Jenn wasn't sure which was worse. Having to leave right after getting something to eat, but before she was able to eat it, or having to deal with Shirley's constant tirade about her brother sleeping with and getting married to a woman so much older than him.
With how Shirley was going on, Jenn had a feeling she didn't realize a good amount of the culture of her people and how things actually worked with them. While Jenn didn't understand everything, she knew that she was learning and it was likely only a matter of time before she started to grasp things that she found confusing right then.
The only blessing that Jenn could think of about where they currently were was that they were about to reach the other settlement, which meant that Shirley would be able to complain to Rick himself rather than anyone around her who would even give a pretense of listening to her. Which Jenn had to admit, if only to herself, that she was guilty of that at the start. Though, she wasn't sure if she really was paying attention to Shirley now because she wanted to or if it was just because sometimes the volume she'd complain with just got so loud it was impossible to not pay attention.
As they entered through the only entrance, Jenn had to wonder if the guards for this settlement had been aware of their approach for a while. She wouldn't be surprised if they had been wondering to themselves who it was that was making such a racket. Although, if they didn't, then Jenn would have to wonder to herself if there was something wrong with their ears.
Waiting with the guards was Rick, making Jenn wonder if he'd been waiting because he could hear Shirley's voice or if he'd had business with the guards that merely made it a coincidence that he was there when they arrived.
Regardless of which it was, Jenn felt immense relief that she could pass Shirley off on him, not caring if it made her heartless or not with how tired she was about to drop Shirley off on Rick and quickly leave. Jenn was more concerned about how loud Shirley, and maybe Rick, would get when airing her grievances with him. After all, it wasn't something that Jenn wanted to be present for if things turned out like that. As Shirley had proven that she could get rather loud when she wasn't happy about the way things were with her younger brother and Jenn doubted it would end just so easily because she was talking with that same brother. All she expected was that whatever heated emotions had been troubling her up to this point would rise to the surface and probably create more of a scene that she had overheard Jeliup talking about before she started listening to Shirley.
"Rick," Jenn called out, drawing his attention to them. "I found someone who I'm sure you'd like to talk to." Though Jenn wondered why she bothered adding that last statement with how loud Shirley had been. She would have been shocked if Rick hadn't already been aware of her presence.
"Shirley!" Rick called back as Jenn and the rest of her entourage entered the forest settlement.
Jenn couldn't help but sigh. She really needed to come up with actual names for the settlements. As all she had started doing now was calling them the 'mountain settlement' and the 'forest settlement' almost making their location as part of their names. At least if she couldn't think of better names for them, at least.
"Rick!" Shirley called out after looking confused for a moment, making Jenn wonder if she'd been so focused on her complaints that she actually hadn't realized they had reached their destination. Though, she could literally see the relief the rest of her entourage had about Shirley's tirade end finally.
However, that relief was short lived when Shirley turned her ire directly on Rick. Though, Jenn hadn't expected her to lash out so quickly, as she could tell that she didn't have even a chance to talk with the guards before Shirley started laying into Rick, making her opinions about his love life known to everyone in the forest settlement before they'd had a chance to even inform Rick of why they were there.
"You have some nerve hooking up with a predator like that," Shirley informed Rick, his expression going from being pleased to see her to confusion to annoyance in a matter of seconds.
"Who I date is of no concern of yours," Rick snapped, making Jenn wonder if they had these exchanges before.
Though, she quickly made her way further into the settlement, figuring she should talk with Rick about what they were doing here in the morning. When it was likely that whatever problem was going on between the two would be over one way or another, simply because Jenn doubted that they'd be able to keep arguing all night like that.
"I'm your older sister! It's my job to look out for you and keep you from doing things that would hurt you!"
"And I've told you before that I like who I like. Just because they like me isn't a reason for you to get jealous that you can't find someone of your own who would put up with you!"
Jenn wasn't sure if she really should be listening to their argument as she made it look like she was headed towards the building where she had made her home when she'd stayed in this settlement originally rather than wondering where the food was in this settlement. Although, it was difficult not to with how loud they were being, as even as she walked away, she could hear them clearly as if she had stayed next to them. Which also made her wonder if the entire settlement was going to get a front row seat to their family squabble. Especially considering the fact that they were being so loud that Jenn was pretty sure the entire settlement could hear their argument, whether they cared to or not.
"That has nothing to do with this! I'm concerned about you and I wouldn't expect you'd understand with how you're always like this!"
"It does concern this! You not being able to get a guy who'd put up with how controlling you get is why you're so upset that I found someone who was willing to marry me in this world!"
"If you're going to be like that, we'll just see what mom and dad have to say about it when we get back!"
Jenn suddenly realized that both of the siblings were screaming at each other in English. She wasn't sure if they'd been doing that from the start of it or if they slipped into speaking in English during the course of the few words they'd exchanged up to this point, but Jenn realized that while the whole settlement would get a front row seat to the argument, they wouldn't be able to understand a word of it. Almost like watching a show or movie in foreign language without subtitles.
As Jenn tried to leave, a hand on her shoulder stopped her, making her turn to see a guard who was eyeing Rick and Shirley uneasily. Jenn also wasn't sure why the guard had stopped her, but she had a feeling this was one of her people who knew that she was the Blue Rose.
"Are you sure about not trying to stop them? What if this woman tries to hurt Rick?"
Jenn did her best to give the guard a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about that. They're brother and sister and I'm confident it won't result in it turning to blows or even weapons being drawn. Although, if she does draw a weapon, you have my permission to subdue her. If it doesn't reach that point, let them get it out of their systems. I don't know how long that'll be, but I'm sure they'll eventually reach that point."
The way the guard looked at Jenn made her feel bad about leaving her there with the two siblings. She doubted the guard wanted to be around Rick or Shirley with their screaming at each other, but Jenn didn't want to be around them either and she had a feeling that neither of them would budge an inch and move the argument somewhere else. Even though it likely would be just as loud as it was now as if they held the argument anywhere else.
Plus, it wasn't like anywhere else in the settlement would make them any quieter, but Jenn hoped that they'd run out of steam quickly. Not to mention she was hoping that there'd be food around that she'd be able to eat. Especially since they'd planned on getting dinner at this settlement, even if they had to get some from the food storage.
Besides, Jenn had a feeling that now would be the best time to get something to eat, as everyone else would be distracted by the problem going on between the two siblings, meaning she'd be more likely to avoid any line that may or may not be around the food by the time she got there.
_
When Ralph walked through the gate, he was shocked at what had changed.
He imagined Beth probably had felt the same way, but it was still something that made him wonder if he'd made a wrong turn somewhere and entered the wrong gate.
He could feel Lily looking at him, as if asking him a question that he couldn't interpret. He saw his friends move on, but he felt rooted to where he stood for reasons he couldn't quite explain.
Though, eventually the shock wore off and he felt like he could move again, but at the same time, wondered what other changes would be present for them to find on this world.
As Ralph followed his friends, he looked around, surprised at how much construction was going on, how stones were being cut into shape and wood was cut into planks and beams.
It was clear it was the middle of the work day for these people and Ralph couldn't help but feel like he was somehow interrupting them just by watching.
Everywhere he looked, women were busy doing the construction while children played, under the watchful eye of some of the men while other men were busy doing laundry, sweeping, and other domestic chores. While it felt like it could easily be a scene drawn for a history book, Ralph couldn't help but feel like they were witnessing something that was being built that was the start of something beyond anything he could imagine.
Although, if it was the men who were doing the building and the women who were watching the children and domestic chores, he thought it'd something that he'd find more comfortable. As it was really something so far outside of what he knew to be 'normal' that it was almost like he was in a show like the Twilight Zone or the Outer Limits.
If he was there by himself, he doubted he'd be able to go anywhere without walking back through the gate and returning to the world they'd just come from to continue the search for the griffin canyon.
Mostly because it was such a stark reminder of how different the culture of these people were from what he was used to. Maybe if he spent a few years around these people, he might get used to scenes like this, but at the same time he wasn't sure he really wanted to.
The only consolation for him was that once they were done with finding the griffin canyon that they wouldn't have to worry about coming back here. As there wasn't anything that would keep him from returning, since there wasn't anything here that would be a draw for him.
"Hold it!" a voice commanded, drawing Ralph's attention, turning to see who was speaking and to whom.
Before him was a woman with dark green hair and an eye patch over one of her eyes approaching, looking like she was getting ready to start a fight.
Ralph glanced around, unsure who she was walking so purposefully towards, but with a sinking suspicion that he and his friends were the target of her anger. Which seemed to almost radiate from her like force that Ralph could almost touch.
"Is something wrong?" Tim asked, stepping forward, as if he might be able to stem the woman with reason.
"Yes, something's wrong. Where did all of you learn about that gate? What intentions do you have for this place?" the woman spat, looking like she was already drawing her own conclusions that weren't painting Ralph and his friends in a very favorable light.
"Um, we learned about it because we-" Amelia started to say, but the woman cut her off.
"I don't want to hear your excuses!" the woman snarled, sounding like her initial questions were rhetorical. Making Ralph feel a little uneasy about what was going to happen. Especially with how the woman had a few armed women behind her, their hands on their weapons.
"If you don't want us to answer your questions, why'd you ask them?" Ralph heard someone say and it took him a minute to realize that it was his voice asking the flippant question, making him feel like he was about to be killed with how the woman then looked at him.
"What my friend meant was you asked us questions but already decided what we were going to say wasn't worth hearing, which means you've already decided what the answers were going to be," Hannah said, much more diplomatically than Ralph would have phrased it. Especially with her using a much softer tone than his flippant tone had been.
"I saw all of you walk through the gate and you don't have the look of someone who's passed through it for the first time. Nor do I recognize you, so I hae to assume that you're here looking for escaped slaves, aren't you?"
Ralph couldn't help but feel like things were starting to spiral out of control, especially with how a few of the women had already drawn their weapons while others continued to gather around. Even the construction had halted with everyone watching the events that Ralph found himself in the center of. Even as he wished he was anywhere else right at that moment.
He could feel Lily hiding behind him, making him wonder if the trust she'd put in him was about to be shattered when she realized that he wasn't going to be able to protect her. Not against so many people at once.
As even with his friends, he doubted that they'd be able to hold off so many indefinitely. At least without killing any of them, and he was pretty sure that if they killed even one of them, that the rest would start going for blood themselves, if they didn't start off that way.
"So, what are you saying then?" Tim asked. "Are you suggesting that you've decided the reason for us showing up here without us having said anything?"
The woman shook her head, looking disgusted. "Your attempts to-" she started to say when a young girl called out to her.
"Riewis! You know what Tchisa said about trying to stop people who haven't done anything to us!"
Ralph wasn't sure who the girl was or why Riewis glared at her while taking her hand away from her sword. "She's not here and I have a duty to protect this settlement."
"If you're that convinced they're up to no good, then just take them into custody and hold them in the central building," the girl said, clear and loud enough that Ralph was able to make out what she said, even if he didn't fully understand exactly what she meant by 'central building'.
Riewis growled but didn't say anything. She just motioned to those behind her and several women surrounded Ralph and his friends, one indicating which building they were expected to head towards, which was the only one that had two stories on it. Which also made Ralph wonder why he'd even wondered which building the 'central building' was. As it was clear just by its height and the way the roads were made that it was an important place here.
Ralph felt a little relieved when his friends didn't offer any more statements, as he had a feeling it wouldn't help them right now and probably would only make their situation worse, even though he wasn't quite sure how that would be possible right then. At least not without them taking hostile action against the others, that is.
Though, when they entered the building, Ralph couldn't help but feel a little relief from the sun, which seemed to be brighter than the sun on the other world. Although, he suspected that it was more because the other side of the gate had a mist that kept the sun from shining directly on them, which also muted the light a little, making this sun seem all the brighter.
When the women who brought them in took positions around the room, Ralph took that to mean that they weren't going to make them move anywhere else. At least for the foreseeable future.
However, as he looked around, about ready to sit on the floor, he was stunned when he saw a familiar face: Embris.
Ralph quickly glanced at his friends and was a little surprised to see that he was the first to have noticed her. Even Hesha, Cinder, and Feon hadn't noticed her. Although, judging by Embris' expression, she'd noticed Feon and Cinder and had recognized her.
Embris looked torn, almost like something was holding her back from rushing over to her sister. Though, Ralph wasn't sure what to make of it.
As he looked around, he had a feeling no one else had noticed Embris' reaction, but eventually he saw his friends take notice of her. Ralph wasn't sure if he should speed matters along, but when Cinder saw Embris, that choice was taken out of his hands when he called out, "Embris! I didn't know you were here!"
Ralph could only chuckle as those around them glanced at Embris, whose face was turning red from being the center of attention for a moment. Though, his attention turned to Lily as he felt her tug on his arm.
He leaned down to her, wondering what she wanted, when he heard her speak again.
"Mama."