SOLVED. YA Fantasy Where all people have floating orbs [s]

[Jed]

The book I'm trying to find I read about 15 years ago. All of the people receive floating orbs that attach themselves to people and follow them around. Certain people get more and the ones that get a lot use them for various healing effects.

The story if I remember correctly is about a girl who doesn't get a floating orb by the usual age and then when the orbs mysteriously stop coming she decides to find out why. She gets hurt and is healed by a multi-orb wielder; she travels through a desert on a barely perceptible path and eventually finds the source. The blockage being basically an unopened chimney flue. When she returns home she either has more orbs than most healers or she only has one.

Edit: I also remember this being on the first shelve in my junior high's library so the author's last name probably started with something in A-F.

[Michelle Mulford]

The Chimes of Alyafaleyn. Grace Chetwin wrote some amazing books; some of my favorites as a kid.

[Jed]

Wow, that's it!