Please give reviews ... and I'll hope you do not get too shocked by the discovery of who the scarred man is.
Chapter 10 – Spying
He had spent most of the morning going through the palace. He had not found the right place yet, but he hoped that he soon would succeed. He had, however, after some consideration decided that it had been time to go through the small piece of wood, which was placed up against the palace. In his research, he was now not far from the fold with the many horses, where a young woman walked around. He had recognized her immediately, and had chosen to remain hidden behind the big tree. From here he could study every movement, the woman with the long curly brown hair, made. He had arrived just at the same moment the woman had bent down and said hello to the reptilian-like creature who had come running across the ground on four legs. He recognized the dragon cub, as being the same he had seen in his previous life. He had taken a step forward, out of curiosity to see if he could hear what the woman said, but this had been in vain. In the second after he had moved, he was forced to hide again, while another, larger creature appeared. A basilisk. He had heard rumors that since the fight against the immortal had ceased, the kingdom was not only inhabiting a dragon, but also a close relative.
He had decided to follow the young woman all day, to study if he could find out what her routine was. He sank down and leaned back against the tree trunk. Birds over his head twittered in the light heat. The man with the scar on his face took the bottle he had hanging by the belt and drank greedily. In his eyes, the young woman walked back and forth between the horses inside the fold with another man he had seen arrive with the horses. A small stocky woman with a dark hair moved together with ease around among the four legged. The man closed his eyes for a brief second and took a deep breath. For fear of recognition he had masked his magical gift, but he called it on gently. When he opened his eyes, he studied first the high and equally stocky man who was now putting a trance on a cream colored gelding. A weak copper wire twisted from the man at the horse and the scarred man recognized the aura as wild magic. The scarred man turned to the little woman with the dark skin. She stood and clapped a big dog. The woman's aura was not nearly as powerful as the man, but nevertheless she possessed it and also had the wild magic's gift. An oath brought the scarred man's gaze toward the young woman, who was now in the process of separating two rival stallions. A glow hit his eyes and he had to produce more of his power, to dim the light. The aura was the brightest color of copper.
How long he managed to sit hidden under the tree, he did not know. But before long he discovered to his great annoyance, that the tree he had settled under was filled with apples. The bright green fruit hang heavily the branches, forcing them to the ground. Irritated, he started to get up, but as soon as he had made the decision he discovered the members of the delegation he had arrived with. The scarred man had accidentally been told that just this day the delegation had been allowed to get a tour of the university. And the tour guide turned out to be Numair. The man, who the scarred man hated the very most. He watched the scene and saw, to his great satisfaction, how Daine stood with her hand on her forehead and shaded from the sun. His little decoy acted apparently as she should, the red-haired woman who was wearing a very thin light purple dress stood with her hand around Numair's arm. He smiled, as Numair moved to put his hand on the lower part of Felicia's lower back and it was this gesture Daine had picked up.
Tristan Stagehorn felt satisfaction spread by the sight. Soon he would get the revenge he longed for since the meeting with his old university friend Arram Draper, in Dunlath.
Onua was standing with a horse beside her. She felt absent how the horse tried to examine her pockets for more goodies, but she knew that there was no more. She let her gaze slide over the collection of horses and found her helper. Onua smiled. Daine had been the best risk she had ever taken, and Onua did not regret one second her decision in the market serveral years ago. The young woman had seen something that had made her stop in the middle of a movement, which was to examine the teeth of a gelding. The gelding stood with muzzle withdrawn, as in a grin and with teeth exposed. The poor animal was standing such in what seemed several minutes, and Onua scanned the surroundings to investigate what had caught Daine's attention.
Her eyes reached the congregation of people who stood a few hunrede meters from the fold. The delegation from Tusaine. The congregation meved, and Onua saw now how Numair was standing with Felicia at his side. Onua noticed how the turmoil in her stomach began. The look Daine gave congregation, no ... not the congregation, Daine's attention was on Numair, and it was filled with different emotions that disappeared as quickly as they appeared. The first Onua read in Daine's face shocked her. She had known that Daine and Numair had a close teacher-student relationship, but that it had developed into more ... Onua smiled. Of course, it had developed into more. The two persons were perfect for each other.
Onua walked slowly towards her helper and stood beside her. Daine still had her full attention to the high pair, the man with the black hair and the woman with the red. Onua sighed and touched Daine's elbow lightly.
"If you do not soon release its muzzle, Daine, I think that it will have difficulties eating anything tonight" she said a bit cautiously, afraid to frighten the young woman too much.
"What?" Daine let go of the gelding so fast that horse's teeth snapped together with a small crack. "What do you mean?" She asked and looked at Onua, apparently total unaware that she had been standing for several minutes and stared openly at the whole scenario.
Onua ran her hand over the mane of the horse and turned her head in the direction of the delegation. "A little jealous that you are not going with them?" She asked, half to test if whether there were some truth about her previous speculation .
"No ... Under no circumstances!" Daine exclaimed abruptly. "Nobody wants to walk around and look at old dusty books, right?" Daine grabbed the muzzle of the gelding again, and asked silently to show its teeth again.
Only if you promise that it goes fast ... to stand with open mouth is not nice.
"Of course it goes fast" Daine snarled to the horse while she examined its teeth. A moment later she let go of the muzzle. "You have fine teeth, but I'm a little worried about the rear ... if you are not careful then I have to soon pull it out, for it is broken" She told gelding again. Daine looked over at Onua and met horses woman's eyes. "Why do you think I want to go with them?" She asked.
Onua shrugged "It was just a thought ... you have acted absent in the past few weeks, so has Numair ... but he seems to have gotten over it. He seems to enjoy beeing in Felicia's company again. " Onua knew that she was moving farther and farther towards the border, as she looked into Daine's flashing eyes. "Have you said hello to her?"
Daine pressed her mouth into a thin line before she replied, "Yes ... only a few times ... she has shown a bad habit of flirting."
Onua broke out in laughter, prompting Daine to gaze with raised eyebrows at her. "So you do not like the fine lady, I can hear" Onua smiled while she let go of the gelding's ear.
If your not finished soon ... I will be a fool in the whole flock, the gelding whinnied. It turned and raised his tail high in the air, like an offended cat and trotted away from both women.
Onua then for the first time this hot day a genuine smile on Daine's lips. "Do I want to know what it said?" She asked curiously.
"It thought that if we did not stop soon, it would be a fool of in the pack" Daine explained as she raised her hand and pushed her hair away from her sweaty forehead. Somewhere near the same horse whinnied again. "And no ... I do not like that woman ... she ... she's problems" Daine continued, a bit hesitantly.
"Problems how?" Onua asked as she walked over to the fence. A page came walking toward them with a tray in his hands. "Ahh ... nice, finally ... I just felt like something cold to drink". Onua took the big cup and drank in long gulps.
Daine took the second cup while Onua filled hers again. "I mean ... she creates discord" Daine explained before she drank.
"Discord?" Onua wiped the few drops of red liquid away from her lower lip and waited patient for Daine to continue and explain.
"Yeah ... I do not know what has been between Numair and Felicia, but" Daine admitted before she continued softly. "But I know that ... it creates discord between us, him and I ... and it should not."
Onua waiting for Daine to continued, but the young woman stood silently in front of her and fiddled with not only a silver claw, but two silver claws that hung around her neck. Onua reached forward and took Daine's hand away. "This one is new?" She asked as she kept an eye on Daine's reaction.
"Yes" Daine replied, and pulled away. She put the cup back on the tray. "It's from Numair ... a pregnancy charm ... he gave it to me this night."
Onua raised her eyebrows surprised by the privacy Daine had initiated her into, or ... she reached out and lifted the young woman's chin so that their eyes met. "Daine ... is Numair and you .. uh ...?"
Daine lifted her stubborn chin and met the amber brown eyes. She had known Onua for a long time and had full confidence that Onua would accept her relationship with Numair "Since the realm of the gods ... we have not ... been together, like that, in this way ... we've had our discussions ... he did not want to ... his life ... his bedroom ... "
Onua saw that Daine had a hard time explaining. She could clearly see that the young woman winced at every word, and waited for the word of condemnation from Onua. But the horses woman had none ... only understanding. "Daine ... you need not fear ... I always knew that you had something special together, you are both unique ... and you fit together, all of your friends have noticed that and if they didn't, then they are blind "
Daine smiled and relaxed clearly "Thank Onua, it means a lot to me. It's been hard ... and now, now Felicia has came into the picture, and it makes me frustrated, "she answered, however, a little angrily.
Onua nodded understandingly. She could familiarize herself with the situation Daine was in. She had at the beginning of the conversation waved the page away, so he was no longer around. There was enough buzz in court and, in Onua's opinion, she did not need to add more.
"Do you know what happened between Felicia and Numair then?" Onua asked gently. She was not sure that Daine wanted to know details from Numair's past life, but she also had the feeling that Numair not have inaugurated Daine in what really happened.
Daine shook her head. They had begun the walk to oppose side of the fold. Daine stopped hesitantly as a stallion came over to greet them both. Behind them came a cry.
"If the ladies permit, then an old horse like me would like to pull back into the shadows ... I shall arrange to have some of the pages pour water into the big water trough" Stefan was standing not far from them.
Onua smiled and waved one arm, as a 'fine sign'. They had been finished sooner than expected and Stefan needed to rest after the hard trip. She turned in time to see a not familiar face on the other side of the fence. Under the big apple tree stood a man and watched them intently. She met the man's cold eyes and shuddered. A long scar cut down his face. A horse pranced in front of her, it challenged a chestnut mare. Before she could respond Daine was already scolding.
"Can you behave properly ... and if you do not, then I'll have straw put up under your tail all night" the young woman smacked.
The mare lashed to the ground again, and Onua had again visibility to the area under the apple tree. The man was gone. She wrote a mental note to report to George about this man. Now, she had a story to be told to Daine. A tale of love, prohibition and a lot of intrigue.
And now...please review!