Disclaimer: *gasp* I am actually changing it! Right I still haven't worked out a way to legally steal ideas or imaginary places so Valdemar is still safely in the hands of Mercedes Lackey… But my characters are mine … all mine!
A/N Okay I worked at the potato house instead of on the harvester today, and despite the fact that we spent more time on break than we did working it was very boring. I prefer to feel half-dead on the harvester, anyway. Thanks so much to Light fingers Cutthroat for the reviews, I laughed out loud at them, of course we all know that I laugh at everything but still… right back on topic the next chap is still in Cye's POV due in large part to the fact that Azori is still unconscious.
Seph and I left the tavern quite late with more money than I had ever seen before in my life, granted my parents didn't generally keep money lying around, but it was still quite a nice profit. Seph even commented on what a good haul we had made. Thus we spent every night for the remainder of the week at the same gig. The days were spent, for me at least, in sleeping and practicing. At some point my new friends acquired some less distinguished clothes for me to wear when I wasn't playing.
That proved to be quite advantageous as word of a search by the heralds for a missing bardic student started to circulate. Over the course of the week I had grown quite close to the others and even Sephora had grudgingly accepted me as one of the group.
Seph continued to be my escort and I had a feeling that we were making enough to support ourselves nicely for a prolonged period of time.
"We are doing well with this bard thing?" I asked Seph tentatively.
"Yes, we could probably take the winter off and still do well … we won't though, we'll keep the extra back against something unforeseen."
"That's quite wise," I remarked.
"Are you going to leave us?" Seph asked, "I mean, why else would you suddenly be concerned with our finances."
"I … I don't know, I feel like I should go home. I've had a chance to cool down and I know that I really should finish my training…"
"You never told us why you ran off … you know you've been darned lucky! If anyone but Ashton had found you…"
"I know that! I am not equipped for this kind of life," I replied bluntly.
"At least you know enough to admit that!" Seph said with a smile.
"Why don't you and Griff come with me? I mean you could be really great engineers…"
Seph was shaking his head, "No, we can't leave Ginger and Ashton."
"Maybe I can work something out …" I mused.
"Like what?" Seph asked curiously.
"I'll look into it … and if something comes up I'll get in contact with you okay?"
"If you can work it out so that Ashton and Ginger are nearby and safe then we'll think about it," Seph agreed, "Ashton thought you'd be leaving us. She wanted me to tell you that she went back and paid for your harp out of your portion of what we took in this week. She wanted to make sure you would keep it."
"My portion?" I asked blankly.
"Yeah, you're one of us Cymon, you worked with us and lived with us; you get a cut of our profit."
"I do?"
"Yeah, you do; well actually most of it went into that harp," there was a moment of uneasy silence as I processed what he had said, "well, uh, are you leaving before or after tonight's performance?"
"After, you guys can keep my share of the money for tonight, to make up for your hospitality. Besides you guys need it more."
"Yeah," Seph agreed, "I'll guide you back to the palace gates so you don't get lost?"
"That would be wonderful. If you change your mind about the blues I know the place where they all meet of an evening, I'll leave the name for you."
"Sounds good," Seph said as we entered the tavern. I quickly set up in my usual corner and Sephora took up his post.
Candlemarks later the two of us left and Seph led me to the palace gates. We walked in silence as there was really nothing left to say.
"Well, goodbye Cymon, I hope the bard thing works out for you," Seph said as he turned to go.
"Say goodbye to everybody, I'll miss you all. Thank you for helping me, I intend to return the favor."
"You already have, you made us more money in this week than we make in moon cycles, now get yourself home!" Seph said reaching out his hand for me to shake.
I took the proffered hand and pulled the other boy into a quick hug, "Thanks again Seph, I'll see you all again."
Sephora pushed away from me, smiling sheepishly and left with a wave.
I turned and squared my shoulders. Now I had to get back into the palace and explain my disappearance to everybody, not exactly an exciting proposition for the middle of the night when I was already drained from playing my harp. I marched up to the gate-guard cradling my new harp protectively.
"Hi," I said.
"Huh?" the guard asked jumping a little at my unexpected greeting.
"Hi," I repeated, "I need to get in."
"Cymon? They've been looking everywhere for you! Where've you been boy? You got old Jasper into a heap of trouble for letting you out…"
"I needed to get away to cool my head … will you let me in now?"
"I've got a whole list of people to inform if you show yourself, well there goes my boring easy watch!"
"Oh, how about I just let them all know I'm home myself, in the morning?"
"I am supposed to tell the Dean of Bardic, your parents, Healer Trainee Benson, and then they have to tell the ones out looking for you, and your roommate finagled his way onto the list …"
"Look, Eben will know I'm home tonight, and the rest can wait until I wake up!"
The guard sighed, "This list is actually for the day-watch if you are brought in forcibly. Go ahead before I change my mind, but you better let everyone know you are safe the moment you wake up!"
"I will thanks sir," I grinned and trotted to my room. The door was shut firmly and I opened it as quietly as I could. Eben was asleep.
I went to my bed and carefully stowed my new harp. Then I put on my night clothes and dropped into bed as quietly as I could. It was not quietly enough though, because Eben woke up.
"Who's there?" he mumbled rolling over and looking around blearily.
"Me," I said reluctantly.
"Cye?" Eben sat up and stared straight at me, "You're home!" he exclaimed gleefully. His voice quickly became stern, "Where have you been? We've been worried sick! No one had seen you, no one knew where you were or if you were safe! Savannah couldn't reach you … do you realize how horrible that was for her? Her chosen laying more dead than alive and you, her best friend, the one helping the girl, runs away!"
"I am safe, I didn't abandon Sav or Azori and Jasper saw me! I left because I was mad; I came back because I'm not anymore. I needed some time to sort some stuff out; I've done that now. I'm sorry I worried you, but I am so tired right now that I can't think straight."
"Get some sleep then … you will need all the energy you can get to stand up the interrogation everyone is planning for you in the morning," Eben said with a sly grin.
I just groaned and pulled my pillow over my head. If Eben made a further response I didn't hear it because I was asleep.
The next morning I woke up to the splash of cold water hitting my face. I sat up spluttering and saw that Eben, Tatty, my parents, the twins, Benson and the Deans of heraldic and bardic staring at me. The unfairness of the situation struck me at the same time as the humor.
"Huh?" I said, not feeling all that bright.
"You have some explaining to do!" my father said flatly.
"I'm sorry I ran away," I said dumbly.
"That isn't an explanation!" Mother snapped.
"Do I have to tell the world every detail of my life? I'm sorry I wasn't exactly thrilled about the twins being chosen, I am happy for them! Benson, Tatty and Eben were all the help you needed; I did my part to help Azori!"
"Alright, young man calm down. All non-essential persons can clear out though," the Dean of Bardic chided me. Tatty, Eben, Benson, and the twins filed out, "Now I want a full explanation of your actions in the city, as a student of bardic you represent the collegium."
"And my people had to scramble to fill in for your father while he searched for you, not to mention those who joined the search themselves!"
I scrubbed the water from my face with my sleeve, took a deep breath and launched into a detailed explanation of the past week. Thankfully none of the adults interrupted me.
"You will be suspended to palace grounds indefinitely Cymon and you're lucky I don't kick you out for trying to pass yourself off as a full bard!" the Dean of Bardic said gruffly and he started for the door.
"The cost of this stunt will be deducted from your parent's pay, they can collect from you later if they choose," the Dean of Heraldic said airily as he too left. This was perfectly engineered to make me face my distraught parents alone.
"Well, uh, have a nice day?" I said with nervous false cheer after long moments of uncomfortable silence.
"I don't think so Cymon!" Mother snapped, "Do you have any idea how worried we were?"
"No," I said, staring at my blanket covered lap guiltily. I realized that they had me at a disadvantage, ambushing me while I was still in bed, not to mention half asleep.
"Did you care?"
"I came back."
"I should hope so! I didn't know I had raised a boy with so little sense! You could have been killed; or worse!"
"Mother, I …"
"You were totally reckless! Why would you do such a thing? And taking up with street kids!"
I looked to Father for a defense against Mother's angry tirade.
"Your mother is absolutely right Cymon! You nearly gave poor Savannah fits. The people in the stable couldn't get her calm. She was acting like a wild thing, as if she were a green three-year old colt who had never even seen a person before, let alone been near one!"
"I didn't mean to hurt anybody! I was just so upset … I didn't trust myself to be around anybody I knew. I admit that what I did was really truly dumb, but it turned out well. And Ashton and the others are not street kids!" I said heatedly.
"Really?" Mother said archly.
"Yes, they have a room in a tenement building. They only live the way they do because they have to!"
"They do not have to steal!"
"Who's going to just give them food and shelter?"
"I would," she said simply.
Anger drained from me, "y-you would?"
"Yes, I am very angry with you right now Cymon, but I am mostly glad you are safe. We love you, your father and I both, but sometimes you are an absolute trial!"
"I'm sorry Mother, I just … I couldn't seem to help it. I want to pay back whatever this costs you, I will as soon as I have the money!"
"Thank you son, I am glad you are willing to be accountable for this. Responsibility is a great thing," Father said gravely.
"Heralds are responsible," I said blandly.
"No more than any other can be," Mother replied, "Our job requires outward virtue Cymon, that isn't always how we are. Heralds aren't perfect; no one is."
"If you had told me that sooner, none of this would have happened," I said with a lop-sided grin.
"If you had believed it, which is doubtful," Mother replied both of my parents returned me smile and hugged me.
"Now, I have to leave for my circuit, you have no idea what getting it rerouted did to the schedule!" Father said. He tousled my hair before leaving.
"I love you Dad," I called after him.
"I love you too Son," he replied with a weary smile.
The door shut behind him.
"Now, tell me more about your new friends, you say they need someone to care for them?"
"Well, no, they are taking care of themselves just fine …" I launched into a full description of everything I knew about Ashton, Ginger, Griff and Sephora.
Mother questioned me thoroughly and then she kissed my forehead before leaving me to attempt to finish my sleep. This didn't occur because I had to repeat the entire tale for Tatty, Eben and the twins.
A/N okay, weekend off from work, yippee! Thus new chappies for y'all. The next chapter will be from Azori's POV which ought to be fun!