Disclaimer: It's Tamora Pierce's.
A/N: I added a lot into the day that isn't covered in the book. I hope you like it.
Horsehearted15: Thanks. It was very nice of you. If I have any horse questions, I will message you. Though I probably should tell you that I grew up on a ranch and I am pretty familiar. We had one with Cloud's tude too. Her name was Angel, and she was able to open the most stubborn gates and the only one who could ever ride her was me. She threw everyone else. I don't know why we got along, we just did
Mouze8Cheeze: Thanks
Hoshi-ko88: I think you might have missed chapter 21 where I did cover the rock thing.
Kit49: There were so many doubts before that I figured he couldn't change overnight. By the time he reaches the proposal, there will be reasons he thought he dared to do so. Also this story will go a little past the book.
Sarramaks: As always, you helped a lot. Thank you so much and I'm glad you liked the finished product.
Lady Araceli: Thanks
Nativewildmage: Thanks so much
Bitterosemary: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Daine gets to really show her true nature at the end there. They aren't through with relationship struggles, but they're on their way.
Wildmagelioness: Thanks
Alanna Cooper: Thanks
Purple Eyed Cat: Thank you so much. I am working on my own book when this is finished. I might stop by and do stuff from time to time, but I won't have time for anything like these projects until it is done. I get so obsessive that I can't allow myself to believe that I can do a long story slowly.
Goldeneyedwildmage: Thank you for the bows. Glad I didn't let you down.
Chapter 23: Crossings
Numair awoke to soft, tender kisses. He wasn't sure if they had closed the distance in sleep or if Daine had moved over with the purpose of waking him. "Still love me?" she asked.
He smiled. "Always." If she had waited to ask until he was more awake, she might not have gotten so straight an answer, but she seemed satisfied with it all the same.
"Even though I'm covered in dust and managed to lose my weapon?" she continued. She was obviously baiting him now.
"Do you need reassurance or are you fishing for compliments?" he asked.
She chewed her bottom lip for a moment. "Both, I think."
He laughed softly and sat up. "You should have questions. I have questions." She inched over and automatically he wrapped his arms around her. "I know you don't want to discuss the future until the war is over and we're back home. I can refrain from that. But if you're asking if I'm going to change my mind – the answer is no. I've been in love with your for a long time. When I thought you didn't feel the same, I wanted so much for it to go away. But I am resigned." He kissed her cheek. "And as far as the compliments – I think you're beautiful, even covered in dirt, and especially wearing my clothes."
She turned red, but rewarded him with a kiss that left them both panting slightly. Daine snuggled into his chest and he held her there for a long time, neither saying a word. "It's cool enough to get moving again," she said.
"Yes, of course." He stood and gave Daine a hand up. She promptly wrapped her arms around his middle and snuggled into his chest, again rubbing her nose in the chest hair above his shirt. He pulled back from her abruptly. "Magelet, you can't do that."
"Why not?" she asked. "You can't say it's because you need to think now."
He realized she was serious. "Daine, Sweet –" he couldn't believe how much he was blushing. "That – umm – because this part of the river is too swift for me to dunk myself in."
"Oh," she said and blushed too. And now they stood a couple of feet apart, awkwardly stealing glances at one another.
Luckily, the darkings trickled in at that moment. "I'll prepare some food if you want to try to remove some of the dust you think you're covered in," he offered.
"Thank you," she answered, staring at her feet. "How's your magic?"
"Better. Your mother included some tea that seems to help. I thought I would drink some more before we get moving again. I can cut down some clothes for you if you'd like. I could shrink them but we might need the magic later."
"Umm, good idea. I was thinking that I could fly ahead and look for the path and maybe see if I can find Rikash."
"Sensible," he said. And then because he couldn't stand the awkwardness, "That's one of the things I love about you." She smiled warmly.
"You do know how to turn a compliment," she teased before she turned and walked to the river. He chuckled as he began to prepare the food. Only Daine would think it a high compliment to be called sensible. Most women wanted to hear they were gorgeous.
After they had eaten, Numair packed up the camp while Daine flew in hawk form to scout. When she returned and dressed, Daine said, "If we follow the river, it meets a scrubland and beyond that is the Sea of Sand. Unfortunately, Rikash is not yet there. We must hope he arrives soon."
"I did't think they would come until this evening. Afterall, they wouldn't expect us to walk in the heat of the day." He turned and lifted Jelly, who dived beneath his shirt.
"I think Jelly likes you," Daine said, wrapping her arms around his middle and standing on tip toe.
"No accounting for taste," he teased. "If I was a darking, I know who I would prefer to ride with." Daine giggled in his arms. "May I kiss you?"
"Please," she said with a big smile. Their lips met in passionate kiss, but broke when Jelly squeaked in protest. "Sorry, Jelly," she said. "It's probably not safe to hide in his clothes."
"It was the safest place when I was trying to escape the rock creatures," he said, lifting Jelly to his shoulder.
"And Numair, you don't have to ask to kiss me, you know?"
He smiled down at her. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said brightly.
They set off as soon as his pack was settled and Daine had finished making a sling from a piece of discarded material. She wanted to have something to contribute if they got into trouble. This time they didn't walk single file, but side by side, her right hand in his left. He preferred to stick together now that their weapons were reduced. The darkings were watching behind them for trouble from positions on their shoulders.
They had walked in silence for a while, only holding hands and enjoying each other's company. It was Daine who broke the silence. "Numair, I promised my ma I'd come back to visit. Would you come too?"
He smiled and lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing the back of her hand while their fingers remained interlaced. "I'll follow anywhere you let me, though I should probably tell you that Weiryn may spend most of the visit using me for target practice."
She looked at him stunned. "I thought the two of you got along well."
"Well, we did try to make it look that way, although it didn't help that he could read my thoughts about you." He told her all about Queenclaw's attempt to give him a magical shield and the things that were said when he had an overemotional reaction to the tauros attack. He edited out the parts about her half-brother. He wanted to give Weiryn a chance to tell her that. "Before we left he said that you could do worse than me. I suppose that was a type of blessing, although I would have preferred something less open to interpretation." She laughed.
"Ma likes you a lot," Daine said.
"Yes, she told me there was no harm in me. Although I'm not sure she'd feel that way if she watched me beat a spidren to death with my staff."
"Do you regret killing it?" she asked, surprised.
"Of course not, but I – it was not necessary to keep striking it once I knew it was dead. That's just a little barbaric." Daine responded by laughing. He looked down at her, one eyebrow cocked and said, "You think that's funny?"
"Actually, what I was thinking was at least you didn't destroy an entire palace. Seems to me that was my reaction when I thought someone killed you."
He stopped and stared at her. "I thought you tore down the palace to find Kitten."
"Didn't I tell you I lost my temper because I thought they killed you?"
He thought back, smiling. "I guess you did." He watched her for a moment as they began to walk again. "I think that when we discuss our future, we should probably also revisit the past. I'm curious to know how many other actions I misinterpreted."
She smiled warmly. "Okay."
Both were silent for awhile. They watched the sunset without stopping. "Numair, do you think we can beat Uusoae?"
He squeezed her hand tightly. "I wish I knew. I have not checked the water for news from home since before you fell. I didn't have any dreams before waking the last time – just a dream come true," he said smiling at Daine. She shot him a warm look in return.
"I saw Queen Thayet talking to Goldstreak and the badger when I woke up the first time. They were scheming to use the darkings' intelligence for counterattacks. The second time I saw Alanna in a battle in the north. Her group had caught the Scanrans at a secret river crossing. You were right. This has turned the tide. But still, the war up here –"
"I know," he said. "It seems as if the battle lights here are increasing."
"And we don't know if the dragons will help."
"Or if Rikash will help us cross the Sea of Sand," he added. "We're taking a lot on faith.
"Faith," she shook her head.
"Ironic, yes," he said.
She stopped and then smiled. "I sense Stormwings. I am familiar enough with Rikash now to know that he is one of them."
They walked to a pair of rocks near where Daine sensed them. Daine shifted her eyes to those of an owl. "Queen Barzha and her consort, Hebakh are also there," she whispered. He let her take the lead and he followed closely behind.
She greeted the Stormwings with "Hello" and Numair chuckled silently when a bunch of them jumped in surprise. They were startled by a skinny young woman carrying a home-made sling shot.
"Don't you make noise?" one of them demanded crossly as Numair showed himself.
He hid his amusement and said, "You dine on fear, but don't care to feel it yourself?"
The stormwing looked like he intended a tart response, but Daine stopped him by saying, "Enough, both of you." Numair felt sufficiently chastised. Daine bowed to a mature looking female stormwing wearing a crown and then to the male stormwing wearing a crown. "Queen Barzha and Lord Hebakh. May I present Numair Salmalin." He had actually met them before and had been present in the Carthaki menagerie when Ozorne had been turned into a Stormwing and the two pursued him along with Rikash. Daine continued, "This is Leaf." The darking nodded its knobby head. "And that's Jelly." Jelly stuck a tentacle out from under Numair's shirt where it was hiding and waved. Then it scuttled back under again.
"It hasn't met royalty before, that we know of," Numair explained. He bowed to the Stormwing monarchs and said, "May I say that it is good to see you again?"
"As long as you don't get downwind of us, right, mortal?" taunted a male voice from somewhere behind the queen and her consort.
"Do you challenge my decision, Vekkat?" Barzha asked without looking away from the humans. "Have you questions left unanswered?"
Numair struggled not to laugh, turning to look at his shoes and thinking about magic text to keep his face impassive.
Rikash came up beside Queen Barzha and said to Daine, "I confess, the most amusing part of our association is that I am not sure who is more puzzled by it – you or me." He added wryly, "I'm shocked Sarra let you go out dressed that way." Numair bit his lip to keep from saying something he'd regret.
Daine looked down and then said, "My things got lost. I fell off a cliff."
"You take such a fall well, Veralidaine," Barzha said, her voice cynical. "Rikash tells me I should apologize for not killing Ozorne while I had the chance.
"He's good at survival," Daine remarked. "I know you did your best.."
Hebakh blanched. He shifted from one clawed foot to another nervously. "We have not put the matter aside yet. There will be other chances to explain to Ozorne how things are done properly among our kind."
"In the meantime," Rikash said, "Queen Barzha has agreed that we shall carry you over the Sea of Sand to the portal of the Dragonlands."
"We are in your debt," Added Barzha. You freed us from Emperor Ozorne. We shall feel better if we may repay you.'
Two stormwings flapped over at Hebakh whistle, bearing some dark substance coiled in their talons.
"Your mother helped us to make these slings," explained Rikash. "It won't be an easy ride, but it's the quickest way to cross the desert."
Numair was beginning to feel strange. Rikash kept talking as if he weren't there. But he nodded along with Daine and then helped with securing conveyances while Daine told Barzha about the Stormwings that were disagreeing with Ozorne when they were at Temptation Lake.
"They are finding mortal warfare a bit rich for their stomachs," he heard Barzha say. "Perhaps Mogrul of Razor Scream also feels the pinch, after losing eleven. Perhaps—
"You'll never turn Queen Jachull," Hebakh said. "She is empty. There isn't a Stormwing inside of her, only a void. But the others – they might yet listen to reason."
Numair hoped it were true. It would certainly help if they could turn some of the stormwings back to their side. He made a mental note to talk to Barzha about Queen Jachull. He couldn't help but wonder if she might be the unknown female Stormwing.
Their slings were ready and once their belongings were secured, Daine and Numair sat in the rope webs. Barzha croaked a word which shimmered with her magic and the slings rose enough for the stormwings to grasp them with their talons. Numair thought how much he would love to learn the language of Stormwing magic, just to say he could. Tkaa might know it.
Soon they were airborne. Two stormwings carried Daine's sling, three carried Numair's. But the entire Stonetree Nation was in company – they numbered 63. It was chilly as deserts often are in the midnight hours. Barzha flew close to Numair. He took the opportunity to ask her to describe Jachull and once convinced that she must be the unknown Stormwing from the chess game, he decided to fill Barzha in on the details.
"You believe Jachull is the Stormwing that might be helping Uusoae?" she said a little skeptically once he had finished.
"I cannot be absolutely certain from a description but if I use a little magic now I can show you. Understand, I need to reserve as much as possible in case we run into trouble with the dragons. Before I show you, it would be best if you brought over anyone else you want to see it." She motioned to her mate and Numair did a projection spell of the dream, which was crystal clear in his memory.
When he was through, Barzha only shook her head. "I do not know who that is. But I can promise you that if I find her, I will kill her."
"That is as much as we could ask for," Numair said. "You truly are worthy of the title queen."
She smiled, showing steel teeth. "You aren't so bad for a mortal. You might have made a good Stormwing. Let me know if you ever want to make the change."
He tried not to let his thoughts show. She meant it as a compliment even if it was a revolting thought. "Thank you," he said politely. "However, I am very happy as a human."
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-more to come, of course.