"Come on," Ezil said, as she held open the front door of the Blackbird Inn. "I doubt they'll follow us into town, but there's no sense in staying out in the cold."

Shale nodded, although she felt no cold. She wondered how it was possible to ever feel anything again after what she'd witnessed tonight. There was so much to take in, but her mind shut it out, like a window drawn against a battering storm. Just as when she'd left the monastery, she tried to focus on the simpler steps without worrying about the greater task. She started by walking through the front door, following the Orian girl into the common room.

The fire in the hearth was down to its final embers. The tables and booths were empty. She thought they were alone, until her heart skipped at the sight of a man lurking in the shadows. He was behind the bar, polishing a tankard with a cloth. The pockmarked man must've been the innkeeper, Casodin. He watched them. His lips were pressed together as if to suppress his questions.

Ezil gave him a knowing nod, which he returned, indicating they had an understanding. Then, Shale followed the Orian girl as she darted up the stairway.

At the end of the third floor hallway, the green door to their room lay ajar.

When they entered the dusty room, they found Karlar, with his hands behind his back as he paced up and down. He came to a halt when he noticed them. "Mistress Ezil, is everything alright?"

"They were out there, on the road." Ezil strode past him and lay her sword upon the table. It looked like quality, castle-forged steel. "Three of them had her surrounded, but they've been dealt with."

"Three of them? Eleven above, it's a good thing you acted quickly."

"Indeed. There are more out there too, by the sounds of it."

"Will we be safe to sleep here tonight?"

"I think so. One of their best advantages has been secrecy, so I doubt they'll reveal themselves to an entire town. It takes time for them to build a force, so they probably don't have the numbers to overrun us yet."

"Let's hope so." Karlar's shoulders visibly relaxed, then he glanced at Shale. "What about the item? Is it safe?"

"Yes."

Frowning, Shale came forward to stand between them, demanding their attention. "Okay, you've caught up. Now, can one of you please, for the love of Bragan and his holy armies, explain to me what's going on? First, there were hedge monsters, then there was a wolf, wielding a sword, and then I saw a sp-"

The door gently closed of its own accord.

No, not of its own accord. Shale's teeth ground together. She stood on alert as she saw it. Just as it had appeared in the woods, the watery spectre was barely visible in the dim room except as feint ripples. The forest spirit had followed them all the way back to their room.

Shale backed away and raised a feeble hand, pointing. She wanted to alert the others, but the words were caught in her throat.

"For Kah's sake," Ezil said, swinging around to see what she was pointing at. "Would you put on some clothes, Bandor?"

Did she just call it Bandor? As in her brother, Bandoragua?

The spirit crossed the room, scattering the dust on the floorboards. As it passed between Shale and Ezil, she saw that he was a man, the same colour as the wooden slats. He approached one of the beds, where there lay a bundle of folded clothes. Then, deftly, he unfolded them and put on first the small clothes, then the breeches, and finally the tunic. This gave the rest of his body context, until Shale could make him out clearly, right down to the fingers and toes.

Silver lines popped in the air around him as his transparent face filled with colour, like a clear glass, filling with wine. In place of where the spirit stood, was the Orian boy, Bandor.

Shale retreated, flabbergasted, until she could go no further. Her back was pressed against the wall. At a loss for wisdom, she said the first thing that came to her mind. "You mean you were in the woods... naked?"

Bandor grinned.

"I wish I could say this wasn't his proudest moment," Ezil said, "But this is a fairly standard day for my brother."

Bandor flourished a hand and bowed low. Lastly, he donned his silk cloak and raised his hood.

"You saved me," Shale said, whipping her attention between the two Orian siblings. "I'm not sure how, but you did, from those things in the forest."

"We did," Ezil said.

"And it's a good thing Master Bandor saw you leaving your monastery so that we could act accordingly," Karlar said, waving his finger like a scolding parent. "Bragan only knows what may have happened otherwise."

"Saw me? But that's impossible. The town was completely empty when I walked through."

Bandor's grin widened. For a second, his face became transparent again, then returned to its solid form.

Shale then remembered the movement she'd noticed in the alleyway. Originally, she'd dismissed it as either a figment of her imagination or a stray cat. But it was possible, if Bandor had been transparent, that she'd simply failed to see him.

There was still a fog in her mind, making it difficult to think things through. She was happy to be safe, but there was a deep frustration in trying to solve a puzzle with only a few pieces. She needed more. She needed answers.

"What were those things back there?" she asked.

"You, are a SanMother," Karlar said.

"Not anymore."

"Well, you were a SanMother, for most of your life. You are familiar with the dark histories and legends of the unknown ages. I think you, better than most, could make an accurate guess as to what currently resides in that forest."

Yes, now that the heat of the moment had passed, she recalled where she'd originally heard about whispering trees. It'd been that farmer from the other night, giving his confession to SanMother Alora. Alora had used a word in response, one that the farmer dared not utter, one that made even most grown men and women tremble to bring to mind. The very act of speaking it caused a cold shiver to travel through Shale's body.

"They were Shaedri."

She expected something to happen, for the room to darken at the mere mention of such things.

But nothing did happen.

"Correct," Karlar said.

"But how can that be?" Shale said. "The Shaedri have been dead for thousands of years."

"Have they?" Ezil asked, "Or have they simply been hiding in plain sight, under the guise of another name."

"Please, I have no appetite for riddles tonight."

"To put it bluntly," Karlar said, "It is likely that you know these creatures, as eldabonders."

Love of the Eleven. Did he just say eldabonders? Shale wanted to laugh, but that'd mean conquering the eerie feeling which clung to this night. She remembered the last time she'd seen an eldabonder, that day in the belltower with Alashar. She still remembered his explanation. "Eldabonders are entirely non-sentient. They're just unthinking forces that bind and move objects without reason or logic."

But something else from that day stood out to her. After Alashar had crushed the eldabonder, hadn't it bled black smoke? The very same black smoke that had come from those monsters in the woods. That's why it'd seemed so familiar.

"That's what eldabonders are in their infant stage," Ezil said, "Most never grow beyond that, especially those that live above ground."

"It's a simple law of averages," Karlar added, "When you're small and unintelligent, and take decades to develop, something bigger and smarter will eventually come along and kill you."

Shale vividly recalled the distinct crunch the stones made beneath Alashar's boot. She wondered how her friend would feel to hear that he may have killed a baby Shaedri that day.

"But imagine the ones that grow underground," Ezil said, "Where they're free from predators. Imagine they do that for thousands of years, becoming a little bigger, piece by piece. Do you think, with enough time, they could eventually become the size of those things in the forest? Or maybe even bigger, in some cases."

Shale thought about it seriously. She imagined it like a ball of mud, rolling down an equally muddy hill. It would grow in size as it moved downward, but it would eventually either hit an obstacle or reach the bottom. But, if it was a never-ending hill with endless mud, then it'd never stop growing. It wasn't the most poetic analogy she'd ever thought of, but it did explain it in a way she understood. "I suppose they could, given enough time. But if they grow underground, shouldn't they be made from materials like stone, dirt, and metal? Those things in the forest were hedges. There are no hedges underground, as far as I'm aware." She had to add that last bit, because she was no longer so sure of the laws of nature, after tonight.

"That," Karlar said, "Is because of their ability to skip."

"Skip?"

"You saw their essence in the forest, I trust? What would appear as black smoke. Well, once they lose that from their body, they can transfer it into an object of equal or lesser size, given time. So when they emerged above ground, they chose to become the objects that blend in around us, the hedges and trees, where they could observe us and learn."

"Okay, assuming that's all true, what do they want with me... or my satchel?" She said, recalling how the monster had pinned her to the ground. It was almost single-minded in the way it'd reached beyond her to get it.

"That is a rather long story," Karlar said, "One that even the three of us aren't qualified to answer in full detail."

"Your uncle only sees fit to share bits and pieces with us," Ezil said.

"Some would call him a secretive man," Karlar said, "But I prefer to think of him as a cautious one. When even the trees themselves can watch us, one must take care with their words. But the answers to all these questions await you in Elorona."

"No they don't," Shale said.

"What do you mean?" Karlar asked.

"I mean I'm not going to Elorona."

The exasperation on their faces was plain. Clearly they thought this was a fight they'd already won.

"Shale," Ezil said, testily.

"Listen, I'm really grateful for what you did tonight. I owe you my life." She folded her arms and took a deep breath. How to explain tactfully? "But you're Magizyra. Granted, you're not as bad as the Shaedri, but my people fought wars against your people for centuries."

Ezil chuckled and Bandor made a raspy sound, which must've been his version of a laugh.

"What's so funny about that?" Shale asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.

"Neither Master Bandor nor Mistress Ezil are Magizyra," Karlar said. "The Magizyra are very much extinct, Mistress Shale."

"Before tonight, I would've said the same of the Shaedri. And how can you claim that when you saw him with your own eyes?" She pointed at Bandor. "Or should I say, you didn't see him. And in the forest, Ezil ran into the fight like a..."

Ezil's yellow eyes were glowing bright in the dark room. Of course. Yellow eyes. How had she never noticed before that those were wolf eyes? "We are quite similar to the Magizyra," the Orian girl said, "But also quite different. Our kind are referred to as Soulbonders."

"Soulbonders? Well, I've never heard of such a thing."

"You must understand, Mistress Shale," Karlar said, "That there is a gross historical misuse of the word, Magizyra. In the past, the Hekkari blanketed all magical folk under that one term. But all magical folk aren't Magizyra any more than all birds are crows. Magizyra were builders and crafters. They were descendants from the Outworlders themselves, just a single sect of many magical races. All the other races appear to be gone, but Soulbonders have reemerged."

"Your uncle is one of them," Ezil said, "As are you."

"Me?" Shale said, stepping away from the wall. "No, I'm not. I've never done anything like you did in the forest."

"From what you remember," Ezil said patiently, "But how much do you actually recall from your life before the monastery?"

"Nothing," she had to admit.

"Your uncle confirmed to us himself that you once exhibited the abilities in your youth."

She could only shake her head. This was all getting a bit absurd. Next, they'd be telling her she was half Titan or something.

"Listen, I know how it sounds." Ezil lay a hand on her arm. "Bandor and I were once in your position too. It's a crazy thing to find out about yourself."

"It is," Shale said. That much they could agree on.

"And I understand why you're upset with your uncle, but if there are answers to the questions you've had all your life, don't you want them? Don't you want to know who you really are, Shale Etaria?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, he has those answers. If you come with us to Elorona, he can explain everything."

For the first time, Shale met Ezil's eyes and saw not a mysterious foreigner, nor even some strange, magical being, but saw another girl, the same age as her. Even with her abilities, she probably had fears and insecurities too. Maybe she did understand. "I was going to leave," Shale said, "I was going to head out east and live in a city, where I could be independent and live life on my own terms."

"An enticing prospect," Ezil said, rubbing Shale's shoulder, "But nobody really lives life on their own terms, do they?"

Shale shook her head.

"And that's okay. That just means people need you."

"And what if I still refuse to go? What then?"

"Then," Karlar said, after a long sigh, "We will remain here, where we are vulnerable, where the Shaedri will continue to strengthen their presence until they have the numbers to take the town. To take you."

"And if they got me, would that be so bad?"

"From the limited amount I know, it would be very bad, for all things that wish to live peaceful lives."

Shale gazed at the floor. He was being dramatic. There was no way someone like her could be that important. "If they're after my satchel, why didn't you just take it from me that first night and leave me behind?"

"Is that what you wanted?" Ezil asked.

"No. I just wonder why it wasn't an option."

"We actually did ask your uncle about that. But he assured us that even in the worst-case scenario, we couldn't take it from you. Either you came together, or not at all."

Shale squeezed her fists, thinking it through. It was clear that there was no going east. That road had closed the very night it'd opened to her. That was the idea of a much more naive girl, from a few hours ago, who was still unaware of such things as Shaedri existing in the present world.

Even if she took Cemar Road by day, under the protection of a crowd, the Shaedri would wait at the side of every road and at the top of every hill, watching her and tracking her, to the next town or city, and the next one after that. They would always be watching and waiting for their moment. She would be looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life.

Finally, her fists unfurled. Her body slumped. All the fight she'd felt from the first night was gone, exhausted under the weight of all these strange circumstances. How was she supposed to have prepared for any of this? It was time for her to admit there was only one road left. "Okay. I'll do it. I'll come with you to Elorona."