Author's Note: Sorry for POOR english in my summary because there's simply no space to write a proper one!

I do apologise to all those who has been waiting to read the next bit of my fic. School's a killer. Grr... But a BIG THANK YOU to those who have been encouraging me to continue my fic!!

My main computer broke down and my webpage programme is on it! So I'll upload my updates here until I can get my programme again!

My formatting is a bit wonky because when I wrote this, it was intended for my webpage (you can check out the URL at my profile page).argh! Never mind, I think you can probably get the gist of it!

Chapter 2 : Taming Of The Shrew

Village Square
Morning

"Do you know where I can find Daine Sarrasri?" Numair inquired politely to a man who was walking across the village square.

Alex Hidgen stopped and examined the stranger. He sniffed. Tall, dark and handsome, no doubt the local girls will be swarming over him. "Who asks?" Alex challenged.

Numair raised his eyebrow at the younger man's rudeness. "Why don't you guess?" he answered, trying to be adverse.

Alex narrowed his eyes and straightened himself to his full height and demanded, "What is your business with her?"

Numair felt amused at this cocky man. Did he think he was intimidating him? Numair then looked down at the man from his lofty six foot five. "Whatever it is, it is none of yours. I see you are reluctant to part with your pearls of wisdom, so I shall just have to go ask directions from somebody else."

Numair moved to walk away, but Alex quickly stepped in front of him. "Yes?" Numair said with mock politeness. "Forgot something? Maybe your manners? Hmm?"

Alex resisted the urge to blush. Darn this stranger! He felt strangely small and belittled standing next to that latter. Still, Daine was too precious a commodity to lose and it is best to clear the competition. Though Alex seriously doubt that Numair was after Daine for anything else but for her magic.

Alex cleared his throat and gave a weak smile. "I am sorry, I realise that we started on the wrong foot. I had a bad sleep last night, with the Stormwings and all."

Numair nodded, not quite trusting the man.

"My name is Alex Hidgen," he offered his hand and Numair shook it briefly. "At this time of the year, many strangers come here and I am afraid not all are here with good intentions. We look out for each another. Daine is quite without family and as her future husband, I have to take that responsibility. If you are here to ask her about healing your animals, well, I can help you make an appointment with her. Of course, there is a small fee naturally…"

"No, I am not visiting her for that reasons," Numair responded curtly.

Alex frowned. "Now, now, if you are thinking of buying her out or asking her to go to your village, I am afraid that it would not be possible. After all, I think she can scarcely bear to leave here, being her home town and her husband here and all."

Numair noticed the subtle change from "future husband" to "husband". He was quite certain that Daine was still single from what he perceived from Mama Em's gentle probing. He came to the conclusion pretty quickly that this was the "Hidgen" boy that was supposedly after Daine. "No, I am not here for that either. Why do you think that the only reason I have to see her is because of those reasons?"

Alex blinked. "Why, why, surely you are not…" he swallowed, shocked. "Oh come on, she is an ugly, disfigured woman, not for some, some…"

Numair, though he had not met Daine before, felt angry on her behalf and interrupted in his coldest, haughtiest voice, "Only a plebeian fool would think that."

"Of course, of course," Alex quickly said.

Numair can scarcely believe that Daine, or any woman for that matter, would want to get married to this Hidgen boy. Still, it would not bode well if Daine really was attached to Alex and Numair offended him. It might cause Alex to speak against Numair and he cannot risk messing up his mission…

"I am a mage and I would like to further my research on her particular type of magic. I believe that I could help her control and increase her wild magic." Numair said.

Alex smiled, realising that this would increase Daine's productivity and perhaps, spread her fame further, raking in more money for him. "Well then, why didn't you say so? You will find her housed in Lisa's Hut. Just follow that lane and you will see the house soon enough."

Numair nodded and made his way to the cottage.

At the pastures near Lisa's hut

None of the animals were hurt. The Stormwings did not attack the hut, just made a beeline to the village square. Cloud remarked. Cloud was lying on the grass near the Grey Forest and Daine leaned against Cloud, looking after the herd. She wasn't really needed to look after the herd. She knew the herd well and they wouldn't stray. The wolves that haunted the forest were her friends and they would not attack the herd. She just wanted to be alone to her thoughts and ponder on the previous night's events.

What a relief. Daine replied. I kept wanting to run back to see if things were alright.

Don't be silly. We have been taking care of ourselves even before your arrival. Cloud responded, nipping Daine's sleeve.

Daine wrinkled her nose, Still. It was something bad. Not quite right. She shuddered, she didn't think she would ever forget last night. Not only because of the Stormwings though…

Someone is coming! Cloud said, jerking her head up.

Daine scrambled to her feet. It was Numair! She immelediately turn her face to the floor. She grimaced, she didn't like having Numair see her in such a form. Ugly, misshapen… She knew that it was inevitable that he would see her, she thought she was alright with it, but it cut her for him to look at her with disgust.

Daine briefly contemplated running away when a shadow appeared in her view. "Hello. Are you Daine?" His voice. It was deep and comforting.

"Who asks?" She snapped.

"Numair Salmalin." Numair replied, unperturbed.

"Is your animal injured?" She questioned, pretending that his shadow was an intriguing object that warranted deep scrutiny.

"No," He replied. "But…"

"Then go away!" Daine demanded sullenly. She could sense him looking at her carefully.

"Why won't you look at me?" He suddenly asked. Daine blinked, thrown off balance.

"Why do you want to look at me?" Daine said belligerently, turning away from Numair. "If you are just here to gawk at me, you are wasting your time. Go away."

She started to walk away from him. She didn't know why, but she just did. Her legs moved before her mind even registered it. He followed her and called, "Don't walk away."

"Stop following me," Daine snapped. He easily caught up with her and grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. With his other hand he cupped her chin firmly, but gently to turn her face towards him.

Daine flinched and looked everywhere but him. How can I bear to see the disgust, horror or dislike in his face? Daine thought. Finally, she looked defiantly at him and he looked calmly back, dropping his hands. She felt a bit relieved that he did not show any distaste, his face a blank. "Well then, as you can see for yourself, there is nothing much to see." She laughed bitterly. "Go back and tell your friends that you won the bet in seeing the horrid hag in the face and survived." Daine was surprised at her own words and looked away.

His eyes were enigmatic and he took a step towards her and she took a step back. Daine shook her head, and Numair said, "No, I am not here for that, but something else…"

Daine didn't wait to hear the rest of his speech, and she just started running into the Grey Forest. Numair cursed and chased her. "Wait!" He yelled, knowing that she would not listen. He was much faster than her, but she had the advantage of knowing the forest better than he did.

They ran into a clearing with a short cliff ahead. Numair jumped and tackled Daine to the ground. He was half sprawled on her and she glared fiercely at him. She noted with resentment that though she was panting, he was just breathing deeply and wasn't out of breath.

"Listen," he said. "I am just asking you to listen to what I have to say. I do not have any malicious intent towards you or anything."

"Finely said when you are crushing me!" Daine snapped.

Numair sighed, "I will get off you if you promise you would not run away."

Daine wrinkled her nose and pushed at him rather ineffectually. "Alright, alright!" He levered himself up and Daine discreetly noticed the rippling of his muscles under his shirt. He offered her a hand, which she ignored and she clambered to her feet.

"Listen," Numair began, standing near the age of the cliff.

"Can you swim?" Daine asked.

Numair looked surprised and wary at the same time. "Yes, why?"

"Well then," Daine said, walking up to him. "I think you need to go jump into the lake!" She pushed him over the short cliff into the deep part of the pond.

She watched him tread water and look at her angrily. "Well," she said breezily, ignoring Numair's glare, knowing that he would not be able to catch up with her. "I said I wouldn't run away, but that doesn't mean I cannot walk away."

And so she did.

'Alright, perhaps I mishandled the situation,' Numair thought, swimming laps across the pond. 'Or perhaps that girl is near daft! All I wanted to do was talk…'

Several metres away, Daine perched in a tree, hidden by the thick foliage, peering at Numair queerly.

Odd Bobs! He's near daft! Daine remarked silently to Cloud who munched on leaves contently nearby, hidden by a tree. I pushed him in, I walked away and when I come back, he's swimming!

Cloud snorted. Huh. All he wanted to do was talk, you know.

Hush Daine admonished, only to be answered by another snort. She sighed, Perhaps I did mishandle the situation...

Unaware of their scrutiny, Numair vented his frustration in the water. 'I must not fail in my mission. Even if she is stubborn, I must get through to her. I can foresee this is going to be a quite a challenge. Perhaps if I approach her in a public place, she would feel less threatened.'

Daine looked at Numair cutting through the clear water. He is stubborn. I grant you that. However, I must get through the point that he has no business with me. That is true, after all, what does a black mage has to do with me?

Harrumph. Cloud commented. Are you so sure? After all, the Badger did lead you to him.

Daine harrumphed. Did it ever occur to you that Badger could be warning me as well? Oh well, I can at least treat this as quite a challenge.