Bitterosemary: I think Maude would terrify them into submission! It was really interesting researching the handfasting and seeing where today's traditions steep from. The handfasting is in chapter 3. Kelsey: Merci! I would say I hope you enjoy Paris, but I've forgotten all of my six years of French! You'll get the last chapter of this tomorrow and then the first of Lammas on Saturday, maybe before you leave! Drop Your Oboe: The ring is connected with the rest of the story, you'll see how in chapter three! Bone fire is not a typo, the word bonfire actually derives from bone fire as the bones of the animals they feasted on were put in the fires so the goodness within them went back to mother earth. I mentioned it in an earlier chapter I think (although I might have made a note of it and forgot to include it! – Always a possibility!) Celuna Cirrus: The ring comes up in Chapter 3! Thank you! Dolphin Dreamer: The plot for this is a little more discreet than the other stories. It's also been my favourite to write for some reason, particularly the last chapter. I do think I'll enjoy Lammas though as well! The ring and the wedding are both important. This chapter was a bit of fun. JadeViper08: Thank you, I've learnt loads researching this too. It's been really interesting. Lime 63, Daine's Daughter & Myrtle Riddle: I love doing dream sequences. This one, however is a bit different, it's not as bizarre as some were in A Stepping State. Here I used the dream as a tool to get the characters somewhere they otherwise wouldn't have been able to go. I hope you enjoy it and its not a disappointment. Goldeneyedwildmage: Bone fire is actually where the term bonfire came from as people built fires at some of the sabbats and would throw animal bones in them as a sacrifice and to feed the bone back to the earth. I just chose to stick with the original term rather than the modern one. What writing does your dad do? Silverlake: Thank you – this dream is slightly different to what I've done before. Sonnet Lacewing checks through my chapters and often alters George's accent. She's far more detailed than me – I'm too lazy, so I must give her credit for his accent, although what comes out of his mouth I've put in! I wasn't sure what aspect of his speech you meant – thank you for the compliment. Sonnet Lacewing: Thank you as always! This was my favourite to write, I think this is the closest I've been in these fics to my natural style. I was pleased with the ring bit too! Anner87: Thank you – never thought of that about Rumen! Feyrey: Thank you! I'll let you off for not reviewing – I know you're busy!
A/N: This dream is a little different to the ones I've done before in A Stepping State, I hope it works.
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters., locations etc belong to Tamora Pierce.
Midsummer Part II
Chapter 2 – Sarra's Home
The dream she entered was like no other she had experienced in some time. She had the vague sensation of flying, and being transferred to places too quickly to be able to take anything in. She was slightly aware of a voice speaking softly to her, but couldn't quite make out what it was saying. It was soothing anyhow and she felt herself begin to relax, her sleep self wondering what adventures Gainel was taking her on, on such a night as tonight.
The travelling stopped abruptly and Daine opened her eyes and found herself in a large bed, Numair lying next to her, sprawled out as usual. The covers had been kicked off, leaving them both covered with just underwear, although the air was warm enough for them to not miss any blankets. She sat up and looked around the room that they were in. It was not unfamiliar, but it was certainly not by the weeping willow tree, where she had expected to wake. The furniture was all made of a light wood, probably pine, she assessed. Two piles of clothes lay at the foot of the bed, one of which she assumed was for he and the other for Numair. She poked Numair hard in the ribs, waking him. His eyelids blinked and adjusted to the light before he sat up and joined her.
"We're at your mother's house," he said, still sleepily. "But I thought you weren't allowed to come here. That was your decision."
"I'm not supposed to come here," she replied, stepping out of the bed and making her way over to the clothes. "Maybe they found a way to get us through seeing as its Midsummer. Is this real, are we actually here?"
Numair nodded his agreement and copied her actions, changing into the fresh clothes that he imagined had been left there by Sarra. "Maybe they've found another way to bring us here. I don't feel anything like I did when they last pulled us through, a year ago."
"I imagine Ma and Da will be waiting for us. Anyone else's parents would have given them notice about these things; mine really seem to go in for surprises!" She added, half to herself.
Numair laughed, remembering the last time Weiryn and Sarra had surprised them, the embarrassment having only just begun to fade.
They left the bed chamber and entered the room where Daine remembered eating dinner with the strangest of guests. However, this time, only her mother was present, sat at the table chopping herds that Daine imagined would be used for ointments.
"You're awake then." Sarra said, standing up to kiss Numair and embrace her daughter. "You both look very well."
Daine returned her mother's hug and allowed herself to be inspected, still very puzzled. "How have you brought us here?" She asked, and saw Sarra's face fall.
"Are you not glad to visit us… I know we didn't give you any notice, but…" She responded.
Daine shook her head. "No, Ma, I am glad we're here. I just don't know how you brought us here when I'm not meant to be allowed back into these realms. Mithros said I had to choose…"
"You aren't really here," he mother sat back down at the table. "This is a dream that Gainel managed to compose. It's real in that I am talking to you, but what you see around you is being taken from your memories of being here.
"So does that mean that I won't be able to see places that I haven't been to?" Numair asked.
Sarra nodded. "I think so. It may get a little jumpy too; you may find yourselves in a place without knowing how you got there." Daine wasn't sure if she liked that idea too much. "But you really should eat; you're body clocks will be thinking its breakfast time." Sarra left the herbs and went to prepare food in the kitchen. Daine took here seat at the table and continued the chopping, mimicking the actions of her mother and cutting g the herbs into small snippets. Numair looked around the room, he was a little quiet for him and Daine noticed.
"What's the matter?" She asked her lover as he studied some of the pots that were kept on a shelf on the wall.
"I'm adjusting to this dream," he told her quietly. "I've thought so many times about coming back here and how interesting it would be to study some of the sights to be found in these realms, and now we're actually here, I don't know where to begin."
Daine smiled and reached for his arm, encouraging him to come close to her. He sat down in a chair near to her and let her entwine her hand with his, smiling softly at him. "As soon as we've had breakfast we'll have a fair wander, maybe even retrace the steps of the start of our journey to the Dragonlands," she suggested, her eyes gazing into his.
"Do you think your mother will be wanting to spend some time with you?" He asked the young woman, his long fingers gently grazing the soft skin under her chin. It was nearly a year since they had first kissed and still he could barely keep his hands from touching her. Of course he had had problems with restraining himself before they had kissed, but he wasn't going to dwell too much on that period of frustration.
"She will want us to spend some time with her and my Da, but she won't begrudge us taking in some of the sights."
A large orange and white marbled cat strolled into the room, pouncing onto Numair's knee. Numair automatically began to pet her, and she purred loudly.
"How are you, Queenclaw?" He muttered, half making Daine jealous with the attention he was lavishing on the cat.
"All the better for what you are doing," the goddess of house cats replied. "I see you are in a better state than when you last arrived."
Numair nodded, his fingers gliding through Queenclaw's thick fur. "Much better. I believe this is just a dream though."
"Who knows?" Queenclaw stood up and stretched, slightly digging her claws into Numair's flesh. "Gainel can do many things with his dreams so it would not surprise me." She jumped off and wandered into the kitchen. The mage stood up and began to follow her. Daine waited for a moment, then reluctantly stood up and walked behind.
Her mother was making porridge, large jugs of honey and cream stood next to the stove. The kitchen door was open, leading out into the lush greenery outside.
"It won't be long," Sarra said, smiling at them as they arrived. "If I'd have known what time you were likely to be up I would have had all this prepared and ready, but we weren't sure when you were likely to wake."
"How long has this been arranged for, Ma?" Daine asked, poking her finger into the jug of honey.
"Gainel mention it a few weeks ago. I don't understand it very well, your Da would be better explaining how it works, but I was glad I'd have chance to se you in my own house again, even if it's for such a short time," Sarra beamed at them.
Weiryn chose that moment to enter the house, his tall antlers narrowly missing the door frame that was overly tall already. "Look who's awake," Sarra smiled at him as he bent to give her a kiss.
"Daine!" He called, striding over to her and hugging her warmly. He then walked over to the mage and shook his hand. Numair waited for the biting comment that would go with it.
"I see you're a little calmer than the last time we met?" Weiryn said with a twinkle in his eye, referring to when he and Sarra had come upon them in the palace forest on Beltane.
Numair smiled wryly. The comment could have been much worse. It seemed that Weiryn had taken a dislike to him from first meeting him, and would have happily left him to a fate with the skinner had Daine not clung onto him for dear life. Now the god seemed to be lessening his dislike of him, and had been showing small signs of approval. This made Numair feel slightly relieved that he had less chance of being impaled by one of Weiryn's arrows.
"It's kind of you to have us here," he said to Weiryn, knowing that his manner was at its most polite. "We must also thank Gainel for allowing this to happen."
Weiryn nodded with amusement. "I am glad to have my daughter her with us," he said, eyeing the mage, "And you as well."
Sarra laughed, pouring the porridge out into two large bowls. "We are just as glad to see you, Numair. We wanted to have a chance to get to know you a little better, given that your situation with Daine seems very permanent." They followed her back into the room with the large table, Daine and Numair each carrying one of the jugs. The four of them sat down around the table, Daine lacing her porridge with cream and honey, Numair just accepting the cream.
"How are things in Tortall?" Sarra asked, her voice ringing through the room. "I noticed that the queen has had a difficult time of it recently."
"Thayet's fine now, Ma," Daine smiled. "Numair talked some sense into Jonathan and they managed to sort everything out."
Sarra nodded. "I was impressed by how you handled that," she said to the mage. "When that horse mistress…"
"Onua," her mate offered.
"Onua asked you to speak to him I was worried that you wouldn't quite know what to say. You managed it well," Sarra said, standing up to bring in some tea from the kitchen.
"Ma," Daine began. "How much do you actually watch me and Numair?" She was a little perturbed by the thought of how much her mother had seen. She heard Weiryn laugh.
"Not as much as you think. We are both busy, but I saw some of what was happening between your king and queen while we were leaving the forest, and I kept an eye on you to see what would happen and if I could help at all. Don't worry," she ruffled Daine's hair as she put down the tray with the cups on. "I know when to look away, although I'd be worried if you weren't."
"Weren't what?" Daine noticed Numair turn scarlet out of the corner of her eye and heard a brief noise from her Da that sounded like a half laugh. "Oh," she realised, turning red herself. She had had many conversations with her Ma about sex, both when they were in Snowsdale and the few times she had seen her since last Midsummer. It had never embarrassed her before, but with her Da and Numair stood there, she felt the blood rush quickly to her cheeks.
Sarra smiled, her dimple becoming prominent as the smile deepened. "So when will you marry?" She asked, looking at Numair.
Numair smiled at Daine, a telling look in his eye. "As soon as Daine wants to. She knows she only has to say the words and it will be arranged. I have asked her many times, and I will keep on asking her, but her answer is always the same – 'someday'."
Sarra rested a hand on Numair's shoulder. "She is stubborn and she doesn't want to feel that she is trapping you. She'll give in eventually when she realised it's what she wants."
"But it's good to know that you want to make an honest woman out of her," Weiryn added in his gruff voice. "You won that archery competition at the palace," he said to his daughter, changing the subject. "You did well. Eat up your breakfast and we'll have a lesson outside." Numair felt a sigh of relief that the topic had altered.
"You know that I don't want to be shooting animals, Da," Daine said in a solemn voice. "I know that they are gods and that they'll come alive again, but it still doesn't feel right."
Weiryn sighed deeply. "You're the daughter of the hunt god and you won't hunt for sport," he did not attempt to persuade her although his expression gave away some of his exasperation.
"I'm sure we can shoot other targets," Daine said, anxious to have the time with her father.
Weiryn smiled. "I did have some target boards ready for you as I thought you would be stubborn about shooting animals." Daine stood up and followed him outside, the porridge having been digested nicely.
Numair and Sarra also went outdoors, maintaining some distance between themselves and the arrows and sitting down on the bench where they had once been joined by Rikash.
"This should give them a little time to get to know each other," Sarra said, still drinking her tea from the cup which she had taken outside. "He frets a lot about how little he knows her. He came back after Samhain fair upset as they had not really known what to say to one another. In fact, Numair, I know that you think he does not like you being with his daughter, and I admit that he was a bit rude with you at first, but he can talk to you much more easily than he can talk to Daine – and you do give them something in common."
"It's only to be expected," Numair said in a quiet voice so that it wouldn't travel on the light breeze to where Daine and Weiryn were setting up targets. "She has only known who he is for a year, and in that time they've had little opportunity to spend together. They haven't got that automatic relationship that most fathers have with their daughters as he wasn't around when she was little. He has to make that now."
He saw Sarra smile at him, her eyes shining with tears. "I would never have released her from her promise to come back here if I hadn't have known that you were a good man, Numair. You've done well taking care of Daine, better than I could have, I suppose."
Numair shook his head. "She missed you immensely, she still does. The puppets your father made, including the one of you, are decorating our bedchamber, on one of the shelves."
Sarra wiped the tears away that had escaped her eyes. "I wish I was still there with her. To think that I will miss your wedding one day, and the early days when you have your first child."
Numair felt his heart pound a little when he thought of those future events. Sarra sounded like she knew that they would occur, and he wondered if Shakith had passed one any of what she had seen in the future. But he also felt sympathy for Sarra.
"You will be there to do what you can," he said. "It is very much within your powers to help Daine with birthing her child, and you will be able to visit on sabbats, as you have done this year. If she ever does agree to a wedding then we will make sure that it will be on one of the days when you and Weiryn can come across."
Sarra gave him her beaming smile once more, although she was losing silent tears at the same time. "No wonder she loves you so much," she said softly.
"I am sorry," Numair said, a feeling of guilt creeping over him. "I know how much you would have wanted to have had her here with you, rather than back in the mortal realms."
Sarra shook her head. "That would have been selfish of us to keep her here. She is needed and loved with you, and those are precious things. She would have been so unhappy here, Numair. She keeps turning round now to give you little glances, imagine what it would have been like should she have always been here and you in Tortall."
Numair noticed as she turned round once more and looked toward him. He felt his heart enlarge as he saw her. "I would have missed her greatly too," he added, knowing he would have pined should she have not returned.
Daine and Weiryn began to walk back to them, bows in hand. He could hear them laughing, and guessed that Weiryn was sharing tales of other archers whose shots hadn't been quite so skilled.
"Why don't you two take a walk around before lunchtime," Sarra suggested. "Broadfoot is around somewhere and I know that he would love to see you."
Daine looked at Numair and the pair nodded. "That would be good," Numair replied. "We spent too short a time here before and needed more time to appreciate the wonder of it all." He looked about him, taking in the trees, knowing each one to be a god.
They left Sarra and Weiryn talking companionably about some argument between two of the gods and wandered off, following the well worn path into the mountain forest.
"Can you hear anything with your magic?" Numair asked, knowing what the answer would be.
Daine shook her head. "I feel deaf again. I can hear what you can though, the sounds of the birds calling, squirrels scuffling through leaves to bury nuts, but I can't hear their voices. I would have found it too strange if I had stayed here."
Numair took Daine's small hand in his as they stopped to admire a fantastical bird that was sitting on a branch above them, looking curiously at them. The bird had a long red and orange feathered tail and a crest made up of the same colours. It's eyes were surrounded by blue-black circles and the rest of it's plumage made up of feathers that looked as if it had been dipped in a rainbow.
"Do you never regret not coming back here?" Numair asked softly, watching her reaction to the question.
Daine shook her head, her eyes remaining on the bird in fascination at its colours. "No. I would have missed you too much," she said simply, then drew her eyes to his.
"And everyone else," Numair added, smiling.
"Yes, I would have missed everyone. But I don't think I would ever have been able to be happy if I wasn't with you. When I considered coming back here and being a minor goddess, I kept thinking about how I could not give you up," she found herself in his arms and felt his lips on hers, gently kissing her so tenderly that she felt the kiss would make her cry.
He pulled away and looked down at their feet. "Broadfoot!" He called as he spotted the god of the duck mole.
"G'day," he said, amusement in his voice at the situation he had found them in. "Weiryn mentioned you had taken to amusing yourselves and each other in the woods." Numair scowled. Daine laughed. "It's good to see that you finally woke up to your feelings."
"How are you, Broadfoot?" Daine asked, bending down to pet the god who had helped them so much last summer.
"I'm well," he answered. "Things seem very quiet here since Uusoae was reprimanded, and you both returned home." Daine smiled. "There is a large log you can sit on that is warmed by the sun. Why don't we go there and then we can catch up?"
Daine and Numair followed Broadfoot to the site of the log and settled down, the warm sun heating them after being in the cool shade of the trees. They chatted pleasantly for sometime; about life back in the mortal realms – Broadfoot asked a few questions about how their nesting together was going on – and the duck mole's life here, with his young and living alongside other gods. He told of how Sarra and Weiryn talked much about them both, as much about Numair as about Daine, and Numair began to feel a little happier about how he was regarded by Weiryn. He knew he had worried far too much about the god's perception of him, and it had made him feel slightly inferior with regards to being Daine's mate, but he was now realising that they both thought he was a suitable man for their daughter. He wondered should he ever have a daughter, whether he would ever approve of any man for her. He doubted it.
A flock of birds flew across the sky in front of them, ones that Numair did not seem to recognise from his previous visit. They grouped together and followed the same course exactly, turning sharply at various changes in a song they were calling. It was almost like an elaborate dance at a ball in some far distant country. It was impossible to see the plumage of the birds, they were more like black silhouettes against the blue sky. However, Broadfoot seemed to notice Numair's interest.
"They're known as heat birds, and they dance like that when it reaches a certain degree of heat," Broadfoot explained.
"How come we can see them?" Numair asked, remembering what Sarra had said about only being able to see the things they had before. "This is meant to be a dream-like state, isn't it? So we should have seen these before somewhere."
You may well have seen them near the stonemaze," Broadfoot informed them. "That's where a lot of them nest - they like the crannies they can find in the rocks for places to lay their eggs. You may have been too busy, though, to have noticed them."
Numair smiled, recalling their adventures around that area and the first kiss they had shared. Coming back here had opened up a lot of memories of those days when their relationship as it was now had only just started.
"I'm sure I would have noticed them," Daine said, still watching the display.
"I imagine you would have, if you hadn't have been otherwise occupied," Numair said to her, managing to stop his mouth from curling up into a smile.
They continued to watch the other unusualities of nature that were there, before the duck mole looked at the sun and suggested that they had better head back to Weiryn's and Sarra's for a late lunch. They walked without rushing, taking time to notice the things that their mind's had only just caught hold of when they were last passing through these parts. Daine found herself reluctant to let go of Numair, keeping hold of his hand until they saw sight of her parent's home, a wisp of smoke swirling out of the chimney.
The three sat down on the benches outside the house, Queenclaw coming to join them, pouncing up next to Daine this time.
"How's the badger?" Daine asked. She hadn't seen him for a while and she would have quite liked to have spoken to him.
"The same as ever," Queenclaw said as she groomed, certainly not meaning it in a nice way. "Badger's don't change."
"And cats do?" Weiryn said as he came out, carrying two platefuls of assorted cold delicacies.
Queenclaw made a rather indignant noise but chose not to respond to Weiryn's jibe, continuing her grooming ritual instead. Numair found the whole exchange rather amusing.
They passed a pleasant meal in the sunshine, discussing the differences between the mortal and divine realms, Weiryn losing some of the arrogance he had had in previous conversations and not dismissing everything that Numair had to say. Much to Daine's delight, the two seemed to find that they had several ideas and theories in common and took great delight in reinforcing these points.
The late lunch had been demolished and the party was contentedly sitting back in their seats, Queenclaw having falling asleep and beginning to make strange noises and twitches that told those awake enough to notice that she was having some cat dream.
Daine felt herself grow dozy with the fullness from the food and the heat of the sun. She distantly noticed her mother stand up and come round to where she was sat with Numair.
"We'll see you soon, sweet," he ma whispered.
"We're not going anywhere," Daine replied sleepily, noticing that Numair had already drifted off into sleep, as had her father who was now snoring softly.
"Gainel may decide to let these Midsummer dreams take you elsewhere in these realms," Sarra said sadly. "I do wish we had more times like these, but at least I know you're safe and very loved," she looked at Numair, smiling genuinely at the mage.
Daine smiled back, kissing her ma goodbye. Then she began to feel her eyes close gently and the waves of sleep lapped over her.
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She woke beside a lake. Numair was already awake and sat up next to her, watching the same types of birds they had seen before she fell into the spidren webs, fluttering out different colours of light as they flew.
She had recognised the lake immediately and recalled the incident they had had there.
"Thinking of requesting temptation?" She asked Numair teasingly.
Numair smiled and put his arm around her, averting his eyes from the birds and looking at Daine appreciatively. "Any temptation I requested would involve you, so I wouldn't need the lake for that," he responded, cheekily grabbing a kiss from her.
Daine turned to him, suddenly curious. "After we got you out of the water," she began, "You were talking to the Badger, I came up to you and you suddenly stopped talking. Were you talking about me?"
Numair laughed. "You didn't have any clothes on, Daine. I had been trying to stop thinking about you like that for months and then all of a sudden you emerge naked, and I began to wonder if I had requested temptation after all! But yes, we were talking about you."
"What about?" She turned the whole of her body and sat comfortably, awaiting the story.
"I think you can guess what about," Numair said shyly.
"Tell me," she demanded, running her finger up and down his thigh that was stretched out past her.
"I confessed my feelings about you – he'd guessed anyway," Numair admitted.
"Did he approve?" Daine said with a smile.
Numair nodded. "He also assured me that Weiryn would also approve one day also."
"That seems to have happened," she snuggled closer to him, enjoying being alone in the cool night air. "Before you took a swim in the lake and we were about to sleep you turned your back to me – why?"
Numair nuzzled his long nose into her hair, inhaling the smell that he had come to adore so much. "I had an overwhelming urge to confess my feelings to you," he said, holding her close.
Daine smiled, turning her head so she could kiss his neck, an action that she knew would turn him to jelly. She felt him shiver and his hands began to nestle in her clothes.
"Would it have been so bad if you had?" She whispered, enjoying the places his hands were moving to.
She felt his laugh vibrate from his chest. "I think I like the way it happened, rather than me giving some long speech."
"Remind me of how it happened again," she sighed, her hands starting to search his body, fingers moving under his linen shirt, caressing the firm muscles she knew as well as she knew her own body, but that never lost their appeal, no matter how many times she felt them.
Numair made a guttural sound in his throat and began to remind her of the first time they had kissed and more, all under the star lit ceiling of the night.
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They fell asleep entangled in each others' arms, the gentle lapping of the lake reminiscent of the water near to their home, where they had fallen asleep before Gainel's dream whisked them away. The dream god smiled as he watched them, smoothly altering their surroundings so they were back by the willow tree, the same rhythmic sound of the water ebbing and flowing in the cool breeze flowing gently into their dreams, refreshing them for the following day.
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