Without warning, Daine fell on top of something soft yet firm. It felt like a person, but that was impossible! There was no one at the park! The girl hurriedly got to her feet and looked at the ground. A man lay in the grass. He had a swarthy complexion, soulful ebony eyes and longish wavy black hair tied back in a horsetail. He got to his feet and Daine noticed he was a foot taller than her 5'5. He had an amazed look on his face and his eyes betrayed happy excitement. Without warning, he swept Daine up in his arms and embraced her tightly. Thinking he wanted to rape or murder her, Daine struggled to get free. But she found his grip was too strong. She was certain this was the end, when he suddenly let her go. He had a huge grin on his face and Daine was more than a little frightened. He must be a psycho!!!! She thought to herself. Her thoughts were confirmed when the man cried out

"By the Goddess I've done it!!!! Finally, after weeks of trying this damned spell I got it!!!" he looked at the frightened girl beside him. "Isn't it wonderful?"

Though she was scared out of her mind, she couldn't help but be curious. Magic always interested her and this crazy man said he tried a spell. "What are you talking about? Where am I? Who are you?"

"Oh, yes. I should explain things. For the past week I have been working on a spell to bring an object to me from another dimension. I never thought I would be able to transport a human from another dimension, though I suppose that would have been the next step." he then began to mumble something to himself. Feeling overwhelmed and confused, Daine began to notice her surroundings. She was in the middle of a forest at night, the perfect place for this crazy man to kill her or do God knows what else. But wouldn't he have already tried to kill her? He seemed harmless, though a little off his rocker. But Daine wanted her questions answered.

"Excuse me." she tried, but the man just ignored her. "Excuse me," she tried again, a little louder. No response. "EXCUSE ME!!!!!!!!!" she yelled. He looked at her in surprise.

"There's no need to yell." he said. Daine gasped in annoyance.

"Okay mister, you need to explain things a little better here because I have no idea what's going on!!! Who are you?! Where am I?! What the hell happened?!" she was nearly in hysterics at that point.

"Oh forgive me. I told you, I tried a spell to bring an object from another dimension and instead of a lifeless object, you came instead. What else did you want to know? Oh yes, my name. I'm Numair Salmalin and you are in Tortall. The Royal Forest to be precise. And you are?"

"Veralidaine, um, Daine, Sarrasri." Now that she had time to get her wits back together, she was intrigued. That was one thing about Daine. Once she got her mind back together, she always acted rationally. In this case, she was curious. "So, what kind of things does this Tortall place have?"

"Well, there's the Palace in Corus, where I'm headed tomorrow, the City of the Gods, also in Corus-"

"Hold on, you mean there's a king and queen?" Daine asked excitedly.

"Yes, King Jonathan and Queen Thayet."

"Are there mages? Knights?"

"Why, yes. Jon is actually trained to use his Gift to heal and fight. The basic uses. And in the Palace, we actually train young Knights-to-be. The King's Champion is actually quite strong in the Gift."

"What's a King's Champion?"

"The most talented knight in the realm. Her job is to protect and serve the king."

"Her job?" from everything Daine had read, knights were only men. Perhaps this place was different in that respect from medieval times in her own dimension.

"Yes. She actually disguised herself as a boy for years in order to earn her shield. Alanna is quite amazing. I have the privilege of calling her one of my closest friends." Daine was liking this place more and more by the second.

"And what about you? What do you do?"

"Well, I'm a mage. I was educated in the University at Carthak, far south, past the Inland Sea."

"Carthak is another country?"

"You catch on quick don't you?" Daine grinned. To think she was standing face to face with a mage!!!! "Well, if you don't mind, I'm a bit tired. That spell took a lot out of me. Tomorrow I hope you will accompany me to Corus and-"

"Yes!!!!!" Numair smiled.

"Very good. Time for bed." he handed her a blanket and took out a small pouch filled with powder. He walked around their camp, dropping the powder in a circle, mumbling words in a strange language. Then he circled the camp once more, still speaking. Black flames emerged from the powder then extinguished.

"What did you do?"

"A simple spell to keep anyone from seeing, hearing or sensing us while we sleep." he huddled beneath his own blanket. "I'm sure you don't want any surprise visitors." he closed his eyes and soon Daine could hear the mage's snores. She was too excited to sleep however. She was in some strange place and she loved it! Finally, a chance to see what it would be like to live in an age with mages, knights, kings and queens.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't notice Numair was no longer snoring. All she knew was that she suddenly felt very tired. Her eyelids closed before she even had the time to suspect Numair spelled her. The mage smiled at the young girl beside him and closed his eyes to sleep.