Fire Pool — David Owen

The Prophecy Stones series is a story of how the pure love and honest trust that exists between adults and children can overcome the violent greed and betrayal of those ambitious for power.
When the ruling Council of Witches, the Wicca, find that they have been betrayed, it is too late to prevent the tragic turn of events that will see hundreds of thousands of happy families turned into refugees, running for their lives, leaving their valued possessions behind. But, before their final fall from grace, the Wicca discover the surprising power that is held by an unknown child, already orphaned by the powers that would destroy the Council itself and take control of the world. The leader of the Wicca sees the potential in the pure simplicity of the child and asks her to find the power of the Prophecy Stones and use the elements of the world to save the people and the whole world from self-destruction.

Fire Pool is the first book in the series. Nesta, a ten-year-old, with remarkable powers of both magic and reasoning for such a young child, is chosen to fight against the might of Fajra, The Witch of Fire and her supporters, who include the corrupt Lord Mool and his army of ten thousand soldiers. To help Nesta, a young man, Kynn, is taken from the elite ranks of the famous Red Cloaks and given the task of protecting her with his life. Between them they have almost no hope of succeeding in the seemingly impossible task, but, on their journey in search of the Prophecy Stones, they make unbreakable friendships with several unlikely companions. The memorable, giant Huffer, is a fiercely independent wild creature which is prepared to give up its isolation to follow Nesta, and Wireni is an awe-inspiring golden hachi, one of the fastest creatures in the world, and the leader of a herd which has never been caught and tamed by humans, but decides to join Nesta and Kynn to help them on their difficult journey.
The first task for them all is to discover and activate the Fire Pool, a secret source of Wicca Magic. Nesta and Kynn must get there before the Fire Witch, to set in motion the change in the world that is needed to stop the cruelty and heartbreak for millions the world over. It is a race to the death, and whoever arrives there first will decide the next stage in the direction the whole world will take.