Secrets
Chapter Nine: Loving Words and Angry Actions
Daine woke with a start, causing the shadow that hovered above her to jump back. She sat up in a bed that was not her own and immediately felt her head spin and her stomach lurch violently. Not even the charm could help, so she dashed towards the privy in the far corner of the familiar room. After relieving herself, she stood cautiously and looked around her. There was a bed, a small chair and table in the corner opposite the privy and a bureau next to the bed along the wall, but other than that it was bare. The wall and floor were made of a light colored wood, most likely oak or pine. A woman with a mound of golden curls and sparkling blue eyes watched her from the doorway. "What was that all about, Sweet?"
Daine smiled and walked over to the woman. "Hullo, Ma. It's nice to see you again." She hugged Sarra Beneksri fiercely around the waist as the taller woman rested her chin on the top of Daine's head.
"Your father will be so happy to see you. You were so thin on your last visit that we thought you were ill. Now look at you! Filled out quite nicely."
Sarra's daughter blushed furiously and lowered her head to hide the red in her cheeks. She murmured something inaudible into the folds of Sarra's dress. The older woman took her chin in her hands and looked deeply into her eyes. "Something wrong, Sweet?"
Daine shook her head, wanting to tell both her parents at the same time, then began to nod slowly in realization. "Where's Numair? And Cloud? What about Kitten and Spots and Zek? Did they make it across the Realms all right?"
Her mother's face suddenly became dark and shadowed. "Numair is fine, Daine. He's with Kitten in the next room."
Daine turned and tried to leave, seeing the door in the corner. Sarra grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back towards the bed. "Sit down, Daine," she said, half sternly.
She sat, following the glances her mother shot out the window. "Something's not right, Ma. What's going on? Please, just tell me."
Sarra sighed heavily, and took a seat beside her daughter. "When pulled you and Numair out of the mortal realms, we tried to bring Cloud, Spots, and Zek with you. Unfortunately, crossing the barrier between the two realms is extremely hard on mortal animals. It would have ripped them in half if we had succeeded in bringing them here. I'm sorry, Daine, but we had to leave them to fend for themselves."
Daine stood abruptly. "How could you do that? How could you leave them alone to fight off six hurroks? Cloud was the only family I had after you died, Ma! I can't believe you just left her-"
"Hush, Sweet, it's all right," Sarra pulled the weeping figure into her arms, gently rubbing her back. Daine fought for a moment to free herself, but soon resigned to crying in her mother's shoulder.
"We didn't leave them alone," Sarra whispered. "We would never leave them alone. Your father sent the Badger to deal with the hurroks, and he got to them before they were… well, never you mind. The important thing is that you're safe. I'm sure they are, too."
Daine was unconvinced. "I have to go back, Ma. They might be hurt or lost or… I just have to go back. Now."
She pulled away from her mother and walked out the door, turning the corner to enter another.
Numair sat idly on the bed, one leg bouncing up and down impatiently. When he saw her, he stood and came over to where she had stopped near the door. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head. She rested heavily against his chest, causing him to have to steady his feet again.
"Did they tell you? About the animals, I mean?" Daine kept her ear to his chest, so the words were somewhat muffled. She felt him nod and went on. "We have to go back. We have to help them. I know we just got here and all, but I couldn't live with myself if I knew I could've done something. Will you come with me? Please?"
Numair squeezed her tighter and said, "Of course, Magelet. You think I'd let you go off by yourself in your condition?"
"What condition?" a voice bellowed at them from the door. Daine turned and saw a broad figure, wearing only a loincloth, standing just a few feet away from them. His tan skin was streaked with green and the antlers protruding from his head made him seem more than just ominous. He was frightening.
"Da!" Daine squeaked, suddenly quite nervous. "I didn't hear you come in." She walked over to the god Weiryn and hugged him fiercely. He returned her affections and ruffled her hair playfully. "Welcome back, Daine. We've missed you around here. Although it's been anything but quiet, since Chaos started that rebellion, you should have come to visit on the winter solstice."
Numair was watching them intently. "What rebellion?"
"You're not in a position to ask questions, *mage*," Weiryn scoffed disdainfully. He still wasn't used to the idea of his daughter with a man fourteen years her senior. "What condition? Are you ill? Perhaps your mother can help. LOVE?!"
Daine plugged her ears as he bellowed again for her mother. When Sarra walked into the room, she lowered her hands and took a deep breath. "Well, she can't really help now, but maybe in a few months. Ma, Da… I'm pregnant."
***
Swish! Thunk!
"Ack! Mithros! Help me!"
Swish! Thunk!
"Impregnate *my* daughter, will you?!"
Swish! Thunk!
"I'm sorry! Gods, I'm sorry!" Numair was running (probably faster than he had ever run in his life) through the thick trees of the Divine Forest, with Weiryn following closely behind. The god carried his bow, perfect in its form, in one hand. He brought another arrow to the string.
Swish! Thunk!
"Da, Stop! Please!" Daine rushed along behind her father, clutching her stomach protectively.
"Go back to the house, Daine," he replied as he loosed another arrow. "We'll take care of you now. You don't need this cradle-robbing sneak."
The arrow struck its target, lodging itself in the back of Numair's calf. He fell, cursing wildly. Daine pushed passed her father and sat down next to Numair. She tried to calm him, rubbing his hand and stroking his forehead, while he swore violently and pounded his fist on the ground. She saw Weiryn draw his bow again and she threw herself on top of the writhing man.
"Get out of the way, Daine," the god said, his arm still back at his ear with the string in his fingers.
"Never."
"Give me one reason not to kill him."
"I *love* him!"
At this, Weiryn faltered, but kept his bow aloft.
"And he loves me, Da. We plan to be married before the baby is born, I swear. He would never do anything to hurt me and he wants this just as much as I do. Just give him a chance!"
Her father lowered the bow and stuck the arrow in the quiver at his back. "I guess I might as well." He walked over and picked up the wailing Numair, as if he were nothing.
"Cradle-robbing sneak, am I? Well look who's talking, you horn-headed murderer! YEOW!"
Weiryn tousled him roughly, banging his bad leg against a tree. "*So* sorry about that," he said with mock sympathy.
Sarra met them outside, carrying a large basket of clean white bandages. "Weiryn, what did you do to this boy?! Mithros, look at him!"
Numair had fallen silent, his face a ghostly gray. "I'm fine, really," he whispered.
Weiryn took the fallen man inside and laid him on his bed. Sarra, using herbs and plants from her garden, bandaged his leg while Daine held his hand. When he had fallen asleep a little later, she took her parents outside to talk with them privately.
"I really need you to understand about this-" Daine began.
"Understand? *Understand*?! Veralidaine Sarrasri, you have a lot of nerve asking us to understand. You're not married and you're pregnant! By a man nearly twice your age, no less!" Sarra heaved the breath from her lungs in an incredibly exaggerated huff.
"I don't mean to be disrespectful, Ma," Daine replied quietly. "But you weren't married when you were pregnant with me, and since Da is a *god*, doesn't that make him about as old as time? You don't have a right to criticize me, since the father of my child is *more* than willing to stay with me." She glared contemptuously at her father, but her anger faded when the god lowered his head in shame.
"Daine, you know I always wanted to be there, but I'm a god. I have responsibilities and – "
"I was supposed to be your responsibility!" Daine cried. "I thought that you two, of all people, would understand. I guess I was wrong." She turned and went back to the door. She stopped and spoke without looking at them. "As soon as Numair wakes up, we're leaving. Don't expect me back."
***
Numair woke with a faint throb in his leg, but nothing more. By the look of the sky, he could tell it was nearly midnight. Knowing he needed to act quickly, he attempted to roll over, but was blocked by a figure sleeping next to him. Daine lay, her hair cascading out across the pillow, her soft lips parted slightly as she breathed. He watched her, one finger gently tracing her features. Gods is she beautiful, he thought. And she's mine. She's all mine.
Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared at him. "Hullo, love," she whispered with tears in her eyes.
He wiped them away and hugged her close. She buried her head in the groove of his neck, but didn't cry. She just trembled and sighed, leaving him wondering.
"We ought to go now," Daine said, sitting upright and wiping away invisible tears. "It's getting late and if we don't go, we'll have to ask the dragons again."
At the word, 'dragons', Kitten popped her head up from the chair in the corner. She chirped excitedly and waddled over to the bed. Climbing up next to them, she looked longingly at Daine, who giggled quietly.
"Maybe if we visit again, you can see your family, Kit. But we don't have time now. C'mon. Let's go." She helped Numair to his feet and let him lean on her as they walked across the room.
"What did you mean when you said, 'if we visit again'? Did something happen between you and your parents?" Numair's voice wasn't weak, just quiet.
Daine sighed. "I guess you could say that. We … argued about everything that's been going on, and they had the gal to tell me I'm wrong in having a baby when I'm not married."
"But your mother wasn't married when she had you," Numair put in, as Daine opened the door.
"Exactly! They are such hypocrites, you know that?" She led him out into the hallway and down to her parents' room, with Kitten following behind. She knocked purposefully and Sarra came out, yawning. She saw her daughter's stern expression and called out to Weiryn. He came, completely naked. Daine turned her face away and said, "We have to go now."
The god nodded and went back into the room. He returned seconds later with a loincloth on, and took them out the garden where he murmured a few quiet words, and they were again pulled backwards into the mortal realms.