Chapter 15

'I'm sorry but I just don't think I can do this!'

Daine sighed with impatience and irritation as she rubbed her numb legs. Pinching mercilessly, the girl discovered that her legs had become quite incapable of receiving any kind of sensations. Fed up of sitting for long hours, she smacked the ground with her hands and jumped – rather ungracefully – on to her feet. There she sighed in pleasure as she stretched out tense muscles.

'You will never learn if you stay like that,' Numair commented, observing his student with a serious eye. Nevertheless, he too stood up to take a short break.

For the past two hours, he had sat in the royal garden teaching, or rather, attempted to teach her the first lesson in meditation. It was only when she had actually sat down that Numair realised just how much damage her amnesia brought. Daine truly had lost all knowledge of her power, and her attitude towards meditation was just as cynical, if not more, as to when she first tried it three years ago.

Daine stole a glance towards her teacher. It was strange to think that she and Numair had known each other for the last three years when all she felt now was a looming unfamiliarity. At times, she would feel a sudden feeling of acquaintance, as if she knew Numair all her life, but her emotion wavered like a coil of smoke every time she tried to dig for the root that triggered it. She felt there was something important between Numair and herself, but try as she might, she could not cross the vast ridge that separated her from her buried memories.

A flutter of wings made both Numair and Daine turn towards the setting sky. A large raven had just taken off, its sleek wings cutting through air with easy grace. Daine stared after it wistfully.

'Do I really have Wild Magic?' she asked, gazing into the sky. 'I mean I know I have lost my memory and such, but I can definitely remember Ma saying I didn't carry the Gift.'

'Your Ma was looking for the wrong kind of magic. There is only a handful left in the world who know about Wild Magic. Your power is very rare.'

Daine's face looked woebegone. 'Then it must have taken me a long time to learn it. Its just so hard, to sit for hours and think about nothing!'

Numair suppressed a smile as he saw the petulant expression on the girl's face. 'Well practice always makes perfect. Come on, we'll try again. You have to learn this properly if you want to move on to more complicated things.'

Heaving a sigh but obeying nonetheless, Daine sat down once again. Her arm brushed lightly against Numair's sleeve, and she was confused by the unexpected shiver she felt.

'Now, close your eyes,' she heard him say. At the same time, she felt two cool fingers touch her temples. She flinched violently, and then murmured a sheepish apology whilst trying to figure out why Numair's nearness unbalanced her so vigorously.

'I'm going to use my gift, but through you. Hopefully it will be a catalyst for you to see magic through your mind.'

Daine nodded, feeling slightly nervous. A quiver not entirely due to the night air ran through her spine.

'I want you to do what I taught you for meditating,' Numair's soft voice commanded from over her head. 'Now – breath with me. Slow, deep breathe – in…and…out. And again.'

Eyes closed and breathing at his command, Daine saw her mind beginning to fill with sparkling light. Then, just as the lights filled the space of her eyes, they spilled out of her and into the surroundings. Daine gasped as she felt power surge and ripple through her body.

'Open your eyes.' Numair's whisper seemed to come from inside her head.

Daine obeyed, and caught her breath. Somehow incredibly, Numair's magic had given her a whole new sight. So much so that her surroundings adopted a dazzling variety of colours. The nearby trees were wrapped in a ball of emerald threads. Daine looked down to her own hands to find them laced with strands of reddish light entwined with glowing copper fire.

Awed, Daine craned her neck to see Numair. He too was laced with red lights but his skin had a veil of brilliant pearly glow.

'Its beautiful,' she murmured, mesmerized by all the colours. She felt something within her shift, and then gasped as she understood that she was now looking into herself. A pool of shimmering copper fire brimmed within her.

'Just remember what your magic feels like. Remember this feeling, and you will be able to reach it by yourself.'

Daine let out a long breath as Numair ended his spell. Coming back to reality felt like an enormous letdown for her. Where everything had once looked so full of light and energy, they now all bore the same dull, shadowy darkness.

'How do you feel?' Numair asked. He moved from behind Daine to sit beside her.

'Tired,' Daine admitted although she felt her experience was well worth the fatigue.

'You progressed very well tonight.' Numair studied Daine, and she felt herself crumple under his gaze. There was something in his eyes; a strange, burning light she often saw when he looked at her.

In the semi-darkness, Daine sighed in relief when she felt Numair's gaze release her. She breathed, feeling the large, brooding weight shift from her chest.

'How long before I can turn into an animal?' she asked, partly to cut the nervous silence.

Numair chuckled. 'Not just yet, Magelet. You still have many things to learn first.'

Daine tilted her head to one side. 'Magelet?' she asked. She could not explain it, but the word seemed to snap something inside her mind.

'That's what I used to call you. Magelet – little mage. Its just a name.' At these words, Daine thought she saw Numair's expression change. A kind of sadness washed over his features.

'We must have been very close?' Daine whispered, surprising herself at these words.

Numair turned, his hand reaching, as if possessed, to touch her cheek. It lingered on her face, its warmth seeping through her skin.

Daine stared into his face, her eyes wide with surprise – and yet, perhaps not so much surprise. She could not explain it, but as her heart pounded away, she felt a sudden rush of familiarity. She opened her mouth to tell Numair this, but the feeling vanished instantly within the enclosed wall of her mind.

'You should go rest.' Numair dropped his hand and looked away. He suddenly sounded brisk, even irritated.

'Goodnight, Master Numair.' Daine picked herself up, groaning slightly at her stiff legs.

'Goodnight, Magelet.' Numair looked up from the ground and smiled at her, but Daine thought it was a forced one. Smoothing her crumpled tunic, she made her way back towards the palace. After a few steps, she turned back.

'Numair. That thing you just did – to make me see those colours…you have done it before, haven't you?'

Numair looked up. 'Yes,' he said carefully, his voice giving no emotions away. 'How did you know?'

Daine studied him for a second before murmuring, 'its just a feeling.'

That night in her dream, a badger came to her. He was big for his kind, and brought with him a deep, musky aroma.

'Hello there,' Daine greeted, not at all surprised by this. 'Where did you come from? What brings you here?'

To Daine's amusement, the badger gave a very un-badger-like sigh. 'So it is true then. You have lost your memory,' – a deep growl escaped from his throat - 'I just wish Mithros would tell me why he did it.'

The girl's eyes widened. 'Mithros? Isn't he the Great God? And how do you know about my memory loss?'

The badger moved with uncanny speed and placed one paw on Daine's chest. His warm breath tickling her neck.

'Listen, Kit,' he said gravely, 'you are very vulnerable without your memory, especially here in the Emperor's palace. You must be careful and stay on your guard.'

'Why am I vulnerable here?' Daine asked rubbing her eye. She was getting sleepy. Strange…to get sleepy when you are already asleep she thought to herself.

'Just remember what I said.' The badger's voice rang with firmness. 'Listen to your teacher Numair. He cares about you. You can trust him.'

Daine felt herself grow drowsy with her night visitor's smell. 'But badger…' she began but he had already vanished.