Disclaimer: You know that I don't own Mercedes Lackey.
Um...what to say, what to say...yeeness?
I don't have much to talk about up here today...
Muse responsible: Krathnae! He's being a good muse now!
----------------------------------------------------
Kamaria and Alain wandered through Companion's Field. Kamaria, bemused, was staring up at the sky. [Where did all that skill come from, anyway?]
Alain walked beside her, looking at her profile. Wondering in Mindspeech, as was his habit, he absently Sent to Ramya, :That was...incredible. I've never seen anyone move like that.:
:If you start poetry about her sword-fighting skills now I will repudiate you.:
:I won't, skyeyes, I won't...:
Someone in Grays waved at him from a distance. "Alain!" called the voice of one of his fellow Trainees, a stocky boy with a shock of flaming red hair, known as Edim.
"Edim! Why aren't you at equitation?" called Alain back to him.
In answer, Edim raised his left arm, confined in a heavy plaster cast. "Puts me off-balance."
Alain nodded. Turning to Kamaria, he jerked his head at Edim. "Come on...you're going to meet one of your year-mates."
Following Alain, Kamaria asked, frowning, "You mean you aren't in my year- group?"
"Well, I'll probably be in with you at Mathematics and possibly Logic and Oration...but I've been here for three years, and I don't have much left to go. Don't worry-we'll still see a lot of each other!" Alain grinned at his lifebonded.
Kamaria swallowed as Alain took the lead. "Well, Edim, here's one of your new year-mates."
Edim nodded politely to Kamaria, sticking out his hand. Kamaria uncertainly took it and shook it gently.
Alain watched them. :Kamaria, you're acting like two strange cats stuck in the same room!: he scolded gently.
Kamaria smacked Alain and turned back to Edim, thinking, [Well, at least he's being sensible about the trial and all...]
Allowing her polite Court façade into place, Kamaria smiled what appeared to be a genuine smile and said, "Where are you from, Edim?"
Edim raised an eyebrow at the polite diplomatic question and said, bluntly, "No need to be diplomatic among us Trainees or Heralds...in answer to your question, I'm from Berrybay. My ma was in the Guard, but she retired and went home, had my siblings and me, and here I am." Shrugging, Edim looked at Kamaria.
Kamaria blinked at her year-mate's unusually quick pick-up to what was or was not diplomatic. Dropping the mask as useless, she gave him a real smile. "Well, I have an older brother, but I hardly ever see him, since he's down commanding troops on the border. I was born up north on the Chantrea estate, but I've been living in Haven-the Palace, actually-for the past few years. Then there was that whole fiasco with the Earl and Alain and I, and I guess you know the rest."
Edim nodded amiably. "Well, introductions over and done with, who's your Companion? This here-" he stroked his Companion's neck-"is Elen."
Kamaria bowed graciously to the slender mare. "My Companion is Sitara, though knowing her, she's probably busy stuffing her face in the stable by now."
Edim laughed. "Sitara, Sitara-oh, she's that racer with the bottomless stomach. Elen's told me about her."
Kamaria rolled her eyes upward. "Bottomless indeed...I'll have to exercise her daily to keep her from being too fat to run."
:That wasn't nice!: protested Sitara's voice.
Kamaria turned and looked at her approaching Companion, not that far away, running towards them. :Did I forget to shield again?: asked Kamaria.
:Yes,: said three mind-voices-Alain's, Sitara's, and, surprisingly, Edim's. Blushing, Kamaria reshielded.
"I'm not that good at Mindspeech-have to be this close to someone to talk," said Edim with painful honesty.
"What are your Gifts, anyway?" asked Kamaria, interested.
"A bit of Mindspeech, erratic Foresight, mostly to do with the weather, and Touchreading," replied Edim.
"What is Touchreading, anyway?" asked Alain, interested. "I've run across the name, but what does it do?"
"If I touch an object, I can pick up the feelings and sometimes the thoughts of the person who last handled it," said Edim, "It first came on me when I opened the door to the kitchens...my face must've been a sight."
Alain nodded, absorbing this information for later.
"I've got Mindspeech, Animal Mindspeech, and a bit of Fetching," said Alain, mostly to fill up the silence which had sprung up as Kamaria stroked Sitara absently.
"I have Mindspeech and Empathy, along with-" Kamaria broke off and asked Sitara, :What else do I have?:
:A bit of Fetching, Othersight, and Farsight.:
"A small bit of Fetching, Othersight, and Farsight," finished Kamaria.
:What is Othersight?:
:Once you learn to use it, you'll be able to See the life-energies in things. All Companions have it-it's how we have such good night-: Sitara broke off as Ramya sidled up and kicked her surreptitiously.
:Healers have it-it's how they see diseases and things,: continued Sitara, trying to cover her mistake.
:Right,: said Kamaria, frowning at her Companion.
"Impressive," said Edim lightly, "Usually, Heralds only have one or two Gifts."
"Oh."
An awkward silence ensued, then was broken by a small foal barreling into the group and crashing into Sitara.
:This is my nephew,: said Sitara to Kamaria, nosing the foal. :I watch him sometimes, and now he wants me to come run races with him.:
Kamaria's silver eyes followed her Companion as Sitara wandered away.
"How far can you Mindspeak her?" asked Edim.
"Not very-I'm losing touch with her about-now," said Kamaria, distracted.
They continued their conversation about Gifts as Alain watched. :He'll be a good friend to her-I was afraid she'd grow dependent on me.:
:That wouldn't have been good, especially when you went on your internship...: agreed Ramya, blowing into her Chosen's hair.
"Hey!" said Alain distractedly as the other two Trainees chuckled at him.
:No sense of humor!: came Ramya's indignant thought as Alain threw up his hands, defeated.
-----------------------------------------------------
Reviewerthanking!
Cerulean Sky: Thank you!
Darkfyre: Certainly! List? What list? Stories and legends are good! Sena and I are creating one called Come the Dawn!
Hawk-Sister: I just read Exile's Valor, twice, and at the cost of a steamed milk for my friend...ah well. It was so good!
Kierseth: Krathnae says thank you and that he's glad someone's happy with him.
Parttimeangel: You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome!
Cat McDougall: Um, right. I was half-asleep when I reviewed your story...and there is actually another story about Firesong's sibling...I forget what it's called right now...hey! Anyone out there know what the one where Firesong's sis dyes his hair pink is? Clashing Feathers or something? Tell me! Please!
Kathleen: I'll work on that...I've noticed in this story that most of the detail is in the dialogue, which I should really fix...
Cookxenya: Krathnae thanks you for the crest-scratch. He's currently away working his tail off on other stories...so I'm giving all his comments in Mindspeech for you...and he says that he doesn't mind water that much, except that it takes forever to dry his feathers.
Reviews are loved! I did the work, reward please!
~Fireblade K'Chona
Um...what to say, what to say...yeeness?
I don't have much to talk about up here today...
Muse responsible: Krathnae! He's being a good muse now!
----------------------------------------------------
Kamaria and Alain wandered through Companion's Field. Kamaria, bemused, was staring up at the sky. [Where did all that skill come from, anyway?]
Alain walked beside her, looking at her profile. Wondering in Mindspeech, as was his habit, he absently Sent to Ramya, :That was...incredible. I've never seen anyone move like that.:
:If you start poetry about her sword-fighting skills now I will repudiate you.:
:I won't, skyeyes, I won't...:
Someone in Grays waved at him from a distance. "Alain!" called the voice of one of his fellow Trainees, a stocky boy with a shock of flaming red hair, known as Edim.
"Edim! Why aren't you at equitation?" called Alain back to him.
In answer, Edim raised his left arm, confined in a heavy plaster cast. "Puts me off-balance."
Alain nodded. Turning to Kamaria, he jerked his head at Edim. "Come on...you're going to meet one of your year-mates."
Following Alain, Kamaria asked, frowning, "You mean you aren't in my year- group?"
"Well, I'll probably be in with you at Mathematics and possibly Logic and Oration...but I've been here for three years, and I don't have much left to go. Don't worry-we'll still see a lot of each other!" Alain grinned at his lifebonded.
Kamaria swallowed as Alain took the lead. "Well, Edim, here's one of your new year-mates."
Edim nodded politely to Kamaria, sticking out his hand. Kamaria uncertainly took it and shook it gently.
Alain watched them. :Kamaria, you're acting like two strange cats stuck in the same room!: he scolded gently.
Kamaria smacked Alain and turned back to Edim, thinking, [Well, at least he's being sensible about the trial and all...]
Allowing her polite Court façade into place, Kamaria smiled what appeared to be a genuine smile and said, "Where are you from, Edim?"
Edim raised an eyebrow at the polite diplomatic question and said, bluntly, "No need to be diplomatic among us Trainees or Heralds...in answer to your question, I'm from Berrybay. My ma was in the Guard, but she retired and went home, had my siblings and me, and here I am." Shrugging, Edim looked at Kamaria.
Kamaria blinked at her year-mate's unusually quick pick-up to what was or was not diplomatic. Dropping the mask as useless, she gave him a real smile. "Well, I have an older brother, but I hardly ever see him, since he's down commanding troops on the border. I was born up north on the Chantrea estate, but I've been living in Haven-the Palace, actually-for the past few years. Then there was that whole fiasco with the Earl and Alain and I, and I guess you know the rest."
Edim nodded amiably. "Well, introductions over and done with, who's your Companion? This here-" he stroked his Companion's neck-"is Elen."
Kamaria bowed graciously to the slender mare. "My Companion is Sitara, though knowing her, she's probably busy stuffing her face in the stable by now."
Edim laughed. "Sitara, Sitara-oh, she's that racer with the bottomless stomach. Elen's told me about her."
Kamaria rolled her eyes upward. "Bottomless indeed...I'll have to exercise her daily to keep her from being too fat to run."
:That wasn't nice!: protested Sitara's voice.
Kamaria turned and looked at her approaching Companion, not that far away, running towards them. :Did I forget to shield again?: asked Kamaria.
:Yes,: said three mind-voices-Alain's, Sitara's, and, surprisingly, Edim's. Blushing, Kamaria reshielded.
"I'm not that good at Mindspeech-have to be this close to someone to talk," said Edim with painful honesty.
"What are your Gifts, anyway?" asked Kamaria, interested.
"A bit of Mindspeech, erratic Foresight, mostly to do with the weather, and Touchreading," replied Edim.
"What is Touchreading, anyway?" asked Alain, interested. "I've run across the name, but what does it do?"
"If I touch an object, I can pick up the feelings and sometimes the thoughts of the person who last handled it," said Edim, "It first came on me when I opened the door to the kitchens...my face must've been a sight."
Alain nodded, absorbing this information for later.
"I've got Mindspeech, Animal Mindspeech, and a bit of Fetching," said Alain, mostly to fill up the silence which had sprung up as Kamaria stroked Sitara absently.
"I have Mindspeech and Empathy, along with-" Kamaria broke off and asked Sitara, :What else do I have?:
:A bit of Fetching, Othersight, and Farsight.:
"A small bit of Fetching, Othersight, and Farsight," finished Kamaria.
:What is Othersight?:
:Once you learn to use it, you'll be able to See the life-energies in things. All Companions have it-it's how we have such good night-: Sitara broke off as Ramya sidled up and kicked her surreptitiously.
:Healers have it-it's how they see diseases and things,: continued Sitara, trying to cover her mistake.
:Right,: said Kamaria, frowning at her Companion.
"Impressive," said Edim lightly, "Usually, Heralds only have one or two Gifts."
"Oh."
An awkward silence ensued, then was broken by a small foal barreling into the group and crashing into Sitara.
:This is my nephew,: said Sitara to Kamaria, nosing the foal. :I watch him sometimes, and now he wants me to come run races with him.:
Kamaria's silver eyes followed her Companion as Sitara wandered away.
"How far can you Mindspeak her?" asked Edim.
"Not very-I'm losing touch with her about-now," said Kamaria, distracted.
They continued their conversation about Gifts as Alain watched. :He'll be a good friend to her-I was afraid she'd grow dependent on me.:
:That wouldn't have been good, especially when you went on your internship...: agreed Ramya, blowing into her Chosen's hair.
"Hey!" said Alain distractedly as the other two Trainees chuckled at him.
:No sense of humor!: came Ramya's indignant thought as Alain threw up his hands, defeated.
-----------------------------------------------------
Reviewerthanking!
Cerulean Sky: Thank you!
Darkfyre: Certainly! List? What list? Stories and legends are good! Sena and I are creating one called Come the Dawn!
Hawk-Sister: I just read Exile's Valor, twice, and at the cost of a steamed milk for my friend...ah well. It was so good!
Kierseth: Krathnae says thank you and that he's glad someone's happy with him.
Parttimeangel: You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome!
Cat McDougall: Um, right. I was half-asleep when I reviewed your story...and there is actually another story about Firesong's sibling...I forget what it's called right now...hey! Anyone out there know what the one where Firesong's sis dyes his hair pink is? Clashing Feathers or something? Tell me! Please!
Kathleen: I'll work on that...I've noticed in this story that most of the detail is in the dialogue, which I should really fix...
Cookxenya: Krathnae thanks you for the crest-scratch. He's currently away working his tail off on other stories...so I'm giving all his comments in Mindspeech for you...and he says that he doesn't mind water that much, except that it takes forever to dry his feathers.
Reviews are loved! I did the work, reward please!
~Fireblade K'Chona