Chapter 60 part 2

The girl nodded, apparently not willing to risk saying anything, which Jenn was fine with. As long as the others weren't aware of what discrepancy they might have in 'extra work,' then her object lesson should go on without a hitch while she would at least have gained a few points from the girl.

Although, as she left the village, she hoped that her show of mercy on the girl wouldn't counter the result she was looking for in regards to convincing the girl about what Jenn saw as a problem.

However, regardless of what came, she knew that she needed to keep her focus on her surroundings. While the escaped slave may be open to talking, that didn't mean that they'd be expecting anyone they encounter to be that way. Especially if they thought that those they encountered were bandits.

Jenn pulled on her magic and spread it around her like a net. It was to identify where other people were, but she couldn't be sure how well it'd work the father away from her it got.

After a minute, Jenn was able to sense the location of everyone in the village, regardless of where they were in it, However, as the 'net' continued to grow, there appeared a spot that remained empty. Jenn suspected that whoever this slave was, was proficient in magic themselves. Which meant that they likely sensed the net and used a counter measure against it.

However, it just meant that she knew the general area of their location. Which meant that whoever this was would also be aware of that point as well.

It wasn't really far off, but moving meant that she'd have to dispel her net. Which she knew the escaped slave was aware of that as well. At least if this person really was trained in magic. The other option was that they got lucky, but Jenn didn't plan on putting her eggs in that basket.

Which meant that once she started to move, she needed to move quickly. Even with her target about a half mile away. Though, while she couldn't exactly pinpoint that person's location, she suspected that given it was a circular shape that her net couldn't detect would mean that they were in the center of that circle. As she was pretty sure that their counter measure moved out until it hit Jenn's spell.

As she ran through the woods, she kept her eyes and ears peeled, in case this escaped slave went on the offensive. It might be that this person already considered Jenn a threat, but she hoped that she'd be able to get the drop on whoever this was and initiate the conversation before this person attacked.

What she didn't expect was to find that the person hadn't moved at all. When she reached where she'd detected the escaped slave, she had expected to have to try and track them. If not using that net spell again.

Another aspect she didn't expect was that she recognized this person. Not only that, but it was clear that he recognized her.

It was Rick. Shirley's brother. Only, Jenn hadn't expected him to be completely naked.

"What're you doing here?" Rick asked before Jenn could react.

"Looking for you, I guess," she said, unable to suppress a wry grin from forming on her face. "I heard there was an escaped slave in the area, so I thought I'd try to see not only if I could recruit them to join my people, but also to help train us to escape in the event any of us got captured by slavers."

"What're you talking about? 'Your people.' It's almost like you're saying you've become a leader or something at the age of… what? Sixteen?"

"Fifteen," Jenn corrected.

Rick, however, merely shook his head. Almost as if they were having a friendly conversation under other circumstances. Like it would be if they were back on Earth.

"Uh, I think you've lost track of time," Rick replied. "You turned sixteen a few months ago. It should be around November on Earth by now."

Jenn felt stunned. She wanted to argue, but she couldn't get the words to form. Because she knew that he was likely more right than she'd like to admit. As it had been a long while and she hadn't quite tried to keep track of time or anything.

However, that really wasn't the important issue at the moment. She wasn't that concerned about al that. Not when she could instead be paying more attention to what she came out here for.

"Well, you might as well join me then," Jenn said, turning to look back in the direction the hidden village was. "At least you could get something to wear. Plus, I'm sure you'd be able to help me with planning things out."

"And why should I go with you?" Rick asked. "What you're saying sounds an awful lot like slavery in just other words."

Jenn looked back at Rick to see if he was serious. "What're you talking about? You realize that pretty much all my people are essentially escaped slaves themselves right now, don't you? We're not looking to keep slaves of our own."

Rick merely shook his head. "Sorry, but that's how I see it. You'd have me go in and require me to do something that I don't really have a reason to do. For me, that's putting me back into slavery."

Jenn shook her head, partly in disbelief. "While I'd like you to help teach my people how to escape from being slaves, I'm not going to require it. You can move around as you wish and can otherwise just sit back and relax. All I'd ask is that you keep out of our affairs if you don't want to be involved with us, okay?"

Rick looked at Jenn for a moment, not giving any indication of what he was thinking. Though, Jenn hoped that he was considering what she'd said. Even though she really didn't have a reason to think that he'd accept her offer, even with no conditions or strings attached to it.

Rick looked around them next. Jenn hoped that was a good sign because she still couldn't read his expression, though she was very tempted to use her magic to try and see his thoughts. It was possible that he had defenses that would let him know if she looked at this thoughts, but she wasn't really that concerned about it.

What she was more concerned about was that if Rick got captured at this point, that he could let others know about Jenn and her people. As such, she had to find a way to convince Rick to join her people even if it was as dead weight.

Of course, she hoped that some of the projects her people were going to work on would pique his interest. To the point where he'd be willing to join in without Jenn having to speak any more to him about it.

"You know what?" Rick asked, sounding more resigned than Jenn had expected. "It does get a little lonely out here, so I'll take a look at your people. If they're like what you said, then I'll probably find that I don't mind staying there. Though, I don't plan on doing anything, just like you said I won't have to."

Jenn nodded. "I understand. Though, with you not doing anything, then that means that I'll probably not have much time for you, so you'll have to figure out things on your own. Though, I'll see about getting you someone to help with making sure that you don't get lost if you walk around at any time."

Rick rolled his eyes, as if that was exactly what he expected Jenn to do, though not for the reasons that Jenn knew she had.

"Anyway, lead the way," he said. "I'm pretty sure I already know where it is, but I'll act like I don't so you can save face or whatever it is with you and your people."

Jenn then turned and started walking back towards the village. She hadn't expected things to take this turn, or for Rick to have been so hostile. She recognised how he'd escaped being a slave in the first place, but she couldn't figure out why he was so hostile towards her. He acted like Jenn herself was an enemy. Like she'd always been at odds with him.

Which didn't track with how she'd last interacted with him. Yeah, she didn't like Shirley, but Rick didn't seem to take that fact in a bad way. Especially since it was clear that Shirley had been the one who had caused the problem in the first place.

Yet, now while he wasn't openly hostile towards her, he was indeed suspicious of her in general.

However, she figured she could work on that over time. She supposed that being made a slave then living by himself for a while might have contributed to that. Which she couldn't deny that she had no idea what being isolated like that would be like.

As they were walking, a thought came to Jenn. A thought that she hoped wouldn't increase the tension in the air around them. Though, she wasn't really confident that it wouldn't. As she still wasn't sure how to tread around Rick right then.

"So, uh, by the way," she said, unsure how exactly to word this. "Just to let you know, I go by Jenn with my people, okay?"

Rick didn't give a visible reaction. Instead, he continued walking as if Jenn hadn't said anything. Aside from his response, "So, why'd you stop using 'Charlie?' Does that have some reason to do with why you ignored me when you were in the forest and saw me as you ran through it?"

Jenn wasn't sure what Rick was talking about, but she didn't want to create more problems. Especially since what he said might have to do with why he was so hostile towards her.

"Uh, no, it doesn't have anything to do with when I was with the Lost," Jenn replied. "I decided to go with Jenn when I was still a slave and those I wrote it out for couldn't pronounce Jennifer. So, I just went with Jenn."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain why you avoided 'Charlie' since that is you r actual name."

Jenn shook her head. "'Jennifer' is just as much my name as 'Charlie' is. It's just that 'Charlie' is what most people called me while Jennifer is my middle name. Either way, it's still my name. Besides, I stopped using Charlie to try and avoid my friends who I'm sure are still on this world looking for me."

Rick shook his head. "Whatever. I can call you that, but it's still weird to me."

Jenn merely shrugged. She wasn't going to argue that point. Especially since she wasn't sure what he was thinking at the moment and even doubted that he was rethinking what he'd originally said to her about her trying to make him a slave.

Somehow it felt too much overboard in her opinion. As she hadn't actually done anything directly to him. Although, she supposed that from his point of view that she might have just acted like she didn't know him, because at that moment, she didn't. He just wouldn't have had any reason to think that it wasn't her when he'd seen her. As if she was with the Lost, then it was very possible that he'd seen her during the times when the Lost were fully in control of her mind. Although, she wasn't sure how she could explain the circumstances to Rick. As it wasn't something that he really knew much about. Since the Lost were considered merely a legend in this world.

As Jenn thought about how to handle Rick being there, she quickly thought of an issue that she thought Rick would at least appreciate a little of. Getting himself to wear something at she hadn't really given any thought to since she realized that it was Rick who she'd been looking for.

So, she reached out with her magic to send a message ahead to Haln.

–I found the escaped slave, but I need you to bring him something to wear. That way he'll be more comfortable around us.– While Jenn didn't have a reason to think that he'd be open minded about that, she wasn't going to argue about it either.

She just hoped that Rick didn't have any objections to wearing a dress. As while she'd started getting used to some of the differences, she doubted that Rick was the same. Though, part of her also wondered just how much of the language her people spoke that he'd recognize.

However, she didn't see what good it'd do to give him any warning, so she kept her mouth shut about it. Besides, she wondered if it'd be entertaining to watch his reaction to being offered a dress to wear rather than what he'd likely be used to wearing.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, if awkward. Though, Jenn wasn't sure what she'd be able to do about that. Especially since she hadn't a clue as to if Rick was just upset at his circumstances, and he was just taking it out on her, or if there really had been something that she'd don't that had drawn his ire.

She hoped there wasn't, but with how he was compared to how she was when she'd last seen him, she couldn't say that it wasn't possible that she'd done something without realizing it. Even though she might be overthinking this, she couldn't put away the possibility that she'd…

Jenn felt her train of thought stop as she suddenly recalled what Rick had said. About him having seen her, but that she hadn't responded to him trying to get her attention. While she was confident that she'd been with the Lost at the time, she doubted that Rick would understand.

Which meant that it was because of a misunderstanding that he was upset with her. Although, she couldn't really blame him, considering how little he knew about this world.

As they reached the entrance to the hidden village, Jenn glanced at Rick. He was still keeping his attention ahead of him, not even looking at his surroundings, which almost made Jenn feel a little lonely. Like she wasn't even around someone else at the moment.

When they entered the village, Jenn was a little surprised to see the welcoming committee. Naturally, there was the girl who Jenn had left on guard when she left and Haln was there with a folded up dress. However, Maelia was there with a few others.

Jenn wasn't sure what she was doing here, but had a sinking suspicion that there was something that she was going to look to Jenn for approval on or something that she wanted permission before starting. Which Jenn felt a little annoyed about.

At the last meeting, Jenn had tried getting it to where she, or the Blue Rose, would only be bothered with certain things instead of her 'leaders' always seeking her approval before starting every little thing. Jenn hoped that it would end some day, that they'd start understanding that they could do things themselves and that the conditions Jenn had set for when she needed to have her approval sought out weren't as strict as her 'leaders' were taking them right at that moment.

"Mother, I brought what you asked for," Haln said before anyone else could as he held out the clothing.

"Thank you," Jenn said, accepting it. Then, as she turned to Rick she continued, "Here's something to wear. It might not fit very well, but it's what's acceptable for men to wear in this world."

Jenn wasn't sure what Rick's reaction to knowing it was a dress would be, but wanted to try and keep from being present when he found out, even though she doubted that he'd waste much time putting it on. Or at least unfolding it before taking a look at it himself.

While she had hoped that he'd take it into a nearby building before taking a look at it, Rick instead shook it out, looked at it for a minute before looking at Jenn. This is gonna cost you, you know?"

Jenn wasn't worried about what he said, since he clearly didn't speak the local language, but only English. Which meant that she didn't need to worry about some of the finer details about what he said, since it wouldn't get communicated anyway.

Although, that would only be that way until he learned the local language. Which meant that sooner or later, she'd have to really start worrying about whatever he said. Though, until then, she hoped that she'd be able to help get a few things taken care of that wouldn't put her any farther on his bad side.

Rick put the dress on without any real complaint, though she couldn't help but notice that Maelia watched him closely. She wasn't sure if that really meant anything or not, but she hoped it wouldn't create more of a headache for her.

Finishing up the situation with Rick, Jenn merely assigned the girl to show Rick around and charged her with his security. That she was to help him learn the local language and help him with anything that he might need down the road.

Then with all that taken care of, she turned her attention to Maelia. As she was pretty sure that Maelia wasn't waiting there for her health. Though, Jenn hoped it wouldn't be too serious.

However, she didn't care to discuss whatever it was by the entrance to the village. So, she motioned for Maelia to follow. If Haln did, then that'd be his prerogative. She wasn't concerned about what he might overhear. Or at least not at this time anyway.