Firesong sat back on his heels, and shrugged. 'This is-news that will probably not please most of k'sheyna,' he opined. 'It is concerning the proto-Gate. It did not settle where I intended. It was pulled away-very strongly.'
'Not Falconsba-' Elspeth exclaimed, alarmed, when he interrupted her with a shake of his head.
'Nay. But it also did not go to the new k'sheyna Heartstone.' He sighed, and shook his head. 'I am at a loss to explain this. It has gone east and north. Far east and north.' He looked up at her from under long white eyelashes. 'To your land, to be precise.' She blinked, feeling suddenly very stupid. Was there something here she was missing? 'Valdemar?' she replied. 'But-why? How?'
'Better to ask, who,' Firesong replied, standing up again. 'There was a force came out of the north, at the moment of backlash. It used the force of backlash to snatch the power-point out of our hands, and when all was done, it had settled nicely as a Heartstone in the center of your crown city. Or so I surmise, since I cannot imagine any other place with so many of your Companions in one small area.' One corner of his mouth crooked in a slight smile as he nodded at Gwena. 'I do suspect that all of them are suffering as much as your-friend-is. The settling of that much power is not an easy thing.'
'North?' Elspeth managed, trying not to look too stupid. 'North?'
'North?' Darkwind shook his head. 'What in the name of the gods is north of Valdemar's lands that could do that?'
'Nothing-' Elspeth began, then stopped.
'What?' both of them snapped at once.
'The Forest of Sorrows,' she said hesitantly. 'The Forest-has always had a reputation for strangeness. Since Vanyel died there, anyway. ~ At the name of 'Vanyel,' Firesong's eyes narrowed, and he nodded thoughtfully. 'You are ready now,' he said directly to her. 'The rest of your training is largely a matter of practice and learning what will work for you. I think you both should go to this Forest.'
'Go?' Darkwind said faintly. Elspeth took a glance at him out of the corner of her eye; he was pale, and looked as if someone had just struck him.
'Yes,' Firesong repeated forcefully. 'Go. And you should go with her. It is obvious to a blind man that you wish to-and with all the Kaled'a'in here, there will be nothing that the Clan needs that you alone could provide.' He shrugged. 'They may even choose to move back here, which I think would be an excellent thing. But you should- mustgo with Elspeth.'
'But-I cannot!' Darkwind cried out, and winced at the sound of his own cracking voice. 'I cannot,' he repeated, at a lower volume. 'Tayledras never leave their Vales.'
'Sheka,' Firesong said rudely. 'My own foster forefathers did so, to help Herald Vanyel in Valdemar when he needed their aid. They have not in centuries, it is true, but this is a time of changes. Or,' he finished, his tone heavy with sarcasm, 'had that fact escaped you?'
'But the move-' Darkwind said feebly.
'Can be accomplished with the help of the Kaled'a'in. Either bringing them here, or your mages there. Now that the Stone is gone, you could use the node in the ruins to create a new one, or build a Gate to the new Vale.' Firesong shrugged, carelessly tossing his hair back over his shoulders. 'It matters little to me. My task is done here, and I am returning home.'
'Father-' Darkwind began, then shook his head. 'Father has Kethra and the Kaled'a'in and Shin'a'in healers. And Wintermoon. I am being foolish. But-' he licked his lips nervously. 'This is not easy.'
'Fledging rarely is,' Firesong said dryly. 'I shall leave you to make your decision.' Firesong stood and smiled, and now they saw that he had been toying with a black rose. At Elspeth's curious look, he smiled a little wider and said only, 'A gift. Brought to me by a scarlet-crested firebird.' Darkwind's brow creased in concentration. 'But-that breed is from the far north.' Firesong closed his eyes and sighed, content as any maiden paid a compliment. 'Yes, Darkwind-north of Valdemar.' Elspeth sat quietly as Firesong left them alone in the little clearing below her ekele. She wanted to look away from him, but she was afraid that if she did, he would take it as a rejection.
And that was the last thing she wanted.
He stared into his cup for a long, long time, while the tea cooled and both of them were locked inside their own thoughts. Finally, he looked up.
'This will not be easy,' he said awkwardly. 'I am-I have never been outside our own lands. I know nothing of the Outlands., ~ 'There are good people, bad people, and middling people,' she replied as casually as she could. 'Just more of them than you're used to, perhaps. But I would like you to come. I need you; not just the mage-but yourself; Darkwind.' That last slipped out before she could stop it, but once escaped, she did not want to take it back.
He let out a breath he had been holding in. 'I had hoped you would say that,' he said, and took her hand. 'I had hoped, but I had not expected it.' She felt her heart racing, as she put her own hand over his. SO, she said, dizzy with elation,' Shall we go see where all these changes are taking us?'
'Together,' he replied. 'Yes. I think we should.'
Once again, Elspeth made up her full packs, with everything she owned, and more-all the possessions she had accumulated in the Vale.
It was still the deep of winter, but the expedition that prepared to set out from Kena Lesheyana Vale was not one that was likely to be daunted by a little cold and snow. Not only were there three Adepts in the party, Firesong electing to guide them as far as k'treva, but there were four gryphons. Granted that two of them were barely fledged, and would make their ground-bound way alongside the riders in between their short flights, but even a young gryphon was likely to give predators pause.
That was something Elspeth had not expected, but she welcomed them completely. Treyvan would not say what his ultimate intentions were, but since he had begun asking for lessons in her tongue, Elspeth suspected that he and Hydona had been elected as the Kaled'a'in ambassadors to Valdemar. It made a certain amount of sense- and the gryphlets would be their wordless assurance to the people of Valdemar that they intended no ill.
I can't wait to see them in Court. How is the Seneschal going to call their credentials, I wonder?
Besides, with gryphons to gawk at, Nyara was going to seem almost commonplace.
