Lilly

Lilly, Natural Magic Talent Human

AND 01/29 Odd, but good people. Lilly was one of the village children. She was touched by the Goddess and had the skill to talk to animals and trees, but it had apparently addled her brain. Annie said, “They apprenticed her to me for a time, on account of my talent with the growing things,.Girl was beyond me, though. Where I can tend a garden and make it flourish, Lilly had the gift of beast talking. Even the mountain cats would cuddle her like a doll, and the birds and squirrels followed her like a lady’s handmaidens.”

Julianne went into the village, found Lilly tied to a chair, with a guard who was abusing her, and about to do more. Lilly is convinced that Julianne and her group would help, so she helps all she can. As she knows the town's hiding places, secret paths, and all of the dark and shadowy areas, she is invaluable for that knowledge. As she can speak with and cooperate with animals, she can get them to aid them (birds, spying on the troops - see Tarchus, Snuffy). Extremely active in later half of book, very likeable.