Disclaimer: Obviously certain things critical to this story are not mine, like Daine and Numair (and of course random things like darkings!),they are all property of TP.

IMPORTANT: Hey, I just realized that my chapter 9 took over ch.1 and obliterated it. Sorry about that. Point is, now its fixed! sorry

Daine slowly woke up from her nap. Slowly memory slipped back, and she stirred with restlessness. A gentle hand rested on her shoulder and she stilled. As she woke she heard the familiar voice float to her of Queen Thayet. But that's not possible she thought briefly before remembering exactly what circumstances she had gotten herself into. By the time she was fully conscious, Numair was resting against the entrance to the cave that was their temporary residence. His dark eyes were shut, but the lines on his forehead betrayed him. He was not sleeping, only pretending to rest. His black hair fell into his face and cast shadows around his full mouth. He was worried. When he had found her, she was trapped by the giant spider creatures called spidrens as they discussed how best to treat her. The female had wanted to keep her alive and turn her in for the reward that had been promised by the old emperor of Carthak whom had become a stormwing. Ozorne wanted both Numair and Daine alive to take revenge for when they took away his country and changed his form into a monstrous creature. Daine turned her head to look at him. She found it hard not to laugh at his worried antics, but she did not want to disturb him yet. It was nice to watch him. He seemed so distressed and sophisticated at the same time, and just as she shifted her weight to her hands to lift herself up Jelly and Leaf squeaked, "Soup's done!"

Numair's eyes snapped open as he murmured thanks to the darkings. Then he turned his head and saw Daine leaning over his bedroll. Hers had been lost in the river she had fallen into before the spidrens caught her. She managed a small smile and he sighed. He had been so afraid she was dead! What would I do without her? He wondered as her expression darkened. "How in the name of Shakith did you find me?" she demanded.

Her storm-blue eyes flashed as he hesitated. He wanted to tuck the curl that fell across her face back behind her ear. He could almost feel the soft silkiness of her smoky brown curls. The corners of his mouth began to tilt into a warm smile. "I don't understand what's got you smiling, Numair."

He remembered how happy and relieved he was when he had found her. Rage had taken over him and controlled him until all the spidrens were dead. When he had held her… damn it she was so perfect! She had trembled in his arms and he had seen the fire in her eyes when they moved apart, but he was suddenly afraid. He was so much older than her. She is just a girl-child with so much she needs to learn yet. He thought again. He had worn this train of thought into the ground and still had not found a way around it. He loved her. That was all he could find, and that was not enough to solve his problems. He knew it, and he knew she would never accept it. She was so wonderfully headstrong that she never accepted anything unless it was on her terms. Even though that was undeniably true, she had no reason to see him as anything more than a friend. She had plenty of swains at home and did not need a grown man chasing her as well. She was so free, young, and naïve; she was the only one with any sense in his world and she would never have him.

"You still haven't answered me, Numair."

"What?"

"What's going on, Numair? Have you even heard a word I said?" she sounded so exasperated that it snapped him out of his personal reverie. "Of course I have!" he responded indignantly. Then he smiled when he saw Daine's raised eyebrow. She giggled and crawled to her feet. It was hard not to laugh with her; just one of her smiles was infectious.

Daine shuffled over to the pot of soup Jelly had proclaimed was finished. As she dipped the ladle into the somewhat watery soup she couldn't help but wonder What was it in his eyes earlier. I've never seen that look before. She couldn't stop looking at the dark and lanky mage sitting so close to her. When he had found her, she had looked into his eyes. She had wanted to hold him, reassure him that she was alright. She wanted to tell him everything about how she had been in love with him since the attack at Pirate's Swoop all those years ago, but she was afraid that he would think she was acting like a little girl. It meant everything to her that he talked to her like an equal, like she was as important as the Lioness. If telling him the truth meant jeopardizing his opinion of her, it was not worth it.

She set a bowl on the floor for the darkings and watched fondly as they swarmed over the hot contents. Numair reached out a hand to take the third bowl from her as she sat down. Their fingers barely touched, but it was enough to make both of them recoil in sudden shyness. Daine flushed as she suddenly realized that her clothes were in tatters, but when she looked up it was obvious Numair hadn't even noticed. He's lost in his own world again. She thought with a strange urge that she wished she could be there with him. She shook her head to clear out the thoughts. Numair was not hers, and he deserved better.

Slowly and carefully they drank the soup. Numair watched as Daine ate, trying to convince himself that it was because he was worried about her injuries. Unfortunately he was incapable of fooling himself. While he was glancing at her, he noticed her turn to look at him every now and then. He wanted that to mean something but was afraid of what it meant if it did. Slowly he glanced again and caught her eye, "I want to know something right now, Numair, and I want you to tell the truth. You keep looking at me and the way you held me before, what was it? What is it? Because I don't understand, and I want to know!"

Her expression was unreadable which was a new trick she had finally mastered for when she was deathly serious. "Please tell me, Numair. Please."

He set his bowl down slowly before he turned. He was stalling for time and trying to control his initial reactions. Oh hell, here I go was his last thought before he turned to face her with the utmost truth on the tip of his tongue.

"Daine, I wa-" was as far as he got before he could feel her breath against his cheek. When he inhaled to begin again, he smelled her unique scent. She smelled like pine, animals, an a little bit of cinnamon. It was a good smell. A smell that he wanted to remember forever. Her long black eyelashes opened and closed only inches away from him. His breath came a little shorter and all he could see were her wonderful blue-grey eyes like fog on a fall afternoon. He wanted to spill his heart to her, but that was insane, wasn't it? He could not remember anymore. He leaned closer and pressed his lips against hers. The fire that spun from their lips wove its way deep inside them. He seemed almost desperate as he pulled her closer. Hips, stomachs, and chests crushed together they both came up for air for barely a moment. Daine was kissing him back, letting the hot sweetness trickle down to the base of her stomach were it collected and burned. Her fingers tangled in his long mane of dark hair and slid under his shirt. At her touch he pulled back, almost like he was surprised. She could still feel his heart slamming against his ribs. That beat still held her body and she knew she was not crazy for falling in love with her teacher.

When she looked into his eyes, she knew she would never forget the exact way they looked right then. His dark brown eyes had hardened into black and were wide and dilated. His hair tumbled into his face and every which direction. Gently she smoothed the wildest of strands back into their proper places. She smiled and begged him with her eyes to tell her everything. He hesitated for a moment wondering if he should stop, do anything to right what had just happened, but he really did not want anything to change. She smiled knowing right when he did that he would not try to stop what was finally happening. She thought silently all this time we could have been together, and we were afraid to know how we felt. I've loved him for so long. Gods, I don't even know how long! She wondered what they would do now. It would be suicide to try to leave their shelter to continue today. The heat itself would kill, but the trek back up to the trail and to the dragons was not exactly picking daisies. She was terrified of staying here. She was trembling and could not stop, but she did not really want to stop anyway. It was all too confusing and she told Numair so.

Numair threw his head back and laughed. Gasping for air he ran long fingers through his hair and said, "Daine, I wanted to hold you back there, but what if you never wanted to be with me again. I was afraid you would want to leave because I love you more than a friend should. I-"

"Wait, you what, Numair?"

He cleared his throat and cupped her face in his hands. She could feel him trembling too. She inched closer to him and smiled into his face. He was struggling to say something that he had feared for so long and she could see it in his eyes. Daine turned until she could rest her head against his chest. She whispered, "You're trembling."

He smiled knowing she was changing the subject. She knew him too well. "I'm just tired. It took my entire gift to find you. I had to use a focus, and you know how much power they require."

"You have a focus on me? But, can I see it?" She did not like the idea that someone, even Numair, could have a focus of her. After all, with a focus someone could not only find her no matter where she was, but they could also control her body and mind. Numair moved the arm holding her close to him, and turned his wrist so that she could see it. Suddenly a gold locket appeared. Carefully, he opened it revealing a tiny picture that was perfect in every detail of her face. From her stormy blue eyes to her stubborn chin, the artist had captured Daine perfectly. On the other side of the oval painting was a small, brown curl pinned beneath a gold clip. "It was painted by Volney Rain a few months ago after I cut your curl when you were delirious with Unicorn Fever. I was afraid you would laugh at me if I asked you to sit for a portrait."

"This doesn't look like something a teacher would keep to find a lost student with," she said innocently. Numair gave her a shaky smile, "No, it doesn't."

Daine did not understand immediately, but when she saw how he was looking at her she shivered with sudden understanding, "How long?"

"Well," he sighed, "I realized it about the time the Barrier fell, but thinking about it, I think I have loved you for a very long time."

"I think I've always loved you," she responded in all seriousness.

"But you see, Daine, that is the problem," he muttered as he looked up at the ceiling. He did not want to go into this right now. He hurt, and he was confused. Why does she have to be so horribly wonderful? I would tell her my soul and she would never realize it.

"It's too fair confusing to go into all this now. Can't we wait? Can't we just go on as we have until after the war, until things calm down?"

"Yes, my sweet magelet, we can try." That was enough. Everything that they needed to say and express to each other was conveyed in those few words. She knew now exactly how hard he had tried to keep everything a secret, but his emotions had proven too much for him. He was afraid that he would lose her. He was afraid that she would die like she almost had a few moments before, and that he never would have been able to hold her and whisper sweet nothings to her when she needed him. Just him. Daine curled up tighter under his arm before her cuts even began to sting.

She winced slightly and buried her face in his shirt to keep him from seeing. It might have worked, but he could feel her jaw clenching against his chest and looked down at the back of her head. Blood seeped slowly through her shirt on her back and some had even rubbed off on his hands. He drew in a sharp intake of breath and hissed, "You're hurt, and I forgot! You are bleeding."

"Well, sweet, honestly what do you expect? I fell through who knows how many branches and into a river. Then I was stuck in a spidren web and terrified. All in all, Numair, it wasn't a quiet day!"

He sighed and groped for one of his bags. Sarra's healing potions and brews worked amazingly quickly and for that he was grateful. While he turned his back, Daine reached down and began to pull up her shirt hem. Suddenly tight fingers closed gently, but insistently, around her wrist. In a tight voice Numair strained, "Daine! We're not- I mean – you should be clothed!"

"I don't understand what's the matter with you, you dolt. I've a breast band on, and besides this shirt's in tatters just like the rest of me."

He almost whined, "I feel that I am taking – advantage of your innocence. A man of my – years and reputation –"

"'Taking advantage of,'" she repeated with her barely controlled laughter almost hidden. She held it back, not only because he looked so hurt, but because she was afraid it would sound somewhat hysterical. "And what reputation?"

"Daine, you of all people should know I have been involved with the ladies at court." He sounded resigned, almost petulant. She would know everything anyway.

"And what has that to do with the price of peas in Persopolis?" She did not sound amused now. Daine was stressed; she hated it when he mentioned the ladies who had linked their names with his. After all, how much could she mean to him if he wanted to talk about them?

"I love you, Daine; I don't want to hurt you. It would hurt me too." His eyes were dark and soulful. As she stared into them, she thought I believe him. I think I believe him too much. That look laid his heart out for her to pick through, but she felt guilty that she had made him believe that it was necessary to convince her with something as powerful as that.

Daine shook her head to chase her thoughts out. It won't help these cuts heal. Thank the gods for Ma's potions! Otherwise I might have to get stitched up. She gave Numair one last look that said she was going to do things her way, and she stripped off her shirt. Numair sighed, realizing he lost another battle, and it was definitely not the last one either.

He gently smoothed on the cream, loving the way her skin felt under his fingers. He felt her shiver slightly as he rubbed between her shoulders and down her back. Her breath caught and he smiled. Then it was his turn to skip a breath as she ran one slender finger down his thigh. He had not been expecting that and whispered thickly, "Daine, we should stop."

"You started it," she grumbled and proceeded to take off her breeches.