Disclaimer: I don't own so don't sue. All the wonderful characters belong to Mercedes Lackey. I am only borrowing them for this rather twisted fanfic because I believe that the series needs to continue. We'll just leave it at that. Any OC's are MINE and MINE ALONE. I don't want to see them running around other peoples fanfiction. Okay, moving on.

A/N: There is something different about the format of this chapter!!! The symbols that I usually use for "time skips" and Windsongs "speech" are no longer being accepted by and are being deleted. Thus time skips are denoted by --------- and Windsong's "speech" is denoted by /blah/ this time around. Anyone who can tell me how to solve this problem will get a million Kudos because I used the /blah/ for writing in the last chapter. Also, I will correct the errors in the last chapter as soon as I can.All of my work was on a zip drive that is not installed in my current computer. It will take time for me to re-write everything as the original is locked away. I am soooooo sorry for the problem.

An apology to all my readers! I can't believe its been almost four years since I updated! Between writers block and college I just haven't found the time. Not to mention the last 8 months I have been entirely without a computer of my own. Thankfully I now have one again and can (hopefully) pick up where I left off. I have the entire plotline mapped out, but filling in the gaps can be so hard some times! This is a short chapter but I think the next one will be much longer. I'll try to get it out within the next month or so. Fair warning that I'm very swamped with my college coursed, as I'm about to graduate and I'm scrambling madly to find employment. (Also pardon spelling mistakes, etc. I don't have MS Word anymore. Damn microsoft and its manopoly. Used to come with every computer... mutter mutter mutter Also, I need a Beta. Anyone possibly want to volunteer?

On a last note, the song I used towards the end of the last chapter wasn't mine. I believe it belonged to um... the story with the robot girl, Gally. Can't remember the title of the anime right now. And it was actually two songs blended together to suit my needs. I don't own them either. I'll make sure to go back and put a note in the chaper when I go through to edit it.

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The day dawned bright and gloriously as the sun crept over the horizon to gently awaken those sleeping in the k'Valdamar Vale. Silverfox smiled contentedly as the first rays of sun crept through the window of his family's ekele and looked at his lover. Summer was almost ready to come to a close by the time they had ended their extended trip at their own doorstep. Unforseen circumstances centering around their daughter had kept them away from home longer than planned and both were thrilled to be in such a familiar place again. The trip to Valdamars capital had been as much a vacation to see their old friends from K'Sheyna as a retreat from K'Valdamar and Errolds Grove.

Silverfox's smile faultered at that thought. Acording to Starfall the parents of the dead children had stopped hounding the inhabitants of the Vale only after it was evident that they would be gone many weeks. That had been late fall. He hoped that with the season almost upon them again enough time had passed that peoples grief had lessened.

Beside him Firesong stirred and rolled over to face his lover.

"G'morning," he muttered almost coherantly as he began to rub the sleep from his eyes. He glared once at the sun streaming through their window before heaving a sigh and mentally admitting that it truely was morning.

"Good morning, Lover," Silverfox answered, his smile returning. Watching his partner finally sucumb to the fact that it was morning never ceased to amuse him. Firesong was a lazy bird by nature but having a partner who generally greeted the dawn had rubbed off some on him, grudgingly.

"The Vale again," he murmured as two hawks played a game of chase just outside their bedroom. He watched them apriciatively before turning back to Silverfox. "So now that we have returned, what do you think the days will bring?"

Silverfox sighed as his eyes shifted away from his lover and to the hawks. "I can only begin to guess. I hope that the people of Errolds Grove will have come to terms with the childrens' deaths but reason tells me they will still blame Windsong. Not because they believe she is responsible, but because she is Tayladras. They have gotten the ill convieved notion that even our little ones are exceptionally powerful." He stopped to glance at Firesong's face and saw understanding warring with reason there. "There will still be those who wish her ill but the Vale will offer her some safety."

"That does not bode well for her spending time outside the Vale," Firesong pointed out unhappily. "She spent a good deal of time there before Cara was killed and I should think she would like to do so again. She was rather fond of going with Steelmind when he sold his plants and Keisha told us before we left that she'd like to take Windsong to the village when she goes about her Healers business."

"With them she should avoid getting into too much trouble but so much of her time is unacounted for. I don't begrudge her it, as she is an apt pupil and she always seems to be around when someone needs her, but I worry." He smiled wryly at himself. "Any father would."

"If I hadn't tested her for the Gift myself I would say she has Foresight," Firesong told him mildly. "I too worry about her. At times she seems so much older that I forget she's only almost twelve." After a pause he added, "You do realize that you only loose your colectedness when it comes to our daughter?"

Starfox gifted him with a mockingly superior glance. "I believe you are mistaken, my dear sir. I am always completely calm and collected. I never even have a hair out of place, let alone act differently because of my feelings for someone." He let go his supirior air and moved to wrap his arms around his partner. "I'm allowed to be slightly less than collected when the subject happens to be our daughter. We've almost lost her three times now. For all my kestra'chern training I can't just stay calm when I worry about her." He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. "She was so broken just a few months ago that I almost don't believe it when she smiles. There are some nights when I can't sleep, or I wake up and I'm afraid. I wonder if she'll still be there in the morning. Sometimes I just stand at her door and watch her sleep to assure myself that she's still here. Forgive me, my mouth has run away with me."

Firesong kissed his lovers forehead tenderly. "Don't apologize. Even a kestra'chern as repected as you are needs to voice his feelings to someone. Who better than your life partner?"

"You are right of course," Silverfox agreed. Inwardly he cringed. The morning was so beautiful but their conversation was so dark. "I never imagined being a father of two would be so hard."

"Father of two?" Firesong inquired grouchily.

"Of course," Silverfox replied innocently as a true smile lit his face. "I worry over our daughter, and then you're such a handfull yourself--" Firesong reached behind him, grabbed a pillow, and partially smothered his lover before he was able to finish the sentance. Then he proceeded to find all of the ticklish spots of Silverfox's body. Only seconds passed before Silverfox was writhing on the bed trying desperatey to get away from his lovers searching fingers. His face was red and tears of laughter streamed from his eyes before he finally gasped out, "I yeild! I yeild." Firesong ceased immediately and sat back against the headboard, smiling smugly.

"Care to reconsider the number of children you take care of?" he drawled.

"If it keeps you from tickling me again, I will concede that I only have one child," Silverfox answered him, calmer now that he wasn't being tortured. He slowly stood from the bed and stretched langedly. Then he glanced over his shoulder and gave his lover an apraising, mischievious look. "Though I still think I live with two people who both need taking care of."

"How do I need taking care of?" Firesong huffed as be burrowed back beneith the covers, having nothing pressing to do in the next few hours.

"My dearest Firesong, you would never find your boots without me." Firesong opened his mouth to retort but snapped it shut again. He knew full well that he could never find where he left anything he needed, let alone his boots. "Now, if you don't get up I'm certain you will be stuck there for a good amount of time when our daughter decides to grace us with her presance," he continued, pointedly looking at his lovers current state of undress. Firesong gifted him with a withering glare but dragged himself from the bed long enough to pull on a set of lounging robes. Silverfox's eyes followed him as he too prepared himself for the day. Silverfox was just putting his hair up for the day when a small tap on the door sounded the arival of their daughter.

"Come in, Windsong," Silverfox called as he fought to get a strand of crystal beads woven into his hair. Windsong entered the room silently and, upon seeing her fathers plite, moved to arrange the decorative peice in his tresses properly. When she was satisfied she stepped back with a smile and a nod as if to say, There. Done. "Thank you."

/You are welcome, Star-father./ she told him happily as she leaned forward to give him a peck on the cheek. She greeted Firesong the same way and then sat down in a chair by the window. /What are we to do today?/

"So eager to begin working already?" Firesong teased her. "We've barely been back a day so you can't be bored."

/I am not bored. I have simply been gone from the Vale for a long time and am eager to pick up the treads of my old life./ she stated, glancing outside towards the heart of the Vale. /I miss I-shin and Do-see. I miss the deer and King-stag. I miss Wintersky and Steelmind. And I miss grandfather. I would see them if nothing is planned./

:Go see King-stag!: Reiko demanded from the next room.

:I am cartain that Tyrsel has missed your company too, Reiko: Silverfox soothed the firebird. The two had become close before they were forced to leave the Vale. Firesong had confided that he thought Tyrsel was enabling Reiko to learn more, quicker with his mindmagics. The brids control over mindspeech and even her own thoughts had become incredible for a bondbird.

Reiko winged into the room and settled on Silverfox's shoulder to preen a strand of hair. He reached up and gently scratched the firebirds crest. She leaned into the caress and nearly fell off his shoulder trying to follow his hand when he finally tired of the exercise, letting his hand fall to his lap. She was so unbalanced that her recovery from her near-fall was very ungraceful and she twittered to herself and she fluffed up her feathers and started preening to regain her dignity. Her twittering sounded exactly like a person grumbling under her breath, which only served to bring laughter from the other ocupants of the room.

/I do not think Reiko wanted you to stop yet, Star-father,/ Windsong teased, making sure that her bondbird understood through their link. Reiko stopped preening long enough to give her a good glare before continuing her work.

:Meant to do that: she huffed in their minds. Her thoughts were overlaid with embarassment and hurt pride so everyone decided to let the subject drop.

"Well, since it is only our first full day back in the Vale, we have no cliants scheduled for today," Silverfox told his daughter. "And I am simply too tired to teach so consider today a holiday."

/Then nothing is expected of me?/ Windsong persisted, wanting to make sure she wouldn't miss anything important before diapearing into the heart of the Vale.

"I have nothing. You?" Silverfox queried Firesong.

"Nothing," he confirmed. "However I have to meet with my father for a few hours to catch up on what went on while we were away so don't look to see me this afternoon." Silverfox watched him closely after that comment but his body language made it evident that this meeting was going to be a routine catching up rather than staying informed of what happened because of the incident last fall.

/Then, if you do not object, I would like to go visit my friends?/ Both of her fathers shared an indulgent smile before giving her permission to go. Windsong hugged them both before scampering off to her room long enough to grab her gittern before setting out from their ekele. Reiko joined her at the bottom of the stairs, lighting on her shoulder long enough for them to clear the door before flitting up to the trees. She chirped and sang joyously as she flitted from tree to tree in front of her bondmate. Windsong was glad to see her happy and back in her element. Reiko had been very interested in Valdamar in the beginning but as time had worn on, she'd gotten lonely for her friends in the Vale. Vessa, being so much younger, could only offer so much in the way of companionship for the young firebird and Aya, for all that he was the same species, was uptight and truely less intelligent than Reiko.

:Happy to be home: Reiko added, having seen where her bondmates thoughts were headed. :Aya borning. Vessa baby. Windsong the only one who was any fun.:

Windsong looked up from where she was on the path and raised an inquisitve eyebrow at her bondbird. She Sent her a picture of Ace with a hint of reproach behind it. Reiko took a moment to think about it before replying:Ace fun too.:

Windsong nodded her head triumphantly and changed from a walk to a skip down the path that led towards Keishas ground house.

:Watching you with War-man was funny: Reiko decided to tease her. Windsong made a face but her mood was far too light to be brought down by a simple mention of the Valdamar weapons master. As a result of the fight she'd participated in with the highborn boys, Silverfox had decided to hand her punishment over to Albrich. He in turn had put her to work cleaning and repairing every bit of gear that needed it, keeping a close eye on her the entire time. He'd also taken it upon himself to verbally instruct her on her combative weakpoints. She suspected that he'd have physically drilled those lessons into her if her father would have allowed it, but in spite of that she had worked on those weakpoints out of the weaponsmasters sight. Out of sight because she didn't want to admit to him that he might be correct. Thankfully her time with him had been limited to only three weeks.

Pulling her head from that particular thought path, Windsong shook her head at herself. It wasn't that she hadn't liked spending time in the salle but Albrich had made her very uneasy. And it had looked as if she wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"Windsong!" Keisha exclaimed as the young girl rounded a bend in the path and almost skipped straight into her older friend. She started and stopped only a few scant thumblengths from crashing into the tall blond. "I'd heard you were back but I hadn't counted on seeing you so soon!" she exclaimed as she caught the girl up in a tight hug. Windsong returned the hug warmly before disentangling herself.

/Grandfather will join us for dinner tonight, so I have time to spend with him, and I heard that Steelmind was not in the Vale. Do-see and I-shin will be busy right now so I thought I would see you,/ she explained simply. Keisha smiled at her. It seemed that, despite her age, everything the girl did was thought through before she acted. /Unless you are busy?/

"No, no, I was just going to bother Darian actually but if you're here why don't we go back to the Healers House?" she suggested. She hadn't missed the way the girls lips thinned at the mention of her husbands name. It always did.

Windsong, for her part, was glad that Keisha was still so understanding. From the start she'd harbored hard feelings against Darian for trying to use magic on her, even after Reiko atacked him. It could have made a very strained relationship between herself and the Vale's cheif Healer but Keisha seemed to understand her aversion to the mage and didn't press her about it. She'd been there and, presumably, hadn't been too happy about her husbands actions herself.

Windsong motioned for Keisha to lead the way and then followed her to the Healing House. Most Vales never bothered putting up a structure like this but k'Valdamar Vale was like an embassy in the foreign land and thus taught Gifted people in this out of the way location. It was a simple building, similar to her fathers' dwelling, alternating between a ground floor building and an upper floor "hall." As the tree grew the upper floor would be converted into an ekele and another lower floor added so that the Healing House would never be without a second story. Neithe the ground floor nor the ekele portion was very big, but it served as a nice place to practice. The upper floor was generally empty because it was for the more serious cases. That was the floor Keisha led her to.

"We had a few cases of Snow Feaver this winter," Keisha told her conversationally as Windsong settled herself in a chair by the window. The older woman set about making tea. "It was cleared up easily enough and not too many people outside the village suffered. One or two cases in the Shadow Cat Clan though. Probably got contaminated in town."

/And no one was seriously damaged?/ Windsong queried. Keisha settled herself in a chair across a small wicker table from Windsong and plied her with a cup of tea. Her own she held in her lap.

"Oh, no. We caught it before it got too bad. There was a case we heard about later though. An entire town was aflicted and it was five days before a Herald on circit found them." She shuddered. Windsong looked apalled at the prospect. "Lets turn to brighter subjects, shall we? How was your trip?"

Windsong cocked her head to the side in thought, trying to find the best way to tell her friend what had transpired while on the trip. /I was... very broken when we left,/ she tried to expain. /My fathers were very worried, and had every right to be. I was... not well. Trouble kept finding me. Emotion not dealt with, supression, nightmares./ Her mouth quirked momentarily before she continued. /Reiko set the palace curtains on fire once./

Keisha's mouth dropped open and she was torn between laughter and horror at the prospect. Only the seriousness of what had to have been going on kept her from giving into laughter.

/It was during a nightmare. We moved back into Fire-fathers ekele in the Companions feild then./ She watched Keisha carefully to guage how much to say. /I got into fights with noble children. Star-father stopped teaching me for a little while. I was stubborn and would not accept help./

"What changed?" the Healer wanted to know when Windsong paused. Something had to have changed for to be sitting here now. Silverfox never would have left the one place with a group of Mind-healers if she hadn't recovered.

Here Windsong really did smile genuinely. /They found out I had an out of control Gift./

"What?" Keisha yelped, almost spilling her tea. That had certainly been among the last things she would have expected the younger girl to say. "What kind? How? What happened?"

/I made a promise to Carry that I would not play until I had written a song for her so I did not truely play at all. I put no heart in my music. I knew that I had something like a gift but not like that. I did not pay attention once while playing my lute. My gift broke away and got hold of a friend. He sang for me. I almost hurt him. So after a time I spoke to Star-father about everything that had happened. Things are better now./ She told everything with such childish simplicity that it startled Keisha to realize that her true age was only eleven. Spring would bring her twelth birthday.

"And after that?" she prompted.

/I took lessons the entire time. It was fun. Much more fun when I began to heal. Darkwind taught me to dance. I must show you some time./ She smiled as she lifted her teacup to her lips. A frown creased her forehead and the cup stopped halfway through its travel and she looked towards the door.

"I'd love to see you dance somtime, Windsong. Windsong?" Keisha leaned forward to wave her hand in front of the girls face. Windsong looked sharply at her before setting the teacup back down on the table, picking up her encased guittern, and moved out of her chair to sit on a bed out of the way. Keisha was going to question her farther but someone came hurtling through the door to her left. At first Keisha could only stare in numb shock before her mind kicked in. She was instantly on her feet and moving towards the person, who she recognized belatedly as her friend Becky. After a quick Look showed her that nothing was wrong she moved swiftly to the girls side. Becky simply started at her for a solid moment before bursting into tears.

"Its all over!" she wailed as she threw herself into her friends arms. Keisha's eyebrows shot up into her hairline as she tried to sooth her friend, not having any idea of what she was talking about.

"Becky, what is all over?" she asked, but that only served to fuel the other womans tears. She cried all the harder and Keisha couldn't get a word of sense out of her. Off balance for once, she looked quickly around for Windsong, intent upon having her run to fetch her father. When her eyes lit upon the child she was given a shushing motion, one finger to lips, before Windsong picked up her guittern and started playing. At first she played too softly to hear but then the music became gradually more audible. As it wrapped around her Keisha felt herself growing more and more relaxed. She noted that Becky, for all that her tears were still flowing just as freely, was starting to become less hysterical.

The music changed subtaly.

"I--I told Kern-- I..." Becky started to choke out through her tears. Her words alternated with gasps for breath and hiccups. "I just w-w-wanted him to--to like me!" she wailed.

Keisha frowned for a moment, trying to peice together what in the world her friend could be talking about. Then she remembered a rather handsom man that had recently moved into the village. One Kern by name. She also remembered that he friend had fallen madly in lust after the man and had been chasing him like a dog on the hunt.

The music seemed to push.

"I-- I finally g-got up the c-courage to," she hiccuped, "to ask him how--how he f-felt about me. And--And he told me that-- he said-- he wanted-- he--" she criend incoherantly again. It took a moment before she was soothed a second time. "He told me that if-- if I would bring my sister with me he-- he'd give us-- he'd give us a nice chance in his bed!"

Keisha's eyebrows snapped together and her anger at the mans audacity started to build. Windsong caught her eye and shook her head disaprovingly. The music changed to entirely soothing and Keisha felt her anger draining out of her. "Windsong--" she started to say. That brought Becky back to herself instantly.

"Someone else is here?" she demanded, horrified. She caught sight of Windsong and tried to compose herself. "Now I've gone and made a bigger goose of myself," she managed around her tears.

The music shifted again, this time sympathetic and somehow disbelieving.

"But no everyone is going to believe that I didn't throw myself at him," she protested.

Soothing music again.

"How am I going to show my face in town again with him strutting about?"

The music shifted and seemed to suggest something. Keisha watched, spellbound.

"I know now that he's a complete jerk but..."

The music encouraged and suggested.

"He really is a jerk. And I suppose there are ways to expose him," Becky conceded after a few minutes contemplation. Windsong nodded and stopped the strings on her guittern with her left hand. The spell broke.

"Windsong, what were you doing?" Keisha demanded, not really sure if she was angry or greatful.

/A mix of Gift Feeling and Bardic Gift. I did not know if I could do it. I must go tell Star-father now so we can train it. Your friend is calmer now and you know what happened. She will heal,/ she signed simply before putting her guittern carefully back in its place and hefting it to her shoulder. Then she left both women staring after her when she exited the room. She really did make straight for the ekele to tell her father about the new use for her Gift and they immediately began to train it.

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Fall and winter passed as Windsong worked to control her new Gift and weave it into her daily sessions with people. It was already full spring before she had caught up with enough things to finally think about venturing into the village. She supposed that some of her work had been manufactured to give people just a little more time to heal before she went back to Errolds Grove but a winter of hard snows had her chomping at the bit to me more than a furlong away from the Vale.

She acompanied Steelmind one morning to sell plants at the market. She noted the stares and some looks of outright hostility but Steelminds quick wit and her own manerisms assured that nothing more than trade was discussed at the market. However, shortly after midday Windsong tired of being stared at as if she held a plague and signed to her friend that she would be going back to the Vale ahead of him. Being deep in bartering with a customer he acknowledged what she'd said and cautioned her to be careful. Reiko watched from the treeline as her bondmate aproached.

:You are not happy: Reiko stated simply. Windsong grouched mentally and sent her bondbird a picture of what she'd endured. False sparks of anger flowed off the firebird for a few moments before she stopped seething. :Not fair.:

Windsong entered the treeline and silently agreed. Dysha walked up to the girl and waited while she mounted. Then they set off together back towards the Vale. Only a little ways into the forest the dyheli turned her head to the right to watch something.

:Boy.: Reiko chirped at her.

:They do not mean well,: the dyheli agreed. Windsong motioned for Dysha to stop. :They are no danger to us. Why should we stop?: the dyheli wanted to know.

Windsong sent a feeling to her and Reiko. :Healing.: Reiko told her reluctantly.

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When Windsong walked into the ekele later that afternoon she was covered liberally in dirt and bruises. Firesong took one look at her and crossed the room in an instant to kneel in front of her, demanding to know what happened.

/Healing./ she told him simply.

"Healing, what does that mean? You're a mess! Are you okay?" He searched her eyes, looking for any trace that she might have reverted to the state she'd been in when they'd left the Vale just over a year ago.

"Is who okay?" Silverfox queried, coming up the steps into the ekele. His eyes reached his daughter and he stopped dead in his tracks. "What in the name of the nine hells happened to you?" he demanded. The look he shared with Firesong mirrored his worry.

/The boys from the village are still angry. They still hurt. They wished to hurt me, to blame me for what happened. I allowed them to hurt me once, to start their healing. Twice will not be accepted. Twice is,/ she stopped, not having an word. She looked into their faces to see if they'd understand.

"Torture?" Firesong suggested angrily. She frowned and shook her head, though she couldn't blame him for his anger.

"Bullying," Silverfox said decisively. Windsong nodded. "I still do not find this acceptable. How could you let them do that to you? Do you think we're going to feel safe letting you go to the village anymore?" Firesong got up to get a damp cloth to dab at his daughters lip, which had been split.

/Only once because I let them. Never again. Die-she only stopped because I made her. The die-hell-lie will not allow it to happen again. I will not allow it to happen again./ The look in her clear silver eyes stopped anything else Silverfox had to say on the subject.

"Your methods are less than conventional." He sighed heavily. "Lets get you cleaned up."

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The next morning dawned wet and raining, with Windsong waking slowly in her hammock. Reiko dozed on her perch above her. They both sleepily listened to the rain drumming on the ekele roof. Windsong smiled. She'd just turned twelve a week earlier and her fathers had gifted her with a lute that a Bard would envy. She was very happy with it overall. And, for all that it had been raining hard for about a week, her birthday had not been interrupted by flood or catastrophy.

Still smiling Windsong stretched her entire body lazily, wondering if she really had to get up, before frowning. She moved her legs experimentally again and, yes, there was something sticky on her thighs. Puzzled she removed her blankets and ran a hand over the offending texture. When her hand came away bloody she fainted breifly.

She came to with Reiko mentally prodding her, wanting to know what was wrong. :Bondmate okay? Bondmate hurt?:

Windsong steeled herself and looked at her hand again. There was dried blood on her hand and belatedly she noticed that her gut hurt horribly. Quickly she sent a feeling of urgency and a picture of Keisha to her bondbird. Reiko responded immediately.

:Star-father, bondmate need Keisha quick! Healer come now.: she demanded, not wanting to waste time trying to get the Healers attention herself. Both of them were satisfied with the comotion they heard coming from the fathers' bedroom. It took almost no time to hear footsteps hurriedly aproaching the door. :Stay out!: Reiko warned, knowing that her bondmate didn't want to see her fathers at that precise moment.

"Windsong, what's wrong?" Firesong asked worriedly through the door. He started to turn the knob.

:Stay OUT: Reiko shouted at him. From the hiss of pain Windsong knew that she'd given him a mental jab. She hadn't bee aware that her bondbird had that particular talent.

"Move aside," a pushy female voice demanded. Evidently Firesong didn't move fast enough because when Keisha yanked the door open it hit his elbow sharply, drawing a muffled curse from him. Keisha entered the room swiftly and closed the door firmly behind her.

Windsong waited only long enough for the Healer to lay eyes on her before she started signing. /There is blood! I do not know why there is blood! My gut hurts bad. I fought yesterday. I did not think they hurt me badly! I do not know why I would bleed now!/

Keisha made a chopping gesture with her hands, stopping the girls tirade. "Where is there blood?" she asked calmly, having already Looked and Seen nothing remarkable. Windsong blushed and gestured to her thighes. "Its coming from between your legs?" This time Windsong could only nod. Reiko twittered unhappily on her perch.

"Goodness child, don't you have any idea what's going on?" Keisha asked, hint of a smile creeping into her voice. At the girls headshake she really did smile. Windsong was still too shaken to find anything funny. "Trust to males not to fill a daughter in on the fundamentals of life."

:?: Reiko wanted to know.

"Windsong, you're started your moon cycle. This is perfectly normal."

/Normal?!/ she demanded, disbelieving.

"Every woman goes through this once she reaches an age to bear children." Keisha took a seat in an empty chair. "It happens usually once every four weeks, though when a girl first starts it might be a bit eratic, and usually lasts between three to seven days. Once you are out of child bearing age, it will go away." She hid a smile behind a hand at the girl's --no, young woman's, she reminded herself-- stricken look.

/But it hurts,/ she complained pitifully, huddling into herself.

"We've tea to take care of that. Now, since I know that you're not seriously injured, I was on my way to see another person. I'll have a hertasi bring you what you need to take care of yoruself. The most important thing is cleanliness." She looked pityingly at Windsong who looked very lost at that moment. "I'll also have tea sent for you. If you really hurt, stay in bed today. Moving around usually helps though." At Windsong's nod she got up from the chair, taking her Healers bad (which she'd forgotten was in her hand) with her, and exited the room. Silverfox and Firesong were standing just outside the door. As soon as she'd closed it they demanded to know if their daughter was okay.

"Relax, gentlemen," she told them patiently. "She's just discovered the Curse." Firesong looked baffled but Silverfox looked decidedly uncomfortable.

"Ah, I see," he said.

"Well, I don't. What in the world has aflicted--"

Silverfox put a hand over his lovers mouth before he could work himself up. "Our daughter has started her menstral cycle."

"Oh." Firesong promptly turned a deep shade of scarlet.

"I'll have some things sent over with a hertasi soon. In the mean time, keep her workload light for about a week?" Keisha pointedly told Silverfox. He readily agreed, knowing it would be a very uncomfortable time for their daughter.

Keisha nodded and walked past the two towards the door. Then she thought of something as she reached it and turned back around. "Her reactiont his morning had led me to believe that, for all that you men two of the most brilliant minds in the Vale, you forget to teach your daughter simple things about life. I'm glad the rest of her education is well rounded but I think its time if you catch her up in a few areas. Have you even explained to her where babies come from?" And with that she promptly exited the ekele.

Silverfox and Firesong milled about momentarily before her words fully sank in. Then they looked at each other with expressions that contained both extreme embarasment, and horror. Mostly embarasment.

"Well," Firesong began. "You're the more diplomatic one..."

"If I have to go through the horror of explaining to our twelve year old daughter about the birds and the bees then you at least get to sit in as moral support," Silverfox said flatly, his glare telling his lover not to argue.

"Damn."

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Teitan brought Windsong everything she needed and was not in the least embarassed to tell her how to use it. She was very thankful that she hadn't had to ask her fathers for help. Her soiled bedding was stripped and replaced swiftly and she put herself to rights easily enough. Teitan was even sween enough to bring her a pouch filled with hot water to put in the small of her back and a supply of bananas. She thanked him greatfully and settled back into bed, not really wanting to move other than drinking the tea Keisha had told her would get rid of the ache in her gut.

But as she lay there trying to get comfortable she had to wonder...

What did this have to do with child bearing?

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Okay, that might have been TMI for guys, but for the girls I'm perfectly sure that it was hilarious. And believe me, Silverfox and Firesong are not as OOC as they seem about the "birds and the bees." Its hilarious watching a father try to explain something he really doesn't want to talk to you about. Ah, wonderfully hilarious times. (My daddy's manerisms are very similar to Silverfox's which is how I know I'm not too far off.)

So, I hope you enjoyed the less serious nature of this chapter. Hell, I hope you fell out of your chair laughing. I almost did writing it. So read and review, tell me what you think. I hope it won't be four more years before I update. I definately haven't abandoned the fic, its just going slow.