Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce made these characters and places with a very few exceptions.

A/N: We're building up to a hard chapter. Promise me you won't jump to conclusions or flame me before you see how I finish it.

Chapter 19 – Into the Fire

Two Stormwings descended upon Numair and Michael, as Numair scrambled to put the opal back in his pocket. Numair wasted no time in throwing battle fire at them and they were incinerated in seconds. But now their position had been given away. Numair could probably manage eight more of the beasts, but not eighteen. Setting a regular invisibility spell, he stood stiffly and looked around for the best escape route.

He could hear the metal wings beating nearby and knew more stormwings were coming. Their stench grew stronger, over-powering the salt water smell that had been floating on the breeze. Numair wished he knew how close he was to the sea. It might be within a decent running distance and then he could immerse his legs in sea water without making Michael colder.

Ahead Numair could see a trail leading away from the castle. He didn't know if it lead to the shore or further inland, but he had to try something. He stuck within view of it, but not actually on it, moving slowly so that sound would not give away his position. But the stormwings seemed to know that he might be invisible. They were throwing their red immortal magic in random directions.

Numair ducked behind a tree, trying to get out of the line of fire. Above he could hear an owl hooting in the darkness. Goddess, he needed Daine right now. She could ask directions and point them where they needed to go. He was torn between wishing she was at his side and gratitude that she wasn't. He was very outnumbered and he wasn't sure if he would get out alive.

"Ma-age! Where are you, sweety?" he could hear one of the stormwings taunting in the distance. The sarcastic tone reminded him of Rikash. Rikash would have let him go to save the little boy, but this stormwing was a stranger and he was pretty sure they were not on the same side.

The owl hooted indignantly. Numair didn't know what made him do it. He whispered, "If you're a friend of Daine's I need directions to the ocean." The owl moved lower on the branches and hooted loudly. From somewhere more owls flew in. They seemed to be everywhere. He didn't know if they could understand his question, but he asked it again. "I need to find the shore. Can you help me?" But as one, the owls flew away into the woods so quickly that Numair could not have followed. He wondered if he should try to shapeshift to a hawk, but he couldn't change Michael with him and he couldn't carry him. And there was no way he would leave him behind. Plus, he wasn't sure how much magic he had left. Big spells seemed foolhardy now.

Then Numair realized what had happened. The noise of the multiple owls had drawn the stormwings in another direction. He hoped they were leading the monsters inland. Flickering to visible, he thought it best to conserve energy. He began to trip his way down the path, but that was when he saw the soldiers.

All in all, soldiers seemed much easier to manage than stormwings. There didn't seem to be any mages among them and he couldn't help but wonder why. Two in the front of the group spotted him and hollered to the others. He blasted them with mage fire, but the effort was really too late. The small regiment was on him and he was low on power. He threw fire at four more, amazed that Michael could continue to sleep through all of this.

He picked up a sword dropped by one of the dead soldiers. He said a quiet prayer and hoped that Alanna's lessons would prove enough to save them. He had a little power left, but it seemed best to conserve it for Stormwings. He knew that Alanna had fought odds like this before and he probably would be just fine, but he had a baby strapped to his chest and he would never be the swordfighter that she was. So for him to face eight armed soldiers was extremely daunting. He gathered his courage and stepped forward. At least they were spread out and wouldn't be on him all at once.

He should have been amused at the look on the front-most soldier's face. He looked terrified. Numair was both a mage and he was using a proper sword-fighting stance. He couldn't imagine what was going through the man's head. Trying to sound intimidating, he said, "You have a choice. You can choose to fight a man who is just trying to save a child and face the wrath of the Black God when I kill you, or you can turn and go and I won't chase after you."

The soldier appeared to consider for a moment. But he seemed to be apprehensive because of the rest of the regiment and turned to fight. He struck deep with his sword and Numair blocked it. He was amazed, that was one of the first blocks Alanna had ever taught him. He couldn't believe it worked in this instance. The soldier pulled back and thrust again. Numair used a twisting block, pulled back, swapped hands and thrust. The sword hit its mark and cut the man down. "Black God forgive you," Numair whispered before turning to ready himself for the next opponent.

He made the same offer to the next soldier and to his surprise the man nodded and walked away and two others followed him. Feeling a little bolder, Numair faced the last three soldiers. "You could follow your friends. Let me and the boy go," Numair said. One turned to follow the earlier group, but another just laughed. Numair thought about using what was left of his gift as he tried to block two swords at once. If he survived though, he would need it to get past the stormwings. With a quick upper cut, Numair cut one man down only to feel a sword pierce into his own flesh from the other. Now he threw fire, like he should have done in the first place.

With both men gone he took a deep breath and pulled the sword free. It was in an awkward place in his right side. The pain was excruciating. But he knew it would have been worse if he had let the soldier slice upward. He tore a piece from his shirt and covered the wound. It was a deep puncture, but surprisingly it wasn't bleeding too badly.

He walked along the path, smelling the salt air ever stronger and knew now that he was going the right direction. His heart was still pounding from the adrenaline and his muscles screamed. Both he and Michael desperately needed a healer, but the best healers would be in the monarch's service. He didn't know how to find someone he could trust. He had gems to pay for service and secrecy, but fear would drive an otherwise good person to betray a stranger.

Numair saw an overturned boat on the shore. It had a large hole in the bottom. No doubt the owner was planning to do some repair work. He hoped that person would not be along for a few hours. He crawled beneath it and lay down, feeling Michael's heartbeat against his own and the pain of the puncture throbbing. He fell asleep instantly.

-----

The day had risen stormy and dark. Daine thought how appropriate it seemed as she walked across the courtyard. It was three hours past midnight when they last heard from Numair. He had said he would talk to them later but had never done so. Now, an hour after dawn, when breakfast was normally ending and the daily tasks were normally just getting underway, Daine had been ordered to bed.

Daine wanted Alanna to use the opal again, but Alanna had refused. Although Numair had assured her it was designed for stealth, Alanna was blaming herself for giving away his position. She insisted they wait for word. Daine knew it had cost her --Alanna hated waiting more than anyone.

Deciding there was no way she could sleep in her own room, Daine turned around. She went instead to Numair's room. Simu-Numair was there lying on his back on the bed. Daine thought back to everything Numair had taught her about the kind of magic which created a simulacrum. Though it didn't draw from his gift, if Numair died the simulacrum would cease to exist.

She lay down against Simu-Numair. He was a warm and wonderfully solid reminder that wherever Numair was, he was still alive. As if Numair could somehow hear the things she told his simulacrum, Daine whispered, "Come home safe, please." Then she drifted off to sleep.

-

-

-

Okay, chapter 20 was written in my notebook at the table after Thanksgiving Dinner. My family thinks I'm nuts. As soon as I get it typed, you will see it. Warning, you'll need tissues.