Description: Daine and Numair camp by Temptation Lake and the mage is lured into the water.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce.

Author's Note: I have read a lot of versions of the scene by Temptation Lake because, obviously, it's a lot of fun to play with! My version may be a little tame by comparison, but I hope you still like it.

Chapter 8

Numair took the lead and set the pace as Daine waved farewell to her parents. He remained silent on their journey, allowing her time to her own thoughts and in case she wanted to grieve quietly. Like him, she very rarely sought comfort when she was upset and got quite embarrassed if she cried in front of someone.

He kept his focus on the path ahead until they came to a hollow with an immense white oak at its centre. The tree was so large and the canopy so dense that it blocked out the light making a false twilight.

"Goddess bless," the mage stared in wonder.

"She is the First Tree." Broad Foot explained. "From her acorns, the first mortal white oaks were born."

"Her?" Never in all his reading had he found an entry about trees being gods.

"She is a god. She is aware. All of the First Trees are," the duckmole continued.

Daine had reached out to touch the tree but jumped back at Broad Foot's words. Taking care not to jostle his passenger Numair bowed deeply and graciously to the tree. His mind felt like a maelstrom as he tried to comprehend what else in the Divine Realms might be a god when his ears picked up a high pitched shrill.

"What's that noise?" he asked.

"What noise?" the young woman and duckmole chorused.

The sound seemed to be coming from Daine as he approached her, cupping a hand behind his ear to locate the source.

"Easy there," Broad Foot warned.

The shrilling seemed to be coming from her pack as he placed his hands on her shoulders and twisted her around so he could investigate. Reaching into a side pocket, his hand wrapped around a clay pot which, when he withdrew it, had a darking attached.

"Now where did you come from?" he held it up to get a closer look at the creature.

"Is that the one that's been following me about Da's?" Daine tilted her head to look at the ink blot.

The darking formed a head-like bulge and nodded.

"Were you in my pack by accident?" she asked.

The creature shook its head.

"You wanted to come?" the Wildmage exclaimed.

The darking nodded again.

The young woman shrugged and held open the pocket of her shirt. "Pop it in here, then."

Numair hesitated but trusted her instincts, and dropped the creature into her pocket, returning the clay pot to her bag.

"Now we've each got a passenger." Daine looked up at him, her face lit with a brilliant smile and her nose only centimetres from his. He was hit by the intense desire to kiss her and struggled for several seconds not to foolishly give in. Whatever Sarra had done to him had broken his hard-earned self-control over the last six months.

The mage straightened quickly needing to put some distance between them. "We shouldn't dawdle. We've got a lot of ground to cover."

He marched off down the path cursing his inability to mask his feelings. It had taken him months to act normally around his friend again and not reveal anything to her. Now Sarra had destroyed the meagre control he'd been able to build.

To calm his own self-deprecation, Numair set his mind back to the revelation that a tree could be a god. It brought an entirely new meaning to where they should collect wood for a fire. If all trees had the potential to be gods, did that mean that the bushes were gods? Weiryn had warned them not to pick fruit without asking, but now he felt wary to do even that. What about the air they breathed or the ground they walked on? Was there a First Wind? First Rain?

"You'll go mad if you question it too much." Broad Foot said quietly from his pouch.

"What?"

"Try not to overthink what is and isn't a god," the duckmole cautioned. "It is what it is. Mind Weiryn's warnings and we'll keep an eye on you for the rest. Badger and I will let you know if you're going to make a misstep."

"Thank you," he muttered. "Were you reading my thoughts just now?"

"They are quite difficult to ignore," Broad Foot clapped his bill in what the mage assumed to be a laugh. "You think a lot – even for a mortal – and quite intensely."

Numair blushed. "My apologies. I'll try to think – quietly."

"Even if you do, we gods can still hear," the duckmole remarked indifferently.

A horrible awareness dawned on the mage. "My mental protections mean nothing to the gods, do they?" He now remembered a conversation with the badger god almost two years ago outside Dunlath.

"Afraid not, mate."

"So, the entire time I've been at Daine's parents' house…" Every single thought he'd had around Sarra and Weiryn…

"Yeah, afraid so" Broad Foot said cheerfully. "If it helps, they had a pretty good idea what you were thinking before you showed up. It's been quite an entertaining couple of days for the rest of us. Been a long time since I've been around mortals."

Numair didn't like the idea that his thoughts over the past few days had been used as a source of entertainment for the gods. He wasn't entirely sure how he had survived his time there without being murdered by Daine's father. Deciding he'd like a little privacy, the mage calmed his mind and blanked it, as if in meditation.

They made a brief stop for supper, but Numair was quite determined to camp at Temptation Lake, so they continued on well after dark, using his staff to light their way. The lake was surprisingly small when they arrived and looked more like a large pond.

"Temptation Lake?" the mage enquired.

"Yes, indeed. And I could do with a swim." Broad Foot said.

Numair carefully set the duckmole on the ground before removing his pack. Daine let her pack and bow fall to the floor and looked ready to drop herself. He worried he may have pushed them both a bit too hard on their first day.

"Broad Foot, if I bespell our camp for protection, will it inconvenience you?" the mage asked.

The duckmole clapped his bill. "No, not in the least. Though you don't need to spell it – Temptation Lake is sacred. No one of the Divine Realms would harm anyone here." Numair's thoughts drifted to the tauros that had attacked Daine. "If anything does happen, mind," Broad Foot continued. "Just call or think my name, and I'll come. And remember – don't drink the water!"

The animal god vanished and Numair handed his pack to Daine, letting her unpack for the both of them while he set about collecting rocks. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she withdrew two folded squares of cloth which opened out to reveal large blankets. She stripped off her boots, dagger and belt, rolling herself into her blanket as the mage set the rocks in a circle around their camp. Walking anticlockwise he muttered the spell for visual and audial concealment, on his second circuit he added a heat spell to the rocks and on his final circuit he sent out his Gift to add a strong protection ward over their camp. Whether anything he had done would have any effect in the Divine Realms, it was a habit to set the wards before sleep.

"We're shielded from sight and sound." The mage told Daine as he pulled off his boots.

"And the rocks?" Numair could feel her eyes on him.

"We only have one blanket and a cloak each. You know I don't like to get cold," he explained. Folding his cloak into a makeshift pillow the mage rolled himself into his own blanket and turned away from his young friend. "Good night, magelet." I love you.

Despite how tired he was Numair just couldn't sleep. If his mind wasn't plagued with questions about the Divine Realms, he also felt an extreme amount of embarrassment and shame about how exposed he felt here. The mage wasn't sure his mind had been so easily accessible since his first years at university. It was unnervingly quiet as well. There was no reassuring snore from Kitten or snorts from the horses. If it was too quiet for him, this must be unbearable for Daine who never slept alone.

"Numair? You still awake?" she whispered.

The mage smiled despite himself. "Yes, magelet. What is it?"

"It's too quiet," the young woman complained. "I can't hear anyone. I feel like I'm all alone."

"You're not alone, Daine." I'm here.

He heard her shift and fidget behind him and then a soft thump directly behind his back.

"Is it alright if I sleep a bit closer tonight?" she asked.

Numair squeezed his eyes shut and counted to ten. "Of course."

He could feel her breath against his back and tried desperately to ignore it, forcing himself to sleep. When Daine shifted again and buried herself into his back, the mage stilled as his breath caught and every nerve in his body came alive. He lay there wide awake knowing he'd never be able to sleep now.

"Numair?"

The mage swallowed and prayed his voice was steady. "Yes, magelet?"

"Would you hold me?"

A tremor went straight through him. "I'm not sure that's appropriate –"

"Please? There's no one to see us."

He knew he should refuse but the words wouldn't form in his throat. Instead, Numair rolled over as his dark eyes met those deep pools of blue-grey and his willpower crumbled. "Alright."

Daine lifted her head so he could slide his arm under her, to use as a pillow, and in seconds he found her body snuggled into his. His heart was pounding so loudly the mage was surprised she didn't complain. Very carefully he slid his other arm around her back and held the woman he loved with all his heart in his arms. Daine tucked her head under his chin and Numair wondered if he could freeze this moment. It took a while for his heart to return to a moderately steady rhythm as a deep sense of contentment filled him. The mage was just starting to drift off when she nuzzled his chest making him jump.

"Daine!" His body reacted instantly and embarrassingly with her pressed so close to him.

"Sorry," she mumbled smiling against his chest.

The young woman leaned back to look up at him with a mischievous grin before she kissed him gently and snuggled back into his arms. He lay there not sure he was breathing, completely frozen in shock.

"G'night, Numair," Daine sighed sleepily.

"Goodnight, magelet," Numair whispered tightening his arms around her and closing his eyes, no longer sure if this was real or a dream.

When he opened them, the mage lay alone wrapped in his blanket staring at the lake. Agony squeezed painfully at his heart as he rolled over to see Daine wrapped in her own blanket in the exact same spot she'd fallen asleep. Numair lay on his back staring up at the sky feeling tears slide down his cheeks.

"I did not ask for temptation, thank you very much!" he snarled at the lake.

The mage hadn't remembered drifting off, and he certainly hadn't heard voices like the previous times he'd awoken. Had he truly dreamed? Or could it have been due to the proximity of the lake, he'd a vision of something Numair had long desired: falling asleep with Daine wrapped in his arms. He lay awake for a long time watching as the sky brightened.

Getting up, the mage folded his blanket and packed it into his bag. Tugging on his boots he moved two of the rocks and found a place to relieve himself. Returning to camp, Numair decided to let Daine sleep a bit longer before he woke her. The sun's first rays glinted off the lake showing an array of swirling colours just like the lights in the sky. Frowning, the mage approached the lake warily and sent out his Gift to test the water and the surrounding area in case his theory was correct: that the water had leached into the ground affecting the entire region. The surface of the lake rippled and from the centre a naked blue female figure arose with silver tentacles for hair. Averting his eyes, the mage blushed and bowed to the creature.

"Are you the lady of the lake? My friend and I only wished to camp beside your waters last night. We desire nothing and will be leaving shortly," he said politely.

Numair thought it was high time he and Daine left in case the goddess or creature decided to try anything. The blue female opened her mouth and sang a sustained note. Her voice seemed to be made up of more than one voice, sounding almost as if she was trying to speak. The mage looked at the creature as she smiled and opened her mouth to sing. It was the most beautiful melody he'd ever heard, with an alluring quality that seemed to call to him making Numair feel as if he were floating.

A sharp pain struck his chest. He opened his mouth to cry out but instead of air, the mage sucked in a lungful of water, and discovered he was deep beneath the lake. A sea lion, who could only be Daine, swam beneath him and pushed the mage to the surface. Chocking and spluttering, Numair felt his friend wrap an arm around his waist, towing him to shore. When they reached the shallows, she left him and began to retch in the reeds. The mage swiftly followed suit trying to rid his body of the lake water until his throat was raw. Numair crawled back to camp and sat dripping with his head on his knees attempting to figure out what had happened to him.

A silver light flashed as the badger appeared. "Did you drink from the lake?"

"No," he croaked

"You are absolutely certain?" the animal god demanded.

Numair nodded.

"What happened?" the badger sighed and sat beside him.

"I'm not entirely sure. The last thing I remember is a lake being rising from the surface of the water and she started singing." He sighed shaking his head. "I was enchanted, wasn't I?" There were legends of sirens that could sing mortal men to their doom. Was that what he'd just encountered?

"There are no lake beings who reside in Temptation Lake." The badger said approaching the water and snorting. "It's been touched by Chaos." The animal god eyed him warily. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a complete and utter fool!" Numair snapped. "I'm not used to my magical protections being so ineffective. My mind must be an open book here, able to be read and manipulated by any who chooses to do so. My own arrogance will be my undoing."

"Don't blame yourself," the badger said kindly. "Mortals are half Chaos so resisting Uusoae's creations will be harder for you. The entire lake looks to be contaminated. It is poison to any god or Immortal who would drink from it"

"If it hadn't been for Daine that thing would have had me. I think I hear –" the mage turned and blushed scarlet, quickly averting his eyes, as the young woman in question approached wearing nothing except the badger claw around her neck.

"Oh for –!" Daine grabbed her pack and darted behind a tree to dress. "We found a Chaos vent that's been leaking into the lake. The whole thing's tainted for gods and Immortals alike."

"So, the badger was just telling me." Numair said keeping his back to the tree.

The duckmole appeared beside Badger and the two animal gods put their heads together discussing something privately.

"Broad Foot's worried about others that may have drunk here," the Wildmage called. "The water's poison to them. Brings them closer to Chaos."

The mage retrieved Daine's boots and held them out to her as she emerged from behind the tree.

"Are you sure you didn't drink from the lake?" she eyed him sceptically. "The creature looked to me like a blue, naked female with a big chest, until Broad Foot changed my vision. She looked like just the kind of female you might want to be tempted by, Master Salmalín."

He blushed deeply not appreciating his friend's suggestion of the sort of woman she thought might tempt him. "I give you my solemn word that I did not drink the lake water and request temptation." The mage dragged his fingers through his wet hair noticing the tie must have fallen out during his rescue. "I tested it with my Gift, and sensed there was something very wrong with it. You know, magelet, the gods may be losing ground to Chaos."

"What makes you think so?" Badger looked up from his discussion overhearing the man.

"I know my legends and myths. The creators of the universe ordained that the gods, who stand for order, and Chaos, who stands for –"

"Chaos." Daine interrupted cheekily.

Numair tweaked her nose fondly. He'd been about to say 'disorder' but she'd caught his meaning. "They must stay in balance," he continued. "The only problem is that it's the nature of each to fight the other. It's written that a day will come when the Queen of Chaos will break free of the prison made for her by her siblings, the Great Gods."

"When that day comes, the mortal and divine realms will melt into Chaos. The gods – all gods – will perish, as will mortal life." Broad Foot finished ominously.

"You know your legends well, human." Badger commented.

Numair had been told as a boy by Enzi, the crocodile god, he'd have a part to play in the battle against the Dread Queen, so it had made sense to study everything written about it.

"I have to report this." Broad Foot said anxiously. "It's more than just the lake being poisoned. The creature that had you captive was no part of this place. It was a Chaos-dweller, masked as a lake being. How one of them managed to escape into the Divine Realms… You start without me – I'll catch up." The duckmole vanished.

"I'm going to inspect this Chaos vent." Badger said and vanished in a flash of silver light.

Daine walked over to her blanket and started folding it while Numair searched through his pack for a spare hair tie.

"What happened to me?" he asked tentatively. "The last thing I remember is, what I thought was a lake creature emerging from the water and then she started singing…"

"I think that's how she bespelled you. When I woke up, you were walking into the lake. I shouted and tried to grab you, but you went under. I shape-shifted into a sea lion to go after you, which was when I saw the blue naked female with a gold thread around your neck. Do you want some help with your hair?"

"What?" the abrupt change in subject caught him off guard.

"Your hair? Do you want me to do it?" Daine asked.

Over the years he'd gratefully accepted his friend's help with his stubborn mane as she seemed to have a knack for getting it into a horsetail faster and neater than he could. Daine tended to lose patience with his fussing over it for half an hour when she could sort it in five minutes. Numair had been refusing her help since Carthak, worried it was too intimate a gesture, and he enjoyed her fingers in his hair far too much.

Sighing, the mage handed her the tie and submitted himself to her ministrations. It really was just easier, and Numair wanted to get moving. If he kept telling himself that, he might eventually believe it.

Daine stood behind him and began finger combing his black mane. "Anyway, I tried to bite through the rope which really hurt, but then Broad Foot changed my vision and the thing changed into a coloured blob. The rope was actually one of its tentacles and it was trying to drag you down. I tried to slam into you and get you free – I didn't break anything did I?"

"Hm? No – no, I'm alright." He really shouldn't have agreed to this.

"When I charged at you again Broad Foot shouted something, and the creature just dissolved. Alright, you're done."

Automatically, the mage reached up a hand to inspect her work knowing it would be perfect. Daine moved away to don her cloak, grabbing her pack and bow while Numair retrieved his own pack and cloak. When he turned around his friend seemed to be hunting the ground for something.

"What are you searching for?" he frowned.

"The darking. I haven't seen it since last night," she replied clearly concerned.

"We have to go. We can't spend the day searching for it." Numair said gently.

"I know. I think it does, too. I just hope it didn't fall into the lake," Daine straightened but still looked pensive.

The badger appeared beside them, and the pair shouldered their packs preparing to leave. As they left Temptation Lake on the sandy dirt lay an inky black pool.

"Is that you? Did you come back?" Daine asked approaching the liquid.

The pool split in two, with half of it heading towards Daine, reaching out two tentacles like a child asking to be picked up by a parent. The other blob made itself a head and seemed to be regarding the group quizzically.

"You brought a friend?" the young woman asked her darking.

The creature made its own head and nodded.

"More of those? Don't they have anything else to do?" Badger grumbled.

Both darkings shook their heads which amused the mage as this was perfectly normal, as far as he was concerned, from spending time with Daine. The young woman handed her bow to him and picked up the new darking.

"I don't know where you two will sit, though," she told them.

Her first darking friend slithered up to her neck and made itself into a necklace while the other dropped into her belt pouch.

"I guess we're set." Numair remarked returning her bow.

The mage and badger god took the lead while Daine followed. After the events of the morning Numair wanted to put as much distance between himself and Temptation Lake as possible. By the time they stopped for their noon meal Broad Foot had joined them. The duckmole had informed the Great Gods about the lake being tainted, but they weren't going to investigate any who may have drunk from its waters. Everyone in their small group was even more concerned the mage's theory was correct, and the gods were losing the fight against Chaos.