Sorry I haven't updated in a while-I've got two other stories running at
the same time as this one. And once I'm done with this one I'm starting
another Immortals Fanfic.
This chapter is where I start to get to the point.
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"Daine!" Daine turned from brushing Cloud (who had half-wandered back to within Daine's range of 'hearing', and had called to her for directions to the village) and saw Damae, panting and carrying a wicker basket on one arm. "I have to go get some more of those herbs that I use for healing cream. You cleaned me out. Do you want to come with me?" Daine grinned at the older girl and reached up to stroke Zek, who never left her shoulder now. In the week since she had woken up, Daine and Damae had become very good friends, each sensing a good and loyal personality in the other, and tended to follow each other around.
"Sure. Sorry, Cloud. I'll finish when we get back." Cloud snorted a reply, but went back to grazing peacefully, and the two young women walked away. They were strolling past the village's farms to get to the wilderness beyond them, chatting, when the subject of Numair came up.
"Daine.Not that I'm trying to poke in your affairs or anything, but I was wondering.that first night-did you two."
"Sleep together?" Daine laughed. "No. I slept on the couch." Daine now conveniently shared Damae's cottage. The healer grinned.
"Good. I couldn't help wondering about that." Then she sobered. "You truly love him, don't you?"
"Yes," Daine said feelingly. "More than anyone else." Seeing her friend's unhappy and wistful look, she asked gently, "It's Medaio, isn't it?" Surprised, Damae looked round quickly at her, but then relaxed and smiled sadly.
"Nothing ever gets past you. Yes. I.I love Medaio. But can a man love his best friend?"
Compassion rising in her, Daine patted her friend's arm. "Yes," she said reassuringly. "If you give him time, he can." Damae's only reply was to sigh. Zek asked what the girl was so sad about.
Zek replied. Daine knew that animals had an instinct for those things, and didn't cross Zek's judgment. After all, he had been right about Numair. But she didn't relate his second sentence to Damae-it was no good to get her hopes up.
A little later, Daine and Damae were bent over a large patch of an herb that was excellent to stop infection, looking for the right size of flower and leaves, an indicator to the best root systems to use. Suddenly, Zek started chattering in alarm, balancing on Daine's shoulder precariously and hiding in her hair. She looked up, and went white and then red.
"Oh no. Not you again." At this, Damae looked up too, and gasped in astonishment. Before them, in all her meager glory, stood the Graveyard Hag, eyeless socket, skinny and bent shape, and cane the same as ever. She cackled.
"You aren't the best vessel either, but it's urgent again." She turned to Damae, was clutching the basket in front of her as if to shield her from whatever might happen. "There's no need to be scared, dearie, I won't eat you. I need you."
This seemed to surprise Damae into submission, and the Hag now turned back to Daine. "I'll get into trouble for this from the Badger and you da, but I must. You and she are the only possible choices. To you, Verralidaine Sarrasri, I give anti-magic. Learn how to use it well!" She breathed on Daine, and then turned to Damae and did the same. "And to you, Damaegriata Bernaias, I give magical sight. It will be the key! Verralidaine, I know this is more than you heard last time, but the Badger made a mistake, and I will risk nothing for my cause. Oh, and before I go, sit in at the next council meeting, will you?" With that, the Graveyard Hag was enveloped in silver and was gone.
Damae fainted.
Daine looked around her, but there was no one else there. Well, she needed to get someone to carry Damae, who was too heavy for her. And she needed someone to tell her what she saw, and what anti-magic was. The marmoset jumped off her shoulder and she sprinted away.
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Medaio was sweeping the floor of his cottage when Daine burst in his door.
"Medaio!" Startled, he looked up at her frantic face and started to get worried.
"What is it?"
"Damae fainted-I'll explain later-and its too far away for me to carry her." Alarmed, Medaio put away the broom and strode out the door. If she was only all right. What could have happened to her? Despite his whirling thoughts, he said only,
"Where?" Daine hurriedly explained to him where they had been, and the healer instantly ran off.
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Numair listened to Daine's explanation and frowned, worried.
"Numair? What is it?" He sighed and drew her into his arms, resting his chin on her head, and the same shivers ran up his spine as the first time he'd done it.
"Magelet, while we were still in Tortall, I heard rumors about an uprising in Carthak. Apparently, a large tribe of people, along with a few villages, had been training to fight and not paying taxes or obeying other laws. Prince-Emperor Kaddar's generals wanted to stop the uprising as soon as it began, but he refused, thinking that they could talk it out. Well, his peacekeepers are still trying to arrange a meeting. I think that's why the Hag came to you again." He tightened his arms around her. "You have to stop the rebellion." Daine groaned, and he smiled at her defiance.
"So what's this anti-magic thing?" came her voice, muffled by his tunic. Smiling wryly, Numair answered,
"Sweet, anti-magic is just what it says. The ability to cancel out someone's magical working."
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A/N: So, you like?
FantasyIsMyLife: I agree! He is absolutely adorable! I love Zek! I'll try to update the rest of the story soon.
Lady Satine Threepwood: Hmmm. I'm thinking something bad.
Spice: Dunno-I guess they have to figure that out for themselves. I never really figured that out. What would Alanna say?
Numair's Daine: I'm happy that you're happy. I love fluff too. It's fun! :- D
Cassa-Andra: Kay. Next time it'll be more fluffier. Do you think this chapter is long enough?
This chapter is where I start to get to the point.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
"Daine!" Daine turned from brushing Cloud (who had half-wandered back to within Daine's range of 'hearing', and had called to her for directions to the village) and saw Damae, panting and carrying a wicker basket on one arm. "I have to go get some more of those herbs that I use for healing cream. You cleaned me out. Do you want to come with me?" Daine grinned at the older girl and reached up to stroke Zek, who never left her shoulder now. In the week since she had woken up, Daine and Damae had become very good friends, each sensing a good and loyal personality in the other, and tended to follow each other around.
"Sure. Sorry, Cloud. I'll finish when we get back." Cloud snorted a reply, but went back to grazing peacefully, and the two young women walked away. They were strolling past the village's farms to get to the wilderness beyond them, chatting, when the subject of Numair came up.
"Daine.Not that I'm trying to poke in your affairs or anything, but I was wondering.that first night-did you two."
"Sleep together?" Daine laughed. "No. I slept on the couch." Daine now conveniently shared Damae's cottage. The healer grinned.
"Good. I couldn't help wondering about that." Then she sobered. "You truly love him, don't you?"
"Yes," Daine said feelingly. "More than anyone else." Seeing her friend's unhappy and wistful look, she asked gently, "It's Medaio, isn't it?" Surprised, Damae looked round quickly at her, but then relaxed and smiled sadly.
"Nothing ever gets past you. Yes. I.I love Medaio. But can a man love his best friend?"
Compassion rising in her, Daine patted her friend's arm. "Yes," she said reassuringly. "If you give him time, he can." Damae's only reply was to sigh. Zek asked what the girl was so sad about.
Zek replied. Daine knew that animals had an instinct for those things, and didn't cross Zek's judgment. After all, he had been right about Numair. But she didn't relate his second sentence to Damae-it was no good to get her hopes up.
A little later, Daine and Damae were bent over a large patch of an herb that was excellent to stop infection, looking for the right size of flower and leaves, an indicator to the best root systems to use. Suddenly, Zek started chattering in alarm, balancing on Daine's shoulder precariously and hiding in her hair. She looked up, and went white and then red.
"Oh no. Not you again." At this, Damae looked up too, and gasped in astonishment. Before them, in all her meager glory, stood the Graveyard Hag, eyeless socket, skinny and bent shape, and cane the same as ever. She cackled.
"You aren't the best vessel either, but it's urgent again." She turned to Damae, was clutching the basket in front of her as if to shield her from whatever might happen. "There's no need to be scared, dearie, I won't eat you. I need you."
This seemed to surprise Damae into submission, and the Hag now turned back to Daine. "I'll get into trouble for this from the Badger and you da, but I must. You and she are the only possible choices. To you, Verralidaine Sarrasri, I give anti-magic. Learn how to use it well!" She breathed on Daine, and then turned to Damae and did the same. "And to you, Damaegriata Bernaias, I give magical sight. It will be the key! Verralidaine, I know this is more than you heard last time, but the Badger made a mistake, and I will risk nothing for my cause. Oh, and before I go, sit in at the next council meeting, will you?" With that, the Graveyard Hag was enveloped in silver and was gone.
Damae fainted.
Daine looked around her, but there was no one else there. Well, she needed to get someone to carry Damae, who was too heavy for her. And she needed someone to tell her what she saw, and what anti-magic was. The marmoset jumped off her shoulder and she sprinted away.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Medaio was sweeping the floor of his cottage when Daine burst in his door.
"Medaio!" Startled, he looked up at her frantic face and started to get worried.
"What is it?"
"Damae fainted-I'll explain later-and its too far away for me to carry her." Alarmed, Medaio put away the broom and strode out the door. If she was only all right. What could have happened to her? Despite his whirling thoughts, he said only,
"Where?" Daine hurriedly explained to him where they had been, and the healer instantly ran off.
^^^^^^^^^^
Numair listened to Daine's explanation and frowned, worried.
"Numair? What is it?" He sighed and drew her into his arms, resting his chin on her head, and the same shivers ran up his spine as the first time he'd done it.
"Magelet, while we were still in Tortall, I heard rumors about an uprising in Carthak. Apparently, a large tribe of people, along with a few villages, had been training to fight and not paying taxes or obeying other laws. Prince-Emperor Kaddar's generals wanted to stop the uprising as soon as it began, but he refused, thinking that they could talk it out. Well, his peacekeepers are still trying to arrange a meeting. I think that's why the Hag came to you again." He tightened his arms around her. "You have to stop the rebellion." Daine groaned, and he smiled at her defiance.
"So what's this anti-magic thing?" came her voice, muffled by his tunic. Smiling wryly, Numair answered,
"Sweet, anti-magic is just what it says. The ability to cancel out someone's magical working."
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
A/N: So, you like?
FantasyIsMyLife: I agree! He is absolutely adorable! I love Zek! I'll try to update the rest of the story soon.
Lady Satine Threepwood: Hmmm. I'm thinking something bad.
Spice: Dunno-I guess they have to figure that out for themselves. I never really figured that out. What would Alanna say?
Numair's Daine: I'm happy that you're happy. I love fluff too. It's fun! :- D
Cassa-Andra: Kay. Next time it'll be more fluffier. Do you think this chapter is long enough?