Description: Numair is given his own task to perform for the kingdom, one which he relishes the opportunity to undertake.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce.
Author's Note: Big shout out to Vika9 for all her advice and feedback on past trauma and the ways it affects a person.
Zek only gets mentioned in Realm of the Gods and as I have managed to effectively unwrite the Darkings (I'm crying too), I decided that he and Kitten are going to fill that role in my story.
Chapter 23
Numair had barely spent an entire day back at the palace when he received a summons from the king. He'd only had to speak with His Majesty twice since his arrival and had been trying not to draw too much attention to himself. Rulers, in his experience, used their subjects for their own benefit and Numair had no desire to discover what King Jonathan may wish to use him for.
Receiving directions from one of the servants, he headed towards the king's study, thankful it wasn't to an audience chamber. Swallowing nervously Numair tapped lightly on the door hearing a rich baritone tell him to enter.
King Jonathan sat behind his desk dressed in a dark blue tunic and white silk shirt busily signing documents and handing them to a page when he looked up to see the mage. "Numair, how are you settling in?"
"Very well, Your Majesty. Thank you." He bowed low and shuffled, unsure if he should kneel or remain standing. There was a chair opposite the desk but that seemed far too presumptuous, however Ozorne had never liked anyone standing above him so he had to crane his neck and had objected to Numair's height frequently.
The king finished signing the last of his documents and the page exited the room leaving the two men alone. "Sit, please." His Majesty indicated the chair with a smile.
Numair sat gingerly, no idea what to expect. Should he really be alone with the Tortallan king? He knew His Majesty was powerful but there wasn't a single guard or mage in the room to protect him.
"Daine tells me that you were able to fix a 'hole' in the sky above Pirate's Swoop. Is it true that a portal between the realms was still open?" The king leaned forward, face lined with concern.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Numair answered, lowering his gaze.
"Can you detect if any more of these portals have been left open?" King Jonathan asked.
The mage wet his very dry lips before speaking. "It's not something that can be scried for, Your Majesty…" Ozorne never tolerated failure from his subjects. "I happened to see the rift through my magic after Daine had finished speaking with the kraken."
"We've been inundated with Immortals for years." The king sat back in his chair, rubbing his temple. "If one of these portals were left open, would they be able to continue crossing through it?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Numair replied softly. "It's not just that the Immortals would continue to be able to cross into our realm, but the longer these tears remain open, they will start to destabilise the barrier between our realm and the Divine Realms."
"Mithros bless! But you know how to seal these breaches in the barrier." It was a statement not a question, but the mage nodded anyway. "Is this something you could teach to our mages?"
Numair hadn't been allowed access to the books of summoning, but he'd seen the masters perform the spells and had memorised them. Ozorne had become too arrogant in his slave's incarceration that he'd forgotten his pet only needed to see a spell to understand how it worked. "I could certainly demonstrate the spells, but it takes a lot of power to seal up a portal." It had taken sixteen of Ozorne's most powerful mages to open the first one, but that number lessened each time as the barrier weakened. "If twenty or more mages could be spared, they should be able to do it…" Maybe it would require more, considering the time since the first summoning and the constant strain the barrier must be under. "I'm afraid what I cannot teach is the ability to see the rifts themselves." He looked away, half-expecting the king to strike him.
"This is a talent you alone possess?" Jonathan asked gently.
Numair glanced at the king, surprised to find no anger in his face, only keen interest. "I'm not certain, Your Majesty. I know that I can see magic that most people can't. Kitten was able to see the portal, as was Daine when I sent my Gift through her." He possibly shouldn't have admitted that last part.
Jonathan sat back, steepling his fingers together while he closed his eyes in thought. "Alanna didn't mention seeing this portal situated directly above her home, and she's one of our most powerful mages." He opened his bright blue eyes and fixed Numair with a discerning stare. "That creates a problem if you're the only mage able to see these portals. One mage locating any more potential holes in the barrier will be slow going."
"I could see about devising a spell to detect the portals," Numair suggested tentatively.
"And while you were doing that more Immortals would enter into our realm and the barrier would destabilise further." The king pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. After a minute of silence His Majesty leaned forward and clasped his hands together on the desk. "How long would it take you to develop a spell capable of detecting these portals?"
"I-I couldn't say, Your Majesty. I haven't created a spell like this before. It could take me weeks, maybe even months." The prospect of being allowed to experiment with his magic and craft new spells had the mage's mind buzzing with excitement.
"Can you determine how fragile the barrier is?" His Majesty asked seriously.
"I would need to test it with my Gift, but I could have an answer for you by the evening," Numair answered in a rush, neglecting to mention his reservations in lieu of his eagerness to do something worthwhile for these people. He would need to send his Gift out to the limits of his range which could reveal his presence if Ozorne or one of his mages were looking. However, Numair wasn't about to pass up this chance just because someone might sense him.
"Let's start there." The king nodded. "If the barrier is stable enough to allow us time to develop detection spells, then we'll do that, and I'll have every mage made available to you to assist with the project. If not, we'll need to come up with a contingency plan."
"At once, Your Majesty." Numair hurriedly got to his feet almost forgetting to bow in his enthusiasm.
"That isn't necessary, you know?" King Jonathan smiled pointedly. "Neither myself nor my queen enjoy having people bow and scrape before us. I know that may be difficult for you to accept given your history but please try to refrain from doing it in the future."
Numair swallowed and nodded warily before leaving the room, not sure if he'd ever get used to this strange court and its equally peculiar monarchs. The mage headed for the college at a brisk pace intending to request a scrying crystal, his mind racing with ideas on how to create a detection net.
The metal tower known as Balor's Needle standing at a hundred feet tall was the highest point of the royal palace. The climb was arduous, lit by a single chandelier which hung from a long chain to illuminate the darkness. A door at the top of the tower opened out onto a metal balcony which gave a spectacular view of Corus so long as you didn't look directly at the ground. Numair wasn't scared of heights per say but this was a very long way up on something that didn't feel particularly stable. The wind whipped around his thin frame, and he regretted not putting on a cloak as the mage gripped the rail. Sparrows circled his head getting far closer than birds normally would, which could only be due to Daine's influence. Was his student keeping tabs on him? A quick check on the position of the sun revealed it to be past midday and Numair blushed realising he'd forgotten to inform Daine of his whereabouts when she would be expecting to have lessons.
Going deep inside himself, he gathered his Gift and sent it out to the farthest reaches of his expansive range. Just like a bat, as Daine had described it to him, Numair sent out a wave of power, listening for the answering echo when it touched the barrier. If there was a way to develop this technique into a spell, then it may be able to provide the mages with specific locations of these rifts, if he could narrow the focus when the wave failed to rebound against the barrier. Numair's main concern was that he might be one of only a handful of mages powerful enough to even detect the barrier let alone the condition it was in. At least his power was useful for something other than killing.
Another surge of memory overwhelmed him, staggering the mage into the railing as his legs gave way. Numair heard the metal creak and groan under his weight, but he couldn't get his trembling under control to do anything about it. He tried to focus on the cold metal in his hands and on the bitterly cold wind, anything that was real and kept the memories from invading his mind. Sweat poured from his skin as Numair fought to stay in control and not go tumbling over the edge of the tower to his death. The birds were frantically cheeping overhead as he slowly sank to the floor and shuffled away from the drop until his back touched cold stone.
"Numair?" He could hear the sound of feet running up the stairs. "Numair!"
He wanted to call down and reassure Daine that he was fine, but he needed to concentrate on his breathing and not lose contact with reality. Strong hands grabbed his shirt and tried to pull him inside.
"No. Please, let me breathe," he begged between breaths.
"I was coming up to find you when the sparrows told me you tried to take a dive off the tower," she scolded, climbing out to sit beside him.
"Unintentionally, I can assure you," Numair gasped, resting his head against the stone turret.
Daine shifted closer so her arm pressed against his. "Bad memories again?"
He nodded his head, finally confident enough to open his eyes and take in his surroundings, relieved when they shaped themselves into the young woman's beautiful face and worried blue-grey eyes and not a charred corpse.
"I wish you'd talk to someone about them. It'd help, I promise." She squeezed his hand.
Numair forced out a reassuring smile he didn't feel even as he swallowed back the sudden bile in his throat. "I don't understand why they're occurring so frequently. Yes, I used to experience flashbacks, but they would happen every six months at most."
"What caused the last one?" Daine searched his face, frowning.
He shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut. "Hearing Baron Cooper's children laugh."
"Why would laughing set off a panic attack?" she asked in confusion.
The mage swallowed hard, his shakes returning. Would Daine despise him if she knew? Of course she would.
"Numair?"
"The children were laughing before I arrived…" he whispered. His stomach rebelled violently and for a moment Numair thought he was going to be sick. Opening his eyes slowly, he looked at the young woman beside him who sat deep in thought, no judgment or disgust in her expression.
"And what set you off this time?" she asked softly.
Numair rubbed a finger along his nose while he attempted to determine the root cause of his reaction just now. "I think it was utilising the full strength of my Gift."
"You didn't do that with the word of power?" Daine looked up, curious.
"Not even close," he chuckled. "I believe I may have sabotaged myself this time…"
"Why d'you say that?" She frowned.
"Because just before I had my – episode – I was feeling thankful to be using my Gift for something other than killing," he explained wryly.
Daine bumped her arm against his as she settled more comfortably beside him. "Was that all you used your Gift for?"
Taking a deep breath Numair released it shakily. "Since obtaining my black robe and on becoming a slave, I have used the full extent of my Gift for slaughtering the entire population of Siraj and destroying Carthak."
"And what were you doing just now?" She waved her hand to indicate their surroundings.
"Testing the structure and stability of the barrier between the mortal and Divine realms," he replied, appreciating the shift in topic.
"What for?"
"The king asked me to." The mage smiled shyly through his lashes. "He's hoping I can ascertain how badly affected the barrier is from where the Carthaki mages have been tearing holes in it to summon armies of Immortals into our realm."
"Have you found anything yet?" Daine asked, eyes bright with interest.
Numair checked the position of the sun and grinned sheepishly. "I haven't been at it very long. I should probably get back to work, however I may stay seated this time."
"I'll leave you to it." She patted his knee and made to stand.
"Would you…?" He looked away, biting his cheek.
"What?" She paused halfway to rising, waiting expectantly.
"I was about to ask you to stay, but I realise you have other things you need to be doing," Numair admitted.
Daine rolled her eyes. "I'm s'posed to be having lessons with you."
He blushed. "That's very true."
Resettling herself on the balcony, she beamed up at him. "If you don't mind me talking to my friends, I can stay up here while you do your magic."
Numair returned the smile; far too aware of just how vulnerable he was revealing himself to be. "I don't mind at all. Just this once, you are welcome to speak with the animals out loud if you desire." He didn't want to explain to his student that the sound of her voice would act as an anchor and significantly reduce the chances of him having another flashback.
Daine gave him a strange look before closing her eyes and reaching out with her copper magic. Numair indulged in a few stolen seconds to admire her beautiful face with its soft, full mouth and perfectly stubborn chin. Her head tilted in that way that he tried not to find adorable. It was an obvious tell that she was communicating with a member of the People, a habit he should really break her of, but self-preservation said it was the only way he wouldn't accidentally interrupt a conversation. A little voice inside his head scolded him at how selfish he was being, and the real reason was because he loved that gesture too much. His eyes travelled down her lithe figure, appreciating the slender curves under the loose-fitting shirt and breeches before closing his eyes and reaching out with his own magic to begin testing the barrier again. It was strange how content Numair felt with Daine's soothing presence at his side.
After six hours of careful examination the king was not happy to learn that the barrier was as fragile as lace and in imminent danger of collapse. The next day, Numair was sent to the college to speak with Harailt of Aili and several other masters about his idea on how to detect the rifts. While the mage's college were being ordered to develop a detection spell, it was decided that Numair would be sent out to repair as much damage as he could as quickly as possible. Again, much to his surprise, the mage discovered he would be undertaking this task without supervision due to all the available knights and Rider groups being sent out to survey Tortall's northern border for Scanran activity. Numair selfishly requested, and was granted permission, to have Daine join him, and he wasn't even required to put forward an argument as to why he would like his student to accompany him.
His Wildmage was loading up Cloud and Spots when Numair appeared with one bag on his back, feeling more confident in his packing abilities this time. He had snuck in a book and a journal that he hoped she wouldn't notice or object to while a heavy coin purse hung from his belt which the mage had placed a sight ward and theft charm over. King Jonathan had explained that all mages in service to the Crown received a wage, and while Numair was no stranger to large sums of money, it had been a very long time since he'd owned a single coin. He understood that the purpose of this purse was to buy provisions and pay for rooms at any inns during their travels, but it made him feel very self-conscious.
Daine smiled in welcome as she finished strapping a roll of material to the back of Spots' saddle. "Tent," she explained to his confused expression.
"Why would we need a tent?" he asked, handing his pack to her. "We're planning on staying at inns and taverns, aren't we?" The idea of camping in late autumn and possibly through winter was an abhorrent suggestion.
"Have you ever been caught outside during winter because storms or a blizzard delayed your journey?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
Numair shivered instinctively. "I have not."
"We'll want the tent."
From under the young woman's curls came several squeaks as the face of Zek appeared and chattered what might have been a greeting at the mage.
Daine turned and blushed. "You don't mind if Zek comes along, do you? I tried to convince him to stay at the Palace with Master Lindhall but he's insisting. He didn't like us leaving without him last time."
"The more the merrier." Numair grinned, reaching out to stroke the marmoset with a finger, blushing when he accidentally caught the side of his student's neck, feeling her shiver.
Kitten broke the tension by squawking for attention at the mage's feet. He automatically bent and picked her up, giving the dragonet a scratch under her chin while she chattered at him excitedly and pointed to Spots' saddle where her travel bag had been attached.
"I didn't think you'd mind." Daine's cheeks were still flushed. "Cloud's none too pleased about carrying her and I know you're fair fond of Kit."
Numair grinned delightedly at the Immortal. "Fond would be putting it mildly."
It didn't take the pair long to finish loading up and set off towards the Great Road East. The clouds hung thick in the sky threatening rain but so far had held off. The cold wind blowing down from the north hadn't let up for the past few days and Numair could feel it even through his thick woollen cloak.
They spent their first night in a tavern near Irontown but the second night the rain had finally arrived and the mud slowed their journey, so it was too far to reach the next village by the time it got dark. The mages, horses, dragonet and marmoset were in a dismal mood when they stopped to make camp. Numair had argued for over an hour about the possibility of finding a cave to shelter in but apparently there were none nearby big enough for two-leggers. Daine saw to the horses, covering them with blankets while the mage dug out the tent only to discover his student had packed one.
"I'll help you set it up in a minute," she called.
While Numair thought he should be able to construct a tent by himself, it turned out he did need her help after all. A tent was a simple structure of metal poles covered by a canvas material and tied down with string, which in no way should have ended up confounding him to the extent it did. He memorised every detail of how Daine quickly and efficiently put it together so he wouldn't look quite so foolish a second time.
"So, who gets the tent?" he asked once it was built.
"Don't be daft. There's room enough for both of us," she pointed out, crawling inside to kick off her boots.
"I was referring more to the inappropriate nature of the situation," he stated. Travelling alone with her had seemed indecorous at first but sharing a tent was definitely crossing a line!
In the end, Numair refused to enter and sat huddled under his cloak against a tree with a protection ward to keep him dry. They ate cold rations which did nothing to warm him or improve his mood before saying goodnight. It was, perhaps, one of the worst nights he'd ever had in which the mage barely slept a wink.
The rain continued to disrupt their progress throughout the next day so that when they stopped for the night and Numair still refused to share a tent, Daine told him in no uncertain terms that he would take it because he'd acted like a bear with a toothache all day. It wasn't a great start to their journey, but the mage hoped things would improve as he tried to get some sleep and ignore the guilt that wracked him over leaving his poor student outside in the cold and wet. He certainly wasn't about to tell her that the shield he'd created to keep her dry would put a constant drain on his Gift throughout the night which sleep wouldn't restore.
