Disclaimer: Most of the characters are mine. The land, Velgarth, the country Valdemar, and anything else you recognize from one of Mercedes Lackey's books, aren't mine.
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Chapter 5- Taver and Tamara
Tamara was actually enjoying life for the first time in ages. When she was expelled from her home back when she was a child, she stopped enjoying life. The actions of her "fellow man" had disgusted her and she began to fear the dawning of a new day, for a new day would mean another chance to be hurt. Her fears were easing now, partly because of Zai, the ever present support, and the extensive classes she was taking, she had no time to fear.
Her relationship with Zai was also changing extensively. Not that it ever had a chance to form as something specific to begin with. Tamara had been at the collegium for about a month, and was finally adjusting to her new life style, when Zai asked her to move into her suite. He said "it would give you more room, and besides, ever since Janathan left for circuit, I've been rattling around in the suite for no reason. Its got four rooms, and only me in it! Say you'll consider?" She had considered it, and she still didn't know what she would tell him. She had asked to be given a week to decide, and the week was coming to a close, she was no closer to deciding.
Her class load was impressive. She had weapons training twice a day, for a total of 4 candlemarks. The first mark was in endurance exercises and running the foot obstacle course. It wasn't unheard of to see her doing laps around the companion field. The second mark was then spent working on range weapons, javelin, spear, bow, crossbow, ax, daggers, knifes; you name it, and she had probably thrown it. After the first 2 marks of weaponswork she was able to return to the collegium for a quick bath before rushing to breakfast, and after breakfast she had Valdemaran history, then a course on laws, then she had a half mark to relax, then geography, mathematics, accounting, court etiquette, field healing, and then she had weapons again, 2 marks of sword and knife fighting. She was rather busy, but luckily she was never assigned homework, due to her teacher's respect of her busy schedule, and the hidden deadline of midwinter. She also never had chores, being as she was officially an Unaffiliate- blue. She never spent any length of time with the blues, mainly because she didn't fit in with either the noble-blues or the artificers. She didn't really fit anywhere since no one knew why she had to be trained.
It was altogether overwhelming, and on top of Zai's proposal, she didn't know what to do. She had almost no time to stop and think. She was constantly busy and as such when Zai showed up at her door with several servants she was surprised. "Hi Zai. Did I forget to do something again?"
"No, no, gods no, Tamara, you've been working harder then anyone else I've ever seen, and no one even knows why! I don't know, that's just amazing to me… But anyway, did you think about my offer?" As he watched her face for her reactions to his inquiry, he slowly morphed his face into the puppy doge eyes that he knew she found irristable. After a few moments she slowly nodded, and taking that as an affirmative he gave a shout and dragged in the servants and set them to packing. Tamara tried to direct them, but they ignored her, and gently pushed her into the hallway.
Standing there, confused at the way the servants were acting, her fatigue started catching up to her. Just as she swayed and was about to fall, Zai, the ever convient and gallent Zai, scooped her up and carried her to her new bed, where he tucked her in and deposited a chaste kiss on her forehead.
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There were three months left to midwinter and every day brought a new, faster pace to Tamara's training. Weaponsmaster Ran now trained her during all times of day. It wasn't uncommon for him, or one of the older students to attack her in the middle of class or in the hall. Anywhere was fair game, even while she was bathing, or when she was in her bed. It was after the night-attack which found her lacking a bed, for it had been used as a shield, that her relationship with Zai rose a notch.
She had known for sometime that Zai wanted to elevate their relationship, and she had neatly avoided the topic, but even she wasn't immune when he rushed into her room with nothing but a sword belt on to "protect her" from Ran. That night proved to be a night of firsts: first night attack, first lesson in fighting 2-on-1, and first night spent in bed with a guy. Since then Tamara often found herself thinking the same thoughts, My god, its like I'm living in one of my books, raunchy sex and all. She found it slightly disturbing.
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Midwinter was a week away, and Tamara herself started feeling the tension. She stopped going to all her classes by weapons, and spent hours and hours there, bouting with any who would come. She didn't know why, but she just felt that she had to be totally trained, and that things couldn't wait. 3 days to midwinter though, she just stopped. She no longer went to weapons, she didn't return to her other classes, she just spent all day walking around the halls, armed to the teeth, not knowing why, just thinking that it was the right thing for her to be doing. She started to worry others, no one understood except her, and possibly Ran, for after he finished with the trainees for the day, he would spend a candlemark or two with her in the hallways or would roam while she got some sleep.
It was during one of her few breaks for rest that Zai proposed. It was all very elegant, mostly ecause he didn't understand the stress she was in, he did up the suite with flowers everywhere, rosepetals on the ground (where he found them at that time of year, she never figured out), and when she entered to sleep she found him in their room waiting for her. He slowly took her hand while holding eye contact, and dropped gracefully down on one knee. He looked at her and spoke the words she wanted most to not hear. "Tamara, I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?"
Frozen in place, Tamara couldn't answer, she knew she couldn't marry him, though why she didn't know. It was the same prompting that told her she had to be trained. But even as she opened her mouth to tell him no, Zai froze, a mask of horror upon his face. He started trembling so hard, still holding her hand that she fell, and fell hard, she was barely able to keep from breaking her arm. She crawled towards him and tried to hold him, tried to calm him, but he was panicing. He just kept rocking, and gently saying "No" over and over again. Finally just as he collapsed the bell started its solemn tolling.
She had never heard it before, but she knew instantly what it was. The Death Bell. A Herald had died somehow, and she had no way of knowing until Zai pulled himself together enough to enlighten her. She began to grow jealous, she knew she shouldn't, because obviously the death was of someone Zai knew well, but she had no bonds with anyone. She hadn't a companion, she hadn't a lifebond like some of the others, she hadn't even the bond of duty. All she had was an inner prompting that was driving her to the limits of her endurance. She started to cry, something she hadn't done in ages, the tears slipping quietly down her cheek as she continued to rock Zai. She couldn't stop the tears, and it only got worse when she heard the name of the deceased escape Zai's lips. It was so soft she almost didn't believe it, but she did, for her inner prompting said to. "Taver."
Taver was gone. The quite, farmboy figure with blood as blue as the king's. Taver, the man who was quicker then light, who was the only one who could beat her at sword work. Taver, who tutored her endlessly on the laws and history of Valdemar, needing no other reason then "my inner prompting said I should ask you." Taver who had let her meet his companion, Roald, and even ride him. Taver… the best friend of the king…
Oh god! The King! Before she knew what she was doing, Tamara was up, and running. She quickly knocked on the next door, an old bard, and asked the man to go be with Zai. Once she had her answer she ducked outside, running towards the queen's gardens, cutting outside being the quickest path.
As she was halfway across the gardens in between a huge white figure reared up. Immediately knowing it was Roald, she didn't even ask for permission, she just flung herself up on his back as he launched himself towards the palace doors. It was a flight that cut minutes off her time. And as Roald charged towards the doors she prepared herself to leap from his back. But just as she started to leap Roald turned his head and the blue eye's caught her. She felt herself falling into their depths, every fear and feeling of loneliness banished, and though it felt like forever, it only lasted for a second. Roald spoke into her mind for the first time, Tamara, I choose you. You are the new King's Own. We will talk later, but now you must go to the King! Hurry!
And once again she was on the ground, running, this time through the halls of the palace. She quickly passed all the guards in the corrider, but she was stalled outside of the Royal suit. The guards didn't even move to bar her way, as she crashed headlong through the doors. She wondered at why that happened when she glanced down. She actually pulled up short when she realized that he formerly blue uniform was now bleached white. But even after this amazing discovery she rushed on, straight into the king's private room.
She found him there, on the floor beside his bed, trying to find his walking stick, screaming as loud as he could, cursing the fates and calling out Taver's name. The sightless eye's lacked any sanity, and it was as she touched the King's arm that she realized that Taver had been his twin. The twin of his soul, and of his blood. Tamara quickly reached into the kings mind, trying to pull him out of his ever deepening despair, to try and return him to sanity. She felt his Companion, Sensar trying to do the same, but the Companion was loosing. She brought the kings mind closer and closer to her's, until their minds began to meld, a tighter link then she had ever experienced. She didn't wonder at that though, she was too worried about the king. As their minds melded she felt his grief pour into her mind, and soon she was weeping again, the tears forming a stream down her face, to fall upon the king's head where she had it cradled.
Slowly sanity returned to the sightless eyes and the tears of despair turned to tears of grief. The king and Tamara continued to grieve for long hours, holding each other. They thought only of Taver, concentrating on the good memories. It wasn't until they were both out of tears that their talk turned to how he died, for Tamara still didn't know. The king spoke of the incident, "It's the soul-twin bond you see, that and the Herald bond, whereas most only know what happened, I lived it. Taver was killed, murdered. Taver had a reaction headache, because he may have one of the strongest mindspeaking gifts in the circle, but even Rethwellen is a bit far for him. But he did, and he got the information needed from the envoy there. Well to ease his headache he sent a page after some tea prescribed from the healers, and the page went in to the healers store room, to get the tea, but on the way out someone stumbled into the boy, and switched the bags of tea. Taver was poisoned."
Tamara let this information sink in before posing a question, "Can't we find out who switched the bags by questioning the page? Surely with the truth spell we can find out." At this the king shook his head.
"No my dear, we can't find out. For the boy was killed after delivering the tea, we found the body in a spare room, his throat slashed." The king seemed to wilt like a flower under the desert sun before a look of determination crossed his face. "Taver will be avenged. No matter the cost, I will find the killer, and bring him down. "
"Aye my king, and I will help, for I too want Taver avenged. As will the entire circle." The king nodded and attempted to rise. Tamara scrambled to help him, and once he gained his bearings he got in to bed. Tamara watched the king, wondering at how he found the strength to go on, she felt that she would have broken long ago if she was him. But he remained steadfast nonetheless. He reached out to a book case next to his bed and selected a book by feel. He held it out towards her and asked gently "Read to me please? Taver wrote this, long ago when we were still boys, I think you should know what's in there and I think it will help comfort us both."
Tamara took the book gently and opened it to the first page. She reverently smoothed the page down and started speaking, "Karse is at it again, they attacked and killed 5 Hearlds. Da told me and Cyran about it this morning, Da looked so tired, there were circles under his eyes. I'm glad I haven't been chosen yet, I don't think I could have stayed sane if I felt the Heralds die the way Shawna must of. Poor Shawna, she was a year-mate of three of them. Cyran as always was strong, and ordered, yes my twin actually ordered our dad, the king back to bed. I'm glad Cyran is first born, I don't want to be king. I'll be happy just being the King's Own. Shawna already told me I would be, and that was why they were training me just like a herald. I hope Shawna lives long…." And long into the night Tamara read, and long into the night King Cyran listened.
When dawn broke again, bright and with out a cloud in sight, the heralds began their official mourning, and the King was found sleeping in his bed, with Tamara at his side. The servants who came to wake the King didn't disturb them, for as they reported later, it seemed as if a ghost was above them, watching them and keeping them safe until they awoke.
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AN: I probably wrote that chapter 4 times. I'd write it, and then decide that I didn't like it. So I'd rewrite it. And don't fear, even though I was tempted to say "Wow, its done" its not. Mainly because I'm not ready to let Tamara go yet. (And I need to work on creative writing) So, read and review, you know the deal.