First, thanks to everyone who took the time to read this. I really appreciate it. And since you all wanted more, I'm hurrying. Probably one today and maybe one tomorrow, after that, who knows. But the first 3-4 will be kind of spaced out along the timeline.

To Fireblade K'Chorna: Good eyes. You're obviously a fan of the great lady. Maybe more of you will notice similar behavior later.

Winddancer: this chapter's four years after the first, so don't get confused if Calsa starts acting older, cause she is. And if anyone's seen Shadowwalker, he appears to have disappeared… *looks under couch.*

Dreams are words between  (---)

Oh well. On with the fic.

***

Calsa had surprised Tor as a student. She actually listened, and, given her age, that was no mean task.

Kaya's sardonic mindvoice sounded in his mind. :You mean, she pays more attention than you did at half again her age. Then again, she knows that her life might depend on her Gifts.:

Tor winced. :You were probably twice as bad as me, you hedonist. I'm surprised you're a Companion, you could have made a very nice noble. At the second it looks like you're losing control, you start mocking people. Very highborn:

:NOT nice!:

:You're right. I was just very rude to those nobles.: He smiled to hear Kaya sputtering in indignation.

The girl had taken very well to the lessons. He was sure she would make Adept. The problem was, he was only fit to teach up to Master. And if she had to get lessoning from a source other than him…

There were really only two options for that. He could take her back to Valdemar once his shift here was done, or she would have to go to the Mages of the Empire. If only there was a way to hide her in plain sight. Like … But he drew a blank there. How he could hide such a gods-be-damned remarkable in plain sight was beyond him. Mages would look for magic around a person, then break the spell.

He left the question for later and drifted off to sleep.

***

Calsa stared out the window. The eleven year-old had known what a Herald was for a long time, and she was worried. What will happen to me when Tor has to go back? But that was beyond her. Maybe he can take me with him, she thought. Then the young mage slept.

---'How many of them are there?' demanded the man at the front of the room.

'Two that we know of, milord Gaiv'le. One of them from Rethwallen, the other one of the Demonriders.'

Gaiv'le snorted. 'You sound like one of those Karsites, Vars. Don't do it again.' He turned to one of the others. 'Send your men out. Scour the streets for the spies, and kill them. Kill anyone who tries to hide them, too.'

Vars raised his hand cautiously. 'Sir? The Fair, it's being held this week. There will be so many unknown people there that we may kill unnecessarily. And we need the men then to supervise the Fair. Perhaps next week?'

Gaiv'le hesitated, then nodded. 'If we kill the wrong person, the message will get to the spies. Very well, Vars. We shall wait till next moonday. Meet here then. Dismissed.'

And then the scene changed. Calsa had returned home. The Fair had ended, and with it, most of her spare time. She turned into the building, only to see Ililia, throat cut, lolled on her desk. She screamed, then ran up the stairs, mind working frantically.

Tor, no, please, not Tor, let them have gone, let him have killed them, or gotten away, please, oh please. But when that door was opened, there was no sign of bloodshed. Calsa calmed, then entered the workroom to put down her basket. Sprawled across the floor was her mentor and friend, eyes wide open, expression determined, sword still in hand.

And dead.

She screamed again.---

'Calsa, Calsa, wake up. It's just a nightmare.' She opened her eyes to see Tor looking at her in concern. It was too much. She burst into tears. 'What was it. Calsa, please calm down. It was just a dream.'

'N-no, but-but yes but the d-dream it said…' she couldn't explain. How can I make him understand that it was and wasn't a dream? Then she practically blasted the dream into his mind.

'Oh.' That was it, just the one word. But Calsa knew that he understood now, and stopped crying. Maybe he's talking with Kaya. 'Have you had this dream before?' Tor wanted to know. She shook her head.

'Kaya says that it's probably pretty accurate, you having Foresight and all. So we have a week.'

'You're going to Valdemar, right?' The Herald-Mage nodded. 'But, Calsa, I can't take you with me. I'm used to next to no sleep, you aren't. And Kaya will have to make her best time, too. I wish I could take you, dear heart, I really do. But I can't.'

Calsa accepted this. Nothing will change his mind, and at least now he'll be out of danger.

'I think,' said Tor, 'that what we're going to have to do is find you a Mageschool.'

***

The first thing next day, Tor taught her to do something she had often see him do to her. The illusion spell that he placed on her when they went out, dulling her hair and eyes to brown, making her features blockier, harder.

'Won't they notice the spell on me?' Calsa had wanted to know.

'No, and this is the best part about it. Everyone's expecting you to be a beginner, and beginners all have an aura of magic around them. And once you get older, the Mages will expect you to have some spells around you, so the slight aura of magic will actually seem like you're conserving magic, not using it.'

The school was one of the better, a Fire Mountain school. The Headmaster stared at her.

'Yours?' he asked Tor.

'He's my cousin,' Tor said. 'His folks died, so I took to raising him. When he showed signs of the gift, well, I guessed that Fire Mountain would be the best school for someone like him, Dramas.'

Dramas nodded. 'He has … fair potential with magic. I daresay he might make it to Master, if he concentrates. You have the entrance fee?' Tor passed him a smallish purse, but Calsa wasn't fooled. Golds are always smaller than coppers.

'May we have a moment to say goodbye?' he requested. 'I have to be getting back to the farms, my wife's pregnant.'

Outside Dramas' room, the Herald-Mage hugged his Apprentice. :Be good, alright? Oh, and your name's been changed to Collen. Remember to answer to it.:

:I'll miss you.:

:Of course you will. Maybe someday, when it's not so risky, or risky for you, you can come to Valdemar. I'll wait for you in Haven.: Tor reached into his pocket and pulled out a fine necklet. The pendant hanging from it was a thumb-sized white horse, who resembled… :Kaya. And it's her hair too, isn't it.: she demanded.

:Something for you to remember us by, and safe passage into Valdemar when you come to visit. Don't try to 'speak me after I leave, they may have someone tracing.:

And with that, half of Calsa's world left.

'Collen,' came a young voice, causing her to spin around. 'Hello. I'm Master Garth, your teacher. Will you follow me to the dormitories. She went, panicking. If they put me with I guy, one of them is going to know my secret, and then I'll be gone, and they'll kill me, and then… he pushed a door open.

'We've placed the students in separate rooms. We found that when student don't have another to distract them, they study much better.' Calsa relaxed. 'The dining room is down the hall, and I will take you to the Workrooms when you've unpacked. You have half a mark. I will come back then.'

Fortunately for Calsa's peace of mind, that's exactly how long it took to unpack.

The lessons were easy. She pretended to struggle for a bit, then almost carefully "figured" them out. Some stuff she still hadn't gotten the hang of, which was good for Garth. He was shocked when she had gotten centered so fast. If he thinks that I'm faster then other students, maybe I'll get to stuff that Tor and I hadn't covered yet.

Supper was worse, though. Everyone watched her curiously, as if she was of interest. When this happened, Calsa clung tighter to her illusion. Then they stopped, and through the babble of the rest of the students, Calsa heard something that could help her.

'Poor Trif,' one of the boys was saying. 'He still hasn't gotten the hang of locking spells into objects, and Crestar won't go further till he does.' The rest of the people at his table laughed in pity of Trif, but it gave Calsa an idea.

If I can lock the illusion into Kaya's necklace, then I won't have to worry about it. And I can concentrate more on my schoolwork. For, much to her dismay, it became evident that she, as an Apprentice, would have to get a formal education.

One day at a time, she thought before sleeping. One day at a time. She fell asleep clutching the necklace, and dreamed of nothing.

***

I think, thought Calsa, three years later, that the first month was the worst. Then Garth accepted the speed with which I learn things, and the boys started ignoring me.

This time, however, she did have dreams, and odd ones at that.

***

Winddancer: So, what do you think? I like it.

Shadowwalker, sleepily: You like everything.

Winddancer: hey, where were you?

Shadowwalker: Sleeping. Again.

Winddancer: ││     -_- just for that, you can inspire the next part.

Shadowwalker: fine then, you don't get any brownies.

Winddancer: O.o

Shadowwalker: oh, and for everyone reading, remember R&R