Tests of Blood - 36. Chapter 36

Dalen woke from what was a blissful sleep, slowly opening his eyes to see Gavin’s nose not more than an inch from his. They were sleeping so closely that every time they breathed, their breath gently teased the other’s face. He couldn’t ever remember a more comfortable, relaxed moment.

“Would you look at that?” Luann’s smug voice sounded from the doorway, and Dalen turned to look at the older Herald. She was already dressed in the closest thing to Whites they’d been able to sneak into their bags. Like the set Dalen had waiting they were simple white tunics and a pair of white pants, packed separately of course.

“We overslept.” Dalen said while trying to ignore her leering look. She had her own lifebonded…

“How long do we have?” Gavin asked with a yawn as he sat up while Dalen looked poleaxed. He knew from conversations with Luann and her lifebonded Vern what it felt like for them, and he recognized the feelings now. Through his shock, he realized Gavin must already have figured that out, long before last night took place. His bonded was as calm as could be about Dalen’s sudden nervousness.

“About half an hour until the Bell rings.” Luann said with a grin. “Don’t let yourselves get sidetracked.”

“We won’t.” Gavin assured her calmly. When the door was shut, he looked at Dalen with a fond smile. They hadn’t done more than kiss, and maybe a little heavy petting with each other last night, but it had all been wonderful, and a promise for things to come. Now Gavin’s look was full of mild concern. “Figured it out, have you?”

“Yes.” Dalen breathed in shock.

“We’ll have time to talk later.” Gavin assured him. “In fact, we’ll have a lifetime.”

“But, how… why?” Dalen stammered.

“You are so cute when you’re flustered.” Gavin grinned. “I’ve never been one to argue with the will of the Goddess, or the Gods or whatever. If this is what they want for me, for us, then we might as well enjoy what they’ve given.”

“How sanguine of you.” Dalen murmured.

“There are plenty of things in our lives we can’t control, and this is one of them.” Gavin said calmly.

“How can you always be so damn calm about this stuff?” Dalen growled angrily as he swung around to put his feet on the floor.

“My parents were killed when I was ten.” Gavin said roughly. “I spent a great deal of time with kestra’chern when I came to the Vale, and they helped me see things a little bit differently. There are things we can change, things we can affect, and things we can do nothing about at all. I focus on the things I have the power to change, worry about what I can affect, and leave the rest up to the Goddess – or those she’s given the power to make a difference.”

“I… I don’t know.” Dalen said with a shrug. “I’ve always been raised to believe that we can do anything as long as we put our minds to it, but I’ve learned lately that there are things I can never hope to accomplish on my own.”

“Which is why the Goddess gives us those who can help us on our way.” Gavin said with a shrug. “She has given us each other, for instance, so that together we can do more than either of us on our own.”

“That’s a comforting thought.” Dalen mused, still not at ease with this bond between him and Gavin, but he was adjusting to it, and the feeling of Gavin there, in his mind like Jadev, did make him feel less alone, more connected to others. “We’d best get ready.”

“Yes.” Gavin agreed, planting a kiss on the back of Dalen’s neck that made him shiver with anticipation. Now, as they changed, it was difficult not to reach over and run his hands along Gavin’s smooth skin. Gavin was well-tanned, and had strong legs as well as good muscle tone. It made Dalen a little self-conscious with his unusually pale body, lighter muscle-tone because he’d still not been able to build any muscle back up, and of course the ugly scar on his abdomen. Despite their mutual urges, they were dressed, had their hair combed and were out the door within ten minutes.

“We’re ready.” Dalen said to Heralds Luann and Vern, as well as the four others with them. Those were members of the Skybolts, sent along to provide additional muscle if it was needed, and some level of physical protection.

“The Bell should be sounding just about the time we get in position.” Luann said with a nod, taking the lead. Even at this early hour, Healer’s Hall was busy, and the Healers and their assistants did their best to ignore the party moving through their halls. The four Skybolts were dressed in browns and grays instead of any Healer color just to make sure there could be no direct blame placed on Healer’s.

The group stopped around the corner from the hallway that led to the Palace side of the complex. They knew there would be two guards at the doorway, their backs to the walls so they could see anyone approaching from either side. Now was the time for Dalen and Gavin to take away the shielding that had kept their Gifts from being discovered.

When the heavy tolling of the Death Bell began, they were ready. Dalen’s stun bolt hit the guard on the left while Gavin’s took the one on the right. Then they were rushing down the hallway, pausing only to allow the Skybolts to strip the weapons off the unconscious Guards.

In Companion’s Field, at the same time that Dalen and his group rushed across the Palace grounds, Companions brought their Heralds back to Haven. First through the Gate were the Herald-Mages that instantly began hammering at the shield cutting the Field off from the rest of the Palace complex. The Haighlei had raised the shield to stop people from entering the Field, not to stop mages from blasting their way out of the field.

As the Haighlei shield came down and more Heralds pounded through the Gate, Dalen approached the two Valdemar Guards that were on duty at the Palace entrance. Both Guards snapped to attention and saluted him. He returned the salute while taking deep breaths after their sprint.

“Are the preparations made?” Dalen asked them both.

“Yes my lord.” The Guard on the left answered. “Captain Erik says they are assembling in the Audience Chamber as per your directions.”

“Good.” Dalen said in relief and turned to Gavin. “You know what to do.”

“Yes, and you keep yourself safe.” Gavin replied. They went through the door together, but separated almost immediately as Dalen took the hallway to the right and Gavin went straight ahead, with Luann and Vern following behind. The four Skybolts that had come with them followed Dalen deeper into the Palace as he practically flew down the stairs that led to the basement level.

They reached the Heartstone Chamber unchallenged, and Dalen walked through the door while the others took up guarding positions outside. Inside, the Chamber was much as he’d last seen it, and he relaxed ever so slightly while going to the bench on the southern side of the stone table. The soft cloud of dust that came up when he sat on the bench’s cushion made him cough briefly, and his eyes watered while he tried to look at the stone globe in the middle of the stone table.

We’re here. Jadev’s voice sounded in Dalen’s head and he let out a sigh of relief at the familiar voice. Strangely it had been the separation from his Companion that had been bothering him the most.

It’s about time. He said to his Companion.

All the Heralds are through, and about half the Guard units of the first wave. Jadev continued, ignoring Dalen’s grumble. It’s good to see you’re in position. Jolandra says that Gavin and his group are in position at the first storeroom. Lasha’s Chosen says you can start anytime now and the sooner the better. The Haighlei are already responding.

It’s going to take me a while. Dalen growled back as he felt his Companion drop further back into his mind where Jadev would not interfere with his concentration. That brooked no further comments, and he stared into the stone globe on the table, letting his mind sink into its soft glowing light.

As every time before when he’d linked with Haven Heartstone, he was struck by the sensations of ancientness and youthfulness. The youthful feeling was the power itself, constantly being refreshed and stored while the ancient feelings were from the permanence of the stone that made up the Heartstone itself. Centuries ago, Herald-Mage Vanyel Ashkevron with three other Herald-Mages had created this Heartstone and did something the Tayledras had never done.

Normally, they took a natural piece of stone that went to bedrock, but this Heartstone was fused with four different gems that created the glowing stone on top, fused to the stone table and from there fused directly to the bedrock on which the Palace itself was built. Were the Palace to be destroyed by an earthquake, the Stone itself would survive. If he failed in what he was about to attempt, Dalen knew the Stone could take the entire Palace with it into destruction.

Why destroy? The concept that floated into his mind from the Stone itself was the most powerful Dalen had ever experienced. Never before had the Stone expressed itself as words, and although they weren’t quite words, their meaning was quite clear. As he’d long believed, the Stone was alive, and self-aware.

We must. Dalen replied, and opened his mind to the Stone fully, depending on the anchor that was Jadev to keep him from losing himself in the scouring power that surrounded him. He showed the Stone the danger the Haighlei posed if they succeeded in starving the Stone of power, and weakening it to the point where they could study it and maybe duplicate it one day for their own purposes.

Never. The Stone almost snarled, and Dalen was buffeted as images flowed from the Stone to him, and he saw its birth.

The stories all said Herald-Mage Vanyel Ashkevron was handsome, but his beauty was almost unearthly in a way Dalen hadn’t expected. The man was in his thirties, and his rich black hair had thick streaks of white from his work in the nodes. Next to him sat a frail-looking older woman with the familiar Ashkevron nose. Instinctively, Dalen knew that this was Herald-Mage Savil Ashkevron, Vanyel’s Aunt. Across from Vanyel sat another male Herald-Mage, and Dalen knew this was Herald-Mage Kilchas, a contemporary of Vanyel’s. The fourth person was someone whose name came from the Stone itself, Herald-Mage Lissandra.

Haven Heartstone played out the memory for Dalen, showing how the four Adept Herald-Mages, the weakest of whom easily matched King Dellinar, melded their powers. He couldn’t quite hear the words that passed between them as Vanyel and Kilchas fumbled with their melding, but soon they were ready and Vanyel led the effort in creating the Heartstone itself. As soon as they were done, they shifted to their next task, and Dalen realized he was watching the setting of the Vrondi air-elementals as watchers against mages.

That stunned him, because for centuries until Ancar of Hardorn, their protections had kept mages out of Valdemar for the most part.

The scene faded as Vanyel dropped a shield that had been raised while they worked, and turned to talk to another Herald that Dalen hadn’t seen until that moment. For a moment he was lost in the swirl of power currents within the Stone, just drifting along until the Stone showed him another memory. At first he couldn’t tell the difference, but then he saw the Chamber again.

It was far dustier than it was when Dalen had just entered, and he knew from the Stone that it had been decades since the room had been opened. A strange female Herald, one Dalen could not put a name to, and who the Stone did not even know was standing in the Chamber and looking at the Stone. Magic flowed from her, and the Stone realized that somehow its creator, Vanyel, was working magic through this Herald from his spirit-home in the Forest of Sorrows where he’d died decades earlier.

The spells he cast through the female Herald were complex, but Dalen could see the effect they had, and marveled at the skill of his ancestor. It was simply amazing how someone from an age long past could manipulate magic in such ways. Next to what he saw as Vanyel put the Stone to sleep by using a Herald as a channel made Dalen feel like a rank amateur.

He saw what his ancestor had done, and knew he could repeat the feat. It was much simpler in concept, although complicated as a piece of spell work. The Stone wasn’t done with him though, and showed him another memory.

First was the sensation of wakening as a huge amount of power flowed in the Stone that had slept for centuries. It had vague memories of a powerful Adept trying to tamper with it once, but otherwise it had been untouched since its creator had put it to sleep. Now, though, power flowed through it, more power than it could ever remember having, and its creator was reaching out from the far north, from the Forest of Sorrows and preparing it to waken.

When the ones its creator had told it to wait for arrived, it was ready to awaken. Adept Firesong k’Treva was the one who actually brought it to full wakefulness, but it was Herald-Mage Elspeth, daughter of Queen Selenay who first used it for the purposes it was intended. Her first acts were to use the Stone to create shields that would protect the capitol from attack.

With a cry of shock, Dalen was thrust out of the Stone’s memories. He was breathless at first, and it was only the firm anchor of his Companion’s mind that kept him sane at that moment. What the Stone wanted would not only preserve it for the future, it would work much quicker and not risk the Palace or Haven. Dalen could feel his Companion agreeing with his decision without words, and waited only until he’d caught his breath and felt that he’d regained his mental balance.

Then he lost himself back in the Stone’s ancient youthfulness, and set to work.

While Dalen was communing with the Heartstone, Gavin was trying to keep his mind on the task at hand. Along with the two older Heralds, he was led to the first of several storerooms where precious items had been hidden from the Haighlei. The first of the rooms held books stacked from floor to ceiling and along the far wall a large shield that looked cracked and burnt. Once it had been the image of a white, winged horse with chains on its forehooves, rearing in obvious defiance on a blue background.

“Why is that in here?” He wondered aloud.

“What are they teaching Heralds these days?” Luann asked rhetorically. “That’s the Shield of Valdemar. It’s hung in the Council Chambers since King Valdemar himself. I reckon her Highness rescued it out of there and put it here for safe-keeping. Smart of her, really.”

“If you say so.” Gavin shrugged and then smiled as he could feel Jolandra’s presence in his mind. It was good hearing her sweet voice again, and she kept up a running commentary of what was happening.

That’s it, a thousand Guards are here and the Gate’s down. Jolandra’s dulcet mental voice told him it was his turn.

“Get ready.” Gavin warned the two Heralds who had cleared a path into the smallish storeroom. There was just enough room for the three of them to stand inside the doorway, and as soon as the doorway was clear, he began casting the modified Gate spell. Soon enough they were looking at the platform in front of the Burnham Gate, and Herald Vern went into action.

Using his Fetching Gift, the Herald began moving stacks of books and other items in the room through the Gate. A wagon was waiting for just this purpose, and Vern was working on filling it as fast as possible. Luann’s contribution was supporting her lifebonded, both physically and mentally, as only a lifebonded couple could accomplish.

“Good job.” Gavin said as the damaged Shield appeared on top of the pile of books now in the wagon on the Burnham side. It was easy to release the Gate, and Gavin felt reassured that he would have more than enough strength to do this four or five more times. If he’d had to do this on his own, without a Permanent Gate to help, he’d have been done after one more.

“Let’s find the next one.” Vern said as they left the room. He was wiping the sweat from his brow, and Luann was frowning, but the Guard that had worked for Captain Erik nodded before taking them to the next room.

Selenay Ashkevron was nervous as she walked into the Audience Chamber and confronted the assembled nobles, led by Dellinar’s beautiful wife. Part of her longed for the comfort of Court garb, but she was wearing utilitarian trousers and blouse of good denim material. It was far more appropriate and durable for the day.

“I have been assured that King Dellinar’s forces are on their way.” She said in a clear, loud voice. “When they arrive, we will begin an orderly evacuation to the rally point located in Companion’s Field. Families with children need to keep their children in sight at all times.”

“Why should we trust you?” One of the assembled nobles, Lady Talia Micherven asked with derision. “After all you have done to Valdemar on behalf of these Haighlei…”

“Enough.” Lady Karenthalis, wife of King Dellinar said in ringing tones. “The Lady Selenay has my trust, and my thanks. Without her, many of us would long since have lost our free will.”

“Or so she claims!” Micherven retorted angrily.

“If you want to stay for the tender mercies of the Haighlei, you can.” Selenay said harshly while giving Dell’s wife a look of gratitude. “I, for one, will choose to face whatever charges and justice His Majesty has waiting for me.”

“Enough.” Karenthalis said firmly. “We will be ready, Selenay.”

“Thank you.” Selenay said to the Lady Wife of the King. By Valdemaran law, only someone Chosen by a Companion bore the title ‘King’ or ‘Queen’, and for all her charm, Princess Karenthalis of Rethwelen had never been Chosen. Her three children were assembled around her, and while they did fidget nervously, they were well-behaved.

“Is this everyone?” A strange voice asked as the clatter of footsteps came from the main entrance to the Hall. Erik’s Guards were on alert, but relaxed as three figures in Whites appeared. Selenay recognized neither man, nor the female Herald, but that didn’t matter. A Herald of Valdemar was always trustworthy.

“We’re ready, Herald.” Selenay said as she turned to face the speaker. Then she turned her head back to the assembled nobles. “Ladies and those with children line up first. Guards, protect all sides and bring up the rear.”

“We will leave together, Selenay.” Karen said firmly as she began walking forward with her children in tow. When she reached Selenay’s side, she picked up her daughter who was barely four and handed her to Selenay. “Will you carry Morganellen for me?”

“Certainly.” Selenay said as her cheeks flushed. It appeared Karen at least had forgiven her, and would now trust her.

“Good.” Karen’s voice was sharp, and loud enough for everyone to hear. “I can think of no one I’d trust more with my daughter.”

“Thank you.” Selenay breathed quietly before leading the assembled group towards the great double-doors and out of their forced isolation in Valdemar’s Royal Palace.

“They’re leading the hostages out now.” Herald Nevin said in a grim voice to Lofar Ashkevron who was sitting his horse and watching the skirmishes now taking place at the edges of Companion’s Field, and all along the pathways to the Palace.

He turned to the Herald nodding. “Good, have Tierce Squad of the 12^th move up to the Royal Garden path.” Lofar ordered and watched the Herald go blank-faced while using his Mindspeech to pass the orders to the Herald with that unit. This was Valdemar’s greatest advantage in field combat, embedded Heralds guaranteeing the instant communication of orders. It was an advantage the Haighlei had not yet found a way to overcome.

“Their mages are trying to block us.” Nevin said after letting out a sigh. “Our Herald-Mages have stopped them for now so Tierce got the orders.”

“Good.” Lofar frowned. Okay, the Haighlei were trying to get rid of that advantage, but that was what Herald-Mages were for, countering the enemy mages. The early morning sky was still being lit up by conventional mage attacks striking the Valdemaran shields, and he earnestly began to pray the Haighlei did not have artillery they could bring to bear on his forces. “How long until we get the people out of the Palace?”

“There are a lot of women and children in the group, so it’s going to take at least a half-hour.” Nevin replied. “Herald-Mage Gavin’s finished the third room and is moving to the next, so we’ll have the Gate available to us by then.”

“What about my son?” Lofar asked, trying to keep his voice steady. It was hard to accept that his little boy was now a full-grown Herald-Mage and performing magic that only the greatest of Herald-Mages in Valdemar’s history had equaled. He was scared by it on so many levels, but he never let his son know that.

“Jadev says he’s working on something.” Nevin shrugged. “His Companion’s attention is focused on keeping him anchored, so he doesn’t lose himself, or at least that’s how they explained it to me. I don’t think even the King fully understands what Dalen’s doing right now.”

“How much more time will he need?” Lofar asked as more Haighlei reinforcements appeared on the western flank. He’d need to order another of his reserve squads to reinforce that area. Hopefully the lower-level Herald-Mages would succeed in their task of bringing in a storm to strike the Haighlei sector of the capitol. If they did it soon enough, it would keep his positions from being overrun. Storm clouds were forming, as had been assumed due to the number of Gates that were being used here, and they were moving in the right direction.

“Who knows?” Nevin shrugged.

“We’ll just have to give him as much time as we can.” Lofar sighed, and began issuing more orders that the Herald relayed immediately.

It was done, at last.

Dalen came out of his trance to find his body was soaked with sweat, and he was exhausted. His mage channels were scorched and sensitive, and he was ready to fall down, but at last the job was done. In front of him, the crystal globe was dull, with only the faintest of glimmering light in its depths, like a promise for the future. The Heartstone of Haven was asleep until he or another came back to wake it up again.

His body ached as he stood up and stretched, having lost all sense of time. It had been hours, he knew, but not how many hours. Jadev was recovering too, but had answers ready for him when he touched his Companion’s mind.

You did well. Jadev said. Things out here are going poorly at the moment and Nevin wants you to hurry. Your father isn’t sure how much longer he can hold a secure path for us.

I’m on my way. Dalen said with a sigh. He opened the door to the Chamber and found his protective detail had grown to double its original size, and a tired-looking Gavin was with them.

“Don’t argue, I’m here to make sure you get back safely.” Gavin said before Dalen had done more than open his mouth. “I’m tired, but not nearly as bad as you since I’ve been resting for the last two hours. It’s nearly noon.”

“Let’s get a move on.” Dalen said instead of protesting, getting nods of approval from the men and women around them. He disliked being in the middle of the group, but didn’t argue the point. It was their job to guard him, as much as he might feel it should be the other way around.

When they reached the exit, two Companions were waiting for them, along with restive mounts for all the Guards with them. More Guards were there waiting for them, already mounted, along with Heralds Luann and Vern. They exchanged few words as Dalen pulled himself up into Jadev’s saddle, and they were off at the fastest gallop the Guard’s horses could manage.

They were barely into the gardens when they ran into a tight knot of Haighlei troops. It appeared that most firearms had already been used, and the fighting was sword against sword, or the occasional pike. Dalen’s group fell on the back of the Haighlei squad and cut a path through to the line of Guards, without Dalen having to even draw the sword from the scabbard attached to Jadev’s saddle. When they were through they kept galloping and Dalen looked back to see the line of Guards pulling back in retreat behind them.

“It’s about damn time.” His father growled when they reached him. The fighting was in the Field now, and Dalen noticed that most of the Herald-Mages had already pulled back from the field of battle. Only the Adepts and two of the Masters were left, the rest having exhausted themselves a long time ago. Fortunately the Haighlei mages were in just as bad a condition, and there was little magic being used against the Valdemar forces.

“It is done, and a little more besides.” Dalen grinned tiredly. His father nodded.

“You can explain that better when we’re back in Burnham.” Lofar growled before turning to issue the retreat orders. A half-hour later, they were through the Gate and back in Burnham where Healers were busy seeing to the wounded, and Dalen collapsed in exhaustion, all but sliding off the back of Jadev and into his father’s arms.

He slept for almost a full day and when he woke, it was in his room inside the Vale dome, with his parents and Gavin all at his side. Jadev was there, in his mind as a reassuring presence, and he felt himself relax for the first time in a long time. Gavin was on his left side, holding his hand openly in front of Dalen’s parents who were on his right. When he tried to pull his hand out of Gavin’s grasp, his father’s chuckle stopped him.

“Don’t worry son, we approve.” Lofar said gently as he took Dalen’s other hand. “Your mother and I are happy to see you awake.”

“What’s been happening while I’ve been asleep?”Dalen asked tiredly. His head was throbbing with a reaction headache from yesterday’s activities, and his mental channels still throbbed with overexertion. “How many people did we lose?”

“Two Herald-Mages, six Heralds, and two hundred nineteen Guards were killed in the fighting.” Gavin answered when Dalen’s parents remained silent. Dalen winced at the words. “About double that number were wounded and are recovering.”

“Gavin.” Selenay practically hissed. “He doesn’t need to worry about that now. If anyone’s responsible for those deaths, it is me.”

“Nonsense.” Lofar said sternly, releasing Dalen’s hand to grasp hers. “You heard Dellinar directly. He has given you his pardon, and honored you for keeping his wife and children safe, as well as the others. The records that you preserved, and the other things as well will help us recover from the Haighlei. My wife, you made a big mistake, but you learned from it and did your best. That is all anyone could ask.”

“There’s still a few calling for my head to be chopped off.” Selenay growled and Dalen frowned.

“Valdemar hasn’t executed…” Dalen started to protest, but his father raised his hand gently for silence.

“Enough of that, Selenay.” Lofar said firmly. “You made a mistake; you’ve seen it and have done your best to make amends. Dellinar is going to give you plenty of chances to continue to make more amends in the future.”

“I don’t deserve it.” Selenay murmured. “I deserve it less than I deserve having a husband and a son like you two.”

“Enough of the self-pity, beloved.” Lofar whispered. “As I said, you will have plenty of opportunities to earn your amends, and my love as well as the love of your son, and more importantly, our respect. No, now is the time to visit with our son and his… ashke.”

“It is a fitting word.” Selenay murmured. “I don’t speak much Tayledras, but I recognize that one as similar to beloved.”

“The Stone, I put it to sleep instead of dismantling it entirely.” Dalen said in a rush, something about the personal talk was embarrassing him so he retreated to something a little less embarrassing.

“We know.” Gavin said smugly. “Jadev explained it to us while you rested. I’d have never thought it possible. Did you really see memories from the Stone?”

“Yes.” Dalen smiled. “Did he tell you about the vrondi?”

“Yes.” Lofar answered this time, and he was smiling. “We’ve even had an opportunity to test it here. The Karsite Priest that helped us do that reported it as very unnerving to be watched.”

“I don’t quite understand how that part of it works.” Selenay said with a frown.

“In the past, Herald Vanyel keyed the vrondi to Valdemar’s Web.” Dalen explained tiredly, but with a smile. “Whenever a mage that wasn’t a Herald worked magic, the vrondi would come and watch that mage. The more the mage did magic, or the deeper he went into Valdemar, the more vrondi he would attract. This is what kept magic, or more specifically mages out of Valdemar for seven hundred years.”

“The mage will feel the vrondi watching him, but most mages aren’t familiar with these creatures.” Gavin added. “All they’ll know is they’re being watched. The protections were taken down during the war against Ancar, and Dalen’s managed to bring them back up again.”

“But won’t people know what it is that’s watching them?” Selenay asked. “It’s not like it is a secret anymore.”

“I’ve got the vrondi to agree to seek the nearest Herald when they sense a mage, and lead them to the mage’s location.” Dalen added. “It’s something Herald Vanyel wanted to do, but never had the time to accomplish.”

“How will this affect the Haighlei mages?” His mother asked.

“It’s going to drive them crazy.” Dalen grinned, and the weeks ahead proved his point. Reports began to filter in about Haighlei mages growing paranoid, lashing out with their magic at unseen ‘pests’, and getting very little sleep. In the field, not one Haighlei mage was able to sneak past a Herald, and several were killed by Heralds that followed the vrondi to them. It was the only direct fighting between Valdemar and Haighlei forces since the fight in Haven. Three months later, Dalen was called to the King’s rooms in the nearby Royal Residence, and found a grinning Dellinar.

“You’ve done it!” Dell said with a wide grin to a confused Dalen.

“Done what?” Dalen asked the King.

“We’ve gotten word this morning.” Dell said with a grin. “The Haighlei are Gating out of Valdemar. Not just the mage-priests, but all of them. You’ve done it, Dalen, you ran them out. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” Dalen replied with stunned disbelief as the King smiled at him.

“Now we just have to rebuild.” Dell grinned. “I’ll want you involved in those discussions, so you can expect a long series of Council meetings in your future. We won’t start them though until Heralds have had a chance to confirm the Haighlei are really gone, so you’ve got some time. Why don’t you take that handsome Northerner of yours to Prince’s Retreat and take some time off? You’ve earned it.”

“Thanks, Dell, I will.” Dalen said with a grin, turning and leaving the room. He had come a long way from the person he’d been when his family returned to Haven a few years ago, but deep inside he still worried about how history would record the events of his day. All he’d done was build on the work of others that came before him, and he worried that as Valdemar entered the next phase of its existence, people would expect miracles of him that he’d never be able to provide.

Don’t worry so much. Jadev’s voice was tinged with amusement. We’ll take the future as it comes, one day at a time. You have a lot of people that love you and support you, and you won’t face the future alone.

I know. Dalen replied with a sigh, but there was a gentle smile on his face as he contemplated a few days in the Retreat with Gavin. Yes, that would be wonderful.

The future would come of its own accord, and Dalen promised he’d wait for it instead of worry about it so much. Life would be a little more fun that way. As he returned to his home in the middle of Burnham, a smile stretched across his face. Oh yes, Gavin wasn’t going to know what hit him once Dalen got him alone at the Retreat.

The End