The Farseekers (Book 2)

The Farseekers is the second book in the Obernewtyn Chronicles, set two years after the first.

Synopsis
Two years since their takeover of Obernewtyn, the secret community of Misfits has flourished, protected by their remoteness. Led by Elspeth Gordie, whose extraordinary powers set her apart even among her Misfit friends, an expedition sets out to rescue a powerful Misfit in a distant part of the Land. Only she knows the enormity of their task. But for her it is yet another challenge, as she must continue her quest to find and dismantle the dormant weaponmachines left by the Beforetimers.

Plot
After rescuing Jik from the Herders, a team of misfits head out to find a powerful misfit that the Zebkrahn has found near Murmroth and Aborium. The expedition also aims to set up a safe house in Sutrium. Elspeth, Pavo, Kella, Louis Larkin, Domick, and Jik and leave to do this, disguised as gypsies.

Kella soon discovers that Pavo has rotting sickness and little time left to live.

During the night the Druids wake and capture the group. Upon arriving at the encampment, Elspeth finds she cannot use her abilities because of a modified machine.

Elspeth is questioned by Gilbert and Henry Druid about Obernewtyn, before being bathed and dressed up for a dinner that night. Rilla mentions to Kella that they intend to bond the two girls that night to one of the many unbonded men at the camp.

The next day, Elspeth sneaks around the camp to try and locate the machine blocking their abilities. She follows the block into the camp's nursery. Here she discovers Gilaine is a misfit and talks to her through farseeking. Gilaine then tells her that the mental block is not a machine but Lidgebaby, who is a powerful misfit baby.

During the night, Saul comes to Elspeth's door to meet with Gilaine and other misfits in the Druid camp. The Druid misfits agree to help the Obernewtyn expedition, who they still believe to be gypsies, escape the camp. They prevent Lidgebaby from blocking their farseeking so the Elspeth can communicate the escape plan to the other misfits in the camp, and organise a diversion for the group to get away and raft through the mountains.

Erin comes to tell Elspeth that she is to be bonded to Relward that night. But Elspeth, Kella and Jik ambush her and leave her tied up in a chest in a spare room. The Druid misfits then help them escape the camp by creating a commotion with freed horses. While leaving the camp, an arms-man catches them, and Elspeth uses her killing power to get free. They meet Domick, Arva, Pavo and Darga and tie themselves to the raft in the now overflowing Suggredoon. Gahltha is too frightened, and so Elspeth tells him to go back to Obernewtyn as the drift down the rapids into the mountain caves.

The rapids eventually lead them to a BeforeTime city. The continue through the rapids for another hour before the raft falls in a waterfall.

Elspeth awakes wounded in the house of Katlyn and Grufyyd near Rangorn. The couple soon disclose that they are the parents of the rebel seditioner Brydda Llewellyn, and run a safe house for enemies of the council that he sends them. The misfits agree to travel to Aborium to check up on Brydda, whilst Domick travels to Sutrium to set up the safehouse.

In Aborium, Elspeth is taken captive after asking after Brydda at the Inn of the Cuttlefish, but is rescued by a rebel friend of Brydda and taken to see him. However, the rest of the group is taken captive by Herders who soon realise that Jik is an escaped novice herder. They plan to send him to Herder Isle that night. Elspeth is able to free Kella and Pavo, but isn't able to rescue Jik until later that night with the help of Brydda at the wharf.

Publication
The farseekers was published in 1990 by Pengiun Books

Awards
in 1991 The Farseekers was chosen in the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards as an Honour book for "Book of the Year for Older Readers."