Chapter 25 – Lesson

Numair sat in the big armchair in front of the warm fireplace. He sat and turned a ring, studied it, turned it and held it up in front of him to look at it. It looked much like the ring Lindhall had shown them. The news from Carthak was disturbing. He knew that Jonathan had received reports about a forthcoming rebellion and the country's emperor, Ozorne Muhassin Tasikhe, Numair's former friend and employer, had reacted severely and beheaded a majority of his own advisers. Lindhall's presence during midwinter was only a reminder of the life Numair almost happily had forgotten. Now he sat and turned a ring, and did not really know what to do with it. It opened countless opportunities, but opportunities that could provide massive consequences. Numair pinched his nose and pondered for a few seconds if he should try the ring, but the next moment he heard the door to his workspace being opened and closed gently.

"Hello magelet" he called, for instinctively he knew that it was Daine, who had come back. He looked up and looked at her. A small faint smile played around her lips, and then disappearing again when she met his eyes. He saw how Daine looked down. She didn't have her winter cloak on, but had it draped over her arm. Numair frowned and glanced toward the weather outside. The snow fell slowly with big heavy snowflakes. With his head turned towards Daine again Numair searched after clear signs that she had been out. Her winter cloak didn't flash as a wet cloak would. "Was it a good trip?"

"Hmmm" she replied absent as she took of her big boots.

Numair returned the ring to the box and closed it. He had to find a more appropriate place for it so it did not fall into the wrong hands. He saw how she sat down in front of the fireplace in the improvised bed. "Where did you go?" he asked. He didn't want to pry into her private life, but he was curious.

Daine opened a book. "I went down to Cloud and visited her" she replied quietly.

Numair looked first at Daine and then turned his gaze toward her dry winter cloak. His eyes searched down to her boots. Dry. She had not been outside recently. He saw how his young student now lay on her stomach and she seemed to be reading. "How is Cloud? She must surely be about to go out of her good skin, with all the snow?" he asked to test her.

Daine nodded. Numair didn't need a truth spell to confirm that his student was lying to him. He frowned. Wherever she had been, it had caused a small smile on her lips. Numair was unsure why she avoided his eyes and why she is right now, all of a sudden, had begun to lie to him. He got up and walked over to the desk. Here he opened the drawer and was about to put the box with the ring down as he remembered Lindhall's history. He picked up the box and turned his back to Daine. Numair loosened the lock in the chain where his black opal was hanging at his throat. Numair took the ring up and resisted the temptation to take it on. He allowed the ring to slip down the chain. Wearing it again, he noticed how the black opal pulsed in a soft light for a few seconds, when it came in contact with the ring. Afterward, there was nothing. Numair held his hand on the ring and whispered a word in old Thak. His hand was surrounded by black flames with bright white flashes that told that only he was a mage of the black robe.

Daine was laying on her stomach. She avoided Numair eyes, and tried to sound as normal as possible. She absent noticed that the room was filled with power which disappeared again quickly. She looked up from the book in time to see that Numair was pulling his black shirt out and hiding something behind the fabric. She looked down and began to read further in the book Numair had given her about the culture of Garthak. She didn't really knew what to make of this book, but she had agreed with herself that she didn't wanted to look/read in the books that contained animals ... not now, when they all had left her. Now she reached the description of the noble line that was several hundred years old. After reading a line about the noble lineage, Fahassin, who had ruled since 380He she reached a word she neither knew what was or how to pronounce. Daine slammed the book shut. She laid her head down on top of the book and sighed loudly.

Numair turned and looked skeptically at her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"This is stupid" she explained and held the book up against him, "Why in the goddess's name should I learn about Gathark, it's not like I ever get to visit the country ... we're almost at war."

Numair smiled. In front of him sat for the first time in several weeks his student, just like he knew her. He sat and took the book from her. "Because Carthak is part of Tortall's history and it is my job as your teacher to teach you anything other than animal anatomies." He tousled her hair. "Where did you come to?" he asked, flipping through the book.

Daine sat up and smoothed her hair. She was about to open her mouth to protest, but Numair interrupted her.

"As you already know, I'd have spent half of my life in the country and it will make me happy to introduce you to the part of the country that are untouched by Ozorne's hand," he explained. "Well ... how fare did you read?" he asked again.

Daine snorted "I still think it's ridiculous."

Numair frowned at this comment "Why?"

"Because you don't have happy memories of the time you were living under Ozorne, so I don't understand it... Ozorne sent you on the run, you have a death sentence hanging over your head if you were to return and..." she shuddered "and he was the reason why Alanna's home was attacked".

Numair sighed deeply and leaned back against the couch "Don't hate the country magelet, hate instead the man who controls it." He flipped through the book again "And incidentally I do have happy memories from there; Lindhall includes one of them and unofficially it wasn't Carthak who was involved at that time ... you know that".

Daine grimaced "I know ... but the book ..." she searched long for the right words "it ... it have ... stupid words!"

"So you're actually angry because a word?" Numair asked cheerfully.

Daine looked sharply at him, "Yes, of course".

Numair laughed "And what word is that?"

"Abdi... Abdi ... oh ... for goddess's sake ... I don't even know how to pronounce it!" she snarled when she sat down beside Numair. "It's on page 386".

Numair quickly found the page and read through to the word "Oh ... you mean 'abdication'?".

"Yes ... abdic ... abdik ... I give up!" she exclaimed irritably.

Numair turned to her and put his hand under her chin. He turned her face towards him and for the first time in what seemed like several months, they had eye contact. "Look at my lips" he instructed her.

Daine looked into his hazel-brown eyes. Numair's hand burned against her skin. She forgot to breathe. It was only when he continued, she filled her lungs again.

"Look at my lips and see how the word is pronounced ... 'abdication'" Numair was very conscious about pronouncing the word slowly.

Daine could hardly breathe. His presence ... "abdication" she said slowly. At this moment she had forgotten all about Perin, the clerk.

"Beautiful, magelet ... you are doing well" Numair took slowly his hand away. "Shall I read to you?" he asked.

Daine nodded. She lifted his arm and snuggled up against him and noticed how Numair put on his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

Why she had lied to him, he did not know, but right now Numair didn't care. He had his magelet back, if only for a short time. He began to read.

"Emperor Fahassin was 42 years old when he died. Tales tell of a man who ruled the country with a gentle hand that made it flourish. Emperor Fahassin had three sons, Algera, Hassan and Muhassig who was a newborn, when Fahassin died. When Fahassin died the throne was given to the oldest son; Algera who possessed it for 12 years. Algera was an equally gentle ruler, but jealousy and insanity hit the middle son Hassan, and in a fit of hatred Hassan killed his older brother with a dagger dipped in juice from 'Scopolia Carniolica'". Numair stopped when he faintly heard how Daine tried to pronounce the difficult words.

"What is it?" she asked, and let her finger glide over the word.

"It is a plant that also goes by the name 'nightshade'" Numair put the book down on the carpet beside him and stood up. With the big long body stretched he went over to the bookcase with all the books and let a finger follow each and every title. "Ah ... here is it" he found the book and returned to Daine, who was waiting for him. He sat down and found the right page "This plant is one of the world's most dangerous ... it only grows south of Carthak, far out in the desert. A drop of its juice causes major damage such as; excitement, strong thirst followed by difficulty swallowing, failure of ones voice, red skin, high fever, headaches, epileptic seizures, eye damage with strong dilated pupils, strong heart problems, increased blood pressure, unconsciousness, collapse and then death".

Numair showed Daine a picture of a plant. For her it seemed to be quite common. It had a strong bright green color, standing erect and with small bell-shaped purple flowers that hung with their head down. "Can't it grow here?" she asked curiously.

Numair shook his head vaguely "No ... our climate is too cold and changing. This plant enjoys long sunny days and strong hot wind. A single plant roots can extend up to several hundred meters into the dry earth, where it sucks the sparse moisture". Numair enjoyed giving her a lesson. It had been so long since they had had the opportunity and now that it finally presented itself, he had to seize the opportunity.

"But how can you recognize the poison?" she asked. Daine had taken the book from Numair and was sitting with her nose all the way down into the page. "If it is so toxic, then one should able to recognize it".

"It can be" Numair admitted "But it requires that you know what to look for," he explained and took the other book up from the floor again.

Daine turned and laid her hand gently on Numair's cheek. It was a spontaneous movement, but she didn't care. The short stubble revealed that he had not shaved himself in a few days. "I have lied to you," she whispered quietly and looked down.

Numair wasn't breathing. He had been to sure that it would be several weeks before she told why she is upset. The fact that she now admitted what he already knew, surprised him. He laid his big hand around hers and opened her hand so her palm was exposed. With one finger he caressed the skin. "I know" he whispered quietly.

Daine was amazed. How did he know that she had lied to him? "How?".

Numair nodded toward the clothes that hung beside the door "Your outdoor clothes" he replied.

Daine followed his gaze and frowned. "I'm confused".

"You were not at Cloud today, your winter cloak was crisp dry when you came back" He didn't let go of her hand. He enjoyed feeling the difference her skin revealed. Inside her palm the skin was tough, and told of a woman who worked hard, while the upper side of her hand her skin was soft as silk.

"Okay ... so I lied twice, but that was not what I meant. I haven't told you the truth, told you why I'm sad" she revealed slowly.

With her hand still lying in his Numair placed the other against her cheek. He knew that this contact might be to exceed a limit, but he was sure that he saw tears in her eyes. "Whether it ismagelet, it can not be that bad?". His hand slid slowly from her cheek over the skin too lay around her neck. Numair fought against the need, which normally would come after this movement. Had circumstances been different, had she been a bit older then she was now, he would leaned forward and put his lips against hers and kissed her red lips passionately ... but he knew it could never be. Therefore, he had to settle for the pleasure of being able to touch her.

Daine trembled under Numair's touch. They were so close. Again, she had seen how Numair in matters of seconds had transformed himself from the teacher, he was when he taught her, to the young man who was hidden behind the academic facade. She had kept the loss of her wild magic a secret for two weeks now, and grief over the lack of essence in her, tore at her. She was on the verge of being inconsolable. The words were hard to articulate, but she managed anyway. "Numair ... I ... I lost my wild magic". There, she had said it, and with the last word away from her tongue she broke down in heartbreaking tears. Daine pulled away from Numair. His touch on her skin became painful, because the truth was too much for her. She knew that she could no longer be his student when her wild magic was gone. She knew that their time together would be over, for Numair would take another student that he could teach now that the foundation of their relationship was gone.

Numair let the words slowly attach themself in his mind. Her words, that she had lost her wild magic ... it could not be done, it was impossible, it was ... "Are you sure?" he whispered quietly.

Daine nodded and buried her face in her hands, sobbing. She noticed how strong hands grabbed her hands and pulled her closer. Daine hated this. She had never felt weak and had never wanted to show that she could be sad, but the fact that she had broken down in front of Numair ... she felt lost.

He embraced her, letting her bury her face against his chest and letting her cry her grief. Numair said nothing. In close contact with Daine, he slowly, almost imperceptibly, let his hand slide back towards her neck and slowly began to breath meditative. He slowly called his own gift and released it to seep slowly into her, searching and investigating. A few seconds after he hit the glass wall with the ancient runes he had created in the beginning. Normally, he would see the wild vines of copper-colored flames that lived behind a glass, which separated Daine from her wild magic, but now ...nothing. Numair's magic self tried to penetrate the wall, but he was pushed away by invisible arms. He tried again, but now with more force. Again, he was pushed away by invisible arms. Numair felt anger spread. Another attempt ... 'Mage ... stay away, this is will of the gods' he heard a hoarse voice whisper in his left ear. 'Stay away! She will have it back in due time' It screamed.

Numair was trown back into the present, he could heard Daine's scream. Numair quickly pulled his magic away, gasping with horror that he had hurt her. "Sorry maglet ... I'm so sorry!" He cradled her in his arms and stroking her hair away from her face and started kissing her forehead.

She wept quietly and turned her face up to his lips. Kisses wandered over her skin, her cheek down to her ...

Numair was suddenly conscious about what was about to happen. He was so close, she invited him, lured him ... "Daine?" He lifted his head away and tried to relax. "What happened while you were dead?" he asked instead.

"I ... I met three gods" she explained quietly with lips pressed against the exposed skin where a small black opal hung. Her cheeks burned, burned as if they were ignited with fire.

"Did they say anything about your revival, did it had a price?" Numair asked, while he relaxed.

Daine shook her head vaguely "What does that have to do with my magic is gone?"

"If they said something ...did they give you something?"

"I drank a black tub ... The Great Mother Goddess told me to" Daine whispered quietly.

Numair nodded weakly. They had stripped her wild magic temporarily, but she would get it back at some point. He opened his mouth and was about to tell what the hoarse voice had said, but strong hands lay on his neck and began to strangle him slowly. 'True, you are a delicious man, but that is not reason enough to let you live if you continue ... and live you must, for those red lips are attractive don't you think?' whispered the hoarse voice now in his right ear. The fingers squeezed harder prompting Numair to gasp for breath. His hands went up around his neck and tried in vain to tear the invisible fingers away. 'Play nice Master mage, it would be a shame to deprive you the opportunity to kiss the lips you long for ... tell her nothing'.

Daine heard how Numair gasped for breath and how he fought with invisible hands around his neck. "Numair, what's wrong?" she asked.

Numair noticed the grip tightened one more before he found that he was able to breathe again. He cleared his throat several times "I don't think it's a good idea to talk about the gods now ... everything has a purpose when it comes to them."

Daine nodded and sat herself down again. She turned and looked up at him. "Numair ... I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my wild magic right away."

Numair smiled at her "It's okay magelet ... I have the feeling that everything will be okay again. What do you say, shall we continue reading and then go to bed?"

"It sounds like a good idea ... I'm pretty tired" Daine admitted and took the book from Numair. She sat down between his legs and leaned against him. She began to read, "and in a fit of hatred Hassan killed his older brother with a dagger dipped in juice from 'Scopolia Carniolica'. Hassan abdicated the throne after 10 years of government, after he was declared insane by all healers. He jumped in death from Zernou "Daine paused her reading" I still don't understand what abdic ... something means! "

"Abdicated means that you voluntarily leave the throne to let someone else take it. It is a very unusually gesture, but it happens once in a while" Numair explained with a deep voice that vibrated slightly because of Daine's pressure against his chest.

"Oh ... and what about Zernou, is it a tower or something, since he jumped in death?"

Numair giggled slightly. Sitting on the floor with Daine in front of him prevented him from getting up, so he created a rope of black flame that lift a heavy book up from his desk and floated into his waiting hand. Numair laid the new book on top of the Daine held and opened it.

"Show-off" Daine whispered.

The page revealed a huge statue of granite, standing in the middle of an abandoned marketplace, in front of an equally huge temple "Zernou was the first emperor in Carthak, for several thousand years ago. Ozorne is his descendant ... and the temple, you see behind the statue, is the temple Mithros, the first that was built to worship the gods "Numair explained quiet. He let Daine study the picture for a moment, then he took the book away. He took over reading "At the time, the youngest son, Muhassin, was 24 years. His brother had arranged a marriage for him marry the 5-year-old girl, Sharan Ashraf, who later became the mother of Fazia Muhassin Tasikhe and the current Emperor Ozorne Muhassin Tasikhe" Numair stopped reading. The silence descended upon the room.

"Has this Ozorne no successor?" Daine asked as she watched the image of a dark-skinned man who was wrapped in blood red silk,jewels hanging in each ear and with sparkling rings on each finger. Around his wrist solid gold bracelet twisted. Daine wrinkled her nose, she found the mans look disgusting. She knew that Numair also had the habit to wear jewelry, but the man in the picture was almost too much.

"He has ... Kaddar Ghazanoi Iliniat ... Ozorne's sister's only son. I think he's two years older than you, magelet". Numair told her and tried to hide a yawn. The light outside the windows were gone and the night had begun. "What do you say to go to bed, magelet? I think we both need to sleep after this long lesson".
Daine nodded and hid a long yawn behind her hand. She got up with the books in her hands and walked over to the desk where she put them down. "May I use your bathroom first?" she asked.

"Of course ... Sharon has been here with the newly washed clothes, they have apparently found out that you have not moved back to your own room" Numair pointed toward the basket, which stood by the door. "She said your clothes also were there ... I've already taken mine."

Daine smiled "Good ... I was in fact running out of clean ..." she bit her lips together before the word 'under garments' left her. She cursed quietly while she went over and took the basket.
Numair got up and knelt in front of the fireplace, while Daine hurried past him and disappeared. It had been an exciting evening ... while he put another piece of wood on the dying embers, he felt the presence of another person. He didn't have to turn around to find that he had divine visit. "Say what you have to say, she will be back soon."

A hoarse voice chuckled "You surprised me ... Arram Draper".

Numair stood up and turned to the figure who was dressed in a long black cloak. "Not when it comes to gods," he replied quietly and a bit dismissive. "The Graveyard Hag...What are you doing here, shouldn't you be in Garthak?".

"I'm just here to make sure that you, when the time comes, take advantage of the little gift I sent you" The Graveyard Hag lifted a wrinkled hand and pointed with a bony finger to the place where Numair had the ring hanging.

"And when will that be?" Numair asked and stared angrily at old lady.

The goddess clicked her tongue "Patience handsome mage ... time is coming soon, maybe sooner than you think" The Graveyard Hag turned her face to the door where Daine had disappeared through. "Prepare her well ... because she must do all this...alone."

Numair growled "Prepare her for what?" He lowered his voice "You have deprived her of her magic, I can not teach ..." his voice trailed off as invisible hands again grabbed around his neck. He was slowly lifted from the floor. Numair grabbed his magic and threw it against the goddess. Nothing happened.

"What a shame ..." Hands pressed harder around his neck ... "Prepare her, Arram Draper ... I can only protect her if she is prepared" The Graveyard Hag slowly began to disappear. "Remember the ring". With these words, the invisible hands was gone and he could again breathe.

"Numair, it's your turn" Daine came out of the room wearing only a long buttoned-up white shirt that revealed her bare legs. Numair recognized it as one of his discarded shirts. "Is something wrong?" she asked and came over to him. She was going to lay a hand against his cheek, but he caught it in the air.

"I'm fine ... I can see that I need to buy some more shirts" he added smiling, hiding that he was angry.

Daine blushed deeply and looked down at her bare toes "I hope it's okay ... otherwise I can .."

Numair kissed her hand and bowed deeply to her, "It is my pleasure that my discarded clothes can be used to make a young woman more beautiful".

Daine giggled "I'm not a beautiful woman, but it's nice to sleep in." She looked up in Numair's hazel brown eyes that flashed teasingly.

"You are ... and before I realize it, you are running away from me to get married and have children" Numair let go of her hand and walked towards the door, she had come from. He disappeared leaving Daine starring after him surprised.

Minutes passed and Daine lay for a long time, staring into the fire. The makeshift bed felt nice and yet ... she turned her head when she heard the door creaked. Numair appeared wearing only trousers, his torso was bare.

He came over to her and gently placed his lips against her cheek. "Goodnight maglet" he whispered and rose again. Numair had reached almost to the door that led into his bedroom when he heard her call.

"Numair?". Her voice was only a whisper and Daine was not sure he would hear her.

He turned. "Yes?".

"Will you...will you stay with me ... until I fall asleep?" she asked and made sure to keep her eyes away from his face.

Numair held his breath. "Of course," he replied and walked slowly back. This was something new. She had for two weeks not answered him when he had said goodnight. He slowly lifted the blankets and tried to avoid looking down at her bare legs. He laid down on his back with Daine beside him, half afraid to touch her, but when he saw her lying on her side, creping toward him with her back until he turned so they were close together. Her back pressing against his stomach and torso. After a few minutes Daine began to be restless. She twisted her body one way and then the other, which eventually got Numair to whisper "Are you done, why are you restless?"

"I just can not find a comfortable place" Daine muttered irritated.

Numair sighed. "Don't move" he commanded and allowed one of his hands to search over her naked thigh. When his hand reached the hollow of her knee he pulled and her lower back and buttocks were pressed hard against his abdomen. "Was that better?" he asked, slowly letting his fingertips caressing her skin on the way back. He had taken a risk and he knew it, but this close...Numair didn't care.

"Yes," she whispered almost inaudibly.

Numair laid his arm against her stomach. "Good ... let's sleep."

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