A/N: Well? Didn't I tell you guys the 2nd chapter would be fluff, not depressing? And wasn't I right? Well in case you're still not convinced, then here's yet another fluff session for you! Ha!

Just so you know, this fic isn't going to exactly have a plot for the next few chapters.

Disclaimer: I still don't own it, but hey, I do own a few characters so ha! I own Rosh and Aidan! I'll own some more soon too!

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       The ride from the battle field was a short one. If not for the many bodies and other debris of battle littered as far as the eye could see, it would have been faster. Daine didn't remember much of the ride except for a short talk with Onua, and then falling asleep with her head against Cloud's neck not long after. She was fair tired from her battle with Ozorne. Even though Gainel's coat had successfully healed all of her battle wounds, it hadn't kept her from complete exhaustion of which she was now beginning to feel the affects.

       They're silent ride had come to an end for they were finally back at the main fort of Port Legann. It was one of the countries larger forts and was well known for its advanced defense techniques. Daine had been here only once before, and that had been just two days ago when she had been separated from Numair to become a messenger and spy for the King. Daine had missed him dearly the entire time she had been separated from him, but she now rested assured that things would be better now that they were together at the same fort.

       Daine felt a pang of home sickness. She missed living at the palace in Corus. It had been her home since her Ma had died five years ago. She had made so many memories at the palace. Daine wondered how much different her home would be for her now that the relationship between herself and Numair had changed. She knew of course, that anything that went on between them would have to be entirely a secret, but she still knew her whole out look on things would be different. - different in a better way- she told herself with a smile. Yes, even though she knew she wouldn't be returning to the palace for another week, Daine still missed it.

       "I'll show you to the Healer's tent," Onua said to Daine as they rode into the fort. Riders of the Own were sitting in any available spot everywhere Daine looked. She recognized many of them, but was much to tired to speak to any of them. The fort was filled with supplies too, Daine noticed, for a shipment from Carthak had arrived not more than a week before the war was over. " That's where most mages and leaders from the palace are resting and you and Numair look fair tired, Daine." Daine barely heard what the older woman was saying. She simply nodded, not caring where she was to sleep, just that she got to sleep. Onua lead Daine and Numair through the fort all the way to the back. Out of the corner of her eye, Daine noticed Onua point to the entrance to a small room ahead of them. It had no door, just a piece of torn canvas attached to the door frame. She pulled back the flap of a canvas door and took Daine and Numair into a room crammed with cots. Spare pillows and blankets were littered all over the floor and the aisles, along with unneeded clothing. There was a dirt floor beneath them, as there was in every other part of the fort that was located on ground level. The upper levels had the luxury of a wood floor, made of sanded down planks, reinforced by oak wood beams. Though the fort was not the best looking, not did it have high quality features, it was the largest and safest fort in Tortall. It was built for the highest amount of protection, not for the highest comfort. If it hadn't been for Legann's advanced defense features, the fort would have fallen long ago. So far, it still stood on its original base, never having been destroyed or severely harmed to the point of reconstruction.

       Onua led Daine and Numair to two cots in a secluded corner, near the back of the small room. The cots were low to the ground, and overall extremely bare. Folded at the foot of each cot was a thin blanket and stacked on top of the blanket was a small pillow. Daine plopped herself down without even bothering to pull back the covers. She was too exhausted to think of doing anything else. Without a word, she heard Onua leave them there, her foot steps echoing as she left. Daine was grateful the older woman hadn't stayed to question them, for story telling was among the things Daine cared to do the least just now. She knew that Onua and the others must have been worried for her and Numair, but there wasn't anything she could do about it just now, not when she was this tired. She ached from head to toe from her exhaustion. She felt the battle beginning to toll on her and new she needed rest and perhaps one of Alanna's healing messes. Just the mere thought of having to swallow on of the Lady Knight's infamous messes made Daine's stomach roll and her lips curl into a frown.

       Daine rolled onto her side and carefully pulled back the blanket and sheets. She tucked herself into the bed and fluffed her pillow a bit. Once she was rather comfortable, despite the harsh conditions, she turned onto her side and stole one last glance back at Numair. He lay on his cot, his lanky body tucked in. He was facing her, his eyes drooping with the sleep that threatened to overtake him. He managed to flash her a small smile before he let exhaustion take over. " Good night, Magelet," he said with a yawn. He rolled onto his side, his back now facing Daine before promptly falling asleep.

       " Good night, Numair," Daine replied half heartedly. She yawned one last time before letting her eyes slowly close, opening her mind to a land of dreaming. She ventured into sleep, mind intent on the fact that the war was over and soon she would be home. She would be home to the start of a new life, with a new love. Daine had a feeling that the best part of her life had just started.

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(A/N: 3 days later.......)

       Daine awoke from her deep sleep feeling refreshed. Though she hadn't slept on a soft feather bed, but instead a cot with merely a thin blanket and a slip of a pillow, she still felt more at ease than she had in quite a while. She knew that as soon as she opened her eyes to welcome the day, her life would be different. The war was over now, and she would no longer be sent off into the countryside to fight. There would be no more being sent away from Numair for long periods of time and no more uncertainty. She would be free to stick to her own activities for a while, especially after the clean up for the war was done.

       With a slight groan, Daine stretched out her limbs, her toes barely sticking over the edge of the cot. With a smile she thought of how Numair's legs had probably hung over the edge throughout his entire rest. Daine felt a sudden longing to see how her love had faired. She wondered if he was even awake yet and if so, how long he'd been up. For that matter, she wondered how long she'd been asleep herself. She blinked her eyes open sleepily, and then shut them again quickly when she realized how bright the room was. She opened her eyes slowly several times before her eyes had adjusted to the light. Daine then sat up, resting her palms against the cot to hold herself up. She turned her head to see if Numair was awake yet or if he still slept. She almost fell back onto her cot at what she saw.

       The cot next to her that, upon her falling asleep, that had once occupied Numair now held what looked to be the form of a man, but it was far from it. The only thing human about this creature was its head. Where there should have been arms, there were large metal wings. Where there should have been legs and feet, there were talons. There was no mistaking that what lay next to Daine was not a man at all, but a stormwing. What frightened Daine the most though, was not the fact that it was a stormwing, but that it was a very familiar stormwing, a stormwing that she herself watched die. It was none other than the once Emperor Mage of Carthak, Ozorne.

       Daine wanted to scream at the site, but feared she might wake her sleeping enemy. Many wild thoughts ran through her mind. What was he doing here and how could he still be alive? Where was Numair? Surely if Numair was alive and well, he wouldn't have allowed the Healers to leave Ozorne unguarded with Daine. To keep herself from uttering a sound that could easily be her last, Daine covered her lips with her hand. She carefully and quietly pulled back her blanket, revealing her body still dressed in her dirty, battle worn clothes. She then slowly and tenderly swung her legs over the edge of her cot. She didn't care how or why Ozorne was here, she would get out.

       Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt the coldness of a razor sharp metal wing brushing her side. Her body slammed into what seemed to be a jagged piece of sheet metal. Daine jerked her head around in fright to see that Ozorne was now awake, his wing blocking her exit.

       "Going somewhere, Veralidaine?" the stormwing uttered evilly, baring his teeth at her menacingly. All plans of silence forgotten, Daine let out the loudest shriek she'd ever screamed in her life. Her scream carried throughout the Healers Wing and even into the battle grounds, she was sure.

      "Magelet," came Numair's voice. It was distant, as though in another dimension. Daine felt someone shaking her arm gently. She continued to scream, knowing that even though she could hear her love, she was not safe whilst Ozorne was near. " Magelet, you're having a dream, wake up." came Numair's voice again. This time, Daine felt her mind pull back into reality and return to her body. She opened her eyes in a flash to reveal that she was back in the Healer's Wing, Numair standing over her with a worried look.

       " Are you all right?" he asked as he gripped her shoulders gently. Daine simply nodded, wiping the sweat from her brow.

       "Yes," Daine said as she regained her breath. " I suppose that I'll be having dreams like that for a while. After all, I did just kill Ozorne."

       "I should think so," Numair said, sitting  down at the foot of her bed, his hand still entangled in her own. Daine sat up and scooted over until she was next to him, leaning her body against his lanky form.

       "How long have we slept?" Daine asked. She glanced around the room to see the moonlight shining in through the canvas door. Daine and Numair were the only ones left in this particular room. Daine assumed the others had either been healed or possibly moved to a new tent.

       "I have no idea," Numair said with a yawn. Glancing once at the tent flap to make sure no one was about, he snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Daine leaned into him, resting contentedly against his shoulder. To Numair, it felt so good to be able to hold her freely like this. It was hard to believe how drastically his trip into the Divine Realms had changed his life. It was all for the better though. Before the trip, he'd merely been Daine's teacher, her friend at most. Now however, he'd become more than that. He'd become her love and she his. -She was my love long before that- Numair corrected himself. It was true though. Numair had loved her for a very long time. In fact, it was hard to pin point an exact time when he actually admitted such feelings to himself, but that didn't really matter now. All that mattered was that he was now free to express his feelings to her, and spend the rest of his life with her as he had every intention of doing.

       "We should probably go back to sleep again until morning," Daine said, yawning sleepily. She wished she could just curl up with Numair on his cot to sleep the rest of the night, but it wouldn't be a good idea, not when they could easily be found out by the Healers and anyone else who entered the tent.

       Numair simply nodded at Daine's suggestion, pulling her closer and swiftly kissing her forehead before pulling away and returning to his own bed. Daine watched him go, not moving from the edge of her bed. She watched as he stretched his lanky form out onto the cot, the moon light shining on his handsome features, highlighting them. His cot was a few inches too short for his six feet five inches, making his feet hang over the edge completely. Daine smiled at this before leaning back until she was again laying on the cot. She pulled her blanket up over her legs until it was up by her chest and promptly rolled over onto her side. She then closed her eyes once more and returned to her slumber that had been so rudely interrupted by her dreams.

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       Daine awoke the next morning to the sunlight leaking into the room through the canvas door. Feeling rather refreshed from her long rest, Daine opened her eyes to welcome the day. Being that the room had no windows, Daine could not look out a window to see what time of the day it was, the only light came in through the slits of the canvas door. Daine slid her arms out from underneath her blanket, pushing herself up with them so that she was now sitting up. She turned her head to see if her love still slept and found that he was indeed still asleep, his lanky form still spread over the cot. It looked as though he'd had plenty of dreams himself and had been tossing and turning, for his hair was tousled and his blanket half falling off of his lanky form. His right leg hung over the edge of the cot and onto the floor. The whole scene was rather comical, causing Daine to smile. She wanted to imprint this memory firmly in her mind, for it was a funny one.

       After deciding not to wake up Numair, Daine threw off her blanket and swung her legs over the bed. She'd already disturbed his sleep in the late hours of the night before, so she thought it best if she left him to sleep for now. It was likely that he was far more tired than she, for he hadn't had the healing coat of Gainel to help heal his battle wounds as Daine had. He'd fought a hard battle from what he'd told Daine, perhaps his hardest yet.

       With this in mind, Daine rose from her cot and stretched out her arms, leaning over and causing her back to pop. She sighed contentedly, but frowned when she heard her stomach growl in hunger. She hadn't a notion how long she's been asleep, but it must have been quite a while, for her intense hunger. -I'd best go find some food-she told herself, making her way quietly out of the Healer's Wing. She glanced back once before exiting. She glanced over the room, seeing many familiar faces sleeping soundly. She saw many of the Riders she's known from the Own and also some knights and their squires.

       Daine made her way out of the room, pushing back the canvas door as she went. As soon as she'd made her way out, she came into a wide open space, the light from the sun of mid day shining brightly in her face. Though the amount of space contained by the fort was large, it was concealed by the fort's walls. It was scurrying with life everywhere the eye could see, movement in every direction. There were soldiers everywhere she looked, all on some sort of duty. There were horses and livestock kept penned left and right. Daine also saw piles upon piles of supplies stacked everywhere. In one corner, barrels of apples and a few other foods sat tied in bundles. Next to it, Daine saw bags of flour, rice, grain and wheat stacked neatly and waiting to be used.

       A chicken coop was built not far from where the other livestock was penned, the occupants clucking madly, feathers flying. -Stupid chickens- Daine thought to herself, recalling the brainless creatures who had stood in the path of the skinners. Next to the chicken coop was a small wooden bench. A lone figure sat on that bench, one that Daine recognized very well. The figure was short and stocky, her head covered in flaming red hair and her eyes a shining purple. It was her friend, the Lioness and King's Champion who sat on the bench, Alanna of Pirate's Swoop. Having not seen her friend in months, Daine ran with all of her might to reach her. Stumbling all the way and stirring up dust as she went, she reached Alanna with a wide smile on her face.

       Hearing the commotion made by Daine, the Lady Knight looked up just in time to see a flash of smoky brown curls run to her and sweep her into her arms. " Daine!" Alanna voiced with glee. She hugged the young woman back, squeezing her shoulders tightly to her chest. " By the Goddess! I haven't seen you in months!"

       " I missed you too, Alanna," Daine said excitedly as she pulled out of the knight's arms and took a place on the bench beside Alanna.

       "Where on Earth have you and that sanity lacking teacher of yours been?!" Alanna asked anxiously, her eyes flashing with curiosity. Daine smiled at the name Alanna had chosen for Numair. " Jon had several units of the Own out searching for the two of you for two months! Last anyone saw of you was when you two went off to fight those skinners!"

       "Two months?!"Daine almost shouted. She'd had no idea she and Numair had been in the Divine Realms for such a time. For them, only a few weeks had passed, not even a month yet alone two! -Time must pass differently there- Daine thought, putting two and two together. " From what I could tell, we were only gone for two weeks!"

       " No, Daine. It was definitely two months," Alanna said, her face serious. She remembered all the days she'd spent worrying for her friends and praying to every god and goddess she could name that they were still alive and safe, that they would return home soon. " I stand by my previous question. Where were you two? You had me, and every other friend you left behind worried sick! We all thought you were dead!"

       "Its a long story, Alanna," Daine said, wondering how she was going to avoid mentioning several important events to her friend if she was forced to tell the story. Both she and Numair had agreed not to tell anyone about their new found love, and that included Alanna. Daine knew she could confide in the woman and in a way she wanted to tell her about how she loved Numair, but she was also afraid of what her friend might think. There was a chance that Alanna and all of Daine and Numair's other friends wouldn't approve of them being together. They might think Numair was too old for Daine, and she too young for him. They might think that what Daine and Numair had fallen into was extremely inappropriate. The thought of this terrified Daine, for she cared a great deal about what her friends thought. They had taken her in when she was shunned away everywhere else. After being hunted by her own village because they thought she lacked sanity, Daine didn't think she could stand losing the support of her Tortallan friends. She wondered what Numair's reaction would be if they did turn on the couple. Would he still believe in their love? What if he too turned his back on her? Daine knew that if this were to happen, she would be heart broken and it wasn't likely she could live. There would be a void spot in her heart that Numair had once occupied. He was the man she had given her heart too, and she couldn't stand to lose him. She depended on his love more than she'd like to admit.

       "Well believe me, Daine, I have all the time in the world," Alanna said, chuckling. "What with the war over, there isn't much expected of me except to supervise what's going on at all of the different forts and I'll be stationed at Legann for quite some time seeing as its Tortall's largest."

       "Well, I suppose it is an interesting enough story and you'd probably enjoy hearing it," Daine said with some uncertainty. She knocked away all of her fears and began telling her friend exactly what had happened. " It all started when Jonathan sent me and Numair to fight the skinners."

       It took Daine almost a full hour to tell Alanna the whole story. The lady knight had sat patiently and listened to every word. She'd found it interesting, for she'd stared intently at Daine the whole time, giving her her full attention. Daine was grateful, and now felt better now that she'd told at least one person about her unusual trip. She had, of course, left out a few chosen events from her tale, but other than that, everything had been entirely truthful. Alanna need not know about Numair and Daine's relationship, at least not yet, Daine decided.

       "That sounded like quite a journey, Daine," Alanna said, eyes wide in amazement after having heard Daine tell her about her trip to the Divine Realms. Alanna had experienced many strange and abnormal things in her life, having been the chosen of the Goddess, but never anything like this. The Goddess had never transported her into the Divine Realms or even permitted her to leave any Realm but the mortal one for that matter. That brought Alanna to a new thought. Daine's parents were gods. This was extraordinary news, nothing to be taken lightly. It had been one thing to learn that Daine had one parent who was likely a god, but it was another thing all together to learn for certain that both of her parents were gods. It wasn't everyday that one came across a god-born human. Daine was a blessing to Tortall, in many ways.

     "It was, " Daine said, almost breathlessly so as to prove her point. " Believe me, it was."

       "How does it feel to finally know who your father is?" Alanna asked with some curiosity. Though Daine had been the one telling the story, Alanna still had no idea what the young woman made of all this. She wondered if Daine even liked the idea of knowing her father. She'd never mentioned anything before about wanting to find him.

       "I already had a notion that he was the God of the Hunt," Daine said truthfully. On her trip to Carthak a year and a half previous to now, Daine had learned through dreams and through several of the emperor's slaves that she was the daughter of a god. " The real shock for me was learning that my Ma was a goddess. I'd never had imagined that the woman who used to care for me as a girl would ever be a goddess."

       "I can only imagine," Alanna said, chuckling at this statement. She idly curled a strand of her bone straight red hair around her finger. " Though I never knew my mother, I could never see her as a goddess."

       "I never knew you never had a mother," Daine said in bewilderment. This was news to her. Could it be true that her hero and friend, the great Lioness of Tortall had never met her mother just as up until a few weeks ago, Daine had met her father?

       "Well now you know," Alanna said in an off hand sort of way. It wasn't something she enjoyed speaking of, for deep down there had always been a part of her that blamed herself for what had happened to her mother. It wasn't something she was proud of at all. " She died giving birth to Thom and I. Its proof that twins are usually too difficult for a first pregnancy. Elani Cooper and also Rispah have both served as a womanly figure in my life, but for the most part, I feel I had no real need for a mother. I have to admit though, that at times, not having a mother meant not knowing anything about bodily changes females have at a certain age."

       There was an awkward silence. Both sat without a word to the other, for neither knew what would be best to say. Daine stared off into the distance, trying hard to think of something new to talk about. She smiled suddenly when she looked over toward the Healer's Wing and saw a tall, lanky figure ducking his head to step through the door of the Healer's Wing, pushing back the canvas door as he went. He made his way over to where the two women sat. Daine scooted closer to Alanna to make room for her love. He nodded gratefully to her and took a seat to her right while Alanna still sat to Daine's left. He longed to reach for her hand and entangle it in his own, but thought better of it.

       " Well look who finally decided to wake up," Alanna said mockingly, patting Numair on the shoulder. He smiled politely before giving her a look of mock offense.

       "Please excuse me, Sir Alanna if it is a crime for the top mage in the country to take a well earned rest after being drug through the Divine Realms and then made to battle a red robed mage," Numair said mockingly, causing Alanna to grin even wider. Daine smiled as she listened to the two squabble. She'd always found it rather amusing to hear both mage and knight argue.

       "Yes, Daine told me all about your little journey, Master Salmalin," Alanna said, using his formal name jokingly. She expected to earn an angry glare from the mage or even a snide remark, but she received nothing of the sort. The only reaction he gave at hearing her words was to flash a worried glance at Daine. Though it had been a quick gesture, Alanna had still read it very clearly. The mage had glanced at his student as if in question as to what she had revealed to Alanna, that much was obvious. The only question Alanna had was what this meant. Why would it matter to him that Daine had told Alanna of their trip to the Divine Realms? Could it be possible that there was something Daine wasn't telling Alanna, something that both Daine and Numair didn't want her to know about? It certainly seemed to be that way, and Alanna was determined to find out what. Even as she thought of all the ways she could find their secret, she could hear Faithful's voice growling in her head not to meddle in other's affairs if what they're doing has caused no harm. Alanna knew there was much truth in the cat's words, but being the curious person she was, she couldn't just stay out of this. She had a feeling that what they were keeping from her was a very interesting secret indeed. How could it not be when it concerned the Divine Realms?

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A/N: Well there you go....Installment number two of Daine's story to Rosh...Keep in mind that this fic is going to be long and that Daine isn't exactly telling Rosh every single detail that I give you. If she did that, then she and Rosh would be sitting on her bed talking for quite some time!

       As usual, don't forget to review, or I'll be forced to stop updating......You wouldn't want that would you? *grins evily* ^_^