Bo: Thank you :)
Palomino: Sorry about the spelling errors, hopefully when I get time I'll be able to go back and fix them. Thanks for your comments :)
A/N: Thanks for all your reviews. I hope I've managed to respond to all of them; please forgive me if I've missed anyone.
Disclaimer: Daine and Numair belong to Tamora Pierce, as well as a scene or two in this chapter…
Candy Floss
Daine swayed on her feet, her head throbbing in response to the music blasting from Cassie's surround sound speaker system. She maneuvered over to a wall and leant against it, her jaw cracking in protest as she yawned. Coming to this party was not a good idea, Daine thought belatedly.
Running on reserve energy she pushed herself off the wall, dodged past a very drunk varsity football player and managed to extract herself from the room. The hallway was not much better in terms of noise, but at least it wasn't as crowded as Cassandra's living room had been. After tolerating two hours of this party Daine was ready to go.
"Daine! Are you ok? How many drinks did you have?" Daine looked up; it was Kali coming from the adjoining room looking concerned. Ironically, Daine had only met Cassandra through Kali. Like Kali, Cassandra came from a whole different upbringing. This house that was currently making Daine feel incredibly claustrophobic would any other day have been large enough for her to run laps in. As it was, it was bursting at the seams with people and Daine had barely been able to move all night.
"I'm fine!" Daine was forced to yell over the music. "And I haven't drunk anything. I haven't even been able to move."
"What?" Kali bellowed.
"I said I'm fine! Just tired!" She tried again.
"Huh?"
Sighing Daine grabbed her friend's hand and dragged her through another door which she knew from previous visits led to the other levels of the house. Walking up a flight of stairs the blaring music gradually receded. Daine slumped onto a bed in one of the guest rooms, rubbing her temples while Kali closed the door.
The blond grinned. "That's better. But I wanna get back down there before Mike and Pete start their drinking contest."
"You do that." Daine told her. "I'm going to head home."
"What? You can't leave now, its only nine." Seeing Daine's stubborn expression, Kali tried another tack "It's not safe at this hour anyway. If you wait a while I'll drop you."
Daine frowned and refrained from pointing out that the girl had just contradicted herself first saying it was too early, then too late. "Look I'll be fine. I just want to get home."
A concerned look flashed across her friend's face. "Why? What's wrong? And don't say 'nothing' Daine."
Giving in, she replied "It's just…I'm tired, I didn't sleep last night."
"Not at all?"
"No."
"Why?"
Daine hesitated. She had never gone a full night without sleeping. Not even when she had deadlines in high school. The truth was she hadn't slept the previous night for a very simple reason. She was afraid. The dreams had taken a turn for the worse. While ostensibly happy, traveling with the Riders in training, Sarge, Alanna, Onua…Numair…Daine had undergone some harrowing events. The incidents with Stormwings and spidrens were what were haunting her even in the waking world.
Shrieks, metallic and shrill, tore the air. Eight giant things--they looked like birds at first--chased the hawk out of the cover of the trees. Immense wings beat the air that reached women and ponies, filling their noses with a stink so foul it made Daine retch. The ponies screamed in panic.
Daine shivered at the mere memory. More and more she found that that her two worlds were colliding. Other than the inexplicable sense that Stormwings and Griffins actually existed, she would crave food that Veralidaine Sarrasri had once had, miss people she had known, and most disturbingly, feared for her own sanity.
All in all, Daine had felt that a night without such dreams would do her good, even if that meant a night without sleep. However the converse was proving to be true. If anything she was even more edgy now. She wondered whether she should tell Kali the truth.
"I was testing to see whether the dreams would stop." She admitted after a moment.
"And…did it work?"
"I don't know. I guess we'll see tonight." Daine sighed again. "Look I'm sorry. You go down and enjoy the party. I think I'll just crash here for a little while. Come get me when you're ready to leave."
Kali acquiesced. Heading to the door, she paused a moment, a sly grin on her face. "Are you sure Peter didn't give you a roofy?"
Daine scowled. "From what I hear, that would be just like him." Daine had gone out with Peter Richardson once and hadn't liked him. He was charming, in a lecherous sort of way but his personality did not seem to stretch further than that. From what Daine had gathered from their conversations he had a one-track mind and wasn't ashamed of it.
Sobering quickly Kali shook her head. "It was a joke Daine. He's not really like that. I wish you would give him a second chance."
"Maybe one day."
"He really likes you. He wants to go out with you again."
"Hmm."
"Is this about that guy, Adam? Because Peter is a lot more…in your age range."
Daine stomach lurched. She had never seen Kali so adamant about disliking someone. It made doubts rush through her head again. But then…Daine was her own person. "Look, Nu-Adam is a nice guy. I don't understand what you have against him. Besides, I don't look at him in that way, and I'm sure he prefers tall blondes."
Kali looked at her oddly. "How would you know that?"
"I…I don't." Daine hedged. "It's just an educated guess s'all."
"OK Daine. Just don't say I didn't warn you. I'm gonna go down now. Get some rest."
Daine kicked off her shoes and lay back onto the bed properly. She had almost called Adam 'Numair'. She would have to watch that. Numair doesn't exist. He is just a figment of my imagination. The same as the rest of them. She kept telling herself that as she drifted off to sleep. Into a world that seemed all too real.
She hadn't been in Tortall long when she awoke one morning to a familiar feeling and the stench of Stormwings. Coming to attention quickly Daine attempted to rouse the riders, Kuri and Onua all the while holding back the feeling of bile rising in her throat as that inexplicable sense of wrongness permeated the air around her.
Metallic wings reflected light from the new sun and Zhaneh Bitterclaws was leading the flock which was currently swerving towards Daine. "Kill it!" She screeched her left eye black and oozing. "Kill this beast!" After their previous encounter Daine was not surprised that the female Stormwing had taken a particular dislike towards her, and the feeling was mutual.
As Daine took in the sight of more than fifty Stormwings honing in on her position she felt cold fear sweep over her. She crouched low, knowing that without her bow she was defenseless. Cloud immediately came to her rescue, rearing at the Stormwing and striking her with angry hooves.
More ponies followed, forming a perimeter around Daine and lunging at the Stormwings when they made a swoop for the girl. Soon Tahoi was there too, as well as a pack of hounds, all baying and protecting her. Suddenly annoyed at having to put her friends in danger for her protection Daine's eyes darted around and fell on a pile of rocks. The girl hefted one, which struck Zhaneh Bitterclaws square on the nose.
Daine could feel nothing but satisfaction at hitting her target "There you monster! Come close so I can do it again!" A little dog began bringing her more rocks for ammunition and Daine's attention suddenly strayed to movement in her periphery.
Near the fence, Numair stood with two others. His eyes locked with hers and she saw a mix of emotions, rage, concern, surprise, and even a little awe. And then black fire laced with silver was shooting from his hands to attack a Stormwing. Purple and Blue magic came from Alanna and a bearded man as Onua and Sarge joined the fight.
Between humans and animals they beat their enemies back, at least into a retreat, Zhaneh Bitterclaws and those remaining were able to get away practically unscathed.
Daine's knees buckled from exhaustion and she slumped to the floor, feeling the wet grass through her breeches. Numair came down the rise looking tired. Daine was cataloguing the damage done to the animals around her, a lot were cut and bruised but miraculously none had died.
"I said I'd see you again," Numair quipped, leaning on a nearby tree.
Daine grinned up at him. "You timed it perfectl-"
An alien noise roused her from her slumber, buzzing and vibrating somewhere near. Daine rubbed her eyes, still groggy from her interrupted dream and realized she wasn't at home in her bed. Cassie's party. Guest bedroom. Right.
The alien noise was her cell phone, she realized belatedly and dug around in her purse until she found it, wondering where the hell Kali was.
"Hello?" She said, wincing at how her voice was still thick with sleep.
"Hey, sorry. Did I wake you?" Adam. Daine sat up.
"Um…no. Well yeah but it doesn't matter, I shouldn't have drifted off so early anyway."
Adam chuckled. "It's past twelve. I don't think this qualifies as early."
"Oh." Daine frowned, annoyed her friends had let her sleep this long. She shook herself. "So what's up?"
"Nothing much. I was just wondering if you're still up for this funfair day after tomorrow?"
Daine smiled even though she knew he couldn't see her. "Sounds like fun. Where shall we meet?"
"I could swing by and pick you up,"
Daine considered this. Even though to her and Adam this arrangement was perfectly innocuous Daine knew how her friends would see it. "How about I meet you there at around four? I have a couple of errands to run beforehand."
"Sounds good." A pause, then "Is everything alright Daine?"
Daine was startled, "Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"
"You just sound a little….uncomfortable."
It did not occur to Daine to question how after knowing her for only a few days Adam could pick up on such a subtle nuance of a mood. "Yeah I guess I am a little. I'm at a friend's party and fell asleep in a guest room." She explained warily "My friend Kali was meant to drive me home but she was also meant to wake me up a few hours ago so I'm a little worried she left without me."
"Shall I hang up so you can call her?"
Daine was reluctant to hang up; Adam's voice soothed her somewhat, but knew she wouldn't get home anytime soon without Kali, "Yeah I guess."
"Ok, but give me a call or something so I know you got home safely,"
"Ok. Thanks Adam. I'll see you on Saturday."
She called Kali and within a few seconds she was fuming. "How could you leave without me?" She demanded.
"I'm sorry Daine, I tried waking you but you were out like a light. The party was still going on downstairs but Cassie said you might as well just crash there the night, it's not like she doesn't have enough room."
"You know we have work tomorrow don't you?"
"Oh, yeah well…oh Damn, I'm sorry Daine. I don't know where my head was."
Daine sighed. "Forget it. Maybe I'll just call a cab."
"OK." Kali hung up and Daine shook her head as if she could shake off her irritation with it.
She realized she didn't actually have a number for a cab company- on her budget it wasn't her regular mode of travel. Cassie would have one though, she realized, and with that thought in her head she stood up and gathered her things.
She didn't want to look at the time, knowing it must be around one from the fact that there was barely any noise coming from downstairs. Upon entering the living room she'd been in earlier she found nothing but the remnants of the party; paper cups and cans of beer strewn about everywhere.
Daine bit her lip, if Cassie had gone to bed already it was unlikely that she was alone, which meant it would be entirely inappropriate to rouse her just to ask for a cab number.
"Daine, hey!"
Daine jumped so high into the air she was almost levitating. When she'd gotten over her surprise she spun on her heel, "Pete, you scared the hell outta me!"
Peter Richardson ran a hand through his sleek blond hair and smirked at her, "Is that how you greet an old friend?"
"Old friend?" She quirked an eyebrow.
"Well I haven't seen a lot of you lately. How've you been Daine?"
In truth Daine had been avoiding him intentionally. He was the type that didn't seem to get the hint, or else maybe he pursued her more because she avoided him. "Great. Pete have you seen Cassie?"
He sighed dramatically. "Would that you were looking for me."
"Huh?"
Peter laughed heartily. "Oh Daine, this is why I like you so much. You're not one of those stiff thespians like most of the girls I see." Daine shifted uncomfortably wondering how to extricate herself from the situation. Peter did not seem to notice her trepidation and continued, "I mean, you're just so…unpredictable."
"Uh…thanks…" Daine shook her head, telling herself she was imagining the predaceous gleam in his eyes. She shifted on her feet, "But I really do need to find Cassie. I have work tomorrow and need to get home-"
"Say no more, I'll give you a lift."
"No, Pete that's really not necessary."
Suddenly business-like he walked around her and put his palms on her shoulders, steering her towards the door. "It's no trouble whatsoever, and actually I wanted to talk to you alone anyway. I'm parked outside."
Daine sighed and decided not to struggle and make an issue of it. She just wanted to get home. In any case, despite what she'd said to Kali earlier she didn't think she was in any danger with Pete. Elsewise I wouldn't have gone out with him in the first place.
The car ride consisted mainly of Pete talking and Daine making occasional comments on what he was saying. When he parked outside her place Daine was ready to bolt but Peter turned the radio off and turned his full attention to her. "Actually Daine what I wanted to talk to you about was when I should pick you up."
"Pick me up?" She asked, confused.
"For dinner. Monday night, I was thinking eight?"
Daine wondered if she should laugh out loud or be angry at his presumptuousness. "Peter, you're a nice guy and everything, I just don't think we should go out."
"We'll make it seven then." He leered.
Daine shook her head and exited the car, thinking she was going to kill Kali.
Daine's sleep that night was refreshing but she still dreamt. Of rider training and grooming horses as Veralidaine.
She spent the following day caught between nervous anticipation and excitement at seeing Adam again. While waiting at the gates of the fair, she wondered whether she would be able to separate the fiction of her dreams from reality. It was becoming increasingly hard not to think of Adam as Numair. As her dreams unfolded the similarities of their personalities became more and more evident.
Suddenly Daine found herself staring at a mound of pink fluff on a stick. "I hope you like candy-floss" Numair and Adam's warm voice baited.
She grinned. "Love it," but when the girl tried to reach for it the man held it just out of her reach.
"You don't deserve it." He told her sternly.
She frowned. "Why's that?"
"You didn't call me back last night."
Daine almost laughed at him, enjoying this playful side to him. "I'm sorry if I worried you," she said meaning it. "Now can I have my candy floss?"
Adam seemed to be considering it. "Hmm…you seem sincere."
Daine tried to grab at it but his height gave him advantage over her. Eventually she gave up, pouting.
Adam laughed at her antics. "OK, here." And gave her the stick.
Daine immediately took a large bite of the sweet, closing her eyes to enjoy the sugary taste. "Thank you." She chirped around the mouthful.
The man couldn't resist chuckling and ruffling the girl's hair fondly. "Let's go."
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