Switched!

Disclaimer: I don not own any of Tamora Peirce's marvelous ideads or characters...I'm not that brilliant.(lol)

Summary: What would happen if Daine, Kel, and Alanna did a "Freaky-Friday" with three girls from earth? Please no flames but I will take constructive criticism.

Note: I had trouble getting into the characters of Daine, Kel, and Alanna so please bear with me here. Also, I estimated that Kel was around 14 or 15 (around the time her and Cleon got together.), Daine is in her early to mid twenties, and Alanna is in her mid thirties. Enjoy!

The Lioness leaned over the ancient parchment. Her fiery mane was tied back with a blue piece of fabric. She wore the clothes of the Bizarre, having gotten to the camp earlier that day. All she wore was purple matching her bright eyes.

A few days ago she had received a message that read:

Dear Alanna,

We have found some sort of an ancient spell. Please come to the Bizarre camp as soon as possible.

-Jon

It was closed with the royal seal. Eager to see Kiri and Kara again she rode hard until she reached the Bizarre camp. After getting food and water for both her and her horse and greeting everyone, she was rushed into a large tent. In the tent pillows were arranged in a circle. In the center there was a table with a piece of paper on it. The paper was torn and aged. The once white parchment was yellow and the writing was faded from time and weather. After being under the ground for almost one thousand years sand had rubbed off most of the scripture. It was hardly legible anymore but Numair Salamani leaned over it determined to crack its secrets.

Now she leaned over the ancient spell. Numair paced back and forth around the tent. She glanced up at him with a look that could kill, literally.

" Would you stop pacing already?"

Numair looked over at her. "Sorry we're just so close!"

" Yes, and we'd be closer if could either stop pacing and sit or LEAVE!"

"Point taken," He said as he hurried out the tent flap.

"Scholars!" Alanna huffed as he walked out. " They're all the same!" He either didn't here her or was pretending not to because he just kept on walking.

Numair walked out into the late afternoon sun in search of Daine. 'She should be here somewhere' he thought. He finally found her at a fire pit talking to Kiri and Kara. They sat on dried logs that had been positioned around the fire pit as chairs.

Daine wore blue breeches, a white tunic, and blue shirt along with her leather boots. The shamans now in their twenties, had been abandoned their former modest clothes. They now wore the clothes of the men of the Bizarre with the exception of headscarves that kept their long, dark, hair back out of the way.

Numair sat down next to Daine. "Hello magelet", he whispered into her ear enticingly. His breath sent chills down her back. Trying to divert him from his notions she said, "How's the translation going?"

"Not so good," He answered, nuzzling his nose up against her neck. She blushed and giggled. " Stop it!" she said without any real enforcement. "Later".

Kiri and Kara held their hands to their mouths to stifle laughter.

"Careful," Kara warned. " That's how this happened!" She pointed to her stomach, huge with child. Numair turned pink than stopped nuzzling Daine and simply rested his head on his hand. His long legs were bent up to support his elbow.

Numair was saved from total humiliation when Alanna came running from the tent.

"Kiri, Kara, Numair!" she said stopping half way to them. " Come quick! I think I have something!"

Kiri helped Kara up and then they started towards the tent. Numair swiftly kissed Diane on the lips than followed them. Alanna, thinking of something, called to Daine. " You might want to see this to Daine!" Daine quickly got up and ran to catch up.

Once they were inside the tent they positioned themselves around the table with the spell. Alanna sat right in front of the so she could point out her progress. Kiri and Kara were on either side of her so they could translate. Across from them Numair and Daine had pulled pillows up so they could see.

" I used what I had known previously about the Bizarre and what Numair," Alanna indicted to where Numair had translated. " Had done already to do this next part."

Daine, having no other experience with the Bizarre language or any language for that matter was confused. Noticing this explained, " Over time languages change as the culture develops." She nodded her understanding.

"Okay," Alanna continued. " This is the part Numair translated," She pointed to the first half of the page. " We basically think it's a warning against reading this unless you are prepared to take on this challenge and are "the chosen ones"." Everyone nodded. " Now this part," pointed to a section a little bit down the page. " Seem to be the actual spell. I translated it and then recorded it here," she lifted up the sheet she had used. " I don't' want to risk reading this out loud, even if not in the native tongue. So, I'm going to as that you pass this around.

The paper was put into the middle of their circle. It read:

" There is three from the ancient lasd,

Thrree from a worrld unknown,

The woman who rides like a man,

The mage among the animals,

And The prtoector of the small,

Shall switch with the three from another land,

Once thy bid thee . . ."

"Alanna, this is an amazing break through!" Numair stammered. The rest of them stared at her blankly, clearly not making the connection.

" Don't you see?" Alanna asked them. There was no answer. " When I was with the Bizarre, previously, they called me "The woman who rides like a man! And you are the mage among the animals, Wildmage! We're two of the chosen ones!" There was still no response from Daine, although the others had appeared to understand. Daine didn't even seem to have registered what they were saying.

"Daine, sweet, don't you see?" Numair asked eagerly.

"Huh?" Daine responded. " Oh no I got that, I was trying to figure who the third one could be."

" We were just going to get to that," Alanna said. " Kiri, Kara could you help me with this part, there is some scripture that I stumbled but might help explain "The protector of the small"." The three leaned in towards the parchment.

Numair watched Daine, worried. Her eyes were glazed over, thinking.

"Daine, are you alright?" Numair asked after a while.

" Kel!" The Wildmage exclaimed. Alanna looked up from her translating.

"What?" Alanna asked.

" Kel!" Daine repeated. " Kel is the protector of the small!"

" Why do you say that?" Kiri questioned

" Because I heard someone call her that…it was after that incident last year with her maid and…JUMP!"

" I'd rather not," Kara said jokingly.

"No!" Daine said. " I didn't mean…well you know what I meant. Anyways, her dog, Jump, after she saved him and her maid from that tower he told me that she was here. The protector of the small, he said. He wouldn't tell me what he meant cause he new that we'd find out on our own!"

Alanna spoke, "Well, lets get young Keladry in here!" The Own had arrived the day previously at Jon's request. He was taking no chances when it came to spells especially one so mysterious.

Hours later, long after the stars had come out, they all headed toward their separate tents. Kel had been and gone having work to do with The Own. Kara being pregnant had also left a while ago. Daine had fallen asleep and was curled up against Numair. He cradled her in his arms and carried to bed.

"Alanna, you need to get some rest." Kiri said as she left. Alanna still leaned over the page.

" What I need to do his figure this out."

" You're never going to figure it out if you are half asleep."

" I'm fine," Alanna said as she yawned. "You go onto bed."

"Alright, but be careful." Kiri left the tent still unconvinced.

Alanna went back to work. Why couldn't she figure this out? 'Maybe Kiri was right' Alanna thought. 'Maybe I am too tired' She was tempted to say it out loud but she new she couldn't.

Someone came up behind her she froze.

"What in Mithros name is so important about some page that me own wife couldn't; give me a proper welcoming?" She smiled and turned. He pressed his lips to hers before she could reply. She resisted at first but then gave in. Reluctantly they broke the kiss. They stood across from each other arms touching.

"Now lets have a look at this," George went to the paper. Alanna sat on the pillow next to his. She leaned against him, well on her way to sleep. Sleep was all she could think of. By this point all she was aware of was George and the steady rhythm of his voice. 'What his he saying' she thought but then sleep over took her.

George looked down at his sleeping wife. She was snuggled up against his shoulder, 'Poor lass' he thought. 'Probably has been up all night trying to work this thing out. He looked down at the paper. He had a knack for decoding things maybe he could figure this out. He started to read the odd language sounding it out a he went. He finished.

"Hmmmmm… well that did a lot" He leaned down to kiss his wife on her red head when…Poof!

Numair gently laid Daine down on the mat she had been given to sleep on. He reached for the blanket and began to cover when, with a poof, she disappeared!

At the same time Kel finished a letter to Cleon. She had been very awkward around him ever since Midwinter. Why would he kiss her like that? She was about to seal the letter when…FLASH!!!