gone and nothing of what will yet be lost. A Druid’s life sees
many passings—
In his dream the valley was darkened by a wash of mistiness
that swept like rain through a forest or clouds across the sun.
It was a slow, soft passage, and it carried with it a sense that
lives had come into being and run their course, all in a matter
of seconds. There were faces, all unknown; there were voices
The Talismans of Shannara 233
that called out in laughter and pain. Time stretched away, hours
to days, days to years, and Walker was there, unchanged,
through it all, constantly left behind, eternally alone.
_It will be like that for you. Remember—
But Walker did not need to remember. He had Allanon’s
memories for that. The transformation had given them to him.
He had the memories of all the Druids who had gone before.
He knew what his life would be like. He understood what he
was facing.
—Remember—
The shade’s whisper brought time to a halt again, the Valley
of Shale back into focus, and the flow of Walker’s thoughts to
bear on the dream’s intent once more.
“Why am I here, Allanon? ” he asked.
—You are complete now. Walker Boh. You have become
what you were intended to be, and there is nothing more that
remains to be done. You bear the Druid mantle; you will wear
it in my stead. Carry it now from Paranor into the Pour Lands.
You are needed there—
“I know.”
Spray hissed and sang. Allanon’s hooded face lowered.
—You do not know. You are transformed. Walker Boh, but
that is only the beginning. You have become a Druid, yes—but
becoming is not being. Yours is the responsibility of the Races,
of their well-being. Dark Uncle. Those from whom you once
sought to isolate yourself must now be your charge. They
wait—
“To be free of the Shadowen.”
—For you to show them how to be free. For you to set them
on the path. For you to guide them from the darkness—
Walker Boh shook his head, confused. “But I don’t know
the way any better than they do.”
The surface of the Hadeshom steamed, and the air was filled
with mist. The dampness settled on Walker’s face like the chill
of an early winter’s morning. It was death to touch the waters
of the Hadeshom, but not for him. For the Druids had discov-
ered secrets long ago that enabled them to transcend death.
Allanon’s voice was dark and certain.
—You will find the way. You have the strength and the wis-
dom of all those who have gone before. You have the magic
234 The Talismans of Shannara
of the ages. Take yourself out from Paranor and find the other
children of Shannara. Each of you was sent to fulfill a charge.
Each of you has done so. You are bearers of talismans. Walker
Boh. Those talismans shall sustain you—
Walker shook his head in confusion. “What talisman do I
bear?”
The shade of Allanon shimmered momentarily in a wailing
of cries that rose out of the lake, threatening to disappear.
—The most powerful talisman of all: the Druid mantle
which you have assumed. It can never be seen, but it is always
there and it is yours alone. Its power increases as you wield it;
it strengthens with each use. Think, Walker Boh. Before you
fought and destroyed the Horsemen, you were less than what
you are now. So shall it be with each challenge you face and
overcome. You are in your infancy, and you are just beginning
to discover what it is to be a Druid. With time, you will
grow—
“But for now … ?”
—The charges are enough. The charges yield talismans, and
the talismans yield magic. Magic combined with knowledge
shall see the end of the Shadowen. It was thus when I first
spoke to you. It is thus now. If I could, I would give you more,
Walker Boh. But I have given you all I can, all that I know.
Remember, Dark Uncle. I am gone from your world and
placed within another. I am without substance. I am now of