As I am sure we all know, all characters in this story belong entirely to Tamora Pierce.

Waking up next to the woman he loved every morning, was something that Numair Salmalin could scarcely believe. But as he watched the sun stream through the wide windows of their chamber, Numair couldn't have felt more blessed by the gods, nor any happier to just be alive.

As he watched Daine sleeping softly, he noticed that her cheeks that had last night been coated in tears had now returned their normal creamy colour with the slight flush that he was just beginning to realise as the glow caused by the child housed in her belly. Slowly, and oh so gently he reached out to touch the smooth skin on her stomach, marvelling that a small human being could now be living and thriving in there, in such a small, even, too small, space.

Daine stirred slightly and smiled as she opened her eyes slowly to see Numair hunched over her flat stomach with a confused look on his otherwise beaming face. He looked up as soon as he felt her gaze and grinned sheepishly.

"I was wondering how it fit in there." He said, embarrassed.

"From what Alanna told me, it's not bigger than a nut at the moment. I'm only a few weeks into the cycle."

"Can she tell if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Not as yet, it's not big enough yet. Soon though. Did you want to know?"

"I'd love to know, not that I mind either way; it would just be incredible to know."

"I think so too."

Numair touched her cheek gently. "You're not still worried are you? I want you to tell me everything you have on your mind, all the time, understood? We're in this together, that means you're not alone and I am here for you to dump everything on."

She grinned at him "I won't forget that when the babe wakes us up at all hours of the night."

"I wouldn't dream of it" Numair said reaching out to pull her to him. "Where are you off too today?" he asked, holding her close.

"I want to go and check on Cloud, seems I'm not the only one having children and she's about a crotchety as an old bear these days."

"Cloud's having a foal? I wonder…"

"Oh no you don't, I know that expression on your face Master Salmalin, you are not going to meddle with my family. You keep your academic nose out of her foal, you got that?"

"I was just curious as to whether it would have similar, more knowledgeable, attributes as Cloud does, after all, we know the affect you have had on her."

"Yes, well you can wait until I say before you go near her, you hear?" Daine stood slowly and reached over to pull on brown breeches and a pale shirt whilst Numair watched from the bed. "You should get up too you know, don't forget you have a meeting with the mages council today, then you have to go and see Alanna, she's having trouble with something in the infirmary." She threw a pair of breeches at him and walked to the washbasin to scrub her face and teeth.

Peeling the clothes of his face, Numair stood quickly, remembering the exact details of his conversation with Alanna the day before. A foreign illness had been found in one of the patients in the healers ward. Alanna needed Numair to check it for possible sorcery.

"You're right my love. I must hurry, Alanna sounded serious yesterday, I had better go to her before the council; the mages can entertain themselves for a while, nevertheless."

"Will you come for lunch with the riders? I know Onua has wanted to talk to you. Nothing urgent though, just gossip."

"I'll see magelet, I might get caught up with this illness, but I'll be there if I can. I'd better go" he scrubbed his face quickly then kissed Daine sweetly, rubbing his hand over her stomach. "You'll take care of yourself won't you? No overdoing anything, make sure you get plenty of food. Tell Onua I'll lock her in the dungeon if anything happens to you."

Daine laughed, pushing him away from her. "Scat", she said, grinning. "I'll be fine."

Numair swept her up for a final kiss before leaving, the door slamming closed behind him.

As Daine entered the stables, she let the thoughts of the horses swamp her mind, needing some relief from the confusion that had only just begun to ease. Making her way to Cloud's stall she breathed in the scents that made her feel more at home than anywhere else. Jumping nimbly into the stall that held her only true family, she buried her head in Cloud's mane, tears of relief filling her eyes.

I told you the stork-man would be pleased. Cloud told her mistress, stamping her hoof impatiently.

I know, Daine replied her mind voice thick with tears, only, I was so afraid.

Cloud drew the carrot that she had smelt out of Daine's pocket and munched happily. Yes, well your fear caused uproar in the people. You're lucky you weren't bombarded with people of all kinds.

Daine smiled sweetly. It's so nice to have so many friends. How are you feeling? Daine ran her hands over Cloud's bulging belly using her magic to feel for complications or problems.

I have never felt a kit with more kick in it than this one.

Well, coming from you, he would have to be pretty fierce don't you think? Daine grinned and reached for a brush.

"I cannot sense magic in it" Numair said carefully, pulling a blanket over the sleeping patient. "That is not to say it is not there, I have been tricked before."

"Yes, but who would be strong enough to trick you? They would have to be very powerful." Alanna was sitting beside the mage, her hand resting on the forehead of the young girl in front of her, purple magic, flared under her hand. "I feel nothing" she said softly. "But there must be something surely. This child is sick, yet I feel no illness, just a darkness, closing in. I can rid her of the rash and pain, but for how long? Unless we find the cause, if will simply continue to come back, and she is dying, she wakes rarely now."

"Have there been any other cases?"

"Four bodies were found outside the palace, all displaying similar symptoms, but we could not tell for sure."

"This is the first case within the palace?"

"Yes, Iriam is the daughter of one of the Queens ladies." Alanna smiled slightly as her one-time squire, walked into the room carrying a tray of fresh fruit juices.

"Neal" she said as she reached gratefully for a tankard. "How goes it?"

"It's all hands on deck at the moment" Neal said pulling up a stool. "Nobody has had any luck with this thing so far. Another death was reported outside the palace. Same symptoms." He frowned, his normally handsome face pale from lack of sleep and creased in frustration.

"I don't suppose you've had any luck Master Numair?"

"I feel…nothing. But then, I am not an expert at healing magic's, seeing magic sure, but if there's nothing to be seen then it makes things quite difficult."

"All those with any magic have said the same. They can find nothing magical within the illness, but then, we are having trouble finding the illness itself, so perhaps that is where the answer lies." He put his head in his hands miserably.

Alanna patted his shoulder comfortingly. "We'll find it, we'll figure it out." She said reassuringly.

"Yes, but, how many have to die before we do? Five lives already. Is that not enough?"

Numair sat with his eyes closed, analysing the patient again. As his eyes opened slowly, he began to speak. "We need to find where it began, go to the source. How did it get into the palace? Does this child have friends outside the walls? Talk to the families of those who have died, find out where they spent their time, what they ate."

Neal sighed. "The soldiers have been out since dawn, they have reported nothing so far."

"Well, send them out with a healer." Seeing Neal's expression he continued. "I know, all hands on deck, but the soldiers will miss things a healer will not. Go out yourself. You and Alanna are probably most fitting for the job."

"But then, there will only be novices and the Duke here doing the analysing."

"That does not matter. Analysing this will get you nowhere. There is nothing to analyse. You must find the source. I will head out myself, after I see Daine. She will be more than helpful for this. Animals will always what we do not." He stood slowly. "Can you pass on a message to the mages council?"

Neal nodded soberly.

"Tell them, I have more pressing matters and that Lindhall will make any decisions necessary. Also, tell them about this mysterious illness; that will keep them busy for a time."

"Will do." Neal left the room, head bowed in exhaustion.

Alanna watched him leave. "He won't last long in that state" she said quietly.

"No, but neither will she" he said gesturing to the girl in front of him. "I have to go. Daine will want to hear about this."

Alanna smiled. "Congratulations are in order, I believe." She stood to give her long-time friend a quick hug. "Don't let her run herself silly with this. She's going to need all the energy she can get."

"I don't intend on letting her out of my sight." Numair said smiling slightly. "I'll let you know when we're organised."

As Numair walked into the Riders mess hall, he spotted Daine straight away. Her light brown hair was pulled of her face by a green scarf, and she played with the napkin in front of her whilst talking intently to Onua and group commander Evin Larse. Hurrying over to them, he watched as Daine sensed his gaze and looked up. Seeing the expression on his face she stood immediately, causing Onua and Evin to look around for the object of her concern.

Reaching the group, Numair sat heavily.

"What is it?" Diane asked, reaching to hold his hand tightly. He was shaking slightly, she noted.

"It's this illness. You know the one Alanna was worried about?" The group nodded soberly.

"Nobody can figure out where it is coming from, so we're going out as a group to find the source. I came to ask if you felt you were up to it." He directed his question to Daine.

"Of course, I'll do everything I can to help, you know that. Do you want me to go and pack some things?"

"Just anything you need for an afternoon, we should be back by sundown."

"Did you want a rider group?" Evin asked. "I can get one organised straight away."

"We need as much as we can get. There have been five deaths reported outside the palace, and more occurring as we speak. We need to find the source, you know the drill."

"I'll do the best I can" Evin stood and walked quickly to a neighbourly table, talking quietly into the ear of an assistant.

"You know I would help" Onua said quietly, "but with Sarge ill, it's just me n' Buri and a new load of riders came in today."

Numair put his hand on her shoulder as he stood. "We'll let you know how everything goes." He gripped Daine's hand as they walked out of the hall together.

Note: could you please let me know if you think my chapters are too long? I can't decide what length they should be. Thanks for all the fantastic reviews!