Disclaimer: I do not in any way shape or form own Mercedes Lackey, any of the Heralds of Valdemar books or the world it is set in. Some of the names I have stolen from other books I've read, shows I've watched and Games that I played. The idea for Aderyn's Gift was inspired by(ok, stolen from) the manga Land of the Blindfolded.

Summary:

Past and Future

Chapter 2

By: TsukasaTheFominian

"I hope he's still alive." Herald Vris was very worried about Kendel. She had always been close to him, and perhaps she wasn't best for the mission. Especially if she was going to let her emotions get involved. Perhaps it was because she was getting emotional that she was chosen. She was very deadly with a sword when she wanted. Her small frame, brown hair, and toned muscles were very fast and could easily overtake most opponents in the three Collegias.

Herald Leon was worried too, but more because the Herald had gone missing without a trace. His blue eyes were very good at seeing distances, especially accompanied by his Gift of Farsight. Accompanied with his blond hair and handsome face, he usually got many lady callers, many of which he accepted.

Today however, his mind was focused on this mystery that had cropped up. While investigating roomers about a group of bandits, Herald Kendel and his Companion Marrie had vanished. Villagers from one side of this forest had seen the Herald go in, but he never came out. Those back at Haven hadn't known about this for a week because Ken had just made his weekly report before his disappearance. To add more, the bandits had disappeared as well. While this made the local Lord very happy it only added to Leon's suspicions that the bandits had captured the Herald and was somehow blocking his and Marrie's Mindspeech abilities.

Leon's Companion Rhodry thought his theory was well founded, and when he shared it with the others, Vris and her Companion Cullyn both thought it was good too. Aderyn had also thought it was good, but said he wanted to "check things out first."

In a private conversation, both Vris and Leon wondered why the young boy hadn't been Chosen. The power to see into the past seemed very useful, and Aderyn's gift had already helped clear up a few murders and intrigue cases. For whatever reason, the 20 year old scamp had not been Chosen and it looked like he never would be.

They were now riding through the forest which Kendel had disappeared… well the Heralds were riding, Aderyn was walking barefoot down the dirt rode. When the two white clad warriors had asked, the man had simply stated, "I can't see if I don't have physical contact."

Currently, the young man seemed to be walking through a vision while physically walking at the same time. His brown eyes were unfocused, and he kept looking at things that were not there. Personally, Leon thought the young man might have been more popular with the ladies if he could work on his personality. He was thin, well muscled, his brown hair and handsome features were very attractive but he was also very rude with people.

Suddenly the young man stopped in his tracks and simply looked at the ground. After a while he raised his head and blankly stared at the rode. He nodded as he came out of his trance and began talking.

"It seems that Leon's theory was completely correct. The bandits laid an ambush here and caught Ken and Marrie off guard. They somehow knocked out the two with some magical items, loaded them onto a cart, and took them somewhere," he pointed south off the trail, "that way."

It was the first time either Herald had seen the man use his ability. They'd herd about it from others but they had no first hand experience. Vris had to admit that she was impressed. She had good tracking skills, but there didn't seem to be any traces of a struggle, and after two weeks of traffic and weather it would be near impossible to get any information off of the surrounding land.

Aderyn put on his shoes again and began walking in the direction he saw in his vision, touching trees and bushed to get his bearings once and a while. After walking for half a mark, the group found themselves in a clearing. A river ran by one side of it and there seemed to be some signs of recent use. Not very recent, but less then a month old.

"It looks to me like they left about two weeks ago." Vris was finally able to put her tracking skills to good work.

Leon was next. "It was probably right after they got Ken."

"I'm going to find out what I can see." Aderyn stated. He began walking off in a daze.

His four traveling companions watched him walk off while Rhodry commented, :It must be nice to have a power like that under your control.:

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A young man walked through the bandit camp, he knew he shouldn't be there and if they ever caught him actually doing this, they'd probably kill him. However, he knew he was safe.

After all, Aderyn told himself, this is just the past.

He could see everything. Who was there, what their job was, how they acted. Nothing was hidden from his "eyes". The power to see the past was just as rare as being able to see the future, nobody ever really though that someone in the future would be watching their past actions.

What was more, his gift didn't seem to have limits. It didn't matter how far in the past something was, he could see it if he focused enough. Once, he'd even seen a battle that had taken place long ago. He didn't understand what the people were saying, but there had been lots of mages and even some non-human creatures fighting as well. Though he didn't like seeing the fighting too much, he loved to see the Griffons flying though the sky.

He saw someone who looked like he was important walking up to a large tent. Not the largest, but one of the larger ones. It seemed like a good lead so Aderyn decided to follow him and see what he could learn. The man entered a room which had a lot of pillows in it, as well as a lot of very beautiful things. Jewels, silk, also a lot of books too. In the center of it all was a young man about Aderyn's age, the man was skinny and didn't look too strong. He looked half sick, like anything could send him with a cold. Despite that, he had a fair complexion with his light brown hair and emerald eyes.

"Are you sure that it was a good idea? We should have just left a few days ago, or have gone knocked him out while we left."

The man who spoke was a well dressed warrior. Aderyn may not have been very good with a sword, but this man seemed like he was a pro. His medium build, black hair and black eyes made him handsome, but not nearly as attractive as the boy who he was talking to. And compared to this 40-year-old seasoned fighter, the other was just a boy.

"We've already gone over this, and I told you, he'll be of great help later if we get in trouble. We just need to treat him like a guest. Once we get far enough away, we'll let him go if we don't have to use him as a bargaining chip."

"I just don't like how you're being so vague with me. You're usually much more open with me then this."

The young man just smiled at the older one. It was a smile that wasn't forced and wasn't of pity or anger. It was a true smile of happiness.

"Sorry to worry you my friend, but even I am allowed to have my secrets. Now you need to be getting back to that lovely wife of yours." The young man said. There was mischief in his eyes as well. "You know how lonely she can get Evan."

So that's his name, Evan. I wonder who the younger one is?

Evan just smiled at the younger man. It was a sad smile which told volumes about what he felt toward the younger man. "I owe you so much Fid. My life, this group, my wife. I wish you could tell me what you truly want so I can help you with it."

Fid just smiled sadly back at the older man. "That's my secret as well old man. Now get going." When Evan left, Aderyn didn't follow. Fid seemed like he was a better candidate for information. He figured he could see what he was writing, but he began talking again. "And now we can speak privately." Aderyn looked around his vision, expecting to see someone come in through the doorway or from behind a curtain. He was too shocked by his next words to even think. "I'm talking to you Aderyn."

He almost lost his vision from the shock, but somehow kept holding on to it. The vision continued to speak to him. "I am know as Fidchell, the Prophet. I know you'll be in the future campsite trying to see the past because I can see you in the future." Someone with Foresight? "While I know you'll be having a vision of the past, I don't really know what questions you would ask me, so please don't. I'm actually looking forward to what this will bring about, and I'm wondering which of our powers will prove to be more useful. Your ability to see the past, or mine to see the future. Should we make a game out of this? Or maybe a race?"

The tent flap opened while he was finishing. "Ready, set, Go." The young man who walked in looked around the tent but found nobody there.

"Who where you just talking to Fid?"

"Just the future my young mage friend. What brings you here?"

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Aderyn came out of his vision quite shaken. Nobody had ever talked to him in one of his visions. Nobody in all the time he remembered. Though I never have really tried to see the past of someone with Foresight before. Foresight, that'll really though our plans off.

"Are you alright Ad?" It was Leon, he was obviously worried about the young man. Vris and the Companions both seem worried as well.

I never have come out of a vision like this before. Its understandable.

"I need to tell you something important." He told them everything that had he saw, and everything Fidchell had said.

Rhodry was the first to comment. :This greatly complicates things. I've never herd of someone with Foresight outside of the Heralds before. And he sounds extremely strong if he was able to talk to Aderyn in a vision.:

"It wasn't that." The seer explained. "He knew that I'd be here, looking into the past and searching for what happened, so he left a message that I would see."

Vris was the one to bring them back to their mission. "So the enemy knows that we're following them. I know some people with Foresight and they all say the same thing; they can only see the future that is most likely. Sometimes when there are too many choices or equal chances for those choices they can't see any one future."

"So should we call for backup?" Asked Leon.

:They're already out of the country, even if they have stolen one of our Heralds. And with two weeks to travel, they might even be out of Rethwellan and somewhere farther south.: Cullyn supplied.

"Well," Herald Vris began. "We need to tell Queen Selenay about this. Maybe she can put the Alliance on alert. A group of bandits who have a powerful Foreseer is nothing to be ignored. Then we need to try and follow them. Even if they plan on eventually release him, there still bandits and I don't trust them."

Leon tried to sum up their plan. "So, we'll contact the Palace, give them an update, try to find a way to block Fidchell's Foresight, and go in to rescue Kendal."

Everyone had their doubts, but Aderyn was the one to voice his. "I really don't think it'll be that easy." Something in his tone made everyone look at him. "I don't think we'll be able to block his gift so easily. And it won't be simple even without Fidchell's ability."