Torn From Hope
Chapter One: Problems Ahead
by starzsong magick

A/N: Please review! I won't post the next chapter until I get at least ONE review. One, people! That's all I ask! One!

Also, this occurs... I dunno when. A year or two after The Realms of the Gods . I'm not sure though because I can't remember if Daine's 16 or 17 in it. Oh well.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters below, except for the weather-mage boy. All is copyright of Tamora Pierce! Plot is mine though; don't you dare steal it! :)

~*~*~*~*~*~

Miles below the ocean, sea creatures of all varieties - sharks, whales, fish, dolphins, and more - thrashed, oblivious to the fact that a human wild mage sailed above them. One who can speak to animals, unlike the average human being. One with rare magical powers. One very average girl.

Veralidaine Sarrasri stood on the ship's rocking deck, leaning on the rail, and staring dreamily out into the water. A red-headed woman stood cautiously behind her, as if afraid she would destroy something if she moved. After a moment of silence, she moved forward yet another step.

"Daine?" she called.

Daine jerked out of her reverie, and whipped around to face the older, shorter woman. "...hmm?" she asked, still not quite out of her slight trance. She had been thinking, pondering. It was about nothing she wanted to discuss freely, though, and she blushed.

Alanna the Lioness and the King's Champion of Tortall had an inkling what Daine had been daydreaming about, but she kept it to herself. "We're having a meeting in the cabin." she announced softly, "You might want to come. No, you should ." the Lioness corrected herself.

Daine took one last glance out to sea and nodded. If Alanna thought she ought to do something, she should. She was nearly always right.

The Lioness smiled cheerfully at her, but Daine thought she saw something else in her violet eyes - a glimmer of worry, perhaps. Daine shook her head at her foolishness. Worry? What about? It was just her overreactive imagination, brought to life even more so when she had learned that she had wild magic.

Daine followed Alanna across the deck, down the steps, and through a door. The small room was lit by a single, swaying lantern. Taking a glance at it, she saw that it was almost out of fuel. She opened her mouth to tell everyone, but quickly snapped it shut. The faces of the people before her were grim; obviously her news about the lantern would be unimportant to them.\par \tab "Take a seat," a voice said, and she sat. Next to her in an uncomfortable-looking wooden chair was a tall, dark-haired lanky man. Daine smiled up at him. Numair Salmalín was a mage, her teacher, friend, ... and love. Creases of worry crossed his face; so Daine had been right when she thought Alanna had looked not at ease.

"Our weather-mage," began a man in the corner, Sir Gareth of Naxen the Younger, "has forcasted some... unsettling... occurences in the near future." Sir Gareth nodded to a younger boy, who seemed to be about thirteen years old, five younger than Daine's eighteen. He squirmed under Gareth's recognition. Daine though he seemed a little young to be on a mission as important as this one: Four days ago, King Jonathan of Tortall had received word from the Yamani Islands that there were pirate raids all over the island. He quickly agreed to send help, and later that day, Daine, Numair, Alanna, Sir Gareth, fifty soldiers, and some random knights had been chosen to journey to the Yamanis to help deal with the pirates. Daine thought that was odd; usually the Yamanis had been able to defend themselves.

Sir Gareth spoke again. "He has found some storm clouds to the north-west, which we are about to sail under."

"Is there no possible way to avoid them? Or perhaps sail around?" asked Numair.

The little weather-mage piped up, "No. They're all over. Like a barrier, sir." He ducked his head, ashamed-looking.

"There's no way you can change that. Don't be chagrined." Numair said, his university-superior vocabulary taking over.

The boy still didn't lift his head, though Daine could see that his blush had faded away.

"How much time do we have until the storm?" a knight asked.

"Will it be bad?"

"Do you think we'll make it through?"

Questions sounded across the room, their speakers sounding dubious and scared. Sir Gareth raised one hand in the air. "QUIET!" he boomed, and the cabin fell silent.

"We have approximately two hours, to your question, Richard of Aqualake, and I have no notion of how it will be." Sir Gareth had formerly looked brave, but now fear played at the back of his green eyes. "Ask the boy." He nodded again to the weather-mage, and quickly swept himself out of the room, Alanna in tow. Five others began asking the boy questions.

Daine tore her eyes away from the weather-mage and turned to Numair. "How could there possibly be a storm if there's no clouds?" she asked, dubiously.

The mage smiled, but his dark eyes remained still. "Storms appear quickly in the ocean." he explained, "It could be perfectly sunny one moment, and thundering the next." Numair took her hand in his. "Are you afraid?"

The girl shook her head no, then stopped. "Maybe. I don't know." She thought for a moment, then returned to the present. "Just a moment." Daine closed her eyes, and sent her magic down into the ocean to the creatures below. She was astounded with the amount of animals. Her magical hearing picked up hundreds of conversation between fish and other People.

—Excuse me,— she began to the creatures, —But is your sort able to pick up future storms?—

A small butterfly fish chose to answer her, its voice in her mind high and squeaky, —Storms?—

Another fish joined in. —What's that?—

—Oh, um,— Daine searched for another word, but found none. —Um... you know, bang bang, water comes down from the sky?—

—The sky? You mean from The Above?—

—Yes.— Daine said, hopefully.

—The Great Tempest? Is that what you mean?—

Daine felt annoyed by the fishes' stupidity, but kept her voice even as she replied back. —I guess so.—

—We aren't the experts on when they happen,— remarked someone, —But we can easily tell that the Great Tempest in coming will not be... very... um, good.—

—Oh. Thank you.— Daine suddenly found herself shivering, and was brought back to the ship's cabin with a slight jolt. She looked into Numair's eyes, her own blue-gray ones now full of fear.

"Yes, I'm afraid."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Final A/N: Want the next chapter? REVIEW!!