Chapter 25
Lance was sitting on the edge of his bed, a piece of damage armor in his hands. He was completely focused on the simple task of repairing the rent.
:Lance?: Afiona's mindvoice wavered.
He set aside the armor and looked around. "Afiona? Decided to pay me another visit?" He asked with a welcoming grin.
:My brother came back.: Afiona said in a rush.
Lance did not know much about her family, she normally avoided the subject. "What happened?"
:I was walking to the stables and he tried to shoot me with a crossbow.: Afiona explained, her spirit-self sat on the edge of the bed next to him. :I moved just in time, but Demon charged him…:
"I assume your protector gave chase. Demon isn't the type to let anyone hurt his lady and let them walk away." Lance said lightly, hoping to ease her mood.
:He killed Demon.: Afiona sobbed. :The bastard killed him!:
Lance groaned. He could not have said anything worse, he was sure. "I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say, I am truly sorry."
:I know.: Afiona sniffed as she pulled her . :I just got the charm you sent, it even looks like Demon.:
"Damn it." Lance muttered.
:No, don't feel guilty. It's wonderful, really, I adore it.: Afiona quickly assured him. She struggled with how she could reassure him. :I just needed someone to talk to and I am very sorry for coming here and making you feel guilty, it was the last thing I ever intended to do! You have nothing to feel guilty about. I am just a ninny. I'll let you get back your mending.:
"No, please stay. I miss talking to you." Lance wished he knew if she was still there or not.
:Are you sure?: Afiona asked uncertainly.
"You said you wanted to talk to someone, I would like to be the person you talk to." Lance assured her.
Afiona was glad tears couldn't blur her vision now. She reached up with one transparent hand to caress his cheek. :I'll stay then.:
Lance moved so his back was against the wall and his legs were stretched out across the bed. Afiona slid across the blankets so she was next to him. She knew she would never dare this if she were here in the flesh.
:I thought my brother was gone for good. Tashir told me that he made certain my brother would never bother me again. Maybe he was just saying that because he didn't want me to be scared. He is a very nice man. Of course he is a Herald.: Afiona started. :He's dead now, not Tashir, my brother, Gelird. Daric killed him. In front of Nico no less. The Healers are all angry because instead of trying to help save him I was trying to save Demon. I don't feel guilty though, I feel…free. Does that make me evil?: The last bit she never meant to ask.
"You are the least evil person I know." Lance assured her. "I only know a little bit about your past, but if he is responsible for even one of those scars he doesn't deserve your guilt. It maybe because I am a Herald and not a Healer, but I don't think you are even remotely to blame for his death. Demon deserved your help more that your brother ever could."
His obviously heartfelt answer made her smile.
:I was expecting him to die, but it wasn't the same. It was…too quick.: Afiona tried to explain. :I held him in my arms as he died. He was still worried about me at the time, he wanted me to go with him. I told him I would go tomorrow. He never understood what tomorrow meant.:
"You aren't going to…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the question.
:No, I am not about to kill myself. Nico would never forgive me if I did.: She explained.
"I'm glad to hear it." He said with relief. "I wouldn't forgive you either."
She smiled and leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek. He jumped and touched the area.
"Did you just kiss me?" He asked.
:I have to get back to my self now. I was exhausted before so I have no doubted I am going to have a reaction headache now.: She said as she left.
When she opened her physical eyes again she found herself looking at a pair of white clad legs.
"Someone fetch a healer!" Someone ordered as he shook her shoulder. "And none of those prigs that were there today."
"What the hell?" She said in confusion and pulled the blanket tighter. Her room was filled with people, again. "What is it with everyone coming in my room?" She spied her door, leaning suspiciously off the hinges. "Not again! Haven't you heard of keys? I know the housekeeper has the key.
A Herald she didn't recognize looked sheepishly back at the door. "Sorry, we were, uh, worried."
Afiona straightened in her chair. "This is becoming a habit. Every time I want to be alone someone comes in or breaks my door down!"
Rissa held up a small vial. "We found this empty by your hearth, did you take something?"
Afiona glared at her. She was too angry to be scared or embarrassed. "It's bath oil!"
"Bath oil?" Someone repeated. "Why didn't you answer?"
"Because I was in a trance. I wanted to talk to a friend." She twisted her head to glare at him.
There were eight Heralds in her small room, they didn't take up nearly as much room as Daric but it was still crowded. They were now wearing matching expressions of chagrin. Even Rissa quickly put the small vial down on the hearth. "Well, sorry for interrupting."
Afiona waited until everyone was out, the last Herald went to close the door only to have it release its hold on the last hinge and crash to the ground.
Stefen squeezed past him and stared down at the door then at her. "What happened?"
"I didn't answer so they invaded." She said wryly.
He noted her bloodshot, puffy eyes and slumped shoulders. He had been worried that she had sank into depression after seeing her earlier but now she looked like something had been released.
She actually chuckled. He stared at her in confusion.
"Sorry." She gasped as her chuckle turned into a laugh. "It's just every time I am naked someone breaks down a door."
Stefen echoed her grin and took a seat in the other chair.
"They thought I had poisoned myself when they found an empty both oil bottle. Can you believe it?" She rested her chin on her hand and eyed the broken door.
"I'm glad you are feeling better." Stefen commented.
"I'm exhausted, puffy, and my head is starting to pound so I am not sure if I feel any better now than I did before." Afiona pointed out. "Lance sent me some charms, one was for Demon." She held out the charm.
Stefen examined it.
Afiona picked up the other two charms. The one she assumed was for Nico was carved with a star, the one for her was of a man dressed in armor holding a woman in a gown. "That rascal!"
"What?" Stefen held out his hand and chuckled when he saw the carving. "I would say he is courting you."
"I know he is. Now what god does that charm appeal to?"
Stefen grinned and handed it back to her. "I have seen one before. It is usually given from a man to his love when he is leaving for war. It is actually mentioned in a few songs."
Afiona blushed.
"The reason I came to disturb you was I was going to beg some food from the palace cooks and wondered if you wanted any." Stefen handed back the charms.
"Something sweet, but no jam." Afiona said as she stood and crossed the room to examine the damage done to her door. "Don't you dare make this into a song." She warned as she tried to get the door up without the blanket going down.
"I'll do that." Stef offered and moved to take the door from her. "I'll bring you back cake or something."
"Thanks." She waited until he had the door propped into place, with himself on the outside before quickly dressing. Now that she wasn't angry she could feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She yawned as she settled back into her chair, with the three charms in her pocket.
When Stef returned he found her slumped in the chair, fast asleep.
~*~
Afiona was stiff and sore the next morning as she dressed and hurried to the salle. It was odd not to have a Companion in sight but she assumed Daric was with Nico and Mia.
Rissa looked up as she entered. "Didn't expect you today."
"I need to do something or I am going to go mad." Afiona said wryly as she started to stretch. "I talked to lance Last night."
Rissa turned so Afiona would not see her smile.
"I am an empath." Afiona reminded her.
"So how is he?" Rissa asked.
"He's well." Afiona explained. "He is very worried about what's going on past the border. He mention in his letter that you don't have many spies in Karse right now."
"No, we don't, the locals are too scared to spy for us and we can't get anyone in without raising suspicion." Rissa admitted.
"What about me." Afiona stopped stretching.
"I beg your pardon?" Rissa looked confused.
"I have farsight, I can see all the way to the far side of Karse if need be. Why don't I spy for you?" Afiona held her breath, awaiting a reaction, any reaction. She had been toying with the idea ever since she reread Lance's letter that morning. "He told me about the Healer they found."
"He should never have mentioned that." Rissa said carefully.
Afiona looked down and her shoulders bowed. "I mean it. I know I can help. And I am not doing it because I feel guilty for disappointing the Healers, I don't, well I do but not enough to do this. I am offering because I can help. I have been helping the Companions for years. I can even heal to an extent when I am Farseeing, and I certainly can kill if the need arises."
"It's the Healers who should feel guilty. And I think a few do. The Heralds are making certain they understand why you knew the dog was worth saving and the man wasn't." Rissa assured her.
"You don't think I can do it." Afiona sighed. "I can feel it, you doubt me."
"Child, look at your history. We need you hale and whole to heal our Companions." Rissa said sincerely. "Seeing some of the atrocities of war is not going to be good for you."
Afiona rolled her eyes. "It's history. I never have to worry about it again and it is not a good reason to reject my offer. Do you think anything I see there is going to be worse than what I see in my nightmares? Let me prove it to you." She sat on the bench.
Before Rissa realised what was happening she slipped into a light trance. "Oh, ye gods." She muttered as she knelt carefully next to Afiona.
"One hundred men, sixty horses, in a large field, then trees, past holderkin land." Afiona muttered.
Rissa knew that the Karsite were blocking Farsight somehow. It was not a well-known fact, yet. But somehow Afiona could see them.
"There is a priest, he is dark, like his heart is black, like Gelird's. He has a black robe. He is in a large tent marked with a sun on the side. He is talking to someone, a peasant." Afiona continued. "The peasant is scared, he does not want to be there, he is scared for someone else. I think they said Valdemar. The man is cowering. The priest is pleased but he is acting angry. He is giving orders to someone." Afiona remained silent for a few seconds. "The messenger has gone to another tent. It has a bed and a desk. The man inside looks like he is high ranking. Lots of gold. He has a map on his desk. It has the Valdemar border. There are red marks in the map. And numbers. The one closest to the border has a hundred fifty and a twenty. There is a piece of parchment on the desk, it has a seal of a sun, like on the priest's tent. I can't read it."
"Afiona, wake up, you convinced me." Rissa shook her shoulder.
Afiona sighed and opened her eyes. "Was any of it helpful?"
"Come with me." Rissa ordered as she stood. Afiona had to jog to keep up with Rissa as she lead her through the Herald's wing to the Palace itself then up some stairs. Two men flanked the pair of doors she finally stopped at. "Tell them I have a solution." Rissa ordered the one on the right who nodded and stepped inside. He reappeared almost immediately and waved them in.
There was six men and two women gathered around the table. Afiona recognized Treven, the King, and Herald Joshe, the Seneschal's Herald but the rest she was unfamiliar with.
"Well, Herald Rissa, you said you had a solution." An older man said.
"I do. Is there a map of the border in here?" Rissa approached the table. Someone handed her a rolled map, which she spread out and gestured for Afiona to come forward. "Show them where you saw the markings." She handed Afiona a quill and stepped back.
Afiona glanced around at the grim faces and bent over the map. Turning it so it matched what she saw she made the marking as best she could remember them.
"By the Havens." One of the women said as she leaned over. "Where did you see this?"
"In a tent. It was in Karse." Afiona said uncertainly.
"She dropped into a trance on me and started telling me what was happening in a Karsite encampment. She spied on a priest and a captain without being detected." Rissa said bluntly. "She even read off one of their maps. She was not blocked."
"How is this possible?" The man who had greeted Rissa first asked.
"She is a Healer. Her farsight probably piggybacks on her Empathy which cannot be blocked. Afiona, could you give them a little demonstration?" Rissa asked.
Afiona nodded and took a seat on a chair. She knew from past experiences she tended to fall over if she tried to trance standing up. Everyone watched intently as she took a deep breath. "There is a small group of men, no more than twenty five. They are all mounted. They are dressed like Valdemarans but their swords match the ones I saw at the Karsite camp. I can't understand them but they are not nice men. They are dark, and fanatics. They are in Valdemar I think. Just a moment. I can see a village. There are children speaking Valdemaran. There is an inn with Lakebridge Inn written above the door. There are perhaps forty houses and one guard outpost."
"Lakebridge?" Treven grabbed the map Afiona had recreated the marks on. It took him only moments to locate the town. It was well behind where the army was stationed. "Is there any more men?"
Afiona remained silent for so long the group started to worry. "No other men that I see. There is a Herald, I recognize the stallion, Arisk. He is not far from the village, a lot closer than the men."
"Someone find out who Arisk's Chosen is." Treven ordered. "Warn them to get to the village now."
Afiona frowned. "Arisk, go south, there is a village with an inn called the Lakebridge inn. There are men approaching." She paused for a moment. "This is more important than the message." There was another silence. "He has a message from the front. He doesn't know the contents."
The people in the room exchanged amazed glances.
"Have them put it someplace safe." Treven ordered.
"Put it in the waystation that you will pass on your left, someone can pick it up." Afiona paused again. "I don't care if he is trying to turn you around, I think these men are Karsites now get your tail going!"
Rissa grinned openly. "Well?"
"Later you are going to tell me where you found her." The man in charge said.
"She is Healer Afiona, the one tending the Companions." Treven explained. "Afiona, can you wake up now?"
Afiona sighed and relaxed then opened her eyes. She quickly stood up. She shifted uneasily when she realised she was the focus of nine pairs of eyes.
"Well Healer, welcome to the War Council." The older man said as he leaned over the map table. "Now tell me exactly what you saw in that tent."