The party that evening had been, as usual, terribly dull. He'd done his duty, chatting about trade with the ambassador from Ch'in, about the latest games with the eligible girls, politics with his father's council and the harvest in L'Agnace with some nobles he didn't quite recognize... but it was tedious. He'd done it all before a thousand times. By now, even the most delightful party was a repetition of at least three others he'd been too, and as boring as a day in court with his grandfather.
He escaped as soon as it was polite, slipping through the back ways to his room. Someone had already extinguished the lamps, leaving only the one by the inner door to his bedchamber lit... perhaps he had a guest waiting. He opened the door and paused, trying to see in the black. "Don't just stand there, love." Etienne's light voice came from the direction of the bed. "You're letting in a draft. Close the door."
He did as he was told, closing the door behind him and making his way carefully to the bed. A soft laugh met him as he sat down and he felt a pair of bare arms wrap around his shoulders. "Etienne... I wasn't expecting you tonight."
"My father needed me less than he thought, Alexandre." The prince shivered, Etienne's breath hot against his ear. "I thought I would come brighten your evening."
"Mmm. It's certainly getting better..."
--
"That's what your MOTHER said, LAST NIGHT!" The minstrel landed hard on a particularly bony part of his anatomy, cursing the snow, the inn management, and, most of all, the observant tendencies of that particular evening's clientele. After all, if a few noticed people noticed their purses missing, the nearest Drasnian was often the target. Bastards. Now he'd have to find somewhere not-quite frozen to sleep... he fumbled in his beltpouch for his flint and tinder- no, they'd taken that too. Of course.
He should just start walking now- maybe it'd be warm enough to sleep by morning. He pushed himself out of the snowbank, cursing himself for an idiot. If he'd left that bear of a man until he'd been well-soused, he might not be out in the cold. He could be inside, in his corner next to the fire, making a few coins and whatever he could steal without being noticed. It wasn't like there was another tavern to visit for miles. "You've certainly got talent, Khander," he muttered quietly, shouldering his lute case.
Best just to start walking, then. It was still hours to dawn.
--
He ran his hand through his hair, then grimaced, staring at the grease on his fingers. That meant another bath this afternoon, or Alice would be dousing him from the upstairs window. He'd promised to be clean for the Circle meeting tonight, but he'd gotten distracted. He was quite certain he'd be able to fix the auto. He knew what was wrong, he just needed to get at it.
He wondered if he'd be able to stay in the garage, but he could already hear Alice from her room upstairs. She'd find him, and force him out, swearing all the time that he was the strangest Fire Master she'd ever heard of. He'd managed to miss the confident and charismatic parts of the title, although he certainly had the hotheadedness... although Alice was not, perhaps, the most typical of Water Masters herself. As if thinking of her had summoned her, he heard the crisp knock on the side of the garage door- a mere formality, as it was open. "Is it ready yet, Master Mechanic?"
"No, I told you it would take a few hours." He tried ineffectually to wipe the grease off his hands with an already filthy cloth.
"Alex, we need to go soon! We can't be late to this meeting, you know that." Alice crossed her arms over her neat spring green dress. "And look at you, you're all over muck again. Mother will kill you."
"Give me another hour and we can go. It won't take longer, I promise."
"It had better not take longer."
Alice turned on her heel and went back to the house, muttering imprecations about the unreliability of men. Alex sighed and leaned back over the engine. It was going to be a long evening.
--
The view from his window was still, the only movement on the Palace grounds from the wind sweeping through the trees. It looked like it was blowing up a storm out there... he was glad he didn't have to be out in it. He could be safe in his room. Other people had to deal with the weather and he did feel a little sorry for them. As long as Vanil was safe and sound inside...
The mental equivalent of a laugh sounded in the back of his head. :Not likely! I'm as tucked up as tightly as you are, Chosen. Now why don't you go get some sleep?:
He should have known Vanil was listening to his thoughts. He couldn't explain why he wasn't in bed... there was a taut feeling of excitement inside of him, like something very interesting would be happening soon... he kept his eyes open, staring out the window. :If you're going to be awake anyways, you might as well come spend time with me...:
Vanil's voice was very persuasive... the weather couldn't be that bad out there. He slid off his bed and pulled on his cloak and boots, closing his bedroom door quietly behind him. He was old enough that he wasn't required to be in bed, but he didn't feel like being questioned by a teacher. The wind outside was worse than it looked. It hit him like one of the big waves on Lake Evendim, nearly knocking him over. :All right, horse, you are officially MAD. I'm going back to bed.:
Vanil's mind-voice turned coaxing. :Come on, Alic, it's not that late yet, and you're outside already... besides, I was outside when the rain started, I'm wet. Come rub me down.:
"All right, all RIGHT," growled Alic, wrapping his cloak tightly around his shoulders. "You'd better be grateful, that's all I'm saying."
:I'll be terribly grateful, love. Thank you SO much.:
Alic gained the stables gratefully. At least it was warm in there, a little. He could be doing worse things with his night than spend it with Vanil, too. He never had as much time with his Companion as he'd like. He'd been Chosen so late that they were hoping to get him through the Collegium in a year or two, which meant his days were nearly always crammed full of as much work as he could handle, and sometimes a little more.
He bolted the door behind him and nearly blacked out. His head spun and it felt like he was seeing double- his other pair of eyes peering through the dark at... someone very dear... the feeling only lasted a moment, but it was enough to leave him gasping for breath. :Vanil!:
:Chosen.: The mental presence of his Companion was there, holding him up against the encroaching panic, and he clung to it like a drowning kitten.
:What WAS that? I've never- was that Foresight? It's not one of my gifts...:
:No. It was... something else. It's started.:
:It? What's it? What's going on?: Alic leaned against the doorway, feeling quite drained.
:You'll find out soon enough, I'm afraid. For now, we need to go.: The Companion came from the far end of the barn.
Alic blinked dazedly at him, but mounted, far more clumsily than he would have normally. Herald Giran would have my hide, he thought irrelevantly as he leaned down to unbolt the door.
:Hush, Chosen. Let me think.:
--
Alexandre lay in bed, hair running idly through Etienne's hair. His muscles were aching slightly, in the way that they did after he'd had a good workout, and his body was nearly obscenely relaxed. Etienne was already sleeping, arms wrapped loosely around him, head pillowed on his chest. He'd thought of announcing Etienne as his consort, but Etienne had refused, saying his father wished him to marry, to have children... he understood. His family's expectations for him were similar, but with even more pressure. His father had been an only child, as had he, and as he was second in line to the throne he did not have a great deal of choice in the matter.
But he knew Etienne and he would be together, regardless of marriage and children. Blessed Elua's precept- 'Love as thou wilt'- would see to it. He could feel it deep inside of himself... his mind drifted for a minute, happy with thoughts of his lover. Then the world seemed to spin out of control.
He felt like he was looking through someone else's eyes, at a dark field at night, getting slashed with rain and wind... it spun faster and faster until everything blurred and he blacked out. When he woke up, he wasn't in Terre d'Ange anymore.
--
Alic slid off his Companion, peering into the darkness of the Grove. "What am I supposed to be looking for, O Four-Footed One? I can hardly see a thing in this gloom."
:You'll find it, trust me.:
A faint tremor in the ground warned Alic to hold on tight to the nearest tree, just before a quake shook the entire Grove. The rocks rolled and danced for a moment that seemed longer than an age. He could feel the air grow tight around him, stretched... And then it relaxed, everything stopping in a minute. The calm seemed nearly supernatural after the chaos of a minute ago. Even the rain and wind had stopped. He slid down the tree, eyes closing for a minute. :Vanil, what was that?:
There was no response from his Companion. Alic glanced back with a frown- Vanil was staring very intently, deep into the Grove. Alic followed his eyes. Was there something there? He thought he could see splash of white against the dark undergrowth. Pushing himself up, he made his way on shaky legs towards the patch of white.
There was a man on the ground, naked as the day he'd been born. His skin was as pale as alabaster, almost glowing in the moonlight. It was hard to tell what colour his hair was in the gloom, but it looked like it might be the same coppery red as Alic's own. He knelt next to the unconscious man, shaking him gently. "Sir? Are you all right?" There was no answer.
:Vanil, there's-:
:I know. Bring him out here, please.: Alic frowned and carefully lifted the man up. He was heavy- they were of a height, and it was awkward to carry him out. He settled for draping him over his shoulder and walking carefully. He set him down as he reached the outskirts of the Grove, leaning him against a tree.
"All right, I want an explanation, and pretty quickly, too, Vanil." Alic scowled at his Companion.
Vanil shook his mane and leaned down to touch his nose lightly to the man's cheek. :Hm, this one is Talis's, I think..:
Alic scowled and crossed his arms, not stepping away from the man. :Vanil. Explanation, NOW.:
He glanced back at the unconscious figure and frowned. A shaft of moonlight had broken through the clouds above and was illuminating the area around them clearly. Although Alic was a handsome man, as far as he knew, this one outshone him a thousand times- but that wasn't what had startled Alic. It was as if, on this man, all of Alic's features had been smoothed and perfected. A lock of copper hair fell over hs eyes. Coal dark lashes as long as a girl's were a surprising contrast against his pale skin. Alic turned back to Vanil. "What. in the seven hells. is going on?"
His Companion looked back at him, unconcerned- and possibly even slightly smug. :You're going to save the world.: