"Is that true?" Elendey asked Tolmen surprised.
"Maybe? It sounds right but I've no way of knowing for sure." The man admitted.
"The oath isn't public knowledge but the fact they are masters of the way of the voice is." I say calmly.
"Aye, that part is true at least." he agreed.
"Is that why the tongues all but vanished from battle?" Elendey asked curiously.
"More or less. The founder of the way of the voice overpowered all other tongues of his age and since then only two exceptions to learning the thu'um have existed outside their tutelage. The first is being dragonborn. They accept that binding those of dragonblood to the way would be denying their gift from the gods. You can't accept the thu'um as a divine gift and not also the dragonblood. The second is if you fully learn the art outside their influence. Not so easy when most materials on it's training are kept safely in High Hrothgar." I explained.
"I get it. It's the difference between learning magic from a teacher and from books you come across in shops." Sadi said with a funny look at me.
"I can not deny that as accurate. Compared to those who learned the art through orthodox methods I could indeed be considered such a person. As for whether or not my way or theirs is right? I believe it's not so simple. They only have part of the puzzle. I do agree that the thu'um should not be used recklessly. But not at all if not to honor the gods? No, that can't be right. It's too extreme, it doesn't flow right. Not when learning the thu'um is to align your soul with your actions." I say seriously.
"Sounds like you think they are wrong, just politely." Elendey pointed out.
"No, not wrong exactly. Just incomplete. They are right but only partially. Like using a key to open a lock. They have the right idea but the key doesn't go to that lock. The lock still opens of course since the key they are using is close to the right one but theres always a little sticking when it does." I say using metaphor to paint my picture.
"So why don't you spread this knowledge?" Nahir asked.
"Because not everyone who would try to learn the voice would do so with the same intent as I or the Greybeards. Do not forget that when the tongue was commonplace the Nords were not a friendly or righteous race. We were conquerors. It was only after we were broken at the battle of Red mountain that one of our greatest tongues turned inwards and realized that we were abusing the gods gift for purposes it wasn't intended for. It was gifted to us to break the chains the dragons put on us, not to be turned on our fellows out of anger, greed or simple bloodlust." I say firmly.
"Then why use it on the Thalmor?" Tolmen asked with a confused look.
"Because I wasn't fighting for conquest, glory or pride. I fought because they were coming to hunt me. Because they made themselves my enemy. I wasn't seeking them out. I didn't decide that I thought they deserved to die out of some proud whim. And when someone hunts you, do you hold back? Or do you make them pay for every drop of sweat and blood they get? I used the thu'um the right way. Not arrogantly, but with firm purpose." I say seriously.
"Aye, I'll remember that." Tolmen said patting his chest firmly.
"And what of the she` hai?" Sadi asked.
"It's different. The she` hai by it's very nature is to turn your very soul into a weapon, a tool of battle and war. Asking a sword not to be a sword is against the entire point. The trick is understanding WHEN to draw the blade. Those who are careless with their blades will never come anywhere close to it." I explained honestly.
"Can we see it?" Nahir asked eagerly.
"No. It's not a parlor trick. At most I can allow you to feel the echo of it through the blade of an ancient sword singer that I possess." I say as I retrieve the blade from my storage plane.
"The blade of a legendary Ansei, an honor." the man breathed reverently as he stared at the blade.
Sadi was no different but even if the blade resonated with an echo of she` hai none of them gained anything from it. How could they when they weren't even sword masters? There is a good reason why most recorded Ansei were well into their thirties at the youngest when they gained she` hai.-
There are always exceptions to these rules such as in my case where I gained it through part of my soul being a literal blade from the start. But for the normal person the order is very much set in stone. Master the blade first, then obtain she` hai. Despite this being clear it was almost endearing how disappointed they all seemed at gaining absolutely nothing from the blade.-
"Don't look so let down. Reality is not some fantasy where you can just look at a blade and somehow gain full mastery of it." I say as I put the blade away.
"She` hai is of course she` hai. If it were so cheap would there be any reason why no one else today possesses it?" Nahir said with a sigh.
"There's likely been quite a few people close to it at any given time but the enlightenment simply never arrived or they never reached for a higher state." I said honestly.