"Keddi, I wish you not involved in this. They will kill you the moment they get you on board that ship. You are overly weak to fight anyone."

Keets intervened, "Highest, we might be able to use her council. You said as much, yourself."

Sam just looked at Keets in frustration, "Yes, I know, Keets, but I also know she will seek to put herself into the middle of it." She looked around and saw that they all looked disappointed, "Oh, go ahead, Keddi. Tell us your plan."

"It involves what occurred with my head wound. Do you wish this to be known?"

As The Highest thought about that, it dawned on her what Keddi needed. "I understand what you will need, and what it requires of me. But you also said that the consequences are overly great. However, can you ensure safety for the both you and Lillon?"

"Yes, Highest. I can make it so."

Margeria entered the room. She bowed, "Highest. Please excuse my lateness in arriving, but I have been attending to a request of you."

"A request of me?"

"Yes, Highest. A delegate from the ship requests an audience with you to deliver a message from the leader of Fornaith."

"Is this delegate of any authority?"

"He says that he is the king's assistant."

Sam was surprised, "King?"

"Do not do this, Highest." Meera didn't want Sam risking herself.

"This should not occur, Highest."

"It be a trap."

"We cannot permit this."

"It is overly unsafe, Highest."

Sam waited for them to finish voicing their opinions, then, smiling, said, "I am well amused. They think they can play with us."

Oisin, not smiling, said, "Sam, this be no game."

"You think not, Oisin? I think this the biggest game of all. Margeria, send a message. Please inform this delegate that we have received the message and are delighted. We welcome him into our community to deliver his message. We would be pleased if they would honor us with their presence this late before mid-eve for sweets and drinks. We guarantee them safe passage."

"Yes, Highest." She bowed and was beginning to exit.

"Margeria, please just send the messenger and return here to me. We have need of your expertise."

"As you wish, Highest."

- 79 -.

"And please inform May of the treats and drinks needed for this late eve."

"Yes, Highest. It will be done." She was pleased but nervous to be so closely connected to the needs of The Highest. Her goal was to become the next Second's Meera. Meera had known this about Margeria, and had informed Sam many turns ago that Margeria would be a good woman to begin training for a leadership position. Now with Sam as The Highest and Jandra as The Second, there would be a slight shifting in the advisors. Sam liked to keep a natural progression through the ranks if some women were so inclined, and this newest event would help to determine Margeria's abilities. Sam tried to always be one step ahead, knowing that as battles occurred, some women might be lost. It was always good to have more prepared, as the community had just seen.

Oisin said, "Highest, I do not think you should entertain these men.

They bring malice."

"Did I not just give my solemn oath to protect this community, Oisin?"

Jandra spoke, "I think The Highest correct. We cannot know our enemies until we meet with them. We will just have to ensure that The Highest be well protected."

"Me only, Jandra? I think you as well, as you will be here, as will all of you. This will be a busy turn for us. We must first rescue Lillon, capture our traitors, and then don ourselves in our finery."

"Highest?"

"Yes, Meera. Me included, in our best finery."

Karan reminded Sam, "Highest, you must be in isolation by late mideve."

"I understand Karan. I will make it so."

Meera knew that Sam had never worn her finery. She let The Highest tend to such events and thought finery to be uncomfortable, so laughed quietly to herself.

May came running in and interrupted, "You are overly tired, Second.

You cannot entertain this eve."

Jandra stepped up to her, smiled and said, "May, forget not, you speak to The Highest now."

"Oh. Yes. I am sorry, Highest, but you cannot entertain this eve.

You must rest. I know you were ill this after midturn."

"May, I am overly tired to fight unneeded battles, such as this. Unfortunately, this is one meeting to which I must attend, since I am Highest. I will rest this eve."

"Yes, Second, I mean Highest. But please tend to your own health.

You push yourself overly hard."

- 80 -.

Meera asked Sam, "You were sick this turn?"

Oisin was concerned as well, "You are ill? Why did you not but tell me so, Highest?"

Keddi intervened, "Perhaps I could provide you my plan. It will answer their concerns about you at the same moment, if you have decided to agree to it."

Sam thought again what it might mean to share the information with everyone. She guessed that they would find out soon enough, anyway.

"Oisin, would you be able to overtake the ship and capture our traitors at a moment's notice?"

"Our ships are at your command and will take but few moments to overtake that pitiful excuse they call a ship."

"Can you do this and yet keep everyone alive."

"It can be made so. We can always kill them in the morn, as needed."

"Keddi, I accept the plan. To be done by early eve."

Keddi explained how Sam had healed her head, but also what it had taken from Sam to do it.

Oisin looked quizzically at Sam, "But what about prior eve?"

Sam smiled knowingly, "I cannot explain it Oisin, but it seemed to work with that instead of against it."

"Ah, that is why . . . uh, well, uh, never mind, Highest. We can but discuss this later." She blushed because of what she almost had said aloud in front of everyone.

Meera didn't find the solution suitable. "But, Highest, the same thing will likely occur, will it not? If it hurts your heart and makes you weak and sick, then what be the gain? This is unacceptable to me."

Karan nodded, "I agree with Meera, Highest. We cannot afford this risk. It be overly great. Meera's and Keet's guards are well trained and will be able to overtake those traitors."

Jandra disagreed, "Not without losing Lillon, however. And they clearly want Keddi. Since I seem to be the newest to these events, I think my stance a bit more objective. If we give them Keddi in her present condition, the chance be great we will lose her. If we attack them with no one inside to protect Lillon, we will most certainly lose her. The Highest curing Keddi seems to be our best risk, although I like it not the prospect of harming The Highest further."

Keddi looked at Sam, "Highest? What do you wish to do?"

"The safety of the community be my first priority. If I can but heal Keddi, she can rescue Lillon while Keets and Meera's guards capture our traitors. Then, when the delegation comes to our little party, Oisin and crew can overtake the ship and capture the other traitors. If I do not cure - 81 -.

Keddi, we will probably lose her and/or Lillon during the battle. Losing one is better than losing two."

"Please excuse me, Highest, but your thinking be most disturbed. I like not your logic." Oisin could care less about losing a few women if necessary, but losing Sam was out of the question. "You are The Highest and must be more respectful of the position. The Highest should not be risked for such."

Oisin turned to Keddi, angry, "And you are wrong to ask this of The Highest. You place her at risk and use her good nature to better your own cause."

"Oh, nonsense, Oisin. Keddi is just trying to help the community.

Besides, I am not going to die. I will just need rest. I even wonder if I can do anything at all right now, with my sorry tired state. Keddi, what do you need healed most?"

Meera was angry with Keddi and upset with Sam, "No, Highest. You must not do this. You have already grown weak. We can all see it in you."

Sam rose and went over to Keddi, and looked at Meera and Oisin, "Do you have another way?"

They shook their heads.

"Keddi, let us begin."

"Good, Highest. I know you can do this. But remember what I said about your hands?"

She nodded.

"As you touch my knee and hand, I want you to first visualize your hands clasped together. Can you do that?"

"Do you think it will halt me from becoming ill?"

"I am just hoping it will halt from effecting your heart, Highest. It is only a guess. As Oisin says, there be a risk."

She nodded again.

Keddi moved close to The Highest, "Look at your hands, Highest.

Memorize them. Then close your eyes. Can you see your hands clasped together?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now open your eyes, but keep the visualization in your head.

Can you do that?"

"Yes."

She put her hands on Keddi's knee and hand. The power jolted through her into Keddi. Keddi fell off the chair from the force of it as Sam crumpled in her chair.

"Highest!" Meera was frozen with fear.

"Sam." Oisin ran over to Sam. She saw a small trickle of blood run out of her nose. "SAMMMM!!!"

- 82 -.

Oisin had howled at Sam being hurt so. No one had ever seen Oisin care about someone before.

Keddi got up and walked, without a limp or hobble, over to Sam. She bent down to try to help, but Oisin raged at her, "Touch her not. This be your doing. If she be harmed, I will hold you to the blame."

Jandra was shocked by what The Highest had just given with so little thought to her own well-being. She had no idea what Sam had been going through, or how much she was willing to risk. Even Meera and all Sam's other advisors had impressed Jandra. It had been a very long while since she had seen the former Highest's advisors act as a group so well. She knew she had too harshly judged these women. Even Oisin hadn't been high on her list as a serious leader. Her respect for them had grown im-measurably during these events, and she meant to make right her previous annoyance at them. The Highest had trusted her and given her a high position. She must now earn that trust with all of them.

Jandra went to Sam, kneeled down and spoke to her, "Highest, the community needs you now. We all need you. You must return to us."

Jandra thought to herself, There must be a way for her to take my strength. There must be a way. She cannot hear any of us this way. She be overly weak to hear us.

Oisin looked at Jandra and roared, "What are you doing?"

Jandra ignored Oisin and, without warning, suddenly took hold of Sam's hands, clasped them together and then surrounded them with her own. She couldn't feel much, but she could feel some of her own energy being drained from her. She wondered, How is this possible? This is the stuff of children's stories.

She held strongly onto the connection, trying to make it stronger. Her head was bowed in deep concentration, although it looked to the others like she was showing reverence to Sam by kneeling. They had no clue what Jandra was up to. Jandra then remembered what had been told: Sam could hear one's thoughts. With that, she began trying to send her thoughts, while mostly feeling dimwitted and useless.

Sam, we need you. Take my strength. Feel my energy. I have enough for both of us. Leave us not, Sam. Return to us. Fight through my strength. I have always needed you, Sam. I have always been angered at Meera because she denied you, while I so much wanted and needed you. Now I am your Second, yet you begin to leave us. We need you, Highest. Do not give in to this force. Fight!

She waited and began to lose hope. It felt odd to try to speak through her thoughts, knowing them to be scattered, like most thoughts. Then she realized that a steady energy was leaving her, going into Sam. She tried sending her thoughts again, thinking that she was doing something wrong, or not sending them hard enough.

- 83 -.

She didn't know where her thoughts and ideas were coming from.