A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry, as usual, for the delayed update....If you haven't already done so, please go check out my new fic called I'm Still Here....Oh, and of course review it! While you're on this little reviewing review this chapter too! ^_^

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"Daine! Wait!" Daine heard his frantic, panic filled voice calling after her retreating form. She dared not turn back to face him. She didn't want to see the pure love she knew that she would find written clearly on his face. She wanted desperately to forget everything, yet that was the last thing she wanted as well. She was so confused just now, that she had not a single idea as to where to begin.

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Daine ran blindly, mind in a whirl. She seemed to have no idea as to where she was running. All she knew, was that she had to get away. "Daine!" She heard his final cry pierce the air, begging her to stop her running and return to his side. Her heart wanted so desperately to do just that, but her body and mind refused to stop running.

Daine could hear fallen leaves crunching beneath her boots as she ran through the palace gardens. It was the beginning of fall, so the trees in the gardens had started to shed their leaves. Daine cursed the leaves for the noise they made. She knew that it was probable that Numair had followed her, or at least attempted to, and if he was nearby, the sound of the crunching leaves would alert him to her location. In many ways, she wanted her plans to be ruined, and for him to find her. It was what her heart wanted, and it was a hard thought to ignore. But push it back she must, for seeing him now would old further the pain she would feel one day soon. Leaving Tortall would be the hardest thing she would ever do, and it would be a great deal easier if she could force herself to forget him.

Against her will, Daine felt a tear roll down her face. She felt like a wild animal, free and roaming through the woods, escaping two leggers who would hunt her for food. For an instant, she almost forgot that she was Veralidaine Sarrasri, Wild Mage of Tortall. For that brief moment in time, she was free of herself, of her life. She was as wild as she was those years ago in the forests of Galla, as she fled from the villagers of her home town.

Finding a secluded haven in a mass of bushes and shrubs, Daine settled herself down and onto the grass. She breathed heavily, taking in deep breaths so as to gain her breath back from the long run. From the looks of her surroundings, which she had been blocking out of her mind as she ran, she had gone quite a ways from the stables where she kept Cloud. She could no longer hear the mare in her mind, which, she decided, was a good thing for the present moment.

"What am I going to do?" She said to herself after a long while of silence, voice gloom. She felt lost, more than anything. Her forced separation from the man she loved was not helping her, either. She knew that in the end, it would help her, but that there would never be any immediate satisfaction from it, not would she ever reap any happiness. All it did, was merely save her from further pain that would come.

Daine felt her heart race and her mind panic as she heard the sound of crunching leaves nearby. It grew louder in the ears by the second, signifying that the approaching force was coming closer to her. Daine heard the final crunch sound just mere yards away from her haven. Slowly, so as not to rustle the leaves and thus alert the intruder of her presence, Daine inched her way up to the wall of bushes that surrounded her. Ever so carefully, she parted the leaves that blocked her view with her fingers. Before long, Daine had created a hole large enough to see rather clearly out of. Through it, she could see much of the clearing that surrounded her haven of bushes.

Scanning the clearing before her with her eyes through her tiny peep hole, Daine could see nothing at first, but the greenery of the palace gardens. The scene before her held only a vast amount of space, a path of large stepping stones, lined with hedges to properly mark its boundaries. This had been the path Daine had run away from Numair on, though she had not known that at the time, being too lost in her flurry of thoughts. Next, Daine could see a small bench, close to the opposite hedge. To each of its sides were a set of rose bushes donning majestic yellow roses and minty green leaves.

It was only after she had assumed her eyes had seen all that there was to see, believing that her ears had deceived her, that Daine finally heard it. It was a sound that somehow, she had managed to ignore before, and thus never notice. It was the sound of rushing water, rippling through rocks. Quickly, Daine let her eyes search for the source, mind clouded with anticipation. She pulled back the branches of the bush she sat behind further, opening up more of the clearing to her sight. Almost immediately, Daine's eyes fell upon something she had not seen or noticed before. It was a small fountain, bearing three levels of rock which water flowed down, originating from the top stone.

Suddenly, it hit Daine like a tone of bricks, that someone was sitting on the edge of the fountain, gazing down and into the swirling water. Daine knew who it was immediately, but had mixed feelings as far as her reaction went. There, just yards away, sat Numair Salmalin. Daine's eyes about popped out of her head upon seeing him there, after having thought that she had outrun him by a long shot. Drat him, she thought angrily, He probably used his focus!

She felt a sudden and uncontrollable urge to break through her haven of bushes and race across the short space the separated her from her lover. She wanted him to take her in his arms, and whisper soothing words in her ears. She wanted all of this and more so badly, but restrained herself from seeking to achieve it. She had to control herself, or it would only come to hurt her further down the road.

Against her will, a tear rolled down her face for what seemed to be the umpteenth time that day. Lost did not ever be to describe the race of emotions that Daine felt now. She felt betrayal, love, fear, regret, but most of all, confusion. Her mind was in a whirl, an untamable whirl. To Daine, it seemed just now, that things were spinning out of control at an unbearably fast rate. Soon, and much too soon for her to feel at ease, things would spin so far out of control, that Daine would have not a single flicker of hope left of retaining anything she held dear to her again.

"You know, Mithros, if you were really a god of justice, you wouldn't be doing this to her right now," Numair's voice seemed to be filled with restrained anger. His face held an odd expression, something Daine could not recall having seen him holding before. Daine reshifted her position, so that she could better see him. She was very curious as to what he had to say, though she knew this was going to make her temptation to run to him grow to unbearable levels. "She has to leave, and you're keeping her from me in this short time we have left. No, you are far from being just."

"Numair," Daine whispered, still safe in her haven. Again, she felt a tear trickle down her cheek. Again, she felt that she had to go to him, and comfort him. He would have to live with all of this for as long as she would, maybe even longer. He needed her as much as she needed him; she could see that clearly from his actions now.

Daine watched in a horrified silence as her lover banged his fist roughly against the stone of the fountain's rim on which he sat. He recoiled his hand in pain, a small streak of blood leaking out from where he had managed to make contact with a jagged piece of stone. Numair, mind still flushed with anger, brought his throbbing fist up to his lips, where he hastily got rid of the blood.

The young woman continued to watch her once fiancee, enthralled by his form on the fountain's edge. He seemed captivated by the water once more, ignoring his surroundings just as he had before his outburst towards the great god, Mithros. Daine could very well understand his antics. She felt like cursing the gods herself, but refrained from doing so when she began to realize just how much she would need them, now more than ever. Anything she had been through before, would be nothing like what was to come for her. In her mind, she could handle the most powerful of foes so long as she had good friends and a man who loved her more than life itself by her side. In Galla, where she was to be going, she would have no one. She would sink back into the darkness from which she came, and would be utterly alone once more.

Time passed by quickly for Daine. How much time she spent gazing at her lover, she never knew. All she knew was that she could not take her eyes away. Though he was very unaware of what he was doing, he was reeling her in. He was going, slowly at first, but now, he had become more powerful, and much more difficult for Daine to resist. All she could consider now, was that she had to return to his side. In her last days in the land she loved, she wanted to be with the man she loved, no matter how much that affected her later when she could see him no longer. She had been foolish to restrain herself, she saw that now. She felt also as if she had been selfish, for he would want to be with her too, for soon he would see her no longer.

Daine was not in any way prepared for what she saw next. Right in front of her eyes, though he could have no way of knowing she was watching, Numair burst into tears. Daine had seen him cry before, on an occasion or two. She had seen him cry a great deal this very day in fact. Back at her room, early that morning, he had held her tightly to his chest and cried into her hair. It had been very different then. Now, he was passed just shedding a few tears. he was sobbing uncontrollably, face buried in his hands.

Throughout all of the several years that Daine had known Numair, she had never seen him like this. Always, he had seemed like a solid foundation to her; something that could never be broken. He had always seemed to be such a strong person, physically and emotionally. The fact that he had the most powerful Gift out of every mage in the realm only seemed to fortify that theory. No, Daine had never known Numair Salmalin to be like this, and it broke her heart.

Just as he seemed to be throwing himself further into his pit of misery, his sobs becoming more consistent, Daine stood to her feet, timidly at first, but soon sure of herself. She would not be afraid, not now. Wiping all thoughts or feelings of hesitation out of her mind, Daine pushed her way through the hedge, moving to the other side. She had not expected Numair to notice her, what with the state he was in, but once again, he surprised her.

"Daine," He said suddenly, head jerking up immediately from its position of hiding in his hands. His voice was choked and also extremely raspy. Daine was not exactly sure whether he had voiced her name in a question or simply as a statement, but she decided that it was not of much importance just now.

Numair quickly jumped to his feet, making Daine once again feel timid. His eyes were red from crying, face still tear stained. Daine also noticed how mused his hair was, most likely from nervously running his fingers nervously through it so much today. "Goddess, Numair," Daine breathed, feet glued firmly to where she stood. He too seemed stuck to his spot, for he moved no closer to her. His eyes though, looked upon her with such a longing, that Daine knew that his mind very much wanted him to step forward. "What are you doing to yourself?"

It seemed as thought Daine's words had broken the ice between the two lovers, for Numair needed no more urging to make his move. Within the blink of an eye, he was running towards her, not slowing at all until he stood just in front of her. He wrapped his arms hastily around her torso, pulling her tightly to his chest before she could once again escape. In his mind, he had decided that if she was planning to avoid him for the rest of her time in Tortall, then he would at least find a way to hold her one last time before she was taken away from him, forever.

Half expecting Daine to leap back from him, or at least pose some sort of struggle to get out of his grasp, Numair almost leaped back with shock when he found none. He felt so happy, yet so surprised, for he had been so certain he would receive a different reaction. Had circumstances been different, a smile would have tugged merrily at the man's lips as he felt his lover grip tightly to the back of his shirt, pulling her body tightly to his chest. In response to her affections, Numair ran his hand through her smoky brown curls, seeking comfort from her just as much as he was giving it back. "I can't take this, Daine!" He whispered frantically in her ear. His voice was melancholy and chaste, showing openly what he felt on the inside.

Just as Numair had only moments before, Daine too burst into a fit of tears. She let her strong emotions of fear and confusion leak out as she did this. He held her close, murmuring comforting words in her ear as he did. This entire situation that had taken place this morning was so foreign to both Daine and Numair, that neither knew what exactly was the proper reaction. This created panic, fear and confusion between them, such that was being exposed now. "Oh, Numair!" Daine choked out between sobs, "I'm so sorry you have to go through this too!"

"Hush sweet," He soothed, still running his spare hand through her mass of smoky brown curls, "There was nothing you could do to change this."

"Yes, there was!" Daine burst out suddenly, hardly in control of her tone of voice by this point, "If I had just stayed in Galla to begin with, and never come to Tortall, I would not be in so much pain right now, and neither would you!"

Numair gripped her shoulders tightly, using his spare hand to cup her face gently, and pull her chin up so that she was looking directly into his eyes. "You look at me," His voice was serious, leaving no room for doubting the words that he spoke. His eyes watered with tears, and his entire body was sweat soaked. "Don't you ever think that, or even wish it. Daine, think about what you've just said! A good number of people, mostly innocent citizens, would be dead today if it were not for you coming to Tortall! I know for certain that I would most definitely be dead today had I not met you!" His voice was serious, but also rushed right now. Daine could see a small smile tugging at his lips as he was recalling their time together. Though his hair was an unkempt mess and his face red and tear stained, Daine felt very attracted to him just now, thinking he still looked rather handsome. "Daine, I wouldn't be complete, had I not met you." He finished his speech with that, seeing no reason to further his point. He knew very well that she was aware of what he had spoken of, and that she had just needed some help jogging her memory.

"Numair, how am I going to live without you?" Daine's voice shook as she voiced this question. From the look in her eyes, it pained her to even say this, and Numair had to give her credit for that.

Her lover was at a loss for words now. He had not the slightest idea what would be the proper thing to say, nor how he could say it to her. He was torn and broken inside, and it was showing clearly now. He himself could not even begin to fathom how life was going to go on for him without her in it. He didn't even want to try to think about it until the time came.

Lightly, Numair planted a kiss in her hair. In response, Daine lifted her head to look at him, from where she had had it buried in his shirt. She gazed into his dark orbs, enchanted by his presence. Despite the circumstances, a small smile tugged at her mouth just from the sight of him. Standing on her tip toes, Daine leaned forward and eased her mouth gently over his, taking him by slight surprise. It took him a moment to fully grasp her antics, but when he finally did, he responded with a passionate zeal. "I love you," she whispered in his ear, pulling him down so that he was closer to her height.

Numair pulled away from the kiss, breaking it for only a split moment. Soon, he had moved his head back down to her own, caressing her lips with his. "And I you," He voiced in response, scaresly breaking their kiss for more than an instant to utter these words. Daine moaned inwardly, finding herself becoming more lost in his affections by the minute. She could feel him move his hand to rest on the back of her neck, pushing her all the more closer to himself. His other hand roamed her back, sending shivers of pleasure up her spine. Daine felt so strange just now. She searched her mind for a word that properly fit what she was feeling, but came up empty. It was like she was more terrified than she had ever been in her life, yet she was also happy. She could not understand how both of these feelings could collide inside herself like this. She didn't even want to know, once she thought about it.

Once each of them had finally managed to calm themselves, they simply stood in each other's arms, taking in the scent and feeling of the other. No words were spoken in this time, and none were needed. There were times when things were better left unsaid. To the two lovers, the current predicament of being separated was better off unmentioned, for then it could be easier forgotten. It was an unspoken agreement for the two of them to simply enjoy the time they had left, and worry about the end when it came. Unfortunately for the two, it would come much sooner than either could have fathomed, or would have liked.

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(1 week later......)

"You summoned me, Majesty?" Daine voiced as she stepped into the King's study. She could remember clearly her last visit to this very study, and she felt her eyes water at the mere thought. She pushed them back, willing herself that for the little time she had left in this wondrous country, she would refrain from shedding a single tear when in front of company. She did not by any means want her friends to see just how badly this whole ordeal was affecting her.

"Indeed yes, Daine, I did," Jon said, finishing quickly with whatever he was writing as he sat at his desk near the back of the room. When he had finished, he lifted his head and turned to face his visitor. Upon seeing the intense look in her eyes, he rose to his feet and went to greet her. He immediately found himself at a loss for words, for he felt a sort of tension in the air around him. He reached out across the distance that separated them and placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. He then retracted it once more, almost as quickly as he had offered it. "Please, Daine, why don't you have a seat?" The king voiced, nodding his head to the right to motion for him to follow.

Jon walked across the room and took a seat himself, the same seat in fact, that he had sat in just one week ago to tell Daine the worst news she had ever been told in her entire life. "What did you want to tell me, Jon?" Daine asked, her voice echoing her pain. Jon could tell clearly that the Wild Mage was trying with all of her will and strength to hide her feelings of fear and regret, but he also saw how badly she was failing this task.

"Listen, Daine, I know this isn't a subject you care to discuss, but its something that we do need to clarify," As soon as Jon had uttered these words, he regretted them. He saw the look of pure pain in the young woman's eyes, and he felt very bad for her. He could not even begin to imagine just how horrible she must be feeling lately, and he wished he could make things different for her. "I've received word from Jarlath, concerning exactly when and how you are to be sent to Galla."

"W-what have you learned?" Daine's voice shook ever so slightly, and Jon could see that she was beginning to lose her tight hold on her emotions. Jon knew now, just how much she was struggling. He could see her eyes watering with tears, and he felt a pang of guilt, knowing that this entire mess was partially his own fault.

"A delegation of Gallan nobles shall be sent to retrieve you in a week's time," Jonathan had a very hard time delivering this news to her. Her eyes widened with unimaginable pain, and Jon knew that she was not at all ready to leave. She let out a quiet, almost inaudible sob. He could sense the fight that was going on inside of her, and he longed to help.

Daine felt her heart sink at the king's news. She did not know what to think just now. All she knew, was that her time was nearly up, and she was no where near prepared for it. She felt as if she were on her death bed, as if she knew her death were around the corner, waiting for her. "Daine, are you all right?" Jon asked after a while, gazing idly at his young friend.

"I don't know, Jon," Daine voiced, thought it was clear her heart and mind were not in it," I just don't know."

"If it makes you feel any better, I've decided to hold a ball in your honor," Jon said, feeling as if he himself would cry at any moment. There were few events that actually brought him near to tears, and this was definitely one of them. "I know it isn't much, but I don't know what more I can do for you."

Daine looked up at him, meeting his clear blue eyes. She forced a small grin, knowing that he had been very thoughtful to think of her. She may not be fond of social functions, but she couldn't help but think it would be an excellent place to enjoy her last few days in Tortall with Numair. It would be a night for her to remember always, to treasure. "Thank you, Jon," Daine said, forcing another grin. She felt a slight ember of happiness beginning to ignite in her heart for the king's generosity. "When is it to be held, so I know how long I have to prepare myself?" Just as before, Daine's heart was not in her words, and Jon could see it clearly. He could tell though, that she was in fact grateful for his thoughtfulness.

"It shall be the night before you are to leave Tortall," Jon said, trying hard not to gaze into her brilliant blue gray eyes. He didn't want to see the pain that he knew would be there. "I'll be announcing it to the court tonight over dinner."

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A/N: I'm so sorry that this chapter took me so long to get out! I will REALLY try much harder next time, I promise...I'm really looking forward to writing the next few chapters, so you can expect them to come out faster! Don't forget to review, for it motivates me! ^_^