Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except Lana and Varnya. All other characters so far belong to TP.
Chapter 2The bright green light of her Aunt's Gift faded to a brilliant white, until Lana felt as though she was going blind. She shut her eyes, the light still piercing her eyelids. I can't breathe, oh my God I can't breathe…is this what it feels like to have a stroke? Am I dying? All rational thought ceased as a growing pressure on her chest, like she was being squeezed through a tube, heightened until it was unbearable. But just as suddenly, it stopped. Strange sounds started to float through her ears; she could hear birds and far off in the distance, people yelling. Is that horse hoofs? As she opened her eyes, she wasn't prepared for the sight in front of her. Lana was no longer in her Aunt's house, but in what seemed to be a small copse of trees just off a dirt track. Dazedly, Lana stepped out from behind the trees and walked to the road, her eyes fixed on a group of men riding horses straight towards her. As she watched them pass, she noticed that they were headed into a town, which was behind her.
What is this? What is going on? I must have fallen at Varnya's and hit my head – this is just a dream, that's all. Lana pinched herself, but to her dismay didn't wake. Her surroundings seemed as real as ever. No…no no no, it can't have really happened, it can't have! Lana was starting to panic, feeling confused and alone, seemingly stranded in the middle of know where.
'OK, calm down now, remember your training. Whenever you lose track of your surroundings, either back track, or ask someone for help.' Lana realised pretty soon that backtracking was pointless; there was no magical doorway in the trees that would lead her back to familiarity. So she took a deep breath and made her way into the town.
As Lana entered the crowded market place, she tried to keep a grip on her nerves and bearings, but was failing. The people she saw were different, strange even. Most were people trying to sell things, owners of small stalls with all sorts of goods; others were looking and spending money. But all were so weirdly dressed, the women in long heavy skirts and high-necked blouses; the men in odd-looking pants with a shirt and then a short dress kind of thing over the top of that. They also wore weapons openly on their hips, but not guns like she was used to in the Army, small knives and sometimes, to her disbelief, a sword! This is crazy – I'm going crazy. What kind of people wear swords? Who uses a sword these days? Lana scoffed, No one…not in my time anyway. But it hit her like she walked into a wall. She'd seen this kind of dress before, but not in real life – in movies! King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table – that kind of thing.
Her Aunt had done what she promised. She'd sent her hundreds of years back in time, to medieval times!
She stopped walking and opened her bag. The envelope had a name on the front – Jonathan Conte. As she looked around properly for the first time, she realised that people were looking at her as strangely as she was looking at them. She tried to approach the person nearest to her, to ask where she could find this Jonathan, but the small old man eyed her clothes, and then backed away. She looked down at herself; she was wearing jeans and a tight fitting yellow t-shirt, her off-white double-breasted coat and her off-white spike-heeled boots, with a mint green leather bag. People were often surprised that she was in the Army when they saw her dressed like this. They didn't expect her to be so girly. No one else around her was dressed even slightly similar to her. As a matter of fact, it seemed that none of the women even wore pants at all. Oh crap, this is going to be a problem. But what can I do? Lana thought, but decided that she was just going to have to continue speaking to people until someone spoke to her back.
She wound her way warily through the market place, asking one after the other where she could find Jonathan Conte. But no one helped her. After a while she realised that it wasn't just her dress code that seemed to frighten people, when she mentioned this 'Jonathan' guy, their eyes grew wider and refused to utter a word. Obviously they know this guy, but who is he that the name sparks so much fear in their eyes? The sooner I get this done, the better – then I can go home. But as the realisation of what she just thought dawned on her, a wave of panic washed over her like nothing she'd ever felt before. Home. Her Aunt Varnya didn't tell her how she was to get home, just that she'd find a way! She started to tremble and she could feel the burning of tears behind her eyes. This is so totally different from any training camp I've had with the Army – there was always the guarantee that someone would be there to help me get through it; at the end of the day we could always get home! Just as Lana began to crumble, strong hands gripped her upper left arm and pulled her through an alley and into a doorway.
'What are you doing? Let go of me!' Lana was about to attack the stranger with some of her handy self defence moves when she was surreptitiously thrown into a plain room that was practically empty except for a brushed pine table and a couple chairs around it.
Her male captor walked into the room behind her and shut the door. 'Be quiet, else you make more trouble than you have already.' He was tall with a large nose and brown hair, and he looked to be in his early thirties. But under his tan and unremarkable face and clothes, you could tell that he was fit – fit enough to easily over power someone like Lana, even with her Army training. She was strong for a girl, with height as an advantage, but she could never overcome this man.
'Who are you and what do you want? I've done nothing to bother you,' Lana thought she could maybe talk her way out of this before it became too serious. 'Let me go about my business.'
'I should be askin' you those questions, girl. A stranger, goin' about the city askin' for His Highness? You're lookin' for trouble, askin' to be shot.' He was so blunt, that his words shocked Lana to her core.
'But-his what? Asking to be shot? No! I'm just here to deliver a message, not to cause any trouble! But no one will help me, nobody will answer my questions!' The tears she struggled with outside had finally reached the surface, spilling down her cheeks, and all regard for the seriousness of being kidnapped flew out the window. "I just want to go home. I don't know where I am or how I got here, but all I want is to go home.' Lana slumped into one of the chairs at the table, put her head in her hands and sobbed. She had never felt more isolated in all of her life, and no amount of training could help her now.
No longer strong and tough, gentle hands touched her shoulder and tried to ease her pain. 'There now, lass, whatever it is, it's going to be fine. Just tell me what you need, and I'll try and help you, if you'll let me.'
Jerked out of her reverie by his touch, she quickly pulled away, wiping her tears, saying 'What do you want with me? Where have you brought me?'
'I have brought you somewhere safe, where we can discuss what it is you want with His Highness,' replied the stranger 'but first maybe I should introduce myself. My name's George Cooper. And you would be…?'
Shocked, Lana gasped but managed to reply 'His Highness? What-what do you mean?'
George sighed. 'The man you've been askin' city folk about, His Highness, Prince Jonathan of Conte.'
Lana was stunned into silence.
A/N: Guys, this is my first fic, so I would really appreciate some reviews to let me know what you think! All criticism welcomed! And if you like it, I'll post the next chapter, where we meet Jon.