Disclaimer: The esteemed Mercedes Lackey owns everything pertaining to Valdemar, Velgarth, Heralds and Companions. I own only my own observations, plot, and original characters.

A/N: I've been asked why I'm rewriting this. Frankly because it needed it. The length wasn't up to my standard, the story needed expanded on and the plot changed a bit. So it's getting rewritten.

Chapter 2: WHAT?!

Everything ached. Not like an 'Oh geez I just fell down a hillside,' ache though. That puzzled me. I assumed it meant that I had been found, rescued and probably air-lifted to a hospital and had been here a while, under the influence of wonderful modern painkillers. So, it didn't bother me that things didn't ache as much as they probably should have. Perfectly logical reasoning right? That's probably what you'd believe right? Well, let me tell you, my reality wasn't so sweet.

-Of course, reality is all an illusion, created by our subconscious, so that some things within our lives might make sense occasionally. We delve into fantasy to escape that reality so that for a short time we can ignore it. But one man's fantasy is another's reality. You'll see what I meant in a moment.-

I opened my eyes to a bare green-walled room. In a bed. Nothing wrong yet right? What struck me first was the complete lack of medical equipment. I mean, no IVs, no heart monitor telling everyone I was still alive. No oxygen machine pumping that life giving gas into my lungs. No clear glass wall with a door so that as everyone went by they could peep in and make sure everything was still functioning ok, me included. So none of that stuff was needed? No, that couldn't be right. I had been rescued. After who knows how long in the wild, and not even an IV was needed? I have no medical training at all but even I knew that wasn't right. The first thing most hospitals did was put in an IV. So what did that mean? How long had I been out? I felt not too bad but still stiff and sore. Ok, so that meant maybe a week, if no bones were broken.

Quickly I checked myself. Nope, no casts. So, no broken bones. I ran an experimental hand over my face. No, obvious bandages. Ok...now what? Well, you lay in bed for a week. First things first. Stupid as it sounds, let's test the legs. Granted, I probably should have found a way to yell for someone, but I like doing things for myself. No matter how stupid it might be.

So, easing myself up, mindful of the pulled muscles, scrapes, bruises and various other injuries, I first got into a sitting position. Ok, not too bad. The head was going to stay attached though I wasn't real sure I wanted it to. So, first step completed. Next, to swing the legs to the floor. Throwing back the covers I groaned at the sight of my legs. I am a fair skinned person to begin with. Now, however, my legs were a collage of purples and black and greens and even reds. Lady I looked bad! The last thing I wanted was to see myself in a mirror. Then again, my face didn't feel that bad except for the ostrich egg on the back of my head.

Swinging my legs to the floor, took some time, since they actually didn't hurt as bad as they should have and I just couldn't convince myself of that. So now, feet flat on the floor, I pushed a little and up I was. Oops, down I went. Ok, a little dizzy and definitely sore, but nothing I couldn't handle. Grabbing the side table, I attempted to stand again. This time I made it. I was leaning practically sideways on the table but I was upright, sort of anyways. Now taking small shuffling steps, I made it from the table to the chair, then on to the little screened area off to the side.

I looked behind it, hoping for a toilet but found a little pot instead. 'What the hell?' I had to go; it was convenient. So finding it harder than it looked, I got my bladder taken care of and shuffled back to the bed. That was another thing. I wasn't wearing one of those, show the world, back open, hated hospital gowns. No, this was an actual nightgown, with short sleeves, buttons on the front and about shin length. I certainly didn't own anything like that. I usually wore either a t-shirt and shorts or a t-shirt and sweat pants depending on the weather. Now, that was strange.

I had shuffled back to the bed and eased myself down. Grimacing as I fixed the pillow behind me, I sat down to study my surroundings. I didn't see my pack but I was sure I could ask whoever came in where it was. Another thing that was odd, no phone. Who had ever heard of a hospital room without a phone? Not in my lifetime. Even the ICUs had phones in them. And no mirror, sink or anything resembling a bathroom. So where the hell was I?

Odd feelings began to creep up my spine, making the hairs on the back of my neck, the ones right over the ostrich egg, stand up. Even they hurt. When my pain nerves finally caught on to the fact that I was awake, I was truly going to regret it. Good thing for me, that right now, they were a bit sluggish to respond.

That's when the footsteps approached my room. They didn't strike me as the no nonsense, angel of mercy, nurse's steps either. These sounded... well, different. Also there was a swishing sound that I usually associated with long skirts, but what nurse or doctor wore long, flowy skirts? Weirder and weirder. In fact, I couldn't remember the last time I saw a nurse in skirts.

So, what to do? Do I pretend to still be unconscious? Or do I greet them cheery and alert from my bed? Nope, not the last one. On my good days, I couldn't fake cheery. Today was definitely not a good day. So cheery was out. I certainly couldn't attack whoever was coming in. Well, not physically anyways. More than one of my brothers had said I had a tongue that should be registered as a lethal weapon. Should I attack them verbally? Naw, I'd be polite as long as they gave answers. I could do polite, sort of.

The footsteps stopped at the door. I got a little worried, maybe they weren't coming in after all. Shit I needed answers! I held my breath. If they didn't come in I would yell and get them in here. Then the knob turned and in walked someone.

What the hell? It was a kid! Ok a teenager but still! I mean there are laws against that right? Children are not allowed to work right? This kid was not old enough to hold down a job. So what? I was in someone's house in the back woods somewhere? I died and went to Deliverance?

That thought brought me up rather short. I mean I could be stuck here. Every bad soap opera and movie raced through my brain in that moment. But the whole "holding he girl captive in the backwoods for the sons" was just a myth right?

Right?

"Oh, you're awake. Wonderful!" Have I mentioned I don't do cheery? Cheery is the only word to describe this girl. She was wearing a light green robe. Ya know the kind… The ones you always see Brit lawyers wearing in those PBS things. A robe, a kid, no modern equipment. Oh hell... what happened to me? My head started pounding in that moment, as I tried thinking far too hard. "How do you feel?" She asked, looking at me with a seriousness that in someone that young was eerie. "You took quite a knock on the head. We were worried about you." She came near and began poking around at my head.

"Hey! Whoa kiddo!" At least she stopped. I ignored the pounding in my head completely, my hands raised to hold her off, though it appeared I didn't need to. "Why don't you go find an adult for me to talk to? Playing doctor is all fine and stuff but I'm not going to be your patient."

She looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Well, I did fall down a hill, but it felt all in tact to me. "Well, if you'd be more comfortable, I could go get the Healer." I nodded. That was exactly what I wanted her to do. She sighed and left, muttering under her breath.'Well ya know what kid?' I thought to myself, leaning back against the headboard with a wince before grabbing another pillow to stick behind it. Didn't help the thumping much but at least there wasn't a sharp edge poking at it. 'I prefer an adult to go poking around not some kid with fantasies. I mean who do you think you are Doogie Howser?' That thought would have brought a snigger to me if my head wasn't pounding so bad.

She soon came back, with an actual adult behind her. This one also wore green robes although hers were a much darker green than the kid's. "So, Linna tells me you're awake. And I see you're sitting up as well. Very good. We'll have you up and around in no time. Now, how do you feel? Dizzy? Nauseous? No? Great. Better than I had thought you would be." All during this little speech, she'd been waving her hands over me like some sort of psychic healer. "Well, bumps, bruises a few scrapes but you're doing quite well. Now do you remember what happened?" Now she sat in the chair beside me.

For a moment I was silent, studying the graying woman sitting there. She was calm and collected. Almost too calm. You know the ones, they practically radiate peace. People like that always seem a bit false to me. Yet, for some odd, completely unknown reason, she didn't.

Finally, I nodded, knowing what this was. I had seen enough bad soap operas and cheesy medical shows to know that she was checking me for memory loss. "I remember. I was out hiking, trying to get pictures of this herd of elks and ended up falling down a ridge." Now I shrugged. "No, big deal, happens all the time right?" She nodded, not really looking like she believed my story. Behind her the door suddenly opened and several people came in. All but two were wearing white. One was in gray and the other looked to be wearing what every writer had ever described as an Elven Scout's outfit. He wasn't bad looking either. Even though his hair was a freaky bleached out white color.

I wondered what was going on. They didn't look like any police or Rangers I knew of. And wasn't there some confidentiality law that said random people couldn't just barge into a patient's room? Besides, I was in a nightgown. That put me at a disadvantage. That really bothered me. Especially since I didn't know who these people were or what was going on.

The Healer stood and spoke to them in a very low voice which I strained to hear and then left, leaving me alone with these people. Ok. Maybe I had died and gone to heaven or the afterlife or maybe even hell. Wherever I was, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto. Soon all their attention was turned on me. I had a creepy feeling that whatever I was going to be told I was not going to like it. I already didn't like it and all they were doing was looking at me. Also, I had the bad feeling the doctor, or Healer, or whatever, was talking about me. I can't stand being talked about as if I'm not there.

"Hello. You've caused quite a stir around here. Can you tell me your name?" This from one of the women in white. Not a bad outfit but with my complexion and red hair, white makes me look like a ghost. She settled into the chair so recently vacated by the older woman. Her brown hair looked about like mine did after I washed it and let it air-dry, combed and cared for, but not willing to hold any sort of style at all.

"My name is Sarana Jakeson." Before she could ask another question, I held up a hand. No way they were getting information until I had some of my own. "I'll answer all of your questions but first you got to answer some of mine." All of them shared a glance but she nodded. "How long was I out?" I'd start there and work my way up. Good news/bad news sort of thing. Let's get the better news done first.

"About a week."

Ok not that bad. I had guessed about right then. So, on to the next easy one. "Where's my pack? It had all my stuff in it. I'd like it back." Like my camera. If I fell down a hill trying to get those shots, I want the pictures at least as some compensation.

Again that shared look. Now what was really going on here? "We will have it returned to you." She said easily. Nice of them considering it was mine to begin with.

Now the hard one. I took a deep breath to fortify myself. "Where am I?" There was another shared look. They were really getting on my nerves. Something seemed to pass between several of them, though their faces seemed to go blank for a moment.

She smiled now. Apparently, for her that was the easy one. "Healer's Collegium." That name rang a few bells in my head but nothing popped up. She must have seen the blank look on my face because she continued. "Healer's Collegium, in Haven the Capital of Valdemar. I am Queen's Own Talia...."

What?! I didn't die and go to hell. I died and went to Valdemar? I fell down a hill and ended up in a fantasy novel?