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Tears of the Phoenix	By : serialcabbit78 Category: S through Z > Valdemar Series Views: 1397 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do NOT own ANY of the rights to the Valdemar Series, those all belong to Mercedes Lackey, who has given me the inspiration. I make no profit from this or any writing.

Chapter List
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Luna woke the next morning, tucked beneath warm covers. For several moments, she looked around the room. She was almost afraid, as she wasn’t exactly sure where she was. She heard footsteps approach the bed and the drapes parted. Moondance had a soft smile on his lips and he reached to hold her hand.

“Did you sleep well, little one?” He asked softly. “Come, I will show you where to wash and then I will bring you something to wear. I have had a little talk with Treyvor, he is feeling a little sad for making you scared last night. He is eager to see you though.”

Luna rose from the bed and allowed herself to be lead into a room like the one she’d washed in the evening before. He pointed out where the soap and other things she would need were. He promised to set something out for her to wear and let her wash in peace. Her thoughts were on her friends, and she hoped they were not too worried about her.

Stefen watched as Trey paced around the sitting room Starwind had led them to when they got up. They’d already eaten breakfast and were waiting on Luna to join them. He could tell something was bothering the boy, more than just the panic they’d witnessed Luna having the night before. He figured that the boy would tell him, but he wasn’t prepared for what was bothering the boy.

“Stefen, I feel there is something I need to figure out. Corden and I have had some very long talks on this, and the problem is this. I love Luna more than anything. I could see her as more than just a friend or even just a lover.” Trey sighed and sat gracelessly in a chair. “The problem is this. I know that I am not exactly um… what’s that word?   I mean.. I like both.”

“You’re not fully Shay’a’chern. You like both boys and girls. I’ve known a few who have said they feel that way, but sooner or later, they discover that it’s either one or the other.” Stefen said. “You’d have to be extremely careful on how you handle any lover though, and make it clear to them that accepting you as a lover, they have to be alright with the other.”

“The thing is, Stefen. I can’t hide it from her much longer. She’s going to know, and I don’t want her hurt. If Corden is right, and I have no reason to doubt him, what I feel for her isn’t exactly a lifebond, but something in a way similar.” Trey shook his head. “If I don’t tell her, it would hurt her if I have a male lover. If I take a male lover, he’ll be jealous of her.”

“Lifebonds are incredibly rare. Where you are right that if this is something like one, you cannot hide your preferences from her, you will have to make it clear to anyone you take besides her that she is your love. In turn, she will have to understand accept her. I have wondered for a while if you swayed that way.” Stefen leaned forward in his chair. “There are relationships that have more than just the two traditional partners, the one thing you have to build on is trust. That is of the utmost importance. Say for example, if you were to take myself as a lover or even Thad, we would understand that we are on equal footing with her. I would be no better and no less in your eyes than her. I would also trust that she would see me the same way. How would you feel if she wished to participate?”

Trey flushed a deep scarlet, one that was not only of embarrassment but also of arousal. The boy had certainly thought that through. There were many things he would need to go over with Trey to make the boy realize that any lover he took besides Luna would have to be secure not only in themselves, but with the fact that Trey was already in a standing relationship.

“Ideally, what I would want, and I would hope she is willing to share me, as any other guy I take. I don’t want fighting over me or having one trying to make the other look bad in my eyes.” Trey got up and started pacing again. “That is if she doesn’t find me disgusting after I tell her.”

“Tell me what, Trey?” Luna crossed the room in a lovely green outfit. It brought out the silver glints to her blonde hair. “I do forgive you for last night.”

“Luna, there is something I need to tell you, before I can ask you to be my girl.” Trey moved to her and took her hands in his. “I do love you, with all my heart…”

“Trey, I know you like both, I’ve known for some time. It honestly doesn’t bother me. I thought you pulled back to find yourself. I’m alright with it.” Luna stepped closer and kissed him deeply. “I just hope whoever you chose as your other is accepting as I am.”

Stefen watched as shock and delight warred on Trey’s face. Luna was a very wise and observant young woman. She saw more than she let on, even when it came to those closest to her. She often told him things when they talked late into the night. Any secrets that she shared with him, he kept to himself. He’d learned in the past few years that though her gifts seemed to make her strange, she could see to the heart of most problems most adults could hardly puzzle.

She was indeed strong and brave; yet so fragile that one would hesitate to strike at her. Stefen realized that her Gifts, mainly her Empathy, Bardic and the one with plants were so tightly interwoven together she could exert one at will, and be using all three. With the village, they’d just worked with; she had worn herself as thin as he had when he’d been helping Randale. She augmented the magic set to heal the damage done in her own way, but he wasn’t sure how. He listened as the two chatted and had a new thought forming in his mind. He eased his way out of the room and sought out Moondance who was talking to a young child with a small shock of silver hair threading through his curly brown hair.

“Brightmoon, I am sure you remember Stefen.” Moondance smiled at him as he came closer. “Is it safe to send him in to see Luna or is he likely to walk into something not very comfortable.”

“I think it will be alright, they were talking when I stepped out. Seems there might be some love in the air after all,” Stefen chuckled. “He’s grown so much; he no longer even looks like the little one I knew.”

The little boy ran off to the room Stefen had come from with a shriek of joy. Stef followed after the child and watched as he reunited with Luna. She scooped the boy up and swung him around in a tight hug.

“Luna, sister, how have you been?” Brightmoon asked. “You look beautiful. Do you think Surya will let me ride her?”

Luna chuckled as she set Brightmoon back on his feet. He’d grown so much in the past few years. His hair was much longer and he had silver in his hair, his eyes lightened to a softer hazel than Stefen’s. He had only been a toddler when she’d last seen him, not yet out of diapers and now he was a wise little child. He looked far happier than she’d ever seen him.

“I am just fine, little one. I’m very happy to see you and yes; I will take you for a ride, Surya would be so happy to see you again.” Luna knelt and hugged him again. “I see that you are very happy here.”

“I would have liked to see you last night, but father said you were not feeling well. They had to help you with your pain, I can see it.”   Brightmoon tilted his head to the side. “I am sorry I was not there to stop it this time.”

“Co…Brightmoon, baby you couldn’t have known.” Luna stopped herself before saying Cody. “I did have Stefen to help me through most of the worst of it. It was not like it was in the village; not really.”
“But it was sister, someone wanted to hurt you for the satisfaction of seeing you suffer. He did not care that you did not deserve his anger, only that you hurt and suffer the way he felt he did. He thought you personally robbed him of his chance with music.” Brightmoon insisted. “You have friends strong with love and with power who helped you. Those with the power sought revenge in your name.”

Stefen’s eyes widened with shock. He had only guessed that was the motive behind the rumors and other things this boy’s circle of friends had done. He had been afraid in a way that the boy wanted to find a way to make him suffer, but seeing as the boy thought it was Luna that caused him to not get training, it made horrible sense.

“I had only guessed it was Luna he wanted to harm, but we didn’t have proof. Most thought he was trying to strike out at me, but he underestimated the Heralds.” Stefen said, shaking his head.

“There were many ways he could have hurt her, but he chose the one he thought would surely he’d shattered her, but he did not count on those she has to support her.” Brightmoon said. “Uncle you love her and your love laid the foundations for healing before she was ever harmed.”

It was with a heavy heart Luna packed to leave k’Treva. She’d spent a couple weeks there healing and learning how better to use her rare plant gift. Though she did not have any trace of the Mage Gift, when she combined her Gift with plants with both Empathy and her Bardic Gift, she could do nearly as much healing to land and crops as a Healing Adept could. She even learned how to better use her own energies and not wear herself out as she had when she arrived.

She would return when she could, she had made the promise to. Brightmoon was still too young to understand the powers he commanded nor did he fully understand why her calling was so different to his. Her hand landed on the folded up outfit in lovely shades of green, so like the one she’d worn the first morning after she arrived. Moondance had it made just for her. As she went through the bundle of silky garments, one in rusty shades of brown and red, much like her Bardic garb that she had to smile.   She didn’t know where or when she’d wear these outfits, as they were a completely different style than anyone she knew would wear.

“Those will fit you, no matter how much you grow.” Starwind said, causing her to turn. “It is to insure that you will have something suitable to wear when you return.”

“I don’t know when that will be, as most of us have far more duties than we have Heralds.” Luna sighed. “I wish I could stay to watch Brightmoon grow up though. I’ve missed him.”

“You have duties, as do we. We knew this with our Wingsister and Wingbrother. Just remember to carry our gift with you when you enter our lands and have your Companion reach out to us.” Moondance pulled Luna into a hug. “You will always be welcome here, as your little brother resides with us.”

“I will miss you both and I’ll miss Brightmoon. I wish I had a way to keep in touch with him.” Luna sighed around a forming lump in her throat.

“You can through your friend. He has the range to, you can link to him like you do with him and his Companion and he can help.” Starwind said.

She picked up her packs and went to saddle Surya. Isa would be meeting them soon as she’d left the village to get their mules and gear. Stefen had left already to head back to Haven. She felt a hope she hadn’t felt in a long time. She hadn’t felt this way since she was first Chosen. She turned back to the friends she had here and hugged them tightly.    Moondance boosted her into the saddle and she and Trey rode for the barrier to meet their mentor and ride off into their training.

The village loomed ahead of the weary group, three companions and three chirras. They’d traded the mules for the lovely creatures. Luna had fallen in love with them and the fact that they seemed to enjoy her playing music. The snow fell thickly as they made their way through the dusky light, heading for the inn. They’d decided to forego staying in the waystation the last night before handing over their circuit to the next Herald. Isa felt that the two teens deserved this night in a real bed. Especially after saving the previous village from certain ruin, Luna had been quick to point out that someone was skimming the taxes before reporting them.

Once they’d groomed the companions, Isa ordered a meal be brought up to the room they were to share. She spread out their reports and checked everything, handing some papers to Luna to copy.

“So, you were quick to spot that skimming, Luna. How did you notice that was what was going on?” Isa asked, checking the report.

“It was easy. I gauged the size of the fields and market and knew that there had to be far more than what was reported. I asked some of the farmers and the butchers. They told me how much they’d sold and showed me their records. From there I saw that they were double taxed, but only one set was being reported to the Crown.” Luna said. “Don’t forget, I can invoke the Truth Spell with ease. Once I figured that out, I went to the mayor and confronted him.”

“Don’t forget, with that odd little gift she has, she can also know how well the crops were in the recent harvest. Wait, we rode through there at Midsummer, and the crops were quite abundant.” Trey slipped a plate of food in front of Luna. “We collected records then too.”

“I don’t know how they are going to cope with their Mayor in gaol.   They’ll have to elect a new leader, but that won’t be our problem.” Luna sighed as she tucked into the food. “I can’t help but feel odd though. King Treven is more than fair, there’s no reason to cheat your people, all it does is breed discontent.”

“Well, the people were honest with us. They were not happy that he was doing what he was and felt it was quite unfair, not only to them but to the King.” Trey said as he poured drink for them all.

“Just promise me one thing you two. I don’t mind, as there are two beds, but do you think you can try to be quieter tonight?” Isa asked.

“Oh, it will be quiet tonight,” Luna chuckled. “He won’t touch me on my moon days.”

“Ewww, she can sleep next to you then. I really do not want that near me.” Trey mock gagged causing the two women to laugh.

“Gee, I’m so glad you love me so much, Trey.” Luna reached over and smacked the back of Trey’s head.

“Sometimes you betray yourself, young man.” Isa said. “At least Thad and Stef handle that with far more grace than you do. Anyway, let’s finish this food and get some sleep. We’ll be meeting Thad on the way out and we’ll need to give him the reports.”

In all, Luna felt fully a Herald when she took her first assignment sector. As her friends watched her ride off into the morning light, many wondered just how the fragile child that had been Chosen only five years before became the strong and independent Herald who rode her first solo sector.

Stefen watched as she rode away and brushed a few tears from his eyes. Any obstacle that came up in her path had best watch out, because she’d flatten it. After all, she grew up in the harsh winters of the Sorrows and there were no storms that could break his little moonlight princess.

“Ashke, if you could see her now, you would be so proud.” He whispered to himself. “Your father adores her and we’re all proud of her.”
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Tears of the Phoenix