Into The Wrong Hands: Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: you all know the drill… I don't own anything, x-cept Theo and Justin, and
Tamora Pierce owns the rest.. bla bla bla!!

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As the group walked down the streets of Carthak to the river's wharf, Daine and Kaddar
rode atop their horses, with Kitten riding in a saddlebag on Daine's horse. Very large
guards with swords at their waists and huge biceps cleared the way of the peasants
crowding the streets. This made things a great deal easier for Theo, Justin and Numair.
They were able to walk freely down the entire way, staying close to the horses, while not
being jostled by the crowd. Numair walked a ways behind the horses, while Theo and
Justin were strolling to the left of Daine. Numair eyed the two teens with apprehension.
He was not certain what was going on with this girl, but he was quite certain that she was
the tool that Ozorne wanted to wield to destroy the eastern lands. How, he was not
certain, but the 'puzzle pieces' as he had called them, were beginning to fit together, and
the finishing image of the puzzle was turning out to be disturbing. He had not alerted any
of the delegation that had come to Carthak with them, although he had been dangerously
close to explaining it all to Alanna when Daine had come to him and explained the
situation. He knew that she would have wanted to be clued in, but he knew that the less
people knew of their plans, the better.

As Numair was thinking, Justin and Theo walked hand in hand, oblivious to the rest of
the world. After a few minutes of silence, the two were brushing shoulders and giggling,
obviously not considering the dangers of what they were doing. Neither heard the
shadow that approached from behind, and both were startled completely when someone
from behind put their hand on Theo's shoulder and spun her around.

Theo almost gave a scream, but remembered only just in time where they were, and who
they were surrounded by. She also quickly saw who had grabbed her shoulder, and
recovered herself. Numair held onto the girl, and glared at both of them. He was an
imposing figure, standing at least a foot taller than Theo. Both Theo and Justin stopped
in the middle of the street and stared at the world's most powerful mage, now glaring
fiercely at the two of them.

"Do either of you realize the danger you are in?" he whispered in a cold voice, while
steering them forward again. "The Emperor of Carthak most likely has nearly all of his
guard out looking for the two of you, many of whom are mages, and you are parading
down the middle of the street like you belong here!" he seemed to be fuming now, and
his grip on Theo's arm was like iron. Theo was suddenly very afraid of the mage at the
moment, and she looked swiftly at Justin to see his reaction. He looked startled, but not
afraid, and Theo wanted to be courageous, but the mage had a Grip of Death on her
shoulder, and was nearly pushing her through the streets.

Theo and Justin were especially glad when they could see the river, and from there they
soon stepped onto a boat which, Theo was unhappy to note, was rowed by slaves. She
didn't like seeing that, but knew that there was nothing she could do now to help them,
and looked away for the time being. At least Numair had let go of her arm. She rubbed
it absent mindedly, sitting next to Justin in a remote corner of the boat. Theo could see
Numair, shrouded in a black glow, as was herself and Justin, talking in low whispers to
Daine, who was holding the sky-blue baby dragon in her lap. It was obvious to Theo that
both Kaddar and Daine could not see them, but they could hear them, and probably feel
them if anyone got close enough. Theo wondered about the dragon though. Wasn't she
supposed to be able to sense invisible people? She wondered. Then she saw that the
young dragon was busy eating what was left of Daine's lunch, and would most likely let
everyone know that they were there when they wanted to.

Numair walked away from Kaddar then, and went to join Theo and Justin in their corner.
He was careful not to let anyone touch him, and he sat down next to Theo. Theo sat up,
her back straight, a bit nervous, and didn't say anything. The world's greatest mage had
been mad at her a few moments earlier, and she was not sure if he was still angry.
Numair was the first to break the awkward silence. A thought zipped through her mind,
and she wondered wildly if Numair would turn her into a tree if he got angry enough.
She almost giggled aloud at the thought, but held it in, waiting for Numair to speak.

"Theo. Justin, I am sorry that I spoke harshly," he began in a whisper, "but you must
understand. The emperor does not like his captives escaping, and he will put all of his
force behind looking for the both of you in secret. I am trying to protect you-" At this,
Theo interrupted him.

"And we know that it was at a great risk to yourself, with the Emperor suspicious of you
and all." She told him, looking him in the eye now. "We greatly appreciate all that you
and Daine and Kaddar have done for us." At this Justin nodded empathetically next to
her, and she continued. "and we are sorry that we weren't paying attention. We didn't
mean to upset you." She hoped that she had made him believe her, and she really was
sorry.

Numair looked at her quizzically for a moment, and then stated, "We need to have a very
long chat at Lindhall's." Theo didn't understand this comment, and she was about to ask
him what he meant, when talk from the boats crew became audible, and the boat docked
gently with the opposite side of the river. Theo looked at what was supposed to be the
greatest place of learning in the world, the Imperial University. Or the greatest place of
learning in their world anyway, She thought to herself. Numair stood up, and waited for
Daine and Kaddar to mount their horses, and ride off the boat. The three followed
closely behind them, and waited patiently while hostlers took the horses at the gates.
Theo took the opportunity to take in everything that she saw.

The university was gigantic. They walked through a huge gate onto a beautiful campus,
full of sloping lawns and wide paths lined with small stones. They went into an entry
room for a building that had gigantic blue pillars in the front. The entry room itself had
enormously tall ceilings, with huge mosaics on the wall. Theo remembered them from
the descriptions in the book, but seeing them in real life was completely different, and
she was amazed at the detail of all of them. The mosaics, too, awed Daine, but Theo had
expected that. Daine had stopped in the middle of the room to take it all in; the
fountains, the plants, and the mosaics decorating the walls. Theo smiled to herself, and
waited while Kaddar spoke quietly to Daine, explaining about the mosaics history.

Theo was just about to mention something about running out of time to Numair, who
stood next to her, when Theo saw Kaddar tweak Daine's nose from the corner of her eye.
She smiled absently, remembering a story she had read about one tweak too many on a
website once.

"There you are!" a voice rang out. The source appeared to be the tall man in a robe
flapping behind him, walking up to Daine and Kaddar. Theo guessed that this was
Lindhall Reed. He had tanned skin, and blonde hair-with only a few silver streaks to tell
of his age- and bright blue eyes. At the moment, he was smiling as he spoke with Kaddar
and Daine, directing them down a side corridor. Numair followed him, motioning for
Theo and Justin to come behind him. The three ahead were talking about something or
other that Theo couldn't hear, and when Lindhall turned to Daine and she handed him
Kitten, Theo knew that they were close to the study, and stepped up her pace to catch
Numair ahead of them.

After a few more twists and turns, they came to a hallway with a door on the right side.
The three stopped in front of it, and Numair paused a short ways behind them.

"Let me in, dolt," Lindhall said, looking at the door as it opened. He walked in, followed
by Daine and Kaddar.

"That's how he talks to the key spell,' Kaddar told Daine, as Numair, Justin and lastly
Theo filed silently inside the room.

"I almost feel as if there is a sprite at work, not a spell," Lindhall told Daine cheerfully,
and magicked his robe to fall on a coat hanger standing next to the door. Theo could see
Justin looked astonished at this, and almost giggled aloud. "A small, not very clever,
spiteful one." Lindhall continued about the door.

"What about your assistant?" Daine asked him, while leaning down to pet a large turtle
on the floor. It was trying to eat Zek, and he was making a ruckus, hiding in Daine's
curly brown hair.

"Out on fieldwork for the day," Lindhall told her, then looked at the still open door,
glaring. "Close up," he told it, and the door slowly closed on its own. Justin, much to
Theo's amusement, gaped open mouthed at it. "And that will be enough out of you Mr.
Sandstone." He told the turtle, as he picked it up and put it in a back room. Theo didn't
bother trying to look in it briefly as Daine did. She knew that it hid Numair's simu-
thingy, and wondered for a moment what would happen to the end of Tamora's book
now that they were here. She sighed, audibly, thinking that it was too much to figure out
just now. No one heard her though. They were busy looking at Lindhall's collection of
animals in their glass cages. As they spoke, Theo took the opportunity to look around,
before the real explaining was going to tire her completely. Justin followed her as they
slowly walked around the room, just enjoying the sights. When they got to a corner and
stood next to Numair, a sharp whistling drew her gaze to the floor. There, the sky-blue
Kitten was trilling sharply, and sounding angry. Numair rolled his eyes and sighed, then
let his spell go. Theo could see the black clouds that had surrounded her, Justin and
Numair flow back into Numair outstretched hands. Kaddar, Daine, and Lindhall turned
in time to see the three of them appear out of thin air. Not one of them seemed surprised
to see three people, two of whom looked very different in flares, baggy jeans, sneakers
and sweatshirts.

"You had to inform everyone?" Numair asked the dragon, who was now busy eating the bottom of
Numair's robes.

"About time," Daine told Numair. "I was beginning to think that we had lost you
somewhere. And Numair, everyone knows already." She replied, smiling slightly as she
found a seat on one of the couches in the large office, and looked at the two teenagers
expectedly. "Well, now we are hear, where we can talk in private. Why don't
we get on with it?"

Lindhall smiled and sat behind a desk in a chair. "Yes. It is about time to hear your
stories now. We have plenty of time, so why don't one of you begin?" He smiled
comfortingly, leaned back, and motioned to another, empty, couch next to the wall.

"Yes," agreed Numair, "I am sure we are all wondering how you seem to know much
about us, and the reasons that Ozorne seems to want you particularly to help him." He
looked pointedly at the couch, and sat next to Daine, who was petting Kitten, on the
couch across the room.

Theo looked at Justin, who nodded slightly, and together sat down on the couch and
began to talk.

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A/N: Oooookay!! So, how did everyone like the chapter??? Please please please
review!! I need them!!! I LIVE off reviews!!!! Pleeeeease!!! Anywayz, with the
begging out of the way… I would like to thank everyone who reviewed on all the other
chapters!!!! It meant a lot to me!!! And to Cosmic Goddess, should she ever read this,
there's a line in here somewhere that I owe to her!!! Arram knows what I mean!!! (or he
should) * Grins evilly * And so, good people, I depart, with one final plea. PLEASE
REVIEW!!!!!!!! Thank you, and Good nite!!!!

Ah yes… and to whomever said that I could not spell… alas, this is true. Just ask any of
the ppl I know, (no comments form any of you thank you!!! * glares at everyone who
knows that I cant spell to save my life *) And so, I am sorry if you can tell that I
probably took 'creative spelling' as an elective!!!! (I didn't really…. I swear!!!) But
yeah, anywayz, that's all, and review my story please!!

Ah yes.. and Arram, a big THANX!!! for helping me edit this!!! TY!! :D