Chapter two.
This is an elaboration upon my challenge response, to carry it on for a little while, probably no more than a few chapters.
The Lioness went back to her room in silence after she had left Jonathan and Onua. She itched to do something, anything! Numair and Daine couldn't be dead, there would have been bodies, and all the animals Daine had befriended would be mourning her, and yet they were all going about their business as normal. She was certain they were alive, but where? Why would they have left Greenhall and not sent word? Even if they had been forced to leave, Daine's Wild Magic could not be bound, as they had discovered on the journey to Pirate's Swoop. She would still have sent word somehow. The entire thing was a mystery to her, she would have to ask someone more versed in the arts of deception to help her.
Jonathan was the only one left in the council room and he sank onto his chair, hands cradling his head. As a Prince he has thought that being King would be full of glory and revelries. How wrong he had been! Kingship was filled with meetings and policies and compromises.
It was always hard, knowing that every time here was a war he sent some of his people to die. He had accepted that Alanna, Raoul and Gary, his oldest friends were more than capable of taking care of themselves, and others. Gary hardly ever left the palace anyway, but Raoul was always out in the field with the King's Own, and so too was Alanna, in her capacity as King's Champion. But it was worse now, because he was sure that Daine and Numair weren't dead. Which meant that they were either held somewhere far away from all animal life, or that they had gone willingly. He couldn't believe that they would betray him, although neither was native to Tortall. Numair would have protected the young girl with every thing he had, as his student and his friend.
Jon sighed and stood up, walking to the window and looking down at his palace. His subjects walked around below, oblivious to his consternation. He saw Kally come out of the stables, followed by her small pony which Daine had found for the young Princess. Kally asked where Daine was everyday, missing her older friend. He would have to lie to her yet again, telling her that Daine would return soon when he did not know if she ever would return. Daine always had patience for the younger girl, allowing her to watch as he healed animals and introducing her to wild animals. He smiled softly to himself at the memories. How often his daughter would return from one of these excursions covered in mud or soaking wet, clothes ripped, but beaming with happiness. Daine would bring her back, laughter in her eyes and apologise for the state of the Princess, while Kally would have been telling him about the animals she had met. At first Jon had been a little alarmed by some of the animals Kally had touched. Daine had explored the Royal Menagerie almost as soon as she had arrived, telling him often what need to be done to make the animals more at home. She always was so confident when she thought animals were being mistreated, only to blush and stammer out an apology when she realised who she was talking to. Jon had always laughed at that, enjoying watching her bloom in confidence. He admired her forthrightness at times, it lacked the bluntness of Alanna's speech, but he could trust that every word she said was what she honestly thought to be correct.
Numair had been no less loyal ever since he had come to Jon's court from Carthak. The mage had wandered the Eastern lands, visiting Galla, Tusaine and his native Tyra, before coming to Tortall and making his home near Pirate's Swoop. He had brought valuable information from Carthak and had also given his mage skills freely, teaching Onua and Stephan Groomsman about their Wild Magic, before meeting, and being saved by, his last student Daine. He pushed away from the windowsill, his mind made up, he would get Alanna and Onua to select four of the finest and most loyal Riders and send them, along with the two women to discover what happened to the pair. It would keep his friends busy, and he knew Alanna would have gone anyway, with or without his command. But he wanted Tortall's finest mage, and the Wild Mage back with them as soon as was possible, not only for the country, but also for his peace of mind. He vowed that if, no, when, they returned he would thank them both many times over for their services to the Crown, and give them at least a fortnight's respite from the constant battles with Immortals. He owed them that, and so much more.