In contrast, I find myself enjoying the trip and the sailing.

I've never sailed before and dreaded the journey, but I love the feeling of the wind and riding in the boat in full sail. It's like floating. I watch Elaine all the time. She's a master sailor and almost reads the winds. She's most beautiful when standing at the helm with the wind blowing her hair. She's a natural leader and isn't quick to anger, but is able to make quick and accurate decisions when needed. For those of us who don't get seasick, she makes us train with our swords everyday so that we become better warriors. When we aren't busy sailing and practicing our weaponry, she teaches us to repair the rigging, the sails, and mend and make fishing nets. We should've had her as a leader since we left Burn. We would be more prepared had we listened to her from the beginning. The other boats watch us but don't follow our daily habits. It's sad, as they just sit there doing nothing. Elaine says that she's going to speak to their captains to make certain the others exercise and prepare as we do.

Elaine let me take the helm today, and I got to steer the boat. I was so excited I felt like a kid at Christmas. I haven't felt this happy since we left for here. I feel like Amundsen exploring the South Pole or Perry at the North Pole, or Magellan sailing the world. I want to travel forever, away from all our past horrors. I haven't felt this free since my last vacation over 10 years ago when I went to Norway for five weeks. It was like heaven.

But this is even better. Now I no longer want to land. I just want to keep sailing, off to the sunset everyday. Elaine says I have become a true sailor and laughs. Perhaps she's right.

Burn is nowhere to be seen. With any luck, the storm sunk him in his boat and this world will never have to see him again.

At least he doesn't know where we head, so with any luck, we'll never see him again in my lifetime. My mother used to tell me that everything has a silver lining. I believe her, but I just wish I could see it.

Elaine says that we'll look for a small sheltered cove to-morrow to give the women and men a rest and to gather some food and fresh water. I've no desire to step foot back on this evil land, but Elaine says that if I don't get off the boat now, I'll never have land-legs again. She also teaches me new rope knots whenever we have a moment to spare. And our dolphin and whale-like friends have returned now that the storm is over.

Sam closed the diary. It had been a long entry.

Margeria asked, "What be a vacation?"

No one answered, but Keddi asked, "What do you think happened to the two lost boats?"

- 281 -.

Sam shook her head, "They could have sunk like the writer of the diary guessed, or they could have survived the storm and landed elsewhere and began a new community there. There are many small communities in our known realm. Not big enough to prosper, but big enough to survive.

Unless, of course, the leaders of Apien and New Harborage had but captured and enslaved them and brought them back."

Rundle got up from Margeria and went next to Sam. He laid down right alongside her and moved her hand with his nose, signaling to Sam that he wanted her to pet him. She laughed and did so. He seemed a good dog and she enjoyed his quiet company. Sam wondered why they didn't have many animals such as this in Woden.

Perhaps it would do the women good to have such a comfort as this.

"Keddi, do you know where we can get more like Rundle?"

"Rundle was another refugee from Apien. Both Apien and New Harborage have dogs such as Rundle. I could ask Oisin to bring some back on her next trip."

"You would need to help train them."

"I could train those who wish to have such as Rundle. Their trainer should train the dog. They also had another animal in Apien and New Harborage that we do not have here. Cats. They are smaller animals, mostly for the dwellings, and like to sit in their people's laps."

"Something for us to think on. Have you ever had such an animal prior?"

Keddi shook her head, "No. But I have seen them and petted them.

They are mostly worthless, but do seem to catch mice and little rodents."

Meera doused the fire, and all went to sleep for the eve, trading off watch shifts, with Meera taking the first. They arose a little later than the prior turn, but had no need until Anyst had teased them awake with the morn meal and cups of hot tea. No one had woken Sam through the eve for her watch. She was going to reprimand them, but then thought better of it. They had done her a favor and she decided that she should be grateful.

She yawned, stretched and then smiled at all of them, "You spoil me and I thank you much for it. There is nothing better than to be gone from the every-turn strains of Woden. We return this turn, but it has been a welcome journey and brief reprieve for me."

Meera nodded, "We could send a message that we will return in one more turn."

Sam considered the possibility, "Perhaps. Let us see what this turn brings for us."

- 282 -.

Keddi looked around the beach and the forest, "This be an attractive side of Wodentame, yet wild. The winds are mild, the waves be more gentle, and the trees be less dense. Our mothers' mothers did well in finding this site for Woden. I have seen none fairer in all my journeys. I like much the inland passage from Apien, but had little moments to enjoy it.

But it be not as fair as this."

Sam looked into the forest, "I have ever felt that there was something special about this location." She laughed for a moment, "But then, what would I know? I have never prior been elsewhere."

"What did you see on your passage over that caught your eye, Keddi?"

"I saw one valley that was wonderfully deep. I tried to find a passage down into it, but could not. On the other side of it though, I saw such a passage. A river runs through the valley. I also saw huge forests, such as these. Large lakes. And the largest of mountains. They reach well into the sky and when I stood on top of one of the smaller ones, I found them so high that it was difficult to breathe. And strange animals that I know not of. But Woden seems to have much of what I saw, and more."

They finished eating their morn meal, broke camp and began their journey along the northern boundary. They began their journey by crossing the river and then following it upstream. When they had journeyed to about the same distance Woden sat in from the sea, they dismounted to look for a possible settlement site.

When all returned to the horses, Meera provided, "It be a good site, but far from Hengist." All the others agreed with her.

"Is that it, then? Just that it sits far from Hengist?" They all nodded.

"We could give them but a choice, if we choose to move in this direction of beginning a third community. Let us go up to the boundary corner from here, and then we can but head back to Woden."

They rode up to the northwestern boundary, riding along the northern boundary and along the forest. As they came up to the site where Keddi had been found, they saw a sentry and dismounted.

The sentry knelt as she saw Sam, "Highest. I was not aware you come this way."

Sam bent and touched the elbow of the sentry, Surrien, to make her rise, and the sentry did so. Suddenly, Rundle began to bark in the direction of the forest. Everyone instantly went on high alert. Keddi made a hand motion for Rundle to go see the problem, and Rundle ran off into the forest. Margeria and Keddi ran after him, drawing their weapons as they went.

Meera unsheathed her sword, and Sam readied her bow and arrow. Surrien, Anicia and Anyst all did likewise but began to broaden the watched area.

The horses acted nervous, so both Sam and Meera knew that something or someone was out there.

- 283 -.

Meera and Sam followed in Keddi and Margeria's direction, but remained close to the forest edge. After what seemed a long while to Sam, Keddi reappeared, carrying a very young girl. Sam guessed the little girl to be about four cycles. She looked very thin, very dirty and very tired. She was also crying.

Keddi handed the girl over to Sam, "She calls for her mother, so we look for her. We are trying to follow this little one's bootprints, but she made only a few light ones."

Sam nodded as Keddi left to rejoin the search. Sam looked at the girl, "Do you have a name that you are called?"

The girl nodded, "Gretlen."

Sam knew it was hopeless to ask questions of Gretlen, but she tried anyway, "Gretlen, have you but been walking a very long way?"

"Birth-Mother says many moons."

"Do you know what town you but came from?"

Gretlen shook her head, "But there is a mean man there that hurt my mother."

"Where be your Birth-Mother?"

Gretlen pointed back in the forest.

"Be there anyone else with you?"

Gretlen nodded, "My mother and Verdith. Can I pet the horse?"

Sam walked her over to her own horse and let Gretlen pet the horse's nose.

"Can I ride her?"

"As soon as we finish here, you will ride with us back to our town."

"Is this Woden? Did Birth-Mother find Woden?"

Sam nodded and hoped that the child's Birth-Mother had lived to see her goal.

Meera had seen Keddi run up with the child and run back into the forest, so had followed her. Rundle was nowhere near Keddi, so must have gone in search of other smells. Off in the distance, after what seemed a long while, Meera heard Rundle give a bark, and then another. Meera went toward the sound. As she arrived where Rundle was, she saw that Keddi and Margeria were coming in from different directions, and she also heard what she hoped were Anicia, Anyst and Surrien. After a moment, she saw that it was, and they all went closer to where Rundle was patiently waiting.

As Meera walked up she saw Rundle waiting near two women who looked sick and exhausted.

Keddi was bending down to one of them, but the woman looked in shock, "My daughter. Where is Gretlen?"

Keddi tried to reassure the woman, "We have her. Worry not. She wandered up to us, and Rundle heard her." What name do you go by?"

- 284 -.

The woman was concerned, "I warned her not to wander off, but she went off in search of help. I could no longer follow." The woman grabbed Keddi's arm, "Is she well?

Keddi nodded, "She be fine. What name do you go by?"

"They call me Ronaith."

Keddi nodded, "Come. We will take you to your daughter."

The woman began to cry, "Where be Hanya? Have you found Hanya?"

Meera saw that the woman near Ronaith was lying on the ground. She was unsure if the woman was alive. She went over and felt for a heartbeat.

There was one, but it was weak. She knew fully that this woman would have to be carried.

Keddi rose and motioned once more to Rundle. The dog began to use his nose and sniff for the trail. He followed it back more, and Keddi and Margeria followed. Meera motioned for Anicia, Anyst and Surrien to carry the woman on the ground back to the horses. Meera helped Ronaith to rise, and then helped her walk to the place where Sam and the child waited.

"Highest. This be Ronaith. She is Birth-Mother to the little one."

As Meera settled Ronaith onto a grassy spot, Meera heard a faint bark and knew that Rundle had found the third woman. She hoped there were no more, and she hoped the woman would be alive. She saw Sam holding the child and letting her pet the horses. Sam saw them return and held on tighter to Gretlen, who she thought would want to run over to the two women being brought back.

"Birth-Mother! Verdith!" Then Gretlen looked at Sam, "What be wrong with Verdith? Why be she carried?" She began to cry.

Anyst went to her horse and mounted so that Surrien and Anicia could help her get Verdith up to her. They all knew that the woman needed immediate care, so Anyst was riding directly back to Woden while the others looked for the third woman. Sam placed Gretlen on the ground and the girl instantly ran over to her Birth-Mother. They both hugged and cried.

Meera went to Sam, "There is a third, also, named Hanya. She was but back further, though. Keddi's Rundle be a good search dog."

"Gretlen informed me that they left a town that she knew not the name of, but a place where a mean man hurt her mother."

Meera shook her head in frustration, "So, now the women but leave in any fashion they can so as to escape and try to reach Woden."

"If Oisin goes to battle with Apien, I wonder but how many women she will return with?"

"And men. It but seems that they all want to leave that place of violence."

- 285 -.

Rundle ran up to Sam, and Sam looked to the forest and saw Keddi and Margeria returning with the third woman. Meera went to help.

Sam walked over to see if the woman was yet alive. She placed her hand upon the woman's head and sensed a strong will to live, but a next-to-death heart. Sam then placed both her hands upon the woman's head and focused. She sent her powers into the woman, giving her some strength and healing of the heart so that she may be strong enough to recover. She felt the woman questioning if they had arrived to Woden. Sam sent her a message: You have but arrived and are now safe. We will take care of you.

Meera motioned for Anyst to mount her horse, and the others helped give Hanya up to Anyst. When Anyst had settled Hanya upon the horse so that she could hold on to her, she turned her horse and headed toward Woden. Meera then motioned for Margeria to take Gretlen's Birth-Mother with her on her horse, and all helped the Birth-Mother up on the horse, to Margeria. Keddi mounted then, and Meera handed Gretlen up to her.

Keddi and Margeria then turned their horses also to Woden, "We will deliver them to the healers and then inform you of what we have learned."

Rundle ran alongside Keddi's horse.

Meera turned to Surrien, "Perhaps we should get a Rundle for each sentry. He is able to smell things you cannot."

Surrien laughed, "And he but hears much better, also. It would provide needed company, as the watch can but drag on the quiet moments.

Rundle is well trained by Keddi, though." She looked back into the forest.

"I wonder how long they have but been there, waiting. The child must have been wandering around for a while."

"It is with luck that we had Rundle with us. We would not have seen anything, either. Rundle must have heard or smelled the child."

Sam nodded her farewell, "Thank you for your assistance, Surrien. It is good to know we have such sentries as you on our border. We will try to find more like Rundle so that you may have such on your duty."

Sam and Meera mounted, waved their farewell to Surrien and headed back to Betten and Anja's to pick up their extra horse. From there, they would head straight back to Woden.

"It seems that Woden is facing great change, Sam."

"Indeed. You speak truly. I wonder, though, how the other communities fare. Woden cannot be the only one these women and men wander toward."

"Perhaps our builders should build but a few more dwellings?"

"I think we can manage for now. It will be the third community that will need building, and I was but thinking of another ship or two. We must be prepared to defend all of Woden. Do you think that reinstating the Scouts a good idea for Woden?"

- 286 -.