A/N: Here we go (finally)!
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Daine stood up and closed her eyes as Numair put his hands on either side of her neck. Searching for the pool of her power, she watched joyously as the rune Numair had crafted so many years ago came back together slowly. The copper fire reluctantly let go of the white in the middle and went back to its rightful place, forever separate. Pulling back, she saw that he looked ashen, and understood that he had used all the power he had recently gotten back to free her. He smiled and placed his cloak around her shoulders, tying it shut in front. And then Daine, released from her fear and anxiety, changed back into human form, safely covered by Numair's cloak, and threw herself into his arms.
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Numair looked down at the girl who sobbed into his shirt in relief and happiness, and his whole being seemed to warm up with love. She was so perfect, so precious, had been so close to being gone. He tightened his hold on her and stroked her hair gently, murmuring reassuringly in her ear. Daine, his Daine, had come back to him.
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Yaman watched, astounded. If that was the daughter, then he had saved her, only in lioness form! Now he understood the man's devotion to the former cat-from this reunion, there was no doubt that each loved the other greatly. Yaman sneaked a peak sideways to look at Medaio, as smiled as he saw his friend looking at the pair with something akin to envy on his face.
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Numair felt strength return to him as he held Daine in his arms. Disentangling himself, he wrapped the cloak tighter around her and then scooped her up in his arms as she laughed through her tears. Nudging the door of the cage open with his foot, he bent his tall frame to leave it, and then started toward the cottage where he had been staying. Daine snuggled closer into his arms contentedly, and Numair smiled tenderly. Turning to the first girl he saw standing by, he said, "Get some breeches and a shirt, and bring them up please." She nodded, looking surprised, and hurried away. While the sky darkened around them, he continued on his way, carrying his beloved like a treasure in his arms.
Numair deposited Daine gently in the sofa, then sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her. She sighed leaned her head against his shoulder.
"I missed you,: he murmured. "I thought you'd left me."
"How could you think that," she asked accusingly. "I would never leave you." She looked up at him lovingly, and he leaned down and kissed her.
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Daine felt a rush of exhilaration as Numair's lips covered hers. Leaning into him, she responded, love rushing through her veins like fire, all the places where they touched seemed covered in flames that she delighted in. She tightened her cloak around her to trap the warmth, and keep it forever. Lips pressed tight against each other, they kissed passionately. They broke apart briefly, and Numair whispered,
"I love you." She answered by kissing him again, gentler this time.
A few minutes later, they were interrupted by a soft knock on the wood outside of the door-curtain. Sighing, Numair stood to pull it back. A young woman entered, carrying clothes for Daine, which she accepted gratefully.
"I'm Damae," the girl said, smiling. "I doctored you while you were still a lioness, and some of those wounds won't have healed yet. I'll need to put some new ointment and bandages on them."
Daine smiled back. "I'm Daine. Thank you for the clothes-they look like they'll fit perfectly. Can the doctoring wait till tomorrow? I'm a little tired right now." Damae looked suspiciously at Numair for a moment, but then agreed, and left. Daine looked at Numair, who sighed.
"I'll sleep out here."
"No, you won't. YOU just used up the rest of your Gift, YOU are taller and it's YOUR bed." Setting her chin, she stared up at him stubbornly. He smiled, exasperated, but nodded. "I'll be changing." Daine stood up and tried the only door that led out of the small area, and it opened onto a simple bedchamber. Closing the door carefully behind her, she dropped the cloak on the floor and pulled on the soft, homespun clothes that had been provided for her. They were a little loose, but beyond that fit fine. Picking Numair's cloak off of the floor, she carried it back into the other room, where he was sitting on the sofa, musing thoughtfully. Daine curled up next to him, and he pulled her into his lap and pressed his lips against her hair. She stared into the fire thoughtfully as it blazed and crackled with life, sending sparks up and slowly turning the logs to ash.
"What happened?" he murmured. Daine sighed, snuggled back against his chest, and started to tell him her story.
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Medaio lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. A god's child-and they had wanted to kill her when she first came to the village. He shuddered at the thought of what the mage would have done to them if they had. They had looked so happy together, united in their love. Would he ever be as happy? His heart ached as he thought that he could never be as happy, not as long as he didn't have Damae.and she would never love him. he thought desperately, But he knew why. Damae was so perfect. Too perfect for him. Sighing, Medaio turned on his side and tried to fall asleep.
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Damae had her doubts about leaving the two loves by themselves, but told herself not to meddle. What was it to her if they were happy together, loving each other? she told herself. Inevitably, her thoughts were again on Medaio, and stayed on him until she finally fell asleep.
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Dareem thought. Not only was Yaman's vision explained, so was the mage's attachment to the ex-lioness and the cat's tameness and courageousness. He smiled fondly as he remembered the greeting the two had shared-it had explained their attachment immediately. Dareem had a streak of the matchmaker in him, and he thought now of Medaio, who, he had noticed, seemed a tad preoccupied lately. If only he could be as happy as Numair and the girl were! Well, he could always try to find Medaio someone.
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Numair looked down tenderly at Daine, who slept in his embrace, chest rising and lowering steadily. Brushing a lock of her hair out of her face with a gentle hand, he leaned down and kissed her forehead lovingly. She smiled in her sleep and pressed closer against him, and he wrapped his arms tighter as he thought of all she had been through for him. The knowledge warmed him, because he knew that she loved him more than anything. Hatred rose up in him as he thought of the captors she had described, but a glance down at her peaceful face dispelled it to be thought about later, and it was replaced with a warm, full feeling in his chest. Easing off the sofa and laying her down on it, he covered her lovingly with his cloak, kissed her one last time, and then went to his own room and dreamed about Daine.
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A/N: Was this too fluffy or not fluffy enough? Please review! Thanks to all the people that did, by the way!
Bojanglesbiscuit: Thanks! I can't make it accept anonymous reviews-parents won't let me. Sorry!
Spice: After like, a bazillion chapters, there's finally a reunion! Yay!
LadySatineThreepwood: Hope it's enough fluff for you?
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Daine stood up and closed her eyes as Numair put his hands on either side of her neck. Searching for the pool of her power, she watched joyously as the rune Numair had crafted so many years ago came back together slowly. The copper fire reluctantly let go of the white in the middle and went back to its rightful place, forever separate. Pulling back, she saw that he looked ashen, and understood that he had used all the power he had recently gotten back to free her. He smiled and placed his cloak around her shoulders, tying it shut in front. And then Daine, released from her fear and anxiety, changed back into human form, safely covered by Numair's cloak, and threw herself into his arms.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Numair looked down at the girl who sobbed into his shirt in relief and happiness, and his whole being seemed to warm up with love. She was so perfect, so precious, had been so close to being gone. He tightened his hold on her and stroked her hair gently, murmuring reassuringly in her ear. Daine, his Daine, had come back to him.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Yaman watched, astounded. If that was the daughter, then he had saved her, only in lioness form! Now he understood the man's devotion to the former cat-from this reunion, there was no doubt that each loved the other greatly. Yaman sneaked a peak sideways to look at Medaio, as smiled as he saw his friend looking at the pair with something akin to envy on his face.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Numair felt strength return to him as he held Daine in his arms. Disentangling himself, he wrapped the cloak tighter around her and then scooped her up in his arms as she laughed through her tears. Nudging the door of the cage open with his foot, he bent his tall frame to leave it, and then started toward the cottage where he had been staying. Daine snuggled closer into his arms contentedly, and Numair smiled tenderly. Turning to the first girl he saw standing by, he said, "Get some breeches and a shirt, and bring them up please." She nodded, looking surprised, and hurried away. While the sky darkened around them, he continued on his way, carrying his beloved like a treasure in his arms.
Numair deposited Daine gently in the sofa, then sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her. She sighed leaned her head against his shoulder.
"I missed you,: he murmured. "I thought you'd left me."
"How could you think that," she asked accusingly. "I would never leave you." She looked up at him lovingly, and he leaned down and kissed her.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Daine felt a rush of exhilaration as Numair's lips covered hers. Leaning into him, she responded, love rushing through her veins like fire, all the places where they touched seemed covered in flames that she delighted in. She tightened her cloak around her to trap the warmth, and keep it forever. Lips pressed tight against each other, they kissed passionately. They broke apart briefly, and Numair whispered,
"I love you." She answered by kissing him again, gentler this time.
A few minutes later, they were interrupted by a soft knock on the wood outside of the door-curtain. Sighing, Numair stood to pull it back. A young woman entered, carrying clothes for Daine, which she accepted gratefully.
"I'm Damae," the girl said, smiling. "I doctored you while you were still a lioness, and some of those wounds won't have healed yet. I'll need to put some new ointment and bandages on them."
Daine smiled back. "I'm Daine. Thank you for the clothes-they look like they'll fit perfectly. Can the doctoring wait till tomorrow? I'm a little tired right now." Damae looked suspiciously at Numair for a moment, but then agreed, and left. Daine looked at Numair, who sighed.
"I'll sleep out here."
"No, you won't. YOU just used up the rest of your Gift, YOU are taller and it's YOUR bed." Setting her chin, she stared up at him stubbornly. He smiled, exasperated, but nodded. "I'll be changing." Daine stood up and tried the only door that led out of the small area, and it opened onto a simple bedchamber. Closing the door carefully behind her, she dropped the cloak on the floor and pulled on the soft, homespun clothes that had been provided for her. They were a little loose, but beyond that fit fine. Picking Numair's cloak off of the floor, she carried it back into the other room, where he was sitting on the sofa, musing thoughtfully. Daine curled up next to him, and he pulled her into his lap and pressed his lips against her hair. She stared into the fire thoughtfully as it blazed and crackled with life, sending sparks up and slowly turning the logs to ash.
"What happened?" he murmured. Daine sighed, snuggled back against his chest, and started to tell him her story.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Medaio lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. A god's child-and they had wanted to kill her when she first came to the village. He shuddered at the thought of what the mage would have done to them if they had. They had looked so happy together, united in their love. Would he ever be as happy? His heart ached as he thought that he could never be as happy, not as long as he didn't have Damae.and she would never love him. he thought desperately, But he knew why. Damae was so perfect. Too perfect for him. Sighing, Medaio turned on his side and tried to fall asleep.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Damae had her doubts about leaving the two loves by themselves, but told herself not to meddle. What was it to her if they were happy together, loving each other? she told herself. Inevitably, her thoughts were again on Medaio, and stayed on him until she finally fell asleep.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Dareem thought. Not only was Yaman's vision explained, so was the mage's attachment to the ex-lioness and the cat's tameness and courageousness. He smiled fondly as he remembered the greeting the two had shared-it had explained their attachment immediately. Dareem had a streak of the matchmaker in him, and he thought now of Medaio, who, he had noticed, seemed a tad preoccupied lately. If only he could be as happy as Numair and the girl were! Well, he could always try to find Medaio someone.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Numair looked down tenderly at Daine, who slept in his embrace, chest rising and lowering steadily. Brushing a lock of her hair out of her face with a gentle hand, he leaned down and kissed her forehead lovingly. She smiled in her sleep and pressed closer against him, and he wrapped his arms tighter as he thought of all she had been through for him. The knowledge warmed him, because he knew that she loved him more than anything. Hatred rose up in him as he thought of the captors she had described, but a glance down at her peaceful face dispelled it to be thought about later, and it was replaced with a warm, full feeling in his chest. Easing off the sofa and laying her down on it, he covered her lovingly with his cloak, kissed her one last time, and then went to his own room and dreamed about Daine.
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A/N: Was this too fluffy or not fluffy enough? Please review! Thanks to all the people that did, by the way!
Bojanglesbiscuit: Thanks! I can't make it accept anonymous reviews-parents won't let me. Sorry!
Spice: After like, a bazillion chapters, there's finally a reunion! Yay!
LadySatineThreepwood: Hope it's enough fluff for you?