Skylar woke up grudgingly, as if her subconscious had decided that as long as she remained unconscious she could ignore that she was naked, wet, lost, and alone. It was when a hand grabbed her chin, pulling her head up, that her eyes opened.

She was sitting in a wagon, her hands tied to metal bars that formed a grill above the wooden sideboards she was leaning against. As she watched the wooden side across from her was removed and metal bars put in its place.

She was sitting on wet dry grass, cold rain pouring down on her. In front of her was a short man with brown skin, holding an open metal ring in both hands. She could see the ring was hinged on one side, with a complex latch on the other, and covered in runes inlaid with sparkling gems.

Skylar opened her mouth to ask what was going on when the man in front of her, who was not the man holding her chin up, reached forward and closed the ring around her neck. He drew back quickly, a fat purple spark jumping from the collar to his finger. He put his finger in his mouth, sucking on the tip where the arcane war-spark had burned him, waving his other hand at another tiny man.

The man holding her chin squeezed at the hinge of her jaw, bringing tears to her eyes. She tried to beg them to stop, ask what they wanted, tell them that they were assaulting her, that she did not consent to whatever this was, but they ignored her.

Another of the small men moved forward, and Skylar noticed that he was eye level with her even though she was sitting and he was standing. He had a pair of tongs in one hand and put his palm against her forehead with the other.

Skylar screamed as the man pushed the tongs into her mouth, clamping down on her tongue and pulling it from her mouth. The pain was blinding, forcing tears from her eyes, but that pain was replaced by a fiery stabbing pain as another man reached out, with a small hooked spike in his fingers, and stuck the shaft of the spike through her tongue. She sobbed, trying to struggle, but they held her head tight as the man with the spike attached a ball to the end under her tongue, moving back. The one with the tongs released her tong, moving his hand from her head.

Skylar let her head fall forward, sobbing. She found if she tried to close her mouth all the way the curved thorn-like end of the piercing on top of her tongue jabbed the roof of her mouth.

When strong hands grabbed her wrists, she screamed again, trying to pull free, but before she could manage much more than to pull two different men shut brass manacles around her wrists. From there they put copper chains around her ankles and another copper chain around her waist, locking them.

When they stepped back and looked at her she raised her head up.

"Why?" She sobbed. When she went to start the word the thorn poked the roof of her mouth, forcing her to pronounce the word without being able to purse her lips. "What did I do?"

"Is she trying to cast?" One of the younger little men asked.

The oldest shook his head. "No. I think she is trying to communicate, but the gods of the Xue'nghozi are jealous and do not permit others to understand their language, even with methods arcane or divine."

"She is savage looking," The one who had pulled her right arm out so she could be manacled. "Her breasts are high, unmarked, I think she may be young."

The older one smacked the younger one across the back of the head. "Keep your eyes off of her breasts. Xue'nghozi witch-sorceresses are well known to beguile Xue'nghozi men to serve them. Do you think you would stand a chance to avoid being beguiled if you stood around with your penis erect from thinking rude thoughts about her? Go, before she twists your feeble mind."

The younger one flushed a darker brown, gathering his cloak about him and climbing down from the wagon.

Skylar lifted her arms, covering her breasts. She was surprised at how heavy her arms were, as if she had sandbags attached to them. On her manacles the gems filling the inlay began to burn with cold fire inside and the manacles got heavier. She was only able to hold her arms over her breasts for a minute or two before the weight made her drop her arms to the side.

Skylar watched as they repeated the same thing with two people across from her. The place she was in was big enough that even if she stretched out she couldn't touch her toes to theirs, and they were spaced far enough apart that they couldn't touch. She could tell by the cries of pain that both were men, until finally it was finished.

"What are Xue'nghozi doing in Alben?" One of the small men asked as they headed toward the back of what Skylar was starting to believe was a wagon of some sort. "Do think the Witch-Queens and Battle-Kings of Arnaka have managed to break the magics containing them?"

"With most of the Lich Kings dead, it is a possibility," Another said. They hopped off the back one at a time, a maneuver that looked long practiced to Skylar. "The Lich Kings may be dead, but their death throes still shake the Six Worlds."

Skylar let her head hang down, exhaustion filling her.

I am an Indigo Child, chosen by the universe to lead humankind into a new age of enlightment, she reminded herself.

Her tongue throbbed with agony, but she tried to ignore it, push it aside as it throbbed in time with her heartbeat.

I had power. I did. I've been training all my life to use my aura, she thought to herself. She closed her eyes, reaching inside of herself, trying to find her Indigo powers.

She felt the heat blossom behind her sternum, raising her head as the light began to softly glow. The dim glow turned to runes between her breasts and she smiled, unaware of blood from her pierced tongue running over her lip.

The more she drew on her aura, something that had never before actually accomplished anything as far as she had been able to tell, the brighter the light grew. The thick swirling lines down her arms and legs lit up as the runes spread down from between her breasts, around her bellybutton, to her groin, and then spreading down her legs. The runes spread over her breasts, across her shoulders, and down her arms.

She could feel the power, a rushing, roaring, pounding whitewater rapids of power within her.

The runes on the manacles lit up, blue arcs of electricity spreading from each manacle, up her arms, across her shoulders, to flicker across the skin of her upper body.

With the lightning came pain.

Skylar screamed in agony, letting go of the power. There was a bright flash as the power collapsed, and the glowing runes beneath her skin faded away.

The runes on the manacles stayed brightly lit, the manacles far more heavy than they had been. She couldn't even lift her arms.

Small boots stopped in front of Skylar's vision as she stared down into her lap.

She was too exhausted and in too much pain to even bother trying to cover her breasts, settling for cupping on hand over her crotch.

"Can you understand me, Xue'nghozi witch?" The voice, presumably that of the owner of the boots, was high pitched and female.

Skylar nodded. "Yes."

The owner of the voice squatted down, reaching forward to push on Skylar's forehead. Skylar saw that for her small size she was fully mature, her sapphire eyes had slit pupils and shined like a cats.

"A war-fire eye," She said, putting her hands on Skylar's cheek and moving Skylar's head side to side. "No burn-scars," She looked down at Skylar's breasts, letting go of Skylar's face to cup the girl's breasts. Skylar tried to shriek and kick at the woman but the manacles and chains held her in place. "Too small for your fire to have fully come in. No scarring."

The woman let go of Skylar's breasts, rocking back on her heels.

"Can you understand me?" She asked. She nodded. "This means yes," She shook her head. "This means no."

Skylar nodded.

"Have you been bred yet?" The woman asked.

Skylar put her hand over her crotch, shaking her head.

"Have you bled yet?" The diminutive woman asked. Skylar nodded. The woman waved at the two dark sharps chained to the bars that made up the upper siding of the wagon. "Are they your war-slaves?"

Skylar shook her head. She'd never have slaves. Slavery was a vile institution that had destroyed Africa, invented by white people and a cause of untold misery.

"Did you escape from your master?" The woman asked. Skylar shook her head.

"I'm lost," She whined.

"I cannot understand you. The Gods of your people forbid others from learning your language," Stella said gently.

"I'm an atheist," Skylar said. "Gods aren't real."

Stella stared at the human in front of her. From the way her body looked she realized that the female was little more than a child. Possibly only a few years past her first blood. That put to rest the theory that the Matron had put forth that the girl was a powerful witch-sorceress who preferred to look young.

Skylar's body language, the fear and pain in her voice, all pointed at little more than a child to Stella.

Skylar shrank back from the small woman's burning gaze, afraid that the tiny woman would somehow hurt her, or order others to hurt her.

"I am Stelancia duRestlafut, of the Restlafut Caravan Consortium, and a female of the people sorceress," The tiny woman said. Part of the last sentence sounded odd to Skylar. She had heard the word "Phaelani" but her brain had told her 'female of the people'.

How can I understand what she's saying? What language is she speaking? Two semesters of French, because French guys were so hot, hadn't made it so she didn't even have to think about translating what someone else said. Now she understood the tiny woman as if she'd been raised in the language.

"What is your name?" The small woman asked.

"Skylar Kylee Wintersong," the young woman answered.

Stella shook her head. "Sky-lahr?" She said hopefully.

Skylar nodded at that. "Yes. I'm Skylar. Please let me go. I don't know why you're doing this, why you'd hurt me. I've never done anything to you."

Stella watched the girl's face, watched her carefully speak to avoid the mage-fang from cutting into her mouth.

"I'll have food brought, Skylar. You're probably hungry after expending all that energy. You're barely more than a child," Stella shook her head and moved away.

"Skylar, is that you?" A male voice, a familiar voice asked. It sounded funny, like they were talking while their tongue was sticking out.

"Yes," Skylar said. "Oh please, tell me you can understand me."

"I can," The shadow across from her, on her left, raised one hand, the lights gleaming off the metal manacle around their wrist. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," Skylar said. She began sobbing. "They hurt me. I think we're slaves."

"Did they pierce your tongue too?" The voice asked.

"Yes. It hurts," Skylar sobbed.

"Me too," The one on the right said. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," Skylar sobbed. "I woke up face down in the mud, by a pond. When I tried to find help, a man hit me in the face with a club and I woke up here. I didn't do anything!"

The last part was said in a wail and Skylar began crying harder.

"Don't cry, Skylar," The one on her left said. The voice was familiar, and with a start, Skylar realized who it was.

"Ryder?" Skylar asked.

"Yeah. Me and Jack both," The bad boy, usually clad in a leather jacket and gray jeans, answered her. She wished they were back in school, where Ryder would be hanging out by his locker talking with the other guys who rode motorcycles.

"Are you OK, Jack?" Ryder asked.

"I'm all right," Jack said. "They pierced my tongue though."

"Hashtag me too," Skylar whimpered. "Why, though? We didn't do anything to them."

"They're black. Maybe this is because white people oppressed them for centuries?" Ryder guessed.

Jack turned to stare at his best friend in the darkness. "They aren't human."

"Black people are human," Ryder said. "Don't be racist, jeez."

Jack slumped slightly, curling his tongue to click the ball underneath his tongue against his teeth. He'd started doing that right after it was put in. Yeah, it made the throbbing pain in his tongue flare up, but he wasn't able to stop himself either. "No, Ryder. The people who did this aren't inhuman."

"You're just saying that because they're black," Skylar accused.

Jack slumped further, pushing away the urge to yell at the other two.

Stella chose that moment to climb in the back of the moving wagon, motioning at several other small people, who clambered into the back of the wagon carrying covered bowls.

"They may not know how to use utensils, so be prepared to feed them like children," Stella said.

Skylar's back stiffened at the thought of being fed like a child.

"You need to eat. Your fire will leave you hungry," Stella said, crouching down in front of Skylar. She lifted the lid on the bowl, revealing a thick stew.

The smell made Skylar's stomach rumble, but she stared with horror at the chunks of what was obviously meat floating in with the vegetables, some of the unrecognizable, in the thick broth.

"No, I'm vegan," Skylar tried to protest. She turned her head away when the small woman lifted the spoon in front of her.

"You need to eat, little one," The woman said. She spooned out some of the stew. "You can eat normally or I'll have the men of the people force feed you."

Skylar realized that the woman wasn't joking. That if she didn't eat, the little woman would have the little men pour it down her throat.

"I don't consent to this," Skylar whined.

"Eat," The woman ordered, bringing the spoon back up. Skylar tried to turn her head but one of the men held her still while another pulled her lower lip until she had no choice but to open her mouth. The woman spooned a mouthful of the stew into Skylar's mouth and the one holding her lip put his hand over her mouth and pinched her nose.

Against her will, Skylar swallowed the mouthful of food.

"Please, I'm a vegan," She sobbed.

The little men and the woman didn't care. They fed her two bowls worth the food, finishing it up by giving her some kind of tart fruit juice. They finished off with slices of fruit that was sweet but had a tart aftertaste.

"Rest, for now," The small woman said. "We will be back soon."

Skylar sat crying, wishing she could throw up all the meat she'd been force fed.

Ryder and Jack both stayed silent, humiliated by the way the small people had force fed them. Jack was glad neither of his two companions had seen him. He'd been ravenous, starving, and had eaten it all without being forced to the point they'd given him two bowls with a sweet cookie covered in thick sweet frosting as a dessert.

"Skylar, are you all right?" Ryder asked.

"My lip hurts," Skylar sobbed. "My stomach feels like I'm going to throw up. They force-fed us meat."

The last was said in a half-wail.

Jack kind of wished they'd come back with another bowl. His veganism had more been to do with what Skylar and Ryder were always talking and had only been part of his identity for a year.

But that stew had been delicious, and that meat, when he'd chewed on it, had tasted amazing.

"I can't believe they're violating our rights this way," Skylar sobbed.

Jack looked around, his stomach full made him better, less miserable. He was surprised that after a few seconds of squinting into the darkness it suddenly became bright as daylight, with the lights on the sides of the barges and wagons surrounded by weird pulsing rainbow halos.

Stretching out behind the wagon were massive barges on huge wheels, wagons with six,eight, or more wheels, some with three rows of wheels. Dozens, scores, hundreds of large shaggy beasts plodding through the night.

It's a village, a town, a city on the move, Jack thought. He saw a group of small males swing out a door, onto a platform about a foot off the ground, then step off the platform in kind of a running jog, quickly heading toward another barge.

Whole families are here, Jack thought, looking around. We aren't on Earth any more. Those aren't humans, and I've never tasted food like that or seen animals like the ones pulling the wagons.

"How well can you see?" Jack asked, breaking into Skylar's sobbing and Ryder's attempts to comfort her.

"It's dark. I can't see, you idiot," Skylar snuffled.

"I can't see either, why?" Ryder said.

Jack opened his mouth to ask why they couldn't see, then suddenly shut it. Why could he see as if it was almost daylight and they couldn't?

"Just wondering if anyone could see what's happening," Jack said. He saw that short woman who had supervised everyone getting fed heading toward the wagon.

"I'm scared," Skylar whined. "And my mouth hurts."

"So does mine," Ryder agreed.

Jack clicked the ball underneath his tongue against his teeth, watching the little woman join a group of males heading for the wagon they were on. The men were carrying cloth bundles and Jack wondered what they were for.

"They can't treat us like this, we have rights," Ryder said. "This is illegal."

The woman that had helped captured Jack climbed in, moving in front of Skylar.

"This one first. She's a mage, so take her to my baishin/house," the woman said. She pointed at Jack. "Take him to Matron Oldami," She pointed at Ryder. "Take him to Matron Weeli."

"As you command, Mistress," the oldest of the men said.

Skylar flinched as two little men reached for her, but they put a soft warm blanket around her. She huddled in the blanket, completely miserable, and almost missed that one of them clipped a leash of engraved leather on her collar.

"Please, stop, I never did anything to you," Skylar whimpered. "I supported Black Lives Matter," she sobbed.

Jack just glanced at her, wanting to yell at the girl.

They aren't black people, they aren't African pygmies, they're a race I don't think we've ever come across before, Jack thought to himself as he allowed two of the men to lead him away. He noticed that they each had a leash, preventing him from lunging at one without the other being able to pull him back.

The woman and one of the men pulled Skylar to her feet, leading her to the back of the wagon. They helped her down onto the running board, the nudged her off of it. They stepped off with long practiced ease, moving forward to grab Skylar's elbows and keep her from falling face first into the mud.

"Where are you taking me? I want to go home," Skylar cried as they led her at a brisk pace through the caravan. They passed multiple wagons, sledges, barges, until they came to a large wagon.

"In here, little one," The woman said, stepping up on the running board. Skylar half stumbled up onto it, sobbing.

I just want to go home, she thought.

The woman opened a large door, climbing into interior, and tugged on the leash.

"In here, little one," She repeated.

Skylar was too sunk into her own misery to notice that the doorway was big enough for her to move into, too frightened and exhausted to notice that she was able to stand up easily inside the wagon.

"You may leave, Tharlak," The little woman said.

"Yes, Mistress," the male said. He tossed the end of the leash to the little woman and left, closing the door firmly behind her.

"I did not agree with leaving you in a cattle wagon like an animal," The little woman said, moving about the darkness.

Dim light came on, slowly gaining strength, and Skylar realized she was in a comfortable little home. There were two large chairs, one big enough for her to comfortably sit in, the other for someone with a frame far larger than her's.

"Sit, little one," The woman said, pointing at the chair.

Hugging the blanket around her, Skylar sat down. There was a table in front her that had inlay all over it in swirling patters.

The little woman hooked the leashes to hooks on the roof, then sat down.

"Can you still understand me?" The woman asked.

Skylar nodded.

"All right, little Xue'nghozi. Like I told you before, although you might have forgotten, I am Stelancia duRestlafut, of the Restlafut Caravan Consortium, and a female of the people sorceress," Stella said, picking up her tray with the teapot, warming tile, thick mugs, and the teas. "I am a senior magical researcher and artisan in the caravan and matron of the sorceresses of the caravan."

Skylar frowned.

"Our caravan specializes in luxuries and items of arcane. We often barter, and it is my job to ensure the quality of the magics sold to us," Stella said, picking up a enameled tea infuser and opening it. "I have blue snow-tea, hopefully it will make you a bit comfortable."

Skylar sniffled, wiping her nose on the blanket's edge, as Stella measured out tea leaves and put them in the infuser. She lifted the lid on the tea-pot, poured in water, then tapped a rune. The inlay on the hexagon tile lit up, along with the inlaid metal on the bottom of the enameled tea-pot. She dropped in the infuser, then closed the tea-pot.

Skylar just watched, her tongue still hurting and her stomach queasy from having been forced to eat meat.

"You need a name," Stella said softly.

"I have a name," Skylar said. "My name is Skylar Kylee Wintersong," She said, wincing as the bulb on the bottom of her tongue piercing clicked against her teeth.

"Pick one of your names, hold up your hand, and say it, little one," Stella said.

"Skylar," the girl said, holding up her hand.

"Sky-lahr," Stella said slowly. "Sky-lahr," She nodded. "Skylar."

Skylar nodded. "Kylee."

"Kye-Lee," Stella said.

"Wintersong," Skylar smiled.

"Wind-tar-sahng," Stella said.

"Skylar Kylee Wintersong," Skylar stated, pointing at herself.

"Is that the name your mother gave you when you left the womb?" Stella asked.

Skylar nodded. Of course it was.

"Do not tell any other that name. You should not have told me," Stella said, shaking her head. "Names have power."

Skylar frowned.

Stella sighed, shaking her head. "You don't believe me."

Skylar shook her head. The little woman covered her mouth, whispering just quietly enough that Skylar couldn't hear, then held out her index finger. She stuck out her tongue, a tiny glimmering spark on the tip, and exhaled. The spark floated to the tip of the woman's extended fingernail.

"Skylar Kylee Wintersong," the woman whispered.

The spark lifted up, drifting into the air, faintly pulsing. Skylar watched it rise up, wondering how the woman had done it. There had to be some kind of trick to it, perhaps something she had in her mouth that glowed when...

The spark shot down, hitting Skylar in the chest. Skylar's stomach suddenly cramped, almost doubling her over, and she realizing she had a bad case of gas. Skylar looked up, gritting her teeth, trying to hold back the gas.

It didn't work, and Skylar felt humiliated as she passed gas.

Stella nodded. "I did that to you. Because I know your name. You could be two worlds away, in a fortified demense, behind arcane protections, and I could do it again whenever I want," Stella told her. "I could do that... or worse."

Skylar nodded, wincing as she passed gas again.

Stella looked at her. "I will give you a name for you to carry for a bit, until you feel ready to name yourself or you earn a name somehow."

Skylar nodded, still holding onto her stomach.

"Oh, sorry," Stella said. She snapped her fingers and clicked her tongue and the intestinal pain Skylar was suffering vanished. Stella stared as Skylar. "Hmm, what do you think of 'Snow-Peach'?" Stella asked with a grin.

Skylar rolled her eyes, then shook her head. That was a dumb name.

"Yup, you are not from around here," Stella said, giggling, noticing that the girl didn't understand or know about the lewd connotations such a name would have had. She sighed, tapping her fingers on the table. "Skylee is close enough to your name, but it's far enough to protect you."

"Skylee?" Skylar asked. "But I like my name."

Stella nodded. "Yes, Skylee. You'll earn or decide upon another name later," Stella shook her head. "First thing, though, is we need to get you cleaned up and dry."

The smaller woman stood up, sighing, putting her hands against her lower back to pop her spine. When she was done she moved over to the clothes rack next to a stove. As Skylar watched, shocked, the small woman just undressed, removing her dress and panties, hanging them up. She stretched, scratched her butt, then put her hand on the top of the stove. Stella whispered a few words and an intricate glowing pattern spread out across the top of the stove.

Skylar could feel the heat now pouring from it as the small woman turned around.

"You're still streaked with mud even after being out in the rain," Stella said, shaking her head. "Well, let's get you cleaned up."

Skylar sat silent, trying not to look at the small naked woman, as she heated up two basins, adding something she poured from a small gourd to one. She lifted her hands, the glowing patterns spreading under her skin, and as Skyalr watched the two basins lifted up. The woman moved forward, concentrating, and set them softly down on the table in front of Skylar.

"Wash your hair. That's shampoo, if you have that at home, already in that one. Rinse with that one," Stella said. She turned away. "I'm hungry again, so I'm going to heat up a quick snack. I'll make enough for you. When you're done washing your hair, I'll get more water and you can clean off."

Skylar did as she was told, afraid the other woman would hurt her, still trying to hug the blanket close as she washed her hair in the basin. The water the small woman had poured the liquid into lathered up on her scalp, but washed out easily.

Skylar was surprised at how soft and full it left her hair feeling.

Stella simply brought up those glowing lines, moved her hand, and moved the water from the basins out the window, then refilled them from the tap.

"There's rain barrels on the roof. I use Alben filters, so you aren't going to get any grit or mold," Stella said, sitting back down and nibbling on what looked like a big cinnamon roll with meat baked into it.

Skylar figured the small woman was so plump because of how she was constantly snacking, but waved away any attempt at to give her any food.

I'm a vegan, I'm not eating that, Skylar said, wrinking her nose when Stella offered again.

Stella sighed, leaning back on her soft reclining cushion. Either the girl would eat, or Stella would have her force fed again. She was too skinny, lacking the reserves she'd need to work any serious magic without harming herself.

"Wash your entire body, or I will wash you like a child, Skylee," Stella ordered.

Skylar flinched, knowing the woman would do so. She pushed the blanket off, standing up slowly, and began washing with the wash rag, the soap, and the basins. The little woman's stare made her very nervous but she tried to ignore it as she cleaned herself.

"Clean your peach," Stella said, pointing at Skylar's crotch. "You might have mud in it."

Skylar flushed, looking away from the little woman as she followed instructions. She knew how to take care of herself, she didn't need some tiny stranger telling her what to do. She burned with humiliation as Stella inspected her after she was done bathing. When she tried to push the little woman away when Stella tried to check her privates the little woman put her hand on Skylar's stomach and knocked her backwards with a jolt of electricity. Skylar wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that Stella examined her like Skylar was at the gynecologist or that the tiny woman was completely naked while she did so.

Stella stood up, washing her hands. "Are you mature for your people, Skylee?"

Skylar nodded, swallowing down her disgust and the feeling of being violated.

"I have seen other Xue'nghozi, you look immature compared to them," Stella mused, sitting back down on the cushion. "Have you been taught to dry yourself with your power?"

Skylar shook her head and Stella got up, walking over to Skylar. She held out her hands. "Relax, it will tingle slightly, might tickle, but it will not harm you."

Skylar wanted to flinch away after the way the smaller woman had violated but she gathered her courage and took the small woman's tiny hands. The woman started to glow and Skylar gasped. The light spread across Stella's body, then down her arms and into Skylar's arms. She could feel the heat building inside, and watched as the water began evaporating off of her skin. She felt her hair heat up, then lift slightly. After a moment Stella stepped back, nodding.

"You're dry, but your hair needs braided," Stella said. She moved over to one of the little doors, opening it and removing a cushion. She set it down in front of the big cushion, then sat down and patted the other cushion. "Sit down, Skylee, and I'll braid your hair."

Skylar moved over carefully, afraid of getting shocked again, sitting down.

"You say you are mature, but you do not look as such to my eyes," Stella mused, picking up a comb and beginning to comb out Skylar's hair. "Your hair is luxurious and a small part of me is jealous of it."

Skylar didn't say anything, just sat there quietly.

"You are obviously used to luxury and caring for yourself, which is good," Stella said, her little fingers deftly weaving Skylar's head. "Your skin is soft, unmarked. You are pale of skin, the sun has never scorched your skin. You are obviously a pampered and valued little girl."

They were both silent for a long while Stella kept braiding and weaving Skylar's head. She poured two cups of tea, one for herself and one for Skylar.

"Drink, it'll make it easier to sleep," Stella said. "I wish you could remember how you came to be buried in the mud by that old quarry," Stella said after a long while. She went still. "Skylee?"

"Yes?" Skylar felt warm, fuzzy, ready to curl up somewhere and go to sleep.

"Were you killed?" Stella asked. "Were you in the Halls of the Dead and somehow escaped?"

"No," Skylar said. "I was at home and then I was here, in the mud."

"Hold still," Stella said, tugging at the braid she was weaving. "That could be what happened. You could have been killed eons ago, perhaps during the War of Ascension and somehow returned to your body."

"That makes no sense. Once you're dead, you're dead. There is no afterlife, no nothing," Skylar said.

Stella ignored her, talking to herself more than the young girl she was grooming. "With the chaos of the Lich King War, the gate between the afterlife and the Six Worlds may not have been guarded. You and your two friends may have slipped through it."

Skylar sighed. Great, the woman was superstitious and still believed in religion. Didn't she understand that it was proven that God didn't exist? Her people were backwards and primitive...

Skylar flushed, as she realized that the little woman was probably part of a marginalized group, and Skylar was acting like her culture wasn't relevant and was somehow beneath her own.

Skylar sighed to herself. She'd just sit here, sip the tea, and let the woman do what she was doing.

She hoped that the little woman wasn't giving her a hairdo from her own culture, Skylar didn't approve of cultural appropriation.

I wonder if Ryder and Jack are going through this?