Ned

Ned is one of the two sons of the woodcutter and Sister Witch. He is Tam's twin brother. When Ned and Tam build a raft that they hope will carry them to the sea, the raft sinks and the boys are carried away with the current. The woodcutter is only able to save Ned, and Tam drowns. Ned is also near death, and Sister Witch stitches Tam's soul to Ned's body so that the two souls combine to save Ned's life. The side effect is that Ned is unable to read or write, and he stutters so much that he seldom speaks at all. It is not until years later that the Stones tell him this happened because the soul is so closely connected to words. The presence of an extra soul hampers Ned's existence.

The people of the village believe the woodcutter saved the wrong son, and...