A/N: And here is the next one- and I assure you, much less boring. Last chapter was kinda a filler... necessary but uninteresting. Relatively. Blah. BTW- here is the ninja!
Faolan stumbled, lost in her memory, and fell onto the dying grass. Rathmir reached down and pulled her up and she blinked confused eyes up at her teacher and mentor, suddenly remembering where, and who, she was.
"You okay?" Rathmir inquired.
Faolan nodded and said, "Just got lost in thought."
"Clearly," Rathmir smiled and they moved over to a grassy area between two buildings and sat down, facing each other.
"All right," Rathmir said, "You know what to do."
Faolan nodded and closed her eyes, feeling Raul's shields around her, protecting her from a whirlwind of thought and emotion that lay just outside of it. I want to be able to do that myself, Faolan thought fiercely, and once more attempted to ground herself. After a few failed attempts she felt a touch on her shoulder and opened her eyes.
"Faolan?" Rathmir asked, "I think you need to try and different approach. You keep trying it the same way right, forcing the energy under your control?"
Faolan nodded, puzzled, as she looked up at Rathmir.
"Try… well instead of forcing it, working with it. Become the energy, and put yourself into the ground. Understand?"
Once more, Fao nodded, "Yeah." Too bad being a Herald and using magic is the one thing my past lives can't help me with. Maybe this is too much too soon and they all thought I was ready because everything else I've done has been backed up by those memories.
:Have confidence, Chosen: Raul put in suddenly, :I believe in you.:
Faolan gave a short nod and closed her eyes again, feeling gently for her power, but again it eluded her and she heaved a mental sigh and then just… sunk into it. Once she had, it sort of moved and filled up her body, becoming part of her- but Faolan still didn't know how to get it to 'ground.' If only this was as easy as archery. Or at least as straightforward.
And then it occurred to Faolan. Instead of just sort of shoving at her power and trying to push and pull it where she wanted it to go, she should arrow it to the ground. Now that she was 'inside' the magic, it was a lot easier to get this to happen, and suddenly, she was grounded. This strange feeling of attachment appeared, but it wasn't bad, it was good, and Faolan felt sort of… relieved. She opened her eyes and met Rathmir's gaze of approval.
The next morning, Faolan, feeling refreshed and excited, made her way to breakfast in a timely manner, and found that Alaska wasn't even there yet. However, she spied Tobie and Keanu digging through some sausages on the other side of the room. So she made her way through the mostly empty tables and the glances of those who didn't know her and sat down next to Tobie.
"Hey Faolan," he said, pausing in his conversing and mouth stuffing to look down at Fao with a grin.
"Hi," she said, "You guys are participating in the game, right?"
"Sure are," Tobie nodded and glanced over at Keanu, who was starting to look bored at this conversation, "We're the Gamers, us four."
Keanu shrugged at that comment and then peered at Tobie, "So what else did you tell them?"
"Nothing," Tobie shook his head, his smile turning in a slightly different direction, "Just that I was waiting for the right person. And so one of them asked me if I expected to find my lifebonded. So I, of course, said I didn't know. I mean, they don't seriously think guys like girls to be so… giggly?"
"Some of them have nice giggles," Keanu pointed out with a smirk.
Faolan sighed and poked at her sausages, leaning back in her chair to turn things over in her head, Why does everyone only talk about the opposite gender? I mean, I suppose I must have been pretty boy crazy every time I was thirteen but still… No wonder people don't remember their past lives. I would have been much happier if this had all gone over my head… I think.
"Like me," Ranae interjected as she sat down beside Keanu and started heaping her plate, "I have a nice giggle."
"No you don't," Keanu answered and for a moment, Fao glanced up, unsure if he was teasing her or being serious. He had said it in a serious tone, but when you know someone well you can joke like that… Ranae was still smiling so she assumed that he had been joking.
A little bit later Alaska appeared and ate his breakfast, and then all that was left was to go, so they all stood up and moved out as a group, Faolan hurrying to keep up with their longer legs and insanely curious to see what this game was. Christopher Alaska led them out to the Companion's Field and the five of them sat down in a ring.
"So what should it be this time?" Alaska asked, looking up at the crisp blue sky.
"Someplace warm," Ranae put in, "It's getting too cold in the real Haven."
Faolan raised an eyebrow at this curious statement, but kept quiet, listening.
"All right," Alaska said, "Tell me your characters and we'll go."
"Characters?" Faolan echoed.
"Make someone up, Fao," he instructed, "Like a character for a story. They can be you with other powers or history, or whatever. Then tell me about that character, okay?"
"Okay…" Faolan said doubtfully.
"I'm going to be a ninja," Ranae said, her eyes lighting up excitedly, "Okay Alaska? So, knives like everywhere and a cool black outfit."
"Any history I need to know about?" Alaska inquired, his gaze still above their heads. Faolan had the feeling he was thinking very hard.
"Nothing interesting. She was trained in a far off country but was exiled for murder and has made her way here, wherever 'here' is gonna be. She's looking for work as an assassin or bodyguard."
"All right," Alaska nodded, "Keanu? Tobie?"
"I'll be myself," Tobie said and Alaska looked momentarily surprised but that quickly went away, "As a Herald, though. Fully trained powers. You guys are gonna see me in Whites."
"Dude Tobie- you're probably the only one here interesting enough to be yourself," Keanu said with a grin, shaking his head and making his hair to lightly brush against his face, "I'm going to be a Mage- like Vanyel, right? Herald-Mage of course. I'm working with Tobie, and we can be on circuit or something…"
"Check," Alaska nodded, "Now for Faolan… you have a character, Fao?"
"Um," Fao said. She hadn't been thinking about it, too interested in the others conversation, "I'm a border scout. Tough. Good with horses."
"What does she look like? Clothing?" Alaska asked.
Fao hesitated and then, taking a moment to center and ground, she tapped his mental shoulder and presented a picture of Carry Rolf to him. It can't hurt… right?
"Gotcha Fao," he said, not batting an eye at the fact that she was playing an adult character, and then his eyes slipped shut and they were all sitting in a forest. It was clearly spring, and just after a rain. Tall pines stretched up around them and the ground beneath them was littered with damp pine needles.
"Mmm…" Fao said, taking a deep breath, and she almost jumped to realize her voice had changed- it sounded like Carry Rolf's voice.
"Nice, isn't it?" Keanu asked and she looked up to see a man resembling Keanu in White flowing robes and a staff.
"I don't think Vanyel wore robes and walked around with a staff, Alaska," Ranae's voice came from somewhere in the trees- Faolan couldn't see her anymore. And Alaska wasn't there either.
But his voice rang out as if he still sat beside them, "I know. I was adding some artistic touches."
"It's cool," Keanu said, admiring himself and running hands down the staff.
"So am I like an internee?" Tobie asked, standing up. He was taller, and looking stunning in Whites. He brushed pines needles from his pants and looking around, taking a deep breath of the air.
"Sure," Keanu shrugged and stood up as well, levering himself up on his staff and looking pleased with himself.
"Is that Faolan?" Ranae asked, and a head wrapped in black peered down from a tree.
"It's me," Faolan said, feeling very much like Carry Rolf as she stood up carefully. She was much taller than she was used to- about the same height as Tobie.
"Weird," Tobie said with a grin, "Just weird. You even did her voice, Alaska."
"Well, she wanted to be an adult," Alaska explained, "Any of you guys want voice changes?"
"Nah," Keanu said and the rest shook their heads. Ranae disappeared back into the tree and her voice rang out a moment later, "Let's start. Fao go off a ways and pretend you're walking down that road down there. You're coming back from the border on leave, that okay Alaska?"
"Sure," his voice said, echoing around this imaginary world.
"You never said you could do this much, Alaska!" Faolan laughed and walked through the trees with the lanky swagger she sometimes had used in her last life.
"Cool, huh?" he asked quietly, his voice whispering in her ear and she could tell he was only talking to her now, "Best imaginary game ever."
"Are we still sitting in a circle?" she asked.
"No," Alaska said, "Though the world and ourselves look different, when you move here, you're moving in real life. Don't worry though- I know the Companion's Field well enough that this world has the same obstacles. You won't bump into anything, and if you guys need to go farther I'll move the scenery along. The Companions appear as deer."
"I'm not sure I like the idea of walking around blind," Faolan said, leaning up against a tree. She could no longer see anyone else. Peering around through the trees she saw what looked like an old castle rising up from the pines perhaps a quarter mile away.
"I'm getting sick of Waystations," Tobie's voice came from farther down the road and Faolan heard the chiming of Companion's hooves. Keanu and Tobie's Companions must have been lassoed into the Game.
She perked up, letting her hand drop down to the dagger at her belt, knowing that in this game, she didn't yet know Tobie and Keanu. Soon enough she saw two white clad Heralds rounding a bend. They halted when they saw her and Tobie's Companion, Charan, Faolan recalled, snorted and stamped her hoof.
"Greetings, stranger!" Keanu said majestically.
"Good day," Faolan nodded with a friendly smile, "Are you to the border?"
"Jeez its hard to remember that she's Faolan," Keanu whispered to Tobie and then said, louder, "No. We're on Circuit in these areas."
"Well, good luck to you then," Faolan nodded, reaching up to tuck a stray hand of brown hair behind an ear- the rest was in a ponytail, and then whispered, "Hey Alaska? Do I get a horse?"
"Do you want one?" his voice whispered back.
"Yes," she said. And then Raul was standing in front of her, looking amused, but then she changed, and looked more pony-like, although she was the same height as before. Then her hair turned chestnut and her eyes turned to a sparkling, mischievous brown.
:Cute, aren't I?: Raul asked and Faolan laughed, but then Raul asked, :But why did you have to decide to be Carry Rolf?:
:Was that a bad idea?:
:Faolan. You're four. Carry Rolf is in her twenties: Raul pointed out and Faolan shrugged.
:Well… I'm already her so I might as well stay her: she said and moved over to pull herself up onto Raul the Pony's bare back, taking worn reins into her hands.
The two Heralds passed on and Faolan went in the other direction. Suddenly she heard, just barely, a slight thump and her head spun around to see an entirely black clothed figure standing behind her, a knife in each hand, poised at her, and only two, dark and very dangerous eyes peering at her.
"Fao- what's your character's name?" Alaska whispered.
"Carry Rolf," Faolan whispered back, and Raul sighed.
"Carry Rolf," Ranae hissed, twirling her knives, "I've looked for you a long time."
"Me?" Faolan inquired.
"Yes- you," Ranae said and stepped forward, "Do you have any last words before you die, scout?"
"Yes," Faolan said and then leapt off Raul's back, pulling out a dagger as she did so and hurled it. Ranae deflected it with ease and suddenly a dagger was against Faolan's throat, cold and very, very real seeming.
"Now- any real last words?" Ranae inquired.
Dude, you suck at being a ninja, Faolan toyed with but then, suddenly, Ranae was being hurled through the air and then she dropped to the ground, unarmed, about twenty feet away. And Keanu appeared, sliding to a stop on his Companion, robes swirling, and he leapt down, pinning Ranae down with his staff and magic.
"Are you alright?" he asked of Fao.
"I'm okay," Faolan said, rubbing her neck and glancing back at Raul.
"Herald Tobias, what should we do with this… thing?" Keanu asked imperially, looking over at Tobie, who'd ridden up on Charan.
"Tie her up and cart her to Haven," Tobie said, and then with a respectful nod to Keanu he added, "Herald-Mage Keanu."
"Right," Keanu nodded and robes swirled out of no where and spun themselves around Ranae's wrists and ankles. She glared.
But then- a feeling like being kicked in the stomach and the world was swirling around. When Faolan came to a moment later it was very bright and sunny, and the ground was moving beneath her. She blinked and stood up and saw that she was on the deck of a ship in the middle of a wide sea. It took her breath away- she hadn't seen the sea in many, many lives.
"This is beautiful, Alaska," she whispered, walking over to the railing of the boat, a salty wind playing with her hair as she looked at the sunlight glinting off the water.
"Where the hell are we!" a voice yelled and Faolan spun around to see a robed and confused Keanu stumbling out of the cabin.
"Watch your language," Tobie said, emerging from behind Keanu and motioning at Faolan.
"Oh right," Keanu grinned at Fao and then said, "I keep forgetting you're Faolan and not one of Alaska's characters."
"Easy mistake, I suppose," Faolan shrugged, "And I have no idea where we are."
"Maybe someone Gated us here," Keanu suggested.
"An enemy Mage?" Faolan inquired and jumped as a shrill cry rang out and Ranae leapt down from the ropes of the mast, her knives spinning and she screamed, "What did you do- Mage?"
"We didn't do anything!" Tobie shouted back.
"Look," Faolan said, stepping forward, her soft leather boots quiet on the warm wood of the ship's deck, "We'll have to work together to get off. None of us put us here. It was probably an enemy Mage. If any of us want to live…"
:Faolan: Raul's voice appeared, :I'm not in the game, but listen to me a moment. YOU ARE FOUR YEARS OLD. I'm asking Noland to ask Alaska to put you in a different character, all right?:
:But- I'm having fun: Faolan pointed out.
:Too much, and its because you finally look more your age, but you can't do that, Faolan: Raul said and Faolan heard a hint of anger in the Companion's voice.
:Okay: she said. A moment later her height dwindled down and she heard Alaska saying ruefully, "This is gonna be fun."
Looking down at herself she saw bright, downy feathers and a beak protruded from her face, Stretching out her arms turned to wings she looked around and asked, "What am I, Alaska?"
However, it came out as a hissing so she asked, :What am I, Alaska?:
"You're a firebird," he said, "An intelligent one."
:All right…: Faolan sighed…
A few hours later the Game was done, with the enemy Mage defeated and Faolan opened her eyes to find the five of them sitting in one of the grottos near the river. It was quite unsettling, because the Game had felt like a dream, yet they didn't 'wake up' in the same place. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, feeling mentally tired.
Yet as they made their way back to the Collegium, Alaska drew her aside and waved the other's on and he said, "Faolan?"
"Yeah?" she asked, feeling oddly uncomfortable and worried.
"Who's Carry Rolf?" he inquired and Faolan felt a rock drop into her stomach.