Disclaimer: All Valdemar related items in the below story are the possessions of Mercedes Lackey, not me.

A/N yeah, well, I get to visit my French teacher for dinner tomorrow, along with my class, should be yummy, but I figure I won't get to write much and then my lil' sis has a dance recital (she's four) this weekend so I may as well write this now, what's one more night's sleep deprivation anyhow?  It's good practice for college and life in general I'm sure (at least I keep telling myself that).  Anyway, enough of my babbling let's move on to Asia's babbling (since you'd probably rather read that anyway).

            I woke up in a way station while it was still dark out.  I furtively checked all of the dark little shadows for lurking math monsters and tried to regain my lovely dreams, but somehow I couldn't settle back into sleep.  I gently sent a mental prod at Ralph and Elsa, neither was awake.  So I was all alone in the dark.  Dark, but that wasn't what woke me up.  I had seen light, enough light to make me think it was morning.  The amount of light a burning building might supply.

            I poked gently into Elsa's mind, sorting my way through her thoughts and snips of dream floating from her subconscious; that was how I saw it anyway; a seemingly perpetual twilight lit the vast grayness I was searching through.  Finally I found what I was looking for, a vision, another of the fire, behind it was the shielded off part of her mind that I could never seem to access.  That small portion always intrigued me, I wanted to know what she had to hide from me, but for the time the clan was my top priority.  A definite pattern was forming, first the fire starter would strike, and then the general rabble and then the clan would be dormant for a short span.

            I realized with a jolt, as I left Elsa's mind that we had been on circuit for well over three weeks and still had found nothing of note.  The good news was that Elsa was over her infatuation with Bart, and they had settled into a close, not quite romantic, yet not entirely unromantic relationship although it must be conceded that proper courting was rather difficult when traveling as we were.  I was glad for the change as it meant that Elsa was back to being my number one fan.  Of course she might have had to fight with Ralph over who got that distinction, I chuckled to myself at the image of Elsa and Ralph having a fist fight. 

            Something nagged at the edges of my mind, the same something that had been pulling at me since we left our first town on circuit.  I shoved it forcibly to the back of my mind and attempted to block the silly desire to just go with mental calculations of how far we had traveled and exactly where we were in relation to Haven.  It worked for a moment, until I found myself staring down the road as the sun painstakingly climbed up to replace the moon; it wasn't even quite to the false dawn yet.  I could have waited until it was reasonably light out and woken the others and we could have continued on together, but instead I headed down the road, I trotted gently feeling as if I were half in a dream.  The only thing that pulled me up short was Elsa.

            My chosen, I could not just leave her behind and I couldn't convince her to leave Bart at that point.  So I returned to my spot in the way station and managed to doze while my cohorts finished their rest.  I still felt that need to continue on though.  The urge to find the clan and their much sought mystery item tugged at me continuously.  Elsa was my anchor though; she kept me safely planted in the real world.

            :Can't sleep Aisa?: Elsa whispered soothingly to me sometime later.

            :I … I just can't seem to get them out of my mind, Elsa.   A part of me needs to know what they are searching for, the other just wants them somewhere they can't do anyone anymore harm:

            :I know what you mean, they were my family, so I can't help but hope we are wrong about them, yet since they were my family I know that we aren't:  Elsa spoke apologetically but with bitterness toward the clan :I can't help but feel partially responsible for what they are doing though, I'm one of them…:.

            :Confusing…: I shook my head, humans and their scapegoating and unmerited guilt.  This guilt trip could have lasted forever if I hadn't cut it off.

            :Yes, well, let's just catch them and stop the pillaging:

            Elsa sent me non-committal thoughts of agreement.

            :You saw them again?:  I asked nonchalantly, wondering if what I had searched out earlier was new or old.

            :Yes, the scenery is starting to get familiar, I think they are back to an area that I traveled in with them:

            :We will catch them soon?: I asked with rather more eagerness than I had intended.

            :I don't know: Elsa replied somewhat noncommittally.  I heaved a mental sigh.

            :We should probably head out then…:  I glanced around to see whether Ralph and his chosen were awake. As it turned out, lucky Ralph already hade his face buried in bucket of grain while Bart tacked him up.  My envy was short-lived as Elsa came to do the same tasks for me moments later. 

            We passed most of the morning in companionable silence.  Elsa and Bart exchanged the odd comment.  Other than that our day's travel was largely uneventful.  I mulled over the cases we had heard in the previous town.  We had met with our first case about something other than disputed ownership of livestock and land.  The sleepy little town we had just left had been left in an uproar over the decision that two young boys had been stealing from their friends, family, and neighbors to sell what they stole.  It was the largest 'crime ring' the area had seen.  I had nearly managed a vocal laugh at that.  To call petty theft by a pair of children a crime ring was like saying that a puddle was a flood.

            I was deeply involved in those important matters, and as a result stumbled and nearly spilled Elsa to the ground.  I glanced surreptitiously at Ralph as I righted myself; apparently neither of the boys had noticed my graceful brush with certain doom, or at least humiliation at falling for no reason.  At least they did a passable job of ignoring the incident.  I appreciated the lack of snide comments that surely would have barraged me had I been among my usual group of friends.

            "I know this place!" Elsa exclaimed aloud for the group's benefit as she sharply drew reign.  I stopped obediently, Ralph followed suit.  We stared out at the hilly barren landscape, with a sudden shock of recognition I too realized where I had seen this place before.  In Elsa's vision, it was only a few days since that particular vision, it may still be preventable.

            Ralph saw the thin wisp of smoke and pointed it out though, we were too late.  The good news was we were catching up.  I had no doubt that collegium heralds would extensively question the clan members and find out exactly what they were attempting to do within days.

            I decided that a little running was in order; actually, it seemed my legs had made the decision of their own accord, but I certainly concurred.  It occurred to me that someone might be alive in the wreckage we could see the hazy evidence of.  Elsa lurched and nearly fell off, but as she seemed not to mind and Ralph joined me I figured it was okay.

            We reached the smoldering remains of the farm less than a candle mark after seeing the smoke.  It was immediately apparent that there was nothing alive in the decimated buildings, yet there was movement among the ashes.

            Once we were close enough to see the scene clearly, we stopped.  Elsa and Bart got off of our backs in order to discuss what we should do.  Ralph took the opportunity to graze and listen in.  I, on the other hand, decided to investigate.  The grass looked lovely, but somehow seeing the clan's destruction first hand was more important to me.

            I ran toward the little flash of movement I had noticed earlier.  As I approached the area touched by the fire I had long since abandoned caution.  I didn't know what my traveling companions were discussing, nor did I care.  I was focused entirely on seeing what remained after the attack.  So intent was I that I scarcely noticed the men creeping out of the shadow until it was too late.

            As the first rope flew through the air to settle around my neck I realized that I was in trouble.  I tried to mind-scream for help, but I couldn't, dumbly my mind scrabbled against the seamless shield that blocked me from my chosen and everyone else.  The need to know what was going on with the clan evaporated.  It had never really been mine.  I felt a slippery presence in my mind.

            :Asia is it?:

            I couldn't respond but that didn't matter to whoever was talking to me, I wasn't sure how he managed it through a shield, but there it was.

            :Ah, I see you like my one-way shield hmmm?  It is rather hard to hold onto, but little Jared can mange it for days.  Now I understand you are looking for us?  You needn't try to answer me; I am quite capable of finding out for myself, lovely creatures, companions…:

            I shuddered at the voice's tone, slippery, and shivery.  It made me want to roll in the mud to scrape off the feel of it.  I realized he had stopped talking then, and took that moment to look at my physical condition.  I had no less than three leads attacked to various parts of my tack.  Each lead was held by two men, riding double.  I laid my ears back and tried experimentally to rear, when that failed I plunged forward and crow hopped a goodly distance.  The ropes were stretched too tightly for it though and the men holding my ropes followed too closely.  I stopped fighting, it was futile and I knew it.

            :Sensible too I believe: the slimy voice added sounding amused :Now then, my men will bring you to me.  I am the Clan leader by the way.  Elsa has done well...:

A/N duh dun dah… cliffhanger, well kind of.  Now I've just gotta figure out a name for the clan leader and a bunch of other stuff.  But that's it for now.  I know where it's going at least, which is good, but I would love to hear what my lovely readers predict will come next *hint, hint, not so subtle hint* (I love reviews, and would like to thank all reviewers profusely at this time).