Red Skies: Fiona

As the students made their way to the main hall for morning exercises, Fiona leaned over and whispered to her new friend Saber, "I hope these are quick exercises so we can eat breakfast." She placed her hand on her small belly as it seemed to ring empty like an empty ballroom. She wanted to ask questions during the short trek down the hallway, but it was not her place. Eventually they would be told everything they needed to know.

The small group of girls and the Leurna turned the corner and entered the massive room with a glass ceiling that was at the center of the building. Sunshine flooded the room, giving it a warm and inviting feeling. The girls moved to the center of the floor, still led by River and Angel.

Red Skies - Saber

Saber grinned, glad she had guessed correctly.  Realizing that she was turning into a common uncontrolled girl, she cleared her throat and corrected her smile to one more polite and elegant.  But there was no hiding the happiness in her eyes.  With their white tunics on and hair done, Saber turned to Angel with a question in her eyes.

Angel nodded, "let's start walking towards the entrance.  That main area is where we do our morning exercises."  Giving Saber a wink and rubbing her back briefly, she turned to lead them all the while explaining.  "They are slow motion exercises designed to help you gain better balance, muscle control, breathing control, and coordination.  We do as a group a series of movements.  There are a otal of 24 movements.  That why it is title the Beginners 24."

Saber looked at her questioningly, wondering if it was rude to ask when breakfast was.  Shyly she glanced at Fiona.  She would have asked Angel, but she so wanted to keep Fiona as a friend and displaying impatience or bad manners was a good way to lose them.

Red Skies - Graff

Graff made good time past the borderhold's small villages and soon the trees started to space themselves out.  Coming up over a hill, he saw the tree line.  Past it was a large walled town.  "Thorn, what is this place?" 

Thorn restlessly shrugged himself off Graff's skin and leaped to the ground.  "That is a mercenary's winter village.  A good place to get a change of clothes that are not so... ritualist.  I hate to tell you this Graff but you really do stick out."

Graff smacked the dragon across the side of his head.  Thorn rolled his eyes, "well go on then.  I'll catch up with you once  you are done there and on your way."

Graff nodded, striding forward confidently.  Heading down the hill and crossing the grassy plain, he noted the farms and gardens planted around the walled town.  This place was definitely self sufficient.  Reaching the gate, he signed in with the guards and got directions.  Clothes was only one item on his list.  There wasn't an inn since everyone living here were all part of the same mercenary company.  They each had their cabin or stayed in a barracks.  No, he would need to find a place that solely sold food and drink.  That would be where the gossip was.

Red Skies - Winter

Susan stretched out her feathers, her wings stretched up.  Winter laughed excitedly, eager to take to the skies again.  Sophie sat on Kevin, both looking east restlessly.  Susan nodded to them, "Go on, you have things to do and a lot was spent to get you this headstart."

Sophie looked at Winter, "You are going to love the College and Heralds there.  Just a bit of advice, there are students who attend who are not Heralds.  Maybe they have Gifts and weren't Chosen.  Maybe their families had the money to send them.  Trust in the herald trainees and Heralds above them.  They may be good or not.  They may mean well or not.  But you are now a herald trainee and set apart from the rest of society.  So measure your actions and words carefully when outside our company."

Winter nodded with big eyes.

"One last thing, the tube I gave you, it is very precious to me.  Susan will help you know who to give it to when you arrive at Gryphon Heights.  Please protect it for me."

Winter nodded again and watched as Sophie and Kevin took to the skies, flying fast and hard towards the east.  What they had found in Gryphons Rest that was sending them east in such haste a momentary concern for the little girl.

Susan looked over her shoulder at Winter and mindspoke, "My dearest love, we should go too."   With a goodbye to the bard and innkeeper, they also went skyward, Susan's wings beating strong and sure.  Winter huddled down into Susan's feathers, relishing the warm and closeness of her friend.

Red Skies - randy

Randy had just delivered another message and was hurrying back towards the inn.  Pausing, he glanced down a street that had several smithies.  A odd longing filled him.  It wasn't the job he had wanted but working with family was less lonely.  Even orphans had a family of sorts by those that they banded with.

Continuing on his way, he soon paused again.  This time looking down a street with pottery.  Something tickled the back of his mind.  Turning, he walked carefully around to the ally and then looked at the ground.  There was bits of clay here and there from the shops.  Small tidbits.  He reached down and started picking them up.  It took awhile and the resulting lump in his hand was an odd color assortment.

Turning, he restarted his way back towards the inn.  This time he stuck to back streets and ally ways.  He still wasn't familiar with the layout but by keeping the main roads in view, he was able to manage.  The entire way he rolled and mixed the clay together creating an odd red, purple, and blue mixture.  Before reaching the inn, he had carefully taken the small ball and rubbed it onto the skin behind his ears and neck smoothing it to blend with his skin.  

Letting his hair fall back down, he grinned.  If anyone looked closely, it would appear that he had crippling injury to the head that might have damaged his earring and even his brain.  Now he would change his mannerisms to act simple-minded and slightly hard of hearing.  See what new things he learned when people thought him in this new light.

Red Skies: Tavon

Tavon ate in silence with his father, too tired to say anything. The images from the marketplace yesterday were not as vivid as they had been in the night, but he was still very afraid. Not so much for himself, but Jayson. What would happen to him? And who was going to teach him how to pick up money from strangers? Running errands at the inns was about the only thing a boy his age and education could do. His father took care of him and their small house but mostly sat inside during the day, working on his weaving or other crafts that he could do while ill. No, the money came from what Tavon could make, and he made the most when Jayson helped him. What would he and his father do now?

Red Skies: Fiona

Fiona also rose from the pool to dry off and dress for the day. “Yes, I have been to the Festival! The lights, the singing, the colors…. And the ‘Spirit of the Snow’ dance is pretty, too!” Her plan to blend with the students was momentarily forgotten in her excitement of meeting someone who was from the same city and had seen the same things as her. “I hope to someday be a part of it,” she added, her words muffled as she slid the tunic over her head. As a little girl, Fiona had been determined to dress herself every chance she got, despite the disapproving looks from her mother. But the maids were always insistent when it came to her hair, so she didn’t know what to do with it now. As if to rescue her, River came up behind the child and began brushing her crimson locks into a low bun.

Red Skies - Saber

Trying to be polite, Saber didn't look at the unfamiliar student.  Staring was bad manners.  But she was itching with curiosity.  So she gladly took advantage of that moment to smile and look at the new student, all the while willing herself to be polite and now bounce in excitement.  "I'm Saber.  I arrived last night."  Noting the posture in which the girl sat, Saber mentally nodded in approval.  This girl at least knew her mannerisms.  Giving a small, shy smile now that she could identify with the girl, she tried to think of an appropriate question.  Chit chat had never been a strong suit.

Angel, her task done, damped Saber's hair and held up a towel.  "Less than ten minutes," she reminded them.  Pushing back her impatience and reluctantly standing, she accepted the towel and stepped out.

Turning, she looked at Fiona and asked as she dried herself, "Where are you from?  I'm from Gryphon Heights."  Noticing that in addition to posture, the girl also had a good complexion and smooth skin, she figured she might have been to some of the same parties during holidays.  Even holderkin from the borders sometimes attended those despite the distance.  "Perhaps you have been to the castle's Winter Nights Festival?  There are plenty of people who come."  In her mind's eye she remembered the snow softly twirling down.  Wealthy and well-connected in the palace ballrooms and drawing rooms, the common folk in the festival grounds below.

Red Skies - Graff

It was shortly after leaving the hunting lodge that Graff caught sight of his golden friend waiting ahead.  Reaching him, he asked, "Thorn, was worried.  What were you snooping into?"

Thorn leaped onto Graff's chest, unbalancing Graff momentarily as until he made contact with Graff's skin.  Making himself comfortable, he replied, "Scouting."  Yawning, he added, "And wouldn't have lasted without you another hour.  I'm just going to take a nap..."

"Oh no you don't.  To have been gone that long, what did you learn?"

"The edge of the deep forest is where the border is.  There is a border hold a couple miles further with several settlements around it.  Just follow the main road right on through and you will blend in better than if you are caught sneaking through the brush.  Past there is a winter village of some mercenary guild.  You can resupply there."  After a moment of silence, Graff pulled his shirt away and looked down to see Thorn fast asleep.  A mere tattoo on his chest.

Sighing, he kept up a good pace.  Sure enough, as they reached the edge of where the large trees grew he entered a forest of small twig like trees.  Or so it seemed to him.  If his friend Tom at the lodge hadn't warned him this was the natural state of trees in civilized lands, he would have thought himself dreaming.  You couldn't build a house or anything with these trees very easily.

Passing on, he soon saw a stone building amongst the trees.  He kept going and soon saw another settlement off on the other side with land cleared for farming.  There was the resemblence of a path now and he stepped onto it to continue on.

Thorn started to wake up right about the time Graff came to a small cabin and shed.  The place was well kept but obviously vacant.  Thorn peaked an eye out of the top of Graff's shirt and volunteered with a yawn, "I think that is a Waystation.  Tom mentioned that each area where there isn't an inn or much civilization has one of these so that Heralds are less pressured by local politics.  That way on their circuit in the remote areas they can tell the new laws and news as well as dish out judgements."

Graff shook his head, "That is a lot of power for a few individuals."

"But they are not corruptable!" exclaimed Thorn.

"Maybe not their Companions.  But Heralds are humans and even a Companion has to admit that sometimes good people turn bad."

Thorn glared at him tucked himself back on Graff's skin with a hiss of annoyance.

Red Skies - Winter

Winter walked down the stairs with Sophie at her back.  The bard from the night before was already downstairs, being handed a large wooden tray.  Turning, he looked up and grinned.  "Herald Sophie, I have composed the song you requested.  Though I feel a sense of sadness that I will never play the song in public."  

Sopheria's voice gently replied, "It is as it must be.  It is a dear and precious gift that only my dearest friend will understand."

He nodded and handed her a rolled parchment.  "I have a tube for it to be stored in.  Figured you would want to read it.  I called it "The Cost of the Crown."  Here..."  he handed it to her.  She gently took it so he could more easily balance the tray of food.

"Winter, go with the bard on outside to the Companions and break your fast together.  I wish to read this."  Winter nodded and followed the man dressed in red outside.  Looking back over her shoulder, she lingered a moment and saw Sophie whisper as she read "the freedom I gave up so long ago..."

Stepping outside thoughtfully, the little girl saw Susan and ran to her side to hug her feathered friend.  Susan mind-touched her and mentally explained, "Herald Sopheria and the Queen were roommates who studied, trained, fought, and navigated circuits together as Herald Trainees.  She wanted to give a gift to her friend who can only truly be herself with fellow Heralds and who holds a lonely responsibility.  So the bard worked with her to create that gift.  One that would speak from the heart." 

Nodding in understanding, Winter voiced out-loud, "I can understand.  Only my cousins who I worked with and practiced fighting with can understand how I think.  Those that lived in the village and in walls don't understand."  After a pause, she added, "And you.  I have you and you understand me too."

The gryphon grinned as only a beaked species could and suggested to the bard's obvious relief. "Let's settle down here and eat this good food.  Or rather you two start eating, I ate earlier a much larger meal."

Red Skies - Randy

Already his legs were hurting.  Most people in this part of town were working people or travelers.  So he had run quite a few errands and only now rested, listening to the inn's guests inside slowly waking to breakfast.  A bard's tune floated out into the courtyard and through the gate to where Randy sat, his little body already covered in sweat.  There would be no mercy from the sun today.

Tilting his head, Randy listened closely.  That was a really talented bard.  Turning, Randy peered through the inn door and watched.  After a few moments patience, he saw the bard walk past.  Red robes.  It was a person with the Bardic Gift.  Trained alongside Heralds and given respect for their station, Randy in awe leaned towards the building.

It was a beautiful rich voice that floated out to him.  Instrument-less, the bard made due with the power of his voice.  And it wasn't long before Randy was drawn into the familiar song called "Threes."  Only thing time he felt the emotions and was able to picture the scenes as if he was there.  The bard's Gift working it's magic on him, he sat spell bound and entranced by the beauty of the story.

It was only as the bard finished the tale that Randy reluctantly allowed himself to turn his attention back to his surroundings.  The story had been good.  Two mercenaries, one a mage and one a warrior, had used magic to make them and their animal companion and their summoned companion look super ugly and mangy. Then they had set another magic on top of the first glamour to make them look beautiful and not who they really were.  It was the perfect disguise for what mage would look past the first glamour and seeing only filth look further.

This was the perfect idea for him.  Maybe he could create other identities.  Randy might not be used to running like the other boys, but he was strong from working in the smithy and he was healthy from having a place to live in the temple.  If he could cultivate a different identity such as would match the orphans who also ran messages and errands for those in or near the inn, then with their friendship he could gain tutors to skills.  Like how to clamor to rooftops and run without falling upon them.

Standing up, he eyed a potential customer coming outside.  Best start now.  Quickly adjusting his speech to be less educated sounding and changing his posture too, he stepped forward.

Red Skies: Ruby's Group Moves

Ruby sat in a nearby chair as Levera finished packing up the last of her cabin, being careful to keep whatever emergency medical supplies on top. One never knew what injuries or sickness would be encountered while on the move. Ruby swung her small legs back and forth restlessly, wishing that she could help the healer with the packing. Her own cabin had already been packed up and taken down by Uncle Thomas, and few other buildings were still standing when she glanced out the door. Very early this morning at breakfast it had been explained to her that because they moved around a lot, the buildings were made in such a way that they could be taken with them wherever the group traveled, and then set up once they reached a place to stop for a few weeks. “Levy, why do we have to leave? It’s so pretty here with all of the trees. It’s like being home….” Ruby’s voice trailed off as a sadness, one too heavy for a girl of six years to fully understand, settled in her heart at the mention of home.

Trying to keep both of their spirits up, Levera answered cheerfully, “Well, Tho- Uncle Thomas doesn’t like to stay in one place for too long. Most…families like ours move around so… they don’t get too tired of looking at the same thing every day. Besides, this way you will get to see the sea. You told me you haven’t seen it before, right?” Ruby’s face brightened. “No! It sounds so pretty when you told me about it! When will we see it?” Levera laughed at the little girl’s excitement. “That is a question you should ask Uncle Thomas when you see him.” She closed the last box and fastened it with twine as to keep it shut when a man walked through the open door.

“Thomas sent me to see if you are ready to load.”

“Yes, I am ready. I have placed things in that corner that will need to be packed last so that I can reach them easily.”

“Will do,” the man answered as he moved toward a box to pick it up. “Can I watch them load the wagon? Please??” cried the small girl from her chair. Levara smiled and moved behind the chair. “Of course you can. Let me take you outside,” she answered as she moved the breaks for the big wheels on each side of the chair so that the chair could be rolled.

Having been burned very severely, Ruby could not yet walk very far and it was too painful for her to be carried everywhere. This way, she could move around and everyone had come to love her as their own. It helped Ruby get through the days when she remembered that her mother, father, brother, and others from home would not be with her anymore. No one spoke of that terrible day because they wanted to spare little Ruby the horror until the day she was ready to fully understand. All they knew was an explosion had happened in a nearby cavern, most likely a mine of some kind, and everyone but Ruby had died. She had been thrown from the mouth of the cave, parts of her clothing and body on fire. Luckily for her, men had been out hunting for food when they heard the explosion. They had been able to put out the fire on her clothes and one of them ran her back to the village. Ever since that day the men and women of the mercenary group, the WindStriders, had accepted her and were determined to give her a second family.

Levera rolled Ruby outside and placed her under a tree where she would be able to watch but stay out of the way. Everyone they passed stopped for a second and waved hello to the woman and child before continuing the packing. “What’s the name of the place we are going?” Ruby asked as Levara turned to leave. “Zetra Port. It is south of here, on the shores of the Sea.” She left as the girl rolled the words over her small tongue, trying to say them. The healer returned to her cabin to see if she could be of any use, as it was almost mid-morning and Thomas wanted to leave by mid-day. 

Red Skies: Tavon's Night of Fright

Tavon woke up to the sun in his face. He blinked slowly, his body still as stone. All night he had been crying and shaking in fear. When sleep finally had come, it was full of soldiers with magic air cuffs chasing him, calling him a thief. Water touched his dry lips but for a moment his mouth seemed to forget how to move. “Please Tavon, you need to drink son.” His father’s familiar voice broke through the haze and the little boy lifted his head a bit to accept the cool liquid. Even though they lived in the poorest part of the Capital, the magic that kept the waters clean and crisp flowed throughout the city.

Trogan’s breathing was shallow but steady as he carefully supported his son’s head as Tavon drank more and more water. The day before, the little boy had come running into to the camp, crying so hard it was a wonder he could see at all. Through the gasps and wails, his father and friends had been able to gather that Jayson had been arrested in one of the marketplaces during the afternoon. Word spread and eventually it was learned that Jayson had attempted to pickpocket a member of either the royal family or someone else of high importance. Some rumors said he was one of the nephews of the King while others said he was a man of nobility whose family was very close to the King. No matter who the man was, he was of great respect and one does not steal from them without paying the price for the crime. The boy would not be killed, but likely sent to school where he would be worked very hard and hopefully reformed. It was an efficient system and Trogan hoped that it would help Jayson get on the right path. But to a small boy who had witnessed that scene and Jayson’s fear first hand, it was a better lesson than any kind of reform.

Tavon stopped sipping the water, now sitting up and holding the empty cup himself. “Are you ready for some breakfast? Katana gave us some fruit and bread for us to eat this morning.” Tavon nodded slowly, glancing toward the door. Trogan understood, knowing that the boy was afraid he would be taken away, too. “Son, no one is going to take you away from me, OK? Now, let’s eat!” Tavon stood up slowly to where the food was stored in their small hut while his father weakly crawled back to his bed, coughing quietly under his breath.