Numair Samlain gazed at the sunset wearily. The battle was won, Tortall was safe.
And Daine his beloved Daine was safe and resting. 'She turned down becoming a
goddess
to be with me. Though she is and will be forever more my goddess. '

"A penny for your thoughts." Alanna said quietly.
Numair jumped up, startled. "Nothing really."
"Nothing really, You were thinking about Daine, Come on Numair do you really
think that
no one has noticed the fact that you are in love with her." Alanna replied
wanting to prod her
friend
into confessing his love for Daine.
"You're right.. I do love her and I want to be with her always but she is to
young. She is 16,
I'm 30." Numair said sadly. "I don't want to lose her."

With a demented gleam in his eyes, Thomas Lockhaven of Snowdale, glared at the
young girl
who lay sleeping.
"The whore, that tramp, that bastard child, has no right to serve the king.
She will
suffer.... she defied us." He muttered. He lunged forward and went to grab her, he swooped
her up and placed a silver knife on her throat. Daine woke up and screamed. "Quiet you witch or
I'll hurt you!" screamed Thomas.

Numair and Alanna jumped up and ran toward's the camp.
"That's Daine!" they exclaimed. As the ran towards her they froze. "He's got a knife to her
throat." Numair paled his heart beating so loud that it was all he could hear,
he started shaking as Daine's terrified eyes met his.

"You roused someone you daughter of a whore, now you will die." Thomas took the knife
and trailed it down her throat, and blood cascaded down Daine's neck. He dropped her
still concious body and went to run away when a blast of fire imploded him to bits.

The dragon chirped angrily and then knealt by Daine. The king's own and Numair knealt by
her side, Numair was using every drop of healing energy he had to save her. She
was afterall more important. She looked up at them, her lover and her friends. "I'll be
fine." she said her voice weak. She took a breath and then died. Animals howled, whined,
sang dirges, for the lady of both the people and the Two leggers had died.

Numair cradled her limp body in his arms, "Daine my Daine! NO!" He collapsed
into tears.
Next to him Dragon let out a mournful wail and Alanna cried. Onua came running in from
the stables, and the king and queen ran in.
Onua collapsed near her body, "Oh little Daine, my little Daine...."
And the king and queen cried as well hugging Alanna, Onua, Dragon, Numair
and Daine's corpse.

A flash of silver light cause Dragon to chirp, everyone looked up and saw the Badger
"This wasn't supposed to happen, oh my kit, I hope this works." The badger placed
a paw on Daine's Neck and silver light surronded her body. "Daine, daughter of the god
of the hunt, and the green goddess, arise and live with your friends for your mortal
life, it's not yet time for your immortal one."

"Badger? Numair, Alannna, Onua, everyone why are you crying?" Daine added, "You guys
are acting like I died."

Numair hugged her, "You did die magelet."

Everyone else hugged her and then left leaving her and Numair alone.
"Magelet? I love you... When you died today it felt like my whole world had
collapsed will you marry me?" Numair asked terrified of her answer.

TBC