Disclaimer: All Valdemar related items in the below story are the possessions of Mercedes Lackey, not me.
A/N sorry this chapter took longer than usual … I blame it on: darn writer's block, and school activities, and my computer breaking, and no reviews, and sleep deprivation (falling asleep in math is weird, and it might not happen if I didn't wait until 12 at night to start my math homework)… Well, I hope this chapter is better, the last one wasn't so great. So here goes.
I waited with the two teens Miss Elmira had assigned to me for most of the rest of the first day. We were near the picket lines with the horses. I had thought of every possible means of escape, but none struck me as particularly possible. Besides I was growing rather fond of my little guards. I couldn't speak to them, cutesy of Jared but I could listen and I found that their training was very similar to that of a herald, except they had no companions.
I missed Elsa, but I knew she probably didn't miss me. Perhaps she would be happier without me hanging around. One thing was for certain, as far as I was concerned, she would not be coming to my rescue.
"We're moving on as soon as all the horses are saddled or harnessed," Georgette remarked loudly, breaking my train of thought. Elmira probably expected a chase, oh well let her run. The longer we ran from imaginary pursuit the longer I didn't have to resist questioning, and it gave me more time to pretend Elsa really would help me.
Sooner than I would have thought reasonable we were underway. I was between Georgette and Jared, a lead stretched in either direction and attached to their pommels. I heaved an inward sigh, still no escaping. We were near the center of the column which minimized my chances of escape further.
"What does Miss want with her?" Georgette asked Jared conversationally.
Jared just shrugged; I got the impression he was concentrating on my shields. After all they were some of the strongest I had ever even heard of.
"Well, personally I hear that these companion creatures are … odd."
"What are you getting at Georgette?" Jared asked, exasperated. I found that I was listening to their talk intently, but there was little else to do, and certainly nothing better.
"I just think we need to be really careful with her, you can't let that shield down at all, if we let her go…"
"I know Georgette. I can hold a shield!" Jared snapped and stared sulkily between his horses ears.
An indistinguishable period of silence passed before Georgette made another attempt at conversation.
"I sure would like to ride a horse like that though, wouldn't you Jared?"
"Like what?" Jared asked angrily.
"Like her," Georgette jabbed her chin in my general direction.
"No one rides a companion unless they have its permission," Jared explained irritably. I couldn't have agreed more with the boy, the nerve of some people. And how could Georgette call me a horse? How undignified! Then again I was undignified at the moment. A companion should not be so easily reduced to plodding along between what amounted to nothing better then two adolescents on glorified pack animals.
I just didn't have the heart to resist, besides, there was no real reason to escape or get my guards in trouble. I resigned myself to the long plod and settled into a comfortable contemplation of the road at my hooves.
It just didn't make sense to me. How could I make a mistake about my chosen? Companions never chose wrong, yet as far as I could tell Elsa had betrayed me to the clan. I spent the remainder of our march making myself miserable with thoughts of treachery and hatred fluttering around in my head.
"Whoa there," Georgette called to me as we stopped, "this is the campsite for tonight. Harold went off to distract any pursuit."
"Shush Georgie," Jared hushed his peer, "I don't want her to know too much, if she somehow slips her shields…"
"Oh relax Jared … you're the best there is at shields. Everything will turn out fine, you'll see."
I wondered briefly if Jared's comment meant he was tiring but a tentative mental prod proved that the shields held as strong as ever before.
"Miss Elmira is coming," Jared squeaked in reply.
"I know that, I'm not blind you know!" Georgette snapped half-heartedly.
"How is our little guest today?" Miss Elmira asked smoothly. I watched her warily; she most closely resembled en ermine, bathed in moonlight and draped in white furs.
"Asia's just fine Miss," Jared supplied helpfully.
"I want to talk directly to her," Elmira growled. I once again felt the shields loosen.
:What do you want with me?: I asked without preamble. It wasn't that I truly cared; I had seen enough of the clan to know that I didn't want to be a part of their actions.
"Well dear, I am afraid that is privileged information. You are part of an experiment."
:An experiment? What experiment?:
"Tsk, tsk, you are nosy aren't you?"
:Where's Elsa?: I asked in an attempt to change the subject, Miss Elmira was starting to sound peeved.
"I could care less where the girl is. We had the hardest time bringing her around; I don't think she likes us."
I tried reaching out to my chosen, but just as I thought I was going to get away with it Jared slammed the shields back into place. He shot an apologetic glance at Miss Elmira.
"You are being a naughty pony? Well then we will wait until we make the winter safe house before finished our conversation, which is a shame because I think we could get to be great friends. Georgette, I will send Magritte with you and Jared's dinner later. And don't worry about Elsa, Asia dear, I certainly am not."
That thought somehow didn't comfort me, however, Elmira's leaving did. I did my best impression of a sorrowful little creature for the benefit of Georgette and Jared. They didn't seem to appreciate my acting skill though. I didn't get so much as a sugar cube out of them, let alone a smile.
"Magritte is coming," Georgette commented after a time.
A few moments later a slim girl with a fringe of fine brown hair came over to us with a tray of food balanced on one arm and a bucket, I assumed with grain, hung on the other.
"Here you are, supper," Magritte said offering the tray to Georgette with a flourish. My guard took the tray with a grin and offered the newcomer a seat.
"I haven't seen you in ages, where have you been Maggie?" Georgette asked happily. Jared snagged his food off the tray and munched happily. I waited impatiently for what I hoped was in the bucket.
"Oh, here and there … actually I was out on orders…"
"Miss Elmira sent you out?" Georgette asked with evident glee, "Oh, you just have to tell me all about it Maggie; I wish Miss trusted me that much!"
"It helps being her daughter …"
Georgette waved the comment away, "what were you doing though Maggie?"
"I was running reconnaissance, my assignment is finished though. I don't think Miss is pleased with me."
"Why not?"
Magritte paused before answering and focused her eyes on her hands. She seemed to notice the bucket for the first time and hurriedly set it in front of me.
"I nearly forgot all about your dinner Asia," Magritte said obviously trying to keep the conversation away from herself. My interest was piqued. I just had to know what Maggie had been up to.
"Maggie!" Georgette said exasperated, "Tell me! I'm your best friend remember?"
"I was keeping an eye on Elsa, to make sure she stayed loyal. You know how she gets sometimes…"
"How could I forget? She is my step-sister."
A step-sister? Elsa hadn't ever told me about her father remarrying, but then it appeared there was a lot she hadn't seen fit to tell me.
"Anyway Miss is unhappy because I let her stray from the plan."
"Which was? There's no harm in telling me Maggie, you know I'm loyal!"
"It doesn't matter anymore anyway Georgette. I already messed it up. Elsa was supposed to bring her companion to us the minute they left Haven. I was waiting for her about a half candle-mark's ride from the first way-station.
"I followed them until word reached me that you had her already. Miss was not at all impressed."
"Are you in trouble?"
"What do you think Georgette? I have kitchen duty for most of the winter now, so she couldn't be happy, you know what a bad cook I am."
"The whole clan will suffer for this!" Georgette crowed teasingly.
"Lucky for us Selwyn was with me! He can cook and we've already worked out a deal about it."
"Thank Havens. So how much longer can you dawdle with us?"
"I'm off for the rest of the evening, but I should get to sleep early for the early shift at breakfast."
"Well, at least you get to meet our little prisoner."
"So she's what all the fuss is about? She's just a big white horse!"
"But she can mind-speak … Show her Jared," Georgette ordered.
"I can't do that!" Jared protested, "Not without Miss's permission!"
"Oh, come off it, just let the shield down a little, what's the point in guarding her if we can't talk to her. This is more boring than staring at the picket lines all night!"
"Maybe he's right Georgette," Maggie said, "I don't need anymore trouble than I'm already in."
"There's no harm in it, besides we might be able to convince her to be more cooperative," Georgette cajoled, "Don't you wonder what it would be like to speak a companion?"
I silently begged Jared to agree. The boy was getting weaker, I was sure of it, the more he had to lower and raise the shields the weaker he would get. I knew if he would just lower them I could weasel my way free. If I could just call for help once…
"I can't Georgette," Jared maintained.
"It would be interesting …" Maggie relented, "Maybe she's right Jared, what harm is there in a quick little talk?"
"But …"
"Don't be a chicken Jared!" Georgette crowed.
"Just for a second … you promise?" Jared caved.
"Of course," the girls chorused. I was waiting poised for the shields to drop, I would be free, and tensed waiting …
"Okay, but if Miss finds out it'll be your faults."
"Sure, whatever, come on Jared," Georgette prodded.
I leapt literally and mentally as Jared's hold on my mind faded. The shock of it appeared to confuse him because I felt his presence slip from my mind entirely. That left the ground ties; I stretched it to full length and leapt again. The three teens stared for a moment but I had a head start, I bolted for the edge of the camp I reached for my chosen with what little consciousness I could spare from navigating the camp.
I was chased. At first it was just the voices of the three teens, and then what seemed to me like the entire clan was on my heels. I was tired from the day's march, but people were no match for a companion at running, not even a tired companion.
:Elsa!: I called out, maybe she didn't care about me, but Maggie had said she betrayed the clan for me, so maybe Miss Elmira was the liar, I had to see for myself.
:Elsa, I'm coming!:
A/N okay, Asia is definitely more fun to write about than Elsa. I hope this chapter turned out better than the last, apparently all y'all didn't care for it since there weren't any reviews… oh well.