Chapter 10: Numair
Daine sighed. She was in the tiny room of the inn; other guests were there, and to get her own room she had had to part with two silver nobles. Sighing again, she sat up in the bed. I'll bet the mattress is stuffed with rocks, she thought gloomily. Trying to get comfortable, she sat on Kitten, making the young dragon squeak.
"Maybe this wasn't such a great idea," she mumbled as she drifted off to sleep (finally)....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Numair swung off of Spots after reaching a village. He hadn't found Daine, even with the (!@#$%^*&, as he called it) focus. His gelding had refused to budge, and he knew that the horse deserved some rest. Dragging his mount by the reins behind him, he made his way to the inn.
The inn was small and shabby. A snoring man was standing in one corner. The tall mage sighed and woke him up, asking for a room.
"We ain't got none more rooms," he wheezed.
Numair fought the urge to correct this man's grammar. "I'll share, if I must," he said with distaste. He would NOT share a room with some flea-infested merchant in a nicer inn!
The innkeeper smiled, revealing several missing teeth. "Right this way." The man led the tall mage up the stairs (Numair was surprised that they didn't collapse under the weight) to a door. "In 'ere," he said, holding out his hand. "That'll be three silve' nobles, now."
Numair snorted, but paid the man, who then left. Trying to open the door quietly, he found that it made a loud squeaking noise. Creeping inside, he closed the door and used light from his Gift to find his way to the bed. A figure was huddled on the other side under flimsy blankets. Numair kicked off his boots and picked up the blanket, but accidentally pulled it off his roommate. He gasped.
It was Daine.
She was lying, huddled up, on the bed, her brown curls spread out over the thin pillow. Numair sucked in his breath. To him, she had never looked more beautiful. She shifted, noticing the temperature change, but didn't open her eyes until she groped with her hands and found no blanker; Numair was still holding it.
She saw him and met his gaze. What she said was barely more than a whisper: "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?"
He hesitated, not sure of what to say. 'I-I...."
"Get. Out. Now!" she shrieked.
"Daine, wait! LISTEN TO ME!!!!" he cried, raising his hands.
She blinked back tears. "Why should I?"
He put his hands down and looked at the floor. "Because I love you," he said softly.
Ha ha ha ha ha!!!! It's a cliffhanger! OK, I would like 5 more reviews before I continue. But I'm going away for like a week, so everyone will have to wait, sorry. Thank you!
*Lady of the Wolves
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except for the innkeeper dude. And the plot. Tamora Pierce owns everything else.
Daine sighed. She was in the tiny room of the inn; other guests were there, and to get her own room she had had to part with two silver nobles. Sighing again, she sat up in the bed. I'll bet the mattress is stuffed with rocks, she thought gloomily. Trying to get comfortable, she sat on Kitten, making the young dragon squeak.
"Maybe this wasn't such a great idea," she mumbled as she drifted off to sleep (finally)....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Numair swung off of Spots after reaching a village. He hadn't found Daine, even with the (!@#$%^*&, as he called it) focus. His gelding had refused to budge, and he knew that the horse deserved some rest. Dragging his mount by the reins behind him, he made his way to the inn.
The inn was small and shabby. A snoring man was standing in one corner. The tall mage sighed and woke him up, asking for a room.
"We ain't got none more rooms," he wheezed.
Numair fought the urge to correct this man's grammar. "I'll share, if I must," he said with distaste. He would NOT share a room with some flea-infested merchant in a nicer inn!
The innkeeper smiled, revealing several missing teeth. "Right this way." The man led the tall mage up the stairs (Numair was surprised that they didn't collapse under the weight) to a door. "In 'ere," he said, holding out his hand. "That'll be three silve' nobles, now."
Numair snorted, but paid the man, who then left. Trying to open the door quietly, he found that it made a loud squeaking noise. Creeping inside, he closed the door and used light from his Gift to find his way to the bed. A figure was huddled on the other side under flimsy blankets. Numair kicked off his boots and picked up the blanket, but accidentally pulled it off his roommate. He gasped.
It was Daine.
She was lying, huddled up, on the bed, her brown curls spread out over the thin pillow. Numair sucked in his breath. To him, she had never looked more beautiful. She shifted, noticing the temperature change, but didn't open her eyes until she groped with her hands and found no blanker; Numair was still holding it.
She saw him and met his gaze. What she said was barely more than a whisper: "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?"
He hesitated, not sure of what to say. 'I-I...."
"Get. Out. Now!" she shrieked.
"Daine, wait! LISTEN TO ME!!!!" he cried, raising his hands.
She blinked back tears. "Why should I?"
He put his hands down and looked at the floor. "Because I love you," he said softly.
Ha ha ha ha ha!!!! It's a cliffhanger! OK, I would like 5 more reviews before I continue. But I'm going away for like a week, so everyone will have to wait, sorry. Thank you!
*Lady of the Wolves
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except for the innkeeper dude. And the plot. Tamora Pierce owns everything else.