History Heartwarming / HeraldsofValdemar

* Talia and [[spoiler:Dirk]] ''finally'' [[EarnYourHappyEnding getting their happy ending]]. Just... yes. This. And damn if they don't deserve it a thousand times over.

Mercedes Lackey writes Vanyel Ashkevron in two short stories found in ''No True Way'' and ''Seasons'' respectively. Compared to the Last Herald-Mage trilogy they are ''very'' [[LighterAndSofter light]]. Vanyel hangs out with friendly villagers, a sarcastic-but-kind Healer, and heroic talking spiders. There are some problems but they're solved fairly easily as collaborations between him and the other characters. Van gets to eat good food, sit in the warm, and spend time with people who are not afraid of him and don't need him to go to hideous lengths out of duty to them. It's nice to think that as tormentous as the trilogy is, there was still space in his life to hang out and take it easy.

* Tremaine forges the Imperial seal - a crime punishable by execution - to ensure his soldiers get enough supplies to make it through the winter.
** Tremaine's gradual concern for the people of Shonar, who were once his opposition

* It's subtle, but Vkandis Sunlord opens the border between Iftel and Hardorn once King Tremaine has been installed, sends a party of gryphon ambassadors to request an alliance (with hints that the whole army would put itself as his disposal if needed), ''and'' makes a point of doing so while High Priest Solaris happens to be present. If the Sun Himself has forgiven Tremaine for [[ShootTheDog assassinating one of the Sun-priests]], his [[SheIsTheKing Son of the Sun]] has no excuse to keep holding it against him.

* 90% of Karal's interactions with his master, Priest Ulrich

* Tremaine forges the Imperial seal- a crime punishable by execution- to ensure his soldiers get enough supplies to make it through the winter.

* It's subtle, but Vkandis Sunlord opens the border between Iftel and Hardorn once King Tremane has been installed, sends a party of gryphon ambassadors to request an alliance (with hints that the whole army would put itself as his disposal if needed), ''and'' makes a point of doing so while High Priest Solaris happens to be present. If the Sun Himself has forgiven Tremane for [[ShootTheDog assassinating one of the Sun Priests]], his [[SheIsTheKing Son of the Sun]] has no excuses to keep holding it against him.

* Talia curing Elspeth's fear of Companions.

* After spending ''Into the West'' putting as much distance between the bulk of his caravan of refugees and the Empire as his can and being given a Tayledras Vale that a clan is in the middle of moving out of to lay the foundation of the future capital, Kordas get the visit of a familiar being: the earth elemental he freed from the Empire's capital, that was able to track him down because of the progress towards freeing the ''vrondi'' inside the Dolls. The elemental calls Kordas "Saver" before learning his name and the Dolls are also overjoyed to see it as a now-freed former cellmate of sorts. Spending time with the earth elemental gives Kordas some much-needed relief before the book's final problem shows up.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Mage Storms]]
[[AC: Storm Breaking]]
* It's subtle, but Vkandis Sunlord opens the border between Iftel and Hardorn once King Tremane has been installed, sends a party of gryphon ambassadors to request an alliance (with hints that the whole army would come to his defense if needed), ''and'' makes a point of doing so while High Priest Solaris happens to be present. If the Sun Himself has forgiven Tremane for [[ShootTheDog assassinating one of the Sun Priests]], his [[SheIsTheKing Son of the Sun]] has no excuses to keep holding it against him.

[[folder:Darian's Tale]]

* Darian casually telling a mildly despondent Keisha that no, he isn't particularly impressed by her more vivacious, popular sister and he quite enjoys Keisha's company instead. By the way she reacts, one has to feel for the girl, who hasn't been told she's ugly or cruel... just taken for granted and ignored, which can still hurt too.
* Darian traveling hundreds of miles, facing numerous perils, tracking an incredibly cold and faint trail... [[spoiler: and finding his parents again. Complete with a couple of cute little siblings!]]

[[folder:The Collegium Chronicles and Herald's Spy]]

* When Mags first meets Lena, she is crying over her pet rabbit, Bumper, dying. He offers to help bury Bumper. His eulogy for the rabbit is awkward and heartwarming.
--> "He was a good rabbit. An' he was a friend when Lena needed one. Reckon that's how ye knows a friend, they be there when ye need them.
* Due to Foreseers having a vision that is interpreted as the king being in danger from a foreigner and Mags discovering that his parents (and by extension himself) were foreigners, many of the other Trainees from all three Collegiums start distrusting him. His friends, including his teammates from Kirball, immediately stand up for him once they catch wind of the distrust, and make a point of sitting with him at mealtimes and escorting him to his classes.
* When Mags has to take the herbs that will force the memories of the clan his parents were from on him, he is able to hold on to his core self and not get swept away by the memories by focusing on his bond and brotherly love with his Companion Dallen, friendships with his oldest and best friends Bear and Lena, and love of his girlfriend Amily. In fact, Dallen and Amily are his twin supports, with the narration noting that a big part of why Mags loves Amily is that both can see past each other's respective labels to the true person beneath.
* Mag's and Amily's whole MyOwnPrivateIDo, with only themselves, Amily's father Nikolas, their Companions, and the priest officiating the ceremony in attendance. The whole thing is very sweet, with Mags noting how lovely the wedding vows of the religion the priest is part of are. Nikolas states that he is happy to have witnessed his daughter's marriage [[note]]since he's had to miss other events in her life due to his duties[[/note]] and won't have to worry now if duty causes him to miss the public wedding that's to come later.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Brightly Burning]]
* Lavan being questioned about the bullying he suffered. He's unable to control his anxiety and gets angrier and angrier, his [[TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening Firestarting Gift]] on the verge of consuming him and everyone else...and then Kalira Chooses him.
* ''Everyone'' involved in uncovering the school's corruption, from guards to Heralds to aristocrats, is horrified that such atrocities could have happened, and do everything they can to prevent it from ever happening again. It just drives home the point that most people are generally good.
* A BFF-style version with Lavan and Tuck, when the latter calmly and methodically talks Lavan through the various legal definitions of murder and manslaughter, in order to convince Lavan that no, he's not a monster ''or'' a psychopath because he lost control of his Gift and killed the bullies who were torturing him. Possibly doubles as an intellectual SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome, and triples as a CrowningMomentOfFriendship.
* every scene involving Lavan's sister Mercy visiting him at the Collegium. At least ''one'' member of his family can actually, truly, connect with him. [[spoiler: it's really no wonder she ends up marrying Tuck, who's been shown to be smart enough to know a good thing when he sees it.]]
* [[spoiler:Kalira's last words.]] Even through the excruciating pain she's feeling, the horrific war they're fighting, and Lavan's own encroaching madness, she manages to make this clear:
-->''[[spoiler:I- love- you...]]''
[[/folder]]

* It's subtle, but Vkandis Sunlord opens the border between Iftel and Karse once King Tremane has been installed, sends a party of gryphon ambassadors to request an alliance (with hints that the gryphon armies would come in force to defend Karse if necessary), ''and'' makes a point of doing so while High Priest Solaris happens to be present. If the Sun Himself has forgiven Tremane for [[ShootTheDog assassinating one of the Sun Priests]], his [[SheIsTheKing Son of the Sun]] has no excuses to keep holding it against him.

** In particular, their second meeting. [[PoisonousFriend Hulda]] [[note]]Elspeth's abusive nanny who deliberately gave her nightmares and isolated her from other children[[/note]] has left Court, and Elspeth is crying because she thinks Hulda is her OnlyFriend.