DISCLAIMER: Anything you recognize as belonging to Mercedes Lackey belongs to her. The idea of Companions, Heralds, Valdemar, etc., also belongs to her, but these specific characters (like Riatha, Taryn, Sayara, and so on) belong to me. This is kind of AU, as nothing like this would ever really occur in M. Lackey's books. The time is set about 1000 years after Winds Of Fury.

Yes, this is very, very, strange. It is based on a dream I had, and the next morning I sat down at the computer intending to work on one of my LOTR fics…and this is where I ended up. Please tell me what you think, because if I have no comments, it can't get better!

By the way, Ria's thoughts to Taryn and Taryn's thoughts to Ria will be //like this.// Normal MindSpeech will just be :like this.: That way I don't have to bother with underlines and italics which never show up anyway. Actually, if anyone knows how to make those show up, please tell me!

-The Golden Dragon

~~~ To Dance With Fate ~~~

Chapter One: Holding Trust

We trotted quietly down the street. Riatha's hooves chimed on the paving stone, as I watched the people passing by. //Ria, don't you think we should turn here? This street's too crowded for us to get anywhere.// Ria nodded her head slightly in acknowledgement and began to turn, heading for the little side-street.

They were oblivious to the slender shadow watching them.