The Wee Free Men

Tiffany felt the words 'Yes, of course' trot automatically onto her tongue. She also knew that it would be very stupid to let them go any further. The little old woman's dark eyes were seeing right into her head.

'Aye, you're a born hag, right enough,' said the kelda, holding her gaze. 'Ye've got that little bitty bit inside o' you that holds on, right? The bitty bit that watches the rest o' ye. 'Tis the First Sight and Second Thoughts ye have, and 'tis a wee gift an' a big curse to ye. You see and hear what others canna', the world opens up its secrets to ye, but ye 're always like the person at the party with the wee drink in the corner who cannae join in. There's a little bitty bit inside ye that willnae melt and flow. Ye're Sarah Aching's line, right enough. The lads fetched the right one.'

Tiffany didn't know what to say to that, so she didn't say anything. The kelda watched her, eyes twinkling, until Tiffany felt awkward.

'Why would the Queen take my brother?' she asked eventually. 'And why is she after me?'

'Ye think she is?'

'Well, yes, actually! I mean, Jenny might have been a coincidence, but the horseman? And the grimhounds? And taking Wentworth?'

'She's bending her mind to ye,' said the kelda. 'When she does, something of her world passes into this one. Mebbe she just wants to test you.'

'Test me?'

'To see how good you are. Ye're the hag noo, the witch that guards the edges and the gateways. So wuz yer granny, although she wouldnae ever call hersel' one. And so wuz I until noo, and I'll pass the duty to ye. She'll ha' to get past ye, if she wants this land. Ye have the First Sight and the Second Thoughts, just like yer granny. That's rare in a bigjob.'

'Don't you mean second sight?' Tiffany queried. 'Like people who can see ghosts and stuff?'

'Ach, no. That's typical bigjob thinking. First Sight is when you can see what's really there, not what your heid tells you ought to be there. Ye saw Jenny, ye saw the horseman, ye saw them as real thingies. Second sight is dull sight, it's seeing only what you expect to see. Most bigjobs ha' that. Listen to me, because I'm fadin' noo and there's a lot ye dinnae ken. Ye think this is the only world? That is a good thought for sheep and mortals who dinnae open their eyes. Because in truth there are more worlds than stars in the sky. Understand? They are everywhere, big and small, close as your skin. They are everywhere. Some ye can see an' some ye cannae but there are doors, Tiffan. They might be a hill or a tree or a stone or a turn in the road or they might e'en be a thought in yer heid, but they are there, all aroound ye. You'll have to learn to see 'em, because you walk amongst them and dinnae know it. And some of them... is poisonous.'

The kelda stared at Tiffany for a moment and then continued: 'Ye asked why the Quin should take your boy? The Quin likes children. She has none o' her own. She dotes on them. She'll give the wee boy everything he wants, too.Only what he wants.'

'He only wants sweets!' said Tiffany.

'Is that so? An' did ye gi' them to him?' said the kelda, as if she was looking into Tiffany's mind. 'But what he needs is love an' care an' teachin' an' people sayin' "no" to him sometimes an' things o' that nature. He needs to be growed up strong. He willnae get that fra' the Quin. He'll get sweeties. For ever.'

Tiffany wished the kelda would stop looking at her like that.

'But I see he has a sister willin' to take any pains to bring him back,' said the little old woman, taking her eyes away from Tiffany. 'What a lucky wee boy he is, to be so fortunate. Ye ken how to be strong, do ye?'

'Yes, I think so.'

'Good. D'ye ken how to be weak? Can ye bow to the gale, can ye bend to the storm?' The kelda smiled again. 'Nay, ye neednae answer that. The wee burdie always has tae leap from the nest to see if it can fly. Anyway, ye have the feel o' Sarah Aching about ye, and no word e'en o' mine could turn her once she had set her mind to something. Ye're no' a woman yet, and that's no bad thing, because where ye'll be goin' is easy for children, hard for adults.'

'The world of the Queen?' ventured Tiffany, trying to keep up.

'Aye. I can feel it noo, lyin' over this one like a fog, as far awa' as the other side o' a mirror. I'm weakenin', Tiffan. I cannae defend this place. So here is my bargain, child. I'll point ye towards the Quin an', in return, ye'll tak' over as kelda.'

That surprised Fion as much as Tiffany. Her head shot up sharply and her mouth opened, but the kelda had raised a wrinkled hand.

'When ye are a kelda somewhere, my girl, ye'll expect people to do your biddin'. So dinnae give me the argument. That's my offer, Tiffan. Ye won't get a better.'

'But she cannae —' Fion began.

'Can she not?' said the kelda.

'She's nae a pictsie, Mother!'