Chapter 3
*
Sterran gazed fondly at the small, blanket wrapped form that lay beside him. It was amazing, the way Kella was so like Giessa. Apart from the age, they could be the same person, and their mental patterns were identical.
The bond between Giessa and Sterran, who was then Sertan, had been tighter than usual, and after their death, the two had decided to be reincarnated again in their previous forms, with the renamed Sterran promising to Choose Giessa as his Herald.
I just didn't think I would have to Choose her this young.
Giessa had been a precocious fifteen year old when Sertan had Chosen her. Sterran still remembered every trace and line of her consciousness when it joined with his own. This memory had been invaluable for Kella; her mentality was identical to Giessa's, and Sterran had been able to remove the attached memories from Giessa's experiences, and implanting the result in Kella's juvenile mind.
Sterran wondered if he had made the wrong decision. True, Kella would eventually have the experience and intelligence that he had implanted, but he had taken away any chance she had of a normal childhood. And it took all his concentration to keep the implanted mentality from disintegrating; until Kella learned to shield and hold onto it, she would return to a confused, grief stricken four year old - and it would be a while before Sterran could restore her to her 'normal' state.
I just hope she doesn't tell one of the Heralds what I did - or worse, one of the Companions. Rolan would not be pleased with Sterran if he discovered Kella's artificially increased intelligence.
I just wish I knew if what I did was right.
*
Kella was still half asleep, lying on the bed with Sterran curled around her. Her dream was still there, with the blue-white voices whispering in her sleep-fogged brain. They said strange things, that Kella did not quite understand.
: . . . Did you see the new stable boy? Terrified of us 'thinking horses . . .: : . . . the Healers say that my Andiron will only have a few scars . . .: : . . .Well, my Chosen can do second stage truth spell . . .:
Who did the voices belong to? The blue-white glow was not like human minds. These were minds that filled her head with shining light, awestruck by their aura of overwhelming peace and love . . .
:Good morning, Chosen.: Sterran's mindvoice was quiet and blurry with sleep.
:Good morning, Ster. I had the strangest dream.:
:Do tell?: Sterran murmured sleepily, still only half awake.
:There were all these voices talking in my head,: she said, absently stroking Sterran's mane as she spoke. :They were sort of glowing, blue- white. They didn't talk to me,: she added regretfully. :Most of them didn't even talk to each other, really. It was like hearing random snippets from a hundred different conversations, all in my head.:
:What were they saying?: Sterran's voice was so neutral as to be anxiety provoking, and his mind had shed every vestige of sleep.
:Nothing much.: Kella replied, surprised by his odd urgency. :The longest conversation was strange - it went like this - :When I was a mage, I didn't use all my magics on all the silliest little things like Elspeth does.: :Oh, really, Savil? And what about all your Gates sending you off to the Peligirs to visit your friends?: :I recall there being a number of journeys to the Peligirs with your Chosen, too, Gwena, so don't argue with me . . .: - It doesn't make sense, Ster, it's just nonsense.:
Sterran's head was ringing. He'd never heard of anyone who could listen in on what was obviously a conversation between two Companions. It certainly sounded like Savil - or rather, Sayvil. She had a tongue as acidic as her Chosen, Kerowyn's.
Now Sterran had another dilemma - should he tell Kella who the 'blue-white voices' really were?
Sterran wished his twin sister, Asterra, was here. She certainly wouldn't lecture him about being untraditional - she had Chosen a non-conformist Tayledras mage only a few months ago, and the two had fled Valdemar, with a bondbird in tow, to explore the untravelled lands.
But untraditional as Asterra undoubtedly was, she had had the most common sense of any one of his acquaintance, and a truly wonderful sense of humor. It was sad to realize that he might never hear from her again.
Especially when she might take attention away from my own twisting of the rules.
But now was not the time to remininsce. What to tell his Chosen.
:Kella?: Sterran said tentatively :Tell me if you hear the voices again, will you - it - it could be important.: That would do, at least until someone could help him.
*
The pair now sat in a grove of trees, Kella using him as a backrest. Hair still wet from a bath dripped onto his back, but Sterran was too hot to care. Besides the Summer warmth, the extreme concentration Sterran had had to exert to keep Kella from breaking down when the contact between them was severed had heated him, and this cool dribble helped - somewhat - in negating this heat.
And that reminded him - :Kella?:
"Hmm?" she replied drowsily, cocking her head in an incongruously adult gesture that reminded him of Giessa.
:I think you should learn how to shield.: Sterran declared firmly. :It will help you to keep a hold of yourself when we can't touch.:
"I was all right during my bath, wasn't I?" Kella objected.
:And, let us say that it will also keep me from exhausting myself.: Sterran said delicately.
"Oh." Kella blushed slightly in embarrassment. Sterran noted with amusement that the pink clashed with her chestnut hair. "But, who can teach me?"
:I think I could take care of that.: Sterran declared smugly. :Now, we will begin with center and ground . . .:
Over the next few hours, Kella made startling progress. She could now shield fully, keeping any stray thoughts out or in. Now the real test . . .
:Kella,: Sterran said, :I'm going to step away for a moment. See if you can hold on to yourself.: He could see the nervous expression on her face as she stepped away. . .
A stream of fear of grief hit him, and he leapt back beside the sobbing Kella. She clung to his leg while her shaking eased.
"It didn't work, did it?" she whispered, obviously still shaken by the reaction.
:No, and it should have.: Sterran replied, irritated at this unexpected failure. :Damn! We have got to get this sorted out.:
*
Sterran gazed fondly at the small, blanket wrapped form that lay beside him. It was amazing, the way Kella was so like Giessa. Apart from the age, they could be the same person, and their mental patterns were identical.
The bond between Giessa and Sterran, who was then Sertan, had been tighter than usual, and after their death, the two had decided to be reincarnated again in their previous forms, with the renamed Sterran promising to Choose Giessa as his Herald.
I just didn't think I would have to Choose her this young.
Giessa had been a precocious fifteen year old when Sertan had Chosen her. Sterran still remembered every trace and line of her consciousness when it joined with his own. This memory had been invaluable for Kella; her mentality was identical to Giessa's, and Sterran had been able to remove the attached memories from Giessa's experiences, and implanting the result in Kella's juvenile mind.
Sterran wondered if he had made the wrong decision. True, Kella would eventually have the experience and intelligence that he had implanted, but he had taken away any chance she had of a normal childhood. And it took all his concentration to keep the implanted mentality from disintegrating; until Kella learned to shield and hold onto it, she would return to a confused, grief stricken four year old - and it would be a while before Sterran could restore her to her 'normal' state.
I just hope she doesn't tell one of the Heralds what I did - or worse, one of the Companions. Rolan would not be pleased with Sterran if he discovered Kella's artificially increased intelligence.
I just wish I knew if what I did was right.
*
Kella was still half asleep, lying on the bed with Sterran curled around her. Her dream was still there, with the blue-white voices whispering in her sleep-fogged brain. They said strange things, that Kella did not quite understand.
: . . . Did you see the new stable boy? Terrified of us 'thinking horses . . .: : . . . the Healers say that my Andiron will only have a few scars . . .: : . . .Well, my Chosen can do second stage truth spell . . .:
Who did the voices belong to? The blue-white glow was not like human minds. These were minds that filled her head with shining light, awestruck by their aura of overwhelming peace and love . . .
:Good morning, Chosen.: Sterran's mindvoice was quiet and blurry with sleep.
:Good morning, Ster. I had the strangest dream.:
:Do tell?: Sterran murmured sleepily, still only half awake.
:There were all these voices talking in my head,: she said, absently stroking Sterran's mane as she spoke. :They were sort of glowing, blue- white. They didn't talk to me,: she added regretfully. :Most of them didn't even talk to each other, really. It was like hearing random snippets from a hundred different conversations, all in my head.:
:What were they saying?: Sterran's voice was so neutral as to be anxiety provoking, and his mind had shed every vestige of sleep.
:Nothing much.: Kella replied, surprised by his odd urgency. :The longest conversation was strange - it went like this - :When I was a mage, I didn't use all my magics on all the silliest little things like Elspeth does.: :Oh, really, Savil? And what about all your Gates sending you off to the Peligirs to visit your friends?: :I recall there being a number of journeys to the Peligirs with your Chosen, too, Gwena, so don't argue with me . . .: - It doesn't make sense, Ster, it's just nonsense.:
Sterran's head was ringing. He'd never heard of anyone who could listen in on what was obviously a conversation between two Companions. It certainly sounded like Savil - or rather, Sayvil. She had a tongue as acidic as her Chosen, Kerowyn's.
Now Sterran had another dilemma - should he tell Kella who the 'blue-white voices' really were?
Sterran wished his twin sister, Asterra, was here. She certainly wouldn't lecture him about being untraditional - she had Chosen a non-conformist Tayledras mage only a few months ago, and the two had fled Valdemar, with a bondbird in tow, to explore the untravelled lands.
But untraditional as Asterra undoubtedly was, she had had the most common sense of any one of his acquaintance, and a truly wonderful sense of humor. It was sad to realize that he might never hear from her again.
Especially when she might take attention away from my own twisting of the rules.
But now was not the time to remininsce. What to tell his Chosen.
:Kella?: Sterran said tentatively :Tell me if you hear the voices again, will you - it - it could be important.: That would do, at least until someone could help him.
*
The pair now sat in a grove of trees, Kella using him as a backrest. Hair still wet from a bath dripped onto his back, but Sterran was too hot to care. Besides the Summer warmth, the extreme concentration Sterran had had to exert to keep Kella from breaking down when the contact between them was severed had heated him, and this cool dribble helped - somewhat - in negating this heat.
And that reminded him - :Kella?:
"Hmm?" she replied drowsily, cocking her head in an incongruously adult gesture that reminded him of Giessa.
:I think you should learn how to shield.: Sterran declared firmly. :It will help you to keep a hold of yourself when we can't touch.:
"I was all right during my bath, wasn't I?" Kella objected.
:And, let us say that it will also keep me from exhausting myself.: Sterran said delicately.
"Oh." Kella blushed slightly in embarrassment. Sterran noted with amusement that the pink clashed with her chestnut hair. "But, who can teach me?"
:I think I could take care of that.: Sterran declared smugly. :Now, we will begin with center and ground . . .:
Over the next few hours, Kella made startling progress. She could now shield fully, keeping any stray thoughts out or in. Now the real test . . .
:Kella,: Sterran said, :I'm going to step away for a moment. See if you can hold on to yourself.: He could see the nervous expression on her face as she stepped away. . .
A stream of fear of grief hit him, and he leapt back beside the sobbing Kella. She clung to his leg while her shaking eased.
"It didn't work, did it?" she whispered, obviously still shaken by the reaction.
:No, and it should have.: Sterran replied, irritated at this unexpected failure. :Damn! We have got to get this sorted out.: