Chapter 2: Mayhem

A/N: Thank you for the reviews, guys! ^_^ I'm a huge D/N fan myself, and I cannot wait until Tammy P. writes about Numair's past… that's in what? 5 years? *sigh* I'd rather read about D/N or Kalasin/Kaddar's wedding. She should so do an anthology of short stories. That would be so sweet. Now I'm just rambling. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

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Several hundred leagues away, in the royal palace, a mage woke up, drenched in sweat. Numair Salmalin sat up shakily, his face pale and unreadable. He could hear all sorts of animals howling. "Daine," he whispered, throwing on some clothes and rushing out his door.

Guards were rushing up and down the hallway. Numair followed them up the stairs and headed to the king's bedchamber. He was about to knock when the door swung open.

"Numair. What is going on?" King Jonathan the Fourth said, his coal black hair tousled from sleep. Queen Thayet was standing behind him, eyes alert and curious. They were both in rumpled shirts and breeches. Like Numair, they had dressed quickly.

"Something has spooked the animals around here," he said, leading them to the palace stables. Only Daine can do something like this… He left that thought unsaid. There was no indication that Daine had caused these animals distraught…

"We heard… Sir Myles!" Jonathan greeted the approaching knight and spymaster. "Any word?"

"Not yet, sire, but George is already working on it."

The men went to the palace stables while Thayet went to the Riders' stables. Horses of all sorts were whinnying and snorting, trying to kick down stall doors and walls. Black fire - Numair's Gift - intertwined with shocks of white lightning went to several horses, trying to control their tantrum. Sir Myles was using physical force to calm a stallion down, while the king was talking through a speech spell. He came back over to Numair afterwards, his face grave.

"Alanna says the animals at Pirate's Swoop are scared too, and not just that. George has gotten word that animals all over Tortall are shook," he whispered, trying to calm Numair's piebald gelding.

The black-robe mage shook his head. "Where's Daine, Highness?'

"She's up in the very northwest. She's no where near Tortall, Numair, I assure you."

Numair ran a hand through his wavy mass and sighed, steering the king to a corner so they wouldn't be in the stable hands' ways.

"Jon, only our Wildmage has the power to upset so many animals at once. Not even. If this was her doing - and I think it is - she could be dying from exhaustion," Numair explained, his dark eyes growing darker.

"Numair, I would tell you exactly where she was if I could. Didn't she tell you where she was going? " Jon leaned against the stable wall, his very blue eyes tired and weary. "Daine is good, but she doesn't have the ability to effect so many animals all at once, does she?"

The tall mage shook his head.

Jon conjured up a small ball of blue fire between his thumb and index finger. A red haired woman with violet coloured eyes appeared, looking slightly perturbed. "Alanna?" The woman turned and nodded. "See if George can't find Daine. She should be up North, in the Unknown lands." The last part, Jon mumbled it, but the man in front of him heard.

"Unknown lands!?" Numair burst out, his face turning a deep shade of red. "What is she doing up in the Unknown lands?" Several horses reared onto their hind legs. Stefan Groomsman narrowed his eyes at the fuming mage, muttering to himself.

"I don't know, that's what it said on the envelope," Jon replied coldly. "Quiet down or I'll have you locked in your chambers. You're frightening the horses."

Numair bit his tongue and left the stables in a huff. This was so Daine's doing. He wasn't mad at Jon, or anybody for that matter. He was just frustrated. His lover had left less than a week ago after receiving a letter from up north. She said she would be back within the next week… and if she isn't, well, he would just have to go up there and find her. But the Unknown lands? That's just a bit bizarre. That's un-mapped territory… how could Jon have let her go? He scowled, sighed and stared at the night sky.

"Be safe, my love, wherever you are," Numair whispered.