Chapter seven; City of the Gods.
When Daine awoke, she found herself lying on a wide stretch of wood that bumped along slowly. She was wrapped tightly in a thick blanket and as she wriggled out of her cocoon she caught a glimpse of the sky. It was getting dark, and she could see the sun setting behind the horizon.
Why are we travelling so late? She wondered, usually they stopped moving about an hour before now and would have pitched camp. Voices came to her ears as she realised she had been lying in the supply wagon. A covered mug of water was securely placed between two boxes of supplies and Daine picked it up, washing a sour taste out of her mouth. It was cloying though, and was still there, in the back of her throat when she had drunk all the water.
She pushed past all the boxes and made her way to the front of the cart.
She recognised the man sitting there, guiding the horse instantly.
"Evin!" He jumped, not expecting her to come from behind him and one of the cart wheels went into a ditch, making the poor horse start and try to rear in the shafts.
Instinctively her mind went out to the animal and tried to calm it. But the horse didn't seem to listen to her as well as the others did. Eventually, soothing it gently, Daine managed to settle it and then sat down next to Evin, who had recovered from his shock, with a frown on her face.
"What is going on?" she burst out after a while.
The Rider smiled at her easily,
"You took sick a day ago. Numair and Alanna have been worried frantic." He let go of the reins for a moment, putting two fingers in his mouth and letting out a piercing whistle. At once, half the riders ahead turned to look at the wagon. Daine caught sight of the Lioness riding, in a studded jerkin, at the front. She raised her hand, in acknowledgement, and sounded a blast on her horn. She then pulled Darkmoon off to the side of the group and watched it go by. Just before the wagon reached her position a large black hawk swooped down from the sky and landed neatly on the top of the wagon.
"Your clothes are in there." Alanna said clearly. With a squawk, the bird hopped into the back of the cart. Daine caught sight of the bird shifting into Numair and averted her eyes. A few minutes later, he emerged, doing up his shirt.
"How are you feeling Daine?" he asked, looking intently into her face.
"Fine," she answered. "I'm a little confused though. What happened?"
Alanna answered for him,
"So you remember that night we talked in the wood? About an hour or so after I left you, the guards on duty heard a scream and we went to investigate. You were lying there, in that clearing again, on the floor, with some sort of mist all around you. Numair had to come to get rid of it."
The mage picked up the story from there.
"Whatever it was, it was of immortal origin, and when I finally got rid of it, you were writhing around on the ground and you were clutching your stomach. It looked as if you were dreaming."
"I was." She said slowly, trying to recall what had happened. "But I went to sleep in the camp. How did I get into the woods."
Alanna and Numair exchanged glances.
"We were hoping you could tell us. Daine, there was something I didn't mention. It looked like you had shapeshifted."
"Why…?" Daine blushed as she realised what Alanna meant, she had been lying naked in the woods, only covered by a mist. Great, She thought, Just what I needed. Sleep shape shifting. "I don't remember doing that though."
"That's what I was afraid of Magelet." Numair looked serious and worried, "We tried to wake you, but you wouldn't wake at all, it's been days since then, and we're heading towards the North, towards Dunlath."
"Why Dunlath? Are we going to see the Pack?" She looked excited.
"City of the Gods." Alanna said shortly, "We think it's a magically induced illness. My Gift can do nothing against it, and I'm a Healer, as you know."
Daine paled slightly, as Evin pulled the wagon over into a clearing, where they were obviously planning to camp that night. Alanna was a really strong Healer, and if she wouldn't cure her…
Numair, seeing her worried expression, took her hand.
"It'll be fine Magelet. We just don't want to take any chances with you."
"So you're taking two Rider groups and one of the Kings Own to the City of the Gods?"
She asked.
"No, we sent the third company back, and only one Rider group is going with us all the way." Alanna reassured her, "I'm glad you're awake, Daine, we were all getting worried about you." The Lioness then rode into the camp, Evin following her on foot, leaving Daine and Numair in the wagon.
"I was really asleep for that long?" She asked, wonderingly.
"You were." He confirmed. "What were you dreaming about?"
"Ma. And Grandda." She said shortly.
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
She sighed, knowing it would be better if she did. If what was happening to her was magical, then she needed to tell him anything that could help them understand what was happening to her.
"It was sort of a memory. It was when I was twelve, a couple of months before the bandits came." She paused, pushing her emotions aside, and recalling all the details. "I was telling Grandda to get down from the roof. He'd always go up there, he druther do that himself, he thought it was the man's job, than let me do it. But I used to be so afraid he'd fall I'd send Halcon's falcons up there, so he had to come down. And he'd come down and moan at me, but he wouldn't mean it. But in the dream… he said he fell, and I wasn't there to catch him. I let him down and I ruined Ma's life. If it weren't for me, she could've got married. But no one really wanted a woman, saddled with a bastard child like me."
A tear began to roll down her cheek, and she savagely wiped it away. She had managed to push that thought into the back of her mind recently but the dream had brought all the pain and agony back to her.
"Magelet, that wasn't real. You said it yourself. It was a dream, and it managed to twist your memory somehow. I'm sure your Mother and Grandfather are proud of you, wherever they are." He kissed the top of her head. "I know I am."