The guard nodded and went to have it sent.

Sam returned to Jandra, and they both went to the bedroom, Sam holding on to Jandra's hand on the way. They prepared themselves for sleep and got into bed.

Sam moved close to Jandra and held her, "I am but relieved that we have this companionship issue finally concluded. It has but driven me crazy."

Jandra looked up into Sam's face and moved some of the hair away from it, "I had not noticed until this moment, Sam. You but tended to your hair. It has been well cut and looks much improved."

"How is it that just looking at you makes my blood move so? If you were but a lover, I would have tired of you by now. Instead, just the idea of coming into the bed with you excites me and makes me feel as a younger one. I cannot get enough of you, Jandra, and now I can but admit it."

"You just love sex, Sam of Woden, but I do love you."

She moved up to Sam's face, and kissed her. The kiss was so passionate and consuming that it caught Sam unprepared for its intensity. Jandra put her hand on the back of Sam's head to bring it closer. Her kiss strengthened in its overwhelming impatience and demands. Jandra had also been relieved to be rid of the anxiety of thinking about the companionship issue. After the turn's overly emotional events, Jandra needed the physical release that she had come to count on with Sam. Although she was astounded at her own self-centered and absorbed desires, she abandoned herself to her own body's cravings. Sam found herself happy in the thought of the eve's pleasures, and she too submitted to her physical yearnings of Jandra.

Sam awoke prior to Jandra after an eve of satisfying their longings and releasing their stress. Sam looked outside and saw that it was late morn.

She had been awoken by a soft knocking on the door from the sitting room.

- 359 -.

As she opened it, she saw Karan. Sam raised a finger to her lips so that Karan would remain quiet. Sam wanted Jandra to rest.

They walked into the sitting room together. "Karan. This be a pleasant surprise. Be there something wrong?"

Karan yawned, "No, Highest. You but asked for a report. I am here to deliver it. I hope that I did not wake you."

Sam shook her head, sat down, and motioned for Karan to do the same, "No. I was waking. You look but exhausted, Karan. Have you not slept this prior eve?"

Karan yawned again, "Oh, I am so sorry, Highest. Yes. I mean, no.

Not really. I went to bed, but could not sleep, so rose and checked in again on all our new arrivals. They are all settled now, Highest. We placed 48 in the former Highest's dwelling, so that helped a great deal. Briggon and Hengist took 41 of the arrivals, all men, and that but left us with 42 more.

We had 12 empty dwellings ready for new arrivals, so we placed 31 more in those, and the rest went into the infirmary because they needed care and increased attention. The infirmary is now overly loaded, but the healers offered it and seem to be enjoying the escape from their turn-to-turn experiences."

"Has Ailis not noticed your absence, Karan?"

"She is at the road to Hengist helping to set up the festival."

"Then lay down here on the long chair and rest until we finally get up, Karan. We will take our morn meal together. I will get you a blanket and pillow so that you may finally get some sleep."

Karan looked shocked, "I cannot do that, Highest. I would but interfere with you and Jandra."

"Thank you for your concern, Karan, but I insist. Lay down and rest.

I will return."

Sam found an extra blanket and pillow and returned to Karan. She was laying down and already half-asleep. Sam lifted Karan's head and placed the pillow underneath, and then placed the blanket over her.

Karan moved slightly and said, "Thank you Ailis. I love you."

Sam smiled and went back to the bedroom where Jandra was beginning to wake. Jandra opened her eyes and looked sleepily at Sam, "I heard voices. Is all well?"

"Karan came to give her report. All the new arrivals are but in dwellings, thanks to Karan. She is exhausted, so I made her rest in the sitting room. As soon as she laid down, she fell asleep. Ailis is helping to set-up the festival."

"Then you will need to remain quiet as we but finish last eve's urges."

"Be gentle with me, then, Jandra. Your cravings excited me beyond any lover I have had, but I remain slightly sore from your passion."

- 360 -.

Jandra grinned roguishly at Sam, "I don't think so, Sam."

When they had rested for a bit after their morn's delights in each other, Sam held Jandra close and whispered, "I need you, Jandra."

Jandra looked at Sam and smiled, then rose and prepared for the turn.

She took some extra garments out to Karan, sat down next to the long chair Karan was sleeping in, and shook her slightly, "Karan, it be late morn. We all need to get to festival. Come and eat your morn meal with us."

Karan rolled over, yet sleeping and answered, "In a moment Ailis."

Jandra smiled and tried again, "Karan. Wake up. You need to eat your morn meal with The Highest."

At the mention of Sam's title, Karan jolted awake, "Highest?"

Seeing she was yet dazed, Jandra leaned back and waited, "Karan. Do you recall where you are?"

Karan looked at Jandra quizzically, "Second? Oh, I remember, now.

Good morn, Second. I did not mean to waken you."

Jandra laughed, "You have not, Karan. It is late morn, and you but slept a short while. I have brought you some fresh garments. Get yourself prepared and come and join us for our morn meal. We have overly enough."

Karan was a slight woman but with pleasant features. Her soft brown hair reached to her waist that she normally wore in a long braid. Karan was always well contained in her mannerisms and seldom abrupt. Jandra knew that Karan had a rough beginning in her life. Her Birth-Mother and mother had both been killed in battle when Karan was in her sixth cycle. Another family adopted her, but those mothers had too been killed in yet another battle during Karan's ten cycle. From there, she lived mostly on her own, moving from one family to the next, never remaining permanent, and often running away if she felt it necessary. Woden had seen it as a problem until Karan met Ailis during her seventh cycle and Ailis' nineteenth cycle. They had quickly formed a companionship and had been together since that moment. Karan was now in her forty-third cycle, and had never ventured alone again. The Woden community had thought that Karan wouldn't be able to hold a companionship together, but twenty-six cycles later, she had proved all of them wrong.

"It is Festival this turn, Second."

Jandra looked at her in question, "Yes it is, Karan. Has this festival a particular significance for you?"

Karan smiled and blushed, "It is the festival that Ailis and I but became companions, twenty-six cycles prior."

Sam entered the room, "Come, let us eat. I have prepared the meal.

Good morn, Karan."

- 361 -.

Elsewhere, across The Realm The Queen looked down upon her, "Rise. Give Me your report."

"Her lover is pregnant with the Promised One, my Queen."

She was fully surprised, "Are you certain of this? Her lover?"

"Yes, Highness. It is so. The Spirits of the Falls' leader has sent her a message telling her to protect her lover."

"So her most beautiful lover must be young then."

"No, my Queen. Not young, but not old. When she was told of such, she became angry with The Highest, as they were in a discussion regarding their companionship. The lover was moving out until this report. She doesn't want to be with child."

"Moving out? Do they not become companions, then?"

"It is reported that they become companions, Highness. But it is a most unstable relationship. I believe The Highest will miss her freedom in such. She seems to like a different lover at all the moments. And she seems quite . . . vigorous in her needs."

"Why did her lover desire to leave her?"

"Her lover finds her overly self-centered and overly independent, Highness. And the lover knows that The Highest loves another."

"Loves another? Then why take this one as a companion?"

"She loves the Sea Captain, who already has a companion, Highness.

Woden only requires a companion, but the companion doesn't have to be loved. The Sea Captain doesn't love her companion. They are only companions of convenience."

The Queen shook her head, "They take companions, but they love another? Don't you find this practice rather questionable?"

Her messenger laughed, "Indeed, my Queen. Most. But it seems to be the law, and now she must find a companion, as she is now The Highest."

"Perhaps it might be more sensible to change the law, then. But we digress. What else?"

"The leader of the Spirits of the Falls has lied to her, Highness. She told The Highest that Buron is under your command, and that they now fight you and the Spirit Mothers of the Valley, through Buron."

The Queen became angry, "She lied? Why would she do as such?

What would she gain from this lie?"

"I know not, my Queen, but my guess is that this unborn child has something to do with it. Woden now prepares for battle against Buron."

The High Queen paced, "Of course. Far'lin'ter'il wants this child for herself. She must be this mysterious High Spirit Mother." She looked up, deep in thought. "But, hold. You don't think that the Spirit Mothers of the - 362 -.

Valley are involved in the dece. . . . no. This could not be so. Not them.

Surely not them." She began pacing again. "And now Far'lin'ter'il wants to keep this child away from The Realm. It all becomes clear now. I will have to interfere, then."

"But your vow, my Queen"

"will be broken. It must be so. But not now. Perhaps I make a mistake in My thinking. We will watch carefully. As this unborn moves closer into The Realm, we will make a decision. She must not be born into the hands of those Spirits. She belongs to The Realm. That also was vowed."

"Yes, Highness. You speak truth."

"Anything else, as if this were not enough?"

"Yes, my Queen. Her lover forgives easily. I read somewhere, but cannot recall where, that there are those in The Realm that forgive easily, such as this, rather than fight their lovers. It returns not to me at this moment, but makes me think once again that she is different."

"You rely overly on these books. Check with the storytellers. They will know. Have you found out where she comes from?"

"No, my Queen. Even she doesn't know of such."

"This lover of hers sounds most special. Is The Highest as good as this to deserve such a beautiful lover with such a kind nature?"

"And the lover is most intelligent, my Queen. More so than The Highest."

The Queen raised an eyebrow, "Pity. It sounds like this lover is wasted in that small town. The most beautiful in The Realm, you say.

"With no doubt, my Queen. In all The Realm. I exaggerate not."

The Queen was intrigued, but pushed it aside. "Anything else?"

"The leader of her forces is also most special. I much like this warrior woman. She goes by the name of Meera."

"Strange name, but all their names sound strange to Me. But she is only human so has no powers."

"You speak truth, my Queen, but she has an exceptional warrior's heart, and could serve The Realm well."

"Do they have enough forces to beat this miserable and conceited Buron? I am sorry that I brought him here. I have spent many sleepless eves since his visit. The memory of him gives Me chills. I hope I haven't made a mistake."

"You did as such to save her, my Queen. It helped in the only way we could. They do have sufficient forces, but we could secretly help the odds a bit, my Queen, when the moment arrives."

- 363 -.

"I will consider such, but find out of Buron's forces, and theirs as well.

I don't want to interfere in this battle unless necessary. We seem to have enough of our own."

"Yes, my Queen."

"Anything else?"

"No. That is all for now, Highness, but we continue to observe."

She paced some more, "Tell Me. Does this small town of hers keep her busy?"

"Amazingly so, my Queen. More curious than this, they know not of all else in The Realm."

"Nothing?"

"Only of Apien, New Harborage, Fornaith, and a few other small human settlements, my Queen. This is all."

"They know not of us?"

She shook her head, "No, my Queen. Nothing, except by name. Nor of the Mungardies, or the Dungaras, or any of the Mystics. They think The Realm is all human, except for the Spirit Mothers."