Alanna wakes up with a jolt. What is that? She hears a thudding noise, getting deeper and deeper. It's aching in her bones.

It takes her a minute to remember that she's visiting her twin, Thom, at the mages' university.

People are awful. Why would anyone make noise at this ridiculous hour? 

Alanna storms out of the bunkroom. I'm going to murder whoever is doing this.

It doesn't take long for Alanna to figure out where the noise is coming from, even in her half-asleep rage state. She can almost see the thuds emanating from a door down the hall.

The moment she grabs the doorknob, everything goes black.

- what?

Vanyel is used to sudden surprises, given what the last few months of his life have been like, and - just barely - manages not to literally fall off his Companion's back. 

....Still. What was that? It...wasn't any kind of magic he recognizes - not from the Karsites, not from the Tayledras. Not from anywhere. 

:- I don't know either, Chosen. But - we'd better go have a look:

And Yfandes breaks into a gallop.

Everything goes dark. And then - 

- Alanna is going to find herself sprawled on her back, on top of a mat of very wet dead leaves, with rain dripping through the tree-canopy above and onto her face. 

There are hoofbeats in the distance. 

After a couple of seconds, they're not so distant anymore. 

Suddenly Alanna is on her back. The first thing she notices is that she's damp. She feels some drops hit her face.

Dammit. What now.

She opens her eyes. At first, she can't see anything, Everything is just kind of dark. Then, as her eyes adjust, she realizes that above her isn't the hall's ceiling like she expected. Nope, it's...a bunch of branches. And there are some distant hoofbeats.

And it's raining. Dammit. I hate the rain.

How can it be raining? I'm *inside*.

As Alanna looks around, she realizes she's no longer in the hallway. Maybe not even in the university! The hoofbeats are close now. Alanna's hand instantly goes to her where her sword would be, if she wasn't in her nightclothes.

Dammit!

Seconds later, an overly-thin man dressed entirely in white, riding a white horse, bursts out of the trees. 

His silver eyes widen, as the mare who he's riding bunches her haunches and skids to a halt. 

He says something in a language which Alanna is unfamiliar with; his tone is one of startled confusion. 

Alanna jumps to her feet and backs away.

Not recognizing the language the man in white is speaking, she looks around. Is this a weird dream?

She clutches her amulet, whispering Goddess if this is your doing, can you give me a sign? Nothing happens.

Alanna then draws on her inner pool of magic, drawing out a thin purple tendril of flame. It wraps around her fingers. She uses the light to scan the woods and the strange man's face.

Is he some sort of being from the realm of the gods? Why can't I understand him?

Vanyel stares at her. 

That's mage-work. But...not a technique he recognizes, at all. And this person, whoever they are, apparently doesn't speak Valdemaran. And really doesn't look Karsite. Or dressed for the weather, come to think of it. Or hostile. 

He's so confused. 

He slides down from Yfandes back, and holds up both hands, palms open, trying to look as nonthreatening as he can. Which isn't very hard, given how damp and bedraggled he is right now. He tries a couple of other languages, Karsite and Rethwellani and Tayledras, with no more success than before. 

:I don't do this often, love, but - let me try something?: 

And his Companion reaches out with a Mindtouch. :Do you understand me?: 

From Alanna's perspective, she suddenly hears a woman's voice, speaking in her head, and somehow it's obviously coming from the horse.