Numair and Daine rode over to the Tarsi farm the next day. Dana was working
with the animals at that time, and so she didn't see them. Their first view
of the farm was that it was unusually large for a commoner's farm in this
part of the forest.
Maria Tarsi, Dana's mother by adoption, (though she didn't know it), was working in the garden when she saw these two ride up. She had enough of a Gift to see that the large man was a very powerful mage. The woman next to him had power also, but it was subtler. It obviously wasn't the Gift.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am Numair Salmalin, and this is my student and assistant, Daine Sarrasri, the Wild Mage."
"And what are you doing here, sir? Don't mind my question, but it's not every day a powerful mage comes visiting our humble farm. What do you want?"
"It's about your daughter." Daine replied.
"Which one? Is it Anna, Dana or Emmi? Have they done anything bad? They will work off any damage they've done to your property."
"It's about Dana, and she hasn't done anything bad."
"Yet." muttered Maria. Her children were well known around town as to being the ones who were usually behind any of the smaller problems. Their tricks never really hurt anyone, or broke anything, but some people thought it inappropriate that her daughters wore men's clothes and ran around town when they weren't working on the farm. Add that to the fact that Dana was skilled with a bow, and you almost had a scandal on your hands.
"Your daughter has the Gift, am I right?" Numair told her.
"Yes. She has a very powerful gift. However, I don't think she's that interested in training it and becoming a powerful mage. She prefers working with animals."
"Well, that's why I'm here. Daine and I have found that your daughter..."
"Mother! Do you know where the currycomb is? I can't seem to find it!" yelled Dana, coming out of the stable. "Oh." she continued, seeing Numair. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, that was what I was getting to. Maria Tarsi, your daughter Dana has very strong Wild Magic, and she needs training. I don't think you have anyone around here who can train her, so Daine has volunteered to become her teacher." Numair told Maria.
"Teacher? But don't you move around a lot? She'd have to leave home."
"Yes, I know. However, she told me that you were planning to send her to the Royal University when she was older. Just think of it as her going a little early." Daine answered.
"But, how can I pay you for it? It would cost a lot of money to teach her, and it could hold you back in your own work." Maria answered.
"I have enough money to pay for the basic costs of instructing her: books, time lost from my employment and equipment. You may have to send some money to us for the first few years, in order to pay for her food, clothes and shelter, but if she learns as quickly as I did, she could start working for the king within a few years and pay it back." Daine told the woman.
"Well, I guess so. Dana!" she called. Dana came over, having heard the most of the conversation.
"Yes, mother?" she asked.
"As you seem to know, these people wish to instruct you in your wild magic. Do you wish to become Daine's student?" she asked.
"You can teach me how to talk to animals?" Dana asked.
"Yes."
"Of course I'll come. I'll pack my things. But, mother..." she trailed off.
"Yes, dear?"
"When can I visit you?" she asked.
"That won't be much of a problem for a while. Whenever we're in the area we can arrange a visit." Daine answered.
"Then I guess it's settled. How long do I have before you continue north?" she asked.
"We were planning on spending a week here, and then continuing north. I think that our lessons can start right away, though."
"That's fine with me. Can I bring some of my animals with me when we go north?" Dana asked.
"Err, what animals?" Daine asked.
"My hawk friend, horse, dog and mouse friend."
"I guess you could. Do they cause trouble?" Numair asked.
"Not that much, sir. My horse, Goldenstar, can fight people like a warhorse, and my dog and mouse friends stay out of the way a lot."
"I guess you can then. When I first arrived at the palace, I couldn't sleep properly unless I slept with animals."
"Okay!" she yelled.
that's my second chapter. more to come, hopefully, but I don't have much time on my hands until the Xmas holidays. send in your reviews!
Maria Tarsi, Dana's mother by adoption, (though she didn't know it), was working in the garden when she saw these two ride up. She had enough of a Gift to see that the large man was a very powerful mage. The woman next to him had power also, but it was subtler. It obviously wasn't the Gift.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am Numair Salmalin, and this is my student and assistant, Daine Sarrasri, the Wild Mage."
"And what are you doing here, sir? Don't mind my question, but it's not every day a powerful mage comes visiting our humble farm. What do you want?"
"It's about your daughter." Daine replied.
"Which one? Is it Anna, Dana or Emmi? Have they done anything bad? They will work off any damage they've done to your property."
"It's about Dana, and she hasn't done anything bad."
"Yet." muttered Maria. Her children were well known around town as to being the ones who were usually behind any of the smaller problems. Their tricks never really hurt anyone, or broke anything, but some people thought it inappropriate that her daughters wore men's clothes and ran around town when they weren't working on the farm. Add that to the fact that Dana was skilled with a bow, and you almost had a scandal on your hands.
"Your daughter has the Gift, am I right?" Numair told her.
"Yes. She has a very powerful gift. However, I don't think she's that interested in training it and becoming a powerful mage. She prefers working with animals."
"Well, that's why I'm here. Daine and I have found that your daughter..."
"Mother! Do you know where the currycomb is? I can't seem to find it!" yelled Dana, coming out of the stable. "Oh." she continued, seeing Numair. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, that was what I was getting to. Maria Tarsi, your daughter Dana has very strong Wild Magic, and she needs training. I don't think you have anyone around here who can train her, so Daine has volunteered to become her teacher." Numair told Maria.
"Teacher? But don't you move around a lot? She'd have to leave home."
"Yes, I know. However, she told me that you were planning to send her to the Royal University when she was older. Just think of it as her going a little early." Daine answered.
"But, how can I pay you for it? It would cost a lot of money to teach her, and it could hold you back in your own work." Maria answered.
"I have enough money to pay for the basic costs of instructing her: books, time lost from my employment and equipment. You may have to send some money to us for the first few years, in order to pay for her food, clothes and shelter, but if she learns as quickly as I did, she could start working for the king within a few years and pay it back." Daine told the woman.
"Well, I guess so. Dana!" she called. Dana came over, having heard the most of the conversation.
"Yes, mother?" she asked.
"As you seem to know, these people wish to instruct you in your wild magic. Do you wish to become Daine's student?" she asked.
"You can teach me how to talk to animals?" Dana asked.
"Yes."
"Of course I'll come. I'll pack my things. But, mother..." she trailed off.
"Yes, dear?"
"When can I visit you?" she asked.
"That won't be much of a problem for a while. Whenever we're in the area we can arrange a visit." Daine answered.
"Then I guess it's settled. How long do I have before you continue north?" she asked.
"We were planning on spending a week here, and then continuing north. I think that our lessons can start right away, though."
"That's fine with me. Can I bring some of my animals with me when we go north?" Dana asked.
"Err, what animals?" Daine asked.
"My hawk friend, horse, dog and mouse friend."
"I guess you could. Do they cause trouble?" Numair asked.
"Not that much, sir. My horse, Goldenstar, can fight people like a warhorse, and my dog and mouse friends stay out of the way a lot."
"I guess you can then. When I first arrived at the palace, I couldn't sleep properly unless I slept with animals."
"Okay!" she yelled.
that's my second chapter. more to come, hopefully, but I don't have much time on my hands until the Xmas holidays. send in your reviews!