See chapter 1 for disclaimers.

Chapter 7: A Herald's Worth

Their return to Haven wasn't rushed, as much as Jebel wanted to hurry. There were still duties to tend to on the way back. Stops at various places to pick up messages, mostly official communications for Haven.

Missives for various nobles and for the queen herself generally traveled by special courier, almost always a Herald, if one was available. There were no terribly urgent or secret communications to be delivered at the time, though, so there was no urgency in their travel between towns and outposts that had such things to be delivered. They collected a total of five such messages bound for the capital, and headed back.

None were for the queen, but there was one for Elcarth and one for Alberich. Jebel knew it was too soon, but still, he noted the message and decided to deliver it personally. It would, at the very least, give him pretense to talk to the man. With the last of the missives in hand, they headed back. The remainder of the week-long journey to Haven was uneventful.

He and Mirnen divided the messages between them, and he didn't rush the deliveries. Two nobles that could be found at the Collegium were first, then Elcarth was next on the most logical route, then Alberich.

He found the weapons' master in the small workshop attached to the training yard, repairing the armor and practice weapons his trainees used. There were servants capable of that, of course, but one thing Alberich insisted on was that each of his students should know how to make at least minor repairs to their own equipment. He was not one to foster dependence on others in the Heralds he trained. Alberich glanced up from a leather jerkin that he was mending as Jebel walked in.

"I don't have any news for you, yet," he said without prompting. "Might be a while. The few contacts I have left in Karse need to move carefully."

Jebel had expected to hear something along those lines and had steeled himself. Impatience wouldn't serve him. "I understand. I spent enough time in Karse to know how crazy things can get. Paranoia is likely a survival trait there." He withdrew the sealed message from his jacket. "This is from the mayor of Aedis."

"Hm?" Alberich took the message. He glanced up at Jebel. "Thanks. I take it you know you're to stand down a few days to rest and recover after a circuit."

"Yes."

"Doesn't mean you'll be slacking off. No training, but be here day after tomorrow for the usual chores."

"Bright and early," Jebel nodded before leaving the man to his work. Although the duty would be light, he would still have work to do, cleaning and equipment repair if nothing else. He didn't mind, seeing the sense in Alberich's teachings. It also gave him something to do while waiting for his assessment. His internship had not gone as anyone expected, and he wondered how that would affect his status. That was something else he couldn't do anything about, he realized, shelving that concern. It was really the last thing on his mind.

He was tired after the long ride back to Haven, and he wanted a bath a few hours of sleep. That was easy enough to arrange. The servants were used to tending to the needs of Heralds and their Companions after long journeys. A fresh change of clothes was waiting for him, as were the necessities for a bath.

OOOOOOOOOO

"This situation is concerning," Selenay admitted, settling back in her chair at the conference table. Only four people were present in all. "This doesn't feel like a new offensive by Karse. The border has been quiet and what little intelligence we get out of that country indicate they're dealing with internal issues and fortifying their southern border at the moment. That situation in Seejay." She frowned in thought, then turned to Elcarth. "Give him a day or two to relax and then meet with him. I want to know everything he knows about the situation in Seejay, as well as whatever he learned during his passage through Karse. He was questioned about his time there when he first arrived, but this tragedy may give him a perspective on events he lacked before."

"It will be a bit limited and somewhat out of date," Mirnen noted. "That was several years ago."

"Regardless," the queen replied, not liking the order she was given, but grasping at any clues available. "Providing what information he can about potential threats to the realm is part of his duty as a Herald."

Mirnen smiled slightly at the affirmation. There were no grand ceremonies or even much in the way of official recognition of the fact. Jebel was simply acknowledged as a Herald. "I will inform him, majesty."

The meeting at an end, Mirnen left to carry out his instructions. His own recommendations regarding his intern were only one thing to consider in determining whether Jebel became a full Herald. While he found no fault in the young man's performance, it was, in the end, not up to him. So, the queen's words pleased him. She was never one for pomp and circumstance when it was unnecessary. She could put on courtly manners and conduct elaborate ceremonies and such as readily as any monarch, when there was a need for such things, but away from the eyes of courtiers, nobles, and foreign dignitaries, she preferred to keep things simple.

Jebel was a Herald, and he would be expected to comport himself as one. That meant doing things that brought him pain as necessary. Mirnen doubted it would be pleasant dredging up memories of his family and their passage through Seejay and Karse, but it would not be the first or last onerous task he was expected to carry out. He had no doubt the young man would acquit himself well. With this in mind, he sought out Jebel to deliver the good news and the queen's orders.

OOOOOOOOOO

Jebel sat down opposite Elcarth. His expression was solemn, but he did not protest the orders he'd been given. Valdemar's queen needed to know everything about his family's passage through Seejay and Karse. He would do his best to provide useful information.

"I gave you an overview a while back," he began. "Now, I'm guessing you want details."

"That's right. I know this may be hard for you, so we'll proceed at whatever pace is comfortable for you."

"I appreciate that. I doubt I'll be able to provide much useful information, but I'll tell you what I can." He considered for a moment and consulted his journal, which he had brought with him to jog his memory. Then, he decided to begin with his family's arrival in Seejay. "We entered the country from Rodina where we'd spent a couple of years living peacefully. Why we left is a mystery to me. My brothers and I were considered too young to share the story with, and frankly, I'm not sure any of my family even knew the full story, given conflicting versions."

Elcarth made notes and glanced at a scribe who was copying down the information as well.

"Rodina was peaceful enough, and we traveled the country for a couple of years, settling briefly here and there to find work as needed. It wasn't the place to settle, though. There was a suspicion in general about foreigners and vagrants, or maybe just foreign vagrants. Eventually, we moved on to Seejay." He grimaced a bit at the memories mention of that place brought up.

"How long ago was this?" Elcarth asked.

"I had just turned 16, so almost seven years."

Elcarth nodded; unhappy, not with how outdated the information would be, but at the fact that he was prying into a memory Jebel obviously found unpleasant to what was likely to be no real purpose. "Please, continue."

"At the time, the country was peaceful enough. There were no indications of trouble brewing. At least, none that a group of newly arrived foreigners could see. We were used to odd looks and a certain degree of suspicion. No one was going to openly speak to us about any internal troubles Seejay was having." He shrugged. "Understandable, but unfortunate when I look back on it."

He went on to speak of what he'd seen of the country. It was, apparently, a peaceful and reasonably prosperous country. The towns they had seen were well-maintained and the people seemed happy enough with the status quo. They seemed to get on well enough with their neighbors. They had found a place working the land of a minor noble, baron Kibare, bringing in the harvest from his lands. Grandfather had traded information with the lord about their travels and the situation in Rodina. The noble had some business interests there.

The family had gotten on well enough with the locals there, trading knowledge and a few trade items they picked up along the way or made with their own hands. Enlee was skilled at carving small wooden toys and trinkets, a craft she'd learned from her father, who had passed away two years before of a fever in Rodina. She could turn random bits of wood found along the way into things people would trade food and cloth and other necessities for. Isleis was a skilled seamstress that could make serviceable clothing out of scraps of cloth or mend tears in fine clothing with stitches so delicate and precise the mends were all but invisible. Such skills were valued everywhere.

They had been there for just over two months, and were preparing to move on, when the noble's estate was attacked. There was no warning, and they never learned of a specific reason for the attack. If Jebel was forced to guess, he would say that baron Kibare was on one side of local politics and the attackers worked for someone on the other side.

Whatever the specifics were, the estate was soon overrun and in flames. The family was forced to flee along with many of the locals. They managed to slip away into the night, but were forced to abandon some of their possessions. Most of the things left behind were abandoned with no issue and little regret, but the food they had preserved and saved for their personal use would be sorely missed.

The following weeks were rough, and not something Jebel could go into detail about. Survival had been more important than anything else. There were only two entries in his journal during that nearly two-month period. One involved the attack on baron Kibare's estate and their flight from the hostile army. The second described the death of his grandfather.