A/N: Though this chapter may seem to imply it, Numair and Daine are NOT
sleeping together!
Thank you CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88!
Sorry about not writing for a while-I was away.
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Gods, how Numair hated waiting. Everything was tense and expectant, and once preparations were made there was nothing left to do. So they sat together, unspeaking, watching the sun come up and trying to sleep. Everything seemed oppressive today, the air seemed heavier and hotter than usual, the village strangely quiet. His nerves were stretched taught, and only Daine could expect a civil answer from him. It was the same with the others as they tried to converse, their senses on edge.
Daine had returned early the night before. She had dressed while he was still asleep, the woken him up and slid into the bed next to him for comfort. And she had cried. Not spoken, just cried her heart out. He tried comforting her, but knew he was fighting a losing battle. So he contented himself with holding her close to him, sometimes kissing her, but more often just letting her drench his shirt with tears. Eventually, she'd cried herself to sleep, and he had wondered about what had hurt her so.
They had both woken at dawn, and since then Daine had been receiving birds at regular intervals to tell of the army's progress. She would put amounts of rookeries, flight-speeds, and sun-related distances into common sense while Damae, Medaio and Numair went over and over their tasks.
The men would arrive a few hours before it started getting dark-ample time to fight it out (or get killed, as Medaio privately thought of it). Their target was the main mage, a powerful leader and opponent. It was Medaio's job to single him out. His healing magic could also be counter-active, and he was to put them all in such bad pain that they couldn't fight. If that didn't work, more extreme measures would be needed.
Daine and Damae, besides protecting Medaio when he meditated, would keep an eye out for magical workings to destroy. Plus, Daine had to destroy all the controlling bonds on the mages so they wouldn't attack Numair while he fought the mage. Zek and Cloud had, amid much grumbling, been sent to hide with the village and their livestock. The conversation had gone something like this:
You and Zek have to leave, Cloud.
I'm not leaving you behind for you to get yourself killed, if that's what you mean.
I'm not going to 'get myself killed'. I'll be fine, I just worry about you getting hurt.
I'm not going.
Cloud, you are, and that's absolutely final.
Daine had put her will behind it with the last command, and Cloud had had to keep it to an angry snort as she turned away.
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Numair slid his arm around Daine and drew her into his lap. She had just answered a bird and was on the point of despairing as she heard again just how many flocks were coming at them.
"Calm down, magelet," he said as she leaned back on his chest, her hands on his around her waist. He felt her fears and it pained him deeply to see her so distraught.
"There's just so many, Numair! How can we win?" Her voice was despairing and he tried hard to soothe her."
"Relax. It's a good plan, and we'll all do our best. Nothing will go wrong." Though he doubted his own words a little, he said them anyway. Daine turned around and buried her head into his shoulder, her arms around his waist. Numair stroked her back softly and slowly felt that she relaxed under his gentle caresses. When she was reasonably at her ease again, he whispered in her ear,
"I love you, and whatever happens, you know I always will."
"I love you too," she answered, her voice slightly muffled by his clothes. "And if you kill yourself I'll never speak to you again." She lifted her face and smiled at him crookedly, and he smiled back and lightly kissed the top of her nose. She captured his lips in hers, warm and soft, and their breath mingled in ethereal harmony. Numair felt a thrill and his heart thumped. He pressed her tightly to him and almost forgot what was about to happen.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Medaio and Damae sat, unspeaking, each staring off into the east to the point that if a bird fluttered in that direction they would both jump, then voice a strained, sheepish chuckle. The sun slowly started his journey towards the west, and still they sat, for hours on end. Numair and Daine came outside, and then all four of them were sitting, waiting for the enemy. Time stretched on until none of them knew how long they had been there for. Each was ready to fight at the merest glimpse of something. Daine, her owl ears perked, sat hand in hand with Numair, who was trying to meditate, as an attempt to calm himself. It wasn't working very well. Medaio prayed and Damae sat as if comatose, until a gentle squeeze of her hand made her blush slightly and hold Medaio's hand as if it was her anchor in a stormy sea of troubles.
Not one of them could have said, later, what time it was when their opponents finally came, or how long they had been waiting. It was almost a relief when Daine finally heard them coming, when they saw the first soldier over the horizon. It was action now, determination instead of dread. Medaio immediately started meditating, Daine prepared the bow she'd found in Dareem's cottage, Damae found her magical sight, and Numair readied himself for the final conflict.
A country's heroes.
Thank you CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88!
Sorry about not writing for a while-I was away.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Gods, how Numair hated waiting. Everything was tense and expectant, and once preparations were made there was nothing left to do. So they sat together, unspeaking, watching the sun come up and trying to sleep. Everything seemed oppressive today, the air seemed heavier and hotter than usual, the village strangely quiet. His nerves were stretched taught, and only Daine could expect a civil answer from him. It was the same with the others as they tried to converse, their senses on edge.
Daine had returned early the night before. She had dressed while he was still asleep, the woken him up and slid into the bed next to him for comfort. And she had cried. Not spoken, just cried her heart out. He tried comforting her, but knew he was fighting a losing battle. So he contented himself with holding her close to him, sometimes kissing her, but more often just letting her drench his shirt with tears. Eventually, she'd cried herself to sleep, and he had wondered about what had hurt her so.
They had both woken at dawn, and since then Daine had been receiving birds at regular intervals to tell of the army's progress. She would put amounts of rookeries, flight-speeds, and sun-related distances into common sense while Damae, Medaio and Numair went over and over their tasks.
The men would arrive a few hours before it started getting dark-ample time to fight it out (or get killed, as Medaio privately thought of it). Their target was the main mage, a powerful leader and opponent. It was Medaio's job to single him out. His healing magic could also be counter-active, and he was to put them all in such bad pain that they couldn't fight. If that didn't work, more extreme measures would be needed.
Daine and Damae, besides protecting Medaio when he meditated, would keep an eye out for magical workings to destroy. Plus, Daine had to destroy all the controlling bonds on the mages so they wouldn't attack Numair while he fought the mage. Zek and Cloud had, amid much grumbling, been sent to hide with the village and their livestock. The conversation had gone something like this:
You and Zek have to leave, Cloud.
I'm not leaving you behind for you to get yourself killed, if that's what you mean.
I'm not going to 'get myself killed'. I'll be fine, I just worry about you getting hurt.
I'm not going.
Cloud, you are, and that's absolutely final.
Daine had put her will behind it with the last command, and Cloud had had to keep it to an angry snort as she turned away.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Numair slid his arm around Daine and drew her into his lap. She had just answered a bird and was on the point of despairing as she heard again just how many flocks were coming at them.
"Calm down, magelet," he said as she leaned back on his chest, her hands on his around her waist. He felt her fears and it pained him deeply to see her so distraught.
"There's just so many, Numair! How can we win?" Her voice was despairing and he tried hard to soothe her."
"Relax. It's a good plan, and we'll all do our best. Nothing will go wrong." Though he doubted his own words a little, he said them anyway. Daine turned around and buried her head into his shoulder, her arms around his waist. Numair stroked her back softly and slowly felt that she relaxed under his gentle caresses. When she was reasonably at her ease again, he whispered in her ear,
"I love you, and whatever happens, you know I always will."
"I love you too," she answered, her voice slightly muffled by his clothes. "And if you kill yourself I'll never speak to you again." She lifted her face and smiled at him crookedly, and he smiled back and lightly kissed the top of her nose. She captured his lips in hers, warm and soft, and their breath mingled in ethereal harmony. Numair felt a thrill and his heart thumped. He pressed her tightly to him and almost forgot what was about to happen.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Medaio and Damae sat, unspeaking, each staring off into the east to the point that if a bird fluttered in that direction they would both jump, then voice a strained, sheepish chuckle. The sun slowly started his journey towards the west, and still they sat, for hours on end. Numair and Daine came outside, and then all four of them were sitting, waiting for the enemy. Time stretched on until none of them knew how long they had been there for. Each was ready to fight at the merest glimpse of something. Daine, her owl ears perked, sat hand in hand with Numair, who was trying to meditate, as an attempt to calm himself. It wasn't working very well. Medaio prayed and Damae sat as if comatose, until a gentle squeeze of her hand made her blush slightly and hold Medaio's hand as if it was her anchor in a stormy sea of troubles.
Not one of them could have said, later, what time it was when their opponents finally came, or how long they had been waiting. It was almost a relief when Daine finally heard them coming, when they saw the first soldier over the horizon. It was action now, determination instead of dread. Medaio immediately started meditating, Daine prepared the bow she'd found in Dareem's cottage, Damae found her magical sight, and Numair readied himself for the final conflict.
A country's heroes.