Author's Note: Thank you to all who reviewed. I'm glad you like the story so far. I don't have much to say and I don't want to keep you waiting, so here goes. Enjoy! R&R!


Time could not have passed more slowly for me in the days that followed. We were made to sit in large iron cages as prisoners of the fewmaster. At the start of the journey I sat apart from everyone with my knees curled up to my chest, staring at the filthy ground. The companions cast suspicious glances at my and the man/elf called Gilthanas. But no one said a word.

But the trouble began before we even moved out of Solace. I was sitting alone, wallowing in self pity and terror, when I heard angry shouts. I leaned towards the bars of the cage and watched silently as a group of goblins tossed a black man inside the cage. He hit with a thud and I noticed with horror that his arm had been cut off. Blood was flowing from it and pooling in the cage. I nearly gagged on the horrible reeking scent.

"He does not have to die," the barbarian woman stated calmly. She removed her hood and began to walk over to the dying man.

"No!" Gilthanas argued. "There is no amount of magic on Krynn that can save him. At least let him die in peace without any of your barbaric witchcraft!"

But the woman didn't listen. She knelt down beside the black man and whispered a prayer. "Mishakal, I call upon your healing powers. If it be the will of the gods, let this man live and further fulfill his purpose. Bless him, Mishakal."

My eyes widened as the flesh of his arm closed over the wound and the blood flow ceased. Oh my god! What kind of hellish place am I in! First goblins and reptile me, then magic and now divine healing rites! I don't know where I am, but it's clear that I'm not in Kansas anymore!

Too stupefied to speak, I kept those thoughts quiet for the moment. It was then that I decided that these are not the people to make angry.

After that little interlude, all talking ceased. In fact, we traveled for (from what I could tell) a good two hours before anyone else said a word. As I gazed out at the reptile-men, it was me (in an uncharacteristic moment) who broke the silence.

"What are they?" I asked softly. Every head with the exception of magician and the man with the missing arm, who was in fact unconscious, turned to look at me.

"Draconians," Tanis answered simply. "They are dragon-men."

I scoffed. "Dragons don't actually exist."

"We didn't think so either," the big man stated somberly, "until we killed one."

"Caramon!" the knight glowered. Caramon fell silent and I guessed that people weren't supposed to know that they trumped a dragon.

I shook my head and cradled it in my arms. This was really getting to be too much. Everyone bone and brain cell I had told me not to believe that any of this was real. Dragons don't exist! They can't exist! Could they? But even as I thought that my childhood full of wonder and excitement resurfaced. How I longed to meet a dragon!

What! I was mentally cursing myself for that and repeating the phrase "dragons don't exist." But somewhere deep in my heart, closed off from everything else, something told me that they were real. That somewhere their divine beauty did grace the earth. That part of me wanted so badly to see one.

"I know it can be difficult to believe," Tanis comforted me softly. "We didn't want to believe it either. But it's true. They do exist. By the way," he decided to break the ice, "I'm Tanis Half-Elven, that's Sturm Brightblade, Caramon and Raistlin Majere, Tika Waylan, Flint Fireforge, Riverwind, Goldmoon, Theros Ironfeld, Gilthanas, and that little one is-"

"And I'm Tasslehoff Burrfoot!" the impish looking child bounded over and extended his hand. He was the only one with any remote sign of happiness. "But my friends all call me Tas."

"Alessandra," I replied shaking Tas's hand. I didn't bother giving a last name. What did really matter here anyhow?

"Alessandra. Wow, that's a nice name. It doesn't sound like you come from around here, though. Well, I bet you've seen all kinds of great things where you come from. You know just the other day I was telling Flint about the time when I found a magic ring…" And Tas was off. I didn't have the slightest clue what he was talking about and further more I didn't care. I was still trying to figure out what he was.

"Uh, Tas," Tanis cut the little guy off once he saw my face. "Let's give her some time alone. It's clear she's had a long day."

Tas pouted in a very childlike manner. "Oh, we've all have a long day. Besides, I'm just being nice. If she isn't from around here she probably doesn't have any friends here. And it isn't very nice manners to keep her friendless. As my father used to say, 'Living a life without friends to share it with is-'"

"Shut up, you bloody kender!" Flint roared. Tas shot the dwarf a hurt look but immediately hushed.

Tanis sent me an apologetic look, but I couldn't keep a smile away. Not like I knew what a kender is, but there just so much amusement in the way Flint and Tas argued. Then Tanis's face took a thoughtful expression and I knew he was thinking about how I got here, where I came from, and if he could trust me. But Tanis, I noticed, was too polite to openly ask me anything.

But there was one person in the group who didn't share Tanis's politeness or tasteful discretion or subtleties.

"If you are not from here," Raistlin's hissing voice cut through the air with more power and effect than anyone else could have achieved any other way, "where is it that you come from?"

"A long way away," I said softly. Strangely, I noticed that I didn't want to think about where I came from. Not all of my memories were positive and, in fact, I wished that most of them would disappear. On some level, conscious or subconscious, I realized that being here offered me a chance to completely disregard my childhood and my family. Yet at the time I was too afraid and unnerved by these mystical happenings to think about that. Far more important is where I am now and what is going to happen next.

"Um, this may sound strange," I began quietly, "but where exactly is here?"

I saw Raistlin's eyes gleam golden in interest and disbelief. I also saw Gilthanas shake his head and mutter something in a strange language. Other companions stared at me in shock and I averted my eyes.

"We are leaving Solace in the custody of Fewmaster Toede who will bring us to Lord Verminaard," Raistlin explained with a hint of amusement. What the hell is there to be amused about!

I bit my lip in embarrassment, but if I was going to survive here I needed to know some basic information. "Who are they? And, um, where is Solace located, relatively speaking?"

Tanis, utterly bewildered at my lack of knowledge, opened his mouth to explain things to me, but Gilthanas cut him off. "No, Tanis! No! Do not explain these things to her! No one can possibly be that ignorant! She probably knows everything and is just trying to get us to tell her something important. A spy! That's what she is, a spy!"

"Maybe he's right, Tanis," Caramon said softly, casting a suspicious glance my direction. Sturm leaned towards the two companions and I heard him say something in agreement. It looked to me like Tanis bit back a sharp reply, but when he looked back at me I could tell that Gilthanas had gained ground. Chances are I wouldn't get much out of this group now. Then once again it was Raistlin who dared say what everyone else was too polite to say.

"Perhaps you are right, elflord. Perhaps she is a spy, but that is very unlikely. It is my belief that she is truly too ignorant to know these things." At that moment I decided that I hated his hissing voice and his ability to pierce silence with such stunning capacity. In short, I hated him.

"Just because I'm not form here doesn't make me ignorant, it makes me different! And for your information I happen to know a lot of the happenings of the world," I snapped angrily, taking everyone by surprise. I always did have a flaring temper when people tried to undermine my intelligence, common sense, or personal value. And right now Raistlin was hitting all three. Then I added softly, "Just not this world."

"I think you're all judging too harshly," Goldmoon cut in. She rose from her unconscious patient and made her way over to me with soft, sympathetic eyes. "If she is truly not from here then she would not know what has happened here, and we cannot hold that against her. To do so is to condemn her to ignorance rather than trying to help her."

Though her words were kind and well meant, they only served to fuel my anger more. I had spent nearly my entire life getting by on my own and making things work for me. Charity and sympathy were unknown epidemics that only served to weaken and incapacitate those who could otherwise prove to be strong and independent. I hadn't needed them before and I sure as shit didn't need them now!

I turned my face away from Goldmoon in a silent effort to dissuade her. Naturally, my misfortune resulted in me turning my head towards Raistlin. His golden eyes gleamed at when they met my glare. He regarded me with a look that I couldn't quite decipher, but it was broken all too soon he was overcome by a fit of coughing. Caramon gave a concerned call and Tika rushed over to him, but he snarled and withdrew from her. For the first time it struck me how weak and frail he was. But I also saw determination and anger lurking somewhere beneath the surface.

Stubbornly determined to remain angry, I turned away from the mage and looked at Tanis. He was deep in thought, a look that I discovered remained permanently plastered on his bearded face. Once he had stroked his beard the magical number of times and a solution or course of action spontaneously popped into his head, he met my gaze.

"I believe you," he said finally.

I gave a disbelieving laugh. "What is there to believe? I haven't admitted or denied anything."

He sighed and I could tell that he was aggravated. "At any rate I believe that you're not from here and that you're not a spy. Would like to know about where you are and the war that's about to happen?"

He was regarding me harshly now, which was understandable considering that I hadn't been entirely kind. But the mention of war was enough to shake me out of anger. I suddenly felt very small and insignificant and completely helpless. It was a sensation that I worked very hard to keep at bay, but now it was too overwhelming. I fell silent and nodded.

Yet before we could begin my education, Gilthanas interrupted yet again. "You are going to this now, Half-Elf? Why would you waste you time and energy on this girl now?"

"Excuse me, but I didn't ask for your help," I answered him coldly. "And unless you have some prior engagement that demands all of your time and energy I think now is as good as a time any. Because in case you haven't noticed, we're in a cage. We're not going anywhere!"

Satisfied, Tanis began to explain Solace, Ansalon, and Krynn to me. I learned about the different races on Krynn, the religious histories, and the Cataclysm. He eventually felt the need to explain about the reawakening of dragons and the mysterious appearance of draconians and armies to the north. Other members of the group would interject their thoughts and opinions randomly, sometimes sharing a legend from their different backgrounds. Yet Raistlin's silence said more to me than anything the other companions could shout. I was beginning to understand that he just had that kind of effect on people.

It took nearly an entire day to fully explain these things to me, but by the time Tanis was satisfied that I was up to speed, none of us had any breath left. The cages were still moving and it had been only one day, but we had been given little water and virtually no edible food. The torture was beginning to set in.


Sorry the chapter was a little shorter, but I needed to include when they were in the cage and it seemed like a good time to get the character up to speed without wasting a situation. So I hope you thought it was bearable and it will pick up once they get to Qualinesti.

Lastly, I've started with the development of the character. Tell me what you think! R&R!