The Pitch, Version Two

Here's my second attempt:

           Willa Bresher is too headstrong and restless for ordinary village life. Her whole world is Haven, a commonwealth of villages struggling for survival three centuries after a plague devastated Earth's population. But Haven feels too small for the big life she dreams of living.

            Willa escapes the threat of marriage for an apprenticeship with the mysterious "Bridgers"-- a guild of mind-linked stewards who guide the flow of goods and information between villages. Her mentor is a dynamic leader with an exciting vision of Haven's future-- a future she desperately wants a piece of.  But when she encounters a dark stranger named Akenam in the ruins of an ancient city, Willa's path begins to veer off course. 

            The world beyond Haven is is changing, too. Space-dwelling humans have returned to resettle the planet, and their intentions toward the aboriginal Terrans are unclear. Now Willa must follow the intriguing and infuriating Akenam to a distant island to join five other envoys at a summit meeting that will determine the future course of all their civilizations. There she untangles a web of secrets, lies, and conspiracies, and discovers that one of the most serious threats to Haven's people lies in the heart of home.


I know it needs a lot more fiddling, but that can wait until I'm ready to send out queries. At this stage, writing a pitch is more of an exercise in understanding the novel.