~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~ And Who? ~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~ Ioka Zagya picked up his earthen-made plate. He silently placed it in the wooden bucket that served as a washing basin for the little dwelling of his brother, and his sister by marriage. There were no gold gilded plates for this meal. Ioka had lived with his brother for years now, who were servants, not slaves, and worked in the fields of the Emperor Kaddar. Imart and Laza Zagya were allowed to marry, allowed children and their own homes. They were paid for their service. Ioka was not... And yet, because he was favored in the eyes of the emperor, he had been permitted to live with his family instead of the small rooms filled with many bodies on hard floors. For this he was very grateful. Ioka would have been a servant too, if it had not been for his parents selling him into slavery when he was very young. The family had needed food, the emperor more slaves; thus his current position. "Baba," he heard a voice whisper softly behind his back, and he almost smiled. "Chache mpwa, why are you not asleep?" he picked up the little girl and laid her back down on her brightly woven sleeping pallet. Ioka had come in later than usual that night, the emperor had needed his assistance far into the evening. Imart and Laza were both sleeping, as was the small black haired baby who rested between his weary parents. But obviously one little girl was not. "You are too noisy, baba." the little girl said in Common, and using the word for 'uncle' in the tounge of the Carthaki people. Ioka smirked. His little niece knew full well he could be as quiet as a soft desert wind if needed. And it was needed to keep his brother's wife pleased with him. "Sleep, mpwa. You have a long, hot day ahead of you. Is not tomorrow market day?" The little girl's dark eyes widened in excitement. "Eewaa, baba! I will bring you back something! What do you want? A fig? Orange?" "An orange will do fine, Zuala. Thank you. Now, sleep." The girl nodded and closed her eyes tightly, willing sleep to take her as only children could. Ioka opened the window board as wide as possible before going to his own pallet on the other side of the large one room hut. Imart and Laza's room was sectioned off with a vividly patterned tapestry of reds, blues, and oranges. It was pulled back slightly as it was every night. Imart liked to be able to keep an eye on all around him. Ioka admired that trait in his younger brother, and practiced it himself. He had had to do so this morning. Certainly he had been treading the thin line between sand and quicksand... Talking to foreigners so extensively could cause any number of troubles with nobles and those placed over slaves. Ioka's lip curled involuntarily, yet he willed his face smooth again. True, slavery was not his choice, of course he would rather have a position like-to his brothers. Serving his emperor, by choice. Able to have a small hut to call his own, a family... Ioka shook his head at that. Visions of screaming babies and tag-along toddlers assaulted him. No, he was not ready for a family quite yet. And yet, he knew it was a very unlikely thing for him to be relapsed from slavery, and made a servant. Ioka had of course noticed the changes that had begun ever since Emperor Kaddar had taken the throne...but slaves had been a part of Carthak a very long time, Ioka could not see the end. His thoughts took a slightly different turn as he remembered the conversation of that morning. The mage, he had seemed interesting, if not more than a bit antagonizing. And the woman...he did not know about the woman. The woman with the wide gray eyes of the rainy season clouds. She had caught him off guard a number of times. Ioka had thought of one thing the Master Salmalin had said to him all day as he went about following the emperor wherever his masters high station took him. Today had been made up of much research on tigers and those within captivity in Carthak lands, while the two Tortallan guests were resting. The emperor seemed worried about something. He had taken exquisite detail on much, bringing on the late hours. "The university, you enjoyed it? I know they do not allow slaves there, thus you must have gone as any other person; free." The dark slave turned his head and shut his eyes tightly. The man was right. He had enjoyed it. It was the highest point of his life hence far, even more so than becoming the emperors trusted personal slave. Of course, the slaves had been very closely watched. Most had been servants, not slaves at all, but it had still been unlike anything on the other side of the river. And the books, so many! He had spent hours cross-legged on the floor of the great library, trying to memorize every jot, every diddle of any work that had interested him. Markedly, those on animals and animal magic. Wild magic, he reminded himself silently, eyes darting quickly to the side at the sound of a body stirring. It was naught but little Zuala turning on her side. Wild magic. Did this have any bearing to him? Why had he felt it was so important for him to seek information on such a subject? He had never realized any unusual bond with animals...and magic? He was fairly certain he had no Gift, nothing that could be related to such a thing. He had heard the Lady Veralidaine had this magic. She was said to be The Wildmage. Nearly everyone in Carthak knew of her destruction of the palace, and of her role in the great Immortals war and death of the former Emperor Ozorne. She was so very strange... The palace servants and slaves were alive with talk of her. Many feared, most were angry. She had, after all, destroyed much of what they had loved and called home, and many had not made it out alive. All for one man, whom she had thought was not even living. Ioka had been sensible and realistic, saying it had been the gods-cursed Ozorne, not this woman's fault, but they would have none of it. The people were strong and vehement in their opinions when they actually chose them. Of course, none dared show these to anyone of importance. Ioka scratched a bug bite on his neck absently, opening the window wider had let in more than the cool night air. He shifted to become comfortable and slipped off into thoughtless sleep. It was too late to be mulling over thoughts and questions that had no answers. Tomorrow would be a long, hot day for him as well. Tiger hunting. ~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~ And How? ~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~ "Oh, Numair... Rise and shine!" Daine said in her loves ear and leaned down to give him a thorough waking up kiss. She was fully dressed and prepared to walk out the door. Numair was still in bed snoring. She had already woken him up once when she had gotten out of bed, and yet there he was still. The kiss seemed to have worked though, as Daine felt his lips beginning to move against hers and a large hand came up to pull her closer, almost making her fall on top of him. "Mmph! Numair, we don't have time to lounge around." she said around his kisses. As much as she was enjoying it, she had to get him up and dressed before they were called by the emperor. Today was the main reason they had come to Carthak. To get a pair of tigers who would be suitable for the menagerie.  The mage released Daine with a sigh followed by a yawn. Long legs brought the sheets alive and she laughed quietly. "Numair, stretch your legs all the way out." He looked at her suspiciously with sleepy eyes. "Why?" She gave him a look and he reluctantly obeyed. "Thought so. Your legs don't fit on the bed! How did you manage to sleep on it the night before and last night?" He shrugged. "I've gotten used to such things, I suppose. It's rare to find a bed as comfortable as I would like. Though, the one in my room is long enough." She nodded. "We can move in there tonight, this bed is sort of small for the two of us, anyway." She slapped his stomach. "Up, master mage! We've got lots to do today. Frankly, I'm surprised we haven't been summoned yet." He groaned and finally rose and began putting himself together. They were out of Daine's room in a reasonable amount of time and looked around for any directions as to what exactly they would be doing.  "How do you think it will go, Numair?" Daine asked softly at they sat on a bench in the inner courtyard. Numair set his elbows on his knees and looked thoughtful. "I really don't know, magelet, all we can do is hope for the best. We may not even find anything suitable today." his face darkened. "Mithros. I wish I could have done something to have stopped all this." Daine shook her head. "You know there was nothing else you could do. And there's no point dwelling on it, gods know I have enough." Kit whistled, an alert to the distant approach of a certain slave with a certain peculiar gait. Ioka, Daine thought with a slight smile. She always enjoyed time with the man, though she had only met him a few days ago. He was interesting in a way she had thought only Numair could be. They were both very much alike, surprisingly enough. Maybe this was the reason they got on each others nerves so easily. "Good morning, Ioka!" he almost smiled at her exuberance, and nodded with a bow. "Are my lord and lady prepared to leave?" Numair answered shortly as they rose from the bench. "Quite." The three made their way through any number of courtyards and gardens before finally reaching their destination. Though the may have had to move the palace, things were still as beautiful and ornate as before. As they approached a building Daine recognized it as the stable where they had gotten horses the first time in Carthak. But this she knew from the appearance of the building, and not the usual way she knew such things; by sensing the animals inside. Numair grimaced. Daine patted his back sympathetically, knowing he was not relishing the thought of a horseback ride and wishing for his reliable mount back in Tortall. She couldn't even request that his horse he was given here be easy on the inadept mage. "Do you want me to have Kitten speak to it?" she whispered as they came into the large courtyard and saw four horses tacked up and waiting patiently. He shook his head. "I'd rather you not. Who knows what she might convey. I think she's still mad at me for thwarting all of her runaway attempts. You say slow, Kit says bolt." Daine chuckled and squeezed his hand. The emperor's arrival was hard to miss, just as it had been the day before when he took the couple out to see a some sights of Carthak. He was preceded by a company of 4 soldiers, with two bodyguards on either side of him, and two more guards in the rear. Daine shook her head inwardly. Things had become dangerous for the emperor of Carthak. Even more so than before. Daine looked to the side at the sound of loud clattering ringing out. Four grooms came jogging around the corner with eight fully saddled horses in tow, weapons banging and clanging from both sides of each. Numair muttered something under his breath and Daine sighed. They had both hoped for a smaller contingent on this trip. "Numair, Daine! Are you both ready? Shall we saddle up?" Emperor Kaddar, dressed considerably down in fine breeches, shirt and tunic, looked at Daine anxiously and she smiled. The wildmage was ready to go. Ready to find a willing pair of tigers, regain her wild magic  and be on her way home to pick her life back up. Grooms pointed out mounts, adjusted tack, and soon all twelve riders and horses were off down a quiet street that lead to the outskirts of the palace and on to a type of holding pen that had been arranged to keep pairs of tigers. Daine glanced behind her and got a smile from her mage. He had been assigned a smooth moving, big horse, not just leggy, but big. Daine knew it had to have more than a little charger blood, and wondered how Carthakian's could have come across such an animal. They were not much suited to the hot weather of the desert, nor had they the stamina needed to slog through deep sand for any great length of time. Whatever the reason, Daine was happy to see Numair easily managing the gentle giant. She had been placed on a slight boned, light colored chestnut stallion. She had been surprised to find out his gender, as his temperament suggested that of a docile gelding. She was enjoying him thoroughly thus far, a help to keep her mind of the coming events. Kitten had her own seat in a large saddlebag at the shoulder of Numair's horse. She would have been too much for Daine's chestnut to carry. The surroundings began to change, and did so abruptly as they trotted out of one of the palaces side gates. A few yards away from the walls and it ceased to be manicured and kept under control. Scrub and sand were predominant. The party slowed to a mild walk and Daine urged her stallion up next to Ioka, who was the closest person that might have any useful information. "Ioka, how far will we be riding?" He glanced up at her from the orange he was peeling. "Not far, for thirty minutes perhaps?" She nodded and tightened her reins to fall back to Numair's side. But Ioka held out a slice of orange to her. "Would you like to try some?" She was startled at his unexpected offer, but took the proffered slice. She was glad she had when the cool, sweet juice ran down her already dry throat. She looked at him in amazement. "That was delicious, I've not had better at the king's table." He nodded. "My niece is an excellent judge of such things." "Niece? You have a niece?" Daine was ashamed at the amount surprise in her voice. Why shouldn't he have a niece! It was just...she thought slaves were usually family-less. "Ah, yes, I do. She is as beautiful as a flower newly rained upon after the dry season. And as sweet as that fruit you just tasted. But also as willful as the emperor's mare up ahead." He jerked his chin in the direction. And as if to validate his words the mare in question flung her head up and down several times, bit and bridle jingling. Daine laughed. "I should like to meet this girl. But, I thought-" "You thought slaves all lived together. You thought right, my lady Veralidaine-" "Daine, please. Veralidaine is too much of a mouthful." Ioka nodded amiably. "I agree. To finish what I was saying; the slaves do live together, all but I. The emperor granted that I be able to stay with my brother and his family on the servants plots. A grant which I am daily thankful for." Daine could imagine. But, why couldn't Kaddar just release Ioka from slave station to that of a servant? Daine thanked Ioka for the orange and let Numair catch up with her. He was speaking into a sparkling black globe that levitated on the palm of his hand. The man looked up briefly with a small smile at her appearance before resuming his report. Undoubtedly to King Jonathan. She was glad to see him so comfortable on his mount as to use a spell aboard him. Spots hated to have magic worked on him. The large horse Numair was astride now was lazily flicking flies and following the horse in front of him with no mind to the strange things being worked on his back. Maybe that's why they have this horse, for the visiting mages, Daine thought with amusement. Numair closed his hand, causing the ball to disappear, and placed both hands back on the reins. "Good or bad talk?" she asked him. "Neutral." was the response. She smiled, neutral was always better than bad. He continued. "But things are fine back in Tortall. Alanna, is fine." he said, knowing she was about to ask. Daine nodded in relief. She hadn't been able to shake a bad feeling about Alanna ever since they had parted that day when she heard Numair's strange premonition concerning the Lioness. "Jon says Onua had some surprising news. Seems Cloud has joined the Riders at the summer camp and is willingly ferrying officers around." "The Riders? But, they had already left, hadn't they? She didn't...I'm going to skin her!" "Daine, it wasn't far, besides she went with a supply train, it wasn't like she was strolling through the woods alone." Daine tried to calm down and listen. He was right. It was just...Cloud wasn't a young filly anymore, she wasn't even a mare, she was an older mare. Daine knew her connection with the pony had a lot to do with Cloud's prolonged energy and lifetime, but how long could it last? Numair gave her a comforting look. Just then the emperor's head bodyguard called for a halt. Daine glanced around and saw a large tent in the distance. Metal glinted with the fierce sun, and she knew those flashes of light must be where the tigers awaited. "Here goes nothing," she muttered. Emperor Kaddar asked Numair and her to come up along side him as they made their way across the shifting sand to tent and cages. On the tent, chimes made sweet music in the soft desert wind. A bear of a man with a long black beard came out of the tent bowing and consulted with the emperor. They turned to the Tortallans. "This is Yazu, Master Numair, Lady Veralidaine. He is the man who helped capture all these pairs of tigers. Hopefully we will find one you can bring back north with you." The large man bowed to each of the guests. "It is my pleasure, nobility's. I have found the best of all the lands of Carthak for you to see. I assure you you will find something to your liking. And do not worry, we will not have such a, a, accident, as happened in your country." Numair raised a dark brow and was about to open his mouth to say the gods know what, before Daine nudged her stallion close to his gelding, causing the other horse to back away and Numair clutching to regain his shaky balance.  Yazu smirked and gestured that they dismount and follow him to the cages. Ioka came quickly to her side, his gray desert mare in tow. He seemed to think she would need assistance in getting down from her stallion's saddle. Daine laughed inwardly but allowed him to take her hands. She glanced behind her to make sure Numair had regained control of his horse and then her hands met with the man's below her. And Daine felt like she were being swallowed into a black hole. But there were voices... "Stupid man, does he think we have no brains at all? Pya, we've weakened this point of the fence suitably, it will fall easily." "What will we do against all those humans coming towards us? Tuzak, the tall man smells of magic, you know what that can mean. I say we wait! "Silence! You are not in ch-" And Daine was unable to hear more. She jerked awake to find herself laying on the hot sand and squinting up into three very worried faces. Numair was muttering something about healing magic but he was cursing so much she couldn't make out the actual words. She'd have to talk to him about his word choice later. Ioka was staying far from her, yet she could see the apprehension and concern in his dark eyes. Kaddar was holding one of her hands tightly and shading her face with a fan. She coughed to alert them to her consciousness and they all jumped. "Daine! Daine, what happened, how do you feel?" Numair said touching her forehead and brushing the sand from her hair. "I don't know. Numair, I-I heard someone talking..." His dark brows shot down and he looked at her hard. "You heard speaking? Who?" "I'm not sure, I can't even remember the strange names, but they were talking about breaking out of a fence..." Daine searched everything she knew about magic. She knew this had been no natural occurrence, but what was the reason for such strange magic to have happened to her? "Daine, when did it happen? I was too busy trying to get the dratted horse to stand still that I didn't see anything. Ioka here started shouting and I saw him pull you from your saddle." Daine sat up and with Numair's help regained her feet. Kaddar gave her his waterskin and she felt better after she took a few sips. "Ioka," she nodded to the man who was fidgeting over where he held the horses. "was going to help me off my stallion and I took his hands....and felt like I was falling-" Numair squinted at her and then threw a look to Ioka. He had a thoughtful air, and rubbed the side of his nose. Oh, no, here we go... thought Daine dryly. "Ioka, my man, would you please come here?" Numair asked. The man looked to his emperor and Kaddar nodded. "What do you think happened, Numair? Are you sure your okay, Daine?" Kaddar asked. She smiled at him weakly. "I'm fine, truly. Just a little shaken up, as I've right I suppose." Ioka was approaching the mage and Numair asked him something Daine couldn't hear. The slave thought a moment before nodding. Numair closed his eyes. Ioka watched him with a curiously raised eyebrow. Yazul came up at this, "Your Imperial Majesty, what is the hold up? These tigers can be held only so long before we must let them go." Daine left Kaddar to deal with the testy tiger-keeper and went to stand beside her teacher and love. She smiled at Ioka reassuringly and he nodded at her. Numair opened his eyes and looked at Ioka with surprise obvious on his swarthy, and very sweaty, face. He then favored her with a glance before looking back to the slave. "Ioka, have you, were you ever tested for magical ability?" The man nodded slowly. "Yes, I was. It was a negative result. "Of course, they wouldn't know what to look for, I am basically the only mage barring Lindhall who knows anything on this subject..." Numair muttered to himself for a moment before Daine finally shook his arm. "Numair, what happened to me? Does Ioka have something to do with it? He looked at her. "Sorry, magelet. You know-" "I know you," she said before he could finish. He smiled slightly at her. "Ioka here, has the slightest bit of wild magic. I didn't see it before because one, I wasn't looking, and two, it's not a large enough quantity to warrant any kind of notice." he frowned. "But something reacted with your wildmagic, Daine, and with a very strange effect..." He looked at them both and settled on Ioka. "Would you mind touching Daine again?" "If it will help the Lady Daine, of course not." Numair nodded at Ioka's outstretched hand. "Daine?" The wildmage stretched forth her own hand and watched as it were enveloped in Ioka's dark, callused hardened palm. Numair had moved behind her to make sure she didn't fall a second time. The falling sensation was absent this time, but Daine still felt a strange pull and overall nervousness. "Striker, leave me be, you overgrown colt." "Please! I can't reach and you have access to places I can't get to!" A sigh. "Oh, all right, get over here. I still don't forgive you for knocking into me earlier." "That wasn't my fault!" Daine startled to awareness again. The horses. She had heard the horses! Daine dropped Ioka's hand. She whirled around, jumped, and grabbed Numair around the neck laughing and crying at the same time. He staggered backwards to keep their balance and started asking questions even as he laughed himself at her jubilation. It was like coming home. Hearing the voices in her head again that were so different from humans...she had missed the People so much. "I heard the horses, Numair! I-I could hear the animals again..." he laughed and kissed her soundly before depositing her back on the sand. "So I gathered, my magelet. And so, something reacts with Ioka's wild magic...allowing you to hear animals through him. Yet, he cannot hear animals himself... This is very, very strange." he gained a far-off look in his eyes, no doubt his mind running twice as fast trying to figure out all the implications of this latest occurance. Daine smiled, she knew with Numair on the job, it wouldn't be strange for very long. He wouldn't stand for it. She looked over to Ioka, who was still behaving awfully nervously, and gave him a reassuring smile. And for once, his dark face didn't just try to smile, it did. And what a beautiful smile it was. Made even more so because she knew he could be the help she needed to regain her wildmagic and all that she held dear. She sighed, grabbing an distracted Numair's hand and hugging it to her side. Things were definitely looking up. NEW!! ~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~ And Soon? ~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~ [Authors Note: Here we are, Chapter 9. I think the next chapter will be the last of the And Now? Series. I may go on with it after along absence, but I'm not sure. Could be fun! As always, let me know your opinions of the story in a review! Thank you to all those who have encouraged me thus far. Yall are fabulous! Daine woke up painfully, early that morning. Day one of tiger hunting had left her very, very sunburnt. "Mithros, Mynnos, and Shakith...." the young brown haired woman whispered tightly. She didn't want to wake Numair, who was breathing contentedly on the far side of the bed, but as she touched her hot face gingerly she was beginning to rethink that decision. Misery loves company, she thought dryly. She rose up on an elbow and scrutinized her former teacher's face. Despite her recent thoughts, she was happy to see his swarthy skin had done much to protect the man from the sun's rays. Daine inched out of bed and went to the door. There, she asked a slave girl quietly for an extremely cold basin of water and a pile of clean towels. By the time Daine had a light white shirt and a thin blue skirt donned the door was tapped on gently. She pulled it back to reveal Ioka nodding at her in a silent greeting. "Ioka! I didn't expect you, I hope I'm not keeping you from the Emperor..." "No, Lady Daine. The Emperor slumbers yet. I intercepted the slave girl and with minimal questioning found you were suffering from shemshi chomo." Daine frowned in puzzlement. "Shem-whatsits? You can be as bad as Numair sometimes." Ioka licked his lips, something Daine had discovered to be a covering for a forming smile. "My apologies, Lady. Shemshi chomo, sunburn. I am known to be a good hand with cures for burns. I thought you might appreciate experience." The woman nodded with a grimace. She had taken to fanning her face with a bit of parchment to assuage the heat. She certainly wouldn't mind experience! "Please," Ioka gestured toward a padded bench and after a moments hesitation she took a seat. Ioka stepped in front of her and began pulling various vials and small bowls from a sack that had been hidden from her view behind his back. He placed them on the small table near the door. "Msubili, or aloe, as you would call it." he held a long, thin green piece of plant up to her eyes. A leaf? It was curious looking, she had seen nothing like it in Tortall. On one end, where it was broken off from the main plant, a light greenish-white sap oozed. "This is my main ingredient, it is very effective." Ioka fell silent as he pulled out various other plants and began crushing or squeezing them before mixing them together. Daine watched, silently intrigued. She saw his lips move several times. Did Carthakians worship plants? She hadn't thought so. It was more than just mutterings, as Numair often did when studying spells. Finally he had poured each small bowl into one and stooped in front of her. "May I? I believe, if I keep a sufficient amount of the mixture between your skin and mine, that we will not have another strange...occurrence." He was holding up two very generously slathered fingers. Daine nodded, ceased her parchment fanning and braced for pain and/or a curious feeling. Truth was, she wasn't entirely unwilling for another such encounter as he spoke of. The pain of not hearing her dearest friends was worse than the strangeness of the connection with Ioka. Happily, the expected pain from her burns never began. In fact, all of the pain on her face stopped completely within a few seconds after the mixture touched her skin. All she felt was a blessed coolness. "Horse Lords, that is amazing. Where ever did you learn such a cure?" Ioka continued slathering her face and moved on to her outstretched arms. "It is something I discovered years ago, when I was a boy." Daine watched his face, noticing a reluctance to share more. "You know, you could make a fortune off of this in Tortall." she told him with a grin. The fair skinned Scanrans would nearly sell their children for it also, she knew. And of course native Carthakians were not immune to the occasional burn. "I could never do such a thing, I am but a slave." Daine frowned at that but said nothing. "Even if I had the desire and ability to do so, I have found when others attempt to make my chomo cure...it does not have the desired effect." Daine was sure she didn't want to know what the undesired effect was. "Well whatever it is, I certainly am grateful to you for it, Ioka. Thank you." "It was a pleasure to be of assistance, Lady Daine." Ioka finished with her arms and asked where else she had been burnt. She directed him to the back of her neck and after he moved behind her and began to apply the medicine, the wildmage heard sheets rustle. Moment's later Numair's tousled head popped up and he squinted at the scene before him. "Daine?" was the sleepy question. "Morning, sweet. I got a bit too much sun yesterday. Ioka has this wonderful medicine. It's almost as good as my ma's." "Really?" he said, sounding intrigued. She knew now he would want to know all about it. Ioka bowed to Numair, who was now sitting upright in bed. "I will be done in just a moment, Master Salmalin. Forgive me for the intrusion." "Not at all, Ioka. I am grateful for your help. As I am sure Daine is. I had worried even last night that her ruddy complexion would waken her in a less than favorable condition. And mood." he winked at her. Ioka, true to his word, swiftly finished his ministrations and left quietly, leaving the mixture with her and instructions for two more layers that night and again the next morning. "Magelet," Numair said after dressing. "Do you smell magic in the room?" The young woman looked up from making the bed and frowned, concentrating. "No, though you always have a faint smell on you. Maybe I've grown immune to small amounts. Why? What are you thinking?" "I don't know..." he wandered about the room and ended up near the door. "Interesting. It's originating from Ioka's concoction…" he picked up the bowl and ran a hand over it. Black fire mixed with white flecks, Numair's Gift, covered the top and mixed through the blend. He looked up with a grin. "Wild magic. I'm certain of it." "Numair, Ioka said that whenever anyone else tried to make his mixture, it didn't work. I also saw him muttering over the plants as he mixed them. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" "Somewhere along those lines. Wild magic can be elemental as well as many other things." He rubbed the side of his nose and sat on Daine's earlier vacated seat. The young woman smiled at him and told him she was going for a walk before the Emperor summoned them for another day of tiger searching. She was sure she would be of no use to him while he was doing magic with his Gift. He waved a hand at her distractedly and told her to be careful. To be careful, Daine smiled. Old habits die hard. As she strode along the path, a soft desert wind stirring her skirt, Daine reminisced. Things were changing, and she hoped for the best. The brick wall they had hit seemed to be weakening. The first cracks had begun to appear, and Daine's heart leapt. Daine's physical self leapt seconds later when she heard the sound of a voice off to the side. "Good morning, Daine! I came over to see how you were faring; maybe we should take a break from the search today. Sunburns do not usually take kindly to more sun so soon." Daine turned to face Emperor Kaddar and returned his morning greeting before answering his suggestion. "Actually, I feel just fine, Imperial Majesty. Does my face still look red? It isn't near as hot. Ioka has an amazing talent." Kaddar looked at her face closely and a slow smile spread over his lips. "Your face is as beautiful as it has always been." The wildmage blushed slightly at that. He laughed at her embarrassment and then said quietly, "Master Salmalin is a very lucky man." Daine looked into his eyes sharply and then away again, biting her lip. I guess that was easy enough, if not totally painless. "Thank you," she said quietly. Before she could stop herself she said more than she had planned, "Others, sometimes don't seem to see it that way. I was afraid, maybe-" "Walk with me, Daine." He offered her his elbow and she accepted his invitation. "I do not want to seem presumptuous, but I see a great deal of underlying emotion in these few words you've spoken. Yet, I do know that I have seen great love in both of your eyes for each other. If I had to guess, I'd say you are both teetering on the edge of run or fall. Run from each others arms, or fall into them." Daine listened closely, and found truth and wisdom in Kaddar's words. He was still speaking. "-I could never condemn you're love. You are both smart adults. I think you both knew what you were getting into years ago. I hope it doesn't take tragedy to make things as they should be." "As for me not approving?" Kaddar smirked. "Do you remember, the first time you came to Carthak, a certain dinner? As well as a certain very tall, intimidating man whom came to our dinner table. Do you recall what he warned me of?" Daine struggled to keep from giggling. She had been mortified at the time, but now it seemed funny. "Quite clearly, yes, Your Majesty. I believe, he was afraid for my virtue with such a dashing young man." "Ah, yes, it was just so. I was also at you're reunion that night my father was transformed into a Stormwing." She saw emotion flicker through his eyes briefly and squeezed his arm. "He loved you even then, Daine. And it saddened me to an extent. You were one of the first to treat me as a person, not as the heir of Carthak, or an unwanted human being." "And so, I was somewhat prepared for the pair I saw at dinner nights ago. Though not certain." He paused briefly. "I don't know what I'm trying to say exactly, but I hope I am making some kind of sense. I treasure both of you, Daine, and want to see your joy fulfilled." Daine blinked back watery eyes. "Thank you, Kaddar, you are a true friend." As if on cue a voice filled the air about them. "Magelet! Come quickly, I think I've found something you might want to hear about." Kaddar was looking about wildly and Daine couldn't help but laugh at him. "Don't worry Your Majesty, he's not going to pop out of thin air. He certainly is quite proud of this new speaking spell he can accomplish with the unGifted." The Emperor looked amazed. "As I would be! I will certainly have to speak to him about this. Incredible." The pair headed quickly back to Numair's room. Before they entered Daine stopped Kaddar. "Thank you again. You did help." Kaddar smiled and bowed slightly. "I'm glad to have been of assistance, Lady Daine." Numair didn't look up as they entered, quite absorbed in whatever he was doing with the bowl in front of him. He quickly came to himself as he noticed gold gilded sandals and bowed low to the Emperor. "Forgive me Your Majesty, I hadn't known Daine had a walking companion." Numair said, looking curious for short moment before he began explaining what had excited him so. "Daine, what did Ioka call this ointment?"
		And NeXt...