"Like her?" Numair asked, meaning Midnight.
I nodded eagerly. "She's lovely," I said, rubbing her neck affectionately.
"Good, because she's yours," he said.
"Come again?" I asked, thinking I'd heard wrong. She couldn't possibly be mine.
"Midnight, she's yours," Numair repeated.
"What?" I yelped. "She's mine?" I couldn't believe it.
Numair nodded. "Courtesy of their majesties."
"Oh God," I said and gulped. "Oh God."
Numair laughed. "I take it you're happy then." He laughed again when I nodded hard.
Later that day, Daine and I rode beside each other and talked until it was time to set up camp.
I helped Daine and Onua check the horses and then I gulped down some food and gratefully went to sleep.
For the next week and a half that was my routine. Then, eleven days after we had left Corus, and we were approaching the castle of Pirate's Swoop, I was asleep in my bedroll when I heard a whining noise. I sat up in bed and listened intently. When I heard it again, I grimly grouped for my clothes and pulled them on, with my boots. I'd swapped my old clothes for shirts, breeches and a pair of knee-high boots. Quite frankly, by now, I didn't even see a difference.
I crept out of my tent and waited. It came again. I realised it was my Wild Magic that helped me hear it, as it was quite low and weak. I had already mastered my Telekinesis and was learning some spells for my Gift and was learning the extent of it. Right now though, Numair was helping me learn to control my Wild Magic and Daine was helping me sometimes as she had first-hand experience of it. We didn't dare touch my Element magic.
I crept along, through the woods until I heard it again and quickly went through a clearing and reached the edge of it. I pushed apart some bushes and froze, my eyes widening. "Good God," I whispered.
A midnight black wolf, lay on a patch of grass, whining. Her golden eyes stared up at me, full of pain. I knelt and slowly reached down to stroke her. Either she trusted me, or was too weak to protest, but she let me. I slowly stroked her glossy black fur. "Easy girl," I whispered. "I'll help you."
"You mean, we'll both help her," a voice said from behind me. I lifted my head and saw Daine. "A fox woke me," she explained.
"I heard her whining," I murmured. "What's wrong with her?"
"Look," Daine said pointing. I looked to her right side and hissed in sympathy with the wolf. A long gash was in her side.
"Magic," Alanna said from behind us.
"How?" I asked. Then I saw her hand gripping the Ember Stone. "Oh," I nodded. "What colour?"
Alanna gulped. "Orange." I gasped. "Roger's magic was orange." Alanna nodded quietly, her face grim.
"Great mother," Daine whispered. "Look at her tail."
I did and my eyes widened. The tip of her tail and her claws were silver. "She's immortal."
Then the wolf whined and Daine took in a sharp breath. "She's failing fast! We have to save her now!" She prepared to enter the wolf, to save her.
"No," I said. "Let me." When Daine started to shake her head, I replied, "It 'd be good practise anyway."
"If something goes wrong, Numair'll kill me," Daine muttered, but I just lifted an eyebrow. "Just tell him, I threatened to lift you into the air or something and went deep inside myslef before they could stop me.
I saw the ball of multicoloured fires that were my magic. The silver my telekinesis, the Gold, my element magic, the green that was my Gift and the Copper that was my Wild Magic. I plucked a thread of copper and went inside the wolf.
I surveyed the damage and sighed. This would take a while. I set to work. For a while, nothing happened then I saw the muscle, veins and nerves start to reach for each other. My leg began to cramp unbearably and so did my back. I ignored them. There was no way I was stopping, not now. This wolf trusted me and there was no way I was letting her down.
Eventually it was done and I went back to my own body. I opened my eyes and was met with the light rays of dawn. I'd been for over seven hours. I was sore all over and I was starving. I tried standing up and fell down again. I was stiff!
Alanna and Daine helped me up, until the feeling returned to my lgs and I took a tentative step. When I was satisfied I could walk again, I looked over to the wolf.
She was standing up and appeared to be making sure she was in one piece. When she was sure, she yapped joyfully at me. I expected her to run off then, but instead, she came over to me and licked my hand.
"Great Mother, I think she's decided to stay with you," Alanna said.
"Old White could have picked her to look after you," Daine said, naming the Wolf God.
"Come on," Alanna said. "We better go back. Numair must be worried sick."
Numair was. When we approached the camp, he hurried towards us. "Where were you?" he demanded. "We thought you were-" He broke off when he saw the wolf, standing beside me, her head cocked to one side, regarding Numair curiously. "What in Mithros' name is that?" he asked.
"It's a wolf," I replied. "An immortal. I saved her."
"You should be proud of your student Numair," Alanna said. "She learns fast. She healed the wolf herself."
"You... what?" Numair gaped.
I nodded. "Daine and Alanna will explain." I yawned hard.
"You need sleep," Alanna said, as she caught me before I fell.
"She can sleep in the wagon I'm driving," Daine said. "Numair can lead Midnight." Numair nodded, his anger replaced by concern for me.
I walked towards the wagon, still yawning, without a second word.
*****
When I woke up, it was late afternoon and we were nearing Pirate's Swoop. I crawled up to where Daine was sitting, flicking the reins now and then for the horse to keep up. The wolf was sitting beside her. She yapped when she saw me and I rubbed her head. She picked up a bag in her mouth and dropped it in front of me. I took it.
"Food," Daine explained, her eyes never leaving the road. "You missed breakfast and lunch. Your wolf has been keeping me company."
I grinned. "Has she now?" I tucked into the food, suddenly famished.
"Have you decided what to call her?" Daine asked.
"I don't know," I admitted. "Any ideas?"
"How does Narcissi sound?" Daine asked. "It just came into my head."
"Narcissi," I said, trying it out. "Yeah, I like it. How about it girl?" I asked the wolf.
Narcissi yapped, her tail wagging. Both me and Daine laughed.
Maybe this trip wouldn't be too bad after all.
