A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who has hung on since the beginning and those who have just jumped in recently! This is the last chapter so here are my final thanks... I'm gonna miss writing this story!
Hellfires Fury- Thank you for reviewing! I really appreciate your support!
ShadowHunter Mashell- Thank you as well- I'm glad you think all the chapters are great!
I Forget- Talia is fun to write tough... then again, my overall impression of her is as a tough person, remember her first reaction to Elspeth? Hee hee. Well thanks so much for reviewing!
TragicDespair- Is this continued enough? ;) Thanks for reviewing! XD.
AikoNamika- Wow, I'm glad you like it that much! And once more, thank you for reviewing!
hands giant candycanes to everyone who has reviewed any chapter

Weeks went by. I helped out again with Dash and Yael and Talia helped keep up with the housework. She said she'd grown up in the Holderkin, and I knew that sounded familiar somehow. She clearly wasn't a commoner now though- she held herself like a person of respect does, and she had earned it too.

She gave Dash the outlines of being a Herald in the evenings, telling him things he would need to know. Things he'd learn as a trainee, even though he looked a bit old to be in grays. And every moment I looked inside myself, pulling at the longing to be a Companion again, trying to force it out and change my skin- but to no avail. Dash said every once and a while I'd superimpose, but never when I was trying my hardest so that didn't seem to mean much of anything.

However, one morning, I looked up and saw the vulture feathers stuck up in the rafters and I realized I'd never met these black feathered scavengers before. Dash saw my glance and he tilted his head toward the door, a silent invitation to go and see them.

I nodded, intrigued, and we slipped out, leaving Talia and Yael to finish the breakfast. He led me out around the barn to an area I hadn't actually seen before. There was a large wooden shed without windows, and I could hear the shuffle of feet and feathers inside. He unlatched the door and pulled it open, softly crooning to the creatures inside. Very much curious, I peered over his shoulder and saw five black hulking birds perched on perches built into the shed, blinking in the sunlight.

Their feathers were black and soft in appearance, contrasting their bright red heads covered in wrinkly skin around sharp brown bird eyes, peering at me curiously.

:They won't hurt you: Dacian said, stepping inside and pulling a leather glove over his left arm, :I've told them you're a friend.:

:Would they normally hurt me?:I asked, looking at the silent and intimidating yet calm appearing creatures.

:Yes: Dacian said with a grin at me, :They can be violent towards humans- Teryl was the only other one I could convince them not to barf at.:

:Barf?:I echoed, stepping inside after him, the mixture of feathers and droppings on the floor muffling my footfalls.

:They can regurgitate their meals at enemies- a very unpleasant event: Dacian said, a hint of humor in his mind voice and I couldn't help but smile.

He held out his arm and one of the vultures hopped forward, and I got the impression of ungainliness with the huge wings slightly outspread around a tiny body. They'd need that though, wouldn't they? Huge wings and small bodies?

:They're beautiful: I said, gazing at the one calmly sitting on Dacian's arm.

He turned to look at me, his eyes happy, :They are, aren't they? Few can see that such a creature that seems to herald Death can be beautiful. But you know- vultures are much more peaceful than any bird of prey- they do not kill.:

:True: I said, delighted, and Dacian had the bird hop back to its perch and then led me back outside, pulling off the glove and latching the door shut. There was a loud hissing noise from inside and I jumped by Dacian just shook his head- it was only the vultures.

Now there was an interesting noise. Creepy. Or as creepy as Dacian and Teryl had seemed when I first came to this small farmhouse in an unnoticed part of Valdemar.

I took a deep breath and realized that I could smell Spring on the air. Had it been that long since I changed? An entire season? I looked around and the snow was almost gone except for a few patches and in a bare tree I saw a robin perched, chirping gaily.

I looked out, past the barn and farmhouse to the muddy road. It was still cold, only perhaps somewhere between five and ten degrees above freezing but it felt so much warmer and I pulled off my gloves, pushing them into my pockets to let the gentle breeze wrap around my hands.

It was cold, but durable. And I thought of the night when I'd first been changed, when I ran several miles through a wintry night with nothing covering me but a saddle and bridle, the bells ringing to my steps and stones cutting into my feet- but I hadn't minded, hadn't even really noticed.

I broke into a run and didn't stop until I'd reach the road, and I sat down on the grass, staring at the mud. And then, on a whim, I pulled off my sweaters, one by one and tossed them down on soaking grass that was green with new growth- the only bright thing in this world still brown.

Dash caught up with me as I was dropping my boots to the ground and pulling down my trousers. He grabbed my arm with a gloved hand and pulled me around, his eyes confused and worried.

:Daneric?: he asked.

:I'm going for a run: I answered with a grin, feeling excited as the cool/warm breeze wrapped around my naked body- as white as the day I'd been changed.

:I'm coming with: Dacian said and stepped back, pulling off his own gloves.

:No you aren't: I said with a laugh and turned, breaking into a run, my feet sinking into the mud and pebbles of the road, the cold mud sucking the blood and warmth out of me- but I didn't notice, didn't care.

All I had the eyes for was the movement, the running, the wind around my body. I closed my eyes and kept running. Should I run all the way back to where I was changed? How far? Where was I trying to go? I almost felt that if I just ran fast enough, my legs would change and I'd be a Companion again, the wind blowing in my mane and tail and my hooves kicking up mud.

There was a shout from behind me and I stopped, cursing Dash under my breath. Why had he followed me? I turned around and saw him running after me, his clothes gone as well and his body pale and shivering.

"Daneric!" he shouted and I frowned, reaching out to pull him close to me, trying to warm his shivering body.

:Why did you follow?: I asked, feeling encumbered by the need to get him back into warm, dry clothes. He couldn't be out here like this! I could, but I was a Companion, he wasn't.

Suddenly I stepped backwards and stared at Dacian as a change swept through me. Encumbered? Dacian couldn't encumber me! My job was to protect him- not go off on some silly run. A Companion wasn't a Companion because of the form they were in- it was the heart that made a Companion. Even if I never made it back to that form which I now saw as only useful because of the way it would help my Chosen, that didn't make me not a Companion!

How could I have not seen this? I pulled Daneric close once more and then whispered, "I love you Dacian. I will always protect you. Because you are my Chosen."

Form didn't matter, wind didn't matter, powerful legs didn't matter. Dacian mattered, he was what was important. No matter my form, my job was to see him through life as a Herald.

That is what I had been thinking about as I had galloped the lonely winter roads so long ago. I'd forgotten what it was to be a Companion. How could I have forgotten?

And then suddenly, as sudden as the change had occurred the first time, I was standing before Dacian, my neck curving around him, pulling him close to my warm, white coated self, standing with four legs.

It didn't even occur to me to be glad I had this form again, in fact, I barely even noticed the change had occurred again. I could only think of Dacian and I whispered into his mind as I had when I had Chosen him, :Forgive me Chosen. I'd forgotten you.:

And Companions don't cry.