The Herald's Companion snorted, and both left the road and cantered into the woods, following the sounds of shouting, running men. Rin felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
The senior Herald looked grim as he turned back to Rin.
"As for you, Herald Rincent." His eyes flicked over the children, and back to Rin. "We have a great deal to discuss."
They were an odd parade as they came into the children's home village. The Militia officer rode first, leading a stubby packhorse straddled by the big outlaw with the injured leg. The outlaw was bound and neck-roped to the other two brigands who walked, also bandaged and bound, on either side of the horse. Any escape attempt would likely strangle all three.
Next came Rin, leading his mare. She had been found wandering in the woods by the Companions, and the children now rode her, with the two Heralds and their Companions to either side. The senior Herald, who called himself Terek, had warned Rin to keep his mouth shut and maintain the game until they could talk privately. Terek made it plain bad things would happen if Rin tried to get away. Rin was sure this was true, even without the too-knowing gaze of the Companions and the ready bow and hard looks of Trefina, the other Herald. They were followed by the Militia, pleased with themselves and riding in smart order, shields up and spears braced upright, late sunlight catching red gleams off spearheads and bridle fittings.
At the edge of the village, a young woman with disarrayed hair and reddened eyes rushed up to the mare, laughing and weeping at once. The children's mother pulled the children fiercely to her for a long moment, and then recovered her composure. She gave fervent but dignified thanks to the Heralds and Rin. Rin's feelings were jumbled. He felt proud for his part in the children's return, but oddly confused about how to receive thanks and praise he for once partly deserved. He felt happy about the children returning to their mother and family and profoundly sad that he'd never had the same chance himself, and probably never would. Too, it bothered him that he'd so long regarded people like this with amused contempt, at best.
The summer night was soft and warm, and the waxing moon cast pale light on the village's cluster of homes and outbuildings, added to by lamps and a fair number of bonfires. The surviving outlaws, both those chasing the children and three others captured that afternoon after the Militia's sudden appearance at the village, were locked in the smokehouse. The stale smell of charred wood carried from the one cottage partly burned by the outlaws before the Militia arrived. Five fresh graves at the edge of the wood held neither villager nor Militia. Wounds of Militia and villagers were bandaged. People were quietly celebrating the end of the brigands, the return of their children, the survival of their friends and families.
After tending his mare, Rin helped Terek bring water to his Companion, whom Terek introduced as Coryandor. The Companion (much more then a horse, Rin now knew), drank deeply, then nodded briefly to Rin as if in thanks. Rin didn't know where the other Companion was, but he was glad it wasn't here. The young woman's mount made it clear she disliked Rin as much as her rider, twice bumping Rin roughly, and looking as if she wanted to do more.
Terek brought out a currycomb and began running it over the Companion's coat, Coryandor closed his eyes and sighed with sheer bliss.
"Time to talk." said Terek. "To be specific, time for me to talk and you to listen as if your life depends on it. Which it does."
Rin nodded. He felt very uncomfortable.
"Impersonating an officer of the Crown is a serious offense, usually a capital crime. Serious enough to drag me from Haven to find you. People must be able to trust their Herald, and impersonating a Herald is unthinkable. Well, almost unthinkable. You obviously thought of it."
Rin thought of running, but gave it up when he saw Coryandor staring at him as if the Companion knew his every thought.
"In your defense, there's your protection of those children. Even after meeting you, the boy still wants to be a Herald." From the direction of the houses came the cheerful sound of voices singing with more enthusiasm than skill; something about drunken crows. They sounded much happier than Rin felt.
"We've been following you for three weeks." Terek continued. "Apparently, you never stole anything outright while posing as one of us, and you have no history of violent crimes." Terek straightened up from brushing Coryandor's front leg. "At least none we discovered. Another small point in your favor is that Cory says you took good care of your horse." Rin wondered how the Companion told Terek that.
"Because of these factors, you have a choice between two options. One is to go back to Haven with us, where, after unpleasant interrogations, even more unpleasant things will happen to you."
"How unpleasant?" asked Rin, feeling unpleasant already.
"Very." said Terek. "Perhaps hanging if you're lucky. If you're not, well...as much as Heralds despise someone posing as a Herald, there's a group with even stronger feelings. You could be turned loose in the exercise yards with a dozen young Companion stallions."
Rin's spine chilled. It got worse as Coryandor turned his head to give Rin a hard, unblinking look, and Rin caught, not words, but a feeling, as if pressed into his mind from outside. The feeling said Rin would be much better off hanging.
"I'll take option two," said Rin.
"Better hear it first. Understand that if you don't deliver on any part of option two, option one becomes the only option. And never think we can't find you." Coryandor turned slightly so Terek could get to his flank, but the Companion still stared at Rin.
Rin simply nodded. "Go on."
"If yours was a lesser crime, and these less pressing times," continued Terek, "I'd have you go back to each and every village you visited, and work off every morsel of food, every piece of equipment and every courtesy." Terek shifted and curried the Companion's other side. "But these are special times.
So, the Crown will honor that pile of townchits in your saddlebags, and give the village their tax credits.
In other words, Valdemar will buy your debt from the villages."
"And then?" Rin asked, though he didn't much want an answer.
"You return to Haven with me. That reminds me, change clothes as soon as we get away from here. Wear any combination of tan, or brown, or purple spots, or anything except white or gray. If anyone recognizes you as a 'Herald' tell them you're on a Philosophical Leave of Absence, developing your humility and service."
"Heralds do that?"
"They do now. At least you do. After we reach Haven, you will go through training. Ethics, for a start, and Weapons, too...you can certainly use it. Mathematics, Reading and Writing, too, along with some...specialized classes."
Reading and Writing? But Rin still grimaced. "That could take years!"
"Option number one, then," said Terek.
"Um...never mind," said Rin quickly, "forget I said anything. So I go to school on the Crown's coin.
That's the punishment?"
Terek smiled as nastily as any brigand.
"That's the preparation. Understand that any shortcoming, any shirking, any attempt to disappear or go back to your old ways and it's option number one."
Coryandor was looking at him again, with those scary blue eyes. The man who said there's always a choice was a liar, thought Rin.
"I, uh, accept." he said. Even with Herald wizardry watching, there was always the chance he could slip away later. "What happens after I get educated?"
Terek smiled like he meant it. "You come to work for me and Valdemar."
"What?! Why me?"