~evil-cat saunters in~ Disclaimer! All Valdemar related concepts such as Heralds, Companions, Haven, and, of course, Valdemar itself, are the property of the wonderful Mercedes Lackey!
Chapter 7- A New Dawn, A New Day…
Saffri still half believed that she was dreaming, or dead. The changes that had swept through her life in the past few weeks were enough to make anybody shake their head in disbelief. A few short weeks ago Saff had been a virtual outcast in a Pelagir/Border village of Valdemar, a loner who had kept to herself and thought that she was going mad because she kept on hearing voices in her head. A few short weeks ago, Saff had discovered that the so-called village Priest, one Father Jaric, was nothing of the sort, he was a Bloodpath Mage and he wanted her dead. A few short weeks ago Saffri's Gift's had exploded into life under the onslaught of the aforementioned Mage as he tried to make good on his intent to kill her.
Saffri looked about herself slowly, still marvelling at the changes that had happened. Rather than being a corpse in some ditch somewhere, or a raving lunatic, here she was, heading towards Haven, the capital of Valdemar. And that wasn't the end to the changes. Not only was she heading to the capital city, but she was doing in the company of two Heralds and their Companions, and more, she herself was riding a Companion and wearing a cast off set of Derran's Greys.
~Maybe I really did go mad.~ Saff thought wryly to herself. ~He succeeded, and I'm a raving lunatic, locked inside my own fantasies whilst I wander about the village and Forest and sleep in ditches.~
Saff's mount looked backwards at her with one sapphire eye.
:That is one of the silliest things I have ever heard!: The Companion's Sending was mixed with amusement and disbelief, which caused Saffri to chuckle silently.
:I do apologise, oh wise one.: She Sent in reply, and got a snort for her troubles.
Saffri extracted herself from her slightly maudlin thoughts and shifted her weight in Kara's saddle. As soon as she had been well enough Lexa had insisted that they leave for Haven, Saff wasn't entirely sure what the rush was, but she had a suspicion that it was in order to get her, and her still unpredictable Gifts, far away from Bolten. And also away from the Pelagirs and Jaric, who had escaped before Lexa could get her hands on him.
Kara was obviously still following Saff's thoughts, not exactly hard given how tightly they had Bonded, as she broke her silence again. :That man—thing is not going to get hold of one single hair off of you.: She insisted. :I'm willing to lay bets that the half toasted coward is still running away from Bolten and into the Pelagirs.:
Saff leaned forwards and absently stroked Kara's neck, causing her to curve it and sigh in satisfaction. :I know four-feet. I'm still going to worry about it though.:
:I suppose it's only natural.: Kara sighed, her warm breath briefly forming clouds that wreathed around her head as she continued to follow Jass along the hard-packed snow surface of the trade road. :I doubt we will ever see him again however. One of the Heralds that came with the MindHealers for Bolten is a Wingsister to the Hawkbrothers. Jass told me that she's going to suggest that the Hawkbrothers have a little winter hunting expedition.: Saff could feel Kara's amusement, tinted with a touch of bloodlust, along with that last sentence.
:I never saw any Hawkbrothers when I was in the Forest.:
:Believe me,
they would've been there. I almost wish
we were still back there…:
Saff smiled. :You,: she admonished, :are very
bloodthirsty for a horse, four-feet!:
:I am not a horse!: Kara snorted loudly in indignation and altered her gait for a few beats, thoroughly jarring Saff's bones.
:Okay,
okay. You're the most wonderful
Companion that ever was. Happy?:
:Say it again and I may forgive you.: Kara twisted her head slightly and Saffri could see her blue eyes sparkling with wicked amusement.
"Heyla!" Zirri jogged up beside them as the road widened. Derran looked from Companion to Trainee. "Now what are you two laughing about?"
Both of them gave Derran identical looks of injured innocence, causing Zirri to bob her head and whicker in amusement.
"Us?" Saffri held a hand up to her chest. "What in the Havens makes you think that we would be up to something?"
:We're totally innocent.: Kara added.
"That's right." Saffri nodded. "We're totally innocent."
Derran returned their looks with an amused disbelieving one of his own. "I heard already. You're Broadsending again Kara."
:Oops.: The Companion didn't sound particularly remorseful, which elicited another whicker from Zirri.
Derran drew himself up in the saddle and tried to look as dignified as a Herald could when his Companion was shaking with laughter. "Honestly, children! I was never tha—"
:Yes you were.: Zirri cut him off. :Not too long ago either, grand-daddy.:
Saffri dissolved into laughter as Kara relayed what Zirri had said to her and Derran gave in to the inevitable and joined in the laughter.
Lexa looked back over her shoulder at the pair of laughing Trainees.
:Children.: She commented wryly to Jass. :Were we ever that young?:
The Companion
craned his head round to look at the laughing group. :Oh, we were once, then time caught up with us. It is good that they are doing that
though. I doubt poor Saffri had much of
a normal childhood, and just being able to laugh with others of nearly the same
age as her is good for her.:
:That is true.: Lexa sighed quietly and peered down the road. :Is it me or are we nearly home?: She asked Jass.
Jass lifted his head slightly and scented the breeze. :We are nearly there.: He confirmed. :We'll see Haven as soon as we round this bend, I can smell the tanners already.: The Companion wrinkled his nose slightly in distaste.
"I know dearling," Lexa said sympathetically, before raising her voice and looking back at the Trainees. "Saffri, Derran, we're about half a marl out of Haven, if you want to come up here Saffri, you'll get the first look at your new home."
Saffri sat up in the saddle slightly, her heart beat quickening. Kara picked up her excitement and obligingly picked up her pace, jogging forward until she was level with her brother.
As she reached Jass the group reached the turn in the road and Saffri found herself looking at the capital city of Valdemar. The icy landscape fell away before them before rising slightly as it reached the slight hill that Haven was sprawled over the crown of. The crystal clear air made it seem as if Saff could reach out and touch the buildings that huddled up against the outer wall of the city, but the winding road twining away from them towards the city indicated that there were a few mile to go yet.
"It's so big—I mean, uh…" Saff trailed off and blushed slightly as Lexa looked over at her.
"Don't worry about it youngling," Lexa commented with a wry grin, "all us Border brats say that the first time we see Haven."
"Border brat, you?!" Saffri sounded disbelieving, causing Lexa to chuckle and nod in confirmation, an action that was echoed by Jass, who whickered and bobbed his head.
:I remember when Jass got the Call and went for Lexa.: Kara said to Saffri. :I was only a foal when big brother there went gallivanting off after his Chosen. They didn't get back to the Collegia for almost a month.:
"A month?" Saff's mouth hung open slightly as she looked at Lexa.
Lexa laughed. "Yes, a month. I'm from a village over near the Hardornen Border, so I was as much a country bumpkin as was possible when I arrived, pretty much like half of the Herald Trainees."
"Oh." Saff went quiet and contemplated that as they chimed their way ever closer to the outskirts of Haven.
The ramshackle looking collection of rough-built work-sheds and that crept out from the city walls were not exactly what Saff had pictured when she had previously thought of Haven, the massive stone walls that encircled the city proper were however, and Saff gaped slightly and craned her head backwards to look up at the vaulted ceiling of the tunnel through the wall. The pair of guards stationed outside the gate, and on the wall above it had ignored them, except to call out greetings or to wave.
Saffri concluded that having a Companion was a pretty much guaranteed pass to the city. Kara snorted with amusement as she followed that thought.
:This is the
South Gate, Chosen.: she informed
Saffri. :The buildings are going to
get grander in short order. We're going
to go the shorter route up to the Collegia, so you won't see many of the big
houses or public buildings.:
:Shorter?: Saffri asked.
:Yes.: Kara confirmed. :We're going to take shortcuts through alleys and the like. The 'proper' way around the streets will take too long because all the roads are arranged in a spiral. The others and I are rather looking forward to getting home and having a nice hot mash and I thought that you'd probably want to get off my back as soon as possible.: The sending was tinged with amusement.
Before Saffri could think of a reply, Jass turned off the narrow street that the Companions had been pacing down and cut into an alley that was gloomy and damp, the overhanging eaves and upper stories of the crowded buildings obscuring the weak winter sun from reaching the ground. The chill of the alley had barely touched her bones when Saffri suddenly found herself back in the sunlight as the group emerged from the alley into a wide street that was lined with more prosperous buildings, most with their ground floors converted to shops. This street had more traffic on it than the others they had so far traversed and the Companions were now required to slow their pace and wind their way through the pedestrians and wagons that milled about.
Zirri drew level with Kara and Derran reached over to touch Saff's arm. Saffri looked over at him, slightly startled, as she had been avidly crowd watching, this being the most number of people she had ever seen, and revelling in the fact that her shields kept them out of her head and nothing more than a slight pressure.
"Having fun?" He asked with a smile.
"Oh, yes." Saffri smiled back. "It's not what I would've expected though, it's all so big."
"I suppose it is." Derran looked about as they made another cut through a half hidden alleyway and emerged on an even wider street, lined with equally more imposing buildings. "I grew up round here," he said offhandedly, "my family own property around here. I was going to be a courtier, or something else equally as pointless and boring until Zirri came for me."
"You're a noble?!" Saff hissed slightly, sounding shocked. "You don't seem to be a—" She broke off as her brain caught up with what her mouth was saying. "Um… sorry." Saff looked contrite.
Derran laughed at her expression. "Believe it or not, I have pretty much the same view of certain parts of the nobility that you do. Some of them are social butterflies, my older brother among them, and unfortunately the stereotype that they seem to encourage stains everyone else."
Lexa chuckled and spoke backwards over her shoulder. "Convincing argument there Derran." She commented. "Now I remember why the Dean told me encourage your orations, you'll do well as an ambassador."
Derran blushed hotly. "Now Lexa-" He began, but stopped when he became aware that all three Companions were snickering and that Lexa herself had a slight grin on her face.
"And that, young Saff, is how you stop one of Derran's little lectures in it's path." Lexa informed the slightly bemused looking girl with a wink. "He does have a tendency to go on a bit if he gets the bit between his teeth.
Saff bit her lip to keep from smiling as Derran looked slightly miffed.
"I'm not that bad." He said aggrievedly, with a bit of a pout.
Lexa raised an eyebrow at that, and Zirri gave her Chosen a look that indicated that if Companions had eyebrows, she would also be raising one.
"Well maybe kind of."
Zirri snorted agreement and whickered as the three Companions chimed their way onto a road that was really a boulevard, with wide sweeping curves and bare trees lining the pathways that led off the main road and into small parks and formal gardens and the curving driveways of the grand houses.
These soaring edifices were only of brief interest to Saffri as they turned a corner and she suddenly found the ancient grey stone wall of the palace compound rearing skywards in front of the Companion's noses. Set into the wall was another gateway, this one much smaller than the gate in the main city gates. The pair of guards at this gate emerged from a doorway set into the side of the gate tunnel itself and walked up to the now stationary Companions.
Both guards wore a dark blue uniform, highlighted here and there with silver trim and the older looking guard also carried a clipboard and silver stick. The guard squinted up at Lexa for a moment, and then his face cleared and he smiled in welcome.
"Welcome back Herald Lexa." He said, and marked something off on one of his sheets of paper. "And welcome to you too Trainee Derran." He added as he ticked something else off.
Lexa leaned forwards in her saddle. "Glad to be back Rolf," she said, "anything drastic happened while we've been gone?"
"Arr, not much." The older guard scratched his greying hair briefly as he looked up at the sky. "All been pretty quite as near as I can tell. Only had one more Companion go out for Choosing since you left."
Lexa indicated Saffri and Kara with a smile. "I know." She said.
Rolf looked at the pair. "Well know," he said happily, "Companion Kara and Chosen all present and correct. You'd better go up to the Collegia, they'll be expecting you." The guardsman made a final note on his sheaf of papers, stood aside and waved them through. The silent guard also stood to one side and briefly smiled at the Companions and their passengers as they chimed past.
Once through the immensely thick wall, Saff found herself outside in the sunlight, moving easily up a slightly inclined paved road towards what could only be the Palace and Collegia complex.
:It's so big.: She said to Kara who whickered in reply.
:Those seem to be your favourite words at the moment.: The Companion snickered. :We're not heading directly towards the Palace, you'll see in a moment the main part of Heraldic Collegia, it's joined onto the side of the Palace and that large area of green to the left is Companion's Field.: Kara nodded her head towards the vast acreage that was laid out before them as they crested the top of the rise.
"Oh, my." Saff said weakly, earning another set of sympathetic smiles from Lexa and Derran.
The Field was vast, extending out into the distance where it blurred into the darker green of what was obviously a woodland. Winding through the Field, from mid-distance on the left, to near on the right was a wide river that was spanned in places by artfully carved and constructed bridges.
:That's the Terilee River.: Kara said quietly.
Scattered around the snow covered Field were groups of incandescent white shapes. Saff was slightly puzzled, until she got a look at one of the groups near to the fence where they were riding by.
~Other Companions.~ As she realised this, no few of the heads of the Companions raised and turned and Saff found herself the scrutiny of several pairs of blue eyes, at least, she presumed so, she could only see the eyes of the Companions closest to the small group she was part of, but the stance and movements of the Companions further out in the Field indicated that they were also looking with some interest at the travellers.
The strange Companions seemed to reach a silent consensus and began to meander towards the Collegia complex and Saff's eyes were drawn to the buildings she and the others were fast approaching.
The Palace itself was a strange mix of old, very old and new. There were parts of it that clearly dated back almost to the Founding, harsh grey stone walls that definitely achieved the primary elements of a martial keep; to be very big and very much there for as nigh on eternity as was possible. The newer looking parts of the Palace, including parts of the Heraldic Collegia were constructed of a mixture of seasoned wood and stone of a slightly lighter grey. The newer parts of the Palace were also more like Saff had imagined them to be, sweeping architecture and graceful looking towers and turrets.
The fence that marked the edge of the Companion's Field had been running parallel to the path that Jass and the others were chiming along but now it dipped away from the path, running out more into the Field, giving a large, roughly semi-circular area, bordered on one side by the river in front of a large wooden building. The area itself was swept clean of snow, revealing a pounded flat sandy area which the three Companions now moved slowly across.
:This is home.: Kara said suddenly to Saff. :The wooden building in front of us is the Companion Stables.: She whickered with amusement and flicked an ear as she regarded the curious looking Companions that had moved in from the Field and now waited for the three recent arrivals in an open-sided shed-like affair that was heated by a series of closed stoves. :And it looks like I have a lot of explaining to do. I didn't exactly say goodbye when I left.:
:Will you be in trouble?: Saff asked anxiously, biting her lip as she rather stiffly dismounted from the Companion at the urging of a groom.
:Oh, of course
not!: The Companion rubbed her soft
nose against Saffri's cheek. :I told
Rolan where I was going, well, I told him that I was going out on Search. The others are just curious. I'll introduce them to you later if you'd
like.:
:Thank you, I
would like.:
:That's settled then! See you later two-feet!:
Saff became aware that Lexa was looking at her. "All done youngling?" The Herald asked kindly. "You can come and see Kara any time you feel like, we just need to get you enrolled in the Collegia now.
"Okay." Saff agreed, with a last look at the Companions who had moved into the warmth of the shed and were obviously deep in conversation with their peers as the grooms removed their tack and began to brush them down.
Derran fell into step with Saffri as Lexa led them across the front of the stables and round the side heading for, Saff saw, a set of fair sized double doors leading into what she presumed was the Collegia itself.
"Having fun?" Derran looked sideways at Saff, trying to judge her reaction. She seemed to be handling the enormous changes that had tipped her life upside down in the past few weeks.
"Oh, umm… I'm not sure really." Saff said honestly. "Everything is so different and well, I'm sure I'll get used to it." She half grinned across at Derran who bowed mockingly at her and held open one of the doors for her. "Why thank you m'lord."
"Ah, don't you start!" Derran pulled a face at her as they moved along the brightly lit wooden corridor. "I get enough of that off Zirri."
Lexa chuckled at the pair. "Now, now children." She chided gently. A few paces later she stopped at a honey coloured wooden door and knocked loudly. At the sound of a voice from the other side of the door Lexa opened it and ushered the two Trainees inside.
"Ah, Lexa. Good to see you back." Saff looked around the cluttered office, trying to find the speaker. "Over here child." The voice came from behind a pile of paper upon, what on closer inspection appeared to be, a desk.
The man stood up as Lexa gingerly perched herself on the edge of an equally loaded chair.
"Elcarth, are you ever going to sort this lot out?" she inquired.
"Oh, some day, I imagine." The man said airily. "Every time I try to someone seeds more bits of paper in here."
Saffri got a close look at the man as he spoke with Lexa, he appeared small and almost birdlike. He noticed her scrutiny and turned to smile at her.
"Welcome to Haven, my dear." He said. "I'm Dean Elcarth and I'm in charge of the running of the Heraldic Collegia, I presume that you are Saffri, Kara's Chosen?"
At Saff's look of surprise the Dean chuckled. "Companions are notorious gossipers and my own gossiper has been chatting away to Jass, Kara and Zirri since they entered the city."
Lexa cleared her throat before Elcarth could continue. "Sorry to interrupt, but Derran and I need to report, I'm sure we'll both see you later Saffri."
"Of course, of course, we'll be alright, won't we?" The Dean looked at Saffri.
"Oh, yes." Saffri looked at the Herald and sat down as he motioned towards a chair that was slightly less buried under files and papers. Derran smiled at her again before following Lexa out of the door, leaving Saffri alone with the Dean in his hideaway of an office.
"Now young miss,
lets get an idea of how much you know so I can place you in classes…"
~cat wanders in~ Ooo…this is a new place to be, down here at the bottom. ~cat look around~ I like it, more peaceful without that hellion of an evil-cat prancing about attacking people with a pointy stick…
Thank you! Thank you! Once again to all my reviewers, glad that you're enjoying it still! Timeframe wise (for Misura) I've kinda tentatively set 'Hunt' at some point after the Storms books so there are mages, but they're obviously a bit limited due to the lack of ley lines apart from the ones re-established by the Alliance mages!
~cat will stop now~ lol