Meera frowned. "Thank you much, Sam, for this opportunity to make you both enemies of me. Has Jandra not hated me well for long enough?"

Jandra looked at Meera with surprise, "Oh, Meera, that has been but my mistake. But allow me to tend to that later. Go ahead, Meera. What say you in this matter?"

Meera looked at Sam, "She is The Second, and is needed in the community, as you say. And she does not ride or wield weapons, as we are so able. But, Highest, would it not give her the opportunity to see a side of Woden she has not? Would it not give her the opportunity to learn to ride as we must? It would mean more watchfulness on our parts, but I can see no reason why she should not attend. Briggon can be enlisted to be more mindful of the borders while we be gone. And there have been such occa- - 148 -.

sions in the past when all the leaders had been absent for a full two moons."

Sam shook her head, sighing. She was already feeling slightly trapped in the relationship. "Add another horse and weapons. I will speak to May about our nourishment needs. Meera, send for Karan, Tehna, Lillon, Briggon and Keets. I will speak to them as we take our leave."

Sam went to speak with May, "May, we leave for three turns. Please prepare carry meals. There be five of us. And I will require six flasks of wine."

Sam dressed herself and Jandra in appropriate riding garments. They were of leather, and Jandra found them odd feeling. Leather was not a material the Woden woman wore, except in battle. Sam was busy searching for something she couldn't find. Finally, she rose up from a chest and handed Jandra a knife in its sheath.

"Here. Tie this around you. You may as well learn to use it."

Then Jandra watched, surprised, that Sam opened a tall cabinet, reached into the back, and pulled out a sheathed sword. Jandra had never seen Sam with such an unwieldy and heavy weapon.

"Be this your sword, Sam?"

"It is. I was trained with this for many cycles."

"You were? How is it I know not this side of you?"

Sam looked over to her, "Perhaps Meera correct in that you need to see another side of Woden, of me, and of you." Sam walked over to Jandra as she put on her sword. "Please say you be not like Oisin and like only the gentle and soft side of me, Jandra. A leader is complex and there are moments when all of us may need to know the use of these weapons."

"It makes no difference to me, Sam. It is merely difficult to view The Highest with such a weapon. It bodes not well for the community. And I never saw our former Highest lift any weapon."

Sam thought about Jandra's statement for a moment, realizing that she also had never seen The Highest lift a weapon. "Does it make you sad?"

"No, in truth, it but provides more intrigue of you."

Sam smiled, "You please me well. Let us to the horses."

They went out of the dwelling where everyone awaited. Keddi and Meera dispersed the weapons. Sam strapped on her bow and arrows across her shoulder, and Meera, Keddi, and Margeria all did the same. Sam noticed that Keddi had a special bow and several more arrows. May delivered the carry meals to Meera, and Meera, Keddi and Margeria strapped them to their backs. Margeria helped Jandra up on her horse while Sam watched her mount, seeing that the horse responded well to her.

Unusual, thought Sam. This is typically a nervous horse, but it stands as if pleased by Jandra.

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All the others but Meera and Sam mounted. Sam went over to where Karan, Tehna, Lillon and Keets were waiting. She saw Briggon running up.

They all knelt before her, and she made her usual show of not desiring it.

As they stood, she spoke to all of them for a short while. They nodded and all turned to their business, except Briggon. Sam spoke to him for a longer moment. When she was done, he knelt before her again, then rose and left.

Sam went to mount her horse.

Meera asked, "Are we to take the Old One with us?"

"Only to the gorge river. She will ride with me."

Meera helped the Old One walk over to Sam, and then lifted her up onto the horse. Sam placed her in front of her and put her arms around her for safety.

Sam led the group as they rode outside the community, past the gardens, and out into the grasslands. Sam kept them at a steady but normal pace.

Meera came near, "Where is it we head, Sam?"

"To the valley of the caves. Do you know of them?"

"Not well, but well enough. It is thought to be a dangerous area. We do not much attend to it."

"So it would seem."

"What is it we seek?"

"The Woman in the Woods has summoned for me."

Meera made no show of her surprise, but was well displeased about it.

She now knew the extent of the possible danger they faced. It was in the legends that all those that sought the Woman in the Woods would face much resistance. She looked around at their small group once more, wondering if they should add more weapons and guards. She saw that they were fully loaded and hoped that Margeria was as good as she had been trained.

As they arrived at the grasslands, they halted a moment for Sam to speak with a sentry.

The sentry had heard them coming and waited for them to come up to her.

"Anicia."

"Oh, Highest, forgive me. I could not recognize it as you." She knelt.

"Is all well?"

"This is what I have come to ask you."

"I am gladdened for this. I could not retreat my position, but have a strange sighting to report. Please come this way. If it had made a move to come closer, I would have sounded an alarm, but it has remained there."

They all dismounted, except for the Old One, and followed the sentry.

"What is it you see, Anicia?"

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She pointed, "Look far off in the distance this way."

Jandra instantly saw it. "Smoke."

Sam looked at her, well surprised. How could she see such a distance as this?

The rest of them tried again but saw nothing. Meera asked, "What is it we look for?"

"It is most difficult to see, and I have but wondered if I have imagined it to be there. But look; there. Look way out, down in the river valley. Do you see the curve?"

They kept looking for a long while, when suddenly Keddi cried out, "Yes, I see it. Look where she said, Highest. There is smoke. At first I thought it to be mist, but it be smoke, as The Second said."

Sam saw it. Jandra noticed that she had an overly determined and concerned look on her face. Sam began to remount. "You are an excellent sentry and have done much for your community this morn. You will be rewarded for this excellent attention to our lands. You need say nothing of this to anyone, Anicia."

"I understand, Highest."

"We will go there, now. When is your duty completed?"

"I will be reprieved in the early morn."

"Visit me upon my return."

She turned to Jandra, the least practiced of the riders. "Hold tight, Jandra. We must make our horses to fly." She turned to Keddi, "Guard the rear, Keddi. Meera, you lead us from here." To the Old One she held in front of her, she asked, "Is this where we head?" The Old One nodded.

Meera, a skillful rider and the best of the group, made her horse take off like the wind. Throughout the morn and midturn, the horses and their mounts descended to the valley where the smoke waited, the horses running in a pack as if trained to do so. Jandra hung on desperately to her horse, determined not to become a concern for the others. She had never seen any of these women in such weapons and attitudes. It was if a whole realm of knowledge existed that Jandra had never known. That Sam had donned weapons had taken her by complete surprise. She studied closely at the way Sam carried her weapons and immediately knew that Sam could also well use them if needed. Jandra again wondered why Sam had chosen her as The Second. She knew now why not Lillon. But now that she had seen how imposing and capable Meera was, Jandra knew Meera to be the better choice. And the way these women sat on their horses well showed their experience. By early after midturn, the horses finally descended to the gorge.

Meera turned back toward Sam, "We must slow now. The way becomes but a path. I think what we seek be around the next bend or so. It looks like we will need to walk the horses in but a moment."

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Sam nodded, and Meera continued to lead. Jandra noticed how silently the women rode. Not a word had been spoken the entire turn. She looked back at Keddi and saw her looking about, as if on guard. She noticed that Margeria did likewise. And she admired how well and straight Sam rode her horse. Sam's movements were so subtle that it seemed as if the horse could sense the direction Sam headed.

When did Sam become a warrior? When did she learn to ride, so? And then thought, No wonder The Highest spoke so highly of her.

When they finally reached the river, Meera halted her horse and dismounted. She went to Sam and reached up for the Old One while Sam helped place her into Meera's arms. Sam dismounted, retrieved two flasks of wine from Meera, then walked with the Old One a short distance.

In a hiss and whisper, the Old One said to Sam, "It is dangerous for you from here. Walk downstream to the caves. But be careful. Others will be about you. You must wait until morn. At sun's rise, you will see a cave entrance. It will not be visible in the eve. It will have a torch. Look for a symbol on the handle. You will know when you recognize the correct sign.

Trust no other. There are many who seek to halt your passage to the Woman of the Woods. Your friends will be unable to accompany you after the cave's entrance."

Sam gave her two flasks of wine, then watched as the Old One ambled upstream, keeping to the river, until she was out of sight.

She went back to Meera and the others, "Remain watchful. It to be dangerous from here."

Keddi and Margeria readied their weapons, and Meera began to walk her horse by the river's edge. There was no path, but to Jandra, Meera seemed to know where she was heading. The others followed Meera's lead, but no words were spoken. Jandra was uncertain of the need for silence, so guessed that the women were silent to remain alert. She had noticed that Meera had not needed to signal to Keddi or Margeria to be ever the more watchful.

At one point they had followed the river downhill to where they walked between a steep ledge and the river. Meera turned to Keddi and motioned to the top of the ledge. Without a word or acknowledgement, Keddi sheathed her bow and arrow, and quickly but silently ascended the ledge. There she remained, walking alongside the group from atop, while Jandra was placed in-charge of Keddi's horse.

The constant sound of the river at her left and the steady thump of the horses' hooves droned Jandra into a hypnotic state. The scenery was spec-tacular, and she had never seen such sights. Without warning and but a small sound of the arrow landing, Keddi had let fly an arrow in front of Meera. Meera readied her sword and looked far up at Keddi to determine - 152 -.

the danger. Keddi signaled that there were seven waiting for them around the next bend. Sam tied the horses to a bush and readied her bow and arrow while Margeria ran just ahead to prepare.

Meera backed up to Sam, "Seven-to-five. And they know not we know. Is this but a good turn for a fight then, Highest?"

"Sounds like good odds to me."

Jandra took out her knife and swore that she would learn to use a bow and arrow at the very next possible moment. She was sorry that she had insisted she come. She was not afraid of a battle, but realized that these four would have to fight for her too, and felt as a bother. Sam and Meera went up to just behind Margeria, then waited.

Whispering, Meera pointed across the river, "We begin when we see Keddi over by those rocks. She makes her way there now."

Sam studied the gorge, seeing that they had little room for a fight on this side of the river. She was glad that Keddi would be able to shoot from the other side.

She then went over to Jandra, whispering, "There are but seven, and they know not we have arrived. They wait like fools for us to come to them. They think us witless enough to be unguarded. Be prepared, Jandra, but our arrows will get most of them, so the fight may be but contained before it reaches you."

Sam stroked the horses' noses, softly whispering soothing sounds into their ears so that they wouldn't become excited. "Keep the horses calm as you can. A surprise attack will be our best hope."

Jandra nodded and began to do as she had seen Sam do. She was angered at herself, How do these women know of these things? How is it that I am so sheltered? They have done much to protect our community, and no one knows of this bravery and selflessness. It will end upon my return. They will know the bravery and deeds of these women.

Sam walked quietly up to Meera and Margeria. When she heard the enemies' voices, it suddenly dawned on her. She looked over to Meera and whispered, "Men."

Meera nodded. Margeria, kneeling on one knee and in readiness to snap her arrows into her bow, looked up at Sam and Meera. Very softly, she said, "It sounds as if they have been drinking overly long. They brag about who they will take to their beds this eve, already."

Sam whispered Meera, "Try to save one to question."

Meera looked around for Keddi. She saw her over on the rocks, beckoning for them to move forward a few paces. Jandra remained with the horses to keep them calmed, but would move up as the battle began. Keddi moved forward slowly on the rocks, remaining well hidden from the men.

Meera watched Keddi carefully, "We attack on Keddi's signal."

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Margeria nodded and rose. She would have to go around the bend to attack from this side. They would have to wait for Keddi to send across the first arrows before they would move. Keddi moved slowly in the rocks, yet remaining well hidden. Meera could see Keddi studying the men. What she was waiting for, Meera could only guess. Jandra was staggered that these women could wait with such apparent ease and calmness. She felt like being sick.

Suddenly, Keddi jumped up high on a rock, yelled, "You, over there,"

and let loose two arrows. Jandra watched as Keddi had two more arrows in the bow just barely as the others had left it. Sam and Margeria turned the bend and let loose their arrows, and Meera had moved into what was left of the group with her sword. Jandra ran up to help and found Sam and Meera in sword fights with two of the men. Keddi was yet sending arrows, and Margeria was throwing her knife. As Meera dispatched her prey, she turned to help Sam, but saw that Sam had her sword pointed to the throat of the only man left.

Meera went right up to his face and removed his weapons. "How many other groups are you?"

He spat in her face and she brought up her knife to his eye. "How many, or lose it now."

"One."

"How many in it?" She began to push the knife forward to pierce his eyelid.

He screamed, "As many, maybe a few more."

"Are they drunken pigs as this group?" She kept the pressure applied.

He yelped, "You she-bitch. You torture me."

Meera kicked him in groin and he fell to the ground. Sam moved the sword back to his throat.

"Answer."

"I die anyway."

Without another word, Meera sent her sword through his heart. She looked at Sam. "We know there be at least one more group such as this."