When she found her, she sent her a message: My unborn child. Raise your awareness and know who and where you are. You reside in your Birth-Mother's womb. She will care for you until you are but born. Listen to her sounds. Listen to the sounds of Woden. Show your Birth-Mother your love. Grow peacefully and listen well.

Love your Birth-Mother. Learn of Woden while you grow.

The tiny unborn child woke. The movement startled Jandra. She moved her hands to her womb and felt it, whispering, "Sam. What did you do?"

Sam placed her hands on Jandra's, "I didn't hurt her. I but spoke to her."

"Her? Sam . . . oh."

The child had moved again, and Jandra had felt it.

She sat back down, "This be most strange, Sam."

"She but prepares herself."

Karan couldn't hear their conversation but thought that something had happened to Jandra, "Second, be you well?"

Jandra looked over to Karan, "Yes, Karan. I am fine."

When Jandra looked up at Sam, she noticed her eyes, "Sam, look into a mirror. Every moment you use your power, your eyes but change. It is as if they were the color and movement of sun-soaked waves. They shimmer."

Sam ignored the comment and looked to Karan, "Be you ready for festival, Karan?"

"If you mind not, Highest, I will go prepare. I will meet you at the festival."

Jandra waved her off, "We can tend to ourselves. Have fun this turn, Karan. Tend to me later."

Sam went to the door and spoke to Keddi and Margeria, bending down to pet Rundle, "There will be enough guards at Festival, so go and enjoy yourselves. I am certain you have but raised the level of embarrassment in the guards. They will be most watchful."

Keddi nodded, "Thank you Highest. I am going to leave Rundle with you at all moments now. I will but give him a message to watch and guard The Second. Be this fine with you, Highest?"

Sam nodded, "Will you come to feed him, then?"

Keddi also nodded, "You need not worry at all about Rundle. We will all now be most watchful of The Second. May I take Rundle to her and give him his direction, now?"

Sam nodded and they went inside to Jandra. Keddi motioned to Rundle, and then to The Second. Rundle understood the hand motion and went and sat alongside Jandra. He would now follow her wherever she went.

- 369 -.

Jandra looked to Sam, unsmiling, "I now have a child and a dog? Be there a bird about that you would but have me take on as well, Sam? Or perhaps a few fish?"

Sam and Keddi both laughed. Sam replied, "He is but your guard so that Keddi and Margeria can enjoy the turn at Festival."

Sam held out her arm to Jandra. Jandra took it and they began walking toward Hengist and the festival. Sam looked behind and saw that Rundle followed, on his best guard. She also noticed that guards were everywhere about them.

"Oh, Sam. This child but makes me know it is there."

Sam halted and placed her hand upon Jandra's womb. She felt the child move slightly.

Jandra looked concerned, "It be overly early for this. I should not feel this child for another two moons."

Sam shook her head, "This be no ordinary child, Jandra. She is but of the Spirits of the Falls even more than I be. And she will be as beautiful as you."

"How do you know of this?"

"I have seen her."

"Now? In my womb? You have seen her?"

Sam shook her head again, "No, Jandra. I have but seen her as The Highest of All The Realm. I have but seen what Woden will be if I can but get us that far. But first, we must win the battles against the Spirits of the Valley and Buron."

Jandra moved into Sam. To Sam, she seemed afraid, "Hold me."

"What is it, Jandra?"

"I but want the child to feel us together. I don't want her to feel my fear, so remove my fear from me, Sam."

Sam placed her arms around Jandra and held her tightly, "Why do you fear, so, Jandra?"

Jandra placed her arms around Sam and held her as tightly, "Why do I fear so? How can you ask this?" Jandra fought against her anger but was surprised at Sam's continued ignorance of her feelings.

"I now have a child that I must protect for the future of all The Realm, and who will but rule the entire realm if I can get this child to the moment of birth. And I have a lover and soon-to-be companion that is the warrior for the Spirits of the Falls, and who must lead us into battle. Sam, all The Realm is going to come to Woden to fight you to prevent this child.

And they will seek to kill you. And I have a lover who does not need me or love me. Why should I not be fearful, is the better question."

Sam spoke softly and moved slightly away from Jandra, but took her hands into her own, "Jandra. I know these are fearful moments, but we are - 370 -.

well prepared. Oisin but fights off Apien and New Harborage at this moment, and my powers but grow. The Old Raggedy One will return soon and give me increased power to battle Buron, and my Mothers are to provide more preparation for the battle. Meera and Keddi will see to it that our guards are but prepared, and Meera is also beginning training for all our women and men. And you need have no fear for this child. The Spirits of the Falls watch over this child every moment."

Jandra took her hands away from Sam, yet well frustrated with her, "It be useless to fear with you around. You but see everything as an adventure." She thought about it for a moment, "Sam, what makes you so certain that the Spirits of the Valley are truly our enemies, or this queen they mention? Should we believe everything we have been told? We know little of the Spirits of the Falls, and nothing of the Spirits of the Valley. We could be no more than puppets in their battles. Battles that may not even concern us. The Spirits of the Valley and queen could well be our allies for all we know, whoever they be."

Sam was surprised, "What makes you ask such a question, Jandra?

This be a most strange question. Be something telling you otherwise?"

"I know not. It be just a thought, perhaps. But we seem overly trusting, at moments. We should not go so naively into believing the Spirits of the Falls. This does not seem as correct, Sam. It is overly convenient."

Suddenly, Jandra laughed, and Sam wondered what was so humorous, "Jandra, now you laugh?"

"Oh, Sam. I thought my life boring and routine. I wished for a little excitement and now look. You are correct. I might as well give in to the moment. Let us take our strange family and go to this festival. I have never prior known such companionship as this, but I now suppose I should learn it well."

She looked at Sam, "I love you, Sam."

"You are the best lover I have ever had."

Jandra turned and began walking again, "Except for Brett."

Sam took Jandra's arm and began walking with her, "No. Even Brett.

You are but a wild woman, and I like it much."

"You will seek out other lovers when I get big with this child. It will change my body."

"No, Jandra. I will not. Don't think this truth as it will not be so."

"Sam, have you noticed that our speech changes because of you reading those diaries?"

"I have. We seem to be taking that strange words 'don't' and 'didn't'

into our usage. Do you think others will pick this up also?"

"That would be humorous. We begin to speak like the First Ones. Be there another word that I might begin to use?"

- 371 -.

"We could try can't for cannot."

"I will try. Where do you head us first during Festival?"

"You are but the arranger of this festival. You take us around. I am but yours for the turn. I know not when the events but occur."

As they crossed the bridge, Sam could begin to see the festival arts and crafts booths. Jesters and mimes were busy running around entertaining all, food was abundant, storytellers were telling their stories, and then Sam saw Tadan introducing his new wind machine. Many of the builders were standing around looking at it.

"Look Sam. Tadan holds court with the builders over there. What be he up to, now?"

"I know not. He is always inventing something new."

Ivers had been looking for The Highest and when he saw her, he came running over and knelt and bowed before her, "Highest. I have completed your knife for you."

He held it out to her.

"Rise, Ivers. Show me how you did this so as to not ruin the balance."

Ivers rose. He bowed his head to Jandra, "Second. Highest, this knife. Where be it from? I know not this craftship. It be most excellent."

"It be from long prior, Ivers."

"This metal is wonderfully strong. Even with the stone, the balance be perfect. Try it out, Highest."

Sam, Ivers and Jandra, with Rundle in tow, all walked over near the forest where few people were.

"Where should I aim, Ivers?"

Ivers pointed to a small tree a good distance away, "Can you but hit that tree, Highest?"

Sam raised her eyebrow, "You but test my skills, Ivers. That be a long distance. But let me try."

She felt the knife and tested it in her hand, readied it, looked at the tree, took her aim and threw the knife. Even from that distance, Jandra could see that the knife was on target. As it hit the tree, the tree cracked in two and fell to the ground.

Sam went to retrieve the knife but Ivers went first, "Allow me, Highest. I will retrieve your knife."

Jandra looked at Sam's eyes and saw as she suspected, "You used your powers to do that, did you not?"

Sam shook her head a bit, looking quite startled at the tree, "No. I did nothing unusual. I but threw the knife to but test it out."

"But your eyes change. They shimmer once again."

Ivers returned with the knife, "Try it on a larger tree, Highest."

- 372 -.

Tadan had seen his mother throw the knife and watched as the tree broke in half.

He excused himself from the builders and walked over to watch the next practice. Sam hadn't seen him. She took the knife from Ivers and looked at the stone he had so skillfully embedded into it. It seemed to sparkle with life. She readied herself once again, aimed and then threw the knife to the larger tree Ivers had pointed out. Like before, her aim was perfect, and like before, the tree broke in half. On this throw, however, a slight fire started in the split, but quickly smoldered out in the green wood.

Jandra looked to Sam's eyes and saw that they were intensifying in their blueness. Ivers ran to retrieve the knife.

"Highest. You but draw a small crowd. Be that the knife with the stone in it?"

Sam and Jandra turned to see Meera and Caitha behind them. Tadan was to their side, watching. He said nothing. A small crowd had gathered around, stunned at The Highest's demonstration of her skills.

They all knelt and bowed their heads when she turned, "Highest."

Sam hadn't noticed them. She turned around to get the knife back from Ivers.

Jandra tugged lightly on Sam's sleeves, "Highest."

Jandra nodded her head toward the kneeling crowd.

Sam looked at Jandra and then at them, "Oh, sorry. Please rise. Enjoy the festival."

"Highest Mother, how did you but do that?"

Sam looked at Tadan, yet confused. She shook her head, "I know not, Tadan."

Meera politely dispersed the crowd and returned, "Perhaps we should wait for any further demonstration of your new-found skills, Highest."

Sam was yet looking at the knife, "What good would this but do me, Meera?"

Meera laughed lightly, "It sure is better than chopping the tree down, Highest."

Caitha and Jandra laughed with her, as did Tadan.

Sam turned to Ivers, "The knife has not been weakened by the stone's addition. You did but fine work on this Ivers. I thank you much for this."

Ivers bowed his head, "Thank you, Highest. Your sword will take but another turn."

He turned to Meera, "It be a much larger weapon, her sword, and I but wonder if a stone should be inserted on each side of the sword's hilt.