Chapter 4: The Start of Something New
"Danny! Danny!" He turned. Ari was huffing, having run to catch up to him. She hugged him around his waist, thankful she'd caught up to him. Danny pushed her back, and took her shoulders, shaking her.
"Lass! What're ye doin'?! Why aren' ye with yer Companion?!" He asked hotly.
"I'm not goin' nowhere without ya, Danny," she said, putting her hands over his. He closed his eyes and sighed.
"Meh Wolf Pup, ye haf t' go with 'em."
"I know," she told him. He opened his eyes, frowning. Behind her was her Companion, as well as the other two with their Heralds.
"Tha's why ya're comin' with me."
The group – consisting of three Companions, two Heralds, and Ari and Danny – was in front of the Tankard and Some, Danny needing to grab a few items, and tell his father a thing or two. The sun grimaced as its fingertips touched the front of the dingy ale-house, dawn having risen some time ago – round about when the mob was driven off. The Heralds and Companions waited patiently as Ari and Danny stared, faces grim, at the tavern.
"D'ya wan' me t' go with ya?" Ari whispered to her coz. Danny shook his head slowly.
"Nay, Lass. 'll be fine on me own." Ari was unconvinced, but let it go.
"If 'e tries somethin', I'm goin' in after ya," she stated. Danny moved forward, reaching for the door handle.
"Danny." He looked back. Ari stood beside her Companion – 'er Companion! – having walked next to Danny the few streets to get to their "place of residence". Her face was devoid of humor, completely serious.
"I mean it; I'll be listenin' out." He smiled crookedly, and turned around. Resolve solid as stone, he pulled open the door, and entered.
Skerry was "cleaning" the glasses counter with a rag that had probably never even been within ten feet of water, much less been soaked in it. He looked up as Danny entered.
"Y' late," he barked. "Fetch t' cask in t' back." He went back to dirtying the counter top. Danny headed for the stairs instead, completely ignoring his father's orders for the first time he could remember clearly.
"'ey! I saids tuh git t' cask in back, boy!" Skerry spat.
"Get fucked," Danny said with the venom he'd been storing since Ari was five, when she'd been left on her uncle's doorstep.
Skerry looked up slowly, stunned. He didn't move. Danny took this as an opportunity to head upstairs – skipping two steps at a time – to retrieve what few belongings he and Ari had to their names.
It didn't take long. Everything was hidden beneath carefully placed floorboards that had been broken long ago. He grabbed the two bags (packed for some months now), replaced the boards, and went back down the stairs one last time, not caring to say farewell to the room.
Skerry was still in the same place as before. However, his face was mottled with rage, veins standing out along his temples. He looked with hatred upon his flesh and blood. Danny stood straight, defying the man's wrath with an uncaring expression. He made for the door. That was the last straw for Skerry.
With a roar of outrage, Skerry shoved the table out of his way, striding to Danny. The stripling spun, just as Skerry grabbed hold of Danny's throat. The bags dropped in hasty surprise, Danny using his hands to try and pry Skerry's off.
The tavern keeper pulled Danny forward, dragging him to the counter. Taking his hair, Skerry slammed Danny's head into the decrepit wood. Pain exploded over Danny's brow, a hollow echoing chasing his mind. His hands dropped.
Skerry held him there, and reached for something beneath the panels of the wood. Danny had an idea of what he was reaching for, and tried to yank himself away. He only succeeded in having his scalp bleed, and making himself faintly nauseous from moving his head. He pitched his arms about frantically, the glasses before him shattering as they were shoved to the floor. Skerry kept a good hold as he pulled it out. Danny was right.
Stained steel glinted dimly, the knife reflecting what little light the tavern held.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Ari's middle knotted in worry. It shouldn't have taken this long for him to grab virtually nothing, should it?
She had her eyes trained on the door when she heard the shatter of glass. Acting on instinct, she threw herself to the door, wrenched it open, flinging herself inside. Skerry had hold of her Heart-sib, and Danny's head was bleeding from various orifices. But what made her universe shift sickeningly was seeing the knife Skerry held above Danny. Panic seized her, her actions out of her control.
Ari screamed in fear – not just for her cousin, but for the glass she unconsciously sent flying at Skerry. Glasses erupted as they hit the man, the objects completely avoiding Danny's frame. Shards imbedded themselves in Skerry's flesh. He let Danny loose, the son stumbling backward, clutching his head in great pain. Danny tripped over a chair, sending him sprawling.
Ari rushed to him, sitting on her knees to assess the damage. She hissed as she saw the bruising around his throat, the cuts on his face, the blood in his hair. She took his head and gently set it on her lap. A shriek of pure torment came from the man at the bar. Ari gazed at him fearfully. And immediately felt bile rising in her throat.
Skerry's hands were shaking in front of him; he didn't dare to touch any place on his body. Slices and fragments were cramped together, jutting out at odd angles, mostly on his left side. The knife was still clutched in his hand. Blood crept from the wounds as snakes slither in the grass. Worst of all, one large portion of glass rested in Skerry's eye socket, the eye itself useless, flaccid and popped, oozing lines dribbling down his face. He began to retch, hacking up blood. Skerry fell to his knees and gasped a ragged breath. He fell flat, and breathed no more.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Sal and Embry had gone in after the girl, finding her and the boy. Behind a counter stood a man, wicked-looking sheets of glass sticking out of him unmercifully. The Heralds had only enough time for shock before the man met his knees to the floor, dropping forward – dead.
Others came after that, Heralds and Healers. They took care of it all, healing the boy, and taking the body away. The girl had lost control of her Fetching; no one blamed her for reacting as she did. Embry was still worried, though. After the Healers had tended the wounded, the seven set out again for the Collegium.
They all tried to keep to back alleys, out of the sight of the public, hoping to avoid panicking from seeing the blood-sodden children. The girl was plainly weary, but kept herself alert. Sal and Embry couldn't guess if she knew that a small number of rag-tag cats and dogs were following them discreetly.
The boy rested against the newly Chosen's back, both astride the Companion, Nienori, bareback. He was wrapped around the young one loosely, head resting on her shoulder, tired from the Healing. The teen refused to leave his charge, even to the point of refusing a shorter path to a Healer's room. The girl-child kept an arm around her friend's arms, to brace him as they rode, two scruffy bags in her lap. She used her left hand to hold to Nienori's mane.
Sal looked to Embry. The bigger man's face bespoke of grim thoughts.
No wonder, Sal thought. She's killed not one, but two men since after midnight. Herald-trainee she may be, dangerous she most certainly is.
:But neither deaths were intentional. She did nothing under her own control – her Gifts chose panic and fear as their outlets.:
Sal sighed. He knew Suvrina was right, but he was loath to admit it.
It would normally take only a candlemark to get to the Collegium. Twisting and winding 'round buildings, it took twice as long. Thoughts beginning to wander, Sal began working on how his conversation with Dean Teren would go as they passed beneath the stone wall.
"You've probably heard she murdered two men– " No. "Well, she was provoked into–" No. "She–"
It was then he realized that he didn't even know her name. Turning his attention to her, he asked bald-faced: "What're your names?" She looked at him with effort. Embry paid careful attention.
Swallowing to clear her throat she said roughly, "M' name's Ariasha. An' this," she gestured to the boy with her eyes, "is my coz, Danveer. Danny." Sal nodded in thanks. Now, at least, he knew what name to give the Dean.
"What're yours?" Sal blinked, looking to Ariasha again. Indicating each of them with a nod of his head, he told her.
"I'm Herald Salemith. My Companion's name is Suvrina. That's Herald Embry and his Companion, Danzek." Conversation lulled. Until…
"When'm I t' see a Justice?" Sal looked at her, genuinely surprised. He understood what she was asking, but had assumed she knew.
"You won't." She looked at him sharply, momentarily disturbing Danveer – Danny – before he ignored it.
"What d'ya mean? I–" her voice dropped to a subdued whisper. "I killed two men. And 'm not gonna go b'fore a Justice?!" She sounded incredulous at the idea. Sal regarded her intently.
"Does it bother you?"
"Yeah – I mean, no," she muttered. She looked away as she spoke, true in her feeling. "It jus' – it ain't right. I don' wanna be tried, but justice should be followed, assumin' law-abiders know an' want t' see things right an' all." Nienori craned her neck back towards her Chosen, dipping her head in approval. Ariasha gave her a tight-lipped smile. Attentions turned back to the grungy path before them. Sal was impressed. He couldn't believe that someone coming from where she did would say anything like that. Maybe she is deserving of being Chosen.
:Which just might explain the Companion she rides upon,: remarked Suvrina sarcastically.
They came to the gate at the inner wall of the city. The gate only being large enough to admit one rider at a time, Embry and Danzek went through first. The guard looked at Ariasha, her clothes ripped, ragged, and blood-soiled. He raised an eyebrow in question, but wisely decided not to comment. Sal glanced over his shoulder at Ariasha. Speaking quietly, he told her, "Follow me; we'll get your cousin to the Healers, and then I'll introduce you to Dean Teren – he's in charge of classes," he added after seeing her blank look.
She and Sal found a place for Danny in the Healers' Collegium. It was plain that Ariasha was reluctant to leave him, but did so anyway, following Sal back out to Nienori. From there, he showed her where the stable was. Nienori butted Ariasha affectionately before walking off to be groomed.
"Normally, you'd do it yourself. Since you're new, someone else will for today. But after that, she's your responsibility." She nodded in understanding.
"Do you know how to groom?" Sal asked her.
"I know how horses like t' be groomed. Is't the same with Companions?"
"More or less."
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Ari clenched her fists around the bags, doing her best to keep a neutral expression. She knew this Dean Teren was doing his best not to outright stare at her haphazard outfit, and she silently gave him credit for it.
"Herald Teren, this is our newest Trainee, Ariasha." The Dean stood up, too quickly for Ari, who was still on alert. Not pausing to think, she leapt back to crouch, bags dropped, hand reaching for her blade. He froze. Herald Salemith kept his movements slow, raising his hands as he had when trying to get her down from the overpass.
"Ariasha," he said in a lowered voice, "you're safe here. No one's going to hurt you, especially a Herald."
Hand on the hilt of her knife, she watched his eyes and body for any sign of falsehood.
:Chosen. Who can you trust if not a Herald?: Ari might not completely trust Salemith's words, but she didn't doubt a syllable of her Companion. Ari raised herself to stand straight again, hand leaving the dagger and taking up the bags again.
Herald Teren smiled at her, the smile not reaching his worry-filled eyes. He carefully gestured to the chair in front of his desk.
"Please, sit down."
:Stay in here, would you, Sal? She seems to be somewhat comfortable with you.: Ari pretended she hadn't heard anything, and sat in the worn chair in front of the Dean's desk. Now that she was aware of it again, she could feel the buzzing of the thoughts in her head. She left her mind open in case either of them said something they didn't want her to hear.
:Ari, that's eavesdropping,: said Nienori. :And what's more, it's against Herald ethics.: Ari inwardly squirmed. Feeling abashed wouldn't keep her from blocking their conversation, though; it had helped her avoid trouble on more than enough occasions. And she wanted to know what they thought of her. She could feel Nienori's disapproval – and eye rolling? – but the Companion stayed in Ari's mind to listen with her.
"You were Chosen by Nienori, is that correct?"
"Yeah, I was."
"Where are you from in Haven?" Ari shrugged.
"Not far fr'm here. A candlemark 'r two away, by my reckonin'. 'F ya wan' somethin' more specific, then ya'd prob'ly know Lord Orthallen's pantry – it's five streets ov'r." The Herald nodded. Ari thought that he'd be taking notes. Instead, his hands were folded on the desk, purposefully in a position where Ari could see them without any trouble.
"Where are you with schooling?"
Ari shrugged slightly. "Well, I do m' best with readin', though it ain't great; fair with writin', but figurin'… Countin's fine, but not s'much sums." The Herald's brow furrowed. He turned to Salemith and said, "Could you grab me Chronicles: 1070 – 1200, please?" Salemith obliged, handing the older man the book. Herald Teren then flipped through to about halfway. He turned it around, scooting it to where Ari could read it easily.
"Start from anywhere, any sentence. Aloud, please." Ari leaned forward slowly, putting her hands on either side of the book. She started from something that seemed interesting enough. She managed to surprise them when she spoke, perfectly articulated words flowing from her lips, rather than her usual gruff dialect.
" 'But then, just as Lavan had managed to ring them in, raining fire upon the hundreds, a lone bowman crept up behind him, and shot Kalira in the chest. With her death, Lavan was driven to insanity, and could no longer distinguish between friend and foe. His mind broken, he hailed upon all a storm of fire, the greatest to ever be recorded in Herald history. Herald Pol–' "
"You can stop."
:Isn't great? She read flawlessly, nothing like what I'd expect her to be able to do – and she understood what she was reading, was even confident about it. That's more than most children from her part of Haven can say,: Sal said to the Dean.
Really? Ari was pleasantly surprised. Whenever Wiztoelt had made her read out loud, she started criticizing Ari not three words in.
:Really,: said Nienori. :You can't lie while Mindspeaking.:
Herald Teren then took a piece of paper, and after scribbling something hurriedly on it, passed it and the pen to Ari. She looked at it. And grimaced.
24x3
Picking up the pen, Salemith said to the Dean :Left-handed – not something you see too often, eh?:
:Not often at all,: he agreed.
Trying to remember how to multiply properly, Ari wracked her brain for something useful the red-haired demon had taught her. It took her a few minutes and three or four scratch-outs to hazily recall how it was done.
Herald Teren took the final product when she offered it to him.
:Well, she did get it right. Might've taken time…definitely needs more practice.:
So she did get it right! That in and of itself was quite the accomplishment. She dreaded the practicing bit, though.
The elder Herald grabbed a new piece of paper, and took his pen back to write with. Before Ari could worry if she'd need to do more figuring, the Dean gave her the paper. It was a schedule.
"Welcome to the Collegium."
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Sal gave her a very brief description of the Collegium as they walked toward the Housekeeper's office. He hit on the important places that she would need to know how to get to right-off-the-bat: Housekeeper's office and kitchen in the basement; the first floor held the classrooms; second floor were the dormitories and the common room for meals; and the third floor, the library and study area. Ariasha seemed especially keen on the library.
"The thing you have to remember about the library: always put the books back where you got them from, and in alphabetical order. We don't have anyone who picks up in here, except those who use the books. Also, no one's allowed to take anything out."
Ariasha nodded.
There're probably more books in the library than she's seen in her life; if she's the voracious reader I think she could be, then she'll be sleeping in there!
She snorted in amusement. Sal looked at her, an eyebrow raised. Ariasha just grinned at him in response.
Sal walked right through the open door of the office. Babbie greeted him with a kind smile, her hands full with needle, thread, and a damaged pair of Grays. Four girls were there as well, chatting animatedly together, repairing various articles of clothing.
"What's it y' need now? Two more inches out on y'r pants, again?" Sal chuckled.
"You forget; I stopped sprouting three years ago. Actually, I've got a new one with me."
Gaytha's replacement craned her neck, trying to see around Sal. The girls quieted a bit, looking as well. Babbie frowned.
"Where?" Sal looked behind him. Ariasha was hiding herself out in the hall.
" 'M not descent," she whispered to him. Babbie set aside her work and stood up. She went slowly out into the hall where Ariasha was concealing herself.
The Housekeeper held her hand out.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Ari hesitated. She did not want to go in that room, or take the offered hand – just for the sake that the woman was an unknown, and that it just wasn't practical to take the hands of total strangers. But if Herald Salemith trusted her… It would have been fine if it was just the kindly-seeming Housekeeper and Salemith. But there were girls in there, girls who would most likely laugh – or worse, make a disgusted face and start off with their friends about her – as soon as Ari walked through the door.
:Give them a chance to prove you wrong, Beloved. There's one who's at least guaranteed to sympathize. See that girl with the blonde hair? She's in Grays, a Herald-trainee – if anything, she'll know how you're feeling.:
Ari hesitantly placed her hand in the older woman's, and was lead out of the shadows and into the room. The girls hissed. Ari looked at them peripherally. They all bore similar expressions of–
Worry? The girls rose simultaneously rose and strode to her.
"What happened?"
"Why aren't you with a Healer?"
"Are you all right?"
"Is it all yours?"
"Salemith Walving! Y' dare bring her for new clothes when wha' she needs's a bed?!" The last came from the Housekeeper. Salemith looked rather alarmed.
"She's fine, Babbie! She was already checked out. All she needs is a bath, some clothes, a room, and a better guide than me."
"And I c'n provide all. Aldora, dear? I'm letting you off early today." Babbie looked at the girl in Grays.
"As soon's she's been fitted, I'd like you to take–" Babbie looked to Ari.
"Ariasha," Ari said in a small voice.
"I'd like y' to take Ariasha to the baths, and then find her a room. Y're in charge, Blondie." Aldora straightened quickly, giving Babbie a salute.
"Yes, ma'am!" Babbie glanced at Salemith again, her eyes still sputtering with censure.
"I've got it from here, Sal." She made a shoeing motion with her hands. He turned around before he exited.
"Remember: you need anything, ask for me." He nodded to her, and left.
o\o/o\o/o\o/o\o/o\o/o\o/o
Ari felt much cleaner after the bath. Aldora had been telling her the basic need-to-knows, and Ari had given Aldora her schedule to look over with her.
"Huh. We have all the same classes – except for Logic. But oh, well."
The girls strode down one of the various corridors of the Collegium, doors on each side spaced out accordingly. Aldora stopped at one door in particular. Upon opening it, Ari discovered that it was a dorm, rather compact in size, but more a queen's suite than anything Ari had ever known. A small fireplace sat to one side in the center of the wall, new wood stacked within for the next user, metal screen covering it; an oil lamp sat atop the fireplace, ready to be used at the occupant's disposal. The bed was tucked beneath a window which faced eastward, and a bookcase rested to the left, next to the bed; texts sat in comfort on a middle shelf, three candlesticks resting on separate shelves. On the bed's other side stood a lone desk and chair, inks, pens, and blank papers stacked neatly across the surface. A wardrobe huddled a few feet from the door inconspicuously. The walls were made of plaster, and freshly whitewashed. Canvas curtains the same color of the walls covered the windows, hiding the shutters without.
Ari clasped her second pair of Grays to her chest, having already donned the first after the good scrubbing – her bags were still in her fist. Aldora took a nameplate – from nowhere that Ari could discern – and wrote the other girl's name on it, sliding it in the slot on the door. Aldora turned to Ari, a kind smile gracing her lovely features. The blonde shrugged, and held her arms out, gesturing about the room.
"Welcome home, Ariasha."
Home…The most foreign of concepts for Ari to grasp about the place. School, shelter, warmth, food, books…
But home?
"C'mon, put your clothes and bags up. I want you to meet someone."
o\o/o\o/o\o/o\o/o\o/o\o/o
The "someone" actually turned out to be many someones. Two girls and three boys sat gathered around a great oak; two were in Grays – the others sported one set each of Unaffiliated, Healer-trainee, and Bard-trainee uniforms. One of the girls –the Blue – was reading what looked to be a book of folk-tales, ignoring the rest who were talking animatedly.
"Hey. People," Aldora snapped at the crew authoritatively. They turned their attention to her, all pairs of eyes drifting to Ari, even those of the reading girl flickering up to Aldora and the new girl, and lighting back to her story. The street urchin tried not to outright jitter with nervousness. This's too foreign…
"Everyone, this is Ariasha; Ariasha, this is everyone. Well, not all of everyone, but a good portion of us." The group smiled at her, waving their hellos. One of them stood to take her hand. He was rather lanky, and stood a good bit higher than her; light green eyes danced in mirth beneath a tumbling of black hair.
"Hello, there. My name's Garreth, what?" Ari furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at the boy's question as he kissed her hand, the epitome of Bardic manners. She looked to Aldora for some sort of explanation as Garreth gave Ari her hand back.
"Forgive him. It's his tic – he doesn't even know that he does it," said an older, flame-haired boy.
"Do what, what?" Garreth asked, clearly puzzled.
"See?" This boy stood up as well, graceful for his great height. He held out a large and calloused hand, engulfing Ari's smaller one with the greeting.
"Tanbal Carter. Good to meet you."
"Likewise," said Ari, genuinely meaning it.
"What do I do?" Garreth pressed.
"Nothing, Garry," said Aldora rolling her eyes.
"Mairwey, what is it I'm doing, what?" Garreth asked the last boy.
"Hey, don't get me involved in your guys' crazy squabbles." The Herald-trainee gestured comically with his hands.
"No one would ever accuse you of taking sides, Dear," said the bookworm playfully. Mairwey went with it.
"Thank you, Devissa, for the mind-blowing insight. What would I do without you to light up my life and provoke my thoughts?"
"Shrivel up and fail all your classes." Mairwey snorted good-naturedly.
"Fair and lovely Adabelle–" Garreth tried to plead with the other girl. Her heart-shaped face brightened with humor.
"Nope. I favor Mairwey's take on this. Sorry," she said unapologetically. Garreth sniffed.
"I see how it is, what? I've got a lute that's in dire need of tuning as it is." He walked off. Ari looked at all of them. Mairwey waved a hand dismissively.
"Don't mind him; he's one of those natural drama queens."
Aldora took a seat on the roots of the oak. She motioned Ari to sit with her.
"As I was saying before our newest friend arrived," began Mairwey, "there's no doubt – Alberich has to be shaych."
o\o/o\o/o\o/o\o/o\o/o\o/o
"They're all decent pe'ple," said Ari, finishing relating her tale to Danny. He was still in the Healer's Collegium, lying on his side on a clean cot ("Th' grandes' thing I e'er slept on 'r in.")
"They soun' righ' good f'r ye," Danny said, voice thick with sleep. Ari noticed.
"Bett'r leave ya t' sleep, now."
"Hmm" was all he said in response. He sighed, shifting to a more comfortable position. Ari stayed seated, though.
"Danny?" Ari whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Are ya – are ya sorry that I killed 'im? Skerry, I mean." Danny looked her square in the eye.
"Hell, no. Ye saved m' life, and ye met ou' just'ce. Th' bast'rd 'ad it comin' to 'im, has f'r years." Ari nodded, not quite believing his words. He grabbed hold of her hand.
"Lass. Tha' life's over now, f'r th' both'v us. It's th' start a somethin' new." He rubbed her hand between the two of his and only released it to her after he'd kissed it. Ari beamed. She made a motion to stand.
"Lass? B'fore ye go, would ye – would ye sing somethin' f'r me?"
"A'course. Any speci'l requests?" Danny thought it over for a moment.
" Nah. Anythin's fine. But not," he said pointing sternly at her, " 'My Lady's Eyes'. 'M the only one who gets t' tease with't. Horrid stuff; if I 'aven't heard it a thousan' times, I heard it a thousan' and three."
"I dunno, Danny. It's such a lov'ly ditty…"
"…Ye woul' not dare." She grinned at him, and began the intended melody. As she sang, she could see his struggle to keep his eyes open. Finally succumbing, Ari smiled, kissing his forehead as he slept easily.
"G'night, Danny. I'd do it all ov'r again, jus' ta be here with you. Maybe now we can fin'lly rest easy, an' not have ta be ev'r lookin' ov'r our shoulders."
