Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to The Chronicles of Narnia. Only original characters and such belong to me.

AN: Hi! With this story, I have officially joined the Narnia section of the site. It's been a while since I've ventured outside my comfort zones, so here is my latest story attempt. The lead female character is Alandra (AH-LAND-RAH), and I hope you like her. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

Chapter 1: Out of Time and Place:

"Seriously, Alandra," teased Melanie, one of my friends. "What century do you live in?"

I shrugged. It was the same old joke, and as always, Alex rolled his eyes and answered, "She's from the 18th century, Mel. You know that!"

The others around me laughed, and as always, all I wanted to do was get away. Unfortunately, I couldn't, not without being rude, so I took a drink of my soda and tried to focus on the movie we were watching.

Alex grinned and gave my shoulder a playful punch. "You've really got to get with the times, Ali," he said, taking a sip of his beer. "You're 25, and don't even own a cell phone! I know you've got a computer, since you chat with us when you aren't at work, but you need a phone to keep in touch with everybody!"

It was another old argument between me and my friends –they always asked how they could get in touch with me when I didn't have a cell phone? The ironic thing was, I wasn't the problem, not when I constantly shelled out e-mails, asking if they could get together for one weekend or another, and never got a reply. Seriously, what was the point in having a Smartphone when you never even answered an e-mail or voicemail message from your friends?

"Yeah, like you guys ever answer your phones," I blurted out angrily, both frustrated and hurt by their jokes. "I call you, leave messages and e-mail, and I don't get a reply for over a week! How would my having a phone make it easier, especially when it takes nearly three weeks for us to plan getting together for lunch?"

Some of them looked offended, as though this were my fault. "We're busy," Mel said, scowling.

I snorted. "Yeah, well, weren't you the one who said that's what cell phones were for, keeping in touch? I'm busy, too, but I still find time to check e-mail and my answering machine."

Sherry glared at me. "You only have time for that because you don't have much of a social life. You don't go out dancing, clubbing, or drinking with us. You just want to go to movies, or stay in and watch DVDs. And when you aren't watching movies, you're always reading books. Why not get an e-reader? It's so much better than a book."

"I don't like clubbing, I can't and don't dance, and I only drink when I feel like it, which isn't often," I retorted. "And I like books, real books made with paper and ink. E-readers have to be recharged; physical books don't."

They all sighed and shook their heads. I could almost hear their thoughts: they thought I was old-fashioned, and that I needed to "get with it."

Angry, I got up from the couch, put my empty glass on a side table, and brushed myself off. "Fine. You think I'm boring, I'm out of here."

Sherry and Alex protested, but it was half-hearted, at least in my ears. I grabbed my purse and left, slamming the front door of Mel's house behind me. I didn't care that I had left my ride home behind –since I didn't own a car, I tended to over-plan when it came to nights out at Mel's house, particularly when drinking was involved. Thus, I was always prepared and had a backup plan.

Stalking to the fancy hotel nearby, I pasted on a smile and approached the concierge. "Excuse me," I said politely, smiling all the while. "I'm afraid I need a cab. I don't suppose you could…"

The man behind the desk smiled, obviously appreciative of my asking nicely, rather than demanding something. "Of course, Miss. We actually have one cab company we frequently use, and someone should be here in ten minutes."

I smiled my thanks at him and pressed a couple bucks into his palm in gratitude for his help.

By the time I got home, my anger had cooled, and I wasn't surprised to find a few messages waiting on my answering machine. There would probably be e-mails, too, but those could wait. I was drained, emotionally and mentally, and really in no mood to answer any kind of apologies from them.

I changed into my pajamas and collapsed on the couch, turning on my television for some background noise as I opened a book. My mind, however, wasn't on the pages in front of me.

'So what if I like books and movies? They're better than waking up with a monster hangover, or staying up all night and being a zombie when I've got to get to work on Monday.'

My friends thought it was dumb of me to not have a cell phone, but really, I didn't want to be someone who talked loudly in a library, or had my phone go off during a movie or a ballet. I definitely didn't want to be the person with their thumbs glued to the keyboard of their phone, texting as I walked or during conversations with people next to me. I just didn't like technology, and could do just find with the bare minimum of it.

I scanned my apartment. There was a computer in the corner, close to the TV, and a phone in the kitchen, as well as in my room, both of which had caller ID for me to see who was calling. I had a DVD player, and that was all I needed, really. Why couldn't my friends understand that?

'Maybe it's time for me to cut my losses,' I wondered, not for the first time.

This wasn't the first time my friends had hurt me like this, and probably wouldn't be the last. Sure, they were fun to be around, but no one likes to be picked on, even if it is by friends.

'But it is nice to have people to be around, once in a while.' And yet, it was nice to have time alone, too. Jeez, why couldn't I figure out what I wanted in life?

Sighing, I picked up my book, one of The Chronicles of Narnia series. I had all of them, and had read each book several times, with the 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe' being my favorite. Not for the first time, I wondered why I hadn't been born back in simpler times, like the 1800s.

"Okay, so the lack of indoor plumbing, hygiene, and modern medicine would be annoying, but still!" I mumbled to myself.

I had always been somewhat obsessed with Jane Austen and her time period, as well as earlier ones. I frequently watched history movies and documentaries, and often pretended that I lived in a time of elegance and royalty, where men were chivalrous, and women wore lovely gowns in a far simpler time.

Cheesy as it sounds, it felt like I'd been born in the century. Technology didn't really have much appeal to me –not the newest cell phones or computers, or even iPods. Well, I had an iPod, but only because I needed something to listen to on the bus to work.

'It's like I'm living in this world, but only partially. I mean, I know this is when I was born, but sometimes I feel like I'm living a half-life in a place that doesn't seem to fit who I am.'

Whoa, that's a bit deep for me, particularly on a weekend. It was true, but that didn't mean it was a good idea to go that deep and depressing.

"I need chocolate," I muttered, heading to the tiny kitchen and the fridge.

Yup, chocolate and a book –what could possibly be better?

After a restless night, I was extremely glad that it was the weekend and I could sleep in. Since I still didn't feel like checking either my answering machine or my e-mail, I went online and checked movie times, intent on having a nice day to myself. My sack-like leather purse held food, a bottle of water, and other things I always snuck into the theater –man, did I hate paying those ridiculous prices for food!

I was on my way out when I tripped on a box left at my front door, nearly killing myself in the process. What the…?

Picking up the package, I took it inside and was confused to see the return address. It was from a cell phone company. The address was mine, but why would they send me something I hadn't ordered?

Whipping out my pocket knife, I flipped it open and cut through the tape, tossing aside the packing peanuts to see what was buried in there. When I found what I was searching for, I groaned at the sight. It was a cell phone, and with it was a note. It was from Melanie, who happened to work at a local cell phone store; she probably thought she was doing me a favor in getting this for me. It figures that she would do this to me.

Tossing it back in the shipping box, I decided to forget it until later. I had a movie to get to, and no time for this.

For a few hours, I was able to forget my problems. A movie, a quick bite to eat at a quaint Italian place, and I felt almost like myself.

Unfortunately, I had to get home and get ready for work. Ick.

It was only half a mile back to my place, so I wasn't worried about making it there on my own. I should have, though. If I'd been more aware, I'd have seen or heard the car speeding towards me.

That didn't happen. Instead, as I made my way out into the crosswalk, I felt a huge object hit me, followed by a wave of pain and disbelief.

Then the world went black, and I lost consciousness.

When I woke, I knew I had to be dreaming, or at least hallucinating. Perhaps it was the drugs the doctors were giving me, because I had just been in a terrible accident and someone must have called for help.

Still, it wasn't a bad hallucination. I stood in a meadow in the middle of a beautiful forest, with clear streams flowing musically near me. One stream was to my left, but I could hear others nearby. Birds called from trees, their songs mixing perfectly with the water that cascaded over stones and into pools. The air was warm, but not overly so –in fact, it was just perfect.

"Maybe I'm dead," I pondered aloud.

"No, you are not dead," said a deep, majestic voice to my right. "You are merely in the realm between life and death, which is why I was able to bring you here so easily."

Swallowing hard, I turned. "Oh, boy," I muttered at the sight that greeted me. "I have to be hallucinating, because this is not happening."

There was a lion, but it was clear that it wasn't just a lion. When it came to the aura of power, benevolence, and mere presence that this animal was radiating, there was only one lion that came to mind.

Shaking, I tentatively asked, "Aslan?"

The great Lion chuckled, a warm sound that reached my very heart and comforted it. "Very good, Alandra," he said, coming to stand on my right. "Welcome to my Country."

"You know my name!" I gasped, wondering if I should feel honored or worried.

"Of course," he replied, smiling kindly at me. "Now, come take a small walk with me. I have something I wish to speak to you about."

It felt like a stone had dropped into my stomach. "Have I done something wrong?" I asked, beginning to panic.

He chuckled. "No, you have not. Come, walk with me."

I trailed along behind as he began to lead me into the forest, his paws neither bending nor breaking a single blade of grass, which lay like a thick carpet beneath my feet. I clasped my hands behind my back as I walked, since I was so nervous I didn't know what else to do with them.

In the back of my head, I could only wonder why this was happening to me, of all people. I mean, here I was in a mythical land straight out of one of the greatest book series in history, with the great Aslan himself! It was either a dream come true, or a nightmare…and I was now waiting for the much anticipated shoe to drop.

"I have a task for you, Alandra," Aslan began, immediately catching my interest. "But let me start at the beginning."

We walked beneath the shade of the trees, into the cooler the air they created.

"Throughout history, some people have been born in the wrong time, and in the wrong place," he began in a kind voice that calmed my internal chaotic emotions. "You are one of these. You feel as though you do not belong where you are, that your spirit and very being was meant for a different era, or even a different world, than the one in which you were born."

I swallowed. How could he know that? Okay, I knew how he could know that, but still!

Aslan chuckled. "I also know that you have read the tales of Narnia, and that you know what you think is meant to happen."

I stared at him. "What I think is meant to happen?" I blurted out, confused as well as surprised. "Do you mean that C. S. Lewis got something wrong in the books?"

I stopped to think things out a bit. "Wait a minute. The books were written and published during the 1950s! Plus, it's a fictional book, so none of it is, or was, real."

Aslan smiled. "The things Lewis wrote in his books were what I gave him in his dreams, and were of what I wished to happen in Narnia. But when he wrote them on paper, Lewis changed things he did not agree with –he thought it was all something from his own mind, from his own imagination, and never suspected I was channeling the stories to him. I did not correct his changes, for it is not my way to interfere in such a manner unless it is absolutely necessary."

He smiled. "I also knew that, if necessary, things could be changed if the right person were called upon to do so."

We passed from the shade into a quaint little glen, with a small stream flowing through it and several fruit trees growing nearby. He motioned for me to sit on a nearby stone, and told me to eat if I was hungry. I helped myself to a single orange –it wouldn't be a good idea to be greedy in front of Aslan.

As he settled beside the stone I had taken a perch on, Aslan continued, "I have told you all this because, though it might be difficult for you to believe, Narnia had not yet existed when Lewis wrote his first book. I sang it into being long after his final text was completed, and as such, what you consider the distant past has only recently happened."

I must have looked confused, because he sighed and closed his great golden eyes. "The power of belief is a very great thing, particularly when it comes to books and their contents. When enough people believed in Narnia and what they thought would happen, it influenced the flow of Narnian history. Had Lewis written down the tales I had given him, and the people of your world believed those words, many events in Narnian history would have been as they should. But since he had chosen to change my words, the people of your world believe in what he had written instead, and so they are different to what I wished."

He opened his eyes and looked at me. "As such, after a certain point in what I showed him, the tales that he told must be changed by someone in order for events to follow a certain path, if Narnia is to become as it should be."

I nervously swallowed the bite of orange in my mouth. "So…you want me to fix…whatever needs to be fixed?"

Aslan nodded, his mane shaking gracefully as he did so. "In a word, yes," he replied. "It is not as difficult as some believe to bring someone from one world to another, or to take them across time and space, as long as the right means are used. This is what I have done with you, Alandra."

He crossed his forepaws over one another, filling the air with a wonderful green scent as he moved about on the grass. "When you were injured, it allowed me to bring you here, to a key time in Narnia's history. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy's rule has come and gone, as has the battle for Narnia's freedom from the Telmarines. Presently, Caspian, tenth of that name, is now King, but there will be many hardships that he must face before true peace can come to Narnia."

I managed to consume another mouthful of orange, though I have no idea how I was able to do it. "But what about the search for the Seven Lords, and Caspian's marriage to Ramandu's Daughter? Peace does come after that, at least in the books."

The Lion shook his head. "That is what Lewis wanted to happen, but that is not the way it will be, not without your help. The King's coronation took place twelve days ago, and the Great Kings and Queens have departed, leaving Caspian with a court that was once his uncle's. In the present circumstances, he understandably feels alone, without many he can fully trust, and a country that will take time to unite, unless something, or someone, is able to bring them together under one banner."

He looked deep into my eyes, and I nearly fell off my seat at the intensity of his gaze. "You are going to become Caspian's most trusted friend and confidant, and help him on the path to become a great king, one who will create peace for Narnia and bring the Telmarines and the Narnians together."

"Me? " I squeaked, almost dropping the remnants of my orange. "I don't know a thing about being near kings and uniting peoples! You need someone with experience in diplomacy and politics for that. Besides, how will I get close to the King?"

"By becoming an invaluable asset to those closest to him," Aslan calmly replied. "Believe me when I say that you are stronger and wiser than you know."

He then gave me a gentle smile, the gold in his eyes sparkling with kindness and humor. "When you next wake, you will be in Narnia. From the place I set you, go east towards the center of the country, where the Telmarine castle stands. You will find friends along the way –they will help you in this task I have set upon you, though they know it not."

Quivering, I looked helplessly at him. "How will I know if I'm doing things right or wrong? What if I mess things up even worse than you want them to be?"

"I will help you when necessary," he said, comfortingly. "Now, finish your meal, Alandra."

I did so, somehow managing to polish off the orange without choking or throwing it back up.

When I was done, Aslan asked me to sit beside him and run my fingers through is mane, to search for any tangles. I doubted that I'd find a single one, but since this was Aslan, I decided not to argue.

I don't know how long I sat there, running my fingers through strands of brown-gold hair that felt like the purest, softest silk bathed in warm sunlight. It was relaxing, though, and I soon began to feel rather sleepy. Before I knew it, I was nodding off, and Aslan was telling me to go and rest on a bed of moss by the stream.

Knowing that nothing could harm me here in Aslan's Country, I did so. As I closed my eyes, I barely had time to think of how soft the moss was, and how a warm breeze had come up, creating just enough warmth for me to feel happy and safe.

AN: Well, what do you think? I know, the whole "person-dragged-into-the-story-or-movie" thing has been done before, but I promise to try and do it well, and to put my own spin on it. Please, be kind and review, and try not to flame me after just the first chapter; it will get better as we go, I promise!