Description: Daine has been affected by Arram's kiss more than she'd like to admit when a Carthaki and Copper Isles attack fleet is sighted.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce.
Author's Note: I'm sorry, as much as I love Numair with his long black hair, I'm not doing a magical fix to get it back instantly. It's something I plan to have fun with considering it's one of his vanities.
Something I wanted to play with was the idea of Daine considering Numair sooner than in the books. I want to explore her feelings carefully and see how they evolve over time.
Chapter 19
Daine had assumed her lessons with her new teacher would be like the pages, held in a stuffy classroom, and was delighted when that wasn't the case. Numair was quite insistent that when practicing her magic, the pair were outside.
"Considering the fact we are studying wild magic, it seems counterproductive to be shut indoors away from the animals you need to interact with," he stated when she asked him about it. "It isn't fair to ask them to come to us when we're surrounded by unfamiliar humans – two-leggers – when we can just as easily go to them."
In the evenings, the pair sat in the library, the mage's rooms, or, if it was warm enough, outside on the grass studying the anatomy book. Numair was an absolute wealth of information and could talk for hours on any given subject or multiple subjects if Daine let him. It was like a whole new world of learning had been opened to the young woman and her teacher was eager to answer any and all questions she could think of without making her feel like an idiot. The mage had admitted quietly that he always had hundreds of questions he wanted answers to which was why he could spend days at a time buried in a library and didn't consider her desire for knowledge stupid. The only mildly irritating part was that Numair had an annoying habit of correcting her grammar. Daine didn't think he was doing it to be cruel and he usually apologised, but it still didn't stop him from doing it!
Once a week, Daine had a private class with Master Lindhall where he taught her all about the animals he kept while she, Numair and the northern master cared for his charges. Those weren't lessons exactly because Master Lindhall constantly sought her advice on the well-being of his animals. The three of them usually just tended to talk while they cleaned cages and refilled food dishes. Zek often joined the mages, enjoying spending time with the family of marmosets Master Lindhall kept while Kitten made herself scarce. The dragonet still didn't get on with Sunstone who now seemed determined to chase the Immortal from his territory whenever she entered.
Numair was very slowly coming out from his shell with lots of encouragement. The mage was getting better at eating in the mess hall with everyone although he did better with smaller groups, happily joining in with conversations, until the number got bigger than about four which was when he promptly fell silent. The improvement was that he stayed and listened rather than excusing himself to hide back in his rooms, and so long as Master Lindhall sat with him during the evening meal that guaranteed the mage would talk, sometimes quite animatedly.
After three weeks, Daine was able to consistently use her magic to call a specific number of animals to her. Numair started her off with the ponies in the meadow, next she had to call them from the stables where she couldn't see them. From there, the mage had her calling individual birds from a flock of sparrows or one of the palace dogs from the kennels. Each time the task took less time for her to master.
"Most apprentice mages take a year to do what you've accomplished in less than a month," Numair commented one afternoon. "You'll have no more need of me after three months if you continue making such rapid progress."
Daine dismissed this talk as utter foolishness. Badger had said she needed a teacher and the young woman doubted very much the animal god would go to so much effort for such a short time. At least, Daine hoped he hadn't. She treasured her lessons with Numair and loved being included in the late-night debates between him and Master Lindhall even if it was difficult to accept how much they valued her opinions.
It was mid-October when the rain began to fall in a constant deluge making the grounds thick with mud and forcing everyone to retreat inside. The ponies weren't too bothered by it and still enjoyed the fresh air, all except Cloud who complained bitterly when Daine informed her it wasn't good to be cooped up inside all day. It was also when Perrin, one of the palace clerks, decided to reinstate his pursuit of her. He'd kissed Daine numerous times during the summer period, and while she'd liked kissing him well-enough, it was nothing when compared to the kiss Numair had given her in Carthak. She wasn't pathetic enough to moon over her teacher during lessons, but they always sat so close and it wouldn't take much to tilt her head and drag him into a kiss, if he'd be willing of course. Unfortunately, the mage had made it quite clear he'd only kissed her as a way to knock the young woman unconscious, but that hadn't lessened Daine's desire for another kiss. What was worse, her teacher now featured quite heavily in her dreams despite him not being that attractive. He had nice eyes, Daine supposed, and a charming smile when she could draw one from him but otherwise, she'd seen better looking men. That hadn't stopped Numair from invading her dreams with the feel of his large hand cupping her cheek, or his warm, sensitive mouth on hers doing wonderful things with his lips causing Daine to wake up more than once tingling all over with a fiery knot of unadulterated need between her legs that just wouldn't go away.
"Are you all right?" Onua asked one morning after Perrin made a hasty retreat back to the palace.
"Hm?"
"You used to look right pleased after that boy kissed you, but now you look like you just sucked on a lemon," the K'miri frowned in concern.
Daine laughed at that comparison. If Perrin was a lemon what did that make Numair?
"He didn't try to pressure you into anything did he?" Onua touched her arm, concern written all over her face.
"No," the young woman reassured her.
Perrin had hinted numerous times he'd like to bed Daine, but she'd always declined. He was easy on the eye, but if his kisses were any indication as to how he'd canoodle with her, then she wanted something better. Her Ma had told Daine once that the reason she'd never married any of the Snowsdale men was because none of them ever compared to her Da.
"You'll understand one day, sweetling," Sarra had said.
That response had annoyed Daine immensely who preferred to have an explanation, but the young woman thought she finally understood what her Ma had meant. Numair's kiss had filled her with a heat and awareness of her body she'd never felt with any of the other boys.
"Then what's wrong?" Onua asked, disturbing the young woman from her reverie.
"I think I'm just bored of him," Daine admitted, going to wash her face and hands in a bucket of clean water before lessons.
"Did you take a shine to one of those Carthakis while you were off having adventures across the sea?" the K'miri teased with a grin.
"Something like that," the young woman answered while she retrieved her anatomy book. "Do boys from other countries kiss different to the boys here?"
Onua laughed hard. "I'm the wrong woman to ask that question to."
Daine scowled at having so few female friends her own age to talk to. It was like she'd been born at the wrong time when all the people she liked best were a good fifteen to twenty years older than her. "I'm going to find Numair."
"Maybe ask him about it," the K'miri suggested with a wink.
"What?" It came out as a squeak.
"He is your teacher after all. Ask him the difficult life questions. Just tell me how he reacts and the shade he turns," Onua continued to laugh while Daine shook her head and stomped off.
The K'miri horsemistress was becoming quite fond of her shy teacher, though she'd never admit it. He was a two-legger not a horse and Onua still remained distrustful of most men as a rule. If Daine was honest with herself, Numair was a difficult man not to like. He was polite, kind, and showed a sincere interest in pretty much everyone and everything. More than one noblewoman had already approached him with an invitation, but the mage had yet to agree to anything, or so Daine secretly hoped. The idea of him courting any of them didn't sit comfortably with her, though it wasn't any of her business.
Kitten met the young woman on her way up the stairs in the palace. The dragonet's scales were grey, a sure sign she was sulking over something or other.
"Did you get caught stealing from the kitchens again?" Daine scolded, hands on hips.
Kitten gave a forlorn chirp. The Immortal, more than anyone, didn't enjoy the rain. She needed constant stimulation which she couldn't always find being stuck inside the castle.
"I'm off to lessons if you want to come?" the young woman offered. "Numair might let you play with the crystals again."
This appeared to cheer the dragonet whose scales started to regain some of their normal blue-gold colour.
They found the mage hunched over his desk tinkering on his latest charm. He'd been working with the college mages on creating a charm powerful enough to block the focus at a distance. Numair didn't believe anything would work if Ozorne got in close range of him, but it was better than nothing.
"How's it going?" Daine asked.
The mage flashed her a distracted smile in greeting until he spotted Kitten and his face lit up with joy. The dragonet trotted towards him until Numair scooped her into his arms to tickle the Immortal under her chin.
"This is a rare treat," he grinned. "To what do I owe the honour?"
Kitten chirped and chattered while Numair listened politely whether he understood any of it or not.
"She's bored," Daine explained, pulling up a seat beside him.
"That's no good. We'll just have to find something to entertain you, won't we?" Numair stroked her scales fondly while Kitten chortled in agreement. "To answer your question, it isn't going well. The college doesn't have a stone powerful enough for what I need. I may as well etch the runes on a garden rock for all the good it will do me."
"What stone do you need?" she asked, curious. Daine didn't recognise the crystal he was currently fiddling with. It looked a bit like dark green glass.
"A black opal would have been ideal, but Ozorne has the monopoly on those," he responded, idly scratching at his chest while he set the green stone aside.
"That's what they were mining at Dunlath, wasn't it, Kit?" the young woman looked to the dragonet for confirmation.
The young Immortal nodded and chirped in agreement.
"Do you still have the one Tkaa gave you?" Daine asked.
Kitten wriggled and writhed until the mage set her down and she trotted off, using one of her whistles to open the door.
Numair watched her go, worried. "I don't want to take something that was a gift…"
"It's fine," Daine assured him. "Kit has loads stones and crystals she's been collecting. I doubt she'll miss one."
"Black opals are very valuable. It took me years to save up for just one before Ozorne took it from me," he stated, eyes grave before scratching at his arm absently.
"You can check with her but I'm sure Kit won't care," Daine said frowning when he itched again. "What's wrong? Have you got lice or something?"
"No," the mage stopped and blushed crimson. She waited him out until he sighed. "My hair is regrowing, and the itching is driving me crazy." Numair rolled up a sleeve to show her his arm which was red and inflamed. "I have a cream I can use to reduce the irritation, but I keep forgetting to put it on while I'm working."
"Go and do it now then," the young woman ordered, pointing towards the bathroom, giving him a withering stare.
The mage offered a sheepish smile before disappearing into his bathroom, returning several minutes later smelling of mint. With his sleeves rolled up and the laces of his shirt undone, Daine could see the dark patches on his skin where the hair had started to form stubble.
"Better?" she asked.
Numair nodded, retaking his seat, and smiling from under his long lashes, clearly embarrassed.
"Why not just keep shaving if it itches so much?" Daine teased. Hair would be a vast improvement on his looks but not if it caused him this much discomfort.
"Slaves are shaved," he responded, voice soft.
Daine swallowed and stared at him in horror. That had been a thoughtless thing for her to say! She knew slaves were shaved in the Empire and it hadn't gone unnoticed that Numair now had a thick layer of black fuzz on his head.
"It's mainly done to dehumanise the captive. The excuse the masters use is that slaves don't know how to clean themselves properly and will develop lice or ringworm," he explained. "Ozorne made no secret of the fact he did it to me to reinforce my incarceration. He had me fully shaved: head, arms, legs, chest…" Numair blushed, faltering, and Daine could guess where else without him needing to say, her cheeks flaming. "I thought letting the hair regrow would help me feel more human, but all it's currently doing is making me irritable and causing me sleepless nights." He rubbed a large hand over his face before offering her a reassuring smile. "The itching should stop in a week or two."
"Cold baths would help too," she suggested, noticing the dark circles under his eyes.
The mage grimaced and shivered. "I can't imagine anything less appealing. We used to get washed down by having cold buckets of water thrown over us and scrubbed with long-handled brushes. I had been rather enjoying having hot baths again."
"Well, just don't forget to reapply the cream after your bath," Daine rolled her eyes.
"Yes mother," he smirked, tweaking her nose.
Kitten re-entered the room carrying a small black stone in her paw no bigger than a thumb joint. She went to her haunches and offered it to the mage, whistle-croaking so it sparkled with light.
"Are you sure you're willing to part with it?" Numair hesitated.
The dragonet nodded emphatically as he accepted the stone with a fond smile. Kitten turned to claw at Daine's breeches until she picked her up and placed the dragonet on her lap.
After examining the stone with a magnification glass for a minute, the mage grinned. "This is perfect. Thank you, Kitten. I feel the list of what I owe you is growing ever longer."
The dragonet chattered and chirped a whole host of sounds, watching him with large slit-pupiled amber eyes.
"I think Kit's trying to tell you we both prefer you free than as a slave to that emperor," Daine translated.
The Immortal sat up, nodding her head in agreement.
"Thank you." Numair reached out with both hands, one to stroke Kitten's neck while the other cupped the young woman's cheek, warm brown eyes so soft and tender. The touch sent a bolt of lightning down Daine's spine, and she scolded herself for being stupid. "I'll work on this later," he smiled, placing the opal to one side. "To lessons my Wildmage."
The dragonet stayed with them for the entire lesson, studying the diagrams as closely as Daine. That night, while the young woman was changing for bed, Kitten opened the anatomy book and, with the greatest of care, turned the pages with her claws to look at all the drawings she'd missed. Daine named everything she could remember from under the covers before she finally fell asleep.
It was two days shy of November when an invasion fleet was sighted, made up of Carthaki war barges and Copper Isles warships headed straight for Port Caynn. According to the report, the fleet would reach the docks in two days' time. An emergency meeting was called with Their Majesties and the small council in attendance along with a few trusted allies. They all crammed into the meeting room together, standing around a large wooden table where a map was spread out, covered in coloured markers to indicate where their forces were located.
"It's been confirmed that Ozorne is commanding the Carthaki fleet," Sir Myles of Olau stated grimly.
"Who is commanding the Copper Isles fleet?" Thayet asked.
"Deniau Rittevon," Myles answered.
"Why didn't we hear of this alliance sooner?" Duke Gareth of Naxen leaned forward, studying the map closely.
"I can only apologise," the official spymaster said. "I will personally look into why we weren't informed well in advance."
"We'll have the women and children evacuated and set all the available men to work on digging trenches and building the defences," the Lord Provost indicated the areas on the map with a finger.
"I'll have my people set up emergency tents and start transferring supplies," Duke Baird of Queenscove folded his arms, grim-faced.
"What about Raoul? Where's he and the rest of Third Company?" Buri held up one of the tiny blue markers which represented the King's Own.
"They're still camped out in the Great Southern Desert. Raoul is hoping to recruit more Bazhir into The Own," Myles pointed to the map so the K'miri could place the marker.
"Second Company are stationed here, and First Company are only a day's ride off," Duke Gareth added, taking the other two markers, and placing them on the map.
"Have accommodations set up for the evacuees. Perhaps one of the barracks could be appropriated while the soldiers are defending the port," Jon suggested.
"The children..." Thayet grasped her husband's arm.
"I'll take them to my home," Myles offered. "Lord Wyldon can accompany me along with the first and second-year pages. They won't be of much use to you, and it'll do them some good to learn how to protect their future sovereign."
Daine didn't think Roald and Kally would be too impressed at being sent away. At least the prince wouldn't feel singled out if all the other pages were going too. Studying the spymaster with narrowed eyes, she wondered if that was his intention, receiving a wink when he noticed her attention.
"Thayet, go with the children and –" Jon began.
"I will not!" the queen rounded on her husband before remembering they weren't in private and smoothed her features. "You forget, my lord, that my place is here, by your side, defending our kingdom."
Everyone tried not to watch the silent battle of wills the monarchs exchanged, one in which Jon clearly lost against Thayet's furious hazel eyes. Relations between them were still strained after the king had refused to allow Kalasin to try out for her knighthood in September. Daine was relieved she wasn't some royal princess or even a noble being told what she could and couldn't do or who she had to marry.
"Contact Raoul and tell him where you are," Alanna said to her father, ignoring the monarchs. "If we fail, he needs to retrieve the heirs and take them deep into the desert where they won't be found. Maybe some of those pages will grow into knights capable enough to retake the kingdom one day."
"This is all very fatalistic talk," Harailt commented, jovial. "I'll have the college mages gather along the coast to create a shield. If they work in pairs then one can rest while the other holds the shield."
"If it was just one fleet, I might agree with you but with their combined forces… It may be too much for us to handle," Duke Gareth muttered, eyes focussed on the markers for the Carthaki and Copper Isles. "We haven't received confirmation on how many mages the emperor has with him, but I will never forget that demonstration in the harbour."
"We may need some sort of miracle to get us through this storm," Jon admitted.
"What about that monster sat in my bay?" Alanna thought out-loud. "He did quite a number on the last lot of Carthaki ships sent our way."
All eyes turned towards Daine who looked at the floor and fidgeted. "I'm not sure how I convinced him to help us the first time."
"Will you at least try to talk with it?" the king took her hands, blue eyes intense. "It may be our only hope against such overwhelming odds."
She nodded mutely. It was difficult to refuse the king anything when he looked at her, and only her, like that.
"Take Numair with you," Alanna suggested. All the faces in the room turned to stare at her in shock. "We don't want him nearby if the Emperor Mage tries to use that focus on him, and he's protected Daine before. I trust him."
The young woman smiled at the Lioness in gratitude before addressing the king with more confidence than she'd felt before. "Me'n Numair will be fine. We'll get that kraken to you, Your Majesty."
"Vau East-Wind bless you both. Take whatever you need from the Rider's supplies," Buri offered, dark eyes worried.
Daine accepted the dismissal and exited the room, leaving the others to their plans. It still felt odd to be included in those meetings when Onua wasn't. Call a kraken once and they expect you to do it every time there's trouble!
She found Numair surprisingly quickly, pacing in the main hall, muttering to himself.
"I heard there was trouble," the mage approached when he spotted her. "I want to offer my services, but I don't know how much help I can be..."
Daine grabbed his sleeve and started walking. "We've got our own mission. Go get yourself packed for the road."
Numair came to a halt, glancing to the side. "They're sending me away, aren't they?"
"Not exactly," she nudged him forward. "I'll explain later. For now, you need shirts, breeches, and undergarments. I'll sort food with the kitchen staff. Camping gear we can get from the Rider's barracks."
Kitten was harder to locate but Daine had everything packed and ready to go when the mage finally arrived. She'd almost been tempted to go up to his rooms to see what was taking him so long when Numair staggered towards the stables carrying three bulging bags and one on his back.
"How much did you bring? We need to travel light," Daine demanded.
"I wasn't sure what would be needed or how long we would be gone for." The mage placed his belongings on the floor, blushing.
Rolling her eyes, she investigated the first bag to see if he'd packed anything of use. "You brought books?!"
Numair blushed and shuffled his feet while Daine went through the packs, to sort out appropriate travel gear for her teacher. Kitten chattered happily from her travel sack on Cloud's back before whistle-croaking, causing the single black opal drop in the mage's ear to sparkle, drawing a reluctant smile to his face. Daine hadn't noticed until now that he had his ears pierced. It was nowhere near as bad as some Carthakis with piercings all around their ears and through the nose. The single earring suited him in a weird way: very mage-like.
"There." She handed him one bag. "That's all you'll need. We'll stow the rest of your things here until we get back." The young women hefted the other bags and stored them safely before returning to give her teacher a considering look. "You've never travelled rough afore, have you?"
He shook his head, dark eyes rueful. "I spent my entire life in the city."
Daine patted his arm, reassuringly. "I'll look out for you, but we need to get you a horse."
Numair stuttered, going pale. "Why? I can walk."
"Horses are faster and cover more ground," she reasoned, starting off towards the palace stables with Cloud following behind.
"I'm too tall for any of the ponies," the mage argued, eying the mountain pony warily.
"Don't worry. Stefan will have someone nice for you," she smiled.