“The barrier,” Daine said thoughtfully. “Okay, there are a few flaws to the plan.”
See, told you! Badger cried in triumph.
Shut up, you rodent.
I am no rodent.
“Guys,” moaned Daine.
What are the flaws, please? Teb asked politely.
“First of all, how am I going to lure her to a place with lots of wolves? I can’t communicate with them, because they’re not jackals, and, more importantly, I’m locked up inside a stone cell, chained hand and foot, under the palace. More over, there are soldiers who know how I look like.”
Teb replied, I’ll spell the soldiers into not remembering Serena’s true appearance until her mind returns into her body. I’ll break your chains and magically transport you to the wolves –
Who I’ll persuade to help. Once they know what we’re doing, they’ll agree, because even though they don’t know you without your magic and even though you can’t communicate with them at the moment, they know the name Daine the Wildmage and they’ll be eager to help. Badger sounded…smug and Daine hid a smile.
“More flaws are: how will I lure Serena? She’ll be on guard and Numair is especially careful of her – me – since she attacked me.”
I’ll just send her…umm…instant messaging.
(A/N sorry…I couldn’t think of anything else!)
Daine raised an eyebrow at Teb. “What’s that?”
I mean that I’ll make my mind voice sound like…yours and I’ll talk to her like her conscience talks to her.
“I don’t think she has one,” giggled Daine. “Other than that, everything’s fine. Oh, wait…after the barrier snaps, what happens?”
Badger replied, Numair will see something is wrong and… He trailed off and Teb said lamely,
The other details are…umm…too gruesome and we don’t want you to…umm…worry.
Yeah, that’s right, Badger agreed.
Shaking her head, Daine said, “Okay, we’ve got a plan. When do we do this?”
Two days from now, Teb replied calmly.
>>>J<<<
“Daine?”
Serena (in Daine’s body) whirled around and sighed with relief when she noticed it was only Numair. Lately, people had been asking her awkward questions and she didn’t have the memories of the true Daine to answer comfortably. She had been given some strange looks.
“Yes, Numair?”
“Alanna’s looking for you.”
“She is?” Serena asked meekly, thinking, Another hour of torture with the Thunder-bitch. Great.
“Yeah. She wants you to go and try on something. Go to her room.”
Serena nodded and walked quickly to Alanna’s room, her insides shirking. When she entered the knight’s room, a grinning Alanna and a severe looking seamstress greeted her.
“Here you are,” Alanna said. “Try on your finished dress.”
“Dress?” Serena squeaked nervously.
“Dress, as in wedding dress, as in a bride who’s getting married in five days!” Alanna said, laughing. She pushed Serena into a changing room and handed her the big bundle of sky blue fabrics.
Quickly, Serena slipped on the dress and went to show the two waiting women. While the seamstress adjusted some hems, Serena got lost in her thoughts.
Five days…then Numair’s mine. Forever. And I –
Serena! A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. The voice was in her head.
Who…what is it? She asked silently.
Daine.
Daine? How are you doing this?
That’s for me to know and you to find out.
What do you want? Serena demanded.
Meet me in a clearing next to the big spring in the Royal Forest as soon as you can. There was a strange force behind those words, ringing with power and Serena was forced to obey. Make sure Numair knows where to go…but subtly. Now go!!!
Serena pushed herself away from the seamstress.
“Daine, what are you doing?”
“I…just remembered something I had to do,” Serena stammered, peeling off the dress and slipping into her casual blue skirt and white shirt. She ran back to the room she shared with Numair and scribbled down some words, her hand compelled by a powerful force. Then she ran to the Royal Forest and found the clearing.
“Hello?” she called. It was empty. “Daine, where are you?”
Silence.
“I know you’re here!”
Quiet, wolf-sister, started a smooth, velvety voice. Serena turned around and muffled a shriek when she saw a huge black wolf sitting about six feet away from her, backed by a pack of about seven adults and four pups.
“Please…don’t kill me,” Serena whispered.
Kill you? The wolf asked in amusement. Why would I kill you, Daine?
“You…know who I am?” Serena asked. The wolf laughed.
Of course. Every wolf in the Eastern countries knows who you are. I am Dark Claw, leader of the Forest pack.
“Good, good.” Serena felt faint and sat down on a log.
What’s wrong?
“I – I just feel faint. I didn’t eat this morning.”
Then you must join us on our hunt. But why do you speak aloud?
“Is there any other way?”
Duh. Mentally.
Serena tried it and when she succeeded, she smiled. “But I’d rather speak aloud.”
As you wish. So, would you like to join us on our hunt? We are going after deer today.
Something in Serena’s stolen body stirred. Serena felt a strange sensation race down her bones, mingled with her blood. “Not foxes?”
No, they are too lean.
“Dear are more tender,” Serena said, her voice throaty. “More juices and more filling.” She didn’t notice her teeth lengthening or her sense of smell growing keener.
I agree.
“Yes, I’ll join you,” Serena growled then gasped in shock when she noticed that she was slowly shapeshifting. “What’s happening to me?”
“Daine, what’s wrong?”
Serena whirled around and saw Numair approaching her slowly. She muffled her terror as she replied,
“Something’s happening to me! I’m changing bodies! Make it stop!” Her lips started bleeding as she bit them with her fangs. She threw herself into the ground, struggling with unseen forces. “Make it go away! Stop it, stop it!” That was cried at Numair who had joined her, trying to see what was wrong. “Get away, you’re hurting me!”
Serena heard voices in her head.
Meat.
Food.
Meat is good food.
Go hunt with your pack-brothers.
She gasped as she grew fur and her face lengthened.
Unity.
Brotherhood in pack.
Join us.
Something in Serena’s body snapped and a tremor shook her. The shaking stopped and she got up on four legs, still human shaped. She didn’t have the discipline to shapeshift fully so only her teeth, eyes, and ears were a wolf’s.
“Daine, what’s wrong? Answer me!” Numair cried, frightened for his fiancé.
“That’s not Daine. I’m Daine.”
(A/N I’m switching back to the D and S system or this’ll get confusing. Daine is D and Serena is S.)
D stepped out of the trees, looking pale but unruffled. With a growl of rage, Numair flew at her, intending to beat her. But in midair, he froze and was suspended, only his face and eyes working.
“What are you doing to Daine, Serena?” he rasped, looking at the jerking S.
“Don’t you see?” D asked quietly.
“See what, you little –“
“She can’t shapeshift! Does the real Daine shapeshift?”
“Of course she does,” Numair snapped.
Use your brain, mortal! Badger appeared next to D, enraged. Don’t you see that Daine isn’t the Daine you know?
“Badger!?!” Numair asked in shock. “How do you know…why aren’t you helping – Daine! Let me out of here!”
S had just emitted a piercing scream. Strangely, the wolves were nowhere in sight.
“Numair, that’s not Daine. I’m Daine!”
“You’re Serena!” Numair yelled, struggling against the invisible bonds.
D sighed and knelt on the ground. With imploring eyes that looked slightly bloodshot, she rasped, “I saved you. I saved you when you were stuck in hawk shape. I stole you from death before Alanna came and helped me. I found Kitten when her mother died and I’ve been raising her since. I was in the Divine Realms with you when my mother, Sarra Beneksri, now the Green Lady, and my father, the Hunt God Weiryn, transported us there. I fell off a cliff and you saved me from spidrens. You asked me to marry you! Can’t you see?” D started to cry in her ragged clothes, shaking.
Numair stared at her in shock. “But…but…how do you know all this, Serena?”
“I’m not Serena!” D shrieked, tears coursing down her face. “I’m not Serena! I’m Daine in Serena’s body! Please, Numair!”
Numair sniffed. “That’s just the thing Serena would do to get her way. You’re not Daine. Daine is over there, in pain because of you!”
D stood up slowly and walked over to Numair. “If you don’t believe me-“
“I don’t,” Numair snarled.
“Then, I’ll do what I must without your love.” D walked over to the wailing S and stood over her.
“Badger, what do I do now?”
There is a ring, a silver one, on her left index finger. Put it on, hold your left hand over her head and say ‘trinka-mine’ over and over until you are in your body.
D sniffed. “What about the barrier? If it’s broken-“
The forgotten Numair emitted a sort of strangled scream of horror.
There’s nothing I can do about it, kit. Just enter your body and hopefully you’ll be able to regain your sanity. If not, then I will do my best to calm you, Badger replied sadly. Numair couldn’t hear, only Daine. I’m so sorry, my kit. Good luck.
D took a deep breath and slipped Serena’s ring over her own finger. Then she waved her hand over S’s head, muttering the words.
Lashings like fire coursed down her body and she threw back her head with a scream. S had stopped jerking and was completely still. There was a flash of blue light and D felt herself being eased into a familiar body. Instantly the pain was gone.
“What have you done?” Serena’s voice cut through Daine’s relaxation.
(A/N The real Daine and the real Serena.)
“What have you done?” Serena asked again. Daine rolled over on the ground, about to reply scathingly when a blow to her face hit her. She groaned.
Serena stood over Daine, smiling mockingly. “What have you accomplished, my dear sister?”
“That’s half-sister to you,” Daine said, trying to get up, but Serena tackled her down.
“You lost, Daine. You’re mind is wild – the barrier is broken and there is nothing you can do about it. Any second now, you’ll go mad, and I…I will have the man I want! You lost, Daine! You – lost!” Serena laughed.
“No, Serena. You did!” Numair said quietly. He was suddenly over the princess, released from his bonds. He muttered a word and magical chains enveloped and constrained Serena.
“Let me go, Numair! Let – me – go!”
“No, dear. No.”
Daine stood up shakily, getting used to her true form once more. “This is nice,” she murmured. “I – aaah!” The ‘aaah’ she screamed as she started to jerk and shapeshift into an animal.
Food. Meat. Pack bonds. Leader – hunt with him.
“Stop,” Daine moaned, her hands over her ears. “Stop, please. STOP!!!”
She felt herself changing against her will. Her bones shifted into a different structure and her essence enveloped her, restraining her will like vices.
But suddenly a cool touch flew through the pain and heat. Black power flowed into her and forced back the vines that enveloped her spirit. It entered her mind and fought, resulting in a sparkling black wall separating her humanity with her animal self.
“Numair,” Daine groaned after a moment. Her eyes had closed so she opened them, only to see a cotton shirt from very close up. Numair had crushed her to his chest and was sobbing while rocking on his knees.
“Numair?”
“Oh, magelet!” Numair sniffed, releasing her and cupping her face in his hands. “I’m so sorry – I didn’t know!”
“Shhh…it’s all right,” Daine comforted.
“No, it’s not,” Numair protested, kissing her gently. His fingers trailed over her face, feeling every detail, every bone structure, as if for the first time. “How could I have done this to you? How? Can you forgive me?”
Daine sighed, temporary blind from her tears. “I forgive you, Numair,” she whispered, kissing him back with fire. “I forgive you, Numair, and I’ll do more if you want…”
Gently, Numair pushed himself away from his fiancé. He looked down, biting his lip with pain. “Daine, I…I don’t know how to say this but, Serena and I –“
“You slept with her,” Daine supplied. It wasn’t a question.
“Oh Mithros, she looked like you! I couldn’t…I couldn’t control myself! How was I to know?” He collapsed in a new burst of tears and Daine had to wait several minutes before he calmed down.
“Numair, it’s…I forgive you. I know you slept with Serena – I heard everything.”
“Then I came and arrested you,” whispered Numair in horror. “Oh gods!”
“Numair, stop it immediately,” Daine commanded.
“You’re right. Let’s…take Serena to the king. You’re going to a healer.” Numair stood, taking Daine with him. They grabbed Serena by the shoulders and slowly marched her to her awaiting fate.
>>>J<<<
“You may kiss the bride,” Jonathan said with a wide smile.
The groom, pale with happiness, bent over and proceeded to do so with his new wife.
“-fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen –“ Alanna counted. “A minute and three seconds – Great Mother, they beat George n’me!”
The newly weds straightened from their kiss and turned to the crowd, waving. A huge cheer rose, followed by music and dancing.
Daine snuck away from all the people and slipped her hand into her new husband’s.
“Can we go?” she whispered. “I’m getting tired.”
“Not too tired, I hope,” Numair whispered back, grinning wickedly.
“Of course not!” scoffed Daine.
“Go throw the bouquet, Daine,” her husband replied. Daine walked to the crowd, counted to three and hurled the bouquet of white roses. Then she turned around and gasped in pleasure.
Kel had caught it and she turned a bright red when Cleon (A/N or Neal, have it your way) caught the whatever-grooms-throw.
“And they’ll live happily ever after,” Daine murmured, feeling Numair’s arm slip around her waist.
“That’s the way it should be,” he whispered back and he kissed her.
>>>J<<<
That night…
“Dearest?”
“Yes, Daine?” Numair murmured, lying next to his wife under the sweat soaked silken sheets. Daine rested her head against Numair’s bare, muscular chest.
“What’s going to happen to Serena?”
“She’s going to be shipped to the Copper Isles, where the King will deal with her. Don’t worry about it.” He kissed Daine’s neck, moving down slowly.
“I pray they’ll be just,” Daine whispered. “And I hope da doesn’t hurt her.”
Numair was too busy to pay much attention to what she was saying. “Don’t worry about it, Daine,” he murmured. “Keep your mind here and now. Tomorrow always comes. Worry about it then.”
Daine threw her head back and let her husband trail kissed down her body. “Be it as it will. Tomorrow will come – soon – enough.”
“Yes it will.”
“And so will the nights.”
>> @ The End @<<
Oh my god, I finished it! Yay! 35 pages and it’s done! Yipee! Rest time for me!
Buhbye.
ToRtaLLaN TaLeS II
>>>>> @ ~ @ <<<<<