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

A/N Okay, I'll take this opportunity to respond to the wonderful people out there who reviewed.  Chronologically then: Stee, yeah got plenty of rest glad you liked that chapter; psycho tabby cat, I did invite not quite nice reviews and I'm not the least bit offended … I can definitely see where you're coming from and I hope that this chapter is more satisfying; Magdellin, thanks so much for reviewing, it is much appreciated; etcetera-cat, thanks for the review, I hope you get that next chap done so I can read it; Ardent, thanks for the review.  I'm glad all y'all liked this fic enough to review, and I hope this chapter is to your liking.

            Despite the relaxed mood of the previous evening when we awoke the morning after our reinforcements arrived we immediately set out from the town.  There wasn't much talk for the simple reason that none of us really felt like conversing.  We walked together through the early morning grayness of the countryside.  Dew dampened my legs, but not my spirits; we were finally doing something!

            The clan was somewhere ahead of us and we were going to find them.  I could barely repress the urge to run on ahead of the others, but I did, no use arriving at the clan's encampment with no strength left to bash skulls.  Elsa rubbed my shoulder reassuringly.  I sighed and resigned myself to the slow pace, if a companion's canter can be called slow.

            It was definitely time and well past for this.  We had taken the same path out of town that Ralph and I had followed two days prior.  There hadn't been anyone about on the streets when we left, but the mayor had been notified that we would be departing all our loose ends were tied up. It was time to act.

            We picked up their trail about three candle marks before noon.  The sun shone brightly on the gently rolling countryside.  The trampled ground and ruts left by wagons led us onward with a promise of vengeance.  I found myself at the front of our little group as we crested a hill and looked out to see the jumbled Clan encampment within our reach.

            :Let's go!: I urged.  Elsa seemed hesitant though and I managed to hold back, barely.

            :Not yet Asia, we should wait for the regulars to catch up and rest.  There is no need to fight them all tired out, let's go down into the valley to wait for them.:

            Much as I disliked it she had a point, :Tonight then, when they are asleep?:

            :No, I know them best, I have a plan … I will explain once everyone is here.:

            I sighed and refrained from further comment, at least until I knew the plan.  The other companions had arrived while we spoke, but it was nearly two candle marks later that the others arrived, their mounts winded.  Elsa explained her brilliant plan, and I couldn't help but feel proud that she was my chosen.  My own plans were quickly forgotten in the wake of approval from the heralds and others who knew their way about battle plans.

            Our plans decided we spent the afternoon resting or grazing.  There was little talking mental or physical for fear that the clan would pick up on either.  So we just enjoyed each other's company.  I had the added bonus of knowing that the people who had haunted my chosen and I would no longer be a threat by the next day.

            I had decided on a nap at some point in the long afternoon because Elsa woke me to put my tack back on.  She didn't speak as she readied me, but she had no need to.  I glanced around to see that all of the humans were readying their mounts.  I nuzzled my chosen affectionately.  She scratched my neck and climbed onto my back.  The sun was barely starting to sink as we assembled to move into position.

            The camp lay below us waiting.  I could make out little clusters of people huddled around fires.  There was a minimum of traffic between tents or to and from them.  The picket lines were farthest from us.  Elsa pointed to a tent I recognized, the one where Miss Elmira had questioned me.  The schooling tent she informed us.  That was the place to strike.  I scanned the picket lines hoping to catch a glance of the missing companions.

            I didn't have long to look though, the charge was ordered and the regulars streamed by us intent on the camp.  I hoped there were enough of them, but they were not my concern for the moment.  My job was getting Elsa close enough to do some damage with her bow, the two companion mares and Eras that had joined us had the same assignment.  Ralph and Garth stayed on the hill though.  Their chosens were going to counteract whatever magic the clan threw at us.

            As the soldiers reached the camp utter chaos broke out.  Alarm bells and horns were sounded, people swarmed from fires and tents to put up a defense.  The soldiers continued their charge and the battle started.  From then on my only concern was my chosen.  I maneuvered her to places where her arrows would do the most good, while keeping her clear of the heavy fighting. 

            The arrows seemed to fly mechanically.  We followed pockets of resistance throughout the encampment.  Eddying swirls of violence led us onward.  Eventually we reached a pocket of calmness near the school tent.

            :Can we go inside?  Someone might be in there.: I asked tentatively.

            "Go ahead," Elsa agreed, not bothering with mind speech.  I walked right into the tent.

            Inside were about sixteen white clad personages.  It wasn't just white though, it was herald's whites.  The same sort my chosen had so proudly donned for the first time a few months ago.  It didn't make sense.  I wanted to leave, we were severely outnumbered, but when I wheeled to leave Elsa yanked my head back around.

            :Ouch, chosen!  That hurt.:

            :Sorry, stay here, I think we'll be safe here.:

            :What?  We're outnumbered, we should leave while we can.:

            :Stay unless there is actual trouble.:

            :Alright.: I agreed reluctantly.  I looked around more carefully.  I recognized many of the people there.  In the moments it had taken for our conversation to end eight of the would be heralds had moved toward us.

            "What's going on here Jared?" I heard Elsa ask.  Understanding dawned, she still loved these people, that didn't mean they were safe, and she just couldn't admit they might not be.

            I pinned my ears back and put on my mean face.  Spinning slowly, keeping them back; trying to leave a clear escape.  I saw Magritte, standing between a boy I didn't know and Georgette. 

            :Maggie?:

            :What do you want companion?:

            :I want your leader, dead.:

            :You won't be able to kill her, she's too powerful.:

            I examined the girl's face, for someone who had snuck off for a silly cryptic message she seemed rather too loyal.

            :Why do you say that?: I asked gently.

            :It's been tried before.:

            :Where are the other companions then?:

            :Companions?  You are the only one we caught.: Maggie lied.  I knew it was a lie, she couldn't be trusted.  I ended the conversation. 

            :Elsa there's something wrong here, we have to go.  While we still can.: I urged, I could hear the fighting out side our tent.  The place had obviously not been built for the comfort of a Companion in mind either, it made me feel claustrophobic.

            :No, they need our help.:

            :Are you insane?  Elsa they are the enemy!  They will kill us, they will kill our queen.  Do not do this!:

            :Your missing heralds are here.: Elsa countered.  I looked.  Sure enough the eight figures that had hung back were more familiar; they were actually entitled to their whites.

            :Where are your companions?: I broadcast to all of them at once.

            I only got a bunch of startled looks, :We don't have time for this.  Get them to follow us Elsa, if they will come fine, if not we have to leave them for now.  The others need our help,: I said to just Elsa.

            "Fine," she muttered to me, and then set about coaxing the others into coming along.  In the end we had to leave them.  As we rejoined the battle it was easy to see that we weren't quite winning.  We weren't quite losing either, though.  I did a quick survey of what I could see.  Elsa petted my withers reassuringly. 

            I could see that most of the tents and wagons had either been leveled or lit on fire.  The picket lines were empty and the bloody bodies of soldier and clan alike littered the passages among the array of shelters.

            I squinted into the sun to see two figures standing on the hill.  I cast my eyes about until I saw that the battle was taking place near to the base of that hill.  So they had found our defensive force.  I ran to where my compatriots were embattled.

            As we approached I saw that we had the defenders outnumbered, but they had more potent battle magic.  I stopped at the outskirts for Elsa to pick off some of those with gifts.  She leveled her bow and then lowered it.

            "I can't shoot them," Elsa whispered to me.

            :You must, even if you don't shoot to kill at least stop them, our friends can't hold forever.:

            Elsa trembled on my back and raised the bow again.  She leveled it at one of the clan member's chests, and somehow I knew it, squeezed her eyes shut to shoot.  The arrow flew true.  A gasp escaped my chosen and her shaking increased, there was no time to worry about that though, Elsa would be fine.  I moved to get her a clear shot and she took it, with deadly accuracy.  After the first few shots the action became mechanical, swing around, shoot, move.

            Finally the bow descended for the final time.  We were out of arrows.  From then we had no option but to watch the soldiers hack at the clan members who tried to surge toward Ralph and Garth.

            :The ones with gifts aren't here,: Elsa said flatly.

            :Miss Elmira?: I asked calmly, worried more by the utter lack of emotion than I would have been had Elsa been sobbing hysterically.

            :Not here.  They probably left all together.:

            :What about the others in the whites?:

            :What about them?:

            :Why were they there?:

            Elsa just sent me the mental equivalent of a shrug and that was that.  I turned my attention back to the fight only to find that the fight was over.  The last few clan members had fallen and the soldiers stood tired, bloody, and yet alive, at least some of them did.

            I looked frantically for the other companions.  We were supposed to meet on the hill with Garth and Ralph so I went there.  Soon the others filtered in, none of them too severely wounded.

            The soldiers had not faired so well, but then neither had the clan.  The search was on for the magic users then.  We didn't find any but those in the school tent, and they had scarcely moved since we left.  These, and a few others who had surrendered were bound and left under a guard while the bodies were piled up for burning, there was no need to leave the clan's last camp looking like the bloody battlefield it had become.

            Once the bodies were gathered, identified courtesy of my poor chosen, their names recorded, and thrown into a pile, some tents and supplies were added.  We then lit the whole thing on fire.  I watched Elsa, trying subtly to offer her support.  This had been her family, her home.  We watched through the night as the fire ate her past.  Most of the others slept or talked a small distance away, but we just watched.

            All through the long night Elsa didn't shed a single tear, and I was worried about that.  She frightened me when she got withdrawn; there was too much similarity with the early and unpleasant days of our bond for comfort. 

A/N Um, since the last chap didn't have much action I'll post this as soon as I can get to an Internet connection.  The whole begging for reviews thing reminds me of something my friend said while working our presentation for out U.S. History final: "*gleefully*We want pretty, pretty failing grades *after a dramatic pause and with despairing head shaking* we don't want good grades." It was hilarious, but I guess you kind of have to see it … anyway "I want pretty, pretty mean reviews … and happy reviews!"  (by mean I mean containing constructive criticism which is actually not mean but oh well, it goes better with the quote that way) … by now you have probably picked up on the fact that I'm (not certifiably) insane and if you don't like it you've equally likely learned to skip my long-winded author's notes, but for those who don't like them yet feel compelled to read them I will stop talking for now.