his left hand on his brow. ―Bane,‖ they said simultaneously in strong, clear voices, ―we honour
you and yours. May you always find shade to rest in, and may the paths to the Sacred Grove
remain always open to your feet.‖
The man was surprised by the formal greeting, but he visibly rocked with astonishment
when Jack and Yr both stood straight again; their eyes glowed softly emerald and sapphire. He
placed the child gently on the ground and bowed low before them, his hands over his eyes and
forehead. ―Sentinels. I greet you with honour.‖ He straightened and dropped his hands, his eyes
unreadable. He sighed. ―And with mixed relief and fear. Your presence before the Mother
confirms to me and to mine that the Prophecy has indeed awakened.‖ His eyes shifted to Faraday
questioningly.
She stared at the Bane. She could easily understand him, although his accents were
strange.
Jack‘s voice sounded instantly in her head. All three races once lived together in
Tencendor, Faraday, and all three still speak the same language.
As Faraday hesitated Yr shot her a sharp glance from the corner of her eyes and Faraday
started a little. She was being rude. She bowed low and in the same manner as Jack and Yr had,
trying to repeat their greeting exactly. Then she straightened and let her hands fall to her sides.
―My name is Faraday, daughter of Earl Isend of Skarabost.‖
The man frowned. She was a Plains Dweller and her presence before the Mother troubled
him. But she accompanied the Sentinels. ―Faraday, I greet you and welcome you before the
Mother.‖
The girl-child was clinging to the man‘s legs and he picked her up again. ―The child‘s
name is Shra,‖ he said, ―and I am Raum, of the Ghost Tree Clan.‖ Jack and Yr introduced
themselves and then Jack motioned at the ground.
―Bane Raum, may we sit? We have been climbing into this valley for most of the day and
our legs ache. We would have words with you.‖
Raum nodded and they sat down in a circle, Jack, Yr and Faraday slipping the packs off
their backs. Faraday stretched her back and arms a little, glad to be relieved of the weight. The
child Shra stood beside Raum as he sat cross-legged, her small hands holding onto his bended
knee for support. She looked immeasurably curious at the presence of these strange visitors.
Jack smiled gently at her, and then looked back at Raum. ―Have you presented her to the
Mother yet?‖
Raum glanced at Faraday again, but then looked back at Jack. ―No, Sentinel. We only
just arrived. The time will not be right until very early tomorrow morning.‖
―Good. Raum,‖ Jack hesitated, ―Yr and myself have brought Faraday to the Mother for
the same purpose. But we are honoured that you are here and would ask that when you present
Shra you also present Faraday.‖
Raum‘s eyes widened and his nostrils flared in anger. ―She is a woman of the Plains! She
does not understand the trees! Only the Avar can tread this path! Sentinel, you cannot mean what you ask!‖
―Bane, one of your learning must understand the words of the Prophecy, yes?‖ Raum
nodded stiffly. ―And the Prophecy has chosen this young woman to serve too. She will serve the
Prophecy by serving the trees—we are sure of that. Raum, will you test her? If you do not think
she is worthy of this task then we will leave.‖
Faraday tensed as Raum eyed her angrily. The alien air about him was magnified ten-fold
and she clenched her hands to stop them from trembling. Abruptly Raum rose and stepped across
the circle to squat before her. He reached out with both his hands and seized her head between
them. Faraday went rigid as his powerful hands gripped her. Raum leaned forward until his
black, hostile eyes were only inches from her terrified ones. Then she fell into blackness.
She was running, terrified, through an immense forest of trees that towered above her.
Something appalling, undefinable, yet so dangerous that Faraday knew it would tear her to
pieces if it caught her, chased her through the trees. The thick and crooked black trunks of the
forest trees reared angrily from the lichen and leaf covered soil of the forest floor, crowding in
on Faraday as she ran, reaching out to trip her feet with their cunning twisted roots and snag
her shoulders and arms with their sinister boughs until Faraday’s white skin was scratched and
bleeding. Faraday cried as she ran, desperately trying to find a way through the trees, but as
hard and as fast as she ran the forest crowded thicker about her, striving to impede her progress.
She could hear the beast that hated her, that wanted to kill her, gaining ground behind her,
crashing unobstructed through the trees while she had to fight for every step. “Help me,” she
sobbed as she ran, but the malicious trees only intensified their efforts to hinder her progress,
trying to hold her tight for whatever chased her through their midst. Faraday began to lose her
temper, frustration slowly overcoming her fear as she pushed her way between the thick, black
forest. Why should the trees hinder her and not the one who chased her? “Naughty trees,” she
muttered angrily, not realising that she had copied Jack’s tone when he berated the trees for
frightening her during the long Silent Woman Night. “You should help me!” Perhaps they would
tell her where she could hide if she asked them. Faraday lurched to a halt beside a massive
Whalebone Oak, slapped it as hard as she could in her all-consuming rage, then leaned against
it, palms tight against its rough bark. For a moment there was nothing but her rage, but then
Faraday recalled how Jack had taught her to listen to the trees of Silent Woman Wood. “Damn
you,” she muttered, “listen to me now.” She deliberately erased all feelings of anger from her
heart, and tried to feel the tree’s presence through her hands into her heart. For a long moment
she concentrated hard, trying to ignore the sounds of her pursuer. Then, finally, just as she was
beginning to despair, a tremendous sense of peace engulfed her and she started to hear the tree
sing a Song of love and reassurance. Tears slipped out of her eyes, and she humbly apologised to
the Whalebone Oak for hitting it in her anger. The sense of danger, of being hunted by some
dreadful beast, completely disappeared; there was now no sound but that of the Tree Song. The
forest no longer oppressed her; instead it held her and comforted her. A slow smile curved her
lips as she felt its love, then she laughed delightedly and opened her eyes.
Raum, his eyes still wide, slowly let her head go and sat back on his heels. Faraday
smiled at him in understanding. ―It was you who chased me through the forest, wasn‘t it?‖
Raum nodded, bewildered at what he had witnessed. He resumed his seat within the
circle and looked at Jack and Yr. ―She underwent the same test as do all those of our children
who show the promise,‖ he said hesitantly. ―And yet we, the Avar, who live so close to the trees,
lose so many in the test. All that they are required to do to pass the test is simply to think about
asking the trees for help from the danger that threatens them. That is all. And yet we lose so
many.‖ Sorrow deepened his voice. ―Most die of terror. Most never think about asking the trees
for help. Of all that undergo the test in the Avarinheim, only a small number survive to make the
trip to the Mother.‖
―What did Faraday do?‖ Jack asked, immensely relieved that Faraday had passed the test.
Raum smiled introspectively. ―She stood, even as the danger was closing in on her, and
let them sing to her, let them sing the danger away. None of our children have ever done that.
Even after a lifetime of training few of our number are ever privileged to hear even a small part
of the Tree Song.‖ He paused. ―They sang for her. They sang for her,‖ he repeated, still amazed
at what had happened. He looked across to Faraday, and his eyes now reflected awe. ―What will
they do for her once she has been presented to the Mother?‖
Trapped again, all Timozel could see was the ghastly shadow stretching across the ice
floor of the room beyond. The ill-defined shadow wavered as the creature behind the door
stepped out into the light. “Who is it?” a dreadful voice asked. “Who comes to disturb my rest?”
Timozel could feel hate oozing out of the creature’s mouth along with its words, but he was so
mesmerised by the slowly moving shadow that he had no heart to resist the question. “My name