Meera held her sword firmly and focused on Keets as her target.

Slowly, she circled around Keets, while Keets just remained motionless, but holding on to the sword.

"Are you overly weak fight, Keets? Do you want my pity, too?"

- 211 -.

Meera waited for Keets to take the first swing. Finally, Keets raised her sword and lunged toward Meera. Meera thought it a pitiful attempt and ripped across Keets' shirt and front. A small cut in the flesh had occurred, and the shirt hung open.

Meera laughed, "You look like a little girl when you swing your sword, Keets. How did we ever allow you to become as you are? We should have retired you many cycles prior."

Keets lunged again. This moment, Meera cut Keets' upper arm.

Keets was showing a great deal of blood but no major wounds.

Keets was becoming angry at her own inability against Meera. She knew she looked the fool and resented Meera for it.

"Be this the best you can do, Meera?"

Meera sneered at Keets, "Oh, I know, Keets. I meant only to remove your shirt, but instead caught some of your flesh. My error." And she re-focused and waited.

Keets suddenly raised her sword and swung down toward Meera, but the sword was too heavy for Keets, and it swung uncontrolled. Meera met it with her sword and sent it flying out of Keets' hands, then took another swing of her sword and cut off Keets' pants.

"Get your sword, you old stupid woman. You embarrass me in your fighting."

Keets picked up her sword and came running at Meera. Meera waited until the last moment, then swung her sword and cut off Keet's left arm.

Keets howled liked a trapped injured animal in pain, but held onto her sword.

"Tiring of your cruel game, Meera?"

"I tire of you, Keets. You no longer belong here."

Keets lunged again and Meera countered, cutting open Keets' upper leg.

"You are not worth this effort, Keets. In truth, why did you help Josin?"

Keets continued to circle, as did Meera. Meera never lost her concentration, but looked as if she had relaxed. Keets tried to catch Meera off-guard, and struck again. Meera easily knocked the sword from Keets' hand.

Keets went to retrieve it, while Meera waited. Keets was bloodied everywhere, with one arm missing, and could no longer hold her bitterness aside, "You are correct, Meera. I do resent you. You think you are better than me."

They began to circle again. "So this be all about control, Keets?"

"Now who is the stupid one? Of course it be all about control, Meera," and she moved toward Meera again. Meera sidestepped her advance and swung across Keets' leg and cut it off. Then she did the same - 212 -.

with the other as Keets fell to the ground. Meera moved closer and cut off Keets' sword arm.

Then she bent down and retrieved Anyst's sword, walked over and handed it to her.

"Thank you for the loan of your sword. Leave her there to die. She will bleed to death in but a short while."

"The seven guards are here."

"Kill them as you will. Be there anyone with any difficulty in doing this?"

"No, Meera. It will be our pleasure."

"Question them about others' involvement, but I think we but have all that be in our community."

Meera could yet hear Keets' screams and howls, but chose to ignore them. She saw Briggon come with some of his guards and the two men who had been accused as traitors.

Briggon went to Meera, "The traitors say no, but the guards have said that they think they saw them re-entering Hengist from Woden late one eve."

"Give them to Anyst if you would like. She will find out for us."

Briggon nodded and took Jaspun and Bortrun to Anyst. Anyst had Jaspun strung as the women, while Bortrun was held tight.

When Jaspun was prepared, Anyst turned to Briggon, "Would your guards but want to do this torture to find out what he knows?"

One of Briggon's guards came forward - Andren. "Third, I would most like to take from this traitor's lip all he knows."

Briggon nodded and Andren unsheathed his sword.

He went up to Jaspun. "What have you to do with this betrayal in Woden?"

Jaspun tried to kick Andren, but couldn't, due to the ropes. Andren took his sword and cut under Jaspun's arm, into the muscle, from elbow to arm pit . . . very slowly. Jaspun first screamed, then passed out from the pain, but Anyst provided Andren with some water to throw upon Jaspun's face.

As Jaspun came to, Andren said again, "Tell me and spare yourself more of this."

"I want to live as a man. With a woman."

"Then why did you not leave for Apien or New Harborage?"

"I was vowed a woman from here. We were going to take over Hengist and rid ourselves of your scum."

Andren took his sword and cut Jaspun's other arm the same. Jaspun's screams echoed through the forest, making every living thing shiver from fear.

- 213 -.

Andren ignored Jaspun's agony, "Who else is involved from Hengist?"

Jaspun's muscles were coming out from his arm. Meera had never seen such a thing and thought the pain must be beyond bearable, yet Jaspun continued to remain conscious.

"I know of no other."

Andren took his sword once more and held it up to Jaspun's sex parts.

"Speak truly or the pain will become much worse."

Jaspun whispered, moving beyond consciousness, "I speak truly."

Andren took his sword and cut Jaspun's body in half. The guards let down the ropes, removed Jaspun and began to raise Bortrun. Bortrun was fighting it, completely frightened from what he had seen, "No, Andren, please! I will tell you, but torture me not."

Andren turned to him, "Then speak quickly."

"As Jaspun said, there are no others from Hengist. Josin gave of herself to me and vowed me more. It be the truth. My companion will tell you so. He has not yet forgiven me."

Andren said nothing, but picked up his sword and cut off Bortrun's head as he stood. Briggon nodded to Meera and went to stand next to Anyst. "It is done."

Meera nodded, glad that it was finally over, then walked back to Jandra.

"Meera, you look but tired."

"The thought of Sam weighs heavy on me. We lose many from our community this turn. It seems as if we have done nothing these prior turns but kill our own. We face many broken companionships caused by this.

We will need much healing in our community and yet we have but killed our spiritual advisors. Our community be both strengthened and weakened through our acts."

"It is so. Sadly, you speak truth."

"I speak with experience and sadness, only." She looked back to her guards. "My guards will take care of their own betrayers. Let us leave them to their own vengeance. I wish to check on Sam."

"How is Caitha able to comfort you after so much killing as this?"

"Caitha and Sam be my life. I live and fight for them. They give me purpose. If Sam dies, many others will die for it. If someone hurt peaceful and loving Caitha, no rock would be left unturned until I found them."

They walked back to The Highest's house, both silent in their worry for Sam. As they entered, they saw May sitting beside Sam's bed.

Jandra could see that May was crying, "May, be there any change?"

- 214 -.

"I think her heart is slowing down. I think she be but dying," and she began to sob.

Meera placed a finger on Sam's neck to feel her heart rate, noting that May was correct. It was much too slow from normal. Meera checked Sam's breathing and found it shallow and sporadic. She tried placing her hands over Sam's as Jandra had done what seemed so long prior. She felt nothing, but just continued to hold them and tried to send her thoughts.

SAM! You cannot leave us. SAM!

I have sent Keddi for the old raggedy one hold on.

Breathe, Sam. Make your heart beat stronger. Hear my heart. Hear it. Make yours do the same. Breathe , Sam!

She didn't know what else to do so just told Sam the story about the High Spirit Mother and Buron, what Josin had wanted to do, and the secret notes to Apien and New Harborage selling Woden's Women into slavery.

She told Sam that she was confused about these issues in The Realm, and didn't understand what was happening. She spoke long to Sam, and held Sam's hands together tightly in case it would help.

Jandra tapped Meera on the shoulder, "Meera, you must rest for a while. You have been with Sam for most of midturn. If you but help give her power, then you now lose overly much. I will take your place for a while. Go into the sitting room and lie down. May will wake you for a meal soon, and Caitha has come to be with you."

Meera felt overly tired, so went to lie down as Jandra had suggested.

Jandra did as Meera had, holding Sam's hands together and telling her, through her thoughts, all that had occurred this turn and what they had learned.

Sam. We need you. Woden knows not of such things as powers and High Spirit Mothers. We need you, in highest truth, as there must be some connection between you and them.

Jandra's thoughts were broken when she felt Meera pulling her up, "Jandra, you need to rest now. May has our meal ready for us. I have sent out guards with fresh horses in hopes they but meet up with Keddi and Margeria. Enough moments have passed that they could now but show up at any moment. All the women of Woden and the men of Hengist stand outside in vigil, all with candles."

Jandra nodded and followed Meera. They ate their meal together in silence, with May and Caitha, then went back to check on Sam. Meera tried to check her heart rate, but could find nothing. She checked her breathing.

The same. She found nothing. She beat upon her chest to scare Sam's heart into starting, but felt nothing.

Meera knelt down on her knees and began to cry. Not knowing what else to do, Caitha just tried to hold her. Very few had ever seen Meera cry, - 215 -.

but knew it well as a sign of primal loss. May went through the house wailing in the pain of knowing that Sam had died. Jandra just sat in disbelief, How can we possibly go on now?

A guard outside yelled the message, "The Highest is dead."

It resounded throughout the community, and all the women and men outside began to cry their grief of losing Sam. All grieved until early morn.

By early morn, Meera had given up. The advisors had come and finally convinced Meera and Jandra that Sam must be given her funeral and Jandra must be made as Highest. Caitha just tried to comfort in what little way she could, but was also devastated at this loss. May prepared Sam for her funeral, and the guards came in and placed her on a litter for her final journey. Meera and Jandra were both in such shock and mental anguish they could hardly move. They stood by as if frozen into perpetual statues of sadness. May hadn't halted her wailing and sobbing from the eve prior and moved about in a state of loud mourning. As the guards began to carry Sam out of her dwelling to the Sacred Stones, Meera again fell to her knees in total despair. She was so consumed in her grief that she hadn't heard when the horses finally arrived.

Keddi came running in, "Meera, I have returned with the old raggedy one. She comes now. She wouldn't let me carry her inside."

Meera shook her head, with no hope remaining to her. "It be overly late, Keddi. Sam has but died a while ago. We but begin her funeral now."

Keddi looked at Jandra and Meera and knew it to be true and just knelt and cried.

The old raggedy one came toddling in, accompanied by Margeria, and went over to the guards who were holding Sam. She motioned for them to place Sam down upon the bed. Meera nodded to them to do so, but thinking the effort was for naught. They did, but looked with wonderment at the old raggedy smelly thing. She jumped up onto the bed, felt Sam's neck, as Meera had, and checked her breathing. She opened Sam's eyelids and looked into her eyes. Then she reached over and hit Meera on the side of the head.

"Help me, you stupid thing."

Meera was too startled to strike back, as was her first instinct, "What do you but require of me?"

"Sit her up in the bed."

"She has died, old raggedy one."

She hit Meera on the side of the head again, "Don't be so stupid. If she were all-human, like you poor stupid thing, she would be dead. But she is not and will but live if you will listen to me."

Meera didn't wish to be hit upon the side of the head again, so moved Sam as well as she could to a slight sitting position.

- 216 -.

The old raggedy one then slapped Jandra on the side of the head, "You are but stupid, too. Get me some water."

Jandra also was too stunned to question this old smelly earth creature, so left to retrieve a pitcher of water for her.

The old raggedy one began speaking a chant that no one could understand. The language wasn't of theirs. Meera motioned for the guards to leave the room, and the advisors as well, while the old raggedy one held some clods of moss over Sam's head, dropped water on her head from them, and continued to chant. Her chanting grew to a half-chant, half-song and Jandra thought it the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. A thought came into her mind that if a waterfall could talk and sing, it would sound like this, for it reminded her of flowing water.