Description: Daine and Numair return to the Mortal Realms and ready themselves for war.

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

Author's Note: So, most of us are aware that the staff Weiryn gives Numair just vanishes without mention. On my read through while I was writing this, I noticed the staff isn't with the mage when he says farewell to Daine which prompted my idea of when he destroyed it.

Chapter 14

Numair immediately went to check on Daine, blushing furiously at her nakedness. It did confirm that she had no visible injuries even though the mage tried to avert his eyes. He retrieved her clothes and fumbled, not thinking it was appropriate for him to dress her when a thought occurred to him. Gathering his Gift, the mage closed his eyes and envisioned his friend clothed once more and willed it to be so. When he opened his eyes, Daine was thankfully dressed although still unconscious. Numair brushed the curls off her face tenderly and kissed her hoping it might wake the young woman. He started to worry when she gave no reaction at all.

"What happened to her? Did Jewelclaw do something?" the mage asked the dragons.

Ancestor Rainbow approached and looked at the young woman with unseeing eyes. – I used my magic to grab the godborn out of harm's way. She is not damaged. –

Numair frowned not convinced as he checked her gently for any serious injuries.

– Mage, release Moonwind from your net. The Dragonmeet is over, and it is time for her to be about her business. – Diamondflame commanded.

The mage stood and faced the pearlescent dragon as he released his spell. She shook herself and unfurled her enormous wings snarling at the two dragons. – This is not over Diamondflame. – the female dragon turned her attention to the man. – Pray that our paths do not cross again, mage. –

Moonwind took to the air and Numair noticed that many of the dragons were flying away or dematerialising.

"Is there a way to retain the ability to rework magical law in the Mortal Realm, or a spell that can be worked?" he asked the elderly dragon. "Being immune to Immortal magic would be a great advantage in the coming war."

– That can only be achieved while you remain in the Divine Realms, although I am impressed you figured it out so quickly. – Ancestor Rainbow replied seriously.

"Kitten – Skysong – her mother was able shrug off any mortal magic thrown at her," the mage mused. "There must be some sort of spell I might learn."

The elderly dragon chuckled. – No. The spells used by mortal mages were originally created by dragons which is why they have no effect on us. –

A hundred questions flashed through the mages mind, and he wished there was more time to discuss them, but he knew he had to remain focussed on the task at hand.

– The Separatists are getting too bold in their claims. The younger generation is far too interested in exerting their dominance over the realms. – Diamondflame criticised.

– I do not believe they are stupid enough to declare war on the gods yet. – Ancestor Rainbow reassured the larger dragon.

"Jewelclaw mentioned wanting to scour the Mortal Realm. His faction isn't planning to attack us, are they?" Numair asked concerned.

– This debate has been going on for centuries and will likely continue for several centuries more. – the elderly dragon sighed.

"Are these Dragonmeets called often when one of you has a disagreement with another?"

– Very rarely. – Ancestor Rainbow replied. – The only way dragons can live together is to vow to keep their muzzles out of one another's private lives. When we wrote our laws at the Golden Dragonmeet, we made sure of that. When I spoke in my office as governor, they could not argue under the laws of that same meet. –

"Awake now!" Leaf squeaked peering into Daine's face.

Scamp and grizzle rushed to check on the young woman before Numair could reach her.

"What happened?" the Wildmage said blinking slowly.

Ancestor Rainbow moved his head closer to the young woman – Forgive my lack of precision in grabbing you out of harm's way, Godborn. I allowed Jewelclaw to upset me. What you felt was dragon magic, nothing more –

"I'm glad it was nothing more," Daine smiled. "Think how upsetting it might be to get squeezed from a shape – like milk from a teat – by something big."

"Is she all right?" Numair asked Diamondflame, full of concern for his friend. "Not – damaged?"

– She seems well enough now. – the dark blue dragon said.

"You don't know her as I do. She's never this philosophical about surprises," the mage frowned.

Ancestor Rainbow put a taloned paw gently behind Daine and helped her to sit.

"My bones are all wobbly," she whispered looking up at Numair. "Where'd everybody go?" the young woman asked as she looked around seeing the amphitheatre mostly empty, save for a few stragglers and the young dragons.

– Where they would have been if Moonwind and her Separatists had not chosen to meddle in business that was not theirs. They have gone home. – Diamondflame said repeating Ancestor Rainbow's ruling for Daine.

Scamp and Grizzle moved aside, allowing the mage to reach his friend and slide a supportive arm around her waist, helping her to stand. He kept his arm around her, holding her close, wanting the excuse to touch her.

Diamondflame reared on his hindpaws towering above them. – Who will help me convey these mortals out of the Dragonlands? –

The young dragons eagerly chimed in and were quickly refused as most of them couldn't even fly. Numair smiled, already fond of the youngsters, especially Scamp who had turned grey and was sulking at being left behind.

– I will come with you. I am Wingstar. – said a fifty-six-foot grey and gold dragon. – Your Skysong is my grandchild. The least I can do is bring her humans back to her. – Numair wondered if Kitten was her grandchild or if this was another loose definition of the word.

– Climb onto us. I believe the Dragonmeet is done. – Diamondflame ordered.

Jelly trickled over to the mage who bent down and picked up the darking placing it on his shoulder. The creature formed a head and rubbed it against his cheek before dropping inside Numair's shirt while Leaf had returned to its place around Daine's neck.

– I will take you, Weiryn's daughter. You do not appear to have so many bony angles to you. – Wingstar's voice held a note of amusement.

Daine grinned up at her tall friend and mounted Wingstar easily as the mage turned to Diamondflame. The enormous dragon held out a forepaw allowing Numair to climb up until he sat astride Diamondflame's neck.

– You may hold onto my crest, mage. – the blue dragon instructed.

The mage did as he was told, gripping the golden crest tightly not wanting to topple off when the eighty-foot dragon launched himself into the sky. He was a terrible rider even at the best of times, and he did not want to embarrass himself in front of the dragons.

"Wait!" Daine shouted as everyone turned to stare at her. "When we came through last time, we – more me, but both of us for a while – got fair sick. We need to tell you –"

– Nothing. You were brought here by lesser gods, not by dragons. You will not become ill in the least. – Diamondflame replied arrogantly.

The dragons flapped their wings gracefully then launched themselves skyward as they soared high into the air. The rush of wind was icy on the mage's face as they flew into the clouds, but there was something exhilarating about the experience.

Jelly peeked its head out from the mage's shirt. "High. Too high."

Numair chuckled and risked removing a hand from the crest to stroke the darking gently. "I won't let you fall."

Jelly nodded its head and continued to watch from its vantage. They circled and climbed until they reached clear skies and were joined by a flock of Stormwings.

"If you don't mind, we will go with you to the mortal realms." Barzha addressed Diamondflame. "We have business to settle," the queen gave Numair a significant look.

– I will not wait if you fall behind. – the blue dragon warned.

The Stormwings surrounded the dragons and followed them as they began to spiral downwards into the clouds again. The mage had the sense that these formations weren't actually clouds, but magic of some kind. They weren't portals but they contained some of the same properties. As they emerged, Numair saw they were flying over Corus as the dragons soared over the royal palace keeping well out of range of bows or catapults.

"Why come here?" he shouted. "Skysong is at Port Legann!"

– Why are we here? You guided us, Diamondflame, and I too thought you would take us to our grandchild. I don't even see an army in this place. – the grey and gold dragon sounded bored.

– The god of the duckmoles is here. I want to know why. – Diamondflame stated.

– Broad Foot? In this city? – Wingstar asked.

– On the other side of the world from his mortal children. Involving himself in mortal affairs. –

Daine and Numair exchanged a knowing look, hoping that Broad Foot was succeeding in his fight against Malady.

"How do you know all this?" the mage asked.

– I am a dragon. My power tells me a great many things that you are blind and deaf to. – Diamondflame reminded Numair of his old teaching master, Sebo, whenever he had asked a redundant question.

Broad Foot appeared in a flash of silver looking thin and exhausted. He updated the pair on the situation and that he did indeed have Malady trapped as the dragons questioned the duckmole's presence here. Broad Foot started to explain about the battle against Uusoae when Numair asked politely if they could land, so he could speak to the people in the castle and get their own report of what had taken place here. Opening a speech spell, he warned those below not to fire upon either of the dragons or the Stormwing flock.

The mages were met on the ground by Duke Gareth and Buri Tourakom who were both pleased to see them. The enemy had retreated, meaning the capital was no longer in danger although a force remained to keep it safe. Thayet had left with a Yamani fleet to try and break the siege at Legann where her husband was trapped. Daine worried the queen would be besieged by the relief fleet coming from the Copper Isles. The mages knew they needed to warn Thayet and were grateful when the two dragons said they would fight with them, after their convention with Broad Foot.

"Do you think your fellow dragons might be concerned enough about the danger from Uusoae to fight on our side as well?" Numair asked Diamondflame as he remounted.

– If you are prepared to wait for a few decades for them to reach the decision. That is one reason why so few of us will argue with a personal choice. Long-lived as we are, we still would die of old age before our peers would agree on anything. – the dragon chuckled.

"Please, forget I asked," the mage said.

They waved goodbye to Duke Gareth and Buri as the dragons spiralled into the clouds and out again to soar over the ocean. Below they could see a fleet of Yamani ships as the dragons glided down to meet them. Numair sensed Harailt of Aili below and opened a speaking spell to the Dean to warn them of their arrival. As the dragons drew level with the ships, it seemed everyone had come onto the deck to stare at them as Daine and Numair waved to Thayet who returned the wave enthusiastically. Wingstar used her magic to float Daine onto the deck, and the young woman was immediately embraced by the queen.

– Do you wish me to place you on the ship? – Diamondflame asked.

"If it's not too impolite, I will do it myself," the mage replied.

– Suit yourself. – the blue dragon rumbled.

Swinging his leg over the dragon's neck, Numair gathered his Gift around body and gently floated himself onto the deck. His feet had barely touched the wooden boards before he found himself enveloped in a tight hug.

Thayet pulled back to look up at him with glistening eyes. "We thought we'd lost you."

The mage blushed having never been hugged by the queen before. "Not quite. We have much to tell you and we brought new allies. Your Majesty, may I introduce Diamondflame and Wingstar. They are Kitten's grandparents."

The queen bowed her head to both dragons as three Stormwings landed on the ship's railing. Several soldiers backed away automatically putting their hands to their swords.

"May we also present Queen Barzha Razorwing, her mate Hebakh and Rikash Moonsword of the Stone Tree Nation." Daine said stepping up beside Numair raising her voice slightly to be heard by all those on deck.

The queens acknowledged one another as Thayet turned to the mages. "My, you two certainly do have a lot of explaining to do."

Daine and Numair gave the queen a very brief account of their fight with the Skinners and their time in the Divine Realms before holding a war conference on deck. Daine was reunited with the badger god and Gold-streak who joined them in their planning session. The mages told everyone of what Gainel had shown them and detailed what they could of the pawns that needed to be destroyed, or Chaos would succeed in overthrowing the gods and destroying the realms.

The dragons would use their magic to hide the fleet and allow them to land on the beach behind the enemy camp. The knights, Queen's Riders, ogres and centaurs would attack the enemy on land while the Yamani fleet would break the siege on Legann. The badger and Gold-streak said they would accompany the queen and her generals to help convey messages. Wingstar agreed to stay with the ground force as well since she had spells that could conceal their attack from sight and sound. Diamondflame offered to take Daine to the king and inform him of the situation. Jonathan needed to kill Valmar while Diamondflame would deal with the relief fleet from the Copper Isles. Barzha insisted that her flock would deal with Jachull and Ozorne as they were a matter for Stormwings. That left Numair to fight Inar Hadensra and keep the mage from entering the battle. He would need to lead the Scanran mage away from the ground attack, so their duel didn't accidently spill over and kill their own troops. They decided on a position north of the enemy camps which would be out of the way. Numair asked Daine if she could clear the area of animals when they landed. He didn't want any of the People to get caught up in his fight.

The mage only had half an ear open as everyone discussed the plan of attack. His eyes kept drifting over to where the Wildmage stood near the badger god, her eyes firmly on the map. Numair would never regret kissing his young friend, but he could do to work on his timing. The middle of a war was hardly the time to be pursuing romantic interests. He couldn't help that he had fallen in love with the beautiful Wildmage, but she had been right to delay discussing what to do about their feelings until after the war. One or both of them might not survive the coming days, and it would have been entirely unfair of him to ask for promises neither of them could keep.

Harailt of Aili and Numair sat in a small cabin room below deck adding speaking spells and protection wards to a pile of hand-held mirrors. The mirrors had been collected from anyone who carried one in the Yamani fleet and would be distributed among the generals and the king to allow them to communicate and co-ordinate the battle. Harailt was adding the spells required for communication whilst Numair added protections only another black robe could break. The older man looked up as he finished bespelling the last mirror.

"Do you think you can defeat Inar Hadensra?"

"I'm not certain," Numair looked up from his spell. "Hadensra is easily as powerful as I am. Reports suggest he is a far better war mage than me, having a taste for violence and death. I will need to plan carefully if I am to succeed."

"Is there anything I can help with? We'll be landing in a few minutes, but if you require any mage to assist you in your preparations, you need only ask."

"Thank you. If I think of anything I'll ask," Numair smiled in gratitude. "Please don't say anything to Daine. I don't wish to worry her."

The older mage smiled and patted his shoulder as he stood and gathered the spelled mirrors into a bag. "I need to join the queen and distribute these. Good luck, my friend."

The two mages shook hands wishing each other well and Harailt turned to leave. The older mage paused at the door and touched the staff leaning against the wall.

"That truly is a superb piece of magic," the man said admiringly. "Where did you get it?"

"It was a gift from Daine's father," Numair spoke softly.

"Perhaps a token from the gods will give you the advantage you need." Harailt exited the cabin leaving the younger mage alone.

Numair reached out and lifted the staff, placing it reverently on the table. He still didn't truly understand why Weiryn had given it to him, but perhaps Harailt was correct, and it could assist him in his forthcoming battle. Jelly trickled out of his shirt and flowed onto the table watching the tall man.

The mage ideally needed to trap Inar Hadensra and prevent the Scanran from joining the battle. Numair had wanted to create a shield, similar to the one at Dunlath, but crystals were in short supply among the other mages. He regarded the staff and the large black opal situated at the top, praying Weiryn would forgive him. Reaching out with his Gift, the mage carefully extracted the opal from the staff and used his magic to cut the crystal into smaller equal pieces, eight in total. He used his magic to split the staff into eight sections much to Jelly's protests. Numair hushed the darking and worked his Gift around the first piece of wood, twisting it until it formed a cage around a piece of black opal. He continued until every piece of crystal was trapped within a wooden cage. The mage sat back admiring his work as Jelly trickled over to look at what the man had created.

"I can't take you with me, Jelly," Numair collected his creations and placed them in his belt pouch.

The darking shrilled and shook its head vehemently.

"I need you to go with Daine and Leaf when they leave."

"Why?" Jelly squeaked.

"A mage's duel is no place for anyone without the Gift," he told the creature firmly.

"I help."

"I worry Hadensra would destroy you if he got the chance. You'll be much safer at Port Legann with Daine. Speaking of which, we should get on deck before everyone leaves."

He held out his hand allowing Jelly to trickle onto his palm and deposited the darking back inside his shirt. Numair wasn't sure how much time had passed since Harailt had left the cabin, having been so intent on his working. The mage searched the ship for Daine, eventually finding her stood by the railing on deck in deep conference with Rikash.

"Gods help us, it's the stork-man, come to make sure I'm not corrupting you," the Stormwing mocked as the mage took his place beside Daine. "Has your grand conference ended, Longshanks.?"

"It has. There go Barzha and Hebakh now," the mage pointed to where the Immortals were flying to shore. The rest of the flock was already perched in the forest ranging along the coast.

"And I must follow like a good servant," Rikash sighed. "I'll see you both when the dust settles in two days." The Stormwing took off to join his brethren, nearly colliding with Wingstar who snapped her jaws at him.

Numair gently wrapped an arm around Daine's shoulders. "It's time," he whispered regretfully.

They'd barely spent any time together since returning to the Mortal Realm. Every moment had been taken up with war planning, and the mage hated the idea he hadn't even had a minute alone with her before she would leave.

"Come with me," the young woman turned sharply, grabbing a fistful of his shirt causing Jelly to squeak. "Well, if you wouldn't hide in his clothes all the time." she scolded the darking.

"Magelet, I can't," Numair caressed her cheek, gazing into her blue-grey eyes wishing they didn't have to part, even though it was for the best. He desperately wanted to see Kitten again, but it would be better that the dragonet had her adopted mother with her. "No one else can take on Inar Hadensra, not without risking lives needlessly. He could have been a black robe mage like me, but – he thought the university was too confining. He's in the main camp for certain – I can sense him even at this distance. I must be there when Thayet attacks."

"You get into so much trouble without me to look after you," Daine whispered imploringly. The mage couldn't argue with that, but the same could easily be said for her. They worked best when they were together compensating for each other's weaknesses.

He kissed her forehead tenderly wondering if he could sneak her away somewhere privately for a few minutes to kiss her properly. "You belong in Legann. Make sure that Jonathan understands what Gainel told us. It's not the kind of thing we can trust to a letter or a speech spell. He's got to see that it's vital to capture or kill Uusoae's pawn, Valmar of the Copper Isles. Diamondflame says he'll get Deniau of the Copper Isles when his fleet reaches Legann." Numair sighed still deeply troubled by the dream. "And we'll just have to hope she is drawing on those two or Inar Hadensra, or Ozorne, not one of the other immortals that were in our dream, because we have no way to identify them."

Daine's eyes filled with an emotion he didn't recognise as she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. All thoughts of propriety left the mage's head as he returned the kiss with fervour. They kissed with unrivalled passion and desperation, ignoring the shrilled complaints from Jelly in Numair's shirt. Eventually Daine pulled away and he set the young woman back on her feet, acutely aware of the soldiers on deck trying not to stare.

"I love you," he whispered, finding the words easier to say a second time. "If you get yourself killed, I will never forgive you." That got a small weak laugh out of his beloved Wildmage as tears spilled from eyes.

The mage offered her his handkerchief, but she shook her head wiping her eyes on a sleeve. "You'll need it."

"Something else." Numair retrieved Jelly from his shirt and brought it to eye level. "We talked about this. You'll be much better off with Daine and Leaf."

Jelly stretched itself to rub its head against the mage's cheek in farewell. Daine turned so he could place the darking in the compartment of her pack where Leaf was residing.

– If these touching farewells are done with? We too must be on our way. – Diamondflame spoke in their minds, having stealthily glided over the ocean to hover beside the ship.

The couple shared one last brief kiss before the mage helped Daine to stand on the rail, steadying her until the dragon gripped her with his magic and placed the young woman on his back. Diamondflame flapped his wings climbing into the sky as Daine turned and blew Numair a kiss. Calling on his Gift, the mage touched his lips and replicated the feeling against the young woman's cheek. Activating a speaking spell next to her ear he whispered, "Goddess bless, my darling."

He watched dragon and Wildmage fly away with a heavy heart until they were a speck on the horizon. That may be the last time he ever saw Daine again although he'd had no intention of saying that to her. Wiping away a tear, the mage prepared to board his own longboat to take him to shore.