by Lari Don
There were gasps all round the cave. But Rona still hadn’t finished.
“A new Sea Herald will have to be chosen next spring. I hope the losing contestants from this autumn equinox, who proved themselves worthy heralds today, will get another chance to compete. And I believe our other true Storm Singer, Roxburgh, should be the selkie contestant.”
Everyone but Tangaroa and Serena cheered. They both sighed.
“It’s very honourable of her to resign,” said Tangaroa, “though I don’t know if I can do all that again.”
Serena nodded. “We’ll CERTAINLY need six months to recover first!”
But Roxburgh was puffing out his chest and nodding to his friends.
Rona finally sat down, and Strathy stood up. “If you must resign, then we will hold the contest again at the spring equinox. But there is one other person who has a right to compete, someone who has been both Storm Singer and Sea Herald today.
“Human bard, Helen Strang, do you wish to compete for the honour of being our Sea Herald?”
Helen glanced round. Yann nodded enthusiastically. Lavender shook her head. Serena shrugged. Tangaroa grinned. And Catesby chattered some wise advice. Which Helen didn’t understand.
She smiled at the selkie top table. “Thank you very much, but no. I think I’ll stay on dry land for a while. All this seawater isn’t good for my fiddle.”
Helen sat back comfortably, surrounded by her friends, old and new, and started to wipe the salt off her violin.
“Yann,” she asked quietly, “can you describe what the sea powers’ hair looks like? Or their armour?”
Yann scowled at her.
“Yann? Do I know something you don’t know? Am I one step ahead of you?”
“Not really, human girl. I’m a whole six months ahead of you. Because I know …”
“What? What do you know?”
He lowered his voice. “I know who will win the next Sea Herald contest.”
“Who?” Helen demanded.
Yann grinned. “That’s a riddle you’ll have to work out for yourself …”
Also by Lari Don
(available in paperback and ebook)
First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts
Helen doesn’t want to become a vet like her mother so when an injured horse turns up on her doorstep she isn’t pleased. Only this horse isn’t entirely normal … and nor are his friends.
Suddenly, Helen is thrust into an extraordinary world of magic, fantastical creatures and a dangerous beast known as the Master. Can Helen work out the riddles and help her friends find the Book of Wisdom before the Winter Solstice?
Wolf Notes and Other Musical Mishaps
In the second magical book of the First Aid for Fairies series, Helen and her friends, the fabled beasts, prepare to go to war against the evil Faery Queen. Helen battles with brownies and wrangles with wolves. But will it be enough to help her friends and save herself?
Rocking Horse War
Pearl’s brother and sisters have disappeared leaving three missing rocking horses and some strange hoofprints on the lawn. She sets out to find them, but Thomas, a mysterious boy with extraordinary talents, has different plans. As powerful land magicians turn the mountains against her, can Pearl save the triplets from their unknown fate?
Copyright
Kelpies is an imprint of Floris Books
First published in 2011 by Floris Books
© 2011 Lari Don
Lari Don has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988 to be identified as the Author of this Work.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without the prior permission of Floris Books, 15 Harrison Gardens, Edinburgh.
www.florisbooks.co.uk
British Library CIP Data available
ISBN 978–086315–894–0
