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Author’s Note:  This chapter is going to seem really strange, and there’s going to be a lot of Mindspoken dialogue, but the dialogue will (hopefully) explain what happens to Windance.  I’m really sorry if I confuse anybody (even though I’m pretty sure I will), and if you don’t understand, well, let me know, and I’ll try to explain.  Please R/R!!

 

 

 

 

  The blankness around her comforted her.  The relief from the months of searing tension, and pain, were finally at an end.  Her studies had finally reached the point where she could safely wander around in a half-daze, where she didn’t have to worry about her supposed power running free, like it had that fateful day she had Seen what had happened to k’Ren’fa.  Finally, she could let the feelings she had been suppressing go, feeling them leave her in a state of blessed unfeeling.  Something, however, seemed wrong.  Something was nagging her, telling her she shouldn’t do this, that this was dangerous.  She couldn’t identify the voice/feeling, but it was persistent.

  :Shut-up!: she yelled at the fleeting feeling, :I just want to be free of pain, of hurting...:  she remembered the pain of the last months, but didn’t actually feel it.  She relished the unfeeling.  But still, the feeling/voice spoke/felt to her...

  :But you’ll leave everything else behind too, love.:  Windance frowned at the words the feeling formed.  Who was calling her love?  And why did that term fit so well?

  :I don’t care.  If leaving everything means ridding myself of the so-called Gifts that did this to me, then so be it.:  She felt the feeling/voice frown at that.

  Another voice/feeling joined the conversation.  It seemed that this new voice/feeling had been listening, watching, all along, but only spoke up now.  :But what about those who need you, ashke.  You can’t leave them.:  This new voice was distinctly female, and compared to it, the first voice now seemed obviously male.

  Windance drew herself away from the voices/feelings, escaping in the blankness.  She could feel them searching, and instead of coming out, she Sent her memories of pain to them, showing them why she sought this solitude of numbness.  She was losing even the memories of those feelings, and quickly, and quick searches proved that other memories were dissipating as well.

  :?: she Sent, blankly.  This wasn’t right.  She wanted relief – she thought, anyways- not the complete loss of everything.  But what was “everything”??

  There was a pause, in which she assumed that the two voices who had followed her to this blessed blankness conversed to each other.

  One spoke.  :Hold on, Windance, please.:  She paused.  Why had the male-voice/feeling called her that?  Was that her name?  The concept of names was swiftly eluding her, as she lost more and more memories.  If this was the cost of no pain, she thought now, then this she would sacrifice.

  :NEVER!:  the male-voice screamed at her, accompanied by a jolt of –something, she didn’t know what,- but she Felt a presence with her, vaguely familiar from long ago.  She felt warmth again.

  She felt again.

  She was being pulled, and guided, by the female-voice/feeling, the same one she recognized, she allowed it to pull her.  The female spoke to her, returning memories, just speaking to her.  Windance, now that she could remember namess again, felt the brink of the blankness approaching, and panicked.  She didn’t want to return to the pain, and tension. She didn’t want to face another day –she remembered days- feeling as though any minute the things she Saw and Foresaw, and Did, would somehow, anyhow, finally reach the breaking point, and she didn’t want to know the consequences of that...

  :Dearest sh’aen, that will not happen, this I swear.  Go back, there are good people waiting to help you.  Oh, ashke, I’m so sorry I haven’t spoken with you, to let you know I’m alright.: there was a pause, as if the female-voice/feeling heard her thoughts, :And I am.  I just didn’t know...:  the self-anger in the voice surprised Windance, and as the edge of the numbness neared, she realized who the voice was.

  :Treesong??:  Windance thought incredulously as she was pulled over the invisible line, into the realm of feeling again...

  She opened her eyes, blinking at the sensation of colour.  She had early forgotten that, as well as so much...  She shuddered, drawing looks of worry from those assembled by her makeshift bed.  She was in the Companion’s stables, nestled against Tarin, whom, now that she was back in the world of the physical again, she recognized as the male-voice/feeling that had spoken to her, as well as the one that had yelled “NEVER”.

  :Chosen, never scare us like that again!:  Tarin cried in her mind, his voice somewhere between anger and relief.  :You scared us so much, love. So much.:  The feelings of love and warmth that surrounded her, from him, soothed any fears of the pain coming back.  :That is another thing we need to know, on top of how you managed to get yourself into that unfeeling realm.  If only we knew what you were going through, love.  You need to tell us these things.:

  Windance immediately replied, sending images and feelings, similar to those memories she had sent in the numb realm, to him, too tired to try and form the complicated explanations to go with the thoughts.

  :I can try to explain, if you wish, sh’aen.  To let you rest.:  The comforting, if impossible, voice of her twin sister allowed Windance to relax, to sleep with her Companion, sending feelings of relief back to the presence she associated with her sister, now somehow present in the stables.

  Unseeing ‘eyes’ turned towards the group watching, concerned, over the exhausted Trainee.  All of them Heralds, or Gifted, they were capable of feeling the eerie sense of someone gazing at them, even though they didn’t actually see anyone.  :So that’s what a Herald looks like.:  The broadcasted Mindspeech startled all of them, but it undoubtedly came from the other –female- person/presence.  :Not sure what I was expecting, but that wasn’t it.  Oh well, that doesn’t matter.  You all are wondering what happened to Windance, I know.  For months, years, now, ever since she first started having visions, she has been dealing, by herself, with the pain and tension seeing these things has caused her.  From what I understand, and I’m not, by any means, an expert on Gifts, but I believe it is an odd combination of Foresight and Farsight.  You can check this with Tarin or Windance later, but let them sleep for now.  She Saw what was to happen, in places far from here, as well as nearby, until she could no longer tell anything apart.  For the most part, you all seemed to be training these Gifts, but something muddled it up.  And since the first ones, she is afraid that there is something she should have done to help, even though in most cases there was nothing she could have done.:  The voice paused, seeming to recollect her thoughts.

  Her audience was staring around themselves in shock, not quite sure what to make of the unknown Mindspeaker.  Except for Talia, who couldn’t hear MindSpeech.  Darkwind and Elspeth seemed stunned, gazing at each other, most probably having their own Mindspoken conversation, dissecting the possibilities of this visit.  Jerra was merely smiling, and he was pleased about something.  The Companions gathered around their Chosen, following the conversation silently.  When Jerra had finished translating the conversation for Talia, the voice resumed speaking, this time making an effort to convey most of the important information in images for Talia.

  :It all started when she FarSaw the beginning of the end of our clan, k’Ren’fa as I’m sure you now know.  She couldn’t understand what she Saw then, it wasn’t until after that she understood what she Saw, but anyways, she felt a lot of things, and I think one of the hardest hit was that she could no longer sense me.  We had always been inside each others minds, almost like a life-bond, but not quite the same, more like the bond between you and your Companions.  Anyways, when she couldn’t feel me anymore, nor could I feel her, she went through what was probably the most shock any one can, and still live.  I’m not a Mind-Healer, but I know she was close to death.  But what she finally did was far, far worse.  She built something with Mind-Magic, a place of blankness, where no feelings could get through.  When she finished her training, she finished building it, and when she retreated to it, that’s when she collapsed on you.  It was so Goddess-Damned lucky I was outside of the Vale when she retreated, but only with Tarin’s help was I able to pull her back, as well as your wishes to keep her with you.  Her recovery is going to depend on you, so you’d better do a good job, or I’ll find a way to Gate to you, got that?:  The threat in the voice was real, and none doubted she would carry through with it, should the need arise.

  Since the voice seemed to have said her piece, Elspeth blurted the question most of them were bursting to know.  :Who are you?:

  Elspeth sensed the ‘eyes’ of the presence turn straight towards her, scrutinizing her deeply.  So deeply that she jumped nearly a foot in the air when she heard the amused mind laughter of the voice.  :You don’t pay very good attention, do you, Elspeth?  Think, I’ve said ‘our clan’, that she’s my sh’aen, and the way that I can be so close to her.  I can’t believe that someone like you could possibly be so well thought of.  Think, k’aen.:

  It was at this point that Jerra finally burst out laughing.  Evidently he couldn’t keep his mirth inside any longer.  :Treesong, why am I not surprised?: he asked the voice. Finally putting a name to the presence.

  :Aw, Jerra, you ruined it!:  She exclaimed mock angrily.  :Yes, I am Treesong.  Windance’s twin sister, for those who weren’t paying attention.  I have to go soon, so you’d better take care of my sister, alright?  If anything else happens to her, and if I have to do this very uncomfortable spell again, especially in the woods, trying to avoid those damned scouts, I will make sure you’ll regret it, alright?: The almost overbearing sense of the presence started fading.

  Elspeth was evidently too stunned to say anything, but Darkwind quickly gathered his senses.  :Wait!  Are you Tayledras?  If you are, then Windance must be.  If not, then why are you at a Vale?:  he asked hurriedly, hoping that Treesong would still hear him.

  :I don’t know.  Under any other circumstances I would have said no, but now that I’ve touched your mind, I don’t know.  There’s something not quite right...  Anyways, I am at k’Valdemar Vale now, studying under Firesong, so if you still wish to speak with me, or if Windance needs to contact me, try sending a message through him, alright.  I’ve truly got to go now.  Zhai’helleva, shayana.:  the feeling of Treesong faded completely.

  “That explains very little, and brings up even more questions.”  Elspeth looked angry, or frustrated, at Treesong.

  “Oh, Elspeth, that’s Treesong for you.  Together, Windance and Treesong were the most mischievious of the younger clan members.  Windance was favored of the Eldest, but the twins were both like the children of the Eldest.  He began the training of both of them, and they were both so equal in power that he had to teach them together, or else, the one that had been taught something, would just go and teach the other.  So, if you think on Windance’s potential, then you have a pretty good idea of Treesong’s.  Except that Treesong is a lot more outgoing, and will do what ever she wishes.”  Jerra was smiling again, and Elspeth assumed it was because he now knew that Treesong was indeed alive, still.  Then his face sobered, and he continued.  “But that doesn’t matter any more.  Because Windance is trained, all that is really needed to help her recover is love, and help.  She feels the need to fix everything, a part of why she was Chosen, but someone has to tell her she can’t do everything.  I’m sure every one of you has, at some point, felt the way she does.  This curious blending of Gifts of hers can be an asset, but go careful.  I’m sure all of you would sink into depression if you saw the destruction, impending deaths, and disaster of those you don’t even know, but somehow feel responsible for.  As well as the blocking of a bond you’ve had and depended on since birth.”

  “Well,” Talia began, speaking for the first time since she had arrived after feeling Windance’s despair overwhelm her, “we can’t do anything tonight, at least.  We should let her sleep, and we will have to inform the circle of this turn of events.  I think that only those who truly need to know should know of this evening, as I think that Windance will want to keep this secret.  No one likes failure, even perceived failure, to be well known.  She was almost ready for her Whites as it is, and I think it would be best if she were to recover away from many people.  Say, perhaps, on her internship?”  She looked around her, and saw approval from those there.  “That’s what I thought.  Jerra, stay here and watch her, I don’t want anything else happening.  Elspeth, please come with me, to report to the circle.  Good thing there was a meeting tonight anyway.”  She gestured, and she and the former Heir left, their Companions in tow.

  Darkwind stayed a few minutes longer, gazing at the young trainee, speculating.  Then, he left, his mind obviously elsewhere.

 

 

 

  “Are you sure it was Foresight and Farsight?” the queen asked Talia, after the Queen’s Own Herald had finished detailing what had happened in the Companion’s stables.  Selenay’s face was drawn, as if she had too much on her mind.  Seeing Talia’s nod, she sighed.  “I don’t know what to do.  Yes, it’s true that we were going to send her on her internship soon, but I don’t know if the route we had chosen would be such a good idea now.”

  Feeling that the issue was getting nowhere, Talia decided to drop it for the moment, and ask her queen if there was any other business the attend to.

  “Only one other, that we can’t decide how to solve as well.  King Tremane of Hardorn has requested a Herald-Mage, to aid him in restoring his land to the way it was before Ancar’s war.  But that requires a land-Healer, which we don’t have.  But we can’t not do anything for him.”

  Elspeth looked at her mother, as soon as she said ‘land-Healer’.  “Mother, we have good alliances with the Tayledras, right?  Why not ask one of the Clans for help?” she asked brightly.

  “Dear Gods, I never even thought of that!  But where would we find one willing to leave the Vales?”

  “Why not ask, and see what responses you receive?”  Teren said, pointing out the obvious.

  A new voice came from the door, and it was Darkwind who spoke.  “I have an idea, your majesty.  I heard the last part of your discussion, and I’m thinking, why not send Windance, with another Herald-Mage, as her instructor?  It would still suffice as an internship, and she would be able to aid Hardorn.”

  “What are you saying, Darkwind?” the queen asked sharply.

  “Windance, your majesty.  She is Tayledras, or at least Tayledras origin, and she has the abilities to become a Healing Mage.  Perhaps on of the senior Herald-Mages would suffice to send to Hardorn, so that King Tremane is in no way insulted by our envoy?”  His eyes twinkled at this knowledge.  He had not know for sure, but now, after speaking with Treesong, and finding out that she was training under Firesong, it fell into place.  Jerra’s account of the twins’ equal talent lent him to believe that if Treesong was capable, so was Windance.  He left once he saw that his idea had been acknowledged, knowing he find out the results later on.

  After much further deliberation, it was agreed by the senior Heralds that Windance would be given her Whites, and sent on her intership under Elspeth, with Darkwind, to do her circuit in Hardorn, helping the land.

 

 

 

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Sorry this chapter took so long to finish!!  I have no good excuses, so I’ll not subject you to them.  Please please r and r????