A/N: All of you who complained about my slow update speed last time can take me off of your hit lists. This chapter is short, but I thought it was best left as is, not expanded on. Future chapters will be longer. The good news is its all Numair's pov! So enjoy.
Disclaimer: It's TP's not mine. Don't sue!
Chapter 6- Healing
Numair stared at Daine's fallen body. The unicorn stood above her. Her horn was dripping with Daine's blood. Rage like Numair had never felt coursed through his body. He never willed the magic to leave his body, but before his eyes the evil mare burst, littering everything in a ten foot radius with her fragments. Numair ignored the mess. His thoughts were only on Daine.
He ran to her. His breath caught in his chest at the site of her. Her skin was white from blood loss. Her wound, though bleeding profusely was turning a sickly green, a product of the unicorn's potentially deadly poison.
Pain and panic swept though Numair. He tore off his shirt and wrapped it around her chest. He pulled it tight, trying to put enough pressure to stem the blood flow. Now what? He thought franticly. Her life was forfeit if he could not get her to a healer and fast. It will take me forever to carry her to Alanna, even if I run. He thought. For once, he thought that even his magic was no aid to him. Mithros, don't let her die! It was not a pleasant thought. Suddenly, as if in answer to his prayers, the thud of hoofbeats resounded in his ears. He turned to see Cloud, followed by Spots, approaching him with torn lead ropes. The mare must have sensed Daine's peril. He remarked.
Without a second's thought, Numair swept Daine up and swung onto Spots saddless back. Later Numair would wonder how he accomplished had managed that feat. "Spots," he told the gelding, "I need you to run to camp as fast as possible. And please don't let me fall." He added as an after thought. "Cloud, can you follow?" The mare stomped her hoof in the message Numair understood to be "yes."
"Go, Spots!" The gelding responded with a fast run. Numair held Daine to him while keeping a firm grip of mane. Numair stole a look at his student. They needed to get to Alanna fast. "A little faster Spots." Numair pleaded. In his right mind he would have been terrified, but his own safety didn't matter. All that did matter was Daine.
In what seemed like an age they approached camp. Numair yelled for Alanna at the top of his lungs. The red head came bursting out of a tent as Spots drew to a halt. Alanna spotted the unconscious Daine, and all color left her face. "In here." She ushered Numair. Numair followed her into a tent and set Daine onto a palate on the tent floor.
"I need some hot water." Alanna instructed. "And bandage." Numair nodded and went to fetch the articles. When he returned Alanna requested some time alone. "This is not good Numair." She said in a quiet voice, her violet eyes meeting his with sympathy. Numair stepped out of the tent, overwhelmed by his thoughts.
He found Cloud standing under a tree with Spots. The mare fidgeted with nervous energy. She knows something is wrong with Daine. Numair felt sympathy and understanding for the mare. After all, she too loved Daine. She alone shared the feelings that he was feeling right now.
Numair sat beside the pony. He reached into his pocket and took out a small gold token. Opening it revealed a perfect image of his Magelet, her curly brown hair, her blue eyes, her soft features, offset by a stubborn chin. He knew that many palace men fancied Daine for her looks, but none could love her heart as deeply as he did. Suddenly emotion overcame Numair as tears dripped down his cheek. Cloud gently nudged the tears. Her eyes showed sympathy and understanding. "Cloud, what if something happens to her? I'll never be able to forgive myself." The mare snorted as if to say "It's not your fault." But Numair's thoughts went deeper. "What is she dies and..." the idea of a world without Daine stung deep ".... And I never told her that I love her." Cloud lipped Numair's hair affectionately. He could not hear her think. She knows.
Hours later Numair paced outside of the tent where Alanna was working on Daine. The Lioness emerged from the tent, and promptly collapsed. Numair caught her as she fell and helped her regain her footing. She looked on the verge of passing out.
"She'll live, Numair." His eyes asked the question. "I healed the wound and all internal damage. I couldn't burn out the fever. The immortal magic guards it. She lost a lot of blood. I tried to restore some of it, but she will be weak for days. The fever she will have to overcome on her own." Alanna finished.
"If she's weak then how will she fight the fever?" Numair asked.
"Daine is a strong girl. She is delusional right now. The fever infects the brain. She could have memory loss. In any sense I doubt she will remember this. She rarely says something understandable, but when she does its your name, Numair." He nodded to her. He felt an urgent call to enter that tent. Alanna left to rest, she drained her gift with the healing.
Numair hurried into Daine's tent. There she lay. Her eyes were darting about wildly, like a scared horse. She was muttering incoherently. "Magelet" he whispered, kneeling beside her bed. Daine turned her head towards him. He thought he heard his name come from her lips. He stroked her face. His touch relaxed her tense body.
Suddenly Numair remembered something. He reached up and pulled a few strands of curly brown hair from Daine's head. The fever kept her from flinching. He drew the locket out again, and placed the hair in a clip beside the portrait. The magic needed would just have to wait.
As he did this, Daine reached out to the spot where he had knelt. Numair leaned onto her bed and drew her into his arms. She shivered from fever; he grabbed a blanket to wrap around her. He ran his fingers through her hair, and stroked her back. All the while he murmured softly to her. Her response was to nuzzle closer to him. Her head tucked beneath his chin. For a while they lay there. Numair's fear was temporarily calmed by holding her.
Memories flooded his mind. He saw a giant young girl holding out a piece of meat to him, her voice coaxing him to eat. He saw her face when fright still flooded her eyes, and the expression they now carried, one of trust and friendship. He saw the same young girl collapse because she stopped her own heart to hear whales. He saw an older version of the girl smiling at him from inside of a cave. The vision became her as a young woman, wearing a soft blue gown. He saw her in breeches a shirt and boots, her curls falling around her face as she played with a newborn foal. That image clung to his mind. That was his Daine.
Daine's breathing had become deep with sleep. On impulse he kissed her hair, and the fingers of the hand that he held. With his cheek against her hair he whispered softly "I love you Daine." She stirred against him, he would never be certain, but she murmured something into his neck that sounded like "love you too."
A/N: ok, so there is chapter 6. Hope you liked. Don't expect chapter 7 so soon, my school work is really intense. Thanks to all who replied to my call to e-mail TP! I only hope it helps. So far I have no negative reviews for this. I think that's pretty good. Ok, I won't update until I have 50 reviews! That's only four so I don't think I'm being demanding. Now type! Type like the wind!
Reviewer thanks:
ChildlikeEmpress: yes master....your good servant updated! Glad you like it, keep reviewing and I'll keep writing!
Fyliwion: I have to say that your review meant a lot to me! I kept thinking about it while I was editing this, and hoping that it lived up to what you said. This fic will go a bit into RotG, I plan on rewriting parts of RotG as one-shots.
Carmen: thanks! I hope it continues to meet your expectations.
Girlfromtheshadows: Ah no! must have cookies!!! Lol, thanks for the review. And I agree with the Numy book. I'll be in college too! So we must take action! (gathers army of Numy fans)
Narm's Britton 44: yeah, Numy getting hurt might have been interesting, but I hope you liked what I did with Daine being injured. Thanks for being one of my faithful reviewers! It's always good to have a fan.
Perselium: thanks for the review! D/N fluff won't be happening in this fic, but its sequel will be fluffy. All those scenes are already in my head...
Dragon and the Wildmage: Your wait for an update is over...or has it only just begun?
Kit49: lol, I hope you don't have grey hair yet. I'll try to update as soon as I can...promise!
Tortalls Resident Wildchild: I like the name! I'll look forward to reading your fic. I don't think there are a lot of fics running around with this plot. Heck, there aren't a lot of fics with D/N around! Every fic counts so write away!