Free Dreams and Shadows (The Aylosian Chronicles Book 1) by Jeffrey Collyer

come.
    As he peered to his right, he could see in the distance the river that he had previously heard. The meadow – not pasture he now knew – he had been lying in was probably a couple of hundred feet wide from the forest to the water’s edge. The river itself was wider than he imagined – although he couldn’t be sure from this distance, perhaps thirty or forty feet Michael thought – but it was running slowly. Beyond the river, the ground began to rise and within a mile the foothills had become the first rows of dark mountains, their distant peaks hidden in white cloud.
    He was still examining the strange world he had entered, when he heard the woman call.
    “Oh, there you are,” she said, “I thought for a moment you had left.”
    Although he still felt a little uncomfortable, Michael was much happier now he was mostly hidden behind some protective greenery and was able to force a smile as he replied, “I thought that moving here might be… well… a bit easier, you know.”
    She was walking towards him through the meadow, carrying some clothes with her as she talked. “I have found you some clothes as I promised. I fear they may be a little too large, but too large is more easily fixed than too small, and I have also brought a belt.”
    Now that he was marginally less self-conscious Michael was able to look at this woman more closely. She was slim and wearing dark tan trousers, with a cream top that hung below her waist. Around her middle was a thick leather belt, with a knife sheathed against her left hip. Her long dark boots reached almost to her knees. For a few seconds, Michael was unsure why she looked so different from other girls he had known, but then he realised that she wasn’t wearing any makeup – and that she didn’t seem to be self-conscious about it – and that instantly made him like her.
    She was close enough now to toss the clothes she had brought over the top of the shrubs, which she did and then waited for Michael to dress.
    The trousers she had brought were a lighter tan colour than the ones she wore, but the shirt was a similar cream. There were no boots, but he had enjoyed the feel of the grass on his feet, and was grateful for what she had done. Just as she had said, the clothes were a little too large for him, but Michael was able to tie the belt so that it held all of the clothes sufficiently in place. When he was done he stepped out from behind the shrubs.
    “Thank you so much,” he said, feeling relieved to have his modesty now in place.
    The woman gave a small nod at that, and at this closer distance Michael noticed that she had a handful of light freckles scattered across her round face.
    She seemed to study his face carefully for a moment before speaking. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” she asked.
    Michael was taken aback by her directness, although had to silently admit that it was fair enough in the circumstances. He took a deep breath before responding, “Like I said before, I don’t know how I got here – or even where here is. So I can’t really say what I’m doing here because I don’t know.” He knew that probably didn’t sound very convincing but didn’t know what else to say, and continued, “But as for who I am, I’m Michael”.
    He paused, expecting a reply of some description, but as he looked at the woman, he could see uncertainty in her face; as if what he had just said confused her.
    “I’m sorry I really can’t explain any more than that because I just don’t know,” Michael added. “Could you tell me where I am?” he asked.
    As she looked at him, she cocked her head to one side as if considering his words. After a pause, she spoke, “We are in the Southern Waylet, at our Autumn Stay. But surely you must know that?”
    She studied his reaction, trying to determine whether his bewilderment was genuine, but Michael didn’t know what to say. Almost nothing she had said made any sense to him; first, she spoke of weavers as if