Sherri managed to avoid more questions by pleading exhaustion and heading to bed early. She knew Kevyn didn't believe her for a moment but she didn't want to say too much. Her keep and her forest were her home and she did not want to be called down south to Haven to help mop up Change creatures.
She changed into the loose pants and shirt she used for night clothes and crawled under the cool covers. Sleep was elusive and many Candlemarks later she still lay awake.
:Kechara, bring some meat and cream. We have a guest.: A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.
:Now? It is the middle of the night.: Sherri answered even as she swung out of bed.
:Now.:
Sherri changed into thick woollen breeches and shirt, strapped on her sword, and pulled on a heavy winter cloak. Her soft boots made almost no sound in the hall as she headed to the kitchen for the requested items. Had a wolf been injured? Van would probably put the poor creature out of its misery. Wolves that became reliant on men for food often became herd killers and would fearlessly enter the towns and villages. A recipe for danger.
She cut the meat herself and placed it in a covered bucket. The cream she poured into a clean, empty wine bottle and corked shut. She hoped this would be enough.
In the stable she felt the Companion watch her closely. She had no doubt that Kevyn was already being warned about her little late night trip. Eagle, now her horse, shifted restlessly as she led him out of his roomy stall. She grabbed a lantern from the wall, lit it, and voyaged out into the night.
She left Eagle deep in the woods and continued the rest of the way on foot. He still didn't trust the ghost and often spooked when they appeared. It wasn't hard to find Vanyel, Y'fandes, and Stefen. What did surprise her was the large red and cream cat they were gathered around. It was sprawled with unnatural limpness on the ground. There was an image overlaying the cat of a man wearing strange robes. She wondered which was the true vision. Sometimes her gift was most annoying.
Sherri dropped to her knees next to him ignoring the cold snow.
:Who are you?: A strange male voice asked in her mind.
"I am Sherria."
"He is a Firecat." Van explained.
"Kevyn mentioned a Firecat this afternoon. He said there was one down south in the plains and that he recommended I be transported down there."
:You must be the Countess of Sorrows then.: The Firecat commented.
"Yes, that would be me." Sherri gingerly touched the vision wondering if her hand would touch the man or the cat. Cat.
Vision of a subterranean room with lights hanging from the ceiling that glowed with a pure, white light and the faces of many men filled her mind. She recognized Firesong and An'desha. An'desha was looking much more human now but he still had the cat like eyes and feline grace. Nausea swamped her as images of how the Firecat got here filled her.
"Sherri?"
"I am fine. It was just overpowering." Sherri broke the contact. She poured some of the meat on the snow by the cat and stood.
:It is to bad it is too late for transporting humans. You would have been very helpful.: The cat said as he devoured the meat.
"She is almost as hard to remove from the forest as we are." Stef grinned at her.
:I hope not. You are why I am here.: The cat finished the meal. Sherri poured some cream in her hand for him to lap up.
"Care to start at the beginning?" Vanyel asked.
The cat, refreshed from his meal, sat up and blinked his massive blue eyes at the gathered company. :We are hoping you will join us in the south. We could use your expertise and experience.:
:You got Permission for this?: Fandes asked dubiously.
:Yes, Karal petitioned and was told I could fetch you down, if you wish to go.:
"Karal?" Sherri asked, slightly confused.
"The sunpriest secretary." Van reminded her.
"Right, the boy who lost his master. I read one of the little blades. I have never seen anything cleaned so expertly of traces." Sherri mused over the sharp little weapons.
:That is the one. Are you three willing to join us?: The hesitancy in the cats mind voice was obvious.
Sherri stood and brushed her hand off on her pants. She knew they would go if it was possible.
"Lady Sherria?" A familiar voice called through the woods.
"Who was that?" Vanyel asked.
"That is Herald Kevyn Ashkevron." Sherri answered.
The rustling underbrush warned as he neared.
"I am over here."
"What one earth are you doing out here? It is freezing." Kevyn said as he appeared.
Sherri glanced down at the Firecat. "I am not going to explain a thing. You lot can."
Kevyn was obviously confused. Sherri crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at the spirits. They started to glow which meant they were actually manifesting.
"Herald Kevyn Ashkevron, please allow me to introduce Herald Vanyel Ashkevron, His Companion, Y'fandes, and Bard Stefen."
Kevyn stared for a moment then recovered. "You were Sherri's magic teachers?"
:Someone had to teach her before she destroyed something.: Vanyel said lightly.
:Valdemar had a mage and didn't use her in the war?: The Firecat eyed her warily.
: She isn't Chosen, so every time she lit a candle I had to dispel the vrondi. She wanted to go south and fight but she couldn't leave Sorrows. She stayed here and acted as our link to the outside world. She helped keep an eye on the front, she watched Elspeth to make certain she never fell into trouble, she stayed here and made certain no one starved in the long winters and that everyone's field were planted.: Vanyel spoke vehemently in her defence. :Now she Reads objects, many with bloody histories that she experiences first hand, to answer questions no one else can.:
:She was the one who tried to trace the little blade that hit Ulrich's lung. She experienced his pain as if it was her own. She tried to see who had handled it before the artist but it had been cleaned of all traces.: Stefen continued.
"Who would have believed her if she offered?" Kevyn challenged. "She has helped find the last of the traitors. I think she has served Valdemar and the Alliance as much as a Herald."
Sherri blushed with pleasure at their defence. "I don't see what this has to do with taking Van, Stef, and Fandes to the Plains."
The Firecat still watched her with a cool gaze. The human vision looked even more suspicious. Almost as if he believed he had come face to face with evil.
Sherri leaned against a tree. "You know, when you were human you really needed to lose weight."
:What!:
:She also has True Sight.: Vanyel said offhandedly. :Rather powerful True Sight at that. She sees us as if we were still flesh and blood.:
The Firecat looked at her with new respect. :A Spirit Speaker then. I can see why she wouldn't be able to face a battlefield.:
Sherri bristled. "Enough. I assume you three want to accompany him. How shall we accomplish that?"
Kevyn looked lost but didn't say anything.
:If we went we would leave the north defenceless.: Vanyel shook his head.
Sherri snorted. "Hardly. We will simply adapt to not having a haunted forest for a while. There are enough soldiers hanging about to make a small defensive force. They can do 'mop up' duty up here. I can even ask one of my uncles to come command them. Favram maybe. He misses Sorrows."
:They need something physical I can transport down there. Something I can handle.: The Firecat supplied.
"Should we go?" Van asked. Sherri knew that other than the three ghosts only she heard them.
Sherri glanced at Kevyn and the cat and answered with her mind. :Go. You can help there and return when all is safe.:
Stef gave her a knowing look she couldn't comprehend. "She's right. We will return when the Storms are over. The living can survive with out us."
:There have been no barbarians or bandits since the Waves started.: Y'fandes reminded them.
"Then we shall go. Kechara, we need the gittern." Van turned to her.
Sherri nodded, not trusting herself to speak. "It will only take a moment to fetch."
She strode away quickly hoping they wouldn't follow her. The gittern they spoke of had grown into the tree it had rested against centuries ago where it had been left by the aging Bard Stefen. Behind her she heard the shuffle of human feet through the underbrush.
"I don't need help, Herald Kevyn."
"I am not letting you out of my sight. Otherwise I will be stuck in here for days trying to find the keep." Kevyn explained.
Sherri didn't slow down until she reached the tree. Thankfully it wasn't far from where the Firecat had appeared. She unsheathed her sword and carefully started prying the gittern free from the golden oak. Kevyn joined her and both were sweating when the instrument finally came free. Root tendrils had wound around the strings and frame and some of the frame had been completely enveloped in the bark. Sherri knew it would take a great deal of magic to return the instrument to its resting place but it would be worth the effort. She made certain one of the strings remained wound in with the tree, a piece of them to remain.
"I'll carry it." Kevyn volunteered. "What's it like being able to talk with ghosts as if they were alive and in front of you?"
Sherri shrugged. "I have always seen them. It just took me years to discover others couldn't. To me they look alive. Most ghosts need to expend energy to influence the world or manifest. However, I can see them and touch them as if they were as alive as you."
"How do you know they are ghosts?"
"Usually clothing. They don't change their clothing to match the current styles." Sherri answered. Talking about her strange abilities, something she hated to do, was better than dwelling on her friends' imminent departure.
"Are there any other ghosts?"
"My many-times-great-grandfather is still up at the keep. He wanders around in his night shirt and thinks I am his granddaughter even though we look nothing alike. He shows up at the oddest times and is only vaguely aware of what is happening."
"And your mother."
"Yes." Sherri glanced towards the keep.
"Are you fully trained?"
"Hardly. It has only been five years or so since I started and I have had to dedicate most of my time to the estate. None of them have any experience with teaching a true seer so much of it has been cobbled together."
"Elspeth and Darkwind are founding a Mage Collegium. You should attend. Someone there is bound to have experience with true sight."
"Maybe someday." Sherri said vaguely. She had no intentions of leaving Sorrows, either the forest or fortress.
"You are a miserable liar." He accused lightly.
"I am happy here. I know every stick of furniture in the keep. The people understand that beyond taking temperatures when someone is ill I prefer not to touch anyone. My closest friends who I can touch and talk to openly are close by. Everything here is familiar."
"Don't you want to see the outside world? Meet the gryphons. Your cousin, Selenay, would like to meet you."
"Kevyn, I am happy here." Sherri said firmly. "I will leave the rest of the world to you and the other Heralds."
"I am surprised you haven't been Chosen." Kevyn let the subject of leaving go.
"Perhaps they don't want me to know all their secrets."
"That is probably it." Kevyn allowed her to enter the snow frosted clearing ahead of him. The ghost still glowed like three figures of luminescent glass.
:Excellent.: Vanyel said as the gittern was set on the ground.
:That will do quite well.:
"I can replace it once you return." Sherri commented as she stood to the side.
Stef glanced at her with concern and she knew he wanted to speak with her before he left. These three guardians of Valdemar were closer to her heart than her uncles. Not surprising since she had seen her uncles for only a few months all told since they left to join the war. They were her family in ways her blood family had never been.
:I would like to leave immediately. We have to beat the next wave back to the tower.: Altra commented.
:In a moment.: Stef delayed. "Sherri? You don't mind, do you?"
:I understand. Duty calls.: Sherri assured
"We'll continue your lessons when we return." Vanyel promised.
Sherri nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
:This is going to be rough enough. The longer we wait the worse it will be.: Altra warned and picked up the ancient instrument in his massive jaws.
:Watch our woods for us Sherri.: Y'fandes said for her mind alone. :Let young Kevyn stay with you until we return.:
The three ghosts merged with the gittern then Altra vanished. To Sherri it was like the forest heaved a great sigh and fell as silent as death. The life and energy of the forest depleted as its guardians left.
"We should get back." Kevyn said in the icy silence.
Sherri whistled shrilly and Eagle crashed through the underbrush to reach her. A white form behind him warned of the Companions approach. Sherri swung onto Eagle's back and urged him into a trot. Kevyn followed on his Companion. Sherri kept her attention focused on the deer trail she was following. Kevyn took the hint and said nothing.