Chapter 9: Images and Visions

The next afternoon, Alanna went to the healing tents to check on Numair. When she came in Numair was cleaning everything possible in the tent while whistling a happy tune. She guesses why and smiled.

"You told her didn't you?"

Numair looked up and tried his best not to blush. "Yes, and I'm glad I did."

"I can see that," Alanna giggled.

"Well, why shouldn't I be?" he asked. "The woman I love loves me back."

Smiling, Alanna sat on the cot and thought about the previous day. Remembering what happened to Daine, the smile faded.

Noticing, Numair asked, "What's wrong?"

She looked at hid pleading eyes and sighed. "Perin. He has all of us fooled. No one can find out where he is and how he's hiding. His power has to be drained like yours. Which reminds me, don't use your gift. You may think your fine but your not. You just wanted to get out of bed and see somebody."

Numair coughed in his hand to cover a smile and said, "Um, go on."

"Anyway, the only thing we know is what he wants to do. You know how he was in Corus? Always wanting power? Well now he's ten times worse. Somehow, he has one-third of the immortals in Tortall on his side. Even the one's that hate humans. He plans to take Daine and live with her here. How he'll get her to actually stay here is beyond me. Once that's done, he'll make Daine call all her animal friends and maybe a few immortals not on his side. From what we know, he'll use them to take over all the forts within Tortall."

Rubbing his nose, Numair thought all this over. He thought how Perin could control over fifty immortals by himself. He wondered how Perin thought he could take over Tortall. Asking himself these and other questions, Numair gave himself a head ace.

"There have to be people on his side too," he thought aloud.

"I know. We're trying to find out whom but that's a problem. We sent out some spies to find out where Perin was and what he's up to. As you know, we have the information but we don't know where he is. He caught our spies before they could tell us."

Reading the question on his face, she said, "We lost a pair of darkings."

With a sigh of both relief and concern, Numair paced the tent. The thoughts and ideas that went through his head were too much. They seemed to just go through one ear and out the other. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't concentrate.

Rubbing his temples, he sat beside Alanna with a thump. "Well, what can I do for now?" he asked.

Patting his hand, Alanna replied, "Go see Daine."

Numair smiled and went to the tent entry. Looking back he asked, "Is she alright?"

"Truthfully? I'm not sure anymore," she said waving her hand in dismissal.

Daine was lying on her cot staring into the distance. She was still confused about the night before.

When the stone brightened, she couldn't move no matter how hard she tried. That however, wasn't what had her confused. As Daine was forced to gaze at the stone, she thought she saw an image. It was small at first but grew as the rock brightened. As she thought about it, it seemed to get clearer than before:

The 'vision' that she saw seemed to be Snowsdale; or what it was turning into. Where Perin's house now stood was a large fort. Other than the fact in was made of pure black rock, it was identical to Pirate's Swoop. Even two of the towers had one flag each.

The first one was a crown with many rubies and crystals. A vine with numerous sharp thorns wrapped itself around it. She guessed that was Perin's for the show of power and strength he wanted.

The other one was quite different. On the flag stood a lone wolf with eyes that showed dominance. The she-wolf shone with a copper fire that Daine recognized as wild magic. Daine wasn't sure how she knew it was female, she just did. Though she never saw the flag before, the wild mage had feeling of whose it would be if things got out of control.

There were no trees near the fort. The nearest one was fifty miles away. However, that too was dying along with the other plants and grass surrounding the area. It would take years to replant everything if that happened. Please, Goddess. Don't let Perin win, Daine thought and sighed.

Hearing something from outside, Daine looked towards the entry flap. She smiled as a tired-looking Numair came in and sat on the cot.

"Good afternoon, sweet," he said lightly, taking her hand. "I heard you had a busy night."

"Alanna?" she inquired.

He nodded.

With another sigh, Daine told Numair about the Stormwing and how she fainted. She also told him about the image.

"Do the others know?" he asked.

"No."

Her voice quivered as she asked if he believed it would come true.

Caressing her check, Numair replied, "I won't let it. I promised to protect you and I will."

"But Numair, he and his immortal army are stronger than you think. Who knows what their capable of!" In a lower voice she added, "I… I can't see you get hurt because of me."

"I won't get hurt. You worry about the animals and I'll take care of Perin."

Daine hesitated, thinking. She thought about how Perin had hurt her and her friend, both human and animal. She thought about all the animals that were being killed because of him. She thought about all the destruction that would happen if she didn't do something.

The gods put me for the job so I'll do it, damn it.

In a tone that frightened Numair, Daine said, "No. I'll kill Perin myself." A grave expression swamped her face. "No matter what it takes."