A/N: Please review a lot!
LadySatineThreepwood: Well, I hope this chapter meets your needs.
Numair's Daine: Thanks!
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Dareem stood arrested by the gaze of the fearsome beast that stalked a small part of the street, surrounded by iron bars. There was a vast intelligence that was surprising in the large, amber orbs that stared at him without blinking. Intelligence, fear, anger were all there, but there was something more that fascinated him-an urgency which seemed to say, 'Why aren't you doing anything?'
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Medaio stood in Voltair's living room, gazing disapprovingly at the mage that sat there, staring determinedly back at him. The healer sighed. Introductions could wait, this man had to see sense first. "You can't just get out of bed and go wandering about any time you want! You'll never heal."
"I wasn't ," came the terse reply, though his gaze remained neutral.
"Then pray tell where you were going?" was Medaio's slightly sarcastic reply. The mage smiled thinly, and the healer couldn't tell whether it was concending or amused.
"Out," was the only reply he received. But Medaio was sensitive, and could put two and two together. Sitting down across from the mage, he asked,
"Of what importance is that lioness to you?" His companion looked surprised for a minute, but then a smile brightened his handsome face.
"Of all the importance in the world." The healer left it at that, satisfied with this answer. Probably the lioness was this man's pet or charge.
"Come," he said, pulling the mage up and steadying him. "We will go to her, since it is obvious that you won't rest until you've seen her." Walking slowly, he supported the tottering man through the door.
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Daine paced restlessly. She hated that these people watched her like this, as if she were a menagerie animal (which, she supposed, she was for now). Where was Numair? Surely he would have come to her by now if he were safe? Or did he really not care about her? She needed him to fix the leak that was slowly blending her animal and human self, and making them one, and unable to return. She paced faster, and suddenly leaped at the bars that confined her, thumping against them and then falling back on her feet. The cage shuddered a little but held firm. Disheartened, Daine noticed that it didn't even rock the slightest bit. She sat, hurt by the bruises that only served to increase the pain she still felt all over. The whip and slash marks stung, and her ear and tail felt like they were on fire. Daine fought the increasing instinct to sit and wash with more and more difficulty, fear rising as she realized that her animal side was winning this small battle slowly but surely. The thought of her mouth coated in grime was all that kept her from giving in. Restlessly, Daine loped around the perimeter of the cage again and again, snarling at the taunting crowd whenever it came to close, her vision blurred by fear and anger. Suddenly, she started as a voice that she knew and loved rang out clearly.
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"STOP!" Numair yelled, at both Daine and the taunting people who tortured her. Daine stopped in her tracks, and as the murmuring people all turned to watch Numair, their eyes locked. Numair felt slightly light-headed as he met his beloved's eyes again. It seemed so long since they had done that, and even in animal form, love was plain to read in them. His heart beat faster as he realized that he had been wrong all along-she still loved him. But the spell broke when the villagers recovered from their first amazement, pressing around him and the healer and breaking the contact. Daine quickly called attention back to her by rearing up against the door of the cage and pawing at the lock, with a stentorian roar that made the people quake. Numair smiled to himself. That was his Daine-when she needed something, she made it clear. In the silence after her roar, he said clearly, to no one in particular, "Let me in."
"What?" the man who supported him asked.
"I want to go in, and if you don't open the door right now you'll regret it." Numair's voice was calm and even, but the threat was real, and they seemed to know it. A man hesitated but then stepped forward, stretching out his hand, which held a single, large iron key. Silently, Numair took it and walked forward, going without the support that wasn't needed for so short a distance. All was quiet as he turned the key in the lock, and the slight creaking seemed to be an ill-luck omen. Daine stood back patiently while he opened the door, entered, and then closed it again, putting the key on the ground. Then Numair let himself slide to the dirt, and immediately Daine was there. She rubbed her feline head against his chest tenderly, and then sniffed his face as if to make sure that it was he, and he was all right. Numair laughed and embraced her, laying his face against the fur of her neck as she licked his cheek lovingly, ignoring how dirty she was and the confused murmuring of the people. Numair was enveloped by indescribable bliss as he and the one he loved were reunited, each still faithful to the other. She lay down next to him and rested her head on his leg, but when he met her eyes, they were troubled and frightened. Numair was surrounded by a warm glow, and when he closed his eyes, he saw copper fire playing along the inside of his eyelids. Slowly, her magic concurred his senses. Now he was worried what was wrong, it took a lot of distress for Daine to be able to do this. He felt a strange sucking sensation on his inside as his stomach seemed to sink, and then he was gazing, through closed eyes, on the majestic center of Daine's life, that he had seen only once before.
Shocked, Numair realized what he was seeing. His magical rune was pierced by a hole, no doubt from sometime in her imprisonment or the battle. Copper fire had begun to run into Daine's center, stopping her from changing back. Numair though, Panicking, he pulled back with all his might, gasping as his eyes flew open. Suddenly tired, he bent down and murmured in Daine's ear, "I'm not strong enough yet, but I promise I'll stop it before its too late. Love, you know, is power all by itself." She looked up at him with a trust that was painful, and then closed her eyes and dozed off. Now Numair got a good look at her injuries. They were well taken care of, but still horrifyingly great. he thought wonderingly.
Someone in the crowd coughed politely. Numair searched him out-it was the same one who had given him the key. "If you don't mind," the man said, "We'd like an introduction. I'm Dareem, the village leader. Who are you?"
"I'm Numair," was all he said, and as he closed his eyes, hands still stroking Daine lovingly, he was too tired to notice that a handful of people all turned to stare at a young man, who was white with shock.
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A/N: Just in case you were wondering why I didn't make Daine purr, lions can't. Just so you know! By the way, don't worry about Zek, he'll show up soon.
PLEASE REVIEW PEOPLE!
LadySatineThreepwood: Well, I hope this chapter meets your needs.
Numair's Daine: Thanks!
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Dareem stood arrested by the gaze of the fearsome beast that stalked a small part of the street, surrounded by iron bars. There was a vast intelligence that was surprising in the large, amber orbs that stared at him without blinking. Intelligence, fear, anger were all there, but there was something more that fascinated him-an urgency which seemed to say, 'Why aren't you doing anything?'
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Medaio stood in Voltair's living room, gazing disapprovingly at the mage that sat there, staring determinedly back at him. The healer sighed. Introductions could wait, this man had to see sense first. "You can't just get out of bed and go wandering about any time you want! You'll never heal."
"I wasn't ," came the terse reply, though his gaze remained neutral.
"Then pray tell where you were going?" was Medaio's slightly sarcastic reply. The mage smiled thinly, and the healer couldn't tell whether it was concending or amused.
"Out," was the only reply he received. But Medaio was sensitive, and could put two and two together. Sitting down across from the mage, he asked,
"Of what importance is that lioness to you?" His companion looked surprised for a minute, but then a smile brightened his handsome face.
"Of all the importance in the world." The healer left it at that, satisfied with this answer. Probably the lioness was this man's pet or charge.
"Come," he said, pulling the mage up and steadying him. "We will go to her, since it is obvious that you won't rest until you've seen her." Walking slowly, he supported the tottering man through the door.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Daine paced restlessly. She hated that these people watched her like this, as if she were a menagerie animal (which, she supposed, she was for now). Where was Numair? Surely he would have come to her by now if he were safe? Or did he really not care about her? She needed him to fix the leak that was slowly blending her animal and human self, and making them one, and unable to return. She paced faster, and suddenly leaped at the bars that confined her, thumping against them and then falling back on her feet. The cage shuddered a little but held firm. Disheartened, Daine noticed that it didn't even rock the slightest bit. She sat, hurt by the bruises that only served to increase the pain she still felt all over. The whip and slash marks stung, and her ear and tail felt like they were on fire. Daine fought the increasing instinct to sit and wash with more and more difficulty, fear rising as she realized that her animal side was winning this small battle slowly but surely. The thought of her mouth coated in grime was all that kept her from giving in. Restlessly, Daine loped around the perimeter of the cage again and again, snarling at the taunting crowd whenever it came to close, her vision blurred by fear and anger. Suddenly, she started as a voice that she knew and loved rang out clearly.
^^^^^^^^^^^
"STOP!" Numair yelled, at both Daine and the taunting people who tortured her. Daine stopped in her tracks, and as the murmuring people all turned to watch Numair, their eyes locked. Numair felt slightly light-headed as he met his beloved's eyes again. It seemed so long since they had done that, and even in animal form, love was plain to read in them. His heart beat faster as he realized that he had been wrong all along-she still loved him. But the spell broke when the villagers recovered from their first amazement, pressing around him and the healer and breaking the contact. Daine quickly called attention back to her by rearing up against the door of the cage and pawing at the lock, with a stentorian roar that made the people quake. Numair smiled to himself. That was his Daine-when she needed something, she made it clear. In the silence after her roar, he said clearly, to no one in particular, "Let me in."
"What?" the man who supported him asked.
"I want to go in, and if you don't open the door right now you'll regret it." Numair's voice was calm and even, but the threat was real, and they seemed to know it. A man hesitated but then stepped forward, stretching out his hand, which held a single, large iron key. Silently, Numair took it and walked forward, going without the support that wasn't needed for so short a distance. All was quiet as he turned the key in the lock, and the slight creaking seemed to be an ill-luck omen. Daine stood back patiently while he opened the door, entered, and then closed it again, putting the key on the ground. Then Numair let himself slide to the dirt, and immediately Daine was there. She rubbed her feline head against his chest tenderly, and then sniffed his face as if to make sure that it was he, and he was all right. Numair laughed and embraced her, laying his face against the fur of her neck as she licked his cheek lovingly, ignoring how dirty she was and the confused murmuring of the people. Numair was enveloped by indescribable bliss as he and the one he loved were reunited, each still faithful to the other. She lay down next to him and rested her head on his leg, but when he met her eyes, they were troubled and frightened. Numair was surrounded by a warm glow, and when he closed his eyes, he saw copper fire playing along the inside of his eyelids. Slowly, her magic concurred his senses. Now he was worried what was wrong, it took a lot of distress for Daine to be able to do this. He felt a strange sucking sensation on his inside as his stomach seemed to sink, and then he was gazing, through closed eyes, on the majestic center of Daine's life, that he had seen only once before.
Shocked, Numair realized what he was seeing. His magical rune was pierced by a hole, no doubt from sometime in her imprisonment or the battle. Copper fire had begun to run into Daine's center, stopping her from changing back. Numair though, Panicking, he pulled back with all his might, gasping as his eyes flew open. Suddenly tired, he bent down and murmured in Daine's ear, "I'm not strong enough yet, but I promise I'll stop it before its too late. Love, you know, is power all by itself." She looked up at him with a trust that was painful, and then closed her eyes and dozed off. Now Numair got a good look at her injuries. They were well taken care of, but still horrifyingly great. he thought wonderingly.
Someone in the crowd coughed politely. Numair searched him out-it was the same one who had given him the key. "If you don't mind," the man said, "We'd like an introduction. I'm Dareem, the village leader. Who are you?"
"I'm Numair," was all he said, and as he closed his eyes, hands still stroking Daine lovingly, he was too tired to notice that a handful of people all turned to stare at a young man, who was white with shock.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
A/N: Just in case you were wondering why I didn't make Daine purr, lions can't. Just so you know! By the way, don't worry about Zek, he'll show up soon.
PLEASE REVIEW PEOPLE!