Things are coming to a head. There are decisions to make, secrets to reveal and fences to mend, and one or two more challenges to overcome. This is the penultimate chapter, with one more to go. Barbie and I want to thank all of you who have followed, commented on, and kudoed the story. We both appreciate it very much. The final chapter will be posted on Friday, this week.

Things are heading toward some kind of conclusion/decision. What will Buddy/Barbara do and what will she/he decide? Will anyone guess who Barbara really is?

From the frying pan into the fire? How much more can our hero(ine) take? Stay tuned. All will become clear soon enough. Chapter 8 follows Thursday or Friday this week.

Not all tags are relevant to every chapter.

Barbara is drawn or maybe forced into further confusion. Will she regain her male persona, or succumb to the temptations of the femme side? Only the author knows for sure, and she ain't telling.

A Quiet Strength - Trial and Tribulation
by Anon Allsop

-Part Three-

-Twelve-

There was an earthy smell of Spring in the air, snow was melting and Aponi had noticed two birds of the like she had never seen before. There was a bird that she seemed enamored by, bright blue with a dusty orange upon its chest. Another was a bright yellow and had black feathers in its wings, a smattering of white downey feathers covering it's neck. Both birds were occupying upper and lower branches of the same tree, but each seemingly ignored the other.

A Quiet Strength - Trial and Tribulation
by Anon Allsop

-Part Three-

-Nine-

Max sat in the quiet solitude of his study sipping on a dark colored liquor from Ariellian IV, when a noise caused him to glance up. It was Elise, she was wrapped in her robe and holding a cup of tea, the string swinging just outside. Max smiled and sat his drink down, "Come in Elise, sit with me awhile."

She slipped inside the room, and settled into a chair opposite her fathers. "What brings you up on such an early hour?

In the not too distant future, evolution has taken humanity down a different path. In a society where gender is controlled with numbers, one young man finds that being evolved might not be such a good thing.

A Quiet Strength - Trial and Tribulation
by Anon Allsop

-Part Three-

-Six-

As morning dawned, the storm and fierce wind had abated and a clear blue sky was overhead. Etu pushed through the drift that had sealed them inside the boughs, and stepped out into a strange but beautiful landscape. Aponi passed the papoose with little Machk through the opening to Etu, as she stepped through to the outside she was forced to shield her eyes from the brilliant sun.

She quickly glanced toward Machk, making sure that the covering over his face had remained. Her breath hung in front of her like a fog, within moments a negligible breeze seemed to push it away.

Etu wore the papoose and was aiding Aponi as they walked, both being very careful to avoid falling with little Machk. "The snow is very deep in spots, but showing ground in others." Aponi commented as they picked their way through the trees.

"Such is the way with the great white death. In one area may be a drift only knee high to a child, in another it could be well above a brave's head." He replied, assisting her to a clear area where no snow was lying.

Aponi cringed as snow dropped into the moccasins that Etu's mother provided, leaning against her husband she dug out the offending snow with her finger. "I am still amazed that I was able to survive being out in that storm."

Humanity has become the corrupted tool of the Earthen Interstellar Federation. One captain will soon find out just how much the corruption has spread. Just how does a once-human communicate with her once own xenophobic species?

A Quiet Strength - Trial and Tribulation
by Anon Allsop

-Part Three-

-Four-

His hands stinging from the cold, Etu continued to smack it against the bole of the tree, its impact scarring the bark deeply. To have come so close to his beloved and to lose her in this snowstorm would seem almost unfathomable to the young warrior. Always before his eyes, the swirling snow blowing in his face, seemed merge everything into one ferocious gray fog.

Desperately wanting to strike out in search of Aponi, yet he knew that once he left Machk, he might not find him again. So, the young brave did the only thing he could and continued to strike the limb against the trunk of the tree.

Laughter ,Bulling,Pain,Crying,Wishing,Hoping.Transitioning,Finally complete,Me.

THE END.

I would like to thank Miss Jane Austen for the inspiration for this novella, which is based on a time prior to that which is described in Pride And Prejudice and involves a few of the characters in that great work.

Christmas time can be stress filled for everyone but that is especially true for Steve as he spends his first holiday away from home. Emotions rise as the big day approaches as he tries to find his place in the world with the help of Sandy, Kristy, and Marjorie. Will he be able to handle it?

Steve visits his aunt's house during Christmas break and finds a world he never knew existed. Will life ever be the same?

A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Twenty Seven-

Her hair was in disarray, she had blood on her arm. Etu was unsure whether the blood was from an injury or the bears. He slowly entered, her terror filled blue eyes followed his every move. "Are you injured?"

She said nothing, only tipping her head slightly as he spoke. He glanced around the cave, Etu could tell that she had been living here for quite some time. He saw a pelt laying on the ground and started toward it to ease the bleeding from his wound. Having only taken one step, the female threw herself between he and the small pile of pelts.

The sudden move caused the warrior to pull up, it was evident that the female did not want him any nearer. Like the wild animal he just fought, she showed her teeth at him and brandished a sharpened piece of thin stone. He backed away slowly, at the same time she held it menacingly toward him.

Confused, Etu moved back and crouched upon his haunches. Under furrowed brow, he studied the woman he had spent so much time searching for. She glanced over her shoulder quickly and then backed toward the pile, still holding the stone knife toward the man.

A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Twenty Two-

After half of a day, including a bit of trial and error, the beautiful young 'mother to be' discovered if she put feathers upon the opposite end of her arrow shaft, she would have much more control. It took several tries before she realized that there was only one way that they could be positioned to prevent them from being shredded off each time they were shot.

Attaching the feathers was simple enough. She went only as far as a nearby pine tree and utilized the sap as her glue of choice. Satisfied that it would work, she began to create over two dozen of the straight little wooden sticks. First by notching out one end allowed it to rest on the string, then she began the tedious task of gluing the feathers to the shaft.

She took a walk to her favorite location to find little shards of slate, she carefully placed the sharp stone into a leather pouch she had and carried it back to the cave. With a rounded stone, she would break off pieces to create a definite point at one end and a relative square on the other to attach it to her arrow shaft.

Her only problem from this point forward, aside from working around her distended stomach, seemed to be coming up with the correct weight of the actual arrow-tips. Too heavy and it would impede the accuracy, to light and it had no knock down power. It was a fine line between success and total failure, her very life depended upon the ability to provide food for her and her yet unborn child.