Later that night Numair and Daine were getting ready to go to bed. Daine was already settled with Kitten by her side. Numair was putting on his night shirt.
Daine looked at him when he sat down on the bed. "This has been a fair strange night Numair. Are Tanya and Markus settled in the other room?"
"Yeah. I forgot about that guest room. They should be comfortable. At least it's not the floor of a old wolf den." The mage shook his head. "He was my best friend. I just feel like I let him down some how."
"Numair there was nothing you could have done. You had already fled for your life. There was no way to save him from this fate. You were juggling in the streets, half starved and he could not help you. How do you think he felt when you fled without telling him? And he didn't even know if you were alive?"
"I guess you're right. Oh, magelet. I just have all these old feelings resurfacing."
"Lay down then and rest. You can't sort anything out after a night like this one."
He agreed and crawled into the bed. "Good night magelet."
"Good night my love. Feel better in the morning. I know this must be hard for you." She fell asleep soon after.
But Numair was unable to sleep. He stayed in bed all night looking at the ceiling till the sun came back out. The birds were singing happily at the window. He guessed they were waking Daine up when he felt her sit up, he closed his eyes and pretended he was asleep.
He knew she was looking down at him. Her hand on his arm. She shook him. "Numair it's dawn, time to wake up."
He opened his eyes and yawned. "Already?"
"Yes, let's see if Markus and Tanya are up. It's a new day!" She jumped out of the bed and went over to the window. She fed the birds and got dressed. She went back to the bed and looked down at the man.
"Get up! Why are you still in bed?"
"I don't feel good." He said lamely.
The woman felt his forehead. "What's wrong?"
"Maybe it's a bug." Numair said. "I don't think I should see anyone today."
She looked down at him. "I think I know now." She sighed, "Fine you can stay in bed. I will talk with your friend and his wife. Maybe a tour of the palace, so I can keep him away from you so that you do not have to face your past."
"Daine, that's not it."
"Then what is it? I may not be a healer of humans but I know you're not sick. What is it? Why don't you tell me?"
"I don't want to tell anyone! Like you told me once that you have things you didn't feel like sharing, now I have my own personal things. And that's what's inside. I don't want to share!"
"Numair! This is not like you! Something isn't right. It's your past, you just don't want to face leaving it all behind!"
Numair jumped out of the bed, "Just go Daine! And keep him away from me!"
"I don't want to go Numair! I want to help. I want to be here for you. I love you. And you love me. This is not healthy for you to be like this. What is wrong?"
"Everything." Numair said falling to his knees and sobbing.
What is going on? Daine thought. Why is my husband getting like this? What is wrong?
"Numair, come on. Shh..." She sat on the floor and did her best to cradle him in her arms. She was having no luck holding him the way she wanted to. After a while Numair had spent his tears and was calming down.
"Daine, I love you. Thank you for staying with me. You're right. I don't want to face leaving it all behind." He shrugged.
"Don't you see Numair?" Wife said to husband, "We were both turned away from a place we loved. Away from our homes. I know how you feel, like you were slapped in the face. Markus was the spark that uncovered it all, his presence spelt it out for you. You left your home. All those people to their fates. But Numair, it was leave them or die. If you had been killed...I don't even want to think about where I would be."
Numair remembered the madness that had lurked at the edge of her humanity and shuttered, what if nobody had known about wild magic? She could have gone mad for good. "Daine, you are quite a woman."
"Thank you. Are you feeling better?" She started to get up.
"I am," He stopped her attempt to stand by pulling her down into a hug, then a kiss. When they finished Numair got dressed and followed Daine into the main room, the dragon following with cat-like grace.
Daine looked at him when he sat down on the bed. "This has been a fair strange night Numair. Are Tanya and Markus settled in the other room?"
"Yeah. I forgot about that guest room. They should be comfortable. At least it's not the floor of a old wolf den." The mage shook his head. "He was my best friend. I just feel like I let him down some how."
"Numair there was nothing you could have done. You had already fled for your life. There was no way to save him from this fate. You were juggling in the streets, half starved and he could not help you. How do you think he felt when you fled without telling him? And he didn't even know if you were alive?"
"I guess you're right. Oh, magelet. I just have all these old feelings resurfacing."
"Lay down then and rest. You can't sort anything out after a night like this one."
He agreed and crawled into the bed. "Good night magelet."
"Good night my love. Feel better in the morning. I know this must be hard for you." She fell asleep soon after.
But Numair was unable to sleep. He stayed in bed all night looking at the ceiling till the sun came back out. The birds were singing happily at the window. He guessed they were waking Daine up when he felt her sit up, he closed his eyes and pretended he was asleep.
He knew she was looking down at him. Her hand on his arm. She shook him. "Numair it's dawn, time to wake up."
He opened his eyes and yawned. "Already?"
"Yes, let's see if Markus and Tanya are up. It's a new day!" She jumped out of the bed and went over to the window. She fed the birds and got dressed. She went back to the bed and looked down at the man.
"Get up! Why are you still in bed?"
"I don't feel good." He said lamely.
The woman felt his forehead. "What's wrong?"
"Maybe it's a bug." Numair said. "I don't think I should see anyone today."
She looked down at him. "I think I know now." She sighed, "Fine you can stay in bed. I will talk with your friend and his wife. Maybe a tour of the palace, so I can keep him away from you so that you do not have to face your past."
"Daine, that's not it."
"Then what is it? I may not be a healer of humans but I know you're not sick. What is it? Why don't you tell me?"
"I don't want to tell anyone! Like you told me once that you have things you didn't feel like sharing, now I have my own personal things. And that's what's inside. I don't want to share!"
"Numair! This is not like you! Something isn't right. It's your past, you just don't want to face leaving it all behind!"
Numair jumped out of the bed, "Just go Daine! And keep him away from me!"
"I don't want to go Numair! I want to help. I want to be here for you. I love you. And you love me. This is not healthy for you to be like this. What is wrong?"
"Everything." Numair said falling to his knees and sobbing.
What is going on? Daine thought. Why is my husband getting like this? What is wrong?
"Numair, come on. Shh..." She sat on the floor and did her best to cradle him in her arms. She was having no luck holding him the way she wanted to. After a while Numair had spent his tears and was calming down.
"Daine, I love you. Thank you for staying with me. You're right. I don't want to face leaving it all behind." He shrugged.
"Don't you see Numair?" Wife said to husband, "We were both turned away from a place we loved. Away from our homes. I know how you feel, like you were slapped in the face. Markus was the spark that uncovered it all, his presence spelt it out for you. You left your home. All those people to their fates. But Numair, it was leave them or die. If you had been killed...I don't even want to think about where I would be."
Numair remembered the madness that had lurked at the edge of her humanity and shuttered, what if nobody had known about wild magic? She could have gone mad for good. "Daine, you are quite a woman."
"Thank you. Are you feeling better?" She started to get up.
"I am," He stopped her attempt to stand by pulling her down into a hug, then a kiss. When they finished Numair got dressed and followed Daine into the main room, the dragon following with cat-like grace.
