Disclaimer: All characters and the realm of Tortall belong to Tamora Pierce.
Chapter 1 - Gifts
Numair swung his long legs out of bed and stood up, feeling the weight of what had just happened resting on his shoulders. The barrier between them and the immortals had evaporated. And he was in love with Daine. He wasn't quite sure which of the two he should think about first. He decided to bathe and deal with what he had realised about the young wildmage. The barrier could wait until he met with Jonathan. He knew he had feelings for his student – although she now felt more like his partner than student – but he had thought of it as being more like a crush due to her blossoming into a beautiful young woman. Numair ran the bath lukewarm and jumped in. So he was in love with her. The realisation made him smile. He had never been in love before, even with Varice as a teenager he hadn't felt like this. He though of all the Midwinter gifts he had bought Daine and wondered if people would question why he had spent so much. He wondered if Daine would question it. A knock sounded at his door.
"Who is it?" he yelled from his bath chamber.
"It's me, Daine," came the response.
"I'm in the bath," the mage called back, "You can wait in my room, I'll only be a minute!"
"I've heard that one before!" Daine chuckled loudly so he could just about hear.
He clicked his fingers to release the spell he had locking his door so she could come in. As he finished his wash he could hear her talking to Kitten, looking at a spell he was cultivating in his bedchamber. He smiled, enjoying the sound of her voice and the warm atmosphere she brought with her. He pulled on fresh clothes and went to join her. She turned to him as soon as he entered the room and hugged him tightly. He returned the embrace, picking her up to his height easily and kissing her cheek.
"Happy Midwinter!" She smiled at him, making his stomach feel warm and soft. "I have a fair few presents for you," she blushed slightly, "But I thought they'd best wait till after we'd seen Jon about what's happened."
Numair put her down gently, reluctantly moving his arms away from her.
"I've gifts for you, too, Magelet," he sighed, "But you're right, we should find Jon first."
"Where do you think he'll be?" Daine asked, her eyes searching his room, probably for Midwinter gifts he thought.
"Breakfast hall," Numair replied, "Some people will need feeding all the more given what's just happened."
They walked to the breakfast hall, Daine slipping her arm through his comfortably. Since returning from Carthak she had been much more tactile with him, quite openly as well, in front of other people. Numair had taken Alanna's advice and had just let things continue naturally between them. "Let people think what they want to," the King's Champion had told him, "They're hardly going to make a massive deal over it, given that you are two of the most powerful mages in Tortall!"
They sat next to each other in the hall, Kitten the other side of Daine. Harailt, the Dean of the University, was already there, a worried look on his face; Gareth the Elder was busy pouring himself tea, looked up briefly to nod to Daine and Numair as they entered. People arrived slowly, apprehension taking over the usual merry atmosphere of Midwinter. The king and his queen, Thayet, joined them last.
King Jonathan looked around the room, many of the people there were members of his councils, all were people he considered to be friends.
"Numair," he addressed the mage, "What exactly has happened? Could you confirm it for everybody, please."
"The barrier between the realms has evaporated," he said concisely, "The immortals that have been separated from us for four hundred years have been freed to join us once more." Numair sighed. He had really wanted a peaceful, enjoyable Midwinter.
"What do you predict will happen?" The king asked.
"The immortals will come through to us as and when the wish. We shall simply have to be prepared to deal with them as they come," Numair answered.
"What is the immediate risk?" Thayet queried.
"At this moment in time?" Thayet nodded, "Probably slight. They will need time to get through and I imagine that this cold winter we're having will dissuade them from visiting us much until near the spring thaws."
Thayet banged her glass down hard on the table and stood up. Everyone stared at her, including the king. "In that case our plans for the Midwinter festival will continue and I will not have anyone fretting about things to come. We shall deal with them when the time arises!"
"Here, here," cried Gareth the Younger. The other around the table stood up and echoed his cry.
After he had eaten, Jonathan came over to speak to Numair and Daine.
"Thayet's right," he said, "We should enjoy this festival, especially as it's looking like it's going to be a tough year given the delightful present Ozorne has sent us."
"Are you sure it's him?" Daine asked, "He's a stormwing, he mayn't have grasped their magic yet."
Numair shook his head. "He may not have, but there's no telling who he will have persuaded to be his ally."
The king nodded. "I need you to compile a list of known immortals and their characteristics. If suitable, it needs to include ways to dispose of them," Jonathan swallowed hard, "We can send copied to all Rider groups and Own so we can be prepared."
Numair nodded. "That's a fairy straight-forward task, my lord. We could probably have that finished before the end of the day."
Daine smiled at this; she had been hoping to go and see the horses with Numair and maybe taken Spots and Cloud out for a ride. Still, she thought, my knowledge of immortal is as good as his. I won't just be a student with this.
Jonathan smiled at them both. "You will have to stop at around four anyhow. Thayet's planning on everyone exchanging gifts in the banqueting hall before the ball," Jonathan looked at Daine, "Make sure he does come. You know what he's like when he gets involved in something."
"Don't worry," she replied, "I'll make sure that he's there."
They spent the rest of the morning in Numair's study, searching through volumes of folklore, fairytales and ancient tomes that only Numair would possess. Jonathan sent up lunch to them, consisting of roast chicken, bread and juice. By mid-afternoon they had almost completed their task and Numair was preparing a spell that would duplicate their work so they could send a copy to each Rider group and Own.
"Numair," Daine looked at him, knowing she didn't have his attention.
"Hmmm…" he replied.
"NUMAIR!" she shouted.
"Daine?" Now he looked at her.
"I have present for you in my room that I want you to open before the ball; I'm just going to go and get it."
Numair nodded, staring into his wardrobe as she left. He stood up and opened the doors of his closet, taking out one of the neatly wrapped packages and depositing it on the chair where she had been sat. He looked at the neat, carefully scripted writing she had produced about the immortals and he realised once again that she was hardly his student anymore. In many ways, she was teaching him new ideas, new thoughts, new feelings.
The door opened and Daine entered, carrying a large, wrapped box and a dark-grey coloured Kitten.
"Why is she sulking?" Numair asked Daine.
"She was caught trying to pinch the rind from the ham in the kitchens and was well scolded by Cynri," Daine glared at the young Dragon. "Hopefully she'll be fair sick and then it'll teach her a lesson." She put Kit down who then scuttled and hid under Numair's desk, turning her back to them.
Daine gave the box to Numair. "I've got you some other gifts as well, but I wanted you to have this now," she said shyly.
"Thank you. You know I don't expect anything from you," the mage replied softly.
"Don't be such a dolt! Why shouldn't I get you things?" She said, rather indignantly.
Numair gave her his rather boyish grin. "There's something for you on your chair. I've gotten you some other presents, too, but they can wait. This one can't."
Daine eyes the prettily wrapped package. "New wrapping spell?" she enquired flippantly. Numair simply glared.
She opened her gift first, the small package turning into a long blue silk gown, embroidered with silver thread and a matching silver shawl. The spell Numair had wrapped it in had prevented any creases and the gown rivalled any of the ones she had had in Carthak.
"Numair! It's gorgeous!" Daine felt too stunned to speak.
"I'm glad you like it," the mage replied simply, feeling slightly embarrassed and like the king of the world at the same time. "Can I open mine now?" he asked. She nodded, hanging the dress up on the hook at the back of the door.
Numair undid Daine's wrapping carefully, extracting his gift. They had obviously had the same idea. She had given him a green silk shirt and deep brown breeches in the styles that he favoured. After admiring them he went over to her and kissed her softly on the cheek.
"Thank you, Daine, I love them," he told her. She smiled up at him and he felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her. Instead he backed away and sank into his chair.
"We should best be getting ready," she smiled at him, then gazed at her new garments, "I know what I'll be wearing tonight!" Her eyes twinkled at Numair. "Did you pick it all yourself?" she asked him.
"Of course!" he replied, indignantly. "I even had boy repellent applied so only I can dance with you."
Daine laughed. Numair sighed.
"I'm going to go and get ready. Kitten, are you coming we me or staying with Numair?" The young dragon chirruped and crawled over to the mage. "Very well. Don't let her keep sulking, will you?" And with that, she gathered up her new garments and went to get ready.
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