Disclaimer - Everything in here belongs to the wonderful Tamora Pierce ( unfortunately..)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Daine's head swam. It was dark, but she could hear voices...
" Who are they?"
"...don't know.."
"....healers..."
"...Discipline.."
Then she could feel hands prying at her, taking her out of Numair's arms. She tried to open her mouth, to yell out no, but she couldn't move, as if she were frozen in place.. And then the voices faded, and she sank back into darkness....
When she awoke again, it was to bright sunlight and soft pillows. Ignoring the dull pain from numerous cuts and scrapes, she propped herself up on her elbows and glanced around. She was in a bright, sunny room, furnished simply in colours of white and wood. On the wall were various needle point hangings, which were beautifully made, all of them picturing animals of some kind. Daine admired these for a moment before turning to look at the girl that was sitting beside the bed.
The girl had light brown hair with blonde streaks that was braided into pigtails. She was wearing what looked to Daine like a strangely styled, but very expensive, dress. She was engrossed in the loom that she held in her lap, and didn't notice that Daine was awake. Daine moistened her lips, and croaked out,
" Hello."
The girl jumped, and looked up at Daine. She smiled, and set aside the loom.
" Hello!" She replied cheerfully. The girl got up and began fussing with Daine's pillows. " How are you?" she asked, " Do you feel okay?" The girl stood back and examined Daine with clear, intelligent sky blue eyes. Daine smiled. She didn't know this girl, but she couldn't help instantly liking her.
" I'm fine." she replied. " A little bit sore, but fine." The girl smiled and sat back down.
" That's good." she said " I guess we should get something for those cuts." The girl went silent and stared into space. Just as Daine was about to ask if something was wrong, a boy came into the room, carrying a pot of something which smelled suspiciously of medicine. He set the pot down on the table and turned to study Daine. He's cute, she realized, but not as cute as-
" Numair!" she cried, sitting bolt upright in the bed. The two people standing next to her jumped back, the boy almost knocking over the steaming pot.
" I've got to find Numair!" she said again, swinging her legs off of the bed and trying to stand up. She tottered to her feet and grasped the desk that was by her bed for balance. She gasped as the room tilted, but soon it set itself the right way up, and she let go of the table.
" Lark! " the girl called, running to the door, " Lark! We need you!" The boy stepped in front of Daine, blocking the way to the door. Frowning, Daine tried to step around him, but he crossed his arms and refused to let her by. Just then, a woman who looked like a K'mir came through the door. She look around, and seeing Daine almost in hysterics, walked over to her and guided her gently onto the bed.
"What's wrong?" She asked, frowning a little.
" I have to find Numair!" Daine said again. She sat down, but refused to lay down.
" Who's Numair?" Lark said, looking at the children for help. The girl looked as confused as she was, and the boy was busy pouring tea.
" Numair's my - teacher" Daine, who seemed about to say something, changed it at the last minute. Lark still looked confused, but then her face brightened.
" Oh, you mean the man we found you with." Lark said, no longer looking confused. " He's in the room next door." Daine relaxed, and laid back on the bed. She glanced at the three people clustered in front of the bed, and smiled weakly. " I'm sorry, but I don't know your names." she said. " Mine's Daine."
" This is Sandry and Briar." The woman said, pointing to the two children,
" And I'm Lark." The woman smiled, and leaned forward to straighten the blankets. Briar had finished pouring the tea, and now held a cup out to Daine. She grasped it by the handle and took a sip, making a face. The tea tasted almost as bad as it smelled. Sandry looked at Daine curiously, and said:
" So, this Numair is your teacher? What does he teach you?" Daine blushed, almost dropping the teacup. " He.. Ah.. he teaches me magic."
" Magic?" Sandry replied, still curious. '"So you're a mage?"
" Ummm... No, not exactly."
" So what are you, then?" said Briar, speaking for the first time.
" I'm a Wildmage." Daine replied. " I have magic with animals. I can talk to them, and change into them."
" Well, isn't that interesting!" Lark said, grinning. " We all have unusual magic, too. Sandry and I are thread mages, and Briar is a plant mage."
" What happened to you two?" Lark asked. " You were all battered up when we found you." Daine frowned.
" I'm not exactly sure." She said, frowning. " All I remember is walking in the woods with Numair, and finding a raider camp... They captured us, and the next thing I know, I'm here. Where am I, any ways?"
" You're in Winding Circle Temple, dear." Lark answered. Seeing the blank look on Daine's face, she added: "It's near Summersea." Daine still looked extremely confused.
"Emelan?" Lark asked. Daine shook her head.
" I don't know any of those names." she said, now feeling slightly scared.
" Either I bumped my head harder than I thought, or I am very, very lost."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Daine's head swam. It was dark, but she could hear voices...
" Who are they?"
"...don't know.."
"....healers..."
"...Discipline.."
Then she could feel hands prying at her, taking her out of Numair's arms. She tried to open her mouth, to yell out no, but she couldn't move, as if she were frozen in place.. And then the voices faded, and she sank back into darkness....
When she awoke again, it was to bright sunlight and soft pillows. Ignoring the dull pain from numerous cuts and scrapes, she propped herself up on her elbows and glanced around. She was in a bright, sunny room, furnished simply in colours of white and wood. On the wall were various needle point hangings, which were beautifully made, all of them picturing animals of some kind. Daine admired these for a moment before turning to look at the girl that was sitting beside the bed.
The girl had light brown hair with blonde streaks that was braided into pigtails. She was wearing what looked to Daine like a strangely styled, but very expensive, dress. She was engrossed in the loom that she held in her lap, and didn't notice that Daine was awake. Daine moistened her lips, and croaked out,
" Hello."
The girl jumped, and looked up at Daine. She smiled, and set aside the loom.
" Hello!" She replied cheerfully. The girl got up and began fussing with Daine's pillows. " How are you?" she asked, " Do you feel okay?" The girl stood back and examined Daine with clear, intelligent sky blue eyes. Daine smiled. She didn't know this girl, but she couldn't help instantly liking her.
" I'm fine." she replied. " A little bit sore, but fine." The girl smiled and sat back down.
" That's good." she said " I guess we should get something for those cuts." The girl went silent and stared into space. Just as Daine was about to ask if something was wrong, a boy came into the room, carrying a pot of something which smelled suspiciously of medicine. He set the pot down on the table and turned to study Daine. He's cute, she realized, but not as cute as-
" Numair!" she cried, sitting bolt upright in the bed. The two people standing next to her jumped back, the boy almost knocking over the steaming pot.
" I've got to find Numair!" she said again, swinging her legs off of the bed and trying to stand up. She tottered to her feet and grasped the desk that was by her bed for balance. She gasped as the room tilted, but soon it set itself the right way up, and she let go of the table.
" Lark! " the girl called, running to the door, " Lark! We need you!" The boy stepped in front of Daine, blocking the way to the door. Frowning, Daine tried to step around him, but he crossed his arms and refused to let her by. Just then, a woman who looked like a K'mir came through the door. She look around, and seeing Daine almost in hysterics, walked over to her and guided her gently onto the bed.
"What's wrong?" She asked, frowning a little.
" I have to find Numair!" Daine said again. She sat down, but refused to lay down.
" Who's Numair?" Lark said, looking at the children for help. The girl looked as confused as she was, and the boy was busy pouring tea.
" Numair's my - teacher" Daine, who seemed about to say something, changed it at the last minute. Lark still looked confused, but then her face brightened.
" Oh, you mean the man we found you with." Lark said, no longer looking confused. " He's in the room next door." Daine relaxed, and laid back on the bed. She glanced at the three people clustered in front of the bed, and smiled weakly. " I'm sorry, but I don't know your names." she said. " Mine's Daine."
" This is Sandry and Briar." The woman said, pointing to the two children,
" And I'm Lark." The woman smiled, and leaned forward to straighten the blankets. Briar had finished pouring the tea, and now held a cup out to Daine. She grasped it by the handle and took a sip, making a face. The tea tasted almost as bad as it smelled. Sandry looked at Daine curiously, and said:
" So, this Numair is your teacher? What does he teach you?" Daine blushed, almost dropping the teacup. " He.. Ah.. he teaches me magic."
" Magic?" Sandry replied, still curious. '"So you're a mage?"
" Ummm... No, not exactly."
" So what are you, then?" said Briar, speaking for the first time.
" I'm a Wildmage." Daine replied. " I have magic with animals. I can talk to them, and change into them."
" Well, isn't that interesting!" Lark said, grinning. " We all have unusual magic, too. Sandry and I are thread mages, and Briar is a plant mage."
" What happened to you two?" Lark asked. " You were all battered up when we found you." Daine frowned.
" I'm not exactly sure." She said, frowning. " All I remember is walking in the woods with Numair, and finding a raider camp... They captured us, and the next thing I know, I'm here. Where am I, any ways?"
" You're in Winding Circle Temple, dear." Lark answered. Seeing the blank look on Daine's face, she added: "It's near Summersea." Daine still looked extremely confused.
"Emelan?" Lark asked. Daine shook her head.
" I don't know any of those names." she said, now feeling slightly scared.
" Either I bumped my head harder than I thought, or I am very, very lost."