Katie slipped out of bed as the door closed behind Brigid and padded over to the drawers. It wasn't cold, but mildly warm in the room, so the fire place was prepared, but not lit. She slipped off the nighty and folded it up, placing it next to the dress. She touched the shimmering fabric for a moment before picking it up and slipping it over her head. It felt silky and warm on her skin. She slipped her arms through the sleeves, which were loose and fell to her mid upper arm.

"This is too weird," she muttered to herself as she tied the ribbon like a sash round her waist, "First the scary school, then Ghost, then changing. Now portals and poof a new world?" she looked up at the shuttered window, gazing at it as if it were open, "I wonder if this is a new world. Maybe its just a secluded part of Earth. With cat people?" she shook her head, "I hope the guys are alright," she felt tears whell up in her eyes as she thought of Diago, but she swept them away with the back of her hand and swallowed the urge to cry. Running her fingers through her hair, she adjusted the dress slightly, then opened the door and left the room. The smell of baking bread and what smelt like stew hit her and her mouth watered. She closed her door and noticed she was in a narrow hallway with a set of spiral stairs at the other end of it. She walked past four more doors then came to the stairs, which she descended, noticing the intricate carving on the banister. Turning down the corkscrew, she came straight into a medium sized kitchen, looking like it had come from medievil britain. A large old fashion oven dominated one wall, while various wooden cupboards surround it on the same level or up on the walls. A sink with a pump tap was on another wall and a large tub next to it which was fully of laundry waiting to be washed. A large black pot and a kettle stood on the oven, one bubbling, the other just begining to whistle. There was an unlit fireplace here as well and a six seater table stood in the middle of the kitchen, surrounded by six chairs. Three of them were occupied. Katie approached shyly as a middle aged male Neko looked up at her from scrolls he had been studying and nodded, the same gentle look in his eyes as his wifes. Katie had remembered Ghost calling the particular students in the class with cat like features, Nekos, and this is what she mentally called these people now. Brigid beamed at her from next to her husband. She had also been studying scrolls in the light of the three large wall lamps that lit the room. The third person was a young male. He eyed Katie slightly like he was undressing her with his eyes. She scowled at him and sat next to Brigid, who had patted the seat next to her to indicate Katie should do so.

"Angel Katie, this be my 'usband, Gerat. 'Nd this be our youngest son, Malkain. Malkain, hurent carri morosa gouren," Brigid snapped at her son as he appraised Katie with the same look he was giving her just a minute ago. Malkain blushed and looked down at his meal of bread and cheese, taking a large bite of it and avoiding his mothers eyes. He had sandy blonde hair, which large cat ears to match. Dressed in a simple leather jerkin and cotton leggings, he looked like a farmers boy, with well built shoulders and rough looking hands. His father looked exactly the same, except his hair was peppered with white and he wore a cream long sleeved shirt under his jerkin.

"Are ya hungry ma dear? I have some stew with dumplings ready if you wish to eat?" Katie nodded silently and smiled as Brigid got up and clattered round the kitchen, getting a bowl, a plate and a large ladle. Lifting the pots lid with a dishcloth, she ladled some of the stew into the bowl, placed the lid back and bought the bowl over to Katie on the plate. Smiling, she bustled off again and got Katie a spoon.

"Thank you ma'am,"