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going to share, Ket, aren’t you?’ pleaded Riona.
    â€˜Will you?’ asked Nath-í.
    â€˜Of course he won’t,’ scoffed Bran.
    â€˜Hey, everyone, stop pestering him,’ scolded Nessa. ‘We’re all competing, remember. He doesn’t have to tell.’
    â€˜I . . .’ Ket had planned to tell Nessa anyway. And maybe Nath-í and Riona. But as for Lorccán and Bran . . . Ket pressed his lips together. If those two found clues, they would never dream of sharing. But Bran had a point. Faelán had just told them that being a druid was all about helping others.
    â€˜He’s going to tell! He’s going to tell!’ squealed Riona as Ket knelt on the ground and began to brush some leaves aside. ‘Careful, don’t hurt the woodlice!’ she warned.
    â€˜I need a clear space,’ said Ket.
    Everyone hovered over him as he scraped the shape of a feda in the dirt.
    â€˜That’s an n sound, for Nuada.’
    â€˜Is it in the message?’ blurted Lorccán. ‘I’m going to see.’
    â€˜Bet you’re tricking us,’ said Bran.
    The two of them leapt to their feet and raced towards the ogham stick.
    â€˜But . . .’ Bemused, Ket leaned back on his heels. ‘They should have waited,’ he said. ‘I know another one too.’
    Riona squirmed excitedly.
    â€˜Show us. Quick!’ she said. ‘Before they come back.’
    She gathered up the leaves again, and as soon as Ket had drawn huathe , she covered it up, glancing over her shoulder. ‘Don’t let them see, don’t let them see!’
    â€˜Hey, I didn’t see it properly,’ Nath-í complained.
    â€˜Come on.’ Riona grabbed Nessa’s hand and tugged her to her feet. ‘Let’s move away from here. Before they guess what we’re doing.’
    The girls hurried away, giggling, while Nath-í poked at the pile of leaves.
    â€˜Watch out!’ Ket had spied a frightened woodlouse scurrying for cover. He tried to coax it onto his finger as Faelán had done, but the instant the creature felt the touch of a hand it curled into a ball.
    â€˜It didn’t do that when Master Faelán picked it up,’ said Ket ruefully.
    â€˜It wasn’t afraid of Master Faelán,’ said Nath-í. Ket lifted the tiny grey ball onto his hand and they both peered at it closely. All they could see was the hard shell. The delicate feet and soft underside were tucked safely inside. ‘I wish I had a shell like that,’ said Nath-í. ‘Imagine! Even if it fell from the top of a tree it wouldn’t hurt itself.’
    â€˜Faelán told us to study them and learn from them,’ said Ket. ‘Maybe . . . maybe if we curl up when we fall . . .’
    â€˜Like this!’ cried Nath-í excitedly. He jumped up, hunched his shoulders, folded his long arms against his chest and bent his knees. Ket thought he looked more like a grasshopper than a woodlouse. ‘Okay, push me,’ ordered Nath-í.
    But when Ket gave him a shove, Nath-í crashed to the ground with a yowl and sat up rubbing his elbow.
    â€˜It didn’t work,’ he grumbled.
    â€˜You didn’t keep your arms tucked in!’ said Ket.
    â€˜ You try keeping your arms in when you’re falling,’ retorted Nath-í. ‘It’s not possible. We can’t learn anything from stupid beetles.’
    He stood up and hobbled off.
    â€˜Faelán says we can,’ muttered Ket.
    He tipped the woodlouse back among the leaves, wrapped his arms around his knees and waited to see what would happen. He could hear the others tramping through the trees. From deep in the forest came the bellow of a stag. Then, just in front of him, a blackbird landed on the ground, and cocked its head.
    Ket froze. The bird hopped closer, took a stab at the leaves, tilted its head again, and then, deciding Ket was no threat, began to search busily.
    Ket watched