Chapter 6: Searches and Stormwings
Numair woke that morning to find that the sun had not yet risen and that the birds were silent, still in their nests. He sighed. He wasn't allowed to use his gift and Alanna would know if he did. He couldn't fall back to sleep no matter what he did. He groaned exasperatedly.
"Numair? Numair are you okay?" a small, familiar voice asked from the shadows.
"Daine? Yes, I'm fine. What's wrong, Magelet?"
"I'm always up this early. My rooms are right next door and I heard you moan." She walked over cautiously and lit a candle. Her face was starch white.
"Magelet, you haven't been sleeping well have you? You don't look very good at all."
"No," she admitted, "I've been having trouble sleeping since the accident. The only night I slept well was when you first woke up."
"Oh Daine. Come here. I've had trouble sleeping too. You need more sleep than just a few hours. I know you Daine."
Daine carefully slid into the bed next to him, making sure she didn't bump his leg. She rested her head on his shoulder and slept like she hadn't in days. Oddly, Numair fell asleep at the same time. They slept like that for a good few hours. When Numair again woke Daine was gone and the sun was up. A moment later Alanna burst in with a fresh roll of bandages and some plaster.
"Get up, come on. King Jonathon wants you to inspect the barge. He suspects foul play and only you are powerful enough to take inspect it properly. Give me your leg so I can wrap it and plaster it."
Numair watched as Alanna wrapped his leg in stiff bandages and painted plaster over it. "How does the plaster help?"
"It gives the leg stability. Come on, we need to meet Jon, Thayet, and Daine in 10 minutes."
Numair groaned as he carefully stood up, trying unsuccessfully to keep his weight off of it. Alanna handed him a pair of crutches and walked out. He quickly dressed in a pair of loose black breeches and a loose white shirt. He pulled on a cloak over it all as the morning was chilly. He hurriedly made his way outside and went to meet with the small group gathered there.
The group began to walk toward the large barge tied to a dock on the river. Jonathon helped Numair onto the barge and Numair soon began to look around through every nook and cranny on the boat. He came up with nothing but a clump of blonde hair that was streaked with blue-green and a few scales that were most likely from Kitten. They were found in Alanna's room so this was the most plausible reason. Numair sighed and shook his head. This hair was bizarre and a good clue, if he knew what kind of creature might possess something like it. Daine had been on deck to see if any of the animals had seen anything. All of a sudden she came running into the galley where the rest of the party was talking.
"Stormwings! There are Stormwings about 5 minutes from here!" she shrieked as she grabbed her bow and ran back up the stairs. Everyone quickly rushed up behind her. When they reached the deck Daine's bow was cocked and loaded and she was aiming at about 10 quickly growing dots on the horizon. Alanna quickly pulled out her sword and Numair's hands filled with fire. Then to everyone's confusion Daine lowered her bow and her face broke into a smile.
"Lower your weapons, these aren't enemies."
Everyone just stared at her until three of the creatures came into focus.
Barzha Razorwing and her consort Hekbah landed on the railing, steely claws digging into the fine wood.
"After so long you still do not trust me King Jonathon?" Barzha grinned wickedly at him, her teeth glinting in the sun.
"I'm so happy to see you Barzha! I haven't seen you since you took Numair and I across the Sea of Sand in the Realms of the Gods. Are you well?" Daine exclaimed. Alanna stared at her. Daine's hate of Stormwings was well known, yet she seemed rather warm towards this large female. Perhaps it's because she was friends with Rikash Alanna pondered.
"I've been well, child. I was told that there was an accident concerning you two. Normally I would discard the information but I'm eternally in your debt for freeing us and I thought that I might have some information that might help you. I know that there is a spirit who has been giving us trouble lately named Anis; she is a water spirit and this sounds like her handy work. She was escaped when the barrier collapsed. There are not others like her. I have no idea why she would target you and him, but I am reasonably certain that she's responsible. I know little about her, but she's given us trouble in the past." She stared at them expectantly as if waiting for a specific reply.
"I've heard of Anis before," Jon said thoughtfully. "She was captured not long ago but she escaped. She works for the.. The Copper Isles. They're trying to dispose of Daine and Numair. Do you know where we could find her?"
"No," Barzha shook her head, "We've been trying to dispose of her for years. There's no way to locate her, so don't try it. Believe me, we've tried thousands of times and it never works. She'll come to you if you wait long enough and foil enough of her plans."
"Thank you, Barzha. Yet again you are an invaluable information source. Let us know if you need assistance at all." Numair thanked her.
"The pleasure at helping you is mine. I expect that we are welcome in Tortall; we don't harm the living." She said.
"Of course. Good day to you!" Jon answered as the troupe flew off.
"I'm never going to understand stormwings." Numair muttered. "Well at least now we know who it is. But the fact that we can't catch her is unnerving."
"It is." Thayet murmured. "It truly is."
***
"Stormwings really do puzzle me sometimes. They either want to help you or shred you. Pity its hard to tell what their going to do until they do it." Numair said as he slid into bed that night.
"I'm just glad I recognized them before we shot at them. I really do miss Rikash; I wish he were still alive. He was the only totally decent stormwing that I have ever met. I'll never totally trust Barzha like I did him. Ah well." Daine said as she climbed into bed next to Numair. She now slept with him every night; it was the only way she actually slept at all and he slept better as well. No one complained. Alanna knew that Numair wouldn't to anything in the state he was in and she assured everyone else.
***
Daine didn't realize that her wish was about to come true, for at that moment Rikash was flying towards Barzha. He never died after all, he was just stunned. He also had some unfinished business with one Anis Kingsford. She had drugged him and tried to get him to betray Barzha. He was currently scouring the world looking for her, and his path was about to cross Daine's. Again.
Numair woke that morning to find that the sun had not yet risen and that the birds were silent, still in their nests. He sighed. He wasn't allowed to use his gift and Alanna would know if he did. He couldn't fall back to sleep no matter what he did. He groaned exasperatedly.
"Numair? Numair are you okay?" a small, familiar voice asked from the shadows.
"Daine? Yes, I'm fine. What's wrong, Magelet?"
"I'm always up this early. My rooms are right next door and I heard you moan." She walked over cautiously and lit a candle. Her face was starch white.
"Magelet, you haven't been sleeping well have you? You don't look very good at all."
"No," she admitted, "I've been having trouble sleeping since the accident. The only night I slept well was when you first woke up."
"Oh Daine. Come here. I've had trouble sleeping too. You need more sleep than just a few hours. I know you Daine."
Daine carefully slid into the bed next to him, making sure she didn't bump his leg. She rested her head on his shoulder and slept like she hadn't in days. Oddly, Numair fell asleep at the same time. They slept like that for a good few hours. When Numair again woke Daine was gone and the sun was up. A moment later Alanna burst in with a fresh roll of bandages and some plaster.
"Get up, come on. King Jonathon wants you to inspect the barge. He suspects foul play and only you are powerful enough to take inspect it properly. Give me your leg so I can wrap it and plaster it."
Numair watched as Alanna wrapped his leg in stiff bandages and painted plaster over it. "How does the plaster help?"
"It gives the leg stability. Come on, we need to meet Jon, Thayet, and Daine in 10 minutes."
Numair groaned as he carefully stood up, trying unsuccessfully to keep his weight off of it. Alanna handed him a pair of crutches and walked out. He quickly dressed in a pair of loose black breeches and a loose white shirt. He pulled on a cloak over it all as the morning was chilly. He hurriedly made his way outside and went to meet with the small group gathered there.
The group began to walk toward the large barge tied to a dock on the river. Jonathon helped Numair onto the barge and Numair soon began to look around through every nook and cranny on the boat. He came up with nothing but a clump of blonde hair that was streaked with blue-green and a few scales that were most likely from Kitten. They were found in Alanna's room so this was the most plausible reason. Numair sighed and shook his head. This hair was bizarre and a good clue, if he knew what kind of creature might possess something like it. Daine had been on deck to see if any of the animals had seen anything. All of a sudden she came running into the galley where the rest of the party was talking.
"Stormwings! There are Stormwings about 5 minutes from here!" she shrieked as she grabbed her bow and ran back up the stairs. Everyone quickly rushed up behind her. When they reached the deck Daine's bow was cocked and loaded and she was aiming at about 10 quickly growing dots on the horizon. Alanna quickly pulled out her sword and Numair's hands filled with fire. Then to everyone's confusion Daine lowered her bow and her face broke into a smile.
"Lower your weapons, these aren't enemies."
Everyone just stared at her until three of the creatures came into focus.
Barzha Razorwing and her consort Hekbah landed on the railing, steely claws digging into the fine wood.
"After so long you still do not trust me King Jonathon?" Barzha grinned wickedly at him, her teeth glinting in the sun.
"I'm so happy to see you Barzha! I haven't seen you since you took Numair and I across the Sea of Sand in the Realms of the Gods. Are you well?" Daine exclaimed. Alanna stared at her. Daine's hate of Stormwings was well known, yet she seemed rather warm towards this large female. Perhaps it's because she was friends with Rikash Alanna pondered.
"I've been well, child. I was told that there was an accident concerning you two. Normally I would discard the information but I'm eternally in your debt for freeing us and I thought that I might have some information that might help you. I know that there is a spirit who has been giving us trouble lately named Anis; she is a water spirit and this sounds like her handy work. She was escaped when the barrier collapsed. There are not others like her. I have no idea why she would target you and him, but I am reasonably certain that she's responsible. I know little about her, but she's given us trouble in the past." She stared at them expectantly as if waiting for a specific reply.
"I've heard of Anis before," Jon said thoughtfully. "She was captured not long ago but she escaped. She works for the.. The Copper Isles. They're trying to dispose of Daine and Numair. Do you know where we could find her?"
"No," Barzha shook her head, "We've been trying to dispose of her for years. There's no way to locate her, so don't try it. Believe me, we've tried thousands of times and it never works. She'll come to you if you wait long enough and foil enough of her plans."
"Thank you, Barzha. Yet again you are an invaluable information source. Let us know if you need assistance at all." Numair thanked her.
"The pleasure at helping you is mine. I expect that we are welcome in Tortall; we don't harm the living." She said.
"Of course. Good day to you!" Jon answered as the troupe flew off.
"I'm never going to understand stormwings." Numair muttered. "Well at least now we know who it is. But the fact that we can't catch her is unnerving."
"It is." Thayet murmured. "It truly is."
***
"Stormwings really do puzzle me sometimes. They either want to help you or shred you. Pity its hard to tell what their going to do until they do it." Numair said as he slid into bed that night.
"I'm just glad I recognized them before we shot at them. I really do miss Rikash; I wish he were still alive. He was the only totally decent stormwing that I have ever met. I'll never totally trust Barzha like I did him. Ah well." Daine said as she climbed into bed next to Numair. She now slept with him every night; it was the only way she actually slept at all and he slept better as well. No one complained. Alanna knew that Numair wouldn't to anything in the state he was in and she assured everyone else.
***
Daine didn't realize that her wish was about to come true, for at that moment Rikash was flying towards Barzha. He never died after all, he was just stunned. He also had some unfinished business with one Anis Kingsford. She had drugged him and tried to get him to betray Barzha. He was currently scouring the world looking for her, and his path was about to cross Daine's. Again.