Numair would have singed the bandit's tail if he had been able to. After about an hour of separation, they tied Numair and Daine onto the same lead. This gave him the opportunity he needed.

"Daine, please don't hate me." He said sheepishly, looking at the ground. Daine looked at him and saw the fear in his eyes. All her anger seemed to melt away. She shook her head and restored her resolve.

"I don't hate you, I just feel betrayed."

"How? There was nothing I could do. Jon had me locked up and Alanna had to free me this morning. Was I supposed to just somehow get past the ten guards that were leading me to the cell without any magic?"

"No. Numair it's just—" she sighed. He couldn't understand how she felt. The pain was incurable. Nothing, literally nothing, could erase the loss she felt when he didn't come for her. Part of her was saying that he had tried but couldn't come. It was also saying that she only ran because she felt alone and wanted to be reminded that people cared about her. All of her was realizing that it was her fault that bandits now had them captured.

"Um, Numair? I'm sorry I got us captured by bandits." The tall mage chuckled

"It's O.K. magelet. It wasn't your fault. Does this mean you forgive me?"

"No, but I wont hit you again." Numair sighed inwardly; at least she wasn't resorting to violence still. He had a bruise on his forehead and a raw cheek because of her. Coming to his senses he realized that not only did he need to focus his attentions on the matter at hand, but also realized that they had reached the bandit camp.

They were separated again and taken into two different tents. Numair had been captured before and knew it was best to cooperate at first to gain their trust. They sat him down and gave him water and bread. Quickly they untied him and told him that if he spoke, the two guards out front would kill him. Quietly he picked up the cup and waved his hand over it to check for poison. When nothing happened he remembered that he was still sans magic. Sighing he began to eat.

Daine's treatment was no different. The only difference was that the men let their hands "accidentally" slide over her breasts as they untied her. Normally she would turn into a wolf and bite their testicles off; however, she had to let it slide at the moment. After they had drank most of the water they began to feel the tingling sensation that goes along with water based sedatives. Accepting their fate both fell into a restless sleep.

Daine was the first to dream. She saw the badger. He was standing at the foot of her bed and looking at her intently. She tried to speak but couldn't, she tried to scream but only silence. That was all there was, silence. The badger shook his head and put a paw up to his ear to signify that he couldn't hear her. Daine began to cry; as the tears raked her body the badger crawled up to her and leaned into her. Just as she woke up she heard his voice in her mind saying "kit". She sat up off the flood, sweat soaked. She had heard him, it was only a second but he was there. She still felt no magic within herself. Before she could still hear him, it seemed that things were getting worse. However, there was hope.

Numair had trouble going to sleep because thoughts of Daine clouded his mind. When he finally fell asleep he saw his mother and father. They would still be in Carthak. Sometimes he missed them, but he also realized that they had thought him dead since he first left for Tortall. As he saw them, he saw a black smoke rising up behind them. It had the silver specks that indicated the magic as his own. Panicking he tried to draw it back before it totally swallowed them. He had no affect on it. Then the black cloud engulfed Daine. Just before he woke a fragment of his magic left her under his command. Gasping for air he sat up and thought about the final event in his dream. He could still sense no magic, but somehow he still felt hopeful.

In the distant forest Cloud and Mangle grazed near Daine's abandoned campsite. Cloud was too scared to leave it and Mangle only followed her. Kitten and the great basilisk were on the move; both knew that something was up so they had turned back towards the castle. Alanna was only ten feet away from the abandoned campsite of Daine, but just missed it. Dark hands began to dip and play in the pools of shining copper and silver laced black.

A/N: Its been forever and its short I know, but im gonna get back on this and finish it I promise.