Hidden Talents (Book One)

The Journey

Kind of Edited. But I wouldn't be surprised if I missed things. Enjoy!
It was decided that I would go to see the Seer of Atropos for training, it was also decided that Aldine would accompany Gabrielle and I. So now I had two people who clung to me like younger siblings, something I had never had. Aldine, after she opened up, was super sweet and was a Strigoi/Mage hybrid. Her mother was a healer and her father was a palace guard. Because she took after her mother she was more a healer than anything else but did need blood to survive. It was when I learned this about her that Gabrielle pointed out that he was a Tracker in his court, but wasn't much of a fighter. I had laughed and pointed out that this meant all he was in the group was the map and the trickster. He had pouted and said he was great at fishing. It was at this time that Aldine had cut in again and asked what part she would play. "Why the healer and cook of course." I replied. She laughed. "What are you then?" I touched my knives and boasted, "I am the big strong protector, duh." Both Gabrielle and Aldine laughed. A knock on my door made Aldine jump up to get it. "Oh! Mister Halvar!" Halvars' big form pushes into the room and he head directly towards me. Pushing a scabbard belt into my hands he smiles. "Remember when we learned throwing knives." I nodded. "Made you some. There are five. And here." Pushing two smaller scabbards into my hands he explains. "The first one goes around your waist. These two." He points at the smaller ones. "Are for your daggers. They go around your thighs." He nods and then turns to leave. "Halvar?" I call out. He stops and looks back at me and I stand to give him a hug. "Thank you." He doesn't push me away or hug me back but his gruff voice sounds a bit thick when he mumbles back. "Of course Sacharro. Stay safe."

Over the next week I practice by myself with both sets of knives. Gabrielle is practically vibrating with excitement and Aldine, well she is packing herbs and medicines for the trip. Halvar hasn't come back to visit me but I have been hearing from soldiers around the castle that he has been sulking around the past couple day. Finally the day comes where it's time to leave. The dress Aldine lays out for me this morning is different than the other gowns I had been given. It was a red silk and lace Tea length dress that went off the shoulders and had three quarter sleeves. It was still fancy but had no corset and was much easier to move around in. Gabrielle was able to get some Fey clothes, still in red, and was quite happy with himself. Finally Aldine, who was quite nervous was wearing a simple red dress with pockets on the front that went to just above her knees. When I asked why I couldn't have something like that she laughed like I had told the funniest joke ever. We had enough supplies for each person to have a weeks worth of food and water, a little more than that if we ration. My knives are all strapped in their according places and Rhysander had almost died when he saw them. "A lady should not need weapons." he had told me, but the queen had very explicit instructions, only Aldine, Gabrielle, and I were to go, meaning at least one of us needed to have good protection. Gabrielle had two small push knives but they were barely more than two inches. The morning is cool and brisk as I walk to the stables with Aldine and Gabrielle behind me. The Queen and company are there to see us off and Rhysander hugs his sister before coming over to me. "Please come back alive. I would like to get to know you in the future." He bows to kiss my hand. "Lady Ceridwen."

I am on the Shire horse once again with Gabrielle in cat form behind me. Next to us, Aldine is on her horse Reigh, a pretty Appaloosa at about fifteen hands, or at least that's what Aldine said. When I asked what hands were she said that they were what horses height were measured with. She guessed that the Shire horse would be about 18.5 hands. "What's his name?" She asked after telling me his height. "Oh um I don't know?" She looks up at me and I smile. Is this what tall people feel like ALL the time? I shrug. "I mean Eleanor didn't tell me his name." Cracking sounded behind me and I cringed. "That's because Eleanor doesn't name her horses. They are all 'that one' or 'the big one'." Aldine looks up at me again. "Can I name him?" I shrug. "Why not?" She squeals and claps her hands once. "Okay how about...Shelbie?" I can tell Gabrielle makes a face because Aldine sounds affronted when she asks "Whats wrong with Shelbie? It means loyal." Gabrielle pats the horses rump. "That's a girls name he deserves a strong name....like Baldor!" She grimaces now. "Baldor sounds like a savage name." She turns to me. "What do you think." I grimace. Great now I am the mediator. Okay okay a "manly" name but soft. I bite my lip. "What about Lyel? It's a Scottish name that translates to loyal." Gabrielle nods. "Okay that sounds good." Aldine tilts her head. "What is Scottish?" I purse my lips, wondering how to go on with this. "Well in humans there are different countries, making different ethnicity. Just like with Vampires. In Humans there are African Americans, Americans, Mexican, Irish. In Vampires its Upir, Strzyga, and so on." Aldine nods. "Is that why your voice is so different?" The majority of the people here spoke plain English or Latin but I had yet to meet another Irish person. "Yes, although to me it's your voice that sounds different." She laughs and spurs her horse to speed up. "Come on Lady Ceridwen we have a long way to go."

Aldine had meant it when she said we have a long way to go. We were in the middle of the woods headed to a cabin on the border of the Vampire and the Mage territory. She said the Seer of Atropos and was insanely anti social, only coming out into society when a vision tells her to. I shudder, she is the woman I would have turned into had I stayed at home in Ireland. Gabrielle, who had turned back into a cat about two hours ago, nudged me and jumped down from Lyel. I pull him to a stop and slide down to follow Gabrielle, grabbing the satchel that holds his clothes. Following the weaving tabby cat through the trees I look back to make sure I can still see the trail and almost fall into a small pond. Gabrielle is sitting next to the small pond and flicks his tail towards the water. "What? Do I stink or something?" He shook his head, making the simple gesture look eerie in his cat form. He gestures towards the pond again and I step forward. Looking into the pond I gasp at the reflection. In the reflection of the lake Gabrielle is in human form a smiling boy, no, elf. His teeth are razor sharp and eyes are an electric blue. His ears poke up three inches past his head, long claws coming from the tips of his hands. "It's called a soul mirror. They are very rare. We are lucky to have found this." I jump and spin around to see Aldine behind me. "It shows our true form. The beasts we hide behind civility." I turn back to the pond and peer at myself in the reflection. My eye is glowing and there is blue and grey mist surrounding me. My ears are pointed slightly and I look, sharper almost. I beckon Aldine forward but she shakes her head. "I do not wish to see what I look like when my soul is bared physically." I nod and scoop up some water in my hands. "This is amazing." Pulling out a flask I pour some water into it. "Lets go. We need to get to the Seer before nightfall." I turn and walk back to Lyel, stuffing the flask into the bag once more. After jumping back up onto the horse I spur him on, pace quickening and my stomach twists in a way that tells me something bad is going to happen. "Come on Aldine I have a bad feeling." Without waiting for an answer I push Lyel forward to a quick trot. Turning to make sure Aldine is keeping up, I come to a dead stop when I see Aldine is nowhere to be found. "Aldine?" I turn Lyel in a circle, instincts telling me it was much to quiet for the forest in late afternoon. "Gabrielle?" There is no answer and I curse. "Damnit they were right here." I turn back the way I came and dig my heels into the sides of my horse, only to hit the ground as something big hits me across the back of the head, making stars explode across my sight. As my vision fades to black I hear a shrill whinny and a scream of excitement.