CHAPTER 23
The Grove trees cast dappled shadows over the prone Sherri as she read one of her new texts. A small crease had appeared between her brows as she struggled to commit the obscure laws to memory.
:How is it coming?: Quin asked, interrupting her.
"Well enough I suppose." Sherri answered with out looking up. "Some of these laws are a trifle silly."
:I know. But they are still on the books. Like that one about no more than six geese may cross a street at once in Haven. Thankfully it isn't enforced any more.:
"I should hope not. Some of these are very foolish."
:Most were made by the City Council, not by the Monarch so it falls to them to enforce the laws they make. I believe there is one down south that you aren't drunk so long as you can 'hold on to the ground'.:
Sherri laughed. "And if they repealed it they would look like they were acknowledging they had been idiots. I know there is one in the north that half of a Bard's songs must be written in, about, or by northerners."
:I didn't hear that one.:
"It was made three centuries or so ago. A few of the old grumblers want enforced but Bards have immunity. A pointless law."
Quin carefully sank to the ground next to her. :I was hoping I could speak to you for a moment.:
Sherri heard the seriousness and stress in his voice and closed her book. "Is something wrong?"
:No, not at all.:
"So this is about the purple cows."
Quin grimaced. :Yes it is. I don't know how much you read off me so I will start at the beginning. I was Herald Kris. Normally we are offered several choices when we die, but I was offered one that isn't normally offered. I could choose to come back as a Companion a few centuries from now or come back immediately. There were other choice but I can't remember them for the life of me.:
"I take it you aren't normally allowed to come back immediately."
:Usually we take a rest. The reason I was offered that choice was because of you. My Gift then was far sight and I was also a Gift teacher.:
"There must be plenty of Farsighted gift teachers to choose from, why you?"
Quin wished she hadn't cut to the point so quickly. :I didn't even know you existed until I was dead. Otherwise things would have been different.:
Sherri's face went lax with shock. "You mean you are my father?"
Quin sighed. :Yes.:
Sherri remained silent for so long Quin started to worry. The only sounds to fill the air were the gentle shuffling sound of the leaves in the breeze and the distant rush of the river.
Finally Sherri rubbed her forehead. "My mother is a ghost and my father is a horse. Why me?"
Quin wasn't certain if he should laugh or take offence. :I am not a horse.:
Sherri shot a glare at him. "I am well aware of that. Why did they offer you the chance to come back? It wasn't just because we are related? I mean, we never even met when you were human."
:No, it was offered because you need all the emotional anchors you can get. True Seers go insane and take a lot of people with them.:
Sherri was uncertain about what she even felt. Vague surprise but other wise she was just numb.
:You are taking this rather well.:
Sherri searched the face of the worried spirit-Quin, who she now knew was named Kris, trying to feel something that said 'this is your father', validation for what he had said. They were both tall, not a surprise considering the height of her uncles, they both had black hair, uncommon but not too unusual, they both had blue eyes, not unusual, all her uncles had blue eyes, and they both had a widow's peak hairline, something her uncles and her mother didn't have, but he didn't look any older than her. They looked more like a brother and sister.
"I am sorry, but you just don't feel like a father to me." Sherri said honestly. "I have never thought about my father. I just figured it was someone my mother met at a party or festival and went to bed with."
Quin winced. :That is pretty much what happened.:
Sherri wished she hadn't brought that up. Why couldn't her parents just be dead like normal people?
~ * ~
Kevyn was exhausted. Darkwind had certainly put him through his paces today. He hadn't been allowed to make any offensive moves as Darkwind hurled mage bolts and made mage storms outside his shields, forcing him to retreat or adapt. When Darkwind finally called a halt to the lesson Kevyn had been about to lose his last shield to the two mage storms that had been eating his shields.
Now all he wanted was his bed.
"You look three quarters dead." A familiar and welcome voice commented. Sherri was standing just a few feet from him with a tray of food and a pot of what smelled like a spicy tea. "Nick suggested I bring you something to eat before you collapsed."
"Thank you." Kevyn opened his door for her and allowed her to precede him into the room. "How was your meeting with Dirk?"
"It went well. I am doing the accelerated route. He thinks that with my background I should finish in a year or a year and a half, a record. How was your bout with Darkwind?"
"Long and disappointing. I couldn't keep my shields up against the mage storms he created and I wasn't permitted any offensive moves."
Sherri set the food on the table and sat on one of his batter, comfortable chairs. "Van used to do that to me. I found that is I made a shield, not around me but one that made a large dome around the storm it would follow the curve of the dome. You can also make the shield 'cold' and it will suck the power out of the storm."
"Cold?"
"Like cold stone floors suck the heat out of your feet. It works quite well. You could also distract your attacker by causing movement of the periphery of their vision that may break their concentration enough for you to retreat and regroup." Sherri poured them each a cup of the tea as Kevyn helped himself to an apple wedge.
"Did it work on Vanyel?"
"Twice. But only because I let a lot of time pass before I tried it the second time. I also used illusions to distract him a few times and made the ley lines do odd things."
"Have they chosen someone to train you yet?"
"No. I think they have sent word to the other members of the alliance hoping they will have someone with experience, or even a foggy notion on how to train me." Sherri sat back and sipped her tea slowly.
"Is everything alright?" Kevyn asked.
:What can I tell him? Gee, me dad is my Companion?: Sherri commented to Quin as she shook her head.
:Is it still bothering you?:
:Of course it is!: Sherri snapped.
"Sherri?"
"Quin." Sherri said shortly. Kevyn shook his head and watched as Sherri gestured in her silent conversation.
:At least one of your parent's tried to stick around for you.: Quin snapped back.
:My mother did too, in case you haven't noticed! Look what happened last time I was near her!: Sherri sat up and pounded her fist on the arm of the chair. :The last thing I need is more people hovering over me, worrying about me, and telling me what is best for me.:
:I am not hovering!:
"Yes, you are!"
"Are you and Quin arguing already?" Kevyn asked.
Sherri realised she had spoken aloud. "Yes. He dumped a massive surprise on me a little while ago and he keeps asking how I am taking it."
"Care to talk about it?"
"No. It's better that I don't." Sherri sighed and set her mug down. "It is one of those things I can't talk about."
Kevyn accepted that. "Am I to eat this feast on my own?"
Sherri banished her concerns to the farthest corner of her mind and smiled. "Of course not. I start classes with Captain Kerowyn, is there anything I should know about?"
"Have lots of muscle lotion stocked up and don't talk back. Other than that, try not to get hit too often."
"I'll see what I can manage." Sherri smiled and chose a tart. "Are you feeling more revived?"
"Some what. What is in that tea?"
"It is a stimulant tea that works best for Gift over use. Daya taught it to me years ago."
"It's good."
"I had to pry it out of the hands of the healers. They think Heralds are going to misuse it."
"We would." Kevyn admitted.
"It doesn't have any side effects beyond nausea if you drink too much. But it does loses its efficacy if you use it too often. And you shouldn't use it for more than two weeks or you develop a really nasty case of insomnia. Normally it does taste really bitter but Daya taught me the other herbs to add to make it taste good."
"Finally, a healer that makes her potions taste good." Kevyn said lightly.
"Daya swears that the patient feels better quicker if they are worried about taking the next dose."
"A wise notion. I wonder if she will accompany your wardrobe down here."
"I hope so. I hate to think of her having to grind herbs or go out collecting in the woods. She is too old to run around fixing every scrape and bruise. I have tried to retire her for years but she refuses to even consider it."
"As stubborn as her pupil." Kevyn teased.
"Maybe, if she does come with the clothing, I could convince her to set up a small shop selling her potions." Sherri brightened.
"Do you think she would agree?"
"I will say I want her close to me. She has been like family. She even delivered me, a story she likes to trot out every time she thinks I need to be deflated."
"Nothing like an old family retainer giving you a set down." He agreed. "I hope it works."
"As do I." Sherri rested her chin on her hand and studied him. "I finally have my private dinner with you. My only thought at the moment is should I proposition you again."
Kevyn laughed and offered her his hand as he stood. "This time I'll do the asking. Sherri, would you care to spend the night?"
"I would love to." Sherri accepted his hand and stood. "I was hoping you would ask."