Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot, the rest is Tamora Pierce's.
Daine slept badly. She tossed and turned all night, but she didn't wake up. The horses were also restless, but they didn't wake her. In the morning she woke to find that Numair was already up and making breakfast. As she got up he said, "Morning, Daine."
She was a little suspicious that he didn't call her "Magelet," but he wasn't a morning person, so she let it slide. He concentrated on making breakfast as she told him about her restless night, and asked if he slept badly as well.
"To tell you the truth, Daine, I barely slept at all."
Yet again, he didn't call me "Magelet." What's going on?
He didn't look tired, but he did have a glazed sort of look in his coal black eyes.
Maybe it's just my imagination…
She had known Numair for many years, and he had never acted this way, especially not to her. They had the best relationship, and he told her everything…but not right now.
Alright, something weird is going on. He doesn't seem like himself.
She transformed her nose to a hyena's and mapped the camp with smell. She could smell Cloud, a mix of grass and her own special smell, Spots, the same sort of thing; she ignored everything else, and concentrated on Numair. She smelled the food he was preparing, the scent of his clothes, his hair, and the faint scent of soap and spices, but everything smelled normal…surprising to Daine.
I still think something is wrong here. I'll talk to Cloud about it. Cloud? She mind-spoke to her gray pony, not wanting Numair to hear her.
Yes?
Do you notice anything weird about Numair?
The Stork-man? No, he's just cooking breakfast. And I'm trying to eat mine!
Alright, Sorry.
Normally she always listened to Cloud's horse-sense, but she didn't feel right about the way Numair was acting towards her. She didn't know what was going on, but she was going to find out!