A/N: I am so sorry that this story hasn't been updated in months-my family
moved and I just got computer access. But the bright side is-I wrote the
rest of the story, so it should all come along pretty quick now. That will
probably account for the fact that the chapters are shorter- they look
longer in a notebook than typed. Love to you all!
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A scream rent the night air in two, an animal scream of fear at something unknown in the dark. It pulsed like a thing alive, as brief and violent as lightning, rising in a crescendo of feeling into a high strain of agony.
Medaio was up like a shot, glistening beads of sweat standing out on his forehead. Cursing himself for not staying awake, he knocked his chair backwards as he leapt forward to defy some hidden enemy. He looked round the dim room, lighted with only a single, flickering candle whose flame jumped and leaped in an intricate dance of light and shadows.
The first thing that registered in his mind was Damae, conscious and sitting up, groping wildly in the dark. He ran to her and captured her flailing hands tightly in his own. She turned her pale and tearstained face to him, clutching at his hands as he bent over her.
"Daine," she managed to gasp out, the painful question in her eyes asking the rest for her.
"She's alive," Medaio reassured her, smiling gently.
She gave a sigh of relief and fell back onto the couch, wincing as she did so. It was only now that they became aware of Numair, who had also woken at Damae's scream, but had come at a slower tempo, checking on Daine first. His face was tense with worry, pain, and lack of sleep, but he looked happy to see her back to consciousness. Pulling up a chair, he sat close to the couch, intent on asking the question that had been troubling him all night.
"What happened?" His voice was grave and steady, a sharp contrast to Damae's as she drew a quavering breath and began her tale.
"Everything was going well until we had to leave. We had scouted them out from behind a tall outcropping of rock. We saw that most of the men were controlled by a mage-a very powerful mage-in the center of their camp. After seeing that, we climbed down the back of the rock. We must have made some noise then-I don't know-some of them must have gotten suspicious. They might have been looking out for us, who knows. I was scared but Daine wasn't afraid, she was always confident, she had faith in me and-and." Tears were starting to make their curving, glistening way down her cheeks, and she stopped talking and hid her face in her hands, sobbing in remembered fear, shock, and remorse. Medaio moved closer to her on the couch and stroked her back soothingly. The knowing look in Numair's eyes unsettled him slightly, and he wondered if his feelings were that transparent to everyone.
Composing herself, the shaken girl continued, "They spotted us almost as soon as Daine started running in horse form. And then they were on us, chasing us, and arrows. They hit my side, and then it was all I could do to hang on with the pain at first. Daine was running like crazy, still sure we could get away.and then they hit her." She shuddered involuntarily. "She screamed, a terrible horse scream, and I think that's what shocked me into holding on tighter. They hit her again, just as we came in a small canyon. They stopped chasing us there, but we were in horrible shape. Daine was still running like a mad beast, trying to get away."
Damae stopped and took a grateful sip of the wine Medaio offered her, letting it seep through her body like a refreshing stream of life. "There was a gorge in the canyon," she continued, refreshed. "A huge gap in the ground, and she just leaped over it like it was a pothole, no problem. And just kept galloping, hard-I don't know where she got the energy. It was endless, just one mind-numbing stretch of hanging on. I think she knew she was killing herself-I realized it, even with the state I was in. The arrows and the running- I think.I think that she was trying to get me home before anything happened to me, even if she couldn't make it herself. I only lost consciousness right before we got here; I know because I recognized our fields. I don't know anything else that happened. How is Daine?" She looked at Numair anxiously.
"Still unconscious, but her breathing is alright. She almost did die, with the blood and everything else, but Medaio brought her back for me." He looked so happy that Damae was touched, and wished someone-a certain someone- would sometimes be as happy to have her.
"Can I see her?" she asked hopefully, knowing full well that she wouldn't be allowed to get off the couch-it was still worth a try.
"No," Medaio said sternly, but then his face relaxed and he moved so he was sitting behind his love, asking gently, "Remember when we were kids, and you were upset about something, a string breaking on your toy, or a stain on your skirt?"
Damae smiled, remembering. "I always came to you, and you would hold me, and say it wasn't so bad, calm down, you'd fix it. Yes, I remember." Seemingly as an afterthought, she leaned back against his chest, laying her head above his heart and snuggling close just like she used to, her eyes closed in quiet calm. Medaio wrapped his arms around her and gazed at her with rapture and adoration, sure that she could hear the rapid beat his heart was making in his chest. Within minutes that seemed holy in their perfection, she was fast asleep, and Medaio heaved a sigh. He stood and eased her back down, letting his fingers linger gently on her peaceful face regretfully. He was startled when he heard Numair say something-he'd almost forgotten the mage was there.
"Did she listen?"
"I wish she would."
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It was light when Daine stirred slightly. Opening her eyes with effort, she looked around, mind still too numb to register anything but the present. She was stretched straight out, a strange sleeping position for her. Next to her, fast asleep, was Numair, curled up on the bed. A glow of warmth spread through her body, and she moved towards him, with a vague sense of pain from her bandaged shoulder and side. She ached, but what did that matter? She would be safe with Numair. She slid next to him so that she was pressed into the curve of his body, back to stomach, as if she was a smaller copy of his shape. Easing his arm over her shoulders where it belonged, Daine smiled and fell into a deep, healing sleep.
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A scream rent the night air in two, an animal scream of fear at something unknown in the dark. It pulsed like a thing alive, as brief and violent as lightning, rising in a crescendo of feeling into a high strain of agony.
Medaio was up like a shot, glistening beads of sweat standing out on his forehead. Cursing himself for not staying awake, he knocked his chair backwards as he leapt forward to defy some hidden enemy. He looked round the dim room, lighted with only a single, flickering candle whose flame jumped and leaped in an intricate dance of light and shadows.
The first thing that registered in his mind was Damae, conscious and sitting up, groping wildly in the dark. He ran to her and captured her flailing hands tightly in his own. She turned her pale and tearstained face to him, clutching at his hands as he bent over her.
"Daine," she managed to gasp out, the painful question in her eyes asking the rest for her.
"She's alive," Medaio reassured her, smiling gently.
She gave a sigh of relief and fell back onto the couch, wincing as she did so. It was only now that they became aware of Numair, who had also woken at Damae's scream, but had come at a slower tempo, checking on Daine first. His face was tense with worry, pain, and lack of sleep, but he looked happy to see her back to consciousness. Pulling up a chair, he sat close to the couch, intent on asking the question that had been troubling him all night.
"What happened?" His voice was grave and steady, a sharp contrast to Damae's as she drew a quavering breath and began her tale.
"Everything was going well until we had to leave. We had scouted them out from behind a tall outcropping of rock. We saw that most of the men were controlled by a mage-a very powerful mage-in the center of their camp. After seeing that, we climbed down the back of the rock. We must have made some noise then-I don't know-some of them must have gotten suspicious. They might have been looking out for us, who knows. I was scared but Daine wasn't afraid, she was always confident, she had faith in me and-and." Tears were starting to make their curving, glistening way down her cheeks, and she stopped talking and hid her face in her hands, sobbing in remembered fear, shock, and remorse. Medaio moved closer to her on the couch and stroked her back soothingly. The knowing look in Numair's eyes unsettled him slightly, and he wondered if his feelings were that transparent to everyone.
Composing herself, the shaken girl continued, "They spotted us almost as soon as Daine started running in horse form. And then they were on us, chasing us, and arrows. They hit my side, and then it was all I could do to hang on with the pain at first. Daine was running like crazy, still sure we could get away.and then they hit her." She shuddered involuntarily. "She screamed, a terrible horse scream, and I think that's what shocked me into holding on tighter. They hit her again, just as we came in a small canyon. They stopped chasing us there, but we were in horrible shape. Daine was still running like a mad beast, trying to get away."
Damae stopped and took a grateful sip of the wine Medaio offered her, letting it seep through her body like a refreshing stream of life. "There was a gorge in the canyon," she continued, refreshed. "A huge gap in the ground, and she just leaped over it like it was a pothole, no problem. And just kept galloping, hard-I don't know where she got the energy. It was endless, just one mind-numbing stretch of hanging on. I think she knew she was killing herself-I realized it, even with the state I was in. The arrows and the running- I think.I think that she was trying to get me home before anything happened to me, even if she couldn't make it herself. I only lost consciousness right before we got here; I know because I recognized our fields. I don't know anything else that happened. How is Daine?" She looked at Numair anxiously.
"Still unconscious, but her breathing is alright. She almost did die, with the blood and everything else, but Medaio brought her back for me." He looked so happy that Damae was touched, and wished someone-a certain someone- would sometimes be as happy to have her.
"Can I see her?" she asked hopefully, knowing full well that she wouldn't be allowed to get off the couch-it was still worth a try.
"No," Medaio said sternly, but then his face relaxed and he moved so he was sitting behind his love, asking gently, "Remember when we were kids, and you were upset about something, a string breaking on your toy, or a stain on your skirt?"
Damae smiled, remembering. "I always came to you, and you would hold me, and say it wasn't so bad, calm down, you'd fix it. Yes, I remember." Seemingly as an afterthought, she leaned back against his chest, laying her head above his heart and snuggling close just like she used to, her eyes closed in quiet calm. Medaio wrapped his arms around her and gazed at her with rapture and adoration, sure that she could hear the rapid beat his heart was making in his chest. Within minutes that seemed holy in their perfection, she was fast asleep, and Medaio heaved a sigh. He stood and eased her back down, letting his fingers linger gently on her peaceful face regretfully. He was startled when he heard Numair say something-he'd almost forgotten the mage was there.
"Did she listen?"
"I wish she would."
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It was light when Daine stirred slightly. Opening her eyes with effort, she looked around, mind still too numb to register anything but the present. She was stretched straight out, a strange sleeping position for her. Next to her, fast asleep, was Numair, curled up on the bed. A glow of warmth spread through her body, and she moved towards him, with a vague sense of pain from her bandaged shoulder and side. She ached, but what did that matter? She would be safe with Numair. She slid next to him so that she was pressed into the curve of his body, back to stomach, as if she was a smaller copy of his shape. Easing his arm over her shoulders where it belonged, Daine smiled and fell into a deep, healing sleep.