Hey, etcetera-cat, thanks for the review! I'm planning to develop the
characters a bit more, I just had a story idea for the Queen's Own fansite,
and the whole story became the first chapter. Thanks again.
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Kaida took a moment to stare at her Companion in shock. Her Companion! Her dreams were becoming a reality. *I can't believe this is happening. This is amazing! Those eyes.*
: It is really happening, Chosen. Now get yourself together, we have a long journey to make, and with your other comrades, it will only take longer. Your training must begin as soon as possible. :
: Okay. Let me just talk to Edana, and then we'll head back to the castle. :
: It sounds like a good plan to me, Chosen. :
"Edana! Edana! This is Gavan! He's my Companion! He Chose me!" Kaida excitedly pointed out her Companion to Edana, who grinned, still holding onto Rolan's neck.
: Now, why don't we get back to your friends and get on our way! : Gavan snorted impatiently.
Kaida laughed at her Companion's frustration. "Okay, okay, let's head back to the castle and tell them the good news."
***
"Hey, Aaralyn, they went on a walk, right?" Nida started in confusion as she saw Kaida and Edana returning from their walk, two white horses close in their wake. *Do we even have one white horse in all of the stable? In all of the town, for that matter?*
"Yes.Why do you ask?" Aaralyn looked at Nida, then turned her gaze to match her twin's, and felt her mouth gaping open.
"Hey ladies, I think I have an answer," Elcan looked playfully smug, in a good mood after beginning to write his song, "maybe they left without the horses, and came back with them. Isn't that a thought."
Nida sighed and rolled her eyes at her partner. "So they either brought enough food and money to go to the nearest horse stall *and* buy what looks like two very rare, amazing animals, and get back in the time of two hours, or there were just two random pure white horses wandering through the forest without a master? Not a chance. There's something funny going on." Her eyes grew wide as she began to put the pieces together, but she quickly decided her thoughts were insane. However, in hearing Aaralyn echo her own ideas, Nida began to wonder if it wasn't that crazy after all.
: You don't think they were Chosen, do you? That's just, really unbelievably unlikely, just to have both of their dreams realized in the space of a few hours. : Aaralyn's mindTouch radiated confusion.
Elcan's own thoughts were just as jumbled. : Wouldn't she have already told me? It's not exactly a small thing, and I am her twin. :
Kaida and Edana began to near as the three friends tried to find a suitable explanation for the presence of the beautiful white horses.
Nida managed to conclude at least one thing. : We'll find out soon. I mean they're almost up to us. Why don't we just wait and see. :
Kaida laughed at the puzzled expressions on their friends' faces. : I guess this is going to be a bit of a shock, eh? : She laughed as the Companions both gave mental snorts.
: No, I'm sure this happens every day. I mean, we weren't surprised, so why should they be? : Edana rolled her eyes at her friend's understatement, as they approached their open-mouthed friends, who seemed to be holding their own private conversation.
: Wow, I have never seen Edana with such a big smile on her face, or Kaida for that matter. : Aaralyn tried to think of a possible, and probable, explanation for the apparent changes.
"Aaralyn! Nida! Elcan! Look! This is Gavan, my Companion," Kaida exclaimed, pointing at her Companion, "and this is Rolan, Edana's Companion. We got Chosen! We're going to be Heralds!"
Edana smiled as their friends' jaws dropped at their sudden realization. "What? You mean this doesn't happen every day?"
Aaralyn jumped as Rolan snorted and threw his head back, giving the startling impression of a laughing young man.
Elcan's confusion grew into a huge grin, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Kaida! This is great! I know how long you've wanted this. I'm glad you both are going to have your dreams realized like this." He charged at his sister, almost knocking her over in his enthusiastic embrace. *She looks so happy, so complete. I guess Companions really do that to you. I'm just glad she's finally going to be truly happy.*
Kaida smiled, and choked as her brother barreled into her. "Hey, don't kill me! You wouldn't want to squeeze me to death before we even got to Haven, would you?" She looked over at Edana, who had been tackled by Nida and Aaralyn.
"Kaida! Help! They're going to smother me! Rolan, stop looking so happy about that!" The Companions snorted at their Chosens' predicaments.
: Hmmm.I guess we'll just have to find some new younglings, eh Gavan? Ah well, these two seemed so promising. :
: And if they don't hurry up, we're going to leave without them, right Rolan? : Gavan gave the most evil-looking glare he could muster, only to find his Chosen collapsing with laughter at his blue eyes going cross- eyed.
: You couldn't scare a mouse with that face, Chosen! : Kaida keeled over, unable to control her laughter.
: Shut up, human! :
***
Sanne, Raul, and Tala sat in the courtyard, muddling over the conflict with Lamya. "Can you believe my cousin? She's still holding grudges from the last time we saw her! I don't know how we're going to live with her for a month."
Tala's eyes flashed red for a fleeting second, before turning back to normal. "The best solution by far would be to just pound her head in and get it done with!" Tala paused as her brother grinned at the idea and Sanne glared at her, "But I guess that's not an option."
Sanne nodded, relieved that her friends weren't about to run off and bash Lamya to bits. "Hey! It looks like the others are coming back. But what the hell are they doing with two white horses? I guess you never know with that bunch." She turned, realizing that she was talking to empty air, and chased after Raul and Tala, who had already started loping towards their returning friends.
Sanne caught up to the group in the Great Hall, trying to figure out what the commotion was about, as Tala and Raul started to fling questions at Kaida and Edana. "You what? That's great! We're going to Haven!" Raul's excitement could not be contained for any longer, as he began to leap wildly around the room, shouting with joy.
Sanne watched her friends' display of happiness for a few seconds, wondering at the huge grins on Edana and Kaida's faces, before trying to sort out what she had missed. "What in the nine hells just happened? Why are we going to Haven?" The perplexed look on her face only deepened as Kaida and Edana grabbed some food off of the plates and raced towards the stables.
Elcan chuckled at her confused expression. "Sanne, they got Chosen! Edana and my sister were Chosen! Edana's Companion is Rolan, and Kaida's is Gavan. We're all going to eat lunch down with them, but those two couldn't wait any longer."
"They, they what? That's amazing! We're really going to go to Haven?" Sanne's grin grew as she raced to grab her own lunch, eager to meet the Companions. "Should someone tell your parents?"
"Oh, yah, I forgot about them. I guess I'll go get them, and let them see for themselves." Elcan ran to the other end of the hall, where his parents were seated with the parents of Edana, Sanne, and the twins, watching his friends' helter-skelter pace with amusement. Druce and Lavada, the parents of him and Kaida, were seated next to Edana's parents, Llyr and Ava. Across the table from them were Sanne's parents, Neva and Mazin, and Aaralyn and Nida's parents, Amala and Kazi. "Mother, father, everyone, come with me. There's something you have to see!" Druce and Lavada followed their son, leaving their meal unfinished, as the others followed after, "You know how you said we could all go to Haven if one of us had a reason?" The group of adults all nodded in confusion at his words, "Well, I think we'd better start packing our bags!"
"Wh-what's going on?" Kazi was the least familiar with the talk of Heralds and Companions, so the sight of the two girls talking to two white horses had him confused. "Where did those horses come from? We don't have any white horses on the holding!"
Lavada and the other mothers had listened to most of the girls' dreams many times, so the Companions were not new to their imagination. "Kaida! Edana! You were Chosen? That is wonderful!" She paused as she realized what that meant for "the little younglings," as she liked to call them. "I guess you all will be leaving for Haven soon. Your Companions will want to be moving on quickly. What are their names?"
Edana finally looked up from grooming her Companion. "Mine is Rolan, and Kaida's is Gavan. I think they are getting a bit impatient." She chuckled at something Rolan had said to her. "Rolan is threatening to repudiate me if I don't start packing in the next hour."
Druce, Kazi, Mazin, and Llyr, eager to throw themselves into the logistics of the younglings' trip, began planning the organization, with Druce already muttering under his breath. "Alright, you all better start packing, and I'll deal with your supplies." He started to trot back to the castle, muttering to himself about necessary supplies. "They'll need some silver, a good map, some food, Lavada, Ava, Neva, and Amala will want to recommend inns, though I doubt they'll have much choice, hmmm."
Kaida looked around the stables, as everyone milled around, too excited to start doing anything, but ready to get going. "Well, let's get packing!"
***
The friends carted their packs down to the stables, and started to tack their mounts up for the journey. Elcan had his own beautiful gray hunter, Flash, the fastest on the holding, and decided to take Kaida's Thunder along also, a fierce, fire-eyed, black hunter with a spirit to cow a gryphon. Also being taken along was Edana's Efrum, a light gray and white hunter, which could walk more silently than a mouse. Nida and Aaralyn had hunters, both chestnut with darker tails, with a gentleness surprising for animals of their size. Aaralyn's Star had a white, star-shaped spot on her nose, and Nida's Bloom managed to be quite arrogant, for a horse, strutting every time she pulled him to a walk, and loved to eat. Many times, she would have to wrestle his head up from a stray bush, only to have him tuck into the next plant he saw. Raul and Tala both had fierce, dark warhorses, who they had taken back from the hands of the barbarians who had murdered their mercenary parents, Ulric and Mingan. Raul's Smokey, formerly his father's horse, was gray and white spotted, while Tala's Shadow, her mother's old horse, was dark gray and black, both with a fiery spirit. Sanne's Fox was a deep brown hunter with deep, brown, beautiful eyes, and amazing intelligence.
As the packs were strapped to the horses, Lamya came strutting into the stables, a malicious grin on her face. "I think I may be rid of you for a while. Finally, the castle to myself! Of course, I will be joining you in Haven at some point, but maybe if I wait long enough, you'll all be dead. You're certainly stupid enough to manage that!" She chuckled, waiting for them to make a move.
Tala, eyes flashing with the fire of anger, finally snapped the walls hiding her tightly-controlled emotions. "What the hell is wrong with you, Lamya! You think you can walk in here, order us around, and have us just let you go along with that!" Tala's hair was a darker crimson than she had ever been, and the others could practically feel heat steaming from her, fueled by anger. "I'm not going to let you walk all over us again! This is your last chance to get the hell away from us. If you bother any one of us, if you even touch a hair on one of our heads, one of us will send you straight to the nine hells!" Tala felt like she was burning up from the inside with anger. "Get out of my sight now, or I might not give you that second chance!" At that moment, flame erupted from the air near Lamya, igniting her black hair in orange flames. Lamya screamed, and ran towards the castle, beating the fire out with her hands, badly burning one hand and opening her old wounds on the other hand.
The fire in Tala's eyes dimmed, as her face turned from anger to excitement. "Now, let's get out of here!"
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Kaida took a moment to stare at her Companion in shock. Her Companion! Her dreams were becoming a reality. *I can't believe this is happening. This is amazing! Those eyes.*
: It is really happening, Chosen. Now get yourself together, we have a long journey to make, and with your other comrades, it will only take longer. Your training must begin as soon as possible. :
: Okay. Let me just talk to Edana, and then we'll head back to the castle. :
: It sounds like a good plan to me, Chosen. :
"Edana! Edana! This is Gavan! He's my Companion! He Chose me!" Kaida excitedly pointed out her Companion to Edana, who grinned, still holding onto Rolan's neck.
: Now, why don't we get back to your friends and get on our way! : Gavan snorted impatiently.
Kaida laughed at her Companion's frustration. "Okay, okay, let's head back to the castle and tell them the good news."
***
"Hey, Aaralyn, they went on a walk, right?" Nida started in confusion as she saw Kaida and Edana returning from their walk, two white horses close in their wake. *Do we even have one white horse in all of the stable? In all of the town, for that matter?*
"Yes.Why do you ask?" Aaralyn looked at Nida, then turned her gaze to match her twin's, and felt her mouth gaping open.
"Hey ladies, I think I have an answer," Elcan looked playfully smug, in a good mood after beginning to write his song, "maybe they left without the horses, and came back with them. Isn't that a thought."
Nida sighed and rolled her eyes at her partner. "So they either brought enough food and money to go to the nearest horse stall *and* buy what looks like two very rare, amazing animals, and get back in the time of two hours, or there were just two random pure white horses wandering through the forest without a master? Not a chance. There's something funny going on." Her eyes grew wide as she began to put the pieces together, but she quickly decided her thoughts were insane. However, in hearing Aaralyn echo her own ideas, Nida began to wonder if it wasn't that crazy after all.
: You don't think they were Chosen, do you? That's just, really unbelievably unlikely, just to have both of their dreams realized in the space of a few hours. : Aaralyn's mindTouch radiated confusion.
Elcan's own thoughts were just as jumbled. : Wouldn't she have already told me? It's not exactly a small thing, and I am her twin. :
Kaida and Edana began to near as the three friends tried to find a suitable explanation for the presence of the beautiful white horses.
Nida managed to conclude at least one thing. : We'll find out soon. I mean they're almost up to us. Why don't we just wait and see. :
Kaida laughed at the puzzled expressions on their friends' faces. : I guess this is going to be a bit of a shock, eh? : She laughed as the Companions both gave mental snorts.
: No, I'm sure this happens every day. I mean, we weren't surprised, so why should they be? : Edana rolled her eyes at her friend's understatement, as they approached their open-mouthed friends, who seemed to be holding their own private conversation.
: Wow, I have never seen Edana with such a big smile on her face, or Kaida for that matter. : Aaralyn tried to think of a possible, and probable, explanation for the apparent changes.
"Aaralyn! Nida! Elcan! Look! This is Gavan, my Companion," Kaida exclaimed, pointing at her Companion, "and this is Rolan, Edana's Companion. We got Chosen! We're going to be Heralds!"
Edana smiled as their friends' jaws dropped at their sudden realization. "What? You mean this doesn't happen every day?"
Aaralyn jumped as Rolan snorted and threw his head back, giving the startling impression of a laughing young man.
Elcan's confusion grew into a huge grin, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Kaida! This is great! I know how long you've wanted this. I'm glad you both are going to have your dreams realized like this." He charged at his sister, almost knocking her over in his enthusiastic embrace. *She looks so happy, so complete. I guess Companions really do that to you. I'm just glad she's finally going to be truly happy.*
Kaida smiled, and choked as her brother barreled into her. "Hey, don't kill me! You wouldn't want to squeeze me to death before we even got to Haven, would you?" She looked over at Edana, who had been tackled by Nida and Aaralyn.
"Kaida! Help! They're going to smother me! Rolan, stop looking so happy about that!" The Companions snorted at their Chosens' predicaments.
: Hmmm.I guess we'll just have to find some new younglings, eh Gavan? Ah well, these two seemed so promising. :
: And if they don't hurry up, we're going to leave without them, right Rolan? : Gavan gave the most evil-looking glare he could muster, only to find his Chosen collapsing with laughter at his blue eyes going cross- eyed.
: You couldn't scare a mouse with that face, Chosen! : Kaida keeled over, unable to control her laughter.
: Shut up, human! :
***
Sanne, Raul, and Tala sat in the courtyard, muddling over the conflict with Lamya. "Can you believe my cousin? She's still holding grudges from the last time we saw her! I don't know how we're going to live with her for a month."
Tala's eyes flashed red for a fleeting second, before turning back to normal. "The best solution by far would be to just pound her head in and get it done with!" Tala paused as her brother grinned at the idea and Sanne glared at her, "But I guess that's not an option."
Sanne nodded, relieved that her friends weren't about to run off and bash Lamya to bits. "Hey! It looks like the others are coming back. But what the hell are they doing with two white horses? I guess you never know with that bunch." She turned, realizing that she was talking to empty air, and chased after Raul and Tala, who had already started loping towards their returning friends.
Sanne caught up to the group in the Great Hall, trying to figure out what the commotion was about, as Tala and Raul started to fling questions at Kaida and Edana. "You what? That's great! We're going to Haven!" Raul's excitement could not be contained for any longer, as he began to leap wildly around the room, shouting with joy.
Sanne watched her friends' display of happiness for a few seconds, wondering at the huge grins on Edana and Kaida's faces, before trying to sort out what she had missed. "What in the nine hells just happened? Why are we going to Haven?" The perplexed look on her face only deepened as Kaida and Edana grabbed some food off of the plates and raced towards the stables.
Elcan chuckled at her confused expression. "Sanne, they got Chosen! Edana and my sister were Chosen! Edana's Companion is Rolan, and Kaida's is Gavan. We're all going to eat lunch down with them, but those two couldn't wait any longer."
"They, they what? That's amazing! We're really going to go to Haven?" Sanne's grin grew as she raced to grab her own lunch, eager to meet the Companions. "Should someone tell your parents?"
"Oh, yah, I forgot about them. I guess I'll go get them, and let them see for themselves." Elcan ran to the other end of the hall, where his parents were seated with the parents of Edana, Sanne, and the twins, watching his friends' helter-skelter pace with amusement. Druce and Lavada, the parents of him and Kaida, were seated next to Edana's parents, Llyr and Ava. Across the table from them were Sanne's parents, Neva and Mazin, and Aaralyn and Nida's parents, Amala and Kazi. "Mother, father, everyone, come with me. There's something you have to see!" Druce and Lavada followed their son, leaving their meal unfinished, as the others followed after, "You know how you said we could all go to Haven if one of us had a reason?" The group of adults all nodded in confusion at his words, "Well, I think we'd better start packing our bags!"
"Wh-what's going on?" Kazi was the least familiar with the talk of Heralds and Companions, so the sight of the two girls talking to two white horses had him confused. "Where did those horses come from? We don't have any white horses on the holding!"
Lavada and the other mothers had listened to most of the girls' dreams many times, so the Companions were not new to their imagination. "Kaida! Edana! You were Chosen? That is wonderful!" She paused as she realized what that meant for "the little younglings," as she liked to call them. "I guess you all will be leaving for Haven soon. Your Companions will want to be moving on quickly. What are their names?"
Edana finally looked up from grooming her Companion. "Mine is Rolan, and Kaida's is Gavan. I think they are getting a bit impatient." She chuckled at something Rolan had said to her. "Rolan is threatening to repudiate me if I don't start packing in the next hour."
Druce, Kazi, Mazin, and Llyr, eager to throw themselves into the logistics of the younglings' trip, began planning the organization, with Druce already muttering under his breath. "Alright, you all better start packing, and I'll deal with your supplies." He started to trot back to the castle, muttering to himself about necessary supplies. "They'll need some silver, a good map, some food, Lavada, Ava, Neva, and Amala will want to recommend inns, though I doubt they'll have much choice, hmmm."
Kaida looked around the stables, as everyone milled around, too excited to start doing anything, but ready to get going. "Well, let's get packing!"
***
The friends carted their packs down to the stables, and started to tack their mounts up for the journey. Elcan had his own beautiful gray hunter, Flash, the fastest on the holding, and decided to take Kaida's Thunder along also, a fierce, fire-eyed, black hunter with a spirit to cow a gryphon. Also being taken along was Edana's Efrum, a light gray and white hunter, which could walk more silently than a mouse. Nida and Aaralyn had hunters, both chestnut with darker tails, with a gentleness surprising for animals of their size. Aaralyn's Star had a white, star-shaped spot on her nose, and Nida's Bloom managed to be quite arrogant, for a horse, strutting every time she pulled him to a walk, and loved to eat. Many times, she would have to wrestle his head up from a stray bush, only to have him tuck into the next plant he saw. Raul and Tala both had fierce, dark warhorses, who they had taken back from the hands of the barbarians who had murdered their mercenary parents, Ulric and Mingan. Raul's Smokey, formerly his father's horse, was gray and white spotted, while Tala's Shadow, her mother's old horse, was dark gray and black, both with a fiery spirit. Sanne's Fox was a deep brown hunter with deep, brown, beautiful eyes, and amazing intelligence.
As the packs were strapped to the horses, Lamya came strutting into the stables, a malicious grin on her face. "I think I may be rid of you for a while. Finally, the castle to myself! Of course, I will be joining you in Haven at some point, but maybe if I wait long enough, you'll all be dead. You're certainly stupid enough to manage that!" She chuckled, waiting for them to make a move.
Tala, eyes flashing with the fire of anger, finally snapped the walls hiding her tightly-controlled emotions. "What the hell is wrong with you, Lamya! You think you can walk in here, order us around, and have us just let you go along with that!" Tala's hair was a darker crimson than she had ever been, and the others could practically feel heat steaming from her, fueled by anger. "I'm not going to let you walk all over us again! This is your last chance to get the hell away from us. If you bother any one of us, if you even touch a hair on one of our heads, one of us will send you straight to the nine hells!" Tala felt like she was burning up from the inside with anger. "Get out of my sight now, or I might not give you that second chance!" At that moment, flame erupted from the air near Lamya, igniting her black hair in orange flames. Lamya screamed, and ran towards the castle, beating the fire out with her hands, badly burning one hand and opening her old wounds on the other hand.
The fire in Tala's eyes dimmed, as her face turned from anger to excitement. "Now, let's get out of here!"