Chapter 2: Water Logged
Daine woke the next morning to the chirping and calling of the tropical animals around the river. Most greeted her warmly, wished her a good day and went on foraging for whatever they were eating or drinking as was the case for some. She jumped down from the bunk she shared with Onua and got dressed in a pair of clean brown breeches and an aqua green silk shirt. They would be arriving around noon and that gave her time to find Numair.
It had rained the night before so Daine picked her way over the deck barefoot to save her boots. She saw Numair standing near the hatch that led to the women's quarters. She had left before he arrived and he obviously was waiting for her. She snuck up quietly behind him and "You're so obviously looking for someone."
He jumped and started to build fire around his hand which he quickly extinguished when he realized who it was.
"Jumpy this morning are we?" Daine asked mockingly.
"You're getting to be worse then Alanna, you know that? Sneaking up on an innocent Mage out for a morning stroll on deck."
Daine snorted "You are far from innocent. I doubt that you ever were. Secondly, you've been staring at that hatch for a good five minutes. For your information I've been up since dawn. Let that be a lesson to you: you have to get up earlier than that to spook me!" Daine said and whacked the side of his nose.
"You may be a morning person, but you certainly aren't that good at night," Numair replied as he pulled her toward him and kissed her, "I expect that was pay back for last night?"
"Yup," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "let's go get breakfast."
Later that morning Daine sat on the floor of the barge in an area that wasn't wet. It was then that she saw a blue-grey streak followed closely by a very angry lioness.
"You are so going to pay for that you little lizard!" She yelled as she rushed after the dragonet.
Kit squawked her anger at being called a lizard and began to quicken her pace even more.
"Skysong! Skysong! Get over here now!" Daine yelled. She jumped up and began to run after them both to catch Kit and calm Alanna. She didn't take into account the slippery deck or the fact that she had even less traction due to her barefoot status.
The next thing she knew she was sliding toward the rail with no way to stop. She was in the water a moment later fighting a current that was ten times stronger that the area where she rescued Zek. She couldn't keep her head above water; she could hear people yelling from the boat and then a splash. She managed to look over and her heart stopped. Numair had dove into the water after her.
Then there were teeth gently latched onto the back of her shirt and they were pulling her to shore. She fell sputtering on the sand as she thanked the large crocodile who pulled her out. When she saw that Numair was still in the water and heading for rapids that the boat was avoiding she shifted into a crocodile in the blink of an eye. She dove back into the water and swam after him with three other crocs following closely to help her pull him back.
She reached him in the nick of time and pulled him away from the rapids towards the shore with the help of the other crocs. She was glad for their help; she couldn't have carried the large man on her own.
Meanwhile the panic on the boat was heightening as the occupants realized that Daine was safe but Numair was heading straight for rapids. Alanna was about to jump in after them when her husband George grabbed her and pulled her back. King Jonathon was ordering the gangplank lowered and jumped on into the shallows of the river to help. He was followed almost immediately by Queen Thayet, Onua, and Alanna who escaped her husband's hold just long enough to make it down to shore.
"Daine! Numair!" Alanna screamed. Alanna rarely screamed.
Daine finally managed to drag Numair to shore. She fell on top of him, exhausted as her shape immediately changed to normal. "Numair, Numair no." she mumbled right before she blacked out. Normally Jonathon would have covered his eyes but the situation was too serious for him to care about modesty. As Thayet carefully covered Daine with a cloak and pulled her off Numair, Jonathon checked Numair to make sure he was alive. He was, but only just. George and Duke Gareth also jumped off to help Jonathon carry Numair to the boat while Thayet, Alanna, and Onua carried Daine back.
The sailors on the boat helped pull Numair in and they lowered the gang plank for the women to carry Daine up. They quickly pulled Daine into Onua and Daine's bunk. Alanna quickly put her gift to work hoping that Numair was going to be okay. Daine would by fine; she was only bruised a little. Numair, however, had a deep gash across his chest from a rock and he was also covered with scrapes and his leg was in such an angle that it was almost certainly broken. Daine taken care of, Alanna and Thayet left Onua to watch Daine and hurried to Numair's cabin to help in any way they could. There were more people in the small cabin than was ever intended. Duke Gareth, Alanna, and anyone else with the gift did all they could; everyone was hoping against hope that he'd survive. Alanna was worried more for Daine's sake than her own; if she woke up to find him dead..She didn't even want to think of what she'd do. Oh Goddess let him live. She prayed silently.
Daine woke the next morning to the chirping and calling of the tropical animals around the river. Most greeted her warmly, wished her a good day and went on foraging for whatever they were eating or drinking as was the case for some. She jumped down from the bunk she shared with Onua and got dressed in a pair of clean brown breeches and an aqua green silk shirt. They would be arriving around noon and that gave her time to find Numair.
It had rained the night before so Daine picked her way over the deck barefoot to save her boots. She saw Numair standing near the hatch that led to the women's quarters. She had left before he arrived and he obviously was waiting for her. She snuck up quietly behind him and "You're so obviously looking for someone."
He jumped and started to build fire around his hand which he quickly extinguished when he realized who it was.
"Jumpy this morning are we?" Daine asked mockingly.
"You're getting to be worse then Alanna, you know that? Sneaking up on an innocent Mage out for a morning stroll on deck."
Daine snorted "You are far from innocent. I doubt that you ever were. Secondly, you've been staring at that hatch for a good five minutes. For your information I've been up since dawn. Let that be a lesson to you: you have to get up earlier than that to spook me!" Daine said and whacked the side of his nose.
"You may be a morning person, but you certainly aren't that good at night," Numair replied as he pulled her toward him and kissed her, "I expect that was pay back for last night?"
"Yup," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "let's go get breakfast."
Later that morning Daine sat on the floor of the barge in an area that wasn't wet. It was then that she saw a blue-grey streak followed closely by a very angry lioness.
"You are so going to pay for that you little lizard!" She yelled as she rushed after the dragonet.
Kit squawked her anger at being called a lizard and began to quicken her pace even more.
"Skysong! Skysong! Get over here now!" Daine yelled. She jumped up and began to run after them both to catch Kit and calm Alanna. She didn't take into account the slippery deck or the fact that she had even less traction due to her barefoot status.
The next thing she knew she was sliding toward the rail with no way to stop. She was in the water a moment later fighting a current that was ten times stronger that the area where she rescued Zek. She couldn't keep her head above water; she could hear people yelling from the boat and then a splash. She managed to look over and her heart stopped. Numair had dove into the water after her.
Then there were teeth gently latched onto the back of her shirt and they were pulling her to shore. She fell sputtering on the sand as she thanked the large crocodile who pulled her out. When she saw that Numair was still in the water and heading for rapids that the boat was avoiding she shifted into a crocodile in the blink of an eye. She dove back into the water and swam after him with three other crocs following closely to help her pull him back.
She reached him in the nick of time and pulled him away from the rapids towards the shore with the help of the other crocs. She was glad for their help; she couldn't have carried the large man on her own.
Meanwhile the panic on the boat was heightening as the occupants realized that Daine was safe but Numair was heading straight for rapids. Alanna was about to jump in after them when her husband George grabbed her and pulled her back. King Jonathon was ordering the gangplank lowered and jumped on into the shallows of the river to help. He was followed almost immediately by Queen Thayet, Onua, and Alanna who escaped her husband's hold just long enough to make it down to shore.
"Daine! Numair!" Alanna screamed. Alanna rarely screamed.
Daine finally managed to drag Numair to shore. She fell on top of him, exhausted as her shape immediately changed to normal. "Numair, Numair no." she mumbled right before she blacked out. Normally Jonathon would have covered his eyes but the situation was too serious for him to care about modesty. As Thayet carefully covered Daine with a cloak and pulled her off Numair, Jonathon checked Numair to make sure he was alive. He was, but only just. George and Duke Gareth also jumped off to help Jonathon carry Numair to the boat while Thayet, Alanna, and Onua carried Daine back.
The sailors on the boat helped pull Numair in and they lowered the gang plank for the women to carry Daine up. They quickly pulled Daine into Onua and Daine's bunk. Alanna quickly put her gift to work hoping that Numair was going to be okay. Daine would by fine; she was only bruised a little. Numair, however, had a deep gash across his chest from a rock and he was also covered with scrapes and his leg was in such an angle that it was almost certainly broken. Daine taken care of, Alanna and Thayet left Onua to watch Daine and hurried to Numair's cabin to help in any way they could. There were more people in the small cabin than was ever intended. Duke Gareth, Alanna, and anyone else with the gift did all they could; everyone was hoping against hope that he'd survive. Alanna was worried more for Daine's sake than her own; if she woke up to find him dead..She didn't even want to think of what she'd do. Oh Goddess let him live. She prayed silently.