"Wonderful. I am so delighted that my sex life be such a happy topic but for your merriment. However, you may be interested to know that Oisin gave me a present last eve that will please the entire community. It be in the sitting room. Go find it and try it out."

Everyone but Keddi, Meera and Sam left the room to see the new chair.

"You provided some good advise to Meera and Keets about security.

Your input will prove to be invaluable for us. I am glad you have returned home."

Keddi grinned mischievously to Sam, "Where else could I go to hear about The Second's sex life?"

"Since you are my guest, I am delighted that I am so entertaining for you."

Meera and Keddi just laughed, but Keddi looked as if she was tiring.

The Second asked, "Have you had enough of sitting up yet? You look like the pain is settling in for a long stay."

She nodded.

- 58 -.

Meera called for Keets, and they carried her back to her bed. Sam decided to sit with her a while to discuss what The Highest had told her.

They got her settled into the bed, then Meera said, "I will come to escort you over to the Community Sessions this midturn, Second. I will also go to get Treena in a while, but first I will find out if we should even waste your moments with her."

Sam had forgotten all about Treena. She knew she was much too tired to deal with her, but realized she would have to, for Treena and the community's sake.

"Meera, you will need to be patient with her for now. If she makes the decision to remain with the Spiritual Leaders, we will deal harshly with her later."

Meera nodded, "Also, Second, forget not that you are to but meet with Karan, Josin, Ghett, and Fionn later this after midturn."

Sam had indeed forgotten that, too.

Where be Lillon? Lillon helped her organize her turns, and Sam missed her. She knew she definitely needed some sleep. As everyone returned to the kitchen, they all exclaimed that they wanted one of the new chairs. They had brought it in for Sam to sit in while talking with Keddi, and then went about their duties.

Sam sat down, "I visited with The Highest last eve. She informed me that you were one of twenty women from this community to be scouts.

She also reminded me that my Birth-Mother had also been a scout. I had forgotten about her snake tattoo, but thought yours looked familiar when I first saw it. My Birth-Mother never talked about her experiences as a scout."

Keddi nodded, "Your Birth-Mother helped train me. Only six of her group returned. She told me that it had been overly difficult to remain alive during that moment. Like me, she had been very badly injured prior to her return. She birthed you shortly after."

"She told you all this?"

"She did."

"What else did she tell you?"

She paused, then continued, "There is so much you know not, Second, but that you should not know." She looked pained.

Sam was irritated that she had been left out of so much for what seemed her whole life up to this point. But it wasn't Keddi's fault, so she tried to be patient. "Should that not be my decision to make?"

Keddi just looked at Sam. She so much wanted to be with her; to be near her. She had noticed that Sam was very unaware of her beauty; of herself. At this moment she knew she was going to disappoint Sam, and would have done anything to prevent it. But since Sam had touched her - 59 -.

and they both had felt the power that was now building in Sam, Keddi knew the prophecy was beginning. It saddened her as Sam was so unaware of who she was. That would soon change. But The Second had been right; it was her decision to make.

"She told me so that I would know how dangerous it was to be a scout for Woden. She was very skilled in self-defense; the best of the group, and yet she barely made it back alive. Your Birth-Mother loved you but knew she was not to live long. You never knew your Mother. Your Birth-Mother watched while we trained with others, and then selected two of us to be trained by her. She refused to train anyone else. She made the two of us vow to watch over you. She knew that you were to be announced as The Chosen One, and knew that you would need protection. She only agreed to train the two of us so we could . . . would, act as your protectors."

Sam didn't, couldn't answer. It was simply too much information to fully process. She was unsure of how to feel. Anger was there, but at whom? She felt betrayed, but by who? Her Birth-Mother? She felt like a juvenile, kept out of everything, and everything withheld from her for her own good. She just looked at Keddi and waited.

Even Keddi knows that I am the Chosen One. Am I the only one who knew not?

Sam's mind suddenly cleared. Her voice became strained, "So, you heard that I am to be The Highest now and have returned to protect me, as you had vowed my Birth-Mother you would."

Keddi didn't need to say anything. Sam could see that this was truth.

She was becoming more frustrated, "Why now? You did not think I needed protecting prior to this?"

Keddi just winced. Sam couldn't tell if it was from her wounds and pain, or the thought of having to provide the answer. And she didn't know how close to the truth she had accidentally come.

Keddi simply said, "You had Brett."

Sam stood up, shocked, "Brett?"

Her mouth was too dry to say what was left unsaid. She glared at Keddi, "You are not telling me that Brett was a scout for Woden too, are you?" But as she had said the statement, she saw Keddi's face, and saw it was truth.

To herself, but spoken aloud, she said, "Oh, please, not Brett, too."

She suddenly remembered Brett's coiled snake.

Sam was angry; and hurt. She felt deceived, even by Brett. But now she was angry with Keddi no matter how unreasonable she knew that was.

Her tone was more enraged than she ever remembered, "So you think that what? That I but want you here to protect me?"

- 60 -.

Keddi just let her speak. She knew that The Second had cause for anger, and just hoped that it wouldn't end whatever relationship they might have known.

"I loved Brett, and now you tell me that she was protecting me and became my companion only because of my Birth-Mother?"

Keddi reached for Sam's arm in an effort to provide some comforting, but Sam was so angry she just snatched it away from her. The current had now taken on Sam's anger. It surged from Sam to Keddi, throwing Keddi off her bed, as if it were obeying Sam's command to reject her. Sam had kept talking, not yet realizing what had occurred, "Dare not assume you can touch me. Dare not assume I want you to protect me."

Then she realized what had happened. Seeing that Keddi had bumped her head in the fall and was bleeding, she rushed over and helped Keddi back into the bed. Tears began to roll down Keddi's cheeks from the pain.

Sam was unsure why Keddi was crying.

Keddi managed to look at Sam, and snapped, "Brett loved you more than you know. She wanted to be your companion. That she was your protector was just convenient."

Sam was now both angry at and concerned for Keddi, but was yet enraged. "And how would you know about that? That was my life. Mine and Brett's!"

Keddi just closed her eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Quietly she said, "Brett was my sister."

Sam's head spun out of control and everything went black. The next thing she knew, Berth and Meera were standing over her, and she was in her bed in the library. She looked around, searching for answers. But her realm had changed. Everything that she had known about her life had changed. She wanted back her other life, prior to Keddi, prior to The Highest being poisoned. I want not this life.

"Second, how are you feeling?"

"Go away. Leave me be."

She was crying, silently. She couldn't face them, or anyone. Keddi had been right after all; she really shouldn't know all Keddi told her. Everything just felt . . . dark.

"Second, what happened? You need to tell me."

Meera didn't know what to do. Keddi had refused to tell her what had occurred.

"If Keddi hurt you in any way . . . "

"Leave."

She hadn't cried since Brett's death, many cycles prior, and it now caused Meera to panic. Sam knew she needed to say something, or Meera wouldn't leave.

- 61 -.

"I cannot talk about it right now. I will be fine. And no, Keddi did not hurt me. Now, go away." Then she remembered that she had hurt Keddi.

She bolted straight up. "Keddi?"

As she sat up, her head began to throb with pain, and her arm felt bruised. She lay back down.

Berth answered, "I had to re-do the stitches in her head. She said she bumped her head. She was in terrible pain, but refused any potion to help her. What happened to her, Second?"

Sam didn't answer. She didn't care if Berth knew or not. Berth had tended to Keddi, and that was all that was needed from her. Sam put her hand to her head. It hurt so.

Berth went over to her, "Second, you need to rest for a little while.

You must have hit your head on the ground when you fell. You might have a concussion from the fall. You need to rest for the morn so I can watch over you and make sure you are fine. Let me take a quick look at your head."

"Not now, Berth. Let her be, for now." Meera intercepted Berth before she could touch The Second's head. Sam sighed with relief.

Meera said to Sam, "I will escort Treena back to her dwelling, and bring her back later ."

Sam could hardly breathe, yet now she had to deal with Treena. She was angry anyway, so thought she might as well. "No, Meera. Please just give me but a moment to recover. Have her wait in the sitting room."

Meera nodded and left, taking Berth in-hand to make sure she left with her. Sam tried to get her tears under control. Her heart ached more than her head hurt, and now she had hurt Keddi, too.

She remembered what Keddi had said: Brett was my sister.

Her head felt like spinning again, but on this moment she didn't black-out. She forced herself to face the reality. Keddi and Brett were sisters.

How am I supposed to deal with that? Why did I not know this?

As selfish as she felt regarding Brett's death, she now realized she had failed to understand what it had meant to Keddi. She too had faced a great loss.

Sam got up slowly, feeling like a very old and stupid woman. Her whole body hurt, her head ached, and her mind was weary.

How have I been so blind? Why has The Highest not told me of this?

She tried to put it aside. She knew that she should return to Keddi to see if she needed anything.

How can I face her after what happened?

She was uncertain if she even wanted her in the dwelling anymore.

She couldn't trust herself to keep from harming others, and she didn't like what was happening to her.

- 62 -.

She quietly went beside Keddi's bed. She seemed to be resting now, and her eyes were closed.

She is lovely, but so different from Brett.

Does she look like Brett?

Then she saw the resemblances to Brett. Her hair coloring was the same.

The eyes; the outline of her eyes. They are just like Brett's. This is why I have thought her so familiar looking.

She wondered why she had missed it. She caught herself from reaching to touch Keddi's mouth, to trace the outline of it, something she had often done to Brett's.

"Looking for Brett in my face?"

Keddi's eyes were closed, yet she knew Sam was there, and what she was doing. There was no malevolence in her tone. Sam was too tired to be embarrassed. She waited to answer.

She sat down and finally responded, "Yes." She paused, then added, "I knew not that she was your sister."

Keddi opened her eyes and turned her head to Sam, with a flinch. Her head and eyes pounded and her eyes were tearing from the pain.

"How did you know I was here?"

"The energy must flow about you. I could feel your presence."

Keddi's face contorted again in pain. She looked like she was about to become ill. Sam didn't understand what made her do it, but she placed both her hands on Keddi's head, feeling the strange power surge through them as she had guessed it would. The power was so strong that Keddi's head tilted back from the force and Sam's hands jerked away from Keddi's head. Sam was suddenly violently ill. She ran outside, knelt down and wretched for what she thought an eternity. Afterward, she struggled to rise, but couldn't and decided to wait there a moment.

Keddi helped her up, "Your power grows stronger."

She helped Sam inside to the chair. Sam sat down before she fell down.

"Yet I grow weaker."

She couldn't think of a moment she felt so weak and drained, and thought, This must be the feeling of death.

She looked up at Keddi, confused, "How is your pain? How is it that you are able to help me?"