A/N: This is the second chapter (obviously). I know not much is happening, but a lot of stuff will happen, promise. This is going to be a long fic I think, it looks that way now anyway. Enjoy and review.
Disclaimer: Only Tala belongs to me, the rest is Tamora's.
"Ok lets start our lessons, first we can learn about each other," Daine told Tala, forgetting the strangeness of not being able to since the wolf's presence." You can go first if you want." Daine offered sitting on a couch. Tala sat across from her.
"Umm.. Ok, there's not that much though," Tala replied." Well, I live in Forest Cove, I like it there because there's a giant forest behind our fort, and it goes for miles and miles. Every kind of animal lives there, Mommy and Daddy let me sleep outside sometimes. I like to write stories, Daddy made a big book of them, he keeps them in his library. He says it's his favorite book," the girl giggled," I like to read, too. Mommy says I get that from Daddy," Now it was Daine's turn to laugh." I draw sometimes, I guess that's all."
"I'm not very good at any of those things," Daine confided," but I do draw sometimes. As you know Numair lives here too, he's doing an experiment though; I'll introduce you later. I have a baby dragon, her name is Skysong, but we call her Kitten or Kit." Daine saw Tala's eyes widen, Tala would have asked a hundred questions, but politely she held her tongue. " Would you like to meet her?" Daine asked, Tala nodded vigorously. Daine whistled" Here Kit." A blue-green lizard about five feet, including tail, walked in through a side door. The dragon chirped and stared at the new comer, Tala stared back, then with a start came to her senses and bowed still sitting down. Daine covered a smile. The dragon walked over to the newcomer and sniffed her; Kitten then stood on her hind legs and bowed back. Daine was amazed she had never seen Kitten do that before, but then no one ever bowed to the dragon before. Kitten crawled onto the couch beside Tala and sat down. Tala stuck out a hand for the dragon and Kitten inspected her fingers with interest.
"She likes you, you're the first person to bow to her," Daine told Tala.
"Really? I bow to all animals I meet for the first time. Mommy said that you should be polite when you meet people for the first time, so I guess she meant animals too." Tala said stroking the dragon.
"That sounds reasonable enough. So now we have to start on our lessons, I'll go get Numair," Daine stood and walked into another room, and ducked just as a white ball came flying out of the room to make a scorch mark on the door. Tala gasped but Daine just stood upright again calmly.
"I'm dreadfully sorry about that, Daine, I was working on a new spell and-" she heard a male voice say.
" That's all right, there's someone here I want you too meet," Daine interrupted him. A tall man, taller than even Tala's parents, walked out of the room. He had black hair that was falling out of its horse tie.
"Hello," Tala said to the tall man," I'm Tala," she stood and bowed. The tall man bowed back.
"It's nice to meet you Tala, I'm Numair," he smiled. Tala smiled back she liked this man already. " Shall we begin?" he motioned to the couch they both sat. " Now I'm going to put a wall between your inner self and wild magic, as Daine has learned if the two are not separated, then it can be quite uncomfortable," Daine nodded enthusiastically remembering Snowsdale. Tala sat in front of the big man and closed her eyes, she felt his hands on her head, then he was in her mind, it was an odd feeling, but Tala didn't mind. Numair told her to look at her inner self, so she did. A ball of white light, with brown blending into the sides. Numair built a glass wall around the white part; Tala felt her head clear a little. Then Numair was gone she followed him and found herself sitting on the floor.
"That was fun," she told them, they laughed. There was a knock at the door; Numair stood to open it. Kel and Neal came in and greeted Daine and Numair, they stayed for a little while and had fruit juice and cakes. Tala listened for a while but soon fell asleep on her father's lap.
One morning a week into Tala's training, she was awaked by a gray cat, he said his friend had a broken leg. Tala jumped up and followed him out of the palace to the stables, Tala said she was busy and couldn't talk to the horses right now. Tala, still in her nightgown climbed up a hayloft and carefully picked up the squalling cat. She ran as fast as she could to Daine's rooms, the sun was just starting to come up. Tala pounded on the door, an already awake Daine opened the door. Tala showed her the cat.
"Come in," Daine exclaimed taking the cat she sat down and began to heal him. Tala watched in amazement. When Daine was done Tala was still staring in amazement,
"Can I do that?" She asked quietly, Daine hugged her.
"Of course you can, we'll teach you today!" Daine exclaimed.