Herald Myste sat wearily in her chair, watching the face of Herald Alberich as he read Queen Selenay's request, and placed a hand on his arm. As Herald Chronicler, Myste probably knew more than most Heralds just how much that this particular assignment would feel like a knife to the Weaponsmaster. Probably more than that, if what the Queen's Own had addressed with the Herald, and Myste herself already suspected was true. He finished reading the message and Myste pushed her thoughts aside, worried that the ever observant Alberich would notice the pattern of ther thoughts. He smiled slightly, his face still creased with worry, and placed his own hand on top of Myste's smaller one, obviously steeling himself to go and meet with Selenay, in spite of his own inner pain from the message. Anyone else would have given themselves a few minutes to regroup, but not "Herald Stone-face", probably one of the most stubborn Heralds in all of Valdemar's history.
A trait which Myste felt she was not going to admire so much in the next few minutes.
Selenay was in his private chambers behind the salle, already joined by her daughter and Heir Elspeth, the Queen's Own Talia, and Heralds Dirk and Skif when Myste and Alberich arrived. All of them appeared solemn, and the tearmarks on the Talia's face, and the stubborn set of the normally amiable Dirk's face seemed to reflect the mood of all assembled.
Selenay put a hand to her head and sighed, reluctant to address her most trusted Heralds with such a horrible task. But these, more than the rest, would be the only ones who could truly understand what was happening on this mission.
"I promised most of you, all but Skif, that unless it was necessary, I would not ask you to leave your permanent positions at the Collegium again. I hope that you know just how desperate I am that this is resolved to even call you here."
"I need to send some Heralds to one of our border regions. Unfortunately, the only Heralds who are likely to understand what is going on, are not only the most likely to be harmed, but also the Queen's Own and the temporary Queen's Own."
"Which vulnerable leaves Heir and Queen of Valdemar both. Acceptable this cannot be." Alberich said gruffly, letting himself into an odd combination of Karsite and formal Valdemarian speech patterns. Myste smiled, wondering if he realized just how much his speech gave away his moods at times.
"Acceptable it is not. Necessary it is." Selenay retorted in a rather good imitation of Alberich, her voice snapping but soft enough that it was clear she was not angry. "That is why you are gathered here with the rest of us, and why we are also meeting in here rather than in the Council chambers. It certainly is less likely to be spied on than my private chambers!"
Herald Myste chuckled at the dumbfounded look on Skif and Dirk's face. "Your Majesty, I believe you lost Skif and Dirk when you mentioned about the temporary Queen's Own. Talia and Elspeth know of it, but it has not emerged much since the Tedrel Wars."
"Yes, I shall explain. When Father died during the Tedrel Wars, the King's Own became Queen's Own when I took the throne. Unfortunately, Talamir was badly wounded, so they appointed one of the few Heralds I both trusted and would listen to even in a situation I disagreed with as a temporary replacement."
"Which they have remained since," Elspeth added. "They helped me and Talia out with that whole mess with Ancar and Orthallen."
Alberich hid a smile behind his hand. It had been good to see someone like Orthallen brought low by someone that they had thought only a pawn.
Selenay continued. "Now since the problem is on the Karsite border," she smiled with an ironic glint in her eyes and tilted her head. "Well, the problem we are dealing with is on the Karsite border and rather larger than the normal problems from that area. And we are going to be dealing with people who only those familiar with the ordeal they have gone through could deal with. And their are only two Heralds who can do that. Unfortunately, we can send neither of them as Heralds outright, particularly under their own names. The people of that region would kill them. And that would mean losing both my Queen's Own and my temporary Queen's Own in one fell swoop. That creates a whole other kettle of fish from inside the palace as well, and not a pleasant one at that. I will explain just what we are dealing with. I know Talia means to go on this, and I will support that decision. Any of you are free to refuse to go or to perform the duty once you know the situation. I cannot command this of you, even as your Queen. Although, when I discussed this with your Companions to decide whether my decisions were sound before addressing you, two Companions seemed sure that their Chosen would go. Knowing the past of all of you here, I am likely to agree."
Dirk looked at Selenay, pain raw in his face. She couldn't blame him, knowing how close Talia had come to dying before. Even Alberich was reluctant to let the Queen's Own go out on a field assignment like this. "I understand Talia's reasons for this, and while I would trust anyone here to save her if their was need, I cannot trust some unknown person, not even another Herald like your temporary Queen's Own, to save her. Not if I don't know who it is. Please, let me know so that I can wither go or take over their position and not hinder Talia in this."
Alberich swallowed the lump in his throat. Dirk was one of the few Heralds who had a true Lifebond and one of the even smaller number of those that had fought against it for fear of harming the other party, only to nearly lose her in the battle against Ancar. He understood that feeling that fear, only too well. He stepped forward and laid a hand on the young Herald's shoulder.
"Trust me do you not? Advise the Queen I have and will do as I must. To guard her my duty it is, before Weaponsmaster and as Herald, equal to my duties is. To Guard the Heir and Queen's Own my duty there is also and since Chosen I was, it has been. Queen's Own in your wife's stead I am. Question her judgement on this position do you now as you did before?"
A shrewd appraising look and nod from Skif showed that the thief-Herald understood and probably had even guessed at Selenay's appointment before this. Dirk, stunned by this revelation shook his head.
"Selenay, my pardon for my questions about your temporary Queen's Own. I should have known that they would be one of us. I - I 'm no match for Alberich as far as defending Talia. Besides, while we cannot Mindspeak, between Elspeth and me, we can contact her if there is need, and she can do the same. Will you and Alberich accept my offer to be temporary Queen's Own in their stead?"
Selenay and Alberich both nodded gravely. Dirk, while easygoing, was stubborn and ruthless if her felt there was need. And if the situation required Talia to leave the Collegium, there was need. He would serve well as Queen's Own.
"Now, there have been reports of burning along the border between Valdemar and Karse in the Holderkin sector. Normally, we would chalk it up to bandits or raiders since there are skirmishes on that border more often than there aren't. But there have been no reports of any raids along that border in recent months because floods have closed off most of the passes into the Holderkin, and rock slides have blocked the rest! What is more disturbing is that the fires only effect those who are mostly outcast or marginalized there. Knowing how they feel about Heralds, as we saw from Talia's family's response to her being Chosen, and how often certain Heraldic gifts can show up in families or regions -- it appears that some of our potential Chosen are aong those targeted for this. And whoever is doing this, they have blocked off the homes where anyone who is likely to be targeted lives so that another more respectable house won't be chosen for the fires. And so that no one can escape. Which is why I have had Herald Myste looking into the Chronicles and finding out more about the history of the Holderkin. Alberich, sit down!"
The sudden sharp command at the end of Selenay's explanation brought everyone's attention to the Weaponsmaster, who had turned an alarmingly pale shade at the description of events, and had begun to step closer to his own fire with an alarmingly intent expression on his face. Alberich, obediently, in an almost childlike fashion, collapsed to the floor of his own rooms and began to weep, a harsh, strangling cry that came out of pure anger and pain and was then followed by a stream of extremely fluent and harsh curses in Karsite.
"Not here. Not in Valdemar. Not again. Not ever again." He pounded the floor from the half kneeling position he had fallen into and pointed back to the stained glass window behind him, showing the Sun in Glory against the blue background. "That is what it is supposed to be. Not what they are doing."
Skif and Talia both looked at each other, both realizing with a sudden chilling dread just what Alberich was talking about. Skif even more than Talia for all her empathy, for he had seen a fire like that inside of the heart of Haven; the fire which Alberich had kept him from running into, the fire which had killed Bazie. But not for the same reason Alberich was describing. All of the other Heralds seemed to feel some of the same awareness as they tried to find a way of addressing the normally stoic Weaponsmaster from where he had collapsed.
Talia walked forward, slowly, and knelt in front of Alberich, tears of her own flashing on her cheeks, but she waited until he nodded, acknowledging her before laying a hand on his shoulders. Years of experience with her brothers and father training for the raids had taught her never to approach any fighter without announcing yourself. A lesson which probably would stand all the more strongly with Alberich than any of the men in Sensholding. As she called forth all of the skills she had learned among the Healers to help Alberich, she nodded at Myste, who seemed to understand. Myste moved forward, placing her other hand on Alberich's shoulder, and after a moment, and another more urgent nod from Talia, she stood, her voice soft and fragile but clear as she spoke.
"We all believed that the Holderkin were exiled for their beliefs. The truth is, the Karsites who make up most of the Holderkin are from people or the families of those who escaped the Great Fires of Karse, something which Herald Alberich has seen first hand and beattled against for most of his life. Their god and goddess are not an imitation of the Lord and Lady Bright that many of the people in Valdemar follow. The goddess is almost nonexistent in her submissiveness. Their primary worship is of a harsh and demanding god, their depiction of Vkandis after going through the sort of betrayal they endured from their priests. An image which after talking to Alberich and other Karsite exiles I know is not what the true meaning of their faith is. But the Holderkin cling to this strict worship and their distrust of the Heralds as an heirloom of the heritage. One thing is different between the Holderkin and all of the other religious groups around them, both in Karse and Valdemar. The Holderkin have no fire rites, and will accept no fire rites among them."
Talia stood, allowing Alberich to finish composing himself and have a few mental words with Kantor. "It is one of the strictest laws that they have. Fire is one thing that if misused, even accidentally, carries a harsh penalty among us." She raised her hand showing a small healed scar in the center. "My brother Justus was not even free from those constraints, although I imagine if he would have tried it on anyone else, he would have had a harsher punishment from Keldar than the lashing he received. A far harsher penalty. Most of the Holderkin are scared of the Heralds because they are mostly unknown to them. All of the Holderkin fear the Great Fires of Karse because they know them only too well."
Selenay shook her head, and cursed softly herself. "Alberich is right on one thing. Not in Valdemar. Never in Valdemar. If what rumors say about the new Son of the Sun is true, not even true in Karse anymore. They will not wreak such havoc here. Does anyone object to helping on this mission? I cannot let it be, but I -"
Skif cut her off. "I will go, and I cannot imagine anyone else here who would refuse to help in this matter. Except -" Skif blushed and turned toward Herald Myste. Her thick glasses made her nearly blind, and she had no skill in combat. It was not a matter of cowardice. Myste would be a sitting duck on this sort of mission.
Everyone looked around the room, expecting Alberich to protest Myste's coming, not the least of which Myste herself. He still seemed shaken in spite of Talia's help, but he shook his head softly.
"Myste I have before in battle seen. Able she is to this mission take. Object will I, no. Happy will I be to put in danger her, no. But this mission is not but misery to me, and scorn not will I any help she can give. The Holderkin are Karsite not, but enough like that know of them I must to serve my queen and safely bring back her Heralds. If come she says she will, stop her I will not."
This shockingly eloquent speech from Alberich left Myste nearly speechless, but she regrouped herself, her voice husky with unspoken emotion, but otherwise steady as she told the others of her decision.
"I am going with you. Don't worry, I went with Talia to meet with the Healers as soon as I got copies of the message. I can escape if I need to, and I've skill enough to defend myself if the need arises. Besides, I will not be completely helpless in this matter either." An impish smile touched the Herald's mouth and Alberich's, in spite of his own anguish minutes before. Myste was probably his most difficult student and had even won verbal sparring with him on her escape training. But there would be plenty of time when they weren't riding to hone her skills, and Talia's as well. If things were as bad as Selenay thought, they would all need that.