Chapter 4
Firesong enjoyed the feel of the winter sun on his skin. After years of being without a veil he was finally starting to understand some of the joys of being in the true outdoors. Not that he was looking forward to winter. Thankfully the veil was strong enough to turn the snow to rain, minimizing his discomfort. As it was it was as warm as a pleasant summer day when beyond the shields the ground was blanketed with snow.
A footstep on the wood behind him made him sit up.
His father, Starfall, stopped beside him and admired the view. "I thought you would like to know that an Adept from k'Vala has volunteered to come here. Apparently he is visiting Valdemar as it is and has asked if we would like his help."
"Wonderful. Who is it?" Firesong asked, wondering if he knew them well and uncertain as to weather he wanted to know them or not. He did not look the same as he did when he left seven years early.
"I am not certain. I just warned to expect them in the next few days." Starfall shrugged. "I imagine it is one of the older ones that prefer the idea of wintering with us to wintering in Haven or riding back to k'Vala. Old or not, his help will be welcome."
"Just a few days? Have you told the hertasi?" Firesong stood and looked around for his lover, Silverfox. "We should prepare an ekele."
"I told them and they are preparing one that will suffice until we can build a new one for him. I imagine it will be almost palatial considering they have almost no time to prepare. I wish we had been warned earlier. What we have to worry about is greeting him."
"Leave that to the Hertasi as well and I am certain everything will go smoothly." Firesong assured him. "Who else knows?"
"I was going to tell the others this evening. Hopefully he will be traveling with some Heralds or a dyheli so we have some forewarning." Starfall started back inside. "Hopefully they will remember to tell us who our guest is."
~ * ~
"I am hoping it is Winterleaf. She is always interesting to have around. And we could use her talents." Firesong confessed to his lover and their dinner guests, Darian and Keisha Firkin. "She is the best I know at stimulating the growth of plants. Once she grew a tree from seedling to giant in less than a year."
"I'll just be happy for another Adept to help with the leylines." Darian shrugged. "I am not looking forward to dressing up though. Any idea how much of a fuss they are expecting?"
"Probably a lot." Firesong acknowledged. "Adepts are a pretentious lot."
He was just lifting another piece of fish to his lips when it crumbled to ash. Firesong cursed and jumped to his feet. "Damn!"
"What on earth was that?" Silversfox touched the residue left on the table.
"It wasn't me." Darian insisted.
"I know." Firesong stormed towards the doorway.
"What on earth is wrong?" Keisha asked.
Firesong found his father in his ekele enjoying the pleasant night. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Starfall looked perplexed. "Tell you what?"
"That the Adept is Icestone?" Firesong demanded.
"It is? Wonderful, I haven't seen her in years." Starfall smiled at the thought of seeing his daughter again. "Perhaps it is meant to be a surprise."
"She just incinerated my food and she isn't even here!" Firesong gestured back towards his ekele. "I am lucky it is still standing."
Starfall laughed. "It has been seven years since you saw each other. Perhaps whatever rubbed you two the wrong way has passed. Besides, she has incredible reach, she could have done it from Kata'shin'a'in just to make you jump. It is probably just her way of reminding you that you do have a sister."
Firesong did not look convinced.
"Seven years, she is twenty five now and I hear she has calmed down." Starfall assured him. "She did give up being a scout when it became obvious she was needed more as a mage. The last I heard she was going to k'Treva."
"And when was that?" Firesong challenged.
"Just a few months ago. She sent me a letter when she sent one to her student, Herald Sherria."
"She was in Valdemar!" Firesong ran his hands through his hair. "When was this?"
"About five years ago. Herald Sherria is the one with the True Sight and the former Countess of Sorrows."
Firesong remembered the current Count of Sorrows all to well, the former soldier and spy looked like a mountain, he wondered if the former Countess resembled her uncle. "Wonderful. So she may be in the area visiting her student."
"Actually Herald Sherria and Herald Kevyn are the mages we heard about that final striked to kill a Change beast. I doubt she is here." Starfall explained.
"I hope you are right and it is someone else. The last thing we need is both of us in the same place at the same time."
Starfall laughed. "I remember quite clearly what happened when you shared quarters. I never knew an ekele could be built so quickly."
"Magic helped." Firesong admitted. "It isn't that I don't care for her but I certainly don't miss her."
"Relax and get some rest. We still have to plan the welcome."
~ * ~
Icestone pulled her fur cloak tighter around her and watched Del as he rode the breeze, his mostly white plumage making him barely visible in the darkening sky. :See anything?:
:See deer. See trees. See town.: Del listed off. :See riders. See birds.:
:Do you see the Vale?: She clarified. :It is getting cold.:
:No Vale.: Del assured her.
:Could the village be Errold's grove?:
Del swooped down and landed on her shoulder. She quickly made room for him in her fur lined hood. :May be Errold's Grove. May not be Errold's Grove.:
She scratched his chest absently and wished for the hundredth time that day that she could read Valdemaran. She had passed plenty of signposts but they had been of no help.
:Make fire?: Del asked. :Make him jump?:
She laughed at the age-old prank she had used to warn Firesong of her impending arrival. She wouldn't be surprised to discover he had beaten a retreat before she arrived. More than a few seconds in each other company and they were guaranteed to have a fight. :He knows we are coming.:
:Good. Be warm soon.: Del muttered.
:We'll stop in that town and spend the night. Tomorrow we will continue on to the Vale.: She said to both her bondbird and mount, a road weary dyheli that was almost about to drop. :We'll all be nice and warm.:
:Warm.: The dyheli sighed. :That sounds so good right now.:
:I will make sure you get some porridge in the morning.: Icestone promised.
The dyheli buck, Hyl, had developed a taste for the Valdemaran staple during the past few weeks in Haven. :Should I warn them we will arrive tomorrow?:
:Let's make certain we have the right town first. We may be lost, again.: Icestone suggested dryly as the lights of the town same into sight. She could feel the illusory heat of a bowl of thick Valdemaran stew, plain fair by Tayledras standards but if was hot she liked it in this weather.
She swung to the ground in front of the only inn in the small town and a boy hurried out to take the dyheli. "I am sorry, is this Errold's Grove?" She asked in heavily accented Valdemaran.
"Yes, milady, are you one of the hawkbrothers?" The boy asked.
She looked down at her Valdemaran style clothing. "I am sorry to disappoint, but I am. Please take good care of my friend here. He is cold and hungry."
"I will." The boy led Hyl to the barn.
Icestone roused Del from his nap as she entered the tavern part of the inn. The innkeeper quickly met her.
"Do you need a room?" He asked.
"Just for one night, yes." She said carefully so he would understand her. "And boarding for my friend dyheli."
"Going to the Vale? You have the look of them if you don't mind my saying so." He handed her a quill and pointed to a large book. "Just sign your name and I'll show you your room."
She signed her name where he pointed and followed him past the people enjoy a friendly night in the tavern and up the stairs.
"That will be eight silver royals." He said as he stopped at her door.
"There is an old Kata'shin'a'in saying." She said carefully. "Do not try to fleece someone who can turn you into a sheep. One silver for both me and the dyheli."
The innkeeper swallowed hard. He obviously hadn't expected her to know the value of Valdemaran currency. "One silver is fair."
She gave him the coin and opened the door to her room. It had one narrow bed, a small fireplace, and nothing else, but it was clean. She dropped her bags on the bed and glanced at the cold hearth. A fire roared cheerfully to life. Del reluctantly emerged from his warm spot and flew to the corner post of the bed.
:No window.: He observed.
"A window would just let in the cold." She knelt and tossed some logs from beside the fireplace into the flames. "And you hate being cold."
Del ignored her and started to straighten his feathers. Soon it was warm enough she could discard the heavy cloak. She no longer dressed as plainly as she did back when she had been trying to prove she was nothing like her brother but at the moment she was garbed in heavy, Valdemaran style winter gear that her Heraldic friends had been kind enough to weatherproof. That quickly joined the cloak on the bed leaving her wearing only a thin, sleeveless shirt and tight pants. Taking a seat on the floor where it was warmest she wondered about her welcome. Firesong was going to be livid when he saw her. They didn't even exchange letters all that often.
As their brief experience sharing an ekele proved, they could not stand each other. Within the first day she was annoyed with his hertasi that refused to let her do anything and he was bothered by her antisocial behaviour. By the second day she discovered every stitch of her plain serviceable clothing that had been salvaged was missing, replaced with the ornate styles Firesong favored. She asked the countless hertasi that flocked to her bother for her clothing back and he was offended that she wasn't properly grateful that he had requested some new clothing be made for her. By the end of the week everyone was certain they were about to murder each other.
Their already strained relationship never recovered from the experience. A few weeks after she moved into her own place he left to help k'Sheyna and she hadn't seen him since. There were only three moments of communication between them in that entire time.
One to let her and their parents know that he was alright, just kidnapped by their ancestor. One after the mage storms when he sent a letter addressed to her saying he was not returning to k'Vala. And one more letter telling her he was leaving the k'Leshya Vale in favour of the newly founded k'Valdemar Vale about two years earlier.
Just telling me where not to be, she shook her head at the thought, her hair was just past her shoulder blades, very short for a Tayledras, and a strand fell in her eyes. Like I have ever listened to him.
Finally warm, and more than a little tired, she changed into the sapphire blue silk pants and wrap top she had bundled in her packs. It was light for the weather since they were designed for being worn in a Vale but was good enough for inside. With Del on her shoulder she started downstairs.
This time her appearance caused silence.
She took a seat at an empty table and gestured for the serving girl. That seemed to be the signal for talk to restart. She noted the many glances at her but ignored them.
"What would you like milady?" The serving girl asked politely but not fearfully.
"I would like some hot soup or stew, some bread, and some mulled cider." She ordered.
The girl nodded and hurried away.
Someone slid into the seat across from her with all the grace of a cat.
"Hello, Wildblade." She said without looking at him. "How did you know I was here?"
"I didn't. I am spending the night here before returning tomorrow." The Tayledras scout leaned back in his chair. "It was a shock to see you here."
"You mean with Firesong so close? I am sure we can manage a few months without bloodshed." She finally met the gaze of her tablemate. He was tall, even by Tayledras standards, with the lean but muscular body of a dancer. He earned his name because of his swordsmanship, which was unmatched in the clans. He was of k'Chorna and they had worked together for several months when she went to help eradicate a nest of change creatures that had proven immune to normal magic.
"It is nice to see you." Wildblade studied her. "Why are you here?"
"A former pupil of mine was in need of help. I came to see what I could do to help."
"How is your student now?" Wildblade asked with genuine curiosity.
"She's fine, now. Thank the Havens. She managed to recover without my help. So now I am going to spend winter here rather than head to k'Treva."
"Do they need you there?" Wildblade asked. She could tell he was thinking she was shirking her duty.
"No. One of the mages there has been trying to convince me to bear him twins." She said just as her food was placed before her. "One for each of us."
"You want children?" Wildblade asked, disbelieving her.
"Yes. Especially after meeting Herald Myra's daughters. They are five and more than a handful." Icestone smiled fondly. "And Sherri is pregnant. I guess I do have maternal instinct's, just very well buried." She chuckled self depreciatingly.
"You would make a wonderful mother." Wildblade offered seriously. "If I had a feather, would you accept it tonight?"
She stared at him for a long moment. "I would, but my bed is tiny."
Wildblade sighed. "So is mine. Just my luck."
She took a sip of her cider and ran her foot over his leg. "We will be in the Vale tomorrow. Perhaps we will have more luck.