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~ Chapter 8 ~ Tashti and Aeric rode in silence for most of the trip. They were painfully civil and both were obviously being as professional about it as they could. They slept in separate rooms at the inns and while one saw to the rooms the other saw to the Companions. :I hate this civility!: Tashti grumbled to Cryni, keeping her face bland. :There is nothing I can do about that.: :Just let me vent.: :Very well.: :Don't be so pleasant about all this!: :We are almost there.: Cryni said, changing the subject. :Wonderful!: Tashti said with relief. As they rounded the bend of the rutted cart road they finally saw the farm set back among the trees. Obvious the Companions had raised the alarm as the large lively family boiled out of the house to meet them. Tashti made her way to Talia immediately and pulled her off to the side. "What's wrong? Has something happened?" "Don't worry, everyone is hale and whole." Tashti assured her. "The twins were Chosen the day before we left." "Both of them?" "And at the same time. There are rumours of a plot in Haven so we are here to escort you back." Talia glanced back towards the family that was letting them speak privately. "Ones of us could stay to escort them back if you wish." Tashti offered. Talia's son, Jemmie, wasn't Chosen so they would be confined to the pace of his horse. ""I think that would be best. Have you and Aeric patched it up?" "No. I moved to new quarters. Every time we talk we fight, or at least we did. Now it is just coldness." Talia gave her a sympathetic look. "I think it would be best if we start back in the morning. Which of you will stay?" Tashti glanced at Aeric. "You can decide." Talia cocked an eyebrow. "You look like death." "So people keep telling me." Tashti said with exasperation. "Aeric looks just as haggard." "Aeric looks like Aeric. Distant, aloof, and inscrutable. To your expert eye he may look tired but to everyone else he remains just Aeric. I hope you don't mind that am going to ask him to ride back with me. I have no desire to fend off your feelings. I really wish you would use stronger shields." "I prefer to be aware of everything that is going on around me. Having light shields gives me warnings I would never have otherwise." Tashti countered. "When you get back there is a Shin'a'in girl staying with me. Her name is Clio. She lost her mother a few months ago and she has not been dealing with it very well. If you can find a moment to speak with her I would be grateful." "Of course I will." ~ * ~ Tashti tossed onto her back and pulled the covers up again. It was barely an hour till dawn and every time she started to fall asleep she was jolted awake by a disturbing dream. The sound of someone moving about in the main room prompted her to emerge from her nest of blankets and dress quickly. She saw Dirk heading out the door into the predawn. "Couldn't sleep?" "No. You?" "Obviously not." Tashti followed him out to the barn where their Companions were waiting. Cryni didn't even wake as she started to groom her. "My excuse is sharing my bed with my son. What's yours?" "For being awake? Bad dreams. Every time I start to fall asleep I get jolted awake." "Doesn't your Foresight cause that?" "Sometimes." Tashti admitted. "But it is more likely just bad dreams." "I'd trade you, but I think Jemmie would appreciate that just a bit too much." Dirk joked. Tashti chuckled. "He is a bright young man." "I am proud of him." :What are you doing here?: Cryni asked drowsily. "Making you beautiful." Tashti answered affectionately. :That's nice.: Tashti carefully detangled Cryni's mane. "How long do you think it will take them to reach Haven?" "Two, maybe three more days." Dirk ventured. "I am starting to think that I should have gone with them." "Why didn't you?" "A gut feeling that Talia isn't the target." Tashti admitted. "And you think I might be?" Tashti's browed creased as she stepped back from Cryni to lean against the wall. "Now I am not certain the target is a Herald. Or at least the reason they are being hunted isn't because they are a Herald. Has anyone ever told you that Foresight is the most annoying gift to have?" Dirk chuckled. "So the target isn't Talia and whoever they are, they aren't being pursued because they are a Herald, if they are a Herald. I agree your gift is less helpful than it could be." Tashti resumed grooming her drowsy Companion. A companionable silence filled the barn. "Ah, there you two are." Dirk's sister bustled in. "Good thing you are up, you can help with the chores this morning." Tashti gave Cryni one last pat before she went to help. Suddenly the world dropped out from under her and she was in a copse of trees. Dawn was just touching the horizon. Before her were four men, all armed with bows and arrows, all ready to fire. "Remember, only fire if they fight back. They wants that Herald alive." One ordered. Tashti's blood ran cold. Her instinct had been wrong. Beyond the trees she saw Aeric and Talia riding completely unaware of the danger. Men boiled out of the trees that bordered the road here surrounding both Heralds. "I thought we wanted a blonde." One of the archers commented and sighted his arrow on the pair. There were too many to fight successfully. Aeric pulled his sword and Talia her knife. Within moments both had arrows feathering their bodies. "Oh gods." Tashti sobbed as she found herself back in the barn staring up at a worried pair of siblings. "What happened?" Dirk demanded. "They aren't after Talia. They are after me." Tashti gasped out. Cryni stepped close and Tashti wove her fingers in the long mane and reached for Aeric. :Aeric! Don't fight!: :What?: :Don't fight!: Tashti repeated. :Just make certain they don't harm Talia!: Aeric dropped the connection as the attack was launched. Dirk was looking very impatient with his arms crossed over his chest waiting for an explanation. "They were after me." Tashti repeated. "They just attacked Talia and Aeric thinking that it was me. One of them said that they were expecting a blonde. Their orders are to take alive if possible, kill if they fight back." "Did they fight back?" Dirk asked in a choked voice. "No. I reached them in time." A reaction headache was starting to pound in her temples. "We have to go." Dirk nodded. "What's going on?" Dirk's sister asked. "They just captured Talia and Aeric. We have to go help, now." Tashti was saddling the now alert Cryni as she spoke. "Can you bring us some traveling food?" "Of course." She hurried out of the barn. "I don't know whether to be angry with you for not going with them or grateful that you are here to tell me." "So long as they are alive they have hostages to bring me to them. There were enough men to bring down five Heralds." "Do you have any idea who would have known that you would be there at that time?" Dirk asked. Tashti's expression darkened. "Yes, I do." Dirk gave her startled glance. The cold feeling of betrayal seeped into her bones leaving her more frightened than she had ever been, and more determined to make them pay. ~ * ~ By the time they reached the site of the attack five days later, five other Heralds were waiting. Two had been on Circuit but had dropped everything to join the search, one of the Circuit Heralds was Sera, the other three were sent by the Queen. Herald Kerowyn was looking ready to tear her apart when Tashti swung off Cryni's back and strode towards her. "Don't say anything." Tashti said before Kerowyn could start. "If she was with them they may have killed them out of hand. Their orders are to keep Tashti alive if possible." Dirk said in her defence. "We have searched all around here, we can't find any trace of them. Any idea where they may have gone to ground?" Kerowyn said instead. Tashti shook her head. Kerowyn cursed fluently in Shin'a'in. "Exactly what happened?" One of the strange Heralds asked. Tashti outlined what she Saw and then what she knew happened. "Try speaking to Aeric again." Kerowyn ordered. Dirk, who had witnessed the horrific pain she had experienced the last time she reached too far, wanted to argue that he wanted all of them awake and alert for this, but kept his peace. Tashti rested her hand on Cryni's sweaty neck and reached for Aeric. :Are you alright?: She demanded as soon as she found him. :Tashti?: :Of course. Now answer me.: :I am fine. They have us locked in a windowless room in some hunting box.: :Your Companions?: :They are hobbled and locked in the stables. They were after you.: :I know.: Tashti dropped the connection and opened her eyes. "I know where to find them." The other six Heralds all mounted quickly and allowed her to lead the way. Several horse tracks had led away from the site but each had proven a dead end. Tashti ignored all of these trails and led them down the road until they reached a small, rutted road that was nearly hidden by the grass. "What aren't you saying?" Kerowyn asked. Tashti stopped Cryni and listened. "We will wait here until dark." The others looked like they were ready to argue but one glance at her expression was enough to convince them otherwise. ~ * ~ Selenay's hands trembled as she read the note again. It was blunt and to the point. Give them Tashti or they would kill Talia and Aeric. It had just been delivered by a boy who knew nothing about who had sent it. "Your majesty?" The guard opened the door and waited for a response. "Yes?" She asked, her voice only quavering a bit. "Herald Tashti's ward wishes to speak to you." "Show her in." The young woman was dressed in the garish style of the Shin'a'in with her midnight black hair in a thick braid to her waist and startlingly blue eyes. "I am sorry for disturbing you." She said in heavily accented Valdemaran. "I stopped the boy before he left." "You what?" Clio closed the door firmly. "I offered him some coin to tell me what he knew. It was an oddity for a scrubby child to be allowed to speak to the Queen and I thought it may have had something to do with the plot Tashti and I uncovered." "What did he tell you?" "He told me what the note said." Clio admitted. "But how would he know what it said?" "He can read. Information is a valuable commodity; he knew he could probably sell that little tidbit for quite a bit of money." "What do you want then?" "These are the same people who killed my mother. I can feel it. You aren't going to hand Tashti over to them are you? I don't want to see what happened to my mother happen to Tashti. She may be an assassin but she is a good person." Clio pleaded. "Even my mother always said she would never let anything stand in the way doing what she thought was right. I don't know this Talia but surely Tashti can be more valuable to you." Selenay did not know what to make of the girl's speech. "I have no intention of sacrificing Tashti, but I have no control over her actions. She may trade herself for them." "That is something Silk would do." Clio admitted. "You knew her as Silk?" "Aye, she used to be Silk Kingkiller. You did not know?" "I knew. I just didn't know she kept in contact with people from before she was Chosen." "She and my mother were great friends. Silk used to escort me to the Plains when it was time to visit my father. My mother was a very poor rider. Even my father called her a good friend to have, and he doesn't approve of shadow work." "You don't have to tell me. She has saved my life twice now." "She never mentioned that." Clio said, obviously surprised. "We do appreciate Tashti. I consider her a friend and I have no desire to turn Tashti over to them. But we have to rescue Talia and Aeric." Clio paced the room for a few minutes. "Why don't we let Tashti rescue them? She is good at that kind of thing." "I am hoping she can." |
