Chapter 7
*
Cassa relished the feeling of the wind in her face as Camber cantered steadily along the road. Riding was an exercise she enjoyed, and during her years at the colegium riding for hours on end was not something she and Camber had much chance to do.
Leena rode with Destus until they were level. She did not look as cheerful as she normally did; although years of training had greatly improved her skill at equitation, riding was not an activity she enjoyed as much as Cassa.
Herald Garen turned in his saddle in front of them. His hair was as snowy as his Companion, Dara's, and he was probably the oldest Herald still on circuit.
"We'd better put some speed on it, girls, or we'll never reach the waystation by nightfall." He called, Dara moving into a gallop. Leena groaned and Cassa laughed as they followed.
After four years of work, the pair had finally reached their internship - two years older than most, but they had been Chosen late as well. And now they had been placed with Herald Garen, at a place they had not expected to be; the Karsite border.
Cassa had her own suspiscions as to why two internees had been sent to Karse when there was war on the horizon; It was her and Leena's gifts.
If the Karsites decided to invade, Leena would be able to see where, and Cassa would be able to see when. They were the best early warning device the Heralds had available.
Suddenly, even in the gallop, Leena's eyes blurred.
"There's someone crossing the border!" she called.
Dara immediately stopped, and Garen turned again to speak with them.
"How many?" he demanded, "And where?"
"Just the one. He's in white foal pass. I can't tell where he's heading." Leena relayed.
Cassa reached over and touched her hand, linking with Leena. Now she, too, could see the man. He was on a horse, ruthlessly hurrying it over the pass. And he ran into the Valdemaran side and near to the very waystation they were heading for.
"He's going to the waystation," Cassa reported. "I think . . . I think he wants to talk to you."
Garen looked annoyed. "Let's go."
The three Companions began to gallop again, and they reached the Waystation before the man from the vision came cantering up.
This close to, he looked exhausted. He was dirty and his clothing was ripped, and his horse was half dead with fatigue.
"Herald!" He called in surprisingly unaccented Valdemaran, as soon as he came into view. "News! I bring news!" He waved a piece of paper in his hand, and Garen dismounted, walked towards him, and took it from him quickly.
"Did you have any trouble getting here?" Garen asked.
"Bandits, earlier, but I think I lost them."
Something nudged at Cassa's mind, but she ignored it, concentrating on Garen. Leena, too, looked oddly distracted.
Garen read the papers, his forehead knotting in a frown. "This is very important. It has to be taken to the king at once." He told them, remounting Dara. "We may have to gallop solidly to get there in time. Let's head for Haven - "
Suddenly the peculiar unease both his internees had felt clarified into a full blown vision - Bandits, crossing the pass, coming here, galloping horses -
"Garen!" Cassa called - but too late. Ignoring their earlier unease had given the bandits a chance to tail the spy here.
Even as Garen turned to look at her, arrows appeared in his chest. The messenger, too, suddennly sprouted feathered shafts, and the bandits were closing in.
Dara reared in shared pain, almost losing her dying Herald, but he reached out to Cassa, holding the paper in one outstretched hand. "Take it - to the King -"
Cassa took the paper with trembling hands as the sound of a deep toned bell rang in her head, and stabbing pains filled her chest. She had never before seen somebody die, but there was no time for grief. She whirled to face the road again.
Ginning bandits blocked her. Cassa drew her sword and prepared to fight, but inside she knew it was hopeless. She might be better trained, but they could overwhelm her with sheer force of numbers.
She had cut down two without being hurt, but more were closing in. Then Leena galloped up on Destus, face alive with battle-fever, and evened the odds against Cassa.
:Take it to the King!: Leena sent to her in a burst of mindspeech; even a shout could be lost in the clash of blades. :I'll hold them off!:
Cassa knew that this course was the only plan that could work; Camber wheeled and galloped through the path Leena had cleared.
Cassa was the runner; Leena was the fighter. It had always been that way; it always had to be. Destus fought as well as his Herald, and Camber could outrace any other Companion. Sometimes the Companions weren't above Choosing the most likely Heralds to save the Kingdom.
*
Cassa's mind was numb; all that existed was Camber, galloping endlessly along the road. The scenery was a blur, and the few people they saw on the road stared as she passed.
Every bit of her being was concentrated on Camber; moving with the Companion, hunched over her neck to reduce wind resistance.
:Just keep going, keep going.:
Companions could gallop at this speed for a day and a half; two with care afterward. But this mad, mindless run had already taken the night and the day. All that mattered was reaching Haven; Cassa knew that the papers she carried held the fate of Valdemar.
:Just keep going, keep going.:
This gallop was easily three times as fast as the normal Companion speed; a ten day journey to the Karsite border would only take three at this pace. And they had already been on the road for a night and a day.
:Just keep going, keep going.:
Camber was weakening; Cassa could sense her bone-deep exhaustion. She had already outlasted the normal Companion stamina by candlemarks, but not even she could last forever at this grueling pace.
:Nearly there! Just keep going!:
Haven! In the darkening evening, lights shone out, creating a cheery beacon. Cassa nearly wept with releif and exhaustion, both her's and Camber's.
Then they had to weave through trafic that was busy from so many carts returning home, and releif was forgetten and exhaustion repressed.
Finally they reached a gate into the walled palace compound, and Camber managed to pull herself into a relatively brisk trot. She began to head towards the stables in Companion's Field, and Cassa swung off. She had to find the King.
She queried a servant in the palace, and received the information that he was with the council. Cassa didn't even hesitate; she knew that the information she carried was vitally important.
Cassa knocked on the door into the council chamber, and without waiting for an answer, stepped inside.
*
Author's Note: Oh, the tension. Until next time, you will have to hold your breath (Unless you don't care, in which case, don't bother.) REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!!!
*
Cassa relished the feeling of the wind in her face as Camber cantered steadily along the road. Riding was an exercise she enjoyed, and during her years at the colegium riding for hours on end was not something she and Camber had much chance to do.
Leena rode with Destus until they were level. She did not look as cheerful as she normally did; although years of training had greatly improved her skill at equitation, riding was not an activity she enjoyed as much as Cassa.
Herald Garen turned in his saddle in front of them. His hair was as snowy as his Companion, Dara's, and he was probably the oldest Herald still on circuit.
"We'd better put some speed on it, girls, or we'll never reach the waystation by nightfall." He called, Dara moving into a gallop. Leena groaned and Cassa laughed as they followed.
After four years of work, the pair had finally reached their internship - two years older than most, but they had been Chosen late as well. And now they had been placed with Herald Garen, at a place they had not expected to be; the Karsite border.
Cassa had her own suspiscions as to why two internees had been sent to Karse when there was war on the horizon; It was her and Leena's gifts.
If the Karsites decided to invade, Leena would be able to see where, and Cassa would be able to see when. They were the best early warning device the Heralds had available.
Suddenly, even in the gallop, Leena's eyes blurred.
"There's someone crossing the border!" she called.
Dara immediately stopped, and Garen turned again to speak with them.
"How many?" he demanded, "And where?"
"Just the one. He's in white foal pass. I can't tell where he's heading." Leena relayed.
Cassa reached over and touched her hand, linking with Leena. Now she, too, could see the man. He was on a horse, ruthlessly hurrying it over the pass. And he ran into the Valdemaran side and near to the very waystation they were heading for.
"He's going to the waystation," Cassa reported. "I think . . . I think he wants to talk to you."
Garen looked annoyed. "Let's go."
The three Companions began to gallop again, and they reached the Waystation before the man from the vision came cantering up.
This close to, he looked exhausted. He was dirty and his clothing was ripped, and his horse was half dead with fatigue.
"Herald!" He called in surprisingly unaccented Valdemaran, as soon as he came into view. "News! I bring news!" He waved a piece of paper in his hand, and Garen dismounted, walked towards him, and took it from him quickly.
"Did you have any trouble getting here?" Garen asked.
"Bandits, earlier, but I think I lost them."
Something nudged at Cassa's mind, but she ignored it, concentrating on Garen. Leena, too, looked oddly distracted.
Garen read the papers, his forehead knotting in a frown. "This is very important. It has to be taken to the king at once." He told them, remounting Dara. "We may have to gallop solidly to get there in time. Let's head for Haven - "
Suddenly the peculiar unease both his internees had felt clarified into a full blown vision - Bandits, crossing the pass, coming here, galloping horses -
"Garen!" Cassa called - but too late. Ignoring their earlier unease had given the bandits a chance to tail the spy here.
Even as Garen turned to look at her, arrows appeared in his chest. The messenger, too, suddennly sprouted feathered shafts, and the bandits were closing in.
Dara reared in shared pain, almost losing her dying Herald, but he reached out to Cassa, holding the paper in one outstretched hand. "Take it - to the King -"
Cassa took the paper with trembling hands as the sound of a deep toned bell rang in her head, and stabbing pains filled her chest. She had never before seen somebody die, but there was no time for grief. She whirled to face the road again.
Ginning bandits blocked her. Cassa drew her sword and prepared to fight, but inside she knew it was hopeless. She might be better trained, but they could overwhelm her with sheer force of numbers.
She had cut down two without being hurt, but more were closing in. Then Leena galloped up on Destus, face alive with battle-fever, and evened the odds against Cassa.
:Take it to the King!: Leena sent to her in a burst of mindspeech; even a shout could be lost in the clash of blades. :I'll hold them off!:
Cassa knew that this course was the only plan that could work; Camber wheeled and galloped through the path Leena had cleared.
Cassa was the runner; Leena was the fighter. It had always been that way; it always had to be. Destus fought as well as his Herald, and Camber could outrace any other Companion. Sometimes the Companions weren't above Choosing the most likely Heralds to save the Kingdom.
*
Cassa's mind was numb; all that existed was Camber, galloping endlessly along the road. The scenery was a blur, and the few people they saw on the road stared as she passed.
Every bit of her being was concentrated on Camber; moving with the Companion, hunched over her neck to reduce wind resistance.
:Just keep going, keep going.:
Companions could gallop at this speed for a day and a half; two with care afterward. But this mad, mindless run had already taken the night and the day. All that mattered was reaching Haven; Cassa knew that the papers she carried held the fate of Valdemar.
:Just keep going, keep going.:
This gallop was easily three times as fast as the normal Companion speed; a ten day journey to the Karsite border would only take three at this pace. And they had already been on the road for a night and a day.
:Just keep going, keep going.:
Camber was weakening; Cassa could sense her bone-deep exhaustion. She had already outlasted the normal Companion stamina by candlemarks, but not even she could last forever at this grueling pace.
:Nearly there! Just keep going!:
Haven! In the darkening evening, lights shone out, creating a cheery beacon. Cassa nearly wept with releif and exhaustion, both her's and Camber's.
Then they had to weave through trafic that was busy from so many carts returning home, and releif was forgetten and exhaustion repressed.
Finally they reached a gate into the walled palace compound, and Camber managed to pull herself into a relatively brisk trot. She began to head towards the stables in Companion's Field, and Cassa swung off. She had to find the King.
She queried a servant in the palace, and received the information that he was with the council. Cassa didn't even hesitate; she knew that the information she carried was vitally important.
Cassa knocked on the door into the council chamber, and without waiting for an answer, stepped inside.
*
Author's Note: Oh, the tension. Until next time, you will have to hold your breath (Unless you don't care, in which case, don't bother.) REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!!!