You do not fool me, Grandmother. It is you and the Spirit Mothers of the Falls who have but allowed this to occur. You must take Tadan.

Sam softened, knelt and bowed her head, Please. I need this so, Grandmother of all grandmothers.

The Old One pursed her lips together, but nodded, I will do this for you.

It is a small enough favor. I will leave with them as soon as they can be but prepared.

Buron and his force will arrive by the next turn after. I will see of your battle in the mirror of the water. Lead your people well.

Sam nodded and rose, "Thank you, Old One. I will have them prepare now."

Sam went to Briggon and told him what she wanted. He agreed and sent a messenger to retrieve Tadan and his supplies. Sam informed Meera to have Caitha prepare for leaving immediately, and had a guard prepare six horses. Then she told Keddi and Margeria to make haste in their travel, but to return more hastily.

The Old One went to Jandra and bid her kneel. Jandra did so, reluctantly. The Spirit Mother placed her hands upon Jandra's head and began her story: It is the moment that I will now answer your questions. Jandra of Woden, you but carry the future of all The Realm. You must now leave with me to protect you and our unborn. Many come to Woden now to make it fall. Buron comes for you and for Sam.

He comes to kill you both. The Spirits of the Valley have prepared him for this battle as I have but prepared Sam. He is of them as Sam is of your Spirit Mothers and me. But he be stupid. Sam will but win because of her intelligence.

Many, many cycles prior, the spirits were the only inhabitants of this realm. When the likes of you came, which was not foretold in the legends, and which was vowed otherwise, the Spirits of the Valley, and their queen, wanted to use you to control The Realm and all the other Spirit Mothers. We wish not to control, but to live together in peace.

We foresaw not the evilness of the Spirits of the Valley. In order to prevent your kind from eons of slavery and evil, and ourselves as well, we had to but mix with your kind to give us Sam so that we might win over the Spirits of the Valley and their queen.

I know your thoughts, Jandra, and no. If Sam but wins the battle over Buron, only this battle with him be over. We must then fight the queen and Spirits of the Valley, but that will be across other cycles. Your daughter that is part of you, part of Sam, and part of us, will become the key to peace in all The Realm. But that be far distant - 424 -.

from now, Jandra, as Sam and you, if we but win our battles, will live to see The Realm grow and prosper across many, many long cycles from now.

I take you now to what is but a strange place for you. Worry not. You will be well tended. We also take Caitha and Tadan with us. The child you carry wil know this place and feel comforted in it. You will come to know your child's ancestors and stories. Go now and prepare. We have a long journey ahead of us. Sam must now focus only on one thing: Buron. It will comfort her to know that you be safe. I will send her a message when we arrive.

Jandra looked up at the Old One but said nothing. She didn't trust these Spirits, but would say nothing to them about it, as she felt it useless.

She knew that none of her real questions had been addressed. She then rose and went to Sam, "Come and help me to prepare. We take our leave."

"It is with a mixed heart I let you go."

They went to their dwelling together. When they returned, the rest of the travelers were ready. Tadan was already mounted and looking excited about the trip. Briggon was speaking to him, and Tadan was nodding.

Sam went to Tadan, "You will now see what no man has been allowed.

I send you to protect you. In kind, you must tend and protect Jandra and my unborn child. You be the future of Woden as well, Tadan. Do not overtalk to my Spirit Mothers. Learn as much as you can, and take care of my Jandra. The unborn will be but your leader in cycles to come, so learn of her well."

"Yes, Highest Mother. I am most anxious to meet our Spirit Mothers.

I will tend to Second and your unborn, as you request. Remember, she be my family, in a sense."

Sam went to Keddi and Margeria and wished them safe and speedy travel. They prepared lightly, and only with weapons. Keddi and Margeria both carried three full bags of arrows.

She then went to Caitha, "Friend. Thank you for going with my Jandra. I know that Meera will miss you, but I also know she wants you safe.

It eases my heart to know that you are with Jandra. Take care of yourself and of Jandra. Meera and I will come to retrieve you when the battle be over. Worry not, Caitha."

Caitha just smiled and touched Sam's cheek.

Sam then went to Jandra, who waited by her horse. She hugged and kissed her their farewell.

"Jandra, be safe. If I but know you are safe, my mind can focus more on what I must now do. Take care of yourself and know that I but miss you and think of you. We will come for you and Caitha as soon as the battle be over." Sam laughed, "And Tadan will keep you well entertained."

- 425 -.

Jandra smiled and hugged Sam again, "Live, Sam. That be all that matters. As the Old One said, let Woden take care of Woden. You must focus only on Buron."

"I will miss you, Jandra."

"And I you, old warrior woman. Go now, and be not sad. Return to me quickly as I can't wait long without you."

Sam went to the Old One, Take care of my Jandra, Grandmother.

I will do as such. Worry not for her. When you kill Buron, you must do as I say, Sam: remove his eyes and his heart and burn them quickly, or he will but return to the Spirits of the Valley. Do not hesitate in this act. Remember that he be far stronger than you, but he be stupid. Fight smart, as Meera has trained Woden to do. Engage him not in swordplay. He is overly strong for you. And know that he can also but throw a sword as you, but not with either his arms, only his right. When you move to kill him, think not him dead overly soon. Kill him twice or more. Use your sword and your knife.

And one last item, Granddaughter: He has not the same power of your eyes. Use them.

Practice with them these next turns. Your eyes, Sam. Remember to use your eyes not to see, as your mind can now do that for you, but as weapons.

Come to me when you but win. We will tend to your wounds. I have given you all I can for now. It will be enough if you but remember and remain smart. Take good care of Meera, as I have come to like her and that Caitha of hers.

Sam laughed and hugged her, then set her up on her horse. Sam gave a slap to the horse's rump, and Keddi led the others out to their journey.

Jandra turned and waved to Sam, and Sam did likewise. As the horses moved off into the forest and out of Sam's eyesight, Sam and Meera walked back to the training grounds to begin again.

"Sam, did you mean to catch that tree on fire when you but looked at it?"

"No. I knew not I could do as such. The Old One but told me just now to practice using my eyes not as sighting agents but as weapons. Buron has no such ability."

"That at least, be a good report."

Sam slapped Meera on the back, "Let us eat our eve meal together this eve."

"Good. Now, get back to your training. Go practice using your eyes as weapons."

"I will do so. At least I don't run this turn."

"Wrong. You run to the border, back to the harbor, back to the border, and return. Practice with your eyes as you but run. And run faster and harder this turn. You but run lazy."

"You are a hard trainer."

"Carry your weapons with you, and carry a heavy rock. Now go.

RUN!"

- 426 -.

Sam began, and Meera went to her forces, "We prepare this turn. Let us practice our signals and responses. Go! Run softly and swiftly. I want no errors this turn."

Meera hadn't gotten used to the advisors training as hard as all her guards, but she was proud of them. They were now better than her guards had been when they had begun the training. But she wasn't pleased to learn that the odds would be five-to-one. She knew that they would have to equalize it to the better at the very beginning of the battle. At least the Old One had informed her that the beginning forces against them were untrained and innocents who didn't wish to fight. Meera had informed her forces of such, and they had developed plans to merely injure them and then remove them from the battlefield. Meera guessed that this would narrow the odds to four- or three-to-one. Their traps and tricks would narrow it further, but from there, each of hers would have to take out three or four of their forces. Meera knew that this would be a tough battle. But all of Hengist and Woden were now prepared.

As eve came, the training halted and Meera sent everyone to their dwellings, "From the morn on, we all but become on-guard and prepared for battle. This be your last eve in comfort until after the battle."

Elsewhere, across The Realm Kneeling, with head bowed, she said, "The battle occurs next turn, my Queen."

"Can they win this battle?"

"They can, but with great loss, Highness. We could take out one of Buron's forces prior to its arrival and make it much easier on them, without anyone noticing."

The High Queen thought for a moment, then nodded, "Do as such.

But make certain you are unseen, and that there are no survivors, and no remains."

"It will be as such, Highness."

"Has she gained her powers?"

"They are not even close to yours, my Queen, but she has some. The Spirits of the Falls came and told her to use her eyes as weapons."

"Is this all? This miserable little power? Nothing else?"

"The leader of the Spirits has trained her hard, my Queen."

"FOOLS! They cannot be trusted. And why would those Spirit Mothers train her when they have lied to her?"

"I know not, my Queen. I can only guess that they try to hide what they do so we don't find out."

- 427 -.

She sighed her displeasure, "Perhaps. But it is most quizzical. Perhaps the deception is greater than I first believed. But what of her lover?

She fights in this battle as well? She should be protected now. Can we do so for them?"

"She has gone to the Spirits of the Falls until after the battle."

The High Queen shook her head, "I don't like this, but at least she and the unborn will be safe. And their companionship?"

"It seems to be well, for the moment. My Queen, there is something most interesting about her lover. Her lover questions Woden's absolute obedience to the Spirits."

"Oh?"

"She has asked upon many occasions what proof there is that the queen and Spirits of the Valley are their enemies."

"And the answer she is given?"

"She is given no answer, my Queen. Her challenges go unheeded."

"They are also fools, then. She sounds most intelligent. How goes this pregnancy?"

"She yet has the morn illness, and already feels the unborn move."

The High Queen nodded, but said nothing.

"The Highest has made the Spirits of the Falls take in Tadan, as well."

The High Queen laughed, "She shows some spirit, anyway. That should be amusing for you to watch. Tell Me more of the lover. How does she fare?"

"She grew angry with what they call the Old One, and challenged her directly. I also saw the Spirit Mothers' horses go up to her while they spoke with The Highest. They walked over to her on their own and nuzzled her for many moments. She laughed softly to them, and petted them. Nothing more. And the new children that arrive in Woden from all across their landmass love her even though they know her not."

"What powers does she have?"

"None, my Queen."

The High Queen turned her head slightly to the side, thinking, "This brings forth a memory that I cannot call into place. Something about that story makes Me wonder, though. Have you yet found out where she comes from?"

"No, Highness. No one knows. We even searched the town records.

All we know is that she was orphaned at their gates. They raised her, but she is not of them."

"Is she human?"

"I cannot say, Highness. Being in Woden, I would guess as much, and she has no powers that she uses."

- 428 -.

"Make certain they win this battle against Fornaith. Have you found who this High Priestess is, as yet?"

"No, my Queen. She remains a mystery. It seems that even Buron knows not of this. She seems to arrive out of nowhere. But Buron knows little of anything, anyway. All he wants is power."

The High Queen waived her hand, dismissing the notion, "I know this already. He is boring and oafish. I should have had him killed. You know that we will have to take this child from the Spirit Mothers."

"Yes, my Queen."

"Then prepare to do so, as it will create more fighting. Much more fighting. All our enemies wish to see this child remain unborn. The Realm will challenge Me on this decision."

"Yes, my Queen. I am preparing your forces as we speak. They will be ready."

The High Queen looked upon her messenger, "I know that Buron will not live, but she must not die. Let her do this battle against him, but ensure that she lives. She will kill him, but I cannot have him kill her. But no one must see you. And help save that little town of hers. Those women need more help."

"And men, Highness."

"Ah, yes. I forget that little men's town. Do they fight as well?"

"Yes, Highness. They joined together in the battle preparations."

"Good. Report to Me immediately of the outcome."