I was listening to the dong 'Broken' by Seether feat Amy-lee from Evanescence and for some reason I imagined Daine and Numair singing it and I realised many of the lyrics fitted their situation. So thus this little plot bunny was born. Its set after the immortals war and Daine and Numair forgot to tell their friends about their love due to its being new and exiting and they both got lost in it. Unfortunately this left to a lot of the court guessing about the relationship with only Onua knowing the truth. I hope you enjoy it and review!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the story as they belong to Tamora Pierce. I also don't own the song as that is Seether's and Amy-lee's…Rock On!!
The Immortals war was over and though many suspected the relationship of the young girl and her teacher none really had any proof of the matter.
All they knew was that Numair Salmalín who had been a flirt since he came to court now ceased to acknowledge the beauties clambering for his attention. And Daine Sarrasri who though was tolerant of her fair amount of suitors before now politely discouraged them. This coupled with the pairs increasing time spent together and 'lessons' in concealed parts of the royal forest left many in court and out of it wondering at the exact nature of the apparent link between the teacher and his student.
Onua Chamtong was the only mortal in the country who actually knew for sure what was happening between the two. At the end of the immortals war when she went to find Daine and Numair she came across the peculiar sight of two of her best friends sharing a kiss. This, she had decided on the spot was between the two of them and she put it to the back of her mind and acted as she usually would without any hint of knowing one of the annoyingly best kept secrets in Corus.
Onua's indifference to the secret did not stretch to the rest of the court and certain purple-eyed knights, monarchs of the realm, members of the queens riders to name a few were particularly eager to find the truth.
Of course all of this was unknown to the two suspected lovers under consideration. They remained blissfully ignorant in their own privet worlds which at the moment consisted of themselves and secret kisses shared when no one was watching.
The two lovers in question were once again hidden in a clearing in the forest with no one but themselves and the various animals surrounding them each wanting to get affection from the wildmage. Finally Daine shooed the animals away and sat between her lovers long legs. On her own lap sat a roughly carved string instrument. She was currently plucking various strings of the instrument just to hear the notes vibrate through the air. Numair put his arms around the girl and strummed the guitar once.
"That is about the extend of my musical talent" he declared leaning back again and admiring the smoky brown curls on the head before him.
Daine giggled making her curls bounce slightly "It's fair easy to make up words to a song Numair"
Numair raised his eyebrow "Really?" he challenged "Why don't you prove it to me by making up a song on the spot right now"
Daine accepted the impromptu dare with a mock superior toss of her head. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her voice was clear and, Numair mused it had an angelic tone to it.
"Cause I'm broken when I'm open
And I don't feel like I am strong enough
Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you're gone away"
As she opened her eyes again Numair clapped slowly; a slightly awkward thing to do with her on his lap but he managed it none the less.
Daine blushed "Now it's your turn" she commanded.
Numair shook his head and although Daine couldn't see it from her position she felt the movement. Suddenly irritated at him she scooted from between his legs and spun around to face him glaring.
Numair frowned "Magelet don't be like that"
"Why not? You made me sing and now you won't return the favour"
"Well 'make' isn't exactly what I'd call…" he stopped as the glare on Daine's face became distinctly frostier. He reconsidered what he was going to say "I told you that I have minor musical talent. Need to turn someone into a tree? I'm your mage. Yet when it comes to playing an instrument the closest I can do is the bolder summoning spell on a flute and that's not music, it's magic"
Daine smiled "Well minor musical talent is better than no musical talent" Numair mentally smacked himself on the head for that slip up.
"Use what comes out of your heart to write the song. It sounds fair soppy but that's the closest I can describe it" She let out a laugh; a husky sound that seemed to be more like a wolves bark yet with a lighter musical quality to it like birds. It always gave Numair pleasant shivers up his spine whenever he heard it.
"Close your eyes and let the images flow over you. Use meditation if it's easier. Convert the images into words that feel natural to you" She directed gently. Numair mentally snorted; the student has become the teacher.
He relaxed and regulated out his breathing, his heartbeat in synchronisation with the breath rushing in and out of his body. Within a few seconds and due to long experience he was completely aware of his surroundings in an awareness that can only be reached by meditation.
Lets the images flow over you. That sounded easier that it was, Numair thought wryly, the images didn't seem to want to flow. They were happy staying as they are. Gently Numair coaxed them out one by one, directing them until he has a flow like a cool stream rushing through and over him sending flashes of memories and pictures into his brain.
Mostly they were about Daine; Daine transforming into a hawk and catching an updraft to flow high over his head, Daine's distinctive laugh somehow fitting many different animals merged together, the pain in her eyes as she told of her mother's death and the madness that came after it, the locket on his wrist that he constantly wore revealing the very focus that saved her life in the divine realms and lead to their avowal of love. Thoughts racing through him faster than anyone could possibly imagine yet he had time to view them all.
His past in Carthak and his best friend accusing him of treason, how close Daine had actually come to dying while battling Ozorne yet she remained strong and defeated him. The war was ending now and they were finally safe from him. Numair now knew what he would sing. Dimly in the back of his mind he heard Daine start to play a few chords on the guitar. Coming out of his reflection he looked Daine right in her stormy grey eyes and sang
"I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away
I keep your photograph and I know it serves me well
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain"
Daine smiled at him and joined in on the next part, instinctively knowing what to sing with him
"Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
and I don't feel right when you're gone away"
Numair sang the next line alone without any trace of his previous embarrassment and apprehension
"You've gone away; you don't feel me, anymore"
He broke off and nodded to Daine to sing the next part, joining in on occasional words
"The worst is over now and we can breathe again
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away
There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain"
They kept eye contact as they sang the next part together in harmony
"Cause I'm broken when I'm open
And I don't feel like I am strong enough
Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
and I don't feel right when you're gone away"
Daine continued playing the guitar, random melodies that came to mind. She slowed down to a halt and jumped up, pulling Numair with her and leaving the forgotten guitar on the ground. She giggled and grabbed on to him with both hands spinning intensely round the clearing. Spontaneously they both sung out again dancing madly to no particular step but whatever felt natural. Spinning and twirling around each other in a fiery dance only they knew
"'Cause I'm broken when I'm open
And I don't feel like I am strong enough
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
and I don't feel right when you're gone away"
The dancing twirled to a close with Numair spinning Daine into his arms and keeping her there. Looking deep into her eyes he breathed the last lines to the song that they created
"You've gone away
you don't feel me here anymore"
Breathlessly he finished and stepped back to give her a player's bow with arms outstretched in a flamboyant way. The he stood up straight and pulled her back into his arms, this time for a searing kiss.
"AHA!" The voice came from no where in the seeming deserted glade. Daine and Numair both jumped into a stance ready to confront the immediate threat. Daine groping for her bow and Numair with black sparkling fire ignited in his hands.
"Show Yourselves" he commanded, his gaze fell upon a large bush.
The bush rustled and out fell Alanna, Jonathan, Thayet, Miri, Evin, Sarge, Buri, Raoul, Gareth the elder, Gary the younger and various others into an undignified pile on the ground. Onua calmly walked out of the bush a few seconds later.
Daine and Numair immediately retracted their various weapons and ran to help their friends. Of course once it was established that Alanna was the one on the bottom the pile of people diminished pretty quickly.
"What were ya'll doing in there anyways?" Daine asked, her Gallan accent slipping through in her surprise.
"AHA" repeated Alanna.
Numair raised an eyebrow "Care to elaborate on that Lady Knight?" he asked sarcastically.
"Admit it! You are in a relationship with each other. We all saw you kissing" Jon said in a tone that suggested that Numair and Daine were going to deny every claim.
Numair frowned slightly "Yes we are together. Since the divine realms…didn't you know that?"
"I knew that" Onua said clearly amused with the situation.
This provoked the whole group to turn to her "You knew and you didn't tell us?" several people demanded
"You let us spend all that time guessing about their relationship when we could have been cleaning up the immortals war and improving the kingdom?" Jon asked crossly.
Daine blinked at him "You spent all that time guessing about our relationship when you could have been cleaning up the immortals war and improving the kingdom?" Jon at least had the decency to blush.
"Why didn't you just ask us?" she continued "It's not like it was a secret or anything"
"Good point Daine" Alanna rounded on Jon "Jon! Why didn't you ask them about their relationship?!"
"Why didn't you?" Thayet asked calmly coming to her husbands rescue.
"I thought Jon had done it" Alanna shrugged.
"Well I thought Raoul asked them" Gary the younger claimed. This provoked an argument between the group minus Onua, Daine and Numair. Something Jon said suddenly reminded Daine.
"HEY!" she suddenly bellowed stunning everyone into complete silence "Why were you watching me an' Numair kissing anyhow?"
There we go a nice little D/N fluffy-ish story to read. It came out surprisingly longer than I originally thought it would. I thought the song fitted except the whole 'going away' part but I figured that it could be reference to Ozorne lol. I hope you enjoyed that, please review to give your thoughts to it.
Love Lady Topaz
XXX