I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my one reviewer, Herald-Mage Brianna.
=D Thanks so much for reviewing! I hope you like the rest of the story!
Chapter Two
During that moment of silence following my Choosing, I was in heaven, and too happy to speak. I was loved and I loved in return, and I knew that I would never, ever be alone again.
But the silence existed for a different reason for my friends -- they were rather stunned.
"Erm, Molly?" Chris asked, sounding confused. "You okay?"
I blinked and came back from my half-trance and took one step back from the Companion -- my Companion, Nyoka -- and grinned at him, then turned around to Chris to smile at him. It was the first time in a long while that I'd smiled at him without any trace of fear or doubt or anything but joy.
"I'm perfectly fine," I replied, my eyes bright with the tears I'd nearly shed. "I- I have to leave, though. . ."
Scott looked alarmed. "Molly, what happened? One minute you stepped up to the horse, then you were laughing and talking to it and smiling and now you're. . ."he trailed off.
I smiled again. "I'm sorry. But- this. . ." I turned a bit and motioned to the Companion. "This is Nyoka. He's a Companion of Valdemar, and he journeyed here to Choose me."
Both the boys' jaws practically dropped in surprise, and the looks in their eyes told me they obviously didn't believe what I was saying. After all, who would believe it except for someone who had heard that voice in their mind, someone who could already feel the love flowing from the magnificent creature next to them?
But they did understand what I meant when I said Companion. I'd forced both of them to read some of Mercedes Lackey's books (Chris read "The Last Herald-Mage" trilogy and Scott read the "Arrows" trilogy), and they understood what I meant -- or at least, what I _thought_ I'd meant. I knew it was true, but I also knew that it would be impossible to convince them.
My goodbyes for Scott were first, and I stepped forward and into his arms that he'd held out to hold me. "Soulsib," I said, using the nickname I only used rarely, "I love you dearly. And- I'll miss you so much. But I have to go with Nyoka."
Surprisingly, Scott smiled sadly and nodded. "I knew you weren't happy here," he said, and we both knew he meant "Earth" by "here." "Go with him and be happy! But I'll miss you too!"
I then went to put my arms around Chris and hug him tightly, and, surprised, he returned the hug. "I love you," I told him, looking up into his brown eyes. "But I can't stay here now. I- I can't say that you'll ever understand, or- that I'll see you again." I knew it was true, and it cut through my already fragile heart like a knife, so I tried not to think about it. "And- oh crap, I know this sounds horrible and corny and everything, but I do, absolutely, positively love you." And I reached up to kiss him one last time. "And- tell my family that I love them and that I'm sorry."
He blinked. "I- love you too. . ." he replied, still sounding a bit dazed and confused. "And I'll tell them."
I turned back to Nyoka and smiled at him, and he tossed his head. :We should go,: he told me, and I nodded and stepped back towards him and lifted my foot up to slip it into the stirrup. Somehow I managed to pull myself into the saddle and look just a bit graceful as I did so, even though I'm only 4'10" and Nyoka was very tall.
He chuckled mentally as I settled into the saddle, my backpack still on my back. :We'll be able to do even more than that after you finish all of your classes!: he told me, and I grinned at him.
He began trotting off towards the football field, and I turned around to smile at my friends and wave farewell. I would miss them. . . but then I looked down at Nyo's ears, which were up and swiveling around to hear all the sounds of a city that were so unlike the ones he was used to, and I knew that since he would be there, everything would be alright.
We crossed the two streets before the football field and walked inside the open gate. "How are we getting to Valdemar?" I asked him aloud as he walked down the rough gravel path.
:Darkwind, Elspeth and Gwena, and Summerhawk and Iai are holding open a Gate for us,: he said. :Summerhawk is the son of Darkwind and Elspeth -- he's 15 or 16, I think, and Iai is his Companion.:
I blinked and did the calculations in my head. "So it's been at least sixteen years since the end of the Mage Storms?" I asked, and I was rewarded by a feeling of affirmative that Nyoka Sent to me. "So the prince and princess must be grown up, and Talia's son Jemmie, too."
:The three of them and Summerhawk are all in your year-group,: he told me. :They were all Chosen very late, just like you. This will be a very old class compared to the ages of most of the newly-Chosen, and the five of you will probably graduate in about three or four years depending on how much extra work you do.:
By this time we'd come to the small building at the edge of the football field. An old, broken soccer goal was leaned up against it, but through the goal --
--were three people and two Companions who all looked like they were concentrating a great deal. It was obviously not going to Earth. . . It was Valdemar.
:Time to go,: Nyoka said, and he stepped through the Gate and into my new home.
I felt like I was falling endlessly, but there was no wind as I fell. My stomach lurched and my eyes widened in fear and surprise, and the space was unexpectedly not cold. I'd always figured the Void would be freezing cold. Strange. But we were between the worlds for only about five or six seconds before Nyo's hooves landed on solid ground and we were in Valdemar.
I gasped for air, shut my eyes to the brightness of the sun, and bent down to lean heavily on the Companion's neck, but then I felt hands reaching up to lift me from the saddle and lay me gently on the ground. I relaxed as I was on solid land again, and I heard voices speaking in a language I didn't understand. They spoke out loud, but I also heard voices in my mind.
:We were in the Gate longer than I expected,: I heard Nyoka's voice say, but he wasn't just talking to me, I suspected. :She did very well for her very first time through a Gate. It was her first -- well, second if you count my Choice -- exposure to magic, as well. And she doesn't speak Valdemaran.:
:We need to have Taeo give her the language,: a feminine voice said with surety. :She really must learn immediately or she will struggle far too much to succeed. And none of us know her language. She would also feel alienated while she learned.:
:Would it be wise to force it upon her so soon?: another female voice asked, this one quieter and more songlike than the last. :Even those that are used to magic and can prepare for things like this can have bad reaction-headaches when they receive a language.:
I heard Nyo sigh mentally. :We have no choice, I think she must learn it. She is stronger than she looks, all will be well.: I felt his attention on me, but how I did this with my eyes closed, I had no idea. :Molly, I hate to do this to you now, but we are going to have Taeo, a king dyheli- stag that lives here in Haven, give you Valdemaran.:
"I- okay," I replied, unsure of myself. But I really did need to know it. . .
A moment later I heard the sound of hooves approaching at a sedate pace, and then a soft nose reach down to touch my cheek, and I smiled, though my eyes were still closed. :Good day, young one,: a deep voice said into my mind, sounding amused and content and wise. :It is a pleasure to meet you. You have traveled far to come here, and I will make everything a bit easier for you. . . while also making your head hurt,: he chuckled good naturedly and sent a feeling of apology, and I felt the blackness come to swallow me up and submitted to its power gracefully.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I opened my eyes to find myself in a fairly plain room painted a soft green color, and I looked over to see a sweet-looking woman with red-brown hair with a few gray streaks in it walk in through the door quietly. She was wearing all white clothing -- Whites, I quickly realized.
"Herald-Trainee Molly?" she said cautiously. "Are you awake?"
"I am," I replied, then suddenly realized that I was _not_ speaking English. ~Wow, that really worked. . .~ And then the headache set in, preventing me from thinking any more about the new language I could suddenly speak. I put my hand against my forehead, wishing I had some Advil or something to take and make this horrid pain go away. ~Oh- wow, they weren't lying when they said the headache was killer. . .~
"I've got a headache potion for you," she said, approaching the bed with a soft smile. "I've never had to learn another language so quickly that the dyheli had to teach me, but I have heard that it is not a pleasant experience," she chuckled.
I accepted the potion and grimaced for a moment before drinking it in a single gulp. "Yuck!" I said, coughing slightly and wishing I had something to take the taste out of my mouth, but the nastiness of the potion was counteracted by the way it made my aching forehead feel much better almost instantly. "But- wow!" I grinned at her. "At least it works. I wish I would've had something like this at- home. . ."
I trailed off and realized with a start what had really happened. Chosen. Goodbyes. A Gate. And now- Valdemar. I wasn't at home, I wouldn't see my family or my friends again, I wouldn't recognize any of the people here or any of the foods or live in a way I had been living for seventeen years. I felt my first twinges of homesickness.
The woman took a seat next to me, and reached out to pat my hand. "I realize you've just taken a very large, and very sudden journey," she said, "and that it will be hard for you here. It will be different, I won't lie to you. But- I think that you'll grow to love it here, and that you'll make friends. I hope you won't regret coming to be with us."
I looked down and thought hard for a moment. ~It- it will be hard. But isn't this what I've always dreamed of? I'd be pretty silly not to be grateful for the gift the fates have given me.~
I looked back up and smiled. "I- I think I'll be happy here, lady Herald," I said. "And- you're Talia, aren't you?"
She laughed aloud. "Nyoka said you were quick and that you knew about us!" The Queen's Own smiled at me, then looked a bit thoughtful. "But I'm afraid we're not quite sure what to do with you. Telling everyone that a young woman from another world has come and been Chosen would seem a bit strange, and I don't think you'd want all that attention anyway, right?"
It was a good thing I was pretty used to randomly talking to everyone or I'd be going crazy with the fact that I was now talking to Talia, the Queen's Own in a world I'd thought only an hour or so ago to be fictional. "Definitely not," I agreed. "How about -- I'm a minor noble from near the edge of Valdemar, and I lived a very secluded life because my parents tried to protect me from everything, so I don't know much about Valdemar or anything."
Talia beamed. "Wonderful. I'll tell Selenay what you've come up with, and we'll inform your teachers, as well. Your year mates also know the truth, and those four are my son Jemmie, Selenay's twins Lyra and Kris, and Elspeth's son Summerhawk."
I nodded. "So where am I right now? What classes will I be taking? Do I have any Gifts?"
"You're in the House of Healing currently," she replied. "We're not sure what classes you'll need, but," Talia chuckled, "most of them will probably be basic things about Valdemar and history and languages and those kinds of things. We'll have to see what kind of things you know before we know for sure though. And I don't know about your Gifts, but your Nyoka probably would. Would you like to go see him?"
I stood and brushed off my clothes. I still looked very strange and out of place -- I wore khaki pants and a green shirt with a picture of Felix the cartoon cat on it, as well as a pleather (plastic leather) jacket. I didn't see my green bookbag anywhere, but I hoped that I'd be able to find it sometime.
"I'd love to!" I replied. "But- could I change into something different? My clothes don't exactly fit in with what you wear here," I grinned, and Talia chuckled and nodded.
"On the chair there are some Grays -- we guessed at your size, and since you're rather small, your clothes are pretty new seeing as they haven't been needed as much as the other sizes," the Queen's Own grinned. "I'll go out in the hallway to let you change and then I'll take you out to see Nyoka. After that I'll introduce you to your mentor, okay?"
I nodded and walked over to grab the Grays on the chair that Talia had pointed to, then quickly changed into them. It was a strange feeling as I looked down at myself -- I already looked like a completely different person from the little near-helpless girl I'd been back home. There were so many changes that I kind of shut off the part of my mind that kept trying to insist that I realize the full implications of what had happened, knowing that I'd have plenty of time to think about it all later.
I stepped out of the door and smiled at Talia. "Ready?" she asked with another friendly smile, and I nodded and we walked down the hallway and outside.
Chapter Two
During that moment of silence following my Choosing, I was in heaven, and too happy to speak. I was loved and I loved in return, and I knew that I would never, ever be alone again.
But the silence existed for a different reason for my friends -- they were rather stunned.
"Erm, Molly?" Chris asked, sounding confused. "You okay?"
I blinked and came back from my half-trance and took one step back from the Companion -- my Companion, Nyoka -- and grinned at him, then turned around to Chris to smile at him. It was the first time in a long while that I'd smiled at him without any trace of fear or doubt or anything but joy.
"I'm perfectly fine," I replied, my eyes bright with the tears I'd nearly shed. "I- I have to leave, though. . ."
Scott looked alarmed. "Molly, what happened? One minute you stepped up to the horse, then you were laughing and talking to it and smiling and now you're. . ."he trailed off.
I smiled again. "I'm sorry. But- this. . ." I turned a bit and motioned to the Companion. "This is Nyoka. He's a Companion of Valdemar, and he journeyed here to Choose me."
Both the boys' jaws practically dropped in surprise, and the looks in their eyes told me they obviously didn't believe what I was saying. After all, who would believe it except for someone who had heard that voice in their mind, someone who could already feel the love flowing from the magnificent creature next to them?
But they did understand what I meant when I said Companion. I'd forced both of them to read some of Mercedes Lackey's books (Chris read "The Last Herald-Mage" trilogy and Scott read the "Arrows" trilogy), and they understood what I meant -- or at least, what I _thought_ I'd meant. I knew it was true, but I also knew that it would be impossible to convince them.
My goodbyes for Scott were first, and I stepped forward and into his arms that he'd held out to hold me. "Soulsib," I said, using the nickname I only used rarely, "I love you dearly. And- I'll miss you so much. But I have to go with Nyoka."
Surprisingly, Scott smiled sadly and nodded. "I knew you weren't happy here," he said, and we both knew he meant "Earth" by "here." "Go with him and be happy! But I'll miss you too!"
I then went to put my arms around Chris and hug him tightly, and, surprised, he returned the hug. "I love you," I told him, looking up into his brown eyes. "But I can't stay here now. I- I can't say that you'll ever understand, or- that I'll see you again." I knew it was true, and it cut through my already fragile heart like a knife, so I tried not to think about it. "And- oh crap, I know this sounds horrible and corny and everything, but I do, absolutely, positively love you." And I reached up to kiss him one last time. "And- tell my family that I love them and that I'm sorry."
He blinked. "I- love you too. . ." he replied, still sounding a bit dazed and confused. "And I'll tell them."
I turned back to Nyoka and smiled at him, and he tossed his head. :We should go,: he told me, and I nodded and stepped back towards him and lifted my foot up to slip it into the stirrup. Somehow I managed to pull myself into the saddle and look just a bit graceful as I did so, even though I'm only 4'10" and Nyoka was very tall.
He chuckled mentally as I settled into the saddle, my backpack still on my back. :We'll be able to do even more than that after you finish all of your classes!: he told me, and I grinned at him.
He began trotting off towards the football field, and I turned around to smile at my friends and wave farewell. I would miss them. . . but then I looked down at Nyo's ears, which were up and swiveling around to hear all the sounds of a city that were so unlike the ones he was used to, and I knew that since he would be there, everything would be alright.
We crossed the two streets before the football field and walked inside the open gate. "How are we getting to Valdemar?" I asked him aloud as he walked down the rough gravel path.
:Darkwind, Elspeth and Gwena, and Summerhawk and Iai are holding open a Gate for us,: he said. :Summerhawk is the son of Darkwind and Elspeth -- he's 15 or 16, I think, and Iai is his Companion.:
I blinked and did the calculations in my head. "So it's been at least sixteen years since the end of the Mage Storms?" I asked, and I was rewarded by a feeling of affirmative that Nyoka Sent to me. "So the prince and princess must be grown up, and Talia's son Jemmie, too."
:The three of them and Summerhawk are all in your year-group,: he told me. :They were all Chosen very late, just like you. This will be a very old class compared to the ages of most of the newly-Chosen, and the five of you will probably graduate in about three or four years depending on how much extra work you do.:
By this time we'd come to the small building at the edge of the football field. An old, broken soccer goal was leaned up against it, but through the goal --
--were three people and two Companions who all looked like they were concentrating a great deal. It was obviously not going to Earth. . . It was Valdemar.
:Time to go,: Nyoka said, and he stepped through the Gate and into my new home.
I felt like I was falling endlessly, but there was no wind as I fell. My stomach lurched and my eyes widened in fear and surprise, and the space was unexpectedly not cold. I'd always figured the Void would be freezing cold. Strange. But we were between the worlds for only about five or six seconds before Nyo's hooves landed on solid ground and we were in Valdemar.
I gasped for air, shut my eyes to the brightness of the sun, and bent down to lean heavily on the Companion's neck, but then I felt hands reaching up to lift me from the saddle and lay me gently on the ground. I relaxed as I was on solid land again, and I heard voices speaking in a language I didn't understand. They spoke out loud, but I also heard voices in my mind.
:We were in the Gate longer than I expected,: I heard Nyoka's voice say, but he wasn't just talking to me, I suspected. :She did very well for her very first time through a Gate. It was her first -- well, second if you count my Choice -- exposure to magic, as well. And she doesn't speak Valdemaran.:
:We need to have Taeo give her the language,: a feminine voice said with surety. :She really must learn immediately or she will struggle far too much to succeed. And none of us know her language. She would also feel alienated while she learned.:
:Would it be wise to force it upon her so soon?: another female voice asked, this one quieter and more songlike than the last. :Even those that are used to magic and can prepare for things like this can have bad reaction-headaches when they receive a language.:
I heard Nyo sigh mentally. :We have no choice, I think she must learn it. She is stronger than she looks, all will be well.: I felt his attention on me, but how I did this with my eyes closed, I had no idea. :Molly, I hate to do this to you now, but we are going to have Taeo, a king dyheli- stag that lives here in Haven, give you Valdemaran.:
"I- okay," I replied, unsure of myself. But I really did need to know it. . .
A moment later I heard the sound of hooves approaching at a sedate pace, and then a soft nose reach down to touch my cheek, and I smiled, though my eyes were still closed. :Good day, young one,: a deep voice said into my mind, sounding amused and content and wise. :It is a pleasure to meet you. You have traveled far to come here, and I will make everything a bit easier for you. . . while also making your head hurt,: he chuckled good naturedly and sent a feeling of apology, and I felt the blackness come to swallow me up and submitted to its power gracefully.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I opened my eyes to find myself in a fairly plain room painted a soft green color, and I looked over to see a sweet-looking woman with red-brown hair with a few gray streaks in it walk in through the door quietly. She was wearing all white clothing -- Whites, I quickly realized.
"Herald-Trainee Molly?" she said cautiously. "Are you awake?"
"I am," I replied, then suddenly realized that I was _not_ speaking English. ~Wow, that really worked. . .~ And then the headache set in, preventing me from thinking any more about the new language I could suddenly speak. I put my hand against my forehead, wishing I had some Advil or something to take and make this horrid pain go away. ~Oh- wow, they weren't lying when they said the headache was killer. . .~
"I've got a headache potion for you," she said, approaching the bed with a soft smile. "I've never had to learn another language so quickly that the dyheli had to teach me, but I have heard that it is not a pleasant experience," she chuckled.
I accepted the potion and grimaced for a moment before drinking it in a single gulp. "Yuck!" I said, coughing slightly and wishing I had something to take the taste out of my mouth, but the nastiness of the potion was counteracted by the way it made my aching forehead feel much better almost instantly. "But- wow!" I grinned at her. "At least it works. I wish I would've had something like this at- home. . ."
I trailed off and realized with a start what had really happened. Chosen. Goodbyes. A Gate. And now- Valdemar. I wasn't at home, I wouldn't see my family or my friends again, I wouldn't recognize any of the people here or any of the foods or live in a way I had been living for seventeen years. I felt my first twinges of homesickness.
The woman took a seat next to me, and reached out to pat my hand. "I realize you've just taken a very large, and very sudden journey," she said, "and that it will be hard for you here. It will be different, I won't lie to you. But- I think that you'll grow to love it here, and that you'll make friends. I hope you won't regret coming to be with us."
I looked down and thought hard for a moment. ~It- it will be hard. But isn't this what I've always dreamed of? I'd be pretty silly not to be grateful for the gift the fates have given me.~
I looked back up and smiled. "I- I think I'll be happy here, lady Herald," I said. "And- you're Talia, aren't you?"
She laughed aloud. "Nyoka said you were quick and that you knew about us!" The Queen's Own smiled at me, then looked a bit thoughtful. "But I'm afraid we're not quite sure what to do with you. Telling everyone that a young woman from another world has come and been Chosen would seem a bit strange, and I don't think you'd want all that attention anyway, right?"
It was a good thing I was pretty used to randomly talking to everyone or I'd be going crazy with the fact that I was now talking to Talia, the Queen's Own in a world I'd thought only an hour or so ago to be fictional. "Definitely not," I agreed. "How about -- I'm a minor noble from near the edge of Valdemar, and I lived a very secluded life because my parents tried to protect me from everything, so I don't know much about Valdemar or anything."
Talia beamed. "Wonderful. I'll tell Selenay what you've come up with, and we'll inform your teachers, as well. Your year mates also know the truth, and those four are my son Jemmie, Selenay's twins Lyra and Kris, and Elspeth's son Summerhawk."
I nodded. "So where am I right now? What classes will I be taking? Do I have any Gifts?"
"You're in the House of Healing currently," she replied. "We're not sure what classes you'll need, but," Talia chuckled, "most of them will probably be basic things about Valdemar and history and languages and those kinds of things. We'll have to see what kind of things you know before we know for sure though. And I don't know about your Gifts, but your Nyoka probably would. Would you like to go see him?"
I stood and brushed off my clothes. I still looked very strange and out of place -- I wore khaki pants and a green shirt with a picture of Felix the cartoon cat on it, as well as a pleather (plastic leather) jacket. I didn't see my green bookbag anywhere, but I hoped that I'd be able to find it sometime.
"I'd love to!" I replied. "But- could I change into something different? My clothes don't exactly fit in with what you wear here," I grinned, and Talia chuckled and nodded.
"On the chair there are some Grays -- we guessed at your size, and since you're rather small, your clothes are pretty new seeing as they haven't been needed as much as the other sizes," the Queen's Own grinned. "I'll go out in the hallway to let you change and then I'll take you out to see Nyoka. After that I'll introduce you to your mentor, okay?"
I nodded and walked over to grab the Grays on the chair that Talia had pointed to, then quickly changed into them. It was a strange feeling as I looked down at myself -- I already looked like a completely different person from the little near-helpless girl I'd been back home. There were so many changes that I kind of shut off the part of my mind that kept trying to insist that I realize the full implications of what had happened, knowing that I'd have plenty of time to think about it all later.
I stepped out of the door and smiled at Talia. "Ready?" she asked with another friendly smile, and I nodded and we walked down the hallway and outside.