The Birth (part two)

It has been almost a week since I first found myself transported to this cursed town called Tristram. During this time I have met and talked to a few of the people in this town and no one knows how I came to be here or why I am here. Oh, they have no end of ideas as to how this situation I am in came about and why I am here… but no one really knows. Save perhaps one person. Some one who is also new to this town: Odgen’s just born daughter. I know not why I feel that she knows, I just know that is how I feel. (if that makes and sense at all).

I had been in town only a few moments when I realized that I was not going to wake up (if this was a dream) anytime soon and I had better find a place to stay. And what better place than Odgen’s Tavern? I knew without checking that I had 100 gold in my pack. This was the amount that a new player started the Diablo game with. And as I seemed to be inside the game somehow, I knew how much local currency I had. So, after thanking Griz for his help and begging my leave of the others gathered around me (assuring them that I was OK) I headed for Odgen’s.

The place was just buzzing with the news of the birth of the new baby as I stepped into the tavern. You could hear snips of conversation from all sides as the patrons discussed the new arrival (not me that is). No one noticed me at all as I came through the door and sat down at the nearest table. I looked around and was amazed to see the wide variety of people here… there were the expected warriors, rogues, and mages. No doubt on their way to seek their fortune (but more likely their deaths) in the desecrated church or perhaps the catacombs or caves below the town. But there were also traders, gypsies, and all sorts of peoples here that were not mentioned in the game at all! “This is just soooooo real.” I whispered to myself. “What is happening to me?”

A barmaid came up and asked if I wanted any food or drink. I asked for some water and also asked her if any rooms were available. She said that there was one room left and if I wanted it I should take it now. The cost was two golds a night. I took out two coins and giving it to her she told me the location of my room and handed me a key. After she had walked away I continued to look around me and think about this really strange situation I found myself in.

The barmaid returned soon with my water and as I now knew the cost of my room I ordered some food to eat. “Um… what is there to eat today?” I asked her. She looked at me and I noticed for the first time that she had a slight scar under her left check and that she was quite beautiful. Long blonde hair, winsome figure and no end to those legs… “but I bet she is just an air head” I thought, jealous of her beauty.

I had had people tell me that I was beautiful. But I knew that they were just being polite… I had seen myself for 18 yrs. now, and I knew I was NOT beautiful.

“Well” she said, “We have stew, bread and cheese. We also have some mutton left, I think.”

“I’ll take the stew.” I said handing her a gold coin. She smiled and said that she would be back in just a moment.

After I had finished my meal, I headed for my room. I needed time to be alone and try to figure this all out. What time was it at home? What did mom and dad think when I did not show up at home after school? I had decided that this was indeed a real place that I now found myself in, not a dream. It just felt so real. I had never had a dream like this and I knew that my imagination could not make up something like this to happen to me…

I got to my room and closed the door behind me, thankful for the stout lock on the door. I knew that I would need to be on my guard at all times, this was Tristram after all! My room was sparsely furnished. A clean bed, a small worn table with a basin of water and a rag on it. And a bedside table. I placed my bow and quiver on the hook on the wall and my sword on the floor below them. Laid down on the bed and before my head had landed on the pillow I was asleep!

I awoke some short time later (I thought), amazed that I had fallen asleep so quickly. I felt refreshed and ready to look around. During my sleep I must have decided that all would be ok, because I was not worried in the least about my former life. I already felt at home here and was ready to go back out into Trisrtam. As I stepped out of my room (locking the door behind me) I faintly heard a baby crying. “The Baby.” I thought. “I should go and see her. After all, I may be here for a while and no need for my new townsfolk to think me rude and ill- mannered.”

Maybe I could help the new parents somehow…

I followed the baby’s crying around the corner from my room and down the candle lit hallway. I stopped at the door before me and hesitated a moment before lightly knocking on the door. An elderly woman opened the door and looked at me with an “I have been up all night and you are…?” look in her eyes. I looked over her shoulder and saw a small room, clean and already smelling of a baby.

“Hi. My name’s Cassandra and I thought that maybe I could help wit the new baby. I’ve baby-sat for years and I know what to do.” I smiled at her and just tried to let her know that I was sincere and could be trusted. I really did not know why that I was doing this. This was really not like me at all. Just to go up to strangers, introduce myself and ask if they needed my help.

“Please, come in.” She said. “I don’t believe that I have seen you before, Cassandra.”

“Oh, I’m new in town.” I replied, still smiling.

The moment I walked into the room the baby stopped crying. “Well, I can see that baby here has decided for me. I would love for you to stay and help me. Ogden had to go back to work today. After all it has been three days since the baby was born.”

…Three days? That means that I slept for about two days! I could not believe it….

“And his wife is still not felling well, it was a long and hard labor, you know. By the way my name is Sara. I am Odgen’s mother. And Cassandra I am just ever so glad that you came by today.” She smiled warmly at me and I instantly liked her. I walked over to the baby and turning back around to Sara I said “ Oh I am very glad to meet you too, and what a beautiful baby! What is her name?”

“Oh, Ogden and Clare (that’s his wife’s name, by the way) have not decided on a name for this sweet girlie as yet. I just love the name Vistah, that was my grandmother’s name you know, but they will not hear of it. They said that the right name will come to them soon enough.”

“May I pick her up?’ I asked. “Please do,” Sara said “ I need to run downstairs for a minute and I just hate to leave her with no one to hold her. Oh, I trust you even though I just meet you. I have learned in my years that I should trust my feelings. Never have they done me wrong. And I have such a good feeling about you.”

‘Why, thank you” I said. Feeling a blush rise on my checks. I picked up the baby and looking down at her sweet small face, I instantly fell in love. Such a sweet and wonderful child!

“Now she has just been fed, and needs some lovin’ to help her go to sleep. Clare is asleep in the next room there and I will just be a moment…” she said as she picked up a small package and stepped towards the door. “ Bye now, sweetie. Granny will be back soon.” She said to the baby and waving to me she walked out the door.

I looked about the room for a moment and spying a very inviting rocker, I walked to it and sat down. "My, but I had no idea that I would be sitting here rocking such a sweet baby. You’re Grandmother certainly does decide things in a hurry.” The baby looked at me and I could swear that she understood every word I had said. “Well, aren’t you the bright one.” I laughed at her and smiled. I brought her close to me and humming a song from my own childhood began to slowly rock back and forth.

“WOW. I was asleep for two days.” I still could not believe it. I then began to tell this small and new bundle of joy in my arms all about my life and how I found myself here in Tristram. She looked at me the whole time and when I got to the part where the hand had come out of the picture to drag me into this world, she reached out her hand and touched my arm! A shiver ran through me at the touch and I had such an insane idea that it had been this baby’s hand that had reached out of the picture. But that was REALLY crazy. I mean all of this was weird, but that had been a grown woman’s hand that had grabbed me, not a baby’s.

The baby’s eyes were filled with such an intelligence that I had never seen before. No wonder that they had not named her yet. This was a very special baby and she would need a very special name. The perfect name…

We sat and rocked for a few minutes just looking at each other. That was when I … felt … if that is the word, that she was trying to talk to me. I had such a feeling that this three day old baby was trying to tell me something that I stopped rocking and brought her face up very close to mine. She reached out both hands and lightly touched each side of my face and smiled at me! With her hands still touching my face I got the sure knowledge that she did ideed know why I was here and that there was indeed some grand purpose to my being brought here to Tristram…

To be continued…