Author's Note: I started writing this, and then I returned to it, so I'm having trouble placing it in the series. It's sometime when Alanna is know as the Lioness, but before George has made his move from the Dancing Dove. I have no idea where I was originally going with it, but I like the beginning so much that I finished it. I don't know if I like the ending since I sort of lacked direction when I was writing it, but it was fun all the same. I have not seen any fic like this, so I hope you enjoy it.

The sun had not yet reached the top of the sky. Today was supposed to be an easy day. Alanna had been working hard the past couple of weeks because of a coalition of bandits. However, the issue was now resolved, and the king ordered her to take a day to relax. But as usual, she was up before the sun. It was nice not to be bogged down with work, but there was that paperwork she needed to get done. She stopped thinking about that. It was a royal command that she take a break. It was only for the day. She took her time going to breakfast, and she savored it after cheese, bread, and cold ham for so long.

This was the perfect time to visit George. Alanna headed out over the bustling palace grounds and the city. It was not long until the familiar sight of the Dancing Dove came into view. Alanna could not help it. A smile cracked on her face. It had been so long since she had seen her old friend. The tavern was almost empty. A few stragglers from the night before raised their pints for her as she walked in. Solom continued to wipe down the bar with a dirty rag. "His majesty will be happy to see ya. He's up in his room."

She dashed up the stairs and knocked loudly on the door. Sluggish footsteps sounded against the wooden floor. A tired looking George leaned against the doorframe as he opened it slowly. But then life came to his eyes when he realized it was Alanna. He swept her up in a fierce hug, bringing a slight blush to Alanna's cheeks. "Stop that," she said.

Reluctantly, he put her down. He held her out by the shoulders assessing her. A crooked smile lit up his face as his eyes roved her body. "Ya look good, lass. What ya been doing that ya had to worry me by not writing?" he drawled as he guided her into the room.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Doing the king's work, fighting for my country, and wooing all the lads with my feminine wiles," Alanna said, waving her hand nonchalantly. George took a seat in a wooden chair as Alanna sat on the edge of his bed. George looked at her with worry in his eyes. "What? I was only kidding, you thick-skulled pickpocket."

"It not your feminine wiles that have me upset. No, I quite enjoy those." His eyes twinkled mischievously, but then his face settled into concerned scowl. "It's my Sight. You don't look right. I could always see your connection with the gods, but it's stronger than usual. I can tell something big is coming, and the gods only make things more complicated."

That was true enough. The gods tend to make mortals' lives difficult. The Goddess has only helped guide Alanna and give her strength as long as she's been her patroness, but how long could that last. "Can you tell when this something is going to happen?"

"I can't be sure, lass. But my eyes are sore from looking at you. It could be at any time, but let's hope the gods keep to themselves. We do just fine without them muddling things up. But just be on your guard. I don't want anything happening to…"

George froze in the middle of his sentence. He was a statue, not blinking or even breathing. Startled, Alanna hesitated for a second, but she knew what it was. Out of the corner of my eye, she saw a tall hooded figure move forward. Ivory hands reached up and lowered the hood to reveal the most beautiful woman Alanna had ever seen. It was the Great Mother Goddess. She smiled warmly. "Hello, my daughter. You have been well since I last saw you. You have proven yourself many times to the people of the court and the country. You are earning quite a name for yourself."

"Hello, Great Mother Goddess," Alanna choked out. She had met the Goddess before, but it was still overwhelming to be in the presence of a divine creature. The Goddess's smiled reached her eyes for a moment, but then all kindness fleeted from her face. "My daughter, there is a reason I have come. I have a task for you. You have become a legend in your world. There is not a corner of the mortal realm that has not heard of the Lioness. And now, you must face a test, a test of your true nature. All the great heroes of the past have faced it and prevailed, and now we shall see if you too shall rise to the occasion."

"What kind of test?" Alanna asked, her apprehension noticeable. Any task from the Goddess would be difficult, and immensely so.

"It is a challenge for all of those who's valor and strength become renowned in this realm. It is better if I show you."

The ground dropped out from underneath Alanna's feet. Bright white light forced her to shut her eyes firmly, and there was a few moments of intense heat with a feeling like her body was being squeezed through an opening entirely too small for it. Suddenly, her feet landed on something, and it gave way under her weight. She opened her eyes slowly. Sand was spread out underneath her. She was astonished, but as she moved her gaze upwards, she became horrified. For as far as her eye could see, in any direction, there was nothing but dunes of sand. She faced the Goddess. "To prove yourself a true legend, you must cross the Sea of Sand."

"But, Goddess…" Alanna protested. The Goddess's figure began to ripple and fade. In an eerie tone, the Goddess imparted her last words.

"The Dragonlands lay to the West

Go to the East to end your quest

A few green jewels lay on your path

You need them to defeat the desert's wrath

Harsh conditions you face

But show kindness just in case

Because you can never know

Who may be a friend or foe"

The Goddess disappeared completely. "What in the world is that supposed to mean?" Alanna yelled, frustrated. "Of course, I get dropped off in the middle of a desert, and her parting advice is cryptic," Alanna mumbled to herself. "I guess she meant 'Go East,' but as for the rest of it, she's had too much time in the Divine Realms to make such flowery nonsense."

The sun had just risen when the Goddess had abandoned her in this oven. The sand still stretched endlessly, and the sun was now high overhead. "Is this hopeless?" Alanna wondered to herself.

Alanna was trained in how to survive in the desert since the Bazhir caused so much trouble for the crown. However, Alanna was weary about this particular situation. At first glance, the Great Southern Desert seemed barren. However, it was actually teaming with life, but this was not the case for the Sea of Sands thus far. That did not bode well for Alanna having a chance at survival.

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and she raised her hand to shield her face from the blazing sun. Her mouth was dry, and her lips already on the verge of cracking. "At least I'm not cold." Alanna chuckled at the sort of situational irony.

Alanna wearily eyed the large dunes. She stumbled over their steep slopes. Finally she sat down for a rest. Surveying her surroundings, Alanna spotted it. It was a lizard, skimming over the surface of the sand dune opposite to her. Alanna followed the lizard as it streaked across the top of the dune. When Alanna reached its peak, she could see something. She squinted slightly to better make it out, but it was obvious. A green blur lay up ahead on her path. It had to be an oasis.

Hope burst through her. This was the first sign that Alanna might not bake to death. It did not appear to be that far away, but distances in the desert could be deceiving. It hit Alanna. This is what the Goddess had meant when she spoke of "green jewels." Alanna marched forward to the glittering green jewel in the distance.

Luckily for Alanna, the oasis was not far away at all. She reached it just as the sun reached the top of the sky. Alanna came upon the first trees and they offered the first relief from the beating sun that she had. Moving to the center of the growth, Alanna found a small pond of water. Its clear, glistening surface called to Alanna. She race forward and stooped over it. Greedily, she scooped water into her mouth. It was so cool and it felt so good that Alanna dunked her head into the water. As a redhead, Alanna burned easily, and her face felt much relieved.

Alanna was starting to feel human again. After a quick look around, she realized she was alone. This was not like the times with the other pages when they made their desert trip. Alanna could swim. She ripped off her shirt, leaving only her breast band, and pulled her breeches of too. She dove into the water. She let out a scream. It felt so cold to her, but she welcomed it. Giddily, she twisted around in the water, completely reveling in the experience. Finally, she lay back, enjoying how the weightlessness gave her tired feet a break.

Feeling thoroughly refreshed, Alanna redressed and looked around. She can across some plants that she recognized as edible. She went to pluck a fruit from one of the branches, but a desert breeze blew across its branches. The way it moved did not remind her of the trees at home. The movement seemed intentional. Alanna felt silly that this notion had even occurred to her, but the Goddess's warning words flashed through her head. "She couldn't mean that I have to be nice to a tree?" Alanna wondered to herself. "Well, she said the conditions would be harsh, but I had to be nice. What would I do if this tree was an actual person?"

Feeling ridiculous, Alanna bowed to the tree. "Excuse me, Sir Tree, but I am traveler of this desert, and I was wondering if I might have some of your fruit to replenish myself?"

Nothing happened at first. Then, to Alanna amazement, the tree lowered one of it branches to her. Alanna bowed again to show her gratitude before picking a ripe fruit. She bit into it, and its sweet juices overflowed her mouth. She bit into it again, letting the sugary nectar drip down her chin.

With her stomach filled, Alanna set down in the shade in problem-solving mode. She needed a way to carry supplies with her, but she had no idea how to do that. Her shirt got caught on a sharp thorn on a nearby plant. Alanna freed the sleeve of her superfluous shirt. That was it! She'd never done it before, but she was sure she could manage.

Alanna pulled her shirt out from her breeches. Sensing for that purple orb of power within her, Alanna focused on what she wanted her magic to do for her. Purple fire flooded over her shirt. Molding and twisting, it formed large pockets that would make it easy for Alanna to hold supplies in. Alanna went back through the vegetation, asking for fruit to fill her newly-made pockets.

She cut off some of the extra material at the bottom of her shirt. Using her magic, she stitched it together. She made the material impermeable. She filled it with the water from the pond, and sealed it with her magic. She had never done anything like this before. She rubbed her tingling nose, and eyed her handy work.

Alanna headed back out into the desert. With her supplies, Alanna felt much more confidant in her survival now. Why she was put in this situation, in which she had to fight to stay alive was beyond her? As if life was not difficult enough, she had to add the Goddess of things to look out for. The Goddess had helped her before. Alanna hoped after all the effort she put forth to keep her alive that the Goddess would not send her to certain death. So she marched on.

Night would fall soon. The temperature was already starting to plummet. Alanna was exhausted. Something about this place was particularly draining, but she just kept going. She couldn't give up now. She just had to keep going.

Her skin was dry, and her mouth was caked with dust from the earth. Her legs muscles throbbed. She was not accustomed to walking on sand. More than anything, she wanted to stop and lay down, but onward she went.

Alanna's stubbornness came in handy for the things she wanted to accomplish. Becoming a knight was not something you did overnight. This was what she had been training for. She has been honing her body into a tool capable of feats no one would have thought a woman possible off. She earned her shield and proved herself to her country, but this would prove her worthiness to the entire Mortal Realm and the Realm of the Gods. With her goal in mind, Alanna would not stop until she had achieved it.

The journey appeared to have no end. It stretched on and on. Every second seemed like an hour and was a conscience effort to stay alive, but Alanna's resolve was unshakeable. Her mind was set and there was no changing it.

Pictures of George, Jon, and all of the ones she cared about flashed through her mind. They were who she had to get back to. They were who she would fight for and protect. She loved them, and they loved her. They relied on her, depended on her, and needed her.

Soon, the pictures sprang out from her head. They stood before her. They urged her on. Alanna knew this was not a good sign. She faced the facts. I could die out there, but no matter how hard things get, I have to keep fighting. I have to get back to them.

Alanna was standing at the crest of a dune. The horizon started to change. Heat waves rippled over the distance. Alanna could make out a lush green forest appear, as though she never noticed it before.

Alanna realized how she never noticed how much she adored shade, as she crawled under the far reaching branches of a large oak tree. She could hear a river nearby. Resting her head on a pillow of moss, she let herself drift towards sleep.

Alanna roused a little when she felt a cool hand sweeping her hair out of her face. She thought she heard a voice that sounded like bellowing hounds say, "Good work, my daughter. I knew you could do it. I had faith in you. I knew you had the strength to overcome this test, both physically and mentally. You know what you fight for and you realize your own mortality. You will not prey on the weak or think of yourself as a rival to the gods, as so many with strength have done before you. You are a true hero."

Alanna was suddenly very awake as she felt like she was being squeezed through a very tight space once more. When she opened her eyes she was sitting in George's room again. George was frozen in front of her. She blinked and George was suddenly reanimated. "…you."

I flung myself at him, wrapping my arms around his chest and crushing his ribs. Startled at first, he did not hug me back at first. "What?" he asked.

"You don't have to worry," She said. "It's all done with now… And George?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for, for… for everything."

"'Bout time you thanked me," he said with a sense of entitlement in his voice, but she could feel his body shake in a silent chuckle.

Immediately, she let go of him and slapped him on the chest. Alanna stomped out of the room and could hear him start to laugh when she made it to the end of the hall. She couldn't help the smile that started to form on her face as she left.

I hoped you like it. Review please!!