I confess that this updating thing is quite addictive! So, we pick up where
we left off - Daine is dying but happy since there have been lots of fluffy
kisses for her, and Numair is being too damned honourable for his own good
(I would say too straight-laced, but he doesn't really bear in mind any
morals when it comes to women). Now we are going to see Daine display an
element of prescience, though I don't want to give the game away! Alors, on
y va, as the French would say . . . . . .
DeeSarrachi: Exclamation marks are the only decent bit of grammar in the language - don't underestimate their effect!!!!!!! You get more interested with each chapter? *muses* hmm, must be doing something right, then! ; )
Bojanglesbiscuit: I know that fluff is not sickening, but I had to think for ages before writing those parts, so I'm a little sick of this scene, but never mind - I still love reading fluff! Yep, I'm the queen of updating! Lol!
TamoraFan: Yeah, I could hear the smashing sounds from over here! *winces* I'm thinking that you should not be playing with fire near the computer - it might catch light and then you wouldn't be able to read any more stories! :P
LadySatine: I'm worrying about Daine's mental health - this philosophical stuff can't be good! And Numair. I love him so much . . . Anyway, he left her so suddenly because her kisses were making him feel, well, you know what I mean. Since he doesn't want to take advantage of her, he thought it best that he go away. (to his room, that is.) : )
Raashna: Or else what? *grins*
Queen of chickens: You can never read too much. It's not possible! Don't think I got this title from a book, or at least if I did, it was subconscious . . . ah well.
Kylaia: How did your SATs go? To have Numair is enough for her, sure, but I don't think the other characters would see it quite that way if they knew - I'm sure that they'd want her to live as well. Ignorant little Tortallans. *starts planning destruction of the world* Looking forward to your update!
Martini: Thank you!
Wildmage101: Literary description? - sorry that went over my head! I'm sure there's more fluff to come, providing I can think of some original way of putting it. *thinks hard and brain begins to overheat* Yeah, I'm getting this updating thing down to a fine art! :D
Numair's Daine: But I like scaring you! Adds a touch of . . . je ne sais quoi! And it's fun! This is just the beginning for poor Evin *grins evilly* Fluff, everyone likes fluff, so I suppose that I ought to write some more. : ) Sorry bout the late name suggestion - didn't read the note at the top * ducks embarrassed* May I have a simulacrum as well, please? I'll be really good to him! P.S Just curious, do you do German or is doppelganger a word the English have adopted? (Sorry, I have an insatiable hunger when it comes to languages)
Numair's Magelet: Yeah, I know. Numair is just too honourable, but I'm sure I can try to amend that particular aspect of his morals! Lol!
XXX:x4 yeah, everyone seems to like the fluff. : )
ASV: Thank you - I'm thinking that I too have spotted a plot emerging now as well! N/D are the best! Kate: Thank you! :)
Vanilla Ice: Obviously I've not put enough fluff in before this last chapter cos that seems to be the main issue of the reviews! Anyway, thanks!
Rach: x3 No, don't kill me *hides behind the computer* What the hell are you talking about?!?!?! They, as in Daine and Numair should die?!?! Have you completely lost your mind?!?!? No, no, no, I refuse. I absolutely refuse, you evil little . . . .*curses under her breath* right, yeah.
Daine: Here it is!
Jimmythenotsogreat: Since you asked so nicely, I will try very very hard to finish it! :)
Disclaimer: No, nothing belongs to me, never will. Isn't it sad? *wipes tear away*
True Lies?
Daine twisted in her dream and a cry of horror burst from her lips. There, all around her and those with whom she stood were a hoard of spidrens. Their countenances were made ugly by unpleasant sneers, and axes glinted wickedly in their foreclaws. There were so many, too many to count - how could her companions ever hope to defeat them all? As the immortal army advanced, she heard her breath become ragged, and felt the fear swell in her chest, its screaming release as inevitable as sunset. Even though she knew that this was a dream, its frightening reality struck a chord deep within her. She didn't know who was by her side, who was protecting her back as every time she tried to look around recognition slipped like water through her fingers.
The light fell down, the bloody light of the sun's death, and it lit the clearing in such a way that could only promise the spilling of blood. Where was Numair? Shouldn't he be here? So many questions ran unanswered through her mind as she tried to delay what she knew what would happen yet. The tickling sensation in the back of his mind exploded as the creatures hissed and attacked savagely.
Blades whipped through the air, their hissing a sharp contrast to the screams that rose and faded all around her as people and spidrens fought and died alike. The fear was gone now, only a fierce desire to survive burning in her chest as she shot bolt after bolt into the enemy mist.
Suddenly a glint of metal at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she spun, ready to meet the impending onslaught; all she saw though was the deadly line of an arrow speeding towards her heart. She barely had time to register this before it struck and her ignited a pain in her body far worse than anything she had ever experienced. She collapsed to the blood stained dirt beneath her, a coarse moan of agony escaping as blood trickled out of the side of her mouth and her eyes glazed over with the haze of death . . .
A glint of metal at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she spun, ready to meet the impending onslaught; before she could move a shape hurled itself at her and knocked her out the way, but in doing so was pierced by the arrow itself. From her place on the ground she saw the figure fall, and in recognition of who it was a scream of scream of grief tore from her throat s the blood continued to flow, going on and on . . .
A glint of metal at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she spun, ready to meet the impending onslaught; she was moving, but fire whipped across her neck, the metal teeth, burning as nearby someone ran forward as the world started to spin . . .
*****
Daine sat upright in her bed, her slight body trembling from the effects of the dream as she kicked aside sweat-soaked sheets and stumbled towards a basin, her stomach revolting at what it had she had seen so clearly just moments before. Only once the acrid taste of her vomit faded from her mouth and her eyes stopped leaking burning tears did she try to reason what had happened.
"Horse Lords," she murmured in sickened confusion. "What dice did the Graveyard Hag roll this time? Who's playing games with me now?" she half- yelled at the heavens, certain that a dream like that couldn't have arisen from nowhere.
"How do you know that it was just a dream?" a voice asked. Her head snapped up, trying to locate the source of the voice. 'Not again,' she prayed, trepidation fixing itself immovably inside her. The last thing she wanted was to hear that godly voice again - it was so beautiful and wild but so dangerous. The whisper however struck a chord in her memory and she chuckled in spite of herself at her own stupidity.
"Gainel," she whispered. "That was Gainel, but what did he mean?" Refusing to think about any explanations until she had talked to someone with enough learning to stop her jumping to unfounded conclusions, she unfolded her aching body, rubbing the side of her neck and her heart, where an ache still remained.
'The third scene never finished,' she realised. 'I woke up before it ended, so I don't now what happened, or what will . . . . she stopped her rambling thoughts. First she would have breakfast and then she would find Numair.
*****
She was lying in the field next to Cloud, enjoying the way that the light, cool breeze washed away all the memories of last night's nightmare when a dark shadow fell over her. Squinting up at the star silhouetted figure against the light of the bright sun, she concluded that it could not be anyone else other than Numair. Rolling onto her belly, she drew her legs beneath her and stood up awkwardly, her limbs stiff from no use. Grinning she wrapped her arms around his waist and favoured him with a light kiss on his cheek.
"Careful, magelet," he warned, though his dark eyes were laughing. "We don't want to spoil our surprise for everyone now, do we?"
She shook her head, still smiling and drew back to a distance that would arouse no suspicion. She took in the suddenly grim countenance of her teacher and unreasoned fear suddenly gripped her again.
"What is it?" she demanded quietly. He looked down at her, his face grave with unspoken horrors. His reply was every bit as quiet, and the stillness that seemed suddenly to surround them, heightened the tension.
"Spidrens. We received a message from the village of Calwrith, twenty miles east of here. It is reported that there have been sightings of a large hoard of spidrens hiding out in the nearby woods, along with renegades from the war."
Daine paled and almost fell. Humans working in conjunction with spidrens? Gods, no, that was too horrible to be true . And then it made sense. "That explains the arrows," she murmured in shock.
"What?" Numair's voice was sharp. She looked up at him, an awful truth dawning on her face.
"Doesn't matter. Got to get my bow. If we ride fast we should make it by dusk."
*****
Sorry it's short, couldn't think of much to write. Don't worry though. I've got the next chapter all planned out and so that should be up in a couple of days. Anyway, I'm going off at a tangent. This chapter. You like?
DeeSarrachi: Exclamation marks are the only decent bit of grammar in the language - don't underestimate their effect!!!!!!! You get more interested with each chapter? *muses* hmm, must be doing something right, then! ; )
Bojanglesbiscuit: I know that fluff is not sickening, but I had to think for ages before writing those parts, so I'm a little sick of this scene, but never mind - I still love reading fluff! Yep, I'm the queen of updating! Lol!
TamoraFan: Yeah, I could hear the smashing sounds from over here! *winces* I'm thinking that you should not be playing with fire near the computer - it might catch light and then you wouldn't be able to read any more stories! :P
LadySatine: I'm worrying about Daine's mental health - this philosophical stuff can't be good! And Numair. I love him so much . . . Anyway, he left her so suddenly because her kisses were making him feel, well, you know what I mean. Since he doesn't want to take advantage of her, he thought it best that he go away. (to his room, that is.) : )
Raashna: Or else what? *grins*
Queen of chickens: You can never read too much. It's not possible! Don't think I got this title from a book, or at least if I did, it was subconscious . . . ah well.
Kylaia: How did your SATs go? To have Numair is enough for her, sure, but I don't think the other characters would see it quite that way if they knew - I'm sure that they'd want her to live as well. Ignorant little Tortallans. *starts planning destruction of the world* Looking forward to your update!
Martini: Thank you!
Wildmage101: Literary description? - sorry that went over my head! I'm sure there's more fluff to come, providing I can think of some original way of putting it. *thinks hard and brain begins to overheat* Yeah, I'm getting this updating thing down to a fine art! :D
Numair's Daine: But I like scaring you! Adds a touch of . . . je ne sais quoi! And it's fun! This is just the beginning for poor Evin *grins evilly* Fluff, everyone likes fluff, so I suppose that I ought to write some more. : ) Sorry bout the late name suggestion - didn't read the note at the top * ducks embarrassed* May I have a simulacrum as well, please? I'll be really good to him! P.S Just curious, do you do German or is doppelganger a word the English have adopted? (Sorry, I have an insatiable hunger when it comes to languages)
Numair's Magelet: Yeah, I know. Numair is just too honourable, but I'm sure I can try to amend that particular aspect of his morals! Lol!
XXX:x4 yeah, everyone seems to like the fluff. : )
ASV: Thank you - I'm thinking that I too have spotted a plot emerging now as well! N/D are the best! Kate: Thank you! :)
Vanilla Ice: Obviously I've not put enough fluff in before this last chapter cos that seems to be the main issue of the reviews! Anyway, thanks!
Rach: x3 No, don't kill me *hides behind the computer* What the hell are you talking about?!?!?! They, as in Daine and Numair should die?!?! Have you completely lost your mind?!?!? No, no, no, I refuse. I absolutely refuse, you evil little . . . .*curses under her breath* right, yeah.
Daine: Here it is!
Jimmythenotsogreat: Since you asked so nicely, I will try very very hard to finish it! :)
Disclaimer: No, nothing belongs to me, never will. Isn't it sad? *wipes tear away*
True Lies?
Daine twisted in her dream and a cry of horror burst from her lips. There, all around her and those with whom she stood were a hoard of spidrens. Their countenances were made ugly by unpleasant sneers, and axes glinted wickedly in their foreclaws. There were so many, too many to count - how could her companions ever hope to defeat them all? As the immortal army advanced, she heard her breath become ragged, and felt the fear swell in her chest, its screaming release as inevitable as sunset. Even though she knew that this was a dream, its frightening reality struck a chord deep within her. She didn't know who was by her side, who was protecting her back as every time she tried to look around recognition slipped like water through her fingers.
The light fell down, the bloody light of the sun's death, and it lit the clearing in such a way that could only promise the spilling of blood. Where was Numair? Shouldn't he be here? So many questions ran unanswered through her mind as she tried to delay what she knew what would happen yet. The tickling sensation in the back of his mind exploded as the creatures hissed and attacked savagely.
Blades whipped through the air, their hissing a sharp contrast to the screams that rose and faded all around her as people and spidrens fought and died alike. The fear was gone now, only a fierce desire to survive burning in her chest as she shot bolt after bolt into the enemy mist.
Suddenly a glint of metal at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she spun, ready to meet the impending onslaught; all she saw though was the deadly line of an arrow speeding towards her heart. She barely had time to register this before it struck and her ignited a pain in her body far worse than anything she had ever experienced. She collapsed to the blood stained dirt beneath her, a coarse moan of agony escaping as blood trickled out of the side of her mouth and her eyes glazed over with the haze of death . . .
A glint of metal at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she spun, ready to meet the impending onslaught; before she could move a shape hurled itself at her and knocked her out the way, but in doing so was pierced by the arrow itself. From her place on the ground she saw the figure fall, and in recognition of who it was a scream of scream of grief tore from her throat s the blood continued to flow, going on and on . . .
A glint of metal at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she spun, ready to meet the impending onslaught; she was moving, but fire whipped across her neck, the metal teeth, burning as nearby someone ran forward as the world started to spin . . .
*****
Daine sat upright in her bed, her slight body trembling from the effects of the dream as she kicked aside sweat-soaked sheets and stumbled towards a basin, her stomach revolting at what it had she had seen so clearly just moments before. Only once the acrid taste of her vomit faded from her mouth and her eyes stopped leaking burning tears did she try to reason what had happened.
"Horse Lords," she murmured in sickened confusion. "What dice did the Graveyard Hag roll this time? Who's playing games with me now?" she half- yelled at the heavens, certain that a dream like that couldn't have arisen from nowhere.
"How do you know that it was just a dream?" a voice asked. Her head snapped up, trying to locate the source of the voice. 'Not again,' she prayed, trepidation fixing itself immovably inside her. The last thing she wanted was to hear that godly voice again - it was so beautiful and wild but so dangerous. The whisper however struck a chord in her memory and she chuckled in spite of herself at her own stupidity.
"Gainel," she whispered. "That was Gainel, but what did he mean?" Refusing to think about any explanations until she had talked to someone with enough learning to stop her jumping to unfounded conclusions, she unfolded her aching body, rubbing the side of her neck and her heart, where an ache still remained.
'The third scene never finished,' she realised. 'I woke up before it ended, so I don't now what happened, or what will . . . . she stopped her rambling thoughts. First she would have breakfast and then she would find Numair.
*****
She was lying in the field next to Cloud, enjoying the way that the light, cool breeze washed away all the memories of last night's nightmare when a dark shadow fell over her. Squinting up at the star silhouetted figure against the light of the bright sun, she concluded that it could not be anyone else other than Numair. Rolling onto her belly, she drew her legs beneath her and stood up awkwardly, her limbs stiff from no use. Grinning she wrapped her arms around his waist and favoured him with a light kiss on his cheek.
"Careful, magelet," he warned, though his dark eyes were laughing. "We don't want to spoil our surprise for everyone now, do we?"
She shook her head, still smiling and drew back to a distance that would arouse no suspicion. She took in the suddenly grim countenance of her teacher and unreasoned fear suddenly gripped her again.
"What is it?" she demanded quietly. He looked down at her, his face grave with unspoken horrors. His reply was every bit as quiet, and the stillness that seemed suddenly to surround them, heightened the tension.
"Spidrens. We received a message from the village of Calwrith, twenty miles east of here. It is reported that there have been sightings of a large hoard of spidrens hiding out in the nearby woods, along with renegades from the war."
Daine paled and almost fell. Humans working in conjunction with spidrens? Gods, no, that was too horrible to be true . And then it made sense. "That explains the arrows," she murmured in shock.
"What?" Numair's voice was sharp. She looked up at him, an awful truth dawning on her face.
"Doesn't matter. Got to get my bow. If we ride fast we should make it by dusk."
*****
Sorry it's short, couldn't think of much to write. Don't worry though. I've got the next chapter all planned out and so that should be up in a couple of days. Anyway, I'm going off at a tangent. This chapter. You like?