"Alaska!" Faolan shouted, bursting into his tent, breath steaming out from her mouth as she breathed, her eyes excited, "I figured it out!"
"What? How to end the war?" Alaska asked, looking up at Faolan. He was sitting on the floor, polishing his sword slowly with a rag, looking more like he was thinking rather than paying attention to the task- like he was just doing it to give his hands something to do, and he added, "I'm wanted back on the front, you know. I can't stay much longer, now that Morgan has true control. The Queen wants to talk to you- she's pleased. She doesn't really understand the whole true control thing, but she does understand that we did something amazing."
"Ah," Faolan said, then shook her head, "No- I just realized the odd thing I noticed when Morgan got true control. True control doesn't make you aware of the line- everyone knows about the line, even you Alaska, if you looked deep inside yourself. True control just makes you not want to ever cross that line again. I was thinking back to that moment- and realized that's what the difference between Morgan and I was. We both saw the line- he just, having never crossed it, had no compunctions about crossing it. And no part of me ever wants to cross it again."
"Oh!" Alaska said, his hand pausing on his sword, and he set it aside and moved to sit his cot, "That makes sense. Does it change anything?"
"Not really," Faolan frowned, stepping all the way into the tent, letting the flaps fall shut behind her, trapping in the heat again.
"I was thinking about my oddity," Alaska said, "And I think it's really just that the human mind is powerful on its own- capable of creating illusions for itself on its own. Isn't that what insanity is? My Gift allows me to project my mind- that's the difference."
"Ah," Faolan said, "That seems obvious, in retrospect."
"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" Alaska smiled at Faolan and she smiled back, despite still feeling depressed about the war.
"Hmm," Faolan said, her thoughts suddenly catching again, getting stuck on something Alaska said.
"What?"
"You know… I think I may have the way to end the war."
OOO
"I need to talk to the Queen," Faolan said to the Guard standing in front of the large command tent.
The Guard stared at her, then said, "The Queen is extremely busy right now…"
"It's important," Faolan insisted, "Tell her it's Faolan."
The Guard gave her an odd look- did he recognize the name? Then he turned around and pulled open the flap and said a few things to someone inside, then closed the flap again and said, "Just a moment."
After five minutes the tent flaps open and a Guard on the inside beckoned Faolan in. She entered into a large, warm tent, heated by several braziers. Towards the front was a large table, covered in maps and charts and quills. Several people stood around it, frowning- one of them whom Faolan recognized as the Queen. She wore not a dress as when Faolan first met her, but more practical clothing, a tunic and breeches of fine cut and design. Her hair was tightly tied back in a bun, and there was more gray streaking the white than Faolan remembered from previous encounters. Behind her, a servant was packing some things into a set of saddle bags.
"Faolan Wolfsbane," the Queen said as Faolan entered and bowed.
"It is a pleasure to be allowed this audience, your Highness," Faolan said as she walked up to the table.
"Please be quick Herald Faolan," the Queen said, "For I am leaving to another camp within the hour- but I trust what my werewolf Herald has to say may be important, indeed, and so I shall listen to her."
"I think…" Faolan started, then hesitated, not sure she wanted to make such a bold statement as the one she had made to Christopher Alaska, "I think I may have a way to end the war."
The others at the table- a few Heralds and some uniformed members of the Guard, turned to stare at her. The Queen was expressionless, and waited for Faolan to go on.
"Herald Alaska and I managed to give what we call true control to him- true control is the reason werewolves fight- in a way that was without bloodshed. However, it was dependent solely on Christopher Alaska. But… I think there may be a way for a werewolf to gain true control in this fashion without the aid of Herald Alaska. If it works… and if the werewolves will take it- I think they will, if it works, for they dislike fighting almost as much as we, then all that will be left to fight us is the Karsites standing alone."
The Queen stared at Faolan a little longer, and Faolan sensed suddenly that the Queen had hoped from the moment Faolan had been introduced as a Herald, that Faolan would find such a way- find some way to turn the werewolves off the path of destruction. She shivered, with the knowledge that such a weight had unknowingly been on her shoulders for all this time.
"What do you need?" the Queen finally asked.
Faolan paused- she didn't know, at least, she hadn't thought about it. But then she knew, "I need to go back to the front. I know I said I am no longer welcome there but I am willing to take the risk that they will kill me on sight if only for a chance to show them this new way, convince them to try it… If it doesn't work I suppose they'll kill me but by then I suppose it won't matter anymore…"
"You will take Herald Morgan Derry?" the Queen inquired, "He too is a werewolf."
Faolan stared at the Queen, then shook her head, "No- he hasn't been among werewolves before…"
"He will go with you," the Queen commanded, and Faolan stopped speaking, "He is a werewolf as well and they have more reason to accept him into their ranks than you, from what I know of your circumstances of departure…"
"Yes, your Highness," Faolan said and bowed again.
"Well, best of the luck to you Faolan, and I hope for the sake of Valdemar that you have found a way to end the war," the Queen said, then turned to the servant who had been packing things and started putting on a tunic of chain mail.
OOO
Faolan was elated. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but she was glad the Queen had let her go so easily. She supposed she was sort of the free variable in the war- the odd chance to end it quickly, and the Queen was willing to roll the dice. She wasn't exactly happy about Morgan Derry being sent with her, and she wasn't entirely sure why. She just didn't think it would be a good idea. Or maybe she just wanted to go alone.
Either way, she went to her tent right away and started preparing. She wouldn't be taking anything much- that she knew right away. She and Morgan would have to go on foot for the first bit, while they were still in Valdemaren territory, for on paws they ran the risk of friendly fire. The Companions would stay behind, as usual- Raul gave Faolan a mental hug as Faolan considered that. They could take weapons for the first bit, but both clothes and weapons would have to be discarded…
:Be careful, Chosen,: Raul mindsent softly as Faolan was changing out of her whites and making sure her bow and arrows were in order.
:I will, Raul,: Faolan answered, feeling sad to be leaving the Companion again. She heard a few soft hoof beats and knew the Companion was just outside her tent. She stood and went outside to wrap her arms around Raul's warm neck.
:You go into even more danger, you know that,: Raul said, and it wasn't a question, :More than last time… though I don't think at the time I could have believed it possible. Watch Morgan's back- and he will watch yours. I am glad he is going.:
:I'll be all right,: Faolan said, though both Herald and Companion knew that might not be so. Faolan knew what she had told the Queen was possible- if her idea of true control didn't work… she'd be killed. Morgan too, probably. And that was if she wasn't killed on sight anyway. But Faolan had been prepared for death from the moment she remembered her death as Carry Rolf- because that's when she knew she was living on borrowed time.
I love you, Raleigh, Faolan thought silently into the evening as she went back into her tent to finish gathering her things. It was time to go back to the werewolves.
OOO
If only there were any Valdemaren werewolves! But other than Morgan, there were none… All those who were bitten died- from the wound or by their own hand. Even if one could be convinced to not kill himself, if he or she hadn't done so already, and Faolan wasn't sure that was possible, she wasn't sure her idea would work unless it was on a werewolf that already had some control… So to the front it was.
Morgan and Faolan left only a few hours after the Queen, stealing off into the woods on foot with the blue eyes of their Companions watching them go. They went in roughly the same direction as the Queen, though their destination was slightly different, and they traveled on foot, and not on horse- or Companion. Faolan had rejected the idea of riding their Companions to the edge of the area held by Valdemar- she didn't want to run into any werewolves deep in enemy territory and be seen on a Companion, for that would ruin all hope of reaching the werewolves and regaining their trust.
Faolan's mind was whirling with all that had happened in the last few days. She was going back to the werewolves. This thought filled her with fear and excitement at the same time. She was afraid of their response at seeing her again, and she was excited to see old friends again… be back with werewolves again. Those she had grown up with. And the idea that she brought with her… If it worked- if it worked, if it would allow werewolves to gain true control without death and pain and war… Not only would it save Valdemar, it would save werewolves. It would stop them from being a parasitic race, living only on other's deaths. It would give them the freedom they never had before. That made it worth it almost more than ending the war between Valdemar and Karse.
As Faolan and Morgan trudged through the winter cold, hiking up slopes with patches of ice hidden beneath the leaves, breath steaming out, Faolan was reminded strongly of Raleigh. Here was where she had found him, among these wild hills and places of war. She wondered how he was doing in Haven, in that little apartment of his, all alone… She hoped he'd make some friends, or find some old ones. She hated the idea of him alone, in this winter cold.
Faolan had already explained to Morgan her idea of true control, and she could see in his eyes he mused on it now, as he trudged beside her. A sword was strapped to his back, a great sword, and Faolan realized that until now she had never really thought of Morgan as a warrior. But he was, all Heralds were, including herself. He had always seemed too… lost, to be a warrior. Though, of course, he hadn't been lost before he was bitten. Bitten. Chosen and Bitten. Faolan laughed, and Morgan glanced over at her, his eyes curious.
"Nothing," Faolan shook her head then sighed, continuing on. The day was still early and they had a long way to cover on foot. A long way through a war infested country.
"What will it be like?" Morgan asked a moment later, "With the werewolves?"
"I'm not really sure…" Faolan said, "I came to them as a child, I return as a young woman, and I return brining a stranger. I got the gist from before that they do get strays sometimes, but not often. They will be suspicious of me, because I left after murdering almost my entire fighting group- and they will be angry. Werewolves are a vengeful people. They understand true control, but what I did was not on the battlefield. They do not even know it was because of true control, so they will be suspicious. Doubly so because of you. You, a full grown man, newly bitten and newly with true control. They will give you some trust, because you are a werewolf, but when we tell them of how you got true control- edited of course to fit the new theory… I don't know. That's if they don't kill me on sight. Though if they do- and they don't kill you, you'll have to try and convince them on your own."
She glanced at Morgan- he only looked impatient and he answered, "No- I mean yes. I mean… I know that. What I want to know is what will it be like? What is it like to be among werewolves? As a werewolf?"
"Amazing… wonderful," Faolan said quickly without thinking and earned a sharp glance from Morgan. But what did he expect?
"You… you are a Herald," Morgan said a moment later, "I know you enough, have heard you speak enough… you place Valdemar before the werewolves. But I also see the passion in your eyes when you speak of them… they are your people now. How can you live like that? With two families? Two places to put your loyalties?"
"I don't know," Faolan whispered as her answer, "Until Raul repudiates me, I'll suppose I'm doing fine. It hurts, and that's why I want to end this war so badly. Both are families, both welcomed me in- the Heralds and the werewolves. I love them both…"
Morgan nodded, but didn't look quite satisfied, and he added a little later, "I'm afraid my own loyalties will become divided if I join among the werewolves, live with them for this brief time…"
:Tell Morgan he has no need to worry,: Raul spoke into Faolan's mind. She smiled, and complied.
"I know- Genevieve tells me this too," Morgan said, then fell silent. Faolan did not try to continue the conversation. They had some werewolves to find.
A/N: And the next chapter! Thanks so much to you all you faithful reviews who didn't mind that long gap in updates and still came to read the next chapter!!! Also college is fun. :)
StormyPhoenix- Yup! My intent exactly. Well, I didn't plan all of that out, but when I wrote it that's what I intended. I'm glad you like. :)
SwiftShadow- Quality is what is important, not quantity. Though speed helps if you want to be a published author. Well... my favorite motto is practice makes perfect- in some circumstances anyway. :)
Ban Capall- Thanks! I try my best! (I hope.)
GinaStar- :) Fun phrasing. Mass produce a miracle!
nohaydeque- Yeah... it would take a long time. And I have other, more original, ideas in my pocket. But maybe someday. And if I do it shall be dedicated to all you guys and you can all have a free, autographed copy:) Assuming if I de-Lackeyize it, it WILL get published... Be assumption, there.
ginalee- Well now you know how it will help stop the war:)