(Accidentally Dictated - In the Early Morning Hours)/(Action for Vanyel)

[tylendel]

(Tylendel's voice murmurs the following lyrics, but it begins to shake as the story behind the lyrics is unveiled. There is a loud thump and the sound of running feet echoing off of the walls. This is what he gets for spending the wee hours of the morning in the library.)

Along a road in Hardorn, the place called Stony Tor
A fearful band of farmers flees Karsite Border war.
A frightened band of farmers, their children, and their wives,
Seek refuge from a tyrant, who wants more than just their lives.

Now up rides Herald Vanyel. 'Why then such haste?' says he.
'Now who is it pursuing, whose anger do you flee?
You are all of Hardorn, why seek you Valdemar?
Is Festil no protection? Nor bide all his men too far?'

'Oh, Vanyel, Herald Vanyel, we flee now for our lives,
Lord Nedran would enslave us, our children and our wives-
He'd give our souls to demons, our bodies, to his men.
King Festil has not heeded, or he happens not to ken.'

Now up speaks Herald Vanyel. 'The Border is not far-
But you are all of Hardorn, and not of Valdemar,
You are not Randale's people-can call not on his throne-
But dammed if I will see you left so helpless on your own!'

So forth goes Herald Vanyel, and onward does he ride,
On Stony Tor he waits then, Yfandes at his side.
With Nedran's men approaching, he calls out from on high,
'You shall not pass, Lord Nedran! Nay I shall not let you by!'

Now only Herald Vanyel stands blocking Nedran's way
'Now who are you, fool nothing, that dares to tell me nay?'
Now up speaks Vanyel his voice like brittle glass;
'The Herald-Mage called Vanyel-and it is I you shall not pass!'

Now there stand great Lord Nedran, behind him forty men,
With wizard there beside him he pales, and speaks again-
'So you are Herald Vanyel-this place is not your land.
So heed me, Herald Vanyel; and now turn aside your hand.'

'Let be; I'll give you silver, and I shall give you gold,
And I shall give you jewels fair that sparkle bright and bold,
And I shall give you pearls, all the treasures of the sea,
If you will step aside here, leaving these poor fools to me.'

'What need have I of silver with sweet Yfandes here?
And all the gold I cherish is sunlight bright and clear.
The only jewel I treaure's a bright and shining star,
And I protect all helpless not just those of Valdemar.'

'Now I shall give you beauty, women slaves and men,
And I shall give you power you'll never see again,
And I shall give you mansions and I shall give you land,
If you will turn aside this day, aside and hold your hand.'

'Now beauty held in bondage is beauty that is lost.
And land and mansions blood-bought come too high at the cost.
The power I have already-all power is a jade-
So turn you back, Lord Nedran if of me you are afraid!'

Lord Nedran backs his stallion, the wizard he comes nigh,
'Prepare yourself, bold Vanyel, for you shall surely die!'
The wizard calls his demons, the demons he commands,
And Vanyel, Herald Vanyel, only raises empty hands.

The wizard calls his demons, the sky above turns black.
The demons strike at Vanyel, he stands and holds them back.
The demons strike at Vanyel, they strike and hurt him sore,
But Vanyel stands defiant, only to raise his hands once more.

The sky itself decends now, upon bare Stony Tor
Now hides the awful battle. The watchers see no more.
The wizard shouts in triumph-too soon he vents his mirth.
For Vanyel calls the lightning down, and smites him to the earth!

The clouds of black have lifted; and there on barren ground
Stands Vanyel hurt, yet victor, the demons tied and bound.
He looks down on Lord Nedran; his eyes grow cold and bleak-
'Now I shall give you, Nedran, all the power that you seek-'

Now Vanyel frees the demons, and Nedran screams with fear,
He sets them on the Karsites, who first had brought them here.
He sets them on the Karsites, and on the Karsite land.
They look down on Lord Nedran. And they do not stay their hand.

Now Vanyel calls the farmers. 'Go tell you near and far,
How thus are served the tyrants who would take Valdemar.
I am the bane of demons, their quarry I defend.
Thus Heralds serve a foeman and thus Heralds save a friend!'

(His breath comes quicker as he finally slides - yes those are his feet sliding against the stone floor - inside of the room he and Vanyel share.)

V-Van! Are you awake? I need to talk to you...

Comments

[peacockherald]

_{[ Vanyel sat up sharply, looking around, blinking his eyes rapidly to force sleep from them. Something had felt wrong in his sleep, but it wasn't until Tylendel yelled that he had come out of it. ]}

Tylendel? What's wrong?

_{[ He was pushing the covers back, trying to hurry to his love. ]}

[tylendel]

(Panic overrides any guilt he feels when Van wakes up so suddenly. He puts the book in Vanyel's lap, his face white.)

Is this about you? (Was this what Van had to go back to? What the hell?! He knows life as a Herald isn't safe or peaceful, but this...) Are there many Wizards...?

[peacockherald]

_{[ The older Herald looked at him, mystified, not sure what he meant. ]}

Tylendel, what are you talking about? What's gotten into you?

_{[ He looked down at the book quizzically, never having seen it before. ]}

[tylendel]

It's a book of songs... I think from our world... (He paces, his hands shaking.) Gods, Van. What do you face?

You just -

We can't leave here. (As if that's a solution.) We can't.

[peacockherald]

_{[ He looked down at the book again, opened it, glanced at the lyrics and sighed. He knew what the lyrics were speaking of, and that time flashed through his mind, clear as a crystal. There was no use denying it. ]}

I am the youngest and the last of the Herald Mages, Tylendel. After me, no more have come to the Collegium. I am also the strongest. It is my duty to ride the Circuit and protect those I can and make Valdemar strong against her enemies, or at least seem to while we try to understand how to live without Herald Mages.

_{[ And they were running out of time. ]}

And you know as well as I do we have no control of that choice, my love.

[tylendel]

(Logic tries to prevail; it damn near fights to wrestle his emotions to the ground, but Tylendel pushes back stubbornly. With two quick strides, his hands are on Vanyel's shoulders and he peers deeply into those pale eyes he loves so much.)

That's too much for anyone! I know Heralds try to take on the world for Valdemar, but Van, that's practically suicide.

(He knows if he had lived, his powers would have aided both Van and Valdemar. Hell, he might have been in Van's place and shielding his Ashke instead of throwing him into chaos.)

What we can do - we have to try. (What awaits them is fear, uncertainty, pain, loneliness and death.) You're worth more to me. If I had to choose a city over you, I couldn't do it.

[peacockherald]

_{[ He shook his head, cupping the other's face tenderly. ]}

Love, you know that's not true. We are bonded, but the thing that makes us Heralds is even stronger.

It is what pushes me in these songs. I am strong and able, and so I do what is right. Do not tell me you would have done differently in my position.

[tylendel]

(It's hard for him to remember. The bond that drew him to Valdemar is so faint. Maybe it broke along with the rest of his body on that night?

Whatever the reason, he doesn't feel the same.)

I'm not a Herald anymore. (Only the memory of that determination to do right by Valdemar makes him understand Van's choice.) You lost me; you moved on without me. Because of that, you are stronger than I am.

(No courage is needed to make everything black and numb. All it had taken was a few steps. Van has had to live thirteen years without comfort.)

There is no comparison to you in my life, Ashke. Not anymore.

[peacockherald]

Nor is there anyone else in comparison to you, my love. But this place is not Valdemar. And I choose to set Valdemar's concerns aside and enjoy the time I have here, with you, right now. I do not know how long it will last, though I hope it lasts for years to come, and every day I send a thanks to the gods for bringing you to me again.

So, set such worries from your mind and enjoy us as we are, and not what songs tell you I am or shall be.

_{[ He stroked his cheek and set the book aside, kissing the blonde curls. ]}

[tylendel]

(He all but collapses against Vanyel at those words, one hand clutching to his lover's shirt. There are unshed tears in his eyes and he tries to blink them away.)

I think... I need to be with you. (Tugging on Vanyel's sleeves, he sits down on the bed, his legs too shaky to hold him.) It's...strange. My death means nothing to me, but imagining yours scares me to my core.

I just...c-can't.

[peacockherald]

_{[ He wrapped his arms around him, rubbing his back soothingly. He kissed his hair and neck, wishing he could sing to soothe him, but he could not.}

When the other sat he shifted, pulling him further onto the bed and snuggling with him. ]

Shh. I am not dying, my love. Eventually, yes, but that is the nature of all things, is it not? And here I am not dying. Do not worry of Valdemar, worry for our wedding in a few days.