Thealos listened quietly. He fumed for a moment before realizing that he couldn’t be angry at Jaerod for speaking the truth. He had had those exact thoughts himself. Staring across the fire at Jaerod, he replied, “I’ll concede your point, then. If you’ll concede that you are using me to your own ends. I don’t think it was random chance that brought us together – not in the streets of Dos-Aralon, and not by the river when you saved me. You found me for a reason, Jaerod. Let’s not be hypocrites with each other. Tell me why you’re really here and what you expect from me.”
Jaerod nodded. “More than fair. I doubted I would have been able to convince you to go with me to Landmoor unless I told you why. Let me try a little bluntness. We’ll see if it works. I need you, Thealos, but not for my own ends. What I mean by that is it’s my responsibility right now to prevent a terrible destruction – a destruction that has happened in the past and will happen again if we don’t try to stop it. This destruction will come about because of the Everoot, this plant that healed you. I need you because of who and what you are. You are a Shae, but not just any Shae. You are the descendent of one of the noble Silvan houses. The House of Silver rules in this valley, but the House of Quick ruled longer. I am here to bring you to Landmoor – to the Shae watchpost of Jenterhome – because a warding that guarded the Everoot has been destroyed.”
Thealos froze in the midst of warming his hands by the fire. From what little he knew of the Shae warders, it took strong magic to break a warding – the strongest of magics. The words had come from Jaerod’s mouth almost casually, but there was so much sincerity in his eyes that pierced Thealos’ heart. He listened closely as Jaerod continued.
“If we do not act quickly, those unfriendly to the Shae will use the Everoot to dominate and eventually destroy this valley. But the Shae knew this when they set the warding over the Everoot. They knew that someday the warding might fail. They also created and concealed a talisman to defend themselves if the Everoot were ever used against them. But you see, only a descendent of the original Quicksilver family can retrieve that magic. Neither can any ordinary Shae who worships Keasorn, Shenalle, or Vannier. I will explain more of the history of why this has happened along the way. There are reasons why it has taken this long for the warding to be discovered. It was set in place five hundred years ago back when Sol don Orai was destroyed – yes, by the Everoot. And there are those who would kill you for being an heir of Quicksilver. That is why I came for you, Thealos. I am here to protect you as best I can and to bring you to the Shoreland to fetch that talisman.”
Thealos stared at him, speechless for a moment. “What are you?” he whispered, awestruck by the revelation. “If you’re not a…a Wolfsman, then…”
“I am a Sleepwalker.”
Thealos swallowed. He felt his heart hammering in his chest. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get control of himself. His emotions seethed inside his chest. Was this all true? Yet everything Jaerod had said was burning inside him. “I don’t understand. The Crimson Wolfsmen are the guardians of the Shae. They should be the ones to…” He stopped, struggling with the thought. “Are only… humans allowed to be Sleepwalkers?”
“We are not the Crimson Wolfsmen. They are in similitude of my order. If you are really asking if a Shae can become one, then the answer is yes. Most of my peers are Shae. You refer to whether we use Forbidden magic?” Thealos nodded hesitantly. “As I told you, everything is in balance. Life magic and Earth magic can be used two ways. The Shae use them as they should, as they were meant to be used. To heal, to protect, to defend. One practices Forbidden magic by using these magics inappropriately.”
Reaching at his waist, Jaerod quickly untied the string and withdrew a clump of shriveled Everoot. Uncorking his water flask, he poured it out on the plant. The tiny sprigs turned a rich green and the blue and violet winked back vibrantly. “And even this magic can become Forbidden if used the wrong way.” He gave Thealos an arch look. “It is the same with Sleepwalkers. There are some who use what they are taught in Forbidden ways. But this amulet I wear and this sword at my side… these can only be used by those who have chosen to fight Forbidden magic in all its forms. One is a shield and the other a weapon against all forms of Firekin.”
“Firekin.” Thealos said it with a shudder. Just hearing the word made him afraid.