Chapter 5
*
Someone was shaking her. "G'way." Cassa mumbled grumpily. "Le'me'lone. Don' wanna ge' up."
"Too bad," said a voice. "'Cause if you don't wake up right now, I'm going to dump a bucket of water on you."
That threat woke Cassa up. She was in the Waystation, with Leena in front of her, fully dressed and wide awake. She was also grinning.
Cassa scowled. She hated mornings. "What are you doing awake at this indecent hour?" She demanded resentfully.
"It's almost time to go." Leena reminded her. With a groan, Cassa collapsed back on the bed. Leena left the Waystation, but reentered soon. "I really wasn't joking about the water." Cassa looked up. Leena was holding a bucket. A full bucket. Cassa scrambled out of bed.
"You wouldn't dare," Cassa said, already dressing for the day.
"Oh, really?" Leena grinned at her discomfit. "Here," She added "I made you breakfast." She handed Cassa a bowl of porridge.
"Thanks," Cassa sat down on the edge of the bedbox and began to eat. Leena joined her. "Where's Mitt?"
"Outside with the horses."
:Companions!: Destus corrected forcefully.
"Whatever. She brought you some - ah - presents."
Cassa groaned. "Not more neatly severed mouse heads!"
Mitt's one terrible habit was to, when she caught a mouse, decapitate it neatly and leave the head as some macabre offering.
Leena nodded.
"Damn. I just can't cure her of that habit."
The pair finished their breakfast almost simultaneously, and washed their plates in the pond before saddling up their Companions. Mitt jumped without prompting to the saddle, and was enfolded into Cassa's cloak.
The two Companions began to gallop as soon as they reached the road. Cassa had no idea how they managed to keep up the gallop for so long without tiring. At this rate, it would not take long to reach Haven.
With Sunset Faire, it would have taken until midwinter - three moons from now - to reach the Capital, but they were taking an indirect route, travelling at walking pace and stopping at every town on the map. With the Companions, Cassa would not bet on it taking more than a week.
Soon after noon, the travellers reached a town. There the Companions stopped, and Leena and Cassa gladly dismounted. Mitt jumped into Cassa's arms, and Cassa was too shy to approach any of the formidable guards, so Leena approached the guard station. A blue clad roadguard came up to her.
"Greetings," the stocky woman said. "New Chosen, hmm?"
"Yes, m'm," Leena replied politely. "We were wanting some wayfood, if you could spare us some."
"Oh, I can do you one better than that," the Guard said cheerfully. "I'll give you wayfood, and a hot meal for now." She then waved a hand towards Cassa's burden. "I can even find some food for your friend's pussy."
"Thank you," Leena replied, as she and Cassa followed the guard to the inn yard.
The children of the village - and some older - turned out to greet the Companions. Destus and Camber received much more attention than their human partners, but they seemed to enjoy being petted by the children.
The girls were pretty much ignored - to Cassa's great releif - until a little girl of about four arrived at their table. "Can I ride one of the pretty white horsies?" she asked shyly.
Camber approached the table, and leaned down towards her. The girl giggled and stroked her nose.
:Tell her, yes,: she instructed.
After that, every child in the village had to have a ride on one or the other 'horsie', and it was a long time before they got back on the road.
*
Less than two weeks after being Chosen, Leena and Cassa looked at Haven. Dark was descending, and the city was aglow with light
Leena's eyes were huge. "It's so - big," She finished lamely.
Cassa remembered the first time she had seen Haven; she had been a liittle child, traveling with Sunset Faire for the Midwinter festival. She too, had been stunned - and she had spent the whole of her young life traveling. She couldn't imagine how Leena, who had lived in a tiny village all her life, would be feeling.
Cassa reached out to touch Leena's elbow. Mitt jumped from Cassa's saddle to Leena's, and Leena stroked her numbly.
"Come on, my friend," Cassa said cheerfully. "If you don't close your mouth soon, it'll stick open. Let's move."
Destus obediently started forward. Leena adjusted her weight without thinking, still holding the purring Mitt.
"Cassa," she asked suddenly. "What will happen to us at the colegium?"
Cassa knew what she wanted to know, and concentrated, focusing her mind on their futures.
A sapphire flash. The two of them, dressed in emaculate whites, on Destus and Camber, laughing, talking.
"I see us as Heralds," she said. "And as friends, but I can see no more."
:There are too many things that could happen,: Camber told her. :You can only see a certain future, remember.:
By now the Companions were slipping through the gates, and into the bustling city. People looked at them and waved. Cassa felt the usual shrinking stage fright, but Leena waved back. Taking heart from her friend's confidence, Cassa smiled and waved herself. Mitt agilely jumped from Leena back to Cassa, causing stares among the passers by.
Now They approached the palace. A guard clad in midnight blue waved them through a gate, and the Companions trotted up to one of the buildings.
It looked like a stable, but the stalls had no doors - sensible for Companions. A man dressed in Herald's Whites was there waiting.
"Hello, I am Herald Pol." The man smiled at them. He had black hair, barely visible under the silver, which pulled back from his face, a wonderful contrast to his white leather clothing. "Destus and Camber told us you were coming. Normally you would be greeted by several teachers, but the Colegium is very busy. There have been a lot of new Trainees coming in." His eyes fell on the cat sitting proudly on Camber's saddle. "I see you brought a pet. Most Trainees don't; their Companions tend to get jealous." He reached out to stroke Mitt; she purred and nuzzled his hand. "Now, if you follow me, I can show you around the Colegium."
*
Author's note: Yup, it's the same Herald Pol. Cassa and Leena are in King Theran's time. Lavan will be along in 3 or 4 years. For any obsessive readers who memorized Brightly Burning: Yes, Cassa was on the battlefield with her foresight, and Leena with her farsight. But that isn't in this story (At least not yet).
QUESTION: Should I include a chapter on their life at the colegium, or skip straight to their internship assignments? If you have an opinion, please reveiw. In fact, reveiw anyway. I now (finally!) receive anonymous reveiws, so PLEASE give me reveiws!
*
Someone was shaking her. "G'way." Cassa mumbled grumpily. "Le'me'lone. Don' wanna ge' up."
"Too bad," said a voice. "'Cause if you don't wake up right now, I'm going to dump a bucket of water on you."
That threat woke Cassa up. She was in the Waystation, with Leena in front of her, fully dressed and wide awake. She was also grinning.
Cassa scowled. She hated mornings. "What are you doing awake at this indecent hour?" She demanded resentfully.
"It's almost time to go." Leena reminded her. With a groan, Cassa collapsed back on the bed. Leena left the Waystation, but reentered soon. "I really wasn't joking about the water." Cassa looked up. Leena was holding a bucket. A full bucket. Cassa scrambled out of bed.
"You wouldn't dare," Cassa said, already dressing for the day.
"Oh, really?" Leena grinned at her discomfit. "Here," She added "I made you breakfast." She handed Cassa a bowl of porridge.
"Thanks," Cassa sat down on the edge of the bedbox and began to eat. Leena joined her. "Where's Mitt?"
"Outside with the horses."
:Companions!: Destus corrected forcefully.
"Whatever. She brought you some - ah - presents."
Cassa groaned. "Not more neatly severed mouse heads!"
Mitt's one terrible habit was to, when she caught a mouse, decapitate it neatly and leave the head as some macabre offering.
Leena nodded.
"Damn. I just can't cure her of that habit."
The pair finished their breakfast almost simultaneously, and washed their plates in the pond before saddling up their Companions. Mitt jumped without prompting to the saddle, and was enfolded into Cassa's cloak.
The two Companions began to gallop as soon as they reached the road. Cassa had no idea how they managed to keep up the gallop for so long without tiring. At this rate, it would not take long to reach Haven.
With Sunset Faire, it would have taken until midwinter - three moons from now - to reach the Capital, but they were taking an indirect route, travelling at walking pace and stopping at every town on the map. With the Companions, Cassa would not bet on it taking more than a week.
Soon after noon, the travellers reached a town. There the Companions stopped, and Leena and Cassa gladly dismounted. Mitt jumped into Cassa's arms, and Cassa was too shy to approach any of the formidable guards, so Leena approached the guard station. A blue clad roadguard came up to her.
"Greetings," the stocky woman said. "New Chosen, hmm?"
"Yes, m'm," Leena replied politely. "We were wanting some wayfood, if you could spare us some."
"Oh, I can do you one better than that," the Guard said cheerfully. "I'll give you wayfood, and a hot meal for now." She then waved a hand towards Cassa's burden. "I can even find some food for your friend's pussy."
"Thank you," Leena replied, as she and Cassa followed the guard to the inn yard.
The children of the village - and some older - turned out to greet the Companions. Destus and Camber received much more attention than their human partners, but they seemed to enjoy being petted by the children.
The girls were pretty much ignored - to Cassa's great releif - until a little girl of about four arrived at their table. "Can I ride one of the pretty white horsies?" she asked shyly.
Camber approached the table, and leaned down towards her. The girl giggled and stroked her nose.
:Tell her, yes,: she instructed.
After that, every child in the village had to have a ride on one or the other 'horsie', and it was a long time before they got back on the road.
*
Less than two weeks after being Chosen, Leena and Cassa looked at Haven. Dark was descending, and the city was aglow with light
Leena's eyes were huge. "It's so - big," She finished lamely.
Cassa remembered the first time she had seen Haven; she had been a liittle child, traveling with Sunset Faire for the Midwinter festival. She too, had been stunned - and she had spent the whole of her young life traveling. She couldn't imagine how Leena, who had lived in a tiny village all her life, would be feeling.
Cassa reached out to touch Leena's elbow. Mitt jumped from Cassa's saddle to Leena's, and Leena stroked her numbly.
"Come on, my friend," Cassa said cheerfully. "If you don't close your mouth soon, it'll stick open. Let's move."
Destus obediently started forward. Leena adjusted her weight without thinking, still holding the purring Mitt.
"Cassa," she asked suddenly. "What will happen to us at the colegium?"
Cassa knew what she wanted to know, and concentrated, focusing her mind on their futures.
A sapphire flash. The two of them, dressed in emaculate whites, on Destus and Camber, laughing, talking.
"I see us as Heralds," she said. "And as friends, but I can see no more."
:There are too many things that could happen,: Camber told her. :You can only see a certain future, remember.:
By now the Companions were slipping through the gates, and into the bustling city. People looked at them and waved. Cassa felt the usual shrinking stage fright, but Leena waved back. Taking heart from her friend's confidence, Cassa smiled and waved herself. Mitt agilely jumped from Leena back to Cassa, causing stares among the passers by.
Now They approached the palace. A guard clad in midnight blue waved them through a gate, and the Companions trotted up to one of the buildings.
It looked like a stable, but the stalls had no doors - sensible for Companions. A man dressed in Herald's Whites was there waiting.
"Hello, I am Herald Pol." The man smiled at them. He had black hair, barely visible under the silver, which pulled back from his face, a wonderful contrast to his white leather clothing. "Destus and Camber told us you were coming. Normally you would be greeted by several teachers, but the Colegium is very busy. There have been a lot of new Trainees coming in." His eyes fell on the cat sitting proudly on Camber's saddle. "I see you brought a pet. Most Trainees don't; their Companions tend to get jealous." He reached out to stroke Mitt; she purred and nuzzled his hand. "Now, if you follow me, I can show you around the Colegium."
*
Author's note: Yup, it's the same Herald Pol. Cassa and Leena are in King Theran's time. Lavan will be along in 3 or 4 years. For any obsessive readers who memorized Brightly Burning: Yes, Cassa was on the battlefield with her foresight, and Leena with her farsight. But that isn't in this story (At least not yet).
QUESTION: Should I include a chapter on their life at the colegium, or skip straight to their internship assignments? If you have an opinion, please reveiw. In fact, reveiw anyway. I now (finally!) receive anonymous reveiws, so PLEASE give me reveiws!