The silver hooves beat out a steady tattoo on the packed dirt road, sun beating down on them and making their Heralds sleepy. It was fast becoming one  of Sorrow's driest summer in over five hundred years, and the crops were reacting accordingly. Fortunately, none of the wells were becoming unfit to drink, and the Healer's – and Heralds – were adament in that everyone got at least three cups of water every day.

The village – Deepriver – was unusual in that it was set right on the river that cut off a small portion of Sorrow's. As a result, the villagers both fished and farmed. Some even did both. It was about the size of Shireton, maybe a little smaller, and the people bustled curiously around the Heralds.

Cal sighed quietly. Based on the stories that Meyra and Aren had told, first circuits – or any circuit, for that matter – were exciting. The most excitement she had seen, however, was the occasional argument about

:The Tayledras have been known to curse people with "May your life be interesting.:

:Some days I wouldn't mind a curse like that. I take that back. The last few times my life has been "interesting" it involved ridiculously large axes that no one should be able to move.:

What Aren had said didn't help either. 'How do you normally get Forsight? Gut feeling like you told me about, or visions? Visions? Then I wouldn't worry about it until it gets to the vision stage.'

She looked up, frowning. 'Nessa, what's that smell. It's kind of… smokey. Like the time there was a bonfire.'

Nessa looked at her. 'There aren't any festivals celebrated around here, not at this time of year. But you're right, I can smell it too.'

Hoofsteps hammered down the road as a bay horse stretched out down towards them. ''Eralds," the man riding it gasped. "We don' 'no 'ow it 'appened, but there's fire in t' south Sorrows.' She snapped out of her sleepy daze, remembering.

'We were guardians there for seven hundred years…'

They cantered to Deepriver at that amazing pace that only Companions can hold for any reasonable length of time. Southern Sorrows, as the man had called it, was the small area that was cut off by the Graevan river. Realatively small, at least, it was still more than twice as large as the Palace complex. And it was on fire.

The blaze roared red and gold, changing the black smoke that rose from the inferno into a reddish smoke, like blood spilled into water. Calsa stared in awe as mankind's primal fascination with fire started to come out. 'It's huge,' she managed to no one in particular.

Nessa was busy grouping people to make a firebreak, an extremely dangerous but highly effective way of blocking the fire's path. Ten youths, still agile enough to get out of the fire's trail if the wind shifted, ran out to start another to block it's course. They looked pathetically small next to the firey vortex, and Cal could only hope they'd be alright, or at least come out with minimal burns.

If only we had a Firestarter, a Firestarter that could control fires, not just start them. Hellfires, even the firestarting-only Firestarter would be nice, then we wouldn't have to risk villagers to the fire.

'Will it work?' she asked Nessa, worried. The older Herald-Mage raised her hands palms upwards.

'I'm not sure, but I'm not leaving it to chance, either. There might be some rain around here that I can bring before it's too late. First, though, I'd rather see how this works out.' Cal nodded. Rain around here was scarce enough that it would be cruel to take a storm to stop a fire that had already been defeated. It might even take lives, and that was part of what being a Herald was, to prevent the loss of lives.

'Heralds,' a tired-looking woman said quietly. Cal turned sharply to look at her, the nagging feeling in her stomach starting. 'If you could – my daughters, Gaila and Cassidy, they went out a few candlemarks ago. I looked everywhere else, with no sign of them, and I think they've gone into the forest. They do that quite frequently.'

Hearing that was like being told that her heart's desire was in that forest. Suddenly, Calsa had to go into that forest, had go find the children. She turned back to Nessa, hoping she didn't need any assistance.

'Don't worry, things are as under control as they'll get,' the brown-haired Herald said quietly. 'You can feel the pull, can't you.' It was a statement, not a question, and Cal didn't say anything in response. She wouldn't have been a Herald if she hadn't.

Instead Joshaylin shot off like a bolt from a crossbow, causing his white mane and her black hair to fly back. They ran along the riverside, now glowing red from the reflected flames, looking for a spot the flames had already passed through. Finding it, Josh turned sharply, neatly pivoting and running into the forest's corpse.

The intense heat hit them, making the dry air outside seem cool by comparison. Branches and trunks – or what remained of them – were macabre statues of embers, flaring up brightly as a breeze stired them, then cooling just as suddenly. Cal stared ahead, looking for any sign of the girls, or any other life, for that matter.

:I'm going to Look for them. Let me know if you see anything before I Find them,: she sent Josh before slipping into trance. Using her Mage-Gift, she searched the forest methodically, starting from herself and then circling out. Most of the life-forces she did sense, though, were to small to be of any interest. A few birds, a groundhog that had buried itself far beneath the topsoil sand-dry topsoil… then suddenly, two faint sparkles.

:Josh, east!: She did not need to elaborate. The Companion ran on, Calsa leaning close to his neck. A branch fell inches away from her leg, she ignored it but dropped her trance, this time using her more mudane senses.

They sprinted into a small openning, somehow clear from flames. She looked down to see that there was no grass here, no grass or twigs or anything that would burn. But it was only six feet wide, and extremely difficult not to trip over the hunched up body.

Calsa recoiled in horrified shock. The person could not have been more than eleven years of age, and here she was, dead. I was too late, I couldn't help them. She's dead, and who knows where her sister is.

She dismounted quickly, then reached out to touch the girl's shoulder. There were slight burns on it, but nothing life-threatening. however, there was a larger, dark red burn on her right side. There was no response from the girl, either vocal or physical.

Calsa gently uncurled the girl, meaning to check her pulse. What she saw, though, made her heart clench. The young girl hadn't been hunched up in an effort to lose pain, or to breath air that was not filled with smoke. She had been trying to protect her younger sister, a small girl that was resting under her older sister's body.

'Child,' Cal called softly. 'Child, are you alright? Do you have burns?'

The small girl shook her head. 'Is it safe to leave now? Gaila said to stay here until someone said it was ok to leave.' She winced bitterly.

'Yes, it's safe to go now, but I don't know if your sister will be … able to leave.' She reached to touch Gaila's neck, holding her first two fingers just under the jawbone, feeling for a pulse. 'Cassidy, I don't think … I don't think that your sister is alive anymore.'

Cassidy merely looked up at her and said, with childish certanity, 'She's alive. I know she is.'

:If it makes her feel better,: Joshaylin advised, :let her continue to believe that her sister will return.: Cal nodded tiredly, the effects of the past candlemark finally setting in. She watched the young girl with some faint amusement as she carefully laid her sister out, pillowing her head and laying out her arms.

The Cassidy rolled up her sleeves and carefully touched the smallest burn, making faint green sparks flow between it and her fingers. Apparently encouraged by this success, she touched the largest one.

:Green sparks …green sparks! Josh, look, green sparks! She's a Healer, or at least, she has Healing Gift! That's why she said her sister wasn't dead! She could sense it!: Then, a little more subdued, she sent a message to Nessa.

:I found the girls. Gaila's a step from Death, but Cassidy is Gifted with Healing, and she's keeping her sister alive. Another Healer and a little help over here would be appreciated.:

:Sure thing,: Nessa answered.

I am never wishing for excitement again.

***

'I think that after than, Calsa, you can deal with pretty much anything,' Nessa said as they left Three Rivers. 'You'll make a good Herald-Mage.'

'Well, I did have an excellent mentor.' Nessa just smiled and shook her head.

I think Nessa's right. I think that I can deal with a lot. And that's probably why we have Internship, so that we can get a feel for things, and be a little confident about it.

***

Strange as it seems, this is where Starsinger ends. Though not Cal's adventures. Think of it like where Arrow's Flight ends. There will be a sequel called Starsong, but I just don't have a lot of time to work on it anymore, just odd weekends and snippets of my afternoons. So you'll still see me around, just not with this fic.

Thank you, to all my reviewers who have ever reviewed. You guys really make my day when I see Review Alert! in my mail slot. I'm glad that you enjoyed it through all my skipping around and Van-Dreams, which will be important in Starsong. But I didn't say that…*looks suspicious*

Now, more formal thanks to last chapter's reviewers.

Caolite: Glad you still feel that way. Want a buttertart? My sister ate all the brownies, so those are all we got left. And thanks for explaining ja ne, so, ja ne. ^_^

Ivy Raine: Don't we all? Want a Van plushie, I mean?

Catkyn: The things my muses come up with, eh? Sorry if I jump around a little.

Corrupted-innocent: WHERE DID YOU GET THE VAN PLUSHIE?