Because maybe he isn't thinking?
'For the past few days—and now, in the direction we're riding—I have been feeling that same unease,' she continued. 'Or—would sickness be the right word? That something is wrong, Tainted—no, not Tainted, merely, but polluted. Not a Demon, but something that tells me that Demonic magic is near, and growing stronger. If we ride toward that, surely you'll find what you're seeking?' she finished in a rush.
It was up to him, Kellen realized in dismay. Jermayan was too caught up in his own anger and fear to think clearly, and Shalkan couldn't—or wouldn't—make these kind of decisions. Like it or not, Kellen was the leader.
He'd always known that, but somehow it had never been quite so important before. For the first time, Kellen realized how much was riding on the decisions he had to make, and that only he could make them. It was up to him not only to decide to trust this chance-met stranger, but to trust her instincts and judgment as well. To guess, and guess rightly (he hoped), that she was not only a good person, but had the wisdom to use her gifts in the best way they could be used in this situation.
That was what made this a hard choice. It wasn't as simple as deciding whether or not she was good. She was good—both he and Shalkan knew that much, even if Jermayan was still unconvinced. What Kellen had to decide now was whether she was smart, and clever, and levelheaded enough to lead them close to trouble but not into it.
The Wild Magic led me to her. But had that been for her sake only, or for all of them? Was she a key to this, or only incidental?
'What's your name?' Kellen asked almost irrelevantly, still sitting on Shalkan's back in the middle of the trail as if they had all the time in the world to figure things out.
'Vestakia,' she said, sounding surprised.
'Vestakia,' he said. He was playing for time, he knew, hoping the Powers behind the Wild Magic would send him certainty, knowing all the while that the decision was going to be his alone, without any outside help. 'Have you lived up here all your life?'
'All eighteen years of it,' she said. She sounded puzzled now, probably wondering why they hadn't started down the trail again. 'I've been alone since my aunt died, and that was four years ago.'
'Can you… can you tell how far away the Demon-magic is, as well as what direction?' he asked, thinking hard.
'I can tell how far away one of Them is, right enough,' she answered promptly. 'But what you're looking for… I don't know. All I know is that it must be bad, if I can feel it at all. As bad as the Demons themselves.'
His last hope was gone. If she was able to tell them how far away from the Barrier she was at any given time, that would make following her gift less of a danger. But since she couldn't, Vestakia might, even with the best of intentions, lead them right into it without warning.
But the Wild Magic sent you to her for a reason. She has the power to take you to the Barrier. Use it.
'Show us the way,' Kellen said, making his decision.
As if his words had been a signal, Shalkan turned back along the trail.
FOR the rest of the day they followed Vestakia's halting directions as she led them deeper into the Lost Lands. Even the sparse wiry mountain grass was gone from the rocky hillsides now, and the only vegetation was a thick, dry, mosslike growth, or tough lichens. Vestakia said that no one, even outlaws, came this far into the mountains, and those that did never came back.
Kellen could tell that though Jermayan said nothing (his silent frustration and anger were nearly palpable), he ached to accuse her of leading them in circles, but Kellen didn't think she was. She'd said that the presence of Demons—or Demon-magic—made her ill, and she seemed to grow weaker and more uncomfortable as the day wore on and the sun sank westward. Soon they'd have to find a place to stop, even though there didn't seem to be any good ones.
The thought of stopping—of sleeping—anywhere in these mountains made Kellen profoundly uncomfortable, but what choice did they have? He had no idea how close they were to the Barrier, and Vestakia didn't seem to be sure either.
What he did know was that he'd been right to trust her to show them the way. There'd been no further signs to indicate their path—not very surprising, as there was nothing living to be warped out of its natural pattern. Kellen knew he could never have found this route without spells, and he was more and more unwilling to cast another spell for any reason.
'Vestakia?' he said when she hadn't spoken for a while.
There was no answer, and suddenly he realized that all her weight was leaning against his back, and that she was starting to slide sideways.
