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  Windance awoke to a loudly tolling bell somewhere nearby.  She sat up, momentarily confused as to her surroundings.  She finally placed together her memories of the past two sun rises, and glanced around for her packs.  Seeing nothing aside from a neatly folded pile of grey material, she shrugged and pulled on one of the uniforms, as they turned out to be.  At least as Tarin informed her.  She had just finished getting dressed when she heard another knock on her door.

  :Come in,: she called, using Mindspeech.  After the previous evening, she didn’t think that there would be too many in the palace that would speak her language, and hoped that whoever was there could use Mindspeech as well.

  :Are you decent?: a familiar Mind-voice asked her.  She recognized the voice easily, even after four years.

  Leaping up, she ran to the door, screaming, in her tongue, “Jerra?!?”.  She opened the door to see the stunned face of her long-lost kin.  Jerra stood there, gaping at the previously closed door.  He only shook out of his shock when she threw her arms around him.

  “Windance?” he replied, still somewhat dazed.

  Keren’sel!  It is you, sh’el” she cried happily.  “We never thought we would ever see you again!”  she gazed up at him, noting the changes that four years had brought upon him.  He stood much taller then her own height of five foot eight, and from the look of him, it was obvious he no longer lived among trees.  He had the muscles of one accustomed to hard work, not the wiry strength that climbing trees had brought her kin.

  “This is a surprise.  I never thought that another one of us would be Chosen.  I was sent here to be your guide, and I was wondering why they didn’t send someone of your year-group instead.  Now I know.  But how did they know?” he asked, babbling in no order whatsoever.

  “Tarin?” she asked, thinking on her Companion’s comments.

  “Who?” Jerra asked, confused.

  “My Companion,” she said proudly.  He shook his head in amazement at that, because he remembered her as being the most assertive in her hatred of the silver demons, even before he had left.  “This is great.  You know, the Eldest was wondering why you never returned to us, sh’el.” She looked at questioningly.

  He sighed, and motioned for her to come with him.  She obeyed, closing her door behind her.  “It’s difficult to explain.  I did want to return, but when I arrived, there was still the crisis of the mage-storms to be dealt with, even if they were over.  There were many Tayledras, and they were very interested in my -our- home.  That was when I decided to say nothing, in hopes of protecting our voorthayshen from outsiders.  There was no way I would let anyone, not even the best-intentioned of the Taledras Adepts, to disrupt what life we still had at k’Ren’fa.  I would love to return, but I may never.  Being a Herald is an all-time job, Windance.  I cannot return to the life of the kin now.”  He said nothing about her not returning either, but the implication was there.

  They stopped before a large door, and, from the sounds within, it lead to a fairly large room packed with people.  “Here,” he continued, “I had better give you some basic Valdemaren, sh’aen.  Hold on.” He grabbed her hand, and she felt his mental touch, feeding her information on a large scale.  She gasped, and blinked quickly against the onslaught the power evoked in her.  She almost felt like retching, or collapsing, but knew that this was not the time for it.  Noting this, Jerra kept hold of her hand as he pushed the door open, sending her silent support after the mental sharing.

  “I think I will be seeing you a lot, Windance.  If you wish, tell them we are al’sha, or something, perhaps they will leave it at that.  Here, you may as well join your year-mates.  I don’t know them, but I’m sure you’ll get along.” While he had been speaking, he had been guiding her through the busy hall full of others in Trainee gray.  He motioned to a table full of others, mostly boys, with a few girls.  Jerra dropped her hand, pushing her gently towards the table.  They were all younger then her, but at the sight of her they immediately moved to make room for her.  Jerra waved good-bye, leaving her to join another table.

  “Hi!  Finally, another girl.  It seems the boys outnumber us every year. I’m Toryn.” A pretty blonde haired girl said to her, who was sitting next to her.  Her immediate friendliness attracted people, while others at the table introduced themselves.  Windance tried to keep track of names, but the amount of them left her confused. 

  Finally, once the entire table had introduced themselves, she managed a few words.  “Uh, I’m Windance k’Ren’fa.  It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” The lessons in manners the Eldest had taught her had not made any sense at the time, but she was grateful for them now.

  “Sit down, food’s coming around!” Someone, who she actually remembered as being Teldin, told her.  Startled, Windance realized she had not yet taken her seat, and quickly sat down.  She did not give any outward show of embarrassment, but she felt it all the same.

  “Here, if you want, I’ll show you around the classes, and Collegium, later.  That’s probably what the Dean meant when he said Orientation would start today.  You must be the last of the year-mates.” Toryn told her, mid way through the meal.  “So tell me, how did you know Jerra?  There’s not many outside his year that know him at all, you know.” The other girls were avidly watching her, waiting for the answer.

  Windance looked startled, and asked why she was so interested.

  “Because, like she said, there’s not many that know him well, but there’s plenty who would like to.”  One of the other girls, Fiera, said.

  “Oh.  He was like that before too.  Kind of secretive.  But he’s really nice, and gentle.  As to how I know him, he’s my sh’el.” She gave the simple explanation Jerra had advised, noting that her year-mates accepted it readily.  Once she explained the term, that is.

  Sh’el?” some one asked blankly.  Windance thought hard, and used the simplest definition the term could possibly have. 

  “Somewhat like a brother,” she answered dubiously

  “Really, lucky!!” someone said enviously.

  “Well, I haven’t seen him for four years, so I’m not sure hat he’s like now.” Windance shrugged.

  “Wait you said brother right?  So you’re related?”  Toryn asked her eagerly, ignoring the ‘like’ the older girl had added.

  “Yeah, she’s had her eye on him ever since she got here!” One of the boys said teasingly.

  Smiling at Toryn’s blush, Windance replied, “Yes, he is close.  We all are.  If you like, I’ll see if I can introduce you sometime,” she offered.

  “Really?” her newfound friend asked her.

  “No problem.  It’s the least I can do, if you’ll help me.  I think I will need it.”