And What? [A/N: Hey yall! Can you believe your eyes?? Yes! I have gotten the 3rd chapter up! Ahaha. I hope yall enjoy. It's not as long as the other two, I dont think, or as good, kinda slow at this point, but bear with me! I have a GREAT idea for the rest of the story, so stay with me as well! So let me know what you think, and let me just give my HUGE thanks to everyone who reviewed! I love yall! You have no idea how good it makes me feel to know my stories are at least decent! LOL, thanks again and on to the Third Episode of the And Now? Saga, rofl......]

Email: Mstryhrs98@aol.com
Website: www.geocities.com/mstryhrs


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And What?

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For hours Daine struggled to break out of the magicked sleep, almost succeeding, and then falling again into the black. Finally she gave up trying and rested more peacefully.

Numair watched silently from a chair near her bed in the infirmary. Anyone walking into the room would have thought him turned to stone. But inside, emotions and thoughts heaved and roiled so wildly that it was a miracle he could keep his outer self still.

He was tired, bone-weary, but couldn't bring himself to leave Daine's side. She would be frightened when she awoke. And he prayed to all the gods he knew that she would wake with better peace of mind then what she had been forced to sleep with.

Alanna came in from time to time, checking her vital signs, asking him questions on his observations of the young woman. Onua had come by earlier, bringing an anxious Cloud with her. The gray mare had insisted on sticking her head in the nearest window to see her mistress for herself. Onua had also brought him a few books from his room, but he could find no interest in them.

He couldn't help but think...it was his fault. He had put Daine in a situation that forced her to do what she had done. Yes, she had saved his life, but would she always live with the repercussions of her actions?

He leaned forward, resting his head in his hands, not caring for the long black hair that had come unbound hours before. It settled like a shield around his face, "a shield from the rest of the world, from pain..." he thought silently.

"Numair?" a voice questioned softly, and the mage opened an eye to see Duke Baird through the strands of his hair. He sat up straight and pushed the hair behind his ears and nodded politely to the healer.

"Any change?"

"Nothing at all," he replied.

The duke nodded thoughtfully and walked over to his patient. He checked her pulse, her breathing rate, and found they were all as a few hours before.

"She really seems fine. I was a bit worried at first, when she continued to struggle against the sleep Lady Alanna laid on her...but she has settled nicely. I have some concerns that her magic may have overloaded when she-but that is more yours and the Lioness' line of expertise." he came to the foot of the bed and looked at him with kind eyes. "I think it would be best for both of you if you go ahead and take her to your apartment."

Numair nodded gratefully, unfolding all 6 and a half feet of him as he stiffly got up from his seat. Duke Baird moved to Daine's other side to help Numair carry her to his rooms, but the man shook his head once sharply. "I can manage, thank you, Baird." The healer curled the edges of his mouth up slightly and opened the door for him. Numair gathered his love into his arms, keeping her wrapped in the light blanket, and carried her out the door. He nodded absentmindedly to those he saw in the waiting area of the infirmary, knowing they all must be wondering what the greatest mage in Tortall was doing carrying the only wildmage out of a healing room. "No, your wrong, Numair. They most likely already know what the greatest mage in Tortall is doing carrying the only wildmage out of a healing room,"

He shook his head wearily and thanked the healer assistant that opened the door for him. Court life and being one of the most prominent people in the land was very, very tiring. He hugged Daine's sleeping body closer to him and hurried to their rooms.

Upon reaching the apartment he was only mildly surprised to find the door was swung open before he could attempt to do so himself. A worried Kitten sat on the other side of the door up on her haunches. He wondered that she was still in his rooms, and not gallivanting somewhere trying to find Daine. The young dragon cheeped a worried note and scrambled out of view towards the bedroom. Numair followed her, kicking the door shut after him. Kit had pulled back the covers of the bed and Numair caressed her small head in thanks after he settled Daine inside them.

"Let's see if we can find something to eat, Kit." Numair said quietly after he had scrutinizing the familiar lines of his loves' face. The young dragon stopped studying her unconscious surrogate-mothers face and nodded seriously. Numair doused the light in the bedroom and followed her out the door, closing it partly behind him. Though not without one last look at his beloved's prone form. He knew it was better for her to sleep as long as possible, but it made him uneasy to see her so...

He turned to the other room just in time to see Kitten pull a bowel of fruit to the floor. He sighed. "Kitten! If you aren't worse than a two year old child you most certainly equal one!"

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A crashing noise startled Daine from her fading sleep, quickly followed by low murmurs. Upon consciousness she was assaulted with great pain in her head and a multitude of voices clamoring for her attention. Quiet! All of you! Daine screamed in her mind as loud as she dared, and was rewarded with peace from all the animals, but also with a sharp stab of pain from her head. It grew so bad that she nearly passed out from the intense pain. Gradually the waves of hurt subsided.

Gasping for air she gingerly opened her eyes to tiny slits, trying to ascertain where she was. Thankfully, she found herself to be laid in Numair and hers bed with the light mercifully out.

She started to feel a few hesitant voices from the animals again, most pressingly from Cloud. Daine began to reassure her pony but was again beset with piercing pain in her head. She immediately cut the connection and massaged her aching temples. Again the pain slowly faded. What was wrong with her? This had never happened before...and then she slowly began to remember what had taken place before, the tigers... Daine groaned with grief. She had killed an animal. She, Daine the Wildmage, who could hear, talk, and change into animals! She had killed an innocent tiger that had just wanted to go home...

Anguished tears streaked down her face, but she held back the sobs, pushing them away. She knew her head would explode into fiery pain if she did anything strenuous.

Numair, where was Numair? She suddenly had an overwhelming urge for him to be at her side. She had saved him, hadn't she? Yes, yes, I was in his arms when the purple light put me out.Daine tried to smile, Alanna's doing no doubt. Thank the Horse Lords I didn't have to see the tigers body.

But what had they done with the female?

Daine's ears began picking up noises in the other room and she tried to switch her ears to those of wolf without thinking. This time the pain was excruciating and she cried out involuntarily. Within seconds the door was slammed against the opposite wall and light exploded in the room. Numair leapt over a chair and was at her side in seconds.

"Daine! What is it? What's wrong?"

She was still in a world of pain, writhing from side to side with her hands over her ears, hardly able to notice the troubled dragon who was trying to avoid her wildly moving legs. "Numair, make it stop!" she gasped as he grabbed her wrists and looked at her with intensely worried eyes. "My head...it's-it's-" and then it was gone. She still had the ache from before, but nothing near as painful as seconds ago.

She blinked at him. "It's gone,"

"Whats gone, Daine, what was happening?"

"I-I don't know. I heard talking and when I tried to shape change my ears to hear better my head burst into pain." she grimaced at the thought of it.

He frowned deeply and let go of her wrists. "How do you feel otherwise?"

"My head aches something fierce, but nothing compared to earlier and just now."

"What earlier? This happened before?" he asked sharply. She nodded and related what had happened when she had tried speaking to the animals and Cloud.

He settled down into a chair, deep in thought as he pulled characteristically at his nose. She studied him and was slightly alarmed to see how haggard and drawn he looked. When was the last time he had eaten? Slept? And thinking of this she realized how hungry she herself was.

Slowly and carefully she pulled back the covers and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. How weak she felt! She scowled, not at all liking how feeble she had become. Kitten squawked rebukingly when she saw this.

"Daine! What in Mithros name are you doing?" Numair exclaimed gently pushing her back onto the bed from where she was teetering above it. She turned her scowl on him. "I was going to get something to eat and drink."

He looked surprised at her tone and face but was then mortifyingly abashed. "Oh, sweet, I'm so sorry, I got caught up in the magic...I think when you used your powers so vehemently on the tiger that you damaged something, because your magic comes from your body, this is quite explainable, now if," he saw her looking at him with an even more cross expression and his face flooded red under his tan. "Lay down, I'll get you anything you need, don't worry about it."

He turned to leave the room, where Kitten was once again raiding the small supply of fruit and vegetables, this time for Daine; when he heard the young woman whisper, "Numair, please..." he turned and saw her slumped there on the bed with tears streaming down her face.

"Daine?" he questioned worriedly.

"Come here," He went to her, and she gestured for him to get on his knees. He was completely mystified as to what was ailing her or what she was wanting from him. And then he got his answer as she grabbed him around the neck and buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing silently and hanging on to his strong form for dear life.

"Magelet, I'm so sorry...so sorry."

He felt her stop crying sooner than he expected, and they simply held each other just for the joy of being close until he felt her go lax in his arms. Smiling he gently laid her back into bed and covered her again-sleeping form. He waved a hand sharply, causing his mage light to flicker and go out. He smoothed a curl from Daine's face. She looks much more at ease now..."

Kitten came trundling into the room with the once broken bowel in-claw, now miraculously intact and full of various fruits. Numair raised an eyebrow and whispered, "Did I know you could do that?" She cocked her head and chirped matter-of-factly. "Come along, Daine's resting again, we'll order up some real food."

She nodded eagerly and turned tail back out the door.

A pounding at the door heralded the entrance of a harried looking horse-mistress and alert lady night. They both opened their mouths to fire questions and he held up his large hands quickly. "Stop. She's fine, I promise." They closed their mouths and relaxed slightly and on came the next inquiries. Numair rubbed his forehead wearily. It was going to be another long night.

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