Kerowyn woke up slowly, a long strange dream just on the edge of her mind. The sun was coming in through the half open curtains in bright fresh stripes. She turned over, looked at Eldan and brushed his thoughts. He opened one eye "Let me sleep" he mumbled, closed it again.

She smiled, they'd been up unusually late last night, for once for fun rather than crisis. She kissed his head, she thought about just laying with him for a bit, but she could never go back to sleep once she'd wakened. She stretched and reached out to her Companion :Sayvil?:

:Good morning: Sayvil said cheerfully

:How's your morning, kechara?:

:Quiet so far. Just lazing. Did you know that Del went out to Choose yesterday? Ran out of here like his tail was on fire.: Del was Sayvil's one and only foal. Born in that glorious year after the Mage Storms ended. Many foals were born that year. Del would be among the first to choose, then.

:Well good for him!: congratulated Kerowyn, :How are you doing with that?:

Sayvil shrugged mentally :They all grow up. Its not as complicated for us as it is for human parents. They spend a lot less time being children than human foals do. Anyway, he'll be back soon with his Chosen. Its a good time to be Choosing:

:What, you mean NOT in the middle of a battle? Where's the adventure in that?:

Sayvil laughed :I Chose late, if you hadn't been so cursed stubborn...:

Kero laughed with her. Eldan snored on.

After a moment Sayvil said :Gwena said Elspeth is asking for you—she's down in the common room.: a pause while Sayvil presumably spoke to Gwena :Elspeth's worried about Talia, says she looks sick. Wants you to help pursuade her to see a healer:

:Have you asked Rolan about it?:

:Haven't seen him this morning. That's strange.: Sayvil and Rolan were fairly close, Kerowyn knew. Actually, she suspected that Rolan was Del's father although Sayvil never said and Kero never asked. :I'll go look for him: said Sayvil after another moment. Kero tumbled out of bed and started getting dressed.

:Where're you going?: asked Eldan without opening his eyes

"Breakfast with Elspeth"

:Hmm, tell her hello.:

It was the beginning of the Midsummer holiday so there were only a few Heralds taking their meals in the common room this morning. In all, maybe five or six were eating their breakfasts. Other off duty Heralds, like Eldan, were using the holiday as an opportunity to sleep in.

From the other side of the room, Kerowyn thought Talia looked unwell.

Elspeth and Darkwind sat on either side of her at the table, but Talia was silent, poking at her food. She rubbed the bridge of her nose with her eyes closed. It was early, but Talia was generally more awake this time of day than most. Her heart shaped face was drawn, not merely pale but ashen. Elspeth caught Kero's eye and nodded towards Talia, her eyebrows drawn together

Kerowyn took Elspeth's meaning, sometimes it took more than one of them to bully Talia into taking care of herself. And Kerowyn remembered that Dirk was off somewhere with a flock of trainees. She sat across the table from Talia, "Are you all right?"

Talia nodded without looking at her. Elspeth looked at Kerowyn, worry and fear plainly evident "Talia, love. Perhaps you should see a healer? You don't look well" said Elspeth

"I'm alright...just..." Talia's voice trailed off and her eyes drifted off to look to Kero's right. Her words were oddly slurred "...Rolan..?" she whispered, she began to shiver, then she moaned and put her hands on the sides of her head

:Kero: Sayvil said sharply in Kerowyn's head :Rolan says..."

Before Sayvil could finish Talia went rigid. She fell backward off the bench as her limbs jerked. Her eyes rolled up in her sockets and her jaw clenched. Darkwind caught her before her head could hit the floor. Elspeth grabbed a cushion to put under her. "Go get a healer!" Elspeth barked at one of the gawking Heralds. "Is she breathing?!" she asked Darkwind.

Darkwind eased Talia onto the floor and said, "I don't...yes. I think the fit is passing—has she ever done anything like this?"

"No, never"

Darkwind put his hand to Talia's forehead, "She's..." He didn't finish, he rocked back on his heels like he'd been struck

:Kero! Rolan says he can't Hear her! He...O, damn! Shield yourself!:

Kero shielded herself as hard as she ever had and still the world went mad. Waves of pain and nausea passed over her. Raped, broken, tortured, her feet crushed beyond all hope of healing. Wound fever would kill her before blood loss, but her whole universe was pain. Darren and his Companion dead. Died in her arms. Sayvil was gone. Eldan would never know she loved him...

:KERO! SHIELD YOURSELF! ITS NOT YOURS!:

Sayvil's thoughts were like a physical hand grabbing, pulling her from a dark place. Kerowyn's shields were reinforced. She was herself again, with her own thoughts, in her own mind. She shook herself, hard. The common room became real again. Darkwind still knelt next to Talia. His eyes were open and his arms hung limply from his shoulders. By his expression he gazed on something horrible that he couldn't turn his head from. He was making small strangled sounds in his throat

:Kero! Bring Talia outside! She can't find Rolan. She's trapped in a nightmare. She pulled you into it. She pulled all of you into it:

Elspeth cowered on the floor with her head covered. Someone was wailing. Kerowyn hesitated, looking around at the others in the room. "What about..?"

One other Herald had pulled himself out of the vision and staggered to his feet, He was a red haired man who rarely crossed paths with her. For the life of her, Kerowyn couldn't remember his name. "I'll take care of this lot." he gasped. "Get her to Rolan."

Kerowyn picked Talia up from the floor, fortunately Talia was slight enough that Kero could carry her like a child. She ran down the stairs as quickly as she could with her burden, :Sayvil, did she get every Herald, or just those in the room with her?:

:Darkwind was the target. I think just those near her were pulled in...Although I think every Gifted in the Palace caught some of it.:

:Shouldn't I wait for a healer?:

:I think only Rolan can get her out. He's afraid she might pull in the other Heralds if she does that again:

At last, she flung herself into the little garden courtyard just outside the kitchens. She knew that Rolan and Sayvil were there. Rolan collapsed onto a bed of herbs,

:Put her against him—if they're in physical contact he should be able to reach her: Sayvil said

Kerowyn bent down on one knee and propped Talia up against Rolan's side. She had some vague memory that a healer had once told her that it was easier for someone to breathe that way. Talia began to shake again, Kero worried that another fit was coming on. Instead Talia moaned and opened unfocused eyes

:Sayvil! Is someone getting a healer?: Kerowyn snapped

:Devan's coming: Sayvil replied. Then after a moment, :She's not breathing!: Sayvil said in a panic.

Rolan was completely still, perhaps in a trance, trying to reach his Chosen. Kerowyn felt for a pulse. It was slow but there. She put her mouth on Talia's. One breath, two. Talia gasped, started coughing, "Herald?" she whispered, then moaned as if in pain, "But I sent a broken arrow..." She spoke so quietly that Kerowyn would have not heard had she not been so close.

:Rolan says she's frightened and likely to attack a healer. You need to get through to her. :

:ME?:

:You're a Herald. Darkwind tried to mind touch her and...hurt her. She doesn't Hear well, but be reassuring and she'll Feel and Hear you. Rolan and I will Help:

Right. Reassuring. Kerowyn thought of all the times she'd had to pep talk young recruits and calm down scared farmers :Talia? Herald Talia?:

Kerowyn suddenly had a curious double vision. A much younger Talia sat in the grass against Rolan's side, battered and barely alive. Her eyes were swollen nearly shut. One hand clutched at a bloody wound in her shoulder. "Who's there?" She whispered

:It's Herald Kerowyn:

Kerowyn Felt a trembling little touch against her mind and then Felt Talia brush against Sayvil. The double vision faded and Talia focused her eyes and clutched Kerowyn's hands. "Selenay. You've got to tell Selenay...Orthallen's a traitor. Ancar...killed Kris" She gasped out in terror

"Shhh. Talia, its all right. Ancar's dead" Kerowyn wasn't sure who Orthallen was, but Ancar had been dead, what...? 12 years? What could throw her back to that? The nightmare vision began to make more sense as Kerowyn recalled the story Eldan told of Talia's capture by Ancar.

Talia closed her eyes, tears streaming out of them, softly she said "Kris..?" she sounded muddled and surprised, "Is that you? Kris, It hurts. I can't find Dirk." She paused as though listening. She said something else, but her voice had faded to an unintelligible mutter. She shook her head

:Talia!: called Kerowyn with both voice and mind. Talking to old dead friends was never a good sign.

"Herald." Healer Devan knelt beside Kerowyn and gestured for her to move over. Talia opened terrified unseeing eyes and threw a hand up shielding her face, "No..." she begged

:Kero! let her know its Devan...she knows Devan:

Kero mind sent :Herald Talia! Its Healer Devan, don't fight him":

Talia cringed as the healer put his hand on her head. She cried out then struck with a short, livid blast of the pain she was feeling

Devon pulled back quickly, His gritted teeth the only real sign he gave of feeling Talia's power, "Kerowyn, help me. She's confused and I think she's only recognizing whether people are Heralds as a way to know who to trust"

;Talia its alright, I swear.: Kerowyn held Talia's hand gently. As she did so, the strange vision returned. She realized that she was seeing what Talia was seeing. The sunlit courtyard was the same, but the gathering crowd of people were just silhouettes, unrecognizable.

Devon began to probe at Talia's shields, more cautiously this time, Kerowyn sank further into Talia's vision. She was startled to See that Talia wasn't leaning against Rolan anymore, but a tall man wearing Herald's Whites. He looked little older than Kero herself. He had prematurely white hair and beard cut close as some fighters did to avoid it getting in his way. He was holding Talia close to him and encouraging her in murmurs. Talia looked at Kerowyn. "I can't see you properly" she complained in a stronger voice "What's happening?"

:I don't know. Please let the healer in.: Whatever Devon was doing was still hurting Talia, but this time she didn't try to throw him out. She squeezed Kero's hand and leaned her head into the tall Herald's shoulder. After a long moment Talia sighed and her grip loosened, her face went slack. The tall Herald resolved into Rolan. Kero supposed Talia had been hallucinating someone. Perhaps this Kris.

Devon was saying something to Kero and looking grim. "...Healer's Collegium." he finished. He gestured to two trainee healers who had brought a litter into the little courtyard. They put it down right beside Talia. Devon got a hand under her shoulders and the trainees knelt putting their hands underneath her to support her hips, "Kerowyn, take her feet." Kero did so , "Lift on three...1..2..3. And over... 1..2..3" They laid her down on the litter and the two trainees made ready to lift it onto the cart they had brought with them

Rolan took Devon's sleeve in his teeth suddenly

:SHE STAYS WITH ME.:

Devon stared at Rolan. He opened his mouth, closed it, cleared his throat and tried again, "B-but, Rolan, where can we put the two of you?" He'd lived around Heralds long enough to know that, rarely, Companions spoke with people other than their Chosen, but it had never happened to him.

Sayvil stepped forward, :How about the foaling shed? It's clean and has a bunk in each room. You could put her there and have room to keep a healer handy. Nobody else needs it right now : Kero assumed Sayvil spoke to all the healers, judging by the looks on their faces

Devon nodded a little bemusedly. He made another one of those peremptory gestures to his trainees. They put Talia on the cart and pulled her away with Rolan pacing slowly beside them. Devon covered his discomfort by turning to another Healer and started listing supplies and potions he'd need for Talia.

Kero sagged, feeling like she had just come to the end of a short decisive battle, and she couldn't tell who won. Sayvil was there for her to lean on :Well done, Chosen:.

:What just happened?:

:I don't know.: Sayvil admitted

"Ah! Gods! What about the others?!" Kerowyn whirled and pounded back up the stairs running past the people who had come out to witness the commotion.

Now the common room was full of people. Everyone seemed to be upright and no one was wailing. This was an improvement. The Herald who had told Kero he'd take care of it apparently had. She couldn't see Darkwind or Elspeth, the Heralds in the room seemed to be those who had gotten the edges of Talia's nightmare.

"KERO!" Eldan grabbed her into a tight hug, Mindspeaking because he was weeping into her hair :Gods...I woke with a terrible feeling. I thought...Ratha told me what was happening...:

"Shh its all right" Kero's eyes were streaming too. It seemed that every Herald in the room was either openly crying or trying to swallow their tears

A few healers were moving amoung the Heralds, but there seemed to be no physical casualties. Over Eldan's shoulder she spotted Elspeth and the red haired Herald. They were standing over a soaking wet Darkwind who sat on a bench with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. She sniffed and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Come on, kechara." she whispered to Eldan, "Lets go talk to Elspeth."

"Yes" he gave a sniff himself and let go. He was wearing the clothes he had dropped by the side of the bed last night and he was barefoot. He let go of her, but held one of her hands tightly.

Darkwind saw her and Eldan first. Kerowyn was happy to see he was wide wake even if he was unwontedly pale and shaken. "Kerowyn" He croaked, Elspeth and the other Herald turned toward them.

"What happened to you?" Kerowyn asked indicating Darkwind's wet hair.

The red haired Herald said "I threw a pitcher of cold water over him."

"Neave probably prevented this room from becoming a smoking ruin." said Darkwind soberly, "Talia trapped me in her vision and I," he paused and swallowed, "Was ready to call Final Strike down on myself."

Elspeth burst into sobs. Darkwind took her hand, Neave put his arm around her from the other side.

"Thank you, Neave." said Kero sincerely, glad at last to have placed the man. He was a special courier, seldom at the Palace for more than a few weeks at a time. He only ever stayed at the Palace long enough to be reassigned, it seemed.

Neave blushed "Kyldathar thought it was a good idea...she said that something physical would break him out of the vision"

"You came out of it pretty quickly." Kerowyn said quietly "Do you know why? If Talia does this again, it might be important."

Neave smiled grimly "Kyldathar's been waking me out of nightmares since I was Chosen."

"How's Talia?" Elspeth choked out, finally getting the better of her sobs.

"I don't know." said Kerowyn honestly.

Darkwind was starting to shiver, "Let's get Darkwind up to our rooms." said Elspeth thickly, she'd pulled a handkerchief out of a pocket and was mopping her eyes. "Will you three come with us? I imagine the healers won't let us anywhere near her today anyway. Have they taken her to her rooms or to the Healer's Collegium?"

"They took her to the Companion's foaling shed"

"I'm sorry?" Elspeth stared at Kero, then looked back at Darkwind who was clutching at the blanket around his shoulders "Tell us on the way. Darkwind needs to get warm"

"Darkwind needs to sleep for a week." said Darkwind wearily.