Disclaimer: The credit for the world goes to Tamora Pierce. The blame for this little sideways jaunt through it is solely on me.
"Numair, you need to take a break."
Alanna placed a hand on the arm of the tall mage, feeling the sizzle of his magic.
"I need to find her."
"You won't be able to find her if you're exhausted," Alanna insisted. "You've been scrying for hours. You need to take a break, eat something, catch your breath."
He looked up from the mirror, the wind atop the high tower ruffling the hair which had pulled free of his tie. "Why can't we find her, Alanna?" he asked weakly. "It wasn't that long, she should be close. Cloud or Spots or someone should be able to hear her, even if I can't."
Onua and Raoul had turned the horses loose hours ago, but they'd provided no answers. Kitten was pacing back and forth, her scales a soft pink, trilling softly. Numair slumped down to sit on the floor, and the young dragon came to sit beside him. "I'm scared, too, Kitten," Numair said softly, patting the top of her head. The dragon laid down and put her head in his lap with a sad chirp.
Alanna sat down beside them. "There are a lot of people looking for her, Numair," she said, trying to reassure him. "It's not that easy to hide someone, especially not someone like Daine."
He shook his head. "You don't understand, Alanna. Normally, I can... I... I feel Daine, usually. Since our trip to the Divine Realms, I'm always aware of her, magically, even when we're separate. Only I can't feel her right now. It's like... like I'm trying to call out to her, but it's just echoing back to me." He sighed. "I think she's in real trouble. And I can't find her."
Alanna patted his arm, trying to reassure him but not able to find any words that would help. Thayet approached and pressed a goblet of juice and a roll into Numair's hands. He took a mouthful of the juice and tore a piece off the roll, then set both aside.
"Where do we go next?" King Jonathan asked from his own seat on the floor. He had been using his own magic to try to find Daine, and the exhaustion was evident on his face. He smiled gratefully as Thayet handed him a plate with some bread and cheese. "I've never really realized what an advantage it was to have a mage who could talk to animals. I'd give anything just to ask the sparrows or squirrels what they might have seen."
"How 'bout a rat, instead?"
They looked up to see George Cooper, the Baron of Pirate's Swoop and Alanna's husband, walking up the stairs to the tower. Two of the King's Own followed him, half-dragging a third man.
Numair sat up, staring at their new guest. "It's you. You're the man I saw Daine with."
"Yes, he is," George said. "Turns out our man Garen here likes a drink. And likes to run his mouth when he's been drinking. Fortunately, a couple of my contacts like the same drinking establishment." Among his other titles, George was also second-in-command to the King's spymaster. His network of contacts extended across Tortall and beyond. He gave the man a poke between the shoulders. "Start talking, scum."
"I di'n't have anythin' to do with it," he stammered, his words slurred. "I di'n't! I just wanted to talk ter her. I di'n't know anythin' was goan t'happen!"
Numair heaved himself to his feet, crossing to stare down at the man. "You're lying," he said coldly. "Tell me where she is, or I will make sure you don't even remember you were born."
"Numair," Jonathan said, a hint of caution in his voice, but the mage did not respond. He stood staring down at Garen, his eyes hard and magical Gift shimmering around him.
Garen stared up in fear. "I just... I was just s'posed to get her to come out. Outside the castle walls. That's what they said."
"They who?" Alanna asked, trying to step between the old man and Numair.
"Di'n't give me names. Just a bag of gold and tol' me what to do. I swear." The man looked as if he might start crying.
"What did they say?" George Cooper asked, hauling the man away from Numair's icy stare. "Everything. Tell me all of it."
The man swallowed hard. "They said their master wanted her. That he'd pay well. Di'n't say why. I di'n't ask."
"What else?" George demanded.
"They talked about goin' north."
"Toward Port Caynn?" Alanna asked?
The man shook his head. "They ain't sea folk, Mistress," he said. "None of them men have spent time on a boat, I'm sure of it."
"Did they say who their master was?" George continued to question.
"No. I mean, not really." He met George's hard stare. "They... they di'n't know I was list'ning. They said something about a Staggern, or Staggor… something like that."
Numair blinked. "Staghorn," he said quietly.
The man gestured excitedly. "That! That was it!" He looked at George hopefully. "Can I go now?"
George smiled in a way that was not at all reassuring. "Of course you can," he said. "Gentlemen, take him to the keep."
The knights dragged him away, his protests dying as the descended the stairs.
"Staghorn's dead," Alanna said. "He's lying."
"He's not," Numair said shortly. "I would have known. Staghorn. How?"
"Numair, he's a tree," Jonathan said simply. "Surely that spell can't be reversed."
"I've never heard of it," Numair said. "It shouldn't be possible. But Staghorn was a great mage. Maybe... Or Glissa…" his voice trailed off. Staghorn had tried to kill Daine once before. Had he returned, to try again?
"He said they were heading north," George said. "I'll send messages along my network, see if anyone saw anything out of the ordinary." George turned and headed down the stairs.
Numair turned away from the group, walking to the edge of the tower. He leaned against the ramparts, head in his hands. Alanna crossed to stand by him. "Numair, we have a clue now. We know what direction to start looking. We'll find her."
"If Staghorn has her..." Numair began.
"Staghorn's dead," Alanna said firmly. "He can't undo a word of power."
"But..."
"It's impossible, Numair," Alanna stated. "Even you couldn't do it, and you're ten times mage Staghorn was."
He looked up, staring into the distance, fingering a gold locket which hung from a bracelet around his wrist. "Then why can't I find her, Alanna?" He sighed deeply, closing his eyes, then opened them to stare into the locket, at the miniature painting of a beautiful girl with smoky brown curls and blue-green eyes. "Talk to me, Daine. Just talk to me."