Sorry about the wait. I just realized that I picked a very bad point to start in the story. I wanted to start at my favorite part, what you are about to read, but there's like a 150 pages of the book after that and I want to get to the original stuff. So it's up to you guys. Should I delete this story and start at the end of ROTG or what?
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. Or the plot. If I did I would be living in a mansion and you would see me and my giantic house in magazines.
Chapter 1
Fallen
The next morning, Numair awoke to find Daine and the darkings fixing breakfast. "About time. The sun's been up for a hour."
"Not my fault." he grumbled as he got up. "You should've woke me up. We could have been half-way to the Sea of Sand by now."
"Well, excuse me for letting you sleep in."
"Not that I'm complaining." he added as he served himself and Daine breakfast. Hearing the darkings' protests, he looked down. "What, are you hungry too?" he teased as he gave them their own portion. "I wonder where they put all that food." he asked Daine.
She shook her head. "No clue. But you are not going to find out now. There will be plenty of time for you to examine them later. If they let you."
He glared at her and continued eating. After cleaning up, they continued on their way. Leaf took up its usual post around Daine's neck while Jelly tucked itself into Numair's pocket.
That afternoon they reached a rock maze. Going along carefully, they quickly noticed the multicolored liquid that almost blocked their path. Numair, after reaching out to stop Daine, tested the liquid with his magic.
"It's a chaos vent, Magelet." She nodded in recognition. "As long as we don't touch it, we should be able to easily make our way around it.
"Hold on," she said. She reached out with her magic and gently probed the vent. She gasped as the stuff of chaos started to pull her in. Numair, realizing what was happening, quickly reached out to stop her.
"Numair" she gasped, leaning against him.
"What happened?"
"It, well, it pulled me in."
"If you don't use your magic, can you go around it?"
"Yea"
"I'll go first," he said, cautiously going around the vent, using his staff for balance. All of a sudden the rocks leaped forward, catching him in a bone-crushing bear hug, and started carrying him away. Hearing Daine scream behind him, he panicked and threw his power at the rock-beings. He had never heard Daine scream before, and it terrified him. Using more of his Gift, he surrounded himself in it. The rocks cried out in pain, but didn't let go. They mustn't be very intelligent, he thought. They don't realize that I'm the cause of their pain. Well they're about to find out. Throwing more of his power into the shield, they finally realized the source of their pain and released him. Running towards the cliff, he stopped in horror as he realized what happened. Daine had fallen. Trying to protect him. He had never felt worse in his life. He had to find her.
Remembering the locket, he grabbed at his wrist, uttering the spell that would undo the clasp.
Salamena trico, undiorosea scirementa
Catching the locket as it fell, he held it in both of his hands. He had never thought of it as a focus, but it would work perfectly. Holding it, he forced his power into it, thinking of her all the while. He didn't have time for constructing a proper spell. As he watched, a circle formed beside him, a portal that would lead him to Daine. Quickly hooking the locket, he opened the portal until it was big enough to fit his large form. As he went through, he could only hope that she was alive.
He arrived to find three large spidrens surrounding their web. Looking closer, he saw Daine inside. When he saw she wasn't moving, his worst fears were confirmed. In his grief, his magic flared, instantly blowing up the nearing spidern. Hearing the explosion, the other two turned from their prey. Jelly jumped from Numair to cover the female's face, while Leaf appeared to prevent her from using her liquid web. Numair turned to attack the remaining male.
After finishing off his opponent, he turned to the female, to find that Leaf and Jelly had suffocated her. He didn't see any point in turning to Daine. She would be with her parents by now.
"Numair?" he heard a familiar voice call. His heart stopped as he whirled around to face her.
"D-d-d-daine? Are you alive?" he asked, not daring to hope.
"I hurt to much to be dead."
Grinning in relief, he rushed to her and held her in his arms, lifting her off the ground. He looked into her eyes for a moment before he reached across the narrow distance between their lips and kissed her. He couldn't believe his luck as she kissed him back. Or was he just imagining that? He decided not to take a chance and started to pull away.
"No," she whispered, entangling her hands in his hair, pulling him back down to her. He certainly wasn't going to refuse.
"Gods Magelet. I thought I had lost you." he confided to her after they had calmed down.
"It would take a lot more than a little fall to keep me from you." she said, pulling him back into another long and passionate kiss.
He picked her up, and carried her over to a convenient log. As he sat down, she curled herself up in his lap.
"Magelet?"
"Hmm?"
"We need to find shelter soon. It'll be dark in about a hour." He waited for her reply, and received none. "Magelet?" he asked, looking down into her face, smiling as he realized she had fallen asleep. Standing up, he looked around for Leaf and Jelly, finding them on the other end of the log. "Let's go find some shelter." he told them, standing up, still cradling Daine in his arms. He grinned as she snuggled closer.
As he walked along the river, Leaf called to Numair's attention a small cave. It would easily hold them both he realized, as he looked inside. They should both be able to lay down comfortably and have a fire. He gently laid Daine down on the floor of the cave, taking off his shirt for her to use as a pillow. Gathering wood for a fire, he laid them down and when he had enough, he glared at them. Instead of bursting into flames like usual, nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. He groaned as he realized that his magic was all used up. Reaching into his pack, he found the matches. After getting the fire started, he collected more wood, with the help of Jelly and Leaf. After asking them to keep the fire going, he laid down beside Daine and fell asleep.
"Food done." Leaf called.
Daine opened her eyes. Leaf had fashioned itself a tentacle for holding onto the spoon and was stirring the soup. She looked up as she heard footsteps, blushing slightly as Numair came in.
"Good job. Thank you," he said sitting down next to the darkings on a useful log he had found outside.
Daine, groaning as she rose, went and joined them.
"How are you feeling?"
"Broken." Seeing Numair's panicked expression she added, "I'm fine Numair, really. Just a few scratches and bruises."
"Are you sure?" he asked, handing her a bowl of oatmeal.
"Positive" she replied smiling.
They were silent as they ate. Numair was too busy with his own thoughts to even notice that Daine was just as busy with her own. I shouldn't have kissed her. What was I thinking? There's no telling how much I hurt her. When will I learn to think before I act? I'm pretty sure our friendship is over. She's probably thinking of a way to tell me nicely. She could never feel the way about me that I feel about her, he thought.
The truth couldn't be further away. That must've been a mistake. He was just happy I was alive. He would never be interested in me as a romantic prospect. He goes for shapely blondes. He'll tell me in a minute that he didn't mean it, that it was a mistake, and that he's sorry. He'd never feel the same way about me.
Deciding to take a risk, she scooted closer to Numair until he was forced to move his arm to accompany her.
What is she doing??? he thought as she snuggled against him. Could she really feel the same way about me? No, stop dreaming Salmalin.
"Daine?" he began after they had finished eating.
"Hmm?"
"I think I should tend to your cuts."
She moved so he could go to his packs. Coming back to her with the ointment that Sarra had packed for them in hand, he paled as he noticed that Daine had taken off her shirt.
"Daine! You should be properly clothed!" he exclaimed.
"Numair! Be reasonable! My shirt is in pieces, just like the rest of me! And besides, how are you going to tend my cuts if you can't get to them?"
"But a man of my reputation! And your innocence!"
"Reputation? And my?"
"Daine, you of all people should know that I have a reputation with the ladies in the court." he continued as he began to apply the ointment to her cuts.
"Numair?"
"Yes Magelet?"
"How did you find me?"
"It was merely simple magic Daine."
"Odds bobs! I've been around mages enough to know that it is serious magic to find someone and then go to them!"
He hesitated before replying. "I had a focus."
"A focus? Can I see it?"
He hesitated before muttering the words and giving her the locket. Holding it in her hands she started at it a minute before opening it. Inside was a miniature portrait of her face. On the other side was a small curl of her hair. It looked more like a lover's token than a focus.
"The portrait was done by Volney Rain. The hair I got when you were delirious with Unicorn Fever." His voice was expressionless but inside his heart was racing. How would she react to the locket? Surely she will recognize it for what it is.
She studied it for a couple more minutes before handing it back to him. Lifting her face to kiss him lightly on the lips, she was surprised when he pulled away. Trying to keep the surprise from her face, she turned back around. "Numair, you've been with plenty of other women. Why do you hesitate with me?"
"Daine! Is that what you think I'm interested in? Sex?" he exclaimed.
Even though she could her the anger and hurt in his voice, his hands were still gentle.
"It's not? Then what are we talking about?"
He said nothing, but finished quickly, and turned away from her. How did I hurt him? What did I say? Suddenly realization dawned on her. She turned to Numair, grabbing his wrist before he could stop her. Looking at the locket again, she recognized it for what it was. A lover's token.
"You're in love with me?" she whispered, voice barely audible.
He turned his head away.
"Love's fair wondrous. Where's the harm?"
"It's not hard to make someone believe they are in love with you. If you have enough of the Gift you can do this, and not even realize. I knew if I told you my true feelings, you might believe yourself in love with me, you might even want to ma-"
"Marry you? Marry you?" she squeaked. Love was one thing; marriage was a completely different story. She had seen too many bad marriages to not recognize a life sentence when she saw one. If they got married there would be no escape.
"Numair, I know I love you. Maybe I always have."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
"But this isn't something we should be trying to figure out right now. We can talk when things aren't so… complicated."
He smiled at her, pulling her into his arms. "As you wish," he whispered in her ear.
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