Chesh, Camon, Iearnen, all

She had one more thing to do before she could go. She'd have liked to do it earlier, but getting a companion and herald apart was far from easy.

She climbed up on the stall wall and tried to choose her words carefully.

"The one thing I can't get passed is that you let him do it. Charge that monster in what was very nearly a suicide move. Why? You know better. Companions have..." she stopped herself. The geas might be off, but still..."a greater wealth of knowledge to draw from." That was diplomatic enough.

Iearnen slowly gathered hay from the edges of the stall and made a pile in the centre. He didn't even look at her. For all the world knew, a beautiful animal.

"Listen, it isn't Camon's job to help you lug your emotional baggage." She rethought that. "Okay, maybe it is, maybe that's what this whole pair thing is about, sharing burdens and all that.

But that kid doesn't deserve to get killed over it. He isn't strong enough to stand up to you yet. He will be eventually, but for now he's still learning...Wait. He's learning...'e's learnin' ... Iearnen." She slowly looked over to see two blue eyes staring up at her. "What exactly are you learning?" Slowly those eyes rose to be come level with hers. The world seemed to still.

Iearnen's head shifted to the side, and she put her hands up to either side of the large jaw, feeling the warmth of magic of life flowing through him.

She focused tightly, tuning the rest of the world out. Maybe if she listened closely enough she could pick up something...

: NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS:

She watched the stable roof spinning slowly over her head and decided that yes, it was definitely time to leave.

Then she felt something that made her wonder if she'd be allowed to.

Someone was building a trap around the building. A brief moment of effort told her it was mostly Tremaine though there were three others - people she didn't know - helping.

Tremaine might not be an adept at earth magic, but ritual magic was a whole different kettle of fish, 'cause this was a pole trap, the magical equivalent of a giant magnet. Specifically designed to hold any magic creature. Like her. It was being constructed between the two exits. Once it was finished she was STUCK. It was already too strong at the exits, she'd be trapped like a fridge magnet...well, on a fridge. He'd made one mistake though.

The entire building was an exit if you had a big enough hammer. Did she have one?

"I need you to make a hole in the wall for me. If you don't I'm probably dead." blue eyes flicked down the stalls to be met by another pair the same.

Legacy winced as she realised Rolan had overheard everything. I hate my stupidity sometimes.

The sound of wood splintering drew her head back around and she was in the stall before the second blow hit. She tried to go through, but already she could feel the spell dragging her backward into the room, to the invisible line between the poles she was now bound to. Then a white shape lifted her up, and she hung on as Iearnen, all four legs struggling for traction, slowly gained ground.

For long moments she thought they weren't going to make it, the spell tightening around them both... but then they were through, the pull falling away. Looking behind her she saw Rolan staring after, face unreadable. Then they were gone.

She was hanging on with her legs as they pounded around the corner of the castle, coming up on Camon running out to meet them, rucksack swinging from his hand. Iearnen didn't even slow down as she leaned off-centre and grabbed the outstretched hand, managing to haul him half over despite the fact she didn't have much of a grip, and certainly no saddle to help.

He made it, with an agility she wouldn't have expected from him, and moved up behind her.

"So what happened?"

"They must have found out what I am. This is the usual response, though usually I don't have help."

"Uh oh." Legacy thought he was making a general statement on the situation until she looked back down the road to see Silverleaf pounding after them. Even loaded double, Iearnen could outrun him, but not the spells he could throw.

Trip spells for example, were absurdly simple, and nothing could persuade her they deserved to be hurt like that, not after helping her.

So she slipped off, hitting the ground awkwardly and ran back toward their pursuer. She doubted he could throw anything to hurt her, not many mages could. Though she was certainly wishing she hadn't been so honest about removing her influence. He didn't say anything, or cast anything, though the smirk he gave her made her think she might.

"What, so anxious for my company already?" If there was any justice, the glare she gave him would have reduced him to ash. Instead, he just sat there being annoying. Ah well. The herald pair rode up behind her.

"Hey Chesh, why'd you get off?" Nobody could be that dense. She knew he wasn't, but then everybody needed a straight man.

"I had to take a look. I've never seen an ass riding a horse before." So, he could glare too, but she thought she could see a slight grin hiding there. "C'mon, it's time to get moving."