Chapter 10: A Lone Piece of Driftwood
Numair reached his tower a day later. He rubbed Spots and Cloud down and went inside. He hadn't been in here since his return from their first voyage to Carthak, so everything was dusty and quiet. He had placed a preserving spell on all the food in the pantries so they had plenty to eat. He sighed and looked out the window towards the ocean. He pursed his lips and turned away, tears streaming down his cheeks.
How am I supposed to live without her, when it feels like the gods have forgotten me, forgotten us. He asked himself, no answer came. He silently munched on an apple as Kit and Zek found whatever suited them.
Numair went back to his study and found something to occupy him. Day in, day out, he spoke hardly at all except to calm Kitten and Zek when they began whining out of sadness. He got into the habit of walking along the shore every night, looking out upon the thing that took away his love. There was little debris on the shore.
***
Three days after Numair's return to his tower, he was walking on the beach as usual that night. He was on his way home when he spotted a lone piece of driftwood laying on the shore. It was large, and had an interesting shape from a distance. Numair walked over to it, thinking that it could be used for a walking stick, when he took a closer look at it and saw that it was moving. The driftwood was breathing.
Numair ran over to it, trying not to get his hopes up, yet praying to the gods that it was. He pulled away several pieces of seaweed to reveal a face that he would have recognized in the darkest, most crowded room.
"Daine," He breathed, "Daine are you okay, please wake up."
His heart skipped a beat when he saw her eyes flutter open and her salt caked lips break into a weak smile. "Numair, am I dead?"
"No Sweet, you are very much alive. Praise the gods you're alive." He carefully lifted her into a sitting position and pulled her to him, pressing his lips to her hair. "Praise the gods; I thought I'd never see you again after that witch took you. How did you escape?" A puzzled look came over her face.
"I didn't. All I remember is falling in and seeing Alanna jump in and try to save me, then Anis dragged me down and I blacked out." He hugged her tighter and then felt her flinch. He pulled away and looked at her; she was covered in bruises, cuts and scrapes.
"Oh Daine, look at you! We need to get you to a healer." She opened her mouth to argue; Numair pressed a gentle hand to her lips. "Don't argue, besides, think of all the people at the palace who have been worried sick about you for the past week."
Daine nodded and allowed Numair to gently hoist her into his arms and carry her toward his tower. She snuggled into his arms and fell asleep, with a smile on her face.
Numair was trying to figure everything out while he carried Daine to his tower; how had she survived? The gods only knew, he was relieved, though. King Jonathon had threatened war on the Copper Isles because of her abduction. The Emperor had naturally claimed innocence; you can imagine how far that went. You can't trust Islanders as far as you can throw them. That stuff could wait; right now he had all he needed in his arms.
***
Back at his tower, Numair called Kitten and Zek into the kitchen for dinner and took them into Daine's room. Kitten had been the blue color that meant she was sad all week, at the sight of Daine, she immediately changed to a happy yellow color. She ran over and began to squawk her pleasure as Daine woke with a start, looked around, and began to pet Kitten and hug Zek. She carefully sat up and grinned at Numair, who came in with a large bowl of fruit.
"You have no idea how sulky those two have been without you. They were intolerable!"
"Why am I not surprised?"
Daine, I thought you were dead! That's what the stork-man said. Cloud said she'd bite anyone who tried to ride her ever again and Kitten was blue the entire time! Zek chattered.
I thought I was dead too. When I was kidnapped I blacked out, I don't even remember how I got on the shore in the first place. Daine hugged Zek and allowed him to climb onto her back.
"Do you mind if I bathe before we go to the palace for a healer? I have at least half a beach's worth of sand and salt caked onto me. And I smell like seaweed."
Numair chuckled. "You practically live under a layer of horse dung during the summer and sand and salt bother you? You are truly strange Daine. But yes, go ahead. I figured you would want to, so there's a bath waiting in the privy." He smiled as he sat down on the bed and kissed her. Daine just sighed with pleasure, and as she pulled away she looked into his eyes and smiled again. She quickly got up and went into the privy to wash and change into some cut down clothes of Numair's.
When she was done they went to bed, Numair promising to get her to a healer in the morning.
Numair reached his tower a day later. He rubbed Spots and Cloud down and went inside. He hadn't been in here since his return from their first voyage to Carthak, so everything was dusty and quiet. He had placed a preserving spell on all the food in the pantries so they had plenty to eat. He sighed and looked out the window towards the ocean. He pursed his lips and turned away, tears streaming down his cheeks.
How am I supposed to live without her, when it feels like the gods have forgotten me, forgotten us. He asked himself, no answer came. He silently munched on an apple as Kit and Zek found whatever suited them.
Numair went back to his study and found something to occupy him. Day in, day out, he spoke hardly at all except to calm Kitten and Zek when they began whining out of sadness. He got into the habit of walking along the shore every night, looking out upon the thing that took away his love. There was little debris on the shore.
***
Three days after Numair's return to his tower, he was walking on the beach as usual that night. He was on his way home when he spotted a lone piece of driftwood laying on the shore. It was large, and had an interesting shape from a distance. Numair walked over to it, thinking that it could be used for a walking stick, when he took a closer look at it and saw that it was moving. The driftwood was breathing.
Numair ran over to it, trying not to get his hopes up, yet praying to the gods that it was. He pulled away several pieces of seaweed to reveal a face that he would have recognized in the darkest, most crowded room.
"Daine," He breathed, "Daine are you okay, please wake up."
His heart skipped a beat when he saw her eyes flutter open and her salt caked lips break into a weak smile. "Numair, am I dead?"
"No Sweet, you are very much alive. Praise the gods you're alive." He carefully lifted her into a sitting position and pulled her to him, pressing his lips to her hair. "Praise the gods; I thought I'd never see you again after that witch took you. How did you escape?" A puzzled look came over her face.
"I didn't. All I remember is falling in and seeing Alanna jump in and try to save me, then Anis dragged me down and I blacked out." He hugged her tighter and then felt her flinch. He pulled away and looked at her; she was covered in bruises, cuts and scrapes.
"Oh Daine, look at you! We need to get you to a healer." She opened her mouth to argue; Numair pressed a gentle hand to her lips. "Don't argue, besides, think of all the people at the palace who have been worried sick about you for the past week."
Daine nodded and allowed Numair to gently hoist her into his arms and carry her toward his tower. She snuggled into his arms and fell asleep, with a smile on her face.
Numair was trying to figure everything out while he carried Daine to his tower; how had she survived? The gods only knew, he was relieved, though. King Jonathon had threatened war on the Copper Isles because of her abduction. The Emperor had naturally claimed innocence; you can imagine how far that went. You can't trust Islanders as far as you can throw them. That stuff could wait; right now he had all he needed in his arms.
***
Back at his tower, Numair called Kitten and Zek into the kitchen for dinner and took them into Daine's room. Kitten had been the blue color that meant she was sad all week, at the sight of Daine, she immediately changed to a happy yellow color. She ran over and began to squawk her pleasure as Daine woke with a start, looked around, and began to pet Kitten and hug Zek. She carefully sat up and grinned at Numair, who came in with a large bowl of fruit.
"You have no idea how sulky those two have been without you. They were intolerable!"
"Why am I not surprised?"
Daine, I thought you were dead! That's what the stork-man said. Cloud said she'd bite anyone who tried to ride her ever again and Kitten was blue the entire time! Zek chattered.
I thought I was dead too. When I was kidnapped I blacked out, I don't even remember how I got on the shore in the first place. Daine hugged Zek and allowed him to climb onto her back.
"Do you mind if I bathe before we go to the palace for a healer? I have at least half a beach's worth of sand and salt caked onto me. And I smell like seaweed."
Numair chuckled. "You practically live under a layer of horse dung during the summer and sand and salt bother you? You are truly strange Daine. But yes, go ahead. I figured you would want to, so there's a bath waiting in the privy." He smiled as he sat down on the bed and kissed her. Daine just sighed with pleasure, and as she pulled away she looked into his eyes and smiled again. She quickly got up and went into the privy to wash and change into some cut down clothes of Numair's.
When she was done they went to bed, Numair promising to get her to a healer in the morning.