Disclaimer: La la la, hum de dum. don't own anything. dedelly dum * singing
*
A/N: I am going to start writing another fic soon, possibly at the same time that I'm writing this one. It will be a Daine/Kaddar romance-I know this one is Daine/Numair but I have always thought that she should hook up with Kaddar. Anyway, keep an eye out for it.
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Karracatch was very pleased with himself. He had brought the man the message, and everything seemed to be going right. He was certainly preparing to do something-it was all the hawk could do to keep up with him as he bustled around the castle and through the corridors. The hawk made an annoyed sound as the messaged-man once again surged out of his chair, and prepared to follow. It was amazing, the change that had come over him. Even Karracatach, being only a hawk, had noticed that this was a different man from the one that had entered the throne room earlier that night. Was it only a few hours that had passed? Like most animals, Karracatach's sense of time wasn't accurate, based loosely on suns and moons, nesting-times, and cold-times. But even he found it hard to understand that the man's character had done a complete turn-about within one moon. Now, the man was on a trip to the kitchens. This suited the hawk, who was very hungry- amazingly, the humans had barely given him a second thought once they had understood the peril Daine was in. Flying into the kitchens before the man, the hawk screeched and landed next to a hunk of meat that was being cleaned, and started ripping at it with his fiercely curved beak, insatiably hungry. Around him, humans screamed and scattered, but he paid them no attention. Then the messaged-man came in, and everything quieted, though the two-leggers still walked around him in a fairly wide circle. Finally satisfied, the hawk looked around. Oh, drat it, the man was gone. Following his scent, Karracatach came upon him outside the horse dwelling, getting ready to set out. He had another horse that seemed to be just following, and people stood crowding around him. Then, the crowd parted, and the man kicked his horse to speed. The second horse followed. With an angry cry at almost being left behind, Karracatach followed.
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Numair was worried, but, at the same time, elated. Daine hadn't left because of him! That thought was second in his mind, precedented only by the one that Daine was in danger. He had rations, a good horse, Cloud in tow (without a rope for once-when he had explained the situation to the animal, feeling rather foolish, the pony had refused to be left behind, almost ruining her stall in the process), and an airborne guide that he had almost forgotten. As much as he regretted it, he couldn't go by magic-he needed as much of it as possible to help Daine escape. Galloping down the moonlit path, he felt an urgency like he had never felt before. How soon would he catch up to them? If the kidnappers knew of her power, most likely they were on foot. Numair could travel 5 times as fast as they could. Daine had disappeared 5 days ago. Most likely, he reasoned, he would catch up to them within 2 days. He wished it could be sooner, but his horses weren't tireless.
Numair rode hard through the night, and he and the horses rested on the boat to Carthak, a fast-sailing sailboat. Daine, he thought, here I come.
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Somewhere in the middle of that day's march, at the same time that Numair was grimly sailing across the Inland Sea, Daine glimpsed a thin, faint column of smoke on the horizon. She changed her eyes to those of an eagle. No, not one column-lots of them that looked like one from far off. Could that mean-humans? And would they help her, if no one came? Remembering her past days in Carthak, Daine changed her nose to that of a hyena-the conquerors of scent as a tool. No one looked at her. They had been told not to stare, and these soldiers followed their orders minutely. Along with all the other smells that now wafted towards her, she could smell the faint order of smoke, meat, and human flesh. A hint of worry and fear flavored them. If she had been a real hyena, she would have drooled. She marked the place in her memory as a last resort, then changed her nose back to its normal form. Daine had a brief smile wondering what on earth she looked like with a canine nose, but the fast, steady walking quickly made it dissolve again. Zek spent most of his time curled around her neck, sleeping. His weight wasn't a hindrance; it was comforting to know that he was there.
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It was evening when Numair, Spots (his horse), and Cloud docked in Carthak. Relieved at being able to travel again, he mounted as soon as he was on a relatively un-crowded street. The hawk immediately flew up, and Numair nudged Spots into a ground-eating canter so he could follow the bird. Soon, they were riding hard in the wilderness.
After half a night of hard riding, however, the horses had to be rested for a while. Numair stole an hour to feed and water them, and he ate a bite, knowing that he had to keep up his strength. Though he was tireless in pursuing Daine, the horses were not, and he knew it. She would be very upset with him if he came to her rescue dragging two dead horses behind him. He smiled briefly as he imagined her face if he drove Cloud to outrun herself, but then sobered quickly. If they didn't make good time, they might not catch up.
Numair looked around at his surroundings. They were in a wide clearing, ringed by trees except for one side, where sheer, rocky cliffs rose up to the sky. As he walked around, exercising his sore muscles, he looked around and saw the hawk that had brought him so far framed against the starry night sky. Suddenly, Numair became aware of a small cloud near his foot. Stooping down, he realized that it was ash, and ash meant a campfire! Could they have camped here? Looking more closely now, he saw other traces of fires. Cloud, nosing the ground in search of good grass, suddenly snorted, sniffed more intently, her wide nostrils flaring, and then reared, neighing and pawing the air frantically. Numair rushed over, a voice in the back of his mind telling him that the mare had found something important. Using as little as possible of his Gift, he made a small light-ball and crouched low to the ground. He saw the grass where Cloud had been standing, and looked to where her head should have been. Grass.grass. more grass. There! A darker shade on a small patch of grass to his right. Looking closer, he realized with a sinking stomach that it was red. Blood? He was positive it was. Was it Daine's blood, or merely some animal's? Worried, the mage voiced the question aloud.
"Daine's?" He looked back at Cloud. The mare snorted and shook her mane, then pawed the ground in a manner that told him she was anxious to get going. He took it as a yes, and whistled to Spots, who came trotting over. Numair sprang on and looked up to see the hawk also launching himself in the sky. Worried even more now, they took of.
But Numair didn't get very far. Not even half an hour later, they were confronted with the vast cliff face. Swearing, Numair dismounted and searched for a sign of the hawk. When he spotted him, it did him little good-it was still hovering, determined, over the cliff face. Running his hands along it in despair, wondering how Daine and her 'escort' had scaled the huge wall of rock, his hand suddenly found an opening in the rock. In the dark, he hadn't seen it. It was large enough for a man, but certainly not a rider. Numair thanked both the Gods for him finding a way through, and cursed that he wouldn't be able to ride. How would he make progress on the other side? One thing was certain-he couldn't afford to stop now. Sighing, Numair again lit a small light-ball and stepped inside the crack. It must have once been a stream or a small river, the mage reasoned, because it was very curved and was littered with boulders, though its sides were smooth. A few feet inside the cave, he heard a noise behind him-stone hitting metal. Numair whirled, only to be confronted with the stubborn face of Cloud, whose eyes made clear to Numair what she was thinking: 'Don't even try to stop me, I'm a mountain pony and I'm going after Daine.' He smiled-he could use the company, and later (he hoped) Cloud would let him ride her to wherever they were going next. He sighed, and started the long journey up, focusing on Daine to dispel the worries and doubts that ate at him. Once, he actually stopped, lost in remembering their first kiss, and her arms around him. Sheepishly, he had kept going when the impatient pony behind him gave him a shove between his shoulder blades with her nose.
A little before sunrise, Numair and Cloud made it through the passage and onto a huge plateau. He had collapsed, tired in spite of himself, but resolved not to fall asleep-they had to keep going.
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Today seemed to be a rest day for the men. They were camped just behind a large hill, which, Daine thought scornfully, was not a good strategic position. Obviously, they didn't expect anyone to be following. Daine was glad of it. She was tired and sore, her back ached, and she wanted Numair to catch up to them. How she missed him! It didn't bare thinking about. Well, any day now the mage would come, and it could very well be today. Daine lapsed back into sleep as the drowsy heat took its toll.
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Numair woke up an hour later and cursed himself for falling asleep. This way, they would never get there! At least they hadn't lost much time. He approached Cloud nervously. The mare seemed to sense what he wanted, and bent her neck in resignation. He mounted quickly but carefully, and they started out again, the trusty hawk leading once more (he had appeared out of nowhere).
Mid-afternoon. Numair was just about to urge the tired Cloud up a large, rolling hill when their guide dived, plummeting out of the sky to land suddenly on ground only a few feet in front of them. When Numair tried to squeeze his mount forward again, the hawk set up a commotion, flapping its wings and hopping up and down in a crazy frenzy. The mage dismounted and went to him. The bird stayed quite. When Cloud tried to follow, he threw another fit. Obviously, the hawk did not want Cloud to go any further. Wary of the other side of the hill, the mage crept quietly up.
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Once Karracatach had gotten his point across, he soared into the air again. Beneath him, the camp was spread out, with the lone figure of the mage climbing the hill on the other side. Daine was asleep. He screeched a warning. It had the effect he wanted, waking the teenage mage.
Wing-sister! he called. He is here! the hawk felt pride welling up in him. He had done it!
TRULY?
Yes. The man is climbing the hill. Be ready, for he is angry.
With me? a hint of worry crept into her mind-voice.
I don't think so. Why else would he come?
Thank you, Karracatach. If ever I can help you or your kin.
No need. Good luck, wing-sister.
Thank you, wing-friend. Thank you with all my heart.
^^^^^^^^^^^
As Numair cautiously crawled up the rest of the hill, he saw the reassuring figure of the hawk above him. Cresting it, he breathed in sharply. A hundred men were in front of him. On the side, he could see Daine, her distant face staring back at him. This was it.
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A/N: Dun dun dunnn! I'll update ASAP, maybe even later tonight.
Thank you for reviewing! I am amazed that so many people care * sniff *.
Numair's Daine: Well, the horrible men want a lot of stuff. but that all comes later. No, I don't think you're stealing my idea-after all, great minds think alike! :-D.
Spice: They'll be together again. Not quite happy yet but it will come.
Shadowweaver: All right, I won't mind you. By the way, I like your pen name.
KetchupFiend: Wait and see.
LadySatine: All right, all right, I'll update. I want to finish writing so I can start a new one!
WELL, THE VOTES ARE IN, AND IT LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE THINKS THAT NUMAIR AND DAINE SHOULD BE TOGETHER AGAIN. SO, NOT THAT I WAS PLANNING TO OR ANYTHING BUT I WON'T LET ANYONE STEAL THEIR HAPPINESS!
By the way: My longest chapter! YES!
A/N: I am going to start writing another fic soon, possibly at the same time that I'm writing this one. It will be a Daine/Kaddar romance-I know this one is Daine/Numair but I have always thought that she should hook up with Kaddar. Anyway, keep an eye out for it.
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Karracatch was very pleased with himself. He had brought the man the message, and everything seemed to be going right. He was certainly preparing to do something-it was all the hawk could do to keep up with him as he bustled around the castle and through the corridors. The hawk made an annoyed sound as the messaged-man once again surged out of his chair, and prepared to follow. It was amazing, the change that had come over him. Even Karracatach, being only a hawk, had noticed that this was a different man from the one that had entered the throne room earlier that night. Was it only a few hours that had passed? Like most animals, Karracatach's sense of time wasn't accurate, based loosely on suns and moons, nesting-times, and cold-times. But even he found it hard to understand that the man's character had done a complete turn-about within one moon. Now, the man was on a trip to the kitchens. This suited the hawk, who was very hungry- amazingly, the humans had barely given him a second thought once they had understood the peril Daine was in. Flying into the kitchens before the man, the hawk screeched and landed next to a hunk of meat that was being cleaned, and started ripping at it with his fiercely curved beak, insatiably hungry. Around him, humans screamed and scattered, but he paid them no attention. Then the messaged-man came in, and everything quieted, though the two-leggers still walked around him in a fairly wide circle. Finally satisfied, the hawk looked around. Oh, drat it, the man was gone. Following his scent, Karracatach came upon him outside the horse dwelling, getting ready to set out. He had another horse that seemed to be just following, and people stood crowding around him. Then, the crowd parted, and the man kicked his horse to speed. The second horse followed. With an angry cry at almost being left behind, Karracatach followed.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Numair was worried, but, at the same time, elated. Daine hadn't left because of him! That thought was second in his mind, precedented only by the one that Daine was in danger. He had rations, a good horse, Cloud in tow (without a rope for once-when he had explained the situation to the animal, feeling rather foolish, the pony had refused to be left behind, almost ruining her stall in the process), and an airborne guide that he had almost forgotten. As much as he regretted it, he couldn't go by magic-he needed as much of it as possible to help Daine escape. Galloping down the moonlit path, he felt an urgency like he had never felt before. How soon would he catch up to them? If the kidnappers knew of her power, most likely they were on foot. Numair could travel 5 times as fast as they could. Daine had disappeared 5 days ago. Most likely, he reasoned, he would catch up to them within 2 days. He wished it could be sooner, but his horses weren't tireless.
Numair rode hard through the night, and he and the horses rested on the boat to Carthak, a fast-sailing sailboat. Daine, he thought, here I come.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Somewhere in the middle of that day's march, at the same time that Numair was grimly sailing across the Inland Sea, Daine glimpsed a thin, faint column of smoke on the horizon. She changed her eyes to those of an eagle. No, not one column-lots of them that looked like one from far off. Could that mean-humans? And would they help her, if no one came? Remembering her past days in Carthak, Daine changed her nose to that of a hyena-the conquerors of scent as a tool. No one looked at her. They had been told not to stare, and these soldiers followed their orders minutely. Along with all the other smells that now wafted towards her, she could smell the faint order of smoke, meat, and human flesh. A hint of worry and fear flavored them. If she had been a real hyena, she would have drooled. She marked the place in her memory as a last resort, then changed her nose back to its normal form. Daine had a brief smile wondering what on earth she looked like with a canine nose, but the fast, steady walking quickly made it dissolve again. Zek spent most of his time curled around her neck, sleeping. His weight wasn't a hindrance; it was comforting to know that he was there.
^^^^^^^^^^^
It was evening when Numair, Spots (his horse), and Cloud docked in Carthak. Relieved at being able to travel again, he mounted as soon as he was on a relatively un-crowded street. The hawk immediately flew up, and Numair nudged Spots into a ground-eating canter so he could follow the bird. Soon, they were riding hard in the wilderness.
After half a night of hard riding, however, the horses had to be rested for a while. Numair stole an hour to feed and water them, and he ate a bite, knowing that he had to keep up his strength. Though he was tireless in pursuing Daine, the horses were not, and he knew it. She would be very upset with him if he came to her rescue dragging two dead horses behind him. He smiled briefly as he imagined her face if he drove Cloud to outrun herself, but then sobered quickly. If they didn't make good time, they might not catch up.
Numair looked around at his surroundings. They were in a wide clearing, ringed by trees except for one side, where sheer, rocky cliffs rose up to the sky. As he walked around, exercising his sore muscles, he looked around and saw the hawk that had brought him so far framed against the starry night sky. Suddenly, Numair became aware of a small cloud near his foot. Stooping down, he realized that it was ash, and ash meant a campfire! Could they have camped here? Looking more closely now, he saw other traces of fires. Cloud, nosing the ground in search of good grass, suddenly snorted, sniffed more intently, her wide nostrils flaring, and then reared, neighing and pawing the air frantically. Numair rushed over, a voice in the back of his mind telling him that the mare had found something important. Using as little as possible of his Gift, he made a small light-ball and crouched low to the ground. He saw the grass where Cloud had been standing, and looked to where her head should have been. Grass.grass. more grass. There! A darker shade on a small patch of grass to his right. Looking closer, he realized with a sinking stomach that it was red. Blood? He was positive it was. Was it Daine's blood, or merely some animal's? Worried, the mage voiced the question aloud.
"Daine's?" He looked back at Cloud. The mare snorted and shook her mane, then pawed the ground in a manner that told him she was anxious to get going. He took it as a yes, and whistled to Spots, who came trotting over. Numair sprang on and looked up to see the hawk also launching himself in the sky. Worried even more now, they took of.
But Numair didn't get very far. Not even half an hour later, they were confronted with the vast cliff face. Swearing, Numair dismounted and searched for a sign of the hawk. When he spotted him, it did him little good-it was still hovering, determined, over the cliff face. Running his hands along it in despair, wondering how Daine and her 'escort' had scaled the huge wall of rock, his hand suddenly found an opening in the rock. In the dark, he hadn't seen it. It was large enough for a man, but certainly not a rider. Numair thanked both the Gods for him finding a way through, and cursed that he wouldn't be able to ride. How would he make progress on the other side? One thing was certain-he couldn't afford to stop now. Sighing, Numair again lit a small light-ball and stepped inside the crack. It must have once been a stream or a small river, the mage reasoned, because it was very curved and was littered with boulders, though its sides were smooth. A few feet inside the cave, he heard a noise behind him-stone hitting metal. Numair whirled, only to be confronted with the stubborn face of Cloud, whose eyes made clear to Numair what she was thinking: 'Don't even try to stop me, I'm a mountain pony and I'm going after Daine.' He smiled-he could use the company, and later (he hoped) Cloud would let him ride her to wherever they were going next. He sighed, and started the long journey up, focusing on Daine to dispel the worries and doubts that ate at him. Once, he actually stopped, lost in remembering their first kiss, and her arms around him. Sheepishly, he had kept going when the impatient pony behind him gave him a shove between his shoulder blades with her nose.
A little before sunrise, Numair and Cloud made it through the passage and onto a huge plateau. He had collapsed, tired in spite of himself, but resolved not to fall asleep-they had to keep going.
^^^^^^^^^
Today seemed to be a rest day for the men. They were camped just behind a large hill, which, Daine thought scornfully, was not a good strategic position. Obviously, they didn't expect anyone to be following. Daine was glad of it. She was tired and sore, her back ached, and she wanted Numair to catch up to them. How she missed him! It didn't bare thinking about. Well, any day now the mage would come, and it could very well be today. Daine lapsed back into sleep as the drowsy heat took its toll.
^^^^^^^^^
Numair woke up an hour later and cursed himself for falling asleep. This way, they would never get there! At least they hadn't lost much time. He approached Cloud nervously. The mare seemed to sense what he wanted, and bent her neck in resignation. He mounted quickly but carefully, and they started out again, the trusty hawk leading once more (he had appeared out of nowhere).
Mid-afternoon. Numair was just about to urge the tired Cloud up a large, rolling hill when their guide dived, plummeting out of the sky to land suddenly on ground only a few feet in front of them. When Numair tried to squeeze his mount forward again, the hawk set up a commotion, flapping its wings and hopping up and down in a crazy frenzy. The mage dismounted and went to him. The bird stayed quite. When Cloud tried to follow, he threw another fit. Obviously, the hawk did not want Cloud to go any further. Wary of the other side of the hill, the mage crept quietly up.
^^^^^^^^^
Once Karracatach had gotten his point across, he soared into the air again. Beneath him, the camp was spread out, with the lone figure of the mage climbing the hill on the other side. Daine was asleep. He screeched a warning. It had the effect he wanted, waking the teenage mage.
Wing-sister! he called. He is here! the hawk felt pride welling up in him. He had done it!
TRULY?
Yes. The man is climbing the hill. Be ready, for he is angry.
With me? a hint of worry crept into her mind-voice.
I don't think so. Why else would he come?
Thank you, Karracatach. If ever I can help you or your kin.
No need. Good luck, wing-sister.
Thank you, wing-friend. Thank you with all my heart.
^^^^^^^^^^^
As Numair cautiously crawled up the rest of the hill, he saw the reassuring figure of the hawk above him. Cresting it, he breathed in sharply. A hundred men were in front of him. On the side, he could see Daine, her distant face staring back at him. This was it.
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A/N: Dun dun dunnn! I'll update ASAP, maybe even later tonight.
Thank you for reviewing! I am amazed that so many people care * sniff *.
Numair's Daine: Well, the horrible men want a lot of stuff. but that all comes later. No, I don't think you're stealing my idea-after all, great minds think alike! :-D.
Spice: They'll be together again. Not quite happy yet but it will come.
Shadowweaver: All right, I won't mind you. By the way, I like your pen name.
KetchupFiend: Wait and see.
LadySatine: All right, all right, I'll update. I want to finish writing so I can start a new one!
WELL, THE VOTES ARE IN, AND IT LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE THINKS THAT NUMAIR AND DAINE SHOULD BE TOGETHER AGAIN. SO, NOT THAT I WAS PLANNING TO OR ANYTHING BUT I WON'T LET ANYONE STEAL THEIR HAPPINESS!
By the way: My longest chapter! YES!