Chapter 4
*
Leena and Destus reached the rendez vous at almost exactly the same time as Cassa and Camber. Cassa's eyebrows - now rubbed free of the dark makeup that usually covered them - flew upwards in surprise at the sight of the other Companion. Camber had obviously not informed her of Destus' prescence.
"Hello," Leena said, noting in surprise the light eyebrows and the black hair. She herself had waving chestnut hair and green eyes that any witch would envy. "I'm Leena, and this is Destus. You look better without the nose wart."
Cassa started, then laughed. "Oh - you're the customer who laughed at me. Who's laughing now, hmm? And I'm Cassa, by the way."
The Companions began to trot smoothly down the road at their Chosen talked.
"Nice to meet you," Leena smiled, deciding that she was going to like this girl. "I know Camber; Destus said they are friends, and decided to travel together. By the way -" Now Leena looked puzzled, and dreadfully curious. "How on earth did you know I would be Chosen?"
Cassa laughed again. "Camber says I have the gift of foresight, telling the future." She hesitated a moment. "I thought I was going mad." She confessed.
"How does it work?" Asked Leena eagerly, green eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun.
Cassa paused, her face becoming still as she 'listened' to Camber.
"Camber says that I can only see a guarenteed future." She said at last. "Some people can see multiple, optional futures, but I can only see a certain one." She groped for an example. "Like, once I saw that a woman would be married and have a family. The man had already decided to propose, I think, or I wouldn't have seen it. And you; Destus already knew he was going to Choose you, so I could see that as definite."
"Oh," Leena seemed to understand. "Destus, what gifts do I have?"
:Farseeing, and a bit of mindspeech,: Cassa was astonished to find that she could hear him perfectly. :You both have some mindspeech, in fact. Not much, but enough to talk to us and to hear a mindspeaker.:
"Farseeing?" A frown creased Leena's forehead, and Cassa, too, was puzzled.
:You will be able to see what happens, far away.: Destus explained. :You will be a good scout. You will have to be trained, but not for a year or two.:
"And me?" Cassa asked both Companions, not sure which would answer. "Do I need training?"
:Foresight is a difficult gift to train,: Camber answered. :Yours seems willing to come when called. Unless it proves a problem, I doubt you will need any training for a while.:
The Companions had moved into a smooth, endless gallop which ate away at the miles, but eventually they slowed to a walk. Cassa opened her cloak, and Mitt jumped out, perching carefully on the saddle in front of her. She steadied him, leaving the reins, and caught Leena's pop-eyed stare.
"What did you think I had in my cloak?" Cassa teased. "Or did you just think I was fat?"
From Leena's flush and downcast eyes, Cassa decided that that was what she had thought, and she laughed.
The Companions turned of the road at this point, traveling down an almost invisible track which led to a clearing and a waystation.
They stopped, and Mitt jumped lightly to the ground, Leena and Cassa following much more stiffly. Leena groaned aloud, and Cassa echoed her. She had spent her whole life traveling, but never had she sat on a horse for so long!
The companions chuckled. :And now take off our tack.: Camber instructed mercilessly, and the pair unsaddled their mounts, both of which walked to the pool for a drink before lying down on the grass. Mitt immediately jumped onto Destus and sat between his shoulderblades.
:Impudent creature,: Destus commented in passing. :Now; we need to be groomed before you have a wash in the pool. A fire needs to be built, and dinner made. We would appreciate some food just as much as you.:
Cassa looked doubtful. "I can't cook," she confessed. "I can build a fire, and groom a horse, but I can't cook."
Leena looked at her in astonishment. "Whyever not? It's easy!" she asked. "You are a traveler - don't you have to cook for yourself sometimes?"
Cassa shook her head. "I'm with a faire," she explained. "The bakers cook for us all; I never learned."
Leena looked thoughtful. "I know how; my mother taught me. Well, I can teach you to cook, if you'll show me how to groom Destus."
Now it was Cassa's turn to be surprised. "You don't know how to groom a horse? It's easy . . ." She trailed off as she realised she had echoed Leena's own comment. Both girls laughed.
The Companions were groomed to their satisfaction, and Cassa had been taught how to make porridge, before they finally got the baths they wanted. Cassa, much to her relief, was able to return herself to her natural blonde colouration, and both girls managed to clean themselves of sweat and tavel grime.
Cleaned, and dressed in fresh clothing, the two girls relaxed. Mitt lay between them, on the green turf, as Leena stroked her absently.
"I always wanted a cat," she said into the growing dark. "But mother wouldn't let me." She sighed.
Cassa came to the conclusion that Leena did not get on with her mother very well.
"I do love my mother," Leena said quietly, as though seeing Cassa's thought. "But she always wanted me to be perfect, and not to waste time on silly things." Leena made a grimace, unseen in the dark. "My father thought I should be myself. He was a captain in the Guard." She laughed then. "When I turned eighteen, I was going to run away and join the army."
Cassa laughed too, more out of surprise than anything else. Leena did not look like a fighter, but when Cassa thought it over, she realised that Leena was built a bit like her Companion. Tall and sturdy, in spite of inherent grace. Cassa was thin, with long legs and arms. Like Camber, she realised suddenly. A runner, not a fighter.
"What are your parents like?" Leena asked wistfully.
Cassa shrugged. "My mother - she's with the faire, too. She does make up for the dancing girls, she did my makeup. She plays for the dancing girls, and as entertainment." She paused. "My father - I don't know. My parents weren't married. I don't think he ever intended to marry my mother; he ran away when she was pregnant." Cassa shrugged again. "The faire looked after us. He never turned up again. So . . ."
Leena stayed in silent thought for a while. "Let's turn in. We have a long day ahead of us." She yawned hugely, and stood up. "Shall we leave Mitt here for the night?"
Cassa looked at the dozing cat. "I'll bring her in for a while." She decided. "Then she can come and go as she likes." Cassa scooped the cat up in her arms and entered the Waystation behind Leena.
They had already spread blankets over the large bedbox, and now both wrapped up in yet more blankets, and went to sleep.
:Good night, Chosen.: Camber whispered into Cassa's mind. She smiled, and snuggled down into the straw matress.
:Good night.:
*
Leena and Destus reached the rendez vous at almost exactly the same time as Cassa and Camber. Cassa's eyebrows - now rubbed free of the dark makeup that usually covered them - flew upwards in surprise at the sight of the other Companion. Camber had obviously not informed her of Destus' prescence.
"Hello," Leena said, noting in surprise the light eyebrows and the black hair. She herself had waving chestnut hair and green eyes that any witch would envy. "I'm Leena, and this is Destus. You look better without the nose wart."
Cassa started, then laughed. "Oh - you're the customer who laughed at me. Who's laughing now, hmm? And I'm Cassa, by the way."
The Companions began to trot smoothly down the road at their Chosen talked.
"Nice to meet you," Leena smiled, deciding that she was going to like this girl. "I know Camber; Destus said they are friends, and decided to travel together. By the way -" Now Leena looked puzzled, and dreadfully curious. "How on earth did you know I would be Chosen?"
Cassa laughed again. "Camber says I have the gift of foresight, telling the future." She hesitated a moment. "I thought I was going mad." She confessed.
"How does it work?" Asked Leena eagerly, green eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun.
Cassa paused, her face becoming still as she 'listened' to Camber.
"Camber says that I can only see a guarenteed future." She said at last. "Some people can see multiple, optional futures, but I can only see a certain one." She groped for an example. "Like, once I saw that a woman would be married and have a family. The man had already decided to propose, I think, or I wouldn't have seen it. And you; Destus already knew he was going to Choose you, so I could see that as definite."
"Oh," Leena seemed to understand. "Destus, what gifts do I have?"
:Farseeing, and a bit of mindspeech,: Cassa was astonished to find that she could hear him perfectly. :You both have some mindspeech, in fact. Not much, but enough to talk to us and to hear a mindspeaker.:
"Farseeing?" A frown creased Leena's forehead, and Cassa, too, was puzzled.
:You will be able to see what happens, far away.: Destus explained. :You will be a good scout. You will have to be trained, but not for a year or two.:
"And me?" Cassa asked both Companions, not sure which would answer. "Do I need training?"
:Foresight is a difficult gift to train,: Camber answered. :Yours seems willing to come when called. Unless it proves a problem, I doubt you will need any training for a while.:
The Companions had moved into a smooth, endless gallop which ate away at the miles, but eventually they slowed to a walk. Cassa opened her cloak, and Mitt jumped out, perching carefully on the saddle in front of her. She steadied him, leaving the reins, and caught Leena's pop-eyed stare.
"What did you think I had in my cloak?" Cassa teased. "Or did you just think I was fat?"
From Leena's flush and downcast eyes, Cassa decided that that was what she had thought, and she laughed.
The Companions turned of the road at this point, traveling down an almost invisible track which led to a clearing and a waystation.
They stopped, and Mitt jumped lightly to the ground, Leena and Cassa following much more stiffly. Leena groaned aloud, and Cassa echoed her. She had spent her whole life traveling, but never had she sat on a horse for so long!
The companions chuckled. :And now take off our tack.: Camber instructed mercilessly, and the pair unsaddled their mounts, both of which walked to the pool for a drink before lying down on the grass. Mitt immediately jumped onto Destus and sat between his shoulderblades.
:Impudent creature,: Destus commented in passing. :Now; we need to be groomed before you have a wash in the pool. A fire needs to be built, and dinner made. We would appreciate some food just as much as you.:
Cassa looked doubtful. "I can't cook," she confessed. "I can build a fire, and groom a horse, but I can't cook."
Leena looked at her in astonishment. "Whyever not? It's easy!" she asked. "You are a traveler - don't you have to cook for yourself sometimes?"
Cassa shook her head. "I'm with a faire," she explained. "The bakers cook for us all; I never learned."
Leena looked thoughtful. "I know how; my mother taught me. Well, I can teach you to cook, if you'll show me how to groom Destus."
Now it was Cassa's turn to be surprised. "You don't know how to groom a horse? It's easy . . ." She trailed off as she realised she had echoed Leena's own comment. Both girls laughed.
The Companions were groomed to their satisfaction, and Cassa had been taught how to make porridge, before they finally got the baths they wanted. Cassa, much to her relief, was able to return herself to her natural blonde colouration, and both girls managed to clean themselves of sweat and tavel grime.
Cleaned, and dressed in fresh clothing, the two girls relaxed. Mitt lay between them, on the green turf, as Leena stroked her absently.
"I always wanted a cat," she said into the growing dark. "But mother wouldn't let me." She sighed.
Cassa came to the conclusion that Leena did not get on with her mother very well.
"I do love my mother," Leena said quietly, as though seeing Cassa's thought. "But she always wanted me to be perfect, and not to waste time on silly things." Leena made a grimace, unseen in the dark. "My father thought I should be myself. He was a captain in the Guard." She laughed then. "When I turned eighteen, I was going to run away and join the army."
Cassa laughed too, more out of surprise than anything else. Leena did not look like a fighter, but when Cassa thought it over, she realised that Leena was built a bit like her Companion. Tall and sturdy, in spite of inherent grace. Cassa was thin, with long legs and arms. Like Camber, she realised suddenly. A runner, not a fighter.
"What are your parents like?" Leena asked wistfully.
Cassa shrugged. "My mother - she's with the faire, too. She does make up for the dancing girls, she did my makeup. She plays for the dancing girls, and as entertainment." She paused. "My father - I don't know. My parents weren't married. I don't think he ever intended to marry my mother; he ran away when she was pregnant." Cassa shrugged again. "The faire looked after us. He never turned up again. So . . ."
Leena stayed in silent thought for a while. "Let's turn in. We have a long day ahead of us." She yawned hugely, and stood up. "Shall we leave Mitt here for the night?"
Cassa looked at the dozing cat. "I'll bring her in for a while." She decided. "Then she can come and go as she likes." Cassa scooped the cat up in her arms and entered the Waystation behind Leena.
They had already spread blankets over the large bedbox, and now both wrapped up in yet more blankets, and went to sleep.
:Good night, Chosen.: Camber whispered into Cassa's mind. She smiled, and snuggled down into the straw matress.
:Good night.: