./\./\.
./\./\.
To those who keep this fandom alive.
./\./\.
I've been sitting on this one for quiet awhile. Now I will give it to you. If I make you laugh, please click "Favorite: Story" to let me know.
./\./\.
A/N: On her website, Misty asks that when writing fanfiction, "If it is anything other than PG-13, please take all the proper precautions to stick it somewhere that innocent souls won't be corrupted. Do not scare the children or the horses. Have fun!" With the next to last sentence the general idea for this story came.
./\./\.
Disclaimer: Mercedes Lackey created and owns the world of Velgarth and the Heralds that have appeared. I did create the two Companions and two people that appear and the one that is mentioned. This fanfiction is 'licensed as derivative fiction under the Creative Commons umbrella.' (not sure what that means, but hey, this is how the lady asked us to do it.) {I'm pretty sure that's a fancy way of saying I have her loose permission to write in this world, even though I don't own it.}
./\./\.
Warnings: Reference to sexual acts, shey'a'chern couples, and death threats.
./\./\.
Dian shook as he rose from scratching his back in the dirt. :Ah! That felt good. Okay, what to do now.: The yearling looked around the Field. A large portion of Companions, say fifty percent were just north of Haven at the Midsummer Fair. The another thirty-five percent were out on circuit. All had taken their Heralds with them. Of the fifteen percent left, most were busy doing adult stuff.
:Even if I remember my math lessons, that still means there's no one to play with me,: he horse sighed. A large, multi-throated whinny rattled across the Field. :Except the girls.: His entire coat shivered. :Eww! No way am I gonna play with girls. I just got dirty and they'll want me to clean up.: The boy stuck his tongue in direction the whinnies came from.
He pawed at the grass, thinking desperately of something to do. Looking at the bare patch he had created gave him a perfect idea.
:I'll go find the Counsel Clearing! I can find a hiding spot in the bushes. Then, anytime the adults want to go talk, I can listen in. Oh, I am so awesome!: With that joyful thought Dian entered into the forest.
The search was not a short one. After all, there was a Changebeast from one of the circles. :Take that vicious snake-thingy! See if I let you harm my Chosen!: The splintered tree branch was given a baleful glare, one more stomp, and then left behind. Oh! Quiet now, rattling in the bushes. :Must be Empire spies trying to get close to the Queen and King to kill them. See if I let you.: Careful now, quiet feet. There sneak up so you can see what they are doing then run to tell the others. They are just on the other side of the bush. Gently nose the leaves out of the way…
":WHINNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!:"
Everyone with Mindspeech in Haven and at the fair started in mental confusion. Everyone with working ears in the Palace grounds jumped in astonishment. The couple on the ground froze in fear.
./\./\.
Kerowyn cocked an eyebrow in surprise at the sight before her. A young Companion was repeatedly dunking his head in the stream. Eldan snickered. She elbowed him hard and moved forward.
"Hello there, young one. Where you the one who made that loud noise?"
The foal looked at her and nodded his head fast. :Yes. It was awful!: he Mindcried miserably.
"What scared you?" The Weaponsmaster barely got the words out of her mouth before the Companion thrust his wet head into her gut. She wrapped her arms around him as he began Mindsobbing. When his crying slowed down, Kerowyn turned him to the stable. Eldan followed them. "What's your name little one?"
:Dian.:
The Weaponsmaster saw two figures start to exit the woods. She sent a tightly guarded :Stay there: to them. One acknowledged with a wave.
"I'm Kerowyn." She led Dian into a stall, grabbed a brush, and began to groom him. "Do you think you can tell me about it? About what scared you?"
The Companion blinked a large watery eye at her. :I was minding my own business. No one was around for me to play with and I didn't wanna play with the stinking girls.:
Kero tapped his nose with the brush, "Focus."
Dian drooped his head and pawed at the floor. :I decided to go look for the Counsel Clearing. On my way I heard something moving in the bushes. I went to go see if it was spies from the Empire when I saw it. It was horrible!:
"Saw what?" Dian buried his head in her stomach again. Kerowyn's mind super imposed an image a dirty, snotty nosed boy gripping her waist.
:There were two boys on the ground. One was moaning in pain while the other was trying to eat the first! He was trying to eat him, Kerowyn!:
The former mercenary threw her head back in surprise. Warning bells tinkled in Kero's mind. "Well, no wonder you were scared."
:But what was really scary, and strange, was where he was chewing.: More bells, louder this time. Dian continued. :The boy on top wasn't trying to eat the throat or the hands or even the guts, he was trying to eat the bottoms boy's pe…:
"Shhh, love!" Kerowyn soothed loudly. She kept Dian's head firmly against her belly to hide her red cheeks. Eldan grabbed his mouth and ran out before he burst with laughter.
:Kerowyn?:
"Yes, Dian?"
:Why was the one boy trying to eat the other boy?:
"Ah, well, you see…" Damn Eldan running off. "He wasn't trying to eat his friend."
:He wasn't?:
"He wasn't."
:Then what was he doing?:
"I, ah, I don't know."
:Then how do you..:
"I do, just trust me."
Kero released his head and returned to grooming. Things were quiet, except for a snickering from outside.
:Kerowyn?:
"Yes?"
:Can you get me some of that harsh cleanser the Healers use to clean their place with?:
Kero pulled his muzzle around to see into his eyes. "Why do you want that?"
:I want to clean my eyes. I don't want to see that boy not-eating-but-doing-something-creepy-weird to his friend in my mind anymore.:
"I'll see what I can do," she turned to leave the stall.
:Kerowyn?:
She stopped. "What now?"
:Am I going to get in trouble for talking to you? Momma told me not to talk with anyone other than my Chosen…"
"You'll be fine. You were in trouble. It's okay to talk to others when you're in trouble. Just have your momma come see me when she's back," she ruffled his forelock and left.
./\./\.
Dian stood in the stall for a while. Not hiding, no. Just, just…recuperating. Yes, recuperating. His eyes and mind had been hurt by the boy trying to eat the other and he was just…
:Dian,: a disdainful child's voice whispered in his head. He looked up to see the only other male foal at the time, a vain little thing named Allen, stick his head over the outside window.
:You whinny like a filly,: he said and promptly left.
Yes, he was hiding.
./\./\.
Kero passed by her breathless mate without a glance. Her targets were the two she had seen leaving the forest. They were where she had told them to wait. Very smart. One was dressed in yellow-gold, the other in red-brown. Brunette and blond. Lusien and Marus.
"What are you two doing out here?" she growled.
"We're sorry!" both boys cried. "Please don't kill us."
"Then answer my damn question!"
Marus turned red and looked away. Lusien spoke softly, "We were planning on having a Midsummer Night's tryst, Herald-Captain Kerowyn."
Said Herald-Captain ground her teeth loudly. "I picked that up from the Companion. Why are you out here in the Companion's Field?"
"Herald-Trainee Lylith told us no one would 'bother' us out here." Marus shook his head, "I'm going to have to set that girl right."
Kero reached over and pulled the Bard trainee's face up to her level. "Listen to me, you red-bellied maggot. You don't just start doing fellatio on your partner in the middle of the forest! You go to one of the grottoes and keep it out of public eye." She dropped him and pulled the taller Mage trainee down. "And you! You should have set up a shield to keep people away since you don't have a Companion or familiar to run interference."
The Weaponsmaster stepped back and glared at the two teenagers. "The two of you broke one of the most important rules around here. You didn't take proper precautions to prevent the corruption of innocent souls. You are both banned from Companion's Field for the rest of your training time here. If I catch you so much as taking a shortcut across the Field; I will kill you and have your hides to decorate my wall. Do you understand?"
Lusien's mouth opened to speak but Kero cut him off. "I don't care where your training is done. It's your job to explain why you're forbidden from being here to your master. Now I want you lovebonded bubbleheads to remember this. Because if you ever break this again, I won't kill you before I take your hide." She took a deep breath,
"Do Not Scar the Companions!"
./\./\.