Torn From Hope
Chapter Three: Despair
by starzsong magick

A/N: Review review review... etc.
Also, this occurs... I dunno when. A year or two after The Realms of the Gods. I'm not sure though because I can't remember if Daine's 16 or 17 in it. Oh well.

By the way, this is the *fixed* version! I'm sorry to whoever read it before I redid this. This should be a LOT easier to read.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters below, except for the weather-mage boy Peseli. All is copyright of Tamora Pierce! Plot is mine though; don't you dare steal it! :)


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There was a crunching noise as Daine opened her eyes. She lay there, unmoving, recollecting what had happpened last. At last it dawned on her: their ship to the Yamani Islands was sank by a storm, a "great tempest", as the fish put it, and she must be dead.

Dead? Inwardly she shook her head. Dead people don't feel pain like this, she thought, and groaned loudly. The throbbing headache she had was the only thing on her mind now.

The curly-haired brunette summoned up all her strengh and sat up, gasping. She was exhausted. Looking around her, Daine noted the sand, and behind her, a forest of palm trees. Then she remembered the crunching sound that had woken her up.

She twisted around, and spotted a boy kneeling in the sand, picking at something. His clothes were ragged and torn - so were her's, Daine noticed with a wry smile- and she vaguely remembered who he was. That one boy, from the ship, who predicted the storm... "The weather-mage!" she gasped, and he jumped, and upon seeing her, stared openly.

"I thought..." his hoarse voice trailed off.

"Thought what?"

"You were dead." he replied, still staring. "You're Daine, the Wildmage, aren't you?"

Daine nodded. "And what's your name?" She was surprised she had never asked him that before.

"Peseli Dakwich, ma'am." Peseli spoke softly.

She smiled as Peseli gazed at her with watchful gray eyes, which he kept brushing dark straight hair out of every minute or so. Suddenly, a white macaw with a yellow crest fluttered down in front of Daine. It turned its black eyes toward her, and made a rude 'sqwak' sound.

—What on earth are you doing here?— the macaw demanded.

Before Daine had a chance to respond, the bird continued.

—This is my land! Not yours. Though I'm surprised the lions haven't eaten you yet.— It gave a birdish shrug.

"Erm..." Daine struggled with what to say, as Peseli gazed on in admiration. "Um... what's your name? And there's LIONS here?"

—No, I was just kidding. And as for my name, I'm Regalio.— The bird now sounded friendly, rather than invading, as he had a few moments ago.

"Uh, yes." Daine murmered. She cleared her throat, and continued louder. "Are there any other humans on this place?"

—Humans?— Regalio chuckled. —Of course not.— He watched her eyes widen with amusement. —I've got to leave now. Later, maybe.— The bird took flight, looping lazily through the sky.

"Hmph." she muttered, "Stupid jungle birds... good for nothing..."

Peseli cleared his throat. "What did it say?"

Daine watched a crab skid sideways on the sand, heading for the water. It muttered something incomprehensible, then it was gone in the glare of the sun. She sighed. "We're alone on this island."

"You mean..." The boy's voice trailed off as he stared at his bare feet, then picked at a fingernail.

Daine nodded. "I'm going to see how big this island is. I'll be back in a moment."

Peseli looked slightly confused, as if he didn't know how that would be possible in such a short time, but he nodded anyway.
Daine breathed in, then let herself change shape to a sharp-taloned hawk. No one would bother her when she's alone if she's in this form.

A few seconds later she was a few feet taller than the ground, a bird of prey. The wild mage took flight, being careful not to whack Peseli in the head with her wings. Less than a minute later, she was far above ground, surveying the small bit of land below. It seemed to be about three hundred yards in diameter, with a small hill in the center, covered in bushes. Beyond that it was mostly trees, ending twenty feet away from the shore. Regalio was right; it was impossible for humans to build a town here. It was too small.

Once she'd learned what she'd wanted, Daine shifted so that the breeze would carry her down, instead of having to fly. She felt weak already; obviously most of her strength had been drained when the ship sank. When Numair died, she thought, then shook her bird head sadly. He could still be alive. Maybe he was marooned on another island.

She landed on the ground, and eased herself into her human body, aching all over. It would've been better to wait a day before checking this island out, she thought, but what's done is done.

Daine looked around for Peseli. She was sure she had landed in the same place, but he seemed to have disappeared. Her print was in the sand where she'd lay, and there were the marks where he'd dug at something.

"Weird..." she thought, and looked into the forest in case he'd ventured in there. But he was no where to be found.

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