C H A P T E R - 2
Tashti was enjoying the fine fall day. It was unseasonably warm for so late in the year and she want to miss a moment of it. In the Field before her were the Companions.
"Lady Tashti. I am glad to see you are up and about." Queen Selenay approached her.
"Only until the Healers find me." Tashti said coolly.
"I want to apologize."
"I know. If I had been willing to kill anyone to gain my freedom you would be foolish to have met me even to question my motives." Tashti met the Queen's clear blue gaze.
"Aeric swore we could trust you."
"As you said, I had drugged him, it could have been all an elaborate ruse."
"I also want to thank you for convincing him to remain."
"I didn't. He wanted to stay in his heart but was going to go where ever I wanted."
The Queen rested her arms on the top rail of the fence. She felt sick for what had almost happened. She had failed this strong young woman in a way she prayed she would never fail another.
"But you don't want to stay."
"Should I want to? The only thing holding me here is Aeric."
The Queen sensed it wasn't forgiveness for Tashti's near execution that she had to earn; it was Tashti's anger on Aeric's behalf over what she saw as a betrayal of his faith in Queen and Country.
"There you are, Lady Tashti, I must insist you return before you tire yourself." A Healer almost ran towards them.
"How am I to tire myself simply watching the Companions?" She asked reasonably.
"Don't argue." He started to guide her back across the grounds to the palace.
Tashti wished for a moment that she had her special gloves. "Perhaps I will rest in the garden." She compromised.
"Very well." The healer huffed knowing he was fighting a losing battle.
Tashti was wrapped in blankets and given a mug of hot sweet tea and left alone in the dormant garden. She set the tea off to the side and shook off the blankets.
She still had some lingering weakness in her limbs but considering she should have been dead she couldn't complain.
Tashti still thought settling in a small hamlet somewhere would be pleasant but Aeric was adamant that he would go with her. Oddly enough, she wanted him too. He touched her where no one else had. She trusted him when she had trusted no one else in years. However, Aeric wouldn't be happy anywhere else.
Tashti was still contemplating what she should do when a woman with silver hair and a young man with pale blonde hair, both dressed quite richly, were lead into the garden by a healer.
Tashti knew they were high born and waited to see what they wanted. They probably just wanted to satisfy their gruesome curiosity. Tashti did not feel like obliging and refused to acknowledge them.
"You have to keep warm." The healer scolded as she pulled the blankets back over her shoulders.
Tashti allowed her to rewrap the blankets. It wasn't a battle worth fighting.
"You have some visitors, I imagine you have been looking forward to meeting them again." The healer smiled but didn't notice that Tashti wasn't interested.
Satisfied she was no longer needed the Healer left them alone.
An awkward silence filled the air between them.
The young man was obviously hostile towards her. Every line of his body shouted it to the Havens. The woman however was more nervous. Tashti recognized the man. Gervain Hardren.
"Can I help you?" Tashti asked coldly.
The woman looked at the man quickly. "We just wanted to speak with you." She tried to explain.
"Then speak."
"What right did you have to bring such blatantly false accusations against my father?" The man demanded.
Tashti kept a firm grip on her temper.
"You have no right to invoke my sister's name and slander my family."
Tashti felt her nails bite into her palms. "Perhaps you mean what right did I have to disturb your meagre, shallow existence by uttering the truth." She answered coldly.
"It cannot possibly be truth. My father was a fine man. He was well regarded by his peers."
Tashti grew tired of his prattle. With one fluid movement she rose out of her nest of blankets, her fist connected with his jaw. He collapsed like a fallen tree.
The woman gasped her hands fluttering at her chest.
Tashti sat back down. "If that is all, please leave."
"No, no, this isn't why we're here." The woman protested. "This has all come as a shock you understand."
"No, I don't."
"Well, it is just your accusations are so sudden. My daughter was the light of our lives; he would never have done anything to harm her. You must have been mistaken."
Tashti felt her control slip.
"You must be mistaken." The woman repeated as she started to cry.
Tashti gracefully stood. "I am not mistaken." She walked past the weeping woman and out of the garden. The first healer she saw tried once again to send her to bed.
"There is a man back there in need of your services. Please refrain from showing in more visitors, I have no desire to meet them." Tashti ordered.
With that she continued back to the Companion's Field. Instead of stopping at the fence she continued on into the trees. The Companions all stared as she passed.
She found a tiny grotto near the wall, which was deep enough to hide her if anyone came searching.
"Bloody hell." She cursed. A stone flew through the air and shattered itself on the wall. Clumps of grass were torn out of the ground with dirt still clinging to the roots. Tree limbs started to thrash shaking off the last of their leaves.
Tashti kept taking deep breaths and felt her temper come back under control. Slowly the area returned to its former tranquility.
She perched on a rock and leaned back against another. She couldn't remain in Valdemar. And Aeric couldn't leave it. She knew that the sooner she left the better off they would both be. This obsession they had would melt away soon enough.
She had the strange sensation she was being watched and measured.
:Is it so bad here?: This voice that spoke to her before the rooftop asked.
Tashti looked about for its source but saw only a Companion standing above her.
:Is it that unbearable?:
Tashti ignore the voice, until the Companion bit her shoulder.
"Damn it." She cursed and spun around. "Bloody horse."
:I am not a horse.: The voice corrected her.
"You are talking to me?" Tashti asked incredulously.
:Yes, I am. Don't you have any idea what Companions are?:
"White horses with excellent training." Tashti answered.
:Hardly. We are far more than horses, but I am straying off topic. Do you really want to leave so badly?:
Tashti still felt foolish for speaking to a horse. "Yes. I hate the sidelong glances, the signs against evil when I pass, the way discussions stop when I enter the room. I just want to find a quiet little backwater and live quietly."
:You would go mad if you had a quiet existence, you are not meant to sit by the fire and sew.:
"And what would you suggest? Remain here and be known as an assassin?"
:Yes.:
"What would I do here? I am an assassin who has a bit of talent and painting and embroidery, where would I belong?"
:You wouldn't belong in a village.:
Tashti stalked away from the Companion. "That wasn't my question."
The Companion followed her. :You could belong here. It would take some effort, but you could belong.:
"If Aeric asked you to speak to me please tell him I want to decide on my own."
:Aeric didn't ask me.:
"Who did then?"
:No one. I have no Chosen.:
Tashti stopped. "You aren't answering my questions." Turning she found herself staring into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. She felt as if she was floating in a sea of blue.
:I Choose you, Tashti.:
"You what?" Tashti shook off the shock.
:I Choose you. I have been trying to corner you for months.: The voice laughed.
"What in the nine hells does that mean?" She demanded.
:It means, you will be a Herald. You know, I don't know of any other Companion who had to convince their Chosen they weren't horses.:
Tashti leaned against the tree. "Me, a Herald. You must be joking."
:No. I am perfectly serious.:
"I am a cold blooded killer. What does Valdemar need when someone like me?"
:You are hardly cold blooded. You are very deliberate and calculating but you have never killed for sport or enjoyment and you have never killed an innocent.:
"Of course not. That would be sloppy." Tashti was offended that anyone could suggest she would be so careless.
:You are also brave, intelligent, fair minded, and you have a good heart, even if you forget that it exists sometimes.:
Tashti continued on her way to the House of Healing.
:We do not make mistakes Tashti. You are my Chosen now stop running away.:
Tashti stopped again. "I need to talk to a healer." She grumbled. "Horses do not talk."
She wondered if that poison she had taken was causing hallucinations, it wasn't supposed to. She hoped that was it or else she was bound for a nice padded room and some sessions with the Mindhealers.
The Companion did not follow her inside and Tashti found sanctuary in her room.
"Is something wrong?" A Healer Trainee asked.
"Yes, I believe there is. Could I speak to a Mindhealer?" She asked.
"Of course, I'll see who I can find." The trainee vanished out the door. Soon she returned with a woman dressed all in white with reddish brown hair and a charming heart shaped face.
Another Herald. "I am Herald Talia, are you alright?"
Tashti wished it had been anyone but a Herald but she figured she could make do.
"If I told you I am suddenly hearing animals speak, would you think me insane?" A hint of an accent crept into her voice.
"No, perhaps you have a gift for animal mindspeech." Talia suggested.
"I haven't heard them before today." She paced the small room.
"Why don't you tell me what happened?"
Tashti hesitated for several moments. "I just had an argument with a horse."
"And the horse spoke back to you?"
"Yes."
A bit of a smile quirked at the corner of Talia's mouth. "Was this horse white with blue eyes by chance?"
Tashti didn't need to answer, Talia could tell she had hit the nail on the head. She laughed. Tashti drew herself up.
"I am sorry. But this is the first time I have encountered someone who thought they were insane when they were Chosen."
:See, you are not insane.: The Companion commented.
"Could you explain what under the sun you mean by Chosen?"
Talia found herself fighting laughter again. "I best find someone to explain this all to you."
"That would be wonderful." Tashti growled.
"I'll be back in a little while. Try to relax." Talia left before she offended Tashti further.
Selenay was working at the desk in her room when Talia entered.
"You look like you just heard a funny joke." Selenay commented.
"Of sorts. We have a new trainee."
"A highborn one?"
Talia nodded.
Selenay selected a book off a shelf and flipped to the last used page. "Name?"
"Tashti Hardren."
"You are joking." Selenay said in disbelief.
"No, I am not. She is currently down in Healer's hiding from her Companion."
"Hiding from her Companion?"
"She thought she was going insane when she was Chosen. She asked for a Mindhealer."
"Oh dear." Selenay stifled a laugh. "Insane?"
Talia nodded. "She is rather frightened. I tried to explain but I couldn't do it. She is rather offended I am afraid."
"At least you stayed conscious. She knocked out her brother earlier when he accused her of lying." Selenay took deep breaths trying not to laugh. "What is the name of her Companion?"
"Cryni." Talia answered. "Will you be able to speak to her?"
"I am rather out of favour with her. But I will try."
"That is all I can ask. She looked so horrified when I laughed. She told me she was worried because she suddenly understood animals and when I pressed for more details she said she had an argument with a horse. When I asked if it was a white horse with blue eyes she nearly jumped out of her skin."
"Oh no." Selenay lost her battle and started to laugh. "I better go speak with her."
"Thank you. I can only imagine what she is feeling at the moment."
"You can't sense her?"
"No, she has herself locked down so tightly I would have to pry to reach her emotions."
Selenay's brow furrowed. "I don't like the sound of that."
She stood and hurried to the Healers. Tashti was still in her room, her arms cross on her chest.
"I hear you were Chosen."
"I have no idea. Why not ask the horse." Tashti gestured to the windows. Outside the Companion could be seen, waiting patiently for her Chosen to come to her senses.
"Do you have any idea what it means to be Chosen by a Companion?"
"No."
"When Valdemar was first founded the King wanted a way to be certain the country would always have a good monarch. He cast a spell and prayed to every God he had every heard of. The Companions were the answer. Three appeared in the Grove at the far corner of the field. One chose the King, one chose his son, and the third chose the King's Herald, which is where the title of Herald comes from. Companions are considerably more than horses. They are as intelligent as you or I."
Tashti glanced toward the Companion.
"When a Companion Chooses someone they are trained to become a Herald, and they have never Chosen wrong."
"Is this all to keep Aeric from leaving."
Selenay was taken aback. "No. It has nothing to do with him. You wouldn't have been Chosen for that. You were Chosen because they believe you are worthy of being a Herald."
Tashti grimaced. "One last thing. Is she always going to be in my head like this?"
"I am afraid so." Selenay smiled.
Tashti shot a glance at the Companion again.
"At least I am not insane." She sighed.
Selenay's smile turned into a broad grin. "I think we are all a little insane. It is part of the job. I'll tell the Dean to get ready for you. Meanwhile you should spend some time with your Companion."
Selenay left Tashti alone. Shooting glares at the window. It looked like Cryni had plenty to say to her stubborn Herald.
Selenay was right. Cryni was trying to coax her Chosen out of her room.
:You see, now you belong.: She urged.
"I am not so certain, Horse."
:Call me Cryni.:
"Very well, Cryni. I have no idea what is entailed in being a Herald." Tashti folded her arms on the window sill.
:That is what we will teach you. Trust me. You will probably teach us a thing or two. Now how about we go look for Aeric. He is currently agonizing over your futures.:
"Fine." Tashti slipped through the window and mounted Cryni. "I hope you know where to find him. I haven't seen him all day."
Cryni set out a smooth walk. She carried Tashti around the Palace to the kitchen gardens. Tashti sensed him before she saw him and slid to the ground. He was sitting on a leaf-covered bench, his Companion beside him.
"You look troubled." She commented.
"The healers let you out?"
"Well, not exactly." Tashti shrugged. "I used the window. Twice."
Aeric chuckled. "I believe that. How are you feeling?"
"A little weak but well enough considering everything." Tashti sat next to him. "What are you thinking about?"
"Where to go." Aeric answered honestly. "I know you don't want to stay here."
Tashti glared at the gate. Cryni waited beyond. "Actually, I believe we should."
"Why? You looked miserable earlier."
"Because she is threatening to chase me back here if I try it." Tashti grumbled.
"Who is?"
"Her." Cryni stuck her head around the gate. "Can I ask you a few questions? The Queen and Herald Talia couldn't answer them with a straight face."
"I'll try."
"What under the sun did she mean by Choosing me?" Tashti asked plaintively.
Aeric looked stunned for a moment. "I am not certain what you mean."
"She cornered me earlier and said 'I Choose you.' And then tried to convince me I should become a Herald."
Aeric smiled. "All Companions Choose one person and they are bound together for life. We become Heralds and serve Queen and country and in exchange we have them, someone who is always there to listen, who accepts us unconditionally, a partner of our souls. It is worth it."
Tashti nodded thoughtfully. "I think I understand. The Queen told me they have been doing it for centuries and a bit of why. It all sounded a little strange to me."
Aeric chuckled. "I imagine that was a bit awkward for both of you."
"I suppose. I guess makes things easier for you."
"If you still don't want to stay, we can leave." Aeric said honestly.
Tashti thought about it for a moment. "I think I will give it a shot. We'll see where it takes us."
"That sounds good to me." Aeric stroked her hair. "We'll see where it takes us."