This is just a one-shot. That is final! I will not be dragged into making what originally started out as a short, tester story into a twenty-odd chapter and still going story (now what does this sound like...*cough*Secrets Revealed*cough*. You can look at that story if you want, it is also about Daine and Numair, since I have found that they are most definitly my favorite pairing of all time! They are just so adorable and I love their personalities! Anyway, on with the ONESHOT.
Disclaimer: hahahahaha you are so funny and naive, thinking that this is mine. Oh, well, you will learn.
Oh, yeah, this is after RotG. Just so you know
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"Come on, Magelet, it is time for lessons." Numair said. This was a very normal everyday thing to everyone at the table. Magelet was the pet name that Numair had given to Daine back when she was still learning about her magic at thirteen. Lessons were usually held for Daine everyday, whether just to keep up her knowledge on the anatomy of the animals she healed and shapeshifted into or just to learn about non-animalistic things, like astronomy or arithmatic. So, as Daine and Numair left breakfast, their friends waved absently as they continued on with their conversations.
"So, Master Mage, what are we to learn about today?" Daine asked playfully. She knew very well that Numair had nothing left to teach her about her Wild Magic, but she enjoyed the lessons all the same. This would be their first actual lesson, not just "oh by the way, while we are in the middle of a war and such, you should know this" lesson, since the end of the war.
"Well, Miss Wildmage Veralidaine," Daine grimaced at her full name and nickname the kingdom had given her. "I think today we shall learn about...lakes." Numair said, stopping and spreading his arms dramatically to show her the lake in front of him.
Daine tilted her head upwards and to the side, the absolute picture of a air-headed noble girl. A girl who did not understand something or simply wanted to keep the charming man she was talking to in a conversation longer and therefore asking idiotic questions. "Lakes?" She asked, her voice in falsetto.
"Yes, lakes, magelet, and stop doing that, it is very....well, I don't know a word to describe it but there has to be one!" He said, as if that justified everything.
"Is our great black robed mage, expert on Wild Magic, most powerful mage in Tortall, man who never takes his long nose out of his books unless it's to go do something magical at a loss for words?" She queried, keeping her voice still unnaturally high, just to spite him.
"Anyway, as I was saying, today we are learning about lakes." He said, changing the subject.
"You're avoiding my question." She reminded him, and not very sweetly.
"Well, magelet, what would you say would be a proper word to fit my sentence that I cannot seem to fill, since you are so all knowing, of course." He said, grinning evilly down at her.
"Lakes, you say? What are we to learn about them?" She said, not sure what the word he had been looking for was.
"Well, for one thing, they are made up of water - "
"Oh, yes, very good, I could never have figured that out without your help." She said, sarcastically.
"lakes are almost always fed by rivers-" He plowed on.
"But there is no river here." She said, looking down at the lake.
"No, magelet, the river is at the other side of the lake and is too far for us to see." He said patiently.
"Well, what else do you know about lakes?" She asked as they sat down on the thick grass. She rested her head on his shoulder as he continued talking.
"Well this one here is called an oxbow lake and they are formed when part of a river breaks off, called a meander and-" He looked down at her face. Her eyes were closed and she was feigning sleep. He knew she was not really asleep because her breathing was still uneven and he could see a mocking smile she was fighting to keep invisible. "Oh, look, now she's asleep. Well, I suppose I will just cacrry her back up to the palace." He picked her up and, instead of turning in the direction of the palace, he dropped her into the lake with resounding splash. The water was deep enough, he knew, that she would not be hurt. He waited for her to sruface. After a few seconds, he became worried and was about to get into the water to look for her when her head emerged from a much farther place in the lake.
"Daine, how did you get over there?" He called to her.
"I shapeshifted and swam after someone was rude enough to drop me in a lake." She yelled back irritably.
"Come back here!" He said from the edge of the lake.
"No, you have to come and get me!" She said, going back under the water again. Numair weighed the options and decided that they were not going to get anywhere with this lesson, not that he really knew anymore to tell her, for his knowledge on lakes was quite lacking. He therefore stripped down to his breeches and waded into the water. After the water reached his chest, he decided that it was too cold and was turning around to go back when his legs were pulled out from under him and he fell into the water. When he resurfaced, Daine was there, treading because the water reached to her forehead if she stood on the lake floor.
"Payback." She said, her face completly blank. Then she burst out laughing. "You should have seen your face!" She cried then mimicked him. This caused her to bobb under water because she had not been treading water with her arms. He put his hands on either side of her waist and lifter her upwards. This caused her bare shoulders to be revealed.
"Magelet," He started slowly. "where are your clothes?" He asked, looking her straight in the eye.
She shrugged and this action caused more skin that made Numair's breath catch to be revealed. "They came off when I shapeshifted." She put her arms around his neck. "Not that you're complaining, are you now?"
She was answered with a passionate kiss. A kiss that made her go weak with longing and lasted for at least ten minutes.
"Daine," Numair started breathlessly. "We have to get back to the palace for lunch now." He saw the dissapointment in her eyes. "I know, but tomarrow, we can learn more about lakes."
"Good." She said as they swam back to shore. "I find my knowledge on them terribly deficient. I do beleive we may have to spend a long time learning about lakes."
Numair grinned. "I agree fully, Magelet, who knows, maybe we'll make a lake project." They laughed outright at their conversation. They both knew that it would not be for the study of lakes that they returned here tomarrow.
"Oh." Daine said when they had emerged from the water.
"Oh?" Numair asked, pulling on his shirt, his gray breeches now soaked so they looked black.
"My clothes are lost in the lake." She said, smiling wryly.
"Here," He said, handing her his tunic. "It's long enough on you, it's like a very short dress that Thayet would be in fits over if she ever saw you at a court function in it!" He said cheerfully. They held hands as they talked and laughed happily on their return to the palace. As they passed the stables, they heard a familiar voice say. "Well, this doesn't look suspicious at all." Daine and Numair turned, dropping hands, to see Onua, Alanna, Thayet, and Jon looking on at them and clearly holding back laughter.
"I was just shapeshifting as a fish." Daine invented quickly.
"Daine, it may surprise you to know that there is an excellent view of the lake from the stable lofts. Now, I was simply getting one of the extra saddles from there when I happened to look out the window. It was most interesting to watch." Onua said.
Daine blushed a firey crimosn and Numair had surpassed her to full-on maroon. "I did shapeshift." She insisted quietly.
"Oh, we know. We all saw from when Numair dropped you into the lake. You see, Onua thought it was interesting how you were leaning on Numair and we all came over to look when he picked you up." Alanna said.
"So, would you like to hear what I learned about lakes today?" Daine asked, grinning back at everyone.
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Right, sorry if it's kinda boring at the beginning and I'm sure there are more than a few run on sentences but PLEASE review, i love to hear from you! - Emma