Sighing Daine curled up besides Jorrain's side, but didn't quite fit. She had always noticed how different his body was, and how uncomfortable it felt next to hers. He was too short, his arm wasn't in the right position above her head, and his smell wasn't the soap and spice smell she loved. His arms wrapped around her on both sides, and he smelled of a cheap soap and hay.

He wasn't as powerful as she'd said he was. In fact, he wasn't powerful at all. He hadn't saved the town for spidrens. She had, but the whole town thought it was him since she had flown back as a bird. He didn't even know about her shape shifting abilities or her parents. They'd been courting for two years and she still didn't want to marry him. She shifted one more time before getting out of the bed and letting her gown fall from where it had ridden up to her thighs, back down to her feet.

Walking outside, Daine wandered to the forest and lay on the ground, gazing up at the stars. Jorrain wouldn't notice. He never did. She did this every night, just so she'd get tired enough be able to fall asleep next to him. She spread out with her hands under her head and sighed while naming the constellations she knew.

"Numair, what are the stories of the stars here? Back in Snowsdale there's the hunter, and the cat, and the wolf. I haven't learned any from here."

Numair looked up from the book he was reading on a rock and walked over to Daine, brushing his long black hair out of his swarthy face. He sat down next to her and threw his head back to look at the sky, putting out the ball of magic that he had been reading by. Daine moved her head to his lap to get a better view and he looked down at her in surprise. Sighing, he lay down and moved her head to his shoulder. He then pointed at three stars. "You see that 'W'?"

Daine traced it with him. "That one?" she whispered, suddenly afraid she hadn't brushed her teeth well enough.

Numair nodded. "That's the queen, Gyranna, the first crowned queen. She was trapped upside down for betraying her king. He used his Gift to trap her in the stars forever." He then moved to another one and traced a large line of stars. "Draco, the dragon. He was a young one, and flew to close to the moon while trying to warn Tortall of a traitor. That is how we lost our land when we owned Tyra."

Daine traced it with him. "Are there any happy ones?"

"The cat, have you heard the full story?"

Daine shook her head. "I thought it died."

"There are some who swear that it leaves the sky every couple of decades. Alanna swears she had it for a number of years. It apparently died to save her. She'd named it Faithful, and he was until his last breath. He'd stayed with her through many hardships, and was her common sense when she had none. Of course, there are many other cats in history, but they were never written about in so much detail as Alanna and Jon talk about that one." Daine giggled and felt sleep coming over her slowly. "The North Star, that points towards the Roof of the World. A great mage was lost one night and asked Mithros to guide him to the war in the north, so a bright star showed him the way. It has stayed there as a guide since then."

"Are there different ones in Carthak?"

"Yes, there are very different ones. For one there's the South star, The story that goes with that one is that a peasant was lost and needed water before he died. Where the star appeared, the Great Oasis was under it. There's also the Laughing Hyena, and the Pair of Dice, both signs of the Graveyard Hag, as you know."

Daine had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder that night, and had woken up in her room below the boys' barracks. Now she was tracing the stars again, but this time alone, as it had been every night since she'd left. Cloud had always left when she started to trace the stars. Most of the times she cried herself tired before going back into her room.

Hearing a crunch she sat up quickly and turned to find Numair coming out of the woods near the Inn. She froze like a rabbit. So did he. For a minute they both just stared at each other until Numair took a cautious step towards her. "Daine, can we talk?" he asked her quietly.

That was enough to bring her back to her body. She scrambled up and backed away quickly, never turning her back on him. No words would escape her tight throat.

"Daine, please. I need to apologize, please listen to me."

She shook her head and slowed her backward pace. So many times, she had thought of what she would say in a situation like this, but now, no were forthcoming to her mind. Instead of fighting for the most biting of words, she turned and ran, nearly changing shape so she would move faster. When she got to her small house she ran inside and quietly shut the bedroom door that led outside. This would be the first time she'd lock it.

Leaning against the frame, silent tears ran down her face and she fell to the ground to cry quietly. Finally when she was so tired that it hurt to even move she rose and went to her spot in the bed, and cuddled next the man she didn't love, and fell asleep.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone recognized in this story. Tortall characters belong to Tamora Pierce.

Thank you for reviewing, I take all advice and try to make my story better with it. If you've made it so far as to read this chapter, I thank you for that too. I am not inclined to actually believe that Numair truly did cheat on Daine, since that isn't his type of character. If he had in the books I would have cried.