About
Rowan and the other villagers are suspicious as the Travelers appear so soon since their last visit. A strange sleep comes over the entire village except for Rowan and Allun, the Travelers disappear, and the two friends know evil is in the air. Rowan saves the village as he figures out Sheba's riddle and stops the evil that is lurking.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
How did Rin know the Travelers were coming?
Page 1 — forerunners and their kites, pipes playing
1
Why were the villagers surprised the Travelers were coming?
Page 3 — they don't usually come two years in a row
3
How did the villagers feel about them coming?
Page 8 — happy and mad
8
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Why were Hanna and Bree upset the Travelers were coming?
Page 9 — they steal out of their garden
9
What do some of the villagers call the Travelers?
Page 10 — Slips
10
What types of things was Sheba seeing in her vision/ dreams?
Page 14 — darkness, enemy, Travelers, bukshah gone, Rin quiet, Rowan, owl with emerald eyes
14
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Why couldn't ordinary people hear the Traveler's pipes?
Page 16 — pitch was too high
16
What colors were the forerunner's kites?
Page 18 — red, yellow, white
18
Why did Rowan go with the Rin Welcomers to meet the Travelers?
Page 18 — deliver the message of why the Travelers were there
18
Who stopped Rowan when he was going back to town?
Page 24 — Sheba
24
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
Why does Sheba collect the slip-daisy root?
Page 25 — to help Rowan with his allergies
25
Why does it take courage for Rowan to talk to Sheba?
Page 27 — she's scary, he's shy
27
How did Sheba's words effect Rowan?
Page 30 — scared
30
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Who's the oldest person in Rin?
Page 32 — Lann
32
Why did Rowan decide not to tell the villagers about Sheba's message?
Page 32 — it would scare them
32
What were the villagers hiding from the Travelers?
Page 34 — berry bushes Allun brought back from the mountain
34
What are the villagers going to bar the Travelers from?
Page 34 — coming into the village
34
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
Tell me about Ogden.
Page 38 — He's a Traveler, storyteller
38
What story was Odgen telling them?
Page 38 — Giants of Inspray, Valley of Gold
38
What bird was in Sheba's vision and in Ogden's story?
Page 44 — owl with emerald eyes
44
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
How did Ogden respond when Allun wanted to tell the Travelers a tale?
Page 45 — he mocked him
45
What was Allun's tale about?
Page 49 — the seven villagers who went up the mountain to make the sweet water flow again
49
How did the Travelers react to Lann telling them they can't come into the village?
Page 54 — no happy
54
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
How did Rowan feel when Ogden was speaking to him?
Page 56 — nervous, felt he knew his soul
56
Why didn't Rowan tell his mother and John about Sheba's warning?
Page 58 — Annad was there and he didn't want to scare her.
58
Do you think Allun will tell the Travelers about the berries?
Where is John going for the evening?
Page 60 — to help Hanna and Bree watch the gardens
60
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
What happened to Bree and Hanna?
Page 66 — they were under a spell/ asleep
66
Why didn't John and Jiller tell the villagers what happened to Bree and Hanna?
Page 67 — they wanted to find out what happened to the gardeners from their own mouths and not have the villagers assume it was the Travelers who did this.
67
Who kept watch while John and Jiller helped the gardeners to their home?
Page 68 — Rowan and Annad
68
What did Rowan finally tell John and Jiller?
Page 69 — about Sheba's warning
69
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
How did Sheba react when she Rowan?
Page 75 — fearful
75
Did Sheba understand the rhyme or darkness?
Page 76 — no
76
What was the work she felt like she should do?
Page 76 — make the brew
76
What do the villagers think could be happening with the Zebak and theTravelers?
Page 81 — the Zebak will use the Travelers to help conquer Rin, and Zebak will help Travelers get to the Valley of Gold
81
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
How did Allun feel when the villagers talked about the Travelers betraying them?
Page 83 — angry
83
What happened to Marlie as she stood watch outside the cabin?
Page 89 — she was a statue
89
What did Rowan and Allun find when they went to the hills to find the Travelers?
Page 92 — they had gone
92
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
Who did the villagers think was causing the deep sleep?
Page 93 — Travelers
93
What did Rowan and Allun see in the town's center?
Page 95 — people walking around slowly in their pajamas, talking quietly
95
How was Allun starting to feel?
Page 99 — tired, heavy
99
Who were the only ones left awake in the town?
Page 101 — Rowan and Allun
101
Chapter 13
Comprehension questions
Why hadn't the sleep affected Star and the other bukshah?
Page 103 — they left their fields and went upstream
103
Who did Rowan and Allun think was going to attack the village?
Page 104 — the Zebak
104
Had Rowan ever felt the tiredness?
Page 105 — no
105
How were Rowan and Allun going to get to Ogden?
Page 109 — fly with the forerunners
109
Chapter 14
Comprehension questions
Where were the Travelers?
Page 110 — the Pit of Unrin
110
What does it mean when someone of Rin gives the Travelers a slip-daisy?
Page 114 — they want to talk and the Travelers accept
114
Why did Rowan think Zeel was the enemy?
Page 117 — she was from Zebak
117
Chapter 15
Comprehension questions
Why couldn't Zeel be the traitor?
Page 119 — she was raised a Traveler
119
Why did the Travelers come to Rin and leave so quickly?
Page 120 — they felt danger, but Rin was cold and unwelcome
120
Are Travelers allowed into the Pit of Unrin?
Page 123 — no
123
Who was going to go into the Pit of Unrin for the Travelers?
Page 123 — Zeel and Rowan
123
Chapter 16
Comprehension questions
Why did Ogden choose Roway to go with Reel?
Page 129 — he conquered the mountain, and he felt right about it
129
Was Zeel afraid like Rowan?
Page 130 — yes
130
What were the monsters and attacked Rowan?
Page 135 — the trees
135
How did Rowan escape the tree?
Page 135 — he bit the root
135
Chapter 17
Comprehension questions
How did Rowan save Zeel from a tree?
Page 139 — hit it with a rock
139
What was the bird feasting on?
Page 141 — berries from the Mountain berry bush
141
What did Rowan realize as he rubbed the rocks and pebbles and saw the gold dusted wall?
Page 145 — Valley of Gold is the Pit of Unrin, they're in the Valley of Gold
145
What did Rowan find as he cleaned the rock?
Page 145 — it was an owl with emerald eyes
145
Chapter 18
Comprehension questions
What happened to the bird that ate the fruit?
Page 147 — it was asleep
147
What did Rowan realize?
Page 148 — the mountain berries bushes were putting everyone to sleep
148
What was the hidden enemy?
Page 151 — the mountain berry bush turning into the monster tree
151
Chapter 19
Comprehension questions
What happened when Zeel tried to burn the bushes?
Page 157 — they turned into the monsters
157
Why are the trees bigger here than in the Pit of Unrin?
Page 158 — better soil
158
What do you think is Rowan's armor?
Page 160 — tonic he'd been taking from Sheba
160
What do you think is the armor that will stop the plants?
Page 163 — the slip-daisies
163
Chapter 20
Comprehension questions
Where did Rowan go to find the armor to stop the trees?
Page 162 — Sheba's hut
162
What was the armor?
brew Sheba had made p.l 62
What did the roots do when Rowan dripped the brew on them?
Page 163 — died
163
Why didn't the bushes affect Rowan and put him to sleep?
Page 165 — he's been drinking the potion
165
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