Chapter 6: Meetings

She heard a crackle of a breaking twig behind her and spun to see what waited: nothing. Just trees and leaves; although still wary, she started to turn back around. Just then, a mass of black clouded her sight.

She would have screamed, only if her mouth hadn't been pressed against this black form. Instead her scream emerged as a moan. Daine felt herself being lifted off the ground and carried somewhere. The thing was practically suffocating her, but she managed to get a whiff of a scent somewhat familiar… then she was laid gently on the ground, heard a light tenor voice whispering Old Thak, and she finally placed the scent as her vision cleared.

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!Who is it!

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"Numair!" She squealed in excitement. She was swept up in a nearly rib-breaking hug. She gasped as bruises, received from Mikal, were pressed against. She had had a few broken bones, but Alanna healed most of her.

"Magelet," Numair whispered. He buried his face in her soft, still wet, brown curls. She wept lightly onto his chest, encased by his large arms, and felt as if nothing in the world could hurt her while she was like this.

"I've missed y-" Suddenly Numair covered her lips with his, silencing her words. Passionately, without words, he told her how much he had missed her. When they finally broke apart, Numair wiped away her happy tears. He laughed then. Daine was confused, but spent the moment taking the sight of him in. His usually enchanting eyes were blood-shot, his hair was slightly mussed, and he looked as if he hadn't slept in a while.

"Numair, what have you been doing? You look completely spent! Have you slept at all? Numair, you can't go on like this-" he silenced her again with a kiss.

When they both calmed down enough to speak, Numair settled himself against a tree trunk. Obviously he had set up a ward, to hide their sounds and bodies. Daine he held in his lap.

"Now we can ask questions. Okay, what have I been doing? Remember when you fell off that cliff and I used my whole gift to find you in the Realms of the Gods? Well I did that again." He ignored her protests about how he could really have hurt himself. "Yes, I have slept. Not much, but I have. Don't ask how I got here so fast, because it's really complicated. And yes, I could go on like this, knowing that you are at the end of my search." Here his voice cracked, and his eyes glazed over. Daine felt her throat close and felt tears forming again. "But for a while I didn't know if you were going to be at the end of my search. I had scryed for you, and saw you chained to a pole. Then a man came up, holding a knife to your throat. What were you doing, Daine? How did you get into a situation like that?" He took a deep breath. His voice had raised a little, but was still gentle.

"Numair, I-"

"-Not now, later. For now, I am just happy to find you alive." His voice was hoarse as he said these last few words. He kissed her again, proving to her that he was happy to see her. She returned with passion, fire blazing at their touch.

"Numair, we should get back. Alanna is probably going nuts, ready to send a search party of something. I only came out here to bathe," Daine said after they had lain under the tree for a while.

"I know, but it's just so comfortable."

Then Daine had a thought. "You didn't see me uh, well, did you?" She whispered fearfully.

Numair blushed. "No. I covered my eyes."

"Numair!" Alanna ran up to them when they got to camp. She hugged him, pounding his back. "And Daine, I was beginning to worry. You've been gone a while." She winked. Daine rolled her eyes, and allowed everyone to greet Numair.

"I had a tent set up for you two; I'll have Kel to share with, so don't worry about me getting lonely. Kel's snore will be plenty of company!"

"Very funny, Alanna." It was later on that night as everyone sat, eating supper. The crowd joked, and the main subject was how long it was taking the Scanran bandits to declare a battle. In one private circle, Raoul, Alanna, Kel, Daine, Numair, and a few other riders sat. One unfamiliar rider, whom Daine didn't really like (mostly because of his loose tongue) had obviously drank more than his share of ale, and had let his jaw flap incessantly for the past few minutes. After the first thirty seconds, however, they just zoned him out. Occasionally, they would catch tidbits of what he was saying.

"And then that lass ran off," He pointed a swaying finger at Daine. The whole circle went quiet, along with a few other people. The man didn't seem to notice he had caused a disturbance. " They 'ad asked fer her, so she wanted to be some distressed damsel, you see. She's lucky those Scanrans didn't kill 'er! Then they shot at us, the stupid girl-" He fell over, finally spending the rest of his senses.

"What are you looking at!" Alanna yelled at onlookers. Quickly they turned and continued as if nothing had gone wrong. Soon the camp sustained its usual noise level, though not as enthusiastic. No one had talked about what Daine had done, and this man was the first.

"More stew, anyone?" Kel asked, got up, and walked away. The others followed suite, leaving a shamefaced Daine alone with Numair. Quite a few eyes still wandered their way, though, so Numair got up and led Daine into their tent.

Although she couldn't see Numair's distinct features, she could feel the tension in his palm, pressed against hers.

"Explain." Numair's words were blunt, more so than when she had ever gotten herself in trouble. She did explain, and pleading him not to be angry filled every word. Numair stayed quiet during her speech.

"Numair?" It had been a few minutes, while Numair was still mute.

"So was this your little way of getting attention? Don't have all those court boys hanging on your every word here, so you had to go and find someone! You have friends here, and you were willing to give it all away, give me away! Do you know what they would have done to you, if Alanna hadn't been the smart one? You are not a child anymore, Daine!" Numair had warded (sound proof) and lit candles in the tent, and as he yelled his face got redder and Daine's eyes got glassier.

"Well you're treating me like one! That was an adult decision back there, Numair! I don't know if you'd noticed, but we were outnumbered and dead if we didn't comply with their rules. Maybe you should think about how I felt before you go berating someone." With that, she stalked out of their tent. Having no desire for human words, she found a climbable tree and spoke with the People.

Don't worry about the stork-man. He'll get over himself soon enough. Cloud had come to stand at the foot of Daine's tree.

An hour later, as most were asleep, Daine came to scratch on Alanna's tent flap. A red head appeared, and immediately lines of worry were etched at the sight of Daine's tear-streaked face.

"Daine? Was he that horrible?" She asked gently when Daine had settled in a bedroll. She just nodded and turned over, facing away from her friend so that Alanna wouldn't see her fresh tears.

"We know he's a bear when he gets in a fit. But you know he was terrified at the thought of losing you."

"I've known plenty a bear nicer than him, even when they're hungry," Daine managed to choke out between stifled sobs.

The next morning, Daine could feet Numair's eyes, as well as others, on her as she ate. She managed two bites before she threw the rest into the fire.

"Is everyone done staring at me as if I'm some kind of walking circus? Because I would like to eat without feeling as if I've grown a beard!" Instead of eating, though, she made it back to Alanna's tent.