After Dawn

by Hannah Salmalin

Chapter 4

I have realised that I haven't thanked all my reviewers: You guys are all fantastic. Are you aware that with all my stories I've had over 70 reviews in 2 weeks!!! I am truly flattered by all this and it's made me quite happy. Oh and I was asked how did Daine die? That shall be explained later on. It was quite hard to write this chapter without saying it. On with the chapter:

Eti sat in a warm chair in her noble fathers' home. She was cold, covered in mud and slush from the road and above all, she was scared and grieving. A tall dark man entered the room and stopped, gaping at her. She looked at him and recognised him from court. He hadn't ever seen her but she knew of him; he was the former court's head mage. He retired last year, leaving young Thom of Pirate's swoop to be in charge.

She stepped forward and then slapped him across the face. She knew that he could kill her in a second but she really couldn't have cared less. Numair flinched.

"You bastard!" she yelled, hitting him again. Tears ran down her face in angry silent tears "I hate you!!!"

She yelled at him, hitting and punching, until he broke out of his daze and managed to grab her wrists.

"Look here, stop that!! You are a guest in my house. You have no right to hit me or yell." He told her, angry and confused.

"I do have a right! You are my father!!!"

"Who, who are you?" his voice gave away his uncertainty as it held a slight shake; he had known about Daine's pregnancy but he wasn't sure if she had delivered safely and if their child still lived, had it been born at all. All he knew was that she (Daine) was alive and recently living at either a small suite of rooms at the Palace, or Pirate's Swoop.

"Eti, Etienne Veralidainesri. My ma is Daine Sarrasri and YOU Numair Salmalín are my father." She repeated

"What? I'm sorry but this has got to be a mistake. I know no Daine Sarrasri and I have no daughter to anyone but Serine, my wife." He said her Ma's name bitterly.

"Would Alanna lie to me? No. And I'm not going to lie to you. Daine, the wild mage of Tortall, passed away three weeks ago."

"What?! Daine is dead?!! No, NO!!!" He sank down to a large chair and buried is head in his large, finely cut hands.

"So you do know Daine? And by the sounds of it you were very emotionally attached to her. Weren't you?" she yelled

Numair took a shaky breath. "Yes. I knew her." He whispered finally

Etienne took a proper look at her father; he was well dressed, as all nobles were. He wore a velvet, red wine coloured shirt and black velvet pant that were tucked into black leather boots. The boots had gold filigree inlaid into them. He also wore a thick black robe that appeared plush outside and silken inside. She noticed a gold hoop hanging from one earlobe and a gold band on his ring finger was the only jewellery he wore.

He broke out of his reverie and composed himself. "So she's dead." He was nearly in tears.

"She's dead. And I am alone."

I am sorry."

"Numair, I want to know something. Why did you leave my Ma. She is the most wonderful woman ever and you just 'fell out of love' with her."

"I never have stopped loving you Ma. But our love was wrong. I was 14 years her senior. The court said some ghastly things to her, leaving her broken and grieving each day and night."

'But impregnating her then leaving her with a bastard child meant nothing to you?" Her anger returned in full.

"I didn't realise until it was too late. After I left her, she never so much as looked t me again. Alanna threatened to emasculate me if I went near her again."

"That shouldn't have mattered. If you truly loved her you wuld have changed her mind."

"Do you think I didn't try?"

"Yes. You went off and married some lady, had sex and had children. That is sure to win Daine's heart back."

Numair glared at the silently crying girl. "Alright, how's this. I will return to Corus and hopefully make peace with everyone. In the meantime you may remain here. If you wish you can remain here permanently."

Eti thought about it for a while and then nodded. Numair passed her his handkerchief and she gratefully wiped her eyes.

"Eti? That is you name? I am sorry for all this hardship, but I want to be a father to you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Eti gave him look for look and then nodded. "Try. Just try."

Sorry this is so short, but it's kinda hard to do this chapter without blurting out how my lil magelet died. SOB SOB.

Reveiw. Please.