Oh-Shoot-Me-Now
Part Two: Waystation
By:Lynn Osburn
:My Chosen, welcome to Valdemar.:
There was a cirtian peace to those words. As though the three weeks they'd been riding had been years. Not to say that the journy hadn't been difficult. It seemed that every merc and hunter had been alerted to the presence of a Companion within the Karsite land. A white horse was not an easy thing to hide, even in the dead of winter. Fortunetly, luck was on their side, and the had managed till the Valdemar borders with only a few scrapes and bruises, most of them caused by having to take short cuts through forests.
"It's lovely."
:Yes it is sin't it? Even in winter, the place has a cirtan charm to it. Forgive me, but we were in such a rush to get you out of there I didn't even have time to properly intoroduce myself.: Now that was most cirtianly a comical thing to think off. Four week spent out running hunters and dodging villages, and they'd not even had the oppertunity to know each others names. :My name is Tarms...and I already know yours Chosen.:
Kalieck blushed brightly. "We did not have talking time.Busy running we became." she patted Tarms and scratched his mane gently. " I know how to steal at least." she uncoffed the neck of her coat and wrapped it tighter around her neck, trying to close out the cold air. Underneath, Kalieck still wore her skimpy clothing, but had managed to find a deecent pair of breeches and a coat, as well as a good pair of leather boots someone wealthy priest has discarded. It wasn't great, but it provided adequet protection from the cold.
There was no choise but for it to be adequet. With so many following so close at hand, they'd not even been able to light a fire for heat at night. And Karsite nights were bitter. Snow storms raking at your exposed skin, freezing to deathwas not uncommon and a dead body half covered with snow along the road was a common sight. Even so, Kalieck did not miss the warm fires of the lounge in her home. Gingerly she touched a long scare snakeing up her back. Nothing could ever make he miss that.
:And I don't blame you one bit little love. It makes me just seeth to think about the way I found you...just lieing their like a dead body.: Sorrow radiated from Tarms and he turned to nip at her boot heel. :Promise me you'll be as strong tomorrow as you were then.: he asked gently.
"My Companion, I promise ." she swore and closed her eyes, thinking about the rescuse.He was right when he said she'd been like a dead body, for that was the way she always acted around Lord Gelcrath.
*He had come at her, smooth as a snake and twice as fast. his eyes glinting with lust and violence. "Come on now sweetling..." he'd whisper in corse Karsite. "Get on the bed*
The one thing that had kept her going all those years was the fact that she'd had never once done so willingly. Kalieck fought him tooth and nail at every turn, earning those scars and bruises like badges of honor.Sometimes he'd become tired of trying to force her down and simply toss her into a corner, going for one of the other women there.But their treatment of her was barley better then his, so she felt little if any pity for them. Other times he'd beat her into unconciousness and then have his way regardless. That way was sometimes better, then she wouldn't have to listen to his crude languages and filthy word spat out in an attempt to make her feel powerless. And if she was still aware of what was happening when he forced himself on her, she would simply lay there, motionless, dead. Like a board washed up on shore. She'd learned to control her body and her emotions so that not so much as a whimper or tear escaped for him to gloat over.
:Kali...: Tarms nudged her with love and she snapped awake from her personal nightmare. :Oh my sweet brave little Chosen.: There was no pity in the voice, only the kind compassion and understanding that the deepest of friends can give. After all, pity was the last thing she needed, it would only make her feel as though she deserved to be looked down upon. Kalieck needed the compassion of another, but not the sappy, easily feigned emotion of pity. :You are so much stronger then you know.:
"You make me feel ten times as strong when you say that." Kalieck allowed the sour mood to break and hummed and old nursery tune she'd heard from her mother years ago. She had never gotten to oppertunity to know her mother well. All she had of her was a name, Namlay. She'd been sold when Kalieck was only four years old and from then on she was 'cared for' by the other women. Cared for in the most literally sense of the word. Cleaned, fed, and disciplines. That about covered the maternal affection. "I'm glad you came for me Tarms. Longer, and I might not have been alive when you found me."
Tarms mearly nodded in his affirmitive manner and continued at a slow pace down the road. There was plenty of oppertunity to relax now and allow themselves to become comfortable with eachother. Simple conversations turned out to be where they discovered the most and strengthened the friendship. tarms could see deeper in her mind then she had ever known was possible, and perhaps that was what made the bond between a Companion and their Chosen so strong. They knew everything about you, your hoes and dreams, your failures and successes, the best and worst of everything that had ever happened to you.
:And we love you anyways.: Tarms chuckled and swished his tail up to playfully spank her. :Thats as good an explination as any, I suppose. Now don't go getting all philosophical on me! We already have one Herald trying to muddle out the hows and whys of Gifts and Bonds,and we don't need another!: The sun had just begun to peek out from they grayness of the sky and it warmed them both a bit more. :We should hit a Waystation by nightfall. As a Herald trainee you are welcome to anything in there, though heaven help you with choking down that dreadful stuff they call food! Damn Army rations!.:
Sure enough, Tarms was right. The hardened things Kalieck found in the way station resembled cow pies more then they did food. Kalieck grimaced in disgust and banged the thing against a wooden shelf, making a dent in the wood but none in the pie. Just that simple action caused both Companion and Chosen to crack up laughing. Cold, hunrgy, and in desperate need of a hot bath, the fact that the cake had split the wooden shelf was amazingly funny.
Kalieck sighed and began to clean out the Waystation, removing all the hardened food and cleaning out all of the cobwebs and dust from the corners. Soon enough there was a crackling fire going and comfortable heat in the room. Adept at providing for herself, Kalieck had already gathered handfulls of snow and was now heating them in two buckets over the fire. There wasn't enough to actually bath in, but she could manage a decent scrubbing. A third bucket with drinking water was off to the side, allowing both Companion and Chosen to get their fill.
After the water was heated, Kalieck stripped down and scrubbed three out of the four weeks worth of dirt and grime off her body, feeling considerable better as she lay in front of the fire to dry. "Now, what to do about food. More then enough there is to keep you happy."
:Well, the local wildlife is teaming....you could always rig a snare for a rabbit or somthing. I know for a fact that you can do that.: It was a good suggestion, and she began to search about for rope and string. Sure enough, she found a good supply of it hidden in a cupboard.Not only that, but it looked as though it had already been partially fashioned into a rabbit trap. :As I said, Waystation food is notoriusly nasty.:
After a few minuets to redo a few misplaced knots, they had a decent rabbit trap worked out and Trams, (despite the lack of hands), helped her to set it out in the snow so as to mask the presence of human scent. Now all there was to do was wait and gag down some of the awful rations in the station. Kalieck took the oppertunity to find out as much as she could from her Companion. "Whats Herald life like? Are the books what it's like?"
:That depends on what books you've read. If you mean is it all glory and love forever in a world where good always conquers evil and life is eternal in a happy field of flowers and pixie dust...no! Heraldic work is hard love. I can only name ten Heralds over fourty. Yes there is love, not just from the other Trainees but from ther Heralds in full Whites as well. But their are also dangers. Someone is always plotting against the Queen and her Own and that always means trouble. : Trams took a deep sigh and shook out his mane for her to brush. :But who am I to scrae you with all this! You'll discover as you go in the Collegium. And don't even start to think like that again!: He warned. :No one will give so much as a second guess about your race or creed. We get every sort at Haven.: There was something behind the words 'every sort' that boded ill, but Kalieck was too tired to get into it for now.
Trams rested his head against her for a moment, breathing steadily to sooth her to sleep. He was well aware by now as to what sleep often ment for her. :Bad dreams and worse nightmares.: Trams mentally swore to be sure she saw a Healer first thing once they were in Haven. If luck remained by their side they might even find one before hand. Trainee life was stressful enough without adding her somewhat questionable past. Trams knew for a fact that nither the Heralds nor the Trainees would give a wit about her obviouse Karsite relations or her forced unethical treatment, but there were powerful tounges at Court would would use this excuse to make the Queen look bad.
Kalieck had been forced to do a lot of growing up very quickly. Not only was she expected to be able to fully serve her 'Masters' amorus desiers by the age of ten, she was also expected to do more then her fare share of work in tending for the ladies and girls who had also shared her fate. Of course there were a few stoeln Healers around. but they tended to drop dead of exaustion from using too much of their Gifts to fast. Kalieck, not knowing at the time that she possessed a Gift, had begun watching them and learning how to treat things like infections, fevers, broken limbs and worse. She was no true Healer, but she did have more then a spark of it in her.
:But most importantly, she learned to simply sit and listen.: It was astounding the amount of things a small child could hear, especially when those around her though her usless and dumb. She'd learned to pick up on and identifie voices making plans in the dead of night. And since Heralds just as often played the spys for Valdemar, that skill was bound to come in usefull. Trams knew that his little Chosen was somthing special, she had an understanding of humanity as a whole and yet still saw everyone as an individual person with their own needs and desiers. And her touch of the Healing gifts was impressive. Of course Trams had his suspicions of what the implications behind that were. Only problem one there hadn't been one in the Valdemar area for at least a millenium.
:I'm not even sure how you train one of them? It's not as though we have a specific course set aside.: Trams heaved a sigh and tried to rest. The Collegium had always managed before, and it would continue to do so. No matter what the challenge, the Heralds of Valdemar always seemed to rise to the occasion and fix things before they became to far out of hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
:Awake Chosen.: Trams proded Kalieck awake and stressed his need to use the relive himself. She unbolted the door and allowed him to exit and go take care of buisness on his own. The burst of cold air that suddenly entered the Waystation was enough to remind her that she did not have clothing on and that the best option would be to get some on. She was dressed and swallowing one of those nausiating cakes when her Companion pushed the door open. :I belive luck is still with us.:
As it turns out, a rabbit had found it's way into her trap and was struggleing there to get lose. She dispatched the little thing quickly and brough it back to the station, removing the fur and placing it on a spit to roast. "Nice this is. Stay forever I could."
:Yes and miss all the fun in Haven. No Chosen. As soon as your stomachs full we need to head off. We can reach a town within two days ride of here. I'm sure someone will provide you with some better clothing and I am cirtan that they provide you with better food.: Trams wickered as she finished her meal, cleaned up the minor mess they'd creaed, and headed on the road again.
Part Two: Waystation
By:Lynn Osburn
:My Chosen, welcome to Valdemar.:
There was a cirtian peace to those words. As though the three weeks they'd been riding had been years. Not to say that the journy hadn't been difficult. It seemed that every merc and hunter had been alerted to the presence of a Companion within the Karsite land. A white horse was not an easy thing to hide, even in the dead of winter. Fortunetly, luck was on their side, and the had managed till the Valdemar borders with only a few scrapes and bruises, most of them caused by having to take short cuts through forests.
"It's lovely."
:Yes it is sin't it? Even in winter, the place has a cirtan charm to it. Forgive me, but we were in such a rush to get you out of there I didn't even have time to properly intoroduce myself.: Now that was most cirtianly a comical thing to think off. Four week spent out running hunters and dodging villages, and they'd not even had the oppertunity to know each others names. :My name is Tarms...and I already know yours Chosen.:
Kalieck blushed brightly. "We did not have talking time.Busy running we became." she patted Tarms and scratched his mane gently. " I know how to steal at least." she uncoffed the neck of her coat and wrapped it tighter around her neck, trying to close out the cold air. Underneath, Kalieck still wore her skimpy clothing, but had managed to find a deecent pair of breeches and a coat, as well as a good pair of leather boots someone wealthy priest has discarded. It wasn't great, but it provided adequet protection from the cold.
There was no choise but for it to be adequet. With so many following so close at hand, they'd not even been able to light a fire for heat at night. And Karsite nights were bitter. Snow storms raking at your exposed skin, freezing to deathwas not uncommon and a dead body half covered with snow along the road was a common sight. Even so, Kalieck did not miss the warm fires of the lounge in her home. Gingerly she touched a long scare snakeing up her back. Nothing could ever make he miss that.
:And I don't blame you one bit little love. It makes me just seeth to think about the way I found you...just lieing their like a dead body.: Sorrow radiated from Tarms and he turned to nip at her boot heel. :Promise me you'll be as strong tomorrow as you were then.: he asked gently.
"My Companion, I promise ." she swore and closed her eyes, thinking about the rescuse.He was right when he said she'd been like a dead body, for that was the way she always acted around Lord Gelcrath.
*He had come at her, smooth as a snake and twice as fast. his eyes glinting with lust and violence. "Come on now sweetling..." he'd whisper in corse Karsite. "Get on the bed*
The one thing that had kept her going all those years was the fact that she'd had never once done so willingly. Kalieck fought him tooth and nail at every turn, earning those scars and bruises like badges of honor.Sometimes he'd become tired of trying to force her down and simply toss her into a corner, going for one of the other women there.But their treatment of her was barley better then his, so she felt little if any pity for them. Other times he'd beat her into unconciousness and then have his way regardless. That way was sometimes better, then she wouldn't have to listen to his crude languages and filthy word spat out in an attempt to make her feel powerless. And if she was still aware of what was happening when he forced himself on her, she would simply lay there, motionless, dead. Like a board washed up on shore. She'd learned to control her body and her emotions so that not so much as a whimper or tear escaped for him to gloat over.
:Kali...: Tarms nudged her with love and she snapped awake from her personal nightmare. :Oh my sweet brave little Chosen.: There was no pity in the voice, only the kind compassion and understanding that the deepest of friends can give. After all, pity was the last thing she needed, it would only make her feel as though she deserved to be looked down upon. Kalieck needed the compassion of another, but not the sappy, easily feigned emotion of pity. :You are so much stronger then you know.:
"You make me feel ten times as strong when you say that." Kalieck allowed the sour mood to break and hummed and old nursery tune she'd heard from her mother years ago. She had never gotten to oppertunity to know her mother well. All she had of her was a name, Namlay. She'd been sold when Kalieck was only four years old and from then on she was 'cared for' by the other women. Cared for in the most literally sense of the word. Cleaned, fed, and disciplines. That about covered the maternal affection. "I'm glad you came for me Tarms. Longer, and I might not have been alive when you found me."
Tarms mearly nodded in his affirmitive manner and continued at a slow pace down the road. There was plenty of oppertunity to relax now and allow themselves to become comfortable with eachother. Simple conversations turned out to be where they discovered the most and strengthened the friendship. tarms could see deeper in her mind then she had ever known was possible, and perhaps that was what made the bond between a Companion and their Chosen so strong. They knew everything about you, your hoes and dreams, your failures and successes, the best and worst of everything that had ever happened to you.
:And we love you anyways.: Tarms chuckled and swished his tail up to playfully spank her. :Thats as good an explination as any, I suppose. Now don't go getting all philosophical on me! We already have one Herald trying to muddle out the hows and whys of Gifts and Bonds,and we don't need another!: The sun had just begun to peek out from they grayness of the sky and it warmed them both a bit more. :We should hit a Waystation by nightfall. As a Herald trainee you are welcome to anything in there, though heaven help you with choking down that dreadful stuff they call food! Damn Army rations!.:
Sure enough, Tarms was right. The hardened things Kalieck found in the way station resembled cow pies more then they did food. Kalieck grimaced in disgust and banged the thing against a wooden shelf, making a dent in the wood but none in the pie. Just that simple action caused both Companion and Chosen to crack up laughing. Cold, hunrgy, and in desperate need of a hot bath, the fact that the cake had split the wooden shelf was amazingly funny.
Kalieck sighed and began to clean out the Waystation, removing all the hardened food and cleaning out all of the cobwebs and dust from the corners. Soon enough there was a crackling fire going and comfortable heat in the room. Adept at providing for herself, Kalieck had already gathered handfulls of snow and was now heating them in two buckets over the fire. There wasn't enough to actually bath in, but she could manage a decent scrubbing. A third bucket with drinking water was off to the side, allowing both Companion and Chosen to get their fill.
After the water was heated, Kalieck stripped down and scrubbed three out of the four weeks worth of dirt and grime off her body, feeling considerable better as she lay in front of the fire to dry. "Now, what to do about food. More then enough there is to keep you happy."
:Well, the local wildlife is teaming....you could always rig a snare for a rabbit or somthing. I know for a fact that you can do that.: It was a good suggestion, and she began to search about for rope and string. Sure enough, she found a good supply of it hidden in a cupboard.Not only that, but it looked as though it had already been partially fashioned into a rabbit trap. :As I said, Waystation food is notoriusly nasty.:
After a few minuets to redo a few misplaced knots, they had a decent rabbit trap worked out and Trams, (despite the lack of hands), helped her to set it out in the snow so as to mask the presence of human scent. Now all there was to do was wait and gag down some of the awful rations in the station. Kalieck took the oppertunity to find out as much as she could from her Companion. "Whats Herald life like? Are the books what it's like?"
:That depends on what books you've read. If you mean is it all glory and love forever in a world where good always conquers evil and life is eternal in a happy field of flowers and pixie dust...no! Heraldic work is hard love. I can only name ten Heralds over fourty. Yes there is love, not just from the other Trainees but from ther Heralds in full Whites as well. But their are also dangers. Someone is always plotting against the Queen and her Own and that always means trouble. : Trams took a deep sigh and shook out his mane for her to brush. :But who am I to scrae you with all this! You'll discover as you go in the Collegium. And don't even start to think like that again!: He warned. :No one will give so much as a second guess about your race or creed. We get every sort at Haven.: There was something behind the words 'every sort' that boded ill, but Kalieck was too tired to get into it for now.
Trams rested his head against her for a moment, breathing steadily to sooth her to sleep. He was well aware by now as to what sleep often ment for her. :Bad dreams and worse nightmares.: Trams mentally swore to be sure she saw a Healer first thing once they were in Haven. If luck remained by their side they might even find one before hand. Trainee life was stressful enough without adding her somewhat questionable past. Trams knew for a fact that nither the Heralds nor the Trainees would give a wit about her obviouse Karsite relations or her forced unethical treatment, but there were powerful tounges at Court would would use this excuse to make the Queen look bad.
Kalieck had been forced to do a lot of growing up very quickly. Not only was she expected to be able to fully serve her 'Masters' amorus desiers by the age of ten, she was also expected to do more then her fare share of work in tending for the ladies and girls who had also shared her fate. Of course there were a few stoeln Healers around. but they tended to drop dead of exaustion from using too much of their Gifts to fast. Kalieck, not knowing at the time that she possessed a Gift, had begun watching them and learning how to treat things like infections, fevers, broken limbs and worse. She was no true Healer, but she did have more then a spark of it in her.
:But most importantly, she learned to simply sit and listen.: It was astounding the amount of things a small child could hear, especially when those around her though her usless and dumb. She'd learned to pick up on and identifie voices making plans in the dead of night. And since Heralds just as often played the spys for Valdemar, that skill was bound to come in usefull. Trams knew that his little Chosen was somthing special, she had an understanding of humanity as a whole and yet still saw everyone as an individual person with their own needs and desiers. And her touch of the Healing gifts was impressive. Of course Trams had his suspicions of what the implications behind that were. Only problem one there hadn't been one in the Valdemar area for at least a millenium.
:I'm not even sure how you train one of them? It's not as though we have a specific course set aside.: Trams heaved a sigh and tried to rest. The Collegium had always managed before, and it would continue to do so. No matter what the challenge, the Heralds of Valdemar always seemed to rise to the occasion and fix things before they became to far out of hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
:Awake Chosen.: Trams proded Kalieck awake and stressed his need to use the relive himself. She unbolted the door and allowed him to exit and go take care of buisness on his own. The burst of cold air that suddenly entered the Waystation was enough to remind her that she did not have clothing on and that the best option would be to get some on. She was dressed and swallowing one of those nausiating cakes when her Companion pushed the door open. :I belive luck is still with us.:
As it turns out, a rabbit had found it's way into her trap and was struggleing there to get lose. She dispatched the little thing quickly and brough it back to the station, removing the fur and placing it on a spit to roast. "Nice this is. Stay forever I could."
:Yes and miss all the fun in Haven. No Chosen. As soon as your stomachs full we need to head off. We can reach a town within two days ride of here. I'm sure someone will provide you with some better clothing and I am cirtan that they provide you with better food.: Trams wickered as she finished her meal, cleaned up the minor mess they'd creaed, and headed on the road again.