Strange Encounter

Chapter 5

Alda

The lady before us held her long arms up, waiting for embrace. She had to be at least 6'5 with bronze skin. Her hair was a mixture of platinum braids and decorative florals from the forest and lakeside. She wore what I can only describe as a blend of a tunic like dress with leggings underneath. She had tattoos all over her arms and chest. I could only assume her whole body was covered.

"What are you?" I asked. I was instantly ashamed that I let me curiosity slip out like that. " I meant who are you?" I quickly corrected my rudeness. There was no telling how dangerous this woman was. She knew our names and has been waiting for us. She finally put down her arms realizing that we weren't moving away from the river's edge.

"Well, my dear Alda, my name is Geilas, and I happen to be one of the few Amazon warriors left. It has been my life's mission to welcome you all back and guide you on your Great Walk. I'm honored to meet you all! Now let's get you all inside. In some warm clothes and get you fed." Geilas motions toward the Cabin that we had seen from across the lake. We just stood frozen, gazing between each other, the Amazon in front of us and the cabin behind her.

"What do you mean Great Walk and how do you know us?" Meadow spoke up with a confidence of a Queen. I never knew how she managed to be so strong all the time. She was like the mother hen in our group, always taking care of us.

"Look lady, we don't know you and I don't mean to be rude, but this is all a bit sketchy to me. We have never been to Bavilan, we have never heard of real Amazon warriors and we sures as hell don't want to take a walk with a stranger who is trying to get us in their home." Ember starts firing off at the mouth like she normally does when she is nervous. She locked eyes with Geilas and held her ground.

"Oh you are as feisty as your father Ember. I knew him well. Come let us get out of this night air. I will explain everything to you. I promise, I am here only to serve you 4 and your best interest. Trust me. If you wish to move forward after I have told my tale…well your tales…then I will honor your wishes. I mean no harm. I may look scary, but it is I who should be quivering at your feet. Come, dinner is getting cold." She smiled at us and began sauntering back towards her cabin.

"Are we really doing this? How amazing is this!" Wren had the biggest smile I had ever seen on her face. "We are in for a treat of adventure! I wonder what's for dinner?"

I slapped her on her arm and giggled again. "Wren, one day you will get us all killed!" I whisper to her so Ember doesn't hear us joking. I could tell Ember was not in the same lighthearted mood as us. Meadow was studying Geilas hard but started to walk towards her direction.

"I guess we are going!" I said to Meadow.

"We need answers, and we need dry clothes and food. This is the only life for miles, so I don't see any other options. Everyone just stay alert and be on their best behavior. I can't shake this feeling that we are where we belong." Meadow spoke with her authority, and we knew she was in her serious mode. I could tell she was believing what she was saying.

"What did she mean she knew my father well…" Ember's eyes were almost aflame. She stared at the cabin and began to follow the rest of us without another word. I held her hand, giving her a light squeeze to remind her that we are together, so we are safe.

"Honestly, I agree with Meadow. When I stepped into the lake with my little friend back there, I felt, at home. I can't explain it really. But it was like I knew I belonged. Let's just see what the lady has to say huh?" I said to the group, but mainly for Ember.

"I felt the same in the forest earlier today, Alda. It was like the trees were singing their own songs to me and I knew we were going the right way. They felt so…familiar. I can't understand it." Meadow spoke up. "All I know is we aren't going to learn anything out in the cold soaking wet. Let's just make it through the night and we will figure this all out tomorrow."

We finally made it to the cabin where Geilas waited with a smile the size of my chubby fist. She held open the door for us and we all filed our ways in. I speak for everyone when I say this cabin was definitely larger than a normal 3 room cabin. The ceilings were taller, the furniture was size extra-large, and all the accessories of the home were clearly made for the xl big and tell peoples.

"Wow! This is outstanding. Look at all this amazing stuff! I…I…I'm speechless" Wren's eyes were all over the cabin. She looked so out of place among the large décor. It was rustic and woodsy.

"Hump, that's a first" Ember chimed in walking around the cabin.

"Let me get you ladies some dry clothing." Geilas comes up behind us looking like she belonged among the oversized setting of her home. She walked into what I assumed was the bedroom and she came back with 4 changed of clothes. "You all can dress in there. You will sleep there as well. I'm sorry that it is of humble settings. I'm warming dinner back up. Please come back when you are dressed. It should be ready by then" She motions to another door adjacent to the one she had entered.

We were clearly not in Ms. Hanafrey's group home for troubled girls anymore!

Meadow is the first to move. She grabs the clothing and heads toward the room Geilas had pointed out. The rest of us follow and stop when we see the sight in front of us.

Each of us had a bed with our names and a type of emblem beneath it. The beds had 2 on each side of the room. Each corner was decorated in the same colors as the emblems that adorned the walls above the beds.

Wren's side was like an easter egg. She had pastel purple walls with hints of yellow and grey decorations. Her emblem was a striking yellow color with a bright purple triangle with a line trough the center. In grey right above the triangle was a music note with a letter E designed in it. Wren studied everything on her side of the room with a thrilling gleam in her jade eyes.

Ember was on the same side as Wren. Her corner was decorated like a Valentine's Day card. Her walls were red and the décor was covered in pinks and oranges. Her emblem was orange and hosted a red triangle with no line. In the center in the triangle, there was a pink torch with the letter S that was made out of flames. I watched as she traced the emblem as if it were familiar to her. The awe in her eyes was enough to make my heart melt.

I turned to Meadow who was just staring at her side of the room as if at peace. Her walls were a calming tan color with greens and browns designed throughout. It matched the colors she was always painting back at Hanafrey's. She didn't know that we all knew she was an artist, and her muse of choice was the forests around the group home. Her emblem was a deep green color. It has a tan upside-down triangle with a line through the center. Below the triangle's point, was a symbol of a tree. In the roots of the tree the letter N could be found.

After watching the awe on my sister's faces, I turned to my side of the room. It was located on the same side as Meadow and across from Ember. My space was like looking in that beautiful lake outside during the moonlight. My senses were hit with striking blues with Silver and white décor. My emblem was a deep blue color with an upside-down silver tringle. Inside of the triangle was a white wave that wrapped around the letter W.

"Well, my beautiful sisters, lets change clothes." Meadow says as she lays the changes of dry clothes on her bed. We all walk over and notice that each outfit was embroidered with the same emblems above our beds. We each grab our corresponding piles and head to our sides of the room to change.

"Are you guys as creeped out as me?" Ember says as she holders her hands up, displaying the sight of the room around us. She had changed into her clothes, and I must say, they fit her figure perfectly. She looked…tasty. Her red blouse cut perfectly to show off her newfound cleavage. It was sleeveless and accented each freckle found on her exposed body. Her blond hair fell loosely around her face making her golden eyes shine brighter behind her black frames. Her pants were a Golden color that fit snuggly, showing off more of her body than she was clearly comfortable with. The emblem on her shirt matched the color of her bottoms.

"I think there is a lot that we need explained. Either we are being pranked or we were seriously drugged when you hit that button, Wren." Meadow says as she slips into the final pieces of her outfit. She wore a tunic similar to the one Geilas wore. The only difference I could tell was the entire back of Meadows shirt was missing, replaced only by a green chain that ran across each shoulder blade and down the spine. The chain kind of resembled a sloppy T shape. It was tan and had her emblem in green across the front. She had brown capri like pants that flared out just below the knee. She serious looked like a majestic tree.

"I for one and beyond ecstatic with where we are right now. I never would have imagined a mystery as big as this one. I can only imagine how the rest of this night will play out." Wren couldn't stop herself from cheesing. She was in heaven right now. She looked right in her element as she studied the clothing she was given. She wore a yellow half shirt with grey shorts that can just above the knee. She also had a purple shawl with her emblem on the back in yellow. Her jet back hair shined against the bright colors and her green eyes had a hit of yellow and mischief in them.

"What I'm creeped out about, are these clothes. They seem to fit us perfectly. How did this lady know our names…AND our sizes?" I stared down at myself. I had the most fabulous piece of clothing I have ever owned. It was a silver dress that made my curves look like that were the most spectacular mountains you had ever laid eyes on. The dress shimmered with white flakes and on the bottom, there were these pieces of mesh fabric that were the most brilliant or blues that hung. It was like they were a needed addition to something already so spectacularly made. The dress came with purple and white gloves that stretched just past the elbow. Surprisingly, once I put them on, I couldn't feel them. They felt as if they melted to my arms and were a part of me. They the emblem was in silver on both gloves.

"Only one way to find out sisters! Let's go have dinner." Meadow smooths down her clothes and takes the lead. She opens the door, headed for both a full belly and some answers.