Shadow Walker Chapter 4 (Spoilers*)

[zedd]

“He is human again, and you are now the Arcan that replaces him. For now.”
“Whrat? Yrou mean I’rm stuck lrike this?”
“Until such time as I have what I want from you,” she answered with a sniff.
“Whrat does that mrean?”
“A race cannot be built by only one,” she answered bluntly. “When you produce your first litter of shadow fox Arcans, you will give them to Umbra to raise, I will restore your humanity to you, and you will be free. Until then, Danna Pannen, you belong to me.”

My first idea was that Kyven would be the father of Danna children, but if he is not a shadow arcan anymore, who will it be? If I remember right, When introducing Umbra there was a statement that she would be an only case. Or is the bit about what the shadow fox let in Kyven the answer to that?

Her Shaman was in the hands of the enemy, right where she wanted him, and despite what she told the mortals, his mind was completely untouched. That was said mainly for their benefit, as much as her pretended indifference to his fate was naught but a goad prodding Danna Pannen to admit a truth within herself. In time, her Shaman would be in the perfect position to do the most good, though he would not understand that until the time came. Returning his humanity had come at the proper time, and would itself serve its purpose in the game about to be played with the Loremasters, just as much as what she did not take from her Shaman would serve him well at the proper time, and be the key instrument through which he would serve his purpose.

His capture might have been planned by the shadow fox from th beginning. Is this why he haven't been able to use the shadow powers?

Toby Fisher.
Unlike her Shaman or Danna Pannen, the hunter was neither naïve nor foolish. He would be a difficult prey to catch.
But catch him she would. In time, he would belong to her.

Does the shadow fox plan on transforming toby into a shadow fox also? Will he be Danna's children father?

[expedient]

I fully expect Kyven to be a shadow fox arcan when all is said and done, along with Danna, Toby and at least two more converted shadow fox monsters. The Shadow Fox Spirit might try to get Toby to impregnate Danna before Kyven returns to being an arcan.

Kyven simply hasn’t mastered his shadow powers yet, I don’t think the spirit was blocking him. I also think that he still retains some element of those powers.

I think that the aim of leaving Kyven in their custody is to a) let the Loreguard/masters know that the shaman fully know what they are planning, b) leave some evidence of human born shaman, c) suggest that shaman can create crystals, d) suggest that spirits can convert humans into arcans and that current arcans are linked to humans, e) let the lower level Loreguard/masters suspect that the Circle are withholding information and motivations from them.

Of course all information Kyven provides will be suspect as he has demonstrated that he can fool the truth crystals. The idea behind all this being to cast doubt amongst the lower echelons about the Circle and suggest that there are alternatives to the crystal shortage.


Or Lord of Evil Fel will zag into a completely new direction...


Who will Kyven find in the Black Keep?

[dellstart]

I fully expect Kyven to be a shadow fox arcan when all is said and done, along with Danna, Toby and at least two more converted shadow fox monsters. The Shadow Fox Spirit might try to get Toby to impregnate Danna before Kyven returns to being an arcan.

Kyven simply hasn’t mastered his shadow powers yet, I don’t think the spirit was blocking him. I also think that he still retains some element of those powers.

I think that the aim of leaving Kyven in their custody is to a) let the Loreguard/masters know that the shaman fully know what they are planning, b) leave some evidence of human born shaman, c) suggest that shaman can create crystals, d) suggest that spirits can convert humans into arcans and that current arcans are linked to humans, e) let the lower level Loreguard/masters suspect that the Circle are withholding information and motivations from them.

Of course all information Kyven provides will be suspect as he has demonstrated that he can fool the truth crystals. The idea behind all this being to cast doubt amongst the lower echelons about the Circle and suggest that there are alternatives to the crystal shortage.


Or Lord of Evil Fel will zag into a completely new direction...


Who will Kyven find in the Black Keep?

\\good points.

1) agree that shes going to use them as her black shadow fox - re birthing program . who exactly is going to sire her cubs , that we will have to wait and see.

2)It could be his inexperience that did him in , but in the end this is where the fox wanted him.yes i agree with you at some level hes going to have that ability, just howe its going to manifest itself who knows .Take into account , that when she transfers into a Arcan , its only skin deep , so maybe he reatasins some capabilities even in human form.

3)Misdirection abound , just you wait.

[boballab]

Just remember his Shaman powers have nothing to do with him being an Arcan. He was a Shaman before he was an Arcan and he will still be a Shaman now. Now will the Shadowfox still release her power to him that is a different question.

[GBLW]

Okay, I'm not going to offer any suggestions or enlightenment, but I am going to ask a question.

It seems to me that every shaman is more or less 'sponsored' by a spirit of a similar 'type', but while Kyven was and is a human, he was 'sponsored' by a shadowfox spirit. The shadowfox ( spirit form) had to trick him, and now Danna, into taking on her form.

WHY?? Was there no 'human' spirit available, so the shadowfox shanghaied him? Or is it possible that Kyven is really the first human 'spirit' as well as the first human shaman? Or is there a 'wandering human' spirit out there somewhere who will appear and save Kyven's bacon?

The real reason I'm asking goes all the way back to the start of the Spiritwalker - we never did find out much about Kyven's mother did we? Oh we know she died when he was young, but is there a tale involved in her life or death that we haven't heard about yet? Does his mother tie in with the Spirit world in some way?

(Sorry to be distracting to anyone, but I've noticed that Fel has a tendency to leave 'hooks' available early in his stories that are used to tie in the oddest facts later on. The mother was such a blatant 'hook' that I keep waiting for her life or death to tie in a 'falling shoe' at some time in the future - say in the last line of the last chapter of the last story about Kyven.) (Okay, maybe I'm just mouthing another conspiracy theory which has no factual standing and Fel isn't really that sneaky. But . . . )

[GBLW]

On another front altogether - the Loremasters are going to go BANANAS when they realize that Kyven is not only human, but also a shaman. They tested his blood and know that he's human, but human's are NOT supposed to be able to become shaman!
However, not only did he escape while they were watching over him, but he disappeared before their very eyes, then even changed shape while they were watching. So the Loremasters are going to be faced with an impossibility that cuts to the very heart of their 'safety system' - they were certain that they could trust other humans, but now they can't. They're going to be hunting for human shaman under every rock, bush and crystal cutter in all of Noram.

[boballab]

Okay, I'm not going to offer any suggestions or enlightenment, but I am going to ask a question.

It seems to me that every shaman is more or less 'sponsored' by a spirit of a similar 'type', but while Kyven was and is a human, he was 'sponsored' by a shadowfox spirit. The shadowfox ( spirit form) had to trick him, and now Danna, into taking on her form.

WHY?? Was there no 'human' spirit available, so the shadowfox shanghaied him? Or is it possible that Kyven is really the first human 'spirit' as well as the first human shaman? Or is there a 'wandering human' spirit out there somewhere who will appear and save Kyven's bacon?

The real reason I'm asking goes all the way back to the start of the Spiritwalker - we never did find out much about Kyven's mother did we? Oh we know she died when he was young, but is there a tale involved in her life or death that we haven't heard about yet? Does his mother tie in with the Spirit world in some way?

(Sorry to be distracting to anyone, but I've noticed that Fel has a tendency to leave 'hooks' available early in his stories that are used to tie in the oddest facts later on. The mother was such a blatant 'hook' that I keep waiting for her life or death to tie in a 'falling shoe' at some time in the future - say in the last line of the last chapter of the last story about Kyven.) (Okay, maybe I'm just mouthing another conspiracy theory which has no factual standing and Fel isn't really that sneaky. But . . . )

First most Shaman's don't have a totem (a spirit that they answer to only). This is from Stalker in Spiritwalker:

“Some spirits represent a type of energy. Some do not. Some shaman, like you, have a totem, a spirit that has claimed you as its own. Some Shaman do not. I have no totem. That gives me certain advantages, such as the ability to use any Shaman magic I please. But when a Shaman has a totem, the Shaman is restricted by the totem’s own preferences.

This is from Clover in Spiritwalker:

“No, Shaman do not teach other Shaman, small one,” she answered. “We are taught directly by the spirits. That is what the Walk is about. Kyven is a totem Shaman, and his totem is still training him to her satisfaction.”
“What does that mean?”
“When I ask spirits for aid, different ones may answer my call,” she answered. “But Kyven is only answered by one. He has a special relationship with that particular spirit.”

As shown both Stalker and Clover don't have Totem spirits.

Now as to Kyven's mother that is something I always wondered about because it was right after she died that Kyven saw the Shadowfox for the first time. Then there was the reaction of his father when Kyven told him what he seen. You would think he would panic, worrying that Kyven had the Touch but instead he told him he must never talk about that. It was like he already knew about the spirits.

And yes Kyven being Human and a Shaman would cause all kinds of problems for the Loremasters and their creed. However that could also place Kyvens human child in danger. Wonder what the Shadowfox has planned for that.

[DigitalMaestro]

However that could also place Kyvens human child in danger. Wonder what the Shadowfox has planned for that.

Yes that is a loose end I've been wondering about.

Also, If Kyven's father was not concerned about the Shadowfox, perhaps Kyven is not the first human Shaman, but maybe only the first one powerful enough to be of use to the Spirits. The Shadowfox regularly laments the potential loss of all her hard work in training Kyven. Perhaps Kyven's lineage has had the Shaman power in only small increments and Kyven is the first with enough power to be of use. The spirits are also rather desperate at this point. They could be calling in their investments early because they see the end of the crystals coming and the impending slaughter of arcans in the wake of the lack of crystals. The Shadowfox wasted no time in breeding Kyven, so she may be hoping only for Kyven to hold on long enough for his child to mature.

-DigitalMaestro

[Fel]

However that could also place Kyvens human child in danger. Wonder what the Shadowfox has planned for that.

Yes that is a loose end I've been wondering about.

Also, If Kyven's father was not concerned about the Shadowfox, perhaps Kyven is not the first human Shaman, but maybe only the first one powerful enough to be of use to the Spirits. The Shadowfox regularly laments the potential loss of all her hard work in training Kyven. Perhaps Kyven's lineage has had the Shaman power in only small increments and Kyven is the first with enough power to be of use. The spirits are also rather desperate at this point. They could be calling in their investments early because they see the end of the crystals coming and the impending slaughter of arcans in the wake of the lack of crystals. The Shadowfox wasted no time in breeding Kyven, so she may be hoping only for Kyven to hold on long enough for his child to mature.

-DigitalMaestro

Someone gets a cookie.

That is essentially correct. Kyven is the result of a forced pairing. The fox knew her father for he had attracted the attention of the fox, saw that his mother had "some" potential, and urged them to marry in the way spirits can influence humans. Kyven is the result. Two sensitives produced a human with enough of a connection to the spirit world to channel magic.

Other humans are "close" to being Shaman, like the whore in the whorehouse, but the fox is the only one to have actively tried pairing these sensitives together. She was trying for a human Shaman, because she, a spirit of guile and deceit, saw the almost incalculable advantages she would have if she had a HUMAN Shaman.

And she succeeded on her first try.

The fox may be cold and uncaring, but she is very smart, and she has the patience of a stone.

As she often intones: "The seeds have been sown, and now comes the waiting for the harvest."

[expedient]

Other humans are "close" to being Shaman, like the whore in the whorehouse, but the fox is the only one to have actively tried pairing these sensitives together. She was trying for a human Shaman, because she, a spirit of guile and deceit, saw the almost incalculable advantages she would have if she had a HUMAN Shaman.

And she succeeded on her first try.

I expect she will want as many of her new race of shadow fox arcans to be shaman too. Are Toby and Danna also of high sensitivity?

[Mad Monk]

I fully expect Kyven to be a shadow fox arcan when all is said and done, along with Danna, Toby and at least two more converted shadow fox monsters. The Shadow Fox Spirit might try to get Toby to impregnate Danna before Kyven returns to being an arcan.

Kyven simply hasn’t mastered his shadow powers yet, I don’t think the spirit was blocking him. I also think that he still retains some element of those powers.

I'm not so sure. They were an aspect of him being a shadow fox. He seems to have been returned to human. However, he should still be a shaman.

I think that the aim of leaving Kyven in their custody is to a) let the Loreguard/masters know that the shaman fully know what they are planning, b) leave some evidence of human born shaman, c) suggest that shaman can create crystals, d) suggest that spirits can convert humans into arcans and that current arcans are linked to humans, e) let the lower level Loreguard/masters suspect that the Circle are withholding information and motivations from them.

a) from the shadow fox's comments, I think it more likely that this is for misdirection.

b) The loreguard do not yet know Kyven is a human shaman. There is a lot of evidence that he was replaced at some stage by an arcan. If they suspected that he was a shaman, they would have cut his eyes out. (I'm not sure if this would have any actual effect on a shaman's power, but the glowing eyes are an indication of it being used.) The final spell that the fox cast, which returned his humanity to him, may make them think that his body was swapped with the arcan shaman's. The loremasters know something strange has happened. They will of course now carry out many tests, but these will all prove that he is human. The concept of a human shaman may be beyond their ability to believe.

c) This could be part of the misdirection. If someone is desperate for crystals, they may be inclined to capture or negotiate with shamans, rather than shoot on sight. It might divide the council.

d) If the loremasters find out about the ability of arcans being linked to humans I think they would regard it as something like the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"

e) I suspect this will be part of a plan to forment divisions in the ranks of the loreguard.

Of course all information Kyven provides will be suspect as he has demonstrated that he can fool the truth crystals. The idea behind all this being to cast doubt amongst the lower echelons about the Circle and suggest that there are alternatives to the crystal shortage.Or Lord of Evil Fel will zag into a completely new direction...

Who will Kyven find in the Black Keep?

The fact that Eusica has developed a culture and technology at least as advanced, and techically superior to Noram shows that there are alternatives to crystals.

As for who will Kyven find in the Black keep? I suspect that he will find himself.

[boballab]

As to why Kyven was caught at this time was at the Shadowfox's doing, she manipulated this event. Now some of us are speculating about why she has done this, looking through every little nuance and trying to figure it out. Now I have a thought that the reason is actually very simple, but as with all dealings with the fox it has more then one benefit and clouded over with lies and half truths. However the reason it was done might just be that it is part of his walk. Remember Kyven still has to complete his walk and to complete his walk, and truly become the first Human Shaman, he has to become human again first, also it wouldn't be the first time the fox manipulated Kyven into a bad situation to learn wisdom on his walk.

Returning his humanity had come at the proper time, and would itself serve its purpose in the game about to be played with the Loremasters

Remember the fox said it is time for the mortals to learn the lies in the truth and the truth in the lies. One of those was dealing with Kyven and becoming human again. The lie was that Kyven had to please her, the truth was that she would do it when the time is right. Go back and check where the fox interacted with Kyven dealing with that subject. Also shown at the end of the chapter the way the fox acts if she doesn't care about what happens to Kyven is just that, an act.

as much as her pretended indifference to his fate was naught but a goad prodding Danna Pannen to admit a truth within herself.

Now as to being a Shaman that is a matter of genetics and not something the fox could take from him. She can deny him her favor, just like she did when he first became an Arcan, but he was still a Shaman. No what she said was this:

just as much as what she did not take from her Shaman would serve him well at the proper time, and be the key instrument through which he would serve his purpose

I believe that it means that he still has at least some Shadow powers. The fox gave him the Shadow power abilities when she turned him Arcan, so that is something she could take back or leave as she wanted.

[hoppy]

As to why Kyven was caught at this time was at the Shadowfox's doing, she manipulated this event. Now some of us are speculating about why she has done this, looking through every little nuance and trying to figure it out. Now I have a thought that the reason is actually very simple, but as with all dealings with the fox it has more then one benefit and clouded over with lies and half truths. However the reason it was done might just be that it is part of his walk. Remember Kyven still has to complete his walk and to complete his walk, and truly become the first Human Shaman, he has to become human again first, also it wouldn't be the first time the fox manipulated Kyven into a bad situation to learn wisdom on his walk.

Returning his humanity had come at the proper time, and would itself serve its purpose in the game about to be played with the Loremasters

Remember the fox said it is time for the mortals to learn the lies in the truth and the truth in the lies. One of those was dealing with Kyven and becoming human again. The lie was that Kyven had to please her, the truth was that she would do it when the time is right. Go back and check where the fox interacted with Kyven dealing with that subject. Also shown at the end of the chapter the way the fox acts if she doesn't care about what happens to Kyven is just that, an act.

as much as her pretended indifference to his fate was naught but a goad prodding Danna Pannen to admit a truth within herself.

Now as to being a Shaman that is a matter of genetics and not something the fox could take from him. She can deny him her favor, just like she did when he first became an Arcan, but he was still a Shaman. No what she said was this:

just as much as what she did not take from her Shaman would serve him well at the proper time, and be the key instrument through which he would serve his purpose

I believe that it means that he still has at least some Shadow powers. The fox gave him the Shadow power abilities when she turned him Arcan, so that is something she could take back or leave as she wanted.

Umm, isn't it the the shadow fox monster/Arcan's fur that enables their powers. I think The Shadow Fox is only taking advantage of the situation or maybe she is combining this with a lesson. Key point, she still thinks of him as her shaman.

[boballab]

Umm, isn't it the the shadow fox monster/Arcan's fur that enables their powers. I think The Shadow Fox is only taking advantage of the situation or maybe she is combining this with a lesson. Key point, she still thinks of him as her shaman.

Yes and no IMHO. first you have to go back to the actual source of the shadow powers which is the fox herself. She made the Shadowfox Monsters, everything they are came from her including their powers.

I am the spirit of the shadow fox, and it was by my will that the shadow foxes came to be in the world.
“I’ve never heard of them.”
They are there. They hide, for your kind would call them monsters. They shun most areas settled by humans, but there are some few who live near Atan.

Your people have never seen one of my children, she added lightly. They have the power to meld with the shadows, making them invisible in the night. That is how they hunt.
“A sensible way to go about it,” he noted. “Do they eat crystals?”
No. They absorb the energy to grant them that power from the spirit world. It is a minor power and does not require so much energy as a crystal holds to enact. It is for them the same as spirit sight is for you, a passive ability.

Here is this line from the Shadowfox to Kyven:

Between what I teach you and my gift to you, you will be a match for any other Shaman.

Yes the fox will lie to Kyven but here I think she was actually telling him the unvarnished truth and just letting Kyven misinterpret what it means. You can deceive people with the unvarnished truth just as easily as with lies if you have a history of lying,deceiving and telling half truths like the fox. Being Arcan was never a gift, it was a means to an end, the shadow powers are her gift.

“You granted me whatever price I wished of you. And so I take your humanity as my price.
“This is the price I exact from you, my new Arcan,” her voice thundered silently across the meadow, and thundered through his soul. “You show a lack of wisdom towards the Arcans, viewing them through the blind eye of privilege and power.

But never let it be said that I would take all from you, for you would gain little wisdom in death. As I have taken, so have I given in return. Use my gift wisely

She took his humanity as the price of his bargain and made him Arcan to learn about them and humility. The shadow powers are her gift to him.

Go back and look at what Umbra showed Kyven and what she said. Then there is this little tidbit:

It was again something internal, and he reasoned quickly that what Umbra did was invest some of her own energy into creating that shadow-like cloud. It wasn’t real shadow, it was instead a form of magic innate to the shadow foxes, a magical shadow, or a shadow created by magic. It was the innate power of the shadow foxes, what made the monsters, and when he did it, he could feel the power of the spirit world channel through him almost as if he were using Shaman magic.

Kyven called the shadow from within himself, the fur just lets him blend in with the shadows easier. The Shadow powers come from the spirit world and the fox let him keep her gift of them, he just can't blend into them like he could with that fur.

[GBLW]

Something you might consider - He is standing before them in human form and if he is smart (and I think he is!) he won't be lured into showing that he is still a shaman, he won't use 'spirit sight,' or do anything silly like that. In the long run, it is possible that the Loremasters are going to think he was telling the truth and was transported in to take the shadow fox's place, allowing the 'real' shadow fox to escape. If they think he is 'just' a human, they're going to believe that they can control him.

If that happens they won't be anxiousto kill Kyven until they get what they want from him and what does he do better than most, which is also what they desperately want?
He cuts crystals that are so full of flaws that they aren't cutable by other crystal cutters, that's what. So I'm going to guess that eventually, he's going to be placed in front of a crystal cutting bench and that huge black crystal is going to be placed in front of him (a crystal which the Loremasters are going to need badly in time of war). At that point, even though there might be a million guards around him, Kyven is still a shaman and can still draw power from a crystal.

Now just what do you think he would do at that point? Cut the crystal so the Loremasters can use it to kill hundreds of arcans, or use the power of the crystal get a little bit of revenge, even if the crystal might be so powerful that he might get hurt or even killed trying to use it? And of course, the Shadowfox (Umbra) is going to be keeping an eye on him, so even if she seems to have abandoned him at this point, don't you think she'd be tempted to help him just a little bit?

And, just one more question - do you think Lightfoot finishes the job of burning down the house where they lived and manages to escape, or will she be caught and used as a 'weapon' to blackmail Kyven?