Disclaimers: The characters are owned by Mercedes Lackey and not me, damn it!
I, Moondance
By Delphine
Saphirerose - I am continuing after this chapter where Delphine left off and hope to keep it a good story.
"There was a boy," Moondance said, quietly. "His name was Tallo. His parents were farmers, simple people, good people in their way, really. Very tied to their ways, to their land, to the cycle of the seasons. This Tallo...was not. He felt things inside him that were at odds with the life they had. They did not understand their son, who wanted more than just the fields and the harvests. They did love him, though. They got him learning, as best they could; they tried to interest the priest in him. They didn't know that what the boy felt inside himself was something other than a vocation. It was power, but power of another sort than the priest's. The boy learned at last form the books that the priest found him that what he had was what was commonly called magic, and from those few books and the tales he heard, he tried to learn what to do with it. This made him-very different from his former friends, and he began to walk alone. His parents did not understand his need for solitude, they did not understand the strange paths he had begun to walk, and they tried to force him back to the ways of his fathers. There were-arguments. Anger, a great deal of it, on both sides. And there was another thing. They wished him to wed and begin a family. But the boy Tallo had no yearning toward young women-but young men-that was another tale."
-Magic's Pawn
-Chapter one-
Tallo fell to the ground, upon his knees, his brown eyes squeezed tight as saltwater tears leaked from them. Oh God, what had he done? His lover was dead and it was his fault. He had murdered him, called down the lightning that had sent him to the shadow-lover. Why? To frighten him into saying that he hadn't meant those cruel words? Look at the price Tallo had paid. His parents and village had beat him, cast him out, his lover scorned him with words he hadn't meant, and he had killed him. Tallo deserved to die.
The mouse brown-haired boy removed the dagger from his lover's belt. He placed the blade tip against his wrist, weeping as he cut deeply and dark red blood welled forth. Dropping the bloody dagger, Tallo laid himself down, newt to his lover's body. As the gray dirt was stained crimson, he waited to die.
Fear gripped Savil's heart, fear for the wielder of the uncontrolled power she had sensed and fear for anyone on it's receiving end. Beneath her, Kellan spurred on; the Companion compelled by the sense of urgency. One thought continued to ring through Savil's mind, Please don't let us be too late.
Their journey seemed like days until Kellan halted as they reached their destination. Savil slipped down from her Companion's back. She scanned the minds of the two bodies and gasped. One was dead and the other too close for her liking. She cursed softly as she caught site of the boy's bleeding wrist.
She immediately set to wrapping his wrist before giving thoughts on what to do.
: The bleeding was stopped in time, Chosen, the boy can hold out long enough for the other to be buried,:Kellan spoke into her mind.
Savil nodded and set to work. The grave wasn't very deep, she didn't have a shovel and had to resort to using her magic, but it would keep scavengers from getting to the body. Finally, after the grim burial was complete did she turn her attention to the boy. Tentatively, she mind touched him.Gasping at the pain she felt in his mind, she withdrew.
: What happened to him?: she almost cried.
:Heartbreak, Chosen,: Kellan answered,: Heartbreak that has sent him to the edge.:
: The other boy was his lover, wasn't he?:
: Yes.:
Understanding dawned on Savil.
:He killed his lover with his mage gift that was what we felt. It must have gone out of control. Easily understandable in one as untrained as he.: She bit her lip. : How can we help him?:
: One who can relate and understand him, Chosen,: Kellan advised her,: can help.:
But who could? Savil sorely hated it when her Companion decided to be vague. She could take him back to Haven and train him...no, that wouldn't be wise, she realized. The boy was Shay'a'chern, he wouldn't find the peace he needed for healing back there. She needed to find someone who could understand him, like Kellan had advised. It would be preferable that they were a mage. Blue eyes and bleached white hair invaded her mind.
Starwind...yes, Starwind could help. She would take the boy to k'Treva Vale, to the Tayledras. But could they help? The Tayledras, other wise known as the Hawkbrothers, were a secretive people, would they help was the real question. They were indifferent when it came to being Shay'a'chern, so that would be one less thing Savil would have to worry about. Her mind was decided, she would take the boy to the Tayledras.
:I am glad. I know Starwind will help,: Kellan said with absolute faith. She paused and turned her head to look at the boy.:He's awake.:
He was alive. He hurt too much to be anything else. Why? Why hadn't he died? He deserved to die. Tallo cracked his tree bark brown eyes open, wearily. Dark eyes peered at him. It was a woman, twice Tallo's age, with dark hair strung back into a braid and clothed in white...white, she was a Herald! Not many Heralds made a journey this far, why was she here?
"I am Herald-Mage Savil Ashkevron," she said.
"Why," he choked, starring at his wrapped wrist. "Why didn't you let me die?" Savil's eyes softened.
"Oh, youngling," she whispered as he broke down into tears.
She offered him comfort by folding him in her arms and rocking him gently, making pleasant, understanding sounds.
"I deserve to die," he wailed, "I want to die!" Savil felt her heart constrict. She wasn't equipped to handle this situation! She had to get him to Starwind as soon as possible.
"No, you don't," she said, firmly.
"But I do!" he said, weeping. "I killed him." Sighing, she closed her eyes briefly.
:Kellan, have you been able to get anything from his mind? When I tried to read him, the grief blocks me out.:
:I have, Chosen. The boy is Tallo and just as you surmised he is Shay'a'chern. He did kill his lover with magic, but it was not on purpose. Tallo only meant to frighten him, but he is self-trained and didn't have proper control.:
:Hmm, what brought about this confrontation have you been able to find out?:
:...His parents and others beat Tallo and his lover wen they found out about him being Shay'a'chern and threw them out of the village-:
:-And in turn the lover spurned him,: Savil finished.
:Yes.:
Why didn't people think of what they were doing before they acted? The boy was suffering from a huge, gaping wound that had been torn into him. The best course would be for Savil to get him to k'Treva Vale as soon as possible.
She broke free from the embrace to retrieve a steaming cup of tea that had been brewing, which she handed to him.
"Drink it," she ordered. "It'll make you fell better."
He looked uncertain, but under her watchful eyes he drank anyway. The drugged tea immediately kicked in, sending him into sleep. Savil winced as she thought of the reactions her Healer friends would have, finding out that she had drugged an injured patient without knowing the extent of his injuries. She hadn't had much of a choice, she couldn't have him putting up a fight or have a total mental breakdown before they reached k'Treva. With a grime face she prepared to create a Gate to the edge of k'Treva territory.
Author's Note: I don't know the names of Starwind and Moondance's bondbirds so I'll just be making them up. Sorry that this chapter is a bit short.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" 'There are plenty of fish in the sea.'
'Kronch hate fish.'
'Well you always have us.'
'Kronch suddenly have urge for sea bass.'"
-Justice Friends
Savil breathed a sigh of relief as the Gate closed behind her. She sat straddled on her Companion Kellan. The drugged unconscious Tallo rested in front of her, his legs swung to one side. He was leaning against her with his face buried in her neck as if he was a toddler who had fallen asleep on his mother's lap. The Herald-Mage had her arms around his waist, keeping him in the saddle.
The Gate had brought them to the edge of k'Treva territory. She hadn't wanted to get too close until she was sure that the Tayledras would accept Tallo into their care. Even this close to the border would have brought the attention of Hawkbrother scouts. The problem was that she wouldn't be able to spot the scout until he or she showed themselves.
:There's one hidden in the tree to your right,: Kellan offered.
:Anyone we know?: she asked.
:Yes...It's Dreamseeker.:
Ah, Savil remembered the young scout. Good boy, just a little too impulsive for her tastes and definitely far too spacey. She always thought that if he had been born in Valdemar he would have become a Bard, what with his urge to wander and dream.
"Wing to thy wings, Dreamseeker," she called out in the Tayledras tongue.
The soft thud of feet hitting the forest floor alerted Savil that the scout had finally realized who she was.
"And to you, Wingsister," the young voice answered behind her.
Slowly the young form of the scout circled to the front of Kellan. His hair and clothes were dyed to blend in with the surrounding, but she could she the white hair roots peeking out. Ice blue eyes gazed warmly at her and he bowed slightly.
"Of course that extends to the Lady Kellan," he said ever politely.
:I'm ever so grateful that these people don't think I'm a horse!: Kellan told her.
:If they did, you'd be quick to correct them.: she teased.
"If I may ask, what is wrong with the boy?" said Dreamseeker as he eyed the sleeping boy.
"I drugged him," she answered, matter of factly. Eyebrows shot up.
"Really...and for what purpose?" he questioned. She almost grinned despite the seriousness of the situation. The Tayledras could be so paranoid when it came to strangers.
"Well..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bleached hawk gave another cry as her bondmate removed a sticky substance from her feathers.
"Oh, do stop your complaining. If you had been watching where you were flying instead of trying to show off you might have seen that hertasi before you ran into him and got all of this gook on you," Starwind told her.
The lovely silver-haired Tayledras was an Adept and not averse to removing such substances from his bondbird. Poor Kess had been trying to catch the attention of one male hawk without much success. Normally she was a graceful flyer but in front of Tyri she seemed not to even be able to perform the most basic of aerial tricks.
:Fly like hatchling,: she agreed with depression.He chuckled.
"It's just nerves, remember I was the same with my first partner."
:Very nervous...stutter badly,: she remarked with a twinkle in her eye.Yes, he remembered that back then when he still had his juvenile name Wildfeather he had been the opposite of his name. Not wild at all but tame and shy. He had only begun to realize that he was Shay'a'chern when he took his first lover; good thing Redcloud wasn't deterred by his stuttering.
"Well, Redcloud did think my stuttering was cute. Who knows, maybe Tyri will think that your determination is endearing." That brightened Kess right up as he thought it would. "Now lets finish cleaning you off."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I see..." Dreamseeker said, softly. His blue eyes filled with a type of sympathy Savil couldn't identify. "My shifts over, so I'll escort you to Starwind's ekele."
"Thank you." He waved his hand.
"It'll only save you a little trouble. You have enough to worry about anyways." Sighing, Savil concluded that he was right. She could only hope that Starwind really could help Tallo.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sight of a white horse with two people on it was unusual to see in the vale to say the least. Snowdrop could not help but stare at them. The girl was only fifteen summers old yet she was almost fully developed with dark black hair that had only just begun to bleach and eyes the color of the sky. Absent-mindedly she stroked her bondbird, peregrine falcon Alai's, crest feathers with her eyes studying the group. She noted that Dreamseeker was with them, meaning that for some reason these outlanders had been welcomed to the vale.
"That's Wingsister Savil," her friend Flowerheart told her.
So that was the infamous Herald-Mage, but what could she be doing here?
I, Moondance
By Delphine
Saphirerose - I am continuing after this chapter where Delphine left off and hope to keep it a good story.
"There was a boy," Moondance said, quietly. "His name was Tallo. His parents were farmers, simple people, good people in their way, really. Very tied to their ways, to their land, to the cycle of the seasons. This Tallo...was not. He felt things inside him that were at odds with the life they had. They did not understand their son, who wanted more than just the fields and the harvests. They did love him, though. They got him learning, as best they could; they tried to interest the priest in him. They didn't know that what the boy felt inside himself was something other than a vocation. It was power, but power of another sort than the priest's. The boy learned at last form the books that the priest found him that what he had was what was commonly called magic, and from those few books and the tales he heard, he tried to learn what to do with it. This made him-very different from his former friends, and he began to walk alone. His parents did not understand his need for solitude, they did not understand the strange paths he had begun to walk, and they tried to force him back to the ways of his fathers. There were-arguments. Anger, a great deal of it, on both sides. And there was another thing. They wished him to wed and begin a family. But the boy Tallo had no yearning toward young women-but young men-that was another tale."
-Magic's Pawn
-Chapter one-
Tallo fell to the ground, upon his knees, his brown eyes squeezed tight as saltwater tears leaked from them. Oh God, what had he done? His lover was dead and it was his fault. He had murdered him, called down the lightning that had sent him to the shadow-lover. Why? To frighten him into saying that he hadn't meant those cruel words? Look at the price Tallo had paid. His parents and village had beat him, cast him out, his lover scorned him with words he hadn't meant, and he had killed him. Tallo deserved to die.
The mouse brown-haired boy removed the dagger from his lover's belt. He placed the blade tip against his wrist, weeping as he cut deeply and dark red blood welled forth. Dropping the bloody dagger, Tallo laid himself down, newt to his lover's body. As the gray dirt was stained crimson, he waited to die.
Fear gripped Savil's heart, fear for the wielder of the uncontrolled power she had sensed and fear for anyone on it's receiving end. Beneath her, Kellan spurred on; the Companion compelled by the sense of urgency. One thought continued to ring through Savil's mind, Please don't let us be too late.
Their journey seemed like days until Kellan halted as they reached their destination. Savil slipped down from her Companion's back. She scanned the minds of the two bodies and gasped. One was dead and the other too close for her liking. She cursed softly as she caught site of the boy's bleeding wrist.
She immediately set to wrapping his wrist before giving thoughts on what to do.
: The bleeding was stopped in time, Chosen, the boy can hold out long enough for the other to be buried,:Kellan spoke into her mind.
Savil nodded and set to work. The grave wasn't very deep, she didn't have a shovel and had to resort to using her magic, but it would keep scavengers from getting to the body. Finally, after the grim burial was complete did she turn her attention to the boy. Tentatively, she mind touched him.Gasping at the pain she felt in his mind, she withdrew.
: What happened to him?: she almost cried.
:Heartbreak, Chosen,: Kellan answered,: Heartbreak that has sent him to the edge.:
: The other boy was his lover, wasn't he?:
: Yes.:
Understanding dawned on Savil.
:He killed his lover with his mage gift that was what we felt. It must have gone out of control. Easily understandable in one as untrained as he.: She bit her lip. : How can we help him?:
: One who can relate and understand him, Chosen,: Kellan advised her,: can help.:
But who could? Savil sorely hated it when her Companion decided to be vague. She could take him back to Haven and train him...no, that wouldn't be wise, she realized. The boy was Shay'a'chern, he wouldn't find the peace he needed for healing back there. She needed to find someone who could understand him, like Kellan had advised. It would be preferable that they were a mage. Blue eyes and bleached white hair invaded her mind.
Starwind...yes, Starwind could help. She would take the boy to k'Treva Vale, to the Tayledras. But could they help? The Tayledras, other wise known as the Hawkbrothers, were a secretive people, would they help was the real question. They were indifferent when it came to being Shay'a'chern, so that would be one less thing Savil would have to worry about. Her mind was decided, she would take the boy to the Tayledras.
:I am glad. I know Starwind will help,: Kellan said with absolute faith. She paused and turned her head to look at the boy.:He's awake.:
He was alive. He hurt too much to be anything else. Why? Why hadn't he died? He deserved to die. Tallo cracked his tree bark brown eyes open, wearily. Dark eyes peered at him. It was a woman, twice Tallo's age, with dark hair strung back into a braid and clothed in white...white, she was a Herald! Not many Heralds made a journey this far, why was she here?
"I am Herald-Mage Savil Ashkevron," she said.
"Why," he choked, starring at his wrapped wrist. "Why didn't you let me die?" Savil's eyes softened.
"Oh, youngling," she whispered as he broke down into tears.
She offered him comfort by folding him in her arms and rocking him gently, making pleasant, understanding sounds.
"I deserve to die," he wailed, "I want to die!" Savil felt her heart constrict. She wasn't equipped to handle this situation! She had to get him to Starwind as soon as possible.
"No, you don't," she said, firmly.
"But I do!" he said, weeping. "I killed him." Sighing, she closed her eyes briefly.
:Kellan, have you been able to get anything from his mind? When I tried to read him, the grief blocks me out.:
:I have, Chosen. The boy is Tallo and just as you surmised he is Shay'a'chern. He did kill his lover with magic, but it was not on purpose. Tallo only meant to frighten him, but he is self-trained and didn't have proper control.:
:Hmm, what brought about this confrontation have you been able to find out?:
:...His parents and others beat Tallo and his lover wen they found out about him being Shay'a'chern and threw them out of the village-:
:-And in turn the lover spurned him,: Savil finished.
:Yes.:
Why didn't people think of what they were doing before they acted? The boy was suffering from a huge, gaping wound that had been torn into him. The best course would be for Savil to get him to k'Treva Vale as soon as possible.
She broke free from the embrace to retrieve a steaming cup of tea that had been brewing, which she handed to him.
"Drink it," she ordered. "It'll make you fell better."
He looked uncertain, but under her watchful eyes he drank anyway. The drugged tea immediately kicked in, sending him into sleep. Savil winced as she thought of the reactions her Healer friends would have, finding out that she had drugged an injured patient without knowing the extent of his injuries. She hadn't had much of a choice, she couldn't have him putting up a fight or have a total mental breakdown before they reached k'Treva. With a grime face she prepared to create a Gate to the edge of k'Treva territory.
Author's Note: I don't know the names of Starwind and Moondance's bondbirds so I'll just be making them up. Sorry that this chapter is a bit short.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" 'There are plenty of fish in the sea.'
'Kronch hate fish.'
'Well you always have us.'
'Kronch suddenly have urge for sea bass.'"
-Justice Friends
Savil breathed a sigh of relief as the Gate closed behind her. She sat straddled on her Companion Kellan. The drugged unconscious Tallo rested in front of her, his legs swung to one side. He was leaning against her with his face buried in her neck as if he was a toddler who had fallen asleep on his mother's lap. The Herald-Mage had her arms around his waist, keeping him in the saddle.
The Gate had brought them to the edge of k'Treva territory. She hadn't wanted to get too close until she was sure that the Tayledras would accept Tallo into their care. Even this close to the border would have brought the attention of Hawkbrother scouts. The problem was that she wouldn't be able to spot the scout until he or she showed themselves.
:There's one hidden in the tree to your right,: Kellan offered.
:Anyone we know?: she asked.
:Yes...It's Dreamseeker.:
Ah, Savil remembered the young scout. Good boy, just a little too impulsive for her tastes and definitely far too spacey. She always thought that if he had been born in Valdemar he would have become a Bard, what with his urge to wander and dream.
"Wing to thy wings, Dreamseeker," she called out in the Tayledras tongue.
The soft thud of feet hitting the forest floor alerted Savil that the scout had finally realized who she was.
"And to you, Wingsister," the young voice answered behind her.
Slowly the young form of the scout circled to the front of Kellan. His hair and clothes were dyed to blend in with the surrounding, but she could she the white hair roots peeking out. Ice blue eyes gazed warmly at her and he bowed slightly.
"Of course that extends to the Lady Kellan," he said ever politely.
:I'm ever so grateful that these people don't think I'm a horse!: Kellan told her.
:If they did, you'd be quick to correct them.: she teased.
"If I may ask, what is wrong with the boy?" said Dreamseeker as he eyed the sleeping boy.
"I drugged him," she answered, matter of factly. Eyebrows shot up.
"Really...and for what purpose?" he questioned. She almost grinned despite the seriousness of the situation. The Tayledras could be so paranoid when it came to strangers.
"Well..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bleached hawk gave another cry as her bondmate removed a sticky substance from her feathers.
"Oh, do stop your complaining. If you had been watching where you were flying instead of trying to show off you might have seen that hertasi before you ran into him and got all of this gook on you," Starwind told her.
The lovely silver-haired Tayledras was an Adept and not averse to removing such substances from his bondbird. Poor Kess had been trying to catch the attention of one male hawk without much success. Normally she was a graceful flyer but in front of Tyri she seemed not to even be able to perform the most basic of aerial tricks.
:Fly like hatchling,: she agreed with depression.He chuckled.
"It's just nerves, remember I was the same with my first partner."
:Very nervous...stutter badly,: she remarked with a twinkle in her eye.Yes, he remembered that back then when he still had his juvenile name Wildfeather he had been the opposite of his name. Not wild at all but tame and shy. He had only begun to realize that he was Shay'a'chern when he took his first lover; good thing Redcloud wasn't deterred by his stuttering.
"Well, Redcloud did think my stuttering was cute. Who knows, maybe Tyri will think that your determination is endearing." That brightened Kess right up as he thought it would. "Now lets finish cleaning you off."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I see..." Dreamseeker said, softly. His blue eyes filled with a type of sympathy Savil couldn't identify. "My shifts over, so I'll escort you to Starwind's ekele."
"Thank you." He waved his hand.
"It'll only save you a little trouble. You have enough to worry about anyways." Sighing, Savil concluded that he was right. She could only hope that Starwind really could help Tallo.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sight of a white horse with two people on it was unusual to see in the vale to say the least. Snowdrop could not help but stare at them. The girl was only fifteen summers old yet she was almost fully developed with dark black hair that had only just begun to bleach and eyes the color of the sky. Absent-mindedly she stroked her bondbird, peregrine falcon Alai's, crest feathers with her eyes studying the group. She noted that Dreamseeker was with them, meaning that for some reason these outlanders had been welcomed to the vale.
"That's Wingsister Savil," her friend Flowerheart told her.
So that was the infamous Herald-Mage, but what could she be doing here?