A Herald-Witch!

Disclaimer: I really wish that I could say that everything in silly work is my own, but it isn't. All references to heralds, ideas, and characters specific to the world of Velgarth belong to Mercedes Lackey and all characters, phrases, and references to the world of Harry Potter belong to J.K.Rowling. Both are wonderful and creative ladies….please don't sue me!

Kora was sitting on the bench she had put beside the window. It was just sprinkling rain outside. If she had a choice she'd be out there with the others of her year playing hurlee. But currently due to the massive assignment Herald chronicler Myste had given for history she knew she had to get it half done now or stay up all night and suffer falling asleep during Myste's class, and that was something very few would risk. :You know chosen, if you stay in there all the time you'll get sick …and I could recommend some very tasty sprouts…:

:The only way you could get me to eat those things would be if you could turn me into a horse too.:

Now, Kora knew perfectly well that Donni was not a horse even though to all eyes she appeared to be. :You know perfectly well that I am not a horse .:

:Sure you're not, grey hooves, blue eyes, white mane, tail and all…:

:You're only 11 but often you pass in the compass rose as 15, long legs, blue-black hair and all.:

:Yeah, but I don't look like a horse:

:Well at least I don't spend my time talking to a "horse":

Kora could almost feel the sarcasm weighing in her mind like a cobble. Looking out the window she saw her companion cantering back toward the field out of the corner of her eye she could see what she imagined was a rainbow but could have just been the sun coming out of the clouds. Kora was always amazed at just how tolerant Donni was. Well, considering how completely mature Kora was… not. Currently she was serving a ban from any hurlee games for the small prank she managed to pull of turning one of the palace cats an impressive shade of aqua.

Not so far off in the distance she heard a loud bell signaling the end of her free time. Now is not the time I want to face off against the weapons master. She walked over to the chest at the end of her bed and pulled out one of the most worn of her standard herald trainee grey uniforms. Today is Wednesday that means special practice with Herald Alberich. Wednesdays Kora got special training in distance weapons, which were her specialty and as soon as the battle hardened Alberich got done with her he handed her over to his younger female double former mercenary Herald-Captain Kerowyn for a run through in knife fighting and sword work.

She quickly got into her uniform and pelted down the corridor of the students wing of the collegium, out the doors and across the lawn. Just as she got close enough to the Salle to see the high clerestory windows that lit the inside she felt something large blow across the top of her head. Thinking it was either a ball thrown by Alberich for her to dodge or Darkwind's (a teacher at the collegium) hawk, Vree, she turned dropped to one knee and spun around to face the "enemy". All that was now in front of her was a letter, thick yellowed parchment on the wet grass. She picked it up quickly lest the ink begin to bleed. On the back was a scarlet wax seal. She didn't recognize it as being from any of the countries she was familiar with but then again she wasn't familiar with many seals anyways. To see her own name on the front was certainly a bit of a shock. Ms. K. Talese.

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