Daine rolled off the couch and got dressed, washing hurriedly, then ran to make arrangements for food and supplies. She needed to get away from the palace, and was going to go to the desert to get away from people. The only catch was that she needed a traveling companion…

She headed into the mess for some pottage and orange juice and sat down next to Keladry of Mindelan, Lady Knight, and her husband Domitan of Masbolle (A/N: can someone who has the books check if that is spelled right? Thanks! On wiv ze storie:-D). "Why hello, Daine" Keladry said "How's everything going?" "Not so good, Kel… Numair left me for Varice and went to Carthak" "That's horrible!" Dom said "Is there anything we can do?" "Well, I'm going to go to the Southern Desert, but I need a companion…even though the Bazhir are peaceful nowadays, there are still the hillmen" Daine said. "Hmm…" Dom thought then turned to Kel. "Meathead is going to visit the Bazhir in a couple weeks or so. Maybe he could leave sooner and go with you… Does that sound all right?" "Sure" Daine said, getting up to turn in her eating utensils. "Neal certainly is fun to be around… don't worry about asking him, though. I'll ask him myself" Daine left the mess, thinking hard. She did not see Dom wink at Kel and hear Kel tell Dom to not get ahead of himself.

Daine was so lost in her thoughts that she wasn't watching where she was going, and ran headlong into the very person she had been going to see, and fell down on top of him. She got up, not realizing it was him, mumbled an "I'm sorry" and was about to continue on her way, when his hand stopped her.

She looked at Neal and he said "Why hello! Fancy meeting you here!" he let go of her and started gesturing his hands wildly. She put her other hand on his arm to stop him; and he stopped and suddenly looked at her seriously. "Yes?" he said. Suddenly she found herself staring into his green eyes and began thinking thoughts she didn't want to think, so soon after Numair swirled through her head.

She gathered her thoughts and said in a rush "Wouldyouliketobemytravelingcompanion?"

"Ok" Neal prompted "I didn't hear a word of that. Could you say it again, but slower this time?"

"Would you like to be my traveling companion?" Daine repeated, slower this time

"Wait a sec. First of all, where is it you are going, why are you going, and when are you going?" Neal asked, flattered, but puzzled

"I'm going to the Southern Desert because I want to get away from court life, and I want to leave tomorrow or the next day. Dom said that I should go with you because you were going there anyways, in a couple weeks, but that you could just go sooner" she looked at him, hoping that he wasn't playing with her and that he would say yes.

"But what about Numair?" Neal asked, wondering why he was being asked, but thrilled all the while.

Daine drew in a shaky breath and said "Well…" she trailed off oh dammit, she would have to tell him…Slowly, she did "Numair left me for Varice. He's in Carthak now, and carrying on with the bitch behind her husband's back"

He fumed, then realizing that this was not what she wanted him to do, patted her on her back. This was too much for Daine, and she began to cry, and let all her pent up emotions out. "Why couldn't he have stayed? Why did he say he loved me every night if he didn't? Why did he carry on with me if he loved someone else? Why did he even bother to keep up the ruse? I would have married him! Damn! Life is so confusing!"

Slowly, tentatively, he put his arms around her, holding her while she sobbed into his shirt.

A/N: Please Review- reviews make my day. J This way I know what to do better in the future. Also, feel free to e-mail me if you would like update notices. Or, you can e-mail me if you just want a pen-pal… I'd love to do that.