Silverkin, page 35
“You haven’t told her any of this?”
“Why would I allow her to countermand me before it’s done? She’s been in Avisahn her entire life. I could see it in her eyes, Jaerod. She needs to leave this city. To see that there are other parts of the world. Truly, this place is her prison.”
“Sometimes the past is a prison, Thealos.” The look he gave was telling. “Don’t let it happen to you either. Walk the Crossroads again. Learn from the Oath magic. Your skill with it will grow with time and practice. The Mages have given me one last thing to tell you.”
“Yes?”
“You are assigned to this part of the world. These valleys are your homeland, your birthright. You are the Ravinir here, not me. I was sent to put you in place. I have done that. The rest will be up to you. For those who are worthy, who you feel are worthy, you may train in the Way of Ice and Shadows. But not the Oath magic.”
“Or the Nine Oaths?”
“No, you do not have the authority to administer the Oath magic to others. Not yet. But we need more Ravinir, Thealos. Too many have fallen. Much will happen in the years ahead.”
“How will I tell you when I’ve found others who may be ready? How can I call for you?”
“You’ve already been told that, Thealos. Be ready.”
A thought struck him. A memory.
“I asked you before which of the Shae gods you worshipped. You told me none of them. Should I worship none of them as well?”
“You know that as well, Thealos. Before you get too frustrated with me, let me explain. The Shae do believe that there is another, a most high God. It is blasphemy to even mention the existence to an unbeliever. It is why the Shae worship the Three. The Three represent the One. One whose name is too sacred to speak or even to inscribe. Yet it is an odd distortion of history that you call your fathers after His title. I serve Correl. As do the Mages of Safehome.”
Thealos nodded slowly, unsure what to do with the knowledge he had been given. “Who was the Mage of Safehome that visited me in Landmoor? What is his name? Or do they even have names? I never heard you mention it.”
“Oh, him?” Jaerod said. “That, my friend, was Vannier.”
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AUTHOR’S NOTE
It is time to bid a temporary farewell to Thealos and his friends for a season. As an author, I have many worlds and many stories to tell, and I made the decision early on that I did not want to limit my writing to just one of them. The world of Landmoor and Silverkin is my tribute to the epic fantasy tales that have inspired me throughout my life. I have also been inspired by studying medieval history and have worked and developed several fantasy stories which have turned into worlds and novels of their own. I will turn my attention to some of these next, since they have been equally teasing my imagination.
For those of you who have fallen in love with this world and want to see more, I ask your patience. There are plenty of stories to tell, yet a hiatus is appropriate. The next volume in this saga picks up ten years later after Thealos is established as the governor of Landmoor and advisor to Laisha. I have already hinted at many plot elements. The finale of Silverkin showed the end of rebellion spawned by Ballinaire, but it also foreshadows an even greater threat to Dos-Aralon and Avisahn. It is a threat that will be realized over the span of several books. Sorian never sleep, after all. I do not know when I will make it back to this series, but I did not want to leave it without the promise that there are unwritten stories left to be unearthed and characters you have not met, as well as others that have only been hinted at (the woman in the glass cage, for example).
I hope you have enjoyed this tale as much as I have enjoyed laboring over it for so many years. The first draft of Landmoor was crafted back in 1994. It has been a love-hate relationship over the years as I have struggled to coax to life this story burning inside me. Hopefully some of that fire has kindled in you as well.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A writer since high school, Jeff Wheeler’s interests include medieval history, playing music, Chinese martial arts, publishing Deep Magic, and spending time with family. He lives in Rocklin, California with his wife and three children.
He welcomes reader response at www.jeff-wheeler.com.
Other books include:
The Wretched of Muirwood
The Blight of Muirwood
The Scourge of Muirwood
Jeff Wheeler, Silverkin
