TWO

Hey! Okay okay… in the last chapter I accidentally made a few mistakes… some very nice people reminded me that Daine does not have brown eyes but has blue-gray eyes! Thanks for telling me that… also there probably were a few typos and I apologize for that… and I also wanna say sorry that it took so long for me to write this… I'm havin a kinda busy summer… hope you enjoy this chapter as well and the others to come!

-aurora thyme

TWO

Plans for the Future

Moon watched Daine intently behind her thick, long eyelashes. She was very confused. She didn't know why she was locked in this dark room, and she didn't know why this plain girl was looking at her so strangely. Was it really that obvious? Could the girl tell? No, Moon told herself silently. No one knew her dark secret. She hadn't even known of it until now. How would someone know a secret if it was never told? That fact relaxed her a tiny bit more. She snapped back to attention as the girl, Daine, asked her yet another strange question.

"What was that again?" she asked politely, trying hard to concentrate on listening to her jail mate. But it was very hard when she was locked in such a small room, so far away from her large, glorious forests and from her deep, dazzling waters. At least the other girl was kind. The other girl was also very strangely familiar.

"Where are you from I asked," repeated Daine while she stared intently at Moon. Moon did not know what to say. She couldn't, wouldn't tell this, this, stranger where she was really from. The other girl would probably just laugh or stare anyways. What possibly could she say that would make sense? Where had she passed through? What cities did she KNOW of?

"Um…" Moon faltered for a few seconds. "Cria!" The name popped suddenly into her head. She had passed over some sort of a faire there on her way back to her old home. The people there had been cruel, and they had chased her away from a small place she had intended to camp.

"Wow, small world," Daine mused. "That's where I first became a type of horse hostler and where I discovered I had wild magic."

Moon looked at Daine wide eyed. The other girl Daine made a face that plainly said, 'I spoke too much.' For all she knew that magic girl could read her thoughts… what could she say? Magic was a scary thing, a recently it seemed as if Moon herself actually had it. Her family, who didn't even like humans to begin with, would be shocked if they knew Moon had the gift, that is, if that was why all these strange things were happening.

"Re-Re-Really?" asked Moon while wondering what to do. "I, I think I have wild magic also," she finally answered after a moment. Was that the right thing to say?? Was wild magic what she had? Could two humans with wild magic talk to each other in their heads?

"Can we talk to each other in our minds?" asked Moon, voicing one of her many, complicated thoughts. Then she wondered if she would later regret it. She decided finally that it couldn't be helped. Wild magic was the closest thing to describe what she had. Might as well play along with what the girl says.

"I really don't know!" exclaimed Daine after Moon spoke. "And could we, I mean, do you think we could enter each other's minds?" asked Daine in a louder voice.

"I'm not sure, but there is one thing I am sure of… we shouldn't talk too loud, our captors might hear us."

"Yeah, thanks for warning me," Daine said in a voice no louder than a whisper.

"No problem. It's my safety I'm worried about too you know!" said Moon with a smirk. "It's nicer in here with someone to talk to," Moon said quietly. "Company makes the bad seem better. It's strange though, you seem very familiar to me."

"I don't see how I could possibly have met you, but I do agree with you when you say we seem like we knew each other from somewhere. Were you ever at Tortall?" Daine saw Moon slowly shake her head. "Have you ever met Numair Salmalín?" Moon shook her head to that question also. "I can't think of a reason we would know each other, but maybe we'll think of it sooner or later."

"Yeah," agreed Moon with a smile. This younger girl seemed very wise for her age. She seemed mature for the small amount of years that she looked. "How old are you anyways?" Moon asked Daine after a minute of silent thought for the both of them.

"I'm seventeen," Daine replied smiling. "And how old are you? Older than me I suppose."

Moon thought for a second. Where she came from they measured the years differently. She calculated silently. "I'm 24 this year," she replied after a few minutes.

"Wow, I was thinking you were 19 maybe. You look younger."

"Is that a complement?" Moon asked with a toothy smile. "If so, than thanks."

"If we get out, when we get out of here, will you come to visit my home with me? My friends would love to meet you and believe me; if you don't have a man in your life we could find you one near the castle. They'd like literally flock around you. Also I need someone else to hang with that isn't a noble. Are you a noble? And that would be cool if we could both talk to animals! I won't be the only one!"

"Well, I'm glad you're excited, and hopeful that we will get out. I will come with you to your city. Is it anywhere near the castle where the king and queen live? I have an important issue concerning my family to at least discuss with them. My family and friends would never forgive me if I just blew them off."

"I live maybe 10 minutes away from their Royal Highness's' home. I'm sure they will talk with you about whatever you need concerning your family. Can you talk to animals?" Daine asked, all in one breath.

Moon's face lit up after she heard Daine's news. She was so glad she could stay with her newfound friend and help her family at the same time. "Yes I can talk to the People. They are all my friends. Some as close as family," said Moon in reply. Their conversation went on further as the two of them got to know each other better. Moon got more from Daine than Daine got from Moon.

Finally Daine stood away from her wall. "I'm tired after yesterday's journey, so I guess I might as well go to sleep now, that is, if you don't need me. We should get a good sleep before whatever happens tomorrow."

"Aye, me too. I am mighty glad I met you Daine," said Moon quietly, still wondering where she knew Daine from.

"And I'm real glad I met you," replied Daine sleepily. Moon stood still for a few minutes, looking around, until she heard the heavy breathing that meant Daine had gone into a deep slumber. She thought about her past and she thought about her future. What was to become of her? Would she ever get the help that she promised her family? And would the kind and queen of Tortall help her?

Hundreds of questions went through her mind as she tried to get comfortable. It was hard to sit with the harsh metal wrapped around her arms and legs and attached to the wall behind her. But then again, herons sleep standing up.

* * *

Moon dreamed of her old home near the marshes. She drempt of the small frogs and fish that swam there, and she thought of her family that she had left behind. One dream was so vivid; it was like she was talking to her own father.

"Be strong my fledgling. The 'little one' needs you almost as much as you need her. You two will need to stick together if you wish to survive what you will be put through." Just to see her father made her hysterical, and sooner than Moon would have liked, that dream turned to another, where she was flying, shaped like a bird, flying magically high above the earth, and the hungry, shiny Stormwings were tearing her apart. The fear and pain she felt were unbearable. Blue feathers, the same blue as her gown, were flying everywhere. And then she was alone again, alone in a pit more than ten feet deep. She called and called but no one answered. Then she saw the girl, Daine peer over the side of the hole. The girl offered her small hand to Moon, but Moon couldn't grasp it. She had those wings again, and she couldn't hold on.

Her dreams kept changing, and she slept restlessly. Many a time she awakened, and one time, in the dark, she woke to see Daine sitting up strait with her eyes open. Was the little one sleeping? It looked as if it were, well, dead. But then it stirred a bit, and the girl's eyes closed once again. Moon knew it was the child's way of sleeping in the small space provided, and that the opening of her eyes had been because of a dream. She rearranged herself and tried to sleep once more, but it was even harder than it had been the first time. She was so tired sleep seemed impossible, but she knew she would need her strength for the next hard day ahead of her. What she couldn't possibly have known, were the tortures she and Daine would be put through when the rosy, warm sun rose to sit on it's throne of sky and clouds in just a few, short hours.