CHAPTER 18

Sherri managed to find her way out of the Herald's Collegium without incident before Kevyn caught up with her. 

"Now what are you doing?"  Kevyn asked.  "You are supposed to be recuperating."

"I'll recuperate later.  I am not going to turn Sorrows over to anyone with out taking proper precautions."  Sherri paused and looked around.  "They teach ordinary students here, right?"

"The Blues?"

"Are any taught land management?"  Sherri asked.

"Not that I know of."

:Maybe you should talk to you uncle first.:  Quin suggested.

"May as well."

"Pardon?"

"Quin."  Sherri explained.  "I'll try to remember to not respond out loud.  Where did they put my uncles?"

"In the old palace, Avren has quarters there.  I'll show you where."

"Wait!  I said I wanted to see the fireworks when they heard."  Myra burst out the door.  Her red hair escaping the confines of her braid making wispy tendrils about her face.

The three of them crossed the courtyard and entered the guarded doorway of the old palace.  Sherri let the Heralds take the lead, the green gown may be one of her best, but it was still very countrified by Haven standards and she hoped any attention they gathered was focused on the Heralds.  Up one flight of stairs and a few corners and Kevyn stopped. 

"This is it I believe.  Avren's quarters."

Sherri knocked briskly.  "Could they be at dinner?"

The door swung open to reveal Degane, Ciro's twin, read to rip a strip off who ever was interrupting them.

"Sherri!  You're alive."  He swept her up in a hug that left her feet dangling off the floor.

"Of course I am alive."  Sherri said sharply.  "Please put me down."

Kevyn didn't bother hiding his grin.  Myra shook her head.

Degane gently placed Sherri on her feet.  "Where have you been?  The Healers had you hidden away, didn't they?"

The other uncles appeared in the doorway behind him. 

"She is with that too pretty Herald."  Ethen grumbled.  "I told you he was panting after her."

"Panting?"  Sherri glanced at Kevyn.  "Doubtful.  I have been more of a pain than anything else."

"We can take care of her now."  Buren, the stuffiest of the bunch, said to the Heralds.

"I am sure you think you can."  Sherri drummed her fingers on her leg.  "Can we please speak?"

The uncles parted to allow the three to enter the room.  It was furnished with very utilitarian furniture of dark brown with not a doily, vase, or knick knack in sight.  Sherri sat on one of the couches.  The Heralds took seats on either side of her.

"Sit down please."  She gestured to the vacant couch and chairs.  They reluctantly sat down.  Sherri considered her words carefully.  "Normally I would have just written you but then it would be ten years before you found out so I will tell you to your face.  I was Chosen and have already taken up residence among the Heralds."

Silence reigned for several moments.

"No."  Avren ordered.  "Being a Herald is too dangerous.  We aren't going to let them try this foolishness with you.  You are a Lady and you will remain a lady."

"It is all the fault of that Herald.  He gave her the idea to become a Herald."  Ethen insisted loudly.

Favram bolted to his feet.  "You can't become a Herald, you are the Countess of Sorrows.  Your people need you back there."

Myra's eyes twinkled with amusement.  Kevyn kept a wary eye on the uncles but was obviously amused.  Sherri, however, was annoyed and hurt. 

"This is not up for discussion.  I was Chosen.  No one but my Companion and I are at fault."  Sherri stood.  Her cold tone cut through the noise and bluster of her uncles.  "I have already decided Uncle Favram is to become the next Count, may I suggest you find a capable steward quickly, harvest will arrive soon.  The account books were up to date when Uncle Avren arrived but haven't been touched since so I imagine there is a mess awaiting you."

Silence filled the room.  Ciro and Ethen both sat back down as the rest of her announcement sank in.  Favram gaped, first at her then at Avren.

"The rest of you are military men to the core.  And you almost destroyed the estate last time you were in charge."  Sherri continued to explain.  "I believe that is everything.  If you will excuse me, I left my dinner to tell you before the Queen told you."

Once in the hall she sank back against the wall and closed her eyes.

:You should go back to bed.:

:Stop being a mother hen, Quin.  That was just harder than I thought.  I knew they would take it badly but it seems no matter what I do I am a disappointment to them.  I can't sew, cook, or anything like that.  I use a sword, I manage an estate.  I am just not what they hoped I would be.  Not in any way shape or form.:

Quin sent her a surge of love.  :You weren't the disappointment.  If they had bothered to read your letters they would have known you were much more than a mere lady.:

Sherri felt marginally better.

Someone took her hand and images and thoughts of concern for her flooded her.  Opening her eyes she saw Kevyn and Myra watching her worriedly with Kevyn holding her hand.

"Do you need to see a healer?"  Kevyn asked.  His thoughts emanated through the link like a pre-echo of his words.

Sherri gripped his hand tighter, his thoughts and acceptance were comforting after the scene with her uncles.  "I'll be fine.  Yes, I will, I am not lying."

Myra glanced at the door they had just exited.  "I didn't expect them to be such…idiots.  I am sorry, but I can't think of any better description.  I hope they don't make a fuss."

"I hope so too."  Kevyn agreed.

Sherri Saw and Felt his anger on her behalf.  "You are very sweet."

Myra shook her head.  "Yes, he is.  On you."

Kevyn cleared his throat and dropped her hand quickly.  Sherri blushed.

"If you are through with this we should show you around the Collegium a bit.  Where the library is and that sort of thing, and get you some uniforms.  Unless you did want to go back for some more supper."

"No, I may have some more later, but that was more than enough for now.  Where should we start?"

"Court dinner hasn't started so why not see if we can get in to see Selenay?"  Kevyn suggested.

Sherri looked down at her country style gown.  "I wish I had something better than this to wear."

Myra looked her over critically.  "Selenay will understand.  It's not like you are being introduced at court."

"You know the Queen, probably better than she realises, she wouldn't care if you were wearing sack cloth."  Kevyn assured her and started down the Hall in the opposite direction they had come from.

Sherri was lost almost instantly as Kevyn led them through one of the narrow halls used by pages to another area of the Old Palace.  From there he and Myra led her to a large set of doors guarded by to Guards clad in dark blue uniforms very similar to the Heraldic uniforms in style.

"Is Selenay in for an unofficial call?"  Myra asked.

The one guarded eyed Sherri carefully, searching for threats, while the other entered the room.  He emerged almost immediately.  "Go ahead, Heralds."

Kevyn allowed the two women to precede him into the Royal apartments.  It was lit by several lanterns that hung on ornate arms on the wall casting a bright golden light.  Sherri wondered how much history this room had seen but was careful not to touch anything.  The furniture was all plain and serviceable, some had the dings and scratches furniture collected over years of being lived on.  Several doors led off the sitting room, most likely to bedrooms, bathing rooms, and the like.

This room was familiar to Sherri from the letters she had exchanged with her cousin.  It was one of Selenay's few sanctuaries.

One of the doors opened and a familiar woman clad in a white gown, her greying golden hair bound by a red gold coronet, emerged.

"Sherria, I heard you had recovered and were Chosen.  You are looking much better than you did yesterday."  Selenay greeted her warmly.

"I should hope I look better."  Sherri grinned.  "I am glad I can finally meet you."

"Not nearly as glad as I am.  You must have been terribly confused when you came to this morning."  Selenay gestured for Sherri to have a seat.  "One day you are back in Sorrows, the next you are at the healers with a horse talking in your head."

The two Heralds retreated quickly leaving them alone to catch up.

"I hope my uncles haven't been too much of a pain.  They didn't take the news that I was Chosen very well."

Selenay grimaced.  "Don't get me started.  They have been impossible."

"If they aren't gone in a few days we should knock them all unconscious and ship them back to wherever they are supposed to be."  Sherri said with a conspiratorial grin.

Selenay laughed.  "It is hard to believe, but you are just as I imagined you would be.  It is nice to speak with someone who has no political agenda."

Sherri understood.  She had learned from the letters that while the Heralds did not usually have agendas they also had no experience in being responsible for people that they may never meet.  Heralds would gladly lay down their lives for the citizens of Valdemar but it was the Queen, and only the Queen, who was responsible for the citizens of Valdemar's health, happiness, welfare, and safety.  Sherri had been the Countess almost her entire life and, like many border lords and ladies, had been responsible for overseeing the welfare of her people in a very similar fashion only on a much smaller scale.

"Politics is a dirty game and I have no intention of doing more than I have to."  Sherri said with conviction.  "The sad thing is my Gift would probably make me very good at it."

"Your Uncles were rather vague about what happened to you.  Was it because of your gift?"

"Avren locked me in a room with a ghost."  Sherri looked down at the scars that marred her finger tips now.  She vaguely remembered trying to claw through the door.  If only she had remembered her other gift, magic, she should have just blasted to door from its hinges.  "I never told them about my abilities and didn't plan on doing it, ever."

"I can't blame you.  They may be kin, but they are still thick, backwater, ignorant, soldiers."  Selenay agreed wryly.  "I better get going, I have Court dinner."

"Kevyn mentioned you wanted to knight me, or some such thing, for the incident with the maps."

"Not just the maps, uncovering Lord Inture, reading the objects we sent you, you deserve the recognition."

"Don't even consider it.  I will be a Herald, I will Read any object you ask me to, just don't tell others of my Gift."

Selenay eyed her in confusion. 

"I don't want people pestering me with silly requests to Read a family heirloom or some such nonsense.  It is bad enough I can't turn it off."

"Very well, we will tell no one of your abilities."  Selenay capitulated gracefully.  "However there will be a small party in your honour."

"Why?"  Sherri asked warily.

"I am afraid I could use your talents.  If that is alright with you.  From what I understand you can't see illusions."

"Sort of.  They make my head ache and my eyes itch and it is like an overlay on reality, why?  Someone at this party will be wearing an illusion?"

"Yes, we want to see what is underneath the illusion before we act.  None of the mages have pierced it yet."

Sherri sighed.  "Can't you just point him out in passing?"

"He lives in the City.  We don't want to raise any suspicions by asking him here for no reason.  I was going to send you an invitation and request you come down before your uncles wrote me.  The plan was to knight you and ask you to look then.  Since you are here now, and Chosen, we have to change our plan."

"I will do it.  But I don't think we need a party in my honour to pull it off.  I will just attend some fete you have and see him then.  We should keep my abilities very quiet then, otherwise they may spook.  However, I would like to ask a boon in return."

Selenay stiffened.

"Keep my uncles from marrying me off."  Sherri said with a sigh.  "I know they are plotting it right now."

"That we can do."  Selenay laughed.  "Can you find your way back to the Herald's Wing?"

"If not I can always ask for directions."  Sherri stood.  "Enjoy court."

"I doubt it."  Selenay admitted.

"What we suffer for duty."  Sherri chuckled.  When she opened the door Kevyn was waiting in the hall.

"I didn't want you to get lost trying to get back."  Kevyn explained.

"Well, thank you."  Sherri fell into step beside him.  "Myra took off already?"

"She said she had something to do.  She said she would be at your door tomorrow morning about a candlemark before breakfast."

Sherri nodded.  "Perhaps you could give that tour now, if you have time."

"It would be my pleasure.  Shall we start with the library?