Heyla everyone, it's me again. Thanks for the site, Fireblade.
Hawk: Stormwing's named the fire-lizard Sunwing, and we've bonded pretty good, I think. Storm'll be leaving today, so everyone, say bye.
Stormwing: I'll be back again later, maybe.
And we continue...
***
'Vanyel?' Cal asked. It had been a week since Joshaylin had Chosen her, a week since that battle, a week since she had dreamt Van's death. It still shook her to think of it, but it was even queerer to see the one she had thought dead standing right in front of her.
The silver eyed, dark haired man snorted. 'No kechara, I'm really one of the seven hundred other people who look just like you. Can't you tell?'
'There's that many other people who look like me?' Cal wanted to know.
She received a long sigh form Van. 'Obviously not.'
She hesitated for a moment. 'Not that I'm not happy to see you, but, um, well ... didn't you ... die?' Cal winced. The words sounded so stupid just put like that.
'Yes, I did,' he replied matter-of-factly. 'And then Steph joined me in Sorrows, much later, of course. We were guardians there for about seven hundred years, then we went down to the Dhorsha Plains to stop the Cataclysm from reoccurring. And then I was completely destroyed.'
'How in the seven hells does one stop a Cataclysm?'
'By replicating what happened the first time, blasting power in a small, contained area,' the Shadowstalker answered.
'Ah. So why are you here?' Calsa glanced nervously over at Josh, but he was still soundly asleep.
'You're like me, someone who will have to make a -' Vanyel hesitated slightly, as if not certain what he could or couldn't say. 'A choice,' he decided. 'And this choice that you make, will affect not only your own life, but change the course of the world. I died for my decision, as did the one before me. I don't think you will though. If you would, I don't think I would have been able to come say this.' He stared off into space as he said this.
'The few of us who have ever met named themselves Starsingers, probably because some people use stars to determine the future, and Bards, or Singers, change ways of life. We all share the same eyes,' he added.
'Your life will be ... interesting, but you won't know the choice till the decision is right upon you. And even then, the results won't be instant.
'I came to tell you this because ... well, I've thought of you like a sib, and I couldn't just leave you there without a clue. I had Foresight dreams. You've seen my life. It was a ... warning of sorts.' Van looked at her again.
'But how will I hide this from Josh? He'll think I'm crazy if he finds out that I think that you've been talking to me. If I do get to remember the dreams,' Cal wondered out loud.
'The dreams are yours to keep, I have no need for them anymore. And as for how to keep Josh out, well, shield it out of his reach. He won't pry. Or at least, he shouldn't.'
Cal raised one eyebrow but said nothing. 'I - I have to go now,' said Van, as if hearing some inner call. 'Sorry, kechara.' He reached out and hugged her close.
'Wait!' she asked as he turned to leave.
'Yes?'
'Who was the Singer before you?'
He smiled as he continued past the boundaries of her camp. 'If you ever meet a Shin'a'in or Hawk-Brother, they'll know the one you speak of, should you mention his name. And some of the older Heralds. The last Great Mage, the Mage of Silence, Urtho.'
Cal smiled as she went back to sleep, knowing that the Herald-Mage rested well.
***
:You know what?: Cal asked Josh a few weeks later.
:What?:
:This gets kind of boring after a while. Are we there yet?:
:We're in Valdemar now, Eastern border. Those birds that you noticed but never commented on were gryphons, they fly around bringing news. And trouble.:
:So we're not there yet.:
:No.:
:Damn. So is there *anything* interesting around here?:
:Um... I wouldn't know. I generally don't play tour guide. Big farm land here, we're to the north of the Holderkin though, so we aren't worried about their ah - ideas. Mainly about where women belong on the hierarchy scale. Must've been a nasty shock to them when Solaris became the Son of the Sun. And Allodia after her.:
:I know about Solaris, but Allodia must not have come into office before Tor left for the Empire, cause he never mentioned her.: Cal paused, *hearing* another mindspoken conversation at the edge of her range. :There's other mindspeakers this close to us?:
:If you're hearing them, Cal, it means you've left your shields down.:
:They're up!:
:Well then, don't try to detect others.: Josh paused for a moment, then the mindlink was overwhelmed with joy. :It's Sasha, my sister! And her Chosen, of course.:
:Your sister's Chosen? Is she older or younger then you?:
:Older, and wiser. Don't tell her that, though. She Chose a year ago, and she'll be proud of me. I found about the only person in the world who's Mage-Gift is stronger then her Chosen's, and she's my Chosen.: Josh sounded proud.
:You want to sneak up on them?: Cal asked.
:Sure!: The chiming hoof steps seemed to quiet, making almost no noise though they kept the same pace. Cal craned her neck for a view of Josh's sister and her Chosen. Their appearance nearly knocked her off of Josh's back.
:Surprise!: said an unfamiliar mindvoice, more feminine then her Companion's.
Josh sighed. :You always get me, don't you Sasha?:
:Yup! Oh, you've Chosen? Goodie, what Gifts?:
Josh mind-grinned evilly. :Why don't you see for yourself. Cal, can you put your shield down?:
:Ack!: went Sasha as Cal let them down. :Show-off!:
Cal looked at Sasha's Chosen. He had rich, gold-brown hair, Companion- bright blue eyes and an easy smile. His feature were distinct without being sharp, and he looked curiously at her.
'I'm Tal'aren, Sasha's Chosen. Who are you?'
'Calsa, Josh's Chosen. Sasha's brother's Chosen, actually.'
'New Chosen, right?'
'Only about five weeks.'
'Where were you Chosen from,' Tal'aren asked in awe, 'The Empire?'
'Actually, right on the Border of Karse and Hardon, only a week from the Empieric border. I'm from there, Herald-Mage Toralith trained me.
'Uncle Tor taught you?'
*Uncle?*
***
Hawk: Ok, R&R that's all for today. Even if it is a little short...
Winddancer: Bye Storm. *hugs her.*
Stormwing: Oh, I'll darken your doorway soon enough, don't you worry.
Shadowwalker: *Mutters something unheard.*
Stormwing: What? I think I missed that.
Shadowwalker: Ah ... good luck on your trip.
Stormwing: Zhai'hellva everyone.
Hawk: Stormwing's named the fire-lizard Sunwing, and we've bonded pretty good, I think. Storm'll be leaving today, so everyone, say bye.
Stormwing: I'll be back again later, maybe.
And we continue...
***
'Vanyel?' Cal asked. It had been a week since Joshaylin had Chosen her, a week since that battle, a week since she had dreamt Van's death. It still shook her to think of it, but it was even queerer to see the one she had thought dead standing right in front of her.
The silver eyed, dark haired man snorted. 'No kechara, I'm really one of the seven hundred other people who look just like you. Can't you tell?'
'There's that many other people who look like me?' Cal wanted to know.
She received a long sigh form Van. 'Obviously not.'
She hesitated for a moment. 'Not that I'm not happy to see you, but, um, well ... didn't you ... die?' Cal winced. The words sounded so stupid just put like that.
'Yes, I did,' he replied matter-of-factly. 'And then Steph joined me in Sorrows, much later, of course. We were guardians there for about seven hundred years, then we went down to the Dhorsha Plains to stop the Cataclysm from reoccurring. And then I was completely destroyed.'
'How in the seven hells does one stop a Cataclysm?'
'By replicating what happened the first time, blasting power in a small, contained area,' the Shadowstalker answered.
'Ah. So why are you here?' Calsa glanced nervously over at Josh, but he was still soundly asleep.
'You're like me, someone who will have to make a -' Vanyel hesitated slightly, as if not certain what he could or couldn't say. 'A choice,' he decided. 'And this choice that you make, will affect not only your own life, but change the course of the world. I died for my decision, as did the one before me. I don't think you will though. If you would, I don't think I would have been able to come say this.' He stared off into space as he said this.
'The few of us who have ever met named themselves Starsingers, probably because some people use stars to determine the future, and Bards, or Singers, change ways of life. We all share the same eyes,' he added.
'Your life will be ... interesting, but you won't know the choice till the decision is right upon you. And even then, the results won't be instant.
'I came to tell you this because ... well, I've thought of you like a sib, and I couldn't just leave you there without a clue. I had Foresight dreams. You've seen my life. It was a ... warning of sorts.' Van looked at her again.
'But how will I hide this from Josh? He'll think I'm crazy if he finds out that I think that you've been talking to me. If I do get to remember the dreams,' Cal wondered out loud.
'The dreams are yours to keep, I have no need for them anymore. And as for how to keep Josh out, well, shield it out of his reach. He won't pry. Or at least, he shouldn't.'
Cal raised one eyebrow but said nothing. 'I - I have to go now,' said Van, as if hearing some inner call. 'Sorry, kechara.' He reached out and hugged her close.
'Wait!' she asked as he turned to leave.
'Yes?'
'Who was the Singer before you?'
He smiled as he continued past the boundaries of her camp. 'If you ever meet a Shin'a'in or Hawk-Brother, they'll know the one you speak of, should you mention his name. And some of the older Heralds. The last Great Mage, the Mage of Silence, Urtho.'
Cal smiled as she went back to sleep, knowing that the Herald-Mage rested well.
***
:You know what?: Cal asked Josh a few weeks later.
:What?:
:This gets kind of boring after a while. Are we there yet?:
:We're in Valdemar now, Eastern border. Those birds that you noticed but never commented on were gryphons, they fly around bringing news. And trouble.:
:So we're not there yet.:
:No.:
:Damn. So is there *anything* interesting around here?:
:Um... I wouldn't know. I generally don't play tour guide. Big farm land here, we're to the north of the Holderkin though, so we aren't worried about their ah - ideas. Mainly about where women belong on the hierarchy scale. Must've been a nasty shock to them when Solaris became the Son of the Sun. And Allodia after her.:
:I know about Solaris, but Allodia must not have come into office before Tor left for the Empire, cause he never mentioned her.: Cal paused, *hearing* another mindspoken conversation at the edge of her range. :There's other mindspeakers this close to us?:
:If you're hearing them, Cal, it means you've left your shields down.:
:They're up!:
:Well then, don't try to detect others.: Josh paused for a moment, then the mindlink was overwhelmed with joy. :It's Sasha, my sister! And her Chosen, of course.:
:Your sister's Chosen? Is she older or younger then you?:
:Older, and wiser. Don't tell her that, though. She Chose a year ago, and she'll be proud of me. I found about the only person in the world who's Mage-Gift is stronger then her Chosen's, and she's my Chosen.: Josh sounded proud.
:You want to sneak up on them?: Cal asked.
:Sure!: The chiming hoof steps seemed to quiet, making almost no noise though they kept the same pace. Cal craned her neck for a view of Josh's sister and her Chosen. Their appearance nearly knocked her off of Josh's back.
:Surprise!: said an unfamiliar mindvoice, more feminine then her Companion's.
Josh sighed. :You always get me, don't you Sasha?:
:Yup! Oh, you've Chosen? Goodie, what Gifts?:
Josh mind-grinned evilly. :Why don't you see for yourself. Cal, can you put your shield down?:
:Ack!: went Sasha as Cal let them down. :Show-off!:
Cal looked at Sasha's Chosen. He had rich, gold-brown hair, Companion- bright blue eyes and an easy smile. His feature were distinct without being sharp, and he looked curiously at her.
'I'm Tal'aren, Sasha's Chosen. Who are you?'
'Calsa, Josh's Chosen. Sasha's brother's Chosen, actually.'
'New Chosen, right?'
'Only about five weeks.'
'Where were you Chosen from,' Tal'aren asked in awe, 'The Empire?'
'Actually, right on the Border of Karse and Hardon, only a week from the Empieric border. I'm from there, Herald-Mage Toralith trained me.
'Uncle Tor taught you?'
*Uncle?*
***
Hawk: Ok, R&R that's all for today. Even if it is a little short...
Winddancer: Bye Storm. *hugs her.*
Stormwing: Oh, I'll darken your doorway soon enough, don't you worry.
Shadowwalker: *Mutters something unheard.*
Stormwing: What? I think I missed that.
Shadowwalker: Ah ... good luck on your trip.
Stormwing: Zhai'hellva everyone.
