Disclaimer: Mercedes Lackey owns all pertaining to Valdemar, Velgarth, Heralds and Companions. I am merely borrowing them.

A/N: Third chapter done already. I really shouldn't write when in a bad mood.

Chapter 3: Head Injuries

They must have seen the horrified look on my face because again they shared that odd look. Looking at them now, I recognized who they were from the descriptions in the books. I covered my face to hide my hysterical laughter.

I fell down a hill, bumped my head and now I am in Valdemar? Ok, time for reasonable explanations: First, I fell and hit my head hard and this is all delusions. Or, better yet, this was all a delusional dream that would go away when I did wake up out of my coma. As I looked around, I got the really bad feeling that I really had ended up in Valdemar.

Ending up falling down a hill wasn't bad enough? I have to be transported, teleported, whatever, into an entirely new reality? I just couldn't fathom it, and frankly my head was beginning to remind me of the large egg on the back of it. Thinking really was a bad occupation of my time.

I looked at them and grimaced. Ok, what to do? Start off with the fact that they were going to be sending me back! I wanted to go home and they were going to do it. After all, they were the Heralds right? Well, and a Tayledras Adept. They were the ones who redefined impossible. So, sending me back, at least to the Blue Ridge, shouldn't be too much of a problem. All the Companions could throw in their lot. With all that power backing an Adept, a simple Gate would be nothing. Hearken to the non-magic using person who knows nothing about it.

"Let me guess. Someone found me unconscious in the Grove in Companion's field." It was stated flatly. I wasn't going to give them leeway or an opening.

Talia nodded. The look on her face said she really wasn't sure what was going on, but she'd play along till she got her own answers. 'Sorry, little miss Empath, not till I get mine.' I thought rather nastily.

I started looking them over one by one. Then I started pointing them out individually. "So, if you're Talia, that means we also have Alberich," The one in gray's face never changed as he kept an eye on me. That look was rather unnerving, so I just plodded on. "Darkwind," The hunky scout, arms crossed over his chest, nodded to me slowly. I glanced at him. Those blue eyes never wavered from me. Freaky. "Dirk, lifebonded of Talia," The other one in white, nodded slowly as he leaned against the doorway. The books described him as 'homely'. Actually, he wasn't that bad looking. At least in my opinion. "And that would mean that you are," I thought for a moment. Couldn't be Skif too tall. Couldn't be Dean what's his name. Teren. That was it. Again too tall from what I had read. So who? Ahh. That would make sense especially since Elspeth wasn't here, although she was probably getting minute by minute updates from Darkwind. "And you must be Prince Daren." That put them back on they're heels. They hadn't expected that.

Then again, I realized, as another shot of pain raced through my head, I probably should have kept my mouth shut. This knock on the brain casing was making me far too loquacious for my own good.

So, now to shock them a bit more. Stupid bump on the noggin! "Let's see," I said, pretending to consider. One thing I've been blessed, or cursed, with is a memory for subtle details. I couldn't remember what day of the week it was, but ask me what color a certain character was wearing in a specific scene of a movie I had only seen once and I'd be right. Made me a great Jeopardy player at times. Usually cleaned up at Trivial Pursuit too. Annoyed my elder brothers to no end. Especially since they always wanted to not have me on their team.

"Talia is Chosen of Rolan. Alberich got Kantor, in the middle of a fire that had been set to kill him." I really needed to get a leash on my tongue. "Daren, in the middle of battle, got chosen by Jasan and is lifebonded to the dear Queen Selenay, whose Companion is Caryo. Dirk belongs to Ahrodie, and Talia too, of course. Darkwind, being Tayledras, or 'Hawkbrother', is not bonded to any Companion. Instead, he has a very nice bird, Vree by name, forestgyre by species. Then, of course there is someone else here though not many know his name." I looked slyly at Alberich and wondered just how much I could get away with. Nah, better not push my luck. There was a reason he'd never taken out his sword down at Exile's Gate: he didn't need to. So, better to keep my mouth shut and blackmail him later.

Finally, the tongue stopped flapping. Honestly, I blame it all on the knock on the head. I can be very closed mouthed. Some even say sullen and withdrawn. I prefer to keep it as the old adage my Grandmother taught me: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Hence my normally closed mouth.

"Well, never mind about that," I said, flapping my hand. "So, I'm in Valdemar. From the looks of all of you I would say that it is after the Mage Storms." I looked at them shrewdly. My eyes tried to narrow but that egg reminded me just why I was in Healers. "So, after the Mage Storms and I would say after k'Valdemar was established. Which means no Firesong or Silverfox." I sighed heavily and rolled my eyes. "My two faves and do I get plopped down near them? No! I end up in Haven under the watchful eyes of the Queen's Own and old Stone-Face."

Did I really say that out loud? Again, I blame the head injury.

They were all giving me strange looks as I ranted at my self a bit. I shrugged. Who cares? Let them. Besides, I have this rather large headache to blame it on. Maybe it would convince them to send me back all that much faster. "So, I miss out on the peacock and the sweet kestra'chern. So, with at least Elspeth here, and the Companions boosting her power, and some of the other Herald-Mage Trainees, we should be able to get me back pretty quick." I rubbed my hands and shifted a bit. My back was beginning to hurt. I really was falling apart at the seams. "So, shouldn't take too long. If you'll just gather everyone together and give me back my stuff, I'll gladly be on my way."

Again there were those looks exchanged. Uh oh, this didn't look good. They were not going to tell me that I couldn't go home! No way was I staying here. I had responsibilities. Family. A guy who had just asked me out! Come on, I couldn't just be stuck here!

"Well, you see that might be a problem." Darkwind said, clearing his throat. "No one is quite sure how you got here. So we're not sure we can send you back. Or, honestly, how to." He shrugged, looking a bit sheepish. "We've been trying for a week to reopen a Gate to where you were, but we can't. No matter who we use, it just isn't working. I'm sorry, but it looks like you're staying here for a while."

Like hell I was! I repeated the words out loud. The volume of my words ripped through the now throbbing appendage masquerading as my head atop my shoulders. "You go get your mate and contact every Vale you can and get everyone here. You guys are somehow responsible for bringing me here and dammit you will send me home!" Honestly, it was the head injury that made me do that. By the time I was done, I was half out of my bed, screaming at the top of my lungs and hopping mad. Well, maybe not hopping. That particular past time was beyond my physical capabilities at the moment. The strength went out of my legs, suddenly, and I ended up falling, very ungracefully, back onto my bed.

'Shit!' I thought, grimacing as I pulled myself back into the bed. My bruises were starting to remind me that they were there and not all that old. My arms shook slightly and didn't want to support me as I eased back into my pillow again. They had tried to help but I waved them off. I didn't want their help. I wanted to go home! Besides, if they touched me, and I didn't wake up, it would make it all the more real. This just couldn't be real. It couldn't.

I fought back the tears, I could feel burning the back of my eyes. Whether they were of pain or despair, I honestly don't know. They would do me no good, however, and I would not show weakness in front of these people. Ever. Instead I cleared my throat a little, prepared to say something more. A Healer came running into the room, stopping my rather loose tongue and whatever else was going to come running out. "Please, keep it down. Screaming will do you no good." She said to me, brushing past the Heralds.

Yeah, my head was trying to remind of that.

"Neither will they." I said, nastily. "Get them out, please." With that I lay down, turning away from them. My head was glad to have me horizontal again and quieted down to just a nasty throbbing instead of the intense stabbing it had been doing. I heard the Healer bustling them out and their low murmur of talk as they left. Undoubtedly about my lack of respect and rather loose tongue.

The Healer came right back after closing my door. "Anything I can get for you?" She asked softly.

I'm afraid I wasn't in the mood to be mollified. Not even by a Healer. "No," I said, miserably. "I don't need any painkillers and the one thing I do want you can't give me." I heard her turn to leave but stopped her for a moment. Something had occurred to me and she would be the one with the authority to do it. "Keep them out please until I am back on my feet. I don't want to face them from my bed again." I looked over my shoulder at her. "Please?" She pursed her lips like she didn't like it but she nodded and agreed anyways. I heard the door click closed behind her.

The tears came unbidden and just a moment later. They were ones of pain, loss and not a little self pity. I let them soak into my pillow. If what they said was true, then I was stuck here. Why couldn't I have ended up in someone else's book? Star Wars would have been nice. Always had a thing for Luke, and Han, and Lando. Or maybe Tolkien. I fell in love with elves when I was younger, and seeing the Hobbits would have been cool. Then as always there was Aragorn. I had a thing for royalty. Well, some royalty anyways, I should say. Then I could have been a little happier. Maybe.

But no! I get stuck in the freaking Camelot of fantasy. Heralds with morals way too straight laced for me. Horses that could read my mind if I wasn't careful. Deer that I couldn't eat and not only that but could take over my mind if they needed to. Birds that were intelligent and almost two times a wild one's size. Yippee.

I was still crying. I couldn't really stop. So I did whatever I usually did to block out whatever my current reality was. Wincing slightly as I sat up, I got myself into as comfortable as I could. I closed my eyes and opened my heart. Feeling my breathing slow and my heart calm, as always, comforted me. The head was still pounding, but that pain was easily shunted away. Where I was going, no pain ever intruded. I shut out everything around me. Noises faded away. Soon there was nothing around me but a black void. Then, I began filling in that void.

First, the large oak tree, draped lovingly with mistletoe. Then, the grass surrounding it, green as only new grass can be early in the springtime, soft and covered with an early morning dew. After that, the tinkling spring, laughingly rolling over the small smooth rocks that lay in its path. After it, the clear blue sky. A slight breeze to stir the air and keep it fresh. Next came the animals. A small lark, whistling softly in the oak. A wolf lying lazily in the warm sun next to the water. A blue crane, slowly wading through the water. A bear poked its head out from behind the tree. None of them bothered me, however.

They were the residents of this place. I was the interloper here. I let them be, they let me be. It was as it should be. Leaning back against the tree, I ignored all else, including the still real physical pain my body was trying to tell me about. It would heal in time. Stiff muscles would loosen; scrapes and bruises would fade. That thing on my shoulders protesting everything I did would eventually shrink and become a head again.

I sighed and looked out over the small clearing I had built for myself. A slight green glow began to surround it. 'What the hells?!' I asked myself, quickly, sitting up straighter. What was that? I didn't recognize it at all. The green glow began to brighten to join a golden one that began to surround the clearing. None of the animals seemed too disturbed by it, but I'd never seen anything like it at all.

Finally the light became too much to look at and I put an arm over my face, as suddenly I was ripped from my meditation and back into blackness and my physical body.