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  But near the setting of the sun after the first day Windance was not so sure of the wisdom of this strange journey.  They had passed the only village she had ever seen soon after they had begun their journey, and passed many more as Tarin cantered excitedly towards her future home.  Only the first village had stared, and she knew it was because she was clearly one of them, the forest-kin that had terrorized them their entire lives.  But after then, the following villages, and even towns, had thought nothing of a silver haired woman in forest greens and browns riding a brilliant silver Companion.

  :Am I missing something?: Windance asked her Companion after the fifth such town.

  :Often newly Chosen are seen, so you are not a rarity.: his calm words reassured her that they were not involved in some strange trap she knew nothing about.  Aside from the fact she knew next to nothing about Heralds in the first place.  :I suppose I’ll actually learn something about what I’m supposed to do when we got to this Haven, right?: she asked Tarin worriedly.

  :Of course.  You’ll be a Heraldic Trainee.  Oh, I keep forgetting you do not know about Heralds at all.  Well, it will be explained when you arrive.: he had already “read” all about her life, and knew what she did and did not know.

 

  Another setting of the sun later, and she and Tarin arrived at the gates to the largest town she had seen as of yet.  :Is this a city, Tarin?: Windance asked, staring as they rode past the gate-guard in the semi-darkness of dusk

  :This is Haven.  Hold tight, but we won’t have any problems.: he reassured her.  :We will go straight to the Palace.:

  :I’m not worried about people.  I can handle them. But how do you know how to get there?: she asked, bewildered by the masses packed into the street.  She could deal with single people, but the thought of all the people packed into such a tiny space as the wide street were beyond her.

  :The road goes in a spiral, so you keep following it to the Palace gates.: he told her, sending a comforting thought with it.

  :Oh,: she said, unable to think of anything to say to that.

  When they arrived at the next gate, the one to the Palace, and blue bedecked person stopped her, and said something in an unknown dialect.  Windance stared uncomprehendingly at him, not understanding a word.  Then, with Tarin’s guidance, she gently touched the guard’s mind, and read what his intent was.  She nodded, for he had asked her if she had been Chosen.  The guard carefully noted it down on a board he held, and waved them in with a smile.

  :What awful language was he speaking, Train?: Windance asked, comparing the words of the guard to her own musical tongue.

  He whickered.  :This may cause some problems.  He was speaking Valdemaren.  And if you don’t understand it…: he trailed off, noticing for the first time that she lacked the knowledge of the official language of Valdemar.

  :But I understood that guard, didn’t I?  I can just talk that way, the way we do.: she didn’t see anything wrong with it.  She and the Eldest had done it all the time, as well as Jerra before he had been Chosen.  She hadn’t been very good at it, but conversing with Tarin had strengthened those skills.

  :That may come as a shock to have a Trainee that already can use some Mindspeech, as well as some training in Empathy.  Who knows what else you can do?  And you will see Jerra at the Collegium.  He is at his fourth year by now.: Tarin’s words reassured her, and she relaxed on his back.  Perhaps if she saw Jerra, things would not be so bad after all.

  Once again her opinion changed drastically as she and Tarin approached the huge Palace complex.  Two people came out to meet her as she arrived, and she immediately contacted close walls around them.  :Tarin!: she said frantically.  :What’s wrong with them? They are so blank!:  She was frantic now, and the two waiting for her noticed this.

  :It is all right, Windance.  They both have what are called Gifts, such as Empathy or Mindspeech, and have shielded themselves against the thoughts of those who have no control over their own thoughts.  It’s allright.: he repeated soothingly, and she calmed down.  He came to stop before the two people, a male and a female, both dressed in Heraldic Whites.

  The male spoke, again in that harsh language, but at Tarin’s encouragement she slipped skillfully behind the ‘shields’ and grasped the meaning.  Seeing no other way of replying, she said to his mind, :I am Windance, of voorthayshen k’Ren’fa.:

  Both of the Heralds looked shocked.  Again slipping behind the shields, she gathered that they had not expected her to be able to speak mind to mind, as well as some sort of reaction to her name.  Then, she saw them compose themselves, and the male spoke again, this time with Mindspeech.  :How did you do that, Windance?  Are you Tayledras?:

  She shook her head, strongly showing the negative response to that question.  :Teren,: as she picked up from his mind, :I am k’Ren’fa.  I do not know anything about Tayledras, so how could I be one of them?  As to how I did, can you not?  I do not understand you tongue, so Tarin and myself decided that this was easier.  The Eldest taught me how,: She added as she sensed the next question.  She cautiously took the female Herald’s hand, Talia as she discovered, and dismounted from Tarin.  When the Companion started off towards a distant field Windance became frantic, trying to follow, but her riding-worn muscles would not let her, as well as Talia’s grip on her hand.  She only calmed down when she was told she would see him again the next day.

  :You look exhausted, Windance.  We will set you up, and tomorrow we will speak more.  I am the Dean of the Heralds Collegium, so if you require any aid, please, feel free to ask me.  Talia will guide you to your room.: He shook her hand, and entered the buildings directly in front of her.

  Talia pulled her gently forward, into the same building the Dean entered, sending thoughts of comfort and reassurance to the woman. 

  She will be one of the oldest of the Trainees.  I will have to make sure her Teacher’s are all Mindspeakers, at least until she can learn the language.  This may be difficult… Talia’s thoughts continued like so, until Windance whispered something to her, in a language so musical it took her breath away.  She didn’t understand but it somehow conveyed the meaning that the problem would right itself.  It sounds so similar to the Tayledras tongue. Talia resolved to talk to Darkwind the night, after settling Windance into an empty room.

 

 

So there’s part 3!!!!!  Please let me know what you think, and thank-you so very much to the very special people who reviewed my story!!!!!