A/N: I'm sorry about my delay in Gallan Return everyone.... I'd like to say that a new chapter is coming soon, but alas there isn't one...My computer died, and with it went the new chapter. I've now decided for the sake of my sanity, it is a better idea for my to start a new short fic to work on and then get back to Gallan Return later. I know this is disappointing to some of you, but please understand my reasoning! I hope you will come to love this fic too!
Warning: This fic, though it may not seem like it in the first chapter, will contain some questionable stuff....like intense stuff, ya know? So I just thought I'd warn you that it could become R-rated in later chapters....AND I DO NOT MEAN R-RATED FOR SEXUAL CRAP YOU BUNCH OF SICKOS!!! *Grumbles about people with one-track minds* With that said, read on in peace.... And don't forget to review! ^_^
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Wind howled viciously on this cold winter's night in Tortall. This time of year, the entirety of Tortall was bombarded with storms. The wind would howl, stirring up hurricanes and provoking snowstorms and blizzards. The trees would move with the wind, wildly flailing their branches and rattling against windows. The waves would crash violently against the rocks of shore, making quite a racket.
In a small tower on the western coast of Tortall, a young woman of about twenty sat in front of a warm, crackling fire, fighting the cold night air. The girl was average in height, no more than five and a half feet tall. She was well built for her size, a result of her constant work outside with creatures of all shapes, sizes, and sorts. Atop her head was a mass of infinite smoky brown curls, untamable by any hand. Her face was of a light complexion, having definite Gallan decent. Her eyes were a stormy blue gray, a color that matched this night's weather with unfathomable likeness.
The young girl went by the name of Veralidaine Sarrasri. She was born in a small village of Galla, known as Snowsdale. She fled that same village at the age of twelve when a number of bandits attacked her home when she was away, her mother and grandfather murdered. By the time she was thirteen years of age, Daine, as she preferred to be called, had found her way to Tortall with the help of the horse mistress, Onua Chamtong. Since then, she had been on countless adventures and gained many life long friends along the way.
She thought of all of these things and more just now as she stared into fire. Her eyes focused, as if captivated by the dancing flames before her. Daine lay on a simply stitched rug, soaking up the warmth of the fire. The flames flickered merrily before her in the fireplace, moving as if they were human dancers, dancing the most intricate of dances. Daine had always found that fire was something that sparked memories and deep thoughts for her. Every time she gazed into the fireplace here at the tower, she felt lost in herself. Her mind would take her to another place, somewhere she had not been for a long time. She would hash over the memories, both good and bad, of her past in the twenty years she had been alive.
Sitting before the fire now, in the late hours of the night, Daine found herself beginning to drift off. Her world faded into a dream that seemed to be calling to her, begging her to dive in and live there. She did as it said, following it willingly. She drifted off into dreamland, mind racing from her previous thoughts of the fire. She soon found her mind clearing and focusing on one vision. This vision was of black and white, her eyes now unable to see any other colors. In her dream, she was much closer to the ground, and four legs rather than two supported her. Foreign sounds of all kinds filled her ears like music, playing over and over in her mind. She could hear everything for miles, her hearing having been magnified. The scent of many new aromas filled her senses as well. Her sense of smell two had increased.
It was by all of these things that Daine knew immediately what she was. In this dream, she was no longer a human, but a wolf. She was back in the pack as she had been in Snowsdale, running wild through the woods, doing as she pleased. Suddenly, the presence of her pack filled her mind. Her wolf brothers and sisters were near, and she must find them. Turning in her wolf body, she followed their scent, which she smelled so clearly as a sweet flower blossoming in the spring. They smelled of blood, of meat, and of family. She broke out into a trot, her feet padding easily over the forest floor as if she were born this way. It did not take long of gliding through the woods for Daine to find her pack. Their song filled her mind immediately, playing like the pounding of drums in her heart and mind.
Looking to her pack brother, the head male and leader of the pack, she searched his eyes for instruction. She may be free out here, but she was under his command. She watched as he gracefully lifted his had back, pointing his sharp sought into the air and letting out a carrying howl, adding to the pack song. Soon, her pack brothers and sisters around her joined in, making a beautiful melody. The pack song filled her heart and mind, sending adrenaline through her veins.
Through the song of that pack, Daine heard the leader's orders for the hunt. The pack was hungry, and it was time to be full. As he once again through his head back to signal the beginning of the hunt, Daine poised herself, readying her body to break into a run. Immediately she was running out into the night, chasing the scents of forest and the sounds of the pack song. As if by nature and semblance, the pack split up, each wolf going in a different direction. Gliding across the forest, Daine listened carefully for her leader's call, waiting for him to find the prey.
Food. Hunt. Kill. These words raced rapidly through her mind like wildfire. Daine welcomed them, feeling the need for blood, and the longing to tear at the throat of a fat buck, or a plump rabbit. The pack would feast tonight. Her nose began to pick up the scent of nearby blood. The pack had found its prey, and it was wounded. Inhaling deeper, taking in a stronger scent, Daine knew immediately that it was the scent of a fresh buck. It was still alive, but it would soon be taken down by the pack. Filing to the left, Daine chased after her pack brothers and sisters. They soon all caught up with one another, circling in on their prey. Daine saw it immediately. The old buck pranced forward in a panicked run a mere ten feet in front of her. Picking up speed, Daine closed the distance between herself and the prey.
Hunt. This word played the loudest in the hunt song just now. Daine felt an instinct to strike. Immediately, she dove at the deer, aiming for its neck. She latched on, sinking her sharp teach into the deer's throat and tearing its vital chords.
Blood. That word now rang clearly in her mind as the newly shed blood of the deer splattered into her face, leaking like flowing water of a river from the wound. Having no way of continuing, the deer collapsed on the spot, only to have the rest of the pack move in for the kill. Within seconds, it had been vitally wounded in every area, having no way left to live. Its trembling stopped, as did its heart and blood flow. The buck was dead, the food served and the blood spilled. Daine howled in delight and glory, pulling herself from the pack song so she could feast. She immediately began tearing into the flesh of the new kill.
"Daine!" A familiar voice rang in her mind. The voice was not wolf-like, so it was not of the pack. Daine pulled her head up from her feast, pricking her ears to better hear the call. "Daine!" The voice came again, this time more insistent. The scent of a two leggier filled her nostrils, mixed with an exquisite aroma of spices and soap.
At smelling these familiar scents, Daine snapped back into reality, awaking from her dream. She jolted up, eyes blinking rapidly as she searched for the source of the familiar voice. She heard the sound of approaching footsteps, boots clicking rhythmically with the hard wood floor of the tower. The familiar scent grew stronger, Daine still having her magnified wolf features. She quickly dimmed them, not knowing fully why they had carried on from her dream.
Just as her senses were back to normal and her mind cleared, the source of the voice entered the main living chamber where Daine lay before the fire. It was an all too familiar male figure, a tall one at that. He had a lanky form and a muscled build. His raven black hair was pulled neatly back into a horsetail, complimenting his coal black eyes lavishly. His tanned Tyran skin shone in the firelight of the room, lighting him up magnificently. The man approached Daine, stopping just as he reached the small rug where she lay beside the hearth. "Daine, were you even listening to me?" Numair accused, arms folded over his chest. Though he was trying to look annoyed with his young lover, he was failing miserably. Just upon seeing her surprised figure like this brought a full smile to his boyish features.
"I'm sorry Numair, I fell asleep," Daine said, wiping the sleep from her eyes. All questions about the strange affects of her dream were forgotten as she sent all of her focus to her love. "Were you calling me?"
"Yes, I was in my study working on my notes for tomorrow's lecture for the pages," Numair explained, crouching and folding his long legs beneath him to sit next to her. She scooted over and rested her head in his lap. Daine looked up into his coal black orbs and waited for him to continue. Though he looked slightly distracted by her antics it was brief as he soon got back on track, "I know you don't like me leaving you for a week to go to the palace and teach once a month, and being that I'm to leave tomorrow, I was thinking you might like to come with me this time."
Daine's eyes lit up immediately at his proposal of her accompanying him. He was right about the fact that she did get annoyed when he had to leave their tower home on the coast once a month to stay at the palace and teach. He was usually only gone for a week, but sometimes it would be longer. She always wanted to go with him, and stay in their old room at the palace, but she felt almost as if she would be in the way. "Besides, Magelet, I'm also in need of your assistance on this lesson," Numair added, smiling coyly.
The young woman smirked at him, asking teasingly, "And what is this lesson on?" He moved a hand down and began playing with one of her stray curls. Daine found this to be quite a distraction, but she pushed all notions of it aside.
"It is the history of the Immortals War, love," Numair said proudly, feeling clever for having devised such a lesson plan. Daine chuckled at his pride, always finding it amusing when he would be so proud of himself over the simplest things. That was the attitude of a mage for you.
"Oh, and why will you be needing me?" Daine asked, pretending as if she didn't know. Having lived with Numair for these past four years, she had come to learn that not only did he love ranting and bragging about his own achievements, but also hers.
"Well, who better to describe the death of Ozorne than you? And what of our time spent in the Divine Realms? Am I to describe those events alone?" Numair replied, stroking the tip of her chin. His face was alight with a smile as he watched her lying in his lap. He loved everything about her, even her faults and flaws. "All of these are, as a matter of fact, major events that were turning points in the war, so I would assume that I included them. You were an important asset to Tortall, and to the Mortal Realm in general, so who better than you to come and speak with the pages?"
Daine sighed sarcastically, shaking her head. She looked up at him once more. "Of course I'll go with you, but don't you think for a minute that I'm going because I want to talk about our dear friend Ozorne," Daine said, her eyes dancing.
Numair chuckled at his love's comment as he replied, "Well, I thank you anyway. Besides, the trip wouldn't be enjoyable if you weren't coming with me. You'll have much to talk about, and you know it. You contributed much more to the war than that," Numair said, voice soft. With that said, he leaned down fast than lightning and planted a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose. Dazed, Daine lifted a hand and rested her finger on the spot where his lips had just grazed her skin in a quick kiss. That tiny kiss gave her more warmth than the fire had throughout her entire time of lying in front of it.
"What else in the war will you be including in your little lecture?" Daine asked, captivated by his coal black eyes that bore down on her in an infinite stare.
Breaking away his gaze for a moment, Numair tugged his hooked nose thoughtfully, "Well, during the first day of the section, I will be lecturing on different types of immortals, so that I can be sure the pages understand what in the name of the gods I am talking about when I get to the actual battles," Numair said, all the while Daine knowing that she had just provoked him into a never ending session of rambling. "I was also planning on doing little pieces on the main heroes of the war. I know that is what most of the pages are interested in anyway. Then, I will move into the attack of the skinners, though I have a very limited supply of information on that subject all together-"
"Numair, I asked for a quick insight, not an entire reference book!" Daine scolded, slapping his shoulder playfully.
"And you know that I'm incapable of doing simple jobs!" Numair voiced jokingly in his defense. It was very true, however. Many times he would try to light a candle, a task considered to be the simplest mage's spell, and he could never do it. It would always result in the candle exploding, covering his face and upper body with hot wax.
Daine simply threw her head back and laughed, always finding his ridiculous comments to be amusing. Perhaps he never tried to get this affect on Daine, but somehow he always managed to do it. He too soon mirrored his loves actions, laughing along with her. Both always seemed to find satisfactory amusement from one another. "You know, sometimes you're just too silly for your own good," Daine replied, still laughing. Just his facial expressions, the way he looked at her, was comical in her eyes.
"Oh?" Numair voiced, raising an eyebrow at his lover. Without saying more, and before Daine could see what he was about to do, he moved swiftly towards her, successfully knocking her from her upright position, to one flat on the floor. He soon succeeded in having her fully pinned beneath his weight. He sat on top of her, one leg on each side of her, pinning her arms to her sides against the floor. She was looking up of him, her face one of slight surprise. She definitely had not expected him to do that!
Smiling despite herself, Daine stared up at him; her eyes alight with mischief matched only by his own. She could feel his heated breath against her neck, causing her heart to beat faster, the blood pounding within her veins. "I believe you're gotten me into a fair interesting position, Master Salmalin," Daine voiced, completely and utterly breathless. Somehow, he always found a way to take away the very breath that filled her lungs. He had always had such mystifying affects on her, and Daine could not help but think that it had to be love.
"Indeed I have," Numair murmured softly in her ear, brushing his lips lightly against her neck. His voice was one of mischief, giving sound to the look that was written in his face and eyes. He brought his face closer to hers, so close that it felt as if his breath was her own, and voiced as quietly and swiftly as the wind, "And I intend to take full advantage of it."
Those words, that comical declaration, they sent chills up Daine's spine, causing her to shiver pleasurably. Looking into his eyes, she saw them darken with an unsaid, passionate emotion after noticing her slight shivering. From the look on his face, and the enchantment in his eyes, Daine knew that he was fully aware of her light trembling beneath his weight. No matter how many times she found herself in a position such as this, she could never keep herself from trembling, even ever so slightly as she did now.
Slowly shutting his eyes, Numair leaned down further and closed the distance between himself and Daine. His lips brushed hers with an electrifying feeling of completeness. Her limbs felt as if they were melting as he crushed his body firmly against her own, pressing his lips to hers insistently. He let one his his hands play idly with her smoky brown curls, twisting each lock gently around his finger as their kiss went on. His other hand moved down to her side, stroking her body with care.
Reaching down, Daine clasped his hand tightly with her own, never breaking their kiss for a moment. Slowly, as if entranced, Daine blindly brought his hand up with her own, and placed it on her face. As if by instinct, Numair cupped her cheek in his large hand, and tenderly caressed her face. Feeling the passion building up in her entire being, Daine emitted a small moan. She felt as if she were being consumed by something much larger than she herself. The things she felt when she was with Numair, when he spoke to her, kissed her, murmured sweet nothings in her ear; it was all too much for her to ever fully comprehend.
Numair swiftly removed his lips from Daine, leaving his face mere inches above Daine's. He began taking in ragged breaths and blinking his eyes rapidly to focus them once more. As soon as he had regained himself, he pushed his body down, further crushing hers once more. He pressed her down roughly against the body length rug she had been resting on when he had entered the room. Her hair fell back against it, spreading out as a mass of curls. Looking up at him, she met his eyes, her lips twisting into a coy, mischievous smile. Numair's eyes widened at her gesture, coal coloring darkening as they did. His breath caught painfully in his throat, making his breath come out choked and raspy. Breathing raggedly, Numair opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again, finding himself both breathless and speechless. Did she know what that smile did to him? Her enchanting blue gray eyes, her smoky brown curls, her pale, soft skin, almost like silk, did she know? What of the way her luscious lips twisted into that breath taking smile, or the way her chin was set when she wanted her way? Numair doubted that Daine could ever know the full extent of what she did to him, even when she put forth no effort.
Once again, Numair's lips parted in an attempt to speak. This time, he managed to choke out, voice husky and forced, "Have you any idea what you do to me?" His eyes were dark, darker than their normal coal coloring. His heart pound in his chest, blocking out all other sounds in his mind, aside from the one word that echoed continuously in his mind: Daine. All day long, with every breath he took, he took it for that name. If ever they were to part, he would breathe no more, choosing death over a life without his one true love. She completed him as no other could.
A smile came to Daine's lips once more, alighting her face and features. This time, she felt shy, almost nervous. She loved it when he complimented her, and felt pleased with her, but there was always a burning fear in the back of her mind that things would not always be that way between them. If things were to end that way, Daine wanted to treasure this time that she had with him now. She would not trade it or give it up for anything in this world. Just as Numair has voiced a moment ago concerning her, she questioned herself now, did he know what he did to her? How could he know, when it reached such depths and extremes that she herself did not even fully comprehend it? His full mouth, tanned Tyran skin, coal black eyes and long raven hair, did he know how much she wished she could simply melt into them? What of the way his eyes danced when he looked down at her as they embraced, or his impish smiles when he was about to spring a surprise on her? These things barely even began to scratch the surface of why she loved him; there was just so much to it.
Entranced by her indefinable beauty as she lay sprawled beneath him, Numair brought his lips down to hers once more. He caressed hers passionately with his own, feeling his heart pound with delight and pleasure when she immediately responded to his prompting. He nibbled at her lips, soaking up the intense feeling of her body crushed against his and her lips constantly brushing his own. Feeling utterly enchanted, Numair's hands lifted from her hair and face, and slid effortlessly to the collar of her white cotton work shirt. Fumbling blindly with her shirt, he managed to undo the first button, and he immediately moved to the next. The entire time he did not break their kiss or open his eyes. He was trapped by the passion, lust, and desire. He had surrendered himself to her, and fallen into it all.
Daine felt her heart beat rapidly within her chest as she felt Numair begin undoing the buttons of her shirt. In her mind, she felt as if he was not going nearly fast enough, for her mind was that clouded with passion and desire. Emitting a small moan, Daine wrapped her slender arms around his neck, burying her fingers in his mass of raven black hair. As she pulled him even closer to herself, crushing their bodies, she felt him remove his lips from her own, still working on the task of unbuttoning her shirt. He lowered his head again, this time letting his lips graze her neck, lightly at first, but soon becoming more insistent.
Suddenly, and without warning, Daine felt a momentary distraction from what was going on between herself and her lover. She hoped Numair would not feel her sudden lapse of attention to him, but she could not withdraw herself from her own world to join him once more. It was like an odd sort of pulling in the back of her mind. The pulling came lightly at first, but soon became more intense. As the feeling intensified, it began to cause the young woman great pain. Her head began throbbing uncontrollably, and she gasped suddenly. Blood, fresh, kill. The words sounded in her mind, much like they had in her recent dream. Daine's shifted suddenly, gasping in sudden surprise.
Numair jolted from atop of her, removing his lips immediately from her neck and pulling his hands away from her shirt. He sat up immediately, looking into her eyes to see what had caused her sudden disturbance. She would not let her eyes meet his, for she was confused and pained by this sudden odd feeling. She lifted her hand from the floor beside her and placed it against her throbbing head. She wanted to cry out in pain, for it hurt that much. Numair looked at her quizzically, though she had no way of knowing this, for her eyes were clamped tightly shut, trying to block out the pain. All thoughts of the recent passion between herself and her lover were completely forgotten.
Daine felt a warm, gentle hand fall onto her shoulder, and she opened her eyes slowly. She met two, coal black eyes, darkened in worry and confusion. Tilting his head towards her in concern, Numair asked gently, "Daine, sweet, are you all right?"
The young woman panicked slightly at his words. She did not want to tell him of the voices she had just heard in her mind. They were just an after shock of her dream, weren't they? They couldn't be anything more. Or could they? Daine felt completely confused, not knowing exactly what to do. She wanted to tell him, in case it was something more serious than she expected, but she had no wish for him to think her to be mad. After all, he knew very well about what she had done when she was twelve. She had lost her mind and ran with a pack of local wolves. What if he felt she was losing her mind and was not at all pleased by it? Even if he did not react in that way, what if she worried him? That was the last thing she wanted. He was always so overprotective of her, that she had to be on constant alert of the things she chose to say to him. Knowing Numair, he would just overreact if he knew.
"I'm fine, Numair, " Daine lied, rubbing her head lightly to dim the pain that still stung her mind and being. "Its nothing more than a head ache, is all."
"Were you feeling this way before I came into the room?" Numair accused, knowing of Daine's ways of not voicing her discomforts until they became too much to bear. He always wished she would just tell him when she was feeling under the weather. What did she think, that he would be upset if she told him right away?
"No," Daine said, this time with honesty. Still rubbing her head and clenching her teeth, Daine added, " It came on all of a sudden."
Numair frowned at this, thinking to himself that the symptoms didn't sound completely like an everyday head ache. Pushing that thought aside, Numair decided to take her word for it and help her feel better, "You'd best take one of Alanna's messes then, " Numair said, scooting away from her and standing to her feet. "If I remember correctly, Alanna gave me a good amount of her head ache remedy the last time I ran into her at the palace."
Daine nodded, trying to convince herself that all she needed was one of Alanna's messes. The words from her dream had only echoed in her mind once, so what if she had simply imagined them? It was a possibility, and she ought to take that into consideration. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Numair walked quickly out of the room, most likely heading for the kitchen to retrieve one of the messes Alanna had made for the to store for emergencies. He soon returned, carrying a tiny vile in his hand. Numair crouched on the floor next to Daine, uncorking the vile. "Here, drink this," He said softly as he offered her the vile. It was a dark, repulsive purple in coloring, and looked to Daine as if it would taste every bit as bad as it looked. Despite her knowledge of its taste, Daine desired its affects. She reached out and gingerly took the vile from Numair. Lifting it to her lips, she swallowed its contents in one mouthful. Her lips twisted into a sour look at finding that her prediction of the flavor of the vile's contents had been correct.
"Gods that tastes terrible!" Daine retorted, feeling as if her stomach might just reject the vile potion. She felt a sense of coolness wash over her, slowly dimming the pain in her head. For some reason, it continued to return, but not nearly as strong. It was as if the pain was flickering like a candle flame, rising and falling in value.
"I can imagine," Numair replied thoughtfully, sliding his hand around her waste and rubbing her back assuringly. "I've had my fair share of Alanna's messes over the years." Numair leaned closer to her, pulling her body towards his lovingly. "And I haven't got used to the yet!" Numair added this last statement jokingly. Daine forced a small laugh at this, not feeling at all like doing so. It was not that she did not find his remarks comical, it was just that her head still ached unbearably and it was hard to stand anything at the moment. Her heart pounded menacingly in her mind, making her wish she could just rip it out of her own chest. "Are you feeling any better, sweet?" Numair asked softly after several minutes of silence had passed.
Daine longed to say no, for it was the honest truth. She did not want to worry him though, or arouse any unwanted suspicion. He need never know about the voices in her head, or the fact that they had carried on from her dream. "A little, but I think it'd be best if I head off to bed early," Daine said, giving both Numair and herself satisfaction with the answer. She had not completely lied to him, after all.
"All right, sweet," Numair replied, kissing her forehead lightly. He rose from where he sat, extending a hand to her. She accepted it, and felt gratitude towards him when he helped to pull her to her feet. "That is probably best, for we must get an early start tomorrow."
"Are you coming?" Daine asked, faking a yawn. In reality, she was not even slightly tired, just wanting to get out of an unwanted situation. Besides, if she did actually get a good amount of needed rest, her head ache would be completely gone in the morning's light.
"No, magelet, I think it best for me to stay up for a while longer, " Numair replied, pulling her to him once more. He kissed her lips fully for a quick moment, and then removed his lips and let her go. "I had best run over my lecture, perhaps even add more to it."
"All right, good-night, Numair, " Daine faked yet another yawn, making her way across the room and up the stairs to their bed chamber,
"Good-night, Daine," Numair called after her before returning to his study to get back to his work.
Warning: This fic, though it may not seem like it in the first chapter, will contain some questionable stuff....like intense stuff, ya know? So I just thought I'd warn you that it could become R-rated in later chapters....AND I DO NOT MEAN R-RATED FOR SEXUAL CRAP YOU BUNCH OF SICKOS!!! *Grumbles about people with one-track minds* With that said, read on in peace.... And don't forget to review! ^_^
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Wind howled viciously on this cold winter's night in Tortall. This time of year, the entirety of Tortall was bombarded with storms. The wind would howl, stirring up hurricanes and provoking snowstorms and blizzards. The trees would move with the wind, wildly flailing their branches and rattling against windows. The waves would crash violently against the rocks of shore, making quite a racket.
In a small tower on the western coast of Tortall, a young woman of about twenty sat in front of a warm, crackling fire, fighting the cold night air. The girl was average in height, no more than five and a half feet tall. She was well built for her size, a result of her constant work outside with creatures of all shapes, sizes, and sorts. Atop her head was a mass of infinite smoky brown curls, untamable by any hand. Her face was of a light complexion, having definite Gallan decent. Her eyes were a stormy blue gray, a color that matched this night's weather with unfathomable likeness.
The young girl went by the name of Veralidaine Sarrasri. She was born in a small village of Galla, known as Snowsdale. She fled that same village at the age of twelve when a number of bandits attacked her home when she was away, her mother and grandfather murdered. By the time she was thirteen years of age, Daine, as she preferred to be called, had found her way to Tortall with the help of the horse mistress, Onua Chamtong. Since then, she had been on countless adventures and gained many life long friends along the way.
She thought of all of these things and more just now as she stared into fire. Her eyes focused, as if captivated by the dancing flames before her. Daine lay on a simply stitched rug, soaking up the warmth of the fire. The flames flickered merrily before her in the fireplace, moving as if they were human dancers, dancing the most intricate of dances. Daine had always found that fire was something that sparked memories and deep thoughts for her. Every time she gazed into the fireplace here at the tower, she felt lost in herself. Her mind would take her to another place, somewhere she had not been for a long time. She would hash over the memories, both good and bad, of her past in the twenty years she had been alive.
Sitting before the fire now, in the late hours of the night, Daine found herself beginning to drift off. Her world faded into a dream that seemed to be calling to her, begging her to dive in and live there. She did as it said, following it willingly. She drifted off into dreamland, mind racing from her previous thoughts of the fire. She soon found her mind clearing and focusing on one vision. This vision was of black and white, her eyes now unable to see any other colors. In her dream, she was much closer to the ground, and four legs rather than two supported her. Foreign sounds of all kinds filled her ears like music, playing over and over in her mind. She could hear everything for miles, her hearing having been magnified. The scent of many new aromas filled her senses as well. Her sense of smell two had increased.
It was by all of these things that Daine knew immediately what she was. In this dream, she was no longer a human, but a wolf. She was back in the pack as she had been in Snowsdale, running wild through the woods, doing as she pleased. Suddenly, the presence of her pack filled her mind. Her wolf brothers and sisters were near, and she must find them. Turning in her wolf body, she followed their scent, which she smelled so clearly as a sweet flower blossoming in the spring. They smelled of blood, of meat, and of family. She broke out into a trot, her feet padding easily over the forest floor as if she were born this way. It did not take long of gliding through the woods for Daine to find her pack. Their song filled her mind immediately, playing like the pounding of drums in her heart and mind.
Looking to her pack brother, the head male and leader of the pack, she searched his eyes for instruction. She may be free out here, but she was under his command. She watched as he gracefully lifted his had back, pointing his sharp sought into the air and letting out a carrying howl, adding to the pack song. Soon, her pack brothers and sisters around her joined in, making a beautiful melody. The pack song filled her heart and mind, sending adrenaline through her veins.
Through the song of that pack, Daine heard the leader's orders for the hunt. The pack was hungry, and it was time to be full. As he once again through his head back to signal the beginning of the hunt, Daine poised herself, readying her body to break into a run. Immediately she was running out into the night, chasing the scents of forest and the sounds of the pack song. As if by nature and semblance, the pack split up, each wolf going in a different direction. Gliding across the forest, Daine listened carefully for her leader's call, waiting for him to find the prey.
Food. Hunt. Kill. These words raced rapidly through her mind like wildfire. Daine welcomed them, feeling the need for blood, and the longing to tear at the throat of a fat buck, or a plump rabbit. The pack would feast tonight. Her nose began to pick up the scent of nearby blood. The pack had found its prey, and it was wounded. Inhaling deeper, taking in a stronger scent, Daine knew immediately that it was the scent of a fresh buck. It was still alive, but it would soon be taken down by the pack. Filing to the left, Daine chased after her pack brothers and sisters. They soon all caught up with one another, circling in on their prey. Daine saw it immediately. The old buck pranced forward in a panicked run a mere ten feet in front of her. Picking up speed, Daine closed the distance between herself and the prey.
Hunt. This word played the loudest in the hunt song just now. Daine felt an instinct to strike. Immediately, she dove at the deer, aiming for its neck. She latched on, sinking her sharp teach into the deer's throat and tearing its vital chords.
Blood. That word now rang clearly in her mind as the newly shed blood of the deer splattered into her face, leaking like flowing water of a river from the wound. Having no way of continuing, the deer collapsed on the spot, only to have the rest of the pack move in for the kill. Within seconds, it had been vitally wounded in every area, having no way left to live. Its trembling stopped, as did its heart and blood flow. The buck was dead, the food served and the blood spilled. Daine howled in delight and glory, pulling herself from the pack song so she could feast. She immediately began tearing into the flesh of the new kill.
"Daine!" A familiar voice rang in her mind. The voice was not wolf-like, so it was not of the pack. Daine pulled her head up from her feast, pricking her ears to better hear the call. "Daine!" The voice came again, this time more insistent. The scent of a two leggier filled her nostrils, mixed with an exquisite aroma of spices and soap.
At smelling these familiar scents, Daine snapped back into reality, awaking from her dream. She jolted up, eyes blinking rapidly as she searched for the source of the familiar voice. She heard the sound of approaching footsteps, boots clicking rhythmically with the hard wood floor of the tower. The familiar scent grew stronger, Daine still having her magnified wolf features. She quickly dimmed them, not knowing fully why they had carried on from her dream.
Just as her senses were back to normal and her mind cleared, the source of the voice entered the main living chamber where Daine lay before the fire. It was an all too familiar male figure, a tall one at that. He had a lanky form and a muscled build. His raven black hair was pulled neatly back into a horsetail, complimenting his coal black eyes lavishly. His tanned Tyran skin shone in the firelight of the room, lighting him up magnificently. The man approached Daine, stopping just as he reached the small rug where she lay beside the hearth. "Daine, were you even listening to me?" Numair accused, arms folded over his chest. Though he was trying to look annoyed with his young lover, he was failing miserably. Just upon seeing her surprised figure like this brought a full smile to his boyish features.
"I'm sorry Numair, I fell asleep," Daine said, wiping the sleep from her eyes. All questions about the strange affects of her dream were forgotten as she sent all of her focus to her love. "Were you calling me?"
"Yes, I was in my study working on my notes for tomorrow's lecture for the pages," Numair explained, crouching and folding his long legs beneath him to sit next to her. She scooted over and rested her head in his lap. Daine looked up into his coal black orbs and waited for him to continue. Though he looked slightly distracted by her antics it was brief as he soon got back on track, "I know you don't like me leaving you for a week to go to the palace and teach once a month, and being that I'm to leave tomorrow, I was thinking you might like to come with me this time."
Daine's eyes lit up immediately at his proposal of her accompanying him. He was right about the fact that she did get annoyed when he had to leave their tower home on the coast once a month to stay at the palace and teach. He was usually only gone for a week, but sometimes it would be longer. She always wanted to go with him, and stay in their old room at the palace, but she felt almost as if she would be in the way. "Besides, Magelet, I'm also in need of your assistance on this lesson," Numair added, smiling coyly.
The young woman smirked at him, asking teasingly, "And what is this lesson on?" He moved a hand down and began playing with one of her stray curls. Daine found this to be quite a distraction, but she pushed all notions of it aside.
"It is the history of the Immortals War, love," Numair said proudly, feeling clever for having devised such a lesson plan. Daine chuckled at his pride, always finding it amusing when he would be so proud of himself over the simplest things. That was the attitude of a mage for you.
"Oh, and why will you be needing me?" Daine asked, pretending as if she didn't know. Having lived with Numair for these past four years, she had come to learn that not only did he love ranting and bragging about his own achievements, but also hers.
"Well, who better to describe the death of Ozorne than you? And what of our time spent in the Divine Realms? Am I to describe those events alone?" Numair replied, stroking the tip of her chin. His face was alight with a smile as he watched her lying in his lap. He loved everything about her, even her faults and flaws. "All of these are, as a matter of fact, major events that were turning points in the war, so I would assume that I included them. You were an important asset to Tortall, and to the Mortal Realm in general, so who better than you to come and speak with the pages?"
Daine sighed sarcastically, shaking her head. She looked up at him once more. "Of course I'll go with you, but don't you think for a minute that I'm going because I want to talk about our dear friend Ozorne," Daine said, her eyes dancing.
Numair chuckled at his love's comment as he replied, "Well, I thank you anyway. Besides, the trip wouldn't be enjoyable if you weren't coming with me. You'll have much to talk about, and you know it. You contributed much more to the war than that," Numair said, voice soft. With that said, he leaned down fast than lightning and planted a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose. Dazed, Daine lifted a hand and rested her finger on the spot where his lips had just grazed her skin in a quick kiss. That tiny kiss gave her more warmth than the fire had throughout her entire time of lying in front of it.
"What else in the war will you be including in your little lecture?" Daine asked, captivated by his coal black eyes that bore down on her in an infinite stare.
Breaking away his gaze for a moment, Numair tugged his hooked nose thoughtfully, "Well, during the first day of the section, I will be lecturing on different types of immortals, so that I can be sure the pages understand what in the name of the gods I am talking about when I get to the actual battles," Numair said, all the while Daine knowing that she had just provoked him into a never ending session of rambling. "I was also planning on doing little pieces on the main heroes of the war. I know that is what most of the pages are interested in anyway. Then, I will move into the attack of the skinners, though I have a very limited supply of information on that subject all together-"
"Numair, I asked for a quick insight, not an entire reference book!" Daine scolded, slapping his shoulder playfully.
"And you know that I'm incapable of doing simple jobs!" Numair voiced jokingly in his defense. It was very true, however. Many times he would try to light a candle, a task considered to be the simplest mage's spell, and he could never do it. It would always result in the candle exploding, covering his face and upper body with hot wax.
Daine simply threw her head back and laughed, always finding his ridiculous comments to be amusing. Perhaps he never tried to get this affect on Daine, but somehow he always managed to do it. He too soon mirrored his loves actions, laughing along with her. Both always seemed to find satisfactory amusement from one another. "You know, sometimes you're just too silly for your own good," Daine replied, still laughing. Just his facial expressions, the way he looked at her, was comical in her eyes.
"Oh?" Numair voiced, raising an eyebrow at his lover. Without saying more, and before Daine could see what he was about to do, he moved swiftly towards her, successfully knocking her from her upright position, to one flat on the floor. He soon succeeded in having her fully pinned beneath his weight. He sat on top of her, one leg on each side of her, pinning her arms to her sides against the floor. She was looking up of him, her face one of slight surprise. She definitely had not expected him to do that!
Smiling despite herself, Daine stared up at him; her eyes alight with mischief matched only by his own. She could feel his heated breath against her neck, causing her heart to beat faster, the blood pounding within her veins. "I believe you're gotten me into a fair interesting position, Master Salmalin," Daine voiced, completely and utterly breathless. Somehow, he always found a way to take away the very breath that filled her lungs. He had always had such mystifying affects on her, and Daine could not help but think that it had to be love.
"Indeed I have," Numair murmured softly in her ear, brushing his lips lightly against her neck. His voice was one of mischief, giving sound to the look that was written in his face and eyes. He brought his face closer to hers, so close that it felt as if his breath was her own, and voiced as quietly and swiftly as the wind, "And I intend to take full advantage of it."
Those words, that comical declaration, they sent chills up Daine's spine, causing her to shiver pleasurably. Looking into his eyes, she saw them darken with an unsaid, passionate emotion after noticing her slight shivering. From the look on his face, and the enchantment in his eyes, Daine knew that he was fully aware of her light trembling beneath his weight. No matter how many times she found herself in a position such as this, she could never keep herself from trembling, even ever so slightly as she did now.
Slowly shutting his eyes, Numair leaned down further and closed the distance between himself and Daine. His lips brushed hers with an electrifying feeling of completeness. Her limbs felt as if they were melting as he crushed his body firmly against her own, pressing his lips to hers insistently. He let one his his hands play idly with her smoky brown curls, twisting each lock gently around his finger as their kiss went on. His other hand moved down to her side, stroking her body with care.
Reaching down, Daine clasped his hand tightly with her own, never breaking their kiss for a moment. Slowly, as if entranced, Daine blindly brought his hand up with her own, and placed it on her face. As if by instinct, Numair cupped her cheek in his large hand, and tenderly caressed her face. Feeling the passion building up in her entire being, Daine emitted a small moan. She felt as if she were being consumed by something much larger than she herself. The things she felt when she was with Numair, when he spoke to her, kissed her, murmured sweet nothings in her ear; it was all too much for her to ever fully comprehend.
Numair swiftly removed his lips from Daine, leaving his face mere inches above Daine's. He began taking in ragged breaths and blinking his eyes rapidly to focus them once more. As soon as he had regained himself, he pushed his body down, further crushing hers once more. He pressed her down roughly against the body length rug she had been resting on when he had entered the room. Her hair fell back against it, spreading out as a mass of curls. Looking up at him, she met his eyes, her lips twisting into a coy, mischievous smile. Numair's eyes widened at her gesture, coal coloring darkening as they did. His breath caught painfully in his throat, making his breath come out choked and raspy. Breathing raggedly, Numair opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again, finding himself both breathless and speechless. Did she know what that smile did to him? Her enchanting blue gray eyes, her smoky brown curls, her pale, soft skin, almost like silk, did she know? What of the way her luscious lips twisted into that breath taking smile, or the way her chin was set when she wanted her way? Numair doubted that Daine could ever know the full extent of what she did to him, even when she put forth no effort.
Once again, Numair's lips parted in an attempt to speak. This time, he managed to choke out, voice husky and forced, "Have you any idea what you do to me?" His eyes were dark, darker than their normal coal coloring. His heart pound in his chest, blocking out all other sounds in his mind, aside from the one word that echoed continuously in his mind: Daine. All day long, with every breath he took, he took it for that name. If ever they were to part, he would breathe no more, choosing death over a life without his one true love. She completed him as no other could.
A smile came to Daine's lips once more, alighting her face and features. This time, she felt shy, almost nervous. She loved it when he complimented her, and felt pleased with her, but there was always a burning fear in the back of her mind that things would not always be that way between them. If things were to end that way, Daine wanted to treasure this time that she had with him now. She would not trade it or give it up for anything in this world. Just as Numair has voiced a moment ago concerning her, she questioned herself now, did he know what he did to her? How could he know, when it reached such depths and extremes that she herself did not even fully comprehend it? His full mouth, tanned Tyran skin, coal black eyes and long raven hair, did he know how much she wished she could simply melt into them? What of the way his eyes danced when he looked down at her as they embraced, or his impish smiles when he was about to spring a surprise on her? These things barely even began to scratch the surface of why she loved him; there was just so much to it.
Entranced by her indefinable beauty as she lay sprawled beneath him, Numair brought his lips down to hers once more. He caressed hers passionately with his own, feeling his heart pound with delight and pleasure when she immediately responded to his prompting. He nibbled at her lips, soaking up the intense feeling of her body crushed against his and her lips constantly brushing his own. Feeling utterly enchanted, Numair's hands lifted from her hair and face, and slid effortlessly to the collar of her white cotton work shirt. Fumbling blindly with her shirt, he managed to undo the first button, and he immediately moved to the next. The entire time he did not break their kiss or open his eyes. He was trapped by the passion, lust, and desire. He had surrendered himself to her, and fallen into it all.
Daine felt her heart beat rapidly within her chest as she felt Numair begin undoing the buttons of her shirt. In her mind, she felt as if he was not going nearly fast enough, for her mind was that clouded with passion and desire. Emitting a small moan, Daine wrapped her slender arms around his neck, burying her fingers in his mass of raven black hair. As she pulled him even closer to herself, crushing their bodies, she felt him remove his lips from her own, still working on the task of unbuttoning her shirt. He lowered his head again, this time letting his lips graze her neck, lightly at first, but soon becoming more insistent.
Suddenly, and without warning, Daine felt a momentary distraction from what was going on between herself and her lover. She hoped Numair would not feel her sudden lapse of attention to him, but she could not withdraw herself from her own world to join him once more. It was like an odd sort of pulling in the back of her mind. The pulling came lightly at first, but soon became more intense. As the feeling intensified, it began to cause the young woman great pain. Her head began throbbing uncontrollably, and she gasped suddenly. Blood, fresh, kill. The words sounded in her mind, much like they had in her recent dream. Daine's shifted suddenly, gasping in sudden surprise.
Numair jolted from atop of her, removing his lips immediately from her neck and pulling his hands away from her shirt. He sat up immediately, looking into her eyes to see what had caused her sudden disturbance. She would not let her eyes meet his, for she was confused and pained by this sudden odd feeling. She lifted her hand from the floor beside her and placed it against her throbbing head. She wanted to cry out in pain, for it hurt that much. Numair looked at her quizzically, though she had no way of knowing this, for her eyes were clamped tightly shut, trying to block out the pain. All thoughts of the recent passion between herself and her lover were completely forgotten.
Daine felt a warm, gentle hand fall onto her shoulder, and she opened her eyes slowly. She met two, coal black eyes, darkened in worry and confusion. Tilting his head towards her in concern, Numair asked gently, "Daine, sweet, are you all right?"
The young woman panicked slightly at his words. She did not want to tell him of the voices she had just heard in her mind. They were just an after shock of her dream, weren't they? They couldn't be anything more. Or could they? Daine felt completely confused, not knowing exactly what to do. She wanted to tell him, in case it was something more serious than she expected, but she had no wish for him to think her to be mad. After all, he knew very well about what she had done when she was twelve. She had lost her mind and ran with a pack of local wolves. What if he felt she was losing her mind and was not at all pleased by it? Even if he did not react in that way, what if she worried him? That was the last thing she wanted. He was always so overprotective of her, that she had to be on constant alert of the things she chose to say to him. Knowing Numair, he would just overreact if he knew.
"I'm fine, Numair, " Daine lied, rubbing her head lightly to dim the pain that still stung her mind and being. "Its nothing more than a head ache, is all."
"Were you feeling this way before I came into the room?" Numair accused, knowing of Daine's ways of not voicing her discomforts until they became too much to bear. He always wished she would just tell him when she was feeling under the weather. What did she think, that he would be upset if she told him right away?
"No," Daine said, this time with honesty. Still rubbing her head and clenching her teeth, Daine added, " It came on all of a sudden."
Numair frowned at this, thinking to himself that the symptoms didn't sound completely like an everyday head ache. Pushing that thought aside, Numair decided to take her word for it and help her feel better, "You'd best take one of Alanna's messes then, " Numair said, scooting away from her and standing to her feet. "If I remember correctly, Alanna gave me a good amount of her head ache remedy the last time I ran into her at the palace."
Daine nodded, trying to convince herself that all she needed was one of Alanna's messes. The words from her dream had only echoed in her mind once, so what if she had simply imagined them? It was a possibility, and she ought to take that into consideration. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Numair walked quickly out of the room, most likely heading for the kitchen to retrieve one of the messes Alanna had made for the to store for emergencies. He soon returned, carrying a tiny vile in his hand. Numair crouched on the floor next to Daine, uncorking the vile. "Here, drink this," He said softly as he offered her the vile. It was a dark, repulsive purple in coloring, and looked to Daine as if it would taste every bit as bad as it looked. Despite her knowledge of its taste, Daine desired its affects. She reached out and gingerly took the vile from Numair. Lifting it to her lips, she swallowed its contents in one mouthful. Her lips twisted into a sour look at finding that her prediction of the flavor of the vile's contents had been correct.
"Gods that tastes terrible!" Daine retorted, feeling as if her stomach might just reject the vile potion. She felt a sense of coolness wash over her, slowly dimming the pain in her head. For some reason, it continued to return, but not nearly as strong. It was as if the pain was flickering like a candle flame, rising and falling in value.
"I can imagine," Numair replied thoughtfully, sliding his hand around her waste and rubbing her back assuringly. "I've had my fair share of Alanna's messes over the years." Numair leaned closer to her, pulling her body towards his lovingly. "And I haven't got used to the yet!" Numair added this last statement jokingly. Daine forced a small laugh at this, not feeling at all like doing so. It was not that she did not find his remarks comical, it was just that her head still ached unbearably and it was hard to stand anything at the moment. Her heart pounded menacingly in her mind, making her wish she could just rip it out of her own chest. "Are you feeling any better, sweet?" Numair asked softly after several minutes of silence had passed.
Daine longed to say no, for it was the honest truth. She did not want to worry him though, or arouse any unwanted suspicion. He need never know about the voices in her head, or the fact that they had carried on from her dream. "A little, but I think it'd be best if I head off to bed early," Daine said, giving both Numair and herself satisfaction with the answer. She had not completely lied to him, after all.
"All right, sweet," Numair replied, kissing her forehead lightly. He rose from where he sat, extending a hand to her. She accepted it, and felt gratitude towards him when he helped to pull her to her feet. "That is probably best, for we must get an early start tomorrow."
"Are you coming?" Daine asked, faking a yawn. In reality, she was not even slightly tired, just wanting to get out of an unwanted situation. Besides, if she did actually get a good amount of needed rest, her head ache would be completely gone in the morning's light.
"No, magelet, I think it best for me to stay up for a while longer, " Numair replied, pulling her to him once more. He kissed her lips fully for a quick moment, and then removed his lips and let her go. "I had best run over my lecture, perhaps even add more to it."
"All right, good-night, Numair, " Daine faked yet another yawn, making her way across the room and up the stairs to their bed chamber,
"Good-night, Daine," Numair called after her before returning to his study to get back to his work.