straightened up. She stared at the humped beggar standing beside her. No, not a beggar ….
“What?” Tess asked. The fingertips still lightly touched her neck. Tess’s gaze followed the arm back to the source of the voice. Hairs on her arms stood erect, their gooseflesh announcing her shock. Intense eyes as green as her own shone back at her from within the depth of a heavy brown hood pulled far forward.
“The Gods be heard, it’s true then. A Quintspinner lives,” the Crone quietly announced to no one but herself.
The Crone’s fingertips remained in light contact, feathering over the skin of Tess’s birthmark. Her touch seemed to produce a soft buzz on Tess’s neck. Pulsating warmth, not unpleasant, spread down her neck but still Tess shrank from the woman’s touch.
“Aye,” the seer clucked to herself, “Her Soul knows the Touch, it does.” Again the green eyes shone from the dark recess of the hood as though powered from a source within. She peered closer at the birthmark.
“Aye, a Spinner ye be, yet truly… a Quintspinner,” she exhaled in an awed whisper.
“A what?” Tess once again felt the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stand up.
“Lass, ye bear the mark of the Source. A silhouette of the acorn, seed of the most powerful tree and lasting life form of this land in which ye were born. And it trails five seedlings below it.” She held Tess in her stare. “Five spinners will seek ye in your lifetime. May ye live to harness their power.” She grasped Tess’s hand in her own.
“You’re crazy, old woman! Let me go!” Tess pulled her hand back but the woman held fast. Her grip was surprisingly strong and Tess’s hand remained locked between the deformed digits.
A glint of gold shone from one of the twisted fingers.
That ring! That’s the one that Cassie saw!
Tess stared at the ring, mesmerized. It was a wide golden band, with a centre band of silver. The silver band, in turn, was braided with strips of gold and inlaid with blue gems, each set into delicate swirls of miniature silver and gold waves. It glowed more brightly than the old woman’s eyes.
The blue gems seem lit from within! That ring must be worth a fortune! How would she have come into possession of such a thing? Not even among any of her father’s wealthy friends and acquaintances had Tess seen anyone who wore such a fine piece. Tess’s thoughts reeled in her head.
“Where did you get this ring? Are you a common thief? Let go, or I’ll yell for help!” Tess struggled to free her hand from the Crone’s grip.
“I am no thief, but a Spinner, like yourself!” the Crone retorted, letting go of Tess’s hand. “Ye’ve much to learn and–”
The old woman gasped and stopped in mid sentence to glance up above Tess’s head. Tess turned and looked, seeing nothing. The Crone continued to stare into the air, cocking her head at an odd angle as though listening for something.
“Not much time,” she shook her head, and continued, “and ye must be taught! Quickly! Follow me! We cannot stay here.”
Something in the urgent tone of the old woman’s command made Tess fearful but obedient.
“But what about Cassie?”
“She comes back, even as we speak. Ye must come now. Follow!”
“But–”
“Tess!” Cassie’s voice rang out. “Tess! Are you alright?” Cassie ran out of an adjoining alleyway and embraced Tess in a fierce hug.
“I’m fine. Cassie! What happened to you?” Tess looked at the tear stained face of her sister-servant.
“I never should have brought you along! This is all my fault!” Cassie wailed.
The Crone reached for Cassie and wiped the tears away with another bit of rag. “Fault? Child, it was as it was expected to be. Now come. Both of ye. Hurry!”
Tess nervously cradled the hot cup of fragrant tea between her hands, finding the warmth of it in her palms soothing. Her eyes swept over the dark room’s contents and came back to rest on the tiny woman perched
“What?” Tess asked. The fingertips still lightly touched her neck. Tess’s gaze followed the arm back to the source of the voice. Hairs on her arms stood erect, their gooseflesh announcing her shock. Intense eyes as green as her own shone back at her from within the depth of a heavy brown hood pulled far forward.
“The Gods be heard, it’s true then. A Quintspinner lives,” the Crone quietly announced to no one but herself.
The Crone’s fingertips remained in light contact, feathering over the skin of Tess’s birthmark. Her touch seemed to produce a soft buzz on Tess’s neck. Pulsating warmth, not unpleasant, spread down her neck but still Tess shrank from the woman’s touch.
“Aye,” the seer clucked to herself, “Her Soul knows the Touch, it does.” Again the green eyes shone from the dark recess of the hood as though powered from a source within. She peered closer at the birthmark.
“Aye, a Spinner ye be, yet truly… a Quintspinner,” she exhaled in an awed whisper.
“A what?” Tess once again felt the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stand up.
“Lass, ye bear the mark of the Source. A silhouette of the acorn, seed of the most powerful tree and lasting life form of this land in which ye were born. And it trails five seedlings below it.” She held Tess in her stare. “Five spinners will seek ye in your lifetime. May ye live to harness their power.” She grasped Tess’s hand in her own.
“You’re crazy, old woman! Let me go!” Tess pulled her hand back but the woman held fast. Her grip was surprisingly strong and Tess’s hand remained locked between the deformed digits.
A glint of gold shone from one of the twisted fingers.
That ring! That’s the one that Cassie saw!
Tess stared at the ring, mesmerized. It was a wide golden band, with a centre band of silver. The silver band, in turn, was braided with strips of gold and inlaid with blue gems, each set into delicate swirls of miniature silver and gold waves. It glowed more brightly than the old woman’s eyes.
The blue gems seem lit from within! That ring must be worth a fortune! How would she have come into possession of such a thing? Not even among any of her father’s wealthy friends and acquaintances had Tess seen anyone who wore such a fine piece. Tess’s thoughts reeled in her head.
“Where did you get this ring? Are you a common thief? Let go, or I’ll yell for help!” Tess struggled to free her hand from the Crone’s grip.
“I am no thief, but a Spinner, like yourself!” the Crone retorted, letting go of Tess’s hand. “Ye’ve much to learn and–”
The old woman gasped and stopped in mid sentence to glance up above Tess’s head. Tess turned and looked, seeing nothing. The Crone continued to stare into the air, cocking her head at an odd angle as though listening for something.
“Not much time,” she shook her head, and continued, “and ye must be taught! Quickly! Follow me! We cannot stay here.”
Something in the urgent tone of the old woman’s command made Tess fearful but obedient.
“But what about Cassie?”
“She comes back, even as we speak. Ye must come now. Follow!”
“But–”
“Tess!” Cassie’s voice rang out. “Tess! Are you alright?” Cassie ran out of an adjoining alleyway and embraced Tess in a fierce hug.
“I’m fine. Cassie! What happened to you?” Tess looked at the tear stained face of her sister-servant.
“I never should have brought you along! This is all my fault!” Cassie wailed.
The Crone reached for Cassie and wiped the tears away with another bit of rag. “Fault? Child, it was as it was expected to be. Now come. Both of ye. Hurry!”
Tess nervously cradled the hot cup of fragrant tea between her hands, finding the warmth of it in her palms soothing. Her eyes swept over the dark room’s contents and came back to rest on the tiny woman perched
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