A.N. Read and review please.
Chapter 14: Get out Of My Head!!!!
Yozak suppressed the urge to sigh. History had never been one of his favorite subjects, and while Valdemaran history was interesting, it wasn't exactly the stuff of legends, at least not by his definition of the term. King Valdemar seemed like the kind of person he could see King Yuri becoming in the many years of his rule.
: Could you pay attention? : Conrart suddenly said into his mind. : I can't concentrate on what Herald Elden is saying if your mind is wandering. It's a bit distracting.:
Yozak jumped, mildly surprised by Conrart's presence in the back of his mind. : Exactly how long have you been back there, Captain? : He inquired mildly.
Conrart's reply was tinged with mild amusement. : I joined you this morning for Basic Law, tried not to fall asleep when you were practicing your penmanship; did not –quite – manage it. Woke back up while you were at Weapons Practice—we will be working on your tendency to leave your lower outside line exposed! I slept through your Geography class – at least, I think it was geography. Your instructor lost me at White Foal Pass, and the fact that nothing grows there. And I came back just as Herald Elden started this lecture. Now pay attention so that I, at least, can learn something. :
"Eavesdropping doesn't become you Teichou." Yozak replied mildly, not realizing he'd spoken aloud.
: I'm not eavesdropping, I'm learning. Now hush, so that I can listen to the class.:
"Sounds like eavesdropping to me." He mumbled.
He got the impression that Conrart was raising an eyebrow. : Hush, you, before you get in trouble. :
: Me?!!! You're the one who started this. :
: Yes, but I'd like to see them prove that I'm hanging out in your mind: Conrart retorted.
Yozak sighed, and turned his attention back to his studies. He felt Conrart's presence in the back of his mind, now that he'd been alerted to it, and took comfort in the familiar sensation. He could feel Conrart's fascination at the subject matter and wondered just what his friend found so fascinating about the time before the founding of Valdemar.
Conrart always had been the intellectual type—there were times he rivaled even Günter for studiousness and the retention of completely useless facts. So he listened closely as his teacher talked, knowing Conrart was using his ears. He also knew that if he pestered Conrart enough, the other man would explain the lecture to him again in a manner that would hold his attention long enough for him to make sense of what, by his way of thinking, was completely useless information, and more dates than he really cared to memorize.
At last the class was over, ending with the 'birth' of the first Companions from the Grove and the founding of the Heralds themselves. In that at least he shared his former Captain's fascination. He gathered his books and rose lightly to his feet. He'd almost made it to the door when Elden's voice called him back.
"Yozak, a word, if you please." His tone made it clear that it wasn't a request.
He suppressed the urge to cringe; straightening his back, he walked over to the Herald. He'd found over the years that he could get away with almost anything provided that he looked innocent, gave nothing away, and looked as if he had a job to do. Besides, it wasn't as if anyone ever knew when he and Conrart where in each other's minds.
With that in mind, he did his level best to look innocent and ignore Conrart's suppressed laughter, as it echoed across their joined minds. "Was there something you needed, Herald Elden?" he asked calmly.
The Herald looked him over; his blue eyes as sharp and perceptive as Gwendal's, yet there was a warmth in them which reminded him more of Conrart, despite the color. "Who were you talking to earlier? Your Companion wouldn't be interested in eavesdropping on this particular class; the Founding is common knowledge."
Well, there went that theory!
: You're on your own with this one. : Conrart said simply.
He snorted, feeling Conrart's mind pull away from his own. : Oh gee, thanks Captain. How am I supposed to deal with this? :
: You're a spy. : Conrart replied mildly. : Improvise.:
"Coward." He muttered in response to that, before turning his attention back to Herald Elden. He wondered just how much truth to put into his story. 'My friend, who was just released from the House of Healing and sent to his room to rest for the next week, is bored out of his mind—literally. And is eavesdropping on your class using my senses' seemed likely to earn him a one way ticket to visit the Mind-healers! Years of spying had taught him never to lie flat out; anyone with any skill at reading body language would see straight through it. No, he knew the best way to weave a believable falsehood was to spin it through with a twisted branch of truth for support.
He put together a believable story in the time it took to blink, and was just about to respond to the Herald's question when Jissa intervened. He shifted his attention from Elden to Jissa with the same ease one usually equated with breathing.
: Honesty is always the best policy among Heralds, Chosen. He won't think you've gone mad, and he won't rebuke you for it. Conrart wants to learn, there is no shame in that. You were simply allowing him to do so without his having to put his health at further risk. Neither of you will be in trouble for this. Simply tell the truth, Chosen. :
Yozak blinked to refocus his eyes. With an audible sigh, he turned his attention back to Herald Elden. It was one thing to discuss Mindspeech with Conrart, or even to talk mind to mind with the few people he'd already spoken with. This, however, was different—he had to trust that this man would hear what he was saying about Mindspeech, and actually believe him. The mere thought pushed him out of his comfort zone! He sighed, and explained the situation to his teacher, including the fact that he hadn't really known Conrart was there until he'd let his mind wonder. To his immense surprise, Elden laughed.
"I'll speak to Dean Teren about testing your friend for placement in classes, and see if we can't get him a tutor or something." The man said lightly. After a moment he added, "And tell your friend I expect the assignment from him as well."
Yozak couldn't help it; he laughed aloud at the thought of the look on Conrart's face when he told him he had an assignment due along with the rest of the class. Like many intellectuals, the younger man enjoyed learning, but despised homework. In fact, Conrart despised all forms of 'busywork'. With a nod of understanding, he excused himself to his last class of the day. 'Gifts' he felt was sure to be an interesting subject.
~~~***~~~
Herald Elden sighed as he made his way down to the dean's office. He'd known Teren for years and this promised to be an interesting conversation. For the most part, Heraldic trainees who were admitted into the House of Healing immediately upon arrival at Haven were not tested –for gifts or classes – until they had fully recovered enough to actually attend classes. He was about to ask Teren to brave the wrath of the Healers by breaking that age old convention. But if the boy wanted to learn, enough to eavesdrop on his friend's classes, who were they to stand in the way of his academic curiosity?
Honestly, he really wanted to meet the boy Trainee Yozak had spoken of with such fondness. The red haired boy had a very interesting personality, and while it was apparent that he was fighting against what were probably social and cultural differences, the boy had yet to sub come to culture shock as he'd seen so many out-kingdom trainees do. With that in mind, he wondered how the younger of the two off-world trainees was faring.
He paused briefly outside of Teren's door, gathering his courage to knock. In some ways it was funny—he could ride across the border into hostile territory without batting an eye, but he had to gather his courage just to talk to a man who was both a friend and brother at arms. Steeling himself, he knocked, and opened the door as soon as he was granted entrance.
"Elden, have a seat. What brings you here?"
Elden sighed as he moved a rather large stack of books from the seat of one of the few chairs not behind the massive oak desk. "Well, it's concerning one of the new trainees."
Teren groaned and let his head fall to his desk with an aggravated sigh. "Which one and what have they done this time?"
"It's nothing bad, really." Elden was quick to reassure the other man. "Just, well, the young man has taken to eavesdropping."
Teren arched one gray eyebrow, "Exactly what do you mean by eavesdropping?"
Elden sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. How should he put this? Technically, what young Conrart had done could be termed misuse of his gift, particularly since he'd done it without Yozak's knowledge or consent. However, it wasn't his desire to get the boy in trouble, as it didn't seem as though his friend really cared. Idly, he wondered if the two were just really good friends and spent a lot of time in each other's minds, or if they were actually lifebonded. It would make sense; they were from the same world, and while they may look just like any other human, there were bound to be some differences. Finally he settled on "He was eavesdropping in his friend's classes, much the same way our Companions sometimes do."
The look Teren gave him was almost frightening, "You mean to tell me that you caught a trainee misusing his Heraldic gifts, and don't see anything wrong with it? Elden, it was through the misguided coddling of the dean of the Mage Collegium that put both apprentice-mage Leon and Herald trainee Tykir in the House of Healing for three weeks, and let's face it, if Leon ever regains consciousness, his gifts will be bound for what he did. It was through the misguided negligence of his teachers that he came to be in such a state. We have always come down hard on trainees who've been caught misusing their gifts to keep them from being foolish enough to do so again. If Leon's teachers had come down on him hard the first time, he likely never would have nearly killed another trainee by using him as an unwilling guinea pig in an unauthorized experiment! And now I find out that one of our own teachers is willing to look the other way when a member of our own Collegium is walking down that same path? Elden, I must say I am disappointed."
Elden suppressed the urge to groan. "The boy is literally a new trainee. His name is Conrart, and he's one of the two Chosen from a different world. The boy has been in the House of Healing until just this morning. Apparently he's bored, and since he has been ordered to stay in bed, he's been eavesdropping on his friend's classes. Trainee Yozak didn't seem to mind his presence; in fact from what I've gathered, it's a fairly common occurrence for them to share minds. I get the impression that they are as comfortable with each other's mental presence as you are with Keren's. I'm beginning to wonder if they're lifebonded actually."
Teren looked at him for a moment, "Say on," he said at last.
Elden gave a mental sigh of relief and dove into an explanation of what he was considering and why, hoping to run right over any protests until he'd had a chance to finish his proposal. Teren listened quietly, adding a word here or there, asking for clarification at one point but for the most part the man seemed to agree with him.
When he'd finished, Teren leaned back in his chair, rubbing his clean shaven chin. At last he sat back up and inclined his head. "You have my permission to test the boy, both for placement in his classes and to see what gifts he might have." He paused for a second, before adding, "Provided of course that you find the time in your already busy schedule to test the boy yourself. In addition to that, you will have to be the one to obtain the permission of Healer Dolan. However, you present such a convincing argument that I am sure you will be able to persuade Dolan to see reason."
Elden suppressed the urge to curse, even as Ratha snickered in the back of his mind. With a nod to the other man, he turned and left the room.
~~~***~~~
Yozak settled himself down into a chair and glanced around immediately, noting that the only color to be seen in the relatively small class was heraldic gray. Here as with everywhere else, the students varied in age, and here, also, he was one of the oldest. He sighed, shifting his weight, and turned his attention inward as he felt Conrart join him again. They melded together with the ease of long practice and almost intimate familiarity.
He welcomed his friend with the mental equivalent of a poke, and Conrart shifted around a bit until the line between them flowed both ways. Yozak blinked, trying to clear away the double vision that briefly resulted. He could feel the dull ache in Conrart's left arm and shoulder from his now mostly healed bones. He could feel the soft blankets as if he was the one curled up under them. He felt everything Conrart felt, heard everything he heard, and could see the white paint of the wall his friend was currently staring at.
He relaxed into his chair, taking comfort in the familiarity of the action and the duality of sensations it brought with it. Silently, he told Conrart about his talk with Herald Elden and its results, amused at the man's grumbled response to his homework assignment. The action was familiar yet different; they were safe here, though he continuously scanned the room, all of his senses alert. The well established line to his friend's mind pulsed with similar information from Conrart, even as they spoke.
As one, they turned their combined attention away from the silent conversation they were having in the undertones of the soft pulsating hum of their joined minds, and focused on the two Heralds entering the room. One was a man with graying blond hair that looked as if it had been stuck on by an inexperienced Thatcher. His blue eyes shone with a bright warmth, and he carried himself with all the authority of his office, despite his somewhat homely appearance. The woman was a slightly smaller version of Dean Teren, with the obvious difference in gender.
: So, who's your friend, trainee? : a musical voice said into his mind. A few short days ago Yozak would have jumped in alarm at a voice other then Conrart's sounding in his mind. Now he hardly blinked.
Conrart, caught red handed, didn't even attempt to leave. : Um, hi. : He replied calmly, his dignity not even remotely diminished by the somewhat childish reply.
: Dirk,: a woman's voice asked, : Why are you in Trainee Yozak's mind? :
Herald Dirk started, having become engrossed in studying the bond between Yozak and Conrart's joined minds. : Keren, would you take a look at this?: he replied simply. : I want a second opinion. :
Yozak felt Herald Keren shift slightly. : What exactly are we looking – Lord and Lady how long has THAT been there? :
By this point Yozak could feel a headache coming on; he could also feel the fledgling wisps of Conrart's annoyance. He paused briefly, attempting to find a polite way to ask the two trespassers to vacate his mind, only to have Conrart beat him to it.
: Pardon me, : Conrart interrupted, what was quickly becoming a heated debate between the two Heralds, his words painfully polite and proper : But would you mind telling us exactly what you find so fascinating? :
: Goodness, how long have you there?: Keren replied, startled.
Yozak got the impression that Conrart was raising a brow, before the other man deliberately misunderstood the question. : Longer then you've been alive. Now would you do me the honor of answering my question? :
Keren seemed startled by that, but whatever she might have said was cut off by the appearance of Herald Elden in Conrart's field of vision. Noting Conrart's unfocused look, the man reached for his mind.
: Trainee Conrart, : the man started to say only to stop as he noticed the presence of Dirk and Keren in addition to Yozak.
:Not to be rude, Elden, but what exactly are you doing here?: Dirk asked, still surveying the abnormally tight bond that existed between the two trainees.
Elden's reply was immediate. : I could ask you the same question. However, if you must know I came to inform Trainee Conrart that I have spoken with his healer, and have been granted permission to test him for placement in his classes, and to see what gifts he has. Now what exactly is so fascinating that the two of you are buzzing around like flies on honey? :
Dirk snorted: The bond between them; look at all familiar? :
Elden shifted until he could see the bond from his place in Conrart's mind. : Ah, so I was right when I told Teren I suspected they were lifebonded. :
At that moment, Herald-mage Elspeth entered the room. "Sorry I'm late—the council meeting went longer than expected." She paused briefly, surveying the class, before noting her fellow heralds' unfocused gazes. With a sigh, she reached for their minds. : Would you mind telling me what is so interesting that you're ignoring the rest of your class? For that matter, why are you all hanging out in trainee Yozak's mind? Hello trainee Conrart, what are you doing here? :
Conrart suppressed the urge to gape at her; this was getting ridiculous! : At this point, I'm beginning to wondering myself. : Turning his attention to Yozak, he sighed. : Have fun in class, I have company… and apparently homework. :
With that said, he pulled away from his friend, and back into his own body. He blinked, and found himself staring up at Herald Elden. "So what exactly is a lifebond?"