(A/N:) Hey! It's me, Number29, also known as Jake the King to some people on fanfiction. Welcome to chapter two!

If you've made it this far, I congradulate you. It wasn't easy, I know, but I did it and you can too, although some of you already have.

Don't let the title of this chapter fool you! It's not just about them riding east. That would be boring! I wouldn't ever bore you on purpose. Never. I care about you too much.

Wait! Don't stop! Keep reading! You've made it this far, what good would it be to turn back now? None! More action ahead...

(End of A/N)

2. The Great Ride East

Daine woke with the dawn, as she always did. Numair was dressing in his room that annexed hers, she could hear him moving around. Sighing, she muttered to Kitten, "Here we go..."

Today, after declairing war the day before, the armies were riding to the Drell River, accompanied by the war mages, and the Queen, Thayet's, Riders.

Hoisting herself out of bed, Daine quickly pulled on breeches, a worn leather over-tunic, her thin normal tunic, and clipped her sword onto her belt. She repeated the same motion, clipping her bow onto her back, on a belt that ran diagonal from her left hip to her right shoulder.

Remembering the two daggers that had been given to her by George Cooper, she fitted them into the inside of her boots, in special holisters she'd made herself. Whistling to Kitten, she opened the door, and walked out into the shining sun.

Already solders, riders, noblemen, and mages were milling about outside. You could virtually feel the tension in the air. Everyone's faces were grim. Today was not a day for smiles. Suddenly, someone tapped Daine's shoulder.

Daine looked up, and smiled at the form of Tknombi Deminio, otherwise known as the Shang Dragon, the succeesor of Lion Ironarm. He smiled back.

"Time for a quick morning session?" he asked her. "I am riding with you to the fort. I am going to fight as a Tortallan." He thumped a powerful fist against his chest. "I am going to fight for King Jonathan."

Daine smiled at him again, happy that at least this Shang warrior was interested in the affairs of the world.

"That's good," she replied. "What did you have in mind for this 'quick morning session?'"

He shrugged. "Just a fair and honest fight between equals."

Equals! Daine thought wildly. Equals? This is the Shang Dragon I'm talking to. I'll never be his equal in a fight.

"Alright," she replied, unable to refuse her teacher. "Where?"

"Here," he said. Instantly, he took off his tunic, revealing tightly muscled bare skin. "Come at me."

Daine stripped off her over-tunic, along with her sword and daggers. Stepping into a stance, she did exactly as she was told: she went at him. A flying kick was knocked away, and she fell, rolled fast before he could hit her, rolled to her feet, and roundhouse kicked him in the chest.

He lurched backward, almost stumbling over his tunic. Regaining his balance, he ran at her in a zig-zag pattern to fast for her to see. Taking a lucky guess, she punched to her left, and her fist collided with his tan face.

Grinning despite her near call, Daine step-kicked him from his waist to his chest. When she was about to start on his face, he grabbed her leg, and threw her down. She sprang to her feet, ducking a fast kick, and kicked him in the side.

He stumbled to the left, then in the same motion, punched her in the stomach, then turned and kneed her in the chin. She fell to the ground, saying, "I lose."

"So it seems."

Daine laughed. "You know, for a Shang that has never had a sense of humor, you sure have a good sense of humor."

"Daine, time to go," Numair informed her from atop his gelding, Spots. "Come."

"Yes, master," Daine replied happily, jumping onto Cloud's back.

I hate it when you do that, the pony informed her. It isn't exactly fun to be leapt upon, you know.

Daine took her place next to Numair as they began their great ride east, to the River Drell. From her position she could survay the entire troop, and the surrounding areas, as she and Numair flanked the King's left side. John and Jacob were keeping well away from her, and were somewhere at the back of the lines.

It was very uneventful the first day riding. The biggest thing that happened was when one horse got spooked by something, but Daine didn't even have to climb down to calm it. She just threw a rope of her magic at it, and calmed it that way.

"This is boring," she complained after about their third hour of riding. "None of our other rides have been this boring. The solders aren't even tense!" she guestered at the men, all of whom looked asleep in their saddles.

Numair blinked at her.

"Did you say something?" he asked her bleakly, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "This is the saddest thing I've ever seen," he added, gazing at the army. "Has our army really lost so much moral? They look like Scanra could beat them right now."

Daine glared at him, and guided Cloude further away.

"What?" he demanded wildly. "What did I do!?"

Daine didn't reply, and instead urged her mount forward.

They stopped to camp in the forest after six hours of hard riding. The men were all exhausted, and even the King himself turned in early.

It was a deadly quiet night. Daine, tunning in her magical ears, heard none of the People. Usually, sensing her presence, she prosumed, they flocked to her, wanting her to know they were there, and willing to make friends.

But tonight was different. She could just barely feel animals on the edges of the range of her magic. They had fled the area hours before Tortall's armies had arrived.

She called to them, and they answered that something was wrong with the forest. Something lay in wait, something pure evil. Something that cared not for life.

Instantly awake, Daine scrambled up from the ground, grabbing onto Cloud.

"Cloud!" she asked. "Does something feel wrong with the forest? Is there something different about it?"

The mare gazed at her with eyes out of focus, and replied curtly: Like I should know? All I know is that I'm very, very tired. Leave be.

"Something's wrong," Daine muttered, more to herself than to the mare. "Something just isn't right. The People are right. There is something wrong with this forest."

Daine began walking to the main camp. She was headed for the King's tent, to explain to him that the should move out of the forest, perhaps camp along the road instead. Reaching the camp, she viewed a strange sight.

The men were all sleeping. There horses were all lazing about, most feeling to tired to lift a hoof. The King's tent was set in the center of the others, so if an attack came, he'd be well protected.

She burst into his tent, not bothering to think if he was asleep, or going about private duties. He wasn't, which Daine viewed as good, because if she had walked in on her King naked, she'd never view him the same way.

"Jon," she said breathlessly. "There's something wrong. The men, the animals. Everything is wrong. The forest... it... it isn't right. Something has... has infected it. It seethes with evil. I... I can feel it."

He glanced up at her, closing the book of mage spells he'd been reading.

"Daine, what's wrong?" he asked her, gazing at her with sleepy eyes.

"Everything, sire," she replied darkly. "It has infected the men. There... we have to wake them! Where's Numair!"

"In his tent, sleeping, like any respectable man would be doing now," the King said, shrugging her worries away. "Should we get him?"

"No, no, no," Daine replied, shaking her head. "I'll get him myself, sire. You sleep, understand?"

He nodded, and climbed into a bedroll on the floor, layed down his head, and winked at her.

Daine scowled, and left through the back entrance to the tent. Running, she made her way to Numair's tent. Noisily, she burst through the door of his tent.

"Quiet!" he hissed at her. He had his staff, the one Weiryn had given him, in hand. "There are creatures, unworldly ones, moving about. We must wake the men."

Daine nodded, baffled. Unworldly creatures? Didn't seem like anything a girl from Snowsdale in Galla would know of.

"Oh Gods," Numair whispered. "It's to late. I'll have to wake them with magic!" His crystal flared, and the angry cries of the sleepy men rose from the field.

"Run Daine! Hide! These are not normal enimies. Magic may defeat them, but, like the skinners last year, they seem... different. I doubt arrows and daggers will stop these."

When she didn't move, he dropped his staff, and grabbed her gruffly by the shoulders. "Daine! :Listen to me! You have to leave! Take Cloud, ride to the waypoint. Do not return until morning, understand?"

"Numair," Daine whisperd, wincing in pain. "You're hurting me."

"Do it Daine!" Numair screamed. "I love you. I won't let you die!"

He guided her to the door of his tent, where Cloud awaited.

"Take her to the waypoint. Do not, under any circumstances, allow her to get off of you. Do not stop. I want you to ride all the way there. If she complaines, or tries to make you stop with her magic, ignore with all of your being," he ordered the mare, putting a hand that flared with magic on the mares head.

Cloud neighed loudly, trying to bite Numair, but she couldn't move. Numair lifted Daine onto Cloud's back, using magic to strap her to the mare's back.

"Do not stop until you reach the waypoint," he reminded the mare, then gave her a good hard slap on her hindquarters.

With a snort of anger, Cloud obeyed. Daine twisted in the saddle, trying to look behind her. Finally she did. And she had the fleeting image of a huge being, glowing white, burst from the trees, to the shouts of fear of hundreds of men.

Daine woke up, surprised to find that she wasn't in the camp. Her head ached something fearsome, as did all her muscles. Nearby Cloud was laying on her side, panting noisily. The air was humid and warm.

Memory flooded Daine's brain: Numair forcing Cloud to take her from the camp. And the creatures! Where was Numair? He needed her! She had to find him.

Glancing at Cloud, she saw to her dismay that the pony was in no condition for more than a legue's worth of riding. She slumped to the ground, defeated.

Cloud neighed loudly. Daine looked up, tears running down her soft cheeks.

You can call another horse, Cloud reminded her. I'm not the only horse in the realm, you know.

"You're right!" Daine exclaimed. "Thank you, Cloud." The girl rushed to the pony and hugged her tightly. "I'll come back for you after I've dealt with Numair."

Don't be so hard on the stork-man, Cloud replied. He loves you. That's why he made me take you away.

Daine called to the people with her Wild Magic. She found a coral of horses, barely a fourth of a legue away.

Horse-brother, she called, I need your speed. Will you help me?

She felt one of the younger stallions, full of pride and strength, thinking about it. Finally, after what seemed like years, he replied in a voice that practically echoed in her mind:

I will help you. Give me wizdom of where you are.

Daine gave him knowledge of where she was. Two minutes of trotting later, he was there, looking magnificent with his shining black coat, and the symbol of what resembled a cresent moon on his forhead.

The girl took the saddle off of Cloud, putting it onto the horse, who revealed his name to be Dagger.

What a strange name for a horse, Daine thought. Dagger. Hmm...

Is there a problem? Dagger demanded. I would like to get going before the new moon.

Daine laughed as she swung one leg up and over Daggers back, securing it into the left sturrip.

No, let us ride.

Dagger was as fast and strong as his mind gloated. His speed was increadable! He was running faster than any horse she'd ever ridden. Her curls whipped around her head in the turbulance created by Dagger's running.

They reached the camp in what seemed like no time at all. Daine felt new tears swell up in her eyes as she saw what havoc the creatures she glimpsed before created. The camp was in ruin. The tents flattened to the ground, fires burning at random spots. Smoke filled the air above the camp, dark and thick.

Daine urged Dagger forward, onto the campground. Now she could smell death. She smelt rotten flesh, blood, and sweat.

Tears clouding her vision, she jumped off of Dagger's back, ordering him to go back to the road and wait for her. He obeyed gladly, already antsy in this area of death.

"Is someone there?" a strained voice, filled with pain asked. "Please, can you help me?"

Daine cried in earnest now, letting the tears flow down her cheeks. She knelt by the dying solders side.

"What happened here?" she asked him sadly. "What did this?"

"I know not their names, all I know is that they left as suddenly as they came. They struck hard and fast. Had it not been for Master Numair, we would all be dead. The King, and the rest of the men followed them back into the forest. Am I going to die?"

Daine gripped his hand tightly.

"Yes. I'm not going to lie to you. You're to far gone. There's nothing I can to to help. But I swear your death will not be in vain," she replied, wiping the tears from her eyes with her free hand.

The solder layed his head on the ground, and died with a smile on his face.

Daine, fueled with a new emotion, made her way to her tent. Thanking the Gods that it hadn't been burnt to the ground along with the others, she entered. The sight that awaited her almost made her heart burst from her chest.

Sitting on her bedroll was a strange looking creature. His skin was a deep tan, his eyes were solid black against the white part. It wore no clothes that she could see, but she couldn't determine its sex.

Suddenly, it glanced up at her, its eye's growing wide as if it hadn't noticed she'd walked in.

Hello? it asked in a voice that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Who are you?

Daine slapped her hands over her ears, only to discover that the voice was inside her head.

"My name is Daine. I'm a human," she replied. "What, and who, are you?"

"I am Vindine Essillia. I am of the Enetrian," he said, now speaking in the voice of a normal person, not using mind to mind contact. "You wish to find those responsible for what happened here," he commented.

"You can... you can read minds?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes," it replied. "I can see your thoughts, feel your feelings."

"Are you a male, or a female?" Daine asked, her eyes twitching nervously toward her bow and her sword that lay in the corner.

"I am male," he Vindine replied, then added, "You have nothing to fear of me. I am not a chaos being, I am not a god. I am an immortal. You are a mortal female girl. You wish to find those responsible for what happened here, yes?"

"Yes," she replied excited. "Wait until I've gotten ready, then I'll follow you to them."

Daine picked up her sword and belt, connecting them to her breeches. Then she scooped up her bow and her quivver, putting the quivver on her back, hanging limply from one shoulder, and clenched her bow tightly in her left hand.

"Let's go," she said, and followed him into the forest.

Vindine led her through the forest at an extremely fast pace, much like the speed that her friend Tkaa the Basilik traveled at when he felt the need. She could see evidence of battle in places along the way, but she saw no dead men.

They reached a stream after a few minutes of hard running. It looked shallow, but Daine knew otherwise. It wasn't even a stream, it was a full fledged river, that happened to thin out in this one spot. It had to bee at least five feet deep.

"Can you carry me?" she asked Vindine, praying he could. She didn't want to have come this far only to have to turn back now.

"Of course," he replied, picking her up easily with one strong arm, then cleared the river with one long jump.

They continued their journey, stopping every once in a while so that Vindine could find the trail again. After another hours worth of tracking they came to a large clearing.

The clearing was filled with the army, and they were fighting the brightly glowing cretures that Daine had glimpsed the night before, seconds after Numair had ordered Cloud to take her out of the camp.

King Jonathan and Numair were fighting side by side, both shimmering with their Gifts. The thing that scared her though, was the fact that the glowing creatures seemed to be holding their own against an entire army, and quiet possibly the most powerful mage in the world.

The Dominion Jewl around Jonathan's neck shone, and quickly following, a net of thorn bushes sprang up around one of the creatures, envoloping him in a deadly cage.

With a roar that sounded through the entire forest, it broke the net, reaching for the King. Instantly, black fire with bits of white in it swarmed around its hand; Numair's Gift.

With a cry of pain, it drew back its hand, clutching it tightly.

Daine flew into action, noticing that one had come up behind the King and Numair without their knowing, and that the other men were all to busy to help. Giving a silent prayer to the Great Mother goddess, she drew her bowstring back to her ear, took careful aim, and loosed an arrow.

The arrow lanced into the creature's forehead. A small gurgle rose from somewhere on its body, and it fell to the ground like a giant tree. Wasting no time, Daine drew back her bowstring again, picking another target, the one Numair was defending the King from.

Releasing her arrow, Daine reached into her quivver for more, after her arrow had plunged into the creature's chest.

Finding no arrow, Daine swore, and threw her bow to the base of a nearby tree, along with her quivver.

"Strange that arrows effect a Binetreum when magic does not," Vindine commented from behind her. His body was glowing with a strange orange color. "My race should have banished them to the realms of Eternal Pain when we had the chance. And trust me, we would have, had we known they'd be set loose into the mortal realms."

"You know of these beasts?" Daine asked, surprised by Vindine, not for the first time. "What did you say they were? Binetreum?"

"Yes. I'd love to tell you all about our long and violent existance, but I'm afraid I've other things on my mind right now," Vindine replied sarcastacly, throwing up a shield of orange magic to block a shapeless blob of whitish substance. It burst apart upon contact with the shield, plastering it with the substance, which seemed to burn.

"Did I mention that the Binetreum are basicaly giant walking blobs of acid?" Vindine asked, taking down the shield. "More will arrive soon. They usually travel in packs of ten."

Daine didn't reply. She was to busy watching a very small version of the larger Binetreum, who was spitting very slow moving globs of acid at her from a distance of twenty feet.

"They have children with them?" Vindine asked himself, then screamed: "No! That means that there will be more than ten! There will be a queen!"

He flew into the air, with wings Daine had not noticed on his back before. They were like Eagle's wings, but the bones in them must be heavier. Glowing a darker orange than before, he shouted a word in a strange language that sounded vaguely like "Inishium Binetreum."

Daine looked away from him, just in time to duck another glob of the acid. The little one was making her angry. He was only a child, she knew, but he had the same arrogance as the adult Binetreum.

"I warn you, child," she said, "If you throw one more of your damned acid blobs at me, and I will slice you apart, showering your vile blood on our sacred earth."

If the Binetreum heard her, it gave no evidence. Instead of obeying, it threw another of its seemingly unexhaustable acid blobs at her.

Sighing, she unsheathed her sword, dogging another of the slow moving acid blobs in the process.

"I gave you fair warning," she yelled, and ran at him.

In a flash of moves even the Lioness would be proud of, she hit the creature with the flat of her blade in three different places: head, ribs, and chest. It slumped to the ground; unconsious.

Unclipping her belt, she set the sword next to her bow, and stepped back into the fight, to challange another young Binetreum.

With a screech she viewed as acceptance of her challange, it threw more of the blobs at her. She dogged them all the way until she was a foot away from him, then she kicked at him with her right leg, smacking him backward with a powerful hit.

He hit the ground and didn't get up.

"Foolish!" Vindine yelled from above her. "The young Binetreum are no threat! It is the adults we have to worry about!"

Listening, Daine turned to an adult Binetreum. Sliding a dagger into her hand from the small of her back, she leapt atop him. Climbing up his body, she balanced on his shoulder, as he tried to shake her off.

Ignoring him, she stabbed him with the dagger nine times, each time drawing blood. On the last stab of her dagger, he stumbled into another of his kind, then they both toppled to the gound.

Daine, using the same dagger, quickly flung it at the others head. It stirred only once, then lay still. Focusing on the great bears of the North, Daine shifted shape into a bear.

Looking with grim pleasure at the ripping meat-hook claws on both of her front legs, also used for arms with a bear, she stood up to another of the Binetreum.

Charging at it with the unlikely speed of the bear, she sliced with both claws, in and then up, gutting her opponent. Staggering for a few seconds, he joined his brethren on the ground.

Wasting no time, Daine quickly spun, and plunged her paw, claws spread wide, into the stomach of another. It fell without persuasion.

Noticing another of the beasts behind her, she kicked with her powerful back legs. Her leg litterally tore the Binetreum's lower stomach apart, and he fell on top of her.

Struggling desperatly, she wormed her way out from under its huge bulk, and stood. Survaying the battle field, she saw that none of the Binetreum remained. All were dead, even the children.

Shifting back to herself, Daine ran to Numair, throwing her arms around him.

"I thought you'd died!" she sobbed into his chest.

Hearing no answer, she looked up. His face was a deep scarlet. He was blushing uncontrollably. Numair motioned to her body, and she looked down. She was naked, wareing nothing but the silver badgers claw on her neck.

Blushing also, Daine purposly reshaped clothing around her body slowly. For some reason she wanted Numair to see her naked for a while longer.

When she was done, she looked back up at him, and jumped onto him. They toppled to the ground with her on top. Quickly she kissed him three times, then pushed herself off of him, and stood.

"I'm glad your safe, maglet," he replied, and also stood. "What would I do without you?" Seeing Vindine, he added, "Whoe's this?"

"This is Vindine of the Enetrian," Daine said. "He knows about those that you were fighting. Would you like to talk to him?"

Numair's eyes gave him away.

"Of course! An opportunity to gain more knowledge?" he replied, and led Vindine over to a pair of rocks near the edge of the clearing.

Daine straitened, brushed her curls out of her face, and went to the King.

"Jonathan," she said, "Can I borrow a horse? I've got to go get Cloud."

"Of course, Daine," he told her warmly. "I'm not blind, you know. I saw that you killed that one that snuck behind us back there. What were they?"

"Numair will explain," Daine yelled over her shoulder as she ran toward a horse.

Jumping up onto the horse bareback, Daine raced out of the clearing toward the road.