Disclaimer: "Do people have visions when they're dead?" "I wouldn't KNOW! I've never TRIED it!"

(An: This is set somewhere between Emperor Mage and Realm of the Gods. I'm assuming that Numair has some minor healing magic... it was never mentioned that he did or didn't, as far as I can tell, so it's fair game. So ner. Since this is an AU, you should take it for granted that I'm messing with canon. There really isn't a point, so don't get your knickers in a twist.)

"I love you, you know that?"

Of course I do. Stop being so stupid.

Cloud finished the work of yanking Daine out of the lake.

"And stop looking at me like that! I hadn't meant for the heron to think I was food!"

It was your fault you couldn't remember to tell him off, the pony replied, eyeing her mistress with disgust.

Daine looked down and swore without restraint, becoming a sparrow. I hate that part of it, she thought to Cloud. The only answer she got was a distinct smug feeling. Oh, be quiet. Do you know where Numair is?

As I recall, said the pony, far too sweetly and slowly, he was over by that tree. She nodded at an old willow overlooking the lake. Why, he's still there! Her voice was overly innocent.

Daine's sparrow form exploded in a puff of feathers as she began chirping furiously.

Calm down! Do you want me to go deaf? Cloud demanded. Don't make me nip you.

Daine took a deep breath and took back her perch on Cloud's head. Do you know how embarrassing it would be if Numair saw me naked? she demanded. I mean, under normal circumstances.

For you, perhaps, Cloud replied. The irritation at her outburst had disappeared, to be replaced by amusement. I think the stork-man would enjoy it.

I'm not even going to dignify that with a response, Daine replied. She flapped off her friend and over to Numair. When the mage didn't look up from his reading, she gave a sharp whistle, not in the mood to be patient. He looked up. The frown gathering on his face snapped into a smile when he saw her.

"Let me guess, magelet," he said, sounding lazy, "you were nearly eaten?"

She cursed at him in sparrow until she had vented enough to remember just how to change so she could speak. "It wasn't my fault! It's hard to think when I'm a frog!"

"So don't be a frog, magelet, as simple as that."

Now she pecked him on his long nose.

He frowned at her, his eyebrows raised.

"I don't know where we're staying," said Daine. Impatient didn't even begin to describe her tone. "And I would like to get dressed. Unless you would prefer to teach me something and actually deserve the rumors?"

To her surprise, a dark blush rose in Numair's cheeks. "So you shape-changed back there?"

"Don't make me peck you again."

He rushed to cover his nose. She used her most violent sparrow swear on him now. "I think I can guess what that means... It's called the Tusk and Shingle. It's the only inn in town. I trust you can find your room?"

"Sure, I'll just look for the one next to the room that reeks of mage."

Numair stuck his tongue out at her, a gesture that was so impossibly childish that, if she'd been human, she would have been unable to stop laughing. She couldn't, now that she had switched back to full sparrow, so she saved the image to amuse herself whenever Numair got too black-robe-mage on her. With a very rude gesture (for a sparrow), she flew off.

O-o-O-o-O

"Itstooearly. Stay here."

"Sorry, go back to sleep." Daine hadn't meant to rouse Numair, but in the dark she'd stumbled over him. Turned out there'd been just the one room at the Tusk and Shingle, meaning Numair had slept on a pallet on the floor while she took the bed. She hadn't been too happy about this arrangement for exactly this reason, but Numair was adamant that she got the better sleeping spot.

Numair opened one sleepy eye. "What's the matter?" His voice was still sleep-slurred, but not as badly.

"There's a wolf cub stuck in a well outside," Daine explained, pulling on her boots and glad she had gotten her breeches on before Numair had actually awakened. "He woke up Cloud, and she woke up me."

"I think it can wait until dawn, magelet," Numair said, sitting up. Daine ducked her head, glad that the darkness hid her blush. Of all times for her body to notice he slept without a shirt!

"It's got a broken paw, Numair. The more I let it wait, the more the dog'll howl-"

"And the more Cloud will complain. I understand now." She could hear his smile in his voice.

Odd's bobs, what's wrong with me? It's Numair, for the Goddess's sake! My Numair! Ever since the shape-changing incident yesterday, she'd been walking on tiptoe around him like some little girl with a... She looked down at Numair, who had seemingly taken her advice and gone back to sleep. No, that's just stupid now, ain't it?

O-o-O-o-O

"OW! It has to be broken now!"

"Not necessarily, magelet, just hold still... this'll be over in a moment..."

"You said that five minutes ago!"

"And you keep moving!" Daine moaned in pain, missing Numair's wince at the sound. His hand was on her wounded arm, pouring careful amounts of black fire into it. His voice was gentler as he went on. "You know I'm not the best at healing magic- if you hold still, this'll all be over before you know it."

Daine looked at him sullenly. "Why am I doubtful?"

Stop being such a foal, said Cloud.

"Spoken like someone who's never had a broken-" a wail and a glare at Numair, "-a broken wrist."

"Fractured, sweet, just fractured," said the mage, his tone mild as he continued to fix it.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"If it were broken, this would take even longer. Do you have any idea how many bones there are in the human wrist?"

Daine just frowned at him, in too much pain to be reasonable.

Suddenly his brown eyes lit, and the ache finally went away. Numair gave her a frown of his own as he said, "Now what have we learned?"

Daine sighed in disgust, conjuring the picture of him with his tongue out like a toddler to keep herself calm. "Don't jump down anything just because an animal's in pain. Even if they're dying."

"Don't be stupid, your friend wasn't dying and you know it."

Well, for all the racket he was making he should have been, said Cloud, making Daine laugh. The wolf cub had yelped a lot, but it was barely old enough to run with the pack, so it could be forgiven. At least, from Daine's point of view.

"Honestly, magelet." She could hear from his voice that his concern over her injury had turned to his usual exasperation at her tendency to hurt herself. "What would you do if I weren't around?"

"Considering how often I get into trouble, you'll always have something to nag at, so you'll never leave."

Numair looked at her sharply and, too quickly and too lightly, he responded, "Nag? I don't nag."

You do, said Cloud. Tell the stork-man he does.

"Cloud agrees with me." She gestured at the mare with her right hand... which happened to be the recently healed one. She grimaced again, making Numair shake his head.

"I told you I'm not good at healing magic!"

O-o-O-o-O

"I swear, this has never happened before."

"I'd think, with all your experience..."

"Well, I've never experienced anything like this before!"

"Maybe a bath would help?"

"I'm not sure even that would tame this thing... oh, gods, this is embarrassing."

"It seems even great mages can succumb to simple things, then?"

"Stop looking so smug; this was your fault!"

"I know it was, which is why it's so amusing! And it keeps moving on its own, too!"

Apparently deciding that he didn't have the heart to keep bantering when he had a cat's tail, Numair stalked off to the bathroom set off their small abode. Daine hadn't meant to dump the potion on him when leaping down in her feline form, but she had been eager to change back, wash and get dressed. That was the problem with these close quarters- Numair needed room for his experiments. Daine couldn't wait until they were finished weeding out the Hurroks here and could return to the castle. Or until another room opened up- if only the ogres hadn't wrecked so many homes in their confusion!

Daine smiled as she thought of the absolute misery on Numair's face when he discovered his extra limb. It was funnier, even, than the tongue retort. She leaned against the door of the bathroom with a quiet knock. "Numair? Any luck?"

"Not in thirty seconds, no." His voice rumbled with annoyance. "I've barely undressed, magelet."

Daine's cheeks grew hot. Mithros, Mynoss, and Shakith! Honestly! Then again, Numair had never been the kind to be blunt with her about that kind of thing. He's the type to get all embarrassed, not me!

Numair apparently realized that when she did, because he swore quietly. "As if this whole situation wasn't awkward enough," she heard him mutter. "Hopefully when I come out, the tail will be gone."

"Why do you even want it gone? It suits you."

"Daine, I am not having a tail."

"Why?" When there was no answer but more grumbling, Daine started to giggle. "Oh, I understand. It would ruin your bearing, wouldn't it?"

"I'm sure a tail is very nice to people who want to have one, but I don't. I don't need the bother! It's bad enough seeing you with parts that don't belong-" Numair made a frustrated noise. "Could you go do something else, please?"

Daine looked at the door curiously, half-expecting to see Numair sitting there. She'd gotten lost in their usual back-and-forth. "For Old White's sake, why?"

"Because, for reasons I refuse to discuss, it is very hard for me to bathe while aware of you there."

Daine blinked. "Um, all right... I'll be outside."

"Excellent," said Numair, his voice very dry.

A little confused, Daine went out to tend Cloud. There was a reason they called it horse sense, after all.

O-o-O-o-O

"Does that do it for you?"

Oh, that's perfect. Have I mentioned what a good foal you are?

Daine giggled as she brushed Cloud. "You're wise," she said, half to the pony and half to herself. She hadn't meant to tell anyone about her odd behaviour of late, but it all came spilling out with the soothing action of grooming her pony.

Cloud dragged her hoof across the ground, an indecisive action Daine wasn't used to from the opinionated equine. I'm not allowed to explain. The stork-man told me so.

"And since when did you listen when anyone told you anything?" Daine asked, tickled.

Cloud tossed her head sheepishly. The stork-man said he would set my tail on fire.

"Why?"

But Cloud suddenly became very interested in a nearby clump of grass.

Daine shook her head.

Oh, girl-child, Cloud sighed. If you haven't figured it out by now, it'll take more than me to get you to.

"You're supposed to be the sensible one around here, you know. That's what you're always saying, anyway."

The horse's usual tart manner returned. I am sensible, but I like my tail.

Daine sighed and smiled, patting her flank. "Don't worry, I'd never let Numair do anything like that. He has a tail of his own to mind now. He's too vain to do anything to it."

O-o-O-o-O

"Can we go just once more?"

"I've got limits, you know. I'm human, just like any other man."

"But you've done this so many times!"

Numair rolled his eyes. "Magelet, there are only so many times I can show you how to juggle. You're not getting it."

"This is like the snapping fingers thing, isn't it," Daine mumbled, crossing her arms and doing her best sulk.

"Of course it is. I like having something to lord over you, considering how many times you show me up."

"Show you up? Says the man who turned an enemy into a tree!"

"That was ages ago, you've already met the poor tree who turned human, so you should know that I did it and Tristan no service, and it really does baffle me sometimes how you have no idea of how amazing you are."

Numair said this all very fast, so it took Daine a moment to process it. "You think I'm amazing?"

"And there are a million other men who do, so you shouldn't be surprised," said Numair, in a very different voice.

Daine wrinkled her nose. She hadn't meant it as that sort of question; she had assumed that the older mage found all of her works quite normal because of his broader experience. "Yes, but you're the only one I know."

Numair drummed his fingers on the table, obviously unsure how to reply. After a moment, he just shrugged. "I worry about you, Daine, that's all."

"You worry about me? Great Mother, the world's greatest player is worried about me!"

Numair glared at her. There was only the slightest tinge of real anger behind it.

"Numair, you need to clean your own castle before you dust someone else's."

The mage flicked an invisible speck off his shoulder and, quietly, "In case you haven't noticed, I haven't taken a lover since I took you on as a student."

For once, Daine had no way to reply; was this a sad admittance, or was he trying to tell her something?

As though sensing her confusion, he tweaked her nose, his smile perhaps a bit sad. "I'm turning in, magelet," he said, getting up and heading for their room.

"You can have the bed tonight. Since I woke you up. I'm gonna visit the pack tonight- I'd probably just trip over you again."

Numair paused, then flashed her a true smile before leaving.

O-o-O-o-O

Is that better?

Much. I can feel it now. The wolf cub licked her ear.

Just make sure to stay away from the well from now on, all right? The pup nodded and backed off, letting the boss through.

Thank you for healing our cub, pack-sister, he said.

Thank you for letting me run with you, brother, said Daine, nodding at him respectfully. In her wolf shape, she crossed the long distance back to the Tusk and Shingle. Looking around, she saw no one out to question the wolf by the inn. She changed shape slightly so she could open the window and slipped inside, shutting it behind her out of habit. Daine slipped out of her human form without taking the time to think herself into her clothes. She hadn't meant to, but she slipped into bed with no further thought, ignoring the warm shape beside her.

O-o-O-o-O

"Daine?"

"Mmmph."

Numair swallowed hard. He was unsure of what to make of his student. She was lying next to him, covered by nothing but her hands, the badger's claw, and her curls. It was taking all of his restraint not to touch her bare shoulders. They just looked so perfect there in the sunlight... She had mentioned running with the pack last night- if he dressed quickly, she probably wouldn't even be aware they had shared a bed.

But he would, and that would be far more than enough to set him on edge for the rest of the day. She would get angry with him for the standoffishness, but having her right here was probably the worst thing that could have happened.

Making assumptions about Verilidaine Sarrasri, Numair realized, was a very stupid thing to do, as she opened grey-blue eyes. For a moment, she didn't seem to realize what was going on. Then she gasped, sitting bolt upright and gathering the sheets around her.

Numair, still sitting on the bed, buried his face in his hands. He was glad they were large for once; you could see nothing of his blush.

"Numair," said Daine, her voice cautious, "what's going on?"

"I'm assuming you forgot you forfeited your bed rights and climbed in here after you ran around last night."

"Oh... oh. That is what happened. I guess I, um..."

Numair waved a hand, indicating he understood. He didn't trust himself to talk right now.

He wasn't expecting smaller hands to grasp his own. "Numair," Daine said again, and now he recognized her tone- it was one of a person talking to a spooked horse (well, someone who could only talk normally to a horse). "What is going on?"

Numair turned his head, to see that Daine had moved beside him, the bedclothes still clutched to her chest. He hadn't meant to kiss her, truly, but there was only so much temptation a mortal man could take. And suddenly he was certain he was dreaming, because Daine was in his arms, naked, and kissing him with as much force as he was kissing her. The cold silver of her badger claw was what snapped him out of it. He pulled back, staring at her. "I-" he stammered. "I hadn't meant-"

Daine frowned at him. "I'm very hungry right now," she said, sounding more patient than she had in days, "so unless you have something better to offer me, I'll have to get breakfast... and I really don't want to leave." He was relieved to see color rise in her cheeks as she spoke. It made him a little more calm.

Not quite believing, he cupped her cheek. The only thing that made it feel real was the spark when Daine covered her hand with his own. "We really must discuss this over food."

"But later," Daine insisted. "My hunger for something else is much more pressing now." She covered his lips with her own again, and for once, neither of them minded the cramped space.

(Just random randominity. Hopefully, it's tolerable randominity.)