Disclaimer: It's not mine. It's just… not.

Chapter 1

Veralidaine Sarrasri lay in bed, attempting to sleep. Sleep usually came easily to the eighteen-year old brunette, but tonight, instead of sleeping Daine's mind kept straying back to thoughts of her friend and teacher Numair Salmalin.

Sitting up, Daine looked at her pet dragon that was sleeping on the foot of her bed.

"What am I going to do Kit? This not being able to sleep is getting fair annoying an tiring!"

The dragon stirred, but continued to sleep.

Sighing, Daine got up and pulled on a pair of breeches and a shirt, and left her rooms.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Black-Robed mage, Master Numair Salmalin sat at his deck, staring at an open book. He had been staring at the same page for more than five minutes. His traitorous mind continually wandered back to his student, the Wild Mage, Veralidaine Sarrasri.

Numair, though at 32, and being 14 years her elder, loved the young woman. They had met 6 years ago, when Daine had pulled Numair out of the hawk form he was stuck in with her wild magic.

Numair didn't know what it was, but one day Daine had said something, -he couldn't even remember what because he was so dazed- and he realized his heart was hers.

Of course he would not admit this. Numair had quite a reputation with the ladies of the court, and did not want to subject Daine to any rumors.

But he loved her!

"I can't take it anymore!" Numair screamed as he threw down his book.

He strode over to his bed, stripped off his shirt, and flopped down.

'Oh Daine,' he thought, just before he fell into a fitful, restless sleep.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daine walked through the palace, trying to stop thinking about Numair. This would've been easier outside, where she could converse with the animals, but it was too cold to venture out.

She didn't pay much attention to where she was going, which was why, about a half hour later, she found herself at Numair's door.
'I'm sure he's sleeping,' Daine thought, turning. 'I shouldn't disturb him.'

Just when she was about to walk away, Daine heard a strange muffled noise coming from inside. She stopped abruptly and whirled around.

"What is that?" she whispered to herself, as she put her ear to the door.

Hearing the noise again, Daine called out to Numair, not caring if she woke any of the other resident's of the castle.

She heard something. It was Numair's voice, calling her name!

'He's in trouble!'

Trying his door, Daine was surprised to find it unlocked.

She gasped.

"He never leaves his door unlocked," she whispered, growing frantic.

She pushed open the door and rushed inside. Looking quickly for anything out of place, she heard a groan coming from Numair's bedchamber. Then there was silence.

Slowly, she edged toward the slightly cracked door, her heart beating wildly, and peered inside.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Gods!" Daine exclaimed.

Numair was just having a bad dream! Daine went in to wake him up. She sat on the side of his bed.

"Numair, wake up! Numair," Daine said softly as she shook him. He just flailed and yelled.

"NO!"

"Numair!" Daine said more loudly this time.

Numair sat up bolt right. He looked around wildly.

"Shh,calm down. It's okay," Daine murmured as she softly rubbed his back.

Numair looked at her sharply, then he seemed to realise who it was. His eyes softened.

"Daine!" he exclaimed, bewilderedly."What are you doing here?"

Daine looked down shamefully, but she couldn't help but notice that he was shirtless.

"Well," she clearedher throat. "Well, I waswalking throught the halls, and I heard something coming from your rooms. I thought you were in trouble!" HereDaine looked up, then quickly looked away again, not able to hold the gaze of those black eyes."I tried your door, and it was open. You never leave your door open!" This time when Daine looked up, she held Numair's gaze. "Then I came in here and-"
Numair silenced her with a hand over her mouth.

"It's okay, magelet," he said as he rwmoved his hand. "Thank you for your concern."

Daine blushed scarlett.

"Why were you walking the halls so late at night?"he asked, worriedly.

Daine's blush deepened.

"I couldn't sleep, is all. And I didn't want to shapeshift becuase I'm still recovering from that arrow."

Numair remebered earlier that month when Daine hadbeen shotby a barbed arrow, and winced.

"Goodchoice,"he agreed. "You wouldn'twant to ingure yourself again."

Numair stood up from the bed.

"Well, since you're here anyway," he said as he pulled on a shirt. "How about a n astronomy lesson?"

He looked down at her. She was beaming.

"Really? You wouldn't mind?"

He smiled. "I did offer, didn't I?"

"Great!" Daine exclaimed as she jumped up. Daine loved her lessons with Numair, and astronomy, though completely different from her lessons in wild magic, was one of her favorites. And it was a perfect night to have one.

Numair pulled on his boots, and followed Daine out the door. They were headed for the observation tower.