Hey guys, sorry I took so long to update, but I have been very busy getting ready for Christmas…and I didn't have the time…but I promised I'd do it by Tuesday…and I have…so…thanks for all of your reviews…I didn't actually expect to get more then 127…I was kidding…! Thanks so much…I got 13 in one chapter yay!!!…So I am updating with the highly anticipated chapter…and the first un-bittersweet one on a while…(not to say they may not come back…) so thank you to everyone who did review, you guys really make it worth my while to painstakingly type out a chapter...so keep it up, and I will not disappoint you guys by not updating as soon as I should…here are the notes to my reviewers:

            Mademoiselle Morte: Yes…he is alive…it is happy…the gods brought him back in exchange for Amanda helping them…so I'm glad you're happy, and please review again…

            Treanz-alyce: Sorry…eek…sorry…I didn't mean to torture you with my suspenseful plots…(too much…) the bittersweet effect will end now…for a while at least…well… all I can say now is that I've updated, and you will see what happens if you read…and, of course…review…

            PrincessAlyssa16: You will see what I am doing…if you read…sorry you are addicted…I'm not sure if that is good or bad…thanks…read more and tell me what you think…

            Aimee Damita: Thank you…I guess…what is a lemon? I wonder…You didn't have to put me on your list…I was just wondering who did…that's all…sorry…I'm glad you like it, and I hope you continue to read…and review, and I'm glad you liked it…

            Lady Kitty: Thank you very much…I absolutely love reviews…don't be worried (or do) but it will get better…I promise…Thanks for reviewing, and do so again for this chapter…

            Isbreno: Did you like it? Thanks for reviewing…sorry it was…familiar…yes…poor numy…review again, and thanks for reading…

            Jeriana Sedai: Sorry you were sick…and yes…poor depressed Amanda…It is good, and I have updated, so please read more and review to tell me what you think…

            Lady Rhian Knightmage: It's cool you have a co-author…I semi do…Glad you liked it, and I will read your fic soon…sorry…review if you get a chance, and thanks for reading…

            Milko01: Sorry, I will try to proofread more…thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like it…I will try, and read and review ASAP!

            Storm Mage: Sorry, that was a bit of a sore point when I wrote it… I will try to avoid such errors in the future…thanks for reading and review if you can…

            Wildmage101: Where was your review? I miss you…call you tom, and I will send more when I type…

            So…thanks again, and keep it up…read the note at the end, here it is, and have fun reading:

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Magelet

         

          Amanda awoke slowly, every inch of her aching and sore.  Her head throbbed, and she found she could not move her arms, which felt numb with pain. She smelled healing salve, and somewhere nearby a fire was crackling. She opened eyelids as heavy as lead to find she was in lying in a soft bed, in a comfortably furnished room, and outside snow was falling. A red haired woman was leaning over her, holding her wrist, and from her fingertips flowed purple fire. Amanda looked up, and found herself fixed with a pair of violet eyes.

"Alanna?" she asked, surprised 

Alanna, the king's champion, and the only female knight in Tortall, smiled. "It's about time you came to," she said.  "It took us ages to find you, and you were half dead by the time we did."

Amanda grimaced, "I fell half dead now." Then she remembered something. "Where is Numair?" she asked frantically, struggling to sit up without using her arms.

Alanna frowned. "He's right there," she said, motioning to the bed next to Amanda's. In it lay Numair; he was still, and seemed to be asleep.

" He's not…" Amanda asked desperately, but Alanna shook her head. 

"He will be fine, he was just much more tired than you." said Alanna. "What happened to you both, and why on earth were you in Galla?"

Amanda sighed, "It's a very long story," she said, "let's just say that the gods interfered slightly."

Alanna raised her eyebrows. "The gods will interfere occasionally with the lives of mortals. Trust me, I would know." she said, getting up form Amanda's bed, and letting her wrist go. "You will be able to move your arms in a day or two, the poison in them will not easily give up, though I used my gift to help get rid of it. You will have a scar on your wrists, and will be weaker than usual for a while, but you and Numair will mend. Now go back to sleep." She got up and went over to see Numair. 

Amanda closed her eyes, and let her head sink back onto her down pillows. She fell asleep to the soft crackling of the fire.

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When Amanda woke up, she realized that the pain in her head had lessened, and she could move her arms a little. She sat up and examined herself. Her hands and wrists were tightly bandaged with salve, and a large, livid bruise had spread on her left side, from where she had hit the wall of the catacombs in Carthak; but otherwise, she was pretty much alive. She heard someone groan from the other side of the room, and heard a familiar voice.

"No mortal was ever meant to endure fighting the two most acclaimed mages in the world, be killed, and dragged back from the realms of the dead again, just to have to deal with this."

Amanda grinned, and turned to find that Numair had woken up, and was lying in bed, drowsy eyed, and tousle haired. He was pale and tired, and looked, she thought, as bad as she felt.

"I don't know," she said sarcastically. "It could have been worse. You could still be there" then she said anxiously" I am so glad you are okay. I was worried when you passed out, and you don't look so good."

He returned her grin. "I'll live"

The door opened, and in came Alanna, carrying two bowls of what looked like soup. When she saw them both awake, she smiled. She walked over to them, and handed them each a bowl of soup. As they ate, she filled them in on what had happened.

"Ozorne's men retreated shortly after Numair had beaten Inar. We were too distracted to notice where you had gone for three days or so. It was then that we realized that Numair had gone after you, to Carthak. When he did not come back, we began to think that something had happened to both of you. Word came from Carthak that Ozorne was found dead in the catacombs of his own palace, but the young woman who had been there too was no where to be found. Then, two days later, I found a letter on my desk saying to go to the border between Scanra and Galla. We found you and Numair, unconscious on the forest floor. We brought you back here, and both of you saw healers. You looked as like something from the realms of the dead."

Amanda shot a nervous glance at Numair, who seemed to be fighting the urge to laugh.

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            Did you like it? It was not depressing…or was it? Alanna thinks Amanda and Numair have lost it…maybe they have…so tell me what you think, and I will update sometime around Saturday…the next chapter will be more interesting…I promise…you guys just all asked for less suspense, so here it is…not to say it will last forever…lets go for…how about 138 reviews? That's only five more…you can do it…tell me what you think…constructive, what you liked/hated about it…how long it was, do you like my style of writing, ect. Thanks for everything, and I'll see you then, Merry Christmas…

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught