Woo! Next chapter of Companion's Choice! Another longish one. Are you all by now confused? The next chapter or so should start to explain things. Maybe. Perhaps I'll put it off even more. But another memory is coming up, I promise.

The two set out towards Cayri's guest quarters. The shortest route to the apartments was across the Companion's Field, since by now there was not enough room in the Palace for visitors as rare as Cayri. But when Jaydn led the way towards the Field, she started to struggle, obviously reluctant to cross.

"The shortest way is across the Companion's Field," he told her matter-of-factly.

"But I—you don't—we can go around, though," she suggested futilely. Apparently her hatred of Herald extended to a fear of the Companions. However, Jaydn was not going to let her get away with that.

"No," he disagreed, "I think it's best to get you back as quickly as possible." Cayri could find no reasonable argument to the longer route, not with Jaydn as a full Herald, and so the two set off across the Companion's Field, Cayri clutching tightly at Jaydn's arm as he helped her walk. He felt a certain degree of pity for her. What a life, he thought, fearful of the things your country holds dear. Fearful of that which she cannot understand. Fearful of one mistake, of failure. What a terrible life—but don't, perhaps, we all live like that sometimes?

She shied away from every ghost-white figure they passed, and they made no pretense that they were not avoiding her, either. Jaydn saw out of the corner of his eyes a pair of humans, Kuviay and Josef, following them, seperately and from a distance. Josef was accompanied by a Companion, whom Jaydn assumed to be Lika. But the Companion got closer, outdistancing Josef, and he at last recognized it as an unChosen stallion, Kurrem. Jaydn found himself reassuring Cayri, who looked terrified at the approach of the stallion; conversely, she looked even more frightened.

Kurrem continued to approach them, and Cayri's apprehension grew. Jaydn couldn't see the problem—though Kurrem hadn't Chosen, she was the least likely Herald he'd ever known of anyways. But obviously there was some sort of issue here—Jaydn was no Empath, but fear, anger, regret, and foreboding positively emanated from her.

Fear conquered control and as Kurrem reached a mere arm's-length away, Cayri broke free of Jaydn's grip and lunged forward. Her weight fell on her injured ankle and she collapsed to the ground, biting back a scream and tears. Jaydn stood where he was, seemingly frozen.

But Kurrem stepped lightly forward, lowering his equine head to meet Cayri's gaze with his dark sapphire eyes. Eyes of the deepest, mst impenetrable blue. Eyes of everlasting love and patience...

:Cayri my beloved, thou art my Chosen.:

Cayri tried to struggle to her feet, but failed and fell again. "No!" she cried, her voice thick with tears. "I will never join the Heralds' ranks!"

Jaydn thought he heard a loud thunk as his jaw hit the ground. Chosen? Cayri?!

:I realize how you feel about Heralds. I understand . There are many things to explain.:

"Explanations? From a Companion? How could you explain anything to me?" Cayri demanded. Then she paused, registering the look in those dark eyes and the words he had spoken to her. "What did you say you were called again?"

:Kurrem is the name I go by here.:

"Kurrem," she muttered, a strange look in her green eyes. Then she stared at him, an unbelieving expression on her face. "It cannot be!" she cried. "I know the Deity's laws! It cannot be!"

Kurrem lowered his head in a Companion nod. :It is true; you guess correctly.:

"You're lying," she denied again, bright tears welling fresh in her eyes. "Impostor! How dare you claim that?"

:How shall I prove it to you?: Kurrem's mindvoice was weary. :You have a daughter, ten years next summer. Calivathi is a beauty already, despite her years. She has her mother's hair, and her fiery spirit. She has her father's eyes. Forever she will bear the undying love of her mother, and the best her father could give her before he was called away. You have a son, born shortly after your husband's death, a month past midwinter. Seven years ago. He never knew his father, but he grew up in the man's image nonetheless. You never told anyone, but aside from the name your husband chose for him, Cenchar, he bears the name Courem.:

"It—it is impossible," Cayri whispered.

:There is much to explain.:

Another look came to Cayri's face, a look of hurt anger and bewilderment. "You left me alone! You abandoned me! Explain that!"

Kurrem heaved a mindspeech sigh. :You're injured. You need to get to your rooms.:

Cayri wasn't satisfied with that, but she apparently suspected that explanations wouldn't come except on Kurrem's terms. So she struggled to become upright, and Jaydn was able to catch her this time before she fell again. They set again for the guest complexes; Jaydn saw again the figures of Josef and Kuviay, and sensed their confusion. They wouldn't have been able to hear much of the conversation, and even Jaydn had only heard Cayri's side of it. No doubt they were baffled even more than he. But they reached the apartments without further incident, and he saw them quietly slip in behind. Somehow, Kurrem managed to squeeze inside. It seemed fitting.