A/N: So here it is: the fourth chapter. This one was much easier to write than the third and (especially) second one, which I'm glad about for obvious reasons. I'll try to answer some questions in this chapter, and more in the next chapter. Thanks!

Disclaimer: Once again, the brilliant authoress (isn't that a great word?) Tamora Pierce owns characters, settings, um… everything except the plot. Let's just say that she owns everything you recognize.

Chapter 4: Healing and Reminiscing

Twenty minutes later Alanna still hadn't arrived, and Daine was struggling to keep her eyes open. Numair didn't know whether to let her sleep or keep her awake, so he simply talked to her and let her body do as it wanted.

"Magelet, I love you. You are my goddess, my own personal goddess. You're going to be fine, I know it."

"I believe you, Numair," Daine whispered weakly. It was killing him to see her like this. The only other time he'd been so godsdarned helpless was last spring, when she'd had unicorn fever and nearly died. It was just too close for his liking.

"Remember Dunlath, when you discovered the bloodrain and stopped the mages from starting a revolution? And Carthak? Gods, that was scary. I didn't know what he'd done with you. I tried to get at him and rip him limb from limb with my bare hands, but Alanna wouldn't let me. I think she thought I'd get myself in trouble. And the time when you got hit by the arrow when we were hunting bandits? The palace healers all thought you'd lose the arm - "

Without warning, Daine went limp in his arms. Numair gasped and fumbled for her pulse: it was steady, though faint. She's just fainted from loss of blood, he reassured himself. Not dead. If she was dead her heart wouldn't beat.

"Alanna, are you coming?" Numair moaned softly to himself. He was applying pressure to the wound as she had said, but it was still bleeding sluggishly. "I don't know how long she can take this,"

As if on cue, the air shimmered a few yards away and Alanna appeared. "Sorry I'm late," she said, hurrying over. "I had to scry you in order to find the spot. You know I'm bad at scrying. And then I couldn't find Jon…" Her voice trailed off as she began to examine Daine.

"How is it? You can fix it, can't you?" Numair asked anxiously.

The knight sighed. "Yes, to an extent. Here, let me get started and I'll talk to you about it later. Raoul's sent a squad of the Own to get us back to the Palace or on to your tower; whichever you prefer. They'll be here in a few hours on horseback." Gently Alanna pulled the fabric away from the wound to reveal a long, deep gash. She hissed slightly. If there were serious internal injuries, it might be too late…

Like Numair, she stuffed the thoughts out of her mind until a later time. Alanna let her magic flow into the girl, examining and fixing wherever they found damage. It was taxing work, and Alanna found herself becoming lightheaded. But when she came out of her healing trance, she could see that the wound itself had vanished. Only a scar remained.

"I wish I could get rid of the scar, too, but I'm drained for now," Alanna apologized.

"You just saved her life. She can live with a scar - she's already got plenty of them, after all. Can I move her?"

"Yes, it's safe. I healed all her internal injuries. She's still got plenty of minor scratches, but it's nothing that can't wait. You'll have to take her back to the palace, I'm afraid. She still needs another healer for the small wounds, and you've got none at your tower." Her face lit up with an idea. "Unless you want to come to the Swoop. I've got healer's aplenty there - Maude's a good one; she looks after my kids with George. I can tell Jon that I'm taking the week off. I don't care if he needs me. He's got Raoul and Gary and the Own and the Riders and everybody else."

"No, I'll do it." Numair said firmly. "You're drained, and I'm not. I'll do the speech spell." Without another word he lifted a hand, where black fire collected on it. "Jon?" he called into the fire.

"Yes, Numair? How is Daine? Did Alanna get there all right?" Jon's concerned voice came through the spell.

"Alanna's here and she healed Daine. Everyone's okay. Only the three of us are going on horseback to the Swoop for a break once the Own gets here. We'll be staying for two weeks instead of one. Daine needs to rest."

Jon sputtered. "Okay, Numair. But Alanna, I need you here. We're cleaning up from a war - "

"No you don't. I've been working for weeks and I'm going to see my family. I'm going to the Swoop. I'm not as tired as Daine or Numair, but it's my home and I'm going there. You can manage without me for two weeks, I'm sure."

A sigh came from the handful of fire. "Very well. Only come back soon, please. I do need you all. And try not to get yourselves killed while on vacation."

Numair cracked a small smile for the first time since the hurrock attack. "We'll try, Jon." He ended the spell. "Well, all we have to do now is wait for the Own to come." He carefully resettled Daine on his lap. "Shouldn't she wake up soon?"

"She might, but remember, she's just had a major healing. To be honest, if I had come ten minutes later I don't think she would have made it. That was a close shave." Too right, Numair thought bitterly. I should have done something.

"Don't blame yourself, Numair," Alanna said sharply, as though reading his mind. "It's not your fault. You saved her life too, you know. My magic's good for many things but stopping movement isn't one of them. Just like you can't heal."

"That's what Daine said. But still, sometimes I wish…" His voice trailed off.

Alanna rested one hand on Daine's forehead and the other on the mage's shoulder. "I know, Numair. Sometimes I wish my magic was different, too. And then I remember." She shuddered. "Maude told me to heal all I could, right before I left to become a page. I didn't listen during the Sweating Sickness. I thought that magic and fighting shouldn't mix. And one of my friends died."

"But you saved Jonathan," Numair reminded her. "Had you offered your skills earlier, you would have been drained as well. Then he would have died."

"It's irrational, I know. But we all have our ways of repenting. I take lives with my sword and give them with my magic. You do more good with your magic than bad by protecting and finding new spells." She sighed. "Still, I wonder what would have happened to me did I not have the Gift. I hated it, and then I began to depend on it. It was only when it was taken from me during Jon's coronation that I discovered I really could function without it. And I was so happy to have it back."

"I've never wished for no Gift. Only for less. Without my Gift, I couldn't do much. I'm only an academic, when all's said and done." Numair shifted his weight. "D'you know, I can't light a candle with my Gift. It explodes."

They kept talking, reminiscing and speaking of memories, waiting for the Own to arrive or Daine to awaken. Two hours later they received both.

"Where am I? What's happened?" Daine asked, rubbing her eyes blearily. She stretched in Numair's arms and winced.

"Magelet!" He exclaimed, pulling her gently into a kiss.

"Um, Numair?" Alanna said, half annoyed, half amused. "Daine? The Own are here, you know."

Both of them turned bright red. The sergeant chuckled. "So it's like that, is it?" He gave a sly smile. Boy, will Raoul be interested in this one."

"He already knows," Alanna snapped. "And none of you will tell anyone if you want to keep your necks." She rested a hand threateningly on her sword hilt.

"Don't worry, Lioness. Their secret is safe with me." He winked at Daine, who blushed again. "Where're you headed? Raoul said to do whatever you say."

"Pirate's Swoop. I assume you brought extra horses?" Numair asked, standing and helping Daine up. Even once she was on her feet he kept a tight hold on her waist.

"Two extra, erm… milord. We thought the girl was still out cold. Someone'll have to double up." The sergeant carefully covered up his confusion at how to address a black-robe mage.

"I'm not doubling up," Alanna said instantly. "I hate it. It's uncomfortable and clumsy. I won't do it." Her eyes flashed, daring anyone to argue.

Numair turned to Daine, eyes twinkling. "I guess that means it's the two of us, then." One of the men let out a very ungentlemanly snort of laughter.

"I guess so," Daine replied, smiling. Turning, she tried to mount and stifled a cry of pain. Numair saw and came to help. Gently he lifted her and set her on the saddle before awkwardly clambering up behind her. Daine ended up mostly on his lap, as the saddle definitely wasn't built for two. Eventually, however, they were situated, and Daine relaxed in the mage's tight hold.

"Love you, Numair," She murmured, yawning.

"Love you, too, my magelet." He whispered, breath caressing her ear. "Go to sleep now, sweet. I'll wake you when we get to the inn." Five minutes later she was limp again in the cradle of his arms.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

A/N: Yay! She's okay! I couldn't bear to keep her in unnecessary suspense. It's always nice to inform the characters if you're going to kill them. Just to let you know, I'm not sure how long the journey to the Swoop is, so for the purposes of this story it's three days, which is why they're taking a two-week break instead of one. Oh, and can someone tell me if the Sergeant is Dom? I know I'm supposed to be the author, for Mithros's sake, but I can't decide. He acts kind of like him, but I'm not sure if Dom would be old enough to be a sergeant yet. So let me know what you think.

Thanks to Narm's Boreas and nativewildmage for reviewing last chapter - the feedback was very gratifying. Narm's Boreas, hopefully I answered one of your questions with this chapter. All will be revealed about the hurrock in the next chapter (or at least, I'll give you my interpretation of it. It might be wrong), I promise. I'll update in the next couple of days; probably not again today since I have piano and schoolwork. I love you and thanks so much to my loyal reviewers!

Lunaterra