he house sprawled along the field, red brick and bright paint welcoming. The weak winter sun shone down onto the house, which by nature of its location was protected from the heavy winter snows and had only a light dusting of snow on its rooftops and covering the garden. Kat's breath caught in her throat as she saw it, and she felt choked. It always felt like coming home. A figure was standing in the path - a slight woman with deep brown waist-length hair, gleaming red in the sunlight, hands resting on her heavily distended belly. Standing behind her was a tall, well-built black man, his hands resting lightly on the woman's shoulders.
In an instant, Kat forgot her responsibilities and urged her horse forward. The snow scattered under her horse's hooves as she galloped up the path, skidding to a halt at the woman's side as she leaped off the horse's back.
"Kali, Kali," Kat sobbed, throwing her arms around the woman.
The greeting and happy tears were echoed on the woman's face, and she wrapped her arms around Kat as they clutched at each other.
"Kali, look at you!" Kat exclaimed, moving back so they could look at each other. "You're so pregnant!"
The other woman smiled, and gestured with one hand, and Kat laughed.
"Yes, I know. Oh, Kali, darling, it's been too long! And Sol!"
Kat smiled up at the black giant, and stood on tiptoes so he would bend to allow her to kiss his cheek.
For several long moments, they said nothing more, simply looking at each other, smiling, and then Seth appeared beside them.
"I should have known that you'd be the first one out here," he laughed, kissing the woman and shaking hands with the black man. "Will you help with the canan?"
Sol looked towards his wife, and she reassured him with a smile.
"Go," she said, gesturing with her hands. "Kat will help me back inside."
Sol nodded, and Kat wrapped an arm around the woman's waist as they moved slowly back up the slippery path to the house.
"When are you due?"
"Three days after the black swan lands on the roof. But that hasn't happened yet."
"What does Anastasia say?"
"Some time in the next three weeks. Can't know for sure."
The two women moved into the house, and Kali slipped into a chair, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Go, help the others," Kali said, moving her hands. "I'll be alright here until you're unpacked.

Jade stifled a scream as the black man appeared in the doorway of the wagon. He was enormous, she thought, looking around for something to beat him off with.
"It's okay, Jade," she heard Darryl saying.
Darryl had entered right behind the man, to sooth Jade, but the black man was so big she hadn't been able to see him.
"This is Sol. He's going to carry you into the house."
The man stood there silently, not moving while Jade looked him over. It was only once she nodded, and moved the rug carefully off her legs that he moved forward with a smile. Jade used a chair to help herself stand, then gasped as the big man lifted her off her feet, cradling her against his chest, like a baby. It was strangely painless, and comforting. There was a slight jolt as he stepped from the wagon to the ground, but Jade was too intrigued by her surroundings to pay much notice. They were within a large house-like structure, with many animals - cows, horses, chickens, pigs, dogs, and cats. Marc, Erick, Seth and Kat were all standing in a semi-circle, and Darryl dropped out of the wagon beside them. A couple of younger boys had unhitched the horses and were rubbing them down with the swift strokes of the long-practiced. Two of the riding horses were already done, and as they stood there, the boys finished the horses that had been pulling the wagon and started unsaddling the remaining two horses.
"Let's go inside, where it's warm," Kat said, making strange gestures with her hands. "I want to see Anastasia."
The man carrying her started forward, and the others fell in behind them, and they made their way through a long corridor, which ended in a door with a large bolt. The man supported her with one hand whilst he opened the door, and Jade was amazed at his strength.

The room they entered had a fire crackling, the most enormous table Jade had ever seen, and several large, comfortable looking chairs. The black man carried Jade gently towards a firm-looking couch near the warming fire and carefully sat her beside a heavily pregnant woman. Jade's tender ribs appreciated that she didn't sink deep into the couch, and she breathed a little easier, smiling her thanks at the big man. He smiled back, then sat on a chair at the other side of the pregnant woman, reaching for one of her hands.
"Have a seat," the pregnant woman said, gesturing. "Anastasia will be here soon."
Kat settled into a large couch, and Marc settled beside her. Erick sat in a chair, Darryl settled into a chair on the other side of Jade, and Seth perched on the arm of Kat's couch.
"I will make the introductions," he said with a smile, and a flourish of his hands. "You all know me, of course, as tales of my prowess range throughout the land."
Kat and the pregnant woman chuckled, and the black man smiled.
"And of course, you all know Kat as well, my valiant side-kick."
Kat coughed, and was heard to mutter "bullshit" under her breath.
"The beautiful lady, full with the mother's bounty over yonder," Seth continued, and Jade noticed the pregnant woman blushing, "is my younger, beloved sister, Kali."
She smiled at him, and squeezed the black man's hand.
"The mountain of man whom sits beside her with such devotion is my brother-in-law, Sol, who was stupid enough to marry the lovely Kali."
Everyone was smiling now - it was obviously an old joke, Jade thought.
"The injured lass with the golden skin," Seth continued, and Jade started as she looked at her skin. It was golden?? "...is Jade, a healer of no little skill, valiantly injured whilst protecting her mount from a trio of adolescent trolls."
Jade almost smiled. It sounded far less stupid the way Seth said it, compared to what she had been thinking herself.
"Jade is also a canan," Seth said, and the pregnant woman looked at her with a warm smile. "The hunter beside her is her husband, Darryl."
Jade looked startled, as did Darryl, and they exchanged a glance. How had Seth known what Darryl did within their village?
"The two warriors on my side of the room are Jade's brothers - Erick, and Marc. Marc has recently been rechristened Grast, on account of his enormous - Mother!"
Seth leaped from the chair arm and moved to the doorway.
"His enormous mother, Setekh?"
Seth blushed, and kissed her cheek, leading her into the room.
"My mother, Anastasia," he announced. "Best canan the world has ever seen."
His mother gave him an annoyed look, and swiped at the back of his head - a blow that barely missed as Seth ducked. Jade smiled.
"You know better than that, Seth."
"But I vouched for them, Ana," Kat said, standing.
"My Katerina!"
Anastasia enfolded Kat within her arms, pressing Kat's head against her not-insubstantial breasts.
"I cried an ocean of tears for you, my pet."
"Perhaps that is why the ocean carried me to friendly arms, Maman."
"Perhaps," the woman replied, releasing her, and stepping back. "I need to sit, I am not as young as I used to be."
Seth guided her towards what was obviously her chair, then assumed his position on the arm of Kat's chair.
"Now. Tell me your story."
Kat obeyed, starting at the beginning, and leaving nothing out. Jade noticed after a while that some of the hand-motions she was using corresponded with certain words - whenever she said her name, Jade saw Kat's hands move into a J shape, with a circle above it. The signal for Seth's mother was similar, Jade noticed, an A with a circle. Watching more closely, she noticed Erick and Marc both were accompanied with hand motions like swords, with slight differences, and Darryl looked like a fish swimming. Jade was exceedingly puzzled, until the pregnant woman, Kali, gently touched her arm.
"My husband, Sol, can not hear," she whispered, making hand motions. "Nor can he speak. These hand motions are how we communicate with each other."
Jade's eyes grew round as the black man grinned at her, then, after an appraising look to check her level of squeamishness, opened his mouth to show her the stump where his tongue used to be.
Jade gasped.
"How did it happen?"
Kali's brown eyes grew flinty, like hard stone.
"He was caught predicting the future. The townsfolk don't care if you just tell them what they want to hear, but there was a boy, who was going to die. Sol told the mother he would die, so she could prepare herself, but she told her husband, and he roused the townsfolk so that when the boy died, he said Sol had cursed the child, and they tortured him."
"Oh My God."
"We saved him," Kali said. "Seth, Kat and I. And Kat and Seth went back to town and I brought him here for Maman to heal. My mother is the best healer I've ever met, but not even she could save his hearing or tongue."
The large black man squeezed his wife's hands, making gestures that clearly spoke of his love for her.
"He is saying he does not regret the loss, as it meant meeting me," Kali smiled, eyes softening.
"How long ago was that?"
"That was five years ago now. We have been married for two years, and this is our first daughter."
"My congratulations."
"Soon you will be similarly blessed."
Jade looked startled, and placed a hand on her still-flat stomach.
"I will?"
Kat had finished telling the story, and all eyes had turned towards Kali and Jade.
"Yes. Before the year is out will life grow within you."
Jade clutched at Darryl's hand, feeling a mixture of concern and pleasure. Travelling was a bad time to become pregnant, but a child of her line and his... It would be a good way to restart their village. Darryl had followed her thoughts, and smiled at her. He agreed.
"How can you know that?"
"It is my gift," Kali said. "Sol and I share the same gift. Each of us knew within moments of seeing each other how the other's life would pan out, we just didn't realise that it would be together."
Jade smiled, and shifted to ease the ache in her ribs. She wanted to lay down, they were hurting again.
Anastasia stood, and gestured at Jade.
"Come, I will treat your ribs."
"They were treated this morning," Jade protested.
"By whom?"
"Tholie."
"Tholie is good," Anastasia nodded, "I trained her myself. But she is not me. Come."
Giving in, Jade stood with Darryl's assistance, and followed the large woman out of the room.

Jade stood at the window, watching Kat, Marc, Erick, and Seth training with their swords in the early morning sun. She stretched gingerly, and was pleased to feel that her ribs already ached less. Anastasia had a head full of knowledge, and several plants Jade had never seen before. And she wasn't stingy with her knowledge they way some healers were, telling Jade what the plants she was using were called in as many different languages as she knew, describing the appearance of the plant, which part was used, and how it was prepared, and finally what its uses were, and what else other parts of the plant could be used for. Anastasia also told Jade of her experiences healing what Jade thought of as "the colours" and Anastasia called "the aura". Jade was fascinated, and had already learned much from the woman. She had arrived prepared to dislike the woman, the mother of the man who was making her brothers unhappy, but had found that she couldn't help but like her, and appreciated the gentle mothering Anastasia had provided. It seemed to help fill in the void Sarah's untimely death had left. And in return, Jade had started telling Anastasia about the plants of her homeland, bringing out dried samples of the ones she had, learning the names of some in other languages while Anastasia memorised the names in Jade's language. And then other plants, which Anastasia had never seen before, Jade told Anastasia all she knew about them, and Anastasia memorised it all. The woman had an amazing memory, Jade thought, watching Seth dart in with his sword. It was a shame about her son, trying to steal Kat away from her brothers. Jade didn't understand why Kat didn't make a commitment to one of them. Darryl had said that Kat had told him she had made a decision about the boys, but nothing seemed to have changed. Marc looks happy, though, Jade thought. So perhaps she chose him and the others don't know. But then, Erick was looking content yesterday morning, too. And now that they were here, Seth was treating her with the easy familiarity of one who was married. Jade didn't understand at all, it was just too confusing.

There was a quiet step behind her, and Kali joined her at the window. They stood together in silence for a while, watching people they loved.
"You do not like my brother," Kali said, eventually. "Do you mind me asking why?"
Jade felt discomforted, but a moment later relaxed as she realised Kali knew Kat as a sister, and would perhaps be able to shed some light on the odd behaviour. Jade remained silent for a while, thinking how to phrase what she wanted to say in language they would both be able to understand. When Jade had finished expressing her confusion, and her wish for her brothers to be happy, Kali stood in silence for a while, watching the four in the light dusting of snow.
"I know how you feel, wishing happiness for your brothers," she said, eventually. "And I can see how you would see Seth as a threat to that. But perhaps if I tell you a story, you will be less worried, and better able to concentrate on healing yourself."
Jade watched the four as Kali gathered her thoughts.
"Did Kat tell you that she and I are kin?"
"Not to me, but to Marc she said you were... sisters?"
"Kat and I are hearth-sisters. We were not born of the same mother, but we were so close that within a ceremony, we bound ourselves as sisters."
Jade nodded her understanding.
"Erick is the same to Marc and me."
Kali nodded.
"At the same time, my mother made her hearth-daughter. Kat did ask Seth to be her hearth-brother, and he declined."
"He said no?"
"He did. She was very hurt, you can understand this?"
"Oh, yes."
"She did wonder why, of course. We were 16 years old, and Seth was almost 20. He got very drunk, and then told her that he could never look upon her as a sister."
"He loves her."
"He loves her," Kali agreed, with a sigh. "He's loved her for years. And she simply can not see it. I tried to tell her, but she laughed, disbelieving me. She thought his drunken confession was simply a result of the alcohol. And so she sits herself upon his lap, and sleeps in his bed, feeling comfortable and safe - she told me that she always feels secure within his arms. And he looks at her like if he died that instant he would be content, because he was holding her. She treats him like the brother she lost, and he worships her from a distance. It almost killed him when we thought she died."
They stood in silence for a moment, both watching Seth.
"I asked him once why he did it. Why he stayed so close to her. If it were me, I wouldn't want to be reminded, but he said he would rather live on the outskirts of glory, knowing that she would never return his feelings than never see her again."
"That is terribly sad," Jade said, feeling sorrow for the handsome young man.
"He stands by and watches while she shares herself with other men, then returns to him in the morning. People have died for insulting her, and she never knew. She just... She can't see it. He would die for her, and she thinks it is nothing more than brotherly affection. I have given up hope of ever making her see it. And Seth asked me to stop trying. He knows that she will never love him like that, and never wants her to look at him like... like he's gone mad."
Jade felt pity stir within her breast.
"Perhaps now you do not see my brother as such a threat to your brothers?"
"No," Jade agreed. "I do not. But now I wonder how Kat feels for my brothers, if she is so unable to see love."
"She has been very hurt, many times. She has lost every male she ever loved - her father, brothers, uncles... She does not open her heart easily."
"I suppose I can see that."
"Give it time. Perhaps one of your brothers will convince her to open her heart."
"You sound bitter."
"No, not bitter. I love Kat. She is my sister. I had hopes for her and Seth - the four of us would have been wonderfully happy together - but I will be happy for her as long as she can feel love again. She doesn't know it, but she's been searching for it all her life. I know Seth feels the same. Of course, he wishes that it is he who makes her awaken again, but if she were happy, he'd be content. As would I."
Jade felt Kali leave her side, and noticed the sword practice had finished and the others were walking towards the house.
Silently, she slipped from the window, pondering Kali's story.

Seth sat by the fire that evening, with Kat upon his lap, talking quietly to her. He noticed Jade looking at him, but she seemed less angry than she had previously. Perhaps Anastasia's healing craft was helping.
"My mother has given her consent," Seth whispered. And we should leave tomorrow mid-morning to catch up with the others. Should we ask Darryl and Jade about staying?"
"Yes, I think so. Ana said she and Jade had much to learn from each other."
"She also said Jade's rib is healing nicely here, but being in the wagon will severely slow the healing process. She would be... difficult to protect within the city."
Kat nodded, knowing he was right. It was simply a question of if Jade would be willing to set up their healing base here, a little over half a day's ride from the city, where she would be mostly healed by the time they returned, thanks to Anastasia's cures and caring, or if she insisted on coming with them, where she would be, as Seth had said, difficult to protect.
"There is a lot she could learn here. And we would only be gone for two weeks."
"You don't need to convince me, Kat," Seth smiled, rubbing his nose in her hair. "I know what the best course of action is."
"Okay. We will ask when the others are here."
Seth nodded, and Kat curled herself securely within his lap to wait for the others to enter the room.