A/N: Candy canes to...
ShadowHunter Mashell- Yeah, this has been a fun story to write! I don't use much imagery sometimes in my originals so I try and be very descriptive in my fanfics to practice.
Mad-4-Manga- How is mine different from others...? hasn't read any Mercedes Lackey fanfic in ages out of loop Maybe that's a good thing then... But I'm not going to tell you anything because you shall find out, if not in this chapter in the next ones! Unless you like having endings spoiled... oÔ
and
TragicDespair- Thank you!

It was good to be outside again. I was riding Jack, he belonged back with Yael anyway, although Lucy was left behind with Teryl. I had protested at first, insisting I could walk, but my human body was still shaky from the sickness and it was becoming harder and harder to use my magic to enhance my human body the way I had my Companion body- although I still stayed bleach white.

Talia and Rolan were good company, and neither of them mentioned anything about the night I became a human, to my relief. All our talks and discussions were about anything but that. About Dash, about Teryl, about the Field, about politics, about Magic… we skirted the topic closely. I told them again all that had happened once I was human, every detail, although they'd already heard it over again, but in the hope that one of us might catch a key detail.

We traveled at an easy pace- the snow had melted but the temperature stayed hovering around freezing and there was always icy patches on the road, so it took us about two weeks before we were walking down that lane towards a quaint little farmhouse with a spacious barn filled with the lowing of cows yet absent of the nicker of horses.

I felt a growing dread as it first appeared in the line of sight, and when we halted before the driveway I would have turned Jack around and ran back to Haven, but instead the traitorous little animal let out a loud neigh, announcing happily to all that he was home, and the door opened almost at once.

Yael saw us, and although he recognized Jack the sight of two Heralds and a Companion threw him- he didn't even recognize me at first. Whites do that, and once more I'd been given only the Heraldic whites of a human Herald.

I glanced at Talia and she gave me a slight smile that nudged me forward. Yael I could deal with, I figured, but what in the Havens would I say to Dash? I hadn't even considered it… could I Choose him in this form? Should I?

My heart was pounding as Jack moved forward of his own accord towards the farmhouse and his friendly owner. I made no move to stop him and when he halted in front of Yael and I dismounted and handed the reins to Yael.

"Thank you for the use of him," I said and suddenly Dash appeared. Had he come at the sound of my voice- or Jack's?

It wasn't right, it was strange. Dash was taller than me and although I hadn't taken note of it before I saw it now. My sight was wrong- I was looking at him with two eyes instead of out of one. I wasn't going to be ushering him into a saddle to prance of to Haven afterwards- but it happened anyway.

I stepped forward and the world seemed to stop. Dacian stood frozen and I let a smile creep across my face as I looked up into his pale eyes. Reaching out with my soul I wrapped my heart around his, filling all the empty spaces and then I said, :Dacian. I Choose You.:

And I felt inside myself a door opening that had been closed- a hidden door I hadn't even know was there, and as I wrapped my love around him, I felt his love wrapping around me and it was as if I had sprouted wings.

:What: he said once the spell was broken, staring at me with the ghost of a smile hovering on his expressionless face. I grinned. I always knew he was speaking with his mind half the time!

:You're a funny looking Companion: he said a moment later when I stayed silent, and he turned around and walked back inside.

I paused a moment, glanced at Yael, and when the farmer nodded, I went in after him and sat down beside him on the sofa/bed, on his left, while Teryl had always sat on his right. I left space between us- a few inches and for a few minutes we both sat silently. I felt like laughing- Dacian was as he was when I left him. The way he'd spoken… he said it the same way he'd said, "Interesting way of dealing with a cow."

A few minutes later Talia entered and I saw Rolan, or rather, felt him, hovering around outside and peering in through Talia's eyes. They were both there, even if Yael and and perhaps Dacian weren't aware of it.

"So," Talia said with a smile and I smiled back, feeling too happy to be upset about my lack of a horse like shape. Maybe that was the point.

"Uh," I said, realizing all eyes were on me and I really owed everyone an explanation, "I'm Daneric," I started stupidly and then continued, "This is Queen's Own Herald Talia and Rolan."

Then I motioned at Yael, "Yael, the finest farmer in Valdemar and owner of the greatest plow horses and… well I suppose you all know Dash."

Dash smiled in an almost shy manner and then looked away. I just wanted to hug him! He was so great! But Companions don't have arms, so I didn't and I looked at Talia for the next lead.

"As you can tell…" she started with a smile of her own, "Daneric isn't quite right. He's a Companion, just like Rolan"- (Maybe not just like…) "but somehow he's ended up in human form. We haven't been able to get him changed back and we thought that you- Dash, could help him change back."

Dash looked mildly surprised, and all of a sudden I realized his lack of expression wasn't changing, it was that I was perceiving very subtle changes through our bond. He shrugged and said, "I'll do what I can."

:Chosen…: I whispered into his head, :I'm sorry about coming to you like this… But…:

:I understand: he whispered back at me without batting a physical eye, :Daneric.:

And at that moment I felt a little sneaky bit of happiness from him that I'd Chosen him and not Teryl after all, and no guilt surrounded the thought because Teryl'd gotten what she wanted too- to be a Bard, even though I hadn't known it before hand.

If only I too could get what I wanted. I wanted to go home.

A/N: More candy canes to reviewers! I appreciate your feedback and support!