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Horse of Air

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TRIGGER WARNING: Description of death of a Companion

Overview[]

A Herald whose Companion died twenty years ago has been serving Valdemar on foot ever since, observing and collecting information while working as an itinerant tinker. He can access ordinary people who would be intimidated by a uniformed Herald. He receives his assignments and sends his reports through Heralds on circuit wherever he is. He is sent to investigate the existence of a "witch" in some hill villages, far from the Mages' Collegium.

Characters[]

Characters appearing or mentioned in this story.

  • Companion Shavanne - Companion who died in a flood
  • Herald Paynim - Shavanne's heartbroken Herald
  • Herald Niniyel - Herald who brings Paynim an assignment
  • Companion Teroshan - Niniyel's Companion
  • Meramay - hillwoman who has a temporary relationship with Paynim
  • Garan - Meramay's man, who went missing five months ago
  • Ceile - friend of Meramay
  • Joard - friend of Meramay
  • Magan - friend of Meramay
  • Jaxon - albino boy brought to the Healers' Collegium for treatment
  • Healer Tiedor - Master Healer at the Healers' Collegium
  • Bard Ronton - a Master Bard Paynim once heard in Haven
  • Liah - the "Moonwoman"
  • Andren - Liah's resentful father
  • Colmye - Liah's shattered mother, who took refuge in music

Referenced characters[]

Places[]

Referenced places[]

Terminology[]

Synopsis (SPOILERS)[]

Herald Paynim's Companion died twenty years ago. He has been serving Valdemar on foot ever since, observing and collecting information while working as an itinerant tinker. He can access ordinary people who would be intimidated by a uniformed Herald. He receives his assignments and sends his reports through Heralds on circuit wherever he is. He is sent to investigate the existence of a witch in some hill villages, far from the Mages' Collegium.

Paynim's Companion Shavanne died in a terrible accident while they were heading to warn villagers of a flood. The bridge they were crossing collapsed. She brought him to shore, but she was swept downstream, and died when she was impaled on a tree branch. He did not want to be Chosen again; he did not even want to ride again. He became an agent rather than a Herald, using the skills he learned from the Monarch's Own Herald,[1] sending his reports back to Alberich. He worked in Hardorn and in Karse, and crossed Valdemar dozens of times. He doubts that the Heralds who carry his reports even know that he was once a herald.

In the hills, he overhears rumors attributing all sorts of powers to the Moonwoman. If they were true, she'd be a greater mage than Vanyel. People give the Moonwoman whatever she wants to avoid rousing her ire.

A woman casually mentions that the Moonwoman "sang" her man away - he left the house and was never seen again. Paynim is horrified. At a community gathering, people are shocked when several missing men turn up. None of the men recognize their original families. Each had been found wandering, disoriented, and was taken in by kind people.

Finally, the Moonwoman herself walks down into the gathering valley, strumming a gittern. Paynim realizes why people describe her appearance as unusual; she is an albino. As she walks, men fall into step behind her, and many people drift toward her. When she begins singing, it reminds Paynim of a performance he saw by a Master Bard. But the Bard elicited happiness from the crowd; the Moonwoman's song builds rage in her listeners. An eruption of violence was imminent. Oddly, Paynim can see that the Moonwoman is terrified, and crying. Paynim is determined to save a life; he steps forward and shouts with his voice and with Mindspeech, but it has no effect. His Gift had never been strong. Nonetheless, he tries again, and this time he feels his long-dead Companion Shavanne add her strength to his own. Suddenly his Gift is powerful, and when the Moonwoman stops singing, it breaks the trance on her listeners.

Paynim hears a voice in his head - his beloved Shavanne, saying goodbye. She had been with him all of these years.

He knows that people will get angry when they realize they are free from the Moonwoman's power. He quickly gathers her up and takes her away to safety. He will bring her to Haven and turn her over to the Healers and the Bards for help. As they travel, she tells him her story. Her name is Liah, and her albinism at birth frightened her parents. When her skin burned in the sun, her father became convinced she was evil. He told everyone that she had died, and she was raised in complete isolation. Her father hated and feared her, and constantly reproached her mother for bearing her. Her shattered mother sought refuge in music. When Liah's Gift erupted, she sang all of her hate and despair at her father. He hanged himself. Her mother died a few years later. Liah blamed herself, and blamed the people who never helped her mother. When she found she could sing and make people do her bidding, she tried to become what her father had thought she was. She wasn't sure why she sent the men from their homes.

Paynim has not visited Haven in years, but now that Shavanne has peacefully departed, he is ready to be a Herald again.

Chronology[]

This story takes place circa 1405 AF, after the Mages' Collegium is established. It is not likely to be later, as no mention is made of Ancar's assassination that year, the Empire's invasion of Hardorn that year, or the subsequent Mage Storms.

Timeline[]

Sometime during Sendar's Reign, 1355-1376 AF
Paynim graduates from the Heralds' Collegium
    Note: "It was Sendar who reigned when I put on my white leathers for the first time."
1385 AF
Shavanne dies. Paynim returns to Haven.
    Note: By calculation, current year 1405 AF minus 20
    Note: "It has been twenty years since"
At some point in the past or within the next year, he is trained as a spy by King's Own Herald.
    Note: Likely Talamir. He was was 40-50 years old in 1373 AF, year 1 of the Tedrel Wars, and had become King's Own as a young man, so his predecessor Keighvin is unlikely.
    Note: "The King's Own had shown me the way."
1386 AF
Paynim begins his new career as a spy.
    Note: His training was already complete, because Talamir died in 1386 AF.
    Note: "When a year had passed, I knew it was time to take up my service to the Crown once more in whatever fashion I could."
1405 AF
Paynim is sent to investigate the Moonwoman.
    Note: "There is even a Mage College in Haven now, though it is new and I have never seen a Brown Robe on my wanderings."

See also[]

References[]

  1. ↑ likely Talamir
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