Description: The Tortallans are taken for a tour around the menagerie while Daine searches for her mysterious hawk before receiving an unexpected visitor.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce.
Author's Note: I love playing with trickster Gods. They are so much fun!
I had a read up on black hawks which are supposedly native to swamp land which sounded a lot like Tyra so I took a wild stab in the dark as to why Numair would have picked that particular bird.
Chapter 3
Arram was utterly enchanted while he watched His Majesties birds' flit back and forth to Veralidaine's outstretched hands. The dragonet, who seemed disappointed at being ignored, wandered back towards the mage after a while to trill at his feet. Placing Zek carefully onto his bare shoulder, Arram knelt and held out a hand to her which she sniffed cautiously.
"I'm sorry, I should have brought food for you both," the mage apologised, gently scratching under the dragonet's chin when she got close enough.
The Immortal unashamedly preened for attention, going so far as to roll onto her back and beg a belly rub. Arram would have teased her, but he was smitten himself and wouldn't deny the dragonet anything at this point.
After half an hour the mage began to wonder when the young woman would begin and decided to broach the subject. "Forgive this one for asking, but why don't you use your magic to heal the birds, Nobility?"
Veralidaine whirled around piercing him with a stormy glare not dislodging a single bird in the sudden movement. "Why is everyone so determined I must have the Gift? I'm good with animals is all! Why can't you wizard types just leave me be!"
The young woman stormed up the stairs to the upper tier taking her patients with her while Arram stuttered trying to understand her outburst. The dragonet chattered at him which the mage didn't understand but took to mean he should go after her. Climbing the stairs with the Immortal following, Arram found Veralidaine sat on a bench looking upset and prostrated himself at her feet.
"Forgive this unworthy one, Nobility. I did not mean to imply you have the Gift. I will accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate," he said humbly.
"Please – please don't do that!" The young woman sounded more upset, so the mage remained where he was, bowed in submission. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that. It's just – every mage I meet seems to think I've the Gift until they test me. I'm just fed up of having to explain myself is all. Please, you don't have to kneel," her tone become pleading. "I'm no one important."
Arram lifted his torso but remained kneeling. "Forgive this unworthy one, but the lady is more important than she believes. However, you are correct, Nobility: you don't have the Gift. You have wild magic."
Her brows knit together in confusion. "I've never heard of that afore."
The mage smiled gently keeping his voice low. "No one has because no one believes in its existence."
"But you think I have it?" she asked.
Arram wet his lips and answered honestly. "You are positively brimming with it, Nobility."
"How d'you know?"
It was ill-advised and Lindhall had warned him about taking risks, especially with a complete stranger, but he couldn't deny her the confirmation. "I can see it on you."
The young woman held up her hands, turning them over as if trying to see it for herself. "And this wild magic can be used to heal?"
"It can, Nobility," Arram agreed. "If properly trained on how to use it."
She looked up at him, blue-grey eyes filled with suspicion. "I don't need any training. I'm no one's pet!"
The mage swallowed hard and bowed his head to the floor upsetting Zek on his shoulder who squeaked at him. "Of course not. Forgive this unworthy one's poor choice of words."
There was a rustle of skirts before Arram felt firm, calloused hands on his shoulders forcing him up to see Veralidaine knelt on the floor in front of him. "Please, you really don't need to bow to me. No one's around to see. Can't we just – talk? – like regular people?"
The mage regarded her silently for a few moments before he forced a small smile and nodded slowly.
"Could we get up off the floor? You're making me fair nervous," she gave him a shy smile.
Arram got to his feet and helped her to stand, waiting until she was re-seated on the bench before joining her.
The young woman looked up into the canopy chewing on her lower lip. "I don't think it's an illness. Could they have eaten mouldy seed or anything like that? I think they might've been poisoned."
The mage paled in horror. "Why would you think that?"
"It's hard to explain," she regarded him, choosing her words carefully. "They feel – shadowed. Like they've a film of grime covering 'em – and their colour is duller than it should be."
Arram suspected she meant magically as the birds physically looked no different in colour. "Please, say nothing about poisoning, Nobility," the mage spoke in a hushed tone. "His Imperial Majesty would torture all the slaves before killing them which would do no good – his personal slaves are mute," he explained to her perplexed look. "The slaves who work here are vigilant. Please allow me to speak with them quietly about this. I'll have them check the seed thoroughly and have all the trays and bowls cleaned just in case. If the emperor suspects the slaves, he may even torture Lindhall – Master Reed – the mage who brought us here and has been assisting in their treatment." Arram could not allow Ozorne to harm his former teacher and friend.
"I won't tell the emperor, I promise."
The earnest look in her gorgeous eyes reassured him. "Thank you, Nobility."
"I'm no noble," the young woman scrunched up her face. "Just Daine."
The mage bit back a smile. "Forgive this one, but you are a lady, therefore Nobility."
"Can't you just call me Daine?" she asked imploringly.
Arram swallowed bravely and met her eyes. "Daine," he whispered like he'd been given the greatest gift in the world.
The smile she gave him was so radiant it felt like a punch to the gut. This was not an appropriate time to become enamoured with a woman who was perhaps ten years younger than him.
"I don't know much about slaves - is it all right if I call you Master Draper?" she blushed and fiddled with the fabric of her dress.
The mage felt his own cheeks getting hot. "As a slave I may not claim any title. You may call me Arram if you wish, Nob – Daine."
"Thank you – Arram. It's getting late, I should prob'ly head back afore the others start to worry," the young woman stood and reorganised her skirts.
"I will escort you back to your rooms if you wish?" the mage offered.
He extinguished the lights in the enclosure before leading the young woman back to the guest quarters where Arram bid her and the dragonet goodnight. Zek cheeped at him before running down his arm to leap onto Daine's shoulder before she disappeared inside. The mage drifted back to his room in a daze trying to put the enchanting young woman and her dragonet out of his mind, failing miserably.
The next morning Daine joined the delegation at breakfast watching Zek while he investigated the fruit bowl before selecting a satsuma. Kitten was devouring her way through bread rolls and a selection of meats with a voracious appetite.
"Where did you disappear off to last night?" Alanna asked after she'd finished her fruit salad.
"I visited the emperor's birds," Daine responded innocently.
"Alone?" the Lioness' tone swiftly changed from mild to dangerous.
"No. Arram took me," the young woman muttered nibbling on a muffin.
"Arram?" the knight frowned before her eyes hardened. "Arram Draper? The emperor's pet mage! The one I specifically told you to stay away from him, not seek out!" Her voice steadily rose in volume.
"I didn't seek him out, he offered to take me, and I saw no harm in it," Daine said hotly. The mage had seemed oddly sweet and shy which was unlike the account she'd been given of him.
"Do you have any idea of the danger you put yourself in?" the Lioness roared.
"I'm perfectly capable of handling myself and he never did anything untoward," the young woman responded tartly.
The knight opened her mouth, but Duke Gareth cut her off. "That's enough. It was an error in judgement and one Daine won't make again, will you?"
"No, Your Grace," she looked down at her plate before gathering her courage. "Arram thinks I have wild magic."
Alanna gave her a sharp look before turning to Harailt of Aili. "Ever heard of it?"
The Dean for the College of Mages searched his memory before shaking his head. "That's not a magic I'm familiar with but the university is far older than ours and contains ancient knowledge. It is a possibility, although I have never heard of it in relation to animals. The Doi tribespeople possess a form of wild magic that allows them to read futures on the palm of one's hand. I will have to research it once we're home."
"She doesn't have anything like the Bazhir. Could it be a trap of some kind?" the knight addressed the table.
"What for? And why go after Daine?" Gareth the Younger mused.
"Did you do something to get his attention?" Alanna turned on Daine.
The young woman could feel her own temper rising at being treated like a foolish child. "I talked with the bats in the garden, but I made sure I was alone first. He couldn't have heard me speaking to the birds. I was real quiet." Though, that had been when Arram mentioned the magic… Daine began to chew on her lip when she remembered speaking directly to Zek in front of the two mages.
"You were warned about the listening spells," Lord Martin scowled from the other end of the table.
"Kit would have warned me if there were any," the young woman bristled as Kitten squawked and chattered in her own defence.
"Just do me a favour and stay away from him," Alanna sighed rubbing her temple.
The Tortallans had only just finished their breakfast when their guides arrived, Prince Kaddar and Master Lindhall Reed. The prince looked far more handsome without the excessive amount of jewellery he'd worn yesterday: he still wore silk formal clothes with a ruby stud in his nose and ruby drop in his ear, but the hoops were smaller, and he didn't have a ring on every finger. Lindhall Reed was almost drab by comparison, wearing a plain shirt and breeches as he offered his arm to Alanna. The prince smiled before offering to escort Daine, much to her chagrin. She hated the chivalrous act when boys knew she was nothing but a commoner.
"Where are we going, Highness?" the young woman asked politely while the prince led her down the path.
"To my uncle's menagerie," Prince Kaddar replied.
Daine froze, turning deathly pale and seriously considering fleeing back to her rooms.
"Just try to enjoy it," Alanna nudged her as she passed by.
What is a menagerie? Zek asked from his hiding place in her hair.
"A place of cages," Daine whispered.
"We were told you liked animals, Lady Veralidaine," the prince looked at her in confusion.
The young woman steeled herself and linked her arm with his, forcing her legs to move. "I do. And it's just Daine. I'm no lady, Highness."
"Very well, just Daine. Then you may call me Kaddar," His Highness flashed her a very charming smile.
I don't like cages either, Zek rubbed his furry cheek against her neck. They put my mate and our little ones and me in a cage, and then we were sold.
The menagerie was not as awful as Daine had first assumed. Instead of cramped cages, the animals had room to run and climb depending on their preference. The various species of chimp had fake, leafless trees to climb while the zebras, gazelles and antelope grazed in open pastures.
"My uncle loves animals. He tries to give them room, and the food they prefer, and companionship. The ones that don't thrive in captivity he sends back to their homes," the prince explained.
Kaddar and Master Lindhall chattered away during the tour, eager to name and describe all the animals Daine had never even heard of let alone seen. She quickly found herself warming to the prince and his obvious enthusiasm for the subject, all the while keeping a surreptitious eye out for black hawks in every enclosure they passed. His Highness separated briefly to speak to a keeper while the young woman went to greet the giraffes who bent their heads impossibly low to lip her fingers.
Kaddar re-joined her but before he could speak Daine interrupted, "Do you have any black hawks?"
"Black hawks?" the prince frowned thoughtfully. "I don't think so, but I'd have to check with the keeper or Master Lindhall. I think they're native to Tyra."
"Your uncle doesn't keep Tyran birds?" the young woman couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice.
"My uncle prefers brightly coloured exotic birds for his collection," Kaddar shrugged.
"What's down there?" she asked, pointing to a curving path the group had just passed by.
"We're not allowed to go that way," the prince said a little too quickly.
"Why? What's down there?" Daine narrowed her eyes thinking that was precisely where her black hawk might be being kept.
"Empty cages," Kaddar replied haughtily. "Come, there is another part of the menagerie you haven't seen yet." The prince led the Tortallans to another set of wrought-iron gates which he unlocked. "This is my uncle's other collection. Each and every one was captured and brought here for causing trouble for humans."
Stepping through the gates Kitten screeched as panic filled the young woman's senses. While walking around the other menagerie, her skin had felt itchy about being around so many captive animals, but it was nothing compared to this: Immortals of all types were confined in cages that barely contained them. The magnificent griffin couldn't even spread its wings. While there were Immortals Daine often considered evil: Stormwings, hurroks and Spidrens, she couldn't condone this form of treatment.
A shrill wailing sound filled the air, and it took the young woman several seconds to recognise her own screams. Voices and impressions crashed down on her as she felt the suffering of the creatures around her. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was Kitten's stricken face above her.
Daine awoke in her bed feeling muggy-headed until she had a drink of water someone had left on the bedside table. Zek and Kitten fussed over her until the young woman managed to convince them she was fine, just overwhelmed by the Immortal menagerie. Alanna entered moments later to check on her and offered to let the young woman rest a while longer, but Daine refused, insisting that she could manage, trying desperately to hide her embarrassment. Once the Lioness left, she washed and dressed in a pale-blue shirt, blue breeches, and a grey silk dress tunic over the top. Sitting at the vanity table, the young woman picked up an ornate brush and attacked her curls when the door behind her opened.
"I'll be ready in a second," Daine called assuming it was Alanna again.
"Let me help you with that, dearie," an old slave woman said taking the brush from her hand.
She was unlike any of the other slaves the young woman had seen so far, the rest all ranging from around Daine's age to their thirties. The old woman stood behind her wearing a plain cotton dress which finished at skinny knees and straw sandals on her feet when she began to drag the brush through Daine's tangled hair.
"You're from up north, aren't you?" the slave woman grinned revealing seven yellow teeth. "Up Tortall way?"
Kitten trotted up to sniff the old woman before chattering loudly.
"Not now, dearie. I'm busy," the slave scolded, completely unflustered at having a dragon by her feet.
"Come away, Kit," Daine made a shooing motion, but the dragonet only squawked defiantly instead.
"Enough," the old woman placed a hand over Kitten's muzzle, and she fell blessedly silent.
"Yes, I'm from Tortall. From Galla afore that," the young woman answered.
"Your first trip to Carthak? What do you make of us Southerners, eh?" the slave's black eyes twinkled with mischief.
"It's very different to home," Daine replied cautiously trying to decide if this old woman was some sort of spy. She had a twinned snake tattoo on one wrist and snakes were often used to symbolise sneakiness and deceit which had always seemed unfair to the reptiles.
"It's in trouble, you know – the Empire," the slave woman continued. "Famine in the south, five years running – did they tell you? Locusts – folk out of work – wells drying up. It's as if the gods have turned their faces from the empire."
It was too close to what Badger had told her yesterday and weren't slaves supposed to be timid? Arram Draper who was supposed to be a powerful mage had repeatedly spouted 'Nobility'. "Do you think the gods are vexed with Carthak?"
The old slave grinned wickedly. "Sharp as a Shang blade, you are. I may find a use for you."
Daine narrowed her eyes and looked on the vanity for something to use as a weapon. "I'm to behave myself here. I can't help you or any slaves."
"But you want to, dearie," the slave woman hissed in her ear. "You're here to free someone, aren't you?"
"No. Why would you think that?" the young woman demanded. How did she know that?
"I'm afraid I can't let you have him," the old woman's hand closed like a vice around Daine's scalp. "Perfect vessels are hard to find. Imagine my surprise when two of you end up in my lap."
"I'm no one's vessel," Daine snarled.
"Watch yourself, child." The hairbrush snagged on a particularly nasty knot and the old woman tugged painfully until it came free. "I like you, but I won't take too much of your sauce," the slave replaced the hairbrush and picked up a ribbon, hand tightly gripping Daine's hair. "There are more dangers here than you can possibly imagine. I'd steer clear of that emperor and his pet, if you want to stay in one piece." She finished tying a bow and patted the young woman's cheek with gnarled fingers.
"Who are you?" Daine turned to find her room completely empty. "What was that all about?" she asked a sullen Kitten who gave a forlorn chirp.