A/N: I am SO sorry to have kept you waiting so long! I was busy, then I had
a little writers block * smiles sheepishly*, and then the site was giving
me problems. I'm so sorry. Also, I'm at camp for almost a week, so I won't
be able to update any time soon either. I feel so bad about it! Please
forgive me, you guys.
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Daine saw the small village outlined in the moonlight beneath her, and for the first time felt the hopelessness of their situation. How could she and a few others stand against 4000 men, many of whom were probably mages, with the leader as the most powerful one of them all? It was near impossible. Even with her anti-magic, which she was learning to control, Damae's magical sight, Numair's Gift, and Yaman's visions, how could they possibly stand against that large a force? Unthinkingly, she dropped into Numair's living room window, and her clothes, still where they had fallen, reminded her of the practicality of it. He wasn't in the room, which made sense, because it was very early in the morning. She slipped back into human form and quietly and quickly put her clothes on, shivering slightly in the chill. She padded softly towards his door, bare feet soundless on the wood. The door creaked slightly when she opened it, and as she squeezed herself through the opening, she saw Numair shift. she thought, exasperated, I
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Numair blinked groggily and pushed himself up to a sitting position, the clothes he had gone to sleep in rustling around him. A shadow he knew to be Daine approached him quietly. He smiled tenderly into the dark, and moved over on the bed to make room for her. His love leaned in against him, with her head on his shoulder, and tucked her legs up under her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gently kissed her cheek. When she turned her head towards him and covered his lips with hers, he was struck by the fear it carried. It seemed that she was seeking reassurance, as if her mouth expressed the yearning of her soul for comfort and help. He pulled her close to him and pulled away, peering into the dark to try to see her face. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed, a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of her heart and out in a sad rush. When he lifted one arm to gently stroke her face, he was shocked to find small wet streams running from her eyes, over her cheekbones, and to a chin that was usually proud and obstinate, but that quivered slightly now.
"Daine," he said softly, worried and anxious, his heart tugging. She gave a great shudder in his arms, as if a cold wind had suddenly blown through the window, and then buried her face into the folds of his cloak, bringing her hands up and clenching the fabric tightly. She sobbed, shoulders heaving, as Numair stroked her hair and wondered what could have happened to upset her like this. Murmuring comforts into her ear, heart throbbing wretchedly, he held her tightly in his arms.
Daine stopped crying quickly, but it was a long time before she left the comforting circle of his loving arms in order to speak. When she did, it was a discomforting message that she brought. "They're coming," she said softly.
"Who's coming?"
"Ozorne's second-best mage and 4,000 of his men. Oh, Numair, what are we going to do? It'll only take them 4 days to get here, and how can we possibly fight them?"
Despite himself, Numair was shocked. Their adversities reality hadn't quite sunk in yet, he had merely been going through the motions of preparing himself and his friends for an unknown enemy. But now...now he knew for sure what was going on, and the vagueness in his brain was replaced by the looming certainty of what they were facing. Still, he did all he could to comfort Daine, trying to settle his mind as much as hers. He rocked her in his arms soothingly, and it was a while before he spoke again, in an answer to her question.
"We have to trust the gods to have a reason for this. You and Damae's gifts have been given for a purpose, so we must be able to do something with them. I had thought of sending a plea for help to Emperor Kaddar, but we are too far away...by the time the message reached the palace, this village would be gone. I think the safest thing to do is to stick to our original plan, much as I think that we need something better. If it doesn't pain you too much to do it, magelet, you'll have to take Damae with you tomorrow and take a closer look. I'm so sorry, Daine." He paused, uncertain of wether to go on, but needing to know something more. In the end, his curiousity and tender worriedness got the best of him. He went on gently, "What else happened? There must have been more to scare you this much."
She shuddered, then, hesitantly, described what she had heard-about Barone, and about herself. She told Numair who Barone was, and what he had done to her, and he listened with mounting anger as she unfolded the tale of her journey here-he hadn't gotten a complete version of it before. In the end, fuming with indignation and the wish to protect what he loved, hurting for his Daine, and meditating on the good and bad fortunes that they had experienced together, he sat silently, brain and heart to full for sense or words. He stroked her back gently, aware now of the whipmarks that were there and who had inflicted them.
He looked down at Daine's pale face, bathed in gentle moonlight. The shadows of her eyelashes fell dramatically on her pale cheeks, a sparkle of tears still caught in the corner of her closed eye. Her breath came slowly and steadily through her forlorn-looking lips, parted in sleep and without their usual contented upward curve. A wisp of the dark, thick, smoky brown hair that lay around her shoulders had swept across her face, lying across the tear-streaks that came from the corner of her eyes down to her beautiful chin. She looked so fragile that Numair couldn't tell if it was the moonlight, their situation, or both combined. She was eerily beautiful now, but Numair's heart ached to have his old, untroubled, cheerful Daine back, not this scared, seemingly broken creature.
He sighed deeply, then carefully slid her head onto his pillow, heaved himself with a soft sigh out of bed, and tucked the humble, homespun sheets up around her. Looking down at her tenderly, he bent and kissed her forehead, hoping against hope that everything could go back to normal.
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Daine brusquely double checked all the arrangements for their scouting expedition, paying as much attention to detail as she could. Damae stood by, nervous almost to a breakdown, while Medaio vainly tried to soothe her, while obviously as worried as she was apprehensive. Stealing a minute away from the preparations, Daine locked eyes with Numair and glanced meaninly towards the healer and his student. The wild-mage and her teacher smiled knowingly at eachother, and then returned to their own tasks, all the while keeping a close eye on Damae and Medaio. Neither was going to interfere with their friends' business, even if it promoted the happiness of both. They would figure it out soon enough if left to themselves.
Smiling inwardly, Daine went over the procedure. She, as the fastest bird she could think of, would fly straight ahead, into the already gathering dusk, until she could find the force of men that they must find a way to destroy. She would perch as close as possible, and once she was there, the dangerous things happened. She would send a message to Cloud using her mind, who would, in turn, rear, giving Numair the signal that he needed. The dangerous part of the operation was Numair's. He, single handidly, would have to find Daine, using a strand of hair that he had cut from her as soon as he could get it, to ensure that he would never lose her again. Then, having found Daine, he had to send Damae to her, using magic. It took a terrific amount of power to find someone, and even more to go to them yourself. But when you had to send someone else... lesser mages had died trying. Numair wouldn't die, certainly, he was more powerful than that, but he might get very close... Medaio had offered his power as an add-on, but it would not have worked, for Medaio's healing power wouldn't do the job.
Damae would take a cloak, which she would give to Daine, who would change back into human form. They would look it over together, and then it was up to Daine to carry her friend home as the fastest thing she could imagine.
Now started one of the most difficult times of her life.
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A/N: So, what do you think? Sorry to leave you with a cliffy there, but I really have no more time to write! Imagine what will happen!
CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88: Sorry that I haven't updated soon! Thanks though!
Cassa-Andra: Thanks! I was stumped for the title for a long time. I know aren't they so gross? Yuck!
Amethyst: I KNOW! EW YUCKY!
LoniGirl: Oh no! Why couldn't you see the mindtalk? Now I'm worried about it. Can you see them here?
Eyrnwen: Thanks! I LOVE new reviewers! Sorry not to have updated in forever! By the way-I still think that that chapter sucks.
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Daine saw the small village outlined in the moonlight beneath her, and for the first time felt the hopelessness of their situation. How could she and a few others stand against 4000 men, many of whom were probably mages, with the leader as the most powerful one of them all? It was near impossible. Even with her anti-magic, which she was learning to control, Damae's magical sight, Numair's Gift, and Yaman's visions, how could they possibly stand against that large a force? Unthinkingly, she dropped into Numair's living room window, and her clothes, still where they had fallen, reminded her of the practicality of it. He wasn't in the room, which made sense, because it was very early in the morning. She slipped back into human form and quietly and quickly put her clothes on, shivering slightly in the chill. She padded softly towards his door, bare feet soundless on the wood. The door creaked slightly when she opened it, and as she squeezed herself through the opening, she saw Numair shift. she thought, exasperated, I
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Numair blinked groggily and pushed himself up to a sitting position, the clothes he had gone to sleep in rustling around him. A shadow he knew to be Daine approached him quietly. He smiled tenderly into the dark, and moved over on the bed to make room for her. His love leaned in against him, with her head on his shoulder, and tucked her legs up under her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gently kissed her cheek. When she turned her head towards him and covered his lips with hers, he was struck by the fear it carried. It seemed that she was seeking reassurance, as if her mouth expressed the yearning of her soul for comfort and help. He pulled her close to him and pulled away, peering into the dark to try to see her face. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed, a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of her heart and out in a sad rush. When he lifted one arm to gently stroke her face, he was shocked to find small wet streams running from her eyes, over her cheekbones, and to a chin that was usually proud and obstinate, but that quivered slightly now.
"Daine," he said softly, worried and anxious, his heart tugging. She gave a great shudder in his arms, as if a cold wind had suddenly blown through the window, and then buried her face into the folds of his cloak, bringing her hands up and clenching the fabric tightly. She sobbed, shoulders heaving, as Numair stroked her hair and wondered what could have happened to upset her like this. Murmuring comforts into her ear, heart throbbing wretchedly, he held her tightly in his arms.
Daine stopped crying quickly, but it was a long time before she left the comforting circle of his loving arms in order to speak. When she did, it was a discomforting message that she brought. "They're coming," she said softly.
"Who's coming?"
"Ozorne's second-best mage and 4,000 of his men. Oh, Numair, what are we going to do? It'll only take them 4 days to get here, and how can we possibly fight them?"
Despite himself, Numair was shocked. Their adversities reality hadn't quite sunk in yet, he had merely been going through the motions of preparing himself and his friends for an unknown enemy. But now...now he knew for sure what was going on, and the vagueness in his brain was replaced by the looming certainty of what they were facing. Still, he did all he could to comfort Daine, trying to settle his mind as much as hers. He rocked her in his arms soothingly, and it was a while before he spoke again, in an answer to her question.
"We have to trust the gods to have a reason for this. You and Damae's gifts have been given for a purpose, so we must be able to do something with them. I had thought of sending a plea for help to Emperor Kaddar, but we are too far away...by the time the message reached the palace, this village would be gone. I think the safest thing to do is to stick to our original plan, much as I think that we need something better. If it doesn't pain you too much to do it, magelet, you'll have to take Damae with you tomorrow and take a closer look. I'm so sorry, Daine." He paused, uncertain of wether to go on, but needing to know something more. In the end, his curiousity and tender worriedness got the best of him. He went on gently, "What else happened? There must have been more to scare you this much."
She shuddered, then, hesitantly, described what she had heard-about Barone, and about herself. She told Numair who Barone was, and what he had done to her, and he listened with mounting anger as she unfolded the tale of her journey here-he hadn't gotten a complete version of it before. In the end, fuming with indignation and the wish to protect what he loved, hurting for his Daine, and meditating on the good and bad fortunes that they had experienced together, he sat silently, brain and heart to full for sense or words. He stroked her back gently, aware now of the whipmarks that were there and who had inflicted them.
He looked down at Daine's pale face, bathed in gentle moonlight. The shadows of her eyelashes fell dramatically on her pale cheeks, a sparkle of tears still caught in the corner of her closed eye. Her breath came slowly and steadily through her forlorn-looking lips, parted in sleep and without their usual contented upward curve. A wisp of the dark, thick, smoky brown hair that lay around her shoulders had swept across her face, lying across the tear-streaks that came from the corner of her eyes down to her beautiful chin. She looked so fragile that Numair couldn't tell if it was the moonlight, their situation, or both combined. She was eerily beautiful now, but Numair's heart ached to have his old, untroubled, cheerful Daine back, not this scared, seemingly broken creature.
He sighed deeply, then carefully slid her head onto his pillow, heaved himself with a soft sigh out of bed, and tucked the humble, homespun sheets up around her. Looking down at her tenderly, he bent and kissed her forehead, hoping against hope that everything could go back to normal.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Daine brusquely double checked all the arrangements for their scouting expedition, paying as much attention to detail as she could. Damae stood by, nervous almost to a breakdown, while Medaio vainly tried to soothe her, while obviously as worried as she was apprehensive. Stealing a minute away from the preparations, Daine locked eyes with Numair and glanced meaninly towards the healer and his student. The wild-mage and her teacher smiled knowingly at eachother, and then returned to their own tasks, all the while keeping a close eye on Damae and Medaio. Neither was going to interfere with their friends' business, even if it promoted the happiness of both. They would figure it out soon enough if left to themselves.
Smiling inwardly, Daine went over the procedure. She, as the fastest bird she could think of, would fly straight ahead, into the already gathering dusk, until she could find the force of men that they must find a way to destroy. She would perch as close as possible, and once she was there, the dangerous things happened. She would send a message to Cloud using her mind, who would, in turn, rear, giving Numair the signal that he needed. The dangerous part of the operation was Numair's. He, single handidly, would have to find Daine, using a strand of hair that he had cut from her as soon as he could get it, to ensure that he would never lose her again. Then, having found Daine, he had to send Damae to her, using magic. It took a terrific amount of power to find someone, and even more to go to them yourself. But when you had to send someone else... lesser mages had died trying. Numair wouldn't die, certainly, he was more powerful than that, but he might get very close... Medaio had offered his power as an add-on, but it would not have worked, for Medaio's healing power wouldn't do the job.
Damae would take a cloak, which she would give to Daine, who would change back into human form. They would look it over together, and then it was up to Daine to carry her friend home as the fastest thing she could imagine.
Now started one of the most difficult times of her life.
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A/N: So, what do you think? Sorry to leave you with a cliffy there, but I really have no more time to write! Imagine what will happen!
CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88: Sorry that I haven't updated soon! Thanks though!
Cassa-Andra: Thanks! I was stumped for the title for a long time. I know aren't they so gross? Yuck!
Amethyst: I KNOW! EW YUCKY!
LoniGirl: Oh no! Why couldn't you see the mindtalk? Now I'm worried about it. Can you see them here?
Eyrnwen: Thanks! I LOVE new reviewers! Sorry not to have updated in forever! By the way-I still think that that chapter sucks.