Hey guys, sorry I've been so long, it's just that I've been busy, and I haven't had many reviews…(see the note at the end) but that's okay, I understand…kind of…so this is a good chapter…nice and long…like everyone wanted last time…so this should explain more to you guys…all leading up to the answering of the question that has been repeatedly asked…so…by the way…do any of you watch Alias? I know this is random, but the finale is in two weeks, and it's my second favorite show…so, thank you to all who reviewed, I really appreciate it:

            Aimee Damita

            Robinwyn

            Lady Rhian Knightmage: My average is about 1000…I know I should do better…will try…thanks

So thanks to all of you who reviewed, and keep up the good work, and now, without any further ado, I hope you enjoy the chapter:

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The Black Robe Mage

When Amanda awoke the next morning, she found Numair at the riverside, washing his face, which was smooth after shaving. He looked much better then he had the night before, and grinned when he noticed her watching.

"I thought we'd make our way back today. It's much too dangerous to stay here for long…" he did not elaborate on this statement, but Amanda understood what he was referring to. "I'll go and saddle up the horses."

Amanda nodded and went to pack up their camp. They had been riding through the woods for half an hour when they paused to get their bearings. Numair straightened up suddenly while reading a map, and turned. Amanda realized immediately what was wrong. Eight men galloped into the clearing, and surrounded them on all sides. The man in the center rode forward. He had short brown hair, sickly pale skin, and wore a black robe just like Numair's, and an expression of grim satisfaction.

"Did you think you could escape that easily Draper?" he asked Numair, a cynical smile spreading across his face.

Numair turned quickly to Amanda, his emotions impossible to read on his dark face. "Run." he said quietly, "You can get away. I'll distract them."

"No." she retorted furiously, as the men closed in on them. She turned to the men behind her, and threw a handful of sparks into their faces. Behind her, Numair was fighting four men, black fire flying in every direction. The man in front of Amanda drew his sword, but she called up a wisp of wind, and it flew out of his grasp.  She whirled around to the man next to him, but in her haste, she did not notice the archer on the other side of the clearing aiming right at her.

He drew his bow, and let the arrow fly.

It hit Amanda straight in the chest, the impact of the blow knocking her back, and she fell from her horse and hit the ground where she lay motionless for a few moments, blinded by pain. Her horse reared, and she crawled away from his thrashing hooves, trying to ignore the white-hot fire now burning from where the arrow had hit her. Gasping for breath, she managed to crawl over to a boulder and prop herself up against it.

It was then that Amanda noticed the mage standing twenty feet away from her, still smiling sickly. He threw a ball of yellow fire at her, and Amanda could not move out of the way. The slightest movement caused her side to throb painfully, and she had no choice but to let it come, bracing herself for the impact.

It never hit her.

The yellow fire was engulfed in black, shortly before vanishing. Numair had dismounted from his horse, and was striding toward the mage. Amanda had never seen him like this. His cloak billowed behind him in a wind that had not been there a moment before, and the air around him crackled with magic. His face was white with rage, his lips were tight, his eyes narrowed. The magic around him seemed to grow with every step he took, until by the time he came to stand between the mage and her, the very air was so thick with power that it was hard to breath, and left Amanda gasping.

The foreign mage threw yellow fire a Numair, who in turn put up a shield to deflect it.  Numair spoke a word that Amanda had never heard before, and a spell if such immense power streaked past her that it made her wince. The enemy mage was engulfed in yellow fire, and when it cleared, he was gone, and the other riders fled in fear. Numair paused for a moment, staring at the spot where the mage had been, and then he turned, and hurried over to Amanda.

He knelt down beside where she now lay, shaking as waves of dizziness washed over her with the blood now pouring from the wound in her chest. He gently turned her limp form over, and cursed when he saw her white shirt stained scarlet with fresh blood. The sense of immense power that had flared up from within Numair had faded as quickly as it had come, and was replaced with an expression of grave concern mixed with fear. He quickly stripped off his shirt, and tore it into stripes, which he tied around her wound, avoiding the arrow still protruding from deep in her side.

" That won't last long. We have to get out of here," he told her quietly, "they will send more when they come back. I'm sorry, I'll see to your wound when we get far enough away." He looked down at it and winced. "Don't be insane." he said as she tried and failed to get up and go to her horse. "You're in no condition to ride." Numair leaned down and scooped her up into his arms as if she were as light as a feather, careful not to hurt her side, and carried her over to the place where his horse still stood. "Don't ever scare me like that again. When you fell from your horse and didn't move…I thought…" his voice trailed off shakily.

"You scared me."  whispered Amanda, trying to smile and managing only a pained grimace, " how you got angry like that..."

Numair looked down, as if embarrassed. "Sorry."  he mumbled, "I just lost my temper...seeing what happened to you."  They had reached his horse, and he placed her gently on its back, climbing up behind her.  "Now, just try and hold on until we get far enough away" Amanda felt too sick to reply, but instead contented herself on slumping back into the warmth of the warmth of the man behind her, too weak to do much more.

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What seemed like hours later, the horse finally came to a halt, and Numair dismounted, lifting Amanda off the horse. He carried her over to a broad tree, and laid her down to lean against it, while he went over to get something from the saddlebags. Amanda felt, if possible, worse then before, her breathing came in sharp gasps, and her vision was oddly blurred.

"Who was that mage?" she gasped as Numair returned, carrying cloth, bandages, and a small bottle of some unknown substance. He sat down beside her, and pulled out his dagger.

"That was Ecam Werdna." he said, as he cut away her shirt around the arrow, and grimaced at the sight. The makeshift bandages had long before been soaked useless with blood.  "He went to the university with me, some six or so years ago." He took a deep breath, looking pale. "Now, I have to take out the arrow, so I'm sorry if it hurts…this is one of the few times when I wish I had studied healing."  Amanda nodded numbly.

He grasped the shaft of the arrow, and pulled it out hard. Amanda cried out in pain as it came free and blood spilled out of the open wound, burying her face in Numair's shoulder to keep from screaming any more. He drew breath in sharply from between his teeth, as if he were the one in pain.

"I'm sorry, Amanda." he said, his voice cracking. "I had to…" he pressed the cloth against her chest to slow the bleeding. Amanda was feeling lightheaded, and but her lip to keep from feinting.

"He was the Tyran mage that captured me…. He had heard the prophecy too…the only one left alive besides myself…and Neraso, and but I don't know what happened to him after the university. He wandered off somewhere, I haven't seen him since." Numair continued, removing the cloth, and pouring on the foul smelling substance that stung horribly where it touched Amanda's cut.

"Too bad they haven't found out about anesthetics yet." said Amanda, her voice oddly muffled by Numair's robes. He laughed at the sound.

"What did you say?"

"Never mind."

" Magelet, you have to let me put on a bandage." he said, trying in vain to pull away.

"No." came the stifled reply, " I like it here." Amanda was content to sit there, her face in Numair's chest, breathing in his scent. His warm arms wrapped around her, holding her tight.

"I was so afraid…" he whispered in her ear. "When I turned around and saw you fall, I could have sworn you were dead. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Amanda lifted her face from his robes, and he leaned down and eased his lips gently over hers. She hung there, limp in his arms, weak, exhausted, and dizzy from the loss of so much blood. But, as always when she kissed Numair, none of it seemed to matter as long as she was safe there in his arms.  He took his lips away after a moment, and she sank back into the protective circle of his arms, and drifted into darkness.

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            So…how was it…I gave into the requests for more, and gave you guys a chapter twice as long as I was originally going to…how was the plot? I am slowly giving the build up to the crucial part…so what do you guys think is going to happen? Who is the prophecy about? Who is Neraso? Who is Ecam, and why is he important? You will learn all of this in time…but sooner if you review then if you don't…let's aim for 81…if you get that much or more, I will update this weekend, if not, I will wait until I do…I don't know why I haven't been getting many reviews lately…weather you guys don't like my work anymore, or if you just haven't had the time, or anything like that, which I understand, because I don't get many chances to review, but if you are reading and not reviewing, lease review! So, there was my lecture, and please consider it…I want to know how you guys like my story…thanks…so review, review, review, and I'll see you this or next weekend…

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught