorns. Which probably meant they were nervous. "If you want to get off," she said slowly, I could watch over these two. Make sure nothing happens."
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He looked hesitantly down at Trance. The unicorns seemed to like her well enough, and she was nice enough to answer their questions without trying to convince them to do anything. Not like Tiglah. Maybe more like Oholibamah. And that made him feel a little more at ease.
Glancing at Sandy, Dennys raised an eyebrow slightly, signaling that he thought maybe this was a good idea, and waited for his brother's response.
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"We'd be really grateful to you if you did, Trance," Sandy spoke up then, preparing to dismount.
Eventually he did so in one clean move, finding that the slower he went the more he second-guessed the idea. When his feet met the jungle floor, he released a steadying sigh -- they weren't just stopping over for a rest break anymore. Now they were surrendering themselves to the laws of a whole new world. "Well, Scout camp did a good job of teaching us to know which way is north," he said, eyeing the mossy growths with interest. "But it would be nice to get some sort of official map..."
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"If they'll go," she said, addressing the boys, "I'll bring them both over to the garden." She nodded at the side of the Compound. "If they promise not to eat the vegetables or fruits, there's some really good grass over there where one of the old compost pile is. The horses use it for food sometimes. And I can get them some water."
She wasn't sure how tired the unicorns actually were from whatever they'd done, but it was likely that her care of them would relieve all parties a little, since there wasn't much more she could do for the boys at the moment.
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