Sherri found Eagle still waiting for her when she reached the edge of the forest. The horse was actually Ciro's but had been sent here when he had been injured. His coat was as black as a raven's wing with a perfect white star on his forehead.
She swung easily into the saddle and guided him to the edge of the trees that surrounded the keep. The closer she came to the edge of the forest, the more she became Lady Sherria. As she broke out into the light she saw the guardsman who was obviously searching for her. The people of the keep were very reluctant to enter the forest and never followed her within its borders.
"My Lady?" The guardsman waved her down. "There is a Herald waiting for you at the Keep."
She nodded. "I'll just change. I was expecting a Herald for the supplies." She kicked Eagle into a gallop.
Over the past few weeks she had gather tents, grains, fabric, and almost everything that had not been used during the winter or were required for the spring. Those, and many casks of cider and wine, were ready to be sent south for the army. Because of the value of some of the supplies she had asked for a Herald to act as escort and had provided a few men of her own as protection.
She dismounted at the back door and a groom hurried forward to claim Eagle. She took the steps up to her room two at a time and quickly changed into a pale blue gown and braided her hair. She traded her boots for soft indoor shoes. Satisfied with her appearance she ran down the stairs.
In the main hall a man dressed all in white was waiting impatiently.
"Herald, I am glad they could spare someone." She said as she stepped off the last step.
The Herald turned to face her. "Countess, the queen said you had gathered supplies for the army." He had dark brown hair, warm brown eyes, was taller than her, a rarity, and had a classically sculpted face. His broad shoulders and narrow waist told of his honed physique.
She nodded. "We already have it packed in wagons. We were just waiting for a Herald to escort them."
"I would like to leave immediately."
"You would be better off waiting for tomorrow. Otherwise you will be spending the night on the road." Sherri commented.
"The sooner we are on the road the sooner we can reach Haven." The Herald said firmly.
Sherri sighed and glanced at the men watching from the door. "Herald, please consider the age of the men you will be traveling with. They were too old for the army and are certainly too old to be sleeping on the ground."
The Herald glanced at the men. "Very well, we will leave at dawn."
"Thank you." Sherri said warmly. "Shall we see to your Companion? I admit there is a second reason I would like you to stay for supper, I am hoping you will some news of my uncles."
"Your uncles? There are many men out on the front. I probably have never met them."
"They are very easy to spot. They are all tall massive and golden. They are collectively known as the Demon Brothers."
"They are your uncles?"
Sherri nodded.
"Shouldn't one of them be the count, not you?"
"My mother was Countess and when she died I assumed the title." Sherri shrugged and looped her arm through his. "I think they are actually pleased it isn't their responsibility. The last time I saw Favram he said they were better at making war than growing crops and watching for barbarians."
"It must get lonely up here." The Herald commented.
Sherri nodded. "Not even Heralds make it this far north very often. And Bards have never come this way. If you see any bards looking for a place to winter please send them up here, I am tired of embroidery."
The Herald laughed stiffly.
"Is something wrong?" Sherri drew away slightly. They were standing on the steps leading down to the courtyard.
"No, not at all." The Herald denied.
"You haven't even shared your name yet."
"Kevyn."
"See, was that so hard?" Sherri teased the still uncomfortable Herald. He was four or five years older than her. "You should relax. You are in the safest place in Valdemar.
"I am just eager to return to the front."
"Were you injured? Is that why they could spare you?" Sherri ventured. "Maybe you should see our healer."
"That isn't necessary."
Sherri looked up and examined him closely. "What happened?"
The man jumped, startled by her soft question.
"You look haunted."
"Nonsense."
"Perhaps I should speak to your Companion. He looks very worried about you." She didn't mention she was seeing a double vision of the Companion, one a man dressed in archaic Whites with blonde hair and a nose that had obviously been broken many times with his arms crossed on his chest and a worried frown. The other was a magnificent white horse staring up at them.
Herald Kevyn stared at his Companion a moment. "The sooner we get going the sooner the supplies can reach the men."
Sherri sighed. Apparently Heralds hadn't changed since Vanyel's time. She led Kevyn and his Companion around to the large stable. Most stalls were empty, all the horses except the farm horses, the aged, and the injured had already been sent. The stall closest to the door had been converted for a Companion's use years ago when she had still been trying to convince Y'fandes to come for a visit.
She stood to the side and watched as he expertly removed the saddle and groomed the Companion's coat to a perfect shine. A stable boy hurried up with food, and several treats, for the Companion.
"Should I order a bath prepared for you?" Sherri asked noticing the smell of horse that wafted from him.
"If you don't mind."
A stable boy who had no current assignment nodded and ran off to relay the order.
Kevyn gave his Companion one last pat on the neck before turning back to her. "Perhaps you could show me to my room."
Sherri eyed him worriedly. Kevyn moved stiffly and was rather flushed. "Please follow me. It will be cold because we had no warning about your arrival."
"That will be fine." Kevyn assured.
As she warned, the room was icy cold. A fire had been started in the grate and his saddlebags were set on a chair. It smelled stuffy from being shut up for years. They rarely got visitors here, but was very clean. The bath was already in the centre of the room and some cold water already rested in the bottom of the tub. It was deep enough to cover even her uncles up to their necks and long enough for them to stretch out so it was large enough for Kevyn.
Sherri pushed the window open and a spring breeze wafted in. "Would you like a servant to help you undress?"
"No, that will be everything." He said dismissively.
Sherri scowled. He deserved a quick kick in his posterior for that remark. "I am glad we could help you."
Kevyn blushed when he realised he had just dismissed a Countess. "I am sorry, Countess."
"Don't worry about it. Almost everyone calls me Lady Sherri. It is a long time till supper so I will have a tray brought up to you." Sherri said as she headed out the door.
"Thank you, Lady Sherri."
"It is my pleasure Herald Kevyn." She grinned and hurried down the stairs. She wanted to go visit Van and Stef to find out more about their plans but wouldn't be able to get away until she had the Herald settled.
In the main hall she found her old Nurse, now the Housekeeper. She asked for a cold dinner to be prepared and a pot of hot tea with honey. It may be spring but the wind was still cold.
Taking the tray in one hand and a lidded bucket in the other she headed back up the stairs. All the young men in the area had gone to the army years ago as had many young woman leaving children and older folks. There were only a few Children at the Keep and all worked in the stable. The older servants who remained would have enough to do with hauling up the hot water. She knocked with her foot and waited a moment. There was no response.
Setting the bucket on the ground she knocked again. "Herald Kevyn?"
"We have a guest? Why didn't you mention it?" A gravely masculine voice said behind her.
"Hello Grandfather." Sherri greeted the ghost. She wished he could just poke his head through the door to see if Herald Kevyn was inside. Unfortunately he thought he was still alive and had reacted badly every time she tried to suggest he should move on. He did think she was his granddaughter, not his great-great-granddaughter. "He is a Herald from the Capital. He has promised to visit with us later, after he has rested."
The ghost nodded. "I will be in the library when he is ready for company."
Sherri sighed as the ghost ambled down the hall and the temperature returned to normal. Pushing the door open she peered inside. The Herald was sprawled across the bed with his feet still dangling to the ground. He was sound asleep.
With a sigh Sherri padded silently into the room and set the tray on a table. It was a good thing she had convinced him to stay for the night. She knew from when her uncles visited that he would have hair trigger reactions and didn't want him accidentally injuring any of her servants.
She sat on the edge of the bed ready to duck and shook his shoulder. "Herald Kevyn?" She was startled to discover he had a high fever that could be felt even through his clothes.
He sat up right suddenly, gasping for breath.
Sherri managed to duck the blade that appeared in his hand. "Relax, you are safe here."
He blinked down at her owlishly.
Sherri urged him off the bed and into a chair. "You should have mentioned you had a fever."
"It's nothing."
Sherri snorted a most unladylike sound. "Nonsense. That is why they could spare you. You are supposed to be recovering from a fever."
"I am fine." He protested.
Sherri raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Bull. I am not certain whether you are acting like this because you are a Herald or because you are male. Now you are going to sit there while I get you some Willowbark tea. If you say one word I am not going to give you any honey to sweeten it."
Kevyn stared at her as she hurried from the room. It took her only a few minutes for her to locate their healer, an old woman who had served her grandparents before her and had actually brought her into the world. The healer, Daya, had no gift but was incredibly knowledgeable about herbs.
"My Lady? May I help you?" Daya said with out looking up from her mixing of herbs.
"We have a sick Herald. He has a very high fever." Sherri answered.
"Perhaps the same tea we give your uncles will work for him." Daya smiled knowingly.
"He swears it is nothing and that he is fine so I agree." Sherri fetched the ingredients for Daya. Years ago Daya had started teaching her herb lore to fill the long winter nights. Daya mixed the herbs by scent, wrapped them in a bit of clothe and placed it in a pot. Sherri used the time to gather herbs she could put in his bath to lower his temperature that worked in tandem with the tea.
"This should make him more malleable." Daya gave her the tea pot. "You should find someone else to care for him."
"No. He is my guest. And don't even consider suggesting you do it. There are way too many stairs for you."
Daya patted her arm fondly. "I wouldn't even consider it."
"I will tell you more after I take a closer examination." Sherri kissed her cheek. "What is it about males that make them so thick headed?"
"It is very simple my dear. They are male." Daya chuckled.
Sherri carried the pot of water and satchel of herbs up to his room. The bath was filled but he still sat on the chair.
"May I speak yet?" Kevyn asked.
"Of course." Sherri tossed the satchel into the bath and poured him a cup of tea. "So long as you aren't arguing with me. Now, drink that."
Herald Kevyn sipped the tea warily. "This isn't willowbark tea."
"No. Our healer recommended it. It is very relaxing and will bring down your temperature down. She would come up herself but she is much too old for all those stairs." Sherria watched as he drank the tea. "You should have one of the loaves with honey. Our cook is wonderful."
"Are you going to stay?"
Sherri nodded. "Most of my servants are old. There are no rooms above this floor are tended. Besides, if this is contagious we can get along just fine with out me but everyone else is quite critical."
"I doubt you are as disposable as you think." Kevyn said with a slightly slurred voice.
Sherri shrugged. "I assume you spoke to a healer before you left Haven. Did they tell you what you have?"
"They couldn't find the cause." Kevyn admitted.
Sherri nodded. "How are you feeling otherwise? Are you nauseous? Are you dizzy?"
He shook his head.
"Then eat a loaf. You are most certainly not leaving tomorrow."
He started to argue but stopped. It was just not worth the effort to argue with the determined young woman.
"Wise man." Sherri laughed. "I will send some one to the village to send word on to Haven that you are ill."
"They don't know I am here." Kevyn admitted. "I had heard of your supplies and thought it would give me something useful to do."
Sherri noticed he was starting to list to one side, he was not going to make it to the bath. "That is the same tea we use on my uncles when they are injured. We better get you to bed before you fall asleep."
Kevyn submitted meekly to her ministrations as she stripped off his tunic and removed his boots.
"I'll bring you some books to read for when you wake up but don't even consider leaving here." Sherri ordered as she was leaving. Her patient was already fast asleep.
Daya had told her sometimes the body would make itself ill when the mind had faced more than it could cope with. Her uncles had also told her of men who would find themselves paralysed for no physical reason and that it took mindhealers to get back on their feet. Sherri suspected this was what Kevyn suffered from. She headed to her room and sat at her desk. Placing a fresh sheet of paper before her and retrieving her pen she bit her lip in concentration, trying to formulate what she wanted to say.
The recipient of the letter was her distant cousin, Queen Selenay. She had never met her cousin and had never written her before so she was uncertain as to how exactly she was supposed to address the letter. She decided to go with an informal tone.
Dear Selenay,
I have never written you before and we have never met but I believe you know my many uncles, the Demon Brothers. I am Sherria, the Countess of Sorrows (a singularly silly title).
I sent word some weeks ago that I had supplies for the army; fabric, grains, dried meat, tents, and wine. I asked if a Herald could be sent to protect the goods and one has arrived, apparently without orders. Herald Kevyn arrived today. He has a high fever and stubbornly wants to get back on the road.
We would be glad to keep him here until this fever passes and then send him back out. Our healer has experience dealing with mule headed males (my uncles) and can handle one stubborn Herald.
If you want us to tie him up and ship him to Haven we can probably do that as well.
Your Cousin,
Sherria
Sherri read it over. It would do. She folded it and slid it into a message tube. The keep, officially called the Fortress of Sorrows, another silly title, had messenger birds for delivering message to the capital since winter often kept them isolated much of the year. Soon the Queen would know where her absent Herald was and, hopefully, understand he was in good hands. For now she had to worry about an idiot Herald and try to keep him from discovering that she was a spy, not for Ancar but for ghosts. She doubted he would understand.