Life and Death
Numair stood outside of the hospital wing room that Daine was in. He hadn't slept in at least two days, not since he had woken up to discover Daine hovering between life and death. She had somehow gotten behind him when they were thrown. So he had slammed full force into her, right after she hit a solid stone wall.
Even Dragonfly herself was subdued. Silent and tired, trying to fight off the fatigue and pain that came from doing what she had done. She had stayed up all night, rummaging through books that could help. She found little. A very effective painkiller was about it, and she had to go through another world to get it. It was called kinthus.
She had gotten it from a place called Remalna. As always, Dragonfly had a solution everything. She had realized that almost every place that was written about was real in one way or another. She had read about the berries in another one of her fantasy books. She managed to astonish the occupants of the Country by showing up in the middle of the palace. She was a stranger dressed in shorts amongst court ladies dressed in the finest satin and silk. Always one for an entrance, she entered in the middle of the petitioners court, while it was in session.
She had stood up and looked around, "Cool! I didn't think this would work!" She then had the grace to look embarrassed at where she had turned up. She managed an elegant curtsey in the long blue jean skirt she was wearing. The entire court was scandalized, due to her absolutely bare shoulders and slightly exposed leg.
"Forgive me your highnesses. I am Tiffany Lassagne of Tortall and Louisiana. I know you, and of your adventures, though you do not know me. I come from Tortall to request some of your kinthus berries." The king and queen were left looking at her like she had three heads.
"Dam it, I knew I should have thought about where I would enter before I did this."
"Do all people where you come from dress as you do?" The king managed to stammer.
"mmm? Oh no! Well not those from Tortall at least, in America everyone does."
"How do you know of us if you have never been here?" The queen asked, her fan in the Confusion angle.
"Well, I got a hold of a copy of YOUR memoires. Meliara, is it?"
"There was a copy missing from the library! It was you?"
"Not me personally, someone else. Its currently published in America and the UK and going into its second paperback printing." She looked up at the king, who was looking at her as though she was crazy still.
"Forgive me, you are Vidanric?"
He nodded. "You requested kinthus berries?"
"Yup. And I would appreciate your speed, I have a friend who is deathly ill and her husband is a puddle."
He nodded again and motioned from his seat on the cushions for the berries to be brought. They arrived momentarily.
"Thank you very much sir."
"One last question, how do you know our first names if you have never been here before? Few outside court know them."
"Well, let's just say they're mentioned in her memoirs, plus some juicy conversations that I won't repeat." She grinned and disappeared.
"That was strange." Melira muttered before the court began to buzz with confusion. Dam Mages, she thought to herself.
When she returned, Dragonfly ground the berries up and made them into a pill for Daine to take as soon as she awoke. If she awoke.
***
By the fifth day Daine had been asleep, everyone was begginging to lose hope that she ever would, Numair was dressed in all black and refused to sleep. He sat by her bedside, day after day, night after night. Silent tears pouring down his face. Dragonfly had managed to force some food down his throat, so that was why he was still alive.
She woke up at nine o'clock on the seventh day. As Dragonfly predicted, she was in terrible pain and needed the pill. It lasted for quite a while, enough for Dragonfly to gain enough of her gift back to give her a dose of that.
"mmm Numair?" She asked as she woke. She tried to reach up and kiss him, but was consumed by a terrible pain when she moved her arm. She cried out.
"Ssshhh. Daine, its okay. You broke your arm and both your legs when you hit the wall, Dragonfly said you shouldn't move." He smiled at her, the first time in days. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly.
"You're alive!" a joyfull voice sang from the door. Dragonfly stood there, dressed in a pair of kaki pants and a hoodie. "Alanna! Everyone! She's awake! She's awake!" It was then that Daine saw everyone from the palace come running into the large room. She was surrounded by well wishers, from their majesties to Alanna to Raoul to Sarge to Neal. Everyone was so happy to find her alive.
"Okay! Enough! Daine needs her rest! Everybody OUT!" Dragonfly and Alanna yelled in unison. They looked at each other and laughed. Dragonfly walked over to Daine once everyone was gone. "Here, Daine. Swallow this. It will ease some of the pain until I get enough of my gift back to take it away properly." She stuck the small red pill in her mouth. Daine was asleep in moments.
Over the next few days, everyone prepared to go by boat back to Corus. Numair, Daine, Dragonfly, and company would go back in the HumV, to reduce the stress. Tkaa would take Kitten and Zek with him by water. So Dragonfly created a makeshift bed in the back, Numair would sit with Daine, making sure she was alright, while the girls sat in their customary seats up front. It was then, more than ever, the horses descition to go by water was appreciated most. They could send the horse trailer home and the ride would be smoother, it was the cause of most of the bumping.
***
They reached Corus several days ahead of the others. The second that they were there, Daine was quickly conveyed to her and Numair's room. When Dragonfly went to her own rooms, she opened her door to find a surprise. Kaddar was standing in the middle of her study, smiling.
"Kaddar?" Dragonfly breathed. She ran into his outstreached arms, kissing him full on the lips, fire flooding her.
***
Numair sat on the bed next to Daine, gently stroking her head. It was still hard for her to move, but she was slowly recovering. She smiled, a weak attempt to reassure Numair, who had been blaming himself for all that had happened to her. He still refused to leave her bedside except to go to the privy. But Dragonfly no longer had to force food down his throat, he ate without her nagging.
"Numair, please, what's wrong?" Daine asked, seeing her lover looking so distant.
"Its just.I still feel like its my fault this happened to you. If I hadn't jumped in front of you to protect you, It would be me. But instead I acted the hero again and you have to bear what should have been mine."
"Numair, how many times must I tell you?! It wasn't your fault, it never was your fault and it never will be your fault! I don't blame you and you shouldn't either! Even Dragonfly doesn't blame you!"
He laughed, "Yes, I suppose if someone were to blame me it would be Dragonfly. Do you think we should have mentioned to her that Kaddar was waiting for her?"
"No, I think the surprise was a good one. She missed him dreadfully, if what Eva said was true. They're sleeping over here tonight and leaving in the morning. They said that they miss the heat of Louisiana. Kaddar said in his letter that he wanted Dragonfly to go home with him."
"That's good. She'll be out of our hair for a while."
"I'm not sure whether to rejoice that we finally got rid of her, or to be scared to death that she's eventually going to be an Empress."
"Let's just enjoy the moment. Shall we?" she said as she rested her head on his lap.
"Mmm Yes, let's." Numair allowed Daine to fall asleep like that, when he was sure she was asleep, he carefully rested her head on the pillow and he slipped under the covers next to her.
***
Five days later, Eva and Liset had gone home, and just about everything was back to normal. Daine still wasn't allowed out of bed, not until her legs healed properly. Kaddar was leaving with the unneeded army in another few days.
"Dragonfly, you should go! You should go with Kaddar!" Daine said from the bed.
"Should I? I don't want to leave you and Numair and everybody, but I love him and I.I missed him the entire time I was home." She blushed, the first time Daine had ever seen her embarrassed.
"You should go. There's no reason not to. And from what Numair said, you also need to give the occupants of Remalna an explanation."
"Yeah, I guess so." She chuckled, "You should have seen the look they gave me! I think they thought I was crazy!"
"Not to far from the truth."
"Humph!"
Numair stood outside of the hospital wing room that Daine was in. He hadn't slept in at least two days, not since he had woken up to discover Daine hovering between life and death. She had somehow gotten behind him when they were thrown. So he had slammed full force into her, right after she hit a solid stone wall.
Even Dragonfly herself was subdued. Silent and tired, trying to fight off the fatigue and pain that came from doing what she had done. She had stayed up all night, rummaging through books that could help. She found little. A very effective painkiller was about it, and she had to go through another world to get it. It was called kinthus.
She had gotten it from a place called Remalna. As always, Dragonfly had a solution everything. She had realized that almost every place that was written about was real in one way or another. She had read about the berries in another one of her fantasy books. She managed to astonish the occupants of the Country by showing up in the middle of the palace. She was a stranger dressed in shorts amongst court ladies dressed in the finest satin and silk. Always one for an entrance, she entered in the middle of the petitioners court, while it was in session.
She had stood up and looked around, "Cool! I didn't think this would work!" She then had the grace to look embarrassed at where she had turned up. She managed an elegant curtsey in the long blue jean skirt she was wearing. The entire court was scandalized, due to her absolutely bare shoulders and slightly exposed leg.
"Forgive me your highnesses. I am Tiffany Lassagne of Tortall and Louisiana. I know you, and of your adventures, though you do not know me. I come from Tortall to request some of your kinthus berries." The king and queen were left looking at her like she had three heads.
"Dam it, I knew I should have thought about where I would enter before I did this."
"Do all people where you come from dress as you do?" The king managed to stammer.
"mmm? Oh no! Well not those from Tortall at least, in America everyone does."
"How do you know of us if you have never been here?" The queen asked, her fan in the Confusion angle.
"Well, I got a hold of a copy of YOUR memoires. Meliara, is it?"
"There was a copy missing from the library! It was you?"
"Not me personally, someone else. Its currently published in America and the UK and going into its second paperback printing." She looked up at the king, who was looking at her as though she was crazy still.
"Forgive me, you are Vidanric?"
He nodded. "You requested kinthus berries?"
"Yup. And I would appreciate your speed, I have a friend who is deathly ill and her husband is a puddle."
He nodded again and motioned from his seat on the cushions for the berries to be brought. They arrived momentarily.
"Thank you very much sir."
"One last question, how do you know our first names if you have never been here before? Few outside court know them."
"Well, let's just say they're mentioned in her memoirs, plus some juicy conversations that I won't repeat." She grinned and disappeared.
"That was strange." Melira muttered before the court began to buzz with confusion. Dam Mages, she thought to herself.
When she returned, Dragonfly ground the berries up and made them into a pill for Daine to take as soon as she awoke. If she awoke.
***
By the fifth day Daine had been asleep, everyone was begginging to lose hope that she ever would, Numair was dressed in all black and refused to sleep. He sat by her bedside, day after day, night after night. Silent tears pouring down his face. Dragonfly had managed to force some food down his throat, so that was why he was still alive.
She woke up at nine o'clock on the seventh day. As Dragonfly predicted, she was in terrible pain and needed the pill. It lasted for quite a while, enough for Dragonfly to gain enough of her gift back to give her a dose of that.
"mmm Numair?" She asked as she woke. She tried to reach up and kiss him, but was consumed by a terrible pain when she moved her arm. She cried out.
"Ssshhh. Daine, its okay. You broke your arm and both your legs when you hit the wall, Dragonfly said you shouldn't move." He smiled at her, the first time in days. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly.
"You're alive!" a joyfull voice sang from the door. Dragonfly stood there, dressed in a pair of kaki pants and a hoodie. "Alanna! Everyone! She's awake! She's awake!" It was then that Daine saw everyone from the palace come running into the large room. She was surrounded by well wishers, from their majesties to Alanna to Raoul to Sarge to Neal. Everyone was so happy to find her alive.
"Okay! Enough! Daine needs her rest! Everybody OUT!" Dragonfly and Alanna yelled in unison. They looked at each other and laughed. Dragonfly walked over to Daine once everyone was gone. "Here, Daine. Swallow this. It will ease some of the pain until I get enough of my gift back to take it away properly." She stuck the small red pill in her mouth. Daine was asleep in moments.
Over the next few days, everyone prepared to go by boat back to Corus. Numair, Daine, Dragonfly, and company would go back in the HumV, to reduce the stress. Tkaa would take Kitten and Zek with him by water. So Dragonfly created a makeshift bed in the back, Numair would sit with Daine, making sure she was alright, while the girls sat in their customary seats up front. It was then, more than ever, the horses descition to go by water was appreciated most. They could send the horse trailer home and the ride would be smoother, it was the cause of most of the bumping.
***
They reached Corus several days ahead of the others. The second that they were there, Daine was quickly conveyed to her and Numair's room. When Dragonfly went to her own rooms, she opened her door to find a surprise. Kaddar was standing in the middle of her study, smiling.
"Kaddar?" Dragonfly breathed. She ran into his outstreached arms, kissing him full on the lips, fire flooding her.
***
Numair sat on the bed next to Daine, gently stroking her head. It was still hard for her to move, but she was slowly recovering. She smiled, a weak attempt to reassure Numair, who had been blaming himself for all that had happened to her. He still refused to leave her bedside except to go to the privy. But Dragonfly no longer had to force food down his throat, he ate without her nagging.
"Numair, please, what's wrong?" Daine asked, seeing her lover looking so distant.
"Its just.I still feel like its my fault this happened to you. If I hadn't jumped in front of you to protect you, It would be me. But instead I acted the hero again and you have to bear what should have been mine."
"Numair, how many times must I tell you?! It wasn't your fault, it never was your fault and it never will be your fault! I don't blame you and you shouldn't either! Even Dragonfly doesn't blame you!"
He laughed, "Yes, I suppose if someone were to blame me it would be Dragonfly. Do you think we should have mentioned to her that Kaddar was waiting for her?"
"No, I think the surprise was a good one. She missed him dreadfully, if what Eva said was true. They're sleeping over here tonight and leaving in the morning. They said that they miss the heat of Louisiana. Kaddar said in his letter that he wanted Dragonfly to go home with him."
"That's good. She'll be out of our hair for a while."
"I'm not sure whether to rejoice that we finally got rid of her, or to be scared to death that she's eventually going to be an Empress."
"Let's just enjoy the moment. Shall we?" she said as she rested her head on his lap.
"Mmm Yes, let's." Numair allowed Daine to fall asleep like that, when he was sure she was asleep, he carefully rested her head on the pillow and he slipped under the covers next to her.
***
Five days later, Eva and Liset had gone home, and just about everything was back to normal. Daine still wasn't allowed out of bed, not until her legs healed properly. Kaddar was leaving with the unneeded army in another few days.
"Dragonfly, you should go! You should go with Kaddar!" Daine said from the bed.
"Should I? I don't want to leave you and Numair and everybody, but I love him and I.I missed him the entire time I was home." She blushed, the first time Daine had ever seen her embarrassed.
"You should go. There's no reason not to. And from what Numair said, you also need to give the occupants of Remalna an explanation."
"Yeah, I guess so." She chuckled, "You should have seen the look they gave me! I think they thought I was crazy!"
"Not to far from the truth."
"Humph!"