Daine rolled over and sighed. She had had the oddest dream last night. In it, a man had come and woken her up. She had no idea what such a worthless dream might mean, but she thought it must be important somehow. Most of her dreams centered on her escaping from the tower, not waking up.
Oh well, she thought. I must be going crazy from hunger.
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Numair paid the innkeeper his money, and left. He had to get moving and scout for Jonathan. As he rode, trying to find anything of interest, he thought of his dream and the girl. It was strange; most of his dreams had long, drawn out plot lines that never seemed to get resolved. Maybe he had eaten something funny at the inn last night.
The horse he had bought from the innkeeper shied under him and tried to go off the road and into the woods to Numair's left. The hostler had warned him that this would happen, as the animals did it all the time coming through this area. Nobody knew why: some said it was a spirit in the middle of the forest trying to draw creatures to it for food, some that there was an evil witch there. Still others said that there was a ghost of the lord's wife in the tower of his castle, because he had locked her up there to starve. Numair didn't understand at all what the last had anything to do with the reason his horse wanted to go off the road, and decided the locals must be a bit mad.
Even with the warning, the mage had a hard time getting his horse under control. He hadn't thought it would be this bad. Maybe there was some supernatural thing out there. As he was thinking this, the horse broke free of his control and bolted into the woods. It was all he could do to hang on and try to dodge the branches that came within inches of his head. He crouched over the horse's neck, reins abandoned, holding on for dear life.
Eventually the horse stopped. Numair slid off its back, thinking that animals going crazy by a certain stretch of road was enough of a reason to stay where he was for awhile. He planned not to get back on that thing until it was absolutely necessary. He rested his cheek on the moss growing under a tree, breathing meditatively and trying his absolute best to calm down. Onua had said once that horses could sense if you were scared and turn it against you faster than you could blink.
For some reason, however, the horse stayed exactly where it had stopped, peacefully cropping all the leaves within reach.
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Daine had been thinking about Cloud, like she always did when she was hungry. The thought that her faithful pony had been slaughtered served to kill even the most voracious appetite. She was about to start crying again (out of self-pity at first, then from the memory of how little tolerance Cloud had for wallowing) when a horse came careening into her range. She asked him what was wrong, and he replied that he had felt her sadness and had come to see if she was alright.
That's sweet of you, she replied. I was just missing my pony, they killed her a while back.
Well, said the horse, who she now recognised as having come here before. I think she would be disappointed in you for being so pitiful. Daine smiled at his matter-of-factness. And now that I'm here, the horse continued, could you help me with something?
Of course, she said. Anything to keep her mind off of the horrible emptiness of her stomach.
My rider is laying on the ground, came the horse's voice. He was going somewhere, but he was not in a hurry, and you were so upset, that I decided to come here instead. But he kind of fell off when I stopped, and now he's not moving.
Is he breathing?! Daine asked frantically.
The horse, whose name she now remembered was Feather, nosed the man on the ground. Yes, he said. He's breathing. Still not moving though. Should I bite him to wake him up?
No! was Daine's reply. Let him stay there. You probably scared the poor man out of his wits! But don't move. Stay with him and don't leave.
Alright, said Feather. And he began to eat the succulent leaves off a nearby tree.
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Numair calmed down eventually and spread his magic over the countryside to see where he was. He found the road a few miles away, and the castle of the local noble much closer to him. Upon looking at the sun, he saw that he had lain there for much longer than he thought. The only tings he had time left to do before dark were going to the castle or camping where he was. He would love to have a real bed that fit him, but going to the castle would be conspicuous, and that was the last thing he needed. He would also have to get back on the horse.
He sighed, and gave up the idea of a warm bath and clean sheets. The mage started to draw his magic in, but found it was caught on something in the direction of the castle. He probed the area to see what was causing the disturbance.
He found it with a gasp. It seemed there was a huge source of wild magic inside the keep. Numair couldn't believe it. He puzzled over what could be the cause. Surely it wasn't a wildmage. It couldn't be. But that was the only logical explanation for such a large concentration of power.
He must be incredibly strong, Numair thought. If I can feel him all the way from here. I have to find him!
The mage rose to his feet and said to the horse, "I want you to stay right here. I'll unsaddle you, but I guess I can't really trust you not to wander off, especially after what happened earlier." He thought for a moment. "I'll put up a magical fence, alright?"
To his surprise, the horse nodded.
"And I will make sure the fence encloses a stream, so you can get water. It will feel like so..." Numair put the fence in a small circle around the horse, and led him through it. It wasn't designed to hurt, just to make Feather feel tingly all over.
Once he was sure the animal knew what to look for, Numair expanded the enclosure until it was about a mile in area, but not coming close to the road. He unsaddled his horse, then sat down and took a deep breath. Within seconds a large black hawk stood where the man had been. He took off, heading toward the castle and the wildmage. He cast out his magic, pinpointing exactly where the source of the magic was, and found it to be in the topmost tower of the keep.
I'll just fly in the window and explain myself, he thought, then he can come back to Tortall with me, if he wishes.
His plan set, Numair flew to the tower and through the open window, which was strange on such a chilly day. Landing in what appeared to be the bedroom, Numair changed into his natural form and looked around.
There was a bed, and a small table, but no wildmage. Numair decided he must be down the stairs in the corner. He walked down them, completely absorbed in his discovery.
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The anatomy of a squirrel is an enigma to the-
Daine looked up from her book too a sound coming from upstairs. It seemed similar to a bird landing on her floor, but they usually only came when she asked them to. She decided it must be an emergency, and got up, only to find a large, naked man at the foot of her stairs.
Daine shrieked, making her unwanted guest scream as well. After a moment of confusion, she threw a pillow at him and grabbed a candle holder.
"Who are you?!" she asked, "And what are you doing here?!"
"Forgive me mistress, but I am a mage, and I sensed a very rare and powerful source of magic nearby. As to how I got here, I flew."
"You flew?" she asked incredulously. "And nobody saw you? How did you manage that?"
He shifted from foot to foot, now covering himself with the pillow she had thrown at his head. "I, I... shape shifted, if you must know."
Daine sat down hard, the candle holder slipping from her hand. To think that she had nearly beaten someone else who could shape shift. This also explained why he was naked.
"You can do it too?" she asked. Maybe this strange man could help her.
He fidgeted. "Well, yes, but nobody is supposed to know about that particular aspect of my magic."
"But how... how did you do it? Can you only change into one animal, or more than one, like-"
"I can only change into one animal, and it isn't a perfect shift." He paused and thought for a moment. "And what did you mean when you said, 'You can do it too'?'' he asked.
Now it was Daine's turn to fidget. "Um, it's a long story, and you scared me pretty badly. And maybe you'd like to get some clothes?" she asked sheepishly.
He looked down at himself, seeming to remember that he had no clothes on. He then nodded and closed his eyes, after a moment, he made a gesture with his free hand and a saddle bag appeared in it. He suddenly looked tired, but he opened the bag and took out a set of clothes.
"I will go upstairs and dress, and then you must explain." He gave her a stern look, and then backed to the stairs. Daine decided she would give him some modesty, turning around and not moving until he came back. Now that he was fully clothed, Daine let herself get a good look at the shape shifting stranger who had flown in through her bedroom window. He was tall; she only came up to his collarbone. He had dark hair tied back in a horsetail, a long nose, full lips, and shadowy eyes. He sat down on the couch, patting the seat beside him. When he saw her hesitate, he said, "I apologize for frightening you so. Truly, it was the only way to get up here."
"But why would you want to come in the first place?" Daine asked. "How did you know anyone was out here? I've been up here for years with no one coming to look for me."
"I didn't know that you in particular were here, I am here looking for strange occurrences, and I stumbled upon this when my horse bolted off into the woods for no apparent reason."
The moment he said "strange occurrences" Daine felt ice go down her spine. If anything was a strange occurrence, she would be one. A girl who thought she was a wolf? He would kill her on the spot!
She sat beside him, folding her hands in her lap. He was looking at her patiently, waiting for her to say something. She scrambled for words, trying to think up anything he would believe that wasn't the truth.
After a moment of silence, he reached over and took he hand."You don't have to tell me if it distresses you. I realize that we just met. Shall we start with the basics? My name is Numair. And your's is?"
Daine felt she had heard the name before, but couldn't place it. "I'm Veralidaine Sarrasri, or Daine."
"Alright, Daine. Would you happen to know why my horse ran off into the forest today?"
"N-no,"she stuttered. He gave her a penetrating look. "Well, yes, but it wasn't my fault! I was sad and he came to make sure I was all right."
"No, I think you misunderstand me." Numair said, "I am actually very glad that my horse ran into the woods like he did, even if it was a bit of a harrowing experience." She sent him an incredulous look, and he explained further. "You see, Daine, I have been searching for a person with wild magic for a very long time. Some call me crazy for having such an odd dream, but I really can't help it." He smiled ruefully. "But now I finally have proof that one exists, and the person who may know something about it is refusing to tell me anything." He looked up at her, his eyes searching her own. "Would you not find that frustrating?"
"Well," she started. "I don't even know what wild magic is, so you would have to tell me something about it before I answer any questions." She sat back, proud of her answer. This mage seemed like the type who could go on for hours.
"Wild magic is magic from nature. A wildmage can tap into that and use it for their own purposes. For example: a wildmage with a connection to animals could possibly heal, talk to the animals and... shape shift. Am I correct?"
Her plan had backfired. Badly. Now the dratted man sat there looking expectantly at her. She rapidly went through things she could say to get out of it. She could only come up with one thing..."I'm sorry, I have to use the privy."
She abruptly got up and left, running up the stairs and into the small washroom. She sat on the floor and prepared to wait him out.
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About an hour later she began to wonder what he thought she was doing in the privy for so long, and decided to come out. She stood, stretched, and cautiously opened the door. He was sprawled across her bed, his feet hanging off the end, reading her book.
She gave a small yelp and lunged toward him, snatching the book out of his hands and clutching it to her chest. He stared at his empty hands and then slowly turned his gaze on her. She was suddenly struck by terror; what if she had made him angry? Surely this mage was powerful enough to blow her into tiny pieces. But he just asked,"Where did you get that book? It is a part of a favorite series of mine, and I have been looking for that one for a while."
Daine couldn't believe it."You mean there's more than the one?" she asked.
He smiled. "Of course. I have the first ten back in Corus." Daine gaped openly at him, wondering how much he had to pay to get ten books of his very own. "But this particular one has proven to be very hard to find, and now I've finally managed to find it, and a wildmage. It truly has been a good day." He grinned happily, then yawned. "And now I should probably give you your bed back, and go to sleep myself. For all that it was such a good day, It was rather tiring. And shifting gives me headaches."
"But where will you sleep?" This must be the strangest mage in the world. In her experience, they were all high and mighty, spewing magical things into your ear merely for the purpose of confusing you. They thought they were more important than the gods themselves- although they would never admit it, for fear of being smitten- and they were not shy about yelling or pushing other, less important people out of the way. Daine had fully expected this man to kick her out of her bed, or make her share it with him.
"Downstairs on the couch of course," he replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "All I ask for is a pillow and a few blankets." She gave him what he asked for, and he promptly disappeared down the stairs, yawning.
Daine got under the blankets left on her bed. He really was the strangest person she had ever met. He was clearly a very powerful mage, to be able to shape shift, but he showed none of the signs that she had come to associate with mages. He didn't seem to have the arrogant attitude that the lord's mage, Ganix. He did use large words and talk of magical things, but he did it in such a way that it seemed he did it not to be irritating, but because he couldn't help it. He was also very polite, other than barging into her tower uninvited and naked. She still didn't trust him, though. He was just too nice.
So, what did you think? Daine finally met Numair, Numair has realized his life's dream, and the plot is finally moving along! If you have any questions, comments, or just want to say "Hi," drop me a review, and I'll try to get back to you.