HHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

LONG TIME SINCE YOU'VE HEARD FROM US. I know. Blame it on ALEX! SHE WOULDN OT WRITE THE DARNED CHAPTER!

Just kidding..excuse her for it. you guys, be nice. I mean. We are friggin busy nowadays, teachers throwing inexcusable amounts of homework at us. Actually, nevermind. I wouldn't know….we don't have the same teachers.

Just pretend I do.

Again. Really sorry for the delay in this posted chapter. I truly truly am. Wel, I'm saying it for Alex, at least I THINK she's sorry.

Eunae

My beautiful thank you;s go to:

Roherwen – I don't think alex will be happy to hear that Numair is hanging ova at your house…nor will lots of other people. Better think really seriously about the consequences BEFORE you have all these people with knives trying to stab you… ;)

Protectress of the Small – no that was not the quote. Wait..let me read the chapter and find out the quote. Lmao…it was. I don't remember..i will. By the end..read the end A/N.

Lady Knight 1512 – by saying again, another good chapter, are you saying that the previous ones have been good? WOW! Good point though…a D/N with no Numair. WAIT. Are you SURE there's no Numair?

LexiLoLo200 – again..blame alex for the DELAY in update

Megster – HOLY CRAP..YOUR PSYCHIC SO SHUT UP! Just kidding..but. wow. You got the whole black god thing involed and the graveyard hag and ARGH ….you are too smart for your own good.

Equestrianbabe – updated……LATE! MUAHAHAHAHAHAA

Jollyrancher-j2k – I'm sorry. You didn't win the cookie. But I'll give you one for trying..lol. no one got it. how sad….((sniffle)) and…um. This chapter is shorter..lol. than the previous one. So brace yourself honey.

NarwhalGirl – Thank you for your compliments and for reviewing. I'm glad you don't think the characters are OOC.

Narm's Briton – and the disappeared 44..sorry. a la fluff…we'll see. Maybe if you're really nice and you update. Um. Blood roses….OR you beg real nice and hard. I'm evil I know!

LilAznBookworm – I LEFT YOU HANGING! Muahahahahahahahaha. And yes, will give you those meg cabot books. on Monday..see you then!

Queen of the Thieves – hey..you're the only one hoo ASKED for a cookie, so here ya go! Aren't I so sweet? Yes I am…lol. And are you SURE you don't want me to kill off Numair? I mean, it would be SO easy…. D

Yah…BEWARE OF SHORT CHAPTER…ENJOY AND R/R!

What the Green Lady had been trying to convey to her daughter and her friends did not seem to stick.

Numair was dead they said and they were right but still they should listen.

Eventually Daine quieted down enough for the party to move to Numair's study. The thought of staying in the bedroom with the corpse was a little disturbing. The study was only a little less so.

Everyone pulled up chairs and sat down a little stiffly.

"Now, we don't have much time," began The Green Lady.

"This Tristan Staghorn has summoned the Demon of Revenge. After returning from the state of a tree he has gained much knowledge and power. The trees are all knowing. He has managed to gain their wisdom."

The mortals let this sink in for a moment.

Finally Duke Baird spoke up, "I have never heard of this 'Revenge'" he said.

Weiryn gave him a dry smile,

"I trust you all know what revenge is. At least as a word and an action. But think of the three Sorrows: Malady, Starvation, and Slaughter."

"So this is like those three?" Daine asked.

Her parents shook their heads,

"Worse. Revenge is completely heartless as are the others, but think of what revenge is...It is power that consumes and destroys. It rips people up. It can cause so much pain than even the other three. And it can all be the result of one person's anger. And also it is bad because it can be used for the wrong reasons. Some one may take revenge on the wrong person or be so blinded that they hurt people who had nothing to do with the problem, or even taken for the wrong reasons."

"This was taken for the wrong reasons. Tristan was trying to harm others in the first place and Numair stopped him. Now Numair is dead and he has much to do still. The gods may not care about whether there is one more mortal alive, but when one dies by means that should be theirs to command alone...This does not agree with them."

"So...the Black God might bring Numair back?" Daine asked hopefully.

Her parents looked at each other.

Weiryn continued the explanation, "We are not entirely certain," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully.

"What do you mean 'Not sure'?" Daine asked. She was on the verge of tears again.

"What we mean to say is that the Black God may not care. What's one more spirit, more or less? Except that he doesn't like less than what he's got."

"So if the Black God won't give Numair back then why are you telling us this?" Alanna asked, her voice rising with every word.

"We are telling you this," the Hunt God Thundered, "Because it needs to be told! If you would let me finish, perhaps you would learn something!"

Everyone shank down in their seats.

Sarra picked up where he left off, "Numair shouldn't have died. What you need to understand is that the gods want to do something about that," she explained gently. "The problem is that the Black God does not like to give up anything, but it can be done...there have been a few cases where some have been saved."

At this Jon sank down in his chair and he and Alanna shot nervous looks at each other.

"But even so...it will be hard. Numair has been dead for quite some time, but the Gods will help. You'll have to bargain with the Black God himself. Normally this would not be able to be done but The Great Gods will allow it. What Tristan has done disrupted the balance."

"H-h-how are we supposed to do that?" Daine squeaked.

The rest looked as stricken as she.

"I'm sure your library holds something. We aren't sure what happens. It's never been attempted before, at least to this extremity."

Daine nodded mechanically.

"One last thing: Mithros and the Great Mother will help but on one condition, they want Tristan in your mage's place. You need to kill him Daine."

She nodded again.

Her parents pulled her into a hug,

"We must go now," Sarra told her, "Oh, there is one more thing you must do. You must swear in blood on this oath, that you will kill Tristan. After you have signed it, drop off the paper by the Temple of Mithros. We know you will succeed. We love you."

And then they were gone.

Daine turned slowly to face her friends,

"I don't know about you...but I think we're in trouble."

Told ya it was short.

GET OVER IT!

And the quote from the movie last time was from The Two Towers: I am sorry to despair, or something to that effect. I can't think clearly when I'm this sleep deprived…I'm sorry, it's 1:00. and I'm sick! Lol.

Yah…so you really really really really really want Numair saved?

REEEEEEEEVVVVVVVIIIIEIEEEEWWWWWWW

THANKS!