Disclaimer: I own nothing. Mercedes Lackey owns everything. I just write about it for fun.
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Chapter 3: Chosen
It began to rain, but Kira didn't notice, any more than she noticed the pain her arm and ankle were causing her. All of her external senses seemed to have been cut off by the overwhelming wave of grief that washed over her. Stumbling into the forest, she ignored the wet branches lashing her face as she pushed her way through the trees. She didn't know where she was going; it didn't matter anyway. Kira Wolfwind was dead. Nothing mattered any more. The sound of the rain beat a countermelody to the rapid thumping of her heart, washing away all sounds but those she most wished to be rid of: the sounds from her memories. Echoes ran through her head: "She is a demon!" "Kira Wolfwind has never existed!" Trian's face flashed before her eyes; Trian, her only friend, her surrogate mother, was looking right through her as if she wasn't even there. Blinded by tears, Kira ran on.
She didn't know how long she ran. It was all a blur of grief and pain. Finally, she fell one last time and no longer had the strength to rise. As she curled herself into a ball under a weeping willow, she dimly realized she was at the stream. Shuddering from the strength of her sobs, she sat there crying for a long time.
Hazily, she realized that the treehare was snuggling up to her, trying to comfort her. She shoved him away. She was unclean. He shouldn't come near her. She would only consume him too. Hurt, the treehare backed off and left.
Something was insistently shoving her back. She turned, intending to tell the treehare to leave her alone, but the words caught in her throat when she realized that what stood behind her was not the treehare.
It resembled the packhorses that traders sometimes had with them, but only vaguely. Those shaggy beasts bore about as much resemblance to this creature as scrawny, half-starved wolf pups bore to a poised, powerful pack leader. This horse's coat was pure white, shining through the rain as though luminescent, and its eyes were the endless deep blue of a perfect summer sky. She had only enough time to notice these features before she felt herself falling into those eternally deep blue eyes.
* * *
:Yes, at last! After all the waiting, after all the searching, I have finally found you! I Choose you, Kira, and you are mine and I am yours and we will never be alone again …:
A feeling so profound that it transcended every meaning of the word love filled Kira's heart, washing away all the grief and pain that had been consuming her. Flinging her good arm around his neck, she wept into his mane, this time tears of joy. It seemed an eternity that she spent caught in that endless, perfect moment.
At last, the horse's eyes caught hold of hers again. :My poor Chosen! What have they done to you? I can't heal you from all of these hurts alone. Forget, my Chosen, forget and be at peace, until I can get you help.:
* * *
Kira shook herself, feeling as if something momentous had occurred, but she couldn't quite remember what. She looked blearily at the horse before her. Something was not quite normal about it … But whenever she tried to figure out what it was, the thought skittered away from her. She closed her eyes for a moment. Something was missing …
:Tie yourself on,: the horse ordered her. Blinking, Kira found herself seated on its back, with no memory of how she had come to be there. There were leather straps threaded through rings all around the saddle; using these, she tied herself in place as securely as possible. Using only one hand hampered her abilities slightly, but not much; it was a skill all children had to master at a young age. As soon as she had fastened herself to him, the horse began to move.
It was incredible! It felt like she had always imagined it would feel to fly on a cloud: unbelievably fast, but so smooth that the motion barely jostled her arm at all. Hoofbeats pounded against the earth beneath her in a strange sort of music. Within moments, she felt herself growing drowsy. Although she wanted to enjoy the ride, she soon relaxed into a deep sleep.
She awoke only when the horse came to a halt in front of a small building. The sun was just rising; the storm that had engulfed them earlier must have blown over while she slept. Her head and arm ached abominably, and her fingers fumbled as she tried to undo the knots, which had shrunk as they dried.
At last she managed it. The horse lay down so that she could get off without putting weight on her injured ankle, and she limped the few steps to the door.
:On the bottom shelf next to the door is a small bottle of painkiller,: the horse told her. :Drink it all.:
Kira dragged herself inside to obey. The medicine took effect quickly; before long she was able to look around. The room was small, with just enough space for a sleeping ledge, a hearth, and some supplies. Her eyes were drawn to the food stored next to the fireplace; now that the pain had been dampened, she realized that she was ravenous. Mixing oats and water for gruel took only a moment.
:Now will you come out and take care of me?: the horse requested. She managed to follow his instructions for getting his gear off of him and grooming him before the gruel burned. Splitting it between herself and the horse, she devoured her portion. By that time, the painkiller was also starting to make her sleepy. After washing the dishes blearily, she fell onto the sleeping ledge and was immediately asleep.
:Wake up,: came the gentle call in her head the next morning. Kira returned to consciousness and barely prevented herself from screaming in pain. Luckily, the horse had told her to put another bottle of medicine next to her head the night before; she scarcely had to move in order to drink it. She lay still for a long moment, waiting for the pain to ease.
At last she managed to get up, make more gruel for breakfast, and put the horse's saddle back on him. As soon as she onto his back and tied herself on securely, he took off once again. Almost at once, she dropped back into slumber.
This pattern was repeated over and over again. Kira never bothered to try to keep track of the days; all that mattered to her was drinking the painkillers for the short amounts of time she was conscious and sleeping the rest. She never got up the energy to really try and think; somewhere deep inside she was actually grateful for that, sensing that there was some pain lurking in the recesses of her mind, just waiting for its opportunity to break out and overwhelm her.
After an unknown amount of time, in which she'd almost forgotten there was anything else to life than this pattern, Kira woke up while the horse was still moving. "What's going on?" she wondered aloud, still groggy. Just then, the horse came to the top of the low hill he'd been climbing. The vista spread out below them took her breath away.
A huge city was spread out in the valley, lit by thousands of lamps. It was bigger than any settlement the mountain girl had ever seen or imagined. "What is it?" she asked in awe.
The horse shook his head, not answering. He began to run down the hill. This gate was even faster than the one he'd been using on the trip so far; it frightened her. "Slow down!" she tried to call, but the wind whipped the words away. In fear, she began loosening the knots that held her to the saddle. Surely he'll slow down once we reach the city, she told herself. He did, but only slightly, and certainly not enough to make her comfortable jumping off. Pedestrians rushed out of his way as he pelted down the streets. Kira felt herself beginning to lose her tenuous grasp on consciousness.
* * *
Aaren stretched his tall, lanky form, fingertips nearly brushing the ceiling. He smiled down at the diminutive woman beside him, Healer Deena. "So, teacher? Did I pass?" he asked, knowing that their task had been an informal test, even though she hadn't said so.
Deena grinned up at him. "With flying colors," she replied. "I'd say you're fully trained and ready to take care of yourself. How are your energy levels?"
He checked inside, at the same time rebuilding the shields he'd dropped to link with her. "Fine. I could go on for the rest of the night without lasting harm."
"Maybe you could, but you won't," she warned him. "The last thing we need is one of our strongest Healers sleeping for three days – especially now."
He nodded soberly, knowing that she was thinking of the recent disturbances. He looked down at the sleeping figure on the bed. "We'd better leave him. And you need a meal and a good night's sleep for once." He grasped her hand firmly to pull her up from her chair beside the Herald.
"Oh, Aaren," she said, resisting his efforts. "I can't. Kary and Tera …"
"…Can be looked after by the night Healers for once," he interrupted firmly. "That's why they're here. Come on, little mother, don't you trust Jilla?"
"Of course I do, but …" She sighed and gave in as he pulled on her hand again. "All right, all right, I'm coming. I get the impression that if I don't, you'll pick me up, carry me to my room, and lock me in."
"I sure would," he told her honestly. "You're more important than I am, little mother; if we can't have me sleeping for three days, we certainly can't let you do it."
She made a face. "I hate having my own words thrown back at me."
"Come on now," Aaren wheedled. "I bet Mero will give us some of his special honeycakes for dessert if we ask nicely."
Deena pushed ahead of him and ran out the door, laughing. "For Mero's honeycakes I would do anything. Come on, let's go!"
Joining in her laughter, he caught up with her in a few long strides. Suddenly a shock hit his shields, so powerful that he staggered back a pace. More pain/confusion/sorrow/fear than he had ever felt battered at his defenses. Half unconsciously he increased his shielding until he could think clearly again.
Deena was looking at him in alarm. "What's wrong?"
"Can't you feel it?" he asked. He felt her widening her sense, and she winced as she caught the edge of that pain. He turned and ran toward the source of the pathos, with Deena close behind.
They reached the gate just as a startled guard opened it for a Companion, a small figure on his back, who came barreling through at high speed. He slewed to a stop in front of the Healers. The figure – obviously the Companion's newly-Chosen – was the source of the emotions he'd sensed. As the Companion pulled to a halt, the girl looked around her with a confused gaze. Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she slid off her Companion into his arms.
Tactile contact opened such a link that he staggered and almost fell. What had happened to this poor child? Her mind was a howling maelstrom of grief and pain, like a whirlpool sucking him in. He floundered, loosing his grip with reality, and found Deena linking with him. Using her strength, he fought his way out of the child's mind and put up the strongest shield he'd ever formed. Opening his eyes, he saw concerned Healers standing around them, drawn as he had been by the child's pain.
"Help!" he managed to gasp. Other arms reached out to take the girl from him, flinching as they touched her and sensed what he had sensed. They carried her inside, leaving only his teacher and the Companion.
"Are you all right?" Deena asked, looking worried.
"I think so. It was just feeling that … What happened to her?"
"I don't know." Deena's face was grim. "But we'll find out."
He took grim satisfaction from the anger in her tone. No child should ever feel so lost and hurt.
"Why don't you take this poor, worn-out Companion over to the Field and give him a good grooming," Deena suggested more lightly.
Aaren had always loved horses, and since he'd come to the Collegium, any opportunity to spend time with Companions was precious to him. He knew Deena was trying to manipulate him into relaxing, rather than trying to go help the Healers with that girl while he was so worked up, but he liked the idea too much to be bothered by it. "Is that all right with you?" he asked the Companion beside him.
The only response was a tired nod. Weariness and concern for his Chosen showed in every line of the Companion's drooping figure. Aaren smiled slightly. "She'll be OK," he assured him. "Come on, let's get you fixed up."
