"I need to speak to Herald Keli." The man demanded despite his ragged clothing and unhealthy pallor that marked him as a resident of the slums of Haven. The child in his arms whimpered. The guard looked at him with contempt and doubt.
"Why aren't you getting her?" The man asked desperately as he tried to adjust his hold on the child but his arms were shaking.
"Good question." A rich, feminine voice interrupted. "If someone comes demanding a Herald, shouldn't you at least find one?"
The guard turned and gaped at the willowy red head behind him. "I… yes, Ma'am."
The man with the child looked at her with confusion. "You're Keli's sister, Fyn, right?"
"In the flesh." Fyn shooed off the guard. "Keli and Tristen are visiting his brother, Lord Elluen."
The man's voice caught in his throat, emerging as a harsh sob. He looked down at the little girl in his arms. She stared up at him with scared, brown eyes. He had failed her. "Gods…"
Fyn grabbed his hand when she realized how distraught he was. "Listen to me, what's happened? Who are you?"
"Gabin." He met her too wise green eyes. Finally, he realized she wore white. "You're a Herald?"
"I earned my Whites a couple years ago." Fyn explained. "Tell me what's going on."
Gabin's knees buckled and Fyn barely managed to catch the child before he dropped her. "Protect her. He's going to try to kill her too." He explained as the strength that fear had given him ebbed
The guards quickly rushed forward again. "Herald?"
"You, get Healers." Fyn ordered, nodding at one of the blue clad men. "The rest of you, he has a safe house for street children in Exile's Gate. I want twenty men here in the next five minutes, mounted, armed and ready to go."
The four guards scrambled. One towards the long building near the palace that was the Healer's Collegium, three towards the guard barracks. A Companion charged around the Herald's Wing.
"Tyree!" Fyn hollered. "Can you call another Herald?"
:Already did.: The Companion mare assured her. :Kris and Allaria are on their way.:
:You called the Prince?:
:He's unoccupied at the moment. Besides, you might need his authority.: Tyree slowed as she neared her. :What's wrong with him?:
"I don't know." Fyn set the child on the ground. The child, a little girl, stared at her and whimpered. "Hey sweetie. Can you stay right here for a minute? I need to see to Gabin."
The child just stared at her.
"Tyree, get down here." Fyn ordered gently with a smile at the girl.
:Oh, right, I see what you are thinking! Cuddle the child, right?: Tyree carefully lay behind the child. :I hope she doesn't think I am a monster. She's scared right to the core.:
"This is Tyree, she's my Companion." Fyn explained.
The girl turned, looked at Tyree, and promptly curled against the mare's shoulder.
Fyn turned back to Gabin and turned him over so his head was on her lap. His eyes were closed and under the dirt, his face was white with more than the pallor of a man who never saw the sun. His clothing was dark and stained; she couldn't tell if it was blood or something else.
She gently touched the wet part of his chest and her fingers came away red. "Blood, hmm."
Gabin groaned.
A swarm of green robed healers surrounded her.
"Don't drug him." Fyn ordered. "He is responsible for many children; we may need him to tell us where they are."
"But…" A Healer met her eyes.
"The girl is just as much of a priority; he said they may kill her too."
Gabin's eyes fluttered open. "Keli…"
"She's on her way." Fyn lied. "Where are the children?"
Gabin struggled to sit up.
"No!" The Healers protested in unison.
Fyn grabbed him by the shoulders, forced him to lie down, and started to sing. "Silly sheep, go to sleep…" He reluctantly surrendered and fell back with his head on her lap again.
"Bardic gift?" The Healer looked at her in surprise as he shook his head to dispel the effects of the song.
Fyn smiled as she sang the lullaby. Around her a couple of the Healers started to slump and one fell completely asleep. Gabin sighed and relaxed completely. Fyn stopped before she had everyone out cold.
"Next time I have a fussy Herald I am sending for you." A healer muttered. "How did a Bard get Chosen?"
"My arm was broken and I never recovered proper use of it. But I still have the Gift." Fyn said in a sing-song voice to reinforce Gabin's slumber.
"Keep him out a few more minutes." A Healer said as she tore open his shirt to reveal a stab wound to his gut.
Fyn cursed.
"What's wrong?" The Healer looked up.
"The blood on his shirt is too high to be from that." Fyn explained.
"The girl isn't wounded." A male Healer assured her. "I'm taking her to the Healers, you have him under control?"
"We do." The female Healer assured him.
"Fyn, what's going on?" Kris demanded as he rode up on Allaria.
"There are twenty guards coming. Tyree can show you were his safe house is. Take those two Healers and find the kids from that safe house."
Kris nodded.
Tyree lurched to her feet. :You are staying here?:
:I need to know why he is so desperate to speak to Keli and what happened to him and that girl.:
:Right.:
Kris turned to see the guards she ordered riding towards him. "Let me know if anything else occurs."
"Of course." Fyn assured him.
"I've got it." The Healer working on Gabin said as the other two sat back. "You two go with the Guards."
"You can tell Tyree if you need anything and I will see to it it's sent. I will stay with Gabin." Fyn informed them.
"Right, let's go." Kris ordered as he led the men out the gate with Tyree in the lead.
"Herald Fyn." Fyn introduced herself.
"Healer Karlee." The Healer said. "He's stable."
"Can we move him to the Healers?"
"In a few minutes." Karlee assured her. "I'm repairing his large bowel."
"That's not good." Fyn said darkly.
"No, it's not. But at least it's not his lung." Karlee said with a forced grin.
"You're an optimist." Fyn said with a matching grin.
"If he starts to wake up, put him back out." Karlee said as she rolled him over. "Just don't put me out too. I'm trying very hard not to yawn right now."
"I wish I could focus my Gift." Fyn grimaced. "Anything else wrong with him?"
"Some bruises, a few cut on his arms and hands, malnutrition, and a lung infection." Karlee listed. "Not too bad for someone from Exile's Gate. What's this safe house?"
"He runs a safe house for beggar children. He teaches them to read and to defend themselves."
"Oh, that's nice of him." Karlee said in surprise.
"It's more than nice. He's been attacked a few times and he's been accused of running a ring of thieves. They don't like him down there."
"How many kids does he protect?"
"Normally, more than two hundred."
"Wow." Karlee said as she lowered him onto his back. "He's going to need a week or so to recover. However, he will recover."
"Good to hear."
"What are they going to do with the children?" Karlee asked.
Fyn grinned. "What do you think Prince Kris of the notoriously compassionate heart is going to do?"
Karlee sat back on her heels. "He's going to bring them here, isn't he?"