All five were friends and/or idols. Numair was the strongest mage in Tortall. Alanna the greatest swordsperson, Kel the first known lady knight and destroyer of Blayce, George was the king of thieves, and Daine was the first great Wildmage. Jonathon and Queen Thayet looked gaunt and tired. Puzzlement showed on every face excluding Kel and Numair.
Alanna was the first to break the silence “You called for us Jon?” Jon nodded, but looked at Daine and Numair.
“I personally think that the timing for this is to our advantage. It was luck that you were all here.” Numair and Daine looked at each other. They had just arrived from their honeymoon. Jon continued, “ Duke Roger of Conté,” he looked at Alanna, then Daine “and Ozorne former Emperor Mage have been raised from the dead by Chaos.” Daine and Alanna looked shocked.
Keladry asked, “Who is Duke Roger?”
Jonathon replied “My former cousin, he attempted to take the throne twice, once while I was being crowned.” Kel looked shocked. A second later she regained her posture.
“And he was killed, both times by me.” Alanna whispered. She pounded the wall with her fists. “I hate it when my work’s undone. It’s the second time now!”
Jonathon rose. “I’m sending you all to the Yamani Islands for help. Keladry, you’re to teach them all the ways of the Yamanis.” Keladry nodded. “I have faith in you all. Your boat leaves tomorrow.”
Alanna paled. “A… a boat. Jon you can’t make me go.”
Jon looked sympathetic, “I’m sorry but you must.” He nodded his dismissal.
The next day they boarded the boat. At mid day they had ridden into a storm. Numair used his gift to keep the boat safe. Daine called the whales and dolphins to keep the boat upright. Alanna was horribly seasick and couldn’t do any thing. When they landed many threads pulled the boat to shore. They noticed almost at once that they weren’t in the Yamani Islands. Unknown to them they had landed on the shore of Emelan.
Two girls, two women and two boys awaited them when they disembarked. Numair was the first to disembark followed by Daine, then Kel and finally George and Alanna. Alanna was resting her head on George’s shoulder; she was still green from the sea voyage. The two women, one girl that acted like a noble and one that carried the look of a thief George noted. Numair looked around and frowned "Where are we?” the girl curtsied, the two women bowed and then shortly after the boy bowed as well.
The girl replied to the question “You are in Emelan sir mage.” A screech came from the boat followed shortly by a scream.
Daine screamed, “Kitten!” and ran onto the boat. The boy ran onto the boat after her. Daine came onto the deck scowling, followed by Kitten who was whistling screams of outrage.
The missing girl followed looking sullen. “Evvy what were you doing?” the boy asked.
“I just wanted to look at the boat,” she replied. They all went back to land. The other girl dropped her jaw in surprise.
“Kitten stop that,” Daine ordered the dragon kit. The women frowned. Kitten stopped screaming but continued to whistle her outrage.
“Is that a dragon?” one of the women asked.
Numair replied, “Yes,” he frowned and continued, “Sorry we didn’t introduce ourselves,” he frowned again and looked toward an oncoming ship. The two women, the girl that curtsied and the boy that had screamed at the girl called Evvy followed his gaze.
Suddenly the girl jumped into the air screaming, “Tris, Tris, Briar it’s Tris.”
The boy she called Briar nodded and replied, “Yes, I know, I can tell.”
Daine turned to Numair, “What is it?” Numair didn’t answer. The ship docked.
A small, plump girl was the first to disembark. She ran down and hugged the girl that had screamed her name. “I’ve missed you Sandry,” she turned to the two women and hugged one “I’ve missed you too Lark and you too, Rosethorn,” following the girl called Tris was a tall man, about Numair’s height.
Numair bowed and murmured “Nikalern Goldeye.”
The man stopped, “Numair? Numair Salamín?”
“The one and only,” Numair replied.
The woman called Lark looked at them both. “So you two know each other?”
Nikalern replied, “Lark, this is Numair Salamín one of the seven black robe mages.”
“And you’re another one,” Numair pointed out.
Rosethorn cleared her throat, “Niko, we still don’t know their names, and I’m pretty sure that they don’t know us.”
Both mages blushed, “Sorry,” Numair replied and he pointed to each person in turn, “This is Veralidaine Sarrasri, wildmage and my wife, this is Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, Baron George of Pirate’s Swoop, Lady knight Alanna of Pirate’s Swoop and Olau who is also the King’s Champion and the dragon kit Skysong but we call her Kitten.”
Niko chuckled, “Numair, I didn’t know that you had found a person with wild magic let alone marry one,” Numair blushed. Niko continued, “Now let me introduce you to my… fellow mages, I don’t know two of them however…” Another ship had docked and yet another girl ran down followed by a man.
Niko smiled, “All right then. Now you get to meet the whole circle. Perhaps I should introduce you to them…”
“No need,” the girl called Sandry interrupted,” I’ve already told her.”
“Alright then Numair,” He pointed to one woman and girl “This is Lark and Sandry… well Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, they’re both thread mages.”
Numair interrupted, “Thread mages? Niko I’m only getting half the picture right now.”
“Sorry Numair I found four powerful ambient mages some years ago. They’ve countered several obstacles; now this is Briar and Rosethorn, plant mages. Briar, Sandry who are your friends?”
“Oh, you mean students, this is Pasco Avacon, he’s a dance mage and Evvy is a rock mage.”
Niko and the other man snapped their fingers, “That reminds me, Tris found two mages.”
Niko shouted to the boat “Emily, Danielle, come out now.” Two heads appeared, and walked down the plank. “Both of them have extra sight and hearing and can read minds, they’re so in tune to each other that they’re pretty well twins, even though they don’t have the same parents. Even if you guard your mind very carefully they can read your past, present and sometimes even the future.”
The man said, “Daja found twin mages with cooking and carpentry.”
Niko then continued the introductions, “This is Daja and Frostpine, and they’re well smith mages. And finally this is Tris, Trisana Chandler. She’s weather mage. When they were ten I found them and they have overcome many obstacles since. Even more fascinating is their bond with each other.” Numair nodded.
Daine noticed a familiar glint in his eyes, “Numair,” she said cautiously, “we’re here because we got lost on the way for help."
Niko smiled, “Then maybe we can help. But…”
Tris interrupted, “How did you get lost? Couldn’t you have used your Gift to get there safely?”
Numair shook his head, “I could have if my dear Lioness there didn’t get seasick. I used all my Gift just keeping the boat whole and safe in the storm.” Tris paled.
Niko’s face took on a puzzled _expression, “Tris wasn’t that the storm that I asked you to move?” Tris nodded. Rosethorn cleared her throat.
“Perhaps you can move this discussion into Discipline.” They all nodded and the Tortallan delegation followed the six mages, while Niko hung back with Numair to discuss events.
When they reached Discipline Alanna, who looked better than she had on the boat cleared her throat. “We came here by mistake, our destination was the Yamani Islands to ask for their help to defend our country. Two of our greatest enemies, Ozorne Tasilohe and Duke Roger of Conté that have been dead for some years now have risen from the dead.”
Lark and Rosethorn frowned, “Who are those two?” Lark asked.
Kel frowned but Niko intervened, “Lark they came from a different country called Tortall.”
“But that’s half way around the world!” Rosethorn commented.
“Well,” Tris said, “They got stuck in a water spout.”
Briar and Sandry in unison said, “How do you know that?”
Tris scuffed her foot. “Well… I lost control of one and it ran to the Eastern lands. Later it picked up a ship,” Niko nodded, confirming the story.
Lark and Rosethorn grinned, “Well we’ve been planning to take you all to the Eastern lands so this will cut many costs and it will help their education.”
“B…but,” Numair stammered, “It’s too dangerous.”
Niko grinned evilly, “We’ve been through all lot more than you know and think,” Numair blushed, he hadn’t been spoken to in that manner since the badger god visited Daine before he turned Tristan into a tree.
Rosethorn also grinned evilly, “We’re going whether you like it or not.”
“Good morning Veralidaine and Numair,” Daja replied.
“Please just call me Daine.”
“Alright then, Daine.”
“May I ask some questions?” Numair inquired.
“It matters what questions you ask.”
