Disclaimer - The characters so far in this story all belong to the Goddess
Tamora Pierce. Twisted Hearts
Chapter 1 - Time Passing
Numair sighed, "Oh magelet" he whispered.
He knelt next to Daine's grave his hand placed in the millions of flowers brought by her friends. He had convinced Jon and Thayet to place her memorial here, in the Royal Forest where he knew she would be happiest.
It was here that her life had ended to, on a call to rescue a small riding party from a spidren attack. He blamed himself. He should never of let her ride off by herself, to help a Griffin she could hear calling in pain. She hadn't come back.
Numair searched for hours for his love but he never found her. It was a shock to everyone. Alanna did not speak for days, Thayet hadn't left her rooms for a week and Kitten had refused to eat.
Millions of the people had come and gone from the palace. Cats and dogs had arrived in their droves, a silent peace between them. Birds had flown over her small, quiet funeral calling a last sweet song to their lost friend.
Numair stirred slightly. He had been knelt here since the small, quiet funeral attended only by her close friends had ended. Alanna had been to check on him every hour and each time she received the same answer "I need just one more hour with her". She hadn't answered him.
"Numair?" a female voice questioned from behind him. He turned his head slowly to face her
"Why- Why are you here?" he croaked his red-rimmed eyes not meeting hers.
She walked to the opposite side of Daine's grave and knelt down. She reached her pale hand across and rested it on Numair's larger, tanned one. "I'm so sorry. We all heard soon after. Emperor Kadder was beside himself. He wanted to come to but imperial duties beckoned. Everyone knows of the great, beautiful wildmage, slain by spidrens"
"They left nothing" he said, the tears freely falling from his eyes. "We only realised what had happened when Jon found her clothes covered in blood by a stream. Her body isn't even buried here-" he couldn't carry on.
"Please come inside now Numair. Daine wouldn't want you to be like this" Varice pleaded.
"No, when she thought I was dead she tore down a palace in anger. What can I do? I don't even know what killed her, whether it was a spidren or griffin or even an immortal for that matter" Varice looked down at his outburst as he flung his hand away from her.
"She may not even be dead," he added in a whisper.
Varice stared at him, forcing him to look at her face "Numair healers looked at the amount of blood left there. They said no one could survive that amount of blood loss. You know that"
He didn't answer, just stared down at the gravestone. "I think it's time I went inside" he whispered his hand reaching out to touch the cold marble.
"Come then" said Varice standing and holding out her arm to him. He took it and begin to walk slowly out of the clearing Daine's grave had been placed. He stopped at the entrance to it and turned. Varice waited as he said his final, silent goodbye to his love. Then turning without one last glance back he walked to the palace.
3 years later....
Numair sat pondering over a new book that had just come into Lindhall's possession. "No..." he muttered "If Haydn's theory is not correct than The Scrolls of Baluci are completely wrong to. And that would mean-"
"Talking to yourself again Numair? That's a sign of madness you know" a friendly voice teased.
"Aren't we all considered mad in this day?" he questioned, turning his chair to greet Varice. She smiled, walking over to him.
"Well only some of us" she giggled, stopping in front of his chair.
He reached up and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her into his lap "Only the bet though" he said huskily pulling her into a feverous kiss. Varice relaxed into his strong grip and enjoyed it. Once he pulled away she saw a look on his face that worried her.
"Are you sure this isn't to soon Numair? Daine only died-"
"It's not" he replied gruffly, standing up abruptly causing Varice to tumble to her feet. "I told you I don't want to talk about it"
"Numair" she said kindly coming up behind him to place her hand on his shoulder "If you want to wait, we will. You haven't been to Daine's grave for such along time and-"
"I said goodbye to Daine 3 years ago. I do not need to visit her again"
"But...Numair..."
"Shush Varice" he said turning to her "I want you now" he said running a hand through her blond locks.
She smiled up at him and he placed his lips on hers. He gathered her up in his arms as he kissed her. She noted that it was not a passionate kiss but a tentative one yet still she melted into him. They kissed for longer, Numair pulling away only once as he located the bed before they fell onto it.
Numair awoke an hour later. He let a hand slide to stroke Varice's hair. She huddled closer to him and he wrapped an arm round her slender shoulders.
He sighed. "I miss Daine so much" he thought "Everyone thinks me strange and cruel not to go to the grave but I couldn't bear to have to say goodbye to her once more. I want her back. If only there was some way to be with her again. Varice, I do love her but Daine..."
"I miss you my love," he whispered as his eyelids closed and sleep came to him.
Varice next to him stifled a sob. Her eyes stared into his face, brimming with tears.
Numair sighed, "Oh magelet" he whispered.
He knelt next to Daine's grave his hand placed in the millions of flowers brought by her friends. He had convinced Jon and Thayet to place her memorial here, in the Royal Forest where he knew she would be happiest.
It was here that her life had ended to, on a call to rescue a small riding party from a spidren attack. He blamed himself. He should never of let her ride off by herself, to help a Griffin she could hear calling in pain. She hadn't come back.
Numair searched for hours for his love but he never found her. It was a shock to everyone. Alanna did not speak for days, Thayet hadn't left her rooms for a week and Kitten had refused to eat.
Millions of the people had come and gone from the palace. Cats and dogs had arrived in their droves, a silent peace between them. Birds had flown over her small, quiet funeral calling a last sweet song to their lost friend.
Numair stirred slightly. He had been knelt here since the small, quiet funeral attended only by her close friends had ended. Alanna had been to check on him every hour and each time she received the same answer "I need just one more hour with her". She hadn't answered him.
"Numair?" a female voice questioned from behind him. He turned his head slowly to face her
"Why- Why are you here?" he croaked his red-rimmed eyes not meeting hers.
She walked to the opposite side of Daine's grave and knelt down. She reached her pale hand across and rested it on Numair's larger, tanned one. "I'm so sorry. We all heard soon after. Emperor Kadder was beside himself. He wanted to come to but imperial duties beckoned. Everyone knows of the great, beautiful wildmage, slain by spidrens"
"They left nothing" he said, the tears freely falling from his eyes. "We only realised what had happened when Jon found her clothes covered in blood by a stream. Her body isn't even buried here-" he couldn't carry on.
"Please come inside now Numair. Daine wouldn't want you to be like this" Varice pleaded.
"No, when she thought I was dead she tore down a palace in anger. What can I do? I don't even know what killed her, whether it was a spidren or griffin or even an immortal for that matter" Varice looked down at his outburst as he flung his hand away from her.
"She may not even be dead," he added in a whisper.
Varice stared at him, forcing him to look at her face "Numair healers looked at the amount of blood left there. They said no one could survive that amount of blood loss. You know that"
He didn't answer, just stared down at the gravestone. "I think it's time I went inside" he whispered his hand reaching out to touch the cold marble.
"Come then" said Varice standing and holding out her arm to him. He took it and begin to walk slowly out of the clearing Daine's grave had been placed. He stopped at the entrance to it and turned. Varice waited as he said his final, silent goodbye to his love. Then turning without one last glance back he walked to the palace.
3 years later....
Numair sat pondering over a new book that had just come into Lindhall's possession. "No..." he muttered "If Haydn's theory is not correct than The Scrolls of Baluci are completely wrong to. And that would mean-"
"Talking to yourself again Numair? That's a sign of madness you know" a friendly voice teased.
"Aren't we all considered mad in this day?" he questioned, turning his chair to greet Varice. She smiled, walking over to him.
"Well only some of us" she giggled, stopping in front of his chair.
He reached up and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her into his lap "Only the bet though" he said huskily pulling her into a feverous kiss. Varice relaxed into his strong grip and enjoyed it. Once he pulled away she saw a look on his face that worried her.
"Are you sure this isn't to soon Numair? Daine only died-"
"It's not" he replied gruffly, standing up abruptly causing Varice to tumble to her feet. "I told you I don't want to talk about it"
"Numair" she said kindly coming up behind him to place her hand on his shoulder "If you want to wait, we will. You haven't been to Daine's grave for such along time and-"
"I said goodbye to Daine 3 years ago. I do not need to visit her again"
"But...Numair..."
"Shush Varice" he said turning to her "I want you now" he said running a hand through her blond locks.
She smiled up at him and he placed his lips on hers. He gathered her up in his arms as he kissed her. She noted that it was not a passionate kiss but a tentative one yet still she melted into him. They kissed for longer, Numair pulling away only once as he located the bed before they fell onto it.
Numair awoke an hour later. He let a hand slide to stroke Varice's hair. She huddled closer to him and he wrapped an arm round her slender shoulders.
He sighed. "I miss Daine so much" he thought "Everyone thinks me strange and cruel not to go to the grave but I couldn't bear to have to say goodbye to her once more. I want her back. If only there was some way to be with her again. Varice, I do love her but Daine..."
"I miss you my love," he whispered as his eyelids closed and sleep came to him.
Varice next to him stifled a sob. Her eyes stared into his face, brimming with tears.