‘I was just sayin’ that we have spoken with each of the final candidates who have said they will name the Farseekers guild when they undergo the choosing during the moon fair,’ he said. He went on to explain that both he and Zarak had approved all of the candidates, but Aras felt that two of the youngest Westland orphans who possessed two equally strong secondary Talents were simply too young to choose between them. However, after we discussed it, there seemed no other possibility but to allow it, since the two had no family and there were no organisations within our community, save the guilds, to care for them.

This led us to an old discussion about the possibility of offering a novice year in which young candidates could spend a certain amount of time in each guild, regardless of their abilities, and at the conclusion of the year, they would choose a guild. Aras, who had suggested it, said again that it might be best to link the conclusion of the novice period to an age rather than a period of time, since people took more or less time to learn, depending on their abilities and temperament. Zarak disagreed with the whole idea, saying yet again that he would have fretted even more bitterly than he had done in the Beastguild if he had had to spend a year marking time before he could choose his guild.

‘And after all, a candidate who feels they chose wrongly can always request to change guilds as I did,’ he said.

‘Yet if you had had more time, you might have chosen the Farseekers first,’ Aras said composedly.

Zarak looked irritated and then he sighed and admitted that she might be right. He thought for a moment and then asked if we could not better offer a general novice year in which signal speech and exercises were taught, and where the novices could receive some early training in each of their Talents, as well as being tested for others. That would make the year more purposeful and it could even be offered to unTalented Landfolk to study at Obernewtyn for a time.

Aras nodded, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. ‘Those taking part could work on the farms to earn their keep, or in the kitchens, and they would have the chance to live in a community where beasts and humans were equal. If they lived among us, they would know we were not monsters.’

Ceirwan nodded too. ‘It might even be possible for this year to include th’ scribin’ an’ countin’ and readin’ that Dardelan and Gwynedd want all bairns to learn. A bairn could then have th’ option of learnin’ those things here as part of an introductory guild course, or at one of the teaching centres that are to be established throughout the Land.’

‘You really think unTalented folk would choose to come here?’ I asked, startled by their enthusiasm.