Chapter 10 – Fun and gifts

Daine smiled. She loved the relationship she had with Numair. Back in Snowdal she had seen girls having the same kind of relationship with the other boys. She had often stood in wait and seen how the boys in spring frolic had chased the girls, those they found interesting and in wintertime she sat behind the large stone and would be envious of the snowball fights where the girls had to surrender, and had ended up in the same situation as she was in now. There was noting to be envious about now. He was hers, or almost. Daine looked up and smiled secretly to her teacher who only raised his eyebrows at her facial expression. She had never back then had opportunity beeing teased for the fun by a boy, so she lay now with the widest smile on her lips between his large hands. It was only in the most private situations that Numair could transform himself from the scholar he was to a silly, clumsy young man. She liked this personality as much as she liked the absent and serious and sometimes a little vain man he could be.

"What's wrong?" Numair asked. His arms had started to shake slightly, but it challenged him only more. Although he was a scholar, he was vain enough to worry about how his body looked and he saw himself as highly trained. Now his endurance must pass the test. If he lost the strength in his arms, he would crush her with his body and weight.

"Absolutely nothing and absolutely everything" She reached up and pulled the cord out of his hair so that it hung loosely over his face. She took it between her teeth and transformed into a small puppy.

"Magelet!" Numair exclaimed grinning as hair took his vision. "Give it back!". He blew the hair away and stared into blue-gray eyes which now beloningto a brown little dog. "You didn't!" he laughed and got up within a split second when the puppy began to jump and dance in the middle of the floor of his study.
"You're going to regret it" he threatened as he began to chase her around. Time went. Numair stopped for a few seconds and tried to catch his breath. He smiled down towards the puppy which was hidden under his desk with its belly pressed to the floor and tail into the air. The cord was still between her teeth. He swung his hand and waited.

The dog was slowly lifted into the air by the black fire and levitated to the blankets. In a second she changed back dropping the cord and exclaimed half offended "It's not fair. You are cheating!" She pulled the blanket up around her trying to cover her naked body. "Close your eyes" Daine commanded suddenly pouting. The fun was over.

He stood not far from her as she changed back. "Sorry," Numair muttered a bit embarrassed and closed his eyes and turned around so he had his back to her. "Say something when you are finish".

She kept a close eye on him, but when he didn't move she seized Numair's shirt. Daine let the blanket fall and stuck first one arm in the sleeve and then the next. She was buttoning the last buttons when he turned around. "I wasn't finish Numair" she told him and looked up meeting his eyes.

"Sorry" he replied. He hadn't expected that she would turn back to herself, and hoped that his blush was hidden by the hectic red cheeks he had received during the hunt. He looked at the young woman, who sat and fumbled with his shirt.

"It's okay" Daine let go of the last button that didn't wanted to be buttoned leaving more skin visible at her neckline.

Numair stared at the bare skin that led down to her breasts which fortunately was covered with fabric. "Don't you want more clothes? aren't you freezing?" he asked, still standing.

Daine shrugged. "It's okay" she replied, looking down at her feet and toes that lay stretched out from her. She wiggled her toes. "It's actually nice not to have so much clothes on, for once." She turned toward the fire behind her that slowly burned. "The fire warms me".

"Okay. But if you get cold I have something you could wear" he began, but stopped when Daine shook repellent on her head.

"No. Its fine Numair. When are you going to sit down? My neck is hurting".

Numair took the cord up and walked over to the couch and sat down.

Leaning back. He said nothing and the room was filled with silence, awkward in the beginning. Then Daine moved a bit. She raised from where she had been sitting and walked toward him. He looked up at her as she stood hesitantly by him. Numair reached his hand toward her hands that twisted nervously. He took her hand and pulled her down to him.

Daine said nothing. She wanted to be near him, but was afraid of his rejection. Still, she got up and came toward him. Unconsciously and habitual she squeezed her hands together. When she reached Numair, she was standing insecure until a large tanned hand reached out and grabbed her. The idea wasn't that she would lose balance, but she did. She almost fell on him, but strong hands grabbed her, lowered her speed and placed her gently on his lap. "Sorry" she mumbled embarrassed.

He laughed low. "It's okay. It is also late and we should really sleep."

"I'm not tired," she exclaimed abruptly and looked angrily into his eyes.

"Easy magelet, we are not going to sleep any time soon. I still have to give you your midwinter gifts" Numair whispered.

He saw how she nodded and suddenly she let her hand slide down between his legs by his knees. She pushed them apart and slid into the hole his spread legs formed. Numair had to rapidly bite his tongue to avoid sighing loudly when her buttocks pushed against his abdomen.

She leaned backwards, so her back was against his chest oblivious to what she had done. "Is this for me?" she asked quietly while she felt Numair took his arms around her. He carefully laid the first packet in her lap.

"Yes," Numair replied in a deep voice. He needed distraction. Daine's presence against him increased his heartrate and slowly he felt something else pulsate. "This," he said hoarsely while he pointed to the little gift lying on her bare legs which didn't helped the state he had started to develop "is from Thayet, Jonathan, Alanna, George and me." He saw how her slender hands slowly opened the package. A small dark box appeared. Numair forgot to breathe as Daine opened her gift. He couldn't see Daine's face, but he sensed clearly how she stiffened as the content appeared. Inside the box were two sparkling sapphire earrings. The stones were surrounded by equally glittering pebbles.

"Is that?" Daine very carefully held the package away from herself pressing herself backwards "diamonds?"

'Please distract me' he thought helplessly. Numair smiled strained. He had spent several months with Daine in lessons about the various properties in different stones and now he couldn't concentrate on her delight. His absolute attention was turned towards his growing ... distraction! He needed distraction! "Yes, magelet and the characteristics of diamonds and sapphire are?".

Daine smiled. She knew exactly what characteristics the two stones had. She began to list them. "Sapphire forces sympathy, harmony, friendship, trust and loyalty. Those who wear this stone will feel a strong sense of belonging and will never forget where their home is" She hesitated a bit before she continued "Diamonds or 'adamas' in Old Thak means to 'fall in love' and those who wears them are considered to be unconquerable, also , "she took carefully one of the earring up to study the stones before she continued "and the wearer of these will be surrounded by fidelity, light, clarity, energy and vitality. The stones symbolize the relationship between opposites such as the ratio between life or death, or" she paused again "the relationship between man and woman, just like you and I..."

'Concentrate on what she says' he urged himself. Numair tried, but without success. Her body against his was nice and the small movements against ... 'Distract me!' he began to think again. Had she discovered his arousal? Numair felt his cheeks began to burn. 'Why in this situation?' he thought frantically. She had before been sitting this way, just with a slight difference. Daine had more clothes on and their proximity had been because of magic lessons. Now, however, it was almost too private. He was present again as she once again moved slightly backwards. The pressure was being increased and his pulse followed suit only to cause further pulsation.

"By the Godess!"She sat herself abruptly up and leaned forward.

He was suddenly and abruptly present. Had she noticed anything?

He looked investigative down by himself to make sure that one could not see anything. He found distressed that it unfortunately wasn't the case and reached for one of the extra blankets, he fortunately had left near the couch.

"I have begun to sound just like you!" Daine turned abruptly toward Numair just as he let the blanket covered him. She looked down towards his abdomen.

"I froze" he replied and began to pull blanket up over his chest.

She still stared down towards his abdomen with a puzzled look in her eyes. Daine said nothing at first, but turned only. "You're right, it starting to get a little cold." She shivered a bit to emphasize her words, knowing that it wasn't why he had covered himself.

Numair couldn't help but feel what he felt. She had ignored his condition and thus preserved his dignity. Numair sighed with relief. Even though she had discovered what was going on with him she had simply ignored...his thought was interrupted by Daine's voice.

"Do you think Alanna would make holes in my ears," she asked gently. Numair was silent behind her. After was feelt like forever Daine saw how Numair took the other earring and held it between two fingers. She noticed how hot air, his breath, hit the side of her neck when he stroked her hair away. Numair held one earing up to her left ear.

"I'm sure magelet. Do you like them?" Numair asked nervously. He had spent many hours locating the stones and even longer in the royal smithy, where he had attended the design of this masterpiece.

Daine turned half and nearly met Numair's lips, if he hadn't pulled his head back at the last-minute. She looked up into the hazel eyes blushing "I love them," she whispered. "But, I don't deserve them," she whispered almost inaudibly.

"Nonsense! There is only one magelet in Tortall" Numair said a bit tartly. He had regained his old self quickly. "And," he continued, "I know that the royal couple and the Lioness and George, including myself will be extremely sad if our and I mean 'our' wildmage will not accept a gift as proof that this "he threw out his hands towards their surroundings and his study "is your home and we, "he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her "is your family".

Daine felt tears in her eyes, she had no words for what Numair had just said. Overwhelmed by emotion and reminded that although her real home and family no longer existed, she had not only gained new friendships, but these friendships had now become her family. She smiled happily. That Numair was ... her family.

Numair smiled´behind her. He would never get this evening back. He was a bit indifferent whether he broke all the rules. He slowly leaned forward and placed a small kiss on her cheek placing his lips on her warm skin letting them dwell there. "Midwinter luck, magelet" he whispered hoarsely. He didn't want to pull back, but he did when she started to turn her head, forcing his lips to move just millimeters above the skin towards her mouth. When she finally had her mouth just one centimeter from his, he pulled back. Quickly to distract her he took the box with the earrings out of her hands and replaced it with a larger and heavier.

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