Following Blindly

Mercedes Lackey "Heralds of Valdemar" Fan Fiction

-Chapter 10-

As trainees and students arrived back in Haven the Coligium grew more and more active. It had been quite through the holiday, almost too quiet. Shelen was both disappointed and thrilled that it was becoming livelier as more of his piers came back. Any snow that had been on the ground had finally melted into a soggy mud so that as trainees slogged through the muck to get to and from their respective points of origin and destination they ended up with a thick layer of mud and dead grass up to their calves. He was no exception and neither were the normally fastidious Companions. Muck that seemed to magically avoid the Companions in the dryer months had banded together in a war against the white coats of the horse shaped creatures. Fyllis was more than perturbed with the predicament. She hated "the mess" as she called it. Shelen was called down to the Companions Stable several times a day by her stern motherly voice. He had just left there after a two hour grooming session. It was still too cold for a proper bath which doomed him to more brushing and sore arms. He sat on a bench that stood beneath a winter dead tree, surrounded by dormant grass. His thick coat was doing a good job of keeping him warm but it did nothing for the icy breeze that wisped over his ears every now and then. He almost wished he had opted to keep his hair longer so that they would have their own protection. Perhaps that was why Ashlen kept his hair long.

A sudden warm puff of air caused his chilled ears to tingle and he whirled around with a startled yelp; landing on his feet some three feet away from the bench. Their behind the bench stood his brother, as if thinking about him had materialized the darker of the twins into being. Beside Ashlen sat his ever present guide-beast, mouth open in a toothy grin. Ashlen wore a long well tailored coat of doe skin, lined with rabbit fur, and a homely looking multicolored scarf. Ahslens eyes, sightless as they were, stared off into nothing and gave away nothing but he wore a mild smile that was really more of a sneer that said volumes.

"How do you do that!" Shelen complained halfheartedly

"Hm? Do what?" Ashlen said as he stood up strait and turned in his twins direction.

"Get up behind people without making a sound!"

Ashlen only smiled and shrugged. Rreick laughed in his open mindspeach and that was the only answer he was going to get apparently. Shelen sighed and returned to his forsaken bench.

"Welcome back Ashlen." He said "Sweetsprings looks good on you. It looks like you had a successful trip." He tapped his own neck and 'sent' the feeling of "Scarf" at his brother.

Ashlen coughed and blushed a bit but recovered quickly.

"And Herald Valts seems to have finally whipped you into shape. I felt your control even as I rode through the gates. Did he finally pound enough practice into you for you to remember it?"

"HA!" Shelen barked as he blushed a bit himself.

The two twins stood their next to each other, only an old stone bench between them for a few minutes and it felt to Shelen, for the first time in a long time, that he really did have a connection with his brother again. Although he would never admit it out loud, it felt good to feel at home with his twin again. He wasn't sure if it was that they had both grown from their recent experiences or if it was simply time that made the heart grow fonder. The later of the two had never been true in his experience however.

"They'll be serving dinner soon. The breads just come out of the oven. Shall we head over?" Ashlen offered.

"Your nose amazes me. Sure, but let's stop by the dorms first. Mother sent your Winter Solstice gift here. I've been storing it in my room."

The twins walked together though the soggy grass as Rreick padded alongside them.

Herald Kimball Salgite was not a small man. He was broad in the shoulder and chest, sturdily built and very visually intimidating. His many scars did nothing to help tame his heavy presence. Jasper had grown used to his mentor, had come to appreciate that heavy presence and immediate respect that it demanded. The Messenger from Grimdeshire had also learned his place quickly. Herald Kimball had decided that escorting the Messenger to Haven took precedence over his circuit. He had sent out a message for another Hearld to come and replace him. As soon as she had arrived they had made for Haven. The Messenger had though himself over important and had thought to complain about the route they were taking or how long they rode each day for all of the first two days. On the third day of their trek back to Haven, while Jasper rode tail, Herald Kimball and his Companion Viaen had stopped suddenly in the middle of the trail. Viaen was a sturdy as her rider and with her ears flat back against her skull she kicked out at the Messengers' poor mount. The wispy creature that they'd purchased for the Messenger to ride, since his own mount had perished, shied away and out from under its rider.

Being dumped unceremoniously on the ground in the middle of some long winded complaint caused the messenger to go very suddenly silent. If that hadn't done the trick on its own then the sturn look and very short lecture from Herald Kimball was more than enough to make that silence stick.

"What's your name Messenger?" Herald Kimball said. Dead pan and without even looking back at the man who knelt on the ground rubbing his sore behind

"Sss..st.. Stantain de Folk." Stuttered the messenger, who must have suddenly realize what sort of trouble he was in.

"Well, Stantain de Folk. Go and fetch your horse and remember that neither I nor my Trainee are your staff. No one is paying us to listen to you ramble. I suggest you think carefully about your complaints before you find yourself walking the rest of the way to Haven." The last he said with as slow turning of his head. His grim look cut any more complaints short and Stantain de Folk rode the rest of the way to Haven in general silence.

Jasper and Fedor had enjoyed the relative quiet and as they arrived at the gates of the palace grounds after winding up the long and twisted main road they looked up at the stonework of the gate and smiled to each other.

'Nice to be back isn't it?' Fedor said, looking back at his Herald over his shoulder. His dancing blue eye bright and filled with glee.

'Yea.' Jasper smiled beneath his long dark bangs.

Herald Kimball had dismounted to talk to the guards and send a runner up to the palace so they would be expecting Stantain. He walked up to Fedor and patted the long legged Companion on the shoulder.

"You two did well out there. I think you've got the hang of things so I'll see about getting you an assignment once we get this bit of mess sorted out. I'll escort the messenger up to the palace. You're dismissed."

"Are you sure, sir?" Jasper said, not wanting to leave his mentor in a bind or with any responsibility that wasn't his own to shoulder.

"Aye! I'll take things from here. Besides, I can't present you to the Kris and Lyra without a bath and a haircut first. Go get cleaned up. It looks like classes started back up about a week ago so you may as well enjoy the down time with your piers before they send you galloping off again, eh?" Herald Kimball winked and with a deep rolling laugh that made Stantain twitch as he turned and remounted Viaen.

As his mentor rode toward the palace with the now meek messenger in toe Jasper let himself smile a little bit. He knew that Herald Kimball was not looking forward to being in Haven for long. He was the type of man who took his job very seriously. He would be chomping at Viaens bit to get back out on Circuit within the week. Jasper on the other hand, really could use that hot bath and, though he hated to admit it, he probably did need a haircut. After tacking down Fedor and currying the Companions coat back to a brilliant sheen, he trudged up to the dorms with is saddle bags and satchel. The velvet cloak he'd recived from his best friends hung on his shoulders, the silver clasp sparkling in the afternoon sun.

As he reached the door to the Heralds wing he felt a twinge and a sharp rise in excitement wash over him. He opened the door and dropped his saddle bags as the same time. No sooner had had door opened than the sounds of running footsteps on the wood floor reached their peak and stopped as Tania launched herself at this neck. She must have felt him arrive. She connected and caused him to stumble back a few steps as her weight swung on his neck and shoulders. He reached up and wrapped his arms around her in a hung to keep her for swinging herself off.

"Yer back so soon!" she laughed

He laughed

"Did you go to visit your family over the break?"

"Is it that obvious?" she giggled as she dropped from his neck stand on the ground.

"Your accent slips out more when you've been to see them. How was your Mid-Winter?"

"Great! I managed to drag Ashlen down to Sweetsprings with me. I think it went pretty well."

"Ashlen? Weren't you going to take Archer?" Jasper said, a little surprised. He stooped to pick up his dropped packs as he released his friend from their hug.

"I was… I was going to take them both actually but…" Jasper felt her enthusiasm wilt a bit and he knew.

"Who did he go out on Circuit with?" He asked "When?"

"Herald Meav. She was due back in Haven just after Mid-Winter break was set to begin so he had to wait here for her. They were already out on Circuit when we got back." She reached down to collect some of the things that had escaped his packs when they fell.

"I see."

"Their stationed in the Lake district, so at least he'll get some experience with boating. Too bad we won't be there to see it."

"More like Ice skating right now, at least near the shore anyway. Though I know what you mean. It's a pity we can be there to laugh as he get boat sickness isn't it?

"Right! That was my thought exactly!" Her mood improved again and so did his.

When they arrived at his room she set his things down on his bed and then her head shot up like a rabbit that had heard a twig snap.

"I'll be right back!" she announced before bolting from the room.

Jasper watched he slide out the door and heard her footsteps disappear down the halls. He went back to unpacking. Separating his uniforms into to piles, those that needed repaired and those that just needed a good wash. The rest of his unpacking was mostly just placing his bow on its holder, his extra items in the trunk at the foot of his bed and before he could do much more he heard Tan returning. She ran to his doorway and stopped just shy of coming in; arranging something behind her back before she came in. Before he had the chance to say anything she flung her hands out in front of herself, holding a crudely wrapped paper parcel.

"I wasn't expecting you to be back so soon so I probably could have done a better wrapping job but here you go. Happy Mid-Winter!"

He took the package and gingerly opened it while she bounced from the balls of her feet to her heels. The brown paper gone he revealed a wad of blue and grey yarn. He picked up what he thought was and end and long, abet messy, attempt at a scarf unfolded and hung to the floor from his hand. He looked at the scarf-thing for a moment and then glanced at Tan to catch an expectant look.

"Phf…" he scoffed and then broke out in a fully fledged fit of laughter. Tania sighed and then joined in. She really had no skill for this sort of thing and he could only imagine what her previous attempts had looked like.

Later that afternoon, when they sat down for dinner he looked across the table to see an even messier version of his scarf draped over Ashlens shoulder and he could not keep himself from laughing again. Ashlen seemed to know why and he laughed too.

In a smaller, more private receiving room off the main Throne Room sat a man and a woman who shared a face. Before them stood Herald Kimball, in stark contrast to their more slight matched figures, and a man who named himself Stantain de Folk: Royal Messenger of her ladyship Queen Orla de Khalid of Grimdeshire. It was a country they had heard of, though not recently. The smaller country was well known for its wine and spirits. It was an import that was highly sot after by the gentry. Several years ago Herald-Queen Lyra and her twin brother Herald-King Kris had rejected a marriage proposal for Lyras youngest daughter, Reignen.

Within the silver missive case, wrapped at both ends with gold metalwork, had been another proposal for a similar arrangement but within the words both of the Co-Rulers could feel a lightly veiled threat. Here and there the wording of certain statements left very little to stretch to some rather troubling and aggressive retaliation. Over the years Lyra, who had a weak gift for Foresight, had been troubled by odd and confusing dreams. Her brother had no noticeable gift of Foresight but he had a very acute sense of tension. Although not something at the forefront of their list of worries they were aware of a strained relationship with Grimdeshire.

Threats of militant action had not been thought to be within the abilities of the small country however. Valdemar and Grimdeshire were separated not only by several mountain ranges but also by Rethwellan, Kares, and Hardorn. For a country that lacked any kind of mage-craft or even acceptance for those with "abilities" that might otherwise help to make on a Herald in Valdamar it was impossible for them to move an army capable of posing a threat to Valdamar without first going to war with Valdamars allies to the south. The two Co-Rulers spoke back and forth between each other though Stantain de Folk never heard a word. Mindspeech came in handy when discussing sensitive informationin front of someone who was not a proven ally.

They couldn't outright reject the proposal this time. Even without a reasonable threat it was troubling that Grimdeshire still though it possible to make one. This meant that the Queen and either become dangerously unstable and was therefore unpredictable or she had a plan that would blind side them completely. Or worse, both could be true.

They would have to send a diplomatic party to at least make a show of considering the proposal but that would mean knowingly sending their friends and fellow Heralds into hostile territory. It was not a decision that they had ever wanted to encounter. Their parents, friends, and many of their fellow Heralds had fought so that Valdemar could enjoy the peace and stability they were now experiencing. They were in no rush to push their citizens into unnecessary strife.

"Messenger Stantain de Folk of Grimdeshire." Kris said as he and his sister broke from their long and weighty silence.

The nervous messenger raised his head and choked on his own air. The King was a striking figure all in white; his informal ringlet of gold set gently on his brow accented his near gold colored eyes even in the dampened tones of the inner room. His sister rose to stand as well and she too had an air around her that without words brought rowdy rooms to heel. She shared her brothers golden eyes and between them no one stood a chance of pushing their authority on the two Co-Rulers. The twin rulers knew this, and they used it to their advantage.

"We have read your Queens proposal…" Continued Lyra "and we have decided to send a diplomatic party to discuss the terms."

"We must have time to put such a party together so we ask for a seasons' time to arrange and supply them." Kris picked up where his sister left off without more than a pause. "We will supply you for your own return journey and provide you an escort to the Valdemar border."

"Rest while we draft a reply to send back with you." Lyra said

"You should know to expect our party in the coming summer." Kris said

"You are dismissed." The ended together and the nerve racked messenger nearly fell over himself as he retreated out of the room to be shown to his accommodations by a steward. Once he was gone and the doors were closed Lyra sat down heavily in her chair.

Kris sighed and looked to Herald Kimball who had stood at attention the entire time. Calm and collected and with an ever so endearingly stern expression on his face. That expression now broke into one of worry and sympathy for he knew what this would mean for his King and Queen but he also knew what this would mean for his friends and his family.

"It should go without saying that none of this goes beyond this room until the appropriate time but I trust you. Go and rest Herald Kimball. We'll be up all night with the council and at least one of us should be around to rest as he is due."

-End Chapter 10-

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