Disclaimer: Insert generic disclaimer here – be sure to include Tamora Pierce.

Celuna Cirrus: Yep. And here's the resolution.

Kit49: Yes, I'm sorry. I keep chapters between 6-8 pages of typing in Word. So I had to.

Alanna Cooper: Yes, this is the kiss. And I'm so glad you liked the last one.

Wildmage426: Thank you.

Silverlake: Thank you. There definitely was a cliff.

Goldeneyedwildmage: Well, my dear fluff-obsessed friend – here you go. I hope it lives up to your expectations.

Twilight Shades: Focus magic is brief because the focus already exists, but it is below along with a whole lot more.

Bitterosemary: Yes the sight is having trouble. It's not showing the reviews there, but I did get them in my email. I'm glad you liked the hysteria. You might be the only one who noticed the thought about Alanna. I actually sent two fix it requests to yesterday. It wasn't only my story you couldn't see. Many had that problem. Sarramaks submitted a new one and nobody could get to it or even see it under her name. Several other updates were closed too. Hopefully this one will go right up.

Purple Eyed Cat: No heart attack, but definitely angst.

Sarramaks: Between you and me we had enough troubles with to make us crazy. I finally got to read your new story and I can't wait to see what's next. And thanks for the compliments.

Wildmage Lioness: Thanks. It will be a while until you see this response, but I had to put it somewhere.

Chapter 22 – Love

Numair flipped open the locket on his wrist. He knew Daine's chances were not good. But if Daine had stopped her fall somewhere along the path to the bottom, he would not leave her to suffer injured and alone. He glanced one last time at the perfect picture of Daine and then closed his fingers over the lock of hair. Centering his mind on the focus, his black fire burned from the core of his being, and time and space bent. There was a sharp tug in the center of him and his feet left the ground. He lost all sense of gravity, as if he were floating in a vacuum. Light swirled before his eyes, shooting violently past, and then faded away to brightness His feet touched solid ground. Dizzy, he struggled to get his bearings as he closed the clasp on the bracelet. Before him, Numair could see three spidrens gathered around a rock. Daine's boots lay askew on the ground under one of the spidrens feet.

His mind screamed. If she was alive when she reached this point, it made no difference now. These horrid beasts had devoured her. A rage like he had never known built and burst inside of him. Past the point of logic, he roared like an injured beast, sending the last remaining dregs of his gift flashing through the gem on his staff and bursting one of the spidrens to bits and pieces. But now he was drained. He couldn't treat the other two to the same satisfying end.

He could see Daine 's body covered in webbing on the stone slab behind him. She wasn't moving as he knew she wouldn't be.

Rage pushed him forward toward a rearing male spidren. His thoughts became single minded and violent. Numair struck the spidren with his staff using all his strength. He was rewarded with a sickening crunch and a cry of pain. He swung again, treating the spidren like a piece of firewood he was chopping into with an axe. Blow after blow, he struck, as rage poured from him, past the point when the spidren ceased to move.

He turned to face the female spidren, but she was already dead, suffocated by two small darkings. He stood there sagging against his staff. He knew he should confirm that Daine was dead, but he couldn't bring himself to do it now. Her body was there, behind him and she deserved a descent burial. But how could he deal with this? If he dug a grave he might just as well crawl inside with her. He had failed to protect her and she was gone and there was nothing he could do to bring her back. There would be no big magic to save her now. Tears slipped silently down his face and shock tugged at his mind like cyclone. He wanted it undone. He needed a second chance. But there would be none.

"Please – are you alright?" It was Daine's voice. Something between a sob and gasp escaped him as he turned, hardly believing. "You – you're alive. I thought…" This isn't real. My mind has collapsed.

The girl staggered toward him. "I hurt too much to be dead." Only Daine would joke at a time like this.

He dropped his staff and swept her into his arms, only vaguely feeling her hands go around his neck. He stroked her back and clung desperately to her, feeling the welcome thump of her pulse. You're alive – it's really you. Warring emotions overtook him: loss and recovery, sorrow and gratitude, desperation and longing, rage and love. All the reasons that he had kept his silence for all of these months went forgotten and the strength that had powered his resolve shattered. His logical mind refused to function and his heart took over. So when she pulled back and looked into his eyes, he closed the distance and kissed her.

Numair had imagined this moment so many times, but his imagination was not this good. Numair was not new to kissing, but this was like nothing before. It was the most ardent kiss he'd ever experienced as passion rolled through his veins and every part of him cried for her. A force he had never before experienced traveled between them and every nerve tingled joyously. His breath became rapid and eager. A blissful sense of belonging settled over him and heat spread through his limbs and into his clouded mind. Suddenly, everywhere their bodies touched didn't seem close enough and his arms pulled her tighter against him until he felt her tremble. And then the logical side of him finally kicked in and he realized what he had done.

Numair tried to break the kiss, but as he pulled back Daine whispered, "No," and drew him to her. He could feel her hands tangled in his hair. He caressed her lips with his own, gently this time, thinking how much he loved her and wanted this to go on forever. But it couldn't. He broke away once more, only to return again to kiss deeper and longer, until he was having trouble breathing. He could feel her hanging in his arms and his own knees felt a little a weak.

He let out a strangled laugh. He couldn't imagine the fall or the fear she must have just gone through. He only knew his own fears. He scooped her into his arms and carried her to a large rock, where he sat, cradling her in his lap. "Goddess bless," he whispered, smoothing her curls away from the beautiful blue-gray eyes that were now staring at him with some kind of wonder. "Magelet, I thought I'd lost you," he confessed.

Daine buried her face in his shirt, so Numair held her to him. He could feel her shudders and realized she was crying. He said nothing. He only pressed his mouth to her hair, kissing her curly head repeatedly and thanking the gods – all of them – that she was alive and safe.

Now a storm of questions began barraging his brain. She returned the kisses, does this mean she feels the same? What if she just wanted to be kissed? Can she tell how I feel? And How ever did she survive that fall? He decided it was important to deal with the problems at hand, not the least of which was the fact that Daine might have injuries and that he was too drained to defend them if anything else came along.

"We need to rest and eat," he said practically after nearly ten minutes of silence. "It'll soon be too hot to travel, and there is the path to relocate as well. If I remember correctly, this river is on the map. It parallels our route and emerges from this canyon near the path. Once you feel better, perhaps you could fly up and locate it. What do you think?

She didn't answer.

"Sweet?" Craning to see her face, he realizing she was asleep. With a sigh, he got to his feet, cradling his student, friend, and love. Daine's only reaction was to snuggle closer. To the darkings, Numair said, "Let's find some shelter."

The two darkings spread out in both directions, searching the cliff face. Numair was amazed at how fast they could move when they wanted to. He was exhausted and moving slowly. He had barely reached the canyon wall when Jelly was back, urging him to follow. Jelly had found a hollow under a rock shelf that was well shaded. It would protect them from the harshest heat and there was enough room to make a decent camp.

Numair lowered Daine onto his own cloak for a pillow and treated the cuts he could see without disturbing her. The rest would have to be tended later. He didn't cover her because the heat was already becoming uncomfortable. He left Leaf to watch over her and took Jelly with him to gather wood for a small fire and stones for a fire ring. He was afraid to wander very far from Daine and so they made due with what they had.

Daine's pack and bow appeared to have been lost in the river. Luckily, Numair had carried the heavier items, including the cooking pots and bowls and most of the food supplies. It had been a very long time since he had needed to make a fire without his gift and Daine's flint had been lost with her pack. But before he could begin a more traditional method, the darkings had taken care of that too, using two of the smaller sticks intended for firewood.

"You are very helpful, did you know that?" he praised. He could swear Leaf and Jelly looked extremely pleased with themselves.

He turned to Leaf and asked, "Do you get injured?" The darking shook its leaf covered head. "Lucky you," he said turning to Daine again. He smoothed her hair as she slept on.

Numair filled a pan with water and put it on to boil, dropping the soup ball in. He was so tired he kept dozing, though he was trying to remember not to burn the soup. When he reached for the spoon again, Jelly had wrapped a tentacle around it. Forming a small mouth the darking said, "I cook, you rest."

Numair smiled gratefully. "Thank you. It's done when the mushrooms look tender, the noodles swell, and the light green herbs look dark green. Does that make sense to you?" Both darkings nodded.

He leaned back against the cliff wall and drifted into exhausted sleep that he knew would be far too short.

As if from a long distance he heard Jelly squeak, "Food done."

Numair knew it had probably been about 20 minutes, but he felt like he hadn't slept at all. "Very good," he told Jelly. Then he turned and saw Daine watching him. He blushed automatically, remembering the kiss, and he turned his head away. He had never felt anything like what he experienced when he kissed her. He supposed that his love for her had something to do with that, but if the feelings were returned, maybe that was part of it too. But then, he had initiated everything, not the other way around. If she didn't love him, it would destroy the friendship he valued so much, and he certainly could not undo his actions.

Numair was very confused now. All the unanswered questions would likely be discussed and Goddess he hoped she didn't want to know how he had found her. So naturally it was the first words out of her mouth. "How in the name of Shakith did you find me?" she asked.

He fidgeted automatically, "It was merely a simple magic, Daine –"He couldn't meet her eyes. The Copper Islanders had once wanted to use a focus to control him. She had remembered then what significance it had. How would she react to the knowledge that he had kept one of her?

"Mouse manure," she replied. "D'you think I've lived all this time with mages without knowing what it takes to find somebody and go to them?"

He wouldn't lie to her if he could – not about this. But he wanted so much to avoid this confrontation. "I had a focus," he mumbled nearly inaudibly. Clearly, she heard him though.

"A focus? Something of mine to connect us?"

"Yes – and I'm glad I had it." He couldn't imagine what would have happened if he hadn't gone right to her. She looked at him curiously. Please, don't ask anything more about it.

"Yes – but – may I see it?"

He looked at her solemnly. He couldn't deny the request and he couldn't deny what she would know when she saw it. And then what? Is she in love? Will she forgive me for taking this lock of hair? Or will she laugh at my foolishness? She tilted her head at his hesitation. Just get it over with. He unlatched his bracelet, knowing it was now visible and reached across the distance, letting it slide from beneath his sleeve and into her open palm. He almost couldn't watch as she examined it with her lips parted in shock. And then to his surprise, she gave it back to him.

"I thought you might laugh if I asked you to sit for a portrait." He reattached the locket to the chain and both vanished. "The painting was done by Volney Rain. The hair I got when you were delirious with unicorn fever six months ago." Every girl in the world recognized a lover's token. Now she knows.

He couldn't just sit there and wait for her to react. He began to distribute the soup into three bowls. He gave one to Daine and kept one for himself. The third went on the ground for the darkings. They flowed over their bowl consuming it greedily. He wondered if they needed to eat or just liked to, in the way that gods did.

Numair watched Daine blow on a spoon full of hot soup. He was hungry but was reluctant to start in on his own bowl while waiting for the other shoe to drop. But when she finally spoke, it wasn't regarding the focus. "What happened to you? What about those rock things?" she asked.

"They carried me off," he answered, pausing to eat a bite of soup. "I used my gift to shield myself, but it took them some time to discover that I was the source of their pain. Once they did, they fled. When I returned to the chaos vent, and realized that you had gone over the cliff --," he broke off, swallowing hard. It was still so painful to think about. He couldn't imagine how she had survived the fall.

As if answering the question, Daine said, "You can thank a number of trees and a deep part of the river that I'm reasonably alive." She sat next to him, inching over until he was force to raise his arm, where she tucked herself against him and rested her head on his chest. He let his arm drop to wrap around her and smiled nervously. He tried to study her without her seeing, looking for answers.

"You're trembling," she murmured. Numair wished she had not noticed.

"I'm only tired," he lied. If it were a matter of only being tired and drained, he would not feel so frightened. Something George had once said to Daine rang through his head, 'Nothing like a big, tough mage.' He wondered why that had to drift into his thoughts now. "I used up my entire Gift to reach you."

"You shouldn't have," she said. "You need it to defend yourself – and we still have to reach the Sea of Sand."

He closed his eyes breathing deeply and squeezed her against him. Whatever she felt, she cared about his welfare more than her own. She might not be in love, but she definitely loved him in some way. It was a start. "If I'd lost you and kept my power, I would hate myself," he said. "Eventually magic returns, even after a draining. I had no way to know if you would."

Their eyes met and he felt that he never wanted to end the gaze. "It would take more than falling off a cliff to keep me from you," Daine said, the heat in her voice pulling him irresistibly to her.

They kissed again, passionately, sending the same swarm of emotions and energy he had felt the first time coursing through his body all over again. "I'd hoped you'd felt that way," he whispered when he could do more than gasp. He kissed her eyelids, and the tip of her nose, then found her lips again. When he pulled away again, Daine trembled within the circle of his arms, and stared again into his eyes. He caressed her and felt her wince once.

He sighed regretfully, realizing that she was trying to be tough and pretend not to be hurt. "I should look at your cuts." He drew the pack toward him and turned to see Daine lifting her shirt hem, arms crossed, clearly intending to remove it.

"Daine!" he gasped. A few kisses and now she seemed to be willing to strip in front of him. How was he supposed to behave in a proper, respectful manner with Daine, if she was willing to lose all modesty in front of him that fast? Injured or no, it wasn't appropriate.

"What?" she exclaimed, interrupting his thoughts.

He felt his cheeks burn. His mind had wandered into territory he was trying to avoid. "You – We aren't – you should be clothed!"

"I've a breast band on, dolt. Besides, this shirt's in shreds. Like the rest of me." It was true. Her shirt was nearly indecent, but it was a symbolic barrier that he needed her to maintain.

He shifted uncomfortably. "It just doesn't seem right. I feel that I'm .. taking advantage of your innocence. A man of my – years, and reputation –" And now he had stated aloud what he had punished himself over for months – the dreaded reputation that had caused her pain. She had been targeted by at least one young man who only wanted her for sex, all because the court gossips had suggested she was sleeping around. And it had all been due to the fact that Daine was Numair's student and Numair was notorious for his relationships with ladies of the court.

"Taking advantage of?" she repeated. "And what reputation?"

"You of all people should know that I've been involved with ladies of the court." Now he was completely humiliated.

"What does that have to do with the price of peas in Persopolis?"

"It's easy for an experienced man to delude a young woman into believing herself in love with him. It is the basest kind of trickery, even when the man does not intend it."

"Do you love me or not?" she demanded.

His face grew so hot he knew he must be crimson. Surely you realize that I do. "That is not the topic under discussion." He fumbled for Sarra's ointment from his pack. Jelly and Leaf trickled over, carrying a bottle of water between them. "Thank you," Numair told them as he took charge of it.

Daine turned her back to him and stripped off her shirt in a brisk, almost defiant motion. Her back was badly scraped and he felt like a fool for having argued. "We're not talking about love?" she demanded, wincing visibly as he began to clean the cuts on her shoulders and back. "What are we talking of then? Canoodling?

"Daine! Is that what you think I want? he asked, outraged. "Sex?" But then he knew that everyone would think that if they built some type of relationship. And the truth was he did want that – but it wasn't even close to the limit of what he wanted. He felt like he'd been slapped and a sadness settled over him. He began to smooth ointment into her cuts as gently as possible, watching with the usual awe as they healed the second the salve touched them.

"It isn't?" Daine asked. Rising to her knees she stripped off what remained of her breeches. He moved back away from her, wanting to escape more than he ever had wanted to escape any situation. This must be what she thinks of me.

He stood there numbly, wishing he had shown himself to be more honorable in their three and a half years together. He could barely meet her eyes when she swung around to face him. When he did, she seemed to be searching his face for something. A look of dawning comprehension crossed Daine's countenance. She closed the distance and grabbed for the invisible bracelet. "You're in love with me?"

He couldn't believe it had taken her this long to realize. He looked away, mortified.

"Love's fair wondrous. Where's the harm?" she said.

He cringed. "I was 'canoodling,' as you so charmingly put it, when you were four. You're so young, Daine. I knew that if I spoke, you might think yourself in love with me; you might ma—" He stopped, hardly believing he had gone that far.

"Marry?" she squeaked. "Marry you?"

The reaction was like the strong twist of a knife which had already been plunged into his gut. Is it that distasteful to think of marrying me? He couldn't look at her, if he did he might actually cry and he hated crying under any circumstances. "One day you'd turn to me and see an old man. You'd want a young one." He got up and walked out of the shelter into the scorching heat of the day. He crouched by the thundering river feeling broken.

How would things between them be now? He couldn't hope to return to what they were before. He couldn't hope to make her love him. Why did I have to kiss her? If I had minded the rules, then she wouldn't know what a fool I am. And the tears came anyway. He splashed river water on his face, irritated at his own weakness. I'll get her back home and follow any rules she wants. Lindhall can teach her if there's anything she still needs to know. She doesn't have to be near me if she doesn't want to be.

He folded his arms around himself tightly. Despite the heat, he felt slightly cold. He also felt extremely empty.

"Can't we just go on as we have?" he heard Daine ask. He had not heard her come out. "This is a fair weight to solve when things are so – mad." He turned to look at her. She had wrapped herself in one of his shirts. The sight was almost comical. It looked like a short dress on her. And the cuffs were rolled several times so her hands could peek out the end.

He looked up and forced a smile. "That is certainly true," he answered.

She walked closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know I love you," she said and he stared at her hardly believing. "Maybe I always have –"

"Which is what I was afraid of." he voiced. She could not have loved him as long as she'd known him. Although he had trouble figuring out when this became love, he knew his didn't go that far back. But then she had said "I know I love you", not "I think I love you".

But Daine rolled her eyes. "Once we're home – once the war's done – we can work it out. We'll talk then." And she smiled so warmly that his stomach did flip-flops.

He stood and cupped her face in his hands, repeating her words to himself again, "I know I love you". He kissed her very softly, and briefly on the lips. "Indeed we will."

She took his hand and pulled him back to their shelter. "We both need sleep and you'll bake if you stay out here any longer," she said practically. And though she had been the injured one, she ordered him to lay down and she lay down beside him. He pulled his pack between them and she promptly picked it up and put it on the other side. "Surely we can sleep this close without worrying about what the world thinks." There was two feet of space between them. "And I did mean what I said, I know I love you." Numair felt himself smile and she smiled in return. "Now go to sleep."

He didn't need any further encouragement.

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plenty more to come.