peerless_thayet | (no subject)

(no subject)

Just before dawn, the raiders close in on the village and Pirate's Swoop, expecting to tighten their net and catch the Tortallans unaware. Instead they invade an empty village and face the castle's closed gates. On the wall, warriors and villagers alike stare down at them, fully armed.

Their surprise is a morale boost that is sorely needed when the sun's light spills over the horizon and the unnatural fog rolls in, the dampening spells contained within making Gifted individuals weak and unable to work the simplest magic.

Ignoring Buri's token protests, Thayet finishes a quick meal, pulls her hair into a tight bun and climbs the stairs to the observation deck with her bow and arrows. She takes two trainees along, Elnore and Padrach, and nods to George and his guards.

The fog is thick, almost gritty on her skin. Aside from various consultations with George, Onua and Numair, all she can do is wait.

[Scene and some dialogue taken from Wild Magic, by Tamora Pierce.]

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From his vantage point Raph can just barely make out the shape of Daine standing on the wall of the observation deck.

"she's not seriously going to to try to talk..."
Raph's mutterings are cut short as a spike of pure pain pierces his mind when Daine calls out to the great beast with all her power.

So loud is Daine in Raph's mind that he can't hear himself screaming over the sound of her voice. His hands begin to tremble and he very nearly loses purchase on his precarious perch. It's only the quick reflexes of those stationed around him that keep him from falling off the wall entirely.

Tahoi barks sharply, then whines. In the stables, the horses go wild. Even the birds in the vicinity squawk at the pain.

The humans remain oblivious.

"Stop!" Daine pleads aloud. "Stop! What kidnappers? What lies?"

Josua loses his sword to the dragon's claws and is flung aside. Numair, no longer absorbed in keeping the spells off the castle, surges to his full considerable height and hurls fire at the dragon. It wraps around her and then blows away in the wind, like she's merely flown through mist. Daine begs him to stop and throws her weight at him when, unharmed, the dragon comes in low and lands on the deck. Screams echo around them.

Pressed against the wall by the dragon's bulk, Thayet gasps as the stones threaten to give way and the mighty tail and wings thrash about. She can't see what's happening.

This could be a problem.

When Raph comes to he's laying on the ground behind the battlements. He's aware that there are people standing over him, but his vision blurred from the remnants of his blinding headache. Over the buzzing of his ears he can hear the men standing over him.

"They say she's laying her hands on the beast," they whisper to each other.
"Trying to talk to it. Calm it. Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

Raph runs a hand over his face, and tries to sit up.

"You all right there, Raph? Nearly took a tumble, you did."

"I'm fine," he says, stumbling to his feet.

The strange looks he's given clearly indicate that no one in the direct vicinity is buying that, though...it's never been in doubt that the Shang have strange ways.

Whatever magic the girl is using is sufficient to distract the dragon enough for Thayet to work her body down its length, Onua close beside her, until they can see Daine's expressive face and the way her small hands are pressed against the orange scales of the dragon's chest. The great beast lowers her head, as if searching Daine's eyes for truth, and seems to shiver.

Daine's eyes widen. Her hands shake, fall away and quickly cover her ears a few moments before the dragon screeches and takes off; again the deck trembles, and Thayet grasps Onua's forearm to steady them both.

Heading north, the dragon suddenly vanishes from sight.

Numair pulls Daine into a hug, but the girl is too excited to protest. "She was in labor and on her way home," she says. Thayet can just make out her words. "They opened the gate nearby, and it pulled her in. I think it killed her baby. Maybe it would've killed her -- but it was just what you said, the wild magic was just sucked right out of me, so I think she's healing. And she's been educated, Numair, from books! Her mind -- it's all organized, like you've been after me to do --"

As stunned as she feels, Thayet has to smile at that.

Even a ninja can't disappear when under the close scrutiny of a dozen or so people. The men that had stood on the wall next to him have been keeping a watchful eye on his behavior since his collapse. Silently Raph hopes for some sort of distraction to lure them all away so he can retreat inside to get himself together.

"LOOK!" someone yells. "It's flying away! The girl sent it away!"

That'll do. That'll do nicely.

Every man on the wall turns to either watch the dragon disappear from sight, or to stare at the strange girl who'd sent the beast packing.

While they're looking elsewhere, Raph makes himself scarce.

Slowly, everyone on the deck rights themselves. Several guards approach the group forming around Daine; some are afraid, some are curious. All look impressed.

Thayet smiles at the girl and picks up her bow.

"Master Numair?" Farant races up the last few stairs. "The healers are asking if something's wrong. If you don't shield them now, we'll lose Sarge."

It's like a punch to her stomach. "Oh no," Thayet murmurs. As Numair gets back to work, she follows Farant to the healers.

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