Disclaimer: It belongs to Tamora Pierce

Ehtalas Tuath'an: Glad you liked it. Plenty more on the way.

Twilight Shades: The truce didn't last very long.

Goldeneyedwildmage: The truce was too brief.

Alanna Cooper: Thanks

Kit 49: He discovers that Gods can read his thoughts in the beginning of WS when the Badger shows up and reads past all his safeguards. Weiryn and Numair deal with one another all right, but they never exactly like each other. I'm trying to highlight it without making Weiryn hated. It's hard but I'm getting there.

Blackandwhiteroses: Unless the cat in question is the one I have that eats curtains.

Nativewildmage: Glad you liked it.

Bitterosemary: Thank you, thank you. It made you swoon – cool!

Lady Araceli: Cat manners? You haven't met my cat. I've never given much thought to what animal he would be.

Purple Eyed Cat: Yes, poor Kit. Not much thought was given to her in the book.

Sarramaks: I like that Weiryn steps all over himself. He's a god, but he's also got quirks.

Sunfish Sailor: Thanks so much. There is a lot more stuff about his family to be revealed in this story, including the real reason he has trouble with their age difference.

Chapter 11 – Strange Dinner Fellows

Sarra managed to maneuver the places so that Numair sat next to Weiryn. Numair thought perhaps that she was a little too eager to build a friendship between the two men. So Numair reminded himself to be extra respectful and keep thinking about text.

Among their guests that night, Sarra had set a place for Broad Foot and Queenclaw, as well as a tall, pale man with dark, unruly hair and fathomless eyes. "This is Gainel, Master of Dreams and one of the great gods, Gainel this is Master Numair Salmalin, my daughter's teacher." The two shook hands politely, Gainel nodding silently.

At that moment, Daine appeared. She was again wearing a red dress that looked remarkably fresh, despite her nap. She had that lovely sleepy-eyed look and her hair fell about her face in an entrancing way. He longed to run his fingers through it. Thoughts like that could be harmful. Numair looked back to Weiryn, but he was focused on Gainel, as if the two were talking in mindspeak.

Then Weiryn introduced Gainel to his daughter and Gainel took her hand and kissed it. Numair felt the slightest twinge of jealousy although he knew it was stupid. He had kissed the hands of many ladies – it was a polite and respectful greeting and nothing more. He tried to guess what Gainel might think of Daine, but his eyes were black pits that seemed to stretch into infinity, and it made him completely unreadable. Just then Weiryn looked to Daine and said, "He says it's a pleasure to meet you. You must excuse him – as the Dream King, he's only permitted to speak to mortals in dreams. We gods hear him," – Weiryn tapped his skull – "but you won't."

Daine curtsied to the god. "I'm honored, Your Majesty," she said.

Gainel smiled and took a seat to Sarra's right. A place had been left for Daine between Numair and Broad Foot. She grinned at Numair and he smiled back in greeting. Maybe she had forgiven him for offering to let her stay behind. She began to climb over the bench and stumbled. Numair caught her and braced her arm until she was seated. As he let go, her hand brushed down his arm, leaving him tingling warmly. He nervously began to translate text under his breath knowing he had just been very transparent in his longing for her. Luckily, neither Weiryn nor Daine seemed to notice.

It was easily the strangest dinner party Numair had ever attended. It was fascinating to think that although his companions included a man with antlers, two animal gods, and a man with eyes that stretched into infinity, it was the highest class of dinner companions he had ever seen. He had dined with kings, but never before had he dined with five gods.

He turned to say something to Daine and she shot him a perturbed look. Apparently she hadn't forgiven him for his earlier offer. He focused on his dinner. When they had talked before, the first thing Daine had asked was if he had spoken to her parents about how to get home He needed to ask to maintain peace with her, but he had only barely earned a truce from her father. Daine passed him the wine pitcher without pouring herself any. He knew why. Wine was a bad idea for mages anyway, but in the divine realms, everything seemed to be stronger. Every food was more potent and every herb more magical. Even something as simple as butter had the strongest flavor he had ever encountered. He sighed heavily and poured himself a small amount of wine, hoping not to insult Weiryn. He pretended to sip.

Daine, at his left, remained very silent. She seemed to be watching the conversations around her. He leaned to Weiryn and asked very softly, "Lord Weiryn, I know that you are only able to cross to the mortal realm on great holidays and therefore, only able to help us cross at that time. Is there anyone else who can help us return?" He braced himself for the return of the animosity.

"Petition the great gods for all the good it will do," Weiryn's voice rang in answer and Numair cringed. "They are too busy fighting Uusoae to ferry mortals back home. They won't even respond to mind calls from us lesser gods."

Numair turned to Gainel nervously, "Forgive me, but our friends are hard pressed. Might you send us home? You are one of the Great Gods and you don't look as if you are locked in combat with the Queen of Chaos."

Gainel smiled and shook his head.

He says you forget your myths," Sarra interjected, looking far too pleased. "Of the Great Gods, the Dream King alone cannot enter the mortal realms. He can only send his creatures to do his work there."

"Forgive me," Numair said humbly. "I had forgotten." He turned to face Daine to apologize, but her attentions were on Broad Foot. He couldn't help but think about what she had said to Jon before they departed – "Don't worry, Numair will sort them out." She expected him to find the answers and he was letting her down. Numair picked up his wine and took a real sip. His head immediately began to buzz. He set the cup down and reminded himself not to be that stupid again.

He gathered his courage and turned to Weiryn again. "I have met the Goddess. Last fall she brought me back from the brink of death. Do you think a mortal like myself might have a chance of petitioning the Great Gods, as you suggested?"

"I don't see why you fuss about it so," Weiryn snapped. "Come the fall equinox, you at least will be dragged back to your wars, and I wish you the joy of them!"

"They don't give me joy, and I didn't ask for them," he fired back, nearly losing his temper. "Would you prefer we let Ozorne and his allies roll over us?"

Sarra glared at Numair, sending a clear message that he was ruining her dinner party and she wouldn't stand for it. Great! Now both parents can hate me. He sighed and looked to Daine, who seemed to be feeding some kind of a creature on the floor, though he could not see what. He almost laughed. That's my Magelet, he thought and then the longing started all over. She's not mine. Maybe she would want to be with me someday, but I'll have to survive her parents first.

Sarra, in the meantime, seemed determined to the change the subject. She turned to Gainel and said, "By the way, I think one of your servants might have escaped somehow and wandered here. It called itself a darking." Numair saw Daine flinch and he wondered immediately if that might be what she was feeding.

"Look at this," Sarra said, drawing his attention back to her. She lifted her hand, sticking her fingers through a hole in the bottom of her apron pocket. "It got away." Whatever a darking was, it apparently fit in her pocket, and if his guess was correct, it liked cheese. He cast a sidelong glance at Daine and smiled to himself. He had the incredible urge to just kiss her right there. He wasn't sure if it was the threat of her parents or the wine. Maybe it was both.

He turned his attention back to Gainel who was probing the pocket with white sparkling light. The image of a small creature that was shaped like a clothes-pin appeared. Gainel shook his head.

"He's never seen its like," Weiryn told the mortals. Gainel's light faded and he withdrew his hand from Sarra's apron.

"I told them you are strict with your subjects," Queenclaw said haughtily, grooming her tail.

Gainel stood, nodded to each of them and vanished.

"He's terrible at good-byes," Broad Foot remarked. "Worse than a cat that way."

"I prefer to think he's as good as a cat," retorted Queenclaw. Numair grinned at the cat.

Sarra stood. "Well, no amount of wondering and chatter will see that the dishes are done. Let's get started, Daine." Numair was a little surprise. He looked up at Daine, who only hesitated a second, sighed and stood. Numair thought about offering to help, but Weiryn's eyes bore into him so hard that he knew this was calculated. He remained where he was while the ladies gathered the plates and headed to the kitchen.

"One moment you tell her she should stay behind and the next minute you're looking for a way to take her back with you to your damnable war," Weiryn growled the second the women were out of earshot.

Numair's head was still buzzing from a single sip of wine and his patience was nearing its end. "You desire a relationship with your daughter and yet you seem unable to understand the tiniest aspects of her personality," he snapped.

Queenclaw leaped across the table and sat directly in front of him. He heard her say, -Be careful-.

It was already too late. Weiryn's face looked ashen. "Why don't you explain it to me then, Mage." The words came out in a growl and there was so much hatred poured into the word "Mage" that it sounded like a curse.

"Daine told me no. She argued with me. She practically yelled at me. Daine is a calm, responsible, practical girl. She doesn't get angry without reason and when she argues, her mind is set and cannot be changed. She doesn't jump to a decision either. It is borne of thoughtful consideration and immediate weighing of options. She loves you and her mother. But you are in no danger here. Others she loves face peril and she won't leave them to confront it while she relaxes in safety. It is not a trait she got from her mother. It must have come from you."

Weiryn actually sputtered. Broad Foot sniggered. Queenclaw strutted back to her previous seat. "He's got you there, Weiryn," she sassed.

Numair stood and a looked down at Weiryn. "I am very sorry to be so short with you. I should not have had any wine. A sip has left me dizzy. But I think I should tell you there are hard lessons I learned about your daughter some time ago. She hates to be left in the dark and she hates to have decisions made for her. I know you love her and you want what is best for her. But that is not something you can choose. She must choose for herself. And you should tell her about her brother."

He bowed politely and carried the remaining dishes to the kitchen, leaving Weiryn seated at the table as though he were frozen.

But when he arrived in the kitchen, Daine was not there. "I gave her medicine and sent her to bed," Sarra said in answer to his unspoken question.

Numair nodded and then told her what he knew she was wishing to find out. "Weiryn and I may never be friends. Even if he thinks I'm tolerable one moment, it may change the next when my secret is revealed to him. Inevitably, that will happen."

Sarra smiled in spite of herself. She handed him a cup of dark liquid. "I think you should also spend one more night in bed. Although you did not overdo the way Daine did, and you do not have any divine blood to make you suffer as much, I think you should go to bed and rest too.

A burst of silver brought Queenclaw and Broad Foot into the kitchen. Both seemed to be most pleased with him. He took a deep breath and downed the vile medicine, tasting the strong herbs that could only be the product of the divine realm.

"That was good advice," Broad Foot said, "But you should take it yourself. Don't leave her in the dark."

Drowsy he stared at the three Gods in the room, all of whom seemed to be gazing at him expectantly. "The problem is I cannot sway her decision in this and revealing that information would do just that. I cannot doom Daine to the type of marriage my parents had," he said barely coherently.

"To bed, Mister," Sarra directed. But she was smiling softly. He waived to the gods and walked to his room very slowly. He felt as if he were swimming through thick mud. He removed his boots, socks and shirt. But he was far too dizzy and tired to undress anymore. He lay down and fell instantly to sleep.

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