After the War
Disclaimer: Master Salmalín is mine; I can kill you with my brain. Just a warning, but unfortunately, I have to borrow Numair from Tamora Pierce. So sad, well, must go play with him. I have special powers…like mind control…just read and learn…Mwahhahhahahaha!!!!!!!!!! I also am working on the contract about selling my soul to own them…uhh…yeah…hehe!
A/N: Daine w/ animal, Animal w/ Daine (conversations or just the animal talking)
Chapter Seven
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Numair sat outside the tent, rising every few moments to pace back and forth in front of his Daine's tent. Then he would sit, listening intently for even a rustle of fabric that would signal her wakening. Kitten had wandered off and was watching Gary with curiosity as the knight worked complex figures and wrote them in uniform columns, he mage could imagine Daine's comment at the scene. She would say that only Kit could find mathematics interesting.
Shadow, Numair's nighttime assailant, was sitting just in front of the canvas flap, a guard cat. Alanna had to skirt around the growling kitten to reach her patient, the Lioness instead of finding it annoying and bothersome found it rather endearing, leaving a bowl of milk for the feline. Of course said knight had made sure no one had seen her do any such thing.
It was an hour before the party planned to move on, despite the injured member who would be loaded into one of the wagons, when coughing ruptured the unusually silent air in the camp. Numair who had not left his place of vigil, even for food or water, shot out of his seat and tore into the canvas infirmary like a wild animal into fresh meat. He found his student and love on her side, her lips parched. Scrambling for the water skin Alanna had left for the girl he popped the cork and gently held it to her lips.
Daine gulped the cool liquid and as the cold hit her head she began to remember what had happened. The two badgers, the pain, the anger, and the fear of what seemed to be every wild animal within 40 miles. Daine knew that 40 miles was, well impossible, but it was like all their voices were amplified, magic! It had to be, that power and emotion that made tears flow from her eyes, she tried to hide them from Numair, but she felt his warm fingers tilting her head upward. She tried desperately to choke back the silent sobs, but she failed miserably and jerked out of his hold, burrowing her face into the blankets around her.
Her body shaking, Zek scurried towards her, and dug through the curly hair, settling next to the girl's ear, the tiny monkey whispered words of calm to her. Numair was too absorbed in the scene before him that he didn't realize Cloud had come up behind him. The pony looked from side to side, seeing a fair amount of witnesses, the snorted neigh drew attention. At last, Cloud let her head fall down and caught the britches of Stork-man betwixt her teeth and pulled with all her might in one burst. Containing the equivalent of human horses snicker, Cloud came away with the better part of the tall man's breeches, thoroughly exposing his backside to the now riotous onlookers.
In what can only be described as the growl of an ogre, the mage stood in a blaze of black fire and stalked back to his tent, throwing dirty, not to mention downright murderous looks at the prancing Cloud. Kitten who had turned a pale pink with her own whistle laughter scrambled into the tent to find Daine. Once inside, Kit found her mother, as she often thought of Daine, huddled in a ball. The young dragonet whistled sharply, clearly annoyed, Daine gave a start at the sharp noise and sat upright.
"Kit, why did do you do that!"
Kit, not being able to talk just tapped her clawed foot on the ground, and tilted her head towards the door.
Daine scrunched her face up as she tried to interpret this new form of sign language, "Are we leaving soon, is that it Kitten?" A fervent nod was her answer, and Daine set about getting her things together, ignoring the dull throbbing in her chest. Trying to recall what Alanna had told her the night before about the last part of the journey to meet the Gallan party, Daine packed the last of her things. At last she began to empty the tent and usher her animals out, as soon as she exited the hiding place, she was met with a tumultuous group of voices. Each animal wanted to tell their version of the story; some of the babies described the victim as worse than a mother hen. Calling upon her steel-grey mare, Cloud regaled her with the seemingly uproarious tale.
Daine allowed Raoul to dismantle the canvas tent and pack it up, thanking him he refused help with his war horse and went along his merry way. Alanna however, was not quite pleased, she frowned as her patient lifted the heavy pack up onto Cloud and then gasped at the pain, "Daine, as much as I enjoy seeing Numair run around as if he is about to soil himself, I will not allow you to work like this. Get your 'mother' over there to stop pulling his hair out and do this stuff for you. If you don't, I will drug you and carry you myself all the way to the Cría."
Daine sighed and stalked off away from her good friend, sitting down in front of Spots, the wildmage discussed the black robed man's tolerance level was for the day. The poor mount lent down to snuffle gently at Daine, inspecting her for any damage.
At long last, Numair had, as instructed by Alanna cared for both his and Daine's things, and was at present helping her mount Cloud. She knew full well that she could manage alone, but he was worrying himself sick over every sound she made. As they at last abandoned their campsite, Numair rode knee to knee with her, forgoing his usual nap, to watch over her.
A rather disgruntled Daine threatened to no avail to have Spots jostle him as much as possible, and for birds to find him a good place to leave droppings. She finally reached out into the forest that seemed to grow thicker with each step, try as she did, she couldn't shake the feeling that Numair was counting each breath she took.
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Okay, so now Daine is back on her feet, and the world is going round, and that might have given you a hint at who saw them kiss, or who was told….Dun dun dunn. Evil! Any questions please ask, this will be the last update for a week or two, sorry. FINALS SUCK! Read and review, I will be working on the next chapter during my non-study minutes. Yes, I said minutes. Tear.
Daughter of the black