Chapter 6
The next morning, Daine was awoken by Estelle's baby dove, Galadriel, pecking in her hair.
"Ow! That hurts!" she cried, suddenly awake. "What is it?" she asked.
The stork man wants you, Galadriel said. He's moving quickly back and forth, never stopping, and keeps muttering your name.
"Thanks for telling me," said Daine. She got up and began to search for some clothes.
No problem, replied the dove as she flew out the open window.
When Daine got downstairs, she found Numair pacing across the front hallway. He stopped mid-step when he looked down at her. "Daine!" he said gratefully. "You're awake!"
"What's the matter, Numair?" she asked worriedly. "Galadriel told me something was wrong."
"We've been called on a mission," he said. "I didn't want to wake you, because you said your ma always said -"
"There's no living in me before lunch," they laughed together.
"Back to the mission," continued Numair. "The Queen's Riders are having a bit of trouble facing off the Stormwings those Scanrans sent."
Daine's stomach fell. "The Scanrans are consorting with those monsters too?" It was not her first time dealing with these monsters, and she wished it would be the last.
Numair nodded solemnly. "We have to be off," he said. "They've sent an escort- your good friend Estelle, in fact, is one of the Queen's riders. And her suitor Alexander, as you know, is a very powerful independent mage."
There's so much she didn't tell me, thought Daine. Well, I suppose it's true we don't see each other often.
It is, called Estelle's voice in her head. Daine turned to see Estelle walk in the door, dressed in riding clothes from head to toe.
"Hello!" she called cheerfully.
"Good day," said Numair with a graceful, sweeping bow.
"We've been called on a mission, as you probably already know," Estelle began. "The Scanrans are attacking Tortall, and since you are the best archer in all the western lands, and perhaps the world, we need you." Daine blushed. "It's true, Daine," Estelle persisted. "And we needed the 2nd best mage, too." She winked.
"Come on," said Estelle, leading them outside. Lifting herself onto her horse with one hand, she guestered to the stable. "I've gotten your horses ready."
In thought-speak, Daine asked, I think there's more to this than you're saying out loud.
You're right, sighed Estelle. I didn't want to worry Numair. He gets a little spastic under pressure.
Duh, thought Daine. Well, what's the story?
It's a long one, but here goes, started Estelle. As you know, King Jonathon has never been particularly fond of Scanrans. Understandably, since they've been attacking Tortall for a good thousand years. Daine nodded. Well, continued Estelle, apparently a comment from the Scanran king about Tortall and its inhabitants enraged him, and now the scent of war is brewing. It's not official until a document and all that is signed, but you can tell once you've been around royalty enough. Scanran can fight dirty and pretend none of it was them until war is on.
"Wonderful," Daine said aloud. She knew that Estelle's and her "silence" was making Numair wonder what they were saying.
Estelle went into the stable. Only Daine could hear her murmur to her beautiful glowing white horse in the People's language, We've a long road ahead of us, Shimmerstone. I hope you're ready for it.
Shimmerstone whinnied. Nah, I think I'll just stay here, the horse said sarcastically. Have I ever not been? she asked more seriously.
Never. You've always been ready for me, Estelle replied, producing a block of sugar from thin air. She fed it to her horse and mounted her, leaving Daine to scurry away.
"Haven't you got a horse?" Estelle asked Daine.
"No," admitted Daine. "I'm friends with them, and I don't see why I should ride them for such far distances. I've got Cloud, but she's getting older. I don't think she's up to such a long ride."
Something pricked Daine's mind. Of course I am, replied Cloud crossly. She walked out of the barn, tack on and ready to go.
If you insist, laughed Daine. Don't say I didn't warn you.
* * *
An hour later, they were on the road to Scanran. They rode Numair and Daine in front, Alexander and Estelle in the back. Suddenly, something big and black appeared in both Daine and Estelle's minds. "Cover!" screamed Daine just in time for the group to see 10 Stormwings fly overhead, screaming.
"Where'd they go?" asked one of the Stormwings. Brunette and female, her teeth, like all Stormwings', were streaked with blood.
"Don't be stupid," snapped another. "The tall man put an invisible spell on them. They're still there, having a laugh as you put us to shame."
Another Stormwing, the largest of them all, pulled out a truth crystal. "Numair Salmalin put an invisibility spell on them," he said, his slithery voice sending chills through Daine's back. The crystal glowed red- its signal of a lie being told. The Stormwing's eyes popped. "What?!" he shrieked. He threw the crystal to the ground where it shattered into a million pieces. Unfortunately, the destroyed magic in the crystal affected the invisibility spell which Estelle had cast over the group. Their images wavered, and stayed. The Stormwings could see them.
Numair, Daine, Estelle, and Alexander jumped off their horses, sending them into the safety of the woods. Daine pulled out her bow. She was indeed the best archer in all of the world. One after another, five Stormwings fell, their jagged cries lingering in the air. Numair, Estelle, and Alexander combined their Gifts to create smelly onion-scented stink bombs, which they hurled at the Stormwings. Two more fell (Stormwings despised onions because they were fatal to them), but three got away. Their wings were at jarred angles, but they swooped into the sky, cackling. "We'll come back for you, darlings," one said with an evil grin.