The young woman leant against the wooden rail of the ship, thick, dusky curls billowing in the wind and eyes closed in joy. She breathed in deeply, absorbing the salty smell of the water, the feel of the cool spray on her face and the creak of the ship as it travelled through the choppy water. Yet the girl also heard things regular human ears were not privy too: the clicks and calls of a pod of dolphins swimming underneath the ship and the steady, throbbing hum of all the living creatures in the sea, available to her simply by reaching inside herself and calling on the copper threads of wild magic that were as much a part of her as the blood that flowed through her veins alongside it.
This was how Numair Salmalin, black robe mage and perhaps the greatest sorcerer in the Eastern Lands, saw his love as he emerged from the ship's cabin that bright afternoon. For a while he was content to watch her and the rapturous movements of her slender body as she leaned further into the wind, and imagine the shine in those magnificent blue-grey eyes as she gazed far out into the distance. The temptation to hold her grew to strong after a short while and, seeing the deck empty, strode over to her eagerly before wrapping his arms round her waist.
"Dolphins Numair!" she said excitedly, eyes still closed as she leaned into his strong arms. "Remember the last time we saw them?"
"How could I forget Magelet? It was the same time you stopped your heart trying to hear those whales better…Mithros you scared me," he said, nuzzling her neck gently.
She flushed slightly and opened her eyes. "I was still a child back then Master Salmalin, I didn't know any better," she said, as haughtily as she could manage before turning round to smile into her teachers face. She had to tilt her head up and up do it: at six foot five he towered above her, a pillar of strength and love and friendship. She tucked a strand of jet-black hair behind his ear and stood on tiptoe to kiss him once, gently. Her eyes met his large brown ones that seemed to reflect a myriad of emotions; passion, desire, amusement, warmth, but most of all a volume of love she hadn't thought could ever be felt for her, Veralidaine Sarrasri, a simple Gallan from a tiny village in the mountains.
"Magelet have I told you lately how beautiful you are?" he enquired, the passion in his voice warming her to the core.
The young woman, Daine to her friends, flushed again. "Not lately no. You've been quite lax in that department recently."
Numair laughed softly before kissing her soundly, his every sense tingling with the sheer joy of holding her, a feeling that had only increased during the four months since the end of the Immortals war. When he eventually pulled away her eyes were closed again. "I hope that convinced you."
"Mmm I think you're going to have to keep trying," she replied, her hands tightening in his hair.
Before he could reply, however, there came a shout from behind him. "For the love all the Gods Numair I leave you alone with her for two minutes and you're canoodling like nobody's business…I'm supposed to be her chaperone!" Alanna the Lioness said, her smile mirrored in her startling violet eyes.
"Canoodling?" Numair asked Daine softly, raising one eyebrow. "I take it you introduced our noble Champion to that oh so charming term?"
His love blushed. "I caught her and George kissing in the library and it may have slipped out."
By this time Alanna had reached the couple. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that actually…do you think you can keep a rein on your…impulses until we get home Numair? The Carthaki's think even a chaste kiss on the cheek from an unmarried maiden to a man means instant damnation."
"I don't know why you're picking on me Alanna, Daine is just as bad if not worse," Numair said innocently, wincing slightly as Daine elbowed his stomach.
"All the same, could you keep public displays of affection to a minimum? For my sake as well as our hosts," she grinned, laughing at Daine's outraged expression. "This would all be so much simpler if you were married, or at least betrothed."
"I'm not ready for ma…" Daine started, but stopped as a large, calloused hand covered her mouth.
"Sweet, as much as your dulcet tones are music to my ears, that particular refrain does tear at my heart slightly," Numair said, his tone light-hearted but both women caught the undercurrent of genuine hurt in it.
Alanna chose to lighten the mood. "You, Salmalin, are a shameless Player. Here's Raoul anyway, he'll agree with me."
Raoul of Goldenlake, Commander of the King's Own and one of the most legendary knights in all of Tortall emerged from the cabin, his large, powerfully muscled frame impressing all on deck whilst his easy smile simultaneously charmed his friends. "What will I agree with?"
Alanna quickly filled him in. "We can't have any trouble on this visit: we're here to visit Emperor Kaddar, make a few pretty speeches, show our diplomatic support then scuttle back home. Not offend our oh so gracious hosts."
"Much as I hate to say it, Alanna's right. Jonathan and Thayet may allow it, but Kaddar and his court won't like it. Are you going to tell him?" he asked.
Daine and Numair exchanged glances. "I owe it to him really."
"You owe him nothing magelet," Numair muttered mutinously.
"Numair I destroyed his entire palace! Besides, he's my friend. I'm not going to lie to him about something so important," she protested. Numair grunted. Raoul and Alanna let out un noble like snorts at the mage's petulance.
A shout of "Land ho!" from one of the sailors in the crows nest ended their conversation, with the four Tortallans turning towards the approaching shore line. "This is certainly going to be an interesting trip," Alanna murmured to herself.