Let us introduce ourselves before we begin providing you with what you will need to win your battle against this Buron. I am Li'el'in'tiln. And these are Suren'tin'dil', Muristil'n', and Fin'nin'don'nil.

Sam bowed her head as each one was introduced. She knew not what to say to each, so said nothing.

We are here to give you the ability to use your eyes as weapons. You may have noticed that your eyes have changed of late. We will provide you with the power to use them as such, but you will need to practice to develop the skill. Unfortunately, we are unable to give you the skill as well.

At one point during the discussion, the Spirit Mothers' four horses all looked at Jandra, then looked back to their Spirit Mothers. Seeing that they were unwatched, they wandered quietly over to her. They came up close, almost scaring her. She rose from where she sat and let them nudge her with their noses. She knew not what they wanted, but patted their noses and scratched their ears a bit, laughing quietly. They were beautiful horses and she thought them very friendly. When Caitha rose and tried to touch them, they moved away.

"Jandra, why do they come to you, such as this?"

"I know not, but are they not most wonderful?"

After a few moments, they each nudged her softly, once again, then left.

Caitha shook her head, fully dismayed at this sight. Jandra didn't think on it much. She and Caitha watched Sam and the Spirit Mothers, but grew impatient. The only thing they were able to see were the group staring at each other. No words were spoken. No movement used. And no practice done. Sam stood with her Spirit Mothers and listened. After a while, Jandra and Caitha saw Sam kneel once again, and bow her head. She remained this way as each Spirit Mother came to her and placed her hands upon Sam's head. With the exception of each Spirit Mother moving their head slightly backward as if in deep thought, nothing occurred that Jandra and Caitha could see. When all four had done the same thing, they each gave Sam a kiss on her cheek, returned to their horses, and left as quickly as they had come. Sam stood as they began to leave.

As soon as they were gone, the Old One began Sam's practice with the weights, "125!"

When Sam finished, and her arms hung limply at her side, the Old One gave Sam her sword, "Throw it with your right arm. You practice until you hit your mark."

The Old One marked a large tree at a middle distance away. Sam practiced, throwing the sword with one-arm over and over again. It felt clumsy and awkward to Sam after having perfected the over-head throw, and she - 418 -.

felt frustrated. While all of Woden could run the perimeter, she was stuck throwing the same sword over and over again.

Upon Meera's return from the perimeter run, and unknown to Sam during her training, all the women and men most recently rescued from Apien and New Harborage approached Meera.

One spokeswoman for the group approached Meera, "Woden be our home, now. We wish to fight in this battle to protect her. We ask you to help train us."

Meera shook her head, "You yet be overly weak from your battles."

She lowered her brows, "We forget not the wrongs they have done to us. This cannot happen again. We will fight, either trained or untrained. It be up to you. We will but have our moment with these evil ones. And if that Manthar be with them, he be ours."

Meera considered, "You will train as I but command. I will not have you counter my commands. I will provide you weapons, but not one command may be questioned, or you remain on your own."

"Yes, Second. We understand and will follow your orders. Please make us useful."

The remainder of the runners began to re-enter the training grounds at late after-midturn. Sam had yet to hit her mark. Once again, the familiar pattern continued. Meera, Jandra and Caitha waited until Sam finally hit the tree. She did so by early eve, and as she was preparing for her first early rest in seven turns, the Old One returned and motioned to the rocks, "150, then you can rest."

Sam could barely lift her right arm by itself, but to add the weight of the rock seemed impossible. She focused and centered her breathing.

Slowly, she began the movements. One by one, until late eve, she completed the sets.

The eighth turn brought more of the same for all. Meera kept the practice intense and focused, while Sam was ordered to throw using her left arm this turn. This turn, however, just following the Old One marking the tree, she had Sam kneel before her. Sam did so and bowed her head. The Old One placed her grubby small hands upon Sam's head, and Jandra saw that they remained this way for many, many long moments. She wondered what the Old One was giving to Sam, but continued her own knife practice.

Margeria had told Jandra that she was becoming a master of knife throwing, and in truth, Jandra could now throw a knife most accurately to far targets.

Her bow and arrow practice was also improving.

When Sam rose, no one could see the brightness and clarity of her eyes. They shone as the sun on water. She began her practice with the rocks. These were heavier this turn, and she did 150 sets. When completed, she lifted her sword and threw it with her left arm, her strongest.

- 419 -.

On her fourth attempt, she hit her target. Throughout the turn, the Old One would mark a tree, each more distant and smaller than the prior, and Sam would trade between arms. By the end of the turn, at the eve, Sam was able to throw her sword from either arm or from over-head and hit her mark.

Meera, Jandra, and Caitha heard Sam speak for the first in many turns during practice, "Have I but gained the skill you require of me?"

The Old One shook her head and hissed, "No. Next turn is with blinders. You must be able to throw accurately when blind, after only the briefest of glances at your target." She motioned to the rocks, these heavier than even the morn's, "175!"

Sam and Jandra returned late-eve. The routine was set as all those prior. Sam ate while Jandra prepared her bath. Jandra ate while watching Sam soak in the hot water. May continued to massage Sam's arms, shoulders and back.

This turn, May looked at her more carefully, "Highest, your body but looks more, I know not, more angular. You look overly strong. Feel her muscles, Jandra. Her arms are twice their normal size."

Jandra nodded, "I have seen these changes in her. She looks a different person these turns. Look at her eyes, May. They yet change again.

They look as if she looks through one, now. It no longer looks like she looks at me. It is a strange feeling."

Sam listened, "I am not yet strong enough. Much relies on my powers and my ability to use them."

May kept massaging her but said, "Are you not exhausted, Highest?

Perhaps you should rest but one turn."

"If I but lose this battle, May, I can rest the remainder of all The Realm and eternity. Buron has much strength. The Old One tells me that he be also large of body and has much more the strength than I have. She gives me hope, though. She says that while he has most the same powers as I, he has not developed them as I have been trained, and he has not the endurance."

Jandra and May spoke for a while as Sam soaked in the hot water.

They then noticed that Sam's head bent down, and that Sam had fallen asleep in her bath.

The next turn, Meera asked Sam to practice swords with her as a warm-up. The Old One nodded in compliance, "For a short moment, only.

You have much to accomplish this turn."

Sam unsheathed her sword and moved it as if it had no weight at all.

Meera touched her sword to Sam's, as their tradition, and they began.

Meera made as if to take a large swing at Sam, and Sam swung her sword toward Meera's with both hands, the swing at full strength. When it hit - 420 -.

Meera's sword, the power of Sam's swing broke Meera's sword in half.

Meera dropped the sword part she was holding, and held her wrist with her other hand.

She looked at Sam, "Your strength is but scary now, Sam."

Sam sheathed her own sword and asked a guard for one of hers.

Meera got another sword from a guard, and they began again. Meera lunged toward Sam and Sam brought her sword around with one hand, hit Meera's sword with it, but on this swing, instead of just breaking Meera's sword, both swords broke in half. Meera put down the broken half of her sword and held her wrist tightly. It had twisted badly in the force. The Old One came over and placed her hand to Meera's wrist. When she removed it, the wrist was healed. She looked to Sam and bid her to kneel. Sam did so. The Old One placed her hands upon Sam's head, and the thoughts flew between them with the span of a breath.

Use not your weapons against them. Use your mental powers to halt their attacks.

I will but hurt them.

Do not do so. Halt them without hurting them.

How?

You must learn to do so. Focus. Move their weapons away from them. Trip them. Have their arrows fly somewhere else. It is only with Buron that you now need a weapon. With these humans, you will but kill them in one blow. Halt their feet. Turn them around. Temporarily blind them. You know of your powers. Now look closely at them and use your brain. Do not be a stupid one.

Sam rose. The Old One told Meera, "Have five attack her with their weapons."

Meera shook her head, "It be unfair odds."

"I know it, but she will not hurt them."

Meera looked startled, having the reverse meaning, but chose five guards and motioned for them to attack Sam. They did so only mildly, as they didn't wish to hurt The Highest. Sam made no move until they got close. As they raised their swords, she held out her hand and sent her power to their weapons. Their swords flew from their hands. Meera motioned for some archers to take aim and told them to aim around her. They pulled their bows. As Sam readied to halt their bows as she had done with the swords, she heard the Old One's thoughts race through her mind: Do not remove their bows. Do it differently. What think you?

I could but try to change the direction of their arrows.

Good. If there were enemies behind you, you could send the arrows toward them.

Use the maximum efficiency. Use their own weapons against one another. Where do they but aim? Can you feel the direction of the aim?

- 421 -.

Sam nodded and waited until they pulled their arrows. She then forced her power to the arrows and sent all the arrows into a tree directly behind her.

Good. You must be able to direct your sword's aim in the same fashion.

It be overly heavy. My mind can't control it.

It can. It must! Take your sword and throw it backwards to the tree you sent the arrows. Do not look at the tree again. See it in your head and see where you but want it to hit.

This be ridiculous. I but try.

Sam unsheathed her sword and threw it backwards with both hands.

She saw the tree in her head as if it were in front of her. The sight amazed her, and the sword hit its mark.

Meera shook her head, "We do not need to train. You will but halt all of them."

The Old One spoke harshly to Meera and to all that would listen, "Woden must tend to Woden. Your Highest's battle will consume all her powers. Her battle is with Buron. Not all of Woden combined will halt Buron. If Sam does not, the battle is lost. If she defeats Buron, she will have few powers left to call upon to help you. Woden must tend to Woden. Sam will tend to Buron."

Meera nodded, "It will be so, then."

The Old One nodded back to her, "Train them harder. There be many more than what you have. Your numbers be low against them. Your odds will be 5:1, but Woden will fight stronger and better. Half their forces are innocents. You should save them if you can. They will be sent first."

She then turned to everyone and yelled at them, "Train harder. Your life will but depend on it."

They trained again. And the next turn, and the next. They all worked harder. Meera began warning sessions. When the enemy approached, she taught them signals to warn Woden. Horns would be used. The signal codes were given, and each turn, they practiced their warnings and attacks.

Sam continued to train on her own. The Old One had her train until mideve every turn now. Sam had to run to the border, back to the harbor, return to the border, then back to the training grounds. The Old One now made her throw her sword in an instant's notice, and expected a perfect throw with each. She made Sam practice throwing her knife with a deadly aim. She made Sam practice throwing without seeing. Lifting heavier weights, more sets. On one turn, the Old One set up a dummy near a tree.

"This be Jandra. The tree be Buron. Buron has captured Jandra. You have but one throw to save her before he breaks her neck. Now."

Sam threw her sword. It hit perfectly in the middle of . . . Jandra, the dummy.

- 422 -.

The Old One made Sam turn her back, readied a different set up, and then said "Now." She gave Sam an instant to throw a long distance, with perfect accuracy. When Sam failed, the Old One shook her head and looked disappointed. Sam practiced until the moon rose. The Old One then made her throw her knife first, then her sword in an instant after.

Then in the reverse. Once, she tripped Sam as she was ready to throw her sword, then yelled at her for not throwing it as she fell. The next moment this occurred, Sam threw the sword in mid-fall.

The practice sessions grew longer and harder. Everyone in Woden was getting stronger, and with improved aim. They learned to fight in teams. In pairs. To attack smart. To think. To be defensive and yet aggressive. Everyone could now use a bow and arrow with good accuracy, throw a knife with good aim, use a sword smartly, and use and throw spears. Defenses were prepared. Traps were set. And everyone kept training. More and more of the community's people began to train with them.

Liley laughed and complained that everyone was eating four more the amounts per meal than normal.

By the twenty-third turn, the Old One felt Sam ready as possible. She had fire thrown at her, and Sam repelled it. She made Sam throw her sword from a charging horse. From a tree. Run long whiles. Sam, and all the others, were now stronger looking than they had ever been. They could now fight all turn without tiring. None needed a soaking bath every eve.

Jandra wondered about the Old One, "If she be so all-seeing as this, and with this many powers to her, why does she not but fight this Buron, or just kill him?"

Caitha just shrugged, "I know not, M'Love. Have you asked Sam?"

Jandra nodded, then shook her head in dismay, "I have upon many occasions, but she is not listening. Her devotion to this Old One is without question."

The Old One sat them all down on the twenty-fourth turn, "You are ready. Prepare yourselves as they but come. Be not afraid and have no fear. You have trained well and hard."

She turned to Sam; I wil now take Jandra and Caitha with me to your Spirit Mothers.

And Tadan.

It cannot be so.

It will be so. He be also the future of Woden.

It be not allowed.

Then make but an exception.

No.

I have no patience for this, Grandmother. It must be so.

Do not show me this disrespect.

- 423 -.

Sam turned and stared at a tree, angry. Suddenly, the tree burst into flames. The women and men just stared, wide-eyed, but couldn't know what was occurring. Jandra worried about what was happening between the two.

It will be so or we but pull up the fight and give in to Buron. You have but used me to fight your battle against the Spirits of the Valley. That be what this fight about.