Well I am officially back and continuing to write my story. I know I took a very very long break from it, but I hope that the wonderful people who reviewed it before with such nice comments will continue to do so and maybe some other people will read it to?  I would like to thank NealsChick who sent me an email just the other day asking me to update…that provoked some thought and this is what came out of it…

Out of the Mess Numair started to ask Daine about the events that had lead to the demise of the palace and Ozorne. She had just started to reply back about Kaddar finding her when there was a loud cry from all of the animals outside. Daine smiled and sent out a silent greeting to them all, assuring them that she was alive and well.

Numair watched the silent exchange and felt enormous pride in his Magelet; she had grown up so much since he had first seen her through the drugged eyes of his hawk shape. He remembered back to when he had been stuck in that form and was about to give up on life when this beautiful young woman had picked him up in her arms and tried to save him. While he didn't know what it was that she kept trying to give him (food), he did know that his head felt clearer in her presence. A slight tug on his sleeve pulled him from his thoughts…

"Numair, have you heard a word I said?" A highly amused Daine asked.

"Sorry Magelet, I was just thinking."

"You know you do that too much. What exactly is there that you have to think about all the time?"

Numair stopped walking. If only she knew. Most of his thoughts were occupied by Daine. The way the sunlight hit her hair causing it to glow, the way her eyes lit up when she smiled, the way he could always tell when she was mind speaking with an animal due to the slight big of concentration that would always adorn her features, and they ways she affected him like no other woman had before.

Except right now he noticed, that woman was laughing very hard. "Did I miss something Daine, or are you just trying to provoke me?"

Through her laughs, Daine managed to say, "Numair, you have to be the oddest man I've ever met." (AN: wow not to change the story but there is a crow outside my window digging though the snow…hahaha it looks so weird!)

"What is it about me that amuses you so much Daine?" She was definitely trying to provoke him. At least she wasn't poking fun at his horsetail.

"Well I was talking to you, and then you zoned out, and then when I ask you what you were thinking about, you did it again! Numair, I think you need to take some time away from your books."

Numair felt slightly offended. He was thinking about her, not his books! However it was not like he could tell her that, so he decided to start telling her about the tale Thati the sun eagle, unknowingly brining his hand up to pull on his nose, which Daine grabbed. He looked down at her.

"Numair, if what you are thinking about requires the flood of knowledge I get every time you pull on your nose, I'd rather you keep it to yourself," Daine said with a kind smile so she wouldn't offend him further. "Come on, let's keep walking, I think there's a pond up here and I'd like to sit down for a bit." The wildmage continued to walk down the path, except this time she kept a hold on Numair's hand that she had grabbed, and he wasn't complaining.

When they reached the pond, Daine sat down with a relieved sigh. She didn't know what was making her legs more weak, the fact that she hadn't used them in a few days due to being stuck in bed, or if it was because Numair was so close to her. She didn't feel like pondering about that now because she knew it would probably give her a headache trying to sort out all of the mixed emotions in her head. Daine just decided to enjoy the moment and relax.

Numair, however, wasn't relaxing. He was still standing, and looked slightly nervous about something. What Daine didn't know was that he was having an inner battle with himself on whether or not he could control his emotions and feelings for the young woman while sitting next to her. They were so far from prying eyes that no one would notice them, saving her from any unnecessary gossip. Satisfied with these thoughts, Numair sat down.

The two sat in a comfortable silence enjoying the moment. Daine smiled when a small parrot finch came and perched on her shoulder. Greetings to you wing sister.>

Hello. I was just talking with my mate, and we were wondering if the trouble is over. I have nestlings and I don't want them to be hurt the bone creatures I saw here a few nights ago!>

Daine assured the bird that they would never have to worry about them again, and with a satisfied chirp, the bird flew off to spread the news.

"What did she have to say," asked Numair.

"She wanted to know if there would be anymore bone creatures roaming around," she said with a slight laugh.

"Hopefully not. I mean to speak with the Graveyard Hag for making her use you as a vessel. You could have been really hurt harnessing all of that magic."

"Honestly Numair, I don't know how you manage all of your magic. I would be so overwhelmed! Having to worry about when you get mad that you might turn someone into a tree would be fair hard to do."

Numair chuckled, "Well Magelet I have certain things that I think of at times like that which reminds me of who I am, usually it is something or someone I have strong feelings for."

There was a slight pause. "Is Varice one of those people?" she asked hesitantly.

Numair looked down at the young woman next to him and chose his words carefully, "No Magelet. I used to have strong feelings for her, don't get me wrong, but not anymore. She keeps trying to make advances on me, but I keep turning her down. She even went as far as spraying her perfume in my room one day so that I could think of her. That handkerchief you found in my room, she had left it there after she sprayed my room that day in hopes that I would go find her and return it to her. She told me so herself."

Silence stretched on after this, and Numair gave Daine time to collect her thoughts. He hoped he hadn't gone to far. He had only wanted to assure her that Varice was not a part of his life anymore.

Eventually he got a reply. "Oh."

Numair laughed. "That's it? 'Oh.'"

"Well I didn't really like her anyway. She whined a lot." That was just the short of it. Daine had decided that she just didn't like her, she hated her. The wildmage had been frightened that Varice was going to steal Numair away from her.

Numair looked down and Daine and laughed some more, "I guess you could day that." His laughing however was cut short when Daine leaned down and rested her head on his shoulder, causing his laugh to get caught in his throat as his breath hitched. "So…if it's not Varice, who were those people you had strong feelings for?" Daine didn't know what it was that was making her questions so straightforward, but she waited for an answer.

It was a long time in coming.

So long in fact, that she had already fallen asleep when Numair whispered, "You, my darling."

Numair sat still and waited for a reply, but when none came, he looked down worriedly at his Magelet, and noticed that she was asleep. Mithros Numair, why did you have to take so long! Well at least you didn't waste even more time by confessing your love to her, she wouldn't have heard it anyway. Maybe that's for the better though, you don't want to frighten the poor girl but letting her know of your feelings. For God's sake she thinks of you as a brother! Numair grimaced. He would definitely have to keep much better tabs on his emotions.

The mage shook his head. It was getting late, and time to go back. He gently shook Daine's shoulder, "Daine honey, we should get back. It's getting late." Way to go Numair, just call her honey, that's very brotherly now isn't it? Hopefully she didn't catch that.

"Oh Numair, I fell asleep! Sorry, it must just be because I only woke up today and all…"

"Well that's good because I thought you must have found me terribly boring," Numair said with a solemn voice.

Daine looked up at the mage with a shocked look on her face. She was just about to tell him that she would never find him boring when he reached out and tweaked her nose with a smile on his face. Daine hit his arm, "You're a very bad man, you know that?"

Numair reached for her hand and kissed it, "Only with you my dear." Not noticing that he had left her completely speechless, the mage stood up and looked at Daine, "You coming?"

All Daine could do was nod, but after she stood up and started to walk down the path, she was stumbling and swaying with fatigue. Then a strong pair of arms encircled and lifted her off the ground. She could feel Numair's chest moving with laughter as her head rested against it, and before she knew it, his unique smell of spices and soap lulled her to sleep once more.

Well that was satisfying! I plan to update now at more regular intervals, just to let you know. Though you should really let me know what you thought by clicking on that nice little button down there that says REVIEW!