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left.
    â€œCan’t you just ask your tree what she means?”
    â€œI tried.” Frustration pinched the skin near his eyes. “I couldn’t find the right questions, I guess. She kept answering, but not with anything that made sense.”
    A twinge of sympathy seized Ariel’s belly. She imagined how overwhelmed she would feel if someone terribly sick arrived needing help when her mother was out.
    â€œMaybe you should tell your father,” she said.
    Zeke’s face cramped in reluctance. “Not this close to Namingfest. Not until after I pass.”
    In a moment, he mused, “It might not be me. My dad told me that when the trees sound mixed up, several very different things could happen.”
    â€œI thought trees knew the future beforehand,” she said.
    Zeke wobbled his head, not quite disagreeing. “They can feel the earth’s forces, and the Essence Storian talked about, too. So they pretty much know what will happen. Usually. But my dad says that if some action will change things a lot, the trees can be confusing. They’re actually telling us all of the futures that could sprout from that seed, but we’re not smart enough to understand all at once.”
    â€œYou think the telling dart is the seed,” Ariel guessed.
    Zeke stared into his milk. “Don’t get scared,” he said softly, “but if I understand the maple at all, I think the seed might be you.”
    She giggled, certain he must be teasing. He did not join her laughter.
    â€œI know one thing for sure, though,” he added. “You’re going to get that dart back.”
    Afraid to get her hopes up and desperate to lift his creepy mood, Ariel showed him her copy, swearing him to secrecy with her. His face brightened for the first time since the crow man had entered their classroom. He even seemed to believe her when she whispered about the symbols that had vanished and changed. But when she promised to make a second copy for him, he shook his head hard.
    â€œNo. Don’t make another.”
    She asked why. He repeated the rough shake of his head. “I don’t know. Just don’t.”
    Ariel studied him. He’d always been dreamy and unpredictable; that’s why she liked him. This gloomy outlook was odd, though.
    â€œDoes your arm hurt?” she asked.
    He looked at his splint as if he’d forgotten about it. “It does, actually.”
    â€œI’ll walk you home, if you want.”
    â€œThat’s okay.” He managed a smile. “You’re a poke. I can run faster through the rain by myself.”
    In a burst of generosity, Ariel extended her bone dart to Zeke. “I’ve got Storian’s bead. Do you want this?”
    He regarded the white stem. “Not to have,” he said slowly, “but I’ll keep it for you for a while.” He slid the bone along his palm and forearm into his splint, where it vanished completely.
    â€œYou are acting so weird,” she said. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
    He nodded and finished his milk before heading back into the rattling storm.
    Ariel had barely closed the door and moved near the fire when her mother raised her head from her sewing. She was finishing a new yellow skirt for Ariel to wear to Namingfest.
    â€œDo you hear that?” Luna asked. “Is that the bell or just a ghost in the wind?”
    Ariel’s ears picked a clanging out of the roar. “It’s the fire bell!”
    Luna pushed aside her sewing and reached for her cloak. “Run across and make sure the neighbors have heard,” she ordered. “Then come straight back here. Tend the fire. I’ll be back right away if I’m not needed.”
    Wondering if Zeke might have rung the alarm, Ariel longed to dash to the square and find out. But the job her mother had given her might be important. She beat Luna through the door. Though the downpour had stopped, the wind battered