Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it belongs to Tamora Pierce

A/U: I always love the idea of meeting someone who can read minds in a story because you know you're going to think of all the things you don't want to think of, right in front of them.

Confused Knight: 90 wpm. I'm a speed typist.

Bitterosemary: Glad you're engrossed. Hope you like this chapter which gave me a little more room for creativity.

Numair's lover: Thanks

Starlit Emerald Eyed Empress: He's got a darker nature so I think his introspection turns to depression sometimes. And I'm doing my own book after this.

Ethalas Tuath'an: Thanks

Hoshi-ko88: We have different takes on her parents and what they think of him. But you'll get to see Sarra here.

Kit49: That's part of his balance rules. He allows himself one touch a day so that she doesn't think he's avoiding like she did at the beginning of Maelstrom.

Alanna Cooper: After this story I am focusing on my own book. But I might drop by once in a while.

Goldeneyedwildmage: This isn't first person POV. I stuck that in because I wanted clues in case someone reads this that never read the series. That's practice for when I do my own books. Publishers always want the sequels to be able to stand alone if necessary.

Blackandwhiteroses: I hope my private answer was good enough. But thanks for the compliments.

Chapter 4: Sarra

His awareness was scattered. He could remember having his arms pried from Daine. An unfamiliar male voice said, "We could send him back through." An indignant sound from an unfamiliar female voice followed. And then a familiar gruff voice said, "If he dies she won't forgive you." Then there was blackness.

His dreams became confused. He stood in Tristan Staghorn's workroom in Dunlath, working to send the bloodrain to the place that is not a place. But it spilled, burning painfully through him and rushed in a flood toward Daine. "Daine!" he screamed.

An indistinct female soothed him, "Shhhh!"

The skinners were bearing down on them. Daine shifted to a rabbit and the thing touched her. Instantly all her fur disappeared leaving her muscle and tissue bleeding and bare. She died instantly. "Goddess, no! Daine! The skinners! No," his throat burned from crying out.

The same female voice calmed him, "Shhhh! Master Salmalin. It's alright." She gave him something bitter to drink.

Daine flew in eagle form over the skinners. Suddenly she returned to herself and fell in slow motion, landing at the feet of the flesh colored monsters. They stole her flesh and her life in a breath and he could only watch. "Daine! DAINE!" He screamed and sobbed.

Again the female voice came to ease him, "Shhh, Daine is fine. You're only dreaming."

When he returned to consciousness, his body was throbbing painfully. He was lying in a bed in a room he had never seen before. The bed was strange. Though it was narrow, it was actually long enough for him to lie on his back. He did not know where he was but he looked around for Daine and couldn't see her. "Daine!" he called. "Daine!" He tried to lift himself from the bed and a pretty woman who looked to be around the same age as him entered the room.

"Shhh, Master Salmalin." She had blue eyes and a dimpled smile. Her cheekbones were high and gave her eyes a laughing appearance. She had a braided crown of golden hair. Though none of her features specifically resembled Daine's there was something in the eyes reminiscent of his love that made him trust her automatically.

"Where's Daine? Is she safe? The skinners will kill her." The panic began to rise again and he tried once more to lift himself from bed. The monsters had been horrible and he couldn't imagine being trapped in with them.

"You're fair stubborn," she said with a smile. "Daine is safe and resting in another room."

"Is she hurt? Something had her," he said with urgency.

"She's fine and needs sleep. Just like you." The woman seemed to be studying him. "We brought her here and yourself."

"And the skinners? They'll kill everything…."

She shook her head and clicked her tongue. "The badger went to deal with those skinners. Rest now, Master Salmalin, rest."

Dizzy, he lay back against the pillow. "May I – may I see Daine?" he asked her.

"She needs her rest now. You can see her later."

He realized that he was barely dressed and he pulled the blanket that he had twisted around himself in his fitful sleep to cover him better. Then he reached to feel that his bracelet was still attached and cloaked. He could feel it. The woman eyed the motion curiously but didn't seem to guess its significance.

"You're fair handsome," she said, "Though I've looked in on you, I'd not realized that before. It's not something the badger would notice."

The whole comment seemed strange and yet he was more struck by how much her phrasing was like that of Daine's. "I do not understand. You've looked in on me? Do I know you?"

"My name is Sarra – Sarra Beneksri." She smiled again, her dimple creasing attractively.

"Daine's mother? Are we dead then? Is this…"

She laughed. "No, you are very much alive, though you wouldn't be if we had not pulled you through. You're in the Realms of the Gods."

"We?" he asked.

"Daine's father and me," she answered.

He felt hope doing flip flops in his stomach. "Which God is he?" he asked quietly.

"Weiryn," she said with a very big smile. "The badger said you were fair brilliant. You've watched over our girl well, though I don't like all the fighting you drag her into."

He didn't know what to say about that so he said nothing. His mind was repeating everything the Goddess had told him the previous October. "Now as Numair Salmalin you are a great man, worthy of the daughter of a god if you so choose… If there is to be love and family in your future it will be up to you to show your heart at the right moments. And it will be up to you to accept what cannot be changed. You must be patient and open at all times and you must accept the freedoms of others to make their own wrong and right choices. Do you understand?" Daine was the daughter of a god. His gift was drained, his whole body was exhausted, his mind was overwhelmed, and everything hurt, but still his heart was doing a tap dance in his chest.

"You've seen the Goddess?" she asked, blue eyes twinkling.

Taken aback he wondered how she might have read his mind. He had protected his thoughts thoroughly against outside penetration. The only being he had ever known who could bypass it was the Badger. "Are you also a goddess?" he asked in return.

"Yes. There was a need so Weiryn petitioned the great gods."

He sighed heavily. "So no matter how well I try to protect my thoughts, you can see into my mind, like the badger." This was not the way he would have preferred to introduce himself to Daine's parents, especially since he had not yet told Daine how he felt.

"Not exactly," she answered. "Some moments, thoughts, and feelings are more clear than others. The memory of the Goddess was very clear. And you kept calling for Daine in your sleep. It's why I offered to tell you the badger went to fight the monsters. Weiryn won't like it. Since Daine doesn't know, it's best we wait to let him see."

This was definitely not the way he wanted to meet the father of the woman he loved. As if I haven't struggled enough to hide my feelings. Now I'm going to try to hide them from someone who can read my thoughts? he wondered.

Her eyes twinkled. "You've no harm in you. He'll come 'round. Meantime I'll help you keep this secret. Though it's strange – most men wouldn't think twice about telling her."

"I don't want to confuse her," he answered resignedly.

She studied him for a moment. "Are you sure that you aren't the confused one?"

Of course, now he was confused. "I don't understand."

She laughed. "It would be too easy to break the rules around you. I must be careful. I agreed not to meddle in mortal emotions when I came to this realm. Otherwise I'd tell you how strange you really are."

She was likeable enough. Numair could remember Daine telling him many times that she charmed numerous men in their village. He could see that as possible, although he didn't think she was quite as beautiful as Daine. And she didn't quite have Daine's spirit either. But it was shaking him up a bit to realize that they looked to be the same age. Daine's mother very closely resembled the type of woman that he used to be drawn to. There was something extremely unsettling in that knowledge. He also knew that he would grow to look older than Sarra and it would be soon. She would literally stay 29 forever, something most mortal women seemed to wish for. All of these thoughts flashed through his mind in a second followed by, I wonder how much of that she heard?

She laughed which was a good enough answer. "Now, Master Salmalin, what do I have to do to get you to rest?"

"Tell me she doesn't hurt as bad as I do," he answered. Sarra laughed again. It seemed easy to make her laugh. She had some of Daine's happy nature or perhaps Daine had some of hers. This was confusing. "She will recover?"

"Yes, she will recover." She searched his face, eyes twinkling. "This is a strong love, Master Salmalin. Are you sure you want to keep this a secret?"

He smiled. There was no point in answering. The hundred reasons he had kept the secret had rampaged through his mind unbidden the second the question was asked and he was sure she now knew them all. Daine was still free to choose. That was what the Goddess had said. But there was a chance. He had hope. Sleep came better than it had in weeks.

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