Daine opened the door to the rooms that she and Numair shared to find a
petite woman standing on her doorstep. The first thought that stuck her
was how beautiful this woman was. Even though she showed all the signs of
recent travel (and probably needed a bath.) just looking at her made Daine
embarrassingly aware of her unkempt curls and the fact that her animal
friends had left this tunic, well, not quite as fresh as it had been. Her
second thought was 'Who in the name of the goddess IS she?'
The stranger, upon seeing Daine, hesitated, then glanced up at the nameplate on the door. A smile stretched across her face when she saw that the door bore two names. "That sly old dog." She muttered to herself with a roguish grin. Turning back to Daine, she said, "I'm looking for Numair Samalin. Is he here?"
Daine looked at her again. She had never seen this woman before and had certainly never heard Numair mention someone like this before. It was best to be cautious. Daine knew from personal experience that Numair had many enemies in his life, known and unknown. She didn't think that someone with malicious intent would have been able to gain access to the palace (and her rooms) without being challenged, but she was not about to take any foolish chances. A little voice whispered that perhaps she was being a little overprotective of Numair, who after all was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Something about the woman's flawless appearance set her on edge, reminding he of...Varice, perhaps? True, Numair could look out for himself. 'Ah yes, but he's not here right now, is he?' She thought. Better to be careful.
"He's in the middle of an experiment right now." She said, mustering as much authority as she could and staring coolly into the stranger's ice- blue eyes. "If I may be so bold, who are YOU?"
The stranger laughed. To Daine's bewilderment, the other woman's eyes (which Daine had been meeting squarely, or else she would have missed it altogether) became tinged with green. She immediately looked to see if this woman had the pearly glow that signified that she had the Gift. When she looked, she found only a normal human aura.
"Forgive my rudeness! My name is Adian." The stranger, well, Adian said. "If I'd though about this at all, I suppose that I should have begun with my name. But you see, I have been waiting for this a long time, and I suppose that excitement got the better of me." She raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Also, if I had known that he was living with a pretty girl like you, I would have checked to make sure that he was home first before showing up on your doorstep."
Daine did not back down. Sure, they were inside the palace, but that didn't mean that someone of not-so-pure intentions couldn't get in! Especially if that someone was a mage.
Noticing one of the palace cats out of the corner of her eye, Daine sent out her magic. *Silkfur, can you take a look at this two legger for me?*
The cat sat back on her haunches and began to wash. * What is it that you wish to know? * She said in an amused voice.
*Does the two legger have the pearly glow around her? You know, like the one the Stork Man has? *
*No she does not, as you can very well see for yourself.* came the reply. * Now stop worrying and come and pet me. *
Daine half smiled. * Not just now.* This whole exchange had taken only a few seconds. Daine refocused her attention on Adian to see that she had not moved an inch, but had instead continued to stare at her with a wry grin. Daine was startled to see that her eyes were now completely green.
"Since you have neglected to tell me your name, might it be safe to assume that you are the Veralidaine Sarrasari whose name is on this door?" Adian queried.
"I am." Was Diane's reply. She could not understand this mysterious woman's intentions. To all appearances this was a bedraggled, petit noble she was facing. However, there was a power hanging about Adian that no noble possessed. And thus far, her speech and manners had not been those of a noble. Also, if she was there to harm Numair in some way, she was certainly presenting a relaxed and calm demeanor. It didn't make any sense.
"Veralidaine..now where have I heard that name" Adian mused. Her eyes turned the deep blue of the sea, and looked about as old. "Sarrasari..aha!" Recognition lit up her face. She turned over her shoulder and spied the cat. "Mistress cat, in all your wisdom, could you please tell Veralidaine that I am not a threat?" The grin once more broke out on her face. It seemed as though she smiled often, though not in recent times. "To her or Arram, anyway."
The use of Numair's given name startled Daine. He had left that name behind him years ago.
*Stop being silly. * Silkfur purred. * She smells like the people. And I for one can smell no lie on her. Besides, she recognized we cats for the intelligent beings that we truly are. *
There was only one way to be utterly certain. "Kit?" Daine called. "Is she safe?" The dragon poked her head out the door and trilled. Kitten nodded and then, to Daine's surprise, trotted over to Adian and began to chatter at her in Dragon. Adian's reaction was equally surprising. Her eyes, now a yellow tinged green, were nearly popping out of her head.
"WHAT?!" She nearly shrieked. It was odd to see this woman who a moment before had been so cool and collected in such a state. Daine had a shrewd notion that this degree of surprise and alarm was not a normal state for this woman. The significance of what had just occurred hit her. She stared at Adian in shock.
"You can understand her?" She whispered.
* You should see the look on your face. * Said Silkfur. * You look like a stunned fish. And believe me, I've seen quite a few. *
*Quiet! * Said Daine absently. She was staring at this woman, who was in turn staring at Kitten, who was still talking her head off.
" Wait, wait, you're going to fast...I can't..how can I understand you?" Adian stammered.
Daine took a deep breath. "I think that you'd better come inside."
Author's note: Well? How was installment #2? Thank you so much to my three reviewers! I very much appreciate your interest in my story. Since this is my first one, it's nice to know that people are reading it and don't hate it. (Yet!) I will now break the mold and not ask for people to review my story. That's right, you don't have to. If, however, you would be so inclined..or if you just have a burning ambition to review SOMETHING....well, don't let me stop you!
The stranger, upon seeing Daine, hesitated, then glanced up at the nameplate on the door. A smile stretched across her face when she saw that the door bore two names. "That sly old dog." She muttered to herself with a roguish grin. Turning back to Daine, she said, "I'm looking for Numair Samalin. Is he here?"
Daine looked at her again. She had never seen this woman before and had certainly never heard Numair mention someone like this before. It was best to be cautious. Daine knew from personal experience that Numair had many enemies in his life, known and unknown. She didn't think that someone with malicious intent would have been able to gain access to the palace (and her rooms) without being challenged, but she was not about to take any foolish chances. A little voice whispered that perhaps she was being a little overprotective of Numair, who after all was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Something about the woman's flawless appearance set her on edge, reminding he of...Varice, perhaps? True, Numair could look out for himself. 'Ah yes, but he's not here right now, is he?' She thought. Better to be careful.
"He's in the middle of an experiment right now." She said, mustering as much authority as she could and staring coolly into the stranger's ice- blue eyes. "If I may be so bold, who are YOU?"
The stranger laughed. To Daine's bewilderment, the other woman's eyes (which Daine had been meeting squarely, or else she would have missed it altogether) became tinged with green. She immediately looked to see if this woman had the pearly glow that signified that she had the Gift. When she looked, she found only a normal human aura.
"Forgive my rudeness! My name is Adian." The stranger, well, Adian said. "If I'd though about this at all, I suppose that I should have begun with my name. But you see, I have been waiting for this a long time, and I suppose that excitement got the better of me." She raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Also, if I had known that he was living with a pretty girl like you, I would have checked to make sure that he was home first before showing up on your doorstep."
Daine did not back down. Sure, they were inside the palace, but that didn't mean that someone of not-so-pure intentions couldn't get in! Especially if that someone was a mage.
Noticing one of the palace cats out of the corner of her eye, Daine sent out her magic. *Silkfur, can you take a look at this two legger for me?*
The cat sat back on her haunches and began to wash. * What is it that you wish to know? * She said in an amused voice.
*Does the two legger have the pearly glow around her? You know, like the one the Stork Man has? *
*No she does not, as you can very well see for yourself.* came the reply. * Now stop worrying and come and pet me. *
Daine half smiled. * Not just now.* This whole exchange had taken only a few seconds. Daine refocused her attention on Adian to see that she had not moved an inch, but had instead continued to stare at her with a wry grin. Daine was startled to see that her eyes were now completely green.
"Since you have neglected to tell me your name, might it be safe to assume that you are the Veralidaine Sarrasari whose name is on this door?" Adian queried.
"I am." Was Diane's reply. She could not understand this mysterious woman's intentions. To all appearances this was a bedraggled, petit noble she was facing. However, there was a power hanging about Adian that no noble possessed. And thus far, her speech and manners had not been those of a noble. Also, if she was there to harm Numair in some way, she was certainly presenting a relaxed and calm demeanor. It didn't make any sense.
"Veralidaine..now where have I heard that name" Adian mused. Her eyes turned the deep blue of the sea, and looked about as old. "Sarrasari..aha!" Recognition lit up her face. She turned over her shoulder and spied the cat. "Mistress cat, in all your wisdom, could you please tell Veralidaine that I am not a threat?" The grin once more broke out on her face. It seemed as though she smiled often, though not in recent times. "To her or Arram, anyway."
The use of Numair's given name startled Daine. He had left that name behind him years ago.
*Stop being silly. * Silkfur purred. * She smells like the people. And I for one can smell no lie on her. Besides, she recognized we cats for the intelligent beings that we truly are. *
There was only one way to be utterly certain. "Kit?" Daine called. "Is she safe?" The dragon poked her head out the door and trilled. Kitten nodded and then, to Daine's surprise, trotted over to Adian and began to chatter at her in Dragon. Adian's reaction was equally surprising. Her eyes, now a yellow tinged green, were nearly popping out of her head.
"WHAT?!" She nearly shrieked. It was odd to see this woman who a moment before had been so cool and collected in such a state. Daine had a shrewd notion that this degree of surprise and alarm was not a normal state for this woman. The significance of what had just occurred hit her. She stared at Adian in shock.
"You can understand her?" She whispered.
* You should see the look on your face. * Said Silkfur. * You look like a stunned fish. And believe me, I've seen quite a few. *
*Quiet! * Said Daine absently. She was staring at this woman, who was in turn staring at Kitten, who was still talking her head off.
" Wait, wait, you're going to fast...I can't..how can I understand you?" Adian stammered.
Daine took a deep breath. "I think that you'd better come inside."
Author's note: Well? How was installment #2? Thank you so much to my three reviewers! I very much appreciate your interest in my story. Since this is my first one, it's nice to know that people are reading it and don't hate it. (Yet!) I will now break the mold and not ask for people to review my story. That's right, you don't have to. If, however, you would be so inclined..or if you just have a burning ambition to review SOMETHING....well, don't let me stop you!