A different smell greeted Emris when she woke, making her rub her nose absently. Her whole nose was filled with the scents of smoke, earth, horse, and sweat, but there was something underneath it that was nagging her. It was not something she was familiar with and she wanted to investigate it. She lifted her head, not quite realizing what she was doing, and buried her nose in the soft pillow she was sleeping on, trying to identify the smell. It took her a moment to realize it was not a pillow, but a living thing; she sat up with a jerk and ran her hands over it.

It was something big, with short, soft hair. Her wandering hands met powerful legs and even longer hair on the one end, at the other she found thicker legs and-

-Please don't go down so far,- a voice in her head suddenly said gently. She pulled back hesitantly. –I don't think either you or I would like you touching what you would find there.-

Emris wasn't surprised to hear the voice (she'd grown up with mages with such talents) but she was vaguely surprised to hear it coming from the horse- that was what she'd been sleeping on, and it appeared he was a full stallion, considering his comment on her inspection of him. Sometimes if she tried hard, she could hear the voices of animals, but none of them sounded as clear as the stallion or as intelligent.

"What are you?" she asked out loud. She was not entirely sure now that he was in fact a horse at all. In her strange sight, he was misty, like one form inside another. In fact, she was pretty sure that was what he was, something else inside of a horse's body, but what, she couldn't be sure.

-My kind are called Companions-, he explained to her. –We are horses in physical body, but I suppose you could say our souls are really spirits come back from the dead.-

"Reborn spirits," she muttered to herself. Her head felt fuzzy and she reached up a hand to rub her temple when she realized she wasn't wearing her eye band. Frantically, she groped for it in a small circle around her. It was nowhere to be found.

-You lost it last night,- the horse- Companion- told her. –There should be rags in the bag.-

Somehow, knowing where to look without knowing, she raised herself up and reached over his flank to find the bag behind him and searched through it until she found one of the long strips he was talking about. Her hands trembled as she tied it over her face, covering the gaping pits that hadn't held eyes for at least five years now. She always felt naked without something covering the holes, even if nothing was covering the rest of her. As was partially true at the moment. They'd been in the middle of using her when the fire started-

A fire SHE'D started. Her mind had finally snapped last night, finally broke under the pain that she'd grown almost used to all her life. In her defense, her owners really should have seen it coming, especially since they were such 'wise and mighty' people. Her nose wrinkled in rage and disgust. Blood path mages were not known for their consideration of other people's well beings.

Yet her heart sank again. She'd taken her anger out on all those in the house, not just those inflicting pain on her to leech the energy she gave off. There had been other slaves like her living in the house, and the very rare kind servant or two who took pity on them but could not truly stand up for their rights out of fear of the masters of the house. Her revenge had been blind and insane, taking even less consideration than Dorniant and his apprentices had.

The strange mix of smells invaded her nose again and she realized she'd pressed her face back into the Companion's flank, out of the need for comfort this time rather than sleep.

-Let us go away from here,- he offered softly, but firmly.

-Where?- she asked, unable to talk out loud anymore. Her throat and her heart ached too much for the effort.

-Home. My home. There are others like me and others like you, people who can help and protect you. Let me take you back with me.- There was an urgency in his 'voice' that cut deep into her heart, past the pain and the shields she put there. There was a personal need in his voice and also the need of a greater whole. She got the impression that he had plans for her, but there was none of the malice that Dorniant had had.

-What did you do to me?- she asked. His mind was too clear to her; she could 'see' him too well.

-My kind often Choose one of yours to essentially share our lives with; we bind ourselves with them so that we can work together for the greater good of our land. I Chose you,- he added, nuzzling her w/ his soft nose. A memory flared in her head; he'd done it last night when he'd pulled her from the burning wreck she'd made. She remembered curling up close to him and his mind touching hers. His was still touching hers. There was a definite bond there now, one that was slowly easing a loneliness she hadn't known she felt until now. There was love there- real love and a promise. A smile crossed over Emris's face. His promise was that he'd always be near her and guide her. She couldn't help but believe him. There was no doubt in her mind that he was a part of her now.

-I'm not much of a rider,- she warned him.

He whickered; his mind laughed. –We have time to remedy that. It is a long journey to my homeland.-

-How far away is it?-

-Far into the north. I came directly here; it took me almost four months. But we won't be able to do that now. It could take us double the time now, since you 'are not much of a rider' and neither of us can live off the land like normal Heralds.-

"Heralds?" she asked.

-Yes. Our chosen are called Heralds. When we reach my land, you will be considered a Herald, though in training.-

"Are there many of them?"

His mind was smiling. –More than you are used to, I think. But we are not always together, very rarely in fact. You will do fine. Come, we have to leave. There should be a change of clothes in the bag. Put them on and then we will go; we have a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time.-

Emris reached back into the bag, pulling out the clothes. She wasn't sure she could live up to his expectations; he had so much confidence in her- and she hadn't even asked him his name yet. Yet a shaking smile passed over her face; she at least would try. She could do that for him.

She put on the clothes, partially hoping they weren't inside out and partially not caring, and then awkwardly pulled herself onto the stallion's back. He rose slowly, allowing her to adjust to her seat and then started off in a steady trot in some direction.

-I forgot to ask you,- she said timidly. –What is your name?-

His mind chuckled again. –I am Jereth. And you are Emris.-

-That is just what they used to call me,- she corrected. –I think I can take a new name that suits me better. Emris means 'wretched slave' in some foreign language. And Heralds aren't slaves, right?-

-No, Heralds are not slaves. Slavery is something a Herald stands against. Our people could use any information you may have to help make our world a better place. Even the littlest of things can help.-

-Will they mind that I killed all of those people?- she asked frantically.

-I would not have Chosen you if they could not forgive. Companions do not make mistakes.-

Emris sighed at his answer and fell silently into herself. She wasn't entirely sure she believed that, but she could hope that it was true.