Oooh, I bet you guys were just on tenterhooks waiting to find out Daine's present… lol… some cliffy, eh?
Feeling rather pleased with myself actually – I've managed to convert my brother to Pierceism, much to my mother's disapproval haha… apart from a few minor gaffs – he once asked me how to write a sword fight, so I showed him when Alanna killed Roger in ITHotG so he knew that he died (although he doesn't know about the second time hehe), and today I asked him where he was in WWRLAM and he said 'the fight' and I went, 'the one with Jon?' and he said 'what one with Jon?' oops… lol… anyway, he's already announced that he wants to read ALL the books, and that they're way better than HP cos he actually likes the main character… he may have a point…
Tra la la… not much happening in this chp… bit of fluff… oh, and a snowball fight, and a rather awkward scene later too… hehehe – well, I find it amusing anyway…
Thanks to my reviewers - crouchingbunny (that must have taken some reading - believe me, i know), estranged (hehe, they are, aren't they), Tortall's Resident Wildchild (oooh, nasty - hope you had a good flight!), and Narm's Boreas - I'm incredibly grateful that you guys reviewed, thank you so much!
Can I let you guys into a secret? I have the whole thing written, in chps and everything – there are only 3 and possibly an epilogue to go... All it needs is posted… and the more feedback I get, the quicker I'll post it… PLEASE, review! I'm going away for a few days, and I'm sorta hoping when I come back it'll be to a whole load of reviews… for the last chp, and I know there wasn't much happening in it, I had 4 reviews, but I've had over 1800 hits for the whole thing… and Midnight as well – I genuinely want to know what you guys think of it! Should I do a sort-of sequel? I won't unless you ask!
After breakfast, the children squirming anxiously all the way through, they finally swapped gifts. From Alanna, George, and the children, Daine received a small, beautifully crafted belt knife, its hilt wrapped in silver wire with a sapphire on the pommel. The metal was rippled with blue tempered streaks, a sign of the high quality, with a plain black leather sheath. Onau and the Riders had given her a book on guerrilla tactics for warfare; Tkaa a book on basilisks. The King and Queen gave her a small beautiful dragon brooch, studded with pale blue sapphires.
The group of friends spent the day together, eating and drinking and celebrating the festival. In the late afternoon, before dusk fell, Alanna, George and their children, and Daine, Numair and Kitten went for a ride around the land. Snow had fallen overnight and it crunched under their horses hooves. Darkmoon was left behind in the stables, angry at not being allowed out to ride, so Alanna was riding one of the geldings that belonged to Trebond. They plodded through the snow, taking a route that went through nearby forests and meadows. Daine greeted all those animals that were awake during the Big Cold, as snow plopped from the trees to hit the ground. For a while they rode in silence, relaxing after their lunch. Eventually though, the children became restless and began to squabble.
"Will ye not be quiet?" George growled for the fourth time, exasperated. When that failed, he nodded at Alanna. Bending low in the saddle, both scooped up a pile of snow, and taking aim, threw it at their children, Alanna hitting both of the twins. The children screeched, and for a moment, were silent. Then Aly dived off her horse and started throwing handfuls of snow frantically at her parents, missing most of the time. Alan scrambled to join his twin, with Thom not far behind. He and Alan used a tree for cover as they made and aimed snowballs which they threw at George and Alanna. Thom took aim and hit the branch above Alanna's head, dumping snow on her. Alanna yelled as snow landed on her, and jumped off her horse, tackling her son to the ground to land face first in the snow.
Daine and Numair were laughing at the sight when George decided that they too should be involved in the battle, and with snow in each hand, hit them both squarely in the face, and showering Kitten who rode pillion with Daine. Kitten screeched as Daine swung in the saddle so she rode against Cloud's side, using her as shield, a K'miri style trick she had learned from the Riders.
As she told Cloud to canter round behind George, she scooped snow up, and shaped it into a tightly packed ball. Once Cloud was in position at George's back, she pulled herself back into an upright position and hit George's back. As he growled and spun round in his saddle, she swung back down to her previous position, as a snowball sailed over her head. Kitten discovered a talent for making snowballs burst in front of her by croaking and whistling. Numair, after being informed by Alanna that using his Gift to shield himself was cheating, proceeded to use it to shovel up snow and dumped it on all of their heads.
Daine screamed her fury, and she and the others rounded on him, circling him, each with snow in their hands. Daine hand-signalled Alanna her intent, then asked Spots to throw him. Numair sailed through the air to land in a huge snow drift. They closed in on the hole he had made, and smiled down at him.
"Don't you –" he began. As one, Daine, George, Alanna, Aly, Alan and Thom dropped their missiles on him, splattering him. For good measure, Cloud, Mischief, George's gelding, and Alanna's mount kicked snow onto him, completely covering the man. George and Alanna, doubled with laughter, sank to the ground in a heap, with the children and Kitten laughing. Only Daine and the horses backed away, but laughter overtook her and she couldn't warn the others. She knew when Alanna and George became aware of the growing magic underneath the heap of snow, because they tried to scramble to their feet. They weren't quick enough though; snow exploded to shower over them, Numair standing in its place.
"I told you not to!" he growled, his eyes glittering with mischief. Snow whirled around the clearing, building mass as it swirled around them. Numair raised his hands and the snow lifted off the ground, building speed. Daine took her chance and bowled into the man's stomach, crashing to the ground in a pile. The snow fell suddenly, released from the spell, and came crashing down on top of them. Daine could hear giggling from above them and Numair's deep breathing in her ear. "What did you do that for!" he gasped. It wasn't a question. Magic flared around him and the snow lifted off them to hover perilously, inches above Numair's head. He gestured and the snow split into columns to drift over George and Alanna.
George coughed, clearing hit throat. "Now, Numair, I don't think that's really necessary."
"Oh really?" Numair growled. "I do."
"It's just a bit of fun! C'mon lad, really, it's –" the snow inched further down so it brushed his hat. "I –" The snow moved down lower so it was level with his brow.
"Not another word," Numair said, a smile on his lips.
Purple fire glittered around Alanna's hands unwatched as Numair continued to slowly lower the snow over George's head. Violet fire lashed from her hands to hit a sparkling shield. Alanna swore as Numair lowered the column above her till it settled above the tip of her nose.
"Play nicely, Numair," Daine said, watching as the children snuck up behind the mage, Thom and Alan holding hands to combine their gifts. Violet fire sparkled to make a sort of sling between them, which Aly frantically piled snow into. Numair, unaware of all this behind him, continued to lower the snow inch by inch over the children's parents' heads. Daine covered her mouth, trying to stop the giggles which formed in her throat from escaping. Kitten helped pile the snow into the sling, and with a force of effort, the children raised the sling above the mage's head. They have strong gifts, Daine realised as they raised it two feet above Numair's head. The snow balled together and the children dropped it. Kitten whistled her tune, causing it to burst above Numair's head, snow pouring down on him.
Numair, surprised, released the control of his spell and the snow above Alanna and George dropped on them. The children and Kitten shrieked with giggles as Numair yelped. The children jumped on him, bringing the mage down to land face first on the snow. George and Alanna, now knee deep, or thigh deep in Alanna's case, in snow, struggled out of the heaps that surrounded them. George's hazel eyes were dancing, but Alanna looked less than pleased as she shivered against the cold. Purple fire glowed around her, then sank into her clothes and vanished. Alanna was not a fan of the cold.
Numair was shouting at the bottom of the pile "I surrender!" as the children continued to pile snow on him. Eventually, the children retreated, leaving Daine to pull the mage out the snow. Scowling at the children and Kitten, he brushed the snow off his clothes. "And you," he rounded on Daine. "Getting Spots to throw me! That's unfair!"
"So's using your Gift!" she retorted. "If you can use yours, I can use mine. Now, just because you lost, it doesn't mean you're allowed to mope like an infant. So smile!" she grinned up at the man as George laughed behind her. Numair blew out his breath in a puff, coming out of his mouth as steam. Daine laughed. "Don't sulk, Numair. It doesn't suit you." Numair stalked off in a huff, straightening Spot's saddle and mounting him. He forced Spots into an uneasy trot, and headed back to the castle, the others following a few moments later.
"The sooner we get in from the cold, the better," Alanna growled.
"A nice hot bath, and a cup of tea will set you straight lass," George smiled at his wife. She scowled at him and hurried her mare up, heading out of the woods into the clear ground before the castle walls.
That night Daine readied herself for bed, donning the smoky-blue silk nightdress Numair had bought her for Midwinter. She admired herself for a moment in the mirror, watching the way the blue silk clung and draped over her curves. She grinned; never would she have even thought of spending so much on night clothes. Numair beamed as she came out from behind the changing screen.
"You look wonderful, sweet," he said, rising from his seat to meet her halfway across the room. He wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her, leaving her breathless. "There's something else," he smiled, pulling a long thin box from his pocket. "Here," he said, blushing slightly, as he handed her the box.
"Numair! You shouldn't have!"
"Open it!" he urged, a smile on his face. Daine untied the ribbon that decorated the box and took off the gilded paper to reveal an oak box. She examined it for a moment, then found the clasp and clicked the box open. Inside was a silver bracelet with a locket attached, the twin of the golden one she knew Numair wore hidden round his wrist, except for a tiny blue sapphire at the top of the silver oval. Inside the locket was a miniature of Numair, identical right down to the hidden depths in his dark eyes.
"Numair, it's beautiful," she smiled up at him. "It looks just like you," she grinned. "Thank you. You shouldn't have bought me so much."
"Nonsense," he smiled. "I would've spent all my money on you if I could. You're worth every single copper bit." He fastened the chain around her wrist and the locket vanished, although she could still feel the weight. Numair fumbled with it for a moment, then the locket reappeared, still fastened. "If you want to see it without taking it off, all you have to do is detach this chain. Reattach it, and it will disappear again." He showed her, and the locket vanished.
"Now," he smiled, making her stomach flip, "for the rest of your present." He kissed her slowly, easing his lips over hers, his tongue flitting in and out of her mouth, chasing the breath from her lungs. His big hands were warm on her shoulders, and pulled her closer, into the circle of his arm, running his hands up and down her back.
She unlaced the threads of his shirt, and tugged it off, Numair bending slightly so that she could free him from it. She grinned at him and pulled his head down, kissing him hungrily, tangling her hands in his hair. Her skin burned where she was in contact with him. Heat raced from his body to hers through her thin silk nightgown.
She kissed him harder, and he moved his hands up to her head to bury them in her hair. A groan emitted from deep within Numair's chest, the vibrations running through her. She ran her hands down his back and first removed his belt, letting it fall to the floor as she began to untie his breeches. She fumbled with the knots for a few minutes, then with a growl, tugged them apart. Numair pulled his legs away slightly, still kissing her as he kicked his breeches off. Numair lifted her until she clamped her legs round his waist, and carried her over to the bed.
For what seemed like ages afterwards they were still, simply holding each other, their breathing and heart rates slowly returning to their normal pace, although Daine could feel Numair's heart thudding in his chest. She suspected he could probably feel hers. They lay on top of the covers, content to hug each other and lie still.
After a while, Numair rolled away to pull the covers over them. He lay flat on his back and pulled Daine up so her head rested on his chest. "I love you Magelet," he smiled. "Happy Midwinter, sweet."
"I love you too, Numair." She reached up and kissed him gently on the lips. "For Midwinter luck," she explained.
Numair grinned. "Midwinter luck, Magelet." They lay together, for an hour or so, simply holding each other. Daine thought how lucky she was. She was betrothed to her love, she had finally found who her father was, and she was surrounded by her friends. Numair stirred underneath her, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked up to see her man was fast asleep. Grinning, she kissed him lightly on the lips and snuggled back up to him, making sure he was well covered.
She smiled, enjoying the knowledge that love could make her feel like this. When she looked at Numair, butterflies woke in her stomach, leaving Daine feeling almost dizzy with want. When Numair kissed her, and desire almost overcame her, she wanted nothing less than to leap into his arms. When they made love… Daine couldn't explain it. Knowing that she had the love of the man who lay next to her filled her and left her struggling for breath whenever she thought of it. There was no way to put into words how she felt for this man; even her actions seemed inadequate, compared to what she felt for him. Daine didn't worry though; she knew Numair felt it too, with the same strength, the same knee-trembling passion, the same urgency that she did. She didn't have to explain how she felt to him, because he already knew. He was feeling the same thing; she was sure. The closeness they shared was indescribable. Daine knew she'd never come across anything like it anywhere else in the world, and she was not about to let it go. She wanted to hold on to Numair for the rest of her life.
Daine woke in the middle of the night. Moonlight fell across the bed, shining on Numair's back. She was curled into his back, his skin warm and smooth under her hand, and her legs were tucked round the shape of his. Suddenly she was aware of a sharp twang in her stomach, followed by a dull constant ache. She could feel dampness between her legs. Confused for a moment, she wondered what it could all mean. Then knowledge hit, and she knew what the problem was. Her monthlies had come. She swore at herself for her own foolishness. Caught up in Numair, and Midwinter, and bandit raids, she had missed all the normal signs. Now she thought of it, all her usual indications were there; her breasts were tender; her moods had been up and down, she had even wept at a story she had read to Aly; even her hair had lost some of its normal sheen.
She rolled out of bed carefully, and had to stop on the edge of the bed for a moment as she doubled over with the pain. Normally she had drops that Alanna had made for her specially to take, but she had left them in Corus, not paying attention to her usual cycle. She groaned and stumbled over to the changing screen. The washstand had cold water in it; she scrubbed herself quickly, the temperature numbing the pain. Rummaging through her clothes, she found a fresh loincloth and a spare pad that she used when her bleeding came.
Another sharp pang hit, and a dull throbbing began in her stomach. She groaned and doubled over, stumbling towards the bed so she could sit on it.
"Daine?" came Numair's soft voice behind her. "Are you alright sweet?" She could feel him sit up in bed behind her and his hand stroked her back. "Daine?"
"I'm alright," she tried to smile and lay back down in bed. Pain exploded in her lower back, and she tried to bite back a moan, but it escaped her.
"Daine? What's wrong? Do you need a healer?" Numair's gentle voice was full of concern.
"No, I'll be fine Numair," she said through gritted teeth. The throbbing in her stomach increased.
"But what is it?" He put the back of his hand against her forehead. "You're burning up, Daine. I'll get Alanna."
"No!" she exclaimed. She would not have Alanna woken up because of her own foolishness.
"Well what is it then? Daine, what's wrong?" Daine sighed. She really didn't want to tell him what her problem was. Despite how intimate they were, she did not want to tell him the details about her monthlies. "Daine?" Numair prompted.
She took a deep breath. She would have to tell him sometime; they were going to be married eventually. "It's my monthlies Numair."
"What?" he blinked.
Daine blushed. "My monthlies." He continued to stare at her blankly. "You know Numair. Monthlies. My cycle. My fertility cycle."
"Oh," he managed. After a few moments, he added, "Is it sore?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed.
"Oh," he paused. "What happens?"
Daine blushed furiously. "Did your ma never teach you?" she snapped.
"Not anything I ever paid attention to! I never had any need!"
"Well, maybe you should learn!"
"Yes – but – what happens?"
Daine sighed, and, taking a deep breath explained to him all about a woman's monthly cycle. When she finished, she met his eyes.
"So, when you get sad, that's your monthlies?" he asked. She nodded. "And the reason you're so hot?" She nodded again. "Oh…" he thought for a moment. "But you never normally complain that you're in pain. I don't understand."
"Normally I have drops to take, but I left them in Corus," she explained. "That's why usually I'm fine."
"So should I get Alanna? She could make you feel better."
Daine shook her head. "There's no point. I can wait till the morning. I don't want to get Alanna up just because I've not been paying attention to myself."
"You're sure?" She nodded. Numair sighed and then smiled. "Come here, Magelet," he pulled her towards him so her head rested on his chest and he kissed her head. He folded his arms round her and pulled her into his chest. "Go back to sleep, sweet. You'll feel better in the morning." Daine nodded as his warmth encircled her and she drifted back to sleep.
She woke late in the morning, the dull ache in her stomach still there. She groaned and rolled over, to find a smiling face in her vision. She blinked to clear the sleep from her eyes, and smiled as the blur in front of her shaped itself into a long nose, swarthy face and bright white teeth. Numair leant down and kissed her gently, his hand rubbing her stomach. The heat from him helped soothe some of the pain. She stayed lying down for a moment, then eased herself up, propping herself up on her elbows. "What time is it?" she croaked.
"Past the tenth hour, sweet. I have a hot bath ready for you, and Alanna gave me some drops for you."
Daine blushed. "You shouldn't have gone to her – it's my own fault."
"Nonsense, Daine. There's no point you being in pain if you can make it go away. You should get into the bath before it gets cold. Alanna said the heat would help you." He sat up to let Daine get out of bed. "I'll leave you to it – I left Kitten alone with the children – who knows what mischief they'll be raising now." He smiled, kissed her forehead, and left Daine to her bath.
Once she was dressed and feeling better, she went to find Alanna to thank her for the drops. She found her curled up in the library in front of a fire, a blanket over her, with a book in her hands. She smiled as Daine came into the room. "Feeling better?"
Daine blushed and smiled. "Thanks. I feel fair foolish – I left almost everything I need in Corus."
Alanna smiled. "You wouldn't be the first, Daine. The drops worked?"
"Yes, thank you. I told Numair not to bother you, but…"
"He was worried for you. I think you gave him a fright."
"Do all men know nothing about monthlies? Or is it just him that's had his nose in a book and missed it all?"
Alanna laughed. "Unless they're a healer, most men stay well clear, and even then, I think it pains them to think of it." She grinned. "George stays as far away from me as he can when I have mine. He says I'm like a lion with a thorn in my paw. I don't know, I thought my temper was short as it was. Apparently it's worse. I don't know what he's talking about," she grinned, her voice innocent. "Last time he surprised me, I nearly gutted him." She laughed at the look on Daine's face. "He came up behind me when I was on my own – I thought it was an attacker, until I realised it was him. It's a good thing he was a Rogue in his time – otherwise I probably would have. He knows some moves though. That's why he doesn't come near me. He's scared. I'm just a pussycat really," she laughed. "I offered to give Numair a lecture on it, but he just went pale and ran. I don't think he'll ask you anything anytime soon. If he does, just point him in my direction. I'll set him straight."
"Thanks. I don't think I could handle trying to explain it to him again. Sometimes it's just a bit too much information to share with a man."
Alanna nodded. "The first time I explained it to Jon…" she blushed. "It shouldn't have been a shock, and with all the women he'd slept with! And George, he was just as bad, and his mother's a healer! George knew more than most I knew about anything like that, and he was still horrified by the whole thing. Men! They claim to know everything, yet a simple thing like a monthly, and they're on the back foot," she sighed.
Daine growled, "If men had monthlies, they'd think the world was coming to an end. Abed for days, claiming the Black God's coming for them."
Alanna nodded, "It's like when they have a sniffle. As soon as they even sneeze, they have to go to their beds, Death will be on them soon… And yet, its men who are expected to fight. They wouldn't be able to bare children, couldn't handle the pain, but it doesn't stop them teasing us about it, does it?"
"Is it sore, childbirth?" Daine asked, failing to hide the nervous tone in her voice.
Alanna smiled grimly. "Like nothing on earth. But what happens at the end – it's more than worth it to see that small life there in your hands. You're not planning on children yet, are you?"
"Goddess no!" she exclaimed. "One day, but not yet. We've a lot to do before then. We don't even plan to get married yet – not until I'm older anyway."
Alanna nodded. "Good. You should live your life before you bring another one into the world. Besides, you have a hard enough time keeping Numair away from his books to get him to yourself, without having a babe to look after. Enjoy your free time with him while you can, Daine. When you have children, it's the most wonderful thing in the world, but don't rush too it. I wasn't at all ready for Thom. I was ready for a child, I mean, but if I knew what to do, then I'd have eaten my horse. If it hadn't been for George… he was in there changing him, helping me feed Thom, staying up at night with him, letting me sleep when I needed to. He taught me what to do, well, him and Maude. I was more prepared when the twins came along, but twins are hard work!" She smiled. "I wouldn't change any of it for the world though. It's a miracle, Daine. I never thought I would have children; I never thought I would fall in love and be married, but time changes that. You have your whole life ahead of you, you have no need to rush it." Alanna blushed and shook her head. She wasn't used to speeches.
Daine walked over to her friend and hugged her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she smiled.
Alanna nodded. "Just as long as I get an invite to the wedding."
Daine laughed. "You'll be the first, I promise."