Waking Up:
Daine woke up with a sigh. She was so tired it was like she had been sleeping for months. It was weird, too, how did she end up back in Snowsdale? Wasn't she just in Tortall, about an hour from home? Where was Numair? Where was she?
Daine suddenly got her answer as she remembered everything. She never left; she barely remembered the sound of his voice. She could only remember his black hair and sweet eyes, and of course the way he kissed her. She would never forget that, how could she? Tears began to fill Daine's eyes as she heard Rand open the door. He must have just gotten home from hunting, she thought. She heard Lory come out of their room, and walk to the top of the steps. Their house is wonderful, Daine thought, so homey and comfortable. She wished that it was Numair walking through the door. Then he would come up the stairs and into her room. Then he would pick her up and carry her home, right back to where she belonged.
She wondered if he even remembered her. She felt so bad; she could barely remember anyone from Tortall. It seemed like it was all just another dream; that she wasn't married, that she didn't have friends like Alanna, Thyet, Muri, and Ouna. She began to sing in her head. The song was a song about Alanna that she had learned when she was little. It was about how she had dresses up as a boy to become a knight. That she was the first women knight in 100 years. Daine loved the song; she loved the way it made Alanna sound like she was an all around legend. She had to smile at it sometimes. If she was out in the stables, with only Alanna, she would sing the song, and the lady-knight would throw something at her. She would always say 'just because you have such a pretty voice, that doesn't mean you can use it against people.' Daine would always laugh at her for it. 'And I never did anything wrong' she'd would add innocently. It anyone heard her say that, like Jon or Rauol (spelling?), they would laugh sarcastically at her.
Diane remembered that she would always sing herself to sleep at night. When she moved into the same room with Numair she couldn't sleep the first night. She began to sing herself to sleep, forgetting that Numair was there. He had wrapped his arms around her and kissed he neck. She could still remember that he tried to get her to sing ever night. When she wanted his attention she would sing in his ear, then most the time end up in bed with him ten minutes later. Then he would get her to sing for him again.
Diane remembered the dream that she had had. She guessed that it was really a dream. Nothing made sense to her now. What did march have to do with anything. All that she knew was that is was March. Then it took them one day to get to Tortall. Didn't that take about a month? She closed her eyes and tried to repicture Numair's smile. Why was it so hard for her just to leave Snowsdale.
'Lory?' she called. Diane suddenly stopped. No sound had come out of her mouth. She tried again. There was still no sound. You dolt, she thought, maybe it's because you were drugged and you can't talk now. At least I know why I'm not back in Tortall by now. She couldn't decide if that made her feel better or worse. She listened as Lory and Rand went to bed. She wanted to scream; she wanted Numair and she wanted him now.
She was so used to getting what she wanted. In Corus if she wanted something she got it. If she needed a new dress Numair would by her the one she wanted, in the color she wanted, without hesitation. If she was hungry, they got something to eat. If she was thirsty, Numair let her have some of whatever he was drinking. No one ever tried to get her to eat meat. The only thing that she has had to work to get was Numair's attention. Sometimes he got so into a book that she sit in his lap and it would take him nearly ten minutes to realize it. That and having a baby. For some reason no matter what she tries she can't seem to get Numair to give in to having children. It was probably because he really hated being around his little sister when they were young. He won't listen to her when she says having your own child was different than a little sister. The have been married only a year, so she still has some time to convince him. She was only nineteen. He'd give in to her eventually, he has every thing else.
Hearing Lory and Rand talking woke Diane up the next morning.
'It's so horrible, Hakkon. How can you not care?' Lory was saying as she walked into the kitchen.
' The man lost his wife. It's not like he was sent into exile" Hakkon replied.
'That's not the worst part Lory" Rand added 'He told everyone not to look for her anymore. He's given up all hope of finding her.'
'He doesn't want to hear that she was murdered.' Lory replied, 'would you two want to hear that?'
'Of course not my dear wife.' Rand replied. He looked her in the eyes, "no one wants to hear their wife was murdered.'
'Oh, good morning Diane.' Lory changed her tone. She didn't know if Daine was married or has a lover. She really didn't want the girl to start crying. Diane took out a piece of paper. She used the paper to talk to Lory and Rand. She didn't mind not being able to communicate with Hakkon. She wasn't on speaking terms with him anyway. Diane asked who they were talking about on the paper, then showed it to Lory.
'Numair Saliman.' She replied. Daine dropped the quill that she was using. This look of horrification came over her face, and her eyes filled with tears. Numair's giving up looking for me, she thought. He's afraid to hear that I'm dead. Daine swallowed hard, her husbend thought that she had been murdered. Oh Numair, she thought.
'Daine do you know him?' Rand asked.
'Give us the truth, too.' Hakkon added
Daine looked down at the paper. She gently picked back up the quill. This is your only chance to get back to him, she reminded herself. Poor Numair's probably worried himself sick. He's probably sitting in his workroom right now, thinking about how empty his life is without you. She showed them her reply to their question.
'You're..' Lory began.
'No.you can't be.you just can't be.' Hakkon added.
'You're the wild mage. You were always so good with animals. That's why!' Rand realized the last part as she looked away. 'We have to get you to Tortall.'
'Do you have any idea at how stupid this sounds?' Hakkon asked. I don't believe a word that she says.'
But it's true, Daine wrote, I am. I'm the wild mage. My real name is Daine Saliman.
'I'll get you two packed' Lory said standing up.
'I can't believe I'm doing this.' Hakkon muttered. 'Especially for her.'
Daine woke up with a sigh. She was so tired it was like she had been sleeping for months. It was weird, too, how did she end up back in Snowsdale? Wasn't she just in Tortall, about an hour from home? Where was Numair? Where was she?
Daine suddenly got her answer as she remembered everything. She never left; she barely remembered the sound of his voice. She could only remember his black hair and sweet eyes, and of course the way he kissed her. She would never forget that, how could she? Tears began to fill Daine's eyes as she heard Rand open the door. He must have just gotten home from hunting, she thought. She heard Lory come out of their room, and walk to the top of the steps. Their house is wonderful, Daine thought, so homey and comfortable. She wished that it was Numair walking through the door. Then he would come up the stairs and into her room. Then he would pick her up and carry her home, right back to where she belonged.
She wondered if he even remembered her. She felt so bad; she could barely remember anyone from Tortall. It seemed like it was all just another dream; that she wasn't married, that she didn't have friends like Alanna, Thyet, Muri, and Ouna. She began to sing in her head. The song was a song about Alanna that she had learned when she was little. It was about how she had dresses up as a boy to become a knight. That she was the first women knight in 100 years. Daine loved the song; she loved the way it made Alanna sound like she was an all around legend. She had to smile at it sometimes. If she was out in the stables, with only Alanna, she would sing the song, and the lady-knight would throw something at her. She would always say 'just because you have such a pretty voice, that doesn't mean you can use it against people.' Daine would always laugh at her for it. 'And I never did anything wrong' she'd would add innocently. It anyone heard her say that, like Jon or Rauol (spelling?), they would laugh sarcastically at her.
Diane remembered that she would always sing herself to sleep at night. When she moved into the same room with Numair she couldn't sleep the first night. She began to sing herself to sleep, forgetting that Numair was there. He had wrapped his arms around her and kissed he neck. She could still remember that he tried to get her to sing ever night. When she wanted his attention she would sing in his ear, then most the time end up in bed with him ten minutes later. Then he would get her to sing for him again.
Diane remembered the dream that she had had. She guessed that it was really a dream. Nothing made sense to her now. What did march have to do with anything. All that she knew was that is was March. Then it took them one day to get to Tortall. Didn't that take about a month? She closed her eyes and tried to repicture Numair's smile. Why was it so hard for her just to leave Snowsdale.
'Lory?' she called. Diane suddenly stopped. No sound had come out of her mouth. She tried again. There was still no sound. You dolt, she thought, maybe it's because you were drugged and you can't talk now. At least I know why I'm not back in Tortall by now. She couldn't decide if that made her feel better or worse. She listened as Lory and Rand went to bed. She wanted to scream; she wanted Numair and she wanted him now.
She was so used to getting what she wanted. In Corus if she wanted something she got it. If she needed a new dress Numair would by her the one she wanted, in the color she wanted, without hesitation. If she was hungry, they got something to eat. If she was thirsty, Numair let her have some of whatever he was drinking. No one ever tried to get her to eat meat. The only thing that she has had to work to get was Numair's attention. Sometimes he got so into a book that she sit in his lap and it would take him nearly ten minutes to realize it. That and having a baby. For some reason no matter what she tries she can't seem to get Numair to give in to having children. It was probably because he really hated being around his little sister when they were young. He won't listen to her when she says having your own child was different than a little sister. The have been married only a year, so she still has some time to convince him. She was only nineteen. He'd give in to her eventually, he has every thing else.
Hearing Lory and Rand talking woke Diane up the next morning.
'It's so horrible, Hakkon. How can you not care?' Lory was saying as she walked into the kitchen.
' The man lost his wife. It's not like he was sent into exile" Hakkon replied.
'That's not the worst part Lory" Rand added 'He told everyone not to look for her anymore. He's given up all hope of finding her.'
'He doesn't want to hear that she was murdered.' Lory replied, 'would you two want to hear that?'
'Of course not my dear wife.' Rand replied. He looked her in the eyes, "no one wants to hear their wife was murdered.'
'Oh, good morning Diane.' Lory changed her tone. She didn't know if Daine was married or has a lover. She really didn't want the girl to start crying. Diane took out a piece of paper. She used the paper to talk to Lory and Rand. She didn't mind not being able to communicate with Hakkon. She wasn't on speaking terms with him anyway. Diane asked who they were talking about on the paper, then showed it to Lory.
'Numair Saliman.' She replied. Daine dropped the quill that she was using. This look of horrification came over her face, and her eyes filled with tears. Numair's giving up looking for me, she thought. He's afraid to hear that I'm dead. Daine swallowed hard, her husbend thought that she had been murdered. Oh Numair, she thought.
'Daine do you know him?' Rand asked.
'Give us the truth, too.' Hakkon added
Daine looked down at the paper. She gently picked back up the quill. This is your only chance to get back to him, she reminded herself. Poor Numair's probably worried himself sick. He's probably sitting in his workroom right now, thinking about how empty his life is without you. She showed them her reply to their question.
'You're..' Lory began.
'No.you can't be.you just can't be.' Hakkon added.
'You're the wild mage. You were always so good with animals. That's why!' Rand realized the last part as she looked away. 'We have to get you to Tortall.'
'Do you have any idea at how stupid this sounds?' Hakkon asked. I don't believe a word that she says.'
But it's true, Daine wrote, I am. I'm the wild mage. My real name is Daine Saliman.
'I'll get you two packed' Lory said standing up.
'I can't believe I'm doing this.' Hakkon muttered. 'Especially for her.'