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A Herald's Journey

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"A Herald's Journey" was written by Mercedes Lackey expressly for The Valdemar Companion.

The story takes place several years after the Mage Storms ended.

Cover of

Cover of The Valdemar Companion

Overview[]

Young Tafri goes from his Choosing to full Herald.

Characters[]

Characters appearing or mentioned in this story.

Major characters[]

Minor characters[]

  • Shanda Tallyman - Tafri's mother, maid at the inn
  • Priest Dofren - teacher and priest of Kernos in Delcare
  • Companion Adelayan
  • Delcare village mayor (unnamed)
  • Tafri's father (unnamed) - carter
  • Herald Teren - Dean of the Collegium
  • Holly - Tafri's yearmate and Hadrin's twin
  • Hadrin - Holly's twin and Tafri's yearmate
  • Herald-Trainee Rojek - newly Chosen by Civera, from the Giyano horse-trading clan (same as Talamir)
  • Bardic Trainee Borek - Tafri's friend
  • Herald Chronicler Myste Willenger
  • Karal - blind Sunpriest, Ambassador from Karse
  • Mage Shoshonna
  • Herald Jonaton
  • Mayor of Michelham (unnamed)

Referenced characters[]

  • Lilly - innkeeper and Shanda's employer[1]
  • Haichers - an affluent family, Tafri's neighbors in Delcare
  • Sera Hopewell - a Delcare child in school
  • Children of Delcare who had completed their schooling: Jem, Kaleb and Cortny were helping with farmwork; Jillian, Geoff and Dugal learning their parents’ crafts. Marak, Tovy, Kyle and Wyatt had all been apprenticed, and Sushanna went to a boarding school
  • Herald-Trainee Lerek
  • Seshel - Housekeeper at Herald's Collegium
  • Gaytha - former Housekeeper
  • Mage Adept Sejanes (unnamed)
  • "Four gryphons" (unnamed) - likely Treyvan, Hydona, and their twin children Lytha and Jervan
  • Mage-Adept Darkwind
  • Companion Civera - Rojek's Companion
  • Herald-Captain Kerowyn - Weaponsmaster
  • Herald Alberich - semi-retired Weaponsmaster
  • Herald Jeri - Weaponsmaster
  • Jisette - noble Blues student, Tafri's friend
  • Altra - Karal's Firecat
  • Goodman Brell - farmer in Michelham

Places[]

Teminology[]

Synopsis (Warning: SPOILERS!)[]

Estimated: a year or two after the Mage Storms end[1][]

Lilly comes to Delcare and builds an inn. She employs Shanda Tallyman, Tafri's mother.

A year later[]

Seshel replaces Gaytha as the Heralds' Collegium Housekeeper.

Two Years Later[]

Winter
Tafri Tallyman is twelve years old when he is Chosen by Companion Adelayan.

The Delcare villagers dress Tafri in better clothes, stuff provisions into his bags, and he says his goodbyes. On the road, Tafri learns about Mindspeech, and is glad to hear that he has no mage talent and will not be a Herald-Mage.

Seven Days Later
Tafri and Adelayan arrive in Haven.

The Next Day
Tafri meets sixteen year old Herald-Trainee Adan, who shows him around.

Adan mentions that Heraldic Trainee Lerek is fifteen years old. Heralds' Collegium Housekeeper Seshel gives Tafri uniforms.

Adan says that the Mages' Collegium was started a year after the Mage Storms ended, and is located in the old Guard barracks since a new one was built. He mentions some of its' teachers: an old man from the Eastern Empire (likely Sejanes), the gryphons (Treyvan, Hydona and their twin children), etc.

Tafri meets the Dean of the Collegium, Herald Teren, for the first time.

Tafri meets his yearmates, newly-arrived Chosen Holly and her twin brother Hadrin.

Four Years Later[]

Early Spring
Tafri assists Rojek who has just arrived, having been Chosen at the age of thirteen by Companion Civera.

Tafri goes to the library and studies with his yearmates Holly and Hadrin and friends Bardic-Trainee Borek and noble student Jisette.

Late that Night
Herald Chronicler Myste Willenger, their History teacher, shoos them off to bed.

The Next Day
Tafri takes Rojek around the Collegium, including a trip to the salle where Rojek's combat skill is evaluated. Herald-Captain Kerowyn is Weaponsmaster, alongside Herald Jeri. Former Weaponsmaster Herald Alberich is semi-retired.

Tafri eagerly attends his “Magic, or Fakery” class at the Mages' Collegium, taught by Hawkbrother Darkwind, blind Sunpriest Ambassador Karal, and White Winds Mage Shoshonna.

One Year Later[]

Tafri goes on his Internship circuit with Herald Jonaton. Jonaton gives Tafri the "easy" judgements at first.

Six Months Later, Midsummer Faire Season
Tafri and Jon ride into Michelham where they encounter a man who claims to be able to speak to the spirits to determine who is telling the truth. Tafri reveals the man to be a fraud. Under Truth-Spell he reveals he was paid for each judgement, and how he faked it. He and the Mayor, who was aware of it, are put in jail. The two Heralds re-hear all of the cases judged by the fraudster, and overturning his decisions on most of them.

The Next Two Days
The two Heralds explain the new laws and hear the rest of the town's disputes. Jonaton surprises Tafri by letting him handle most of the judgements. As they depart, Jonaton points out that Tafri received no thanks. Tafri doesn't care - he firmly believes that one does one's best regardless. He realizes he has become a real Herald.

Publication history[]

For a more detailed publication history see the the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB) entry, A Herald's Journey

 See also[]

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Innkeeper Lilly is believed to be the barmaid from Errold's Grove. After the town was freed from the Blood Bear Clan, she left, intending to build a new life elsewhere, running her own inn.
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