ext_73550 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
fyliwionvilyaer.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
31_days2010-06-02 12:08 am
fyliwionvilyaer.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2010-06-02 12:08 am
(no subject)
Title: In a Different World
Day/Theme: There Exists a World/ Day 1
Series: Tamora Pierce's Immortal's Series
Character/Pairing: Daine/Numair
Rating: T
There exists a world in which she never met Onua.
Somehow she found Tortall anyway, and eventually stumbled upon Corus.
Instead of months, it took three and half years (with Tortall on the brink of war at that) for Numair to stumble upon the fur bundled creature that was Daine.
She learned quickly on it wasn’t too smart to trust humans, and a year of running in the woods, trying to stay away from them had lead to a fur cloak that probably contained 1000 patches of various animals, birds, and something’s even she didn’t recognized. She’d managed to piece them together, and even when helping in the warm kitchen she was rarely without it. In some ways it acted as reminder that the People where always with her.
It also meant the two-leggers mostly left her alone.
Until she met Numair.
“I think you have magic.”
He’d crouched down to meet stormy blue-grey eyes, and she pulled away like a cornered animal almost immediately.
It took three more tries before he finally got her to listen.
Three months, and she began letting him teach her lessons when they had time.
But for Numair it was a constant battle trying to get her to at least take another job, or quick her first one altogether. The “wild girl,” as most of staff called her, still barely spoke all that much, and most of the time she was skittish to try anything with her wild magic.
The only headway they’d gotten at all was the time he’d dragged her away from the bustling courtyards and stables and they’d caught sight of a sylph among the trees. For a moment he’d seen delight, youth in her face. She’d mumbled an age, but then he could believe she was no more than sixteen, maybe seventeen at best. Young.
He’d offered on more than one occasion to at least invest in some new garments, something other than the servant rags she’d been toting about in, although he did find it surprising that as much as she seemed to wear her strange fur like over cloak that was rarely dirty… half the time it acted like some sort of strange disguise, almost like he could never quite make out the young woman’s true face, shape, expression.
A year and she finally began to trust him.
A year and a half and he was awoken in the middle of the night by a frantic knocking at his door, and the fur clad wild girl, curls bouncing along her face (had he even been aware she had such long curls?) as she warned of an Immortals attack.
Twice more she saved the palace, and twice more she refused to let him introduce her to anyone.
And then Thayet held a ball.
That in itself was not remarkable. Thayet held many balls, and many several nights in a row. Unlike most of his friends, Numair even enjoyed going to balls, and Thayet happened to be holding three in a row this time. Right near midsummer, with a visiting party from Carthak including one of Numair’s old friends and Ozorne’s Nephew the Imperial Prince Kaddar.
He’d even tried to talk Daine into going once, but all he’d managed to do was end up having her stay least in sight for over a week. It took every inch of his patience to get her to so much as speak to him again.
But this ball he wished that his sometime student was coming, surprisingly. He hadn’t realized how much he enjoyed teaching, helping, training her and simply talking with her until he realized he was going to be stuck with Carthaki’s who’d want to dig up ancient history on him. The situation would likely be less enjoyable, and somehow he suspected would be far better with her at his side. (Was she a friend now? He wasn’t certain, but he liked to think of her as one.)
“Who do you think she is?” he jumped as a hand rested on his shoulder and he turned to see Alanna looking across the room musingly. “She didn’t come with the Carthaki entourage, and Galla didn’t send any of their ambassadors. She’s obviously no one I know either, which leads to the question who she’d be. Not to mention her surname…” the knight chewed on her lower lip, “Why does that sound familiar?”
“Huh?” Numair’s eyes looked around the room trying to catch sight of who Alanna was talking about, “I wasn’t listening. What did you say?”
“Her-“ said the knight pointing across the room, “The prince seems taken with her at least, but that doesn’t answer the question of who she is. The last thing we need is a hired assassin by Ozorne in the form of some girl. But Weirynsra… why does that name-“
Numair stopped listening as he looked at the girl in surprise. Familiar to say the least, “Daine?” he saw Alanna’s eyes widened, but as he continued to stare he shook his head, “It couldn’t be…”
Except they were oddly alike. True this girl was short, but still several inches taller than his magelet and her eyes were brighter, bluer than Daine’s.
He was across the room before Alanna could say another word.
She jumped at the sight of him, and his mind raced again but he brushed it off as coincidence. This young woman looked like she could be an heiress, and his magelet could barely afford new boots for winter. Her tumbling curls were soft around her shoulder, and although she had the same stubborn chin she poised it up firmly.
He bowed gracefully and took her hand, brushing a courtly kiss upon the knuckles, “Mi’lady-“ he said with a smile, “I’m not certain we’ve been introduced.”
Her brow furrowed, and he saw a thought run past her face Is it Daine? Wouldn’t she have told me? I would have been happy to escort her, so why would she have gone incognito? If she cleaned up but… he felt like a terrible teacher. Over a year, and without her fur cloak and layers of grim he wasn’t certain this girl was the same one he knew. Suddenly he wished he had tried that washing spell on her.
“Veralidaine Weirynsra,” she said and he picked up the hint of Gallan accent. Not as heavy as Daine’s, but Veralidaine? It has to be her… but then- fine. If she didn’t want to tell him he’d play along. He raised an eyebrow and he saw a faint blush tinge her cheeks.
He felt a grin spread across his face, “Numair Salmalin at your service.” He nodded towards the dance floor, “Would you like to dance?”
She stepped back worry flashing in her eyes, “Ah I’m not very-“
“It’s alright-“ he said still smiling and feeling better than he had all evening, “I suspected as much. Just one turn around on the floor, my feet can survive that much I believe.” He winked and pulled her out, “Agreed?”
“But I don’t… “
“Excellent.”
Alanna raised an eyebrow the next evening as Numair’s eyes ran back towards the door ever few minutes. She crossed her arms with an amused look gracing her face, “Alright lady-buck, explain, not only is she young but she’s also neither blond nor busty, so why fore do you woo with such vigor?”
“I am not wooing her for your information, and its private information. Until she wants me to I can’t say anything,” he sighed eyes looking back towards the doorway ever few seconds.
He felt a finger prod into his ribs and he winced looking down, angry violet eyes glared upwards, “You want me to bring it up to my husband dearest and dig it out? You’d best tell me sonny boy.”
He scowled, “It’s my personal business. I am allowed to have person business yes?”
“Does this have to do with your private lessons you’ve been having?”
“Alanna I already told you-“ he stopped mid-sentence as he caught sight of her from across the room. She appeared from seemingly know where, and this time was again deep in conversation with his Imperial Highness. She laughed, something he’d rarely seen in his enigmatic student, dressed like the sun and every bit as radiant as the Carthaki.
He could hear Alanna’s whistle, but ignored it as he waited until the prince finally pulled away, surprised at the stab in his gut as he saw the arrogant boy flirting shamelessly with her. “I’ll explain later Alanna.”
“Sure you will lady-buck, or you’ll be getting a visit from my husband later.”
He managed to snag her for the next dance before any of the wishful lads even had a chance.
“I don’t think this is a good idea…” she said the final night staring at the badger from across the room.
She’d gone to the ball as usual, this time she was suppose to tell Numair everything¸ or rather the Badger had threatened her quite soundly if she didn’t. Instead she’d run off before she’d even had a chance. Her teacher looking at her worriedly, and the prince (Had she really been dancing with a prince?) chasing her as well.
“Too late-“ said the Badger god looking miffed, “I already dropped one of your mother’s beads into his soup that you were making. They’ll call for you any moment now, and don’t even think about changing.” He said nudging her leg. “You will tell them everything.”
“But Badger!!!”
“Kit… they need you. The Gods need you. You need them. They are good people, you see that now, and the mage will help you. He cares about you, obviously, and you trust him at least. He wouldn’t let any thing happen to you.”
“Numair’s…”
“Your pony wishes to tell you that you promised her a nice warm stable sometime this year. You should keep your promise, you could have had that by now.”
Daine hung her head as the Badger continued to beret her, “Now here comes the cook.”
He felt worse as her story grew. Even as he stood up to stand behind her and explain his part to what might be called the entire court of Tortall, he half wondered if his own neck was going on the chopping block as well.
It helped a little when the Badger god showed up and stood next to them both.
Numair wasn’t certain how long it would take him to recover from everything.
He’d expected something along those lines, but nothing quite as drastic as that. The burned down home, the bandits, what she’d simply gone through to get there… it was little wonder she’d hidden under he fur cloak as long as she had- he could see Onua crying from across the table.. and Alanna’s fists were locked on the table.
He slipped an arm around her at some point as she continued her story, although he took up explaining when she began discussing wild magic. For that matter he made certain they understood that all the forewarning they’d had on Immortals had come from this source, although Jon looked ready to eat him alive for not mentioning her prior.
He still wasn’t certain why he’d even been willing to keep her a secret.
Given her dresses came from the Realms of the Gods; however, Numair half wondered if that didn’t have something to do with his decision.
…He’d been teaching a demi-Goddess and didn’t know it… figured.
But as Jon ordered new quarters in the mages wing, and Onua stood up to speak to the girl and promise they’d have quarters for her pony that night… Numair wondered if things wouldn’t work out for the best anyway.
Blue-grey eyes met his, and for the first time that evening she smiled.
Day/Theme: There Exists a World/ Day 1
Series: Tamora Pierce's Immortal's Series
Character/Pairing: Daine/Numair
Rating: T
There exists a world in which she never met Onua.
Somehow she found Tortall anyway, and eventually stumbled upon Corus.
Instead of months, it took three and half years (with Tortall on the brink of war at that) for Numair to stumble upon the fur bundled creature that was Daine.
She learned quickly on it wasn’t too smart to trust humans, and a year of running in the woods, trying to stay away from them had lead to a fur cloak that probably contained 1000 patches of various animals, birds, and something’s even she didn’t recognized. She’d managed to piece them together, and even when helping in the warm kitchen she was rarely without it. In some ways it acted as reminder that the People where always with her.
It also meant the two-leggers mostly left her alone.
Until she met Numair.
“I think you have magic.”
He’d crouched down to meet stormy blue-grey eyes, and she pulled away like a cornered animal almost immediately.
It took three more tries before he finally got her to listen.
Three months, and she began letting him teach her lessons when they had time.
But for Numair it was a constant battle trying to get her to at least take another job, or quick her first one altogether. The “wild girl,” as most of staff called her, still barely spoke all that much, and most of the time she was skittish to try anything with her wild magic.
The only headway they’d gotten at all was the time he’d dragged her away from the bustling courtyards and stables and they’d caught sight of a sylph among the trees. For a moment he’d seen delight, youth in her face. She’d mumbled an age, but then he could believe she was no more than sixteen, maybe seventeen at best. Young.
He’d offered on more than one occasion to at least invest in some new garments, something other than the servant rags she’d been toting about in, although he did find it surprising that as much as she seemed to wear her strange fur like over cloak that was rarely dirty… half the time it acted like some sort of strange disguise, almost like he could never quite make out the young woman’s true face, shape, expression.
A year and she finally began to trust him.
A year and a half and he was awoken in the middle of the night by a frantic knocking at his door, and the fur clad wild girl, curls bouncing along her face (had he even been aware she had such long curls?) as she warned of an Immortals attack.
Twice more she saved the palace, and twice more she refused to let him introduce her to anyone.
And then Thayet held a ball.
That in itself was not remarkable. Thayet held many balls, and many several nights in a row. Unlike most of his friends, Numair even enjoyed going to balls, and Thayet happened to be holding three in a row this time. Right near midsummer, with a visiting party from Carthak including one of Numair’s old friends and Ozorne’s Nephew the Imperial Prince Kaddar.
He’d even tried to talk Daine into going once, but all he’d managed to do was end up having her stay least in sight for over a week. It took every inch of his patience to get her to so much as speak to him again.
But this ball he wished that his sometime student was coming, surprisingly. He hadn’t realized how much he enjoyed teaching, helping, training her and simply talking with her until he realized he was going to be stuck with Carthaki’s who’d want to dig up ancient history on him. The situation would likely be less enjoyable, and somehow he suspected would be far better with her at his side. (Was she a friend now? He wasn’t certain, but he liked to think of her as one.)
“Who do you think she is?” he jumped as a hand rested on his shoulder and he turned to see Alanna looking across the room musingly. “She didn’t come with the Carthaki entourage, and Galla didn’t send any of their ambassadors. She’s obviously no one I know either, which leads to the question who she’d be. Not to mention her surname…” the knight chewed on her lower lip, “Why does that sound familiar?”
“Huh?” Numair’s eyes looked around the room trying to catch sight of who Alanna was talking about, “I wasn’t listening. What did you say?”
“Her-“ said the knight pointing across the room, “The prince seems taken with her at least, but that doesn’t answer the question of who she is. The last thing we need is a hired assassin by Ozorne in the form of some girl. But Weirynsra… why does that name-“
Numair stopped listening as he looked at the girl in surprise. Familiar to say the least, “Daine?” he saw Alanna’s eyes widened, but as he continued to stare he shook his head, “It couldn’t be…”
Except they were oddly alike. True this girl was short, but still several inches taller than his magelet and her eyes were brighter, bluer than Daine’s.
He was across the room before Alanna could say another word.
She jumped at the sight of him, and his mind raced again but he brushed it off as coincidence. This young woman looked like she could be an heiress, and his magelet could barely afford new boots for winter. Her tumbling curls were soft around her shoulder, and although she had the same stubborn chin she poised it up firmly.
He bowed gracefully and took her hand, brushing a courtly kiss upon the knuckles, “Mi’lady-“ he said with a smile, “I’m not certain we’ve been introduced.”
Her brow furrowed, and he saw a thought run past her face Is it Daine? Wouldn’t she have told me? I would have been happy to escort her, so why would she have gone incognito? If she cleaned up but… he felt like a terrible teacher. Over a year, and without her fur cloak and layers of grim he wasn’t certain this girl was the same one he knew. Suddenly he wished he had tried that washing spell on her.
“Veralidaine Weirynsra,” she said and he picked up the hint of Gallan accent. Not as heavy as Daine’s, but Veralidaine? It has to be her… but then- fine. If she didn’t want to tell him he’d play along. He raised an eyebrow and he saw a faint blush tinge her cheeks.
He felt a grin spread across his face, “Numair Salmalin at your service.” He nodded towards the dance floor, “Would you like to dance?”
She stepped back worry flashing in her eyes, “Ah I’m not very-“
“It’s alright-“ he said still smiling and feeling better than he had all evening, “I suspected as much. Just one turn around on the floor, my feet can survive that much I believe.” He winked and pulled her out, “Agreed?”
“But I don’t… “
“Excellent.”
Alanna raised an eyebrow the next evening as Numair’s eyes ran back towards the door ever few minutes. She crossed her arms with an amused look gracing her face, “Alright lady-buck, explain, not only is she young but she’s also neither blond nor busty, so why fore do you woo with such vigor?”
“I am not wooing her for your information, and its private information. Until she wants me to I can’t say anything,” he sighed eyes looking back towards the doorway ever few seconds.
He felt a finger prod into his ribs and he winced looking down, angry violet eyes glared upwards, “You want me to bring it up to my husband dearest and dig it out? You’d best tell me sonny boy.”
He scowled, “It’s my personal business. I am allowed to have person business yes?”
“Does this have to do with your private lessons you’ve been having?”
“Alanna I already told you-“ he stopped mid-sentence as he caught sight of her from across the room. She appeared from seemingly know where, and this time was again deep in conversation with his Imperial Highness. She laughed, something he’d rarely seen in his enigmatic student, dressed like the sun and every bit as radiant as the Carthaki.
He could hear Alanna’s whistle, but ignored it as he waited until the prince finally pulled away, surprised at the stab in his gut as he saw the arrogant boy flirting shamelessly with her. “I’ll explain later Alanna.”
“Sure you will lady-buck, or you’ll be getting a visit from my husband later.”
He managed to snag her for the next dance before any of the wishful lads even had a chance.
“I don’t think this is a good idea…” she said the final night staring at the badger from across the room.
She’d gone to the ball as usual, this time she was suppose to tell Numair everything¸ or rather the Badger had threatened her quite soundly if she didn’t. Instead she’d run off before she’d even had a chance. Her teacher looking at her worriedly, and the prince (Had she really been dancing with a prince?) chasing her as well.
“Too late-“ said the Badger god looking miffed, “I already dropped one of your mother’s beads into his soup that you were making. They’ll call for you any moment now, and don’t even think about changing.” He said nudging her leg. “You will tell them everything.”
“But Badger!!!”
“Kit… they need you. The Gods need you. You need them. They are good people, you see that now, and the mage will help you. He cares about you, obviously, and you trust him at least. He wouldn’t let any thing happen to you.”
“Numair’s…”
“Your pony wishes to tell you that you promised her a nice warm stable sometime this year. You should keep your promise, you could have had that by now.”
Daine hung her head as the Badger continued to beret her, “Now here comes the cook.”
He felt worse as her story grew. Even as he stood up to stand behind her and explain his part to what might be called the entire court of Tortall, he half wondered if his own neck was going on the chopping block as well.
It helped a little when the Badger god showed up and stood next to them both.
Numair wasn’t certain how long it would take him to recover from everything.
He’d expected something along those lines, but nothing quite as drastic as that. The burned down home, the bandits, what she’d simply gone through to get there… it was little wonder she’d hidden under he fur cloak as long as she had- he could see Onua crying from across the table.. and Alanna’s fists were locked on the table.
He slipped an arm around her at some point as she continued her story, although he took up explaining when she began discussing wild magic. For that matter he made certain they understood that all the forewarning they’d had on Immortals had come from this source, although Jon looked ready to eat him alive for not mentioning her prior.
He still wasn’t certain why he’d even been willing to keep her a secret.
Given her dresses came from the Realms of the Gods; however, Numair half wondered if that didn’t have something to do with his decision.
…He’d been teaching a demi-Goddess and didn’t know it… figured.
But as Jon ordered new quarters in the mages wing, and Onua stood up to speak to the girl and promise they’d have quarters for her pony that night… Numair wondered if things wouldn’t work out for the best anyway.
Blue-grey eyes met his, and for the first time that evening she smiled.