The sun had long set. Numair gazed gloomily out of the glass of his cage, bored and lonely. With a heavy heart, he got up off the wheel and tapped on the glass. The top of his cage lifted, and he looked into the eyes of the shopkeeper, who offered his hand. Numair climbed on, but only because he badly needed something to do, to take his mind off his loneliness.

The rat- creature lifted him gently and as if sensing his distress, it lifted Numair up to its eye level and crooned gently in the strange language of its. Numair curled in a small ball. If he was the pet here, he reasoned he might as well act like one. The shopkeeper stroked his back, as one would a sleeping hamster. Numair just closed his eyes, finally letting the tears fall.

---

Poor creature.

Lynoss hugged the human close, trying to offer comfort, but failed rather miserably. So, he just petted the male soothingly and crooned reassurances. Poor fellow. He knew that he shouldn't've sold the female. Lynoss wondered how she was faring.

The male's whimpering abated, eventually, and Lynoss decided to take him out, let him see fresh air. He slipped the creature into his front breast pocket, and gave a chuckle when the human popped his head over the lip of the cloth the pocket was made of. The creature swiped at its streaming eyes, and looked up at Lynoss, and his heart cried at the look of distrust.

Well, of course it would not trust me, he thought, I just sold his mate.

He gave the human a pat for good measure, and strode outside, only to take a walk.

---

It certainly took his mind off Daine.

Numair looked around, fascinated with the creature's town, if it could be called that. The sun had set, but there was still a bit of twilight to see by. Numair wondered how advanced these creatures were, technologically. They looked very advanced, even more so than Tortall, which was very advanced, for the time. Shiny metal things littered the seemingly solid stone street. He looked around, wishing he could ask the creature its name, and how all of this ran.

---

Narsa climbed the ladder to her loft bed, and gently tapped the glass of Ain's cage. The human was there in a second, doing that strange thing with her teeth that was apparently a grin. Narsa chuckled, and tried to reach Ain with her mind. "You ready?" she asked.

Ready as I'll ever be. How will we do this?

"We're going to sneak out," Narsa explained in a hushed whisper, "go to the store, and buy Mn-um-au..." her voice faded, and she blinked while Daine laughed at her sheer inability to pronounce her lover's name. Narsa glared and Daine smirked, but she continued, "Anyway we'll buy him before my mother can notice. I'll keep him in the same cage as you, all right?"

Of coarse! I've been living with him for ages at him, anyway.

"Just, um, one condition," Narsa shifted her weight uncomfortably.

Yes...

"Mother didn't want me to get both of you, because she didn't want you to, um..."

Reproduce. There was amusement in Ain's voice. I give you my word that nothing of the sort will happen, she smirked. I swear. That, and this prevents it. She waved something from a golden chain around her neck, looked at it, and turned faintly red. Narsa grinned.

"All right, good. Glad that's settled." Narsa lifted Ain and plopped her in her breast pocket.

---

Daine gave a small shriek when she was lifted so swiftly and without warning.

Hey, she cried, indignant, You can at least warn a girl!

Narsa chuckled, and crept out of her window. Daine gave a gasp of surprise. What with Narsa's extreme height and the height of the house that she lived in, this was almost like flying on the back of Wingstar, again... except for the fact that she was in a pocket. Daine ducked slightly so she was further inside of Narsa's pocket.

Narsa jumped to the ground and landed with a thump that jarred even Daine.

"Are you all right?" she whispered, tucking three of the star-shaped coins in the same pocket as Daine. "Hold onto those. That's how we'll buy Nm-au- ar."

Daine snorted, now knowing what Cloud felt like when talking to her. I'm fine. This is your kind of money?

"Yeah." Narsa said, and started walking.

It was a very fast walk.

---

Numair stole a glance ahead. The wind from the large creature's swift gait whipped his face, but he didn't care. Squinting, he was just able to make out a shape coming towards them. He blinked in surprise when it leaped into the bushes. The shopkeeper stopped walking, and looked at the bush. Numair did as well. It looked at Numair, who looked at it, and back at the bush. The shopkeeper shrugged (Numair could feel it) and trotted up to the bush in question, pushed aside the branches with one hand, while keeping Numair in place with the other.

There was another rat in the bushes, but there was something else, as well. Numair saw its pocket squirm, and looked in surprise as another face popped up from the pocket, a face he knew better than his own.

"DAINE!"

---

Narsa had leaped into the bushes when she saw the approaching person, and had nearly had a heart attack when he pushed the branches aside. Her heart practically exploded with surprise when she heard Ain's name pronounced properly, in a small voice, coming from a pocket of the man pushing the bush aside.

She heard Ain's answering cry of her mate's odd sounding name, and felt Ain's joy through that strange connection they had.

"Excuse me?"

Narsa looked in surprise into the shopkeeper's face. What was his name? Lynoss, that was it.

"You're the one that bought the female, aren't you?" he said, looking Narsa in the eye.

"Yes, yes I am. I was going to buy the male, as well. I was on my way."

Lynoss helped her out of the bush and smiled airily. "Not really going to find him in a bush, are you?" he joked, gently lifting the male from his pocket and offering him to Narsa. "Here, take him. He'll be happier with his mate." Narsa grinned and lifted him from Lynoss' hand, chuckling when he tried to race down her arm. She heard Ain laugh as well, and tried to make a connection.

She was very startled with what she got. She understood them, both of them!

---

"Calm down, Numair," Daine laughed, a smile on her face as she watched Numair trying—rather clumsily—to get to her.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? I thought I'd never see you again! And you tell me to calm down?" he did, though, sat back on his heels and grinned at her from Narsa's hand.

Daine laughed. "All right, all right, I see your point, I'm going to have a smile stuck on my face for ages, as well." She grinned wider, till her cheeks ached,and he chuckled, content just to gaze at her. "Hang on," she said, and frowned up at Narsa.

---

Narsa was astonished with this new development. She could understand both of the humans! She calmed herself, though, and ignored Ain's call for the moment, taking care to thank Lynoss and attempt to pay him.

"Nonsense!" he said, "He's for free. You overpaid for the cage, anyway, if I remember correctly."

"We did?" Narsa asked, startled.

"Yes. I was angry; you did not buy both of them."

"Isn't that illegal, or something?"

"Not that I know of." Lynoss grinned at her, and she grinned back.

"I'll bring them back to visit, I promise," she said, smiling, and was gratified to see Lynoss' face light up.

"Really? I have to say, I've grown rather fond of them."

Narsa smiled back. "So have I. Or, at least I've grown fond of Ain, over here."

"Ain? That's an odd name."

Narsa shrugged uneasily, not wanting to tell of her ability to talk to Ain. "So it is. I think it fits, though. Thank you, shopkeeper Lynoss." She said. He inclined his head politely, and she left.

NARSA! Daine's insistent voice sounded in her head.

"Look," she murmured back, "I'm sorry, I had to thank him!"

You didn't have to take so long about it, she grumbled. Then there was an under-thought to that, Gah! I'm starting to sound like Cloud...

"Who's...?"

Never mind. Can you just put Numair with me? He's getting worried... and a bit cold, from the looks of things, Ain chuckled. Narsa stopped walking, and realized that Ain was right. She had been holding Mn-aur in her hand, and the small breeze of the night must be magnified for him, because he was so small.

"Sorry," she told him apologetically, although he didn't seem to understand. She slipped him into her pocket.

---

Numair tumbled gracelessly next to Daine. She chuckled, and he looked at her and glared, then laughed along with her. Daine curled herself close to him, and he held her tight.

"Mft, you're cold," she murmured, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"You're warm," he responded, holding her closer. "Ah, I missed you, Magelet," he sighed and laid his head on hers.

"Missed you too," she said softly, then looked up. "And I've got a lot to tell you."

"Such as?" he asked, kissing her softly. They were immediately jostled by Narsa.

"Keep it clean!" she muttered to Daine. Daine jerked free of Numair (to his disappointment) and glared. I know, I know. We weren't doing anything wrong!

Narsa just glared, then kept walking.

Numair pulled Daine back into his arms. "One of the things you have to tell me?" he asked with a grin.

She smirked. "Yup."