See chapter 1 for disclaimers.

Chapter 5: A Rebel's Worth

Mirnen made plans to linger a few days in the town when he heard about a visit from a member of a Karse resistance group. The opportunity to gain any insights into one of Valdemar's oldest enemies was irresistible and more than worth a delay of a few days on their schedule.

He handled communication with Haven. The brothers were left to themselves for the most part, as Mirnen wished him well and saw to Herald business and Cyla tried her best not to intrude as the brothers caught up and swapped stories and remembrances.

When the messenger came, Jebel went to the meeting, dressed in some borrowed, nondescript clothes so as not to alarm the messenger. Trentes had explained that the resistance in Karse wasn't really taken seriously, because they were very disorganized, and had no outside support. If word got around, somehow, that the Heralds were taking an interest in them, the Karsite army would wipe out every resistance group they could find, instead of slandering and largely ignoring the disorganized dissenters.

The identity of the messenger surprised and pleased both of them.

"Mijad!" Jebel stepped forward with a grin and hugged his older brother. Trentes joined them.

"I thought Zelak was coming this time." Trentes offered.

"Zelak is dead," Mijad said bluntly, "as are nearly half of our resistance group." This sobered the brothers immediately and they all settled at the table in Trentes' farmhouse to find out what had happened.

Unfortunately for the Karse insurgents, a new military commander in the area was taking the 'bandits' more seriously than his predecessors had. Mijad's group had lost two people in the week before Mijad had left, and two others during the preceding month. Each encounter with the more motivated Karsite forces cost them in some way; resources, hiding places, and worst of all, people. Anyone suspected of supporting the 'bandits' in any way was punished harshly, so what support they had was vanishing quickly.

Jebel wanted to set off immediately to try to get the rest of their family and if possible, the rest of Mijad's group, out of Karse. Trentes was concerned as well, but more cautious. At Arctus' silently made suggestion, Jebel sought out Mirnen, and explained the situation.

The older Herald was adamant that Jebel was not to go into Karse. The presence of a Herald there, for any reason, never mind collaboration with insurgents, would shatter the fragile peace that currently existed between the two countries. No one deluded themselves into thinking that relations were improving, but at the moment, they weren't actively attacking each other.

Jebel knew he was right, but not being able to act was frustrating. Mijad wanted to go to Valdemar's Queen and ask for help. He felt that even a Herald or two, based on all he'd heard of them, might turn the tide. Jebel had, reluctantly, followed Arctus' advice and kept his status as a Herald secret. Trentes didn't offer the information either, though Jebel had not asked him to hide it. Arctus was vague in his reasons for holding back, saying only that he felt something was off about the story they were hearing.

Both brothers knew that Mijad could get… excitable… when there was an issue he felt passionately about, so his behavior didn't seem that odd to them, but Jebel had to admit, on reflection, that Mijad did seem a bit off. He put it down to the conditions under which his brother lived and all that he'd been through. Jebel trusted Arctus' instincts, though, and stayed silent as to his status as a Herald.

Mijad knew that there was a Herald in town, however, and he wanted to meet with him. Mirnen, understandably, Jebel thought, was not looking forward to running into Mijad. Neither Herald was certain what Mijad expected them to do. Neither knew what they could do, but Mirnen agreed to meet at the farm, away from any prying eyes.

The two met in the farm's main house to share lunch and talk. Mirnen and the three brothers settled at the dining table and enjoyed Cyla's cooking before getting down to business. Mijad made an impassioned plea for assistance, describing the harsh conditions under which the resistance group and indeed, many Karsites lived, but while sympathetic, Mirnen could promise nothing and did his best to make that clear without alienating a potential resource inside Karse, something that was all too rare.

He explained the situation, as it stood, between Valdemar and Karse, and said that he fully realized the politics were of no interest to Mijad. Nevertheless, he could do nothing himself. He would have to bring the situation to Queen Selenay's attention.

Neither Mijad nor Trentes were happy with the answer, but Mirnen stood firm. Jebel's brothers reluctantly conceded that that was all he could reasonably hope for.

"If you can bring your group and their families across the border," Mirnen offered, "they'll be safe, settling here. They wouldn't be the first refugees from Karse to do so."

"That's something," Mijad agreed, "but I don't know how many will agree. Karse is their home. They're fighting because they want to make things better there."

"I suppose I would feel the same in their place," Mirnen allowed. "These are difficult questions, and I wish I could do more to help you resolve them."

"I'll let them know," Mijad nodded. He sounded disappointed but not defeated. "It'll be easiest to slip across the border tomorrow night, assuming the Karsite soldiers don't alter their patrol schedule.

"We've got room for you for a couple of nights," Trentes assured him.

"Thanks. I'll be able to reach the group's current hideout in about three days. They won't like this, but we all knew it was a long shot. One way or another, I'll come back to let you know. I'll also see what I can learn about aunt Isleis and Enlee. I already know that getting them out won't be easy."

"Are they at least relatively safe where they are?" Jebel asked.

"Compared to the rest of my group? Much safer. The Karsites take their religion very seriously, though. If they can't keep up the fiction that they've truly converted…" He trailed off, looking grim.

"I see." Jebel glanced at Mirnen, but the other Herald didn't acknowledge the look. Understanding Valdemar's official and unofficial position on the matter and the reasoning involved, didn't really help any of the brothers accept the situation. They spoke for a time about how best to handle the appeal to the queen and the best options for keeping Mijad's resistance group alive. Oddly, Mijad didn't seem to have much interest in the latter. Perhaps, Jebel reasoned, his brother knew that most would refuse out of hand.

He also, Jebel admitted, knew little to nothing about Valdemar's royalty. So, he would have no idea as to how to approach them. Still, the lack of interest in the discussion did seem a bit odd. Arctus, he could feel through their link, agreed that something was definitely odd, but he wouldn't elaborate.

When the hour grew late, Cyla insisted that both Mijad and Mirnen stay for the night. Things would be a bit cramped, but they'd manage well enough. While she arranged room for them, Jebel slipped away to speak privately to Arctus.

:Okay, spill.: Jebel stared at his Companion in a way that brooked no argument. That didn't mean that Arctus couldn't delay.

:Spill? Taken literally, that's rather a disgusting way of putting it.:

:You're stalling.: Jebel said, unwilling to be diverted. :What's bothering you? I can feel through our link, that something about Mijad is bothering you.:

:It's difficult to pin down.: Arctus admitted, after a moment's thought. :He is telling the truth, and yet, he isn't, and I don't mean he's leaving things out.:

Jebel froze. :How do you know that?: Had his Companion somehow used the truth spell himself, without anyone noticing?

:It is difficult to explain, and largely comes down to experience. I did not cast the truth spell, but I am able to get a… sense of people when I concentrate. It's hard to explain.:

:What do you mean by telling the truth and not.: Jebel took his Companion at his word. It was well known that Companions could not lie.

:I'm not sure,: Arctus admitted. :It's like he's hiding something without knowing he's hiding it. I'm honestly baffled.: The Companion gave the impression of a shrug over the link. :I also don't know what it means or what to do about it.:

:All we can do is watch over him, I suppose.: Jebel glanced back toward the farmhouse with a frown. Could something be wrong with Mijad? He couldn't believe that his brother would deliberately deceive, much less harm them, but he trusted Arctus' instincts. Something was off, and if it posed a threat to his family, he would do what he needed to.

OOOOOOOOOO

Jebel awoke to the sounds of a struggle, shouts of alarm, and heavy hooves repeatedly kicking the front door of the farmhouse. There were confused shouts from several people and Arctus spoke in his mind.

:Mijad is trying to kill Mirnen!:

Jebel tossed off the blanket he'd been given and stood quickly. The fire burning low in the hearth provided the only light in the room. He and Mijad had been given places by the fire and spare blankets while Mirnen waved off such consideration and settled in a chair in the corner with his own travel blanket.

He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, but it was full dark beyond the window and the confusing tangle of bodies that were staggering around the room were difficult to make out at first.

Mirnen's white leathers, worn in sleep against the nighttime cold, were the first things to come into focus. Two other people were present, though. Mijad was swinging what appeared to be a kitchen knife. He had been unarmed when he arrived, save for a hunting knife that seemed to be missing. Trentes was grappling with his brother and trying to reason with him at the same time.

Mijad, strangely enough, was completely silent. He moved with the skill that their father had instilled in all three brothers, but the movements, to the eye of one who had sparred with him repeatedly, seemed slow and clumsy. It was almost as if he was struggling with himself.

There had been occasions, when they were growing up, that the brothers had seemed to know what the others were thinking without talking about it. Jebel had always attributed it to the three of them growing up together, and he was certain that was part of it, but now, he wondered if there was more to it than that. Tentatively, he reached out to his brother's mind.

:Mijad, please, calm yourself. Why are-: He was cut off, violently thrown away from the contact. Someone else is in there.

:Arctus! I think someone is controlling him!: He sent the message even as he tackled his brother and helped Trentes and Mirnen restrain him. :Can you do anything?:

:I think so. Give me a moment.: Arctus shut the channel between himself and his chosen, so he could concentrate. Mijad had the same gift his brother did, mindspeech, but it was completely untrained. That gave him a way in, to see what was happening.

It meant doing something that he shouldn't be able to, but Arctus didn't see a choice. Just another step on the fine line all Companions walked at times. He reached out for Mijad.

:Hello, Mijad. I'm a friend. I want to help you.:

The response sent him reeling. Mijad was there, but he definitely wasn't alone. Another person, a Karsite sorcerer, if Arctus was any judge, was using Mijad's nascent mindspeech talent as a channel, forcing himself into Mijad's mind and controlling him. Something could definitely be done about that, especially as the sorcerer in question had to be fairly close. Exerting his will, he pushed back through the link, gaining a little insight into the enemy, including a sense of his location.

:Hold on,: he sent to his chosen. :I'll deal with this.: He took off like an arrow launched from a bow, leaping the fence and charging at his best speed through the field and light wood beyond the farm. He only had a general location, but a Companion's senses were sharper than they ever admitted, so finding the Karsite intruder wasn't too difficult.

For a Karsite sorcerer to even cross the border was unusual. Magic was not a thing often talked about in Valdemar, and there was a reason for that. The human populace, for the most part, didn't even realize it, and that was for the best. The vrondi were a subject best left alone for the time being.

Left alone, the Karsite mage would either be driven out or driven mad by the weight of the attention. Arctus had no intention of waiting for either to happen. There was a small hollow in a hillside an hour's gallop north of the border. It wasn't quite a cave, but it was enough to provide some protection from the elements and prying eyes.

The man inside was neither tall nor short, neither handsome nor ugly. Nothing about his appearance would have distinguished the man in a crowd, unless one could perceive the flow of magic. To the Companion, the man was easily recognized as a mage, likely a master, meaning, no time could be wasted and no quarter given. Arctus' arrival didn't exactly surprise him, but the ferocity the Companion displayed did.

Diving aside to avoid the flashing hooves, the foreign mage managed to maintain contact with the ley line he was using, and lashed out with a spell that Arctus easily evaded. The spell struck a tree to no apparent effect, but the Companion had no desire to find out what it did firsthand. Fighting without a Herald along wasn't something a Companion would normally do, but it was what the situation demanded, even though it severely limited the options. Getting close to a mage, especially a master, was not an easy feat, but the man was already under stress, simply being in Valdemar.

The battle that ensued was not something Arctus would ever speak openly about, especially with Jebel, but the outcome was never in doubt. While he understood little about magic, he did have the gift and an instinctive feel for the flow of the energies being used. He knew that the mage had to stay where he was in order to properly ground and shield himself. He had to, at least, maintain his connection to the ley line to maintain the spell he was channeling along it. Evading the Karsite's attacks wasn't difficult, but getting close enough to force him to relinquish his hold on the ley line, let alone land a strike, was. When it happened, however, all it would take was one blow.

The opportunity came when Arctus finally managed to force him away from the ley line he was using, thus, disrupting the spell that granted him a hold on Mijad. The disruption of the spell seemed to hit the mage hard and left him staggering. It was the perfect opening to end the fight.

OOOOOOOOOO

It had been a while, a seeming eternity for the brothers, since Arctus had taken off, and Mijad's struggles had almost ceased. He was clearly exhausted, but he still kept trying to get at Mirnen. His movements were jerky and forced, as if he was being controlled by an amateur puppeteer.

Mirnen had no idea how to help him, and his Companion seemed equally at a loss. It was clear to them that magic was being used to control Mijad, but neither one knew what to do about it. Magic wasn't something that was used in Valdemar. He briefly wondered at that, after all, magic users were common enough elsewhere, but then, he set that thought aside, in favor of more pressing matters.

OOOOOOOOOO

Arctus bowled the mage over and tried to kick him, but the man rolled clear, reaching desperately for the ley line that connected him with Mijad.

"I will kill that Herald!" The man's eyes gleamed with fanaticism and desperation. "At least one of my god's enemies shall die today!" He evaded another strike from Arctus' hooves, and managed to get within reach of his goal again. He slammed his hand down on the ley line and exerted his will, even as Arctus' front hooves caved in his chest.

OOOOOOOOOO

Without warning, Mijad's energy and strength seemed to double, and he lunged forward, getting his hands around Mirnen's throat as the older Herald leaned in to help restrain his would-be assailant. He had barely begun to squeeze, though, when his body suddenly convulsed, twisting and contorting violently. There was an audible sound of snapping bone, and he slumped to ground, unmoving.

"Mijad?" Trentes stared at his brother, disbelieving. "Mijad!" He frantically tried to stir his brother, shaking him and shouting. Mirnen, who had pulled away in alarm, approached carefully, and examined the young man on the floor. He checked for a pulse, but found none. The rise and fall of his chest had ceased as well.

"I'm sorry," the Herald said, shaken by what he'd just witnessed. "He's gone."

OOOOOOOOOO

Arctus was somewhat alarmed at the sudden loss of communication with his chosen. Jebel's shields were shut tight, so Arctus knew that he wasn't dead or injured. Shutting a Companion out in that manner took an act of will. There was little he could do about the corpse of the Karsite mage, so, leaving it lie, he headed back to the farm as quickly as he could. Something had clearly gone wrong there.

On approaching the farm, he reached out to Mirnen's Companion, an older mare called Alyssa, and asked what was happening.

She quickly brought him up to date and the two compared notes. It didn't take long for them to draw a worrisome conclusion. The mage's actions and claims, and the timing of the man's death and Mijad's. Arctus slowed to a stumbling walk.

:My fault.:

:You had no way of knowing, and our supposition may be wrong,: Alyssa said, not sure if she believed it but feeling the need to offer some hope. :Neither of us know enough of magic to say for sure what happened.:

:Doesn't matter,: Arctus said as he entered the farmyard reluctantly. :It makes sense. My Chosen will blame me, even if he never says so. I know Jebel well enough to know that.:

:Would he truly be so unfair?:

:What one feels has little to do with fairness. You know that. He will not say it out loud, but there will always be a doubt in him. He has suffered too much at the hands of people he put his trust in. I'm not sure he can fully trust anyone, anymore, even me.:

:You chose him.: Alyssa said, wondering if he regretted the choice, although she would never suggest something so scandalous.

:He believes in the innate goodness of people and wants to believe that there are more decent people in the world than villains.: He gave the mental equivalent of a sigh. :It is, perhaps, simplistic, but that hope is what drew me to him, and make me still believe he will be an excellent Herald.:

:I understand.: Alyssa glanced toward the front door that she had quickly given up on kicking down. It was very solidly made. :Mirnen is confused and angry. I can't even imagine how the brothers are feeling.:

It was some time before anyone emerged from the house. The two Companions waited patiently, sometimes in silence, sometimes discussing their options and the potential consequences of the Karsite mage's actions.

Jebel and Mirnen emerged from the house, looking haggard. Trentes and his wife followed, hesitantly, a moment later. The two Heralds approached their Companions.

:I'm so sorry, Jebel.: Arctus knew his words were insufficient. Nothing he could have said would ease the hurt, but he had to try to comfort his chosen.

"What happened to the mage?" Jebel spoke aloud for his family's benefit.

: I killed him,: Arctus replied, including Trentes and Cyla in his projection, startling them. :I thought Mijad would be free after the mage was dead, but… I think I made a mistake.:

"What do you mean? What mistake?" Mirnen asked.

Arctus, somewhat reluctantly, shared his theory about the connection between the mage and Mijad. :I have no idea whether its correct or not, but he seems to have been manipulating Mijad directly when he died.:

"We can't be certain of that." Mirnen shook his head. "And even if that is the case, you had no way of knowing this would happen." Jebel nodded in agreement, but said nothing. Jebel noted his Companion's tone, and while what he said sounded reasonable, the hesitation in Arctus' manner caused a niggling doubt in his mind. Usually, Arctus only hesitated like that if he was choosing his words carefully to conceal a Companion secret.

Arctus wouldn't do that, not at a time like this. Would he?

Jebel shoved the thought away. It was absurd and born out of grief. Besides, even if he was hiding something now, Arctus never would have acted to deliberately endanger Mijad, no matter what secret it cost him. He was certain of that. "So, you think he died while somehow connected to Mijad? That…" He shook his head. "I know nothing about magic. I've seen it worked in the past, though, and I know it can do horrible things."

Trentes nodded, suppressing a shudder. "Seejay."

Mirnen frowned at the way Jebel paled. A few reports had reached Valdemar about what had happened in Seejay, but Jebel had never spoken of any personal experience there. Had his family been in that country when it happened? It was a topic for later.

"I know you'd never have deliberately endangered Mijad." Jebel met his Companion's eyes squarely. "This wasn't your fault."