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
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