Sprightly Mordred: Here's more!
NealsChick: It's up.
Lela-of-Bast: There's more fluff to come!
Goldeneyedwildmage: No disapproving friends, I don't think they would. If you've read Interlude then you'll know that I think they all suspect that DN will get together. Fluff coming, with a plot that I'm quite pleased with... I just hope it works.
Briton Narm Arm Number person: If she had put her hand there then it would have been an M. Maybe I need to add something more in about an exchanged look. Hope you're enjoying your day off. I'm at work. Sob.
Daine's Daughter: Thank you
A/N: I am merely the puppeteer playing with Tamora Pierce's puppets. It's all hers.
Chapter 2 – Explanations
After managing to pull herself away from Numair, Daine snuck back to her own room to dress and prepare for breakfast, or brunch as it would more likely be given that the sun was almost at its highest point. She wore simple breeches and a shirt, combing through her tussled hair and tying it up in a knot on top of her head. Numair had said that he would walk down to the hall with her, imagining that there would probably be plenty of people searching for food at this time, given that most would have slept late after the trauma of the past few days.
They had briefly discussed letting people know about their relationship. It had been clear that Onua had realised yesterday, that they had finally discovered that the other had returned their feelings. Thayet already knew, having seen them together before Daine had departed for Legann, they had made no pretence of the fact that they were a couple after returning from the Dragonlands.
"We had best be open about it," Daine had said, between kisses that morning. "Otherwise they'll be upset if they find out we've not told them the truth."
"People will gossip. Are you sure you're not worried at that?" Numair had asked. Daine had already endured enough gossip about her in Snowsdale to last a lifetime.
"They've been gossiping for years, Numair. We know the truth, as will our friends. That should be all that matters. We'll have to let people know at some point, its best being now then they can get used to it," she reasoned. Numair was inclined to agree, so he had suggested that they went downstairs to breakfast together, although that wouldn't be that unusual.
She heard a knock on her door and opened it to find Numair there with Kitten, who had decided to stay with him while he dressed. She always enjoyed being in Numair's room, given that there were generally lots more potions and creams there that she could investigate, although she had on occasion driven Numair to distraction when she kept trying to taste everything and he had to continually watch her as he got ready for an important ball. He kissed Daine as they stood on the corridor outside their rooms, Kitten trilling happily as she watched them. Daine laughed as she looked at the little dragon stood there quite proudly watching the show of affection between her two favourite humans.
Numair bent down and picked her up. "Do you think she's happy about us?" he asked Daine, gently stroking the dragonet.
Kitten trilled louder, as if to give her approval. "I would definitely say so. She's heard me talk about you enough over the past few months," Daine smiled, a touch self-conscious at her confession.
Numair's face brightened. "I think you're going to have to tell me all about that, Magelet!"
Daine gave him the look she reserved for self-important horses. "Maybe some day," she said dryly.
"I have plenty of stories I can tell you in return," Numair gazed at her, a look in his eyes that Daine hoped would never go away.
"Maybe later, then. Definitely not while we're eating breakfast," she said firmly.
"They'll be enough storied to tell without those being included," Numair replied rather grimly.
As Numair had expected there were a multitude of people swarming around the hall. Port Legann's cook was obviously doing her best to keep up with the demand for food, but Numair could hear various curses and yells erupting from the kitchens. He smothered a laugh, sitting down in between Daine and Legann's ruler, Imrah. Imrah smiled rather conspiratorially back at him, obviously having heard the same noises evolving from the kitchen.
"At least some things are back to normal," he said to the mage. "It might be awhile before everything else is working as it should, but we can always rely on Aliz to maintain normality within the kitchens."
Numair heard Daine laugh beside him and was surprised at the sound. He had thought that she wasn't too fond of Lord Imrah, thinking him cruel, mainly because of his cold eyes and pock marked skin. He was glad she seemed to have changed her opinion, as he quite liked the fief's ruler, finding him to be intelligent and fair.
A young boy who Numair recognised as one of the squires came to them.
"Sorry to interrupt, Master Salmalin, Lord Imrah, Miss Sarrasri, but his highness would like you to meet with him in the Lord's study after you have eaten. He does say that you are not to rush your food, though."
"Thank you," Numair replied.
Lord Imrah nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "Let the king know we will be there as soon as we have finished with our food." The squire scampered away to return the message.
Daine piled her plate high with bacon, watching Kitten's eyes light up and laughing at the chirps she was making in delight at seeing her favourite food. Numair rolled his eyes. "You spoil her far too much!" he told her.
Daine merely smiled back at him. "Surely all that can't be good for her?" He said again.
"She likes it and it won't harm her. She's eaten creams and potions of yours before now with no upset to her stomach at all," Daine responded mildly, Lord Imrah choking slightly on a piece of bread as he laughed at their conversation.
"Are you taking her to this conference with Jon?" Numair asked Daine.
"Yes, she won't be any bother and she'll enjoy listening. Why, did you think I shouldn't?" Daine replied.
"No, not at all. But we should be on our way over there, so she needs to finish that bacon of rapidly," said Numair.
Kitten, eyeing the mage who she was extremely fond of, proceeded to gobble the rest of the bacon hurriedly, less it be taken from her. Lord Imrah laughed again, watching Daine and Numair with some interest. He had heard rumours about their relationship and had guessed that they were becoming more than friends following some of Daine's comments and the expressions on her face when she spoke about him during the battle of Legann.
"If it wasn't for the fact that the little one is a dragon, you'd seem to be a typical little family," he said to them, testing their reactions.
Daine and Numair fell a little silent, neither quite sure what to say. They weren't going to hide what they felt, but neither were they going to shout it from the rooftops.
"I guess it's because we've spent so much timewith just the three of us," Daine mediated.
Lord Imrah just smiled.
They met in the large study that Imrah used a meeting room as well, all seated around a long oak table. Daine sat with Kitten in between Onua and Gareth the Younger. There were more people there than usual, probably because they needed to begin to form a strategy to start the rebuilding of what had been damaged. Numair was sat next to Harailt, the Dean of the Royal University and Lord Imrah. He glanced over at Daine, meeting her eyes and smiling softly at her, revelling in the smile she sent back and that he was now able to look at her without being worried that she would catch him. A warm glow flickered inside him and he realised that they were still looking at each other, and not very subtly grinning like idiots. In fact, he could see Onua sitting next to Daine,with a knowing look on her face. Numair dropped his eyes to the table and waited for Jonathan to begin.
Daine knew that Jonathan spoke with a lot of sense and practicality in situations like this and that whatever would be decided here would be the best possible course of action. She already knew that there was healing of animals to be done. Some of the mounts were injured, as were some of the wild animals that had become involved with the human bloodshed. Onua had already done much for the mounts that morning and had assured Daine that she wasn't needed immediately, but Daine was still keen to check them for herself.
Jonathan looked around the table and waited for silence. Once quietness had fallen he began. "I will just confirm that our enemies from the Copper Isles and the Carthaki rebels have withdrawn. I have had reports from Alanna that the Scanrans have also begun to make their way out of Tortall. We still have armies out patrolling and taking care of any uprising that may occur, so we still need to remain on guard. But we must now press on and decide on a further course of action, particular to the state of the surrounding area to here. However, I think that first we need to recount on the events that led to the end of the war. Numair, can we start with you?"
Daine was surprised and rather endeared to see Numair look vaguely embarrassed. He remained sat at the table, pausing before beginning the tale.
"Inar Hadensra was working for, or rather, alongside Ozorne. The Council of Ten wanted Tortall to be weakened so they could raid us. Hadensra's a powerful mage, he could have been a black robe, but he said he would find it too confining. I sought him, as we weren't sure who exactly was acting as Uusoae's pawn and assisting her in the mortal realms. After sensing him in the main camp I persuaded him to agree to us shielding ourselves to protect anyone else from our magic, although he thought it was to stop anyone from stabbing us in the back. He was an extremely hard fight," Numair stopped speaking, taking the large ruby globe from his pocket and placing it on the table. "However, he will no longer be troubling us."
Jonathan looked slightly perturbed. "How did manage to rid us of him and how are you alive to tell the tale?"
Numair grinned wryly. "It would really not interest half the people around this table, Jon. Another time, perhaps," he looked across at Daine, a few people following his gaze. "The rest is really Daine's story. She was the one who finished Ozorne and dealt with the Gods."
Jonathan looked to Daine to continue. She was silent for a moment, remembering the girl she once was, and now she was in the company of nobles; not just nobles, some of these people she called her friends, and her family and that thought raised her confidence. "I went after Ozorne after seeking permission from the king," she began to recount the events that had led up to Ozorne's death, Thayet wincing as she described the blood causing his chain to stick to her skin. She stopped before telling them about the Gods. Not all of them yet knew about who her da was, and she wasn't too sure about how to announce it. She also didn't want to confess to the choice she had had to make between coming home of staying with her ma. She looked over at Numair for support. He nodded slightly, encouraging her to carry on.
"After I threw Ozorne's stone and it shattered I saw Uusoae," she continued, trying to keep merely to the actual facts of what happened and not let her feelings get in the way of what actually happened, she didn't think that the likes of Lord Imrah and his wife, Marielle would be too interested in that side of things.
The roomed remained silent for half a minute after she had finished, taking everything in.
"You have learnt who your father is, haven't you, Daine?" Thayet said gently.
"Yes," Daine replied. "He is Weiryn, the God of the Hunt."
Jonathan smiled at her. He had known, of course. Information like that would always have a way of getting to him quickly, but he had wanted Daine to announce it. She was no longer a bastard as she had been prone to put it; she had a respectable father and was a half-goddess.
"Could you have chosen to stay in the realms of the gods with your parents?" Realisation dawned on Numair.
Daine cursed him silently. That topic could have waited until they were on their own, not in front of nearly twenty other people. "I was given a choice. I chose to come back here." She said simply, hoping he would not press as to her reasons why.
"And we are all thankful that you did, Daine. We wouldn't want to lose you as a member of our state or as our friend," Thayet interjected before Numair could get there. Daine made a mental note to thank her later.
There were a few questions asked and then the king moved them on to the topic of how to begin the process of mending what had been destroyed. The fighting by both soldiers and mages had devastated the area around Legann. They needed to organise an operation to restore the surroundings.
Responsibilities were designated; Daine and Onua were assigned to aid and maintain the health and well being of the mounts and other animals in need. Numair, much to Daine's relief, was told to spend a little more time recuperating before he would be allowed to assist in the interrogation of certain prisoners that had been captured and were suspected to be spies or to hold knowledge that would be useful for Tortall. Jonathan had obviously remembered Numair's success with Arvid, the man who had captured Kitten two or so months previously. The main bulk of the tasks were down to the healers, and the enlistment of men to begin to bury the dead and clear up the battlefields.
Jonathan dismissed the majority of people there after two hours of strategic planning and debate. He kept Daine and Numair behind with himself and Thayet. Daine moved closer to them, thankful for being able to stand up and stretch her legs.
"I wanted to say thank you privately for what you have both done and to express my relief that you are both safe and well, if a little exhausted. For a few days we thought you had been killed by the skinners," Numair smiled a little awkwardly. "I would also like to offer my congratulations."
Daine looked up at the king suddenly, not quite sure what the congratulation were for. Thayet let out a peel of laughter. "For finally realising what the rest of us had known for months. How did it happen?"
Daine saw Numair blush slightly and smile like an idiot. She realized that she had the same look on her face too and laughed slightly. "I fell down the side of a canyon and ended up being trapped by spidrens. Numair found me and we… just realised… a few things," she stuttered. She felt Numair take her hand.
"I know I've been her teacher and the age…" he began.
"We've been through this," Thayet interrupted. Daine looked at Numair. When had they been through this and why did it not seem a shock to some people like she thought it would have. "It really has no bearing, Numair. Are you going to keep it quiet? Although I think that will be impossible."
"We said we would be open about it. There's no point in concealing this, people will have to find out eventually. I just don't want there to be too many rumours flying around. You can imagine what some people will say," Numair explained.
"That's human nature, Numair. I agree, don't make a song and dance about it and then people won't take it as too much of a big deal. There will be gossips, but they'll soon find something else to be interested in," Jonathan reassured. "Congratulations. I'm pleased for you both." He shook Numair's hand and kissed Daine on both cheeks. Thayet congratulated them also, murmuring quietly to Daine that she expected to get the details later. Daine smiled back, although she wasn't quite sure that she was wanting to share things yet.
Once they left the room with Kitten they wandered towards the exit so Daine could get to the stables and help Onua with the mounts. Daine had felt decidedly uneasy with all the congratulations that had been given to them by Jon and Thayet. She was thrilled that they approved of their relationship and was pleased by it, but what if Numair had doubts now. He would be tied to her and might feel unable to end it because of expectations that were being built up. She glimpsed at him quickly, taking in his features and feeling a sudden rush of emotion, particularly when she regarded his lips and remembered how it had felt when they were on hers. He, however, looked rather dismal. Daine felt afraid. What if her worries were right and he did now feel trapped. The feeling of happiness left her and her expression altered to one of worry.
Numair saw her face and read the look shown on it. Was she regretting what had happened between them? What did he say? He didn't want to just ask her, that might make her feel smothered, so what should he do? He realised how inexperienced he actually was with relationships that went any deeper than the sheets of a bed.
"Are you going to help Onua?" he asked her, knowing the answer full well, but unable to think of anything else to say.
"Yes, I'll see you later." And with that she quickly walked away, leaving the tall mage stood there, with questions he wouldn't find the answers to in any book.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Young love hey? Bit of a romantic hurdle.
Please review. There is lots more fluff to come and the plot is about to start!