Ch 8 Beginnings

A Dark rider's calling

To his surprise

White, a new beginning

And sorrow's demise........

Eventually they came to the border post. As they rode their horses up the the gate house a couple of guards came out through the door.

"What do you have to....." the man started to say before he caught sight of Mikel. He turned to his partner and said "You didn't say anything about a companion on search".

"I've heard nothing from Haven" the other man said.

"Excuse me" Rannel said, getting their attention. They turned to him. "Last season I found Mikel here in a mudslide, now that it's safe to do so, I'm returning him to his home" he said. As he spoke the man's jaw dropped opened.

"Oh" the other guard said. "Sen, you weren't here then, but a Herald came through here late last fall, I've never seen anyone so grim in my life, didn't say a word neither. Thought he was one of them Heralds that was highborn and didn't mix well with us common folks.

If they lost this un, I'm sorry I thought badly of him" he said.

Rannel nodded "It must have been them, Mikel here said they were trying for the Comb, but were having trouble because he was so young, if they thought him dead, they would probably just head straight home".

The guard nodded "Yer likely right" he said, he turned to his partner. "What's the law concerning those who are doing official work for the crown, he's going to need to use way stations and the like. Tis not exactly like a Companion on search, but could he take in town chits for help like a newly chosen" he asked the other man.

"I think so, this hasn't happened before, but if we write him a pass, with the right information he could use the help of townsfolk" he said thoughtfully.

"I can pay my own way" Rannel said.

"Tis for Mikel" the guard said, patting him on the shoulder. Mikel nuzzled him back.

"If ye don't have to pay, ye could ride faster an stop if needed" he said, pulling out some paperwork from the bag on his shoulder."Where did I put the thing" he grumbled sorting through the various forms. "Ah, here we be, turn around Sen" he said putting the paper on the other guards back to write what he needed for their official pass. He looked up at Rannel "now mind, ye pick up and turn in every town chit ye take, tis half taxes fer the towns" he said.

Rannel nodded and put the paper into his belt pouch "Thanks".

"No thank ye, not everyone who'd help as ye have" he said waving them on their way.

The next few weeks went quickly they made good time, Rannel didn't want to overuse his pass and they bypassed many of the towns, though they did stick to the roads, in Rethwellan he knew the countryside much better, here he didn't know who owned what and didn't want to trespass on private lands, besides he thought with a small grin, he was no native highborn here.

Eventually the towns grew larger and closer together and the day came that they were within sight of Haven. Occasionally they would catch sight of Heralds on their Companions, sometimes they were intent on some mission or other and just waved or shouted a greeting. Once a courier rode by fast enough that that wasn't possible, the speed of her Companion made Rannel's jaw drop, he had raised horses and he knew what they were capable of. If he hadn't already known from Mikel that a companion wasn't a horse, the speed of her would have clued him in quickly.

When they had first gotten down from the mountains, they had entered a town and found a Herald and what she said was her intern holding a court near the town's center, Rannel had waited for them to finish and introduced himself and filled them in to the situation, the Herald had said she would pass the message on to smooth his way for him. Rannel had shaken his head at the time, there was no way the message would make it ahead of them, but it appeared that she had done it. Every Herald they had met since then, seemed to know who they were.

The guard at the Gate of the city nodded them through and another guard joined them to guide them to their final destination, something Rannel was grateful for. He didn't like cities anyway and this one was in another country entirely.

"This the one" the guard asked.

"Yup" their guide answered.

They were waved through and Rannel looked ahead at the group waiting for them, great he thought to himself, an official reception. He never enjoyed those, as a young man he had endured a few as his father's second born. Before anyone could say a word, a clatter of hooves sounded from the gate and another Herald rode in, his Companion skidding to a halt near them.

:Mama: he heard Mikel cry, before surging towards the two.

As Rannel watched, happy for his friend, the group engulfed the Herald and the two Companions and Rannel backed his horse out of the way. He was considering leaving through the unguarded gate, but he wanted to say goodbye to Mikel and Gerril. He also felt that he'd better keep an eye on the Bard, there was no telling what trouble he could make for him here.

:You wouldn't want to leave me here: another voice asked him, he turned quickly, a Companion stallion stood near him and he hadn't heard him coming. Oh, he just had time to think before he looked the beast in the eyes, blue, he felt a measure of his soul and a wash of love and acceptance and the other filled the empty spaces, not entirely, Graella could never be replaced, but he was no longer as alone as he had been, a tear ran down his cheek as he stared at his new friend.

:I'm Killian and I choose you Rannel: he said to his chosen.

By this time the other's had noticed what was happening and came to welcome him into the fold as well.

The next week Rannel leaned against the fence enclosing Companions field, he scratched Killian's ears, content to just stand there silently, enjoying his companion's presence, there wasn't much time left, soon he would be going to class, he laughed at himself amused, classes at his age. He looked back over his shoulder, sensing Gerril's approach.

"I'm glad you're staying too" Gerril said, thinking his friend had never looked happier than he did these days. He thought the song was going to have a happy ending, he loved happy endings.

Rannel frowned "No, you are not writing another song about me".

"I thought they were teaching you not to snoop" Gerril said.

Rannel grinned slightly before he remembered what the other was up to. "I didn't have to, I'm on to you now. I know how your mind works" he said,

"Well now that they've let me into their Bardic collegium, I need to write some songs and this one is already partially written" he said.

"No, there is no way" Rannel said.

The two continued to bicker on the way to their new classes.