Don't own nething but my original charatcers.

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I smiled as I read that entry in my diary. Tristan was sitting next to the fire, warming his old fingers, "What's so funny, Cari?"

"I was just reading my old diary. You remember when we first slept together? Right after you got back from the field?"

"Yeah. When Anzelm, Tor, Melany, Brooke and all the rest thought we—"

"Yeah. Then." I interrupted him, blushing. Forty years later and I still blush at the scene. "That's was I was laughing at." Tristan chuckled to himself and went back to warming his hands. You'd never believe how cold autumn feels when your Companion refuses to settle in the barn and insists on a tramp through the Field when you forget your jacket. I went back to my diary.

Charly and Anzelm had already received their whites and Tor was sure he was going to be next. Tristan and I have grown even closer together since he came back. He now takes regular trips, but nowhere near as far as the southern border.

I was walking to my room after one of my classes, when Brooke walked up to me. "Hey, Cari. Long time no see." She said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"What're you up to this time? Not another 'play' is it?" I asked, thinking back to when she had tried to get all her friends to participate in a play that she had written.

"Oh, no. Nothing like that! It's nothing like that." She smiled. By now, we were at my door and my books were getting heavy.

"Come on in. I think this may take a while." I opened the door, and there was Melany sitting on my bed with a white bundle in her hands. I dropped my book on the desk, dumbfounded. "I'm a—I'm going to be a—"

"Told you she'd guess it on the first try!" Melany told Brooke. "You guessed it, Cari. Here, try these on." She handed me the whites.

"I can't believe this! I'm really going to be a Herald!" I cried as I pulled my grays off and replaced them with the whites.

"Hey! Turn around, Kiddo! We want to see!" Brooke teased. I promptly complied.

"How to I look?"

"I think Tristan's going to pop his eyes out when he sees you." Melany commented.

"Yep. If he isn't head-over-heels in love with you yet—this'll do it." Brooke said.

A few candlemarks later, I joined Melany, Brooke, Tristan and Tor at our usual table decked out in my new whites. Tor's face was comical. He had surprise and a little bit of jealousy in it, but soon the jealousy faded. Tristan did flip, like Melany and Brooke had proposed. At first, he thought I was someone else.

"You look amazing, Cari," Tristan said, then, "Yeah, I know. 'How cheesy'. Right guys?"

The last bit was aimed at Melany and Brooke who had immediately broke out laughing once they saw his expression. "Yeah, whatever you saw, Trist!" Brooke managed to squeeze out between fits of laugher.

"Any idea who your mentor is?" Tor asked.

"Nope. Brooke and Melany just gave me the whites after my last class, and I haven't had an opportunity to talk to anyone else. I just hope it's not anyone crabby and not on the border." I replied. "But let's talk about something else…"

I chuckled again at the memory of who my mentor was—Herald Marc. We hit it off pretty well. There had been no accidents, and everything went smoothly. We each also gained a new close friend, which Marc would need a few years after we were paired together.

I slowly flipped to the last entry of my diary. I remember when this happened all too well. Bittersweet memories are among the worst.

I slowly dismounted Emyr, being careful of my swollen belly. It was Tristan's child. I pushed through the snow and the wind on my way to our rooms when I heard it.

Ding. Dong. Ding. Dong.

The Bell. I knew who it was. It was Marc. The Queen had sent him on a political mission near Lake Evendim. There had been two families who had claimed the same land and Marc's talents and high birth were uniquely suited for the job. Unfortunately, the two families had come to blows by the time he had gotten there, and he was caught in a rain of arrows.

Marc had struggled to live, even with Healers helping him, for the past week. His wounds were just too grievous for him.

As tears fell from my chin, I hurried on to our rooms. Tristan would be there and would want some comfort.

Tristan was finally asleep. His head resting on my shoulder, when I felt a sharp pang. A few minutes later, another one came, only this one was stronger. I didn't want to wake Tristan up, but it had to. "Tristan. Tristan, wake up. It's time. Tristan!"

"Hmmm?" He looked around groggily.

"I think it's time."

"Time? For what?" a look of pure confusion crossed his face, then, "oh! It's Time! Why didn't you say so?" He hopped out of bed, "I'll be right back." And then he was gone.

I waited outside, pacing back and forth and wishing Marc were here to calm me. Calm me? Calm me? At a time like this? When my firstborn is being born?! I laughed aloud, startling one of the Healer's helpers. A Healer-Trainee by the color of her robes.

I sat in my thinking chair, and then hopped out of it, walked over to the fireplace and poked the fire.

"Sir, it will be alright. Cari's healthy and so was the baby when the Healer looked at it a few days ago. Anything that can go wrong will be taken care of. Just calm down." The girl said, scaring me.

I muttered under my breath, "yeah, but it's not your child."

"I'm sorry? Did you say anything?" I waved my hand, deferring the question.

Finally, a squall came through the door. I was there in an instant, but the Healer beat me.

"Tristan, you have a lovely baby boy. Mother and son are just fine. You can go see them now."

"Thanks!" I was in the room before the Healer had finished speaking. "Hey honey. He's so small! What should we name him?"

Cari look sleepily up, "I was thinking, maybe, Marc? I know he was you best friend, and that he just…died…but, I think there's a reason this little guy was born when he was."

"Marc. That sounds great." I kissed her sweaty forehead.

Tristan's hands having been warmed by now, he came and sat by me. I snuggled close to him. Winter was definitely closing in on us. I was tired. Watching three grandbabies is exhausting work.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, there was a knock at the door. "Come in." Tristan called. Melany and Tor walked in, followed by Marc and Boden, our second son. Little Kella ran in after her father, Marc, who was followed by Gittle who was holding on to Tavish's and Cowan's hands.

Once the door was closed, Marc started saying, joined by everyone else, "Happy Birthday!" I was caught by surprise. I had given up on birthdays for me because the numbers got so high it was depressing.

"Thanks guys, Thanks."

Yes, this is the last installment of Cari's life, i think. IfI feel motevated sometime in the future, then I may add a few more chaperters.

In the mean time, read, relax and review!

Thanks for all the reviews.

littlereddragkin