((right erm people you have read the story wrong it is Keisha who says she thinks Sage is 400 hundreds years old. It is Sage himself that says he was made by Urtho chapter two or three i think.
Casus Fere bare with me in the next few chapters i will explain why Sage was away for so long. it will make sense.
But thank you all for the reviews they are as ever greatly wanted and needed. please keep them coming)
Seven months later>
Darian, and Firesong walked round the gardens of Lord Breons keep.
They had been invited to the festival that was held at the keep every Autumn. All the villagers came up and there would be feasting and dancing into the small hours of the morning. All around it was decorated in colourful leaves gathered from the forests. The tables decorated in Autumn food and colours, gold's, browns and deep reds.
Special perches had been made inside and out for all of the Hawkbrother bond birds. A sign that understanding had been made.
Darian, wore a costume of deep browns, a dark shirt and tunic, with paler brown leaves embroided all over it. Dark trousers and boots with very dark brown stitching. Both the shirt and trousers had fringed beadwork. Although the bead work was only visible on one sleeve of his shirt as he was wearing his wrist to shoulder arm guard.
Firesong was all in red, many different shades of dark red, his shirt and trousers were both a few shades apart, and his over robe was as red as just turned leaves. His mask also reflected the autumn feel and was made to look like it was made of gilded leaves. As they walked around the gardens Firesong had to smile, some of the Hawkbrother fashion was rubbing off on the local people. Subtle things, use of colour, beading on clothing.
"Ahh there you are" A deep commanding voice hailed them, they turned round and saw lord Breon heading towards them Lord Breon didn't wear a costume as such, his clothing was all brown, with a golden leave circlet keeping his rich brown hair back. "it's turned out to be quiet a good show" Breon looked round, before looking back to the pair.
"Please excuse My lady's absence, but she is helping with the grandchildren" Breon explained . It was well known that lady Ismay had gone into her element, with grandchildren to help look after. So far Lady Belinda had, had two children, one was a very solemn little girl of five and the other her younger brother who was three, and always getting into some trouble. And with knowledge that Belinda was expecting again. All were busy.
A call made them turn, it was Val heading towards them with a happy smile. Although he was his fathers voice in court he still liked to be home as often as he could. Hence why Belinda and the children were still here. Val was to dressed for the fair in shades of brown and gold he looked very festive like. Firesong and Darian both greeted Val with equally happy smiles and greetings.
"How is the mother to be?" Darian asked after a while of round of talk.
Vals smile widened again. "Bel is fine, she and mother are having a storm with the nursery, they want it redecorated" he paused and winced "Again". The other three laughed, Lady's Belinda and Ismay had gotten on wonderfully after the wedding and were now as thick as thieves when it came to planning anything. Val and Breon had long since learnt to be out of the way or they got roped into helping.
They talked for while, then both Val and Breon were called away.
Firesong and Darian also drifted away they walked through the fringes of crowds that were watching dancers, jugglers and other people who were performing. Firesong looked round, he finally realised what was missing, children. Normally at these things children were everywhere getting under foot and being loud.
Spying a child running towards the outer walls they wandered in the same direction. And there between a fire eater and a drinks table many children were gathered, all watching a performer. He was making coins dance across his hands, making them disappear only to reappear from out of a child's ear. Darian and Firesong shared a glance and then went to watch, standing off to one side so they did not disturb the performer. After making the coin disappear again, he moved onto sweets.
When these were pulled out of ears he let the child keep them. When all the children had a sweet. He sent them all off with a promise of more tricks later. The children ran away laughing and shouting with each other all holding their prizes tightly.
When all the children were gone. Firesong and Darian moved in to talk to the performer. Because the performer was no stranger, it was Sage.
"We didn't think you would come" Firesong said sitting on one of the crates that were spaced around Sage.
It was well known by all in the Vale that Sage hated being in places like Lord Breons Keep. All the people around made him nervous. And every time there was a festival Lord Breon invited him. The introduction of Sage to Lord Breon had gone better then expected.
They had not told Breon the whole truth about Sage only that he was Hawkbrother, a mage who had been away for a long time. And when he asked were Sages bond bird was. Sage had quietly told him, that he had been taken away from Valdemar as a child and put with people who know nothing about Hawkbrother and he had never had the chance to have a bond bird. Lord Breon had simply thought about this for a while and then nodded excepting Sage.
Herald Anda on the other had had gone off in what could only be called a tantrum he was angry at the fact that they had not told him straight away about another mage and now he was avoiding them all when they came to the keep. This however suited Sage fine. He didn't like the herald anyway, only the Companion.
And now the few times Sage went to the keep he stuck to the shadows,
its where he felt most comfortable and safe.
The people in Erolds grove knew about him as well. Only they knew him as a little shy but great with children and that was that. That had been about seven months ago.
Sage was dressed in festival colours, only he didn't wear the costumes that the other Hawkbrother did, he'd stuck to the simple long sleeved tunic and loose trews and going bare foot. Only he had acquired some more to his outfit. Beads being the main thing, beads and changing his hair colour.
He had discovered beads and he loved them, the more the better. He wore them as bracelets, all different kinds of beads. Wooden, clay,
glass and metal he loved all the different kinds. He had so many that when he wore them all. Which he did most of the time they went all the way up to his elbows. Only his long sleeves covered them, a careful listener would hear them clattering when he moved, and whenever he stretched his arms you could see them.
Darian had asked once a few months ago why he wore so many, they were heavy, he had felt them. Sage had quietly pulled up his sleeves and taken off all the beads he was wearing and showed Darian his arms.
Darian had been horrified as had Firesong, who had been there at the time. Firesong had scars on his arms but nothing as bad as Sages. All of both arms were scared terribly. "From being burnt and cut" Sage had said quietly as he put his beads back on and pulled his sleeves down. After that Darian never asked again.
And Firesong had told Silverfox after some careful thinking. Silverfox in turn went to talk to Sage as a friend. No-one knew what they talked about, Silverfox wouldn't tell. He told them that when Sage was ready then they would find out but until then they would have to wait. As Silverfox pointed out candidly "everyone has ghosts they want to forget" that had stopped all questions.
His hair was also another thing he loved to change. Nearly every week it was something different. Since he was made of strong magic, his hair didn't keep any colour other then its normal silver for long. It was like the Companions, they couldn't be dyed colours either. The magic in them faded the dye within a week. So he was always dying it.
At the moment it was a faded brown. By tomorrow it would be silver again. He loved to try different colours who knows what it would be by tomorrow night.
It had taken a long time for him to realise he could do that. Wear nice things and have his hair how he liked and no-one would complain or say he couldn't, it was it seemed his quiet way of rebelling.
And now the results were amazing, once he had dyed his hair yellow, on request from one of the journeyman mages, who had wanted to see what yellow hair would look like. When Sage had shown her the young mage had liked it so much she had dyed her own hair a subtle yellow. Soon after people caught onto the idea, if they wanted to see how a pattern or colour would look, they would sometimes ask Sage. And since it only lasted a week or so, he never minded, he also like the excuse to try something new.
"I am not stopping here long. I only came to be polite, the last two times I said no" Sage explained. He had stayed long enough to be polite that was true. As soon as he could he wanted to be back in the peace and quiet of the vale again. Firesong nodded, he knew it would be useless to argue, they had tried again and again to reassure him he was safe now. But so far he only felt safe when he was with other Hawkbrother or in the vale.
"I may join you in leaving soon" Firesong said. Darian looked to him shocked it was not like Firesong to leave early. "I have some work that I want to check on, before it gets to late"
Darian nodded, since he had become a master he had found that the level of work was far greater then before and needed to be checked twice as often. Darian was not worried about going home alone for he knew that somewhere around the keep, Keisha was about. Probably talking with the mother to be.
Darian tapped Firesong on the arm, the Adept turned to see what Darian wanted, Darian pointed to the far side of the drinks table, a few small faces peeped round. The children had come back, bringing brothers and sisters with them. Only the sight of Firesong and Darian had stopped them short. Laughing aloud Firesong stood, "I'll let you get back to keeping the children busy" Firesong said with a chuckle.
Emboldened with the departure of Firesong and Darian, the children came forward again and gathered round Sage all requesting him to do some more tricks, more of what he had done before.
As they swarmed round him Darian and Firesong looked back. As Sage tried to detach children from his arms so he could do some tricks. He would have succeeded if it had not have been for Lady Eveanya, Val's daughter. She had obviously escaped the nursemaids and was going to make the most of her time away from them. She launched herself at Sages legs making him overbalance. Delighted they could now get him properly, they piled on Sage grabbing legs, arms and hands, keeping him down. Sage who was helpless with laughter, could do nothing to save himself.
With a smile Darian and Firesong left him to it. If the children had their way he would be theirs for most of the night. They drifted away,
through the people, nodding to the other Hawkbrother that had come.
Darian paused every now and then to check that Kauri was alright, and each time his owl told him he was.
After all food was eaten and most of the villagers had drifted away leaving only the hardened party goers. Firesong left Darian looking for Keisha, who had been spotted inside. Firesong collected Aya and went out through the little gate. He stood on the path breathing in the cool night air, behind him he could hear Faint laughter. He started on down the path. They had no mounts with them this night, as they had opted for walk through the woods and through the village. As he walked he became aware that he was not alone through Aya telling him something was wrong. Firesong stopped and scanned the shadows.
"Who is there little one?" he asked Aya, Aya was scanning the shadows himself.
"Friend" Aya said finally. Although he could not see who it was he could tell it was a friend. Firesong relaxed slightly and carried on walking, he had no reason to doubt Aya's judgement. Finally to the side of him he could see a shadow was walking with him, and then a clink of beads. He smiled to himself, "Sage come and walk with me" He called softly and was rewarded with the shadow detaching itself from the rest of them and coming over. As it came closer it took the form of Sage.
"Sorry if I startled you, but you looked deep in thought I did not want to disturb you" Sage apologised.
Firesong shook his head and waved the apology down.
"I was thinking but I don't mind being disturbed" he told Sage looking to him as he walked.
They walked in silence for a while, not that things were awkward, just quiet only because Sage had not mastered small talk really. If had nothing to say then he said nothing, he had found the thought funny that people thought of things to say to fill up spaces. They had found this useful on an occasion, people not used to him, found his silences uncomfortable and tried to fill them. This made finding out interesting small things easier.
"The children really like you, you know" Firesong told Sage.
Sage smiled shyly, "I like the children, they are so curious about everything, and they do not have any notion of the social things there parents have. They are uncomplicated, and they have a refreshing sense of logic" he said. It was true, all in the vale had seen it, Sage was wonderful with all the children of the Vale, human and gryphons. And more importantly they liked him. Parents felt that their children were safe with him. Children loved it when he could play.
Soon enough they were back at the entrance to the Vale and they walked in they were greeted with the warm breeze that kept the weather at a near constant temperature. Sage bid Firesong and Aya good night and left them to walk the path alone. Sage turned and walked along another path, the one that led to his home.
After the Hertasi had found out that Sage was staying the had made sure he had his own house. They had made him a ground ekele much like Darian and Keishas was. It had a bathing room, a bedroom and a main room. It was simpler then Darians but Sage had told them it was fine for him, he could want for nothing better. Sage also loved colours,
any kind of coloured things caught his attention, as he walked into his little home, he had to duck for all the things hanging from the ceiling. dream catchers, sun catchers and anything else that had caught his eye.
In the bedroom, there was no bed in the conventional sense, he had cushions, like the ones the gryphons had, all around in all colours,
textures and fabrics. Also in this room he had many patchwork blankets, thrown here and there. Most of the things in this room he had traded for. Making flowers grow and helping Steelmind's clients with flower growing and healing flowers, they had given him these things. And he loved them. His love of bright and more often then not clashing colours had been the cause for much amusement among the Hertasi. Finally a youngish female called Llayner adopted Sage. She made sure that he went out in things that matched at least. She also had an endless battle with all the things that cluttered his home, she was always having to find ways to make his Ekele looking less cluttered. Sage in turn knew this and he told Llayner nearly every time he saw her how grateful he was for her help.
Sage walked into his bedroom, he pulled off all the beads on his arms and sighed with bliss as the weight was lifted. He dropped them onto a table near the door. He felt to tired for a bath tonight. He had spent most of the night trying to sort out all the other peoples emotions he could feel. He had mastered most of the shields that Darian had shown him, but sometimes that many people with such loud thoughts overwhelmed him.
That's one reason why he liked the Vales so much. People here,
shielded their thoughts. It was much more peaceful here. He sighed as he changed into sleeping clothes. Pretty much the same as he wore already, just simpler and undyed. Grabbing a blanket that was laying on the floor he threw himself into the cushions and contemplated sleep.
He thought about sleep with dreams, nice dreams. Not the nightmares,
that he normally suffered from. He awoke most mornings feeling as though he had run miles. In truth he was running in his sleep, always running from his masters. Trying to get away but never yet managing to. Silverfox had told him it was a sign he wanted to be free of his past. And when he felt free these dreams would stop. He had to face his fears. That was easier said then done. He knew he was going to have another bad night.
He rolled over on to his stomach and scrabbled around among the pillows for a while before finding a bottle of the sleep medicine that Nightwind had given him. Only for use in extreme cases. Well this was extreme he thought to himself, three weeks of constant nightmare filled sleep. He wanted to sleep with out nightmares. He wanted to wake up with out trying to muffle his screams lest he bring anyone running to see what was wrong. He opened the smallish bottle and drank the lot. It tasted horrible. He just had time to settle back down before it hit him. He sank back into blissful darkness.
