**Disclaimer - Numair, Daine, Alanna, King Jon, and all the other characters EXCEPT my cutie patootie Ioka and his brother, and his brothers family, are Tamora Pierces. Also the wonderful land of Tortall and surrounding world. I have no claim to them! Just like borrowin 'em, ^_~

Email: Mstryhrs02@aol.com
Website: www.geocities.com/mstryhrs
Archives: If you'd like to add my ongoing story, please just ask and you shall receive!]

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And How?

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"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.

"Hello, 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. 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 inapt 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. H 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.

CHAPTER NOT DONE,

MORE COMING SOON!