A/N: *ducks as random objects are hurtled my way* hehe...ummm....for once I really don't know what to say. I know you guys are upset with me, and with good reason, but come on, its not THAT bad, is it? Besides, I stand by my word: it ends happy!
With that in mine, lets get on with the chapter! R/R, and please don't hurt me cuz its not nice!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It was such a wonderful morning, Alanna thought to herself as she trotted Darkmoon down the sandy path that led to the tower that was Daine and Numair's home. There was a light wind blowing this morning, causing Alanna's fiery red hair to blow behind her as she rode. The salty air was refreshing to the lady knight, for she had spent much of her two week leave granted by King Jonathan back at the capital, where there was no feel of the ocean. She loved the feeling of being at the coast. She always had, even as a child. Though Pirates Swoop was truly the only home she had ever lived in that was located along the coast, she had still grown to love it.
The echoing sound of crying gulls could be heard in the distance as Alanna made her way along the winding trail. She could not wait to pay a visit to her friends. She missed both of them dearly, especially Daine for she had seen Numair not but two days ago. Despite her recent encounter of the lanky mage, she still longed to see him too. During that encounter, she had not gotten much time to actually talk with him, and she missed that. Back in the days when Daine and Numair shared a room at the palace, Alanna had gotten to visit them often enough. Now though, what with her duties as wife, mother, baroness of Pirates Swoop and King's Champion, Alanna rarely had the time to take the short two hour ride to get to their tower.
Yes, Alanna would enjoy this rare visit. It had been months since she had last had a proper talk with Daine, and she had most definitely missed the young woman. Daine always had such a lively attitude and was full of a spunk that Alanna loved about her. She missed the days when she saw Daine almost everyday, or at least once every week. As she thought on this, Alanna also remembered that she had animal business to discuss with Daine, for she was after all the Wild Mage. Back at the Swoop, some of the horses were acting rather irritable, and were very difficult to deal with under those circumstances. Perhaps Alanna could get Daine to return to the Swoop with her and inspect the horses. That would give them plenty of time to pick up on all the both of them had missed.
As for Numair, Alanna just enjoyed visiting him. The lanky mage had always been fun to be around. He was one of the few people that Alanna could sit down and discuss any magical inquiry she might have with, and he could honestly give her an answer. Though she was not one who enjoyed her Gift as much as he himself did, often times she found herself in need of his assistance. Today though, she had nothing in mind except just a friendly visit with Numair and his lover. She was certain the two would be in a cheerful mood considering the previous night had been the day they selected to celebrate their being together on. Maybe someday they would be married and would have a real date to celebrate one. Alanna certainly hoped that this would happen. Since the first time she had learned that their relationship had progressed to more than just friends, she had hoped the two would marry. They were perfect for each other, she knew. They reminded her of herself and George.
Soon, the tower which she had been traveling to reach came into view. It was a tall structure of round riverbed stones, built up into a tall home. The tower lay on a steep cliff that overlooked the Emerald Ocean. Since she had visited on several occasions before now, Alanna knew of the spectacular view that the couple that lived at the tower shared daily. Any time the two pleased, they could gaze out their window or off their balcony, and they could look down as the waves crashed against the rocks and the sides of the cliff, ocean foam spraying this way and that.
Before long, the sandy path was becoming rockier as she and Darkmoon began tackling the cliff's edge to get to the tower. Alanna knew that often Numair would have to come out and blaze a better path to the tower when too many rocks and shells from the ocean had strayed into it, blocking the way for travelers. It was an easy task for him, for he was a black robed mage. Alanna was not entirely sure how her friend did it though. "Easy boy, we're almost there," Alanna coaxed the stallion up the rocky path. The grounds at the Swoop which Darkmoon was used to were mostly fertile soil and rough sand, not like these jagged pieces of gravel. She would have to be sure to clean out the underside of her mount's hooves once she got a chance.
Once Alanna reached the top of the cliff and the group was level again, she brushed Darkmoon's mane affectionately. She rode the stallion over to a tying post that was located just outside the small stable that existed on the property. I'll just tell them I'm here before I put Darkmoon away, Alanna thought. That way she would not feel rushed as she groomed her beloved horse. With that in mind, Alanna dismounted Darkmoon and tied his reins to the tying post. She then made her way up the stone steps that led to the small courtyard of the tower. The courtyard gates were made of a strong iron, but were not locked. She made her way through them easily enough and entered the courtyard. It was decorated lavishly with all sorts of hanging and potted plants. Numair had even managed to conjure some spell onto the sets of potted trees that made them intertwine into various shapes and designs. The lady knight had to admit, he had done an excellent job. It was very different from when she had last seen it.
Finally, Alanna made it to the tall oak wood doors that were the entrance to the tower. On the wall to Alanna's right, there was a fairly small bell with a leather cord attached to its iron handle. Reaching up her hand, Alanna pulled the chord twice, causing the bell to swing back and forth in two rapid motions, creating a loud noise meant to alert either Daine or Numair. The Lioness waited several minutes, and there was no answer. Sighing, Alanna rang the bell again, this time with much more force. She sincerely hoped the two lovers were not still lazing around in bed. Numair was known for not being much of a morning person, and he seemed to be having an affect on Daine. Alanna felt slightly frustrated when again after several minutes of waiting, there was no answer. They knew she was coming, so where could they be? Again Alanna rang the bell, but this time she also pounded her fist against the oak would door, knowing full well that the noise would echo throughout the halls of the tower. This time as she waited, she drummed her gloved hands idly against the stone wall and tapped her foot against the stone steps on which she stood.
"Where in the name of all that is holy are those two?!" Alanna grumbled as she continued to pound on the door. During this entire time she had been waiting out here, she had not heard a single sound of movement from inside. They must still be sleeping, she thought. Since the previous night was their anniversary, no doubt the two were up late busying themselves in romantic activities. Muttering something about helpless romantics, Alanna decided that her two friends would not mind if she simply let herself in. She did after all know the password Numair had set on his spelled door, and she supposed it was for such a reason as she had now that he had given it to her in the first place. At least she could wait for them to awaken inside where it was comfortable.
Alanna hastily muttered the words to the spell to open the door, and she soon found it open. Without hesitating, Alanna stepped through the doorway. As soon as she did this, an unpleasant air greeted her. The lady knight was taken aback by this, but brushed it aside quickly, thinking that it was just her imagination. How wrong she was. She made her way into the living room, for it was the closest from the entrance, and decided she had best find the her two friends. "Daine!" Alanna called out as she walked through the house, "Numair!" She received no answer, just dead silence.
Right after she called Numair's name, Alanna heard a small amount of movement coming from the kitchen. Just as she moved to investigate, she heard a crash as something glass shattered. Mind in a sudden panic, Alanna broke into a run to get to where the noise came from. She reached the kitchen in record time. As soon as she stepped through the doorway though, she was shocked by what she saw. The kitchen was a mess. There were pots and pains strewn all over the floor. The doors to several of the cabinets had been torn completely off of the wall and were scattered everywhere as well. Pieces of wood littered the floor, along with various kinds of food. Once Alanna had taken this all in, she realized suddenly that to her horror amongst all this, there was blood everywhere. Bloody hand prints covered the walls and floor, along with footprints. Some of these prints were human, but some seemed to be from some sort of animal. Pools of blood were everywhere, and Alanna thought she might be sick at the sight of it. She hoped that blood did not belong to a human, oh gods how she hoped.
"Daine!" Alanna called, this time more frantically than before. She had to find her friends, she just had to! "Numair!" She walked into the kitchen as she yelled for them, making her way around the mess of blood and debris. As soon as she came around the counter that had previously blocked her view of the full kitchen, Alanna wished she had not. She was met by one of the worst scenes she had ever witnessed in her entire life. Laying in a pool of blood and gore on the floor before her was none other than her friend, Numair Salmalin. "No......" Alanna breathed, her feet glued to the floor in sudden shock. It couldn't be, that the black robed mage she had always believed was invincible was in this state, could it?
Quickly, Alanna rushed forward, praying to every god she could name that he was still alive. Before she had even reached the ground though, she knew it was a lost cause. No one could be so wounded and still live through it. He was barely even recognizable. His face was covered in blood and scratches. His left eye looked to be torn out completely, along with a good amount of that side of his face. The rest of his body looked to be in little better condition. His left arm was at an unnatural angle, making it obvious that it was severely broken. Without even feeling his sides, she knew that several of his ribs were broken for the skin looked tender and part of the highest rib had managed to break through. Her eyes were wide with fright as she continued to scan the overall damage that had been dealt him with her eyes. She took in deep, raspy breaths, trying to gain a hold on herself. She would not cry, not even over her long time friend.
Against her will, one single tear leaked from Alanna's left eye and rolled shamelessly down the side of her face. The lady knight stifled a sob, fighting her hardest not to break down right then and there. The tear fell from her face to land on the corpse of her one time friend. No, she thought, he may be dead, but he'll always be my friend. Wiping her now tearstained face with the sleeve of her riding tunic, Alanna dried her face. Then, she carefully slipped out of the tunic and lifted it off of her form to rest in her hands. She carefully pulled the piece of clothing over Numair's body. Since he was such a tall man, she could barely cover half of his form, so she made certain that she had his face and upper body covered completely.
Rising to her feet, Alanna continued to stare at the horrendous form before her. She could not help it, for she could not tear her eyes away. She just could not believe that Numair Salmalin was dead. But he is, and you've got to come to terms with that, her mind taunted her menacingly. It was times like these that Alanna wished time could just stop for a moment, so she wouldn't have to worry about anything. It was then, that a thousand thoughts and worries suddenly rushed into her mind. Finally now, she realized just how much of a crisis she had faced this morning, and it fell on her like a ton of bricks. Most of all, this question rang clearly in her mind: Where was Daine?
"Oh goddess......"Alanna breathed as she spun around immediately, hoping to find her friend. Her mind was in a rush just now, fumbling over all sorts of thoughts and worries. Where was Daine? Was she alive? Had she been killed too? Who or what had done this to them? Then, a thought suddenly struck her that stood out. Daine HAD to be alive! The whole reason Alanna had rushed into the kitchen in the first place had been because she had heard a noise coming from in here! Since Numair was dead, Alanna knew he couldn't have been the one to make it. It HAD to be Daine, it just had to.
As Alanna began searching the room frantically, scanning it with her eyes, she called out, "Dai-" but was immediately cut off by what she saw. It was Daine all right, but it was a shocking site. Towards the farthest wall, Daine sat hunched in the corner. The young woman wore not a stitch of clothing as she was clad in only the badger claw that hung around her neck. She had her legs pulled up to rest against her chest with her arms wrapped around them. From what Alanna could see, her friend's eyes blazed with a sort of shock and fear, and she shivered violently.
Just as Alanna was about to rush forward towards the young woman, to help her if nothing else, a loud cry split the air, and she froze in her tracks. "Stay away, Alanna!" It was Daine who had cried out, and Alanna saw her trying to disappear into that corner she was hunched in. Alanna felt for her in that moment, knowing full well what torture Daine must be going through, even if she had not a single clue what all had happened in here.
"Daine, it's all right-" Alanna assured her young friend, holding up her hand in a sign of peace. It was a wonder that Daine even managed to speak. It was obvious that she had witnessed her lover's murder, and Alanna did not want to think about what that could do to one's mind. "I'm here to help you....."
"No!" Daine croaked, her voice carrying and echoing loudly in all of the various chambers of the tower. Alanna flinched at the cold edge to the young woman's voice. It was not natural, nor was it even human. Alanna could not even begin to understand what that meant. "You HAVE to leave!" Daine voiced again, once again her voice edged with steel, "I'm not safe!"
Not fully understanding her friend's last statement, and mistaking her meaning for something else, Alanna chimed in, "Daine, I know something terrible has happened to you here, but you're safe now. I won't let anyone or anything harm you!" Alanna's voice was soft, yet sure. She always had a sense of assurance in her voice, and she hoped it would pay off now.
"No, Alanna! YOU'RE not safe here! I'm dangerous!" Daine shrieked, causing Alanna to jump back a step. Her eyes widened slightly as she scrutinized the young, fearful woman that sat not ten feet before her. Still, she did not fully understand Daine's meaning. It had to be shock. Alanna had seen cases like this so many times that it made her sick to think about it. Often times, when a house had been raided by bandits or thieves, the survivors would be found in a state of shock. Most of the time, they would either be in denial, or completely mad all together. It was obvious that Daine was not in her right mind. And how could she be, after what she must have seen?
"Now Daine-"Alanna began, but was not given time to finish. Daine had suddenly sprang forward, and was attempting to knock Alanna to the ground. The sudden attack had taken the lady knight by surprise, for she soon found herself flat on her back with a rampaging Daine on top of her, flailing her arms wildly. Alanna panicked, not understanding what was going on. Roughly, she through the younger woman off of her, trying desperately to get back to her feet. "Goddess, Daine, what are you-" but again, she never got her sentence fully out, for Daine had come at her a second time. This time, Daine's hands had managed to shift into wolf paws, claws and all. She swiped at Alanna's left side, but was blocked painfully by Alanna's chain mail shirt. She recoiled in pain, howling in such a realistic way, Alanna would have thought she were truly a wolf.
Again, Daine sprinted towards the lady knight. In this time, Alanna managed to look into the eyes of her young friend, and see a sort of wild intensity that she had never seen there before. She did not know what in the name of the gods was going on. All she knew was that if she did not get things under control, she would be hurt. She met Daine's attack head on, shoving the younger woman roughly aside. Daine hit the nearby wall, emitting a wolf-like whine. It was then that Alanna understood what was happening. Daine had lost her hold on her wild magic, just as she had in Snowsdale! Must have been because of Numair's murder, Alanna thought to herself, mentally piecing things together so that they made sense. The murder of her lover must have triggered the wolf inside of her, just as the murder of her family had all those years ago.
Thinking quickly, Alanna knew that the only way she could safely get Daine and herself out of here and to a place where Daine could be managed, Alanna formed a large ball of purple flame in her right palm. "Please forgive me Daine, but this is the only way...." Alanna said gravely, just in case the real Daine was in there and could somehow hear her. She supposed she was, for she had tried to warn her about the oncoming attack. With that, Alanna threw the ball of purple fire that was her Gift at Daine, just as the young woman had risen to her feet to charge Alanna again. It hit Daine head on, knocking her back four feet and stopping only when she hit the wall with great impact. She had been knocked out so quickly by Alanna's Gift, that she had not even had time to cry out in the obvious pain she must have felt from the burn and the impact of the wall.
Alanna approached the girl slowly, careful to make certain that she was unconscious. She then stooped down to the floor where Daine lay, and gingerly lifted her into her arms. Once that was done, Alanna drew her tightly to her chest so that she would not drop her and then made her way across the room to where she had seen Daine's night dress strewn on the floor. Alanna slowly lifted it off the floor, careful not to drop Daine. She then slipped it over Daine's bare form, covering her so that she could take her away from here and back to the Swoop.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
( 2 hours later upon reaching Pirates Swoop)
Alanna pulled Darkmood to a stop as he cantered up the path of Pirate's Swoop. They were now stopped directly outside the Swoop's stable. Holding tightly to Daine's body and pressing her friend to her chest to get a better grasp on her, Alanna swung her leg over the side of the saddle, and carefully slid off of her mount. "Herrick!" Alanna yelled at the top of her lungs, hoping to alert the fief's hostler. Being the baroness of this fief, she knew each of the servants and hostlers well, and she of course knew the name of the one who would be on duty at the time of day.
In no more than a moment's time, a young man came running through the swinging stable doors, his hazel eyes alight with surprise. He had not expected the baroness to be home just yet, and with an injured woman in her arms on top of that! He was a stalky young man with broad shoulders, hazel eyes, and a mass of blonde curls atop his head. "Baroness, I had not expected you back for at least another day," Herrick voiced once he reached Alanna. He reached his hand up to wipe the sweat from his brow from having run. He then began nervously running it through his thick blonde curls. His eyes darted immediately to the unconscious form of Daine. "What's happened, Milady?" He asked, wondering if he could be of some help to the Lioness. Surely she could not handle carrying this young woman all the way to Maude the Healer.
"The tower of Numair Salmalin has been raided," Alanna explained, voice filled with grief. It had still not properly soaked in that her lanky friend was dead. It seemed so wrong. "Master Salmalin was killed, but his lover here is still alive. I've got to get her to Maude and then take some men to attend to the mess at the tower. Could you take her for me?"
"Of course Milady!" Herrick said suddenly, anxious because of the circumstances. He reached out his arms, and braced himself as Alanna slid the young woman to him. He drew her tightly to his chest, and then turned to leave.
"And make haste, Herrick!" Alanna called to him as he began walking away, "She's dear to Tortall, and especially to me!"
Once Alanna was sure that Daine was on her way to the Healer's Wing, she ran up the steps of her castle and through the courtyard. Hurriedly, Alanna made her way into the fief and through its familiar halls. She did not have time to waste, so she ran. She wanted to hurry and retrieve her friend's body and clean up the tower as was expected so that she could get back to Daine. Alanna was a known healer, and if there was nothing Maude could do to help her, perhaps Alanna could.
As Alanna hurried around the next corner to get to her lord's study, she nearly bumped into just the man she was seeking. "George!" She cried out in surprise, though to his shock not delight.
"Alanna!" he cried at the same time she shouted his name. He stepped forward quickly and jerked her body to his own. He had not seen his Lioness in nearly a month, and he had missed her terribly. He found himself in utter disbelief as she hastily pulled herself from his grasp, taking a step back.
"I haven't the time of day to dawdle, George!" Alanna hissed, her voice insistent. He looked at her with a puzzled look, his hazel eyes slightly hurt.
Seeing clearly that something was wrong with his wife, he knew he had to help her. "Lass, what's bothering ye?" he asked her, voice soft. Though he had made no move to draw her into the circle of his arms a second time, he did take a hold of her gloved hands once more. She did not fight him, and he would not relinquish his hold on her.
Tears formed suddenly in the lady knight's eyes, and she felt instant shame and humiliation. She could not cry in front of George. What would he think of her? If she took the time to think about it, she could not think of a single time in which he had seen her cry, and she felt weak for caving now. "Numair's dead." Alanna choked out, tears streaming steadily down her rosy cheeks. Her violet eyes were alight with pain, and she did not have to wonder why.
George gasped, suddenly alarmed but the information he had just received. "Are you sure? When did you get the news?" He asked, voice full of urgency. Like his wife, his eyes too burned with tears, though he fought to push them back. In an act to comfort himself as much as his Lioness, George drew her immediately into the circle of his arms. She began sobbing into his shirt, her head leaning against his shoulder.
"Yes, I'm certain!" Alanna sobbed, no longer caring about her show of emotion in front of her husband. She had not the slightest idea where her children were at this time, but she prayed to every god she could name that they would not walk in on this scene to find her like this. "I saw it for myself!"
George was stunned by this new piece of information. "What are you talking about, lass? Where did you see him?" George asked as he rubbed her back affectionately with his large hand. He had sincerely hoped that his wife had been misinformed about their friend's death, but it seemed that if she had seen it for herself, then it must be true. There was no denying it now.
Alanna prepared herself to tell George her story of the past two days, though she did not by any means want to. She owed this to him though, for Numair was just as much his friend and he was hers. Not to mention the fact that this story would help her husband to better understand the situation before them. "Two days ago when I was at the palace, I saw Numair there," Alanna began, sniffling and choking back tears every time she stopped speaking, "We stopped and idly chatted, talking about the usual things, family, Tortall, his classes. Everything was just so normal. We decided that it had been a while since we had had a decent visit, so he invited me to come visit Daine and himself at their tower on the coast. I told him I would come in two days when I would have been officially granted leave from Jonathan, for the tower is on the way to here."
"I still don't understand how Numair has wound up dead, lass," George interrupted, but he was immediately sorry for his intrusion when she flashed him a look of pure sadness and remorse. Without saying another word, he allowed her to continue with her story.
"When I got to the tower this morning, I spent a good while waiting for the two of them to answer the door. Finally, I decided that they would not mind if I just let myself in, so I did. When I got inside, I heard something coming from the kitchen, so I went to it. When I got in there......." Alanna stopped, willing her mind to recall exactly what she had seen. Tears began falling faster down her burning cheeks as she remembered. Out of all the memories she held over the years, this was the one she wanted to be gone the most. Alanna only found the strength and courage to continue when George urged her with a look. She gave in. "I found a bloody mess, and in the middle of it all, the remains of Numair's body were in the middle of the floor."
"By the Trickster..."George cursed under his breath, hardly able to believe his wife's story. Had it been coming from anyone else, he would have called them a liar, believing that no one could break into the black robe's house and proceed to murder him in his own home. Then, a new realization hit him. "But-where's our Daine?" His voice seemed to be laced with panic, and Alanna knew this was because he cared for the young woman just as much as she herself did.
"I found her in the kitchen not far from Numair," Alanna said, voice raspy from crying. "She's alive, but whatever happened to the two of them caused her to lose control of her wild magic. The barrier in her mind is broken, and she tried to attack me. I knocked her out, and I've brought her here to be tended to. But gods I don't want to have to be the one to break all of the news to her."
George brought a hand up to run nervously through his dark hair, lightened by the sun of the coast. "Well, lets not get ahead of ourselves, here," George said wisely, though he knew it was only a matter of time before they would have to face the subject of Daine. "The first thing we have to do is take a group of men back down to the tower and take Numair's body away, for that's only proper. I can handle it, Alanna. Ye ought to stay here and tend to our Daine."
"No, George," Alanna said stubbornly, tilting her head up to look at her roguish husband. "I want to go with you; Numair was my friend."
"Yes, but what if Daine's condition is more serious than ye first thought? Ye were in quite a state of shock when ye found her, I'm assuming, so ye can't tell me ye know for certain."
"Point taken," Alanna said calmly. She looked into the hazel eyes of her husband, and forced a small smile as she looked at him. "You'd best get along to the tower then..."
"That I will," George assured her, easing his lips briefly and swiftly over hers in a quick kiss before he was to depart. Gods, had she been through a terrible morning, from what he had heard! With that in mind, he drew her tightly to his chest once more, and then released her, turning on his heal to exit and go retrieve a group of men to accompany him to the tower.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"How's she doing, Maude?" Alanna asked, almost fearfully. She did not know what she would do if she lost both of her close friends in one day. Just losing Numair was hard enough. In the back of her mind though, Alanna knew it was rather cruel of her to ask the gods to allow just one of them to live without the other. The surviving one would live out their life in misery, Alanna knew, but she still had to try.
"It is like nothing I've ever encountered," the old healer explained, nodding her head to the bed she stood next to. In it, Daine lay, tucked under the cover of several sheets. "I had to bind her hands down to the bed rails, for she would not stop thrashing about."
It was then that Alanna saw that Daine's arms were stretched out and her wrists were tied tightly the bed. Alanna thought this to be a good idea, in case the young woman were to wake up and her wolfish thoughts again took over, as Alanna was certain they would. "Yes, I understand, Maude," Alanna assured the woman, glad that she herself knew what was wrong when Maude did not,"Its her mind that is in a frenzy. The barrier that kept her wild magic under control was broken," Alanna explained, nodding towards her friend.
"That is was Herrick told me," Maude said simply, "Though I am glad to say that the blast you gave her left nothing more than a few minor burns which I have taken the liberty of healing entirely. I'm afraid you'll have to be the one to handle this problem with her magic though."
"I had planned on that," Alanna supplied, thinking of just how she was going to do it. She jogged her memory, trying to think of what spell Numair had once told her he had used those years ago to construct the barrier in the first place. Numair. That name bit at the back of her mind with a fierce intensity. Gods, she would miss that man.
Without her knowing, a tear began to roll down Alanna's face. Maude noticed this, and knew immediately what had brought on this change of emotion. "Herrick also told me the fate of Master Numair," Maude supplied, voice as soft as she could make it. She placed a comforting hand on Alanna's shoulder, trying to soothe the lady knight. "I'm sorry, Alanna."
"The gods know that I'm sorry too, but I know I'll be even more sorry when Daine wakes up," Alanna's voice was grim, her complexion pale. This had been probably one of the worst days of her life, and one that she would remember forever. Not wishing to continue on the subject of the now separated lovers, Alanna decided it was best to get to work on Daine. "I'd best get to work on Daine," Alanna said, pushing back every notion of tears that she held, "She'll be able to move along faster in her healing if her mind is in its proper state."
Maude nodded to the younger woman, and made her way to the door. She knew it was no longer her place to be in the room, for matters of the Gift were not her concern; she was a healer, not a mage. As soon as Alanna heard the door click softly shut, she kneeled down next to Daine, placing her hand on the younger woman's temple. She closed her eyes, and began sending her Gift into Daine in spurts. Soon, she had reached the core of Daine's magic, and could see the horrible mess it was in. Black and copper fragments floated this way and that, causing total chaos. What was still in on piece was such a tangled mess that Alanna could scaresly tell what it was. Seeing that she had her work cut out for her, Alanna got started. She pictured a wall of purple fire, sending her mind into her work. Slowly, but surely, a wall was constructed, pulling each color of magic into a separate place. From what she could remember Numair telling her, this task had not taken him more than a few minutes. For Alanna, it was taking a little over an hour to finish. Finally though, it was complete. Where a wall of black fire with a white tinge had once stood, now a wall of royal purple flame stood proudly. Alanna only hoped that this one would hold, though she knew someday it would have to be renewed.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A/N: I know, I know, I haven't fixed everything yet, but it doesn't mean I'm never going to! I am, believe me, I am.... This sort of thing just takes time! It'll be about 3 more chapters before you see the twist that will bring about a happy ending, so just sit tight and wait... While you're at it, you might try reviewing as well, because I LOVE reviews! ^_^
With that in mine, lets get on with the chapter! R/R, and please don't hurt me cuz its not nice!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It was such a wonderful morning, Alanna thought to herself as she trotted Darkmoon down the sandy path that led to the tower that was Daine and Numair's home. There was a light wind blowing this morning, causing Alanna's fiery red hair to blow behind her as she rode. The salty air was refreshing to the lady knight, for she had spent much of her two week leave granted by King Jonathan back at the capital, where there was no feel of the ocean. She loved the feeling of being at the coast. She always had, even as a child. Though Pirates Swoop was truly the only home she had ever lived in that was located along the coast, she had still grown to love it.
The echoing sound of crying gulls could be heard in the distance as Alanna made her way along the winding trail. She could not wait to pay a visit to her friends. She missed both of them dearly, especially Daine for she had seen Numair not but two days ago. Despite her recent encounter of the lanky mage, she still longed to see him too. During that encounter, she had not gotten much time to actually talk with him, and she missed that. Back in the days when Daine and Numair shared a room at the palace, Alanna had gotten to visit them often enough. Now though, what with her duties as wife, mother, baroness of Pirates Swoop and King's Champion, Alanna rarely had the time to take the short two hour ride to get to their tower.
Yes, Alanna would enjoy this rare visit. It had been months since she had last had a proper talk with Daine, and she had most definitely missed the young woman. Daine always had such a lively attitude and was full of a spunk that Alanna loved about her. She missed the days when she saw Daine almost everyday, or at least once every week. As she thought on this, Alanna also remembered that she had animal business to discuss with Daine, for she was after all the Wild Mage. Back at the Swoop, some of the horses were acting rather irritable, and were very difficult to deal with under those circumstances. Perhaps Alanna could get Daine to return to the Swoop with her and inspect the horses. That would give them plenty of time to pick up on all the both of them had missed.
As for Numair, Alanna just enjoyed visiting him. The lanky mage had always been fun to be around. He was one of the few people that Alanna could sit down and discuss any magical inquiry she might have with, and he could honestly give her an answer. Though she was not one who enjoyed her Gift as much as he himself did, often times she found herself in need of his assistance. Today though, she had nothing in mind except just a friendly visit with Numair and his lover. She was certain the two would be in a cheerful mood considering the previous night had been the day they selected to celebrate their being together on. Maybe someday they would be married and would have a real date to celebrate one. Alanna certainly hoped that this would happen. Since the first time she had learned that their relationship had progressed to more than just friends, she had hoped the two would marry. They were perfect for each other, she knew. They reminded her of herself and George.
Soon, the tower which she had been traveling to reach came into view. It was a tall structure of round riverbed stones, built up into a tall home. The tower lay on a steep cliff that overlooked the Emerald Ocean. Since she had visited on several occasions before now, Alanna knew of the spectacular view that the couple that lived at the tower shared daily. Any time the two pleased, they could gaze out their window or off their balcony, and they could look down as the waves crashed against the rocks and the sides of the cliff, ocean foam spraying this way and that.
Before long, the sandy path was becoming rockier as she and Darkmoon began tackling the cliff's edge to get to the tower. Alanna knew that often Numair would have to come out and blaze a better path to the tower when too many rocks and shells from the ocean had strayed into it, blocking the way for travelers. It was an easy task for him, for he was a black robed mage. Alanna was not entirely sure how her friend did it though. "Easy boy, we're almost there," Alanna coaxed the stallion up the rocky path. The grounds at the Swoop which Darkmoon was used to were mostly fertile soil and rough sand, not like these jagged pieces of gravel. She would have to be sure to clean out the underside of her mount's hooves once she got a chance.
Once Alanna reached the top of the cliff and the group was level again, she brushed Darkmoon's mane affectionately. She rode the stallion over to a tying post that was located just outside the small stable that existed on the property. I'll just tell them I'm here before I put Darkmoon away, Alanna thought. That way she would not feel rushed as she groomed her beloved horse. With that in mind, Alanna dismounted Darkmoon and tied his reins to the tying post. She then made her way up the stone steps that led to the small courtyard of the tower. The courtyard gates were made of a strong iron, but were not locked. She made her way through them easily enough and entered the courtyard. It was decorated lavishly with all sorts of hanging and potted plants. Numair had even managed to conjure some spell onto the sets of potted trees that made them intertwine into various shapes and designs. The lady knight had to admit, he had done an excellent job. It was very different from when she had last seen it.
Finally, Alanna made it to the tall oak wood doors that were the entrance to the tower. On the wall to Alanna's right, there was a fairly small bell with a leather cord attached to its iron handle. Reaching up her hand, Alanna pulled the chord twice, causing the bell to swing back and forth in two rapid motions, creating a loud noise meant to alert either Daine or Numair. The Lioness waited several minutes, and there was no answer. Sighing, Alanna rang the bell again, this time with much more force. She sincerely hoped the two lovers were not still lazing around in bed. Numair was known for not being much of a morning person, and he seemed to be having an affect on Daine. Alanna felt slightly frustrated when again after several minutes of waiting, there was no answer. They knew she was coming, so where could they be? Again Alanna rang the bell, but this time she also pounded her fist against the oak would door, knowing full well that the noise would echo throughout the halls of the tower. This time as she waited, she drummed her gloved hands idly against the stone wall and tapped her foot against the stone steps on which she stood.
"Where in the name of all that is holy are those two?!" Alanna grumbled as she continued to pound on the door. During this entire time she had been waiting out here, she had not heard a single sound of movement from inside. They must still be sleeping, she thought. Since the previous night was their anniversary, no doubt the two were up late busying themselves in romantic activities. Muttering something about helpless romantics, Alanna decided that her two friends would not mind if she simply let herself in. She did after all know the password Numair had set on his spelled door, and she supposed it was for such a reason as she had now that he had given it to her in the first place. At least she could wait for them to awaken inside where it was comfortable.
Alanna hastily muttered the words to the spell to open the door, and she soon found it open. Without hesitating, Alanna stepped through the doorway. As soon as she did this, an unpleasant air greeted her. The lady knight was taken aback by this, but brushed it aside quickly, thinking that it was just her imagination. How wrong she was. She made her way into the living room, for it was the closest from the entrance, and decided she had best find the her two friends. "Daine!" Alanna called out as she walked through the house, "Numair!" She received no answer, just dead silence.
Right after she called Numair's name, Alanna heard a small amount of movement coming from the kitchen. Just as she moved to investigate, she heard a crash as something glass shattered. Mind in a sudden panic, Alanna broke into a run to get to where the noise came from. She reached the kitchen in record time. As soon as she stepped through the doorway though, she was shocked by what she saw. The kitchen was a mess. There were pots and pains strewn all over the floor. The doors to several of the cabinets had been torn completely off of the wall and were scattered everywhere as well. Pieces of wood littered the floor, along with various kinds of food. Once Alanna had taken this all in, she realized suddenly that to her horror amongst all this, there was blood everywhere. Bloody hand prints covered the walls and floor, along with footprints. Some of these prints were human, but some seemed to be from some sort of animal. Pools of blood were everywhere, and Alanna thought she might be sick at the sight of it. She hoped that blood did not belong to a human, oh gods how she hoped.
"Daine!" Alanna called, this time more frantically than before. She had to find her friends, she just had to! "Numair!" She walked into the kitchen as she yelled for them, making her way around the mess of blood and debris. As soon as she came around the counter that had previously blocked her view of the full kitchen, Alanna wished she had not. She was met by one of the worst scenes she had ever witnessed in her entire life. Laying in a pool of blood and gore on the floor before her was none other than her friend, Numair Salmalin. "No......" Alanna breathed, her feet glued to the floor in sudden shock. It couldn't be, that the black robed mage she had always believed was invincible was in this state, could it?
Quickly, Alanna rushed forward, praying to every god she could name that he was still alive. Before she had even reached the ground though, she knew it was a lost cause. No one could be so wounded and still live through it. He was barely even recognizable. His face was covered in blood and scratches. His left eye looked to be torn out completely, along with a good amount of that side of his face. The rest of his body looked to be in little better condition. His left arm was at an unnatural angle, making it obvious that it was severely broken. Without even feeling his sides, she knew that several of his ribs were broken for the skin looked tender and part of the highest rib had managed to break through. Her eyes were wide with fright as she continued to scan the overall damage that had been dealt him with her eyes. She took in deep, raspy breaths, trying to gain a hold on herself. She would not cry, not even over her long time friend.
Against her will, one single tear leaked from Alanna's left eye and rolled shamelessly down the side of her face. The lady knight stifled a sob, fighting her hardest not to break down right then and there. The tear fell from her face to land on the corpse of her one time friend. No, she thought, he may be dead, but he'll always be my friend. Wiping her now tearstained face with the sleeve of her riding tunic, Alanna dried her face. Then, she carefully slipped out of the tunic and lifted it off of her form to rest in her hands. She carefully pulled the piece of clothing over Numair's body. Since he was such a tall man, she could barely cover half of his form, so she made certain that she had his face and upper body covered completely.
Rising to her feet, Alanna continued to stare at the horrendous form before her. She could not help it, for she could not tear her eyes away. She just could not believe that Numair Salmalin was dead. But he is, and you've got to come to terms with that, her mind taunted her menacingly. It was times like these that Alanna wished time could just stop for a moment, so she wouldn't have to worry about anything. It was then, that a thousand thoughts and worries suddenly rushed into her mind. Finally now, she realized just how much of a crisis she had faced this morning, and it fell on her like a ton of bricks. Most of all, this question rang clearly in her mind: Where was Daine?
"Oh goddess......"Alanna breathed as she spun around immediately, hoping to find her friend. Her mind was in a rush just now, fumbling over all sorts of thoughts and worries. Where was Daine? Was she alive? Had she been killed too? Who or what had done this to them? Then, a thought suddenly struck her that stood out. Daine HAD to be alive! The whole reason Alanna had rushed into the kitchen in the first place had been because she had heard a noise coming from in here! Since Numair was dead, Alanna knew he couldn't have been the one to make it. It HAD to be Daine, it just had to.
As Alanna began searching the room frantically, scanning it with her eyes, she called out, "Dai-" but was immediately cut off by what she saw. It was Daine all right, but it was a shocking site. Towards the farthest wall, Daine sat hunched in the corner. The young woman wore not a stitch of clothing as she was clad in only the badger claw that hung around her neck. She had her legs pulled up to rest against her chest with her arms wrapped around them. From what Alanna could see, her friend's eyes blazed with a sort of shock and fear, and she shivered violently.
Just as Alanna was about to rush forward towards the young woman, to help her if nothing else, a loud cry split the air, and she froze in her tracks. "Stay away, Alanna!" It was Daine who had cried out, and Alanna saw her trying to disappear into that corner she was hunched in. Alanna felt for her in that moment, knowing full well what torture Daine must be going through, even if she had not a single clue what all had happened in here.
"Daine, it's all right-" Alanna assured her young friend, holding up her hand in a sign of peace. It was a wonder that Daine even managed to speak. It was obvious that she had witnessed her lover's murder, and Alanna did not want to think about what that could do to one's mind. "I'm here to help you....."
"No!" Daine croaked, her voice carrying and echoing loudly in all of the various chambers of the tower. Alanna flinched at the cold edge to the young woman's voice. It was not natural, nor was it even human. Alanna could not even begin to understand what that meant. "You HAVE to leave!" Daine voiced again, once again her voice edged with steel, "I'm not safe!"
Not fully understanding her friend's last statement, and mistaking her meaning for something else, Alanna chimed in, "Daine, I know something terrible has happened to you here, but you're safe now. I won't let anyone or anything harm you!" Alanna's voice was soft, yet sure. She always had a sense of assurance in her voice, and she hoped it would pay off now.
"No, Alanna! YOU'RE not safe here! I'm dangerous!" Daine shrieked, causing Alanna to jump back a step. Her eyes widened slightly as she scrutinized the young, fearful woman that sat not ten feet before her. Still, she did not fully understand Daine's meaning. It had to be shock. Alanna had seen cases like this so many times that it made her sick to think about it. Often times, when a house had been raided by bandits or thieves, the survivors would be found in a state of shock. Most of the time, they would either be in denial, or completely mad all together. It was obvious that Daine was not in her right mind. And how could she be, after what she must have seen?
"Now Daine-"Alanna began, but was not given time to finish. Daine had suddenly sprang forward, and was attempting to knock Alanna to the ground. The sudden attack had taken the lady knight by surprise, for she soon found herself flat on her back with a rampaging Daine on top of her, flailing her arms wildly. Alanna panicked, not understanding what was going on. Roughly, she through the younger woman off of her, trying desperately to get back to her feet. "Goddess, Daine, what are you-" but again, she never got her sentence fully out, for Daine had come at her a second time. This time, Daine's hands had managed to shift into wolf paws, claws and all. She swiped at Alanna's left side, but was blocked painfully by Alanna's chain mail shirt. She recoiled in pain, howling in such a realistic way, Alanna would have thought she were truly a wolf.
Again, Daine sprinted towards the lady knight. In this time, Alanna managed to look into the eyes of her young friend, and see a sort of wild intensity that she had never seen there before. She did not know what in the name of the gods was going on. All she knew was that if she did not get things under control, she would be hurt. She met Daine's attack head on, shoving the younger woman roughly aside. Daine hit the nearby wall, emitting a wolf-like whine. It was then that Alanna understood what was happening. Daine had lost her hold on her wild magic, just as she had in Snowsdale! Must have been because of Numair's murder, Alanna thought to herself, mentally piecing things together so that they made sense. The murder of her lover must have triggered the wolf inside of her, just as the murder of her family had all those years ago.
Thinking quickly, Alanna knew that the only way she could safely get Daine and herself out of here and to a place where Daine could be managed, Alanna formed a large ball of purple flame in her right palm. "Please forgive me Daine, but this is the only way...." Alanna said gravely, just in case the real Daine was in there and could somehow hear her. She supposed she was, for she had tried to warn her about the oncoming attack. With that, Alanna threw the ball of purple fire that was her Gift at Daine, just as the young woman had risen to her feet to charge Alanna again. It hit Daine head on, knocking her back four feet and stopping only when she hit the wall with great impact. She had been knocked out so quickly by Alanna's Gift, that she had not even had time to cry out in the obvious pain she must have felt from the burn and the impact of the wall.
Alanna approached the girl slowly, careful to make certain that she was unconscious. She then stooped down to the floor where Daine lay, and gingerly lifted her into her arms. Once that was done, Alanna drew her tightly to her chest so that she would not drop her and then made her way across the room to where she had seen Daine's night dress strewn on the floor. Alanna slowly lifted it off the floor, careful not to drop Daine. She then slipped it over Daine's bare form, covering her so that she could take her away from here and back to the Swoop.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
( 2 hours later upon reaching Pirates Swoop)
Alanna pulled Darkmood to a stop as he cantered up the path of Pirate's Swoop. They were now stopped directly outside the Swoop's stable. Holding tightly to Daine's body and pressing her friend to her chest to get a better grasp on her, Alanna swung her leg over the side of the saddle, and carefully slid off of her mount. "Herrick!" Alanna yelled at the top of her lungs, hoping to alert the fief's hostler. Being the baroness of this fief, she knew each of the servants and hostlers well, and she of course knew the name of the one who would be on duty at the time of day.
In no more than a moment's time, a young man came running through the swinging stable doors, his hazel eyes alight with surprise. He had not expected the baroness to be home just yet, and with an injured woman in her arms on top of that! He was a stalky young man with broad shoulders, hazel eyes, and a mass of blonde curls atop his head. "Baroness, I had not expected you back for at least another day," Herrick voiced once he reached Alanna. He reached his hand up to wipe the sweat from his brow from having run. He then began nervously running it through his thick blonde curls. His eyes darted immediately to the unconscious form of Daine. "What's happened, Milady?" He asked, wondering if he could be of some help to the Lioness. Surely she could not handle carrying this young woman all the way to Maude the Healer.
"The tower of Numair Salmalin has been raided," Alanna explained, voice filled with grief. It had still not properly soaked in that her lanky friend was dead. It seemed so wrong. "Master Salmalin was killed, but his lover here is still alive. I've got to get her to Maude and then take some men to attend to the mess at the tower. Could you take her for me?"
"Of course Milady!" Herrick said suddenly, anxious because of the circumstances. He reached out his arms, and braced himself as Alanna slid the young woman to him. He drew her tightly to his chest, and then turned to leave.
"And make haste, Herrick!" Alanna called to him as he began walking away, "She's dear to Tortall, and especially to me!"
Once Alanna was sure that Daine was on her way to the Healer's Wing, she ran up the steps of her castle and through the courtyard. Hurriedly, Alanna made her way into the fief and through its familiar halls. She did not have time to waste, so she ran. She wanted to hurry and retrieve her friend's body and clean up the tower as was expected so that she could get back to Daine. Alanna was a known healer, and if there was nothing Maude could do to help her, perhaps Alanna could.
As Alanna hurried around the next corner to get to her lord's study, she nearly bumped into just the man she was seeking. "George!" She cried out in surprise, though to his shock not delight.
"Alanna!" he cried at the same time she shouted his name. He stepped forward quickly and jerked her body to his own. He had not seen his Lioness in nearly a month, and he had missed her terribly. He found himself in utter disbelief as she hastily pulled herself from his grasp, taking a step back.
"I haven't the time of day to dawdle, George!" Alanna hissed, her voice insistent. He looked at her with a puzzled look, his hazel eyes slightly hurt.
Seeing clearly that something was wrong with his wife, he knew he had to help her. "Lass, what's bothering ye?" he asked her, voice soft. Though he had made no move to draw her into the circle of his arms a second time, he did take a hold of her gloved hands once more. She did not fight him, and he would not relinquish his hold on her.
Tears formed suddenly in the lady knight's eyes, and she felt instant shame and humiliation. She could not cry in front of George. What would he think of her? If she took the time to think about it, she could not think of a single time in which he had seen her cry, and she felt weak for caving now. "Numair's dead." Alanna choked out, tears streaming steadily down her rosy cheeks. Her violet eyes were alight with pain, and she did not have to wonder why.
George gasped, suddenly alarmed but the information he had just received. "Are you sure? When did you get the news?" He asked, voice full of urgency. Like his wife, his eyes too burned with tears, though he fought to push them back. In an act to comfort himself as much as his Lioness, George drew her immediately into the circle of his arms. She began sobbing into his shirt, her head leaning against his shoulder.
"Yes, I'm certain!" Alanna sobbed, no longer caring about her show of emotion in front of her husband. She had not the slightest idea where her children were at this time, but she prayed to every god she could name that they would not walk in on this scene to find her like this. "I saw it for myself!"
George was stunned by this new piece of information. "What are you talking about, lass? Where did you see him?" George asked as he rubbed her back affectionately with his large hand. He had sincerely hoped that his wife had been misinformed about their friend's death, but it seemed that if she had seen it for herself, then it must be true. There was no denying it now.
Alanna prepared herself to tell George her story of the past two days, though she did not by any means want to. She owed this to him though, for Numair was just as much his friend and he was hers. Not to mention the fact that this story would help her husband to better understand the situation before them. "Two days ago when I was at the palace, I saw Numair there," Alanna began, sniffling and choking back tears every time she stopped speaking, "We stopped and idly chatted, talking about the usual things, family, Tortall, his classes. Everything was just so normal. We decided that it had been a while since we had had a decent visit, so he invited me to come visit Daine and himself at their tower on the coast. I told him I would come in two days when I would have been officially granted leave from Jonathan, for the tower is on the way to here."
"I still don't understand how Numair has wound up dead, lass," George interrupted, but he was immediately sorry for his intrusion when she flashed him a look of pure sadness and remorse. Without saying another word, he allowed her to continue with her story.
"When I got to the tower this morning, I spent a good while waiting for the two of them to answer the door. Finally, I decided that they would not mind if I just let myself in, so I did. When I got inside, I heard something coming from the kitchen, so I went to it. When I got in there......." Alanna stopped, willing her mind to recall exactly what she had seen. Tears began falling faster down her burning cheeks as she remembered. Out of all the memories she held over the years, this was the one she wanted to be gone the most. Alanna only found the strength and courage to continue when George urged her with a look. She gave in. "I found a bloody mess, and in the middle of it all, the remains of Numair's body were in the middle of the floor."
"By the Trickster..."George cursed under his breath, hardly able to believe his wife's story. Had it been coming from anyone else, he would have called them a liar, believing that no one could break into the black robe's house and proceed to murder him in his own home. Then, a new realization hit him. "But-where's our Daine?" His voice seemed to be laced with panic, and Alanna knew this was because he cared for the young woman just as much as she herself did.
"I found her in the kitchen not far from Numair," Alanna said, voice raspy from crying. "She's alive, but whatever happened to the two of them caused her to lose control of her wild magic. The barrier in her mind is broken, and she tried to attack me. I knocked her out, and I've brought her here to be tended to. But gods I don't want to have to be the one to break all of the news to her."
George brought a hand up to run nervously through his dark hair, lightened by the sun of the coast. "Well, lets not get ahead of ourselves, here," George said wisely, though he knew it was only a matter of time before they would have to face the subject of Daine. "The first thing we have to do is take a group of men back down to the tower and take Numair's body away, for that's only proper. I can handle it, Alanna. Ye ought to stay here and tend to our Daine."
"No, George," Alanna said stubbornly, tilting her head up to look at her roguish husband. "I want to go with you; Numair was my friend."
"Yes, but what if Daine's condition is more serious than ye first thought? Ye were in quite a state of shock when ye found her, I'm assuming, so ye can't tell me ye know for certain."
"Point taken," Alanna said calmly. She looked into the hazel eyes of her husband, and forced a small smile as she looked at him. "You'd best get along to the tower then..."
"That I will," George assured her, easing his lips briefly and swiftly over hers in a quick kiss before he was to depart. Gods, had she been through a terrible morning, from what he had heard! With that in mind, he drew her tightly to his chest once more, and then released her, turning on his heal to exit and go retrieve a group of men to accompany him to the tower.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"How's she doing, Maude?" Alanna asked, almost fearfully. She did not know what she would do if she lost both of her close friends in one day. Just losing Numair was hard enough. In the back of her mind though, Alanna knew it was rather cruel of her to ask the gods to allow just one of them to live without the other. The surviving one would live out their life in misery, Alanna knew, but she still had to try.
"It is like nothing I've ever encountered," the old healer explained, nodding her head to the bed she stood next to. In it, Daine lay, tucked under the cover of several sheets. "I had to bind her hands down to the bed rails, for she would not stop thrashing about."
It was then that Alanna saw that Daine's arms were stretched out and her wrists were tied tightly the bed. Alanna thought this to be a good idea, in case the young woman were to wake up and her wolfish thoughts again took over, as Alanna was certain they would. "Yes, I understand, Maude," Alanna assured the woman, glad that she herself knew what was wrong when Maude did not,"Its her mind that is in a frenzy. The barrier that kept her wild magic under control was broken," Alanna explained, nodding towards her friend.
"That is was Herrick told me," Maude said simply, "Though I am glad to say that the blast you gave her left nothing more than a few minor burns which I have taken the liberty of healing entirely. I'm afraid you'll have to be the one to handle this problem with her magic though."
"I had planned on that," Alanna supplied, thinking of just how she was going to do it. She jogged her memory, trying to think of what spell Numair had once told her he had used those years ago to construct the barrier in the first place. Numair. That name bit at the back of her mind with a fierce intensity. Gods, she would miss that man.
Without her knowing, a tear began to roll down Alanna's face. Maude noticed this, and knew immediately what had brought on this change of emotion. "Herrick also told me the fate of Master Numair," Maude supplied, voice as soft as she could make it. She placed a comforting hand on Alanna's shoulder, trying to soothe the lady knight. "I'm sorry, Alanna."
"The gods know that I'm sorry too, but I know I'll be even more sorry when Daine wakes up," Alanna's voice was grim, her complexion pale. This had been probably one of the worst days of her life, and one that she would remember forever. Not wishing to continue on the subject of the now separated lovers, Alanna decided it was best to get to work on Daine. "I'd best get to work on Daine," Alanna said, pushing back every notion of tears that she held, "She'll be able to move along faster in her healing if her mind is in its proper state."
Maude nodded to the younger woman, and made her way to the door. She knew it was no longer her place to be in the room, for matters of the Gift were not her concern; she was a healer, not a mage. As soon as Alanna heard the door click softly shut, she kneeled down next to Daine, placing her hand on the younger woman's temple. She closed her eyes, and began sending her Gift into Daine in spurts. Soon, she had reached the core of Daine's magic, and could see the horrible mess it was in. Black and copper fragments floated this way and that, causing total chaos. What was still in on piece was such a tangled mess that Alanna could scaresly tell what it was. Seeing that she had her work cut out for her, Alanna got started. She pictured a wall of purple fire, sending her mind into her work. Slowly, but surely, a wall was constructed, pulling each color of magic into a separate place. From what she could remember Numair telling her, this task had not taken him more than a few minutes. For Alanna, it was taking a little over an hour to finish. Finally though, it was complete. Where a wall of black fire with a white tinge had once stood, now a wall of royal purple flame stood proudly. Alanna only hoped that this one would hold, though she knew someday it would have to be renewed.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A/N: I know, I know, I haven't fixed everything yet, but it doesn't mean I'm never going to! I am, believe me, I am.... This sort of thing just takes time! It'll be about 3 more chapters before you see the twist that will bring about a happy ending, so just sit tight and wait... While you're at it, you might try reviewing as well, because I LOVE reviews! ^_^