Description: The barrier has finally fallen despite the mages' best efforts. Now Daine and Numair return to Corus after months on the road.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce.
Author's Note: I'm not sure where the emotional scene between Onua and Daine came from but I'm really happy with it and felt it was a necessary discussion for them to have.
Chapter 29
After all their wandering it seemed strange to be able to return to Corus in a little over two weeks. It helped that they met up with Great Road North instead of continuing to travel through the wilderness. Numair was bitterly disappointed to be called back and not get a chance to meet Tkaa after coming so close to Dunlath. While Daine shared in his disappointment, it was mainly because she'd have liked to see the Long Lake pack again and meet Russet and Fleetfoot's pups, the new boss male and female.
They headed to the noble's stables first where the mage dismounted which looked a lot less like falling out of the saddle these days. Maybe there was some hope for him yet. The stables were much quieter than usual which Daine suspected was due to everyone being sent out to patrol the borders. She was eager to speak with Their Majesties to learn if there was any news. Spring had definitely arrived, melting all the snow which meant the passes would be opening up soon and would make it easier for invading armies or raiding parties to attack.
Stefan met them outside giving the pair an easy smile. "Why don't ye take 'im down to the Rider barracks and house 'im there," the Chief Hostler nodded towards Spots. "He be yours now."
"But – I don't have the coin to pay for a horse of my own!" Numair stuttered in shock.
"It's been decided," Stefan winked at Daine. "Ah never question what's told t'me."
The Wildmage had a sneaking suspicion Alanna may have had something to do with his ownership after she'd seen the two of them together. The Lioness had mentioned during the Spidren clean-up that she thought Spots was a good mount for the tall, ungainly mage. Alanna could be extremely generous to the people she liked, and it looked as if Numair was now one of them.
Daine turned Cloud to head towards the barracks when she caught a sparkle of copper from out of the corner of her eye while Stefan patted Spots, whispering something in his ear. She was still staring as the Chief Hostler waved to the pair and headed over to one of the young warhorses he was training, copper fire burning in him as he murmured to the stallion.
"Can you see it on him?" Numair whispered, coming alongside her, holding his gelding by the reins.
"He's got wild magic, like me," Daine breathed in wonder.
"So have most of the hostlers." The mage nodded his head towards the others.
Daine gasped as she saw the faint glow of copper in their hands, some with only a flicker but it was in almost every person here. "Do they know?"
"Like you did, I assume they believe they are just good with animals, or perhaps one animal in particular such as horses, which influenced their choice of profession," Numair muttered softly. "There is also a man and his grandson in the palace mews and two sisters in the kennels that have wild magic."
"Are you going to train them all?" She glanced at her teacher worried that he may not have as much time for her if he started teaching others. Dolt! He's not going to be able to teach you forever, she mentally scolded herself.
Numair shook his head. "They don't require training. Stefan is the only one with enough of it that I have considered offering."
Daine breathed a silent sigh of relief while they made their way towards the barracks. As they drew level with the palace, she offered to take Spots and settle him in. "I know you're keen to get back your books," she teased.
Numair grinned, unabashed. "You are starting to know me far too well." He handed her the reins before squeezing her ankle in gratitude, heading towards the castle with a spring in his step.
Where'd he suddenly get energy from? she complained.
I should have asked to go with him, Zek chirped sadly from his travel pouch. I would have liked to see the other marmosets again.
I'll take you as soon as the horses are settled, I promise, Daine stroked his tiny head.
Numair is my owner now? Spots asked, watching the man disappear into the palace.
Yes, you're a mage's horse now, Daine smiled as Cloud started forward again.
Good. He is a bad rider and I doubt another horse could carry him as well, the gelding replied, strutting.
The Wildmage grinned down at Spots, thrilled with this arrangement. Daine knew it wasn't the only reason Spots sounded so pleased with himself: he'd grown very fond and protective of Numair over the last few months. She'd have to thank Alanna when she next saw her, though the Lioness would likely deny the whole thing.
The barracks looked just the same as when she'd left them but the ponies grazing in the field were new. With a sickening thud, Daine realised she'd abandoned Onua and forgotten to return in time to get the Riders mounts from the fair in Cría. The first full moon had been two days past which meant the new trainees were already here!
Onua either heard or felt the horses approach as she exited the stables grinning. "Look who's finally returned."
"Why'd you never contact me and tell me to join you?" Daine practically flew out of the saddle to be tackled by Tahoi. "We could've met you on the way to Cría. We weren't that far out!"
I missed you too, she ruffled the wolfhound's fur as he slathered wet kisses all over her face.
"Never you mind that. How are you?" The K'miri enveloped her in a tight hug once Tahoi had finished his welcome home greeting.
"Glad to be back." Daine smiled as Cloud and Spots followed her inside the stables, eager for a good brush. "Have the new trainees picked their mounts yet? I'm not too late to help, am I?"
"Calm down," Onua laughed as she unsaddled Spots. "You haven't missed anything. The trainees are still settling in and fighting over who gets which bunk. They've got a few days yet before they meet the ponies, you know that."
Daine let out a shaky sigh and nodded, setting Cloud's saddle aside and grabbing a brush. "I'm sorry, I lost track of time. I should've been here to help out. The journey wasn't too rough, was it? Did the ponies give you much trouble?"
"Daine, I was collecting the Riders ponies long before you came along and managed just fine with me and Tahoi," the K'miri teased, good-natured.
"Tahoi and me," Daine corrected automatically before slapping her hands over her mouth, blushing furiously. "Sorry!"
Onua threw her head back roaring with laughter. "How is that tall teacher of yours? Where's he run off to?"
"If he's sensible he'll have gone for a bath, but it's Numair so I suspect he's gone straight to the library. He's talked nothing but books the last few days." Daine rolled her eyes as she worked the brush down Cloud's back wondering when she'd picked her up teacher's bad habit.
"He didn't try anything while you two were alone, did he?" Onua asked softly after a few minutes.
"Onua!" Daine glared at her friend in horror.
The K'miri paused to give her assistant and charge a hard look. "I know what men are like."
"Numair was honourable the entire time," Daine stated, shaking her head in dismay at the very idea of him 'trying anything'. "He wouldn't even share a tent with me 'cause it was 'inappropriate'!"
Onua grabbed her arm forcing the young woman to look at her. "You wouldn't lie to me about this, would you?"
Daine scowled darkly, shrugging off her friend's grip. "Stop making him out to be a villain when he's done nothing wrong, 'cept be born male."
Onua searched her face before finally nodding in acceptance, shoulders sagging slightly. Reaching out hesitantly, she touched Daine's earlobe. "Those are new."
"Numair gave them to me for my birthday…" Daine turned away quickly to hide her blush, her eyes falling on the new weapon attached to Cloud's saddle on the rack and flashed a grin back towards her friend. "You should see the crossbow Alanna got me!"
She filled Onua in on all the events of the last few months while they finished caring for the horses. Kitten was impatient to go to the palace and see everyone, offering to take Zek to Master Lindhall's room after a long exchange to fully understand what she was saying. The women left Spots and Cloud in their stalls happily munching on oats while they went outside so Daine could show-off her new crossbow on the practice field. She fired off several bolts before Onua presented her with a new pair of boots for her birthday: brown, calf-length and made of soft leather that wouldn't take much breaking in.
"You never buy yourself new clothes." Onua shrugged.
"They're wonderful," Daine hugged her friend gratefully.
The pair ambled over to the fence to look at the herd who took an immediate interest in the Wildmage. Grinning, Daine hopped over the fence, walking slowly through them so she could introduce herself and the ponies could get used to her scent.
Onua watched her young friend swiftly exert her dominance over the entire herd before coming to a decision. "Daine, don't take this the wrong way but you needn't worry about the trainees this year."
"What d'you mean?" The Wildmage turned looking stricken. "You're not going to keep me on as an assistant anymore?"
"I will always accept your help, but you're destined for greater things than being horsemistress when I finally retire," the K'miri explained, serious. "I knew that the first time I met you. You'll always be more than welcome to muck out stalls or help whip the trainees into shape but you're making your own way in life now. Horse Lords, you're an apprentice mage now!"
Daine swallowed looking at her friend trying not to feel like she'd been abandoned or cast aside.
That look in her eyes had Onua climbing over the fence to grasp her shoulders in a fierce grip. "I'll always be here for you. Never forget that! But these past few months you've grown. You're learning to heal – with magic – battling Immortals and relocating them, becoming a sym-whatsit." That got a chuckle out Daine, albeit a watery one. "You just told me you might be able to shapeshift. It takes an incredible power to be able to do that! My point is that you don't have to be here teaching upstarts how to shoot at a target or holding their hands while they make friends with the ponies unless you want to. I'd hate for you waste your talents here when you can be so much more. You've got a teacher now who's introducing you to a world the rest of us couldn't even if we wanted to. I'm so proud of this new person you're becoming, and I can't wait to see how far you'll go."
Daine could feel the tears running down her cheeks as she buried her face into Onua's shoulder. She hadn't thought of herself as a mage during these past few months. They were wizard-types doing impossible things with magic and more knowledgeable than she could ever hope to match. Could she really walk among them when her power was so different from theirs? Numair certainly seemed to think so. What did he keep calling her? A Wildmage? Was that who she was meant to be? Daine wasn't sure but she wanted to find out more than she'd ever wanted anything in her life.
"Well, I think I've embarrassed us enough for one day." Onua moved away to wipe her eyes, smiling. "Go wash up and get a change of clothes then join me in the mess for a good meal. You can help me throw things at the trainees who fall asleep during meditation practice tonight."
Wiping a sleeve over her own face, Daine returned the smile and nodded. The pair walked back to the stables arm in arm joking and teasing while Onua filled her in on the palace gossip.
Daine's suspicions about Numair's whereabouts turned out to be true. He headed straight for the library, losing himself for hours digging out all the material he could find about the Immortals before finding a corner to settle down and read. It was only when he started to notice the disgusted looks people were sending his way that the mage took the books back to his room. Numair dropped in to say hello to Lindhall on his way back somehow missing that it was well past the midnight bell. He really could do with a wash, shave and some fresh clothes.
It was only after three days with no sign of her teacher that Daine finally came to root him out, ordering him to clean up and come outside for lessons. Somehow, he'd managed to completely lose track of time catching up on his reading.
Standing in front of the mirror, Numair was quite impressed to realise his body had hardened during the last few months. He'd gained weight and muscle from all the riding, digging and walking they'd been doing. His hair had grown about three inches, not quite long enough to reach that irritating stage where it constantly fell into his eyes but not far off. It was quite a revelation to see glimmers of the man he'd once been and cast aside the reminders of his incarceration. When he met his student out on the grass to continue her anatomy lessons, Numair had never felt more at ease with himself.
"So, what had you so caught up that you forgot to even change your clothes?" she demanded with a disproving scowl.
The mage chuckled. "I told you, I wanted to review all the material on the Immortals when we got back. The entry on the griffins doesn't mention anything about them communicating in symbols and ideas. That made me realise that half the information we have on record about the Immortals was likely out-dated. I've been making notes on every entry that needs updating so far. What we know of dragons, for instance, doesn't even mention any as young as Kitten. I could write an entire case study based on her alone."
Daine rolled her eyes indulgently. "And that was more important than taking a bath?"
He laughed, not caring how silly she thought him to be. "Perhaps not more important but certainly more engaging. It does beg the question: how much of what we currently know about animals is out-of-date or all-together incorrect. The insights you could provide on mammalian behaviour, for instance, could revolutionise our understanding of animals for generations to come. I wish we could live several lifetimes together just to have the opportunity to update every publication and add to them with new discoveries."
"Sounds boring." She frowned, picking at a blade of grass.
"Oh." Numair's enthusiasm deflated in an instant. "I thought you might have enjoyed travelling with me and meeting new creatures." He looked away feeling slightly embarrassed to have revealed such a foolish dream.
Daine giggled making him look up to see her blue-grey eyes sparkling with mirth. "I forget when you say 'study' you mean go out into the world instead of sitting in some dusty old library scribbling in journals."
"I am very fond of those dusty old libraries I'll have you know." He leaned over to tweak her nose only for her to swat his hand away playfully. "When it comes to your wild magic, it isn't something we can do from the comforts of a library. I would need to make observations while you interacted with the various creatures which needs to be done in their natural environment."
"I'd like that." She smiled. "Maybe once all this trouble with the emperor and this Dread Queen is dealt with, we could go off travelling someplace."
The mention of the Queen of Chaos brought the mage back down to reality with a crash. "Daine, what do you know of Uusoae?"
"Only what you've told me so far which isn't much," she admitted. "Badger is fair worried about her and what's happening in the Divine Realms but no more'n that."
Numair sat up from where he'd been lounging on the grass to fully commit himself to the explanation. "Uusoae is the Queen of the Chaos Realms with Discord and Violence as her gatekeepers. She is the goddess of uncertainty, discord, destruction, and imagination. These are not bad things, you understand, because without Her we would have no change, new growth, or new opportunities. By nature, all humans could be considered sacred to Uusoae, with our desire for change and new ideas. Through human imagination and creation, we contribute to Her powers.
The creators of the universe, Father Universe and Mother Flame, ordained that the gods, who stand for order, and Chaos, who stands for discord must stay in balance. The only problem is that it's the nature of each to fight the other. It's written that a day will come when the Queen of Chaos will break free of the prison made for her by her siblings, the Great Gods. When that day comes, the mortal and Divine realms will melt into Chaos and the gods will perish, as will all mortal life."
"I still don't see what it's got to do with me." Daine shrugged defensively.
"Your parents are gods. You are the daughter of Weiryn, the Hunt God, a demi goddess. I would think you more than any of us have a vested interest in this fight," he pointed out.
"Why? It's not like my parents ever visit me or nothing. I've never even met my Da!" She hunched over, trying to hide behind her curls.
Numair reached into the mass of curls to cup her cheek tenderly, turning her face to him. "The badger said that was due to your parents being restricted to Weiryn's lands for requesting your mother from the Peaceful Realms."
"What was his excuse afore that?" Her eyes flashed with a lingering anger and resentment. "Why didn't he visit Ma and me? Why didn't he save her from being killed by those bandits?"
"I cannot answer why your father didn't visit you growing up." He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "That does seem reprehensible to me. I do know that Weiryn wouldn't be able to intervene with the course of your mother's life or death. The gods have rules."
Daine rolled her eyes, moving away from his hand with a sigh. "I heard that enough in Carthak. I just don't understand why learning my lessons is so important. How's that going to help in a fight between the gods?"
"I don't know." The mage rubbed his finger along his nose. He'd been wondering that himself. "I was told in my boyhood that I would have my own part to play in the fight against Chaos. Having read every legend and myth I could find on the subject; I still don't understand how I am to play a part in this either."
"Well, there's no use worrying about things we can't understand," she stated practically, reaching for her anatomy book and flicking through the pages to the chapter on lizards.
Numair shuffled closer holding the other page as he began to describe the structure of an iguana. From this vantage it would be so easy to place a kiss into her hair or wrap his arm around her waist and pull her against his chest. He still didn't know the details of Daine's past and was reluctant to ask but it clearly still hurt her: the death and the abandonment. What he was afraid to ask – more than a little afraid – was how old she'd been when it happened considering she was only just sixteen.