dkstories

Dalen's intentions were more towards getting inside unnoticed than going amongst the people - but he got that too. I'll refer you to my earlier reply to itchabones review as to the size of Haven. If there's something to feel, he'll likely feel it once he's inside the palace grounds. Reading your review I realized I probably didn't present Valdemar's law on religion. It's actually quite simple and I love it: There is no 'one true way'. Their laws stress a freedom of religion - but also a protection from religion. If you look at the Holderkin, they are a very strict religious society - but the law protects their children and adult members as well. If you want to leave their society, the law says you must be allowed to leave and Valdemar has charities that will help these kids get back on their feet. Not only that, the law says the Holderkin have to tell their kids about these charities so they KNOW they have options. There are other religious organizations like the Holderkin in different parts of Valdemar, but since much of this story takes place in the south, we see the Holderkin. If I ever get the sequel going beyond chapter 4 we'll see another of the more conservative groups in the country (the western border is the focus of that story).

Thanks for the compliments! When writing this stretch of the story I too wanted to rush forward with the confrontation, but there were some parts of the bigger picture that needed to be seen before that confrontation. It's so easy to lose focus on the fact that there are literally hundreds of thousands of people out there who are involved in this and whose opinions can have some impact on the primary characters. With Dalen and those around him we're seeing the viewpoints of the elite of Valdemar, the leaders. This chapter was important to give us a viewpoint on what is going on with everyone else.

Imagine what must be going on in Dalen's mind as he prepares to meet his mother. Lucky for you, the next chapter will be posted later today (or should be depending on the GA techs).

Haven is a large city. By this time, it would be several hundred thousand, maybe even a half-million in population. Think of it similar to Paris around 1800 (the city proper). We've only seen small portions of the city, and smack dab in the middle is the Old City. Inside the old city is the Palace, Bardic Collegium, Herald Collegium, Mage Collegium, Artificer Collegium, Healer's Hall and Healer's collegium. There's also a huge (think New York's Central Park) field where the companions live. The Heartstone is in a basement level of the Palace, in the heart of the Old City a the center of the city. So...the impact of the Heartstone is felt closer to the middle of the city, not just when you enter the outer city gates.

Thank you for the compliment regarding the maturity of the characters. One of the most difficult aspects of writing this story was bringing in people new to the world without having to bore those who know the works by the original author. In some parts (like the Tayladras vale), I didn't put enough description in for the new reader, but it sounds like for the most part I got a fair enough balance.

“That looks painful.” The man said as he looked down from his cart at Dalen. “It is.” Dalen said with a grimace on his face as he held his arm in the make-shift sling he’d created. He was wearing the clothes that had been given to him by Blake’s father after the battle with the blood-mage. The clothes looked a little grimier than when he’d first worn them, and there were a few holes in them that had not been there before. Blake insisted his father wouldn’t mind though. “Whoever heard of bandit

Aat least he's bothering to actually plan now instead of 'let's go over that hill and see what's there!'.

I'm going to not respond to most of the review because I want you to discover the answers for yourself. Still, there are a few things I can say: On re-reading this for the fourth or fifth time I have to agree that Windfire's statement about Dalen being his greatest legacy was powerful. Valdemar lore has it that there are five Companions for the Monarch's Own. These same five take turns rotating through 'life' and are equivalent to what we might think of as an 'archangel' in christian lore. They are all very old, very wise, and kind of like being saddled with a grandfather who has seen and done it all before. Some might think that would fit Dalen perfectly, but I think the smartass companion with a handy Shin'a'in saying for every occasion is better for Dalen in the long run...

It was small wonder that mages had gone through so much trouble over the years in trying to create a Permanent Gate. When Dalen finished the trip to k’Chona Vale, a journey many times further than he’d ever tried before, he felt no more drained than he would have from any minor spell-casting. Altogether they were in Burnham for only a handful of minutes while he examined the Gate. “Not too bad.” Dalen said after he’d finished his examination. “So this thing is safe?” Blake asked with a shake

Dalen is indeed reaching his full potential as an Adept. The Talaydreas have a very active Goddess who often invtervenes in the lives of her people (Shin'a'in, Talaydreas, Kaled'a'in, and even Valdemarans now). I wouldn't be surprised if she intervened a little here and made sure Dalen met Windfire,, hitting two birds with one stone.

I have to agree that this chapter was one of my absolute favorites. From my experience, it is someone outside the home or outside the normal surroundings of a teenager who can make the most impact. For Dalen, Windfire was that person and exactly what he needed.

“If you say the word ‘patience’ one more time I am going to blast you.” Dalen growled as he ‘stared’ at his next task. “I think there is no need to say it anymore.” Windfire’s spirit chuckled from behind Dalen. “No, I understand.” Dalen sighed and relaxed. Even after all this time his body felt no less real than it had before he’d come into this weird half-existence. As he relaxed further the flows of power around the central nexus of the Permanent Gate became more and more clear. Afte

Long reviews are always appreciated - the fact someone cares enough about a story I wrote to write this long of a review is flattering. Impetuous is definitely a good way to describe Dalen. I'd also use the term 'fickle'. He's always going from one thing to the next without necessarily sticking around to find the deeper meaning of something. Hopefully this little sidetrip might help. Then again it might hurt too. A long time ago I switched from posting stories as I write them to posting almost everything only after it's completed or when it's very close to being completed. A big part of this is because it allows me to go back to chapter 1 and change something to make the story flow better or to stay consistent. I didn't do that with one very notable story and it ended up killing the story 3/4 of the way through. A lot of people were dissappointed by that and I don't blame them one bit.

What's worse than a lesson you don't really want? A lesson you don't really want at a time you are desperate to be somewhere else...

I'll just mention here that when I first wrote this I probably cursed myself with having a teenager who can match Dalen's stubbornness and total blindness to things that should be obvious. *sigh*

Guesses can be amazing sometimes - or maybe not. Only time will tell (and thanks for reviewing!)

To his great surprise, Dalen Ashkevron had slept – even if it was only for a few hours before dawn came. He’d woken in the arms of Bard Carl Lackley, and realized he was relaxed. For the first time in ages, he had no headache, his energy reserves felt great, and he felt like he was ready for almost anything. Then Carl had farted. “Sorry.” Carl murmured in his half-awake state. “I shouldn’t have had the beans last night. Damn Guard field rations.” “I am so glad we didn’t have sex la

General Ashkevron's reaction will be interesting to see. I think we can see a lot of him in Dalen - more than Selenay in fact.

I was wondering if there was anyone out there who thought a Dalen/Bart pairing would be best.

Dalen may need Lackley, but does he want him actually there? I don't think Dalen even knows.

Hopefully Dalen won't be gone for too long. At least he's leaving them in a much more secure location than they would have been otherwise, and they do have other Heralds, even Herald-Mages down there.

I would imagine that Dalen feels much the same way.

Since this story is a reposting, I actually don't control the daily postings. A GA tech handles them through an automated process. Sorry if things get a little off-schedule from time to time. The bugs are still being worked out of the system.

Thank you rosicky! Your analogy with Reagan and Al Haig is exactly what I used as a foundation for this part of the story.

“When did this happen?” Captain Helgenberger was the first to react in anything other than shock at the news of the death of King Rothar. Dalen’s head was still spinning as he reviewed the line of succession, coming up with several names of who should be in charge right now. “It happened yesterday morning, ma’am.” The boy said with that nervous tone in his voice as he wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to someone not visible in the teleson screen. “An embassy from the Black King