It took them about a week to get through Rethwallen till they got to the Ruvan border. Here was were Aeren's expertise ended and Darac took the lead. During that week, Darac had learned as much as he could about Alicia. Then, each night, he had reported to Belmear about what he had learned. Each night, he could see Belmear becoming more and more pleased with him. After a little bit of his own mental prodding, careful not to nudge on her shields, he finally found out that the little bit of attraction the two Heralds had on each other was a lifebond. The best part, to him at least, was that neither of them had acknowleged it. This could turn to their advantage, and it had been the last thing he reported to Belmear. He took the lead and the two Companions followed him. Aeren had been watching them carefully during the course of their travels through Rethwallen. After much thinking on his own this past week, he finally decided to consult with his Companion.
:Mara. I have a question for you.: he started.
:All you have to do is ask, dearest.: came the reply.
He sighed softly and then thought about how to word this before finally asking his question. :Can you feel anything from Darac? I mean.. I'm sure you've noticed how um... close, he and Alicia had been the last couple of days. I... I know she's trying to be nice in the face of a new ally. But I mean... that can't be normal, spending that much time together, can it?: Mara flicked her tail as she thought about her reply, keeping an even pace with Corie. She knew there was a lifebond there, but she couldn't just go out and say it. Things didn't work that way, and she knew that she would do more harm than good. But it was slightly good to her to hear him getting a twinge of jealousy, even if it can be dangerous.
:I don't think there's something terribly wrong about it. I mean, granted, there is something about him that I just can't sense, but it doesn't seem to be dangerous. Don't forget, Alicia's people are more forward than our own people. She might have been used to talking to people like this for years. Don't forget how easily she opened up to you once she got used to being in a new place.: Aeren thought about that and figured that his Companion was right. She usually was, but he would never tell her that. Her head was big enough with vanity as it was. He had been thinking and watching Darac that he hadn't even noticed that Alicia had nudged Corie over next to Mara. He jumped when she whispered to him.
"Are you alright? You seemed really distant there for a while." He smiled to her and shook his head.
"I'm fine. Nothing major.. Just talking to Mara for a little. Some stuff that I had been thinking about for a while." She furrowed her brows at that, but he chuckled and shook his head. "Don't worry. It's nothing. It's just been hectic for a while that I never really get to sit and talk with Mara at length like I'm able too now." She nodded then, still worried about him, but figuring that he just wanted to be left alone. Neither Herald had noticed their Companion giving each other a bit of a glance of worry. They just hoped nothing bad would happen on this mission before the lifebond would be acknowleged. Mostly they wanted their Heralds to be happy.
They continued to move through Ruvan without any problems. It was strange going through the villages, though, since the natives had never seen Heralds or Companions before. They were heard of, of course, but they never seen them. They attracted quite the crowd as their Companions' hooves made their chiming sounds on the cobblestones of the villages that they passed through. The Companions decided they had enough quiet time on the road, and decided to show off. They both threw their heads up and matched their paces. Darac was in front of them, but glanced over his shoulder, curiously, to see what was going on. The moment the two Companions started to sound like one, he looked back ahead again, trying not to chuckle. He hated to admit it, but it was quite amusing to see that. Aeren smiled a bit, used to Mara making herself look like a spectacle and just sat up straighter in the saddle, the sun hitting off his white uniform perfectly. Alicia just watched him for a moment before glancing down to Corie. She then looked around at the villagers watching them and flushed a bright red, clearly not used to having this sort of attention. She could hear Corie chuckle in the back of her mind.
:Don't worry, love. The folk will be more interested in watching Mara and I than you two. Aeren just likes to try and show off as much as Mara so that he's not ignored.: She smiled a little bit, then, and started to relax, especially after they got through the village. It was just weird to try and get over how much these people like to show off. Not that her own people didn't like to show off.. some of them, anyway.
They stayed in inns along the way, only these were different than the ones in Valdemar and Rethwallen. They were specifically made for traders. There was just a small fee to the innkeeper and you got dinner and a room. Most people here had their own wagons that they slept in, so they just paid a small wagon fee and maybe something for dinner if they didn't have food of their own to cook, or the ability to cook in their wagons. Darac went into the inn to take care of the dinner and rooms while the Heralds took care of the horse and Companions. While they were brushing their Companions down, one of the traders approached them and spoke in easy Valdamaran.
"Heralds, eh? What is it you two being all the way down 'ere for?" Aeren spoke for the two of them since he was the senior Herald on this trip.
"We're travelling with the envoy from Velvar. We're heading down to Velvar as representitives of Queen Selenay to start to establish a possible alliance with King Belmear." The trader listened to him and then frownd slightly. Alicia tilted her head, but then the trader changed his look and spoke back to them.
"Well, best of luck to ye, Heralds. I'm headed back to Valdemar in the morn'." He seemed to hesitate, but as a fellow Valdemaran, he felt he had to speak. "I just want to say, Heralds. Proceed with caution in Velvar. I 'ad a friend return from there - 'e is from Rethwallen - and he said that it seemed that 'ole King Belmear seemed a bit... restless." Alicia took her turn to speak now.
"What do you mean by restless?" The trader shrugged a little bit and sighed because he couldn't give too much information than that.
"I'm not sure, Lady Herald. 'E didn't go into details about his time down there, but 'e seemed nervous and seemed to be glad to return to Ruvan." This didn't sit well with either Herald or either Companion, but it was too late to turn back now. They just hoped that the trader's troubles, wasn't caused by the King after all, but he rather exagerrated just to hide something on his own end.
They turned and headed into the inn and joined Darac at the table that he claimed, and ate their dinner in silence. Darac ended up getting three rooms instead of just two. It seemed like a good idea since they were new to this country. In Valdemar, those who were the most familiar with Heralds knew that they were used to sleeping together in Waystations, so had no problem housing them together. And thanks to the alliance that Valdemar had with Rethwallen, innkeepers there were familiar with that news as well. Ruvan knew nothing of Heralds, so when they dealt with three people, they got three rooms. When they split up for the night, neither Aeren nor Alicia slept well at all, the words of the trader ringing in their heads.