Daine led the way into a comfortable common area in her rooms, stone
faced. She gestured for her guest to sit and took a seat herself on an
overstuffed armchair. Adian half sat, half sprawled on one end of the
couch. Kitten arranged herself near the newcomer, silent now, sensing
that the two leggers needed to talk. A silence fell over the room as the
two women tried to digest what had just happened. Daine was the first to
break the silence.
"Who are you?"
Adian sighed. "It has no bearing on this present development. I did not know that I could understand dragon until - Kitten? - began talking to me. Let is suffice to sat I am a very old friend of Arram's. I knew him when he was still Arram and I knew him when he became Numair. I knew him for a long while after that. But we haven't seen each other for, oh... 10 years, I would say." She frowned, her eyes going a cloudy grey. "Come to think of it, I'm not at all sure that he knows I'm still alive.."
"Forgive me, but I've never heard him speak of you." Daine said. She was no longer suspicious of this woman, (Kit's judgment was more than trustworthy) but curious. How could Numair have never spoken of this woman to her, when Adian seemed to know him so well?
Adian smiled. "My work is, well, rather secret. It is often best know to only a few here at the palace that I still exist. They're probably not in the habit of talking about me."
They? Daine had been under the impression that she had known Numair...well, somewhere else! That this woman had been a presence in the palace and that Daine had no knowledge of her was startling, to say the least.
Now the redheaded woman laughed. "Just because it happened before your time, youngling doesn't mean that it didn't happen. I was extremely well known in my day. Well, at least one incarnation of myself was well known." Her eyes had turned a soft green. "Actually, I should amend what I said. My work was not well known, but I was. I kept my skills low profile, but Jon, that bastard, refused to let me stay that way." She grimaced. "If I'd have had to attend one more ball.."
Diane looked at Adian in part horror, part wonder. She had just called the King a bastard. True, Jonathon was lenient and encouraged familiarity, but..she had just called the King a bastard!!
Adian's eyes went emerald green, amusement written plainly on her face. "Oh come now, don't tell me that you don't agree. He's a good King, but he can be a real jackass sometimes. Besides, he can't do anything to me; I've known him for far too long. I'd simply get Thayet to put something squishy in his bed."
Daine tried to absorb this. It was almost (she felt slightly treasonous even thinking this), well, nice to hear someone say that. Adian was right, Jon was a good King. But sometimes, it was very difficult to agree with all of his actions.
"Anyway, don't tell me that Numair doesn't have these rooms warded to the best of his ability. I know him too well to believe that. Therefore, anything I say in this room isn't going to get back to Jon. Speaking of Numair, when will he be done with his experiment? Or were you just making that up to put me off?"
Daine looked chagrined, but then grinned. She had known this woman only a few minutes, but she felt a liking for her already. Here was a woman who could casually insult the King and in the next breath call her on her protective behavior! Here was a woman who was honest. The court needed more people like her. Sometimes, in Diane's opinion, people were far too serious about King Jon. He certainly could be a prig sometimes.
"Nah, that was actually the truth. He should be back by midmorning. Or at least he said that he would."
Adian laughed. She seemed to do this often. "So we should expect him back sometime next week?" Her green eyes danced merrily, then became tinged with grey. "You know Daine, you're right to be careful. Arr - Numair has...many enemies. I could have easily been one of them. If I had planned this out, I would have introduced myself a little better." She hesitated. "Never forget to protect him, Diane. She held up a hand to forestall Dian's exclamation that Numair could take care of himself. "No, wait, hear me out. I don't mean to protect him from all possible harm. That is neither possible nor helpful. He would not thank you for it. But protect him from himself. I realize that he is one of the most powerful sorcerers around, but..he isn't invincible. Sometimes people don't realize it."
"I know." Daine whispered. "I've seen it happen. People look at him and expect miracles, and he would so much like to provide them. And I will never let him do anything...needlessly dangerous. Not if it can be helped. I had to set Cloud on him once. Cloud's my horse." She said, seeing Adian's quizzical look. "But believe me, I will not allow him to get himself killed."
"I expected no less." Adian replied. "I just had to be sure." She shook herself out of the gloom that had filled the room. "Ah well, don't let an old lady like me spoil the day." Daine snorted. Adian looked no older than 35. Hardly "old".
"Don't insult your elders! That's enough of your impudence!" Adian smiled rakishly and her eyes went spring green. "Now, tell me about yourself. We've talked about me more than enough."
Privately, Diane thought that they hadn't discussed this mysterious woman nearly enough. Who was she? How did she know Numair? What was she doing in Corus, and why now? If she hadn't seen Numair for 10 years, it couldn't be a sudden burning desire to see an old friend. Her clothes were rough and travel stained, which belied her noble appearance. It appeared to the Wild Mage, because of the ease with which she wore her clothes and her air of confidence, that Adian did this sort of thing often. This was no noble out for a lark. But if she was used to a rough life, shouldn't she look more..worn? Shouldn't her skin be more brown and leathery? It was milky white and smooth.
But most astonishing and perplexing, to Daine anyway, was this woman's ability to speak dragon. While Adian seemed as surprised as she, the older woman had not brought it up again and did not offer any explanations for her new found ability. However, Daine allowed herself to be prodded into telling Adian about herself. If she was patient, she knew that the rest of the mysteries would eventually fall into place.
During the course of the next hour, Diane found herself telling the story of how she had come to Tortall and her subsequent experiences. Under Adian's prodding, she found herself telling more about herself in more detail than she would have ever thought possible. It was well past midmorning when they got to her Carthak adventures.
"So let me get this straight. He actually told Kaddar, heir to the Carthaki throne, that he had better not trifle with you..or ELSE?" Adian was incredulous. "The idiocy of that man..so of course it only confirms Ozorne's suspicion that you're his weak spot. I assume that he had spies watching the whole encounter."
"Exactly. But wait until you hear about what happened next..." Daine broke off abruptly, silenced by the sound of the door opening.
"Mithros, Mynos, and Shakith." Came a hoarse whisper from behind the two women. They turned. There was Numair standing in the doorway, paper white, looking for all the world as if he had seen a ghost.
Adian gave a shy, sad smile. Her eyes were a light violet color that Diane had not yet seen. She straightened up from her slouching position, inhaled slowly, and then spoke.
"Hello brother."
* * * * *
* *
Author's Note: Well that was fun. My first attempt at a quasi cliffhanger. Sorry that it took me so long to update, but college is rough. Keeps me rather busy, anyway. Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed me so far! I truly appreciate it. It takes time to review someone, and I thank you for spending some of your time on me. Every time I get a new review, I get more motivated to update. People read what I have written! Oh frabjous day.
"Who are you?"
Adian sighed. "It has no bearing on this present development. I did not know that I could understand dragon until - Kitten? - began talking to me. Let is suffice to sat I am a very old friend of Arram's. I knew him when he was still Arram and I knew him when he became Numair. I knew him for a long while after that. But we haven't seen each other for, oh... 10 years, I would say." She frowned, her eyes going a cloudy grey. "Come to think of it, I'm not at all sure that he knows I'm still alive.."
"Forgive me, but I've never heard him speak of you." Daine said. She was no longer suspicious of this woman, (Kit's judgment was more than trustworthy) but curious. How could Numair have never spoken of this woman to her, when Adian seemed to know him so well?
Adian smiled. "My work is, well, rather secret. It is often best know to only a few here at the palace that I still exist. They're probably not in the habit of talking about me."
They? Daine had been under the impression that she had known Numair...well, somewhere else! That this woman had been a presence in the palace and that Daine had no knowledge of her was startling, to say the least.
Now the redheaded woman laughed. "Just because it happened before your time, youngling doesn't mean that it didn't happen. I was extremely well known in my day. Well, at least one incarnation of myself was well known." Her eyes had turned a soft green. "Actually, I should amend what I said. My work was not well known, but I was. I kept my skills low profile, but Jon, that bastard, refused to let me stay that way." She grimaced. "If I'd have had to attend one more ball.."
Diane looked at Adian in part horror, part wonder. She had just called the King a bastard. True, Jonathon was lenient and encouraged familiarity, but..she had just called the King a bastard!!
Adian's eyes went emerald green, amusement written plainly on her face. "Oh come now, don't tell me that you don't agree. He's a good King, but he can be a real jackass sometimes. Besides, he can't do anything to me; I've known him for far too long. I'd simply get Thayet to put something squishy in his bed."
Daine tried to absorb this. It was almost (she felt slightly treasonous even thinking this), well, nice to hear someone say that. Adian was right, Jon was a good King. But sometimes, it was very difficult to agree with all of his actions.
"Anyway, don't tell me that Numair doesn't have these rooms warded to the best of his ability. I know him too well to believe that. Therefore, anything I say in this room isn't going to get back to Jon. Speaking of Numair, when will he be done with his experiment? Or were you just making that up to put me off?"
Daine looked chagrined, but then grinned. She had known this woman only a few minutes, but she felt a liking for her already. Here was a woman who could casually insult the King and in the next breath call her on her protective behavior! Here was a woman who was honest. The court needed more people like her. Sometimes, in Diane's opinion, people were far too serious about King Jon. He certainly could be a prig sometimes.
"Nah, that was actually the truth. He should be back by midmorning. Or at least he said that he would."
Adian laughed. She seemed to do this often. "So we should expect him back sometime next week?" Her green eyes danced merrily, then became tinged with grey. "You know Daine, you're right to be careful. Arr - Numair has...many enemies. I could have easily been one of them. If I had planned this out, I would have introduced myself a little better." She hesitated. "Never forget to protect him, Diane. She held up a hand to forestall Dian's exclamation that Numair could take care of himself. "No, wait, hear me out. I don't mean to protect him from all possible harm. That is neither possible nor helpful. He would not thank you for it. But protect him from himself. I realize that he is one of the most powerful sorcerers around, but..he isn't invincible. Sometimes people don't realize it."
"I know." Daine whispered. "I've seen it happen. People look at him and expect miracles, and he would so much like to provide them. And I will never let him do anything...needlessly dangerous. Not if it can be helped. I had to set Cloud on him once. Cloud's my horse." She said, seeing Adian's quizzical look. "But believe me, I will not allow him to get himself killed."
"I expected no less." Adian replied. "I just had to be sure." She shook herself out of the gloom that had filled the room. "Ah well, don't let an old lady like me spoil the day." Daine snorted. Adian looked no older than 35. Hardly "old".
"Don't insult your elders! That's enough of your impudence!" Adian smiled rakishly and her eyes went spring green. "Now, tell me about yourself. We've talked about me more than enough."
Privately, Diane thought that they hadn't discussed this mysterious woman nearly enough. Who was she? How did she know Numair? What was she doing in Corus, and why now? If she hadn't seen Numair for 10 years, it couldn't be a sudden burning desire to see an old friend. Her clothes were rough and travel stained, which belied her noble appearance. It appeared to the Wild Mage, because of the ease with which she wore her clothes and her air of confidence, that Adian did this sort of thing often. This was no noble out for a lark. But if she was used to a rough life, shouldn't she look more..worn? Shouldn't her skin be more brown and leathery? It was milky white and smooth.
But most astonishing and perplexing, to Daine anyway, was this woman's ability to speak dragon. While Adian seemed as surprised as she, the older woman had not brought it up again and did not offer any explanations for her new found ability. However, Daine allowed herself to be prodded into telling Adian about herself. If she was patient, she knew that the rest of the mysteries would eventually fall into place.
During the course of the next hour, Diane found herself telling the story of how she had come to Tortall and her subsequent experiences. Under Adian's prodding, she found herself telling more about herself in more detail than she would have ever thought possible. It was well past midmorning when they got to her Carthak adventures.
"So let me get this straight. He actually told Kaddar, heir to the Carthaki throne, that he had better not trifle with you..or ELSE?" Adian was incredulous. "The idiocy of that man..so of course it only confirms Ozorne's suspicion that you're his weak spot. I assume that he had spies watching the whole encounter."
"Exactly. But wait until you hear about what happened next..." Daine broke off abruptly, silenced by the sound of the door opening.
"Mithros, Mynos, and Shakith." Came a hoarse whisper from behind the two women. They turned. There was Numair standing in the doorway, paper white, looking for all the world as if he had seen a ghost.
Adian gave a shy, sad smile. Her eyes were a light violet color that Diane had not yet seen. She straightened up from her slouching position, inhaled slowly, and then spoke.
"Hello brother."
* * * * *
* *
Author's Note: Well that was fun. My first attempt at a quasi cliffhanger. Sorry that it took me so long to update, but college is rough. Keeps me rather busy, anyway. Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed me so far! I truly appreciate it. It takes time to review someone, and I thank you for spending some of your time on me. Every time I get a new review, I get more motivated to update. People read what I have written! Oh frabjous day.