(many thanks for the reviews. I love them, I need them. Thank you. Casus Fere I am sorry about the slight date lines and age lines being slightly wrong I have number trouble but hey, its close enough and it works with the story. And once again a very big thank you to Tessabe.

Sage woke from his sleep, someone was shaking him. He opened his eyes.
It took him a few moments to realize that the person shaking him was in fact Keisha. She looked worried. As he sat up, she moved away. He felt groggy, his head was swimming. His mouth tasted sour. Keisha sat back and reached for a bottle and a cup, she poured something clear from the bottle in to the cup. She gave it to him. He took the cup and drank what was in it out of habit more then anything else. This drink didn't taste to bad, more sickly sweet then bitter.
"If you were human, you would be dead by now" She told him frankly with a frown.

As his eyes came into better focus, he aware of Llayner standing in the doorway watching with nervous interest.
"What possessed you to drink all that sleep mix?" She demanded.

Keisha felt her initial fear ebbing. When Llayner had come running to tell her that she could not wake Sage. She had been worried, She had tried everything to wake him. It was only by chance that she had happened on a bottle, an empty bottle. After a careful sniff and an even more cautious taste, she discovered it was the sleep mix that Nightwind made. Deducing from what Llayner had said about seeing him with a full bottle a few days before. She was able to send the Hertasi for the wake up potion. She had fed him most of the bottle and had to watch for a few breathless minutes before he begin to show signs of waking. Now he was awake, her fear gave way to anger. How, Why? had he done something so stupid. As to drink the whole bottle in one go.

Sage looked up into her angry eyes. He looked from her to the Hertasi and back again. He couldn't meet Keishas eyes. He knew drinking the sleep mix would knock him about until mid morning, but he had not figured that Llayner would try to wake him before then. He had been hoping to wake himself and no-one would be any the wiser. But evidently something had happened to change that plan.
He looked down at the discarded blanket, "I only wanted to sleep" he started.

"Then why didn't you?" she interrupted.

"I wanted to sleep with out dreams, with out nightmares. Nightwind gave that mix to me, because I told her I had trouble sleeping sometimes. she said I was to only have a little every now and then. but it didn't work I still dreamed" He told Keisha, still not meeting her gaze. He had tried the mix a few days ago, he had woken screaming into the cushions. The mix had dulled the nightmares but not stopped them.

"I did not mean to cause any worry" He looked up to meet her eyes. she saw the urgency in them. "Please do not tell anyone, I will not drink so much again please I promise"

Keisha was about to say something, but she caught the undertone in Sages voice. She could feel that he would not do that again, but she had the feeling that he must have been desperate to do something so stupid, she relented.

"I won't tell anyone, but if you ever do that again, I will have to tell" Sage nodded silently. Something caught her attention. Llayner was waving trying to get her attention with out alerting Sage.

Keisha sighed. What she had said was true, if he had been human he would have been dead by now. He was very lucky. She thought about warning Nightwind, but it appeared to be a mistake, one he wouldn't be repeating. She gathered her stuff and left Sages bedroom, letting the beaded curtain that hung across the door fall back into place. She walked out into the main room. Llayner was waiting for her there. She motioned for her to come outside. When outside, and away from Sages hearing the little Hertasi turned to her.

"Please don't be angry with him, Keisha. He had terrible nightmares, I have heard him, crying out in his sleeping, begging to be left alone,
many nights this has happened. This was almost certainly an attempt to avoid those nightmares. He has tried many other ways but none have worked. When I came to get you I did not know what he had done until you found the bottle. I swear I would not have let him do it." Llayner said. "Only Silverfox and us Hertasi know of his dreams"

Keisha laid her hand on Llayner arm. "Don't worry, I will not tell Nightwind" Keisha said. She paused for a second. "But, if he ever wants to sleep again send him to me, He may not be able to die, but I don't know what too much of the the medicine will do to him" she added with an after thought.
Llayner nodded. her keen eyes scanning Keishas. "I will watch him better now" she promised. Keisha suddenly understood what was wrong.
Llayner thought it was her fault.

"It was not your fault, you could not have known unless he told you. I got the feeling he wants no-one to know about his nightmares. You said yourself only the Hertasi and Silverfox know. He is trying to deal with them himself" Keisha said with sincerity.

The little lizard looked doubtful but she nodded. Keisha glanced back inside, when she looked back the Hertasi had vanished. Suppressing another sigh she went back to her ekele to let Darian know nothing was wrong. He too had been wakened when Llayner had come rushing in.
As she walked into the ekele she shared with Darian, she could see small signs that he was awake and about.

"Is every thing alright" Darien's disembodied voice called from the bathing room.

Keisha walked though to the bathing room, dropping her emergency bag on a low table by the door. She leaned on the door frame and watched her lover. Darian was finishing off his hair, in the mirror. He had braided it and added a few of Kauris tail feathers. Nothing so elaborate as some of the other Hawkbrothers but still he looked good.

She was glad that she had moved into the Vale permanently as the Hawkbrothers main healer. She was also glad that Shandi had talked with the leaders of the Healers collugium and convinced them that putting a healer in Errolds grove would be good. This meant that Keisha could stay with Darian, and work with the sanctuary healers,
with out worrying about the people of the village getting sick or being neglected.

"Fine, fine" she said watching him. Running her hand through her own hair. It had been hastily tied back when Llayner had called for her.
She had grabbed a headband and a leather tie and thrown it up. She pulled off the headband and took out the tie. Shaking her hair out, she ran her fingers through it again, tugging out the knots that had formed. Darian tossed her a hair comb and smiled at her through the mirror, she returned the smile and set about making her hair look decent. She hurried as quickly as she could. She'd had no breakfast and was now feeling grouchy and very hungry.

Darian watched his beloved through the mirror, she was combing her hair with a single minded determination. He knew better then to try and get more then a few words out of her until she had eaten. He smiled to himself, then turned to face her. Finally when her hair was sorted to her satisfaction, she threw the brush onto the shelf and turned to the door way. "Right let's go eat" she said, already halfway out the door.

After Keisha had gone. Sage cursed himself in as many different languages he could think of. and that was quite a few. he couldn't believe he had been so stupid. He had caused Keisha and Llayner to worry about him. it was something he shouldn't have done. He still had no idea why Llayner had come to wake him. Most of the Hawkbrothers, those who weren't scouts were still sleeping after the festival last night. With a sigh he reflected to ask her when he next saw her.

It wasn't like the Hertasi to not tell someone why they come for them or even woken them up. With a sigh he supposed she must have forgotton in the excitement, he would find out soon enough what. He got off the cushions and threw the blankets back onto them. He hunted around in a clothes chest for a moments, before pulling out clean clothes. A pair of loose, light brown trews and a light brown tunic. He threw the sleeping clothes into the Cushions. Pushing his door curtain out of the way, he walked out into the main room. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was now back to Silver again, he decided that he would leave it silver for now. and change it again later. it had not been silver for a while. it would be a nice change.

Sage hunted around in the main room for a while before he found the bag with his exercise balls in them. Picking up the bag, he ducked back into the bedroom. He collected his beads and slid them onto his arms, then he went outside. He would do his exercises in a nice clearing. It was a nice morning and he wanted to be outside. Sage walked along path for a while towards the cliffs. until he found a clearing, it was sheltered by vines on three sides the other side was open facing the lake. Down below across the lake he could just make out the form of Nightwind tending to Kel.

Sage sat down, on the grass and took the balls out of the bag. he started on the exercises that Keisha had shown him all that time ago.
he closed his eyes and slowly he worked his way through the balls.
A mediative state, it was one of the ways for him to relax and make sure that all his shields were in place, and he had a fair few shields. Most of them were to stop his magic from affecting people, a few of his shields were to stop him feeling other peoples emotions.

Nightwind and Herald Shandi had shown him them, between them they had been able to come up with some strong shields. And after he had learned how to do them, his own power made them virtually unbreakable by anyone but him He contemplated how well he could move his arms, he could still only lift fifth heaviest ball with his left hand. it had never gotten any better than that, the right hand however could lift all of the balls.

Still he resolved to himself, it may have been limited movement, but it was movement. It was better than it might have been had he not come here. Keisha and Firesong had told him that the only way for the movement to be as good as it used to be would be to break all the bones again and reset them. But they warned it would hurt and it would take a long time. So he had opted for his arm and hands to stay as they were.

A step behind him made him 'wake up' fully, he became aware then that someone was behind him, waiting for him to notice them. He didn't open his eyes, but he called out. "It is all right, I have sensed you"
he said softly. Soft footfalls followed a faint swishing of the vines being moved and then falling back into place. He opened his eyes and saw Silverfox, he gestured for the Kestra'chern to sit. "Good morning to you" Sage said cheerfully.

Silverfox sat down on the grass with Sage. It was clear he had been up for sometime,he was looking as well groomed as ever. Today he was dressed in a form fitting tunic of sky blue with fitted trews in a slighted darker blue. His boots were the same color as the trews, and over that he was a untied robe of swirling shades of blue. His long dark hair was bound in a single braid hung over his shoulder.

Silverfox watched Sage with a professional interest and keenness, the same keenness he used when watching any of his clients. He could also see the limited movement that Sage had. Only when Sage was finished and started to put the balls away, did Silverfox start talking. This talking was something they had tried to do at least once everyday. It was not always about Sage it was about anything and everything. The Kestra'chern as well as most of the people in this Vale were helping him to appear more normal, to understand the things he couldn't.

"How have you been sleeping" Silverfox asked, he watched the boys reaction intently, how people did or didn't react to a question could tell a lot more then what they actually said.
Sage looked away from Silverfox, he couldn't meet the mans gaze for several minutes.

"Still not good. I still have the nightmares." Sage looked up into Silverfox's face.

"I am trying to deal with the past, really I am, but it is so very hard. every time I think I have dealt with something, I get the nightmares again"

"It will take time, Sage, you must not rush these things. I know what you've told me is only some of what's happened. You have had a long life, it will take time" Silverfox reassured him. He could see Sages pain at not being able to rid himself of these dreams.

Sage nodded as he toyed with the ties of the bag. He was thinking of how to tell Silverfox what he had done. And that now Keisha knew he had bad dreams as well. He was sure that Llayner would have told her something, to stop her being so cross. Told her, that he woke crying like a child nearly every night.
Silverfox could tell that something was wrong. "Sage what's happened"
he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Nothing apart from the fact that I made the most stupid mistake" then he went into the story of how he had gotten the sleep mix from Nightwind to help him sleep. And how he taken too much . He added that Llayner had to get Keisha to wake him up and now someone else knew how weak he was.

Silverfox had to think for a moment before replying. He had been in contact with people who had low esteem and no self value, but never so bad as Sage. Part of him really wanted know what on earth he done,
what he had been through to make him hate himself so much, but he knew he couldn't ask, Sage would have to tell him when he was ready.

"As I have said before it will take time a long time. Maybe with the death of the person who you fear will it come. But I know one day it will happen. I mean look at your arm, I bet you never thought you would be able to use it again would you.?" he pointed out.

Sage looked at the arm and sighed, he knew that Silverfox was right,
but it was so frustrating he wanted to be free now. Not in years to come when the people died. He didn't know if he could wait that long before he went mad. He nodded and looked back to Silverfox.

"I have a question for you, if I may" he asked quietly. Silverfox nodded. "I know you hear all the worries of the people here, and you keep them safe" He tapped his head. "But what happens when you hear to much. You can not tell anyone, for that speak to you do so in confidence." he paused for a second.
Silverfox sat on the grass he didn't say anything he wasn't sure what Sage was getting at. Before too long Sage got to the point.

"Who heals you?" Sage asked finally. "You must hear some bad things,
this is why I won't tell you everything, because you would not be able to talk about it with anyone. And I do not want that burden on you,
however" he paused again this time looking into the distance. Long minutes passed.
"I will tell you all soon, I can feel it, something is coming and I will have to tell you all.

Silverfox was about to say something but loud talking stopped him, two young children ran into the clearing giggling as they ran. They stopped when they saw Silverfox.

"Oh sorry, we didn't think anyone would be here" The older of the two said and they started to back away.

Silverfox looked back round to see if Sage minded the interruption.
But the clearing was empty again except for him and the children. Sage had gone.

"No its alright you stay I was leaving anyway" Silverfox told them with a smile. As he heaved himself to his feet. And left the children to play. What Sage had said, had given him cause to think. It was true. Who could he talk to about what he heard. True he talked to Firesong, but sometimes. It would be good just to talk without having to hide names and people. At least he had come closer to knowing why Sage wouldn't tell him of his past.

If he couldn't deal with it himself. Then how would he expect some else to. It was the last thing that he had said that had worried him,
Sage had said something was coming, something soon. That he decided,
he would tell Firesong.

After Sage had left the clearing and taken his things back to his Ekele he went for a walk down the paths that led to the Kyree caves. After several minutes of waiting outside them one came out to see what he wanted. It wasn't that often that one of the Hawkbrothers came down to the caves.

"May I help you?" came the quiet mind voice. Sage kneeled down regardless of the mud,

"Yes if you please I wish to know about history" He asked with the politest mind voice he could manage.
The Kyree nodded once then turned. "If you can bear it come inside a little way, there is a large cavern just inside, we can talk there"

with that the Kyree turned and trotted back inside. Sage rose and followed. Once inside he sat down on the cool floor, waiting whilst the Kyree he had spoke to went to talk to some of the others,
eventually three walked back to him. The one that Sage had asked and two others.
"You may call me Hashi" the one in the middle said. "The one of my right you may call Tulen and the one of my left you may call Leyn" The Kyree sat down facing Sage, all the others sat further back listening quietly.
"You wish to know history, what would you like to know?" Tulen asked.

Sage looked down for a moment and then back at them. "I know this is a long hope, I doubt you will have much but the history I want to know is mine" he looked into the Tulens eyes for long seconds before all three of them nodded.
"That we can do, we wondered when you would come to ask us"

Several days later. There was a meeting called, most of the Hawkbrother council were there. Keisha, Sage, Silverfox, Nightwind, Kel and Herald Shandi were also present. It has been a long meeting and now it was almost over. For once there were no emergencys to deal with, just small issues between the Heralds and the Hawkbrothers, concerning the town and the keep.

Finally the main body of the council rose and declared the meeting over and then filled out of the council building. Only a hand full remained talking about small things.

Herald Shandi was one of the few to remain behind. She edged her way over to where Silverfox, Sage and Nightwind were talking. She had something that she wanted to ask Silverfox. Before she could, Firesong drew Silverfox into an friendly argument between him and Darian. With a sigh Shandi sat down next to the now free Nightwind and Sage.

"care to share" Nightwind asked after seeing Shandi's expression.
Shandi shrugged.

"Can Silverfox tell me the meaning of dreams?" she asked. "It sounds silly but I have been dreaming things that I don't think are right"

Nightwind looked at her oddly as Shandi described some of the dreams.
"People you don't know, places you have never been" Nightwind interrupted after Shandi had finished. Shandi nodded puzzled.

"How do you know about them?" She asked. Wondering how anyone else could be having the same dreams as she.

"I don't get them all the time, just sometimes. The feeling of trying to run. But getting no where" Nightwind went on. Shandi was nodding in agreement. Un-noticed Sage was sitting on the table next to them listening to what they were saying about the dreams. If possible he looked even paler. He looked from one to the other. He couldn't believe what they were describing. He didn't think it was possible.

"You do not need ask Silverfox" Sage said quietly making them both start slightly. They had forgotten he was there, he had been so quiet.

"Why?" Demanded Shandi her hands on her hips. "I am getting strange dreams as is Nightwind, I want to know what they mean"

"I can tell you, you do not need Silverfox. Please come with me" he slid off the table and motioned to the doorway. "I can explain and I can help" Shandi and Nightwind both rose from there chairs and followed him. Nightwind cast a puzzled glance to Shandi, How could Sage know about the dreams. He had been acting very strange these last few days.

They walked along the paths that led away from the council building and up towards Sage's Ekele. He paused at the door way to make sure that they were following him. Happy that they were he entered his home. Nightwind walked in straight away. Shandi hesitated then went inside. All of them had to duck to avoid being hit by the many things hanging from the ceiling. He motioned for them to sit down. There were only two stool like chairs Nightwind took one and Shandi took the other. Sage remained standing for a moment. Before turning his back on them.

"The dreams that you are having, are not your own. You know that" Sage said softly turning back round the face them.
Nightwind and Shandi nodded. "They are my dreams" he said looking into their eyes. "I have shields, so very many shields. This you know. Most of my shields are to stop my magic from effecting people and a few of them are to stop people affecting me. You both know that I have empathy"

They nodded again. "Well I thought the shields I had to stop people seeing my mind worked. But it would appear that they do not work so well when I am sleeping" Shandi and Nightwind looked at one another. This was hard to believe the dreams were his. They were so real.

"The dreams what are they?" Nightwind asked. Now that she knew where the dreams were coming from they were not so unnerving.

Sage eyes flickered briefly. "They are of the lands across the sea.
Where I have been for all this time" he said softly before turning his back on them and hunting for something on a very cluttered table.

Shandi looked round Sages home. She wondered how on earth anyone could live a house like this it was cluttered with odds and ends. It appeared that if anything took his interest he added it to his collection. Cluttered as it was, it did give for some interesting things to look at. Then she hit on something.

"Nightwind and I are the only empaths in this Vale, is that why we are the only ones who saw your dreams" Shandi asked to Sages back. He was still looking for something.

"That I do not rightly know it could be the fact that I have worked closely with you, you have after all helped me with my shields in the first place. Or it could be that when we are sleeping the shields are slightly weaker than normal, but..." he broke off and turned to face them. Holding two bead bracelets one in each hand. He offered one to Shandi and one to Nightwind. Shandi's was white and Nightwinds was blue/black.

"These bracelets are shields. It was something I have been working on,
in case my magic got out of control. They are to protect people. Hopefully they will stop you from dreaming my dreams" he said with a smile.

Nightwind could see that both the bracelets shimmered with mage energies. Carefully she put her on. Sage vanished. To all her senses he vanished. She could see him with her eyes, but not with mage sight or empathy he was not there. She glanced at Shandi. The look on the girls face said she was feeling something similar.

"Well?" Came the question "What happened"

"I can't feel you. With either magesight or empathy" Nightwind confirmed. "Nothing, it's like you are not there"

"Me too" agreed Shandi. "You're there, but not. It feels funny"

Sage smiled. "They are working then. I have made them to block you from any of my magic. Hopefully they should not block your gifts, or seeing anything other than me. If they do, tell me and I will change them"

Nightwind rose from the chair. Examining her bracelet. It was amazing that he had managed to make a shield into something so small. She couldn't think of it being done before.
"If you don't mind I would like to show Snowfire and Firesong. I think they would be interested to see what you have done"
Sage nodded happily and Nightwind left looking at her new ornament.

That left Shandi. She felt a little awkward around Sage. She always had. It was because he leaked so much power. But now she couldn't feel him.
"If you don't mind, Karles and Anda would also like to see this. They had never heard of something like this being done before" She asked shyly.
Sage nodded, leaving Shandi free to go.

When he was alone, he sat on the edge of his table. He sighed a happy sigh, the Kyree had told him so much that was useful to him. About himself and his purpose. Things he hadn't expected them to know. About what he should be able to do. Shielding, was one of the things he knew he should be able to do.
Shielding things, places, people anything. And now he had learnt how.
They had told him something else. Something which had given him hope.

He had always known he was a channel. And that he could channel anything. Human lives. Life energy, that he had done. Or rather had been made to. But the Kyree had told him he could channel anything.
Pain, fear, happiness, he could take away peoples pain just with a touch. He looked out of his window. He wanted to try that, to take away pain. The others didn't know yet. He hadn't told them. But soon he would. He would have to.

((there you go readers I hope you liked this chapter. If you did and you can find it in your hearts press that little purple button down their. Go on yes press it and tell me what you think. I can only make it better for you to read if I know what you are thinking.
Note. There may be a slight longer delay before the next chapet but I will try my best to have it done before next week end))