Chapter 1. Get on me…

Disclaimer: The lovely Tamora Peirce has all claims to characters and places, I merely make them do entertaining things to amuse myself….

"Numair?" came Daine's questioning voice. They were riding together back to Corus from Numair's home, where they had gone for a couple days after that dreadful battle at Port Legann to talk about their relationship, as promised. They had decided that marriage was certainly not something they had to do right away, especially since Daine wouldn't even if Numair had said they did. Numair had stayed on the track but Daine had strayed off it to search for a wounded animal she thought she heard

"Yes, darling?" he called back. Their relationship was still new but their long acquaintance had him curious at her tone. He walked towards her voice and came upon a small clearing in which Daine had found a fox. He couldn't see any signs of trauma or distress in the fox, yet Daine had stopped by it and was examining it, though admittedly with a similar confusion etched in her face.

"He's the creature I was hearing calling for help but I can't find anything wrong with him. I don't understand…" She knitted her brow in concentration, which made her look all the more adorable to Numair.

"Perhaps he isn't hurt, perhaps he's ill…. Maybe with something that you wouldn't notice."

"Such as?" she said, looking up at him with a pout.

"A small bacteria… a strange fungi affecting his perceptions" Numair replied, ever the scholar.

Daine, following Numair suggestion, asked the fellow people if they knew of any such things around the area. "The people seem to think that this plant will do it" she said pointing to a nearby plant. "They say it affects the one that eats it with strange visions but doesn't really do any harm…"

"Then I think your work here is done." Numair concluded with a smile. "I'm sure the fox will be fine and-" He was cut off by a loud neigh from his and Daine's mounts. He turned in time to see them running full tilt towards the capital, that was still a good five miles off. "Can you call them back?" He asked Daine quickly.

"No, they must of eaten the plant, they seem to think they are being chased by wolves and they don't even acknowledge me…" she said after a moment's concentration. "They'll be alright in an hour or so but that still leaves us without horses… and I'd better send a bird to notify Onau so she won't worry." A bird flew down to her arm as she was speaking. She politely asked it to convey the message while scribbling it down. The bird accepted and was on it's way within moments, letter clasped in it's claws.

"You know, I could have just done a speech spell" Numair pointed out.

"Oh… I hadn't thought of that… I guess I spend too much time with my animals!" She replied with another grin.

"It matters not, but we do have to think of a way to get to the capital. I doubt we can make it 5 miles on foot before dark and the horses had all our supplies."

"We could shape shift and fly."

"My strength hasn't returned entirely. I'm afraid I'm not up to shape shifting just yet."

"Well, I could call a couple horses from a nearby stable but they would pry break the door down to get here…"

"How about this, you shape shift, fly to Corus, get a horse, and come back."

"But that still leaves us traveling by dark."

"No, only me, you could then fly back."

"I don't like leaving you, much less leaving you alone…" She said, pouting slightly.

"But I think it's the only good option right now.." he responded sensibly.

"Well, I guess… wait, I could shift into a horse and you could ride me!"

"I….ummm…I….I don't know…."

"Oh, stop being silly, I am more than capable of carrying you and it would get us both back to the palace before nightfall. It's obviously the most sensible option."

"Well, I suppose…. I just don't think it's entirely proper and it's rather un-chivalrous for me to make you carry me…"

"One, since when have we ever been or cared about being proper? Two, it's not un-chivalrous because you are only doing what is necessary. Now get on!" And with that she changed into a horse. Numair grumbled a bit longer but then got on, carefully so as not to hurt Daine, though he knew he really wouldn't. She headed for the capital at a decent speed, though not full-tilt for she knew he'd fall off, and recalled all the times she'd felt sorry for Spots because of Numair's poor grace in the saddle. Her compassion for the animal reached new heights as she bore him carefully back to the palace.

By the time they arrived, Numair had done a speech spell to Onau so Daine would have clothes waiting for her in the stable, this also meant that Onau was there to tease the mage as he rode in.

"So you got to be all cushy and made her do all the hard work, Numair, I'm appalled!" she said as the rode through the gates.

"I… I didn't have a choice! Daine, are you alright" He said, turning scarlet and looking down at her. She snorted and jerked just enough to make him fall to the ground. He looked up, worried he had hurt her to see her, in her own form, wrapped in a blanket Onau had brought out, joining in with the older woman in laughing at the fallen mage. He turned a slightly deeper scarlet before hauling himself from the ground. He stomped off towards his room, determinedly keeping his head down.

"Thanks Onau, but I need to go get some real clothes on." Daine said before heading to her own room. After she had cleaned up and thrown on some more clothes, she headed to find Numair. She finally found him in the study off his room, not surprisingly with his nose in a book.

"Numair, I've been-"

"Daine, I am in the middle of something right now, perhaps we could talk later?" He said, cutting her off. It was only because she had known him so long that she knew that the calm of his voice meant he was really mad.

"No, Numair, we're talking now!" She said, surprising even herself with her firm tone and ripping the book from his hands. "Now I know that me and Onau teasing you wouldn't upset you like this and what happened this afternoon wasn't a big deal. So what's really bothering you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Daine, I'm merely trying to-"

"Don't patronize me. Now you tell what is wrong right now!"

She chucked the book to the table and placed her hands on her hips, staring him down.

She won.

"Daine, I…. I wanted…."

"Numair, spit it out"

"I wanted you!" He said, hanging his head.

"What?"

"I wanted you… and if I hadn't been wearing my tunic you and Onau would both have known it! And I almost did something about it!"

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that" Daine said, "I thought it was something bad."

"It IS bad! Don't you see? I already know it's wrong to want you but I at least can control it. But… you have no idea what that ride made me think." He said, blushing and looking away.

"Numair" Daine grabbed his chin gently and turned his face towards hers. "I know you think I am some ignorant little kid but may I remind you that I am constantly hearing the thoughts of animals. Mating instinct isn't actually something I am unfamiliar with!"

"One, I doubt it's the same. Two, it doesn't change the fact that I am many years your senior and should at least be able to control myself until we marry."

"So you want to wait for us to marry before we-"

"Yes, it's proper and you deserve-" She silenced him with a finger on his lips.

"That's silly" and before he could respond she was sitting on his lap with her mouth on his.

*-_-*-_-*-_-*

Onau was walking to Numair's room after finding Daine's empty. She wanted to talk to Daine about one of the ponies who had been off lately and she wouldn't mind speaking to Numair about his grouchy mood from this afternoon. As she approached his room, a strange sound met her ears.

Onau grinned and thought to herself "Well, I bet this will take care of that mood and I'm sure the pony can wait a few hours.." And with that though she skipped back off to the stables.