Completion of the Whisper

Chapter Twenty-Seven.

"Brayhd", I said, softly.

The tall man sighed and tapped his finger against his chin "I don't know what you want to hear from me, Adri."
Probably, I didn't know either. Nyshard wanted the Council to lift the seal on his powers and to also remove the restriction on his powers of teleportation when it was about me. He believed, that this was what the Whisper meant by "breaking the seals" – my seal and his. Maybe, he was right and we needed him to be at full power if the King attacked. Maybe, this was what could help us – along with my father's sword. But Brayhd – he'd become an advisor for me as much as he was Nyshard's advisor. He was reasonable, tried not to let him be ruled by his emotions – in contrary to Dylana – and his way of calculating possibilities always tended to calm my racing thoughts. That, and I'd brought him some letters to add to my testament which I'd written that morning with a grim expression and the hope of no one having to ever read them. But because I'd already decided to pay him a visit, I'd also asked him about his opinion on lifting the seal on Nyshard's powers.

"Do you fear he might become too powerful?", Brayhd asked, his expression one of mild curiosity.
Half-heartedly, I shook my head "Nyshard said, by asking this of the Council he's risking that he becomes what he doesn't wish me to see. He also said, that he wouldn't judge me if I one day decide that I cannot be with what he'd become. And he said, that he would do everything to protect me."

"Yes, he would", Brayhd nodded.
"But what if he gets his whole power and it allows him – together with his ability to teleport everywhere – to kill dozens... hundreds? Nyshard will make himself a weapon. He always told me, that he's doing what has to be done, even though he doesn't like it. Taking a life is nothing Nyshard enjoys. But if he does this..."
"Some people might think that he's enjoying slaughter."

"Yes. And he doesn't. How can I be okay with him being judged like that?"
Brayhd grimaced "Adriyele, is this about how you would think about Nyshard killing so many, or are you really concerned about him? About what he's doing for you?"
"I will never see Nyshard as someone who kills with pleasure. Never. But I don't want him to... give up even more. He's done so much already, and I feel like he's constantly topping."

Thoughtful, Brayhd nodded and raised his eyebrow "Nyshard has asked you for your permission, Adriyele. He's basically placing this decision in your hands; he needs you to tell the Council that you need this protection."

Brayhd stood up and leaned against the windowsill, hi hair bright and golden in the summer sun. "Wyntern Falls and Ralanmar are your allies because of your relation. High Ilryn is your ally because of Nyshard. Myrna Bays will be your ally because of Nyshard's loyalty to you and because Nyshard is a strong ally by himself, even with parts of his powers sealed. The Council... the way they restricted his powers, and by not letting him use teleportation everywhere... that's part of the reason Nyshard was so badly wounded by Phylon twice. He wasn't allowed to teleport, and both times, the poison was involved, too."
"He'd been wounded on Berthyan, too."

"Yes, but he had placed a shield on you, on the castle, Ilyria... almost constantly, Adriyele. It drained his powers, that's why he got wounded. In fact, I'd never seen Nysh wounded as much as during this last year", he said silently, and I huffed "I already know it's my fault, thanks, Bray."
Decisively, he answered "No, it's not, and you should know that by now. Someone without Nyshard's strength and durability might not have been able to do all of this. There's a reason why things are happening the way they are."
"Fate and destiny."
"Exactly."

For a moment, both of us stayed silent, until I finally sighed "So, you think it's a good idea for the Council to remove the seal? Even though Nyshard himself thinks that once he can do it, he will make himself kill as many if he can if it comes to a war?"
Brayhd gave me a long look, then he replied "I personally think, that Nyshard needs you as much as you need him. He thinks of himself as a man, who has done several unforgivable things. And most of it, he'd done to you. Your father, your freedom. His mark... in his opinion, he's still responsible for it, no matter how much you tell him and show him that you don't judge him for any of it. And a part of him kind of expects you to turn him down one day. Because he believes you will come to the point where you see what he sees. The man who's responsible for so much pain in your life. But he loves you. I think he's loved you for such an incredibly long time, because he'd put so much hope into you – or rather, what it could mean for him. And after he had killed your father, after he received your Whisper... he lost what he had wished for. But now... the two of you are together. You love him."
"But he believes it might not last", I murmured.