Author's Note: My first fanfic, so be KIND. not that I don't want flames….nvm, I'm not talking sense. This takes place after the fourth book in the Immortals series…I juz LOVE Daine and Numair, so this story kinda follows what happens between the end of the immortals war and the start of the Protector of the Small series. Enjoy! (not that I think you'll lyk it, I think its crap, nvm, I'm going crazie man, shutting up now)
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Daine flopped onto her bed wearily, working out the kinks in her tired body. It had been three weeks since the Immortals War and Tortall still hadn't finished cleaning up. She had spent the last three weeks riding with the Rider groups through the villages affected, making sure there were no stragglers of Ozorne's army that the King's Own had missed. "Problem?" came the mindspeak of Cloud from the fields outside.
Daine sighed. "It's just noisy, that's all." Her room in the Rider Barrack's used to be a storeroom for feed, and it was located just beside the mess hall-, which was not a very quiet place during dinnertime. It had never bothered her before but now, after spending a whole day in the saddle, she was starting to regret having moved from her bunk in the girl trainees' dorm. Yet, it was the one place where she could have the animals near her, they were not allowed up in the dorms. "This riding all day's making me cranky. A hot bath and dinner and I won't even notice the noise." she told Cloud.
She had started pulling her boots on when a tall shadow blocked the light from the doorway. "Numair? What's wrong?" Daine asked. She had never seen her teacher that fidgety. In fact, he looked quite nervous; she hadn't seen him a lot lately, not since finding him after his battle with that mage, and she hoped he was all right. "I hope it isn't bad news," she told Cloud mentally.
"Well…umm…don't you find it hot in here?" he asked.
"Numair, stop beating round the bush, what's wrong?"
"Well, I thought since the Rider's would be done patrolling by the end of this week and you wouldn't have to stay here…would you like to…." he swallowed nervously, "move in with me in my room at the palace? I mean… it's more convenient for you there, being closer to the stables and all."
Daine grinned. So that was what had been bothering him! Nothing serious. She let go of the breath she had been holding unconsciously. Then, when she realised what he was asking, she sobered. Of course, she wanted to move in with him, but what would the others at court say? Frantically, she ran them through in her mind, "Alanna, King Jon, Queen Thayet… what would they all think? Would they approve?" Here, Cloud butted in. "You're being silly," she told Daine tartly. "You want to move in, he wants you to move in, who cares what the other two-leggers think? You never cared before, why start now?" Daine relaxed. Cloud's horse sense was always right, she had been worrying unnecessarily.
While the silent exchange was going on, Numair stood there uneasily, afraid of what his student would say. "Of course I'd like to move in with you." Daine said, braking into his worried thoughts. Numair sighed, relieved to see that she was smiling as she said it. He swept her into his arms, giving her a bone-braking hug.
Tenderly, he kissed her forehead, making Daine feel that whatever people were going to say about her moving in with Numair, it was going to be worth it. Giddy with happiness, she tiptoed to kiss him on the lips. After what seemed like a century, he broke the kiss, saying, "I missed you magelet."
Head resting against his chest, they went into the Rider's mess for dinner, with an announcement to make to Ouna………
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Please review, and tell me if you want another chapter…….
