Disclaimer: I wish I was! But I'm not! pouts sad isn't it? I'm still just Kate, though I'm hoping to be an author!

A/N: For those who didn't see it in the last chapter, I am thinking of becoming an author, I want to know what you think. Thanks, criticism welcome!

Alanna sighed softly and pulled on her shirt. It was just before dawn, and she wasn't usually up that early, but she had to be in time to get George out so she wouldn't be found out. For a reason she was still unsure of, George had seemed overly jealous the night before. She knew what he was like, and this meant that she knew he wasn't usually jealous. Knowing this forced her to question why he had been worried about Jon getting his way...

A purr echoed across the room. Alanna yanked her golden tunic rather roughly on, and turned around to glare at Faithful. He gave a small cat shrug, and blinked his violet eyes at her.

You know all too well why George was jealous, Faithful chided, sitting up and stretching his front legs out on the armchair. His claws dug into the material and made soft snapping noises as he broke bits of it free. You're his, and he wants it that way. He's a rational man, but he doesn't give up so easily on things he wants.

Alanna put her hand across her mouth and nose, stifling a snort. She walked over to where the cat was perched, and knelt down in front of him. Black hair fell off on her fingers as she scratched him behind a black ear. He purred contentedly. "Maybe I do," she whispered softly, "maybe I don't. Either way, Faithful, I do know this; If I really wanted Jon, George would let me go."

This caused Faithful to stand up, and meet her violet eyes with his own. His mind voice was sarcastic when he spoke. If you're right, I'll be utterly amazed.

Alanna rolled her eyes, the perfect image of an irritated squire. "Faithful," she hissed, not wanting to awaken George yet, "you know just as well as I what he's like, he'd let me go... if it was what I really wanted..." her voice trailed off, and she glanced at the still sleeping form of George.

Faithful hissed, bringing Alanna's attention back to him. She frowned at him. I know what you mean, the cat said, his voice almost urgent, Something's deathly wrong, Alanna, you and I both know it... he trailed off, his mind voice whirling away to nothing.

Alanna looked at the cat, shocked by his behavior, but he had fallen silent, his violet eyes glowing in... fear.

She stood up, and turned around, her own eyes glowing in the with the same fear she had seen in Faithful's.

"So," the voice seemed to echo within her mind and Alanna tried to shield out the loudness of it, "We meet at last." Light shimmered and flared before her, it all swirled around and around, forming a vortex of bubbling white lights. When the lights cleared a man stood before her. He was shorter than she, with ragged gray hair and a very chubby figure. His face was round and rosy, and his mud-colored robe was made of rich looking silk.

"Who are you?" Alanna demanded, her eyes glowing in fear of the man before her. She couldn't put her finger on it, she wasn't exactly afraid, but she could tell that the man had great potential to be highly dangerous.

The man smiled sweetly, his rosy cheeks spreading out. "But I," he began, a chuckle rising from his lips as though it was all a very amusing story, "am Hansen!" When Alanna continued to stare, Hansen elaborated. "I Hansen, am the most powerful sorcerer in the world!"

The word "But" was beginning to form in Alanna's still shocked mouth, when Hansen held his hand up and went on.

"I know, I know," Hansen said, waving a short fingered hand, "what's-his-name... Ru-Ro-Re-ROGER!" He smiled when he finally put his finger on the name. "Roger of Conté. I know he's the most powerful magician in Tortall, but I come from further away than Scanra!"

Alanna couldn't help but be skeptical. The man was too enthusiastic for one, and for another, Roger wasn't the most powerful sorcerer in Tortall, he was one of them. But before Alanna could voice her confusion, Hansen had carried on in his happy-jolly way.

"Now," Hansen went on, turning around and flicking a finger so that Alanna's dresser overflowed with his own rich silks. He turned back to Alanna, "I have come to help you in your quest to defeat Roger." Hansen sighed deeply. "My powers are great, but they are in limited fields, teleportation, animal remedies, healing, I have power, but not of the sort Roger does." He pouted his lips in concentration. "Alas, a large part of the task will still remain on you, but I can help as much as the-- my magic allows."

Alanna scowled. A fiery and sharp pain lashed down Alanna's wrist. She turned around at top speed, swearing at full volume. Faithful clung to her wrist with his teeth buried deeply in her the soft flesh on the underside of it.

"DAMN, FAITHFUL!" She snarled, prying his teeth out of her skin and putting him back on the chair. The black cat refused to stay though, and leaped up onto her shoulder, hissing coldly... at Hansen.

WELL? I know, it's suspenseful isn't it? More soon! Maybe this afternoon, maybe sooner, maybe not till tomorrow!