Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns the rights to her characters, places and magical devices from the various books that surround the Tortall area. I borrowed and twisted them for my own nefarious purposes. Muhuhahahaha.

A/N: So I didn't scare everyone off huh? Yeah! Forgive me if I whoop. Trust me there are reasons for everything. But you cannot find out if you don't keep reading. By the way, in time line this is December before the Immortals war. The Unicorn Fever will happen in Maelstrom (next story). But you'll get the fall of the barrier in this story.

And, I know many people think that Cloud hates Numair. I know better. If she hated him she would have chomped him in the end of ROTG. So you'll see a little of that in this. Feel free to pelt me with disagreements.

Kit49: The ending was kind of heart-wrenching, wasn't it? There is more gut-twisting to come too. Numair had some great clues about what's really going on and doesn't realize it. George, as usual, was right on target. He is hunting a mage. I'm glad you like the characterization. A few don't and are getting tired of all the emotions. I'm glad you're still hanging in there.

Nativewildwage: Glad you loved it. Poor Alanna and Raoul though.

Narm's Briton 44: Ye of little faith. I did that little scene for a reason although it would be a normal response. He's there, she's devastated. I think I've got the measure of them both. Numair can be very anti-social because of his focus on learning. When he is social, his handful of friends are everything in the world to him. Alanna, as strong as she is, cries often. In this situation, she would cry and he would comfort and Buri gets to see it all the wrong way. By the way, Cearl is one of those old fashioned names that I did research to come up with. It is pronounced See- rul. Onua never said she was in love, just lust. It is consistent with the laissez-faire attitude toward sex of the middle ages. Onua is not a noble, therefore she can canoodle to her heart's delight without repercussions.

Jules-Gemma: Thanks!

Purple Eyed Cat: The attack didn't come out of thin air. Ozorne and the fox planned it.

Twilight Shades: Killing someone anyone you care about would be awful. Knowing you're doing it and cannot stop yourself – that's the worst part.

1reallyblue1: Numair is good, but he still needs information to figure out this mess. Don't worry, it's coming in unusual ways. If he thinks about it though, his reaction in that battle was a big clue. The problem is that he reacted automatically, and his thought process was in auto-drive. Give him time.

Tarabear03: Thank you so much.

And now

Chapter 10 – Angst

Despite the need to meet the seventh riders, they decided to set up camp. Numair, Harailt and Lindhall examined Alanna privately in a tent made larger by magic. Buri sat nervously attending to tack with Daine's help. Cearl opened the book he had said distracted him before the spidren attack and started to read and Onua began making lunch. She looked from Buri to Daine, worried. "Are you two really alright?"

Buri's voice was hoarse. "Yes, I'm fine."

Daine chimed in, "I'm a little bruised but fine. Don't start fretting like him." She pointed to the tent where the mages were.

Kit and Tahoi were playing an entertaining game of tag around the fire pit. The little dragon's scales were purple – a sure fire sign of mischievous intent. "Mind your manners, Kit," Daine said warningly.

"I'm worrying about the riders," Buri said. "I know we're close. We've already seen two nasty groups of beasts. I hate sitting here like this."

"Try to think about something else," Onua said sagely.

"Like what? I'm not qualified to theorize about what's happening here. I don't know what made one of the people I respect the most turn and attack me."

Daine patted Buri's arm. "She would never do anything like that if she had a choice. Numair will sort it out."

"I thought you were mad at him," Onua said with a smile.

"I am," Daine replied stubbornly. "But I do know he'll figure this out. Either that or drive us all mad mumbling about it." All three women giggled at that.

"Has he been unusually preoccupied lately?" Buri asked.

"Why do you ask?" Onua returned with a curious expression.

"I was thinking of that song, the second one. Does that sound to you like something a person could write just trying to make up what it feels like to be twisted up about someone or…" She dropped off.

Onua looked thoughtful. "I never really thought about it much. I don't suppose it is. It seems like it's something one would need inspiration for." She grinned at Buri in an almost impish way. "Do you think Numair's finally fallen for someone?"

Buri looked worried. "You're not thinking about all the words, are you?"

Daine seemed to be giving Buri rapt attention. Onua shook her head solemnly and Buri apparently took that as her answer.

"It says 'everything that cannot be', remember." Responding to the confused looks around her, Buri sighed exasperatedly. "What kind of woman could Numair possibly love and not have? He's got half of the court fawning over him every time he's in Corus."

Daine looked astonished. "I can't imagine any single woman he couldn't have except you two."

Buri and Onua both laughed at that for a moment and then the laughter died away. "Not single?" Onua asked.

Buri nodded, looking grave. Most unhelpfully at that moment, Numair emerged from the tent and walked behind it, wiping his eyes. Onua looked at Daine and Buri, both of whom were staring at him. Cearl was still absorbed in his book. "I just don't think it's like that," Onua said firmly. "Yes, they are close, but it's more like siblings."

Buri looked skeptical and added "Doesn't that song say something about her having a bad temper?" Daine looked like she'd been slapped. And suddenly an odd feeling crept over Onua. She had been worrying about Daine having a crush on Numair. Suddenly, she was more worried that Numair might want someone else. All of the age difference between the two really didn't seem to matter. They were right together. They finished each other's sentences. They made each other laugh. These were some of the things she wanted for her two friends and it suddenly occurred to her that they gave it to each other. The revelation was shocking.

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Numair walked to his pack and dug around until he found his mage pouch. He pulled out a small package of Sassapen powder. He walked over to the fire where Buri, Onua, Cearl and Daine were sitting to get some hot water. The ladies seemed to be eyeing him. "I've no answers yet, other than that there is a trace of magic. It's strange though," he said.

Cearl looked up from his book, concerned. "Is she safe to be around us?"

The question caught Numair by surprise and he was a little put off. He thought to himself, If it were up to you to protect the group, no. He chided himself for thinking such rude thoughts. "I'll see to that."

"What's this stuff," Buri asked, pointing to the pouch in his hand.

To his delight it was Daine that answered, "Sassapen Powder. It causes dreamless sleep." He reached over to tweak her nose and she jerked away. Surprised, he went back to making the tea.

He looked at Daine cautiously. He had no idea what he'd done, but he could see that her temper was bubbling in her blue-gray eyes. "She needs a real rest. This is eating her alive. She actually doesn't even want to talk to George. She's that ashamed. I thought a little dreamless sleep would be good for her." He stirred some of the powder into a cup of hot water and carried it back to the tent.

Inside, Alanna sat with her arms wound around herself while Lindhall tried to talk to her. Harailt was standing by the opening looking nervous.

"I want you to drink this, Alanna," Numair said and handed her the cup. She looked at him with a mixture of sorrow and wonder in her eyes. "It's Sassapen. You'll sleep hard and not dream."

Alanna took the cup. "And when I wake what will keep me from hurting anyone I care about?"

"I will, Alanna. You're an amazing fighter and you have a strong gift. But you can't take me in a magical fight and you know it. So stop fretting." He tried to smile.

"You didn't promise what I asked of you."

"I won't either," he said firmly. He had made up his mind before he ever arrived and he wasn't about to back down now. "Drink up," he ordered. She put the cup to her mouth and began to sip.

"I'll stay while she goes to sleep," Lindhall said, looking sympathetically at Numair.

"Thank you," he returned.

Harailt and Numair walked back out together. Numair looked over at Daine who was avoiding his gaze. He didn't know what was wrong but thought it was time he found out.

Numair walked back over to the fire where Daine was sitting. "Something has you nettled, Magelet. Can we discuss it?"

She stood hesitantly. "I'm not very sure I want to talk to you."

"Well, that's hardly a way to settle anything, is it?" He heard Cloud whicker from behind them and wondered if that was an agreement or disagreement. Then he saw a strange sight. Daine glared at Cloud. "Are you okay?"

"Suddenly I can't sit by a fire without you supervising?" she snapped.

"What is this animosity? I've barely arrived." He paused a moment and added, "I just don't usually see you glower at Cloud."

She began to walk toward the horses and he followed. Even her pace was angry. "Daine," he started and put his hand on her shoulder. She turned and slapped him hard.

"Don't touch me unless you're invited." The look of fierceness in her eyes stung worse than his cheek.

He put his hand to his face where she had struck. He could feel finger welts swelling in the skin. "Whatever have I done to deserve this?" He couldn't believe how much his voice shook as he asked, and he was ashamed of it. He knew it was fear. He was afraid this would mark of the end of their friendship.

"You told Alanna to mess with my mind and not tell me." He looked at her blankly and she screamed her frustration. "You wanted her to add her magic to the barrier in my head and you didn't trust me to know about it."

It was true. He had done exactly that. Numair swallowed hard. He tried to answer but couldn't. So he nodded.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "And what was this about?" She held up the ruby that he had put on her chain clasp to protect her from poisons.

"I – I didn't know how Ozorne would go after you. I put – I know I didn't tell you. It did help. It's why you woke up so quickly from all the dreamrose." Anger flickered in Daine's eyes like lightening. "I'm sorry you were hurt." He swallowed hard again.

"You think it's that easy, don't you? You'll just apologize and all will be forgiven. I'll let you go back to treating me like I can't take care of myself. And you can come charging after me everywhere I go playing hero."

"Playing hero? Is that what you really think?" Numair retorted. He was starting to lose his own temper.

"I am not a child, Numair. I can understand 'danger' when I'm in it."

"No, you're not a child. And until right now, you've never acted like one." She tried to slap him again and this time he caught her wrist. "Maybe you have every right to be angry at me for what I did, but you're being very inappropriate right now. One of my closest friends just asked me to kill her if she does anything else to endanger someone she cares about. So right now I can't handle hatred from another. You can scream at me later." He felt a tug on his elbow and realized that Cloud had captured his sleeve with her teeth. He let Daine's arm go. "Sorry, Cloud." He turned and stalked off into the trees, leaving Daine staring after him.

He didn't dare wander far, in case he was needed. But he didn't want Daine to know how much she'd hurt him. He circled the camp but stayed behind the trees for a while, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his chest. It was a little hard to breathe. Then he realized he hadn't yet spoken to Jon.

He climbed a hillside and started a small fire in another clearing. When Jon appeared in the fire, he filled him in on everything that had happened during the fight with the immortals and what they discovered in examining Alanna. Numair also told him how to look for the same in Raoul.

"What is your best guess?" Jon asked when Numair finished.

"Magic like this is something highly unusual. It may be immortal magic, like a stormwing can cast or a dragon, even. I wonder, have you asked Tkaa at all?"

Jon rubbed his beard. "Do you know I hadn't even thought of it? He's at the university. I can get him in to see Raoul tonight."

"I think I'll ask Kit to look at Alanna, too. Although she's just a baby, she surprises me sometimes."

Jon nodded. "That's good, Numair. At least it gives us a new avenue to work from. Something else you should know – George found a slain baby griffin. It had been exsanguinated. He is hunting the perpetrator. Both he and I have heard that griffin blood can be used in spells, but it isn't common magic. No one here has been able to come up with a spell that might use it."

Numair felt himself pale. "Jon, that's it. This spell has immortal blood. Mithros! I need a library. See what Tkaa knows of these spells. Tell him I think we are looking for an altered-personality spell. And try – try Myles. He reads up on things like this. Also, I know George is hunting for the killer, but I may need him. Alanna may need him."

The concern in Jon's eyes deepened. "Is she…"

"Jon, she cannot handle the things she's done alone. I can only comfort her so much. She needs George. She needs to know that he can forgive this before she can begin to forgive herself. I also don't think it is wise to leave Raoul where he is. I'm not suggesting you turn your back on him. He is probably still dangerous. But get him up where he doesn't have only his own mind for company. If you need to protect yourself, use a paralyzing spell. It has been very effective here."

Jon nodded. "Keep up the good work, Numair. We need Alanna and Raoul back on our side."

"You know, whoever devised this plan is very shrewd. We need to keep an eye on your best fighters. They seem to be the targets."

"Well, in that case watch yourself and watch Daine. If I were an enemy, you are two people I would want cleared out of my path first."

"I don't think Daine will let me watch out for her anymore," Numair answered almost sarcastically.

Jon lifted one eyebrow. "Trouble?"

"You know me, Jon. I can irritate the kindest of spirits."

Jon laughed.

When Numair returned to camp, he found that Daine had flown off to search for the riders. Everyone in camp had heard the argument and were giving Numair a wide girth. He didn't feel like talking with anyone human, so he returned to the horses. He figured he'd brush Spots down and Darkmoon too. Daine's many lectures about caring for his horse had really taken hold of him.

Cloud eyed him as he walked over. "If you want to bite me, go ahead." To his surprise Cloud butted her head against his shoulder. "Don't tell me you'll forgive me when she can't." Cloud turned her tail to him and chuffed. "Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say," he added sarcastically. "But Cloud, she needs looking after right now. For that matter, so do I. I don't know how this happened to Alanna, but I know that if it got Daine too or me, a lot of damage could be done. Watch out for her, okay? If you see anything strange, let us know, preferably not with your teeth." The horse turned back to face him and whinnied loudly, lifting her head as she did so. "Friends?" he asked. She looked at him like she might be thinking about it. "That's good enough for now." He smiled and patted the mare on the nose.

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