The Pool of Two Moons by Kate Forsyth

then realizing the old man could not see her, said in a muffled tone, "Mmm-mmm."
    "She knew ye?"
    "Mmm-mmm."
    "Ye saw her often?"
    "No' often. Maybe every couple o' months. Any time she was in Lucescere she would call for Kersey and he would take me up to the palace and she would examine me."
    "Examine ye how?"
    "She'd ask me questions and test me—ask me to find things for her."
    "Find things for her?"
    Jay interrupted with a laugh. "Our Finn the Grand-Sniffer! She can find anything that's been lost, Master. Auld Kersey made a fortune out o' her! People would come to him and ask him to find all sorts o'
    things—lost dogs or jewelry, lovers that had run away! He'd pretend to go off in a trance, then charge them some ridiculous amount to find it, while all the time it was Finn who'd be doing the sniffing. He'd be spending it all on whisky though, and he were no' a nice man on the drink." Jorge ran his fingers over the medallion again and wondered at the raised shape. A dog, or a wolf? He wondered if it would be safe to try and reach Meghan, then decided it was too dangerous when there may be seekers in the vicinity. When we get home, I'll try, he thought. Meghan will want to know about a protegee of Glynelda's . . . particularly one with the Talent o' Searching.
    "He was a horrible man," Jay said. "He used to beat Finn if she dinna do what he told her. We were all glad when he died."
    Finn had not waited around for the Grand-Seeker Glynelda to bond her to someone else. She had simply gathered her things together and slipped out to join her friends on the street. No one had seemed to miss her. Her only fear was being tracked down by the Grand-Seeker. "But why would she want to?" Jorge asked, which sent Dillon and Jay off into howls of laughter.
    "That's what we always say!" Dillon chortled.
    Finn said crossly, "Flaming dragon balls! Say what ye like, I ken! The Grand-Seeker had plans for me, she said so! She frightened me but I never dared no' do what she told me. I know she was training me up to do terrible things, why else did she have me taught all those things?"
    "What things?" the blind old man asked gently.
    "Like how to pick locks, or follow someone without them knowing. She even had me taught how to read! Why would she have me read if it was no' to do something bad for her?" Jorge had almost laughed, though it would have been a bitter laugh. Instead, he managed to say something soothing, as Finn continued rebelliously, "I could no' see why I could no' just hang around with Dillon and Jay— no one cared what they did, why should anyone care what I did?" Worried about their vulnerability, the old seer had begun to teach the children how to shield their thoughts, and by the time of the spring equinox, had had some success. They were all wildly enthusiastic about the idea of celebrating the turn of the tides. Having found a well-hidden glade in one of the heavily forested gorges, Jorge allowed them to have an afternoon's rest, which was spent cooking a feast of sorts and making thick garlands of leaves. He was surprised at their excitement and wondered how many chances they would have had to have fun in Lucescere.
    The spring equinox was usually preceded by an Ordeal that lasted from sunset to midnight, but Jorge thought it was too much to expect of his young companions, so he tried to make the children sleep, promising he would wake them at the turn of the tide. They could not sleep, though, lying by the fire and whispering and giggling instead, while Jorge sat as comfortably as his old body would allow, thinking of Ea and emptying himself to the cloud-strung night. He knew the moment the tide turned, he could feel it within him, and so he roused the sleepy children.
    They sat around the fire, wreaths on their heads, a fiery brand in their hands, as he drew the magic circle around them with his witch's dagger. He thrust his staff into the soil at the closing of the circle and began to chant the rites. Obediently they