Despite the expected numbers of outsiders and strangers, I had no doubt that Garth would find time to interrogate Jak about Ines and Oldhaven, and that in his turn, Jak would try to convince his master to visit Oldhaven. Garth, anticipating the request, had told me that he intended sending Reul with Jak to learn what he could. His own dearest desire was to see the collection of Beforetime books being amassed by the Norselanders on Herder Isle. The main Faction library had been destroyed when the Norselanders rose to overthrow the priests on Herder Isle, but there were hundreds of books stored in barrels in vaults under the city, some of which had been brought there by the original Faction priests shipwrecked on Herder Isle. Garth was convinced these tomes would divulge where the Herders had come from initially, and why they had left their own land. His interest in the origins of the Herders was almost as strong as his interest in the relationship between the Beforetimers Hannah Seraphim and Jacob Obernewtyn.

I rewrapped the sword, returning it and the memory seed to their shelf, then I bent to stoke the fire. There was only a little wood and, on impulse, I dressed, intending to go outside and get some more. Just as I was adding the last of the wood to the small blaze I had coaxed from the embers, there was a knock at the door. Aras entered with a tray of food and a basket of wood over her arm. I frowned at the ward, wishing she would leave such chores to farseeker novices. There was no use in protesting, however, because she regarded it as an honour to serve me. That she was not alone in this belief made it impossible to announce that I would prefer to fetch my own meals from the kitchen, or my own wood from the woodshed. In truth, the reverence of those at Obernewtyn sometimes served to isolate me as much as my secret quest.

I sat down on the bench seat before the fire and watched food being transferred from the tray to a small table beside me. I had not felt particularly hungry but my stomach rumbled at the sight of boiled eggs and fresh bread, a crock of butter and a little pot of blackberry jam. Aras gave me a shy smile and went to collect the tray from the previous night. She began to speak of the Misfit children who had arrived a sevenday past from Oldhaven to prepare for the Choosing Ceremony that would also take place at the moon fair. Several had demonstrated strong dual Talents and she was wondering if those who had Farseeking abilities would choose our guild.