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Phoenix Rising	By : serialcabbit78 Category: S through Z > Valdemar Series Views: 959 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: 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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It was early morning when Luna met Meghan in the stables. The pale tones of early morning were obscured by clouds and the feel of snow was heavy in the air. Luna was saddling Surya as Meghan looked at the curious creatures the stable hands were loading their packs on. One leaned over and nuzzled her cheek, startling a giggle from the girl. Luna hid her smile as she attached some of her packs to the snaffles on Surya’s saddle.

“I take it you’ve never seen chirras before? They’re very sweet animals, I much prefer them to mules.” Luna patted the one closest to her. “They can carry more than a mule can, they make traveling in snow far easier than on horse or Companion. And Surya says they are quite warm to sleep near.”

“I’ve never seen anything like them. They are cute though.” Meghan finished attaching her packs to her own Companion. The hands tethered the chirras to their saddles and they rode out in to the early morning.

Their trek through the quiet city streets was accompanied only by the lightly chiming hoof beats of their Companions and the soft clicks of the chirras claws. They passed very few as the grey skies slowly lightened. The scents of early morning wafted in the air, baking bread, wet wood, every now and then, Luna smelled stale human waste.   Their pace was slow, as ice and snow littered the streets in ruts and clumps. It wasn’t long before they passed through the gates out into the more open areas outside of the city.

“So, what do you know of the Sorrows? All I really know are the tales about some supposed curse there, but it seems to me that it’s more of a blessing.” Meghan shifted in her saddle and looked over at Luna. “Why is it cursed?”

“Well, from the tales and the histories, some of the more official ones were written by Stefen. It all started years ago, before I was born. My people have always lived in what we then knew as Wendwinter Forest. For a long time we were herders, but at some point several families came together and formed a village. We found out later that there were other areas that people were doing the same in. Our village was not on any known maps of the region at the time, so it was believed that the forest was for the most part uninhabited.” Luna shifted in her saddle, easing into a more comfortable position. “I don’t know how long our village was there before some people who were serving a very powerful and very evil mage came to start to take over. Our crops started failing and only they could fix them. When I was born, these people pretty much ruled the village. They tried to take children who were in possession of rather unique gifts, and most of the time those children died.”

“Why don’t they talk about you as being from there? Isn’t Herald Thad from your village?” Meghan pulled her cloak hood up as snow began falling. “Thad’s told me about how you two grew up, but not much else than you grew up there.”

“Thad has more reason to not speak about it than I do. You’re getting ahead of me here.” Luna chuckled. “My mother and father seemed to think that I was useless, and often let me roam around outside from the time I could barely walk. For a long time, I thought it was because I had been born a girl and they seemed to only want sons. It wasn’t until after Surya Chose me that I realized it wasn’t my gender, but my gifts that had them afraid. And before you say it, my parents didn’t care about the supposed curse in the forest, as I guess they thought that whatever was killing the bad people that went in, it would kill me too.”

“Baron Tashir has ordered that the children in our little area be told the truth of the Tayledras and that the Herald-Mages did far more good for people than bad. That the Herald that saved him and his people was a hero.” Meghan sighed, as if she didn’t understand people. “I was nervous when they told me I would be doing my internship with you, as your Gifts aren’t common at all.”

“That gift, while rare in those outside of the Tayledras and possibly the Shin’a’in, isn’t all that odd. My Bardic Gift is more powerful than the one I have with plants, and I can and have used it in situations where it was needed. In the years since I left the forest, I grew to respect Vanyel for who he was. People were always awed by him, especially because of the strength of his Mage powers.” Luna turned to look at Meghan. “One thing that he wanted is for all Heralds to be treated the same, for those with strange or powerful gifts to not be treated as being better than others. Take my gift, for example. I can coax plants that produce food to produce even far outside of their normal seasons. In areas that have been damaged by war, famine, blight and drought, I can heal the plants and the soil.”

“Like you did that village north of Lineas-Baires? It is said that you worked with the Tayledras to restore their crops.” Meghan said. “I know that you told the people you didn’t want them to treat you differently than they did Herald Isa or Herald Trey.”

“I don’t. I’m just strange little Luna, I’m not someone who should be treated better than Queen Jisa. Vanyel held powers so strong that if he so chose he could level a city with a mere glance. The fact that he was quite humble is often overlooked by many.” Luna pulled her water skin and took a drink, stowing it back under her cloak. “Anyway, I grew up in the Sorrows, as did Thad. Both of us wandered the area around our village from the time I could walk. If there was such a curse, as some like to point out, how did we make it out alive, when those who were indeed very bad never did. You’re right, it in a way is a blessing, because innocent people are being protected.”

“Not everyone sees it as that, even among Heralds. They always talk about Vanyel’s Curse, but if it’s killing only those who are bad, how is it a curse?” Meghan’s eyes sparked with some emotion Luna couldn’t identify.   “The fact that you are alive and well speaks to it being a blessing.”

“So it’s a blessing that my parents allowed a defenseless child to wander a haunted forest? It’s a blessing that people in my village were so afraid of me that a ghost pretty much raised me and taught me how to shield my Gifts.” Luna asked. “It’s a blessing that people in my village watched as a violent storm destroyed areas that were held by people who wished to erase us off the face of the earth?”

Meghan seemed to think this over, opening her mouth and closing it several times. Luna thought for several moments, the girl resembled a fish out of water.   It was nothing but the stark truth, and Luna didn’t feel sorry for the girl. As much as she loved and appreciated the help Vanyel had given her growing up, it wasn’t his fault that he had to give his own life to protect Valdemar. It wasn’t his fault that Leareth had decided to destroy those he could reach who exhibited mage powers, or that his foolish followers continued that after his death. Too much blood had been shed in all the wars she’d studied to find the blessing in much.

“Well, no, it’s not a blessing that people held the power of fear other others. It’s certainly not a blessing that you had to endure such a lonely childhood.” Meghan said finally.

“I am sure that Stefen would agree with you on that. It’s not a blessing that his beloved had to sacrifice himself in order for the rest of us to live.” Luna said, shaking her head.

:Good, you have her thinking objectively. It’s no bad thing that she views his sacrifice as a blessing though, as he has protected more than you and Thad.: Surya complemented her. :I think he’ll like her. You are right in saying it is a blessing that he protects us all, but you shocked her out of the hero worship.:

“I don’t mean to sound harsh, I guess I do feel a bit bitter about how things went in my village. Vanyel gave his life to protect us from dangers to the north.” Luna smiled at the girl. “My point was to make you think outside of things, to view them objectively."

“You mean seeing the forest instead of the individual tree.” Meghan sighed. “How is it you are so wise?”

Luna rolled her eyes; most people took her as being rather strange and quiet. Most took in the dreamy expression and demeanor as she was someone who wasn’t always there. She carried it all as she would wear a cloak in cold weather.   She was always observant of the world around her, and often was able to look at problems with an objectivity that many of those around her lacked. It’s what made her a rather keen observer when she had to go into situations as a Bard.

“I learned to observe the world around me at a very young age. One of my gifts that I almost never talk about, even to Stefen is I can see spirits. Some in my village thought I was crazy when I kept telling them about a man who lived in the forest. When food was very scarce and I had to rely on the berries and nuts that I could forage for, he always had something hot for me to eat.” Luna chuckled at the memories. “I was very little then, I could barely walk or talk very well. I think he was sad that it seemed I had no one to take care of me.”

That was an understatement. Luna still had very vivid memories of seeing Vanyel moving through the trees. She’d found her way home and told her mother about the man who lived in the forest. She asked why he didn’t come into the village to get provisions. Her mother slapped her and sent her outside. She was a little over two years old then. A handful of men on the orders of the evil men controlling the village were sent into the forest to find this man. Those who sought to find him and kill him never came back out; those who just simply wanted to see if he existed brought back news that there was no one there.

“It wasn’t until I was a little older that I realized he was a spirit. My gift with plants woke very early, before I could really walk.   I developed Mindspeech by the time I was four and several others all before I was seven. That’s when he started coming into my dreams and taught me how to control most of my gifts. When I was seven, I was chased out of my village, and even our Wise Woman couldn’t stop that. Thad was already living in the forest by that time and was able to help me find a cave to live in.” Luna looked over at the young woman whose eyes had gone large in shock and horror at Luna’s story. “They couldn’t bring the people in our village to kill Thad or I; so they had us chased out. Thad because he, like Herald Vanyel and Stefen, is Saych, myself because every time they tried to kill me, I fled into the forest and those who tried ended up dead themselves.”

“How could people allow innocent children be treated so poorly? I mean I see it everywhere I’ve been, and I don’t understand it.” Meghan shook her head. “I mean if people don’t want children, isn’t there some way they can prevent it? We have things that help us prevent pregnancy and those who are healers can as well.”

“We have it provided to us, but many who are poor cannot afford such things. How do you explain to others that you don’t have the money for food because you got some preventative?” Luna explained gently. “I have known many poor families who love their children and take better care of them than some rich families.”

“That’s true. There are so many children who have nothing and no one.” Meghan said, shaking her head. “It doesn’t seem fair that a handful get a way out while the others starve to death or suffer worse fates.”

“It’s not fair, but there is nothing we can do. It’s like in my village, had anyone known that there were these people doing what was going on before Vanyel fought with Master Dark in Crook Back Pass, maybe they could have had more Heralds to help. By the time anyone knew that danger was there, there were no mages to help him.” Luna pulled a map from a pocket of her saddle and checked it. “We have Heralds go through the forest on circuit regular now and have a couple more guard posts up that way. After I was Chosen, most of the ones who had came through long before Master Dark either suffered that curse themselves or got killed when people took their villages back.”

With the thick clouds and light snow, she couldn’t check the sun’s position, but the village on the horizon was a half day away from the city’s gates. Luna knew this route quite well, even though she rarely used it. She had only had done three training missions since being finishing her own, and mostly those were between secret missions that she played the Bard.

“How do you save crops that have been affected by droughts? You don’t have any weather abilities. Don’t you need rain or water to help?” Meghan asked, and Luna smiled as she tucked the map back in its pocket.

“That’s a fair question. I honestly don’t know how I do it. I just know that I can help, I just don’t know how.” Luna had asked Starwind and he’d simply told her he couldn’t tell her secrets to her gift. She was often reluctant to tell others about her training she’d had with her gift. “I guess it would be the same on asking someone how they fetch something or how they can see far away.”

“I never thought of it like that. We don’t often know how our gifts work; we just know how to use them. I guess it’s not fair to ask someone how their Gifts work.” Meghan turned quiet as if she was thinking over their talk.

Luna enjoyed field work, especially when it was in peaceful conditions. Doing training internships were always fascinating to her because she could reach out to others in ways she could never do on the battle field or in a classroom. Working in this manner, one got to apply things they learned with real people. More often than not, some of the problems they encountered were not ones covered in the classes. One such problem had been one she’d encountered on her own training when a town leader was skimming taxes and double charging his people.

Though she’d never admit it, she was somewhat excited to go back into the forest. Most of the people she’d known from her own village had passed on, or simply didn’t remember her. They didn’t send her this way often, but her and Trey were the only two Heralds with intimate knowledge of the area. They knew the weather patterns, the land; how the people handled the conditions they lived in.

They rode through the village Luna knew of sometime after noon. They stopped for a bit to get something hot to eat and to warm up. The innkeeper made sure they had something to take with them that would last them until they reached the next town. The road was clearer than Luna expected, but then again, the guard kept the main road north clear. She’d noticed that more towns and villages were dotting the landscape the last time she’d been through here, and there seemed to be a little bit more now.

:You need a quiet assignment like this one. It will help you recharge to have something to keep you busy and not in danger.: Surya said to her. :I do have a bit more news for you. Herald Leanna has taken over with the trainee. They will meet with you at the guard post outside of the forest.:
:I knew she was doing Courier work up this way while they get the posts established. Do you know what happened?:   Luna was still rather curious as how a band of raiders got past many of the protections. It wasn’t like back when she was first chosen or even in Vanyel’s time. Villages started building walls around them. Vanyel wasn’t confined to just one tiny section of the forest, but the entirety of what was the Wendwinter Forest.

:They had to have found a way to hide their true intentions. No one really knows how the roving bands of raiders, barbarians and brigands are getting through the forest. Unless they have hidden camps outside, that’s the only way.: Surya sounded doubtful. :Every time the people up here take trees to use, they plant others and sometimes plant trees to extend the forest. He guards every tiny part, even ones newly added.:

:He’d notice if they were using magic or even mind magic to hide their intentions, and with more Heralds going through the area, his protections have migrated up this way so there can be no mages, Stefen has told me that much.: Luna sighed. :Though we’re trying to teach all new Trainees how best to utilize the Truth Spell. The boarders have changed, even in the short time I’ve been a Herald. We’ve managed to push the Karsite boarder back several leagues.:

:I think it would be best for you to keep careful notes while you are training Meghan. Stefen keeps his hand in with most of the chroniclers and this may be things we need to keep an eye on.: Surya sighed. :I think Meghan wishes to talk. She’s been having a rather interesting conversation with Dena and I think Dena’s convinced her that she needs to back off on her how the gifts work discussion.:

“Herald Luna, there is something that Baron Tashir told us. There were five of us chosen from Lineas-Baires in the past ten years or so and the Baron told us that there was a compulsion on his lands where people don’t know that real magic exists. It’s been there for a very long time, but had to be strengthened and repaired when the Tayledras repaired the Heartstone buried in the rubble of the castle. The only time anyone will know that it doesn’t work on them, well…” Meghan broke off and gestured to her Companion with her mitten covered hand.   I’m sure you sensed it all when you were there.”

“Usually, that kind of thing has to be set with a death, most often the death of the one who set the spell. Now with the Tayledras, it’s not always true. It usually works best to heal the land. You know the history where you are from?” Luna looked to the girl, noticing her cheeks were turning pink with the cool breeze they were riding into.
“There’s a fault line far beneath the city and the reckless use of magic can cause major destruction, on a grand scale. Especially after they set the Heartstone there, with lines feeding the healing spells, there are those who would steal the power ruthlessly.” Meghan shook her head as the snow thickened. “Even though we’ve sworn not to speak of those who have sent help to Lineas-Baires, Tashir has told those of us who are Chosen that you have ties to the Clan who repaired our land.”

Luna blinked in shock, she had not expected to know this. She and Stefen kept these secrets from the Chronicles, for the very reason that the Tayledras were so secretive. It was known that Vanyel had been trained purely by their Adepts, but any other ties to the clan outside of Herald-Mage Savil and Herald-Mage Vanyel were kept strictly secret.

“This is something you can never, ever share with anyone else. They hold their secrets very close, and rarely venture outside of their home areas.” Luna narrowed her eyes. “I will tell you this, one of the children from my village was just a small child. Because of the events that happened before I was Chosen, the very night before, his powers were brought to light very early. It was pure luck that he and I were close and that Vanyel had friends who came to pay their respects. They adopted the boy.”

“So in a way, I guess they view you as the little one’s sister?” Meghan asked.

“They do. I don’t ever talk to anyone besides Stefen about him though.” Luna looked at Meghan and realized the girl had not meant to offend her. “I don’t mean to sound rude when I’m asked about them, but I take my oaths to them as seriously as my oaths as a Herald.”

“I can understand that. I mean I don’t often talk about where I am from. Most only remember it for the war that almost happened. I still don’t understand all the details, but as Baron Tashir is a Herald, well he’s wise.” Meghan smiled. “He told us because you helped them with a village to the north of us.”
That actually made Luna feel better, knowing that Tashir hadn’t really spoken out of turn. Luna had started her own Internship with that assignment. She’d also been taken into the k’Treva Vale to have trauma from her rape healed. She had gotten closer to both Moondance and Starwind then, though she knew that soon, she would have to say goodbye to one if not both of them. Though she did have Foresight, she wasn’t sure exactly which one of them would be leaving first, but she had the idea the Adepts would outlive her.   She told no one of that feeling, not even Stefen. The man had enough pain he didn’t need to worry about her. She didn’t want him to worry every time she had to leave that she wouldn’t be back. It seemed cruel.

“I actually want to ask you a question, Meghan, I know one of your stronger gifts is Foresight. If you foresaw your own death, would you tell friends?” Luna looked over at the girl.

“I don’t think so, because what if the reason for your death was something like say, Vanyel’s death. If your friends knew, they would try to talk you out of going. They would encourage your fear instead of you going bravely into the situation, hoping you can change it.” Meghan said. “Imagine if Vanyel had told Stefen and others of his dreams.”

Luna shuddered heavily. She didn’t need to imagine that, the fear her village lived in was more than enough to prove to her that the sacrifice the man had made was far more courageous than she could have believed. She personally knew that Vanyel had started having the dreams when he was a teenager. She knew the fears and the agony that he’d battled knowing he sent his beloved away, leaving him alone. He died in the pass with his Companion.

“Believe me, I know about that. None of us can afford to live in fear either.” Luna pulled her cloak tighter around her as the wind shifted, chilling her deeply. “Right now it’s just a vague feeling, nothing at all certain.”

“Don’t try to force yourself to see it. If you need to see it, it will come.” Meghan warned. “Sometimes the vaguer the feelings, it could be further out or something you can change.”

“I know, they’ve taught us that. Foresight is mostly vague at best, and if it’s something you don’t trust, take that as a gut feeling.” Luna laughed.   “No, I am not seeing my death at every turn, it’s just I guess I’ve spent too much time down south and nearly died a few times.”

“That can do it. I’ve wanted to ask, what is it like being a Bard?” Meghan changed the subject, making Luna grin.
“Honestly, it’s interesting at times. Because I had a rather good hold on my Gifts when Surya chose me, but my Bardic Gift was wildly and mostly untrained, they started me in that training first. I still had to go through many of the same classes as my year mates at the same time.” Luna brightened and was able to push her doubts away. “Stefen was told that I had a touch of that gift, but when he started me on instruments, we learned it was one of my far more powerful gifts. I can use it with my plant gift or Empathy and make those work more effectively.”

“So that’s why when they need to send someone in to gather information without being obvious, they send you.” Meghan said. “That makes a good dodge if you ask me. You can speak to Surya if you need to get information out suddenly.”

“If I have to be completely immersed as a Bard, most times I don’t use her. My adoptive Grandfather has a few good horses that he lets me use. Surya will follow at a discrete distance and let me know when she’s in place.” Luna said, scanning the area and finding they were indeed alone. “Though I don’t know what I’ll do when Grandfather retires, though. Maybe he’ll leave them in Haven for Stefen and I.”

“I thought you said … oh who is your adoptive grandpa?” Meghan’s eyes widened. “Oh wait, stupid me! I’m sorry I shouldn’t have asked.”

Luna chuckled, shaking her head. Surya tossed her head and stopped suddenly. Luna scanned the sky, noticing it was getting darker. She wasn’t sure if it was getting late or if it was darkening due to weather. She cast a small thread of Foresight to see and laughed.

“Alright, Surya, we can stop in the next village. It won’t be far.” Luna patted her Companion. “Surya says it would be best to get into shelter early tonight. The snow will get a little heavier soon, and well I want to get warm.”

They made it to the inn shortly after dark. It wasn’t all that late, but the thickening snow had made most stay off the road. The inn had a few weary travelers, but for the most part they had the place to themselves. With the help of the stable hands, the unloaded the chirras and stowed the gear in the stalls with their Companions, then groomed all four before each taking up a couple of packs, Luna’s gittern and they went into the inn. They claimed one room, and went to make use of a bath house before tucking into a hot meal. There was a small crowd, but nothing like Luna was used to seeing. She set to work tuning up her gittern and then began to play a few songs. The crowd seemed to cheer up just enough to sing along with a few of the songs and she did not use even a trace of her gift. She played for a short time, ending her little impromptu set with a pretty little tune she had yet to write words for. The weary applause was enough to boost her spirits as she and Meghan went to their room to crawl into bed.
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Phoenix Rising