Changelings by Anne McCaffrey

not go forward. Murel put a foot out and brought it back right away.
    Mum and Da sat down beside Clodagh without noticing the twins weren’t with them until Da looked up and called softly to them, “Aren’t you coming, kids?”
    “Can’t,” Murel said. “Something’s wrong.”
    Ronan had big tears in his eyes already. “It’s like there’s a big invisible door, Da.”
    Clodagh was the one who answered. “There is a purpose in this that you will learn soon. Go to the outer cave but don’t go into the water. We will speak again when the planet has spoken.”
    Bewildered, the twins retraced their steps.
    It’s not fair. We did good. Is it Petaybee that’s mad at us and doesn’t want to talk to us?
    No, can’t be. I mean, it can’t be mad at us. We’re not offworlders. We’re part of the planet just like the rocks are. It can’t get mad at itself, can it? Can it?
    They fell silent and sat in the outer cave looking longingly at the waterfall. They had never before realized how long the communions took, but it seemed like hours passed. Any moment they expected to hear the footsteps and the very low conversation that sometimes followed communions, but there was nothing.
    They’re sure taking their time,
Ronan said
. I wish Clodagh hadn’t said we’re not to swim. I would like to go down to the water and talk to Otter a little more. I think we forgot to thank him for his song.
    We don’t have to swim to do that. Remember, otters are not afraid of seals who turn into humans. Clodagh didn’t say we couldn’t go to the water’s edge. Just that we shouldn’t swim.
    They started calling as they took the path out of the cave and down the hill, enveloped in the sulfury and spicy mist from the springs.
    But although their new friend had seemed very near when he sang them his song, when he finally answered, it was from far away, with a muffled,
Sleeping. Otters need to sleep.
    Ronan sat down and felt through the snow for rocks to skip across the water, but found nothing. The longer they waited, the more worried and miserable Murel became. Something was really wrong. She knew it but she couldn’t think what it was.
    Hush, younglings,
Nanook’s voice, purring and kind, said, as she insinuated her soft furry self between them and lay down with her head cradled on her paws.
No harm will come to you while we’re here. We may not be the best swimmers but we are your guardians.
    Sleep. One prefers you when you sleep,
Coaxtl said, plopping down behind them to make a plush backrest.
    These sometimes grumpy friends had been with the twins since they were babies. Their familiar presence was so comforting that the children fell asleep almost at once, Ronan leaning back against Coaxtl while Murel snuggled with Nanook, her arms around the cat’s body and her hands buried in the dense fur.
    They awoke to the murmur of voices and looked up from sleepy eyes to see the villagers appear from the mist. The murmurs were not the kind that normally followed a Night Chant. Clodagh’s face, and their parents’ faces were very grave indeed. Only Marmion seemed to be smiling.
    “Slainté,” Ronan said in greeting, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
    Murel stood up and tucked her hands into Clodagh’s and Marmie’s. Her parents still looked grim.
    “So, Clodagh, why couldn’t we come into the communion cave this time? Is Petaybee mad at us?”
    “I don’t know, pet,” Clodagh told her. “I don’t think so. Perhaps it just wanted to talk to grown-ups tonight.”
    “Oh.” Murel thought that over. “But it’s always let us come before. And it
is
our birthday.”
    Over her head, Marmie exchanged glances with Mum and Da. “
I
have something I’d like to talk to you about, Murel, Ronan.”
    Ronan arose, giving Coaxtl a pat as he did, and stretched. “What, Marmie?”
    “We’ve been discussing this for some time, your parents and I, and of course, this is only if you’d like to, but I was hoping now that you’re old enough