Disclaimer: I disclaim everything. Nothing is mine except the characters, which continue to inform me most emphatically that they are mine, and will continue rummaging in my brain any time they please, thank you very much.
Herald Kelsin is happy, very, very happy. (This is where you run away screaming.) She got some nice long reviews on the last chapter, and so she is happy. Very long reviews cause very much happiness.
Fireblade: Thank you! Heh, I thought that was inspired myself.
Breezefire: You're welcome, and I love your story. Yup, Lan had it in Brightly Burning, and he figured it out very fast, because he was a merchant's child.
Tenshi: Thankies for the review and good luck with the sleep!
Wizard: Yes, it was from Brightly Burning, my current source of inspiration for all things Misty. You thought it was dull? I'll try to make it more exciting, but we should be in Haven soon, which will be exciting in and of itself. That was more of an exposition chapter, really.
Badgerwolf: Thanks, like I said, I got it from Brightly Burning. Yeah, I know, touchiness abounds. What can I say? It's finals and regents week, so my mood was not all that great to begin with.
Vaches: New reviewer! -Squeezes the life out of you- There, having completed my new reviewer ritual, thanks for the review and the complement. You're right, Healers are way underrepresented, and they deserve more story time. Misty should write a book about one.
Ok, on to chapter, where are we? Oh yes, chapter 8. This chapter, then one more, then the long awaited chapter: HAVEN! Wahoo!
The next chapter should come fast, we'll be there soon. It's finals week, so I only have around an hour of school a day, plus I'm sick (sinus infection and ear infection) so I have nothing better to do than sit here and bang out this story, writers block permitting.
Sorry this chapter took so long. Like I mentioned in Broken, writers block likes me right now, and has cuddled in very close and decided to stay a while.
Of course, last night, Karissa decided to inform me that if I left her stuck "on a white horse with that annoying boy" for any longer, she would make my life most unpleasant.
Between writers block and Karissa, well, I figured I'd try and bang something out, although I'm not so happy with this chapter as I could be.
Anyway, moving on.
Chapter 8: Sleep
By the time Karissa and Treet reached the Waystation, they were almost too tired to fall from the saddle. Treet was suffering because he was unused to riding for so long at a stretch. Karissa was always exhausted after stopping at a village or town. Even after years of practice, it was still hard for her to keep her Heraldic mask of passivity and patience up for any length of time.
As such, they both sat there staring blankly into space for a few minutes before they realized that Veria had stopped and that they were supposed to dismount.
Veria tossed her head and sniffed loudly, making it quite clear what her opinion was on Heralds who were too tired even to get off of their Companions.
Jolted out of her trance, Karissa dismounted, albeit a little shakily, and, after helping Treet down, began to care for Veria.
Treet stared at her retreating back, wondering if now was a good time to talk to her. He needed to have a serious discussion with her.
Treet laughed to himself. The thought of him, the little Holderkin reject, conspiring to have a serious discussion with a Herald was laughable. He wondered what his family would say if they could see him now.
"Improper!" Father's Mother would sniff.
"All alone with those wanton, immoral Heralds!" his mother would say worriedly.
"Little brat got what he deserved. Letting a woman order him around, the shame!" the other Sons would sneer.
Well, Treet didn't care what they thought! The only person whose opinion of him mattered was Karissa. He so wished that he could do something right in her eyes for once; earn the respect that she seemed to give to no one, not even herself.
Sometimes, he thought he almost had it. Even through the little shielding he had fumbled into place on directions from his book, he sometimes felt that she was looking at him with sincere liking and friendship. Then, of course, the walls came back down with a snap, generally causing Treet a great deal of unnecessary pain, as though his finger had been trapped underneath.
He was going to talk to her about that. He really was. Treet groaned, every blade of grass on the path to the Waystation seeming to press ridges into his feet. He just wasn't going to do it before he had had some rest.
By the time Karissa staggered into the Waystation, nerves and body rubbed raw, she was shocked to see Treet, eyes barely held open, sitting beside the fireplace and using a wooden spoon to stir a large pot of porridge.
"Huh?" She said, not very intelligently.
Treet grinned. "Dinner. You pick up some interesting skills among the Holderkin. I can't cook anything fancy, of course, and meals were left to the Wives to cook, but I can do simple camp food." Exhausted past endurance by this long sentence, Treet fell silent.
Karissa tentatively grinned back at him. "Let's eat."
The warm porridge tasted unbelievable, warming them from head to toe and filling them up after their long ride and longer day.
Good though it was, however, eating it took the last of their strength. Together, they rinsed the dishes they had used in a bucket of water Karissa had brought in earlier.
Karissa made up the bed box again, and pointedly glared at Treet as he moved to set up a bed on the floor.
Relenting, Treet crawled under the covers next to Karissa and was asleep before his entire body hit the bed.
Karissa, for once in her life, slept dreamlessly, a fact for which she was deeply grateful. For one of the only times in her adult life, she awoke the next morning feeling refreshed, energized and eager to get out of bed.
Treet did not dream either, although he slept more restlessly that Karissa had. His imagery of the Holderkin he had left behind must have affected him more than he had thought, because all night long he could hear their voices inside his mind, taunting him and insulting.
When he awoke, he tried his best to put it behind him, telling himself that they had probably forgotten his existence by now, and so he would do well to forget theirs. He tried to distract himself by thinking about what he would say to Karissa.
As they ate breakfast, he noted that she looked happier than usual, and the dark circles that were usually prominent around her eyes had faded somewhat, leaving her looking less haunted than Treet had ever seen her.
He judged this a good sign for the success of his conversation. Treet did not want to anger Karissa, but he was afraid that he might have to. Her being in a good mood could only mean that her temper was slightly smoothed, and Treet hoped to take advantage of that state.
Treet took a deep breath, prayed that he wouldn't be eaten, swallowed the last morsels of porridge from his bowl and opened his mouth to speak.
"Herald? We need to talk." He mumbled as fast as he could, staring steadfastly at his bowl.
"What did you say?" Karissa asked, genuinely puzzled, having missed most of the sentance.
:He wants to talk to you. Now stop looking like you're about to eat him and listen for a change.:
:Thank you for your input, smart one.:
:Anytime, dear.:
"I need to talk to you." Treet repeated, using up the dregs of his courage.
"Well I'm here, aren't I? Talk."
Treet shuddered. This was not going the way he had hoped it would. Karissa's manner was so indifferent and icy that he could feel the chill in his bones.
He looked up, meeting Karissa's icy blue eyes with his own warm ones. "I need to know what you think of me. How do you feel about me, really?"
He could tell instantly that he had made some sort of blunder in his word choice, since a non-telepathic raccoon a hundred miles away from the Waystation could have felt the recoil that emanated from Karissa.
:He WHAT? He doesn't mean it the way I think he does, does he?: She asked Veria confusedly.
:Bright Havens! You arrogant, hedonistic, filthy minded Herald! What am I going to do with you, Kari? Ignoring the fact that you are about twice his age and that he hasn't even known you for that long, you just rescued him from a life where expression of emotions is not exactly prized. Do you really think he is likely to come out and ask you if you are in love with him not half a moon after you brought him away from there? Last I checked, dearling, you had a brain. I know you aren't that great with people, but even a half brained lack wit could figure out that he isn't likely to be asking you THAT question.: Veria said, half in amusement, half in anger.
:Oh. So he really means 'What do you think of me?' in a friendly way? Well, what should I say to him?:
:The truth. The real truth, not the one you invent to prevent yourself from coming out of that hard shell of yours.:
:Are you sure?:
:Have I ever steered you wrong before, Chosen?:
:Well, there was that time with the Dean and that stack of plates.:
:Just DO it before I get in there and kick you.:
:Alright, alright. Promise it'll be ok?:
:I promise, Chosen.: Veria said, completely sincere for the first time that morning.
"Umm. Well, Treet, I think you're really umm. This is hard. I don't exactly tell people things. I stay away from them, you know? But, Veria says I should tell you. Look at me trying. I'm going to try. I think that you're a really great kid. You know, nice, sweet, all that. I really do like you, even if you can't always tell."
:Veria! I didn't do so well on the telling thing.: Karissa wailed.
:Relax, Chosen, you did fine.: Veria assured her.
Treet's face lit up like a little's at Midwinter. "Really?"
"Really, Treet." Karissa reassured him.
Treet took another deep breath. "Do you think we could ever be friends?"
"I don't usually like emotional entanglements. Or people." Karissa said automatically, snapping down the shields that she had learned to draw around her whenever someone got too close.
She watched Treet's face fall, and instantly felt bad. Veria's mental kick made her feel worse.
"But for you, I can make an exception. You're better than most people." Karissa said hurriedly.
:Nice save, Chosen.:
:Why, thank you.:
Treet was astonished. It had been easier than he had feared it would be, although by the blank looks Karissa had occasionally donned during the conversation, he suspected that Veria had had a hand in the persuasion. Well, he would take what he could get.
"For true? Friends?" He asked.
"Friends." Karissa said, a little uncertain. With her small talent of MindSpeech, she could feel Treet's mental embrace, and she tentatively returned it. It was nice to have friends.
She didn't think she would be very good at it, and she was afraid that if she made friends again, they would leave her again, but Veria was right. It was time to open the doors of her mind and let the world back inside.
