A/N: Well, here is chapter two! I would like to give a special thank you to GinaStar and ginalee, my first two reviewers! I really appreciate you taking the time to review. Out of the 66 hits I got, I only got those 2 reviews. Please enjoy, and I would appreciate it if you would review. Thanks!
Previously:
Kas shakily lifted up a hand, to the shock of the two spectators, and softly petted the glowing white head. "Rai…" she whispered, the loudest she had ever spoken to anyone. Rai nickered, and said softly :Sleep, little one.: So she did.
Chapter 2...
At Rai's insistence that they head out as soon as possible, Kas' mother packed up enough things for a week, including a spare pair of booths and an extra blanket. Once everything was balanced and Rai was ready, they left Kas' home town… and everything that she knew.
Once on the road, Kas fell into the familiar rhythm of riding. Trying to recall maps from lessons she half-remembered, Kas wondered where they were going to stay that night. A voice entered her head.
:We'll be staying at a Waystation tonight, Chosen. In fact, we'll be staying in waystation till we reach Haven. Don't worry, they're quite comfortable:
Rai sensed her reluctance to talk. :If you don't wish to speak, you can use MindSpeech. Just form the thought and send it to me. I think you'll be able to pick it up quickly.:
:Like this?...: came the soft, weak Mindvoice.
:Yes, although a little louder might be nice. You're good at it though… Usually new mindspeakers give people headaches with their shouts.: Rai stated, pride showing through his thoughts.
:Mother says I've always been quiet… Although I think that's only since-: came the still soft but slightly stronger reply.
:Being quiet isn't a bad thing, Chosen.: Rai reassured her. :It means that you've learned how to be unnoticed and observe. Many of the trainees need to learn that. They do… it just takes a lot of time and effort on their part. But only since what?:
:It's… it's nothing Rai.:
:If you say so…: Those thoughts were heavy on Kas' mind as they rode on through the wilderness.
As the sky began to darken, Rai bespoke Kas once more. :We're coming up to the Waystation. There is a well there that you can use to get water. The bucket is just inside the door. Some oats are in one of the cabinets, oiling cloths for the tack are next to the door along with a currycomb. Some wash towels are on one of the shelves near the hearth along with a wash basin. A pot should be on the ground near the fireplace. A teakettle is on the shelf with the towels if I recall correctly, and there are tea bags in the cabinet with the grain. There is some honey there too, if you want any…:
Kas said nothing in reply, but as soon as they got to the Waystation, she dismounted. She treaded softly over to the building and walked inside. She grabbed the bucket that Rai had said would be there, along with the currycomb and the oiling cloths. Kas walked back outside to where Rai was standing patiently. After setting her burden down on the ground, she quickly stripped the stallion of tack. While he rolled around in the grass, she brought the bucket over to the well and began to haul up water. The first 2 buckets went into the water trough. The third went right into the pot next to the hearth. The fourth and last bucket of water she left in the bucket, sitting next to the pot. After that chore was done, Kas padded back outside. Picking up the currycomb, she walked over to where Rai was leisurely drinking. As she began to brush her Companion, he leant into the strokes, clearly enjoying it. The stallion seemed to sag in contentment as Kas' practiced arm brushed his back. Far too quickly for both equine and trainee, Kas was finished. She went to gather firewood from the woods, not wanting to use the Waystation's supply if she could avoid it. She searched for deadfall, occasionally having to leave a piece because she didn't have an axe. When she had collected enough for the night, she began to lug it back to the Waystation.
When she finally got it all back, she began the laborious task of building a fire. After more than 20 attempts, she got a spark to catch and she gently coaxed it from a tiny flame into a cheerfully roaring fire. The first thing to go on the fire was the pot of water. As that heated, she poured the water left in the bucket into the teakettle and got out some tea. By the time she was done, the water in the pot was warm, so she took the pot off the fire and poured the water into the wash basin from the shelf. The teakettle went on the fire next. It heated up as she washed up from her long ride. After waiting for the water to heat up, Kas looked for a cup. Finding one on one of the shelves, she put some tea leaves in it and poured water in to steep. After nursing a cup of tea for a while, she pulled out her bedroll and climbed in. As she lay there staring up at the ceiling, she wondered why she'd been Chosen. After all, there were people in the village that were surely much better Heralds than she would be! Unless her skill with a bow dramatically increased, she'd be the laughing stock of the Collegium in days. Rai interrupted her thoughts.
:Chosen, you are the only one I would ever Choose. I wouldn't even Choose Queen Tara over you. She's much too royal for my tastes.: Rai said teasingly. :Sometimes, to tell you the truth, I wonder how in Velgarth Sofia puts up with her!: That last comment sent Kas into a fit of silent giggles. Rai's next words were spoken with trepidation. :Chosen… why don't you talk or make noise a lot? I don't mean to pry… but…:
:But what?: Kas replied scathingly. A moment later her expression softened a little bit. :I'm sorry Rai… it's a touchy subject for me… You saw how my mother was shocked when I said you name… That was the first word I'd spoken in about a year.:
Rai seemed speechless for a moment. :I'm… For what it's worth, Chosen… Kas, I'm sorry.:
Kas smiled a bit. :To me, it's worth more than you think, Rai. G'Night.:
:Good Night, Chosen.: With that, Kas fell into a deep slumber, remembering a time from the past… when her father was still alive.
……Flashback……
"Kassi!" a male voice called. "Come and greet your papa!"
"Daddy!" Kassi cried, running up to him. She hugged him tightly as he lifted her up and twirled her around. "Can we go ride Smoke Daddy? Please? Pretty please?"
Her father lifted up his hands in surrender after setting down the four-year-old bundle of energy formally known as Kassiani. "Alright, Kassi, we can go ride Smoke… provided Smoke will let us, that is." He shared a wink with her, as he knew the light silver horse loved his daughter immensely. He scooped her up and carried her out the door to the small stable that housed the four horses that lived in the village. Smoke looked up when they entered and greeted them with a joyful neigh. The man set Kassi down and grabbed the gelding's tack. As soon as the horse was ready, the pair was in the saddle and riding off into the forest.
……End Flashback……
Kas awoke like she usually did, with no real grogginess. She remembered that day clearly. Her father had left the next day to go to the next town over to spend some of their hard-earned coin on some much needed supplies. He'd taken Smoke, and was only supposed to be gone a week. When he was 2 days overdue, Kas' mother asked her and her two brothers, who were 6 at the time, to go and look for him. She impressed upon them the fact that they were not to go outside of territory that they knew. So off they had gone, branching out in the general direction of the town. It had been little 4-year-old Kassi who had come upon his broken body. Bandits had attacked him on his way to the town and had brutally searched him. Blood surrounded him and Smoke lay off to the side, dead as well. All the coin he had brought with him was gone. So was everything else. Including his wedding ring. Kassi had stood in shock at the scene for what seemed like hours to her. Disconcerted by the lack of sound coming from the area, her mother came looking for her and found her standing there in shock. Since that day, she had become an almost silent wraith, a shadow of her former self. As she drifted back off to sleep, she wondered how much that would change… and how much she would stay the same.
A nudge to her shoulder had Kas sitting bolt upright, slamming her head into the velvet nose of her Companion. She gave a small cry of pain, one of the few sounds she'd made in the past year. Rain looked apologetic—Well, about as apologetic as a white, blue-eyed horse can look. :Sorry Chosen, but we need to get moving.:
She took one hand away from her face and laid it on Rai's nose. :It's okay, Rai, really. I've had worse.: She reassured her friend with a wink. She made a compress of clean rags and cold water from the well and put it up to her face. :I think I'll have a rather impressive black eye, however.: She murmured in the back of her head.
Rai looked at hear with a seemingly practiced eye. :I think you might be lucky. You'll get two.: he said with a serious tone. They both held straight faces for a second. That was all they could manage. Both broke out into gales of laughter. Needless to say, they didn't start out very early that day.
A/N: So, that was it this time. It seemed a lot longer in my notebook... and half the stuff that was in here wasn't even in my notebook... -glares at more stuff fitting on page- Oh well, I can't change length. I hope you enjoyed it.