A/n: Right, sorry if anyone's OOC! Now, votes for and against George and Briar meeting?

After a great deal of confusion, Sandry had just about sorted out her position in the time-space continuum, and was now introducing her still unconscious companions to an entranced Alanna. It wasn't easy.

Sandry sighed, rolling her eyes. "Look, let's start again. This", she pointed to the black girl, "is Daja Kisubo. She has smith-magic-" Sandry had already managed to explain ambient magic, all but unknown in these lands, "-and she's a trader. Her people died in a storm, Niko found her shipwrecked, and brought her to Winding Circle. Got that?"

Alanna nodded mutely, putting a hand over her shaking mouth to prevent hysterics at Sandry's tone. The blue-eyed girl nodded, satisfied, and pointed to the redhead. Alanna eyed her with interest. She was inclined to like anyone who shared her hair colour.

"That's Tris." Sandry informed her calmly. "She's stubborn and aggravating and automatically hates everyone she meets, but don't let that stop you-" Alanna gagged with laughter at that "-she's a wonderful person. She has weather magic. Her family abandoned her because they thought she was possessed. Nobody but Niko saw her magic. He brought her to Winding Circle. Don't annoy her; she can kill you in about ten different ways in seconds. And whatever you do, don't untie the braids. Still with me?" Sandry rattled off quickly.

"What would happen if I did untie…"

"Good. Right. The boy is Briar, a plant mage. He's a former thief. As far as we know, he's stopped." Alanna gaped slightly, but Sandry's monologue was inexorable.

"Of course, he still steals plants all the time, but they ask him to, so it's not exactly the same thing…" At this, Alanna nearly fell of her chair. Sandry covered her mouth delicately, chuckling. There was laughter in her eyes.

"I'm only joking, Aly! Now, the teachers generally have very boring life stories-" She dismissed the adults with a wave of her hand, "-So we'll save their tales for later. Would you like me to wake the others up now?"

At this, Alanna did fall off her chair, very slowly, and backwards. She lay sprawled on the floor, glaring at Sandry.

"That's not fair!" She protested reproachfully. Getting up, she folded her arms across her chest. "Anyway," she continued, "It's impossible. Even Numair can't do it." Sandry had already been informed about Numair. She giggled. Shutting her sapphire eyes tightly, more for Alanna's benefit then her own, she reached out with her mind, her mind touch sounding/feeling like rich, smooth silk. She grabbed the minds of the other three and shook them hard.

"Tris! Briar! Daja! Come ON!"

The figures in the three other small beds stirred before Alanna's staring eye. One by one, they sat up. The Lioness sighed, dreamlike.

"You can explain." She informed Sandry with a pitiful groan. "I'm going to sleep."

And so she did, right there on the floor, oblivious to the four children as they embraced, woke their respective teachers, and asked altogether, in what would have been Alanna's opinion had she had one, far too many questions.