be a mighty warrior who would one day lead a great army. But Timozel said nothing. Artor
would show him when the time was right. Meanwhile, as Faraday‘s Champion he devoted his
days completely to her, making sure she had the most advantageous spot before their evening
campfire and the choicest portions of food. His nights were devoted to other pursuits.
Faraday had become abruptly and uncomfortably aware of the new relationship between
Yr and Timozel the first night they made camp. The covert movements and soft sounds drifting
across the campfire from their blankets had first made her wriggle in embarrassment, and then
struggle to suppress her own curious thoughts about what it would be like to bed with a man.
Images of Axis and Borneheld mixed in her mind, confusing her, and she tossed uneasily, sleep
eluding her for several hours.
Jack watched Faraday toss restlessly within her blankets from where he sat huddled
watching the flames, his face unreadable. He was more concerned than ever at Timozel‘s
presence with them, and wondered if the young man would disrupt their purpose. Ogden and
Veremund had told him that Timozel had a good if troubled heart, but Jack wondered if that
goodness had survived unscathed through the Chamber of the Star Gate. Like Yr, he had noticed
the subtle changes in Timozel over the past few days, the increasing confidence and maturity,
and wondered exactly what the changes would lead to. Jack could only hope that his devotion to
Faraday would serve her well. That Timozel shared Yr‘s blankets and body at night meant
nothing; Yr would eventually leave Timozel alone to pursue her purpose. Jack sighed and tossed
a few more of the dead rosenberry branches onto the fire. Even in this wet and cold weather, if
one reached deep enough into the thick rosenberry bushes there was always dry and dead wood
at hand for a small campfire. He hunkered down inside his blankets, grateful for the added
warmth they gave him, closed his eyes and tried to snatch a few hours of sleep. They were only
three or four days away from Fernbrake Lake, and he and Yr would have to talk to Faraday
before they reached it. The Sentinels had told Faraday she had two very important tasks to
perform without which Axis would not succeed in his battle against Gorgrael. The first was to
keep Borneheld from murdering Axis in a fit of jealous rage. That she already understood. But at
Fernbrake Lake Faraday would have to begin her journey towards fulfilling her second important
task, that of Tree Friend.
After ten days of travel they reached the Bracken Ranges. Jack led them towards a
narrow gully which would take them into the low mountains. It was the easiest passage, he
explained patiently to a protesting Timozel, but Timozel walked off in a huff. Faraday sighed
and made as if to walk after him, but Jack had held her back.
―Dear one, Yr and I need to speak with you for a moment. Let Timozel go.‖
Faraday gazed at Timozel striding ahead with the mule, upset at his constant arguing with
Jack, but she nodded her head.
―Sweet child,‖ Jack began soothingly, ―you are the one that the Sentinels have trusted so
much to. Aside from ourselves you are the only one who understands who the StarMan is.
Faraday, please keep that trust. Do not tell Timozel too much; the lad might well betray Axis
with an unwary word. Do you understand?‖
It ached Faraday‘s heart to keep secrets from Timozel; he was, after all, her Champion.
Yr smiled and took Faraday‘s hand. ―I will stay by your side for the time being, sweet
girl. Share your doubts and secrets with me if you must speak them. It will be far safer that way.‖
Yr‘s touch reassured Faraday and she smiled a little and nodded. ―I will do anything I can
to protect Axis,‖ she said softly. ―You know that. I have told Timozel nothing and I will continue
to keep Axis‘ true identity from him.‖
Jack looked ahead to check that Timozel was still out of earshot. ―Sweet child, tomorrow
we will reach a lovely lake in the centre of the Bracken Ranges. While we are there we will show
you some of what your second task will be.‖
Faraday frowned. The pass that Jack had indicated was only a few minutes‘ walk away.
―You would not tell me what that was, Jack, when I asked before. Will you tell me now?‖
Jack nodded. ―Dear one, do you remember that night by the Silent Woman Woods when
the trees sang to you?‖
Faraday‘s face paled and Jack hastened on. ―Remember that what the trees sing is often
confusing. Their truth is sometimes not as we understand it. Remember that.‖
Faraday nodded curtly but Jack‘s words did not comfort her. None of the images the trees
had shown her were positive. No matter how she rearranged them time and time again in her
mind, Faraday could not see how the vision could depict anything except pain.
Jack and Yr watched Faraday‘s face close over. They hoped that her horror at the vision
had not turned into a complete rejection of the singers.
Yr squeezed Faraday‘s hand gently as it lay in hers. ―Dear one, no human has ever before
heard Tree Song, and even very few of the Avar, the forest people, have. Faraday, it is important
that the forest has a friend who can lead them to Axis. You must be Tree Friend.‖
―I hate the forest!‖ Faraday said tersely. ―It is dark and evil and I will have nothing to do
with it!‖ Her voice rose and Yr and Jack exchanged worried glances.
Jack placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and opened his mouth, but Faraday rounded on
him. ―Don‘t you dare enchant me into submissiveness,‖ she said in a low fierce voice, her
festering anxiety over the vision finding release in anger at Jack. Although Faraday genuinely
liked Jack and Yr and was prepared to trust the Sentinels if it helped Axis, she wondered about
the secrets they kept and occasionally resented their obvious manipulation of people about them.
Jack hastily removed his hand. ―None of us will force you into anything,‖ he said firmly,
but Faraday turned on him again.
―You did not hesitate to trick me into placing my hand on that tree with your deceptively
simple face, Jack.‖ Faraday wrenched her hand from Yr‘s. ―And if you worry about Timozel
learning some of your dark secrets, then perhaps you should worry more about what Yr whispers
into his ears during the long night than what I might innocently say to him during the day!‖ She
glared at Yr for a moment, then turned back to Jack. ―If your precious Prophecy needs a Tree
Friend then it will have to find one elsewhere,‖ she snapped and turned her back on the pair of
them, lengthening her stride to catch up with Timozel.
Jack held Yr back from following her. ―Leave her awhile,‖ he muttered softly. ―We will
have only one chance at Fernbrake Lake. If we cannot present her to the Mother some time over
the next few days then we are all doomed to endure the long dismal slide into complete
destruction.‖
That evening they made camp well into the pass Jack called Pig Gully. They had
followed the gully for about a league, deep into the mountains, before Jack had called a halt as it
narrowed to an end. With the mountains on either side of them they were sheltered from the
worst of the winds, and there were plenty of scattered bushes to provide a leaping fire.
While Timozel unpacked and rubbed down the mule, Yr prepared the evening meal,
cutting thick slices from a smoke-cured ham and one of the remaining loaves Goodwife Renkin
had packed for them. As she laid out the portions on plates Faraday joined her.
―I‘m sorry for what I said earlier,‖ Faraday said stiffly. ―I was upset.‖
Yr looked up at her carefully, and motioned Jack closer. Faraday glanced at Jack as he
approached and her stiffness increased. ―I understand that you are bound to the Prophecy. I
understand that. And I accept that I have my role to play.‖ She paused, but neither Yr nor Jack
said anything to help her. ―Why do the trees need a friend? Why do they need me?”
―The trees and their people need someone to speak for them. They have picked you.
Faraday, someone has to bring the trees behind Axis. He must unite Tencendor. If the trees do
not join him then he cannot do that.‖
―Veremund assured me that my second task would be less distasteful than my first. Did
he speak the truth?‖
―Faraday. You will come to love the trees almost more than life itself.‖ Yr paused,
thinking. Tree Friend‘s role was far more than bringing the trees behind Axis. But it was not the