"Tanya, come out I have friends," Markus said to a thicket in the Undine's clearing that
Numair and Daine both recognized from Daine's first real look at her magic.
Daine sighed, how had she gone from an uneducated child to the wild mage? What a life
I have led, Daine thought to herself.
Tanya came out of the thicket and into the clearing with a pack on her back. She stood
behind Markus looking at the strangers. It had been a long time since she had seen a
human.
"Tanya this is my boyhood friend Arram, now Numair." Tanya nodded at him
recognizing the name of the famous mage. "And this is his friend...Daine."
"I thought you were a couple." Tanya said and instantly regretted it. That had been the
idle gossip a year ago. She thought of what the wildmage could do to her for speaking so
freely. The wildmage was a noble!
"You are right." Daine said and showed the girl her hand that was home to the ring that
ment so much to her. "We were married last month, on the equinox."
"Congratulations!"
"Thanks, now you two should come with us to our rooms. Right Numair?"
"Yes, some food and warmth will do you both some good. But first we'll go see the
king." Numair said.
"The King!" Markus exclaimed. Tanya's eyes grew wide in fear.
"There is nothing to be afraid of." Daine said. "Jon is a good man."
"Look at me." Markus said. "I'm not human anymore. I'm a beast. He wouldn't want
me in his home. Take Tanya, I can stay out here."
"NO!" Tanya wailed clinging to him. "King Jonathan is a good king. Even I know that.
I believe he will not turn us away."
"She's right." Numair said. "I would not lead you into danger and believe me you will
be safe in there."
"Fine, Ar- Numair but how will you get me into the palace without starting a panic?"
Silence.
"See!" Markus said. "There isn't a way. No matter what the king says I'm still a
hideous creature and a panic will start at the sight of me."
Daine spoke up. "I'm notorious for having animals follow me into my rooms and at
times to see the king. No one will really look if you walk on all fours like a wolf."
"Are you sure?" Markus asked.
"Of course I'm not sure but that's what I think." She huffed. "And I really think Tanya
should see a healer."
He instantly agreed. "You're right, fine lets go see the king."
They walked out of the forest and through the pony pasture. The ponies in the field shied
away from Daine when they saw the wolf/man on all fours at her heals. Ahead of Daine
and Markus, Numair was walking next to Tanya. Numair had let the fox go when it
woke up and it had run back to it's den to tell it's family that all was well.
"Will Tanya be safe in the palace?" Markus asked as he followed Daine.
"Yes that building is the safest that I have ever been in. Your wife will be fine."
"Well...she's not my wife. Not technically. But yes we are husband and wife." He
paused and then asked. "Our child. Will it be 'normal'? Will it be deformed? Will it
survive? I feel like she may not be able to survive the birth."
Daine slowed down so that she was walking along side of him. "I'm not a human healer
Markus. I really don't know. That's why I wanted Tanya to come to the palace, so she
would be well cared for. We have the best healers at the palace."
"I've been so worried. I knew I couldn't help if she gave birth. Now I don't have to
worry about doing something wrong to the baby. Someone who was trained will help
her."
They got to an entrance and regrouped. Then Numair led the way to a room where he
knew the king would be. He knocked on the door.
A red headed woman opened the door. "Numair! What in the world? It's late, almost
midnight."
"I- we need to see Jonathan." The mage said. And Alanna saw Daine, the young girl and
the wolf. "It's important."
"Fine, come in we're having a late drink, join us." She let them in and was disturbed
when the wolf got on his hind legs and walked like a human.
Jonathan was up and greeting the people, "Numair, Daine how nice to see you. Who are
your friends?"
Tanya looked away from the sharp gaze of the king aware of her ragged clothes and limp
blake hair. She was also aware of the fact that she was a young pregnant woman, a
woman who had been a girl not long before she became pregnant. She was embarrassed.
Then she thought about how much she loved Markus and looked back into the kings
eyes, unafraid. "I'm Tanya."
The king nodded approvingly. And looked at Markus. "Daine, you have a new friend?"
"Well." Daine said searching for an explanation. "He's not one of my normal friends.
He is a friend but..."
"Spit it out Daine." Alanna said impatiently and Jon glared at the red head.
"Maybe Markus should ask." She said looking at the wolf/man who was standing next to
Numair.
"Sire," Markus said hesitantly. "I have come to your palace to find sanctuary from
hunters and hounds. For the safety of my wife and unborn child. We would not be a
burden I assure you and will leave if you wish."
Jon looked at Markus studied him carefully. He was mildly dicusted at the sight of the
naked wolf man, and feared having it in his home. He looked over at the young woman
again and saw the love she had for the beast. He would need to hear this story, but for
now: "My good man, there is no reason for me to refuse you. You are welcome to stay
with Numair and Daine until we find room for you. It will not take to long until one of
the guest rooms is empty. So please stay as long as you like."
"I thank you and wish to ask you one more thing."
"Then ask."
"Could a healer see to Tanya. I wish to know that she is well."
Alanna moved away from the door over her shock. "I will see to her I'm a healer."
"The lioness?" Tanya whispered unsettled. Too many famous people in such a short
amount of time, she was overwhelmed.
"It's Alanna," The woman led the girl to a corner and had her sit down. "I'm going to
look inside you and at your child. You may feel a tingle that is just my magic."
The girl nodded fear still in her eyes.
***
Daine was at the window looking at the moon while Jon and Numair were talking to
Markus when Alanna and Tanya came out of the corner. Tanya had a huge smile on her
face when she looked into Markus's eyes.
"Markus smile. They're healthy."
He jumped up and huged her. "That's great!" It finally sunk in. "Wait, they?"
"Twins! It's twins!"
"Oh Tanya I'm so happy! They're healthy!"
After they calmed down and those around them contgradulated them, Numair asked,
"You were shapeshifting and you just froze in between?"
Markus sighed, his friend never forgot an intrigation. "Yes, I was spying on Orzone and
was caught. I tried to shape shift to wolf and he put a magic on me. He made SURE
that I was caught in between. He had his slaves capture me, they muzzled me and locked
me in a wooden crate. They bolted it shut and Orzone said to me before I was loaded on
a ship, "Wolf/man you are being sent to a land where you may wreck havoc and do work
for me. Hopefully being in this crate will make you mad." He hoped that I would, while
crated, go crazy. I almost did, but the fact that that was what he wanted was enough to
keep me sane. He let me go like this because I could not speak and I looked hideous. No
one would ever help me.
"He was right for five years I roamed the contry side stealing food and being chased by
fritened farmers and villagers. That is until last year when I met Tanya. She loved me
after a few hours together. And now I will have two healthy children. I beat Orzone after
all."
Numair and Daine both recognized from Daine's first real look at her magic.
Daine sighed, how had she gone from an uneducated child to the wild mage? What a life
I have led, Daine thought to herself.
Tanya came out of the thicket and into the clearing with a pack on her back. She stood
behind Markus looking at the strangers. It had been a long time since she had seen a
human.
"Tanya this is my boyhood friend Arram, now Numair." Tanya nodded at him
recognizing the name of the famous mage. "And this is his friend...Daine."
"I thought you were a couple." Tanya said and instantly regretted it. That had been the
idle gossip a year ago. She thought of what the wildmage could do to her for speaking so
freely. The wildmage was a noble!
"You are right." Daine said and showed the girl her hand that was home to the ring that
ment so much to her. "We were married last month, on the equinox."
"Congratulations!"
"Thanks, now you two should come with us to our rooms. Right Numair?"
"Yes, some food and warmth will do you both some good. But first we'll go see the
king." Numair said.
"The King!" Markus exclaimed. Tanya's eyes grew wide in fear.
"There is nothing to be afraid of." Daine said. "Jon is a good man."
"Look at me." Markus said. "I'm not human anymore. I'm a beast. He wouldn't want
me in his home. Take Tanya, I can stay out here."
"NO!" Tanya wailed clinging to him. "King Jonathan is a good king. Even I know that.
I believe he will not turn us away."
"She's right." Numair said. "I would not lead you into danger and believe me you will
be safe in there."
"Fine, Ar- Numair but how will you get me into the palace without starting a panic?"
Silence.
"See!" Markus said. "There isn't a way. No matter what the king says I'm still a
hideous creature and a panic will start at the sight of me."
Daine spoke up. "I'm notorious for having animals follow me into my rooms and at
times to see the king. No one will really look if you walk on all fours like a wolf."
"Are you sure?" Markus asked.
"Of course I'm not sure but that's what I think." She huffed. "And I really think Tanya
should see a healer."
He instantly agreed. "You're right, fine lets go see the king."
They walked out of the forest and through the pony pasture. The ponies in the field shied
away from Daine when they saw the wolf/man on all fours at her heals. Ahead of Daine
and Markus, Numair was walking next to Tanya. Numair had let the fox go when it
woke up and it had run back to it's den to tell it's family that all was well.
"Will Tanya be safe in the palace?" Markus asked as he followed Daine.
"Yes that building is the safest that I have ever been in. Your wife will be fine."
"Well...she's not my wife. Not technically. But yes we are husband and wife." He
paused and then asked. "Our child. Will it be 'normal'? Will it be deformed? Will it
survive? I feel like she may not be able to survive the birth."
Daine slowed down so that she was walking along side of him. "I'm not a human healer
Markus. I really don't know. That's why I wanted Tanya to come to the palace, so she
would be well cared for. We have the best healers at the palace."
"I've been so worried. I knew I couldn't help if she gave birth. Now I don't have to
worry about doing something wrong to the baby. Someone who was trained will help
her."
They got to an entrance and regrouped. Then Numair led the way to a room where he
knew the king would be. He knocked on the door.
A red headed woman opened the door. "Numair! What in the world? It's late, almost
midnight."
"I- we need to see Jonathan." The mage said. And Alanna saw Daine, the young girl and
the wolf. "It's important."
"Fine, come in we're having a late drink, join us." She let them in and was disturbed
when the wolf got on his hind legs and walked like a human.
Jonathan was up and greeting the people, "Numair, Daine how nice to see you. Who are
your friends?"
Tanya looked away from the sharp gaze of the king aware of her ragged clothes and limp
blake hair. She was also aware of the fact that she was a young pregnant woman, a
woman who had been a girl not long before she became pregnant. She was embarrassed.
Then she thought about how much she loved Markus and looked back into the kings
eyes, unafraid. "I'm Tanya."
The king nodded approvingly. And looked at Markus. "Daine, you have a new friend?"
"Well." Daine said searching for an explanation. "He's not one of my normal friends.
He is a friend but..."
"Spit it out Daine." Alanna said impatiently and Jon glared at the red head.
"Maybe Markus should ask." She said looking at the wolf/man who was standing next to
Numair.
"Sire," Markus said hesitantly. "I have come to your palace to find sanctuary from
hunters and hounds. For the safety of my wife and unborn child. We would not be a
burden I assure you and will leave if you wish."
Jon looked at Markus studied him carefully. He was mildly dicusted at the sight of the
naked wolf man, and feared having it in his home. He looked over at the young woman
again and saw the love she had for the beast. He would need to hear this story, but for
now: "My good man, there is no reason for me to refuse you. You are welcome to stay
with Numair and Daine until we find room for you. It will not take to long until one of
the guest rooms is empty. So please stay as long as you like."
"I thank you and wish to ask you one more thing."
"Then ask."
"Could a healer see to Tanya. I wish to know that she is well."
Alanna moved away from the door over her shock. "I will see to her I'm a healer."
"The lioness?" Tanya whispered unsettled. Too many famous people in such a short
amount of time, she was overwhelmed.
"It's Alanna," The woman led the girl to a corner and had her sit down. "I'm going to
look inside you and at your child. You may feel a tingle that is just my magic."
The girl nodded fear still in her eyes.
***
Daine was at the window looking at the moon while Jon and Numair were talking to
Markus when Alanna and Tanya came out of the corner. Tanya had a huge smile on her
face when she looked into Markus's eyes.
"Markus smile. They're healthy."
He jumped up and huged her. "That's great!" It finally sunk in. "Wait, they?"
"Twins! It's twins!"
"Oh Tanya I'm so happy! They're healthy!"
After they calmed down and those around them contgradulated them, Numair asked,
"You were shapeshifting and you just froze in between?"
Markus sighed, his friend never forgot an intrigation. "Yes, I was spying on Orzone and
was caught. I tried to shape shift to wolf and he put a magic on me. He made SURE
that I was caught in between. He had his slaves capture me, they muzzled me and locked
me in a wooden crate. They bolted it shut and Orzone said to me before I was loaded on
a ship, "Wolf/man you are being sent to a land where you may wreck havoc and do work
for me. Hopefully being in this crate will make you mad." He hoped that I would, while
crated, go crazy. I almost did, but the fact that that was what he wanted was enough to
keep me sane. He let me go like this because I could not speak and I looked hideous. No
one would ever help me.
"He was right for five years I roamed the contry side stealing food and being chased by
fritened farmers and villagers. That is until last year when I met Tanya. She loved me
after a few hours together. And now I will have two healthy children. I beat Orzone after
all."
