Legend of the Firedancer

By: Songwind

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the stories written by Mercedes Lackey. I do own the original characters in here, as well as any Gifts that you don't recognize.

Summary- This is a story that is based on the Bard and Mage Collegium, about two years right before Darian's story in the Owl Trilogy (which I also don't own). The Herald Collegium will be, for the most part, ignored. (Gasp!) Any Chosen characters will most likely play minor parts, and lifebonds are highly unlikely unless they are already formed (i.e. by Talia and Dirk, which I don't own).

This revolves around two people- a young Bard who has a new Gift, and a Tayledras who is sent to train under Firesong and Darkwind until he reaches Adept level while also training the new Herald-Mages.

Please enjoy, and let me know what you think. I can't read minds, after all. Though that would be a cool Gift…

~*~

Chapter One- New Beginnings

"So," Darkwind said, looking over his newest pupil. "Well met. You're the one who was asked specifically to train under an Adept?"

The pupil was another Tayledras, with small streaks of silver showing in his otherwise dark, lush hair. Said hair would have seemed to flow down to his waist if he hadn't had it tied back in a multitude of braids and feathers. He wore, for the most part, scout gear, or at least something resembling them. The cut and trim of the outfit in question was practical, but apparently this one had a love of warm colors, for he wore, for the most part, different shades of red with a touch of gold.

"Yes," the pupil replied promptly. It was obvious that he was looking over Darkwind as well.

Darkwind had aged well over the past few years, since the end of the last set of Mage Storms. Unlike many married men in Valdemar, the weight he'd gained had only been from more muscle, not less. His hair was almost entirely silver, despite his age, and his eyes a stunning blue.

"You realize, of course, that you won't be able to gain much by learning from people who have Adept strengths, at least not for a few more years." Darkwind watched the young man closely. "After the Mage Storms…"

"Adepts are scrambling left and right for any power they can have, I know," the young man said. "I understand I won't be able to cause miracles, sir. I was sent here to control the ability, not to harness it."

Darkwind grunted. "We'll see. The messenger bird did not speak your name."

The young pupil suddenly smiled, which lit up his still-dark eyes with a spark of light. "Firedance. My name is Firedance k'Shira."

"K'Shira?" Darkwind raised an eyebrow. "That's the Vale near Evendim, isn't it?"

Firedance nodded.

The older Tayledras asked, "Do you know any Valdemaran?"

"A little," Firedance replied, in said language. Then he switched back to Tayledras. "But only enough to ask where things are," he admitted.

"Do you know the spell to learn languages quickly?"

Mutely, the younger of the two shook his head.

"Then I'll get Firesong to teach you that one. It'll help you pick up other languages much more quickly than the conventional way."

"Thanks."

"Would you prefer to live in Firesong's miniature Vale with him and Silverfox, or would you stay in the Palace instead?" Darkwind asked.

"Wherever. Long as I get a good view of something."

Darkwind smiled thinly, believing he understood. After all, one's bondbird needed an easy way to get out if they had to hunt. Though he wondered, briefly, where Firedance's bondbird was… "Then let's put you in the Palace. I know a room that looks just over the Companion's Field." He glanced at Firedance's dyheli, who had been standing next to the young Tayledras for the past few moments, waiting patiently to be noticed. "Firesong's dyheli should be somewhere in that field, by the way," he added.

The deer-like creature bobbed its head. :Thank you. I will be there should anyone need me.: With that, she trotted off.

The two watched her go, then Darkwind said, "Let's go. I'll find Firesong for you so you can meet your other teacher immediately."

Firedance nodded in thanks, then followed Darkwind as he was swiftly engulfed in the small world that was known as Valdemar's Palace.

~*~

Rhia stood beside her mother in the small gathering of Guild members, trying her best not to yawn or look bored. Instead, she did her best to look interested in what one of the other women, the wife of the Head of the Blacksmithing Guild was saying.

Dear gods, please kill me now.

The young woman, fifteen years of age, stood with her mother in the main building of Haven dedicated purely to the gatherings and conferences of the Guilds in Valdemar. Having just recently moved into the biggest city in Valdemar, Rhia's mother was attempting to make friends of the 'proper' levels of the social ladder, and was attempting to make Rhia do the same.

If she wants me to make friends, she should let me control my own reins.

Since that wasn't going to happen anytime soon, Rhia resigned herself to the idle chatter of the minor nobles.

Her family wasn't exactly of noble bearing- it was somewhere in that in-between stage. They were too well to do to be considered a low or middle class family, but not exactly rich or extravagant enough to be known as people with 'true blue blood'.

Therefore, the only 'appropriate' friends that her mother wanted were the women that headed the Guilds. Or the women who were at least married or related to heads of the Guilds.

I've got nothing against blacksmiths, or what they do, but I don't really care to know how they do the things they do! She thought this while bestowing a smile upon one woman, who had just delivered her some sort of compliment.

"…so lovely," another woman agreed. This one was the wife of the Cloth Guildmaster. Or was it called a Fabrics Guild? Whatever it was, it had to do with clothing. "What do you do in your free time, dearling?" she asked Rhia suddenly, causing the young woman to blink in confusion.

"Um," was her original, brilliant reply.

"She's a tad shy," her mother said, coming to her defense. "She does a decent job with sewing clothing, when the need calls for it."

"Really now!" the woman exclaimed. "Well, dear, perhaps in a year or so we can have you apprenticed to myself or my husband, yes? What a lovely idea!"

"Indeed," the rest of the women murmured.

Rhia tensed at that. Mother, please tell them I'm not built for that kind of life! she mentally pleaded.

For truly, while she did not mind the idea of sewing, she did mind the idea of being cloistered in a small room all day, doing only that. The thought of being indoors for longer than necessary was completely appalling. Indeed, the walls of the large Guildhall already seemed to be closing in on her.

I'd rather go outside and start rolling around in some muck like a pig than be in here much longer.

But, to her dismay, her mother said thoughtfully, "That wouldn't be such a bad idea, Mistress Ivean."

"Please, just Ivean," the lady replied. "We're going to be short on helping hands soon, anyway. My husband's last apprentice is readying to move out to one of the smaller towns on the edge of Valdemar. Somewhere near Karse, I believe."

"Is it that peaceful there now?" another woman wondered.

"Well, it is considerably calmer since the fighting's stopped a couple years ago, dear," Ivean said chidingly.

"How true," the wife to the blacksmith Guildmaster added.

After another moment of thought, Rhia's mother nodded. "We'll let you know when she's ready, Ivean," she said. "Isn't that wonderful, dear? Our first week here, and already someone's asked to apprentice you!"

Rhia tried her best not to wince. "Uh, yes, mother. Truly… delightful."

Her mother, apparently, didn't catch her lack of enthusiasm. "Wonderful! It's settled, then."

"Mother…?"

"Yes, dear?"

Rhia put on her best face of seeming slightly ill. "May I be excused? I believe some fresh air would do me good."

"The walkways hereabouts are safe enough," one of the other women said kindly. "In fact, if you want, the Compass Rose is nearby."

"Compass Rose?" Rhia asked.

"Yes, other young men and ladies should be there studying for their school, at this time of day," the lady replied. "Why don't you go over there? Perhaps you'll make some friends."

The southern deserts will probably freeze over before I make any friends in a tavern or inn, but that's the best escape I've gotten so far. Well, why not.

"Thank you," she said, with a little bob of her head. "Please excuse me." With that, she turned and fled before her mother could try to make any more decisions without her permission.

As she was leaving, she couldn't help but hear the false comments of how lovely Rhia was. Her mother, Kirana, seemed to bask in the glow of the attention.

Then she heard the words, "Oh, but you should hear her sing when she's mending things.. truly lovely… two voices.."

Rhia grimaced as she finally escaped the dim lighting of the room, and reached the outdoors.

Mother, don't you dare make me perform for your newfound friends. Don't you dare.

She paused in the afternoon sunlight, which only barely reached her due to the large buildings all about her. Then she looked about, chose a route to walk, and started doing just that.

Haven was busy, as it always was in the afternoon. Merchants on the street were shouting their wares, children were shrieking as they dodged the carriages and horses going by, low class workers tried to dodge everyone while cleaning the streets. Some street performers were frantically trying to get enough money for food for tonight, either doing simple "magic" tricks, dancing to music, singing…

Singing…

She recognized a rather popular song that was being sung nearby, by a minstrel of some sort. She decided to go over and listen to it, since she had nothing better to do. She certainly had no desire to head back to the Guild's headquarters, or to head to that tavern-what was it- the Compass Rose.

No offense to the people who go there, but I'm not in the mood to go into a crowded space. Well, not in the mood to go into a crowded space that's indoors, anyway. Can't really go anywhere that's open around here.

Rhia soon caught sight of the minstrel in question. And yes, by the Havens, he was a minstrel. His clothing was sloppy, his hair slightly greasy, and he wore just a tad too much perfume to hide the fact that he hadn't bathed in a while. He was very thin, but that was another characteristic trait of any 'normal' minstrel.

His only redeeming quality, at least, the only obvious one, was his singing skill.

The man stood on the corner of a street, where ten or fifteen people crowded about to listen to him. A small bowl sat at his feet, where two or three copper pennies had been thrown in already. But the man was paying no attention to the coins or his listeners, but to his song.

"I need you help, my friend, and I
Had sworn to stand alone;
How foolish were the vows I made
My present plight has shown…"

This is… Otherlove, Rhia recognized. ..Wow. He's not singing it so badly. Wonder how he got around the first stanza, though. Not a very comfortable thing to sing for a man. Probably improvised. People know what he means, anyway.

She watched the man as he sang, feeling a sudden pang of envy. Here he was, possibly the poorest man in the world, money-wise. He most likely had no house, or any other belongings other than his clothes and his voice.

But then, here he was, with his eyes lit up with a feeling that Rhia knew only distantly, and his lips trying to hide the smile that threatened to appear at any given moment.

Not rich, but not necessarily unhappy. Rhia got the feeling that he would happily even give up his clothing and two limbs, as long as he still had his voice and a way to travel.

"…. I've often told you so;
Yet there's a place within my heart
Where you, love, cannot go."

Rhia returned to herself as the song ended, and a few of the people dropped more copper pennies into the wooden bowl before heading into the crowd of people, leaving the minstrel slightly more rich than he had been two or three minutes ago.

The minstrel returned to himself, looking about with a slightly surprised look on his face before turning to pick up the bowl. At a question from a little girl nearby, he replied, "I'm sorry, that's all for today. But please return tomorrow; I'll be here for a few more days." The little girl nodded and ran off, presumably to find her parents and tell them about the minstrel. Who knew- maybe her parents could spare a penny for him, as well.

It was apparent that the minstrel was readying to leave, but before he could get off his corner, a man accidentally knocked into him, sending all of the money (and the bowl) flying.

The minstrel gave out a small cry of alarm as his precious money scattered, and fell to searching for them.

For some reason she couldn't explain, Rhia bent down to help the man, picking up the bowl first and offering it to him.

The minstrel blinked in surprise to see a young woman of some minor importance helping him, but thanked her and continued to search for the coins a minute longer. Then, he stood and she followed.

He counted the coins, and said cheerfully, "Welladay, I've saved enough for a supper tonight. Thankee, lady."

"You deserve every coin," she told him politely. "That was a… beautiful song."

He smiled. "Learned it in the Collegium, few years back don'y'know," he said proudly. "Ain't no Bard, but they let normal folk get in sometimes t' learn how t' compose like a Bard. Sing like one, too."

"You've obviously kept your training," she said.

"Thankee." He bobbed a little, and turned to go.

Once again, something compelled her to speak to him. "Um, sir?" she asked tentatively.

The minstrel turned back, surprised she was spending that much attention to such a poor, middle-aged man. "Yes, milady?"

"What's it like, in the Bard's Collegium?" she asked wistfully.

He blinked, thought for a moment, then said, "Very professional-like. Y' learn lots there, even if'n you're jus' a normal folk. Me, I learned t' compose, how t' sing right, an' I learned…" He paused, then said, "that sometimes people want normal folk instead of Bards."

"I see." Rhia sighed, picturing herself in a place where she could learn to sing and compose her own music. For just a moment, she saw what she really wanted to be; like this minstrel, in a way.

Not incredibly rich, but happy, at the very least.

The minstrel frowned slightly when she went into her daydream state, and asked, "Uh, why ye be askin', milady? Ye want t' go t' the Collegium, maybe?"

Shaken out of her reverie, Rhia opened her mouth to reply. She wasn't sure what she would say, however- she didn't want to lie and deny her wish, but she didn't want to seem foolish and admit it, as well.

It just wasn't possible for her to have enough Talent to go to a place like the Collegium.

And her parents would have fits.

But before she could make any sort of reply, she heard her mother calling to her. "Rhia! Rhia, darling, come back at once! We have to go home!"

Hurriedly, she pulled out three of her copper coins from her own belt pouch, and dropped them into the bowl. The minstrel's eyes widened- now he had enough for a night at an inn and a decent dinner! - as she said, "Perhaps I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for the information."

"Uh…" The minstrel blinked as she disappeared into the crowd as well, searching for her mother. "Y're welcome.. Milady…"

~*~

A/N: As a side note, I don't own the song "Otherlove."