The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel

to a tree,” she said. “That’s where I—we—found it.” She hadn’t planned to bring Zeke back into the danger, if there was any. She couldn’t help it. She needed to spread out the fear.
    Scarl merely gazed at her with those wide-set eyes, dark and unblinking. She felt as if they could see past her skin to find the secrets held by her soul.
    â€œAnything else we can help you gentlemen with, then?” Luna asked. Her voice was pleasant, but Ariel knew the visit had ended.
    Elbert tapped the dart on his thumb before he slipped it back into his pocket. “Just one thing,” he said. “For their help with the experiment, we’ve been giving most folks a reward. Finding is what we do best. Can we do a bit of that for you now?”
    â€œGoodness, a reward.” Luna stood, giving Ariel silent permission to jump up as well. “None is needed, I’m sure. Besides, we’ve nothing lost or lacking that I can think of. Have we, Ariel?”
    Ariel’s eyes darted, her mind suddenly blank. Now that it was almost over, the strain wrung her out empty. She could only shrug.
    â€œWell, we’ll be here a few more days, I expect,” Elbert said, as Luna ushered him out. “That may give you time to think of something you need.”
    Before the door closed behind them, Ariel decided what reward she wanted most. If she hadn’t known her mother would scold her for rudeness, she would have begged the Finders to leave right away. The knowledge that the crow man slept just across the lane had given her nightmares last night. Ariel needed to sleep better this evening: her Naming test was only hours away.

CHAPTER
6
    The whole village turned out for Namingfest. The chance to take time off from chores, play games with neighbors, and celebrate the first day of April in sunshine had everyone smiling.
    Everyone, that is, except Ariel, Madeleine, and Zeke. Though the day was held in their honor, first they faced tests. Students hardly ever failed, but it did happen. Nobody wanted to spend a humiliating year as a Fool. Besides merciless taunting whenever adults weren’t around, it meant sitting through another year of classes before the test could be taken again. The second time, most people settled for Fisher or Reaper, regardless of what they had wanted before, simply because those two were hard to mess up.
    A few people remained Fools, of course. Some wanted to be Fools all along. They didn’t often admit it beforehand because parents never approved. Sure, class clowns basked in attention, but once they’d grown up, Fools had to be awfully amusing to earn food from others every day of the year. Singing and juggling weren’t really enough. Most Fools ate bugs for some of their meals.
    The grown Fools of Canberra Docks lived for festival days like today, though. Everyone brought treats to the village square for a shared picnic around the sycamore tree. Ariel clung near her mother and watched her give away fresh bread and butter. Zeke’s mother, a Kincaller, tended two cows, so Zeke’s broken arm meant that Luna would have plenty of milk and cream for a while.
    Ariel couldn’t possibly eat. The tests would begin soon, and her stomach felt like a rock. Plus, she’d spotted Elbert and Scarl laughing with a handful of Fishers. She couldn’t imagine why they didn’t go home.
    Restless, she paced the square. She spied Zeke with his family near the sycamore, a favorite of Zeke’s father’s. Since Canberra Docks had no Judge, Jeshua Tree-Singer and his old sycamore were clearly in charge of the village. Today would determine if someday that role would fall to Zeke.
    When he saw her, she waved. He waved back, looking nervous. She remembered what he’d said about two bad things happening before the Finders left town, with a third coming as they departed. The fire must have been one of the two. She hoped the loss of the dart was the