Chapter 19: Lesson learned

Herald Captain Kerowyn sighed as she rode through the gates of Haven. She'd enjoyed her time in Bolton with her mercenary company, but it was good to finally be coming home. She tugged at the hem of her whiter than white uniform tunic and shifted her weight in the saddle, adjusting herself to match Sayvil's every move. She would be glad to shed her whites in favor of one of her other outfits. Idly, she wondered how Jeri was holding up teaching all of their students. She was well aware of the fact that Alberich was likely helping her as much as he could, and likely trying to take on more than he was capable of. Much as the man hated to admit it, he was quite old. He was still spry, but age was finally beginning to catch up with him. Not that he would ever admit to that fact, but then Tarma had once told her the day she needed help with a horse was the day they put her in the ground.

: Kantor informs me that Alberich has actually taken over all of the classes, including Jeri's. It seems that Jeri's expecting, and apparently, it isn't going to be an easy pregnancy. The Healers have pulled her off duty already. : Savil told her abruptly.

Kero stiffened, startled by that tidbit of information. Why hadn't anyone (Elden in particular) told her about this? How long had Jeri been unable to perform her duties?

:Only the past two and a half weeks, Chosen. : Sayvil replied calmly. : Alberich has been testing the new Trainees for placement in their weapons classes. He'll be done this afternoon. :

Kerowyn sighed: How is he holding up? : she asked after a moment.

Sayvil gave the Companion's equivalent of a chuckle: Remarkably well, considering his age. Kantor tells me one of the new trainees gave him quite a work out the other day, until Alberich discovered his unfortunate tendency to leave his lower outside line just slightly open and exploited it mercilessly.:

Kerowyn chuckled; the boy would have to relearn the way he covered his lower line, and she made a mental note to ask Alberich which of the new trainees would require her personal attention. Seven new trainees . . . that was a big number for a single class.

: Eight actually—one of the servants visiting the palace was Chosen a few days after we left; just before Vanyel and Jissa returned actually, so there are eight newly Chosen. : Sayvil corrected mildly, before adding. : Kantor informs me that Alberich thinks the two of you will likely have your work cut out for you with the newest of the trainees. Apparently, Vanyel didn't get to actually Choose the boy until a few days after he brought him to Valdemar. The young man passed out after being accidentally (we hope) overdosed by a Healer who didn't understand his gifts. He very nearly died from it, and Vanyel didn't actually get to Choose him until he'd woken up three days later. The boy was only just released to his classes this morning. Apparently he's a noble, and if he's anything like Trainee Austin, Vanyel and the boy's teachers are going to have their work cut out for them turning him into a Herald. :

Kerowyn shifted in the saddle, ignoring the grumbling of her stomach as they passed into one of the vending sections of the capital city. She'd missed breakfast this morning and wanted to return to the palace quickly now that she knew of Alberich's predicament. Sayvil however was a Companion with a mind of her own. The Companion stopped in front of a food vendor and refused to be moved until she'd gotten herself some food. A moment later, Kerowyn swung back up into her saddle with the ease of long practice; in one hand she held a hot meat pie, and a ripe apple. Sayvil moved off again, winding her way delicately through the maze like streets of Haven. She dropped her reins and settled the small hand sized pie with its wax paper wrapper down against the horn of the saddle. She drew her belt knife with a single swift motion, and deftly cut the ripe crisp fruit into quarters. She leaned forward in her saddle and proceeded to feed the slices to Sayvil. Only after she'd seen to her Companion did she eat her pie.

The venison was tender and spiced with one of the exotic seasonings they'd recently began importing from White Gryphon. She closed her eyes, reveling in the flavor, and thinking about how well the thing would go with a nice wine. She sat up tall in her saddle as they moved into the higher districts, the very image of Heraldic pride and authority.

She smiled at the young guard on duty at the palace Gate and waited for him to mark their return on his clipboard, before Sayvil pranced through the gates and up to Companion's Stable. The mare calmly walked into her big open box stall, and stood still long enough for Kero to dismount and strip her of her tack. With that done, Kero vanished into the tack room, deposited Sayvil's gear in its proper place, and returned to her Companion's side with her brushes in hand. Sayvil leaned into each brushstroke, and picked up her hooves for Kero to pick without her having to ask.

Once she finished her brushing and put her tools away, she accompanied Sayvil back out of the Stable. The mare walked with her for a few minutes before giving her the image of two young men clad in Trainee Grays. One was a tall, well built man with hair the strangest shade of red she'd ever seen, and the other was just slightly shorter and leaner, with shortly cropped mahogany hair.

: They are the Heralds my children have Chosen. : Sayvil informed her, her mind voice all but dripping with pride.

Kerowyn pulled up the memory again, trying to picture either of these trainees partnered with a still somewhat dainty Vanyel. The smaller boy seemed to be the best fit, but she supposed the colt could still grow large enough to carry the larger of the two men with ease. However, there was something about the red head that just fit well with what she knew of Sayvil's daughter Jissa.

Sayvil confirmed her suspicion when she asked.

She paused briefly, one hand resting on the mare's glossy shoulder, wondering just how to pose her next question. She didn't want to insult her Companion, but she was curious and honestly a little worried. : Sayvil, I don't wish to offend you, but is there something wrong with Vanyel? He's almost fully grown, and yet – well to be blunt, Sayvil, he was born almost a month early and the two other stallions born around the same time are quite a bit larger than he is. His back is a bit short, and while everything looks sound, he's very dainty for a stallion. I've never seen a stallion so lean and angular; he's nowhere near as muscular as the others, and even Steffen is larger than he is, but Vanyel is older. :

The mare cocked an ear in her direction and seemed to sigh. However, she didn't seem angry, just tired. : Honestly, Chosen, you're not the first to ask that. I've overheard several similar questions posed by everyone, from the Heralds to members of the Guard, and even the stable hands. Vanyel may be small, even as a human he was a dainty man. He was also a late bloomer. I admit that when Van was younger and so much smaller than the other colts, I went to Rolan. The Grove Born has seen much in his many lives, and he assures me that while Vanyel is indeed a little on the dainty side, his overall build speaks of great endurance. He is already the fastest thing on the field, second only to The Queen's Own Companion when it comes to speed and endurance. Given time he will grow into his own, and he and his Chosen will likely become one of the Queen's special messengers. :

Kerowyn patted the mare's shoulder, thankful she hadn't offended her. She sighed, she'd best be getting to the salle so she could save Alberich from himself! The Herald made the trek over to the training grounds, hopping over the small fence that was in her way. Kero arrived just after Trainees Conrart and Yozak. She slipped into the sale, noting how both of the young men marked her presence before dismissing her.

She reached for Alberich with her mind as the man moved towards his latest victim. : Would you like me to handle this one, Alberich? : she asked calmly.

Alberich sent her the mental equivalent of a snort. : Easy, this will be. He is highborn, and likely over inflated by his overpaid fancy teachers, his ego is. Having an 'old man' mop the floor with him, good for him will be! Not long this will take, when how much work ahead of us we've seen, take him off my hands you may. :

: As you wish: shereplied calmly, and settled herself against the wall to watch the fun.

She listened quietly to the brown haired boy's answers, and watched him as he chose his weapon. Her first thought was that the sword was too long for him, but there was well earned grace in the simple way he tested the feel of the blade, and his grip looked both light and strong. She winced at Alberich's remark about age, noting the fact that the boy's silence seemed to be grating the older Herald's nerves. Alberich was frustrated, which would lead to his making mistakes… and there was something about this boy. Something about the quiet confidence in his grip that told her there was steel in the lad's blood, something that told her he was a fighter.

There was more to this boy then met the eye.

His response when Alberich asked him about his blade choice startled her, since he seemed almost resigned to something. Alberich didn't even give the boy time to react, and Kerowyn knew this simply was not going to end well. She hoped they wouldn't be sending the trainee off to see the healers simply because Alberich thought he was a bigger fool then he'd originally thought. At the very least, the boy was going to be leaving with bruises.

And they were going to be nasty ones!

To her utter astonishment, the clash of steel on steel rang across the salle as the boy blocked Alberich's attack with a deftness she had trouble placing. When she did however, it startled her. She'd seen that economy of motion, grace, and assurance in her more skilled and battle tested merc's.

This had just gotten interesting!

As for Alberich, the man was obviously blind to the danger he was in.

There was definitely a lesson to be learned here, and it looked as if the Trainee was going to be the teacher.

She watched their bout, noting the effortless grace in the way the boy switched from defensive to offensive maneuvering. He ran Alberich across the salle several times before he finally 'killed' him. However, she got the impression he could have killed him anytime he wanted to. She'd never admit it to anyone but Sayvil that she found his retort to Alberich's previous comments amusing and informative.

"Never underestimate your opponent." He said simply.

She took a step forward before commenting, "A lesson best not taken lightly."

The boy, Conrart, turned to look at her, and she saw steel in his eyes, confirming her suspicion- the boy had seen battle. He wouldn't have that hard look to his otherwise warm eyes if he hadn't. She made up her mind then to learn a bit more about the boy's teacher and background. She watched him calmly, noting the way his hand shook around the hilt of the blade, and remembered what Sayvil had told her earlier that day. Conrart had nearly died less than a fortnight ago, and the healers had only just released him to his classes. She was about to instruct the boy to take a seat on one of the two benches along the wall of the salle when Alberich stunned her into speechlessness.

Honestly, was the man daft?

"Kerowyn, just bested me with a sword this one did, against you how he fairs, I would see." Alberich said simply, and from the sound of it –

It wasn't a request.

For a second, all she could do was gape at him. To her utter shock, Conrart's only reaction was to bring his sword up into a defensive position, and watch her out of eyes that were simply far too old for his young face. She blinked and turned her attention back to Alberich.

"Are you daft?!" she snapped sharply. "You want me to spar with him simply because your pride is wounded? Alberich, that boy was only just released from his bed by the healers!" Her words were fueled by the earful she was getting from Sayvil via Vanyel. She turned quickly to take in the boy's appearance. "As for you," she began, her voice devoid of the sharp edge she was utilizing against Alberich, "sit down before you fall down."

Conrart watched her quietly, his brown eyes wary. "I thank you for your concern, Madam," he said calmly as he lowered his practice blade. "However, your trepidation is unwarranted. I assure you, my lady, I am well." His voice was a display of cultured eloquence.

She was startled—the boy seemed to be holding himself erect only through the expenditure of much self will. He was shaking, but his chin was raised in defiance, so that he positively dripped with noble pride. Kerowyn sighed; she had her own dose of noble pride, and knew it would have to be handled carefully. She had to get him to listen to his body's demands and sit down, but she got the impression that this wasn't going to be easy. She couldn't exactly force the boy to sit down; after all, she was a woman, and if his people were anything like her own, he wouldn't take kindly to a woman telling him to do anything, let alone forcing him to do something. Judging by how well he reacted to her telling him to 'sit down before he fell down', this was going to require a display of diplomatic finesse.

She hated diplomacy!

She briefly considered how to get the boy down onto the bench before he fell down. The red head solved the problem for her. Yozak moved forward so quickly, it almost looked as if he'd simply appeared behind Conrart.

"You stubborn mule," he said fondly, as he scooped the younger man up bridle style, and proceeded to carry the struggling man over to the nearest bench.

"Yozak, unhand me this instant!" Conrart yelled, flailing about in the elder and obviously stronger man's arms.

The red head looked entirely unperturbed by the other man's thrashing and highhanded speech. "Oh for the love of the Great One, Conrart, sit down like the lady told ya, and stop being such a tight ass!" Yozak snapped as he dumped the other man rather unceremoniously onto the bench.

To Kerowyn's immense surprise, Conrart didn't react the way she expected. On a less dignified man, his expression would be termed pouting!

These two were definitely more than mere acquaintances!

: They've known each other since shortly after they stopped being toddlers. : Sayvil informed her calmly, before adding. : Apparently, the difference in their ranks is enormous, yet their friendship remains unshakeable; even as adults. Their friendship should have ended long ago, but it seems as if their fates are intertwined. :

Kerowyn thought about that for a moment, watching the dynamics between the two, as Yozak returned to his friend's side, a dipper full of water held lightly in one large hand. He offered it to Conrart, who took it with hands that shook so badly the water sloshed over the rim. To her utter astonishment, Yozak simply dropped to his knees in front of his friend, and wrapped his own larger hands around Conrart's. Together they brought the dipper, held steady by their joined hands, up to Conrart's lips so that the man could take a drink.

She smiled lightly at them and turned her attention to the staring guard behind her, "Don't you have something to be doing?" she snapped.

The guard snapped to attention, his hand coming up into a quick salute before he bolted off to do whatever it was he should have been doing. She turned her attention back to Conrart; the young man was still shaking, and she sighed as she reached for Sayvil with her mind.

: Has the boy's riding ability been tested yet? : She asked once she had the mare's attention.

: No, love: Sayvil replied mildly.

Kerowyn sighed: I can't give him an accurate assessment right now. He's shaking so badly that I doubt he'd be able to stay on his Companion at an easy walk, let alone handle the obstacle course. Do you think 20 minutes will be sufficient time for him to recover enough for me to test him? :

For a minute, Sayvil seemed distracted, and Kerowyn wondered just whom the mare was talking to, before the Companion turned her attention back to her Chosen. : Vanyel says that should be sufficient enough time. He also says he'll meet us at the Stables in 20 minutes. :

Kerowyn nodded, despite the fact that Sayvil was currently out in the field somewhere and thus unable to see the gesture. : Thanks, love: she replied mildly.

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A.N So what do you think of Conrad's evaluation with Alberich? Stay tuned for his equestrian evaluation with Kero. Read and Review please. Going nuts in the concrete jungle already please review.