39

It doesn’t take much to wake her. You shake her by the shoulders a little roughly and she stirs to life, a hand immediately going to the back of her head. The bump must be hurting.

Only once you’re both standing and the still cool morning breeze hits you does she realize her state. She yelps and covers herself with her hands, stark naked, what remained of her rags falling to the ground as she shakes in embarrassment.

“We’d better get back to your farm...” you offer, but she cuts you off.

“Lead the way. Don’t look at me.”

The undergrowth ahead has thinned, and there is an end to the wild woodland only a few yards away, so you have the time to let your thoughts wander. You picture the girl behind you naked, preferably not covering herself, full breasts hanging free and jiggling as she walks along. You both escaped certain **** at the hands of some unknown beast; what better time to celebrate, and what better way than to do a little harmless rutting?

You emerge in front of a field, and, on the girl’s initiative crawl under the fence to cross directly back to the footpath. This is some of her father’s – or hers at present – land.

Upon arrival at the farm the girl immediately goes into the main house to fetch clothes for herself, bidding you wait outside. You’ve never seen such a huge establishment. Just within line of sight there are at least three barns, a dozen little sheds, several tiny pens, and the shield wall built of prismatic rocks. The main house itself is as big as a barn for the cows would have been back home. You wonder how just three people, the girl, her father and brother, could possibly have run this place on their own. they must have been formidable men. She is certainly formidable herself.

The girl returns, fully dressed, and carrying a bundle for you. Additionally she offers to let you stay the night, if you help her run the farm today, and also get the message to her uncle in the city about what has happened, tomorrow. You’re not sure. On the one hand you like the idea of lingering here in her presence, but there is also a wild man-killing beast on the loose to consider.

“My beasts need tending, at least for today!” she says in response to your objections, “too much of the morning has gone by already, I need to get what’s left to do done.”

If you wish to stay and help, turn to 201. If you prefer to make yourself scarce as quickly as possible, but offer to immediately visit her uncle and ask for help from him, turn to 41.