A/N: To make up for neglecting this story for quite a while (I've been
extremely busy) I'm giving you another chapter.
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Daine stood in the hut she and Damae shared and grimly listened to the hawk that sat on her wrist and mind-spoke with her. A few days ago, she had called birds to her and sent them on scouting expeditions, to look for the army that threatened her and her friends. This was the first one that had returned, and Daine, though anxious, had kept busy the last couple days by training her anti-magic and working with Damae on her magical-sight. Yaman had had no more visions, which Numair assured them was ordinary-most seers, he said, had visions less than once a month. But now this Carthaki hawk had brought some news, and it worried her.
*They're about a day-flight away, * he was saying, *and it looks like there are more than 100 rookeries of them. * Daine did a quick mental calculation- these hawks nested in groups of about 50-that meant that there were about 5000 men! She blanched, but continued questioning the bird.
*You're sure? *
*Of course I'm sure, * it said indignantly, and fluffed its feathers haughtily.
*I didn't mean to offend you, I'm just surprised at how many there are! Where are they, exactly? *
The bird stretched its wingtip to the east, saying, *Where the sun comes from, a day-flight away. *
*Fast or slow flying? *
The hawk considered for a moment, then said, *Slow. *
"Oh, no." Daine groaned aloud.
*What is it? *
*These men are enemies, and they are too close to us and too many. *
*We will help you fight them, * it offered.
*Oh no, you can't do that. Thank you for offering, but we have to do this by ourselves. *
The bird made the equivalent of a nod, and then launched itself into the air, catching Daine in the updraft of its wings and making her hair blow back along her face. It flew out the window and was soon nothing but a speck in the sky. Daine sighed, and then exited the cottage herself to make her troubled way to Numair's. She found him there, instructing Damae.
"You can't keep becoming frightened like this. This won't work unless you're comfortable with yourself and your gift, Damae. Now try again, and try to remain calm. Observe things when you look as us." The girl nodded, closed her eyes, and then opened them again. At first, she looked a little panicky, but she controlled herself, and then focused on them. It gave Daine a little bit of an eerie feeling, to have someone seeing a part of herself that was usually hidden from sight. She moved over to take Numair's hand, and Damae smiled, amused.
"What?" Daine asked.
"Your magic is much brighter where you and Numair are touching." Daine blushed, but then looked up at Numair tenderly. What was it he had said? Something about love being powerful. She believed him now.
"Numair, Damae," she said, "I have something to tell you." Damae's eyes unfocused a little, and Numair looked at her questioningly. "One of my scouts came back just now. According to him, there's about 5000 men a slow day's flight to the east." Numair groaned and Damae looked scared once more.
"What are we going to do?" Damae asked.
"I'm going to go scout it out," Daine answered, her voice certain.
"Are you sure?" Numair looked down at her worriedly.
"Someone has to do it. And I'm the best one. After that, I'll take Damae with me and we can check up on the magic. After we do that, we'll all go and fight it."
Numair nodded. "That's the best battle plan that we can come up with right now, I say. If you hurry, you can make it there by evening, and be back in the morning. Daine agreed, kissed Numair, hugged Damae, and transformed into a Carthaki hawk. She blinked once, and then lifted her wings and soared into the air. She flew straight east, eyes scanning the ground for any sign of the enemy.
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As Numair had predicted, the sun was starting to set when at last Daine came to a stop and hovered over her destination. Masses of campfires lit up the night sky and warmed a huge army. Daine looked closer and saw that her hawk friend had exaggerated a little-there looked to be about 4000 men. It was still a huge force to overcome. Worried, Daine noticed that they had come from the west-meaning that they were heading directly towards the village. If they didn't stop them, the men would be there within 4 days. In the middle of camp, a large tent with guards all around caught her attention-so that was where the leader was. She swooped low and perched on one of the tent sticks.
"Well," a soft, chilling voice said, "with the new recruits that we got from those fool villages along the way, I think we should be all set." The speaker laughed softly, and Damae heard another, strangely familiar voice agreed. "He calls himself Emperor. Kaddar is no Emperor. He is not even on the same scale as Ozorne. But I will avenge my old master, won't I, Barone?" Daine, shocked, listened to the voice she could now place.
"Yes, Master."
He eerie voice laughed again. "Of course. Ozorne's second most powerful mage is more than a match for a baby." Daine was angry now, but also afraid of this man.
"Now Barone," the voice went on pleasantly, "I haven't dealt with you yet on the matter of that little wild-mage. I specifically remember saying that you were to bring her to me. I liked the look of her. She would have suited me well. But you didn't, did you? You failed." Daine could smell the fear emanating off of her old captor. Now the mage's voice became hard and threatening. "You know that I punish the ones who fail me harshly, Barone." He muttered something unintelligible, and Daine, terrorized, flew away with Barone's screams still ringing in her ears.
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A/N: I just want to say, that what this mage wanted Daine for.yes, he did want her for disgusting purposes. I felt that I had to put that in because one, it was pretty much what Ozorne wanted, and two, I want you to see how perverted he is.
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Daine stood in the hut she and Damae shared and grimly listened to the hawk that sat on her wrist and mind-spoke with her. A few days ago, she had called birds to her and sent them on scouting expeditions, to look for the army that threatened her and her friends. This was the first one that had returned, and Daine, though anxious, had kept busy the last couple days by training her anti-magic and working with Damae on her magical-sight. Yaman had had no more visions, which Numair assured them was ordinary-most seers, he said, had visions less than once a month. But now this Carthaki hawk had brought some news, and it worried her.
*They're about a day-flight away, * he was saying, *and it looks like there are more than 100 rookeries of them. * Daine did a quick mental calculation- these hawks nested in groups of about 50-that meant that there were about 5000 men! She blanched, but continued questioning the bird.
*You're sure? *
*Of course I'm sure, * it said indignantly, and fluffed its feathers haughtily.
*I didn't mean to offend you, I'm just surprised at how many there are! Where are they, exactly? *
The bird stretched its wingtip to the east, saying, *Where the sun comes from, a day-flight away. *
*Fast or slow flying? *
The hawk considered for a moment, then said, *Slow. *
"Oh, no." Daine groaned aloud.
*What is it? *
*These men are enemies, and they are too close to us and too many. *
*We will help you fight them, * it offered.
*Oh no, you can't do that. Thank you for offering, but we have to do this by ourselves. *
The bird made the equivalent of a nod, and then launched itself into the air, catching Daine in the updraft of its wings and making her hair blow back along her face. It flew out the window and was soon nothing but a speck in the sky. Daine sighed, and then exited the cottage herself to make her troubled way to Numair's. She found him there, instructing Damae.
"You can't keep becoming frightened like this. This won't work unless you're comfortable with yourself and your gift, Damae. Now try again, and try to remain calm. Observe things when you look as us." The girl nodded, closed her eyes, and then opened them again. At first, she looked a little panicky, but she controlled herself, and then focused on them. It gave Daine a little bit of an eerie feeling, to have someone seeing a part of herself that was usually hidden from sight. She moved over to take Numair's hand, and Damae smiled, amused.
"What?" Daine asked.
"Your magic is much brighter where you and Numair are touching." Daine blushed, but then looked up at Numair tenderly. What was it he had said? Something about love being powerful. She believed him now.
"Numair, Damae," she said, "I have something to tell you." Damae's eyes unfocused a little, and Numair looked at her questioningly. "One of my scouts came back just now. According to him, there's about 5000 men a slow day's flight to the east." Numair groaned and Damae looked scared once more.
"What are we going to do?" Damae asked.
"I'm going to go scout it out," Daine answered, her voice certain.
"Are you sure?" Numair looked down at her worriedly.
"Someone has to do it. And I'm the best one. After that, I'll take Damae with me and we can check up on the magic. After we do that, we'll all go and fight it."
Numair nodded. "That's the best battle plan that we can come up with right now, I say. If you hurry, you can make it there by evening, and be back in the morning. Daine agreed, kissed Numair, hugged Damae, and transformed into a Carthaki hawk. She blinked once, and then lifted her wings and soared into the air. She flew straight east, eyes scanning the ground for any sign of the enemy.
^^^^^^^^^
As Numair had predicted, the sun was starting to set when at last Daine came to a stop and hovered over her destination. Masses of campfires lit up the night sky and warmed a huge army. Daine looked closer and saw that her hawk friend had exaggerated a little-there looked to be about 4000 men. It was still a huge force to overcome. Worried, Daine noticed that they had come from the west-meaning that they were heading directly towards the village. If they didn't stop them, the men would be there within 4 days. In the middle of camp, a large tent with guards all around caught her attention-so that was where the leader was. She swooped low and perched on one of the tent sticks.
"Well," a soft, chilling voice said, "with the new recruits that we got from those fool villages along the way, I think we should be all set." The speaker laughed softly, and Damae heard another, strangely familiar voice agreed. "He calls himself Emperor. Kaddar is no Emperor. He is not even on the same scale as Ozorne. But I will avenge my old master, won't I, Barone?" Daine, shocked, listened to the voice she could now place.
"Yes, Master."
He eerie voice laughed again. "Of course. Ozorne's second most powerful mage is more than a match for a baby." Daine was angry now, but also afraid of this man.
"Now Barone," the voice went on pleasantly, "I haven't dealt with you yet on the matter of that little wild-mage. I specifically remember saying that you were to bring her to me. I liked the look of her. She would have suited me well. But you didn't, did you? You failed." Daine could smell the fear emanating off of her old captor. Now the mage's voice became hard and threatening. "You know that I punish the ones who fail me harshly, Barone." He muttered something unintelligible, and Daine, terrorized, flew away with Barone's screams still ringing in her ears.
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A/N: I just want to say, that what this mage wanted Daine for.yes, he did want her for disgusting purposes. I felt that I had to put that in because one, it was pretty much what Ozorne wanted, and two, I want you to see how perverted he is.