A/N: I promised myself that I'd never write a song fic. There goes that. This just refused to not be written. Also, poor Numair gets skewered by a unicorn. I never write those kinds of fics either. Oh, and I've already written a Daine/Numair proposal story. And shoot me 'cause I took a liberty with Daine's wild magic. Stupid muse. Ah well, it could've turned out worse.

Disclaimer: I always thought it would be hilarious if an author decided to write fanfiction about their own books. Unfortunately, my name's not Tamora Pierce, so that's not what I'm doing.

And the lyrics are Nickelback's, so I can't take credit for those either...

Far Away

This time, This place
Misused, Mistakes
Too long, Too late
Who was I to make you wait?

"Duke Baird?" Daine yawned, bleary-eyed. "What's wrong? Why'd you call for me?" She'd been summoned to the infirmary at an unbearably early hour for no apparent reason. The healer's assistant sent to fetch her had been vague in explaining and kept dodging her questions. She still hadn't learned anything, except that a patient she knew was injured. That hardly helped at all. She knew practically everyone, and Duke Baird's messenger wouldn't even tell her how badly the patient in question was hurt.

"Daine, it's Numair." the chief healer explained.

She was immediately wide awake. "What happened to him? He hasn't even been gone a full day!"

"He hardly made it out of the city. A rider found him in the forest near here." He gave a resigned sigh. "As far as we can tell, it was a unicorn, one of the mean ones. It must have come up behind him suddenly. He had a hole in his chest when someone found him. Alanna and I healed it, but it looked a few hours old. He must have been out there for a while. It's a miracle he's lived so long as it is."

Tears welled in Daine's eyes as she guessed what the Duke was trying to tell her. "He'll make it! He's strong!" she argued. Her mind was screaming, You can't die, Numair! NO! I promised!

Baird looked at her, grief apparent in his eyes. "All of the healers are drained. We've tried our best, but his breathing won't regulate." He put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, dear. I... I don't know if he'll even make it until morning."

The wildmage bit her lip hard, refusing to let rebel tears fall. "No! He will! He..." she choked.

"Why don't you go in and see him." he said gently.

She nodded mutely.

"I'm sorry." he murmured, walking away.

Why did I make you wait? What stopped me from marrying you? Why couldn't I have just said yes? Why couldn't I let you be happy? Let me be happy?

Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
'Cause you know,
you know, you know

When she saw him, lying lifeless on the cot, all the tears that she had been repressing came pouring down her face. Daine ran up to her lover and threw herself on his chest, sobbing her heart out.

She finally got control of her tears, control enough to look at him. But when she saw his face, she nearly lost it again. His normally tan skin had paled to a greenish white color and it felt much too cool and clammy. The lovely black hair that he traditionally wore in a horsetail was sweat-soaked, splayed around his face. He didn't look alive. He didn't even look half alive. He looked... Daine couldn't bring herself to think the word.

Daine checked his pulse; it was irregular, and his breathing was shallow and infrequent. A sob choked her again.

"You can't give in, Numair! You wasted ten years of your life waiting for me... You can't leave now." she cried into his shirt.

Why did I take so long?

"Please, Numair. Keep breathing. Just one more breath. Please. Don't give up." she begged.

She sat there, tears pouring down her face not saying anything for a long time. Finally, she reached her hands up to hide bury her face in and accidentally brushed the badger's claw. She grabbed it and held on tight, as if it was Numair's life.

Suddenly, she remembered something Numair had once told her. Humans are animals.

She gasped. She could heal animals. Would it be possible to heal him? If there was any chance, she had to try.

Shaking, she carefully kneeled beside him, her palms resting on his chest. She'd never tried healing a human before. Luckily, the infirmary healers had fixed most of the damage. She just needed to help him wake up. The wildmage took a deep cleansing breath and released the magic. She concentrated on his lungs, helping him inhale and exhale. After what felt like a long time, she opened her eyes to see if he'd made any progress. His color had improved, barely, but as soon as she stopped the magic's flow to him, it faded back to the hideous greenish white.

That's when the exhaustion hit her. Healing a human was much more tiring than healing her animal friends. Daine was more drained now than she had been after healing a half dead whale. And his condition hadn't improved at all. Daine covered her face with her hands, defeated.

I love you
I've loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore

The animals all felt her despair. The dogs began to howl, the cats screeched at the tops of their lungs, the hawks cried from the mews, and even some of the smaller rodents wailed for her. The whole castle awoke to the din the animals created. Daine didn't even care. She just felt numb. Numair was leaving her, and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please don't leave me." she whispered. "I can't live without you."

Daine sat in silence as unbidden images from recent weeks passed through her mind. She had been far too distant from her lover, avoiding him whenever possible. Avoiding the one pressing question he would ask.

Why? Why hadn't she checked for her pregnancy charm? Why hadn't she been more careful? This one mistake had created a rift in their relationship. It brought up the one thing they couldn't agree on. Marriage.

"I'm sorry I've been so far away. Please don't go!"

On my knees, I'll ask
Last chance for one last dance

"Numair, we've only had one dance tonight." Daine pouted.

"I know. I'm sorry. I promise I'll dance the next one with you." the mage replied.

Daine smiled up at her lover and beckoned him outside. Outside, Numair found a secluded bench and sat down, drawing her onto his lap and began trailing kisses up her neck. Daine giggled and pushed him away.

"Stop it, Numair! I brought you out here to tell you something. At this rate I'll never get a chance."

Numair backed off with a shrug. "Sorry. What did you want to tell me?"

Suddenly the center of attention, Daine blushed and didn't answer. Numair ran a coaxing hand through her hair.

"Magelet, you're never shy with me."

"I know, it's just fair difficult to find a way to say... to tell you..." she paused and took a deep breath."I'm pregnant."

A look of sheer bliss crossed the mage's face. After a few moments, he managed to stutter, "Daine! That's wonderful!"

He pulled her into a long, sweet kiss. "I suppose this means you'll marry me?" he said against her lips.

Daine quickly pulled away. "Just because we're going to have a child doesn't mean I'm ready to marry!" she said indignantly.

Numair's look of happiness was replaced by one of shock. "But... Magelet, you were born out of wedlock, you know what it's like. People hated you, called you names. Don't make our child deal with that. Please."

Daine's breath came in short gasps; she was close to tears. "I can't Numair! I just can't!" Her eyes welled up as she looked into his. "I thought you'd understand." she whispered before running off, tears coursing down her cheeks.

Later that night, she found a note in their room from her lover, saying that Jon had sent him on an errand. It was the first time he had gone without her in ten years.

Daine knew if she hadn't been upset at him that he wouldn't have left. It was her fault he had been injured.

"I'm sorry, but everything was so confusing."

A single tear dripped onto his chest. "Numair, you can't leave me. You promised me one more dance." He didn't move. "You promised."

'Cause with you, I'd withstand
All of hell to hold your hand
I'd give it all
I'd give for us
Give anything but I won't give up
'Cause you know,
you know, you know

Finally, Daine felt a tiny bit of her strength return and with it, a tiny bit of hope. Mustering as much wild magic as she could, Daine placed her hands on Numair's chest and shoved the pure magic into him.

She stopped briefly to catch her breath and check his condition. The mage tried to take a ragged breath, but lacked the strength to do it.

As she gathered her magic once more, she heard someone scream for the chief healer. About to try healing the mage once more, she was stopped by someone grabbing her wrists. It was Alanna.

"Daine, stop! You're almost using your life force. You'll die if you don't stop."

I love you
I've loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore

Daine didn't look at her as she scrambled for more wild magic. "I don't care! If I stop Numair will die. There's nothing to live for without him. You can't make me give up!"

Alanna directed Daine's hands down to her belly. "You do have something to live for. If you die, the baby has no chance. Live for your child. Live for Numair's child."

The copper fire drained from the wildmage's hands. "But I can't just watch him die." she cried.

"I know, Daine, I know it's hard. I know I'd be doing the same thing if George was in Numair's place."

"But it's worse than that. It's my fault, Alanna. It's my fault he's dying." she explained. "If I hadn't gotten so upset, he wouldn't have gone. If he dies, it will be because of me."

Alanna gave Daine a questioning look, so Daine explained about the night of the ball.

When Daine finished, Alanna let out a sympathetic sigh. "Oh Daine, I didn't know."

Daine looked into the knight's violet eyes. "I could live with myself if he died in some natural way, or to save someone, but to know I sent him to his death..."

"It's not your fault, Daine, you didn't force him--"

"But if I'd just stopped to think, he wouldn't be here!"

After a long silence, Alanna put a hand on Daine's shoulder. "If you really think you have to keep trying to heal him, I won't stop you. But, please, think about it first."

With that, she stood up and walked to Duke Baird, who was standing in the doorway. They said a few brief words that Daine didn't catch and walked out.

So far away
So far away
Been far away for far too long
So far away
So far away
Been far away for far too long
But you know, you know, you know

For a long time, Daine debated with herself. If she used her life force, Numair could possibly survive, but she would kill the baby. But if she gave up now, Numair would almost surely die.

Finally, she decided to save the baby. Summoning the last bit of magic left in her, she shoved the raw power into her lover and sent a desperate prayer to the Great Mother Goddess.

She cut off the magic flow just before her life force was used.

Numair didn't move, and in the slowly growing morning light, she watched the sickly green color in his face fade into grey. His breathing slowed even more, and she knew there was no more hope.

Numbly, Daine brushed the raven locks out of his face. She kissed his cold lips and whispered one last message in his ear.

"Please don't go. Numair, I love you. I want to marry you."

She closed her eyes and reached for his hand, patiently awaiting the Black God.

"I'm sorry."

I wanted
I wanted you to stay
'Cause I needed
I need to hear you say
I love you
I have loved you all along
And I forgive you
For being away for far too long

Numair made a noise. Daine's eyes flew open as she watched him draw a ragged breath. He seemed like he was trying to say something, so Daine leaned closer.

It was hardly a whisper, but Daine completely understood. "I forgive you."

A hopeful smile trembled on her face as he opened his eyes and looked into hers. He smiled back at her.

Warmth spread slowly from the hand that she was holding through the rest of his body. His skin finally returned to its normal color as the mage took a full breath.

Daine's heart was beating so hard she thought it would burst out of her chest. She noticed him trying to sit up, so she took hold of his other hand to help him.

Once up, he blinked a few times and asked, "Will you really marry me?"

Daine couldn't keep the joyful grin off her face. "Yes, Numair, yes! I'd love to marry you!"

So keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving you any more
Believe it
Hold on to me and never let me go
Keep breathing, 'cause I'm not leaving you any more
Believe it
Hold on to me and never let me go
Keep breathing
Hold on to me and never let me go
Keep breathing
Hold on to me and never let me go

Numair grinned and pulled Daine onto his lap. She held onto him as if she would never let him go. Their lips met in a long, sweet kiss.

When they finally broke apart, the girl frowned at her lover. "You had me fair worried, Master Salmalin. Don't ever do that again."

The mage grinned. "That's my Magelet." he said, drawing her into another kiss.

I know, I should be updating Dare to Love, but it wouldn't let me go on until I finished this one. Look for an update on that one this weekend and in the meantime, review this one. Who knows? It might encourage me to write faster!