CHAPTER FOUR: The First Day
* The next day. The story follows Daine and Numair *
Daine awoke to the sun in her face. She was alone. Numair was already up; she could hear him in the other room, muttering to himself. Daine smiled. Numair was always doing that. Slowly, as if all of her muscles and joints were cramped, Daine got up. She squinted against the bright sun as she stretched and yawned, thinking about everything that had happened the day before. Today would be another strange day. Daine tested her magic. Last night she was almost drained after healing the Eagle's mate, she barely made it back to the palace. Her magic was as strong as ever this morning though, proving what a good night's sleep could do for a person. Daine searched through her trunk for a nicer pair of breeches and a shirt. 'I had better make myself look presentable, and not wear my rider clothes, if I am to help show these people around. ' Daine thought. At the bottom of her trunk she found the breeches and shirt she had worn when she first arrived in Carthak, miraculously clean of river water and muck from diving in to get Zek. She put these on as she stretched again and walked into the main room of the apartment she shared with Numair. Kitten trilled at the sight of her and Numair smiled. "So you finally got up. I was just going to wake you. I knew that if I didn't wake you up soon Kitten would perform that office for me." Numair said still smiling at Daine. "I can't believe I slept this long, I was so tired after healing that eagle. More tired than usual." Daine replied, still not all the way awake. "Probably do to all of the excitement from earlier. All we are doing is waiting for Alanna and George, who the king said could help guide our guests through the palace. Then we will leave." Then, out of the blue, kitten began to trill very sharply. She only did this when people were coming. For some reason she could sense when people were coming to their room. She was always right. Every time she trilled like that there was a knock on the door. And just like always there was a knock on the door. Kitten opened it to reveal Alanna and George. "Well, there is no time like the present." Said Numair and he walked out the open door, Daine, Kitten, Alanna, and George following closely.
* Story follows everyone *
"And this is the royal Menagerie," Daine said, taking over for Numair. They had been touring all over the palace. Now it was lunchtime and they were at their last stop before they ate. All through the day Snape, who seemed to be infatuated with them, was watching Daine and Alanna. But Numair and George, who every once and awhile made menacing glances at Snape, were watching them even more closely. By the time they went to the rider mess for lunch, tensions were running high for two of the ten (counting Kitten) people. Numair and George were looking like they would lose it. Every time Snape looked at Alanna and Daine, they would get angrier. They were doing their best to hide it for fear Alanna and Daine would notice and their plan would be ruined. The main thing that had been talked about through the tour was the difference of the two realms. For example: Dragons were intelligent creatures in Tortall, but in the wizarding world of Europe they were like beasts. Also in Europe Muggles didn't know about wizards, whereas in Tortall the gifted and ungifted knew all about each other. Which ended up starting a whole new conversation; the difference of magics. As the tour had gone through part of the Royal Forest the Tortallans and Hogwarts wizards accidentally showed off their magics. It happened like this. The group was walking on the path usually used by the Riders when three spidrens, two female, one male jumped out in front of them. Numair went into action and blasted one with his gift while Snape and McGonagall got out their wands and stopped the other two. This all happened in a matter of seconds. The two spidrens being held by McGonagall and Snape were then killed by the two adult Hogwarts wizards. Immediately questions were asked about each person's magic. This conversation continued throughout the whole tour and was still going on as the ten people sat down for lunch. The Hogwarts wizards had already explained their kind of magic, Numair had explained the Gift with Alanna helping, and George explained his Sight. Daine had just started explaining Wild Magic as they had sat down to eat their meal, Snape listening in rapt attention. (Which was one of the reasons George and Numair were so angry.) The only interruptions in the conversation had been when something on the tour was being pointed out or explained. The ten people finished their lunch and the tour continued as it had in the morning. The topic of conversation varied a lot. It went from the Divine Realms to archery, from the Ministry of magic to wands. The tour finally ended as the sun was setting. Alanna and George went to their room (Snape looking daggers at George as he entered the room with Alanna) and left Numair and Daine to escort the visitors back to their rooms. When that was done Numair, Kitten, and Daine went to apartment number 18, dog tired. Even Kitten was too tired for her usual nighttime mischief. The two people and dragon went directly to their bedroom and fell asleep. As did the red haired woman and her husband back in their room, and the five visitors in theirs. It had been a long day.
* The next day. The story follows Daine and Numair *
Daine awoke to the sun in her face. She was alone. Numair was already up; she could hear him in the other room, muttering to himself. Daine smiled. Numair was always doing that. Slowly, as if all of her muscles and joints were cramped, Daine got up. She squinted against the bright sun as she stretched and yawned, thinking about everything that had happened the day before. Today would be another strange day. Daine tested her magic. Last night she was almost drained after healing the Eagle's mate, she barely made it back to the palace. Her magic was as strong as ever this morning though, proving what a good night's sleep could do for a person. Daine searched through her trunk for a nicer pair of breeches and a shirt. 'I had better make myself look presentable, and not wear my rider clothes, if I am to help show these people around. ' Daine thought. At the bottom of her trunk she found the breeches and shirt she had worn when she first arrived in Carthak, miraculously clean of river water and muck from diving in to get Zek. She put these on as she stretched again and walked into the main room of the apartment she shared with Numair. Kitten trilled at the sight of her and Numair smiled. "So you finally got up. I was just going to wake you. I knew that if I didn't wake you up soon Kitten would perform that office for me." Numair said still smiling at Daine. "I can't believe I slept this long, I was so tired after healing that eagle. More tired than usual." Daine replied, still not all the way awake. "Probably do to all of the excitement from earlier. All we are doing is waiting for Alanna and George, who the king said could help guide our guests through the palace. Then we will leave." Then, out of the blue, kitten began to trill very sharply. She only did this when people were coming. For some reason she could sense when people were coming to their room. She was always right. Every time she trilled like that there was a knock on the door. And just like always there was a knock on the door. Kitten opened it to reveal Alanna and George. "Well, there is no time like the present." Said Numair and he walked out the open door, Daine, Kitten, Alanna, and George following closely.
* Story follows everyone *
"And this is the royal Menagerie," Daine said, taking over for Numair. They had been touring all over the palace. Now it was lunchtime and they were at their last stop before they ate. All through the day Snape, who seemed to be infatuated with them, was watching Daine and Alanna. But Numair and George, who every once and awhile made menacing glances at Snape, were watching them even more closely. By the time they went to the rider mess for lunch, tensions were running high for two of the ten (counting Kitten) people. Numair and George were looking like they would lose it. Every time Snape looked at Alanna and Daine, they would get angrier. They were doing their best to hide it for fear Alanna and Daine would notice and their plan would be ruined. The main thing that had been talked about through the tour was the difference of the two realms. For example: Dragons were intelligent creatures in Tortall, but in the wizarding world of Europe they were like beasts. Also in Europe Muggles didn't know about wizards, whereas in Tortall the gifted and ungifted knew all about each other. Which ended up starting a whole new conversation; the difference of magics. As the tour had gone through part of the Royal Forest the Tortallans and Hogwarts wizards accidentally showed off their magics. It happened like this. The group was walking on the path usually used by the Riders when three spidrens, two female, one male jumped out in front of them. Numair went into action and blasted one with his gift while Snape and McGonagall got out their wands and stopped the other two. This all happened in a matter of seconds. The two spidrens being held by McGonagall and Snape were then killed by the two adult Hogwarts wizards. Immediately questions were asked about each person's magic. This conversation continued throughout the whole tour and was still going on as the ten people sat down for lunch. The Hogwarts wizards had already explained their kind of magic, Numair had explained the Gift with Alanna helping, and George explained his Sight. Daine had just started explaining Wild Magic as they had sat down to eat their meal, Snape listening in rapt attention. (Which was one of the reasons George and Numair were so angry.) The only interruptions in the conversation had been when something on the tour was being pointed out or explained. The ten people finished their lunch and the tour continued as it had in the morning. The topic of conversation varied a lot. It went from the Divine Realms to archery, from the Ministry of magic to wands. The tour finally ended as the sun was setting. Alanna and George went to their room (Snape looking daggers at George as he entered the room with Alanna) and left Numair and Daine to escort the visitors back to their rooms. When that was done Numair, Kitten, and Daine went to apartment number 18, dog tired. Even Kitten was too tired for her usual nighttime mischief. The two people and dragon went directly to their bedroom and fell asleep. As did the red haired woman and her husband back in their room, and the five visitors in theirs. It had been a long day.