Brendon Sanderson - Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell

When George R. R. Martin approached me to ask if Id be willing tocontribute a story to Dangerous Women, I was ecstatic. George isknown best for his Westeros books, but he is also an excellent editor,having put together many anthologies. His recent themed anthologies withGardner Dozois have become something of a Whos Who in the fantasy andscience fiction world. It was a real honor to be invited.

After he told me the theme was dangerous women, I at first thought ofPerfect State, another novella of mine. I had a very rough draft ofthat done, but hadnt yet submitted it anywhere for publication. I sentthat to George and Gardner, and they felt it wasnt on theme enough, andasked if I had anything else.

I didnt, not yet, but something had happened recently that hadplanted a seed in my mind. I had been involved in some genealogy work,and had run across the name of a Puritan woman named Silence.

That intrigued me. Who would name their daughter Silence, and forwhat reason? Charity I can get. Faith totally makes sense. ButSilence? Perhaps she was late in the birth order, and her parentswere really hoping to sleep through the nights this time.

Either way, the name stuck with me.

Id had the idea for Threnody, the Cosmere world where a group ofpilgrimesque people fled the Old World because it was overrun by aterrible evil long ago. It was actually a very early Cosmere world,developed somewhere around 1999 or 2000. (Though the name didnt getassigned to it until Isaac gave a suggestion upon reading this novella.)Having an intriguing Puritan name and a world that took inspiration fromearly American history seemed a ready-made match, but then I had to askmyself, how was Silence going to be dangerous?

I was worried that the anthology was going to be stuffed full of womeneither in the femme fatal vein or the I wear black leather and kickdemon butt vein. Ive often felt that we, in fantasy, sometimes do apoor job of representing people (both male and female) who are powerfuland capable in ways other than their ability to stand in a fight. Yes,giving a woman a sword is one way to make her dangerous, but I resistmaking every powerful woman into one who has become so by forcing herway into a traditionally male-dominated realm of face-to-face combat.

The world was mostly formed in my head, though over the years Id addedthe idea of the shades for various reasons. One was to show off a fewhints regarding the Cosmere afterlife, and another came during myinitial research for the Stormlight Archive, where I read a lot aboutclassical Hebrew life and philosophy. The original idea for Threnody wasto make a system of magical rules with their roots in the Law of Mosesand Jewish tradition. (Not mixing meat with milk, not kindling flamesafter nightfall on the Sabbath, etc.) Many of those rules transformedover the years, leaving their roots behind in the same way that theStormlight magic system left behind its roots in the fundamental forcesof physics. But you can see those hints still having an influence on thetone and setting of this story.

The intersection of these ideas developed into this story, one that soonbecame one of my favorite Cosmere tales. I hope you enjoy it! (And no,for those searching, Hoid does not make an appearance. Unfortunately, heneeded to be somewhere else in the timeline at this point.)

Brandon Sanderson

The one you have to watch for is the White Fox, Daggon said, sippinghis beer. They say he shook hands with the Evil itself, that he visitedthe Fallen World and came back with strange powers. He can kindle fireon even the deepest of nights, and no shade will dare come for his soul.Yes, the White Fox. Meanest bastard in these parts for sure. Pray hedoesnt set his eyes on you, friend. If he does, youre dead.

Daggons drinking companion had a neck like a slender wine bottle and ahead like a potato stuck sideways on the top. He squeaked as he spoke, aLastport accent, voice echoing in the eaves of the waystops commonroom. Why why would he set his eyes on me?

That depends, friend, Daggon said, looking about as a few overdressedmerchants sauntered in. They wore black coats, ruffled lace poking outthe front, and the tall-topped, wide-brimmed hats of fortfolk. Theywouldnt last two weeks out here in the Forests.

It depends? Daggons dining companion prompted. It depends on what?

On a lot of things, friend. The White Fox is a bounty hunter, you know.What crimes have you committed? What have you done?

Nothing. That squeak was like a rusty wheel.

Nothing? Men dont come out into the Forests to do nothing, friend.

His companion glanced from side to side. Hed given his name as Earnest.But then, Daggon had given his name as Amity. Names didnt mean a wholelot in the Forests. Or maybe they meant everything. The right ones, thatwas.

Earnest leaned back, scrunching down that fishing-pole neck of his as iftrying to disappear into his beer. Hed bite. People liked hearing aboutthe White Fox, and Daggon considered himself an expert. At least, he wasan expert at telling stories to get ratty men like Earnest to pay forhis drinks.

Ill give him some time to stew, Daggon thought, smiling to himself.Let him worry. Earnest would ply him for more information in a bit.

While he waited, Daggon leaned back, surveying the room. The merchantswere making a nuisance of themselves, calling for food, saying theymeant to be on their way in an hour. That proved them to be fools.Traveling at night in the Forests? Good homesteader stock would do it.Men like these, though theyd probably take less than an hour toviolate one of the Simple Rules and bring the shades upon them. Daggonput the idiots out of his mind.

That fellow in the corner, though dressed all in brown, stillwearing his hat despite being indoors. That fellow looked trulydangerous. I wonder if its him, Daggon thought. So far as he knew,nobody had ever seen the White Fox and lived. Ten years, over a hundredbounties turned in. Surely someone knew his name. The authorities in theforts paid him the bounties, after all.

The waystops owner, Madam Silence, passed by the table and depositedDaggons meal with an unceremonious thump. Scowling, she topped off hisbeer, spilling a sudsy dribble onto his hand, before limping off. Shewas a stout woman. Tough. Everyone in the Forests was tough. The onesthat survived, at least.

Hed learned that a scowl from Silence was just her way of saying hello.Shed given him an extra helping of venison; she often did that. Heliked to think that she had a fondness for him. Maybe someday

Dont be a fool, he thought to himself as he dug into the heavilygravied food and took a few gulps of his beer. Better to marry a stonethan Silence Montane. A stone showed more affection. Likely she gave himthe extra slice because she recognized the value of a repeat customer.Fewer and fewer people came this way lately. Too many shades. And thenthere was Chesterton. Nasty business, that.

So hes a bounty hunter, this Fox? The man who called himselfEarnest seemed to be sweating.

Daggon smiled. Hooked right good, this one was. Hes not just a bountyhunter. Hes the bounty hunter. Though the White Fox doesnt go forthe small-timersand no offense, friend, but you seem prettysmall-time.

His friend grew more nervous. What had he done? But, the manstammered, he wouldnt come for meer, pretending Id done something,of courseanyway, he wouldnt come in here, would he? I mean, MadamSilences waystop, its protected. Everyone knows that. Shade of herdead husband lurks here. I had a cousin who saw it, I did.

The White Fox doesnt fear shades, Daggon said, leaning in. Now, mindyou, I dont think hed risk coming in herebut not because of someshade. Everyone knows this is neutral ground. Youve got to have somesafe places, even in the Forests. But