They would acknowledge Jandra as they went up to her so left the greeting with just Sam.

"I will but wait for you nearby. The guards have informed me that they would like to keep me within their watch. They are yet nervous on my behalf, so I will just speak with the women while you be Second. Who tends to you this turn?"

- 224 -.

"Karan has volunteered. I see her coming now."

Karan walked up and knelt down, "Highest." She took Sam's hand and kissed it. "I am so grateful for your life. My sadness at your death took me stronger than I had but guessed. All the Women of Woden felt the same."

Sam placed her hands upon Karan's head and allowed her power to flow through her. Karan felt gratitude from Sam, but knew not how. And it made her feel loved and needed.

"Have you any word on Lillon?"

"She be in great pain, Highest. But she will recover."

"Does she remain in the infirmary?"

Karan nodded.

"Thank you for volunteering to help The Second with the community sessions. I know you will give her your usual most excellent counsel."

Karan smiled, bowed her head and motioned for Jandra to take her seat at the benches. A small crowd of the women were awaiting The Second's presence.

Karan stood beside Jandra and bent to her ear and whispered, "The women are ready when you are, Second."

"Thank you, Karan. Let us begin, then. You take care of the order."

Karan motioned Evane and Kilna to come forward, "This will be an easy one for you, Second. Do you know Evane and Kilna?"

Evane and Kilna walked up and bowed their heads to Jandra, "Hello, Second. Thank you for seeing us this midturn."

"My pleasure, Evane; Kilna. What is it you are requesting?"

Karan whispered again into Jandra's ear, "Evane is one of our herb gardeners and Kilna works on building our dwellings.

Kilna responded, "Two items for your consideration, Second. First, Evane is a very good herb gardener, but she wants to open a shop and provide herbal creations. She has some ideas for herb soaps, herb arrangements, herbal remedies, dried herbs in bunches, and quite a few other items, but it would mean she would have to work less in the herb garden out in the gardens."

Karan whispered once again into Jandra's ear, "We could allow her to plant and tend new herb gardens in this main park section. It will yet supply us with needed plants from the gardens. It would just extend our gardens into the park. And we do have a few vacant shops, so it would be a good idea."

Jandra turned toward Karan, "Oh, Karan, that is a very good idea.

Evane, we could move you and Kilna into one of the vacant shops that Karan just informed me about, and you could move your herb gardens to the park. Of course, I would want them to fit into the surroundings, so - 225 -.

they would have to be both functional and pleasing. The Highest but loves the gardens, so we should keep them beautiful. What do you two think about this?"

Evane seemed well pleased, "I think it be perfect, Second. I could grow a magnificent and beautiful herb garden in the park, with places to sit in it for The Highest and the women. It will be beautiful. And, I would be but close enough to the shop to manage the trade and do the herbal arrangements. Thank you, Second, Karan."

Kilna added, "Yes, thank you, Second. And I can help build those sitting areas Evane wants."

As they walked away, chattering happily about their new plans, handin-hand, Jandra looked at Karan, "I hope they are all that easy and fun."

Karan just shook her head, "I would not count on it, Second," as she motioned to the next two women. "These are Lenore and Bertun. They have a difficult issue for you."

Lenore and Bertun walked up. Neither spoke to Jandra but they did bow their heads. Their daughter waited, but didn't come up with them.

"Lenore; Bertun. What can I help you with this midturn?"

Lenore spoke first, after a pause, "The Highest gave us permission to split our union."

Jandra looked at Karan, who nodded in the affirmative, then looked back at Lenore.

Lenore continued, "But she told us not who Berlen will go with."

Jandra looked at the two unhappy women before her, Ah. It is my happy duty to determine who Berlen will live with. But I am not so happy about having to make this decision. "Have you both found new companions?"

They both nodded, "Yes."

Bertun spoke, "We will both take our new companions this next festival." Then, with anger, "But Lenore has been having an affair with Todra for a long while now, even while we were yet companions, and told me not.

I think Berlen should remain with me."

Lenore nodded her head, "Bertun speaks truly, Second. I fell in love with Todra while with Bertun, and I know I hurt her, but that is no reason to take Berlen away from me forever. I am the Birth-Mother."

Jandra looked at Karan and quietly asked, "Why did The Highest not deal with this when she allowed the split?"

Karan spoke softly to Jandra, "She did. She told them to try to work it out themselves. If they could not, then they needed to come back."

"Karan, please bring Berlen up here for me."

Jandra looked at Bertun and Lenore, "I am going to speak with Berlen.

Please go aside for just a moment."

- 226 -.

They did so and Berlen came up with Karan. She looked in middle young-age. Jandra guessed her to be around eight cycles.

Jandra smiled at her, "Hello, Berlen."

She looked scared, and whispered, "Second." She looked only at the ground.

"Berlen, I need to ask you some questions about your family situation.

Would this be acceptable to you?"

She nodded.

"Would you come sit by me for this talk?"

Jandra could tell that Berlen didn't want to, but Karan led her over.

"Berlen, your mother and Birth-Mother would each like you to live with them in their new dwellings. Do you know what that means for you?"

She just nodded, but Jandra prodded, "Can you tell me about those discussions?"

Berlen didn't answer, but Jandra out-waited her, "Mother wants me to be with her and Ata, and Birth-Mother wants me to be with her and Todra."

"Yes, you are correct. That is exactly what they want. I am going to ask you a very important question, and I really need to know your most honest answer. Can you do that for me?"

She nodded.

"Berlen, you have probably thought about this some, but I need to know. Who do you want to live with?"

"Both."

Jandra nodded to Karan to get Lenore and Bertun. "I can arrange that, Berlen. You go back and wait for them. And worry not. This will work out for you."

Berlen left and Lenore and Bertun looked a little surprised that Jandra had consulted with Berlen instead of them.

"Berlen wants to be with the both of you, and given the size of our community, there be no reason she cannot go back and forth from dwelling to dwelling until she reaches her majority, or until some other arrangement becomes necessary. She is to live one moon with each of you, and then move to the other for the same. This arrangement will begin with Lenore, her Birth-Mother. I expect each of you to display respect for the other to Berlen."

Lenore looked at Bertun, "It is acceptable to me. You?"

Bertun looked sad, but said, "It seems a fair solution. I can live with it as long as you speak no ill of me while she is in your dwelling."

"Go now, and try to make this a positive experience for Berlen."

Sam listened to the first two community sessions and thought once again that she had chosen well. Jandra was going to make a fine Second.

- 227 -.

She went over to one of the guards, "I am going to visit with Lillon in the infirmary. Would you please see to it that Jandra is informed of this if I am not returned by the moment she finishes?"

The guard knelt in front of her, "It would be my pleasure, Highest.

But Highest, may I please assign two guards to accompany you until you return? Meera will but have my skin if I make this not so."

Sam laughed and nodded consent. With the two guards in tow, she went to the infirmary. She guessed that she would be back well before Jandra was finished. As she entered the infirmary, she met up with Berth.

Berth knelt down, "Highest. It is good to see you alive and well, in highest truth. What may I do for you?"

She took Berth's hand and made her to rise, "I would like to visit with Lillon. How many women be in the infirmary this turn?"

"Only two others. Patrice is ill with a fever, and Morane is very ill.

Her insides seem to be decaying on her."

"I will visit with them after I see to Lillon. Can you but show me where she be?"

Berth took Sam to Lillon's bedside, then left.

Sam saw that Lillon was most weak and had lost much blood from her knife wound. Lillon had been sleeping, but now struggled to sit up. Sam placed her hand upon her shoulder to keep her lying down.

"No, Lillon. Please remain as you were. You will cause yourself pain if you but move. I came by to thank you for trying to halt Vining. You helped to save my life."

Lillon cried, "Oh, Highest. You are alive! I am so glad. I wanted to prove so desperately to you that I am loyal to you. I am but glad that Vining gave me the opportunity. But she angered me so that she tried to kill you."

"Let me see your wound, Lillon."

"No, Highest. You must not try to heal me. I will be fine in a while.

You must not misuse your energy upon me."

Sam ignored Lillon's protests and moved aside the bed cover. She saw a very inflamed and angry knife wound, somewhat infected, and with many angry looking stitches. She placed one hand on the wound and focused her power, slowly. She restrained from providing too much, as Lillon was correct - she shouldn't both heal and lose her power. The old raggedy one told her to focus with restraint. After a short moment, Sam removed her hand and saw that the wound would now heal well and much of the pain wouldn't return.

Sam smiled down at Lillon, "It be just a little I do, Lillon. It be not enough to completely heal your wound, but it now be no longer inflamed or as painful. Try to not speed the healing by moving overly now. Take the - 228 -.

moments to heal well so that you can return to me as my most needed and prized assistant."

Lillon looked surprised, "Oh, Highest. Is it possible it can feel so much improved? I can but rise and return to my dwelling now," and she began to do so.

"Then take a command from me Lillon. Remain here for two turns hence."

Lillon looked a little sad about it, "As you say, Highest," then smiled, "It be a much shorter moment than it would have been. Thank you, Highest. You have my word."

Sam rose and went back to Berth, "Please allow me to see Patrice."

Patrice was asleep when they arrived at her bed, so Sam merely placed her hand upon Patrice's head and healed Patrice's fever. Sam noted that it was a minor fever, so was relieved.

She nodded to Berth to take her to Morane's bed. She looked down at the sleeping Morane and saw a dying woman in her older cycles. She placed her hand upon Morane's head and focused. After a few moments, she removed her hand, feeling sad. She could do nothing to save Morane at this stage of the disease. But she had given relief to Morane from the pain that she would be facing, and felt comforted in knowing that Morane would have a peaceful death.

"Thank you, Berth."

She bowed, "Highest."

Sam returned to the park and found that Jandra yet had two more companions to complete. She just sat and waited on one of the park's benches, with her two faithful guards directly in back of her. She enjoyed just watching the activities of the park and overhearing Jandra's decisions, and was delighted she had thought to pick Jandra as her Second.

Jandra walked over when she finished, sat on the ground, and leaned against Sam's legs, "I now know why you gave me this duty. Thank our Mothers for Karan. She be overly good to believe. She knew every woman's name and all but one of their issues before they came up. She whispered everything into my ear and made me look much better than I should have. I could have done this not without her."

Sam took Jandra's hands into her own, and laughed, "Karan be a wonderful advisor and I am most grateful for her, but I chose you because I knew you would but do it so well. And you have proven me correct."

Jandra moved her hands and laid her head on Sam's lap, "I knew not that so many women have so many intense problems. It but saddens me."

Sam lightly stroked Jandra's hair, "Then they are fortunate you are Second. You will help to make things easier for them, and more just. We should consider doing the same for Hengist if Briggon provides this not."

- 229 -.

Jandra reached up and held Sam's hand, yet keeping her head in Sam's lap, "I know he does not. He has but three advisors so they have not the moments. And it is not an easy duty, Sam."