AN: Hey everyone! I am really just getting these chapters out really fast. I believe there will only be two to four more chapters so hang on to every word! This first page is a bit of background on the two Heralds that accompany them, and me playing around a bit. The second page is much, MUCH more important so read really carefully. 'Till the end of the chapter!





I patted Brightsoul's mane, and my thoughts drifted to gladness that I had escaped. I had woken Healer Resha as soon as I had gotten to my captain. Kero, of course, had completely sympathized, and had just nodded, saying how she hated being cooped up while Healing as well. She had put our scout group back out immediately, so I could escape Healer Resha's clutches, and here we were, only four candle marks after my escape. Back on the trail of those still elusive bandits. The Heralds were now believing that magic was being used, because no Fore or Farseers could seem to find them, and lots of it, so they had sent two Heralds with us.

These two Heralds were complete differences, one being a middle-aged red haired woman with Farsight and lots of Mindspeech, the other being a young, barely off internship, untried noble boy, with a little Fetching and Firestarting, and a Master-class mage gift.

I had purposely shook hands with each of them when we had met, gloves off of course, and Herald Katli, the Mindspeaker, and Erik, the Mage, had had powers were very useful. I had immediately warmed to the freckled, reddish-gray haired woman. She seemed around thirty, maybe older, but she was still as spry as a gymnast and could beat me four out of five times with long swords. I, always having been best with knives, could always manage to "kill" her in that sport, but usually by jumping over the diminutive lady and getting her in the back. On the first day of our hint for the slippery bandits, we each stopped each other from falling out of this really wet tree with smooth bark. I also found out that she's from Zalmon as well, and that just brought us closer. By the time that night was over, the Herald and I were both as drunk as pigs and buddies for life.

Herald Erik, however was a completely different story. As well as being fresh from his internship, he had problems with mercenaries, though he would tell none why, so, naturally, we all had problems with him. He also was some obscure relative of the Lord Orthallen the Hidden Traitor, and it was obvious he had gotten much grief from that. Aside from those faults, he was just a pompous young fool with an over exaggerated opinion of himself. Being a lord, he thought he could boss all of us lower classed people around. He also believed that a woman's place is washing and cooking for her husband. Muri and I soon beat those notions out of him-literally.

We each challenged him to separated swords matches, and he was about to blow me off until I spoke the thirteen fatal words,

"Are you too chicken to fight a woman, afraid you're going to lose?"

Immediately after saying this, we both began hopping up and down making chicken noises and flapping our elbows up and down while our hands were stuffed in our armpits. He, like any other man, had to take up the challenge. I, obviously, beat him into the dust with in two minutes. He was good, I'll give him that, I was just better, because of our Captain's talents and some rigorous training I had gotten when I had first come from Haven. The only one candlemark after he had gotten his but sore, Muri also sent him head over rump into a tree with a kick flip I had taught her. That night, he was fuming and had to spend his time away from us, and in his Companion's counseling.

Nobody in the scout group liked him, and his only plus in our mind was his mage powers, and the fact he would take a command from Katli with no questions asked. He worshiped her like nothing else, perhaps other than himself, and he was back at our cold camp right now, while Muri and I scouted ahead, at dawn the morning after, and both Muri and I with pounding headaches.

* * *



"Daya. Come here," Muri whispered from underneath a prickly bush on the edge of the clearing. Flat on my stomach, I inched underneath, wincing as my hair and clothing caught in the thorns.

"What is it?" I whispered back, then looked out into the clearing.

A camp. A well organized, well maintained camp, where all went about their business with efficiency and minimum talking. You wouldn't have been able to tell they were bandits except by their ragged clothing and shabby faces. Very unusual, until I saw a tall, regally robed man walk from the center tent. Mage, my mind screamed at me, and a glance at Muri showed that she understood as well. He was dressed well, this mage, his robe consisting of deep greens and blues. Just barely on his forehead I could make out a mark of some kind, and exercising a bit of will and a wisp of Mind-Magic, I could see a strange red diamond surrounding a black scull. There was something else there, but I couldn't seem to see it, even using my new Farsight, it was obscured to my view.

"Muri," I whispered urgently, "That's a Blood-Bound Mage. You see the mark on his head? That's the symbol of the Order of Trakash, a school in the upper reaches of Ruvan, near the Red Stag Lake. They take Changechildren as well as other nonhumans. It's rumored that even during and after the Mage Storms, they were able to use their power! No one knows exactly where it is, or people would have-" A low, menacing chuckle cut me off and I swallowed fearfully, seeing the terror reflecting in Muri's upturned eyes.

"Don' move 'r I'll cu' you int' r'bbons." I felt a sword press into my back and saw another against Muri's. "Lookee what we found, mates! Two fresh li'll maidens, all lost in the woods and a'spy'an on our camp." There was commotion in the camp, then sever more bandits were surrounding us. They jibbed at each other about what to do with us, and all of the things they had in mind were both painful, hideous, and made my stomach turn. Just when I felt like I was going to throw up, a new voice entered the mix. This one was smooth, silky, sly, with a touch of menace and annoyance.

"Nobody will do anything with them until I have looked at them, and have drained power from them. Put your swords away, Vlon, Klon." I felt the sword lift from my back and saw the sword lift from my friend's. Her face was pale, but there was a set to her lips I identified as defiance. I tried to roll over, and found I couldn't. I immediately froze and tested the mage-bonds holding me captive. They were too strong for even me to fight. A high pitched cackle made me want to turn over, but I didn't even try. "Vlon, Klon, roll them over." I felt one of them grab me and flip me over, making sure to touch all he could without getting in trouble.

I looked up and saw for the first time up close and person the mage. I could now see the mark that had been hidden from me before; the symbol of an Adept.

I wanted to moan or to ask who he was, but couldn't, his spell still strong, and then suddenly I found myself able to speak.

"Who are you?" I asked, an echo of my thoughts, then suddenly recalled my mother's letter, and with a startled fury realized this mage was the one who had killed my mother, those long nineteen years ago. "Never mind! You killed my mother!" I glared at him with such a hatred, he backed up a pace, then smiled with hardly controlled glee.

"So I have found you at last! Now you can do what I always meant for you to do!" He took one of his red velvet gloves off and bent down until he was nearly in my face. Panic took hold of me as I realized what he was about to do, and I squirmed within his bonds on me to no effect. He reached out his perfectly sculptured hand, and touched my cheek.

Everything turned red.





AN: Sorry about that cliff hanger- I haven't been getting many reviews lately and I need some! Even if you are reading this and you NEVER review, REVIEW!!! Please! The next chapter will be out soon...so keep checking! I'll review to some people saying it's up, but I can't review to all. Until the next chapter, I'll be seeing you!



Responses: (from all my reviews I've received so far)

RonethDragon Tiamet: Thanks and blood mages are fun to write about! And I'd say everything is clarified right about now, right?



Fireblade: Yes, lots of possibilities. . . I'm still trying to decide! And yes, it's quite weird! I know!



Trina Ti: I know I should write for myself, I have just had such a major writers block and I didn't plan the story out very well, no outline or anything, but I do have one for this story so the hapters should come shooting out! Have an outline, I mean.



Terryie: I now have an outline AND a place where I want this to go, so high scores all around, I'd say!



Boss Hoss: Yes, as you've found out, the winged girl is the daughter spoken of in the prologue. And I have it completely in my mind not to touch Ma'ar/Falconsbane, but, as you can see above, any blood mage could do!



Cat: Thank you and I've tried to get the PoVs to flow more. Also I'm new at this so please be patient!



Kestrel: Thanks! Muri and Daya are scouts for the Skybolts, but this is after the Mage Storms so they are kind of city and surrounds people.



Kyalia: Thank you for being interested!



Fergaij: Thanks! She's not in Companion form anymore 'cause the power was 'locked away' so she is once again human. Also, you'll find out those plans soon enough!



Thanks to all for reviewing and please tell me how this chapter went! Next chapter will be up soon.