Well, here is the next chapter :) Thanx for the great reviews! Hope you like this chp too. I know it's still a little vague, but all will be revealed soon :)

______________________________

She dreamt she was swimming in a warm sea with nothing but water as far as the eye could see.

"Where am I?" she whispered

The full moon was high in the night sky casting its silver shadow upon the still water. The stars shone brightly beautifully mirrored by the sea so it seemed as if she swam among them. Karigan lay on her back floating in the water staring up at the stars feeling at peace. Glad that her dreams were for once not filled with dark frightening images.

As if in answer to her thoughts the sea suddenly became very cold. It's chill leaching into her bones and filling her with a feeling of dread. Something was wrong. Black sinister storm clouds began to gather above her blocking out most of the stars. She had a horrible sensation that something terrifying swam beneath her. Did something just brush past her leg? This did not feel like an ordinary dream.

It felt so real from the coldness of the surrounding sea to the taste of salt upon her lips. A hard deluge began to fall from the sky. She stared up into the churning clouds and felt the rain pelt her face.

After swimming and treading water for what seemed like hours fatigue started to spread through her muscles. She began to wonder if she drowned in this sea would she simply waken or die in her sleep. Was her body to be found by Fergel in the morning nothing but a cold and lifeless husk? And what if she did die here? Would anyone truly miss her? Her father, perhaps but surely he overcome his grief and loneliness. And he with everyone else would continue on with their lives.

Argh! What is happening to me! Snap out of it! A feeling of deep despair and hopelessness seemed to be seeping into her skin with the cold. This sea was doing something to her; it was trying to kill her! The sooner she found her way out of this place the better.

The clouds now blocked out the moon and there was almost nothing but darkness. After a time her eyes began to adjust and then she spotted something or someone in the distance. She began to swim towards it. As she drew closer she saw that it was indeed a person but was unable to discern any features in the dark. She cried out to them and they seemed to turn in her direction. Was that a cry in reply?

But then abruptly the sea become violent and large waves began to lash her from all side. Dragging her under powerless to identify up from down and swallowing large mouthfuls of saltwater. Each time she managed to resurface she glimpsed the other person they were also struggling, being carried further and further away from her.

She began to hear strange whispers all around her, unable to make out the words but they filled her with terror. Something was very wrong! She had to reach the other person and help them before it was too late.

Forcing her tired limbs to combat the broiling sea she propelled herself toward them. But no matter how hard she fought they only seemed to get further away from each other. She began to distinguish some of the whispers.

Just give in….stop your struggles…. abandon all hope…..useless…….die………

The sea as if in answer became even more volatile bashing her tired body with even bigger swells. But she refused to give in and her determination seemed to be paying off as the distance between herself and the other person lessened. They were almost in reach.

"Hold on! I am"...A wave plunged her under the sea… "I am coming, hold on!"

Lunging forward she managed to grab a handful of their clothing, as something pulled them down into the deep. Her lungs felt as if they were trying to burst from her chest. But she could not let go, would not let go. For some reason she had the feeling that if she let go everything she held dear would be gone forever. The whispers strengthen and became screams echoing around her, within her.

Let go!…you can not stop us…. Let go!....you can not save them… Let go!....you will not interfere again….. Betrayer!!!…….

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Karigan bolted upright clutching her heart pounding and dripping with sweat. Unable to focus her eyes the room was nothing but a blur.

Moaning she tried to lay back down but instead of the expected soft cot her head encountered hard floor boards.

"Uhhh…. "What the hells, had she fallen out of bed?

"What…Fergel...Fergel?" she rasped out

With her eyes tightly closed, she sat up again with one hand to her head. She felt if she let go her head would roll right off her shoulders. Everything ached; it felt as if she had been dragged behind a horse for miles.

What was wrong with her?

Finally she allowed herself to slowly open her eyes, and then she stared about her in complete shock! She was surrounded not by the warm and cozy outpost cabin, but a burnt out shell of a building. And there was no Fergel.

"Fergel... Fergel! Where the in the five hells are you?"

Slowly getting to her feet and making her way to what was left of the cabin door. She lurched out the door and was blinded by bright sunlight, stumbling out into the clearing blinking and shielding her eyes. It took her a moment for her to take in her surroundings. And when she finally did she stumbled backwards, falling down on to her backside into the dry dirt of the path.

She was at the Northern Waystation that was certain but the clearing was a lush green and in full bloom. When she had gone to sleep last night it was a freezing cold harsh winter night and now it was a beautiful spring day!

"Fergel!!!" Again there was no answer

She got unsteadily to her feet and moved as quickly as possible to the lean-to. It looked run down the roof seem to have caved in!

Condor! She made her way inside but found no Condor, no Sunny, or any evidence that a horse had been housed there in a long time.

What in the Five Hells was going on! Had she travelled in time again? She reached for her broach.

IT WASN'T THERE!!

What!! Frantically she checked for the broach but found nothing.

Racing back to the cabin, she searched the burnt debris. But she still could not locate it.

"I must have travelled."But the free magic that had once resided in her combined with her broach was what had caused her to travel between the layers of time before. And she had expelled that. And it seemed she didn't have her broach either. Ever since she had been called she had never really been without her broach. Even when she tried to get rid of it, it came back!

"I must still be dreaming" looking about her and touching her face "A very vivid dream"

Shuddering suddenly she remembered the nightmare of the cruel dark ocean. But how could she remember a dream, when she was still dreaming.

"I've lost my mind. It's finally happened." She supposed it was only a matter of time really. Fergel was always saying that she was insane.

But as she looked about her at the crumbling charred remains of the outpost she had a very unsettling feeling that no matter how much she wished it this was no dream.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

More to come soon :) .......