Twenty Two, no thirty, reviews!  WOW!

I didn't expect near that good a turnout!  But I certainly am not complaining, continue reviewing please! I think I might have to bump up the rating a bit for this chapter, as it isn't all that…flattering.

And to Enchantress, Yep, your fic inspired this, ::bows::  I haven't written TP fanfic for awhile, and I read her story and my fingers started to itch!  Everyone go read it if you have the time!

Disclaimer:  The characters belong to TP, and inspiration falls to enchantress, but I wrote it!

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There was a gasp, and then a thump as Hakkon fell back.  Daine looked up, and found that he was on the ground, backing hurriedly away from her as if she carried the plague.

"D-Daine?" he squeaked, all coolness and calm evaporated.

Daine regarded him, perplexed, making no reply.  She didn't trust her voice.  Hakkon just shivered on the ground, and finally, Daine knelt beside him.  When she touched his shoulder though, Hakkon shied away as a nevous horse shies away from a stranger's hand.

"Hakkon?"

Hakkon gasped and looked up, his face a mask of pain, mixed with surprise and fear.  Daine was taken aback at how she had effected him.  Daine tried to sooth him by putting her hand on his shoulder again.  He slithered away like a snake.

"Demon!" he hissed, and Daine looked away, grimacing.  Her anger seethed inside her.  She had come to make amends, and here he was calling her a demon.  Something snapped in her mind.

"I?  Demon?  I believe that you should rethink your opinions before voicing them Hakkon Falconer."

Hakkon flung himself away from her, scrambling to his feet.  Daine stood gracefully, asking a wolfhound that was nearby to help her.  He agreed readily, and soon had a gentle hold of Hakkon's shirt tail, though he barely seemed to notice.

"Falconer, you will come and talk to me in a civil manner.  You owe that much to me."

Hakkon turned red.

"Owe you?!" he screeched, "Owe you?!  I owe you nothing, wench!"  and with that, he spat at her feet.

Daine looked distastefully as the spittle smeared across the ground.

"Nothing?  You ruined my life, and you owe me nothing?"

Hakkon was rapidly turning purple.

"I gave you all that you deserved, bastard!"

Daine sighed.

"Yes, you did.  You turned me out, and with help, I found a life."

Hakkon laugh haughtily. 

"A life?  Who would give anything to you, a mad bastard daughter?"

Daine studied her fingernails.

"Onua Chatmong of the K'miri Raddach.  She gave me my first job.  Which led me to Tortall, and…"

She stopped, not wanting to reveal her identity as the wildmage just yet.

Hakkon glared at her.

"And what, wench?  Did you finally find a bastard willing to part your legs?"

Daine gasped in indignity.  With courage that she hardly though she had within her, she strode right up to him and slapped him soundly.  The slap echoed, and a gasp went up from the crowd that Daine suddenly realized she had drawn.  Finally, she saw that this was no time to play humble return.  She drew herself up.

"I am Veralidaine Sarrasri, also known as Veralidaine Samilian and Daine.  And…" she said as an afterthought, "The Wildmage.  You turned me out, and I found a better life than any of you could have ever given me.  I came to make amends, but I see that it is impossible now that I come back to find you so set in your beliefs that a bastard is no better than the one who birthed her."  May my mother forgive my words, Daine thought to the gods, knowing that her mother was much better than she was.

There was a pause, it seemed like no one was breathing.  Daine turned away from Hakkon, only to find them surrounded by faces from her past, and others that were their children.  All of them seemed as if they had been struck by lightning.  Glaring, Daine found that they made a path for her, with which she stalked away from them.  She had just made it past the Ferriers when a voice called out.

"Daine!  Daine!"

Daine whirled, still angry with the people that had turned her out a second time.  When she turned around however, she found a woman and a little girl running towards her.  As they drew closer, she found that it was Lory.

"Lory?"

Lory let go of her daughter's hand and ran to Daine, grabbing her around the shoulders and hugging her.

"Daine!  Oh I knew it!  I knew it couldn't have…never you!... I'm sorry!...I cried all night!...please…"

Daine barely heard her, she was so surprised that someone was telling her that they were sorry.

"Lory…"

Daine began to cry, thankful that someone had believed in her.

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Aw!  More later, I know that was a little abrupt…sorry!