Some strange odd person: I know… I think I'm a bad writer, but they do say that you're your own worst critic… Winning a Pulitzer is definitely not on my to-do list. I never liked being in the spotlight anyways…
DarkangelWings:I've been waiting for someone to come up with this idea, then I got the time and finally figured out that no one probably thought about using the Change Circles like this, so I got down to writing. .
Wizard116: Thankies .
Ashfur: You'll just have to wait and see…. I am writing a novel o.o. It's just on hold for a bit… smart, intellectual, insightful person… you must be stalking me….
Breezefire: Yeah… I knew I messed up somewhere…. Thanks. Geez, for a small, barely updated fic this sure is getting a lot of reviews…
Fireblade K'Chona: Thanks. Ooh, what centaur story?
LadyToFu: He's got a sense of Empathy that keeps him out of danger most of the time. Herald Myste's also Herald-Chronicler; she needs to stay and document everything that goes on, and besides- Heralds get attacked. Bards have… Bardic immunity.
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To see my DonkeyPuss fic, please go take a look on my profile page. It's One Week.I mean, you all are open minded, (c'mon, you stayed with this fic, and hopefully read my other stuff) please leave a review, if you are so minded.
Since nobody guessed where Inyam is from, I'll give you a hint. She's in one of the anthologies. The cookies are going stale…
Notes: I don't remember how many Councilors there are, or where the main Council room was, so I'm guessing. If I'm wrong, I'll fix it in the revamped version.
I also don't really remember the arrangement of everyone, so that'll get vamped, too.
Chapter Five: I Am NOT A Baby-Eating Demon!
It took them another nine days to reach Haven. By the fourth day, Rowen was feeling distinctly uncomfortable as farmers and the common people of Valdemar had come out to stare, usually unobtrusively, but he could feel them staring at him as their odd little cavalcade passed. By the seventh, people were openly staring, and by the eighth, he was ready to bolt. They reached Valdemar on the ninth morning, having stopped just outside of Haven to rest at a Waystation, as the Heralds said that the next day would be trying for him and he would need all the rest he could get. Oh, how right they were.
When they actually entered Haven, Rowen wanted nothing more than to bolt, and run far far away, as far as his legs could carry him. He could run off the edge of the known world and it still wouldn't be far enough. The Heralds weren't exactly parading him, but it took exceedingly long to get to the center of the capital, mainly because their route was circuitous, winding back and forth and around until he wished that they could just barge straight through the seemingly endless houses and buildings to the Palace. In that amount of time, he thought he would go mad, because the streets were exceedingly quiet, with all of the citydwellers just staring. At him. He wanted to scream. As it was, it took quite a while to reach the center. When they finally got to the final wall, he wanted to weep with relief. There was a small crowd following them, but when they reached the gate, the whole parade stopped. The Guards at the gate admitted the official procession, but the followers were stopped, and turned away, grumbling.
Inside, things were a bit quieter, with a small group of Heralds and Valdemaran nobility awaiting them at the entrance to the Palace. The Companions and the original Guards turned away, taking the bandit with them, and were replaced by sterner men, dressed in a darker, almost midnight blue that put Rowen in mind of those Shin'a'in Sworn to the Crone. One of the Heralds--an older man with grayingbrown hair--standing at the entrance stepped forward to greet Rowen formally.
"Welcome, Rowen shena Tale'sedrin. Welcome to Valdemar, and welcome to the Palace. I am Prince-Consort Herald Darenthallis." He then turned to Julian. "Welcome back, Bard Julian. I trust your journey went well?" The corner of his mouth turned up in a slight, ironic smile.
"Yes, Milord," Julian answered right back.
"I trust that you are going to stay with Lord Rowen and assist him in settling in here? We have the ekele all ready for you," he added to Rowen.
That startled him. How had these Heralds known about his desire to use the ekele? He had heard that their Mind-Magic was strong, but not strong enough to reach from one kingdom to the center of another.
"Thank you, Milord." Rowen was actually impressed enough to bow as best as he could, bending his upper body forward and his legs under him slightly, despite the pain it caused him. A bit of him was wary, but most of him was telling him to trust this Herald, these Heralds. And Julian, of course.
Said Bard immediately admonished him, along with the Prince, for causing himself pain just to make a sign of obeisance. Daren then ordered Julian and Herald Kyndri to help Rowen towards Healer's Collegium to have his leg treated. Herald Lisha stayed with him and the other important personages, presumably to brief them on what the Mind-Magic could not convey. They turned a corner and the Prince and the others vanished from sight.
It was a slow walk, but they finally made it, and three Healers were waiting at the doors where Kyndri left them. One was an older woman with fiery red hair that was cropped short, one a slightly pudgy youth with kind eyes and a gentle look about him, and the third was another woman of indeterminate age, with long brown hair tied back in a braid. All were clad in forest green robes, and all went gape-mouthed when they saw him, but they covered it quickly. They quickly ushered him inside, and directed him to lie on his uninjured side on a long, low, metal table that was- for once- larger than he was, even with the added height of the human torso instead of the horse head. The boy unwrapped the bandages on his leg quickly and professionally, and the two women linked hands by lacing their fingers together, and held them an inch or two over his shoulder wound. Before his eyes, the injury knitted itself up, and the constant pain faded to a dull throb that was hardly noticeable. A faint appetite suddenly blossomed into almost painful hunger pangs, and he looked up, to see Julian hovering near the door. His shoulder looked fine, and he was wearing a new set of scarlet clothes- that uniform thing. Rowen suddenly wondered how long he'd been lying on the table in the room, and shakily tried to rise.
"Easy," one of the Healers placed a hand on his human shoulder and held him down gently- no easy feat, since Rowen had the strength of both man and horse.
"What-"
"You need to eat something," Julian supplied. "Your body used up most of its energy in Healing, so now you need to replenish that energy. What would you like to eat?"
"Erm- barley soup?" 'Please have that, at least,' he mentally begged. 'I haven't had good barley soup in so long!'
"Okay. Do you want me to have someone bring it here, or do you want to go to the 'ehkaylay' and eat there and get settled?"
"Actually, I'd prefer to go to the ekele. As soon as I can get up, that is." Rowen shifted his weight to his hooves and tried to get up. Tried. He couldn't rise, and it took all three Healers and Julian to get him back on his feet. Rowen stood there swaying for a few seconds before he got his balance back, and smiled down at Julian. "Shall we go?"
"Yes, just let me get my bearings." Julian led him out of the Healer's Ward, and down a long hallway to a large door. Beyond it, Rowen could hear people talking in muted whispers, and when Julian found the handle and opened the door, he was assaulted by a dozen conversations, all of which stopped when the speakers spotted him. Immediately they all started gabbling at him and he couldn't make sense of who to talk to first.
There were two Heralds, one of which was Prince Daren, several people in multicolored robes, and two people off to the side in outlandish clothing, one in white and the other in shades of muted dark green. These two didn't attempt to catch his attention, and neither did the Prince. The three merely watched with speculation in their eyes.
After about a minute of nonsensical words being directed at him and Julian, who was being pressed against his flank by a fat courtier dressed in yellow who was venturing too close, he had to put a stop to it. "ENOUGH!" he shouted, and interestingly, they all shut up instantly.
"Now, what is it that all of you need?" he asked into the shocked silence.
"Milord Rowen," the new Herald began, "we would like to request your presence at a full Council meeting that will begin in two hours, so as soon as you're settled in, would you please alert a page, and have the Bard Julian escort you to the Council Chamber?" She moved forward to say something privately and he leaned down. "You might want to brace yourself," she said quietly. "Many of them will be a bit… edgy in your presence, and a few may be downright rude."
Impressed by her attempt to be helpful, he nodded. "Thank you, Herald…?"
"Talia," she said. "I'm the Queen's Own."
That sounded like an important office, he thought. Who, and what, exactly was this small birdlike woman?
As she nodded at him, then turned to leave, presumably for other duties, the Prince followed her, and the robed people pressed in.
"Milord, would it be possible for us to-"
"Milord Rowen, could you-"
"Lord, after the Council meeting,"
"Milord, I am Mage-"
"Milord," "Milord-" "Milord-"
Their voices spun around him until he thought he would grow dizzy from each of them trying to be heard over the other. Finally the strange people apart from the rest of the group stepped in.
"Lords, Ladies, please. Let the Lord Rowen get settled in first before you start examining him, and inviting him places. I'm sure that he will be very tired after the Council meeting, and he's certainly in no shape to be answering all of your questions today," the woman said.
"I promise you, I'll still be here tomorrow," Rowen stated. "Would you all mind waiting until I'm settled enough to answer all of your questions coherently? Thank you." As one, the Mages all turned away and flounced off down the hallway in a different direction than the one that Talia and the Prince had taken.
"My apologies, Lord Rowen," the woman began. "I'm Herald-Mage Elspeth, and this is the Tayledras Adept Darkwind, Envoy for the Talyledras." She gestured to her companion, who nodded at Rowen. "That was… sort of an attempt to see how you could hold up under pressure, and I must admit, you did remarkably well. Since Julian really hasn't been to the ekele before, we'll take you there. Do you have any bags?"
"No, but Herald Lisha sent some of the Guardsmen back for my belongings, and they should be arriving soon."
"Ah." Rowen grabbed Julian's wrist and the Envoys led them through the center courtyard, through a large and beautiful garden that looked like it was tended all year round, to a fence that separated the buildings, gardens, and courtyard areas from a huge field of lush, green grass. The field was gigantic, had to cover several acres, and had a large grove of old, old trees directly in the middle. Off in a far, far corner was another stand of trees, with what looked liked a small wooden building nestled in the middle. Rowen could vaguely make out what looked like a second story in the upper branches, but he wasn't sure. Interesting. He wouldn't be able to get up the stairs, but for guests- he blinked. Why was he planning for a long stay? He would be here for a few moons, maybe less, before he got fed up with this place. Still- where would he go if he left?
Certainly tales of the strange half-human, half-horse monster would be circling the city, and soon the entire nation of Valdemar would know. After that, the surrounding countries, then the entire--well, perhaps not the entire world, but people would recognize him anywhere he went. Herald-Mage Elspeth opened the gate leading into the field, and he was momentarily distracted from his thoughts. During the long walk to the far building, he was lost inside of himself again. Possibly--the Kaled'a'in settlement of White Gryphon all the way down south, on the sea. Or--perhaps in Iftel, which no one knew anything about. Or maybe back into a forest, maybe the Pelagir Hills, or the Forest of Sorrows.
He mused on a home in the Forest of Sorrows for a while. Many legends surrounded that place; tales of bandit groups being killed by the very plants that they trampled over, a story of a young boy, who, a long, long time ago, was helped by a friendly forest spirit while running from a bandit group… the myths of that place were endless. Surely if he pled his case before the spirit… But then what of Julian? For his heart twisted at the thought of leaving the Bard behind, and he momentarily wondered why. The wonderment vanished in the shadow of the astonishment he felt when they entered the deceptively small building. When they got through the door, Rowen was gaping. This was no ekele. This was a Tayledras Vale! A miniature Vale in the heart of Valdemar!
Plants ran rampant through the ground floor, and small hot and cold pools. He knew that had to be their purpose--why else would Firesong place two identical pools in a single room? Besides, there was steam rising from the pool on the far side of the room. There was also a miniature waterfall, fed by a small stream that originated from the cooler pool, that dropped into the hot pool over a large stone that looked like a backrest.
On the far side of the garden was what looked like a wrought-iron staircase that had to lead to the second floor. The second floor that he couldn't get to because of his damned hooves. He sighed, and continued to look around the garden, growing more content with it by the second.
"Do you like it?" the man- Darkwind, asked.
"This is probably the closest to secluded that you can get in all of Haven. No one except for the Heralds and their Companions ever come into Companion's Field, so you should have privacy enough. Plus we took the liberty of heating the hot pool again when we heard you were coming," Elspeth said.
"Thank you."
"I know it's not home, and it might not ever be, but I thought it would be the place you would be most comfortable in," Julian told him.
"That was very kind of you, Julian," Rowen said. "Thank you for showing us the way," he said to the Envoys.
"No need. We're here for you, Rowen. If you're having any problems adjusting, or anyone is giving you problems, just come to us and we'll help you."
"Thank you," he said again, wondering why they would go through all of this just for an Envoy that wasn't even human.
They turned and left, leaving him alone in the strange indoor garden with Julian, who was standing with his blind eyes closed, fingers slightly outstretched. He was probably- what was he doing?
"Julian?" Rowen asked in an uncertain voice.
"What- oh, sorry. The garden feels- beautiful."
"Feels?"
"Oh. I never told you. I have a slight Gift of Empathy. I can feel things. Living things, really. It's the only reason why the Healers would let me go out after my- my accident." There was a slight hitch in his voice when he said it.
"What exactly happened?" Rowen asked.
Julian's tone was light, but it sounded forced. "Some drunken mercenary tried to kill me in a tavern on the Hardorn Border. He. . . tried to slit my throat, but I brought my head down and he got. . . my eyes, instead. Pretty good trade, huh?"
His following laugh sounded bitter, and Rowen suddenly pitied him, for all of his inner strength. What had been taken from this man along with his sight?
An awkward silence followed until Julian coughed uncomfortably. "Listen, that was--not polite of me, I'm sorry. I just let the sadness take hold of me, sometimes. It's--easier than dealing with the pain, sometimes."
"It's alright," Rowen answered him. "Listen--you're the only real friend I have here at Haven, really in all of Valdemar. Would you--" Now he felt embarrassed for asking, but Julian really was the only one here that he trusted unconditionally. "Would you mind staying here in the Vale with me? The servants probably won't come near here, after all of the rumors that are bound to be flying around about me. They'll trust you." It sounded like a lame excuse, but the Bard apparently bought it, because his face brightened, and he smiled.
"Of course I'll stay with you. It gets lonely in my quarters, sometimes, and it feels so peaceful here." Came the reply. Rowen found his own face breaking out into a rare, small, smile.
"Thanks."
"Now, let's get you settled in before we go to the Council meeting."
Damn. He'd forgotten about that.
"How long do we have?"
"I'd say about one and a half candlemarks, but I could be wrong. You might want to get cleaned up before you go to the meeting. Is there anything here?"
"Pools," Rowen supplied. "A hot pool and a cold pool. But no towels." He looked around doubtfully. "I don't see any, but they'd probably be upstairs. And unfortunately, I can't get up there." He frowned. "Plus there's the matter of food…. could you call a servant?"
"Yes, let me just find out how to call one. That mage had to have had some way to call servants- they said he was so picky and full of himself that he wouldn't move himself to go over to the Palace to get someone. So obviously there must be something here. Unfortunately I can't see. I guess you'll have to be my eyes for this. Do you see anything that looks like it doesn't belong? Something not… plantlike? I tried Seeing it before, but it must be masked by the plants and disuse."
Rowen looked around again. "No. Hold on, I'm going to check the walls." He moved around the edges of the room, examining the walls, searching all around the edges, pushing bushes out of the way, peering under the branches of low trees. Finally he found it, near the staircase. It was simply a small white stone set into the dark pillar beside the door. Cautiously, he probed it with one finger, and it pushed into the rock and glowed blue. With a curse, he jumped back.
"What's wrong?" Julian asked him.
"I think I found it, but--I don't know. It's a little white stone near the door, and when I pressed it, it turned blue."
"Then I guess we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, why don't you clean up in the pool and I'll wait for whatever comes?"
"Okay." Julian couldn't see him anyway, and there really was nothing to see. Sighing, he pulled his hair out of its ponytail and shook his head back. He walked over to the hot pool, and carefully dipped a hoof in. Not too hot, but enough to make his muscles relax. A small slope at one end served as his entrance to the pool, and he used it, gratefully lowering himself into the warm embrace of the water. There was a small bowl fused to the floor near the back rest rock, and to his inner delight, there was soap in it. Finally he could get decently clean!
He used the soap liberally, and it took all of what he used to get himself clean. He really hadn't noticed it before, but there were some places that were damned hard to reach, like his under-belly area, the area around the croup, and the tail, to name a few. But eventually he got himself clean, and rinsed off by squeezing himself under the waterfall. Then he decided to soak for a bit before the servant came- if they came. He really hoped that someone would come. Having the strength and lower body of a horse might be a bit interesting, but it meant that if he got wet, he smelled like wet horse, which wasn't exactly pleasant.
After a while, there were noises at the door, and he looked up. Julian came in, laden with an armful of towels, followed by what appeared to be an extremely frightened servant carrying a large pot of soup. Rowen sniffed the air. Mmm, barley soup. He started to rise out of the pool. Big mistake. The servant froze, and his eyes widened perceptibly. Slowly, he put the pot down on the ground, rose, and bolted for the door, gabbling something in Valdemaran about a demon. Rowen snorted, and Julian started laughing.
"Sorry. I should have known the servant'd run off. Now there'll be rumors about the 'Evil Changechild Demon' that tried to catch and eat the servant who tried to bring him some dinner."
"Joy," Rowen remarked, as he stepped completely out of the pool. "Could you bring those over here, please?"
"Sure." Julian started walking in the direction of the pool cautiously, towels clutched under one arm, while Rowen directed him.
"Keep coming, rock right in front of you, keep coming… stop. Okay, you can put the towels down, now."
Julian put the towels down and Rowen grabbed one, and started drying himself off. After a half-dozen he figured he was dry enough to walk around without leaving puddles of water everywhere. Julian had sat on a rock next to the stream, lazily letting the water run over his fingers as the little brook ran past.
Quietly, so as not to disturb him, Rowen fetched the pot and brought it back near the hot pool, along with the bowls and spoons that he'd found behind the stack of towels. When he'd set the pot down, filled the bowls, and folded his legs under him like a horse, he gently reached out to touch Julian on the shoulder.
"Hmm?"
"Food's ready."
"Oh, good." Rowen handed the bowl and a spoon to the Bard, and picked up his own.
"This is really good," he exclaimed after trying a bite.
"It should be," Julian replied. "They only use the best quality horsemeat, after all."
Rowen nodded. Best quality… Horsemeat! He started choking on the stew and Julian started laughing.
"Easy, I was joking. Are you alright?"
Rowen glowered at him even though he knew that Julian couldn't see it.
"Ha, funny."
After they'd finished their meal, (which took most of the pot thanks to Rowen's appetite,) he glanced at a water clock that he'd noticed while in the pool. Only a half of a mark left.
"Is there a brush around here?"
"Umm…."
"Wait, probably upstairs… do you think you could find it?"
"I can try. Where's the staircase?" Rowen led him to it, and Julian started climbing.
After a few minutes of scuffling noises up above, and a few loud thuds, he heard a shout of, "Found one!"
Julian came back down the stairs, clutching the rail the entire way, and handed the comb to Rowen. Gratefully he took it, and started brushing the knots and tangles out of his hair. He struggled with a few, but finally got through them, and smiled as he braided his hair back and tied it with a leather thong.
"Alright then," he said, still smiling, "shall we go?"
"Never hurts to be early."
Rowen took Julian's wrist again, and led him out of the Vale and back through Companion's Field. A few of the gorgeous white creatures came up to stare curiously, but he could detect nothing but a vague sense of friendliness emanating from their intelligent blue eyes.
When they were back in the courtyard, he looked around for a servant that might know where the room was. 'Looking, looking…ha! A page!'
"You, there!" He called. The page looked up, and over at him. To his credit, he didn't scream and run in fear. Instead, he approached nervously. "Y-y-yes, Milord?"
"Boy, I am not a demon; I do not eat children until dinnertime. Can you tell me where I might find the Council Chamber?"
The boy looked petrified until Julian moved around Rowen's bulk. "Sorcha, is that you?" Sorcha's face brightened a little, and he wavered between looking at the Bard or Rowen.
"Julian, you're back!"
The boy ran over to hug the human, who said, "Sorcha, could you please take me and my friend to the Council Chamber? We need to get to a meeting there soon. It's very important." Sorcha's nose wrinkled, but he nodded and glanced again at Rowen.
"Sorcha," the page jumped at hearing his name. "Sorcha, I am not going to hurt you. Julian and I met while he was on his circuit, and we are very good friends. I do not eat babies, or children, all right? On my honor, I will not eat you."
Sorcha nodded again, and motioned for them to follow him. He led them through many different hallways, where people just stopped in the middle of what they were doing and watched him pass, some with fear in their eyes, but a few with respect. These were the Heralds.
When they reached a large set of doors at the end of a hallway, they stopped. This must be the Chamber. He thanked the page, who nodded back and watched him enter the room curiously, with no more traces of fear in his eyes. Inside the room were many people arranged around a horseshoe-shaped table. A few were talking quietly amongst themselves, and at the bend of the table sat Daren and a woman who had to be Queen Selaney, as well as Herald Talia. Near the fire place on the right side of the room stood a young man, dark of hair, wearing the robes of a Karsite. A large cream colored cat with orange markings on both face and paws was wrapped around his legs, staring up at the man's companion. The Karsite was engaged in an eager conversation with a man who was dark in hair color and complexion, and- Rowen's brain stopped working for a moment. A single thought floated to and rose above the surface of his swirling mind.
'He's Shin'a'in.'
Hiro: Review, please.