Herald's Silence
by Shadow Flare
*Model Congress is an assignment that I just got through with myself...basically, we had to role-play the House of Representatives (United States), including writing a bill. I wrote my bill on banning nuclear testing...my friend Pam wrote her bill on allowing gays and lesbians to adopt children in every state, and some others I don't remember. I'm lazy, so I'll use those ideas here. Tylendel's proposed bill should NOT be a surprise. Hell, I'm surprised no one wrote a bill on the topic in our MC. Wait, now that I'm looking at my own 3 Bill Ideas sheet, that topic was indeed one of my three. This is the chapter when things start getting serious. *
Chapter Four: School Days
107th Congress, 2nd Session...H.R., In the House of Representatives...
Vanyel, irritated, dropped his pen and rested his head in his hands. This assignment had seemed so easy when Ms. Block had given it to them, but it was so HARD, he didn't even know what he should write about. Three people that he knew of already had their topic and a good chunk of their research and bill written-Lyn Littrell, Mela Terrel, and Tylendel Frelennye. Lyn was writing her bill on banning nuclear testing, Mela on allowing gays and lesbians to adopt children in every state, and Tylendel on allowing same-sex marriages in every state. Those three had come up with their ideas really quickly...how could they have done that so fast? They were almost through with their rough drafts, and he had only the formatting done. It also didn't help that Savil was on the phone-yelling at the top of her lungs. Vanyel winced. (Bright Lady, she's got a very strong set of lungs.) he thought. He was downstairs in the corner of the room, and Savil was in her room upstairs, the door closed, and he could still hear her. Wishing vainly for earplugs, he set back to work on the bill.
Savil wanted really badly to Gate out to California and beat some sense into her brother's head. This latest battle was over Vanyel's interim, which had arrived at his father's house that very day. Instead of being pleased with Vanyel's grades, which any decent parent would be, Withen was bellowing his displeasure at the courses his son was taking, among them Theater Arts 2.
"I TOLD YOU TO SIGN HIM UP FOR WEIGHT TRAINING, AND WHAT DO YOU DO?! YOU PUT THE BOY IN DRAMA!!! IN DRAMA, OF ALL THINGS!!!" Withen roared. Savil counted to ten, and prepared her counterattack.
"First things first-Vanyel is a sophomore. Sophomores MAY NOT, I repeat, MAY NOT, take Weight Training as a course. Advanced PE is ALSO NOT a cours a sophomore may take."
"BUT WHY DRAMA?! NO SON OF MINE WILL DO SUCH AN UNMANLY ACTIVITY!! TAKE HIM OUT, AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF HE CAN'T TAKE THOSE OTHER COURSES! PUT THE BOY IN THEM ANYWAY!" Withen roared.
"Not even the principal of the school may authorize such a departure from the rules." Savil said, attempting to keep her cool. "And even if Vanyel were not a sophomore, he transferred in late: the only elective courses he could take that were not full already were either band or drama. I assume you don't want him in band, so I put him into Theater 2, a PRE-IB course. Also, Vanyel's wish to attempt to get the full IB diploma-since you have put him under my care until he is 18, he'll finish high school here-factors in. IB Theater is an IB course. Weight Training is NOT. He must take the prerequisite course, which is Theater Arts 2. As long as he is under my care, I will decide what is to be done with him."
Withen's bellow was cut off as Savil hung up the phone. And then took it off the hook...it was only her personal line anyway, she had another for business and everything else. The number of said line Withen did NOT know, praise the Goddess.
"What's wrong, Savil?" Andrel asked soothingly from the door. She turned to face the Healer.
"For starters, I just got off the phone with my brother." she said, her displeasure written all over her face.
"I figured. Everyone heard you yelling." Andrel said, massaging his temple with long fingers, and flopped onto her bed. "You should have seen Vanyel's face...when I walked past him, he looked like he wanted to be deaf temporarily. He's not getting into trouble...he's busy working on his government bill."
"That's good to know." Savil said. (One worry out of the way...at least he's not out getting into trouble...)
Andrel deftly snatched the folded piece of paper from her bedside table, and opened it, just as Jaysen came in.
"An interim?" Jaysen asked, with a raised eyebrow, as he walked over to Andrel and read over his shoulder.
"Vanyel's. Surprisingly, my brother cared less about Vanyel's grades, and more about what courses I'd signed him up for."
"Then your brother is a thick-headed idiot. He should be grateful there's one smart person in his family. If Vanyel's getting a B+ in YOUR class, he's got to be very smart." Jaysen said with a grimace, as math was his strong point, but even HE had a hard time with Savil's curriculum. "I have a master's degree in mathematics, and I STILL have a hard time with what you make your kids do."
"You should have seen the look on Vanyel's face when I told him he got a B+ for interim. He wasn't happy." Savil said, just as Tylendel Mindspoke her.
:Thank you for shutting up.: he Mindsent with a grin. :I think that all of us were about to go bind and gag you if you didn't shut up right then.:
:I'd have liked to seen you try.: Savil said back. :What's going on down there?:
:Nothing worth noting-: Tylendel dropped the Mindspeech thread for a moment. Savil rolled her eyes. Nothing worth noting, huh?
But when Tylendel didn't pick up the thread again, Savil frowned. What could be going on-
:Savil? There's a very big problem, just cancel what I just said.: Tylendel-and Rosemary?!-added, the two of them bringing Jaysen and Andrel into the meld as well.
:What is going on?!: Savil Mindsent.
:Every ForeSeer has collapsed-except maybe Selenay, but she looks like she's going to faint any second-and I mean every. Anyone with a trace of the Gift has gone under-well, Selenay just fainted. That makes it everyone.: Rosemary Said.
:What about the FarSeers?!: Savil asked, turning her head to look at Jaysen, who didn't look like he was going to faint, but he had the FarSight Gift.
:Mela, Kris, and Justin. But I think that when they saw the ForeSeers all collapse, they tried to use their Gifts to See where the trouble the ForeSeers must have ForeSeen was-and got nailed too. Jays, DON'T USE YOUR GIFT.: Tylendel warned. :Every Companion who has a Chosen with any trace of the FarSight Gift is alerting them to NOT use their Gifts.:
:Good move.: Andrel Said approvingly. :Is there anything the Healers can do to help them?:
:'Don't think so.: Rosemary Said. :Something very bad and very important must be on the horizon, and all the ForeSeers must have had the beginnings of a vision-but were blocked. And when Mela, Kris, and Justin tried to See where trouble was building up, they were blocked as well. It must have been a very powerful block to knock them all out.:
Tylendel started cursing in five different languages.
Savil raised her eyebrow. :'Lendel, I understand your wanting to curse at the top of your lungs, but is there anything else I need to know?:
:Savil, did you test Vanyel for any presence of a Gift?: he asked slowly.
:No, how can I? There's Silence to maintain, you know, how am I going to explain working magic? But why?: she added. Rosemary was equally confused, but Tylendel's next words explained themselves.
:Well, I don't know how to explain this, but Vanyel's just as out cold as the rest of the Heralds with ForeSight or the three with FarSight.: Tylendel said even more slowly. Jaysen figured it out first.
:Your nephew must be Gifted. Or just highly unlucky to get sick at the same time the others fainted. I suspect the former.: Jaysen said.
:Vanyel isn't sick.: Rosemary said, and as she was a Healer-Adept, she would know, and Tylendel suddenly Sent a memory-
Of Vanyel walking near the fence of the field where Savil supposedly kept the horses that she bred (she had to make up an excuse to keep the Companions close by), and suddenly stopping, his gaze meeting that of a Companion mare. Silver and sapphire stayed locked for a long moment-
:You just happened to be nearby at the time.: Savil said to Tylendel, who mentally shrugged.
:I'm surprised Vanyel didn't see me...I was with Gala. But he might have been Chosen, and all Gala has to say is 'All will be revealed in time.': Tylendel added, and Rosemary giggled.
:Honestly, is she taking lessons from Tantris? Kris complains about that all the time- 'All Feather ears tells me is that 'All will be revealed in time.'" she Mindsent, imitating the dark-haired Herald's voice perfectly. :But seriously-: she added, returning to her own voice, :What can be going on?:
:Nothing good, that's for sure. And we'll be in the thick of it.: Savil sighed. :I only hope it doesn't happen in the next few days, since not all the Web-guardians will be in town. I'm the only one staying. Kilchas, Lissandra, and Lancir all have to go to California on a business trip on the 11th...:
Andrel checked his watch for the date. :That's in two days. It's September 9th today.: the Healer said.
:They can still Watch from California, but this worries me.: Savil added.
:When the ForeSeers wake up, along with Kris, Mela, and Justin, we'll demand to know what they saw. At least, I will.: Rosemary Said. :And about Vanyel's possibly being Chosen...it's possible that even HE doesn't know.:
:Just great. Disaster is looming, all the Web-guardians but one are leaving town, all the ForeSeers and three FarSeers are down for the count, and a possible Chosen doesn't know the fact. Can anything else happen?: Tylendel asked acidly.
:It can and it could.: Rosemary added soberly, and she and Tylendel dropped the link to speak with their respective Companions, an intention that both Savil and Jaysen shared.
***
Vanyel walked through the cities of New York City, New York, and Arlington, Virginia. Something was going to happen, something that screamed of fear and pain and death and hatred, all those emotions rushed over him and threatened to overwhelm him. He looked at a newspaper holder, and saw that the date was September 11th, 2001. Something was going to happen, but he couldn't tell exactly what. Some dark force was blocking him from knowing-
And when he tried to yell a warning to all the people around him, he couldn't speak, and even if he could have, no one could hear him. No one-
And as he doubled over as the rush of negative emotions hit him again, twice as hard, twice as strong, he saw blue in his mind's eye, a gentle, living sapphire blue, the bluest of blue, and a soft female voice spoke to him in his mind, a gentle litany over and over, trying to banish the darkness-
A name. Yfandes.
But even as the woman spoke, somewhere far away, he could hear a bell tolling, tolling fifty-five times-
(End Chapter)
*Hah! I'm evil, I tell you! And before you ask, Lyn Litrell is NOT me. I'm just using my bill idea for her, because I'm a lazy bum. Who uses too many cliffhangers. But considering that this is set in our world, 21st century Earth, and every event that happens on a global scale happens here too-(that I remember/know about, that is)-you can figure out what Vanyel-and the ForeSeers-ForeSaw, and what Mela, Kris, and Justin Saw when they tried to FarSee. Is Vanyel Chosen or not? Well, figure it out!*
by Shadow Flare
*Model Congress is an assignment that I just got through with myself...basically, we had to role-play the House of Representatives (United States), including writing a bill. I wrote my bill on banning nuclear testing...my friend Pam wrote her bill on allowing gays and lesbians to adopt children in every state, and some others I don't remember. I'm lazy, so I'll use those ideas here. Tylendel's proposed bill should NOT be a surprise. Hell, I'm surprised no one wrote a bill on the topic in our MC. Wait, now that I'm looking at my own 3 Bill Ideas sheet, that topic was indeed one of my three. This is the chapter when things start getting serious. *
Chapter Four: School Days
107th Congress, 2nd Session...H.R., In the House of Representatives...
Vanyel, irritated, dropped his pen and rested his head in his hands. This assignment had seemed so easy when Ms. Block had given it to them, but it was so HARD, he didn't even know what he should write about. Three people that he knew of already had their topic and a good chunk of their research and bill written-Lyn Littrell, Mela Terrel, and Tylendel Frelennye. Lyn was writing her bill on banning nuclear testing, Mela on allowing gays and lesbians to adopt children in every state, and Tylendel on allowing same-sex marriages in every state. Those three had come up with their ideas really quickly...how could they have done that so fast? They were almost through with their rough drafts, and he had only the formatting done. It also didn't help that Savil was on the phone-yelling at the top of her lungs. Vanyel winced. (Bright Lady, she's got a very strong set of lungs.) he thought. He was downstairs in the corner of the room, and Savil was in her room upstairs, the door closed, and he could still hear her. Wishing vainly for earplugs, he set back to work on the bill.
Savil wanted really badly to Gate out to California and beat some sense into her brother's head. This latest battle was over Vanyel's interim, which had arrived at his father's house that very day. Instead of being pleased with Vanyel's grades, which any decent parent would be, Withen was bellowing his displeasure at the courses his son was taking, among them Theater Arts 2.
"I TOLD YOU TO SIGN HIM UP FOR WEIGHT TRAINING, AND WHAT DO YOU DO?! YOU PUT THE BOY IN DRAMA!!! IN DRAMA, OF ALL THINGS!!!" Withen roared. Savil counted to ten, and prepared her counterattack.
"First things first-Vanyel is a sophomore. Sophomores MAY NOT, I repeat, MAY NOT, take Weight Training as a course. Advanced PE is ALSO NOT a cours a sophomore may take."
"BUT WHY DRAMA?! NO SON OF MINE WILL DO SUCH AN UNMANLY ACTIVITY!! TAKE HIM OUT, AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF HE CAN'T TAKE THOSE OTHER COURSES! PUT THE BOY IN THEM ANYWAY!" Withen roared.
"Not even the principal of the school may authorize such a departure from the rules." Savil said, attempting to keep her cool. "And even if Vanyel were not a sophomore, he transferred in late: the only elective courses he could take that were not full already were either band or drama. I assume you don't want him in band, so I put him into Theater 2, a PRE-IB course. Also, Vanyel's wish to attempt to get the full IB diploma-since you have put him under my care until he is 18, he'll finish high school here-factors in. IB Theater is an IB course. Weight Training is NOT. He must take the prerequisite course, which is Theater Arts 2. As long as he is under my care, I will decide what is to be done with him."
Withen's bellow was cut off as Savil hung up the phone. And then took it off the hook...it was only her personal line anyway, she had another for business and everything else. The number of said line Withen did NOT know, praise the Goddess.
"What's wrong, Savil?" Andrel asked soothingly from the door. She turned to face the Healer.
"For starters, I just got off the phone with my brother." she said, her displeasure written all over her face.
"I figured. Everyone heard you yelling." Andrel said, massaging his temple with long fingers, and flopped onto her bed. "You should have seen Vanyel's face...when I walked past him, he looked like he wanted to be deaf temporarily. He's not getting into trouble...he's busy working on his government bill."
"That's good to know." Savil said. (One worry out of the way...at least he's not out getting into trouble...)
Andrel deftly snatched the folded piece of paper from her bedside table, and opened it, just as Jaysen came in.
"An interim?" Jaysen asked, with a raised eyebrow, as he walked over to Andrel and read over his shoulder.
"Vanyel's. Surprisingly, my brother cared less about Vanyel's grades, and more about what courses I'd signed him up for."
"Then your brother is a thick-headed idiot. He should be grateful there's one smart person in his family. If Vanyel's getting a B+ in YOUR class, he's got to be very smart." Jaysen said with a grimace, as math was his strong point, but even HE had a hard time with Savil's curriculum. "I have a master's degree in mathematics, and I STILL have a hard time with what you make your kids do."
"You should have seen the look on Vanyel's face when I told him he got a B+ for interim. He wasn't happy." Savil said, just as Tylendel Mindspoke her.
:Thank you for shutting up.: he Mindsent with a grin. :I think that all of us were about to go bind and gag you if you didn't shut up right then.:
:I'd have liked to seen you try.: Savil said back. :What's going on down there?:
:Nothing worth noting-: Tylendel dropped the Mindspeech thread for a moment. Savil rolled her eyes. Nothing worth noting, huh?
But when Tylendel didn't pick up the thread again, Savil frowned. What could be going on-
:Savil? There's a very big problem, just cancel what I just said.: Tylendel-and Rosemary?!-added, the two of them bringing Jaysen and Andrel into the meld as well.
:What is going on?!: Savil Mindsent.
:Every ForeSeer has collapsed-except maybe Selenay, but she looks like she's going to faint any second-and I mean every. Anyone with a trace of the Gift has gone under-well, Selenay just fainted. That makes it everyone.: Rosemary Said.
:What about the FarSeers?!: Savil asked, turning her head to look at Jaysen, who didn't look like he was going to faint, but he had the FarSight Gift.
:Mela, Kris, and Justin. But I think that when they saw the ForeSeers all collapse, they tried to use their Gifts to See where the trouble the ForeSeers must have ForeSeen was-and got nailed too. Jays, DON'T USE YOUR GIFT.: Tylendel warned. :Every Companion who has a Chosen with any trace of the FarSight Gift is alerting them to NOT use their Gifts.:
:Good move.: Andrel Said approvingly. :Is there anything the Healers can do to help them?:
:'Don't think so.: Rosemary Said. :Something very bad and very important must be on the horizon, and all the ForeSeers must have had the beginnings of a vision-but were blocked. And when Mela, Kris, and Justin tried to See where trouble was building up, they were blocked as well. It must have been a very powerful block to knock them all out.:
Tylendel started cursing in five different languages.
Savil raised her eyebrow. :'Lendel, I understand your wanting to curse at the top of your lungs, but is there anything else I need to know?:
:Savil, did you test Vanyel for any presence of a Gift?: he asked slowly.
:No, how can I? There's Silence to maintain, you know, how am I going to explain working magic? But why?: she added. Rosemary was equally confused, but Tylendel's next words explained themselves.
:Well, I don't know how to explain this, but Vanyel's just as out cold as the rest of the Heralds with ForeSight or the three with FarSight.: Tylendel said even more slowly. Jaysen figured it out first.
:Your nephew must be Gifted. Or just highly unlucky to get sick at the same time the others fainted. I suspect the former.: Jaysen said.
:Vanyel isn't sick.: Rosemary said, and as she was a Healer-Adept, she would know, and Tylendel suddenly Sent a memory-
Of Vanyel walking near the fence of the field where Savil supposedly kept the horses that she bred (she had to make up an excuse to keep the Companions close by), and suddenly stopping, his gaze meeting that of a Companion mare. Silver and sapphire stayed locked for a long moment-
:You just happened to be nearby at the time.: Savil said to Tylendel, who mentally shrugged.
:I'm surprised Vanyel didn't see me...I was with Gala. But he might have been Chosen, and all Gala has to say is 'All will be revealed in time.': Tylendel added, and Rosemary giggled.
:Honestly, is she taking lessons from Tantris? Kris complains about that all the time- 'All Feather ears tells me is that 'All will be revealed in time.'" she Mindsent, imitating the dark-haired Herald's voice perfectly. :But seriously-: she added, returning to her own voice, :What can be going on?:
:Nothing good, that's for sure. And we'll be in the thick of it.: Savil sighed. :I only hope it doesn't happen in the next few days, since not all the Web-guardians will be in town. I'm the only one staying. Kilchas, Lissandra, and Lancir all have to go to California on a business trip on the 11th...:
Andrel checked his watch for the date. :That's in two days. It's September 9th today.: the Healer said.
:They can still Watch from California, but this worries me.: Savil added.
:When the ForeSeers wake up, along with Kris, Mela, and Justin, we'll demand to know what they saw. At least, I will.: Rosemary Said. :And about Vanyel's possibly being Chosen...it's possible that even HE doesn't know.:
:Just great. Disaster is looming, all the Web-guardians but one are leaving town, all the ForeSeers and three FarSeers are down for the count, and a possible Chosen doesn't know the fact. Can anything else happen?: Tylendel asked acidly.
:It can and it could.: Rosemary added soberly, and she and Tylendel dropped the link to speak with their respective Companions, an intention that both Savil and Jaysen shared.
***
Vanyel walked through the cities of New York City, New York, and Arlington, Virginia. Something was going to happen, something that screamed of fear and pain and death and hatred, all those emotions rushed over him and threatened to overwhelm him. He looked at a newspaper holder, and saw that the date was September 11th, 2001. Something was going to happen, but he couldn't tell exactly what. Some dark force was blocking him from knowing-
And when he tried to yell a warning to all the people around him, he couldn't speak, and even if he could have, no one could hear him. No one-
And as he doubled over as the rush of negative emotions hit him again, twice as hard, twice as strong, he saw blue in his mind's eye, a gentle, living sapphire blue, the bluest of blue, and a soft female voice spoke to him in his mind, a gentle litany over and over, trying to banish the darkness-
A name. Yfandes.
But even as the woman spoke, somewhere far away, he could hear a bell tolling, tolling fifty-five times-
(End Chapter)
*Hah! I'm evil, I tell you! And before you ask, Lyn Litrell is NOT me. I'm just using my bill idea for her, because I'm a lazy bum. Who uses too many cliffhangers. But considering that this is set in our world, 21st century Earth, and every event that happens on a global scale happens here too-(that I remember/know about, that is)-you can figure out what Vanyel-and the ForeSeers-ForeSaw, and what Mela, Kris, and Justin Saw when they tried to FarSee. Is Vanyel Chosen or not? Well, figure it out!*
