Disclaimer: -Herald sobs- I can't bear to say it, but I have to. Unfortunately, I do not own M.L's stuff.

Chapter six, here we are. Reviews are going well, I'm only five chapters in, and I'm around half way to the amount of reviews I had at the end of fourteen chapters of my other story. Looking good for success. Speaking of reviews, here they are.

Crinzin: Thanks, although, if you reread the first chapter and the one where Treet and Karissa meet, you should find a little description in there. I thought that would cover it, but I shall continue to add more.

Wizard: Well, don't count on a sudden easy relationship. Both of them are a bit turned around, and I'd be very surprised if they let me make things easy for them.

Breezefire: Originally, I did not intend for them to become friends or more than acquaintances, but they seem to have had other ideas, so we shall see how it goes. As to your other point, no fear. I have no intentions of suddenly having Karissa turn into a cuddly, fuzzy little thing. As one of my favorite HP/SS writers said about Severus Snape, "a Snape without Snark is not a Snape at all." Well, a Karissa without snark is not a Karissa at all either. I have no intentions of rolling all over her basic personality structure. I suspect she will always be a bit prickly, and those who can't deal will just have to go somewhere else.

Tenshi: Thank you. I quite like them myself. Of course, she never fully bonded with her Companion, did she? Like you, everyone assumed that she was fine, and on the outside, she was. She was so alone, but maybe she'll sort herself out. I'll do my best.

Lurks in Shadows: It was a little sad, no? I nearly made myself cry, writing it, but then, I'm just overly sensitive.

Desert Angel: Thanks, glad you like it.

Fireblade: Well, not quite, but I'm working on it. You're right about Broken, too. It should have been more in-depth, but I just wrote it to get rid of writers block on this story.

Ok, Treet and Karissa are back on the road again. I'd call it, hmmm, three, maybe four chapters until they reach Haven, including this one.

Chapter 6: Circuit

Karissa and Treet were trying their best not to look at each other. Treet didn't really mind, but every time Karissa thought she saw him looking, she gave him a glare telling him that if he wanted to keep his head intact, he had better turn it the other way.

They were hurriedly consuming the pot of porridge Karissa had cooked earlier. It tasted none the worse for the added salty water.

Karissa's eyes were still red and blotchy, contrasting with her naturally pale face and icy blue eyes. Physically, she felt like hell. Her head hurt, a dreadful pounding ache right behind her eyes, and every inch of her skin felt swollen and red.

In other ways, however, things were quite different. In those ways, she had never felt better. Not since. She flinched. Not since before IT had happened.

Veria had always been there before, open to a casual touch or reach, but never within Karissa's mind. Karissa's mind was like a fortress, with high walls to keep people out. Now, though, everything had changed. Veria was there. Right there. Karissa could feel Veria in the back of her head constantly.

'This'll take getting used to,' Karissa thought wryly.

"I'm going outside to duck my head in the pond. Can you be ready to ride when I get back?" Karissa asked Treet, as she finished washing her plate.

"Yes, Herald." Treet replied respectfully, picking up his bowl and beginning to scour it clean.

By the time Karissa had thoroughly wetted herself from the neck up, she felt a lot more like a human being again.

She went into the stables and began to groom and saddle Veria. It seemed like everything had changed in just a few short hours. Before, grooming Veria had been, well, like grooming a horse. Now, with Veria constantly in the back of her mind, it was more of a mutual pleasure. She no longer needed Veria to tell her where to brush, she knew exactly what to do.

After a few minutes, she sadly put the brush away, knowing that if she was going to reach her last village in time, she would have to saddle immediately and ride fast.

:Oh, Chosen, I've been waiting for this moment for so long.:

:Yeah, well you better not take advantage!: Karissa snapped, knowing as she did so that Veria would never do any such thing, but needing to say something to regain a sense of control over the situation.

Veria seemed to notice this and ignored the insulting implications of the statement.

Shortly thereafter, Karissa was ready to ride. As Treet came out, carrying their packs and equipment, for the first time in ten years, Karissa was once again embarrassed to meet Treet's eyes.

She couldn't resist thinking that he knew too much. He knew too much, and he was getting too close. In only a few short days, Treet had won her heart. He was so confused and alone, yet so strong and competent. Of course, he was also extremely dangerous. Karissa didn't know what she would do if people from the Collegium found out about her past.

:Kari, my love, do you really think Treet would do that to you?:

:Well no, but a little insurance can go a long way.:

Treet balanced their packs on their mule and took Karissa's offered hand, mounting up behind her.

Instead of releasing his hand, Karissa tugged it a little so that he was looking into her eyes.

"I've been through Heraldic training, Treet. I know at least five ways to kill you, and if I find out that the whole Collegium knows about this morning, I will be sure to employ one of them." Karissa threatened, keeping her voice low and menacing, without so much as a hint of the tremor she was trying to suppress.

Treet flinched a little, but forced himself to hold steady. This whole experience was like a crash course in reading people's emotional states. Figure out what the deranged Herald needs, then hand it to her before one or both of you dies a very messy death.

Bearing all of this in mind, Treet tried his very hardest not to run away screaming. The tone in her voice could probably have blistered the fur off of a horse.

"Why would I do that, Herald? I wouldn't tell anyone something that might embarrass you, even if I wasn't under sentence of death."

Treet tried to keep his voice calm and soothing, remembering that the Herald was probably more afraid than he was.

"I don't need your pity!" Karissa snapped, accurately reading the expression on Treet's face. "Just don't tell anyone."

"I won't, Herald." Treet bowed his head and remained silent, giving Karissa time to collect herself. Veria, however, suffered from no such silence.

:Now Chosen, that was a bit harsh, don't you think?:

:Hey, the last thing I need is the entire Collegium running around with the misconceived notion that I am some sort of cuddly little teddy bear, and the only thing I need less than that is everyone trying to comfort me!: Karissa said, ignoring the basic contradiction of that statement.

:Kari, Chosen, why do you persist in thinking that the entire world is out to betray you. He will not tell. Give him the benefit of the doubt, why don't you?:

:Humph. Well, I guess I owe him that. And please stop calling me Kari! How many times do I have to tell you, my name is Karissa!:

Veria took that to be the grab for control that it once again was, and resolved to continue calling her Chosen exactly as she pleased, knowing that Karissa did not particularly mind, loud protestations to the contrary.

After a while, Treet grew bored of his self-imposed silence. "Herald, where are we going?"

Out of habit, she shot him a look that would have frozen the Terilee several times over, had it been thusly directed, then softened slightly. "We're going to Krimar."

"Why, Herald?"

"Well, in case you were under the impression that I came all the way from Haven to carry you off, you are very much mistaken. I was on circuit." She sighed at the look of incomprehension on Treet's face. "Circuit is what we Heralds do. We go around the kingdom on our pretty little ponies and dispense justice whither we wander. I was nearly done my circuit. I had one more village to go, and it was Krimar. We shall go there and I'll do my thing, then I shall resume returning you to Haven."

"Oh."

Treet was silent for a while, pondering the implications of that statement. He couldn't quite imagine the grumpy, short-tempered Herald Karissa, or anyone else he knew, for that matter, running around voluntarily helping out a bunch of strangers. 'Must be a Herald thing,' he thought.

It had been a long day, and Treet was accustomed to being in the saddle and in no danger of falling off. As such, it was hardly shocking when his head began to nod, and soon he was fast asleep.

Karissa watched nervously as his head descended closer and closer to her back. When it made contact, she flinched and made as if to push him off of her. Then she felt Veria's urging and support in the back of her mind. Veria obviously approved of Treet, and approved more of the way he appeared to be thawing Karissa's icy armor.

Sighing, Karissa let him rest there, his weight warm against her back.

:Not that I like him, of course.: Karissa hurriedly assured Veria, when she could tell that Veria could sense how her thoughts were turning.

:Of course not.: Veria agreed, but there was a smile in her MindVoice.

Shortly thereafter, Veria arrived at the gates of Krimar. Karissa poked Treet gently, then more firmly.

"Treet, get up. We're here."

"Huh? Here? Oh. Krimar. I get it. Are you going to go do the Herald stuff now, Herald? Are."

Treet's words were abruptly silenced when he saw the village. It was different from any village he had ever seen before. The houses were tiny and far more colorful that any Hold Elder would ever have allowed.

"I don't want to go in there!" Treet wailed.