Moondance stood silently,
watching the ring of mages before him. So far all was well, the energy line had
not put up much resistance to being diverted. The entire thing was proving to
be, amazingly and surprisingly, relatively easy.
Still, he wished to be in the
circle with Starwind. He preferred to work with him rather than watch. But
Starwind had insisted they needed him more to observe as a Healer than
participate as a Mage. He'd worried when Brightwind had come down sick-there
would be no one to anchor Starwind. Thankfully Yfandes had agreed to join them.
He had faith in her powers and trusted her to watch out for Starwind. How could
he not trust her? She'd cared for dear Vanyel so many times…
Moondance broke from his
thoughts as Starwind flinched. Something was wrong… He resisted the urge to
reach out to Starwind with his mind. The last thing the mage needed was to be
distracted. Starwind flinched again, this time half the mages in the inner
circle doing the same. Yfandes shuddered in response, striking the ground with
a foreleg. Moondance extended his Othersight over the scene to view the
'hidden' energy lines, and was surprised at what he found.
The line which had been so
quiet and easy to work with had begun to flare slightly. Small waves of raw
energy were working their way intermittently down the stream. The result was a
line that resisted anything they tried to do with it, pulling against their
control.
Moondance gasped as he Saw a
huge surge traveling down the line. Perhaps Vanyel would have been able to
handle it, though not in his current condition, but none of the present k'Treva
mages would. He thought to yell a warning to Starwind, but it was pointless, he
would have already realized the danger. Turning back to the group, it was
obvious Moondance was correct. Starwind and Yfandes had already built a strong
shield wall around them, designed to absorb the energy and drive it into the
ground. The other mage teams were busy doing the same.
The energy surge hit with a
flash blinding to his Othersight, as what energy wasn't absorbed by the shields
was bounced off. Moondance exhaled sharply in relief; all the shields had held.
They would be able to control this. Suddenly the line…exploded, shattering into
a thousand pieces. What the… Moondance didn't finish the thought as he
instinctively threw up his own defensive shields, realizing the 'shards' of
energy were 'looking' for a way to ground-and they would go through any
unshielded route to do so.
While his normal sight saw
nothing wrong, his Othersight watched the 'pieces' of energy converge, forming
a long, pulsating tendril feed by raw node energy drawn from the Heartstone.
Small, fiery-red 'strings' stretched from the main wild line, searching…
Moondance focused himself,
forcing his mind off the node extension. His shields would hold. To all outward
appearances, nothing seemed wrong with the scene. It would take another
Tayledras to see though the controlled expressions on the mages' faces. He knew
they were conferring on what to do about the problem. The others standing with
him were focused intently on the group around the Hearthstone, missing nothing
that went on inside. Moondance glanced to Sandoval next to him. Sandoval?! He'd
forgotten…
The energy flared at
brilliant white as it discovered Sandoval-completely unshielded. Sandoval cried
out, collapsing to the ground, as Moondance knew the energies surged through
his body. At the last moments, the line seemed to divide, part of it diverting
in another direction. Starwind? It would be like the mage to take the energy on
himself, sparing any others.
:No, ashke, I am fine,: Starwind said in his mind,
responding to his fear. He felt Starwind pull away and in a second the stream
of energy was cut off. Moondance knelt immediately at Sandoval's side. The man
lay on the ground, unconscious, his face twisted in pain. Moondance dropped his
shields, placing a hand on Sandoval's forehead, his pale skin burning beneath
his cool touch.
"How is he?"
Starwind asked, leaning heavily on Moondance's shoulder.
"I don't know yet, not
well…" He looked up at Starwind, who was exhausted. "You look awful.
I can help…"
"You can spare
nothing," Starwind insisted. "You will need it all for him."
Moondance nodded, opening his
mind to Sandoval's. Very slowly and carefully he worked his way past the pain…
"Shethka!" he exclaimed, quickly closing the connection with
Sandoval. "Ah, ashke," he looked up to Starwind. "How am
I so cursed as to see two of these in my lifetime?"
:Show me,: Starwind said softly, offering his mental link.
Moondance took it, guiding him back down the line he'd formed with Sandoval. He
was not mistaken, several of Sandoval's channels had been ripped-blasted-wide
open. Mindspeech, both Thought-Sensing and Projection. Empathy. Healing. The
pathways were raw and fully active. He had no clue how to shield his mind from
the thoughts and emotions of everyone in the Vale, nor did he know how to
shield his own from them… They increased his pain, adding to the torn channels
and the already serious backlash he would be suffering from the sudden surge of
energy.
"He's
Broadsending," Starwind said, pulling back from Sandoval's mind.
"You'll have to sedate him…"
"I won't,"
Moondance protested.
"You will,"
Starwind insisted, meeting his eyes. "For the Vale's well-being, if not
for his own. He'll continue to broadcast his pain, even in sleep. None of us
are strong enough to completely shield him, he is too sensitive for that. And
you know how hard it is to shield raw powers…" He paused. "It is for
the best, ke'chara. I will get Vanyel…"
***
"Vanyel."
"Go away, 'Fandes,"
Vanyel mumbled, shoving his head under the pillow. She'd kept him up half the
night-wasn't that enough?
"Vanyel," the voice
said again. It didn't sound like Yfandes…
Slowly he opened his eyes.
"Starwind?" he asked. The Tayledras looked tired-exhausted-and
drained. The lay line…?! Vanyel was instantly awake. "What happened?"
"There was an
accident…"
"Moondance?" He sat
up, suddenly panicking.
"No, Moondance is well. But
Sandoval…" Starwind stopped for a moment, meeting Vanyel's eyes. "Get
dressed. I will explain and take you to him."
Vanyel dressed as quickly as
possible, listening to Starwind's account of the incident. "You sent node
energy through him?!" he exclaimed.
"It wasn't as if we did
it on purpose. He was unshielded and the line found him."
Vanyel shook his head.
Sandoval was lucky to be alive…
:Yes, he is. But it came
at a price,: 'Fandes' voice entered
his mind. Obviously she'd been listening… :Whitestar's shields failed at the
last moment and the line divided, part of it grounding through him.: She
paused. :He didn't make it…:
:Does Starwind know yet?: Vanyel asked.
:Not yet. And you don't
need to be the one to tell him.:
"Vanyel?" Starwind
asked, curiously.
"I'm sorry…
'Fandes…"
Starwind nodded knowingly.
"He needs your help. The energy blasted open several of his
channels…"
Vanyel shuddered, not hearing
the rest of Starwind's comment. Memories flooded his mind. The pain… The
darkness… The fear… He was trapped and couldn't escape, trapped in a nightmare
that seemed to have no end. So alone…so afraid…bound in endless pain. His
breath caught in his throat as an image was brought to the forefront of his
thoughts. Tylendel… With great effort, Vanyel forced the memory from his mind.
There wasn't time… Silently, he followed Starwind from the room.
Most every one had left the
Heartstone by the time they arrived. Vanyel knew that Whitestar's body would
have been removed from the area immediately-the majority of the mages would
have gone with him. A couple had remained, however, and stood watching
Moondance in his work.
Moondance knelt on the ground
next to Sandoval, one hand laid upon the man's forehead. His eyes were closed
and his face drawn tight in concentration. Yfandes stood immediately behind
him, her nose lightly brushing his shoulder, obviously lending him what
assistance she could.
Without a word, he crossed
the field, kneeling at Moondance's side. Only then did he allow himself to look
at Sandoval. He had gone deathly pale, a stark contrast to his dark hair and
the dark blue robe he wore. He was limp and completely unconscious, his eyes
rolled back under half-opened lids. The only thing which showed he was alive
was the sound of his shallow breathing. Very gently, Vanyel took his hand,
feeling the fever which raged through his body.
"This doesn't look good,
Vanyel. Even the slightest touch hurts him." Moondance opened his eyes
slowly. "Yfandes was telling me how fond you are of him."
Vanyel nodded. "Could
I…?" He didn't need to finish his request-Moondance knew exactly what he
was asking.
"Of course,"
Moondance answered. "I've sedated him so it shouldn't cause him much
pain."
Vanyel caught the accusing
look Moondance gave Starwind. If Moondance had sedated him, it had to have been
at Starwind's insistence. The Healer considered sedatives a last resort,
reserved for those he could not form a link with to induce sleep. Focusing,
Vanyel carefully followed the line Moondance had established. He gasped in
shock as he discovered the open channels. It was amazing Sandoval wasn't mad
with pain. Each channel was like an open wound, one more difficult to heal than
most. Vanyel paused, realizing he was in the same position his Aunt Savil had
been in so many years ago. And Sandoval was in his… No one should have to
experience that…
"We should move
him," Vanyel said, turning his full attention back to Moondance.
"I agree,"
Moondance nodded. "We'll…"
A sharp chirp interrupted the
Tayledras. Vanyel looked around for the source, spotting a gyrefalcon standing
on the other side of Sandoval. He'd noticed the bird when he'd come up, but
hadn't paid much attention to it until now. It wasn't any bird he recognized…
"Who's that?"
"Serous," Starwind
replied. "He's one of the unbonded birds of the Vale."
"Well, perhaps we can
get him out of here." Vanyel reached across Sandoval attempting to shoo
the bird away. "Go on, get back."
:No!: the bird strongly Mindsent to him, snapping viciously
at Vanyel's fingers. :Serous stay here with Dark One. Good match. Good.:
The falcon ruffled his feathers and stared directly at Vanyel as if to enforce
his decision to stay.
Vanyel looked to Starwind and
Moondance. One glance was all that was needed to realize each of them had heard
Serous' remark-the surprise on Vanyel's face was mirrored on theirs.
"It seems Serous is no
longer unbonded," Moondance said simply, after several moments of silence.
Yfandes snorted, moving to
fix the bird in her sapphire gaze. :I care not who you think you're bonded
to, stupid bird,: she Sent, very clearly and forcefully. :You may stay.
But if you ever try to bit my Chosen again…: She didn't finish the
threat, but she didn't have to-Serous obviously understood just exactly what
she meant.
***
"I've done the best I
can for him," Moondance said, collapsing into the chair next to Vanyel.
Vanyel glanced quickly at
Sandoval's unconscious form on the bed. "Is he going to be okay?" he
asked, looking back to Moondance. The Healer was nearly as pale as Sandoval
himself and was completely exhausted.
"I don't know."
Moondance shook his head slightly. "He's stable, for the time being, and
I've managed to establish a link with him… But he's hurt, Van, so very
hurt…"
"You've drained
yourself," Vanyel said softly. He'd only just realized what this was
costing Moondance.
"I'm all right,"
Moondance tried to reassure him. "It's my fault, you know."
"What?" Vanyel
asked, surprised. Moondance's fault? How?
"Their shields were going
to hold," Moondance explained. "They would have been able to control
it, as long as it stayed contained. But… I'd seen him come up, I should have
extended my shields to include him. By the time I realized he was unshielded,
it was too late. I should have been faster…" Moondance closed his eyes and
Vanyel knew he was reliving the recent events, trying to figure out what he
could have done to prevent this.
"It wasn't your fault,
Moondance. You weren't responsible for any of this…" he stopped. Moondance
wasn't listening to a word he said.
:You should have known,
Chosen. You're not going to be the one to comfort him, the one he lets close
enough to help him. Only Starwind will be able to do that.:
:'Fandes,: he greeted her in his mind. :How's Starwind?:
:Taking Whitestar's death
hard. He needs Moondance as much as Moondance needs him.: She hesitated slightly, seeming to think for a
moment. :Do not worry about them. They're merely tired and shaken from this
morning's events. If they're allowed to have the afternoon and evening together
alone they'll be fine tomorrow. Besides, you have enough to worry about with
Sandoval…:
:I can't… 'Fandes, I don't
know what to do for him,: Vanyel
protested.
:He needs someone who
understands and is willing to help him through this. You, above all others,
know what he's going through. And you care about him. That, right now, is what
he needs most. In addition, someone is going to have to teach him to use his
Gifts…:
Vanyel sighed silently-never
argue with a Companion… :I'm sending Da'an with Starwind, they should be
there shortly. I've tried to explain to him what happened,: Yfandes
continued. :This is a mess, ashke-a mess…:
Vanyel nodded in agreement,
breaking off his conversation with Yfandes. "Are you okay,
Moondance?" he asked, concerned.
"No," he replied
truthfully. Vanyel smiled to himself. That would teach him to ask… "But I
shall be. I only need some time to think and rest. I will be well, do not
worry." Moondance met his eyes. "Starwind will see to that."
"I shall see to
what?" Starwind asked, entering the building, Da'an immediately behind
him. Vanyel turned to them. Starwind was also visibly exhausted, drained by the
recent events. The older Tayledras' eyes fell on Sandoval and were immediately
filled with sadness. Vanyel shook his head; he still hadn't gotten used to
losing people, and he had spent plenty of time on the front lines. But
Starwind…he hardly left the Vale, let alone the Pelagiris forest.
"…I agree. Shall
we?" Starwind asked, and Vanyel realized that the conversation had been
continued without him.
"Go," he insisted.
"I'll watch over him and come get you if you're needed."
"Thank you,"
Moondance sighed, then smiled at him knowingly. "Yfandes and I had a long
conversation. She assured me you'd take care of him. Seems she was right…"
"Be careful, dear
Vanyel," Starwind warned. "He is not your kind, and you have no idea
how he will react to such concepts. Do not let yourself be hurt by him-few here
are in the business of healing hearts."
Vanyel nodded in response and
watched the two leave the room. When they were gone, he let his attention fall
on Da'an. "I…" he hesitated, not sure what to say. "I'm
sorry."
Da'an stopped him with a
delicate hand gesture. "Do not. It is done, and nothing can change that.
No one is at fault. Please…"
"Thank you," Vanyel
said, relieved. Though the accident was truly no one's fault, he was not sure
he would be as forgiving as the Companion.
Serous chirped, drawing their
attention to him. :Dark One be okay?: he Mindsent to both of them,
worried.
:I hope so,: Vanyel Sent back to him. :Shhhh… I must talk to
Da'an.: He walked over to the perch the bird sat on, scratching the side of
his neck.
:Serous, quiet. Quiet. Let
stay,: he said, almost frantic.
:Of course I'll let you
stay.:
:Good. Quiet, so you help
Dark One.:
Vanyel smiled. Serous'
determination was refreshing. How could he explain to the bird that his 'Dark
One' was seriously hurt and may not recover? :I'll do the best I can,
Serous. He's hurt, very hurt…mind hurt.:
The gyrefalcon pulled away
from Vanyel's touch, looking intently at Sandoval. :Serous understand.:
Vanyel nodded, turning from the bird. He did understand-all too well.
"I'm sorry.
Serous…" Vanyel started to explain to Da'an.
"It is all right.
Please, tell me about Agent Sandoval's condition." Da'an went to
Sandoval's side, gently placing a hand on his forehead.
Vanyel hesitated. He should
tell Da'an the truth, but… It was obvious the Companion cared for the man.
Telling him would only make him worry… "He needs a couple days rest, but
he should be okay."
Da'an turned abruptly,
glaring at him from the corners of his eyes. "You would lie to me about
such a thing?"
Flinching at the accusations,
Vanyel turned away from Da'an's gaze. He'd forgotten, Da'an was experienced in
Mindspeech. He hadn't bothered to block his conversation with Serous-Da'an
would have heard the entire thing. This was not going well. "He's
suffering from severe backlash due to the energy that was channeled through
him." Vanyel paused, meeting Da'an's eyes again. "The surge also
ripped open some of the channels in his mind-Empathy, Mindspeech, and Healing.
It's a lot to deal with. There's a chance he might not make it."
Da'an tilted his head,
turning a lighter shade of blue. "I thank you for you honesty. I would
like some time alone with him…" Vanyel nodded, turning and leaving the
room.
***
Lili picked up a piece of
fruit from the table, examining it closely. Yet another kind she hadn't seen
before. Surprising, with all the fruit that had been laid out on the table
she'd expected to be able to recognize at least some of it. Laying it back
down, she wondered how long it would be before she never wanted to see another
piece of fruit again.
"Lili?"
She jumped at the sound of
her name, turning to face the door. Two people stepped into the room. There was
a small compact woman, the same on who had spoken to Vanyel the other
day-Sundance. The other was a male. Slightly taller than herself, he was
slender but muscular. Long black hair cascaded over his shoulders, a stark
contrast to the silver which seemed to abound.
"Lili," Sundance
said again. She looked hesitantly to the man with her. "This is Sunlark.
He's a kestra'chern."
Lili stared at her blankly. A
what? Did Sundance really expect her to know what that meant? "I'm sorry…
I don't understand."
"Don't worry. It is not
important at the moment," Sunlark said softly, perching on the edge of one
of the beds. He nodded to Sundance to continue.
"There was an accident…"
she started. "Sandoval was injured."
Lili met Sundance's eyes,
concerned. "Is he okay?"
"He's with
Moondance," she said. "There is no one better to help him."
"Does Da'an know?"
Lili asked.
"Yes. He has gone to see
him."
Lili sighed, absentmindedly
rearranging the fruit on the table. "Thank you for telling me."
Sundance paused, studying
her. "I am sorry to have brought bad news. It's just… I had thought you
would be more concerned."
"I am concerned,"
she countered defensively, "but…" She looked up at Sundance,
instinctively realizing what the scout meant. "I… No… We're not…" she
stuttered. "We work together." Lili glanced to Sunlark hoping to see
comprehension in his eyes. Her and Sandoval? No…
Sunlark smiled mischievously,
a playful glint in his eyes. "Perhaps," he looked to Sundance,
"you are more to her liking."
Lili stopped, stunned.
Panicked, she looked quickly to Sundance then back to Sunlark.
"I think I would rather
braid feathers into her hair than into yours," Sundance replied, not
missing a beat.
Sunlark feigned a hurt look,
then his expression changed completely. "Your loss, not mine." He
turned to Lili, a look of pity in his eye. "Do not be alarmed; no one will
be braiding feathers into anyone's hair. I'm sorry. It was a joke that was
taken too far. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable."
Lili looked at him warily,
unsure whether to believe him or not. She trusted him instinctively, something
she was not prone to do-not after the SI war… But he projected an air of
competence and kindness that she was unable to deny. She shook her head
slightly. "I don't understand any of this…"
Sunlark smiled sadly. "I
am afraid that is in part my fault. While Starwind has done the best he is
able, I would not expect anyone here to know how to handle such a situation.
Had I been her when you arrived, perhaps I would have been able to help the
three of you adjust more easily. But, as it is, I was away at k'Sheyna."
He paused as if waiting for
Lili to say something. When she didn't, he continued. "It must be quite a
culture shock for you-to be thrown here so suddenly. I can only imagine how
different our world is from yours…"
Lili scoffed. "You're
telling me…"
Sunlark smiled. "Then we
shall start from the beginning. As Sundance has said, I am a kestra'chern.
A position I believe, from the little I know, is comparable to your
psychologist."
Lili rolled her eyes.
"Great. Just what I need."
"I think perhaps you do,
as evident from your earlier reaction. The comment was said in jest, it was not
meant to offend. It is obvious that this society is much more open and forward
about such things than yours is." Sunlark turned to Sundance.
"Please, leave us to speak in private." Sundance nodded, quickly
leaving the room.
Lili looked nervously to
Sunlark. He continued to sit on the edge of the bed, looking at her
expectantly-waiting for her to speak first. He seemed all too at ease in the
silence which drug awkwardly on. Lili shifted in her chair, resisting the urge
to get up and pace the room.
"I am not sure how I
would handle knowing I might never see my home again," he said finally,
breaking the silence. "There would be so many people, so many things I
would miss…"
Lili hesitated, unsure of how
much to tell him, how much to remember… "There's not much for me to
miss." She shook her head.
"Is there no one you
care for?" Sunlark prodded her.
"Every one I care for
seems to die-Boone, my father…" Lili wiped away the tear that threatened
to fall. "And Augur and Joshua never worked out…" She met Sunlark's
eyes, turning away quickly, slightly embarrassed. "I don't have a clue why
I'm telling you this. You don't know…"
"I think I may surprise
you with how much I am truly able to understand."
"Boone was a friend, a
very close friend. I lost him unexpectedly several months ago." She
paused, thinking. "I never really knew my father; he kept a lot of secrets
from me. He died before I really got a chance to ever speak to him."
"The others are romantic
interests?" Sunlark asked. She nodded in response. "And what of
Da'an?"
"What do you mean?"
she replied.
"There is…something
between the two of you. I have yet to witness it, but the others have told me
of it-they are not often wrong."
"Da'an and I are…close.
Or we were. Since Boone died we haven't had much time together. But… There was
a time when Da'an and I 'shared.' He allowed me to experience his feelings,
thoughts, sensations… I know it sounds stupid…"
"On the contrary, we too
have such bondings," Sunlark supplied.
"Really?" she
asked, surprised and still skeptical.
"It is not something I
would lie about," he assured her. "You care for him greatly."
"Yes, I do." She
bowed her head, avoiding Sunlark's gaze. How could he know so much about how
she felt? There was meaning beyond his words-an understanding that need not be
spoken between them.
"I believe we have
spoken enough for one day," Sunlark said, after allowing her a few moments
to think. He stood, going to the door. "If you require me, you need only
ask. Any person in the Vale will know where to find me…" Without another
word, he turned and was gone.
***