Foundation

“The same! Want to travel together as far as my home? You can overnight there, it’ll be cozier than some inn full of strangers.”

He beamed at her, and she smiled happily back. “And this way for at least part of the trip, you won’t be stuck with some prune-faced old servant and have no one to talk to.”

“Oh, Havens—that would be wonderful! They’ll be sending Hamish, the steward, and I think he hates me. Or at least, he doesn’t approve of female Bards.” She shuddered. “The sour looks he gives me every time I open my mouth would curdle milk.”

“We’ll do it, then. You’ll love my family, they’re all mad about Midwinter, they’ll probably hold a feast- rehearsal just for you—” Bear continued for a bit longer in this vein, then turned and said to Mags, “So when are you—”

That was when it finally occurred to both of them that Mags didn’t have a family, or anywhere else to go. Lena looked stricken, and Bear flushed. Lena spoke first,

“Mags, I am so sorry. We didn’t mean anything, we—”

He swallowed, and ducked his head. “Don’ matter. I didn’ even know what all this was about till Dallen tol’ me. So it’s not like I hev recollections or anything, eh?”

Lena shook her head. “No Mags, we were really thoughtless, and if we’d taken the least consideration, we would have asked if one of us could have you along.”

“Pish. It don’ matter. I’da felt as out of place with your kin as a pig in a sheep pen.” He managed a smile. It felt stiff and fake, but maybe they wouldn’t notice. “Dallen says this’s ‘sposed to be a family time, so you don’ need some stranger shovin’ in where he don’ fit. Anyway, you’ll be back here in no time. An’ I’ll hev a rest from lessons! I might actually get a chance to look around. There’s a mort’o stuff I never seen before, d’ye ken?”

Lena looked unconvinced, and Bear troubled, but they didn’t say anything. Well, really, what could they say? To save them further embarrassment, Mags shoved his books into his bag, making a great show of getting them in there just so. “Anyway, got an exam first thing, so I better get some sleep. See you at breakfast, then?”

He hurried out before either of them could reply.

:That was awkward.: He hadn’t gotten three steps down the path before Dallen spoke ruefully in his mind.

:Aye, that,: he replied. He was feeling both sorry for them and a bit miserable himself. Despite the promise of Jakyr’s arrival, he had little confidence that the man would spend much time with him. He was, after all, a grown man and a full Herald, and had very little in common with Mags. There would be no classes and very little to occupy Mags’ time during the fortnight or so when everyone would be gone. Once, that prospect would have made him quite happy, but now ... honestly it didn’t. He’d gotten used to having people around, and gotten used to actually having friends.

:Wretched, isn’t it?: Dallen said wryly. :All this time being lonely, and never knowing you were lonely, until you weren’t anymore.:

:Aye, well, I’ll only be lonely for a fortnight. Reckon I can last that out: He pushed open the door of the stable with a sigh.

:Dammit, I am gonna be happy here,: he told Dallen abruptly, :I got every thin’ I need, an’ I got you. If I cain’t be happy with that, I don’ deserve t’have any of it.:

_____________________

The Collegia were quiet for the first time since Mags had arrived here.

Shortly after he had waved good-bye to Lena and Bear, most of the rest of the Trainees had gone their ways as well. There were a handful still at Healers, and a couple at Bardic, but he was the only Heraldic Trainee. Only the workmen remained, taking advantage of the Trainees’ absence to do things it was hard to accomplish with people underfoot.

Bear and Lena had given him and Dallen Midwinter presents of their own. Bear’s gift to Dallen had been a mane-and-tail comb impregnated with pennyroyal oil, which would keep flies away. His gift to Mags had been a canister full of herbal tea of his own devising; something that would help Mags sleep, but had been made to appeal to his specific taste. How he had known about the nights when Mags would be awakened by nightmares, Mags had no idea. He still dreamed of being pursued, or pursuing something that was going to hurt some unspecified person he cared for, and on those nights when Mags would wake up in a cold sweat and be unable to get back to sleep—well, this would be exactly what he needed.

Lena’s gift to Mags was a long scarf of soft, gray wool; her gift to Dallen was a strange little contraption of white net that fitted closely over both ears, and was intended to keep insects out of and off them. Mags nearly choked up; it was clear that they had both put a lot of thought into their gifts.

Now they were gone, the stables were almost silent, and when Mags had awakened this morning, he decided that he was not going to get up and go to breakfast. This was supposed to be a holiday; well, he would treat it as such.

He got up long enough to brew some of that tea, though, and drink it down. It helped, perhaps, that he had been studying so hard and for so long to pass those examinations, and that now that they were over, he felt as if a heavy weight was off him. He did manage to drowse well into midmorning, then got up, got something that might have been either an early luncheon or late breakfast from the kitchen, and then—

Then wondered what he was to do with himself. The Collegium itself was full of hammering and shouting, and was not a very peaceful place to be.

:We are going to go into the city, Mags,: Dallen said firmly. :You have never seen so much as a village before. So this is what I want you to do ...:

By midmorning Mags was dressed in his uniform with Lena’s scarf about his neck and a belt-pouch with a few sausage rolls from the kitchen in it. On Dallen’s advice, he went to Herald Caelen and asked permission to visit the city; Caelen, deep in some papers that were making him frown, waved at him absentmindedly and told him to be back by sunset. And that was all there was to it.

So he mounted Dallen’s saddle and they headed out the “Herald’s Gate” in the walls around the Palace-