IT LIVES! IT LIIIIIIIIIIVES! Okay, I'm sorry for not updating in like…two years. In a way I think it's almost unfair that I'm putting up this chapter at all because I doubt I'll update again any time soon, but I suppose you never know. I wrote this mainly because I had a case of writers block for my original story I'm working on, and a sudden burst of inspiration for this old dinosaur. (All thanks to that brilliant story called "Aphrael's Birthday Party" – it got me in the Bevier mood!). So…uhh…enjoy, I suppose. I don't own David Eddings etc.

My toes were numb from the cold. So were my hands. My backside was warm at least, as my pony was without a saddle, but riding over long distances ACHES, man! And I'd been riding for the whole day. Well, sitting on a horse for the whole day. Well, most of the day. But Bevier refused to let me walk. Night was beginning to fall, enveloping the lush soggy green countryside in shadows.

The road, if you could call it that, was muddy. The chillingly damp breeze attacked me again, and I pulled Bevier's cloak tighter round my shoulders. Some exciting adventure. Eosia seemed similar to Britain (Scotland, anyway). Damp, cold, muddy, and miserable. I'd obviously brought the weather with me.

"We'll stop at that inn for tonight, and reach Cimmura by tomorrow." Said Bevier suddenly, breaking the silence. I looked up and squinted in the dim light. There was a big stone building by the side of the road.

"Cool. Uh, what's the inn called?"

"Does it matter?"

"I just thought that, you know, there'd be one of those hanging wooden signs you always read about."

"Hanging signs?" he asked slowly.

"Yeah. Like, if the inn was called The Happy Trout, there'd be a fish jumping out a river with a big smile, and it would say the inn's name underneath, and that's how you know what it's called."

Bevier looked at me with a long suffering expression.

"…The happy trout?"

"Yes."

"… Why would you call – nevermind. I don't want to know."

"What! It's a common name for the typical friendly inn!"

"Whatever you say, My lady. Now, when we go inside, stay close to me. Cover your clothes with my cloak so people don't ask questions and if you need to talk to anyone tell them – in fact, just don't talk to anyone. At all. Don't even open your mouth."

"Okie dokie."

"No speaking!"

"Oh, sorry!"

"SHH!"

I closed my mouth obediently and mimed zipping it shut. Bevier sighed.

"This could be harder than I first imagined."

He helped me dismount, and I jumped up and down a few times to try work the stiffness from my legs.

"Stop that! It's not very lady-like!"

"But my legs are stiff! I can't walk!"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Seriously! Argh! Painful!"

"Oh, for goodness sake!"

"Can I...uh help you, Sir?"

A plump balding man of middle age was standing in the doorway. Light streamed out from behind him, and I squinted my eyes at its brightness. In one smooth motion Bevier pulled the hood of the cloak over my head and stepped gracefully in front of me.

"Yes, thank you, Good Sir. The lady and I require food and rooms for the night, and stabling for her…uh…steed."

Zita looked mildly disgusted by this, and tried to shove Bevier in the back with her nose. The innkeeper whistled, summoning a boy from round the corner.

"Larr, take the mare round and bed her down, please. Right this way, Sir. And lady, of course."

"Mm." I said regally, waving him on. A rather good impression of the queen's very own wave, if I do say so myself. A veritable wafting gesture of the highest degree. Bevier, ever the gentleman, kicked me. Not hard, but I glared at him anyway, feeling like one of the dark riders from Lord Of The Rings with his big cloak on. A Narf Ghoulie, or whatever they're called. Anyway…FOOD!

As a tourist visiting this dimension for the first time I was not overly impressed. The seats and tables were stained and a little dirty, the room was full of smoke, and the mug Bevier placed in front of me had little bits in it.

"What is this? Grog?"

"Ale."

"Oh. Is that alcoholic? Because I'm under-age."

He sighed.

"I need to talk to the innkeeper. Just stay here and stay out of trouble."

"Uhh…okay. Please hurry."

I examined the floaters in my ale mug glumly as Bevier disappeared off. One looked like a tiny bug trying to doggy-paddle its way to dry land.

Swim, small beetle! Swim and be free!

The door swung open at that point, banging loudly. I jumped, almost spilling my lovely wholesome ale all over the table. Two men swaggered in. They were both enormous. One was incredible tall and blonde, while the other seemed wider. How could he fit through the door! His shoulders were huge! Shuddering, I turned back to examining my ale and avoiding eye-contact with any of the men in the room.

"Beer over here!" bellowed one of the men, plonking himself on a chair and resting his foot on the table.

Please hurry up, Bevier!

My stomach was beginning to churn a little with nerves. Inns sound a lot more fun when you read about them. There's more jovial pig roasting and less scary drunk maniacs.

Suddenly, a mug was slammed down next to me. I almost leapt out my skin. The really tall guy grinned down at me.

"I've found my fun for tonight!" he declared, before sweeping me up and tossing me over his shoulder.

I did what any cool confident and mature young woman would have done in my situation. I screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Most of the men in the room pounded the tables and cheered drunkenly. (So now they were jovial…) Still yelling, I pounded the guy's back with my fists. It didn't do much good as he was wearing chain mail. The floor was a looooooong way down. My stomach lurched, and I shut my eyes. This could not be happening!

I was still kicking and struggling when he left the bar and began climbing the stairs.

"Would you stop that!" he hissed at me.

There was a small shing from nearby. It sounded like a sword being unsheathed.

"Unhand her you…" Bevier's voice trailed off suddenly. I tried to turn round and look at him, but my position was…awkward.

"What are you doing here?" Bevier no longer sounded angry. In fact, if I didn't know better I'd say he sounded…amused!

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here, old boy? We all thought you were dead!"

"It's a very long story, Ulath. Perhaps first you could explain why you're carrying off my charge."

Ulath! I looked down and noticed he had his hair in two long braids. Oh. That would explain the tallness, then.

"She's with you, then? I recognised the Cyrinic cloak, and decided I'd have a word with her. I had to throw off suspicion, though. Besides, from the way some of those men were looking, if I hadn't done something, someone else would have."

I felt sick.

"Can you put me down, now, please?" I asked, pitifully.

"Of course. Sorry, lass. Let's go up to my room where we can talk with a bit more privacy." That last part to Bevier, who nodded, sheathing his sword.

Ulath opened a nearby door and dropped me lightly onto a hard bed. I looked round the sparse room, and then at him. I would have gone for an angry baleful stare, but he was so huge I only glanced briefly at him before examining my shoelaces nervously. I couldn't believe it. I was finally meeting people I never would have thought I'd ever be able to talk to, and I just wanted to crawl away into my own little bed at home with its yellow duvets. I'm a miserable berk sometimes. Make that most of the time.

"Right, Ulath, this is Marjory. Marjory, this is Sir Ulath. A fellow knight and one of my most trusted friends."

Ulath smiled down at me, and I looked up at him with my eyes brimming with emotions, particularly abject terror. No-one should be that tall!

"So…you two are…together?" Ulath rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I must say I'm surprised you've picked up a woman at all, but I always imagined you'd go for a maid who was less...plump."

PLUMP!

I looked down at myself. Okay, so perhaps he was right, but he didn't have to be so open about it. It's not like he had any trouble with my weight when he picked me up and pretended to abduct me!

"How droll." Said Bevier dryly. "Now is not the time for jests, Ulath. I am Marjory's protector and friend, nothing more."

"That still doesn't explain where you've been all this time. The queen's been going wild, she thinks you were assassinated or kidnapped or some such thing. We've tried to contact Aphrael, but she hasn't been speaking to us. And now, out of the blue, you turn up at an inn with a girl who is wearing the strangest clothes I have ever seen, and declare yourself her champion. Really, man, you're becoming quite arbitrary in your old age."

"Bevier?" the wide man, who I was guessing was Tynian, stood in the doorway, his mouth hanging open in shock. Ah, big round face. Yes, that would be Tynian.

"Tynian, my friend. How have you been?"

"What happened to you? You just disappeared!"

Bevier sighed.

"It is a long tale. Perhaps you should both sit down and I will explain. Do you remember when we were in the Tamul Empire, and Aphrael told us about the many different worlds that exist, hidden from our own? Well, I was travelling to Cimmura, when I was attacked by bandits, and somehow I was transported into one of these other worlds. Marjory took me in and hid me, and in return I vowed to protect her. Some strange men attempted to abduct her, and in helping her to escape them, we were both pulled back through to Eosia. And so here we are."

Ulath and Tynian both blinked at him.

"Oh. Well…that explains it." Said the Thelasian slowly.

It sounded so much more glamorous and dramatic when Bevier told it.

"A suggestion, Bevier. Perhaps you should let her majesty know you are well before she declares war upon some unfortunate out of frustration."

"A good suggestion, friend Tynian. I must ask her and Sir Sparhawk's advice in any case."

"Good. You can travel with us. We're headed to Cimmura ourselves. You have your horses stabled at this inn?"

"Well, horse singular. I shall have to buy another one."

I yawned, and Bevier smiled slightly.

"We should retire for now. Until the morrow, my friends?"

"Until the morrow, Bevier." Tynian clasped hands with him.

"It's good to know you're alive." Added Ulath. "I would have missed your axe."

Ah, been a long time since I typed this: READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! D Even if I don't update very often, 'tis nice to sometimes have someone come across my work and their opinion. Maybe if you all nag enough I'll actually finish this, although I don't know if I like the ending I originally had planned anymore… meh. Anyway, um, I have nothing more to say.

So, uh, bye for now ;;

(PS: Out of curiosity, do you think my writing style in this chapter has changed at all from the other chapters I wrote, like, a year ago? If so, do you think I've gotten better, or worse?)