I kept wanting to type "Numair" for this chapter, and several times I had to go back and correct myself. For anyone wondering: there is a good chance that I won't have to fix that later in the story.

Next chapter: Innocence

The Emperor's Mage
Chapter Ten: Semantics

Arram Draper was a dangerous man. The king had warned Daine long before she had left Tortall, Lindhall had been worrying for weeks, and Alanna had started to watch Arram at meals. It was nothing all that obvious, just the hints that the the Champion of Tortall's king was paying attention. There hadn't been much chance for that, with Arram appearing at only one meal the day before, but Daine had watched the display fondly. Lindhall had fussed and worried and acted as if she were a child that needed constant minding. Alanna rather obviously didn't trust Arram. When Daine told the Lioness that she was meeting the strongest mage in Carthak for a private lesson in wild magic, Alanna promised she'd keep Lindhall busy.

Arram was a very dangerous man, as people kept telling her, but it was hard to reconcile all that trouble with someone that could be surrounded in a swarm of bright birds eager for treats and attention. The birds had promised days ago that they wouldn't fly out of the windows, if Daine opened them, so they all were treated to a fresh breeze that lessened the stink of bird droppings.

On that particular morning, Arram's swarm of birds had settled enough to land on his shoulders and arms. One enterprising fellow had even managed to find a perch on one of Arram's ears.

There was nothing to do but laugh, and he didn't look at all irritated. "Good morning, Arram. I see you've made a friend."

"Good morning. I don't suppose you can convince him to leave?" Arram gestured to his ear, gently enough that the birds on his arm tolerated the motion.

Daine focused on the bird, finding the small blue one's voice in all of the birdsong. Excuse me, sir, but my friend would like his ear back.

The bird tilted his head, considering, before flying to Daine's shoulder. That seemed to be the prompt for every bird in the aviary to fly in tight circles around her, and she heard a few birds from outside the aviary entering. One with a familiar voice landed exactly on the top of her head.

"Ragi!" she protested, shooing the rest of the birds away. She carefully picked the bird up in two hands. He knew her well enough that he didn't mind, and even rubbed his beak against her fingers affectionately. "Well, fine. Arram, this is Ragi. He lives in the area by my rooms."

Arram nodded politely to the bird. "Do all animals take to you so quickly?"

Daine bent to set the pest bird on the ground. You're very sweet, Ragi, but this room is for all the other birds. I'll get you a few treats for later. It'd be better to come by my nest-room.

When the plover agreed with a rather sulky chirp, she straightened. "Most of them do. I've had a lot more luck with the warm-bloods, birds 'n mammals, but a few of the snakes in Jon's menagerie thought I wasn't bad for a two-legger. An any-legger, really, because snakes can be snobby as any noble. There's not much use talking with fish, chickens are too dumb to bother, and rats'll never listen to a thing you say just to be contrary."

"Have you tried with any of the crocodiles? I wouldn't recommend getting close, even with your talents, but some of them can live for over a century."

"I've seen them in pictures, that's all. When we were out by the river, I was more focused on all the people on the ship." Daine pushed a disobedient lock of hair behind her ear. She'd had her hair under control until Ragi decided to land on her head. "I think I might have felt a few, though. Cold-blooded animals always think a little slower, and a few of them felt mean."

"They can be incredibly vicious, but not many reptiles care for their young. I've never seen this myself, but some ornithologists claim that they will even let Carthaki plovers- like your friend Ragi- clean out their teeth. The birds actually stand in the crocodile's mouth to do it, the stories say."

"You're pretty good with animals yourself," Daine said, nodding to Arram's friend. The little bird had settled on using his a fold in his shirt as a perch, in the place of an ear, and seemed content to sing mate-songs from his new height. "If you're half as good with wild magic, I'd be honored to learn from you. Talking to animals with my mind is lots easier, especially with the animals that don't make sounds talking back."

Arram's smile was charmingly shy. "Animals give you a chance when no one else will. I'm not fool enough to scorn that chance." He turned always almost immediately after, as if to pretend he hadn't said such a thing, but Daine wasn't offended. "Here. There is a bench in this part of the aviary that should work very well, and I've given orders that we aren't to be disturbed for anything less than this wing of the palace catching fire or falling down."

Daine bit her tongue rather than ask just what had changed his mind. Sometimes he was the friendliest man she could wish for, and sometimes he shifted back to business as the only way of doing things. She sat readily enough when they found the bench, not overly troubled that there were dried bits of bird droppings in several places. Folk were likely to make faces when she walked back to her rooms, but folk always seemed to have something to talk about.

He didn't say anything for a full minute, but she wasn't much bothered. Some of the People insisted on a good long time of staring before saying a single thing. "Have you ever learned meditation?"

"I do it with the Riders all the time, and Alanna. I've gotten pretty good at it." Daine didn't add that it had only been okay after Alanna added in the reinforcements to Daine's essence, to keep things from bleeding all over. Meditation had helped with some of the magic that branched out from her in all directions, according to George and his Sight, but they didn't think wild magic would ever settle.

"Good. That will make this easier, then. From everything that I have read, it will be far easier for you to control your magic if you have some physical manifestation of it. Currently, you don't seem to be fully conscious of when you use magic or when it is present."

He was one of the strangest men she had ever met. Just before, he had been close-mouthed and thinking on something that darkened his expression into shadows, but let him talk about scholarly silliness and he was happy as could be. Daine wouldn't have understood half of that babble just a few years ago, but now she was used to Lindhall getting all excited over some bird or other or Alanna and Jon fighting about obscure spells no one else even remembered.

"Like linking it to one of the senses?" Daine asked.

"Precisely. Sight is generally easiest, and the capacity to see magic is generally a latent talent. If you will allow me, you should be able to see all traces of wild magic, if not more." The little blue bird was moving closer to Arram's ear when he intercepted the creature. His large hand cupped around the bird, transferring it to a shrub within his long reach. "As I was saying- I can help you in this, but it requires some degree of trust and comfort. I will enter your mind for this to work, and the two of us will share senses. I can see magic of several types, and theoretically I would be able to hear animals through you."

"When you say comfort, just what do you mean?" As much as Daine might like him, if it involved taking her shirt off she'd let Alanna at him.

Somehow, Arram seemed to know what she'd been implying, because he flushed and practically stuttered his explanation "Just so you are able to meditate. It makes the process much more smooth if you have a good awareness of your present mental state. I'm working blind as it is, and that would be the equivalent of playing a game where both players are blindfolded."

Daine shifted thoughtfully. "I've meditated in worse before. It's usually on rocks or with trainees all over, when it's not Alanna's younglings. I'll be fine."

Neither of them said anything about trust, but Daine figured that a smart man would have it all figured out. She had closed her eyes when he didn't have anything else to add, and when he touched her shoulder she turned to her right a touch. He was sitting behind her, close enough that she could smell him even with all of the bird and flower scents about. That was precisely the thing not to notice when she was meant to be meditating, even if he was resting his hands against the sides of her head. His hands were warm, and she could feel faint calluses like he was some kind of Tortallan nobleman, not Carthaki.

She set her breathing against her heartbeat, taking care to not make either sound any quieter. Alanna would not be pleased if Daine stopped her own heart again. The rest of her first minute of meditation was always the same. She counted three heartbeats for each breath in and out, and felt around for the wall of fire that kept her magic from herself. Alanna thought enough meditation might let Daine keep the barrier up herself, and it was the way that Daine had been meditating for months now.

She let go any last worries about Arram and Carthak, focusing on the rhythm of her heartbeat, the feel of her magic, and the smell of sandalwood.