Okay, here comes everyone's favorite part…

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story that are present in Tamora Pierce's books, but anything that is not hers is mine, so no stealing!

Now on to the story :)

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Skye awoke slowly to a pounding headache.  With a moan she rolled over, only to discover that every other muscle in her body ached as well.  She winced, managing to sit up as she pressed one hand against her throbbing head.

It took her a moment to realize that she was staring at grass and dirt.  Still dazed, she closed her eyes and shook her head to rid herself of the cobwebs before opening her eyes again.  Anticipating seeing the top of the comforter on her bed, she instead found that once more she was staring at the ground.  Did I sleepwalk? she wondered, confused.  I don't think I've ever walked in my sleep before…

She looked around, now expecting to see her yard, and nearly choked as she realized that she was not sitting on her neatly trimmed lawn but in the middle of a meadow with dense forest visible along the edges.  I have no clue where I am! she thought, panicked.  She jumped to her feet but regretted it a second later as her muscles cried out in protest, making her gasp in pain.  Just then a groan came from behind a bush on her right.  Unsure what to do, Skye stayed where she was, keenly eyeing the bush.  Suddenly a face appeared over the top and she yelped in surprise when she saw who it was.  "What…what are you doing here?" she cried, not sure whether to feel furious or relieved.

Jason was just as surprised to see Skye as she had been to see him.  "What am I doing here? How about you?" he growled, not happy about being yelled at after he had just woken up.  "I, for one, certainly have no clue why I'm sitting in the middle of a field instead of sleeping in bed right now, which is what I should be doing."

Maybe this is one of my crazy dreams, Skye thought, mind reeling.  That would account for all of this - although I don't know why he would be involved.  "Well, I don't think we're in Texas anymore, Toto" she said sarcastically, gently stretching her sore muscles.

He snorted. "Very funny Dorothy."  Slowly, he made his way to his feet and hobbled over to where Skye stood, and together they surveyed their surroundings. 

The meadow was peaceful and lush, flowers of all colors waving gently in the light breeze.  Skye watched the as the sun began to peak over the treetops and guessed the time to be just past nine in the morning.  She could hear birds of all kinds within the forest, and the sound of insects filled the cool air with a reverberating hum.

"Well, what do you think we should do?" she asked Jason uncertainly.  This was definitely not something she had been through before.

He sighed and kicked a dandelion. "I suppose we should try to find the nearest town.  I would hate to be stuck out here at night, no matter how beautiful this place might be."  With that he turned southeast and began making his way through the tall grass.  Skye took a step to follow, then hesitated a moment, a thousand questions running through her head.  What if this isn't a dream? What  about my parents? Is there some way we could still be found if we stay put? Are we missing school? Is Jason trustworthy?

Jason's voice cut through her thoughts and she looked up, not sure what he had said.

"Are you coming or not?" he called a second time, exasperated.  "If not, I'll just head off without you."

"What?" she cried indignantly as she caught up to where he was standing.  "That wouldn't be very gentlemanly of you."

He glared at her, then turned to continue walking, calling over his shoulder, "Maybe I'm no gentleman."

They walked in silence awhile as they entered the forest, occupied with avoiding roots and brush and always listening for the approach of someone…or something.  Skye was beginning to feel uneasy as she noticed the woods becoming darker, denser and quieter.

"Hey, uh, Jason?" A wave of fear washed over her and she stopped, her senses telling her not to go any further.

Jason turned and she saw a similar look of fear on his face. "I feel it too," he said quietly.  "I didn't want us to have to turn around, but I think we need to now.  There's something evil about this place, I -"

Just then a screech wrenched through the air, making the hair on the back of their necks stand on end.  They instinctively crouched behind a nearby bush, holding their breath.  Screeches and moans continued to fill the air, so human-sounding it made Skye shudder.  Suddenly the sound of men's voices reached them, calling back and forth with a tone of urgency.  After a few more moments the horrible noise stopped, and a trumpet sounded triumphantly through the forest.  The very air seemed to breath a sigh of relief. 

Skye collapsed onto the ground wearily, the wave of fear gone but still fresh in her mind.  Jason continued to peer over the bush, straining to catch a glimpse of the activity.  "Think we should go see who these people are? I doubt we will find anyone else around these parts – these men may be our only chance." He offered a hand to help her up.

"We might as well, although you get to do all the talking," Skye replied wryly, gratefully taking his hand and getting back to her feet.

"Fair enough. I owe it to you, anyway, for being so grouchy this morning," Jason admitted.  "I'm not a morning person, so don't take anything I said personally."

She stared at him, surprised.  "Oh, so you're telling me you actually are a somewhat decent human being?"

He grinned, white teeth flashing against his tan skin. "Well…most of the time."  He turned and she followed him as he made his way towards where the commotion had been only moments before, both hoping that these people, whoever they were, would be able to help them. 

Author's Note: Sorry I'm leaving you with another bit of a cliffhanger, but it's 1:30 AM and I'm leaving in five hours to go on vacation in Colorado over the next week, but I promise to update this story as soon as I get back.  In the meantime keep reviewing, I greatly appreciate your support!  Oh by the way, in the next installment we'll finally get to meet up with some of our favorite characters…yay hooray!