Chapter 8

Jean tells Matty that the puppy is ready to be taken.  Matty goes, and is greeted by the sight of Jean working in the garden, tending to her plants.  She starts talking to Matty, and immediately starts crying, then she tells him why Mentor is acting so strange.  After a little incomprehensible blabbering, she tells Matty her secret.  Mentor was slowly trading away the good part of himself to become more handsome.  He wants to start courting Stocktender's widow.  Stocktender was entangled, a term meaning wrapped and strangled by malicious vines in Forest.  After going back home to the puppy, Seer recommends that Matty go to Leader for the dogs name.  This works out in Matty's favor, because he needs to talk to Leader.  He goes to Leader, and he tells him of Mentor's trades, and warns him of other people trading away the best parts of themselves.  Leader is worried by this, and dismisses Matty after telling him the puppy's name, Frolic.