Thanks for all the reviews. Sadly I did not get a request for a transformation so I shall make up my own.
Disclaimer: Characters, Tamora Pierce, Places, Tamora Pierce, the product of my own twisted mind.
Chapter 9 Enemies
"It's him." Daine's voice in his ear made him shiver at her closeness, "I can feel his horse from here." she shivered again. "The hurrocks too. Ten I think, don't worry I can handle that." Daine turned to leave but Numair grabbed her arm and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug and set off to find the mage.
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It didn't take long for Numair to find his old friend, it was strange that he used to think these people were friends, until he met the Tortallans 'until you met Daine.' a voice said. He smiled at the thought.
The mage was sitting striding through the field with a hurrock behind him. The animal had a collar that was probably the only reason it hadn't killed the brown-haired man beside him.
"Hello Arram" Tristans smooth voice hissed from between his lips. "Tristan, I don't want to hurt you. Think about it, Tortall is safe, your gift is a waste with Ozorne."
Tristan laughed in his face "You never could handle being a battle mage," he gestured at the hurrock which flew off in Daines direction "poor book bound Arram. Never could do as
the rest of us as a war mage." He threw a spell Numair easily blocked. Although he wasn't as powerful as a war mage, his books had taught him many tricks in phsycology, powerful spells and conserving.
Numair's eyes kept darting to where the flock of immortals circled and dived in on where his friend was. Tristan saw the action, "Worried about that little chit that you follow around. Isn't she a little young for you?" Tristan threw five or six small spells and curses,
trying to weaken him. Numair countered with a few of his own. "Veralidaine Sarrasri" the name rolled off his tongue like oil "that bitch ruined our plans to control Tortall, and the invasion at Pirate's Swoop." They were still throwing spells at each other and a slow smile appeared on his lips. "She's a pretty thing, perhaps His Majesty would like to meet her."
The Black Mage was livid at the thought of anyone using his Daine like that. He yelled a word from Old Thak. Tristan screamed as his limbs stiffened, his skin became dark and rough. His limbs splintered off into those of a tree and leaves sprouted.
Numair's ears roared and his vision blacked, all he could think was 'Mithros, that was stupid.'
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Daine's face drifted through his dreams, spinning, smiling, laughing always there. He and Daine were sitting on the riverbank, it was summer. Daine sighed and snuggled up closer to him. Numair froze as he noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt. He leaned back
glad for a chance to hold her. The wildmages face came into his vision and she kissed him. The mage wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him as his lips moved with hers.
Purple flames spouted around them and slowly, Daine disappeared. "....should do it, you really should have called me sooner, the man is greener than a page when it comes to fighting" a womans voice pierced through the dark he was again in.
It took a few minutes for him to come to, when he did he found himself staring into eyes the same color as the flames in his dreams. Alanna snorted "Idiot mage, you blacked out, quite impressive work though, I haven't seen something like that in years." 'Where is Daine?' Numair tried to sit up but Alanna pushed him back down again, Daine is right over there." Her eyes glittered with mischief and Alanna pointed at the wildmages prone form on the cot next to him. She thrust a posset at him that he quickly downed and he quickly fell back into the depths of sleep.
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When Numair next woke nothing had changed from when he had seen earlier, except for the lack of a certain lady knight and a pounding headache. He tried to stand up but quickly lost balance and opted to sit on Daine's bed. He put his hand on her cheek and she rubbed her cheek against it. 'Probably thinks I'm a fuzzy animal.' he thought. He allowed his fingers to trace her cheekbone and the contours of her face.
She twisted under his wandering fingers, he flinched and quickly removed his hand. She looked so sweet and innocent when she slept, not a hardened warrior. 'Stop it,' he chided himself 'you're thirty, you are too old to have little crushes, and never on a sixteen year-old.'
Numair didn't know how long he sat there before Alanna came in and gave Numair a drink to ease his throbbing headache. Apparently it had been three days since his battle "and," she informed him with a smile "your apple tree is prospering."
Just after the knight left Daine stirred in her bed and she opened sleepy blue-grey eyes. "Mornin, didn't 'scept to see you up." her voice went back to the Northern slang she had grown up with. "Well it has been three days." She shot up like a bolt and then gripped her throbbing head. Numair grinned and handed another cupful of the headache potion to his partner. Daine moaned and gripped her right bicep, her entire arm was heavily bandaged.
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It took them two more days to recover from their magical strain, apparently Daine had lost alot of blood when the hurrock scratched her arm. The ride back was slow since they were both still tired and it took them a week to arrive in Corus.
Numair immediately headed off to the mens baths and soon fell asleep.
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When Numair woke the autuum air was cold and dry. He wanted to talk to Daine about some shape-shifting ideas but couldn't find her. It had been two days since they returned to the capital city and the mage was feeling quite refreshed. He checked the stables, library and finally decided to get some breakfast.
In the mess he ran into his former teacher, who had gotten a job as a teacher for the pages. The big man was bundled in two sweaters and leather gloves (only one more sweater than Numair)
"It is so gods-cursed cold, but I'll get used to it, I was born in Scanra of course." he smiled and tucked into his meal. After they went back to Lindhalls classroom, he had been supplied with several animals in his room, but he had left most almost all of his possecions in Carthak when he fled.
"So I hear you and Daine had quite the adventure last week." Numair nodded "What happened, I never heard?"
The mage cleared his throat "Do you remember Tristan?" "Yes, of course he was getting into alot of trouble when i left." "He destroyed that village and enslaved the hurrocks with this. Numair showed his former teacher with a leather collar that burned with magic in his sight.
"Was he arrested, I would like to see him?" Lindhall turned the collar over in his hands, he didn't look at Numair for a response, he knew Tristan would rather die than admit defeat.
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There you have it, sorry no kiss (insert evil laugh from Rocky and Bullwinkle Movie)
Please review Thanx.