Raven never did leave town to go on a mission again, though by the time of her death it was in truth finally large enough to be called a small city. The reason she stayed put wasn't entirely because she was afraid to leave. It was because she was far too occupied with her children to do more than make day trips with one particular member of the female guard to protect her while she collected herbs that didn't want to grow except where they could run free. That was the result of another of Rachel's machinations. She had marched in and told the Duchess that Delilah was being overworked and that if she collapsed it would be rather difficult for her to serve as Armsmaster.

It was also Rachel who had suggested a compromise, knowing what a workaholic Delilah was. Since the herbalists were some of the most important members of the community, it made sense to have the best protecting Raven when she was out in the "dangerous wildlands." Thus it was that Delilah was now Raven's "guard" whenever she had to go "gathering." Now that they had more time alone together, they found in each other a good friend with whom they could discuss anything.

One day, while they were out and Raven was digging up a plant that she was fairly sure she now knew how to cultivate in her garden, Delilah plopped down on a stump and gave out a great sigh. Raven glanced over at her dejected form and offered, "So, what's wrong? You look worse than you did after you discovered that the arrogant guard of Baroness Livia's you made look like a fool was her son."

"I wish it were that simple Raven. This time, I don't think that an apology is going to work. Besides, the way the Baroness was looking at her son made me think that she was glad that he'd been taken down a peg. No this is a lot more serious, I guess. I can't be sure. I've never been in love before."

Raven stopped right where she was and gave Delilah her full attention. "I can imagine how confused you are. I never realized I was in love with Johann till I was 28."

Her expression was a mix of tenderness and love. "You know, after our first time together, Lily teased me about being too skinny and that I'd need to eat better what with my being pregnant and all. I thought she was joking, right up until I noticed that I wasn't having my monthly any longer. That's when I found out that she and Rachel can see physical changes in people in addition to their emotions.

"Now look at me. I'm 37 years old and I have six children. I know that twins happen a lot here, but really! I mean, three sets of twins in a row? That almost never happens. It's like I was trying to catch up or something. I think that getting out here with you is the only time I can truly relax, even with Lily there to help.

"It's a shame that her problems after her first birthing made her barren...." Raven's look became pensive. "Then again, maybe not. She's so small that another pregnancy might have killed her, so perhaps what happened was a blessing in disguise.

"Since we're telling the truth, I guess it might be safer if someone knows, well, you know, just in case?"

Raven was fidgeting, shifting from foot to foot and moving her hands aimlessly. "Don't say anything. Of course you don't know. After all it happened nine years ago. It's so hard to talk about this. I should be over it but...."

She crumpled down, squatting on her heels. Finally she lifted her head and looked at Delilah. "I still have nightmares about that day. I don't think Johann or Lily know. At least I hope they don't. Sometimes I think the only reason I still come out here is so I don't have to be around any men. I'm afraid that if one of them accidentally bumps into me, I'm likely to do something horrible to him before I can stop myself.

"Johann is the only man I can truly relax with. Sometimes, when I wake up in the middle of the night and see him next to me I find myself shaking in fear until I remember where I am and who he is. He's the most wonderful man in the world."

She shrugged and smiled softly. "I know that a lot of women in love will say that about their men, but he really is. When he touches me it's so gentle that I can forget for a while about what those sailors tried to do to me."

She smiled again, though her eyes were wet. She lifted her hand and touched one eye. "It's funny, but ever since then I've been unable to cry."

Delilah stood up and spread her arms. "I can't say as how anyone would consider me a gentle person, but I think I can give you an adequate hug...if you want one."

Raven stepped forward and Delilah wrapped her arms around her while she shook.

After a time she took several deep breaths then smiled at Delilah. "My reliving the past isn't helping you with your problem." Raven backed up, gathered her samples and put her things in order. Then she brushed off her trousers, strode back over to Delilah, and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me what happened."

Delilah smiled sadly. "Well, it's like this. You know that courier of Count Abelli's who's been here so many times the past two years?"

Raven nodded, so Delilah continued, "You see, I've been there most of the times he's met with Duchess Abigail. Most of the time it's been about strategies to keep land-hungry nobles from coming here and trying to take Her Grace's lands, seeing as she's only a woman. Well the Count, he likes stability, and with Her Grace's lands bordering the entire north side of HIS lands, and knowing what a firm ally her father, the late Duke had been, and that Her Grace has continued her father's policies, the Count doesn't want to see changes here any more than Her Grace does. He has enough problems with the puppies on his eastern and southern borders already.

"At any rate, Her Grace and the Count have managed to dig up enough dirt on those overly-ambitious idiots that His Majesty is going to have to at least pull them up short...if he can't get rid of them entirely and replace them with more reasonable people."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Seeing the dreamy look on Delilah's face, Raven shook her shoulder and asked, "What in the name of heaven does all this have to do with your romantic dilemma?"

"Oh. That. Well, you see, it's that courier, Alonzo O'Connor. He's so cute what with that carrot colored hair and pale skin and all those freckles. It makes me want to...well...you know."

Raven's raised eyebrow and "get on with it" expression helped Delilah get back on track. "Yes, anyway, he's really, really smart. He's the one who figured out what those two nobles were up to, and he's also the one who figured out how to trap them into exposing what they were planning.

"I guess that's the problem. He's a scholar and I'm a warrior. When he was here three months ago I told him how I felt about him. You know me. I wasn't subtle about it. He got all red in the face and almost ran back the way he'd come. Since then he hasn't been back. The last two times the Count needed to send someone, it wasn't him.

"You know I can't leave here, I'm needed too much. I'll never see him again!" With that she dropped her face in her hands and sat there, a perfect picture of dejection.

Raven's response was so surprising that it shocked Delilah back into the world of the living. "So what? What does it matter that you're not going to get together with him right now? Frankly you'd make an awful mother. You're too old to be sure that you'd live long enough to raise them anyway. Besides, your talents are needed elsewhere this time 'round. You've already done more in this life that I expect most people do in 10.

"If you truly love him, you'll have a chance again in another life."

Delilah raised a newly hopeful face. "Do you think so? Really?"

"Yes love, I do. Now, help me get the rest of my things on my mule. We're nearly an hour behind schedule, and I need to get back in time to help make dinner."

As they rode back, Raven hoped that she hadn't given her friend a hearty helping of false hope. She prayed to whatever god might be listening that what she'd told Delilah would come true someday.

A sudden gust of wind danced around them then moved deeper into the forest. Had Raven's hearing been more acute she might have heard words fluttering around her as it did. "Granted little one. I also grant you the wish you are too selfless to ask for yourself. One day your fears will be as nothing compared to the love which will surround you."

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Rachel Bulambo Ashanti carefully withdrew her attention. She hadn't expected that she'd need to intervene, but it was attention to details that won the race, so she'd watched the conversation anyway. That's what the problem was with "Lady Blue." Oh, she was coming along nicely, but at times she was still too much of a child. Once she fixated on what was significant in a situation and decided on what had caused it, she quit looking for any possible alternative explanations.

That was why she'd missed the triggering event that necessitated manipulating the memories of so many people nine years earlier. Her basic assumption was wrong. It wasn't the marriages and subsequent "early" births of the twin trio's children that were important, but rather it was Raven's returning home that night. Or, to be precise, it was even earlier, with the totally unexpected consequence of the birth of Lily's twins -- her sterility.

If Lily had retained her fertility, the one becoming pregnant the night Raven returned home would have been her and not Raven. In order for what Lady Blue planned for this 'verse to bear fruit, it was absolutely essential that Johann have more children, and the conception had to be then and there. Not the day before or the day after.

For many millennia afterwards Rachel felt regret about having worked on Raven's mind so as to accentuate the horror she'd suffered. But, if she hadn't, Raven would never have responded to Johann as she had, nor would Lily -- who did in truth love Raven as if she were her twin -- have forced Johann to bed her.

Thus the reason for the mass memory manipulation was one single thing. It was absolutely necessary that Johann's children all be legitimate in a legal sense. There were essential events nearly a millennium in the future that could not happen if that weren't the case.

It was their great fortune that Raven had been so deeply in love with Johann. Because of that, the "error" had been repaired. Besides there were side benefits. There were three parents to take care of the eight children. That made life less difficult for all of them and left time for more cuddles for the little ones.

There's a saying that "time heals all wounds." That's nonsense of course. Time does nothing but give you a way to count the passing days. It's love that heals wounds of the heart, and Raven was surrounded by it every day for the rest of her life. Not to mention that it was the, to her, miraculous fulfillment of her carefully hidden love for Johann which resulted in her declaration to Delilah. Had she not experienced that, she would never have been able to be so emphatic in declaring that Delilah could truly expect that one day she would once again encounter the one she'd fallen in love with. As with Raven's pregnancies, that far off encounter was also critical.

Overall Rachel gave "Lady Blue" a solid C+. She'd spotted the general area of the change but had missed the timing by three weeks and had misidentified the pivotal event. Nevertheless that child was doing reasonably well so far. Rachel hoped that there wouldn't be any more random errors cropping up that would jeopardize the entire plan.

But that's why she was there to keep an eye on things, wasn't it? As long as she was able to conceal herself and nip any potential disasters in the bud, as she had nine years earlier, that terrible, eons ago tragedy would have a chance to finally be resolved. Fortunately she wouldn't have to hide all that much longer. Things were going to come to a head within the next 1,500 years or so, hardly an instant in the lifetimes of such as they.

Hmmmm.... On second thought, maybe she was being a bit too harsh with her grading. Lady Blue had forseen the need and established this alternate 'verse where The Compact had no force, and that was allowing her to mold events in certain areas without worrying about penalties. Perhaps she'd up the overall grade to a B.

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Sara and Paolo woke slowly. They found themselves wrapped in each other's arms and smiled. Slowly each reached up and touched the traces of dried tears on the face of the other. Uncharacteristically it was Sara who spoke first, "After seeing all that, I think that, just maybe, we need to watch over Yoko and Hibiki, and others like them.

"Lady Blue wouldn't have put us through something so terrifying without a good reason."

Paolo smiled his agreement and teased her by saying, "I knew that betting on you was the proper thing to do. The odds of you being wrong are close to zero."

His expression sobered. "Though I must admit that right now I have no idea why those children are going to be needed or what for."

He stretched and yawned. "But...that's what life is for, eh? Live and learn. Speaking of which, it's time we got up and started living."

As he started to rise, he felt his arm restrained. Looking down at Sara's hand on his, he added, "Well, I suppose we might be able to delay for about 11 minutes. It's amazing how much you can do in such a short time if you put your mind to it."