Hey everyone! Sorry if its been a while but ive been really busy with swimming and some other stories, check my wall if your interested:)
The next day they moved out bright and early, off on their way before the sun had even risen very far in the sky. Daine had once again taken her place on the cart with Mangle with Numair and Alanna riding nearby. As morning progressed into the day, Daine kept getting a weird feeling. It was like when you hear something amazing and it gives you a good feeling. She had gotten a feeling similiar to it when she had seen a dryad once but this feeling was different then that while being the same.
"Daine are you ok?" Alanna asked curiously. She had been watching her young friend for several moments and noticed she was looking around her in confusion often.
"Yeh i just have this weird feeling, but im sure its nothing." She replied sheepily, determined to figure out what it was.
Alanna nodded and returned to her conversation with Numair.
Half an hour passed and Daine was no closer to figuring out what the feeling was than before. She was starting to get frustrated and was about to complain to her friends when the feeling increased and a bird scream echoed in her mind loudly. She gasped.
"Numair" She yelled, even though he was right next to her. "They're coming!"
"Who is?" He asked, bewildered.
"The gr-"
But she never got to finish her sentence as the bird scream in her mind just became reality. Two massive shapes appeared over the horizon and the horses screamed in terror. They shapes approached and the humans identified what Daine already knew. They were grifffins. The smaller one soared over the camp while the larger came down and scraped the top of one of the wagons, making a large rip in the middle of the tarp. The trainees screamed as they tried to calm their panicking horses. Complete and utter panic spread through the camp as the griffin came back to swoop over them, batting its massive wings and lifting dust. Then it turned around and flew back to where its mate had already perched on the edge of the cliff.
Daine could see the trainees and adults coming to their senses and preparing weapons to attack the magnificent creatures.
"No, dont!" She choked out, dust in her throat.
Everyone completley ignored her and converged on the griffins. Daine tried again to tell them to stop but once again was ignored. Finally loosing her temper she commanded that all the animals nearby stop the humans no matter what it took. Thayet had already shot off an arrow but a crow flew into it and knocked it off its course. Sarge's horse knocked him over to stop him from throwing a javelin. Onua was being harassed by raccoons and possums and Numair was trying to fend off a deer that was butting him in the chest. The trainees were all too busy avoiding angry horses and woodland animals to concentrate on the griffins. Daine walked through the mayhem, the animals making a clear path for her as she walked by.
When she arrived at the cliff where the griffins sat, she slowed down her pace until she was still. Then she released some of the barriers in her mind and allowed the griffins to enter it. They delved into her thoughts and saw they're attack from her point of view. A picture of a human stealing a griffin egg appeared in her mind. The image was tinged with grief and anger. Daine realized that this was a memory. They showed her more images so that she realised that they didnt attack the progression, merely warned the humans not to even attempt stealing their eggs.
As the last of the images faded out of her mind, Daine sensed movement behind her. She turned slightly to see Alanna approaching on a terrified Darkmoon. She breifly considered asking darkmoon to go back to camp but then decided against it. She would be in enough trouble after this without adding more to her plate. Darkmoon pulled up beside her and she held a hand out to rest it on his nose. She sent her magic into him, filling the horse with her calm and the knowledge that he would be safe. Slowly he calmed down.
"Explain yourself daine." Alanna said slowly, not taking her eyes of the griffins.
"These griffins were just warning us not to try stealing their eggs. They've roosted on the crest back there."
Thayet had approached in time to hear the last of her words.
"What do they eat?"
Images of fish, dolphins and other sea animals presented themselves in her mind.
"Fish, dolphins, squid and other sea animals mainly but also the occasional land ones."
"Like cattle?"
"Yes ma'am, but only if they cant find any in the ocean."
"Can you tell your friends that we are willing to let them be as long as they stay away from our animals?" Thayet tried
Daine looked at her sharply. "Your highness.. These are griffins, creatures out of legend. You are a human queen. I mean no disrespect but they will do whatever they feel like. They dont like the taste of grass eaters, they say they taste like plants, but if they cant find any other food, as a last resort they will turn to them."
Thayet inhaled deeply before breathing out. "Fine. But tell them not to get comfortable eating our cattle for if they eat one too many, we will retaliate and it wont be nice."
Daine winced and relayed her message in images so the griffins could understand a bit better. They puffed up their feathers and hissed at the threat before settling back down. Daine received several more images and quickly deciphered them.
"He says that he agrees to your terms and asked if he could leave. He says that your voices hurt his ears."
Alanna gave a half smile and saluted the griffin with her sword. "Yes sir griffin, you may leave and we wont inflict our voices on you a moment longer."
The griffins launched into the air and spiraled away, the sun glinting off their feathers. The moment they were out of sight, everyone turned to Daine.
Thayet's eyes were snapping with anger and the others werent much better.
"What did you think you were doing miss Sarassri?" Thayet demanded. "Turning our own animals on us and wild beasts!? We could have been injured!"
Daine resisted rolling her eyes. "Your highness, you were perfectly safe. I instructed the animals not to harm anyone, just distract you all. You were about to attack griffins for crying out loud."
Alanna spoke now. "But you turned our horses against us Daine. If we cant trust our mounts then we're in trouble."
Daine's eyes softened. "You can trust your mounts Alanna. You all have very loyal horses. Yes they obeyed me, but they didnt like doing it. They hated having to turn against you but they agreed with me. Beastkind comes before two-leggers every time sorry."
Alanna opened her mouth to say something but daine cut her off.
"If you want any further proof, Darkmoon came up here with you even though he was terrified out of his wits."
Alanna's mouth closed with a snap, he hand caressing darkmoon kindly. When she looked back at daine, all the anger had drained from her expression.
"Just dont do it next time?" Thayet said, resigned. She rubbed her eyes as she turned away. "Im getting to old for this."
Daine just laughed quietly as she followed her friends back from the cliff. She made her way back to the cart, ignoring all the awed looks she was recieving. Numair was staring at her with an expression mixed between amusement, annoyance, pride and exasperation.
She just smiled sweetly at him and climbed on the seat as everyone set off again.
They continued on their journey and, an few hours before nightfall, Pirates swoop was spotted.
Ok i know the Daine in my story is quite different form the one in the books but thats just how she feels to me. You have to remember the daine in my story had grown up knowing she was half goddess and had already spent two years fending for herself after being hunted by her village. This causes her to ahve a lot more independance and self assurance and confidence then tamora pierces daine had.
please review:)
kaari xx
