Fidella: Wow, I don't think I've ever had such compliments. Thank you, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story and the next one! Fayrey: I thought it's flowed better this one and it was easier to write. What are you writing, fanfic – or your own? I agree with what you said about the characters, I find I can't control what they do too much, otherwise they go wooden. I read something TP said about Alanna, that she originally had Alanna marry Jon, but the story struggled from there, as Alanna then couldn't do what she wanted, hence it was changed. The whole conversation with Maura in this wasn't planned, it just happened naturally. Bitterosemary: I was being lazy and not altering any of the original words, hence I left the 'Blessed be" in, I'll pay more attention in future. I am terrible at the moment – I haven't read back a single chapter of this yet, bar checking briefly before it goes up. I know when I start my own I'll be consumed by every word, but this is a bit like playing. They are all first drafts, pretty much, as I try to get them up quick. Thank you for what you said about Maura, I worried profusely about her. She was surprisingly easy to write, which was why I worried! I could almost hear her voice when I was typing, which makes me sound a little crazy! Jade-Viper08: Thank you. I think Maura is Daine's version of a little sister. Ace Ryn Knight: Thank you! blushes. I'm glad you like the fic, I hope it stays up high in your estimation! Lime 63: I can't believe how long my chapters have become! This fic is probably going to pass the 100,000 word mark which is scary! Daine's Daughter: Thank you! Silverlake: My fella does that. He seems to think that there is a faerie that picks up the socks that he has dropped next to the laundry basket, so he doesn't need to do the exertive task of lifting the lid and putting them in himself! Thank you for the review. Goldeneyedwildmage: Thank you. I had to get that egg laying fact in somewhere. I was telling Chris, my worse half, about it in the supermarket and he got that glazed look on his face and suddenly found the yoghurts very interesting. Celuna Cirrus: Thank you, I was a bit worried about spoiling Maura as she is such a wonderful character, but I'm glad she worked! Sonnet Lacewing: Thank you as always! Your suggestion really worked, I only hope I am as much use to you! Myrtle Riddle: Thank you! Dolphin Dreamer: I just got your review as I was typing this! Just in time! I hope you're not too poorly and you get better soon! Dirty socks is a pet peeve, as they never end up in the laundry bin, I'm expected to pick them up and put them in, or they hide behind doors a lot… Grrrrrr! You notice lots of small things, which I love, cause it encourages me to add in more little things. Thank you as always, and I find hitting a computer hard is not conducive to getting it to work! NealsChick: It could have written much more grossier things! Thank you for your review! Drop your Oboe: No, the Parlan/Parlen thing was a mistake, thank you, I'll correct it when I edit. Please review again! Aravilui: Yes, Ostara is pretty much Easter, although it was there before Easter. The central themes of both are rebirth and many of the traditions we have now stem from the pagan festival. Thank you for your review!

Disclaimer: It's all TP's…

Ostara Part III

Chapter 3 – City of Gods

They left the castle early in the morning, just as the sun was beginning its wake up call. Daine could see the fresh dew on the grass and hear the birds chirping their morning chorus. The lapping of the lake and the promise of the bright sun and cloudless sky made Daine wish that they could have a day just to relax and lie lazily by the lake. Although she now lived with Numair she felt that she didn't have enough time just to spend with him, doing silly things like staying in bed all day, or taking a walk by a river and passing the time of day together; not having to worry about battle strategies or poisoned water, or even pages and their lectures. Jon had recently asked Daine to begin giving lectures on animal and immortals, a request that had made her nervous and apprehensive just at the thought. Numair had encouraged her so much with the idea that she had agreed, although he had promised to help her draw up plans for the lectures and give her tips on speaking clearly.

Maura had accompanied them up to the North Fort, and then had said her goodbyes, obviously sad to see them leave so soon. The breakfast they had had together had been a very joyful affair, with Maura finally losing her fear of Numair and finding that she was very good at teasing him, particularly early in the morning when he was not yet at his quickest.

Daine found that she was sorry to say goodbye to the girl, and hoped that she would come to the palace soon. She felt guilty, that she should have done more to include her in the past and let her know what was going on with the palace affairs, but she really had been busy. Still, she knew that if she spoke to Thayet it would be arranged for Maura to come to the palace for a holiday as soon as possible.

Daine glanced at the mountains around her, tall and imposing, some of then still capped with snow. She felt at ease among them, having the sense that they were like protective parents, watching over her. Shortly they would come to the northern pass and from then it would be a matter of an hour or so before they reach the famed city of learning.

It seemed to Daine to be a mysterious place, with little known about it. Harailt had been there to study, but even he was inebriated he said little about it. As they drew closer to the pass she could sense Numair tense up. Any little comments he may have made had been left unsaid, thus making Daine worry.

He can take care of himself, she heard Cloud say, realising her thoughts.

I'm well aware of that, Daine snapped. But that doesn't stop me worrying.

Then talk to him, Cloud replied tartly. If you don't ask you'll never know.

For a mad moment, Daine wondered if an old lady friend of Numair's was at the City of Gods and he was worried about them meeting. Then she reassured herself that Numair would have told her if it was that.

They stopped near water that was running down from the mountains. Numair tested it with his gift and declared it safe for the horses to drink. He and Daine sat on a large lump of rock and were silent for several moments.

"Numair," she began. "Something's fair bothering you, what is it?" She felt the mages arms circle her and saw him smile.

"I dislike coming here," he told her. "There's no other reason, truly, Daine. People can be very competitive about where they study. The people at the City of Gods know I went to the university at Carthak and that I'm a black robe mage, they will do their utmost to prove that I am no better than them."

"You usually don't fret about things like that," Daine looked at him thoughtfully, and then grew distracted slightly by Kitten trying to pull Cloud's tail.

Numair laughed at the sight as Cloud turned round sharply and fixed the young dragon with an almighty glare. "I don't want you to see me…" he said rather shyly.

Daine looked at him, her heart softening as she saw his tender side. He would always be her protector, that she knew, but she also understood that he needed her as much as she needed him. And now she saw his doubt. Most of the time, Numair was an imposing, confident and brilliant mage, an image that was partly true and partly there to deter enemies. But Numair was human and not infallible.

"They won't be able to prove that they are better than you, you know that, Numair. And we aren't going there for a fight, we're going there to let them know that they need to find another way to dispose of the waste from their spells," she edged closer to him, her hand going up to his chin, grazing her finger on the slight, rough stubble. "I will never see you as anything less that amazing," she whispered, his eyes gazing into hers. He leant forward and kissed her deeply, Daine let herself fall into the kiss, her face flushed and hot when they eventually came up for air.

Lamenting the fact that they could not simply sit there all day and bask in each others' company, they remounted their horses and began to head for the university. Numair seemed slightly cheered by Daine's reassurance, although he still wasn't his usual charm personified self. Numair had begun to settle in his life with Daine; he no longer needed to impress members of the opposite sex at court and woo them with his amazing abilities. He had found his true love and although he spent a great portion of every day still trying to impress her, his priorities had changed somewhat. Now his concerns were with providing a stable home for her and any future family that they might have, as well as consolidating his position within Jonathan's court.

The trip to the City of Gods was not something he wanted to take at present, although it had been something that he and Harailt had discussed undertaking in order to assess the royal university in Corus. There would be competition from the mages he would meet there today, particularly given that he was so well-known at present after the dealings with Ozorne and Inar Hadensra. However it would also be an opportunity to see the City of Gods without them having prepared for a visit, which he imagined would be very enlightening.

They approached the end of the pass, and began to descend down towards the famed academy. It was shrouded in a dense mist, its spires only just visible, peaking slightly above the cloud of magic. As they drew closer, and entered the mist the buildings became more apparent; the brick work glowed white in the light from the sun, the spire tips embellished in a dull, gold paint that reflected the glow. Several of the windows were elaborately stained; presenting images of the gods in their various forms, depicting events from their stories.

At the centre of the spires was a large dome roofed building, the top of which was decorated in a complex gilt design of entwined roses and leaves. For a second, Numair felt slightly overwhelmed by the building which stood alone, separated from anywhere else. He imagined it would have suited him well in his younger days, when he was far too engrossed in his books to care where he was in relation to other living beings, but since coming to Tortall he had developed skills other than the ones needed for his academic studies. He could never have imagined living with another person, until he and Daine had started to spend most of their time in his rooms. Now he couldn't imagine it any other way.

He glanced at her as they approached the entrance to the grand building, the area surrounding it surprisingly quiet, given that it was a beautifully sunny spring day. But then Numair knew mage tendencies well, and would imagine most of the students and teachers to be inside, researching and adapting spells and experiments, oblivious to the weather, whether it was pouring with torrential rain or the sun was burning the earth dry.

Numair banged loudly on the door, not expecting it to be locked, but refraining from entering it and barging his way in. He had no desire to make enemies of these people; he wasn't entirely sure how well they would react when he suggested that one of their mages was probably contaminating the water with a poorly thought out spell. However, it needed to be done

An elderly man came to the door and let them in, immediately recognising Numair, and obviously reaching a quick understanding that his companion was the wildmage.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Salmalin," the man greeted. "Please come in. I understand that you have not visited us for sometime?"

Numair nodded, surprised that his one prior visit there had been remembered, seeing as he had then been Arram Draper. It had been a fleeting glance at the building, rather than a visit, as Numair had merely gone there to return some tomes that had somehow found there way to the Carthaki library.

"I am sorry not to have made a trip here sooner. However, it is unfortunately business that brings us here and not pleasure," he said, feeling Daine's presence close by his side.

The elder man nodded. "I fear I have not yet introduced myself. I am Toren Mahonte, one of the Deans of the university. I don't usually open doors, but as you see," he gestured around the large, ornate entrance hall, "There was no one else available to assist, as many of the staff and students are in the dome for an attainment ceremony."

Numair nodded. "I understand. How come you aren't there yourself, sir?"

Toren laughed a little. "I have seen far too many of these ceremonies to wish wasting my time on another one. One blurs into another quite rapidly, and on such a day as this, I can think of many more things I would rather be doing, as I am sure, can you. So let us make haste to resolve your business."

Numair smiled at the mage, appreciating his humour. "I would be grateful for that, Master Mahonte."

He led them to a small room just off the main corridor, the door sporting an old, tarnished plaque engraved with his name. Numair had heard of Toren Mahonte before, he had actually studied some of his articles whilst at university himself and found them to be valuable tools. The man was no war mage. His primary interest was the use of gems in magic, particularly healing magic. He had remained at the university where he had studied all his life, and from what little Numair knew, had never married, or had children. He was a born academic, completely devoted to his subject and the teaching of it, and the very image of the future that Numair might have had, had he not fled Carthak to go to Tortall.

The room was a luxurious one, containing deeply padded chairs, covered in a soft velvet material that Thayet had used in the palace. Paintings by several artists that Numair had recognised hung from the walls, and a few pieces of expensive pottery were arranged on the shelves.

Toren beckoned for them to sit down around a small table. "What is the problem? I do wish it was something of a lighter nature that has drawn you here, Master Salmalin, but I can tell by your face that it is not."

Numair shook his head, wondering why the man had not yet formerly acknowledged Daine. He had nodded briefly to her in greeting, but had not addressed her, or even looked at her when he spoke. For a moment he felt slightly annoyed, and then curbed the feeling, understanding that he needed to rectify the problem, and not malign this man in his mind to make him an enemy.

"The lake at Dunlath and its river had become polluted with what seems to be magical wastage. As the river, which feeds the lake, finds its source here, and the level of magic being a high one, I have understood the basis of the pollutant to be from here. In my understanding, the magic is a by product of a spell to disperse the irrelevant magic after a spell. I doubt that it had been done on purpose, I simply wonder if someone has created this spell - ablutum quisquiliae – and not realised the effects of it. We have had several animals made unwell and as the lake is a source of water for many, I have come to ask you to look into its origins and to help in rebalancing the water," Numair saw the man looking a little worried as he ended his explanation.

"It is understandable why you have come then, Master Salmalin. Obviously, I am a little concerned by what you have told me. Perhaps we could take a walk to the river and examine a little of the water together. I do not doubt for a second that you are correct in your assumptions, but I doubt that any of our students would seek to use ablutum quisquiliae. It is a fairly advanced spell, and we do not currently have any young protégées as you were yourself," Toren looked to the woman stood next to Numair, the young dragon carried in her arms. "I am sorry, my lady. I am not used to dealing with beautiful young women such as yourself. I find myself flustering and becoming tongue tied. Please do not take it offensively."

"No offence taken, Master Mahonte," Daine said gently, smiling at the withered old man.

They left the dark, cool building for the outdoors, the bright sun dazzling them as they stepped outside. The river ran close to building and Numair suspected it probably ran underneath at some point as well, although he couldn't be certain as no maps had ever been made available of the area, such was the secrecy about the place. They stooped at a point where the river ran away from the university, thus any magic that had been allowed to seep into it would be apparent. The old mage squatted down and Numair watched as he used his gift to examine the water, knowing that he would also be able to sense the signature of the man who had created the spell.

He stood up after a few minutes, shaking his head. "You are right, of course. It is ablutum quisquiliae that has been used and the mage who I would have suspected of this is certainly the one who has performed it."

Numair nodded. "Can you help me to rectify it?" he inquired.

"Certainly. We cannot have mages poisoning water, unintentionally or not. The problem is though, that Esryn Dailin is almost senile, and either will not understand or care about the repercussions of his little experiment," Toren replied. "He will be up in his rooms now, as he very rarely goes out, such is his health."

"Is there any way to make sure that this doesn't happen again?" Numair asked, a little concerned.

"Oh, of course. He will do as he's told, very much as a child would. We'll send Cathemi to scold him, which will keep him out of mischief for awhile," Toren smiled at the pair as they walked back into the magnificent building and up a small flight of stairs.

Toren knocked heavily on the first wooden door that they came too. No plaque hung on this door, although there was a mark where one had once been.

"Esryn! Esryn!" Toren called. "You have guests! Let us in!"

"No!" The response came in a petulant voice.

"Esryn," Toren's voice was more persuasive. "Cathemi will have to be called…" The door automatically opened. A stooped man stood before them, his hair wiry and white and his skin crinkled and pale. He eyes were the brightest blue Daine had ever seen, still lively even though his face looked as if it had gone to sleep years before.

"Who are these people?" Esryn asked scornfully. "He shouldn't be here, but she can stay," he pointed to Daine. "She'd make a good wife for Esryn, hey? Esryn needs his bed warm at night."

"Excuse us," Toren nodded to his visitors and ushered Esryn back into his room, leaving Daine and Numair standing at the threshold.

"She's with the most powerful mage in the country. If you speak like that to his wife he'll probably blast you into smithereens, never mind what Cathemi will do when she hears what you've been saying!" They heard Toren rebuke. Numair grinned at Daine, having found the mage's words amusing.

"That's what you'll be like when you're that age!" Daine whispered. "Still making a play for all the pretty girls!"

"I won't need to, you'll be keeping my bed warm," he said softly.

Daine laughed quietly. "How do you know I won't have run off with some gallant, young rider?" Her eyes danced as she teased.

Numair gave her his most flirtatious smile. "Because even when I'm ninety I'll still have a bucket full of charm!"

The door swung open again and Toren encouraged them in. "It's all here," he said, and for a moment Numair wasn't sure what he was referring to. "The equipment he's been using for the wastage spell. Apparently he's been trying to drain off his power, thinking it will, er, rejuvenate him in certain ways!"

Numair's lips curled up into a smile as he realised what Toren was implying. They entered the rooms, which were untidy and strewn with papers and dirty washing. Anyone else, Numair knew, would have turned up their nose at the sight, but Daine merely ignored it, her eyes filled with sadness at the quality of Esryn's life.

Thankfully, they weren't invited to sit, just to briefly inspect the implements that Esryn had been using. Numair recognised some of the liquid magic that was in one of the containers as being the same as the solution he had found in the water at Dunlath.

"Esryn won't be trying it again," Toren assured. "All that leaves now is to rectify what had been done. What do you suggest, Master Salmalin?"

"There is a withdrawing spell that could be tried. It is a word of power, though, so will possibly have implications elsewhere. If we can withdraw the magic he has infiltrated into the water and direct it into something else then that should solve the problem completely. However, we will need to use a word of power to redirect the magic," Numair offered.

Toren shook his head. "The word of power will be necessary, but it won't have any severe effects. We have a stone – the T'reaba – which will absorb the excess magic in the water, so no need to use trees. Of course, I would appreciate if you kept this to yourself, we don't particularly share this information."

"Which is why I haven't heard of it before. How has the T'reaba come into being?" Numair inquired as Toren led them back out of Esryn's rooms and down the stairs, this time going further down the corridors and out towards a courtyard.

"It was an old stone, which was once in a circle where people would gather to worship the sun god at certain times of the year, usually on the solstices. The other stones were damaged, one way or another, and this was the only one left. It's still in its original position; the City of Gods was built around it, as it was deemed to be the centre of power. The river runs close by, so we should be simply able to redirect it at the stone and it will be absorbed," Toren explained.

Numair nodded. "Given that the old mage appears powerful, I would suggest that it will need seven or eight of us to redirect the gift that we draw up."

"I would agree," Toren gestured for them to stop walking and sit near the rock. "I will fetch some of my colleagues and we will proceed."

Numair put an arm round Daine and pulled her close in. "I'm sorry, Magelet," he whispered. "He really isn't including you in this."

"But why should he? I'm not some black robe mage who other mages bend over backwards for. He hasn't told me to sit out and wait for you, so he doesn't mind me being here," she defended, Kitten quietly looking around her, taking in the surroundings.

Numair smiled at his lover. She never ceased to amaze him sometimes. Before he could show his appreciation any more, Toren reappeared from the central dome, accompanied by five other men. He introduced them to Numair and Daine, although he could not make eye contact with the young woman. Daine noticed that one or two of the mages seemed quite young, and almost in stupefied awe of Numair, bowing to him as they were introduced, much to Daine's amusement and Numair slight embarrassment.

She stood away, although Kitten went closer to Numair, fascinated by the proceedings, and listened as Numair began to speak in a language that she recognised as Old Thak. She saw the slight curve of the river that was visible as it flowed from under one of the buildings, through the courtyard and under another, and Numair's words began to conjure a long flash of blue light from the waters. She noticed briefly that they had an audience; several of whom she supposed were students had appeared and were now gazing at the mage incredulously.

She noticed the other mages speak a few words of Old Thak in tandem and prepared to watch the blue light be directed towards the T'reaba. Instead she heard a loud, ear piercing whistle appear from the small dragon stood beside Numair and saw the excess gift run straight into the tall stone before it could even get close to the line of mages.

Smiling, she saw the look of shock etched upon the faces of those present as the remainder of the light was sealed into the T'reaba. Numair said a final few words in the strange language, followed by a cry from Toren, which caused the stone to glow a bright yellow. She saw the look on Numair's face relax as he picked up the small dragon, talking to her furiously.

Daine stepped over to them, wondering why he was berating her so. "She helped, didn't she?"

Numair nodded. "Obviously she has picked up your impetuousness," he said, his eyes smiling, although his tone was severe. "She could have been really hurt with all that power streaming like that. However, I'm not entirely sure that the gifts of the other mages would have been strong enough to do what she did." This last comment was said quietly, so no one from the City of Gods could overhear.

"I think you are about to be mobbed," Daine said with a smile, as Toren approached them with a group of older men and women, one of whom looked to be Cathemi, given that she appeared scarier than Alanna on a bad day.

A barrage of questions was sent, this time to both Daine and Numair, about themselves and the capabilities of their gifts, but mainly about Kitten and how she had become to be so strong. They were eventually led into a rather large, elaborate room, where they were provided with simple, but tasty food. The questioning seemed to last for longer than Daine would have liked, however the people there were pleasant enough and certainly welcoming, nothing like she knew Numair had feared them to be.

At one point, Daine found herself in conversation with Cathemi, a formidable mage who was in charge of training healers, particularly in battle situations. Daine knew that her Ma's rule of always doing as the healer says would go double for this woman, such was her authority. However, she managed to find the courage to ask her a question concerning the old man who had caused all the trouble in the first place.

"Esryn – his rooms are in a fair mess," she said to the older lady. "Can he not be housed in your infirmary somewhere, so that more of an eye could be kept on him?"

Cathemi looked at her as if she had just begun to speak in a strange language that couldn't be understood.

"He seems like he can't really look after himself," she added bluntly.

"He can't. I have only just returned from spending two months on a trip with some of the younger mages, and I noticed his condition has deteriorated. I suppose I should have an attempt at persuading him to move nearer to the healers," she said wistfully.

Daine nodded. "He seems to want to do as you say."

Cathemi laughed. "He's a little scared of me, although he is also frightened of Toren. We are the only two who dare to boss him about. He was once a black robe mage, and is still held in high regard here, although the rest of the world has forgotten him. Unlike your man over there," she pointed to Numair who was busy lecturing a group of students on some esoteric incantation, "He will be remembered in history."

Daine smiled proudly. "What is Esryn's last name?" She asked, wanting to mention it to Numair later.

"Larensri," Cathemi answered. "Esryn Larensri."

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It was only an hour from dusk when the left the City of Gods to make their way back to Dunlath, having assured Maura that they would stay with her rather than take rooms at Master Parlen's again. Daine mentioned to Numair the surname of the senile mage and the request she had made for him to be looked after a little more carefully.

"Esryn Larensri," he repeated under his breath. "He was a great war mage at one point, until his wife was killed in revenge by the son of someone he'd slain in battle. This was during a war over seventy years ago with Scanra. There are several legends about him…"

She let him carry on and talk himself out, though only half listening to what he was actually saying. Kitten was asleep in the carry bag next to her, exhausted after her display of magic and all the attention she had received afterwards. Daine smiled. Numair had enjoyed himself thoroughly that afternoon, and had arranged for Toren at least to visit the university at Corus and lecture dome of the students there. There had been little challenging of her lover; for the majority of the time there had just been requests for him to demonstrate the rarer forms of magic that he could perform, although a few of the showier young men had attempted to out do him, much to his amusement.

They reached the castle in good time, and dismounted the horses, leading them for the last few minutes to stretch their own legs.

Numair sighed and looked at Daine, his eyes filled with a mixture of tiredness and euphoria. "One day we'll have a quite sabbat with no excitement, or missions or people going missing in treacherous weather conditions."

Daine laughed. "I somehow doubt that will happen," she replied, picking up Kitten and straining to cradle her due to her recent growth.

Numair took the dragonet from Daine and held her easily in his strong arms. "It's Beltane next," he smiled. "Maybe we'll get a chance to relax then."

"We'll see," Daine said, wondering what else the gods could possible have in store for them, as they knocked on the castle door, hoping for a peaceful night for a change.

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Now, you know what to do! Please review!

Beltane Part I will be up next, festival of fertility and general merriment and greenwood marriages… I need to research now, but reviews make me type quicker……