The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel Read Free Book Online Page B

said Scarl. “We were looking for you.”
    A chill ran down Ariel’s back toward the stones under her boots.
    â€œZeke tried to take all the credit, but we were kids, too, long ago,” Elbert said.
    Eyeing him, Ariel could imagine a towheaded bully. It was harder to see a child hidden in Scarl.
    â€œI know you found it together,” Elbert continued, “but we figured that whoever turned it in was probably the one who had spotted it first.”
    She nodded, her thoughts racing. Zeke never would have taken credit that wasn’t properly his, so he must have been trying to protect her. But from what?
    â€œYou see, Ariel, here’s what happened—” Elbert stopped, glancing around the lane. “Might we step in?” he asked Luna.
    â€œOh, of course.” She reached to open the door. “We just don’t have much room.”
    Indeed, the main room nearly overflowed when they’d all filed in. Elbert encouraged Luna and Ariel to take the stools bythe hearth. The men remained standing, with Zeke and Bellam hovering near the door.
    â€œSee, a Storian quite far away stumbled on a bunch of old telling darts,” Elbert began when they’d settled. “He decided to try an experiment. He sent them all out, directing them to the nearest person in each trade who could still understand them. He didn’t send much of a message, though. He wanted only to see if the Essence that once drove them still worked, if they could still find their targets—and if anyone but Storians could indeed understand. The darts went out a few weeks ago; then he sent us to find the results.”
    Ariel kept her eyes fixed on Elbert, though she wanted badly to check her Storian’s face. What Elbert said matched rather poorly with what she’d heard yesterday. She knew Bellam had not told the whole truth, but she was certain he’d told more than this Finder.
    Elbert pulled the dart from his pocket. She couldn’t help but lean toward it, wishing to hold it again. He smiled.
    â€œUnfortunately, the experiment has been a fat failure. The other darts all found someone—one stuck itself in the mast of an old Fisher’s boat. But so far, no receiver has understood theirs or known what to do with it. Even other Storians like yours don’t remember.”
    Alarms rang in Ariel’s head. Her whirling mind suggested that if there had been a trade simply called Liar, Elbert would be in it. And if there were another called Fib-Spotter, she could apprentice today. But if it was important enough to make him lie in front of other adults, she had to be careful. Too much silence would reveal her disbelief.
    â€œGee, that’s too bad,” she said.
    â€œYes.” Elbert bent his head and scratched his scrubby blondwhiskers. Speaking to the flagstones, he added, “You can’t understand what’s marked on it, can you?”
    She shook her head.
    â€œAre you sure?” He held it out toward her. “Take another look. What does it tell you?”
    Her fingers trembling, Ariel took it. She focused hard on the brass. Even a stray glance toward Storian or Zeke would tell Elbert that they had discussed it. She had to guess correctly what the Finders already knew.
    While she worked up enough spit in her dry mouth to speak, she noticed the telling dart’s point. Its broken tip had been beaten or filed. Someone had tried to repair it.
    â€œWell,” she said, fidgeting to hide her surprise, “I know some of these trade marks. Like this one is Healtouch and that one is Tree-Singer and that one is Fool.”
    He stepped close enough to breathe on her neck. Ariel closed her eyes, quailing. He smelled like fish oil and mud.
    â€œThis is the only dart, so far, that delivered itself to a child.” Scarl spoke in his shadowy voice from behind Elbert. “That seems a bit odd.”
    Thankfully, Elbert stepped back.
    â€œWell, it really delivered itself