Wow! I got a whole ton of reviews for the last chapter....I was kinda' surprised, actually; huh. Normally I get six or so for each chapter but I got something like twelve or thirteen last time....guess it was a bad place to ends it? Yeah. K, I'm rambling.... ^.^;; I don't own Heralds, Valdemar, Companions (etc) they all belong to Mercedes Lackey. Any original characters are my own creation, but in personality only, see?
A little short, this chapter, and again, I'm not completely pleased with it. Ah, well. I wanted to apologize for it taking so long to get this chapter out. We had a little crisis at home and I had to get past that before I could really work on my fics again. Well, I'm back! ^_^ Thanks for being so patient!
Oi! Make sure to READ THE NOTES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT
CHAPTER! THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT! (Seriously!) Thanks muchly, and until next time,
my fine readers!
I was just a blur of white, silver and blue as I raced toward the Karsian border. Behind me, I could hear Meriol's hoof beats on the hard-packed dirt of the road; he was trying to catch up to me, running all-out. A Companion is fast, yes, much faster than a horse could ever be, but Meriol's attempts to catch up to me were in vain. He was running out of worry for me....but I was running out of desperation. Out of a driving NEED that was screaming in my heart and soul, and the continuing pleading of the Soul, in my Mind-
::Oh, please....PLEASE....::
The once-shrieking mindvoice had dulled down to a vague pleading, though the flavor of fear hadn't lessened any. Colored bright with panic, there was also a sense of acceptance, as if he or she who owned the Voice was accepting blame for whatever terrible fate awaited them. The same fate they had been- and continued to be- protesting against, even now so feebly?
:Just wait for me-: I whispered back to the Soul, broadSending in the hopes that they would Hear and understand that I was on my way. I ignored the fact that Meriol had certainly Heard me as well. That didn't matter right now. All that mattered was reaching the border before it was too late....
Meriol had calculated that we were just under a day's travel to the border- several candlemarks at least- and I had managed to cover most of the distance within what almost seemed like only a handful of breaths. More time had passed than that, I was sure, but I had no way of knowing.
And I had no plan.
I was racing as if my tail was on fire toward the border of a not-quite friendly country. And I was doing so with no plan as to how I was going to sneak myself- being a white bleached horse with blue eyes and decked out in nearly thirty jangling bells- ACROSS that same border and find the Soul I was Searching for without being marked as a 'demon' and sighted for death.
And Meriol....
I got the feeling now, though it was a trivial thought as I was half-dragged into the fear and panic of that Soul, that Meriol wasn't intending to leave me at the border as he had originally planned.
He was far too concerned for me- the dear that he was- to just leave me in my current state, I gathered.
And so I was presented with an even more problematic situation.
How was I going to sneak TWO white bleached (okay, so it was actually MAGIC as opposed to bleach) horses who, together, carried a total of something like sixty loud and attention-grabbing bells, into Karse without getting us both killed? I knew a single Companion had managed it at least once before....so it WAS possible, but still....
:Sera, come on, think for a second-:
Think? Not likely. I was beyond thinking, beyond reason, beyond hearing Meriol's half-pleading thoughts, and approaching the border at breakneck speed. Ignoring Meriol, I concentrated on driving my legs even faster.
My breath was coming fast now and a thin sheen of sweat was beginning to cover my heaving sides. Normally a Companion has to run for at least a day before he or she begins to get out of breath or sweat....but I got the feeling that I was racing faster than most Companions would even consider....
::I- I didn't mean....I really didn't....please....::
The Mindvoice....soft now, pleading for-
-pleading for what? I didn't know for sure, but I got a terrible feeling that the answer would be 'life'. There was something terrible about to happen to- to MY Chosen and there was- nothing- I could do....unless I ran....unless I got there on time.
:Sera!:
We were coming up upon the border guards, both ours and those of Karse. The blue uniforms of the Valdemarian Guard were distinguishable against the background of evergreen and seasonal trees. And mixed in with the blue were two of the shining white uniforms, pristine, of the Heralds.
Heralds? Why would there be-?
Of course there would be Heralds there. There had been Heralds stationed on the border between Valdemar and Karse for centuries, watchful for attacks and so forth. Now, ahead of me, their Companions were the first to turn, hearing us before the ears of their Bonded could catch our approach.
:Now what do you suppose...?:
:They certainly are in a hurry.:
:Heyla, young ones, why the rush?:
One of them I didn't know, but the other I recognized as a Companion- Hanner- who was only a year my senior. Ignoring both of them as they attempted to catch my attention, I could only hope that they would be intelligent enough to warn their Heralds to get everyone out of the way.
:Sera, come on! You going to-: Meriol again, but he broke off and gave up on getting through to be before completing his sentence. :Hanner! Bram! Get out of our way! Sera won't stop just because you're standing between her and the border-:
He knew them both?
I didn't have time to be surprised. Lowering my head, I glared at the guards who were still standing, dumbfounded, in my way. :Get. Out. Of. My. Way.: Again I had broken the Silence and Spoken....shouting my order to all of those present, Herald and guard alike.
A surprised blink was followed by the shocked guards scrambling out of the way as I continued to bear down on them.
:Hey-! Meriol, what-?:
One of the Companions. Bram, it seemed, as it wasn't the one that I recognized. He had stepped- with his Herald staring determinedly in my direction- into my path, even as the others were all attempting to escape.
"Lady," Bram's Chosen said strongly, projecting her thoughts toward me as well as she spoke, "I would suggest stopping before you cross the border and find yourself in unfriendly territory."
::I'm....sorry....I just....I didn't mean it....please....Im sorry....just don't....::
That Voice again....
"Lady, if you don't stop-"
She had good intentions, I know, but it didn't even phase me. I wasn't about to stop when I was so close to the one I was Feeling. Not when the pleas of that Soul were still pulling at me insistently, making my heart ache with fear.
:Sera, listen to her!:
:Not going to happen, Meriol!: I told him, speaking for the first time since the call for help had sounded in both of our heads. :I've got to-: I broke off when Bram snorted and stepped into my way, blocking me from my destination. Forced to a stop, I skidded, kicking up dust and bits of dirt in the process. Out of breath from my frantic running, I glared at Bram and his Herald and growled; :I told you before to get out of my way.:
:And we Heard you, Little One,: Hanner told me from where he was standing, to the side, :but we cannot allow you to simply RUN into Karse without explanation or preparation. We are stationed here to protect the citizens of Valdemar from those in Karse who have yet to accept the peace between our peoples.:
"Exactly," the Herald who was seated, tall and proud in Hanner's saddle nodded. "And what kind of guards would we be if we let you rush past us and get hurt?"
I snorted irritably and pawed the ground with a hoof. :Listen! I have to get to- to-:
:To where?:
:To....to the Soul....to my Chosen! There's trouble and-:
"Chosen?" Bram's Herald asked, concerned, then gave a soft smile. "I think I understand now, but still-"
:I have to-!: They weren't moving! They weren't going to move? I had to get through!
::....I'm so sorry....you just can't....please....::
The Soul....
That was it! Narrowing my crystal eyes, I pawed the ground once more and then- without any warning- burst forward, shouldering past Bram and the others, shoving them forcefully out of my way, and launched myself toward the border; it was so close....
:Sera, you can't-!:
My hooves hit the ground across the border just as Meriol called after me, frantically, but I was already in Karse and there was no going back. With barely a glance over my shoulder, I thundered forward, toward the surrounding Karsian guards-
-and caught my ankles on something.
Stumbling, I shrieked both mentally and vocally, barely managing to catch myself before I could fall. I steadied myself....but before I could jump ahead again there was a motion to the side- I noticed it in the corner of my eye, but not in time to stop it- and I flinched, shocked, when I felt a rope drop around my neck.
What-?!
:Sera! The Karsites!:
:Wonderful!: I growled sarcastically, rearing angrily; I struck out with my hooves, driving the Karsian guards- who had been converging on me- back a few feet and out of my reach. Unfortunately, the rope they had managed to somehow land around my neck was long enough that they didn't have to let it go. :Damn it!:
Commotion behind me made it obvious when Meriol attempted to come to my aid, and there was a clamber of Mindvoices, which made me wonder if the others- Bram, Hanner and their Heralds, and possibly even a few of the guards- were trying to stop him. Or were they, too, going to help me?
Snapping my teeth toward the nearest of the Karsite guards, I neighed shrilly, making them all step back again. Heartened, I kicked out with my hid legs, bucking, and then reared again and flailed my front hooves.
::There's no....I'm so sorry....I didn't mean....I- I....please, By The Son, forgive me....::
Distracted by the sound of my Chosen's far-off pleading, I didn't notice how close they were until a fleeting touch on my shoulder became a throbbing heat....PAIN! Screaming, I jerked back, eyes wide.
:What the hell was-?:
:Sera!: Meriol's Voice was frightened, :are you alright?:
:What-?:
:I don't-:
:Magic.: Hanner interrupted, :I can sense it. There must be a Mage nearby....:
Mages....I'd forgotten about that possibility, probably because Valdemar's Mages were only just returning. Huffing, I backed away from the person who had touched me. Pain still radiated from my shoulder, and the rope was still firmly around my neck, damn it.
Another pain, this one coming from where the rope was resting against my skin.
Jerking backward, I danced in place- partially from pain and partially from desperation....
....and partially because the touches of pain were causing a reaction beneath my skin that was all too familiar to me.
No! No!
I tried to struggle back even more, putting distance between myself and the Karsites, but the rope held me where I was. There was nothing I could do....and where were the others? Meriol and the guards....
Another vague pain flared in my neck, coming from the rope.
My shoulders twinged.
No!
Rearing again, I cried out vocally, dragging they who were holding the rope forward a few steps. My hooves pawed desperately at the air in front of me....and the skin of my shoulders shifted, stretching outward as my wings strained to be released-
:Sera-?!:
:Bright Lady, no!: I shouted, unconsciously returning to Mindspeech. :Not now, no!:
:Sera-?!: Meriol sounded frightened, :what's-?:
:NOT NOW!:
But try as I might, I couldn't stop it....not this time....
-and a shocked gasp ran through all who were present....the Karsites who had been holding onto the rope dropped it like it had become a venomous snake and scrambled backward away from me....Meriol gasped....as my hooves hit the ground with a clang, my control over my wings faltered....and feathers exploded from my hide as my wings stretched up toward the sky, revealed for the first time.
:Sera....by the Bright Lady, what's happening?:
I felt bad....but there was no time to explain, and the Karsite guards were still shocked out of action- so I ignored Meriol's gasped question and broke into a frantic gallop, breezing past the speechless guards and thundering down the cobblestone streets of our once-enemy-state, the rope still dangling from my neck and trailing behind me as I ran. Folding my wings back against my sides, I didn't bother to retract them again....it was far too late....
Oh, Gods, of all the things to- how could this happen? What am I going to do-?:
I was so shocked- so upset- that didn't notice for some time that Meriol was behind me again, his own hoof beats echoing against the street beneath us....it seemed that he wasn't going to give up on me just because of a few feathers....
A true friend....
No time to think about it.
I pushed my thoughts aside and concentrated on running toward the Feeling in my heart.