Screaming like a stuck mynock.

They don't get much of a chance. From a group of trees nearby, a small child comes running through, heading for the glowing woman. She turns towards him slightly, the lights that make up her face shifting slightly to appear sharper and more aquiline.

He's about a metre from her when another voice rings out: "Lyman!" He stops abruptly, as an older boy, in his early teens, runs up to him and lightly nudges him back.

The older boy pads past him, wrapping his rather oversized coat around himself tightly, and extends a hand out towards the woman. She pauses, before reaching down to take it. The boy goes pale for a moment, and looks rather like he might collapse, and then the blue lights that make up a woman flare suddenly amber, as the song stops and the woman loses her form, spiralling out into individual lights. A moment later, they go dark.

Lyman, having apparently noticed something new that's interesting, goes running towards Guppy, Teja and Kate.

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Guppy doesn't get the chance to explain to Kate that... hell, that trip was hard at times. He's glad he was able to be there for the others, but the first time he killed someone not just a zombie is not exactly a moment he's proud of.

"Ask me later, I'll tell you anything you want to know." he says, then stops, watching the scene.

"That's Atton." he says quietly, recognising the older boy immediately from his time in the bar. "He's called Jaq at this age."

As Lyman approaches, he crouches down slightly to be on his level.

"Hey there, I'm a doctor, my name is Guppy. Is your brother okay?"

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ostro_goth

"So we are too early," Teja says, "or is this a vision again?"

But the boy seems able to see them.

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Kate nodded at the sight of the boy. She definitely was going to grill Guppy and Will later. It hurt a little that he didn't tell, but it hurt more than even Will was quiet about it.

"I met him too. Got him some food. Weird, looks like this is the past."

Time travel was such a headache.

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Nearby, Jaq turns to look at them, eyes momentarily bright and amber, before he starts rubbing at them.
"Ow, ow, ow." When he's done rubbing them, they're grey again, if a little bloodshot.

Lyman peers at Guppy with a mildly bemused expression. Then at Teja. Then at Kate. It's possible he has no idea what they're talking about.

"Lyman, gytej," Jaq calls, wandering over. Lyman hurries back over to his side as Jaq sizes up the three. "You're offworlders." It's a little awkward, as if he's not quite accustomed to speaking Basic.

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Hm, Guppy's going to enjoy that conversation... well, he won't run away from it, but she's definitely going to have to find him to initiate that.

He puts the stun gun away; this could still be a vision, but if not, he needs the boys to trust him for a moment. He hopes the others stay armed.

"Yes, we mean no harm." he says. "Can you tell us the way to the nearest town or village please?"

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ostro_goth

Teja re-sheathes his sahs. He will not threaten a child.

"We are too early," he says.

Many years to early.

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"Why we gotta be careful. No butterfly stepping," Kate remarked in an aside, trying not to let the boys overhear that part.

She then stepped forward with a warm smile, "We're a little lost, and could use the help."

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"There's a settlement down the hill," Jaq says, reaching over to hold Lyman in place as he tries to wander off. "But the nearest city with a spaceport is ages away. How long have you been travelling?"

Teja's sahs do get an interested look from Jaq. He is fond of shiny things.

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"About five minutes." Guppy says. "We came through an interdimentional portal."

He watches Jaq carefully; it's not a good time to be pickpocketed right now.

"Is there any transport we could get at the settlement to get to the spaceport?"

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ostro_goth

"We're in the wrong time," Teja says. "Much too early. So even if we get there: - would we find what we came for?"

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"We'll just have to deal until we can get back somehow. Guess this explains why A wasn't with us."

Kate gave a glance at Guppy, unsure if the portal part should be mentioned. He didn't seem to recognize them.

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Guppy is given an extremely flat look from Jaq, one that manages to convey depths of unspoken sarcasm and disbelief.

Lyman, having no idea what they're saying, just looks bewildered

Chirpily, from Jaq: "If we stand around here, eventually more snow wraiths are going to come. Or wolves."

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ostro_goth

"I fear not the wolves," Teja says. "But a snow wraith -- what is that? Was that woman one of those?"

Pause.

"We will gladly follow you, and reward you for getting us on our way."

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Guppy nods, following Teja's lead on this one. He's not sure whether this is a younger version of the Atton they know, or a different version entirely - he remembers vaguely something about Atton being kept underground as a child.

"Best get moving then."

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Kate nodded, and agreed, "Lead the way."

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"That thing there was a snow wraith, yes. The wolves are worse than them - the snow wraiths are just swarms of insects. They drain heat out of people and animals, which is pretty nasty, but they're telepathically linked with a shared mind, so you can kill them pretty easily by severing their links. The wolves are huge, though."

Jaq walks as he talks, dragging Lyman along as he moves through the forest.

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ostro_goth

"How large?" Teja asks. "Would you need help in carrying the smaller boy?"

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"We should keep armed then." Guppy says.

"Did the wraith hurt you?" he asks Jaq.

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"I think between the group of us, we can handle the wolves. Least a few of them."

Kate glanced around and added, "How much further?"

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"A little further through the forest, and then down the hill," Jaq says, without looking round. "I'm fine. The wolves are bigger than most people, but they don't usually come too close to the settlement."

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ostro_goth

"Those would be quite big wolves," Teja says. "But I have my fold-up naginata with me, as well as the sahs."

Pause.

"With the right sort of weapon, nothing is too big."

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"Godzilla would be." Guppy points out, before he realises Teja probably hasn't heard of Godzilla.

"Kate, are you getting cold?"

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