Hi guys. I've just spent ages typing out review responses only for my internet connection to go wonky. I HATE TECHNOLOGY! Thank you for all your reviews, I, like everyone else, rewally look forward to getting them. I had a dream about fanfic last night. Shows I'm spending way too much time on here!
Jessica: Thank you for pointing that out. The website I used to do the research for it must have had an error on it, or I misread what it said (a strong possibility!). It noticed that you have an academic email address, out of curiosity and the fact that you could be a possible source of highly useful information, how do you know so much about stones?
Goldeneyedwildmage: It's no trouble, anytime. I just forward the review alert I get to Sonnet. She says thank you, btw. Thank you for the comments about the action sequence, I find them the hardest to write.
Dolphindreamer: I had forgotten about the cut, I will fit it back into the story. Thank you for reminding me.
Imakeladrygirl: I try to update once a day, although I might have a day off this week as I am filling out an application form for a post as a special needs teacher. (Yes, I am a teacher!). Fingers crossed…
Daine's Daughter: Thank you. I'm trying to work on the plot as I want to practise it for when I start the book at easter.
Sprightly Mordred: What I'm intrigued by is your name….
Bitterosemary: Thank you for your review. You have wonderful expression (I'm reviewing you review!). Re Interlude – did you read it roughly, or did you find it rough? I'm getting really cross with my writing at the moment as its not as good as I know it can be. This isn't a bad thing as it will motivate me! (Hopefully)
Sonnet Lacewing: I don't know how I wrote the magic bit! I'm sure I have an elf in my head that tells my fingers what to type. Then some days, like yesterday, he has a break and I'm watching a screen, waiting for words to appear that are more than ineffectual! The elf should work more!
Lela-of-Bast; I was on a philosophical inquiry course today and we saw a clip of some children in a class discussing why bad things happened. They surmised that if there weren't we would never appreciate the good parts. Your review had just reminded me of that.
AikiaRiven: The rash wasn't intentional that way! I think my subconscious was thinking of the rash one of the kids had in my class and used that!
A/N: The characters and the realm of Tortall all belong to Tamora Pierce. The sparklingly good plot and superb standard of writing belong to me. (This last sentence should be read as being extremely sarcastic!) The typo's however are all mine.
Chapter 9 – Stones
Daine was woken by Numair's movement in the room as he got dressed. She opened her eyes and saw the mage lacing up a fawn coloured cottoned shirt. She sat up, enjoying having Numair close to her.
"Morning, Magelet," he kissed her firmly on her lips, causing her to grab hold of him and pull him towards the bed. He carried on the kiss for a short while, allowing himself to briefly forget about their tasks and pouring everything thing into the kiss and the places where their bodies were making contact. He felt Daine's fingers unlacing his shirt and willed himself to pull away, finding it extremely difficult. He was surprised when she let go, wriggling out from under him and getting out of his bed.
She laughed at the expression on his face. "I can do it too, you know," she said, a knowing smile on her face.
"Do what?" Numair responded, pulling a pillow onto his lap.
"Tease," she said nonchalantly, putting on her breast band and breeches. He watched, slightly spellbound.
"What do you mean, tease?" He asked indignantly. "You're the one who's… who's…" He looked down at the pillow to clarify his point.
Daine smiled, her eyes following his. "Numair Salmalin," she addressed him. "Given that we have been in love with each other for fair longer than either of us has said, I think out relationship can miss out certain parts of a courtship."
He looked at her, a little puzzled by her words, although he understood the meaning of them.
"I don't think kissing and holding hands are enough for either of us, anymore. It's not like we need to get to know each other, well not like some people would have to," she smiled, moving towards him.
He understood exactly what she meant, and knew that however much he was trying to be the perfect gentleman he was delaying what was inevitable. He and Daine were never going to be conventional; neither of their natures would allow it.
"It's only been a week since I told you how I felt," Numair managed to protest.
Daine weaved her hair up into a knot on her head. "Some animals mate as soon as they meet and then stay together for life."
He moved his hands onto her waist and lifted himself slightly so he was level with her, kissing her softly. "We really must go and get some breakfast," he told her as he pulled away. He looked into her eyes and saw the fire in them that he knew he had caused with his kiss.
"I know," she said, stepping away from him, "I just need to wake Kitten."
After they had eaten, Daine returned to her old room in preparation for her journey around Corus. She had left Kitten with Numair and Harailt who would also see if she was able to detect different poisons. Numair had become lost in his own world during breakfast, when he had met with Harailt and they had discussed the results of the experiments so far. George also brought news from Duke Baird; that the illness was like no other he has seen before, although he thought that he might be able to remedy the illness with a mixture of differing ingredients, it would take several hours, if not days.
"He's used healers to eradicate what infection he can from those people in Worvield, and he doesn't think it's contagious or can be caught from person to person. He's with the idea that its something that's been ingested," George had filled them in. Daine noticed that he looked tired and weary. She realised how little sleep he must have had, having left to go into the city after their early morning conference.
"Yer thinking I look tired, Daine?" He had smiled at her. "I am. Rogue's works done at night, so I'll be getting my sleep now. Wake me up when you get back from your travels."
Daine's brief was to fly around the outskirts of the city, where separate water supplies served only a small number of people. It would have been too difficult for a mage or a connection to a mage to have infiltrated the main supply that served most of Corus. If that had been infected then too many people would be showing symptoms of being unwell.
She also needed to look for animals and birds that may have become ill, and to check that the livestock on farms was showing no signs. At first, flying in the shape of a peregrine falcon, she saw very little; people were going about their daily business as normal, no animals looked to be sick or infected. She flew towards the east of the city, her sharp eyes beginning to pick up on deer and sheep that looked weary or had stopped moving and looked unnatural. A pond fed by a stream was located nearby; she checked around, flying lower and saw two or three ducks obviously dead lying by the banks of the water. Swooping down she landed on a nearby branch and took a long look into the pond. The fish has also been killed.
The scene was repeated in four other places, including around the water source for Worvield and the place where they had stopped the previous night to let Cloud and Spots drink. Two of the sights were the water supplies for small villages, not including Worvield. Daine began to send out messages to all the animals within a ten-mile radius, informing them of the sources that had been poisoned. She asked them to pass on the message, knowing that within an hour, the majority of the animals in Corus would know which areas to stay clear of.
She flew back to the palace rapidly; it was now mid-afternoon and she was in need of food after her shape shifting and flying. She also needed to report back to George and let him know the area where it looked like the water had been contaminated. She flew back into her own room, swiftly changing back to her own form and then dressing in fresh breeches and a clean shirt. She thought that George would most likely be in one of the meeting rooms, probably with Gareth the Elder and other of the king's advisers. She rushed towards the meeting rooms were situated, hearing two voices, one that was George's, coming from the smallest room. Knocking first, she entered to see Sir Gareth sat with George, a map of Corus in front of them.
"Veralidaine," Duke Gareth smiled at her, "I'm hoping that your flight has told you that there are no more contaminated sites, but I can tell by the look on your face that that is not the case. Have a seat, my dear."
She did as she was asked, feeling slightly out of place and far too unimportant. But what you have done, no one else could have, apart from Numair, she thought to herself. And that would have cost him a great deal of his gift, and he wouldn't have been able to warn all the animals. She held up her head a little higher.
"I have noticed five places where something appears to have killed or infected animals and fish," she pointed to the area on the map. "That appears to be it, so far. I have warned animals and birds not to drink from those water sources. I saw no signs of sickness, though, in people."
Duke Gareth and George studied the area of the map where Daine had pointed. "That tallies with information I got last night about small places being hit first. We can send mages out to those areas immediately to collect samples that Numair and Harailt can examine and see if they are similar to the one they have already," George said seriously. "The sooner the king and Myles are back, the better."
Duke Gareth nodded, agreeing with George. "Daine, are you wanting to see if you can heal the animals that are infected?"
"That was what I was thinking. I also thought it might be wise to speak with Duke Baird to see if he can give me any information on the illness, then I may have a clearer idea of how to heal them straight away," Daine replied, realising that the duke was treating her more as an equal than he had done while they had been in Carthak. Then he had made her feel as if she was a small child, who had no right to be there.
"You know best what you need to do, any information you discover will be useful. We also want you there for a meeting this evening to relay information and see if any new theories have developed," Duke Gareth told her seriously.
"An' I think Numair would be grateful if you popped your head in to see him, Daine. I'm not sure how well it's going for him and Harailt," George added, noticing her eyes light up when Numair's name was mentioned.
"I'll go to him first," Daine smiled at George, standing up. She bowed slightly to Duke Gareth and left the room to look for Numair.
She found him and Harailt in Harailt's workroom. Curses were flowing freely from the room as Daine entered it, she watched quietly for a moment as Numair used his gift to alter the water from the original sample, reducing a drop of it to what looked like salt. She felt overwhelmed with feelings for this man with the long, black hair and brown eyes. He looked up; noticing her stare and his face broke into a smile at the sight of her.
"Daine!" He exclaimed, putting down the tube he was holding and going to greet her with a kiss. She looked at Harailt, to see if he had noticed the gesture, but his back was turned, immersed in liquids, strange crystal like stones and a black opal.
"How's it going?" she asked her mage.
Numair smiled wryly. "We appear to have hit a plateau. We're certain that cinnabar has been used, when we've reduced the water that is the clear substance left behind. We're struggling to find what we can use to counteract it."
"I think I've got it," Harailt's voice entered their conversation. "Tremolite and jet." He turned around and faced them. I've used my gift as well and that appears to have amplified the properties of the stones that are necessary."
Numair went over to look, nodding his head. "Now the question is, how are we going to make up enough to counteract however much water has been contaminated?" He looked at Daine. "How many places did you discover that were affected?"
"Five in total. The one you took the sample from and the water source at Worvield are included in that."
Numair glanced at Harailt. "If we know how much water that would be in total we could see if we can amplify the magic from the stones ourselves."
"You know how to do that?" Harailt raised his eyebrows at Numair. Numair nodded. "I've never attempted it before on such a large scale, but I have read of it being done. I think that's what our unknown mage has done with the cinnabar," Numair replied, his face looking strained and worried.
"Then the mage has a vast reserve of gift. That would kill, to pass that amount of poison through yourself…" Harailt shook his head.
"Unless he passed it through another person. If his gift was strong enough, which I expect it is, then he could have used a person as a conductor and avoided the poison himself," Numair responded. He looked at Daine. "This is turning into a nightmare." He beckoned for her to step outside the room, out of Harailt's earshot.
"I'm going to be immersed in books for a while with this amplifying spell. We need to remedy the water as quickly as possible. Can you let Duke Baird know about the two stones, tremolite and jet as he will be able to use those to heal, I think," he looked at her with soft brown eyes and Daine couldn't help but smiling into them. He kissed her, lingering slightly and held her face in his hands. "When we're done I want an evening of you to myself," he whispered. Daine smiled, wondering if this had anything to do with their conversation that morning.
"I think we can manage that," she whispered back, moving her head forward for another kiss.
She repeated Numair's message to Duke Baird and told him what Numair and Harailt were planning to do. Duke Baird sighed when he heard, looking at the full infirmary surrounding him.
"That will mean that they'll both drain themselves completely and end up worn out," he shook his head, taking out two stones from his supply cupboard. "I imagine you will be off to do what you can for the animals that have been affected. How many do you estimate there to be?"
"Fortunately, there weren't too many and the message I sent will have let enough animals know not to touch the water in those areas. How do you recommend I heal them?" She replied.
"You can try using the stones Harailt recommended by using them in a posset. I can make you one now as I'll be making one for some of my patients. Other than that, you could use you magic. It sounds as if the damage is done, Daine. I've lost three patients to it already and I doubt a fourth will make it," Daine felt a blast of misery as he spoke the words. She knew that he was more than likely right, the animals she had seen that were sick would have probably passed away by now. Her heart sank.
She took a bottle of the posset from Duke Baird and set off on Cloud to the areas where she suspected there would be animals that needed treating. It took her almost an hour to reach the first place, and she found as she had feared, many of them had died. The ones that were weak she administered the substance the duke had given her, having to work hard to persuade some of the animals to take it. She use her wild magic to heal a duck that had drank from the water, seeing the silver, metal like magic of the stone mixed with a blue haze. She tried to push the light into one place, attempting to stop it from spreading, but she found it electrifyingly painful, and no matter how much of her gift she used it slipped away from her. After almost half an hour of battling with it she felt Cloud give her a nip.
It's not working, she heard her mount say, You are tiring yourself. Try the drink thing but leave your magic alone, it's too strong.
Sitting up, away from the bird, she let the welled up tears drip down her face. She knew Cloud was right. The animals that she had given the posset to appeared to be making a recovery, but the duck was too far-gone. She picked it up and placed it near the reeds where its nest had been. Using the well of copper fire inside her she numbed its hurting, waiting until the pain subsided forever.
She returned to the palace as the sun was beginning to fall, rushing so that she would not be late for the meeting. She felt completely drained and sadness had overcome her. Many of the animals that had drunk from the water had died. Those that were strong had began to recover once she had administered the stone medicine, but there had been too many that she had not been able to save.
She entered the meeting room as Numair arrived, looking cheerier than he had before.
"You look happier," she said to him as he grabbed her hand.
He nodded, his expression becoming one of concern as he saw that she looked quite unhappy. "We can amplify the stones by using Kitten's latest trick. She can make them vibrate at such a frequency that we can redirect the power into the water. What's the matter, Magelet?" He pulled into his chest, not caring that several people were passing them in order to get to the room.
"Most of the animals that drank the water died. I managed to save a few with the medicine that Duke Baird made. My magic could barely make the poison shift even slightly." Daine buried herself into his shirt, drawing on his comfort.
"You have to think of the ones that you did help," Numair told her. "We've found away to counteract the cinnabar. Hopefully, no more will suffer. As soon as this meeting allows, Harailt and I will be going to sort it out," they walked into the meeting room. Numair sat down besides Daine, who had begun to look more like her normal self now she was faced with so many people.
With the exception of what Numair and Harailt had found out and Daine's mapping of the affected territories, there was very little new information to be given out. George was conspicuous by his absence and Myles said very little, which caused Numair to think that they were in the process of discovering something important and didn't want to reveal anything until the king had arrived.
Daine left the palace with Numair, Kitten, Harailt and two healers. Numair had attempted to dissuade her from coming as she was obviously tired and worn out, but she needed to be with Kitten, and argued that she would only have worried had she stayed at the palace. They travelled first to Worvield and the water source there. Numair set up the spell quickly, using the two different stones that he put on a silk mat in front of Kitten. She began to trill in a pitch that Daine hadn't heard before and hurt her ears to listen to. Numair said a word in a language that Daine didn't recognise, causing a swirling mist to appear from the stones. She watched as Harailt and Numair pushed the mist with their magic, forcing it into the water. As it hit the lake she saw silver particles form in the liquid, quickly shrinking and then disappearing.
Each different area took almost an hour to complete the process of neutralizing the cinnabar making it almost dawn by the time they returned to the palace. Daine was relieved to find that Kitten had suffered no negative effects from her part in the procedure; in fact she was incredibly pleased with herself and bursting with pride. Numair looked ready to drop, his skin was grey and his eyes were bloodshot. Daine had seen him this way before on several occasions as was aware that he simply needed sleep and rest to recharge himself. Harailt looked in worse condition. He had now been awake since she and Numair had arrived back in Corus. On first seeing them, Duke Baird took one look and instructed them to sleep until someone came to tell them that they were allowed to get up. No one argued with the instruction; the Duke was a mild-mannered man as a rule, but the demand on him and his staff had been inordinately high over the past three weeks and his temper was now frazzled. Harailt slipped off to his rooms, leaving Daine, Numair and Kitten to go their own way. Daine followed Numair to his rooms, carrying the tired dragonet up the stairs. He turned to her and smiled wearily, putting his hand around her waist and they walked to his rooms.
"Do you want me to stay tonight?" she asked him, putting Kitten down on his bed.
He looked at her, brushing a loose curl away from her face. "As long as you don't think I'm teasing you, Magelet. I'm so tired I could probably sleep standing up!"
He stripped off his outerwear and almost fell into bed, sleeping straight away. Daine joined him after rinsing off some of the grime from their exploits, Kitten crawling in besides her. Both were asleep within seconds, exhaustion finally catching up with them as they drifted off into a dreamless, soothing sleep.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please review. Spur me on to write the chapter that's currently blank on my laptop. Also, Chapter 10 is nextup and that's extremely fluffy (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). Reviews will encourage me to post it, probably on Thursday when I've done the application form from hell...