"Where am I? What is this place?" Alaric called out as he whirled around, trying to make out any discernable shapes through the fog that surrounded him. His last memory was of curling up into the warm layers of his bed, listening to the other Heralds-in-Training moving nearby in the dark. He heard the silvery chiming of a Companion's hooves behind him, and turned to see Corsen approaching. Perhaps something about this place distorted his sight, but it seemed that her form wavered back and forth between that of a white horse and that of a young woman, dark-haired, and with a sober face. Just now, however, a small smile was playing on the woman's mouth, and there was an amused gleam in the Companion's blue eyes. ::I don't supposed any of your teachers have ever spoken to you of the Moonpaths?:: she asked, stamping a hoof in the silver dust beneath their feet.

Alaric shook his head. "I've never heard of them before—is that where we are?"

The horse and woman nodded together. ::I will tell you about them later—but we are here for an important reason now. Look, here come the others.::

The young man felt his back stiffen as Karal and Altra materialized from the gentle swirls of mist—he remembered what Corsen had said earlier, about being "caught in all of this." So he wasn't crazy—he and the Karsite man were indeed bound together in some way, for some purpose. Now, they were here together. Alaric swallowed hard as the older man drew near, looking just as wary as his student.

"This must be a dream," the Karsite said with a harsh laugh. "I can't believe it. I'm seeing you with my own eyes..." His expression and voiced gentled when he recognized the young Herald-trainee.

"Alaric," he said softly, "if this is a dream, then I hope you are dreaming along with me—I owe you an apology for this morning."

The boy gulped again, and could not think what to say in return.

::Courage,:: Corsen whispered in his mind. ::Do not be afraid to ask...he is no longer forbidden to answer, and you are no longer forbidden to know.:: With that cryptic remark, the Companion retreated beyond view, away into the folds of fog. With a flick of his tail, Altra followed; only the two mortals were left together.

Alaric shut his eyes tight for a moment. If I do not ask now, he thought, I may never know. I shall never have this opportunity again. Even if I risk souring our relationship further, I must ask!

He opened his eyes again, and breathed in. "What aren't you telling me?" he asked bluntly. "I feel that I knew you before I ever came to Haven, but that is impossible. Then why is it that you are so familiar?"

There, he thought. Whatever may come, it is said!

Karal sighed deeply, and was silent for a long moment. He turned his eyes away, and seemed to be debating whether or not to speak. Finally he said, "May Vkandis forgive me for telling you this—I do not know if it will relieve your suffering or make it worse, but I cannot find it in my heart to remain silent any longer."

For the first time, his eyes met Alaric's. The faint smile that Alaric had noticed that first day crossed the Karsite's dark face as he drew near to his student.

"You have heard something of the Mage Storms that plagued both Valdemar and her neighbors may years ago, yes?" Karal asked.

The boy nodded.

"I was a member of the party who went to Dhorisha Plains," the priest continued, "to deal with the problem at its source. There is usually a price to pay for meddling in such occult matters, and we all paid it..."

Alaric inhaled sharply, realization dawning upon him. "That's how you lost your sight?"

Karal nodded sadly. "Yes, I was blinded then. But I lost a good friend there, also—he was a Companion who became my guide and teacher when I first came to Valdemar. His name was Florian." The older man was silent for a moment, struggling with an old grief that came welling up, loosened after many years. At last, he recovered his voice. "Vkandis acts in mysterious ways—I've devoted the entirety of my life to studying His words and deeds, and am no closer to understanding them. But one night after that terrible day in Urtho's Tower, he met me in a dream, much as we are meeting now. He said something forbidden to me, as I am telling you something forbidden: he said he would return to this world, the same soul in a new shape, with a new name. He is now called Alaric; he has blue eyes and brown curls, and is much too curious for his own good."

Silence fell momentarily between them. Then they both burst into incredulous laughter. Alaric could see tear tracks staining his teacher's eyes and cheeks, and felt a warm dampness on his own face. The sleeves of Karal's robe enfolded him, and they embraced tightly.

"Ah," the Karsite breathed. "I do not think I can ever bless the Sunlord enough for bringing you back to me. I do not understand how it can be—but it is so, and...and..." He fell silent as his heart brimmed with grief and gratitude and overwhelming relief. Alaric too felt as if his mortal heart was flowing over with all the emotions he felt. Tantalizing hints from countless lifetimes came to his mind and disappeared just as quickly: the names he'd known this man under, the faces he'd known and loved, the dangers and joys they'd known together. It was enough and more than enough just to be acknowledged by Karal, to know he felt the same compelling familiarity, to have all of the secrecy and distance between them torn away.

Karal finally pulled away from the embrace to wipe his eyes on the hem of his sleeve. Years seemed to have been washed from his countenance by tears, and a lop-sided, almost boyish grin crossed his face.

"If Altra were here, he'd be quick to point out what spectacles we are making of ourselves," he laughed.

Alaric dabbed his own eyes ineffectually. "No doubt," he said. "Corsen too, I'll bet." He shook his head. "I can hardly believe it—it seems so incredible. Me, a Companion from another lifetime! I don't know what to make of it. But it's so good to finally know, to have no doubts. Every time I spoke up in class, you acted so strangely, and I didn't know what to think."

A sorrowful look came into Karal's dark eyes. "I hope you can forgive me for it," he said quietly. "Until Altra brought me here, he had told me that I was forbidden to speak of the matter to you. And...and I did not know how you would react to the knowledge. I did not want to risk driving you further from me, or upsetting you with it." He sighed. "I am truly sorry."

"Don't be," Alaric replied. "The greater evil would have been to not tell me at all."

The older man nodded silently. They stood there for a long time, simply looking at each other, simply being in one another's presence. Indeed, it was enough, and more than enough.

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Author's notes: Sorry for the delay in posting this, but it took quite awhile to figure out how exactly to write this scene. I've tried to convey the full strength of the feelings between Karal and Alaric, and I hope I've done them justice here. Thanks for your patience, and enjoy!