Kit threw herself into the saddle, tore through the courtyard and across the meadow toward the woods at a hard gallop, her red hair blazing with fire in the sunlight. She had just had the harshest exchange with her mother she had ever known and her green eyes were dark with hurt and indignation. Even so, her hands were light when she finally slowed Jada to a walk once they were had reached the tree line. The black mare pranced a bit in protest as she had plenty of run left in her, but Jada settled when she realized they were not yet turning back.
"How could she?" Kit asked herself aloud. "Just because I don't want to spend all afternoon in the stillroom doesn't mean I'm not serious about my studies! How many times do I have to tell Mother that before she believes me?"
The argument kept running through her mind like the drone of a bee as Kit made her way to her favorite spot in the woods. Once she reached her destination, she was welcomed by a tinkling spring that trickled from a rock face, filling a small crystal clear woodland pond. With a sigh, the girl slipped from the saddle and threw herself on her stomach in the ferns by the pond's edge, staring into its depths as if that would provide her with an answer to her troubles.
After a bit, the sound of the spring, the wind in the trees and the birds chirping calmed her and she began to think more about the argument she had with her mother. Kit realized that Isolde's abnormally short temper had nothing to do with her daughter wanting to ride this afternoon instead of helping in the stillroom.
Her mother had just returned from a long night and a worse morning in the small farming hamlet of Eton a few miles to the south. Despite her best efforts as a Healer, a young farmer's wife had died during a difficult birthing and the baby with her, leaving behind a shattered husband with a year old son to bring up by himself. Isolde was simply upset that all her skills and training had not been able to save the woman and her baby, not that her daughter wasn't earnest about learning.
Guilt flooded through Kit as she realized her outburst had only added to her mother's pain. "Ari," she whispered, suddenly missing her older sister Arianwen unbearably, "I wish you were here, you wouldn't have let me act like such a half-wit."
Kit turned over and stared sightlessly up into the cloudless summer sky, knowing that the right thing to do was go home, apologize to her mother and get to work brewing tisanes. But the day was so pretty, the glade so peaceful and her guilt so heavy that she couldn't make herself get back in the saddle. I should calm down more, she thought, trying to reason with her conscience, and then I'll go home.
After awhile, the sun shining down on her through the trees made her sleepy, so Kit was half dozing like a cat on a windowsill when Jada's head came up and the mare spun around to look down the trail behind them. Kit jerked fully awake and realized that she could hear faint hoof beats moving swiftly along the trail.
"Oh no," she groaned, hoping that it was her older brother Kye coming in search of her rather than her father. Kye would just call her a bad little sister, slap her on the back and tell her to go make things right with Mother. Lord Powyl was another matter entirely and the thought that her father would be not only angry but disappointed in her was more dreadful than knowing she had been unfair to her mother. Leaping from the ground, Kit snagged Jada's trailing reins and turned to face the trail, steeling herself against seeing her father's fiery blue gaze.
"Blessed Lady!" she gasped. It was a blue gaze indeed, but not the one she was expecting.
Kit was staring into the eyes of the beautiful, magical being that populated the dreams of Valdemar's children. There, glowing ever so faintly under the trees was a Companion, the mount of a Herald! The impossibly white stallion moved forward a few more steps, the sunlight turning his coat to blinding snow as he left the shadow of the wood. He stopped a mere handspan from Kit, still gazing at her intently.
The idea that she was being thoughtfully judged flashed through her mind and Kit found herself hoping desperately that the magnificent creature before her did not find her wanting.
:I do not find you wanting.:
The girl's knees gave as she realized the Companion had just Mindspoken her. Kit collapsed to the ground, unable to take her eyes from the stallion's intent gaze.
:I am Talin and I Choose you, Kitain Brightwood.:
The judgment in Talin's eyes was gone, replaced by a love and an understanding so intense it was tangible. How it happened, Kit would never remember, but she found herself with her arms wrapped around the Companion's neck and her face buried in his long silken mane.
"Me?" she asked in a whisper. "You have Chosen me?"
:I told you so.: Talin's Mindvoice was faintly colored with amusement. :You would doubt me:
"No! How could I? You're a Companion! B-but I just haven't been a dutiful or thoughtful daughter today…I don't know if I deserve your Choosing of me." Kit's voice was broken and she realized she had tears streaming down her cheeks.
Talin curved his neck and pulled her closer to him. :You are young and sometimes when we are young we make mistakes. You only wanted the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. I understand what it is to need that.:
"But how can you know how important that is to me?"
:Suffice it to say that I do. I have had to wait for you but we are together now, beloved. I also promise you that you will never feel alone again, for I will always be with you, even at night when the wind howls against the windows.:
"Oh," was all Kit managed to whisper as the love Talin offered flowed through her heart and soul in another thrilling wave. They shared other things too, so many things that the girl lost all track of time as she stood stroking the Companion's neck.
:It grows late my Chosen.: Shaking her head in disbelief, Kit realized that the shadows had gotten very long and the glade had seen the last of the day's sunlight. :Someone is coming.: As Talin spoke, he turned toward the trail, peering intently forward and Kit got the impression that he was looking with more than just his eyes. For the second time that day, she heard hoof beats coming up the trail and she realized they sounded much heavier than the Companion's had. :It is someone who has great concern about you.:
"It's Father," Kit groaned, "I'm sure of it. He's going to be furious with me after what I said to Mother and then not coming home to apologize."
:It won't be so bad. I am with you Chosen, we will make things right. You will not be alone, I will be there with you. Apologies go much better when there are two.:
"That's was why I was missing Ari so much, she always helped me with things like this," Kit told him, her voice growing stronger now that she realized he was right.
:I know, I promise you will soon see her in Haven. But first, let us face your father, he doesn't scare me at all.:
Talin's humorous confidence gave Kit more resolve than she would have had alone as her tall blond father pounded into the glade on his big bay hunter and reined him to a halt. The anger vying with worry in Lord Powyll's handsome features were wiped away by amazement as he took in the sight of Kit facing him with a Companion hanging his head over her shoulder. Her older brother Kye was just behind him, also looking just as shocked. The faint glow about Talin was even more apparent now that the sun had dropped from the glade and his stance was both proprietary and protective has he gazed at the lord and his eldest son.
Strangely, it was Kye who spoke first. "By the Havens! My baby sister has gone and gotten herself Chosen! We are going to have a Herald in the family." The pride in Kye's eyes brought tears to Kit's.
"So it seems," Powyll agreed quietly. He dismounted and bowed his head formally to Talin. "We Brightwoods are honored to find that one of us has been found worthy to serve Valdemar and its Queen."
:Tell him it is known that the Brightwoods have always served Valdemar and not only by being Chosen.:
Kit repeated Talin's words to her father and Powyll wondered at the way she suddenly seemed to go from a child to a woman grown as she spoke.
:Are you going to introduce us Chosen: The Companion inquired with gentle amusement.
"Oh, yes, I'm so sorry," she squeaked, turning once more into an excited young girl. "Talin, this is my father Lord Powyll and my brother Kye."
Talin inclined his head to them and stepped forward, inviting them to draw closer. As Powyll did, he said, "Companion Talin, I know the way of these things and that you will shortly take my daughter away to Haven but I would ask this of you. It grows late and this has been a long day for all of us in many ways. Will you wait until morning so she can make her farewells to her family? I also would not set her upon the road to the capital unprepared."
:Your father loves you as greatly as I do. Tell him that I will not take you tonight, tomorrow is soon enough. Besides, I'm hungry and this saddle has been on for too long. It itches.:
Kit shared Talin's comments with Kye and Powyll, giggling at the last.
"Let's go home then," Powyll said, motioning for Kye to take Jada's trailing reins. They mounted and looked expectantly at Kit.
Talin nudged her aside and turned for her to mount. Feeling as if she were committing a great wrong, Kit swung up carefully, having to stretch a bit to reach the stirrup and then easing herself slowly down into the saddle, realizing that Talin was as tall as her father's hunter.
:It is all right Chosen, you do not hurt me. Do you like to run:
"I do," Kit told him, "but I don't know if the horses can keep up. Father breeds them fast, but they are not as fleet as a Companion."
:I will go at their speed. Tell them to follow and hang on.:
"Talin wants to go fast," she laughed.
"He has a Brightwood on his back, we all like to go fast," Kye said with a grin. "Let's go!"
With that, Talin leaped into a gallop and set off down the trail. Kit was amazed at how smoothly and surely he traveled, almost as if his hooves didn't touch the ground. Thinking it was a race; the horses whinnied with delight and leveled out into their fastest gallops. Talin easily kept pace with them and Kit realized that the Companion did not have to work to do so, that he could have swept ahead like they were standing still.
"You are fast," she exclaimed.
:You haven't seen me really run yet. I promise you will enjoy it as much I enjoy having a Chosen who rides well. Some Companions spend years worrying if their Chosen will stay on. I know I will never have to worry about that with you.:
Kit was overjoyed that Talin thought she was a good rider. Somehow his approval already meant more to her than almost anyone else's did. They slowed just before the courtyard of the house and Talin trotted in with a graceful floating gait and an arched neck, as if he was showing off.
:I am showing off. I thought you would enjoy the look on everyone's faces when they saw us.:
Talin was right about everyone for as they entered the courtyard, both Kit's mother and little brother as well as her Uncle Sean, Aunt Gillian and her cousins Gwyan and Lenor were at the top of the steps. They came slowly down as Talin halted squarely at the foot of stairs, Kit's little cousin Lenor hanging back a bit as if awed by what she saw. At the sight of her mother's pained green eyes and pale tired features, the girl's guilt came rushing back. Kit flung herself from Talin's saddle and ran to her mother, wrapping her arms around Isolde in a tight hug.
"Mother, I'm so sorry. I was selfish and I wasn't thinking of you. Forgive me, please?" she begged.
"How could I not, sweetheart? I should have remembered how hard it is for a girl your age to stay inside on a beautiful summer afternoon. It seems you are going to study in Haven anyway, just not by way of the Healer's Collegium like I and your sister." Isolde released her daughter and looked at Talin. "You honor us."
"That he does," Powyl exclaimed, his blue eyes shining with pride at his younger daughter. "Kit, perhaps you should introduce everyone to your Companion."
A thrill ran through Kit at her father's choice of words, your Companion rang in her ears like music. "Oh yes, I should. I'm sorry Father, my manners are poor today," she said wryly. "Talin, this is my mother, Lady Isolde, my brother Bran." Then she introduced the rest of her family.
The Companion seemed to nod his head in greeting. Tell them I am pleased to meet them.
"Talin says he is pleased to meet you all," she giggled, finding it strange to hear something no one else was.
"I have recently begun to suspect you might have the Gift for Mindspeech, just try not to stare off so vacantly when it happens, you may find it unnerves those who do not understand what is happening," her mother teased Kit gently. Isolde looked back at Talin. "Thank you also for agreeing to wait until morning before Kit must go."
"Let's make Talin comfortable, then you need some supper and I need a good stiff drink," Powyl said good-naturedly.
"I'll look after Jada," Bran volunteered, taking the mare's reins from Kye and jogging toward the stables. Kit watched him go and looked up at her father as an idea occurred to her.
"He's so good with Jada. I won't need her anymore and Bran loves her so. Do you think he's ready for a horse of his own?" she asked.
Powyl glanced at his wife, who nodded with approval. "I think so, Kit. Would you like to be the one to tell him?"
"Yes, please. It makes me happy to know that she will still be someone's special friend. Jada is so sweet, she deserves to have a person all her own."
Kit followed her brother to the stables and found he already had Jada's tack off. The mare was nuzzling him as he stroked her neck. "Bran, do you like Jada?" she asked quietly after watching the two of them for a moment.
"Like her? I love her! My favorite times are when you let me ride her," the boy exclaimed.
"There will be no more letting you ride her as she now belongs to you. Father and Mother have already agreed to it."
"Really?" Bran was practically dancing with delight. "Jada is all mine?"
"She is all yours, but you have to promise to groom her, love her and let her take long runs through the meadows," Kit told him.
"I will, I promise!" Bran threw his arms around his sister. "Thank you, Kittycat, thank you!" Kit hugged him back, glad she had been given the chance to make him as happy as she was.
:Kittycat: Talin snorted and it sounded strangely like a chuckle. :You don't look much like any cats I have seen, although you do have a long tail.: The Companion lipped the braid that hung down Kit's back.
"It's a family nickname," she told him with pink cheeks, faintly embarrassed. "I think it got started when Ari had trouble saying Kitain when I was born. No-one uses it anymore except Bran and my little cousin Lenor. Or when Ari writes me, then she still calls me by it."
:I will keep your secret, although Herald Kittycat does have an interesting sound to it. Perhaps you should think on it Chosen.:
"I think not," she told Talin. "Besides, I will be a Herald-Trainee and that sounds even worse with Kittycat behind it."
Talin sighed gratefully as Kit removed his tack and began to curry away the saddle marks. His coat was like silk velvet and she found herself running her hands over it with pleasure. Kit carefully brushed the tangles from his mane and tail, making sure not to pull too hard as she found the knots.
"Silly question I suppose, but what do you eat?"
:I eat grain, hay and grass as horses do.:
Kit poured him a generous measure of oats and barley before filling the hay rack, glad she could offer him the fresh first cutting that had been brought in only the day before. She left the stall door open as it seemed terribly wrong to do otherwise and Talin had also told her he was going to have a good roll in the grass once he had finished his supper.
:Go Chosen, your family waits for you. You know you can talk to me, no matter where you are. You will also be back after dinner, as you love me too much not to come fuss over me some more.:
The complacent conceit of Talin's tone made her giggle. "You have it right, I'm totally besotted already."
:I know, I'm handsome and irresistible.:
"I bet you say that to all the girls," she teased.
:As a matter of fact, I do.:
"Well, that had better stop, I'm the jealous type," Kit warned him sternly. "There will be no more flirting with girls."
:But I'm very popular with the ladies of Companion's Field. Would you deprive all those pretty mares of my charming ways: Talin asked roguishly. Kit had a sudden vision of several beautiful Companion mares casting sideways and admiring glances.
"You are so bad!" she exclaimed, shaking her head and very amused that her Companion sounded just like Kye when the local girls made cow eyes at him. "But how can I talk to you?"
:Just try it.:
:Like this: The girl's Mindvoice was soft and tentative, she had never dreamed she might have a Gift for it.
:Exactly.: Talin told her warmly. :It will seem more natural with time and practice. Go have your dinner, Chosen:
Supper passed in a blur for Kit. She barely heard the things that her mother and aunt were suggesting that she take with her or the excited questions of her brothers and cousins. Instead, Kit kept reaching out to Talin as if to make sure everything was real and not a sun-drenched daydream back in the glade.
:You are mine now Chosen, it is not a dream.: The possessiveness of Talin's tone warmed her to her toes.
Understanding how distracted his daughter was, Powyll quietly advised Isolde and Gillian that perhaps they should have the maids pack what they thought necessary and leave Kit to make the final decisions in the morning. He smiled down the table at Kit, realizing as her eyes went blank for the twentieth time in the last candlemark that she was listening to Talin and not to any of them. A short time later, catching her eyes for once gazing at her family and satisfied that she had at least eaten something, Powyll excused her from the table. "Go on Kit, I know you find us dull company at the moment," he told her in a low voice. "I do however expect you to sleep in your own bed tonight and not on the straw next to Talin."
"Yes, Father, thank you!" Kit jumped up from her chair and dashed from the hall. Powyll watched her go, his pride in her and his fear for her future at war inside of him.
:I know dearest, I feel the same.: Isolde's Mindvoice touched Powyll as she knew from her husband's face what he was feeling. :But we have often wondered what would make Kit happy in her life and now we know. We most accept it. Furthermore, I remember you saying once that the last Brightwood who was Chosen returned home to live out his days in the fields and woods of his childhood with his Companion at his side.:
:We Brightwoods are a lucky lot.: Powyll conceded. His Gift was weaker than his wife's but practice had made their conversations easy as long as she was near. :And thank you for reminding me of Herald Tarin, there are some things Sean and I have for Kit to take with her.: He smiled at Isolde and called to his brother. "Sean, since we have a new Chosen in our family, there is something we must do."
Sean was puzzled for a moment and then his eyes lit up. "Yes brother, you are right. If our ladies will excuse us for a bit." The two blond men left the table grinning like school boys, leaving behind mystified wives and children.
It was late when Powyll and Sean left the workshop in the courtyard but Powyll was not surprised to see a light still burning in the stable. Sending his brother ahead with the wrapped bundles, he went into the barn to see if his suspicion was correct.
It was, as he found his daughter curled up in the straw between Talin's legs. Kit's hand was wound into the Companion's mane and the girl's expression was blissful even in sleep. That warmed Powyll's heart, but he knew well the sacrifices a Herald often had to make and it hurt him to think that Kit was going to learn first hand about all of them. The Companion watched him approach and it seemed to Powyll that Talin's blue eyes saw more than the expression upon the lord's face. "It is true Companion Talin," he found himself saying, "I do fear for her. As her father, I have loved and protected Kit for many years and it is hard to pass that responsibility to anyone else, even a Companion."
:I know but I will protect her as you would, until there is no breath left in me.:
Powyll staggered, overwhelmed and honored that Talin would deign to speak to him. "I thank you and I can ask no more," he said, humbled by the Companion's generosity at trying to set his feelings at ease.
:Take my Chosen to her bed, let Kit rest the night under her father's roof and still under his care. In the morning, I will take her from you, but know that she is never alone or without my love and protection. I also promise you that I will do my utmost to return us both one day far in the future to the place she calls home.:
"Thank you again, Companion Talin," Powyll whispered as he gently released Kit's fingers from Talin's mane and lifted her in his arms. The lord carried her into the house where Isolde met him and together they put their daughter to bed for what they both knew was the last time.
Kit woke early the next morning to the chatter of the squirrels in the old iron oak outside her window. The light was still pale, she knew she wouldn't be expected to rise so early. Kit rolled over, preparing to pull her blanket back over her head when the day before came flooding back to her. :Talin?:
:You called me, beloved:
:Oh gods! It really wasn't a dream, you did Choose me:
:Yes, I did. I also noticed that I was the first thing you thought of when you woke up, which makes me very happy.: Talin's Mindvoice was loving and smug at the same time. :Now, are you ready to begin our journey:
:Oh yes! Let me fetch you some breakfast:
:I have already had it Chosen. Your brother was kind enough to see to it when he came creeping in to fuss over Jada a few moments ago. That was well done, beloved, he is very happy. Kit blushed with delight at the compliment in Talin's tone. :Now, come and see me before you have breakfast, I have an itch in the center of my back that I cannot reach.:
Kit giggled and threw her blanket back to reach for her clothes. Shortly she was flying down the stairs and out to the barn, her own fingers itching to touch Talin's silken coat again. As she obligingly scratched his back, Talin sighed in bliss and arched his neck around her, pressing Kit against his chest in a hug. They stayed that way for a long time, content in each other's company. Finally, her father's voice calling her to breakfast gained Kit's attention and she reluctantly drew away from Talin.
:Go, make your farewells beloved. Make sure you eat a good breakfast also, we have a long ride ahead of us and a full stomach is the best way to start.:
"That's funny, Father says the same thing when we go hunting," Kit laughed as she patted her Companion's neck. "I will be back soon."
:I know, you cannot bear to leave me alone too long.:
Kit scurried into the house, thinking that if Talin were a man he would be ever so slightly conceited about his attractions.
:I heard that, Chosen. I am not vain, I simply know how much you love me and want to be with me.: The tone of the Companion's Mindvoice told Kit that Talin was in fact quite a bit conceited about himself but it was already one of the things she loved about him.
Try as she might, Kit could hardly sit still at breakfast. She was eager to begin the journey, even though she knew the road to Haven was a long one. Waiting at the end of the road was not only a new world but Ari and Gareth. Oh, she thought suddenly, I hope they will be proud of me too. I will be the one they hear the news from, Talin will reach Haven long before a letter from home can.
:True that.:
:Do you always know what I am thinking?: Kit asked the Companion.
:When I listen. Your thoughts are very open right now; you will learn how to shield them better during your time as a trainee.:
When Kit went upstairs to her room, she realized that most of the clothing she would want to take with her had already been neatly folded and stacked on her desk. What drew a gasp of delight from her however was lying across the bed. It was a black doeskin jerkin and breeches, embroidered in gold at the collar, cuffs and down the sides of the breeches with the oak leaf and acorn clusters that comprised the Brightwood family badge. Isolde and Gillian had made a similar set of hunting clothes for Kye at Midwinter and Kit had been green with envy.
"Do you like it dearest?" Isolde's soft voice asked from the doorway.
"It's beautiful!" Kit exclaimed.
"We were going to give it to you on your birthday," Isolde told her, "but since you have been Chosen, by that day you will be in Grays. This way, you at least get to enjoy wearing it for a bit."
A booming voice was heard in the hall. "Are the ladies decent?"
"We are!" Kit giggled, recognizing her Uncle Sean's voice.
Sean and Powyll entered the room with several bundles; the larger ones were placed on the floor while a long narrow oilskin bag was leaned against the wall. "Kit, you do know that we have been privileged to have several Chosen from the Brightwoods over the years?" Powyll asked.
She nodded vigorously. "Yes, the last was Herald Tarin who was Chosen just before the beginning of Ardan and Leesa's reign."
"Good, you haven't always fallen asleep when I tell the tales of our family on winter nights," Sean grinned at Kit. "As you known then, Tarin and his Companion lived out their last days here in this house. Herald Tarin left some things behind for the next Brightwood Chosen."
"What sorts of things?" Kit asked in wonder.
Her uncle uncovered the bundles on the floor. They were saddle bags of blue leather with oak leaf shaped clasps and tiny silver acorns and oak leaves carved and painted along the borders. The third and fourth items on the floor were a quiver and a bow case, similarly decorated. As Kit had been looking at them, Powyl had undone the thong closing the oilskin bag.
"This goes in there," he told his daughter, laying a bow in her hands. Due to her Uncle Sean's skill as a bowyer, Kit had always been privileged to use good bows. This bow however was the most beautiful and finely made one she had ever held. The yew had been bleached to white, with more acorns and oak leaves in silver paint twined around the double curved limbs and terminating at the pale gray horn nocks. "You may find it a difficult draw, as it was made for a grown man, but I know you will master it in time."
"I will, Father, I promise. Thank you," Kit breathed, overcome at the gifts.
"Thank Herald Tarin," her father suggested. "We have merely kept these things for him."
"I wish I could," Kit said, a bit sadly.
"I'm sure that even in the Havens, Herald Tarin knows that his gifts have been passed on," Isolde told her gently. "Now we must get these bags properly packed."
:His Companion was Fiana: It was Talin's Mindvoice, but it had the quality of a whisper, almost as if he didn't mean for Kit hear it but was rather thinking to himself. There was another quality as well, a sort of peculiar wistfulness as she received a brief glimpse of an elegant wise-eyed Companion mare with blue ribbons and acorn shaped bells wound lovingly through her mane.
:I'm sure she knows too, surely Companions go to the Havens as well.: Kit sent back softly, wondering at how Talin knew the Companion's name or what she had looked like.
:Aye.: Talin sounded somewhat startled, then his tone became brisk. :Now, are you almost ready:
:Soon.: she promised her Companion. :I'm packing right now.:
Isolde ran the men out of the room so Kit could finish her preparations. Before long, the saddle bags were packed and cheerfully toted to the barn by Kit's brothers. After she put on her new breeches and jerkin, Kit stared intently into her mirror and her left eyebrow rose just like her father's as she surveyed her reflection critically.
While sharing her mother's and sister Arianwen's coloring, Kit was not inherited their delicate, pretty features. Instead, she had her father's strong jaw and prominent cheekbones, making her a handsome girl, rather than a beauty like Isolde and Ari. She was satisfied with her looks however. Kit had learned long ago watching the young farmers fawn over her mother while Powyl frowned thunderously that being thought a beautiful woman had its own set of drawbacks.
Black was not a normal color choice for her, but the girl did like the way it contrasted with her red hair. Kit had always thought her hair was her best feature and her packs contained several carefully sealed bottles of rosehip rinse to keep it bright, something she and her mother had giggled about as they had packed them. She also fancied the somber shade and restrained embroidery made her look older and wiser, someone worthy of being Chosen.
:Clothes do not make you wise or worthy: Talin snorted derisively in Kit's head. :I Chose you for what is in your heart and your soul. A 'worthy' Chosen would already be in the saddle: the Companion teased.
Kit chuckled wryly at his words. :I guess I have my own share of conceit, I was wrong to tease you so.:
:I have learned that a little conceit can be a needed boost of confidence at times, something that is very good for a young would-be Herald. Now quit admiring your reflection and let's go:
:Yes, oh wise one.: Kit sent back sarcastically. She took one last look at the only bed she had laid her head upon for fourteen years. With a faint smile, she crossed the room and went out, shutting the door firmly behind her without a backward glance.
After Talin was saddled, Powyl and Sean assisted her with securing her bags, the bow case and a bed roll. Kit laughed as they let a few of the straps out on the bags to harness them to the Companion's breeching. "I think the last Companion to carry these wasn't quite as muscular as you are Talin."
:I am rather well-muscled aren't I: Talin preened a little and shook his head as he pranced behind her down the barn aisle.
:And not just in the butt.: Kit shot back. She was rewarded with a shove from Talin's nose that made her stagger and giggle as she crossed the lintel from the stables into the courtyard. :You are so like Kye: she told Talin with mock severity. :He always resorts to physical reproof when bested in a battle of wits.:
:I think you will find it harder to best me that way than your brother.: The Companion sounded smug again and Kit recognized with deep affection that it would be a tone she would hear often from him.
Kit managed her good byes with a steady voice until she came to her parents. Isolde snatched her daughter into her arms and hugged her as if she would never see her again. "I love you dearest. I cannot believe I am sending another daughter away so soon," Isolde whispered. "It seems like only yesterday you were bouncing around the courtyard on Fubbs trying to make that awful little pony do something other than walk. Now a Companion is carrying you through our gate. When did you grow up on me?"
Kit's eyes filled up in spite of her best intentions. "I don't know that I am grown yet Mother. I swear, no matter how old I am, I will always be your little girl."
"I know," Isolde told her, tightening her grip once more before releasing Kit to her father.
Powyl handed his daughter a small leather pouch and the lord's voice was a bit gruff as he tried to control his emotions. "Here is something to see to your needs should the occasion arise. When your provisions run low, seek out any Guard post in any town along the way, they will provide you with what you need. In return you will get a chit to carry to Haven so it is known which towns assisted you along the way. I—" Powyl stopped abruptly as he stared down at his daughter, unable to believe she was actually leaving home. "Oh gods, Kittycat, we will miss you so," her father said quietly as he drew her into a hug. "Be good, study hard and write us long letters."
"I will, I promise," Kit whispered, unable to speak louder without her voice breaking. "I love you and I will miss you too." She raised her head from her father's chest and spoke louder, willing all the strength she had into her voice as she looked at her family. "I love all of you and I will do my best to make the Brightwoods proud of me."
"We have no doubt of that," Powyl said. "We are proud of you already." He released her and turned Kit to Talin's side. "Now get going before I refuse to let you, no matter what your Companion has to say about it."
"Yes Father," she said obediently as she swung up. "I will write as soon as I get to Haven."
Talin moved off at a brisk trot as Kit waved over her shoulder and blinked back the tears that were perilously close to streaming down her cheeks. A few yards out of the gate he broke into a canter and then stretched into a gallop. As the wind rushed by faster than Kit had ever known, she realized it was drying the tears away. As they raced down the valley and up the ridge a voice came faintly to her mind. :The Lady watch over you. Remember too that the road leads back as well as away from home.:
:I will Mother, I will.: Kit sent back, hoping it reached her.
:It did, I made sure of it.: Talin assured her. Of his own accord, the Companion halted at the top of the ridge and wheeled around to give Kit one last look at home. She could see her father and mother outside the gate, gazing after her. Kit stared for a moment, committing them, the house, the fields and the forest to her memory so she could call it up whenever she felt homesick. She raised a hand in final farewell and turned Talin south, her eyes beginning to brighten as she realized that at last she would see what was at the end of this road rather than just wondering about it.
"So beloved," she asked her Companion, "just how fast can you run?"
:Hold on and I will show you.: Talin burst into a gallop and leaped down the hill, his hooves chiming faintly against the hard packed dirt. :The sun is on our faces and the wind is in our hair, something we love as much as each other.: Kit was unable to keep from laughing out loud as they sped away from the sheer delight of Talin's speed and the idea that at last it mattered to no one how far and fast she rode from home.