This story was written by three Tortall fans; so if it doesn't flow that well-sorry! We were passing it around, not writing it together.
Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns the characters, we sadly do not. Except perhaps for Atrella Odhrán. But then again no one can REALLY own her...
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Numair walked up to his room and slowly opened the door. He smiled, Daine hadn't left yet. She sat at a desk, writing on a piece of parchment. He came over to look at an intricate drawing of the anatomy of a horse.
"That's interesting," Numair said, not really meaning it.
"Yes, it is," Daine said halfheartedly.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Numair questioned. Daine repled, "I have been doing a lot of shape changing lately, and... well, it has been harder each time to go back to my human shape..." her voice trailed off.
"I'll renew the barrier," Numair replied, "It should be fine after that. In fact, I'll do it right now!" Then his face fell, "I cant do magic for a week! Then I can't renew your barrier until then!" Daine groaned. "You can't shape change until then, I'm afraid," Numair added. "It's too dangerous, and I'm concerned for you."
Daine made a face, but she accepted what he said. "Now I have to go tell Jonathan that I can't help him check the countryside." She sighed. "That's not all my news," she said slowly. "It's King Jonathan."
"What?" Numair said. "What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing, I hope," she said, "but when I was checking on the animals the other day, I was flying over the forest. I saw Jonathan in it alone, and when I flew closer, I saw that he was talking to someone, but no one was there. Then he seemed to struggle with something and then he stopped abruptly and raced back to the castle. What's wrong with him? Is he crazy?"
Numair thought for a minute, then his eyes widened and his fists clenched. "Atrella," he murmured under his breath.
"What?" Daine asked.
"Atrella," he said again louder.
"Do you think that she talked to him?" Daine asked.
"No," he said slowly, "That's not her style. She probably cast some sort of spell on him. Let's see, what kind of spell would she cast? Memory erasing? Yes, probably, what else? Come on Numair, think! Maybe she attacked him. I wouldn't put it past her..."
"But Jon has The Gift, he can protect himself," Daine said.
Numair smiled coldly, "Not against Atrella," he said, "She taught me a lot about attacking people. Now that I think of it, if she had wanted him dead, he'd be a tree right now. No, she must want him alive." Suddenly, his eyes widened and he bolted out of the room.
"Wait!" Daine yelled, "Stop!" He did, panting at her, "I have to get the King! Atrella's controlling his mind!"
Daine's eyes widened, but she said, "And what are you going to do about it?"
He thought for a moment. "I'll, I'll beat it out of him!"
She raised her eyebrows at him. "Even if you manage to get past his guards, you'll hurt him more than Atrella. We can't do anything for a week, we just have to be very careful around Jon, and plan out our actions very carefully so that she doesn't notice.
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A/N- bum, bum, bummmmm... The plot thickens!
Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns the characters, we sadly do not. Except perhaps for Atrella Odhrán. But then again no one can REALLY own her...
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Numair walked up to his room and slowly opened the door. He smiled, Daine hadn't left yet. She sat at a desk, writing on a piece of parchment. He came over to look at an intricate drawing of the anatomy of a horse.
"That's interesting," Numair said, not really meaning it.
"Yes, it is," Daine said halfheartedly.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Numair questioned. Daine repled, "I have been doing a lot of shape changing lately, and... well, it has been harder each time to go back to my human shape..." her voice trailed off.
"I'll renew the barrier," Numair replied, "It should be fine after that. In fact, I'll do it right now!" Then his face fell, "I cant do magic for a week! Then I can't renew your barrier until then!" Daine groaned. "You can't shape change until then, I'm afraid," Numair added. "It's too dangerous, and I'm concerned for you."
Daine made a face, but she accepted what he said. "Now I have to go tell Jonathan that I can't help him check the countryside." She sighed. "That's not all my news," she said slowly. "It's King Jonathan."
"What?" Numair said. "What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing, I hope," she said, "but when I was checking on the animals the other day, I was flying over the forest. I saw Jonathan in it alone, and when I flew closer, I saw that he was talking to someone, but no one was there. Then he seemed to struggle with something and then he stopped abruptly and raced back to the castle. What's wrong with him? Is he crazy?"
Numair thought for a minute, then his eyes widened and his fists clenched. "Atrella," he murmured under his breath.
"What?" Daine asked.
"Atrella," he said again louder.
"Do you think that she talked to him?" Daine asked.
"No," he said slowly, "That's not her style. She probably cast some sort of spell on him. Let's see, what kind of spell would she cast? Memory erasing? Yes, probably, what else? Come on Numair, think! Maybe she attacked him. I wouldn't put it past her..."
"But Jon has The Gift, he can protect himself," Daine said.
Numair smiled coldly, "Not against Atrella," he said, "She taught me a lot about attacking people. Now that I think of it, if she had wanted him dead, he'd be a tree right now. No, she must want him alive." Suddenly, his eyes widened and he bolted out of the room.
"Wait!" Daine yelled, "Stop!" He did, panting at her, "I have to get the King! Atrella's controlling his mind!"
Daine's eyes widened, but she said, "And what are you going to do about it?"
He thought for a moment. "I'll, I'll beat it out of him!"
She raised her eyebrows at him. "Even if you manage to get past his guards, you'll hurt him more than Atrella. We can't do anything for a week, we just have to be very careful around Jon, and plan out our actions very carefully so that she doesn't notice.
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A/N- bum, bum, bummmmm... The plot thickens!