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waver.  The Leader, Arrakesh, he urged. Give me the name of the Chief Elder! Everything went blank for a few seconds, as if Arrakesh needed to consider his request. Then Jakan found himself gazing at a procession of villagers walking up the path to Padhag Klen. At the front, a figure walked, his cloak pulled over his head, so that Jakan couldn’t identify him. He scanned the Elders. Grifad, he was glad to see, stamped along beside Capin. Kelsha led Hapir, guiding his elbow. All the other Elders were there, walking behind their leader. So who was the hooded figure?
    Jakan surveyed the rest of the procession. As far as he could see, everyone was there who should be, except – No. That couldn’t be! He studied the hooded figure once more. The procession reached The Tree and the man put up his left hand as a signal for them to stop. The back of the wrist was tattooed with an interwoven chain design. Jakan didn’t need to see more to know that the band was the entwined roots of the tree tattooed on the inside of the wrist. The symbol of the Treespeaker! It couldn’t be. No Treespeaker had ever become Chief Elder. His mind must be playing tricks! He checked again where he should have been standing in the procession, but he wasn't there. Another figure began to appear in his place, but before he could ascertain who it was, the image faded. He concentrated, trying to bring it back, but it was gone. Once again he stood in front of Padhag Klen.
    Jakan paused before The Tree for some minutes, his eyes closed. This doesn’t make sense Arrakesh. I can’t put this before the Council! Arrakesh remained silent. Jakan became aware of the watchful eyes of the Elders and turned to face them. They stood staring at him, as if afraid of what he might say. Kattan’s face was as pale as the moonlight.
    Jakan put up his hands and nodded. “It is good,” he said. As one, the Elders relaxed.
    Little was said as the procession made its way back down the hill. No one expected Jakan to speak. There would be a meeting the next day so that he could discuss what he had seen. He was thankful for the silence. The information about the season had been clear this time. He had no qualms about what he needed to say there. What to tell them of the leadership, however, was a problem.
    How could he possibly expect them to accept his disclosure that Arrakesh had named him as the best possible successor to Kattan? For a Treespeaker to announce himself Chief Elder was unheard of. Anyway, he had never had any aspirations to become Chief Elder, not any kind of Elder. He was Treespeaker, and as no one had shown any signs of succeeding him, he expected to fill that role for a very long time to come. He couldn’t be both. The two were meant to balance each other.
    By the time the group reached the Meeting Hall once again, Jakan had made a decision. He would tell them that Arrakesh had nominated no one as successor as yet. That would give him until autumn to assess what was happening and what his earlier visions might have meant. He knew it wasn’t good to be without a designated leader for so long, but the Elders were capable of leading in cooperation and there was no rule as to how long it should take. He needed to talk to Arrakesh in much more depth on the subject. He must have misread the image. He had no doubt that Arrakesh would soon show him if his decision wasn’t appropriate.
    With muttered farewells the group began to break up and head off to their homes. Kattan still sat in his chair. The bearers had not put him down, but gave him chance to make his farewells before carrying him to his door. He cast Jakan a look that tore at his heart. It spoke of a desperate knowledge.
    “I’ll come home with you tonight if I may, old one,” Jakan said.
    Kattan bowed his head and the bearers set off once more.
    At the door of Kattan’s house, Megda stood waiting, having seen the lights coming down the hill. At the sight of Jakan accompanying her husband, she