Sapphic Voices Fantasy
Daughters Of Artemis
Part Nine
Chapter IX: Secrets of the Sword
Aradia watched the Romans’ advance from the summit watchtower. They bore the standards of Aurelian and the Emperor.
Aradia felt her stomach sink at the sight of the Imperial Eagle. The Legions were still at least a day away, but
Aradia felt a sense of urgency. She just wanted this over with, one way or another.
The thought of being captured again almost threw her into a panic.
“No way,” she whispered to herself. “I will fall on my sword first.” Then she felt a cold fear wash over her at
the thought of Arynë in Roman hands, Roman chains. “I will kill her myself before I will ever let happen to
her.”
“Aradia.”
The queen turned to see Thraso standing there. Her hair was tousled and her face was flushed by exertion.
“Yes, Thraso?” said Aradia.
“We have surprise for you,” said Thraso, beaming. “Can you come with me?”
“Of course,” said Aradia, frowning in puzzlement.
She followed her Second in Command down to the lower where she was greeted by a platoon of Amazon Warriors on horseback.
“What ... how did you ...?” began Aradia, stunned almost speechless.
“Arynë told me that the Kaskan patrols were mounted,” began Thraso, almost breathless with excitement. “I
started thinking. The Kaskans were never horsemen - not like their neighbours, the Scythians. They must have stolen
the Amazon horses. I went to the old stables and just beyond the paddock, I found a trail, mostly hidden by trees
and brush. It led down and into the valley to where these were running wild. A cavalry unit should give us a bit
of an advantage over the Romans, shouldn’t it Aradia?”
“It will help indeed,” said the queen. “Thraso, this wonderful - except for one thing.”
“What’s that?” said Thraso.
“That trail you mentioned is a breach in our defences,” said Aradia. “No matter how well hidden.”
“I’ve already thought of that,” said Thraso, grinning. “We need to keep it open to move the horses from the stables
to the battlefield, but I have posted a squad to defend it. I kept it small enough to keep hidden, so they won’t
draw attention to the trail itself, though.”
“You are incredible, Thraso,” said Aradia, smiling at her proudly. “I am so happy I chose you for my Second.”
Thraso blushed and grinned happily. Then she signalled to the mounted warriors and they rode off towards the old
stables.
“I would like to see this hidden trail,” said Aradia as they watched the horses ride off.
“Of course,” said Thraso, leading her. “Arynë was there when we got the horses. She wants one.”
“Naturally,” said Aradia, chuckling. “What did you tell her?”
“To ask you, of course,” said Thraso.
“Of course,” said Aradia. “I think when this is over, I will let her try for one of the wild herd. If she can train
and ride, she can keep and care for the horse.”
“Thalia was a rider, wasn’t she?” asked Thraso.
“Yes,” said Aradia. “Leader of the cavalry.”
“You were a rider, too, as I recall,” said Thraso.
“That was a long time ago,” said Aradia, shaking her head.
“For them, too,” said Thraso, nodding in the direction the horses had gone. “But they said the body never forgets.
Oh, Aradia, you should have seen them! They just vaulted on the backs of the wild herd and rode like the wind.
It was like magic!”
“It is magical - the feeling of riding is incredible,” said Aradia, thoughtfully. “Maybe I will take Arynë
to get her horse before the battle - and get one myself. Perhaps I should lead the Amazons on horseback.”
“Oh, Aradia, that would be a sight to see,” said Thraso, wistfully.
“You think so?” said Aradia, one eyebrow raised.
“Oh, yes - the Amazons would love it,” said Thraso. “Aurelian is mounted, isn’t he?”
“Yes,” said Aradia, shortly. “Where is Arynë?”
“With Mhari,” said Thraso, quickly looking away from Aradia.
“Doing what?” asked the queen. Thraso shrugged. “Am I going to be annoyed by the answer to that question, Thraso?”
“It’s not for me to say,” said the warrior.
“Why not?” asked Aradia.
“I was asked not to,” said Thraso.
“I see,” said Aradia. Unwilling to ask her Second in Command to betray a confidence, she kept silent the rest of
the way to the hidden trail.
Suddenly, Thraso stopped and pointed. “There,” she whispered. She let out a peculiar whistle and the Amazons set
to guard the trail emerged from their hiding places and saluted their queen.
“Thraso, that’s not like any bird I ever heard around here,” Aradia said with an amused chuckle.
Thraso grinned and shrugged. “There’s the trail,” she said, pointing again.
“I don’t see it,” said Aradia, walking closer. She had to push vines and brush away to see a faint trail leading
down to the valley. It was only slightly less treacherous than the climb up the steep rock wall to the lower town,
but it was, indeed, a trail. Aradia made her way down it, followed by Thraso. Again the Second in Command whistled
and the Amazons guarding the bottom stepped out and saluted.
Aradia looked around at the bottom of the trail and saw the valley opened wide before her. Tall grasses waved and
the scent of the water from the river came to her, bringing bittersweet memories from that time before. She caught
another scent, as well, the scent of horses. Aradia looked to see a great herd, still grazing riderless. Then one
in particular caught her eye. Tears sprang up and Aradia whispered, “It can’t be.”
“What’s wrong?” asked Thraso, alarmed.
“That mare - the black one,” said Aradia.
“Oh, yes,” said Thraso. “She can’t be caught - believe me, the others tried. Magnificent, isn’t she?”
“More than magnificent,” said Aradia, never taking her eyes from the midnight black mare. “She’s either my horse
or her daughter. Bring Arynë to me - now, please.”
Thraso signalled to a couple of the guards who swiftly made their way up the trail. “Do you want a halter and bridle?”
she asked.
“No - not necessary,” said Aradia, watching the mare prance among the herd, a queen in her own right. It was only
a few moments before Arynë arrived, escorted by the sentries, but for Aradia, time froze.
“Did you want me, Aradia?” asked the girl, breathless from her swift descent down the trail.
“Watch - and learn,” said Aradia, slowly approaching the herd.
“Wait,” said the girl, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a large red apple. Aradia looked at her in surprise
and nodded approvingly before taking the apple.
The queen walked among the horses, unafraid of the huge beasts looming all around her until she came close to the
black mare. The mare saw her, watching warily, looking for a bridle or something like the other Amazons had carried
into their midst. The other horses, scenting the apple in Aradia’s hand, gathered close to the Amazon queen, but
the mare, the object of the queen’s focus, tossed her head and sidestepped away.
“Come on, Beautiful, you know you want it,” Aradia, crooned, holding the red fruit out to her. “Been a long time
since you’ve had one of these, hasn’t it? Come on, Sweetheart, take it.”
The mare looked at the queen’s offering, then sidestepped away, whinnying a warning.
“Come on, take it from me,” whispered Aradia, skilfully manoeuvering the mare away from the rest of the herd. Arynë
watched, tensely silent, both fists clenched tightly down at her sides. She closed her eyes, willing the horse
to come to Aradia. For what seemed like hours, Aradia stood, her arm outstretched, the apple resting on her open
palm. Finally the mare bowed her head and lipped the apple into her mouth. Aradia smiled widely and stroked the
long neck, allowing the mare to finish her treat before swinging herself up onto the horse’s back. The mare reared
up, trying to toss the burden off of herself, but Aradia clung tightly with both knees pressed into the black flanks.
Horse and rider sped across the open field in a mad ride, circling both herd and Amazons several times before the
mare finally tired and came to rest at the foot of the trail, Aradia still clinging to her back. Her hair was wild,
her eyes sparkling and she smiled brightly as she rode up the narrow trail to the stables.
Thraso and Arynë followed her on foot and watched as Aradia crooned gently to the mare, walking her back and
forth in front of the stables for a bit before dismounting to lead her within. Arynë watched as Aradia led
the mare to a clean stall and began to rub her down, speaking softly all the while.
“Arynë, find a brush,” said Aradia. “And bring some more of those apples.”
Arynë nodded and ran off. She returned with an armful of supplies, all given to her by the other riders. Aradia
grinned and plucked a brush from the top of the pile. “You can set those things on the shelf over there,” she told
the girl. Arynë did as Aradia told her, then stepped up beside her foster-mother to watch.
“What are you doing, Aradia?” she asked.
“Watch and learn - again,” said Aradia. When she was finished, the black mare shone in her stall, munching sweet
oats and apples.
“Thraso said that she might be your old horse, Aradia,” said Arynë. “Is she?”
“No,” said Aradia, shaking her head a bit sadly. “No, she’s too young to be Kalika, but I believe she must be one
of her daughters. I think I’ll still call her Kalika, though.”
“She sure is beautiful,” said Arynë, looking at the mare, wistfully.
“Yours will be just as beautiful to you, Little One,” said Aradia.
“Really, Aradia?” said Arynë, excitedly. “You mean I can have a horse?”
“If you can catch and train it, then yes, you may ride and care for it - but always remember that she will be your
friend and battle companion - not your property,” said Aradia.
“Oh,” said Arynë, nodding. “Yes, I know what you mean - like Hekau. I know that she’s ... well, Who She is,
but I miss her as a cat.”
“So do I,” said Aradia, giving the mare a final pat. “Damn rodents are all over the place.”
“No, it’s not just that,” said Arynë. “I could tell Hekau anything. She made me feel warm ... and safe. I
can’t explain it.”
“I know what you mean,” said Aradia, looking up at Kalika and stroking her velvety face. “You can still tell her
anything, you know - it’s called ‘prayer’.”
“It’s not the same,” said Arynë, looking down.
“I know,” said Aradia, turning to the girl and putting an arm around her shoulders. “You will feel that way again,
Arynë.”
“I know, but right now, I feel pretty much alone, Aradia,” said the girl, quietly.
“Well, small comfort that it might be, you do have me,” said the queen.
Arynë looked down. “Unless of course, you would prefer otherwise,” continued the queen.
Arynë looked up at her and shook her head. “Oh, no Aradia!” she said, quickly. “It isn’t that. I’m afraid.”
“Of what?” asked the queen.
“Of you dying in battle,” said Arynë. “That scares me more than even dying in battle myself.” Aradia pulled
the girl into a hug.
“I wish I could promise you that won’t happen,” she said, quietly.
“I know you can’t,” said Arynë. “You never make promises that you don’t know for sure you can keep.”
“Not anymore,” said Aradia, grimly. “Come with me, Arynë.”
She took the girl’s hand and led her to the summit watchtower. “Look. There they are,” she said, pointing to the
Roman army, marching ever closer.
“Oh, Sweet Artemis,” Arynë whispered, clutching the rough stone rim of the watchtower. Her eyes widened at
the sight of the eagle standard. Suddenly, in a wave of dizziness, Arynë felt herself carried back in time.
Long before the Amazons became a Nation, before the Goddess had any name save, “Mother”, Her people were children
of the Earth. They lived as one with their mother, the Earth and with one another, as well as Her other children.
Above all, they honoured the mothers as the source of all life.
The Arynë saw a cloud of dust rising on the horizon, beaten from the earth by the hooves of a hundred or more
horses. Their riders came and attacked the gentle people, slaughtering them and conquering the land which had been
their mother. They prayed to the male gods of the sky and did not honour the Mother at all. They hunted those who
had escaped, but the people who fled took refuge in the caves, the womb of their mother. There, they left a record
of who they had been before the raiders came. Then they were re-born as warriors from the earth. They rose and
fought their conquerors, but still they were pushed north to the frozen steppes.
Arynë saw them, now mounted as were their mortal enemies, then a voice came to her, whispering in her ear,
“No, my Child - that is enough. You are too young to be burdened with this knowledge ....” And the images faded
from before Arynë’s eyes.
“Arynë, are you alright?” asked Aradia, alarmed.
Arynë looked up at the queen and nodded. She looked at her hands, knuckles white, clutching the rim of the
watchtower and slowly released, welcoming the burning aches as sensation returned to her hands.
“I’m sorry - there’s just so many of them,” said Arynë.
“Yes, there are,” said Aradia. “There must be at least three legions down there - they outnumber us, two to one.
But that’s not the worst - look there - at that wagon they’re pulling. Do you see what’s on it?”
“Some kind of ... machine?” said Arynë.
“That is a siege engine - or catapult, if you will,” said Aradia, her lips pressed together. “We are hardly prepared
for that.”
“They wouldn’t have gotten that through the trees if we were still in the tree village,” said Arynë.
“No, but they would have felled every tree in Artemis’ sacred forest if we had stayed there,” said Aradia.
“What are we going to do? We haven’t had time to store enough food for a siege,” said Arynë.
“The three cisterns are full and they can’t reach them - even with that catapult thingy - but we won’t have enough
to feed all the Amazons.”
“They know that - see the extra supply wagons?” said Aradia. “They think we will surrender when we get hungry enough
- that’s how Aurelian works. Bastard.”
“How did they even know we were here?” asked Arynë.
“Well, it was only a matter of time before they figured it out - remember, we almost expected them to be here waiting
for us both trips,” said Aradia.
“You don’t really believe that, though,” said Arynë, looking intently at the queen.
“No, but it’s far preferable to the alternative,” said Aradia with a sigh.
“That we were betrayed again,” said Arynë.
“Yeah,” said Aradia, quietly. “Come on - we have things to do.”
“What can we possibly do against that?” asked the girl, looking again at the Romans, marching inexorably towards
the Amazon city.
“I’m about to show you,” said Aradia, grimly.
The two made their way down the upper town, stopping briefly to collect Mhari. They descended the steps to the
lower town and Aradia brought Mhari to the paddock to show her the horses.
“How splendid!” cried the shamenki. “That should even the odds a bit.”
Arynë looked at her, then shook her head.
“What is it, Child?”
“Aradia took me to the summit tower,” she said quietly.
“Ah, I see,” said Mhari, her eyes twinkling. “And you think we’ll need more than a few mounted warriors?”
“They have a catapult,” Arynë told her, her eyes wide.
“And we have this,” said Aradia, scooping up a handful of fresh horse manure.
“Ew, Aradia, that’s gross,” said Arynë, wrinkling her nose.
“Oh, no - it’s beautiful,” said the queen, her eyes gleaming.
“It is?” asked Arynë.
“Yep - and I think it will affect the length of the siege they’re planning,” said Aradia, dropping the manure and
wiping her hands on a rag. “I think we need to round up the rest of that herd, though - no sense in letting the
Romans have access to them.”
“Good idea,” said Mhari, looking at Aradia and frowning in concern. She shook her head and started back up towards
the upper town.
“What are you going to do with that?” asked Arynë, pointing to the lump of horse manure.
“Dip our arrows and a few darts in it,” said Aradia, going to the stables and washing her hands in a basin.
“Why?” asked Arynë.
Aradia looked at her closely for a moment before answering. “Horse manure carries a poison in it,” she said slowly,
gauging the girl’s reaction. “The poison causes a slow, painful death if it enters under the skin.”
“Yes, that would shorten a siege, if all the warriors got sick,” said Arynë, nodding.
“Well, not all the warriors hit with the poison arrows or darts would get sick - especially the cavalry and others
who have been around horses a lot,” said Aradia. “But it gives us just that much more of an edge. Obviously they
are planning a siege and we are not prepared - we’ve not been here long enough to build up any food stores.”
“We have plenty of water - the cisterns are full and inaccessible to the Romans - even by catapult,” said Arynë.
“Anything that can shorten the Romans’ stay here, I’m for it.”
“Are you sure, Arynë?” asked Aradia. “The men infected will die a horrible death.”
“It isn’t clean, but what they intend for the Amazons is far worse,” said the girl, grimly. “Yes, Aradia, I’m sure.”
“Very well,” said Aradia with a sigh.
"Can I help with the horses?" asked Arynë.
"Naturally," said Aradia. The two went and gathered the other horsewomen. Aradia mounted Kalika, then
pulled Arynë up behind her. "Hold on tight!"
The riders made their way down the trail to the valley below. Aradia rode into the centre of the herd of wild horses
and deposited Arynë in their midst.
"Aradia, wh- what are you doing?" asked the girl looking at the horses, rearing up all around her.
"No fear, Arynë - they'll smell it on you and run away," said Aradia, flashing her a grin before
riding off.
Arynë took a deep breath. She looked at all the horses surrounding her until her eyes locked on the soft,
liquid brown eyes of a beautiful chestnut mare with a gold mane and tail. Arynë released the breath with a
sigh of pure delight.
"Oh," she whispered, enraptured by the sight. Aradia saw the object of Arynë's attention and smiled.
The mare stood a little apart from the rest of the herd. Aradia signaled to the other riders and they began the
gather the rest of the herd to drive them up the trail to the paddock.
Arynë began to slowly walk towards the mare, oblivious to all else. "Oh, please come to me," she
whispered as she approached. She pulled a shiny red apple from her pocket and held it out, just as she had seen
Aradia do. The mare saw the girl and her offering and watched Arynë's approach warily.
Slowly, horse and girl approached one another. Arynë’s focus narrowed until only those two existed. She heard
both hearts beating in harmony, like a shamenki’s drum. Arynë saw herself on the back of this exquisite
creature, the two of them riding across the open fields. She smelled the fresh grass as it turned up under the
mares hooves. She felt the wind in her face, blowing through her hair.
At last the mare bent her head and gently took the fruit from Arynë’s hand, allowing the girl to stroke her
neck as she ate it.
“Stand by, Princess,” said one of the riders, approaching with bridle and halter in hand. Arynë raised one
hand to her.
“No, she doesn’t need that yet,” said the girl, never taking her eyes from the horse. Aradia rode up to them.
“Arynë, you do not yet have the skill or the strength to ride her without those,” she said.
“Kaiyanta doesn’t want that thing on her head - at least not yet,” said Arynë, looking up at her foster-mother
with pleading eyes.
“Kaiyanta?” Aradia raised one eyebrow, but motioned the others to back off away from the mare and the girl. Arynë
moved closer still, still rubbing the mare’s neck and gazing into her eyes. Finally, the mare knelt, allowing the
girl to climb upon her back. Arynë’s eyes shone as the horse rose back up.
“Isn’t that the damnedest thing!” said another rider called Tuva as Aradia put the halter and bridle on the mare
for Arynë. “You ever seen anything like that, Danaela?”
Danaela, an older cavalry member who had survived the Battle of Chadesia chuckled. “Sure,” she said. “Her mother
Thalia had that way with horses. That’s how she came to be cavalry leader and finally, Aradia’s Second.”
“Heh, I heard Thalia became Aradia’s Second on the merit of her other skills,” said a younger rider,
smirking.
“You shut your disrespectful mouth, Dosa,” said Danaela, sternly.
“Well that’s what I heard,” said Dosa, sullen at her scolding. “I heard that Thalia caught the queen’s eye and
- “
“Dosa, will you shut up?” said Tuva through clenched teeth, looking past her. Dosa turned to see Aradia
standing behind her, one eyebrow raised.
“Oh, no - by all means, Dosa, pray continue,” said the queen. “I’m terribly interested in what you heard - and
from whom.”
“I ... I ... it was really nothing,” said Dosa, looking down.
“Really? Nothing? So why repeat it? You know, in the old days, an Amazon convicted of causing harm by her gossip
was sentenced to drink a scalding brew of tongue-bane - rendered the gossip mute for about three days. The Gorgons
are a bit more harsh in their punishment. They take a wooden pin about so,” Aradia held finger and thumb a few
inches apart to indicate the size, “and the use it to pierce through the tongue and both lips. Then they fasten
it by a means even I don’t want to know about. They leave her that way for, oh, I don’t know, a few months, feeding
her through a hollow tube until she is left with a permanent hole in her tongue and lips. They feel that any gossip
will fall through those holes before it falls upon the ears of others.”
Aradia looked at Dosa for a moment to gauge the young woman’s reaction to her words. Dosa looked at her, eyes wide.
“I - I didn’t mean to -“ she began. Aradia held up one hand, silencing her. She was aware of Arynë listening
behind her.
“I, on the other hand, believe that the best way to dispel gossip is with the truth,” she said. “Thalia was my
Second in Command because she was the very best one to lead the Amazons after me. That’s the plain simple truth
of it. Anything else we were to each other is nobody else’s business. Are we clear on this, Dosa?”
“Yes, your majesty,” said Dosa, dipping her head in a quick bow.
“Good - come on, we have work to do - I want these horses in the paddock before sundown,” said Aradia, motioning
for the women to get moving. She waited until she and Arynë were alone at the foot of the trail. “You okay,
Kiddo?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” said Arynë, gently patting Kaiyanta’s flank.
“Listen, Arynë, what Dosa said about your mother and me - “ began Aradia.
“Like you said, it’s nobody else’s business - not even mine,” said the girl, smiling up at her foster mother. “We
should probably get up there, huh?”
“Yeah, you okay to ride?” said Aradia.
“We’re fine,” said Arynë, starting up the trail. Aradia followed, shaking her head.
Aradia oversaw the horses being settled into the paddock outside of the stables. Then she made her way up the steps
to the the upper town. The Queen was exhausted after the day’s work; she wanted nothing more than a hot bath, a
warm supper, and a soft bed.
“I suppose I will have to settle for leftover rabbit stew and the bedroll in front of the hearth again,” she said
to herself with a sigh.
Wearily, Aradia made her way through the crowded streets of the upper town, raising her hand in greeting several
times. She opened the door of her house to be greeted with the smells of baking bread and roasting fowl. There
was a large wooden bathtub in front of the hearth and Aradia could see the steaming buckets of heated water waiting
for her. Mhari was bustling about and greeted Aradia with a wide grin.
“Arynë wanted to surprise you,” said the shamenki.
“She did all this?” asked Aradia.
“Most of it,” said Mhari. “Remember, she took care of Silas from the time she was little.”
“Yeah,” said Aradia, allowing Mhari to lead her to her chair before the hearth and hand her a steaming cup of tea.
“Listen Mhari, about Silas - “
“You think he betrayed us to the Romans,” said the shamenki, sitting in the chair beside Aradia with her
own cup.
“I think it’s a good possibility,” said Aradia with a sigh. “How do I protect Arynë from that if it’s true?”
“Aradia, we don’t know that is was Silas,” said Mhari, shaking her head. “What’s wrong with you these days?
You have never been one to worry so about what might be.”
“Maybe if I had, things would have been different,” said Aradia, looking down into her cup.
“Oh, for crying out loud, stop it,” said Mhari, sternly. “If you are going to keep undermining yourself, maybe
you should just step down and let Thraso lead the Amazons.”
“Mhari, what - ?” began a bewildered Aradia.
“I will not listen to you whine about how it was all your fault, or if only you had done this or that, things would
be different,” said Mhari, rising and taking both cups to the kitchen where she continued her scolding of the queen.
“Do you really have the hubris to think that you were solely responsible for what happened? Blessed Artemis, Aradia,
you are not that key a piece in the great game the gods play with us mortals. ‘Maybe ... if only ...’ - I’m sick
of your whining. Get over yourself, Aradia; you are not that important. All you can do is your best and if you
keep wondering if that’s going to be good enough, then it won’t be.”
She emerged from the kitchen to see Aradia, red-faced, almost choking, with tears streaming down her face.
“Oh! Oh, my, Aradia!” said Mhari, rushing over to her. “Oh, dear, I didn’t mean to sound so harsh! It’s just that
....” Then the shamenki realised that the queen wasn’t weeping; rather, she was struggling to not burst
into laughter. Mhari stood and glared at her until Aradia, wiped her eyes and regained her composure.
“I’m sorry,” she gasped. “It’s just that .... you’re absolutely right. My goodness, Mhari, you haven’t scolded
me like that since I was Arynë’s age.”
“You haven’t needed it since then - until now,” said Mhari.
“You are right, though,” said Aradia, with a sigh. “I need to do something to change this feeling that no
matter what I do, I will fail.”
“Yes, you do,” said Mhari, pouring the steaming buckets of scented water into the wooden tub. “Tell you what, why
don’t you have a bath now? I know those horses might possibly be the salvation of the Amazons, but the smell ...
“
“Okay, Mhari,” said Aradia with a chuckle. “I get it.” She looked at the shamenki for a moment. “Some privacy,
if you don’t mind?”
“Oh, please, Aradia - I use to change your nappies,” said Mhari.
“That was a long time ago,” said Aradia. “Fine. Stay - just don’t say anything.”
“About what, Dear?” asked Mhari, as Aradia began to disrobe. Mhari gasped at a series of horrible scars laced all
over the queen’s torso.
“Not a word, Mhari,” warned Aradia as she slowly descended into the tub. “Life as a Gladiator is not all glory
and acclaim. There are certain punishments if one doesn’t perform as expected.”
“I see,” said Mhari, nodding. “Well, I’ll just leave you to your bath and collect Arynë. No doubt she’ll not
mind the bath house for her wash up.”
“Just hurry - that dinner smells wonderful and I’m starving,” said Aradia, leaning back and closing her eyes as
Mhari left the house.
Aradia relaxed, breathing in the aromatic scent of the steaming bath. She felt the soreness in her limbs begin
to ebb.
“Must be some herb Mhari put in the water,” she murmured to herself. There was a pleasant tickling sensation at
the back of her neck as the water gently rose and fell in rhythm with her breathing. Her skin tingled and her breathing
grew slower and deeper. Aradia felt herself being just at that place before sleep took her, not quite awake, but
aware.
Images of every battle she’d ever fought replayed before her closed eyes several times. Every possible outcome
based upon Aradia’s actions was shown to her. She watched with detached interest until the Battle of Chadesia replayed
itself. Aradia felt her body grow more tense, then consciously, she eased it; this was the one battle she needed
to see all the way through.
She and Thalia fought side by side. Suddenly, she felt a blow to her head from behind. She whirled around and
saw a Gorgon warrior, a fierce sneer upon her face, attacking her. She moved behind Thalia and the two fought back
to back, as did the other Amazons. But it was no use. They were trapped. Briefly she turned her head and saw Thalia
was battling one on one with Yarg himself. She saw that Thalia’s Amazon sword did not have the reach of Yarg’s
long sword, putting her Second in Command at a severe disadvantage. She could only spare momentary glances at Thalia,
but it was enough to see that her friend was being hard-pressed as were all the Amazons. Suddenly, she felt Thalia
slump against her. She whirled around to see Yarg pulling his sword from her breast. With a howl of pure rage and
agony, Aradia turned and began to fight Yarg. Her eyes saw only his blood all over her hands as the way to wash
away the grief she felt at the loss of Thalia, but that was not to be. In her blind fury and battle lust, she saw
only Yarg. The Gorgons behind her hit her again and again, though Aradia did not feel it, until at last she fell,
wounded and unconscious. When she awoke, she was on a Roman slave ship, bound for the Gladiator Arena ...
Again, she and Thalia were fighting side by side. She moved behind Thalia and the two fought back to back, as
did the other Amazons. But it was no use. They were trapped. Briefly she turned her head and saw Thalia was battling
one on one with Yarg himself. She could only spare momentary glances at Thalia, but it was enough to see that her
friend was being hard-pressed as were all the Amazons. Suddenly, she felt Thalia slump against her. She whirled
around to see Yarg pulling his sword from her breast. With a howl of pure rage and agony, Aradia turned and began
to fight Yarg. Her eyes saw only his blood all over her hands as the way to wash away the grief she felt at the
loss of Thalia. She fought the Gorgons first all around her, then turned her attention to Yarg. She fought him
one on one, finally running him through. Aradia suddenly saw only darkness as a Gorgon hit her from behind. When
she awoke, she was on a Roman slave ship, bound for the Gladiator Arena ...
Aradia fought alone, having left Thalia and Arynë with Silas. One on one, she battled the Kaskan chieftain,
Yarg. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice uttering a blood-freezing battle cry. “Thalia, no!” Aradia screamed
as from seemingly nowhere, her Second in Command appeared, fighting at her side.
“You didn’t really believe I’d stay away from this and let you have all the fun did you?” asked a grinning Thalia.
They moved into position, fighting back to back until Aradia felt Thalia slump against her. She whirled around
to see Yarg pulling his sword from her breast. With a howl of pure rage and agony, Aradia turned and began to fight
Yarg. Her eyes saw only his blood all over her hands as the way to wash away the grief she felt at the loss of
Thalia, but that was not to be. She saw herself, run through by Yarg’s sword, being dragged away and hung on a
cross beside Thalia ...
Over and over, the scene replayed itself, but always with the same result; no matter what Aradia did differently
in each instance, the result was the same: either defeat and capture or defeat and death. Finally, she saw herself
hanging on the cross next to Thalia, dead. She felt no sensation, but watched as the crows came and ate away her
flesh, turning her body to mere bones and hair.
“That’s how it should have ended,” she whispered to herself. “If defeat was fated from the beginning, I should
have died, too.”
“You are hopeless,” Aradia heard and opened her eyes to see the Great Goddess who had rescued her from the Gladiator
cell. Her eyes flashed in anger. “I thought you were stronger than this; that you would be able to overcome this
self-pity and self-recrimination for what is clearly not your fault. Evidently, I was wrong. Go on back, then,
to what you think you deserve.”
Aradia felt cold. She shivered as the chill breeze from the flapping crows’ wings beat upon her face. They pecked
at her tender flesh. She tried to bat them away, but her wrists were securely fastened to the wooden cross-beam.
All of a sudden the crows wore human faces. At first, Aradia saw the faces of all the Amazons who had fallen in
the Battle of Chadesia. They cawed at her, harsh recriminations for their deaths. She saw Athtar, cackling madly
as she pecked out one of Aradia’s eyes and flew off with it. A crow wearing Yarg’s face buried his beak in her
belly and tore out her entrails, dragging them along the ground as he flew away with them.
A large, glossy black crow wearing Aurelian’s face peered at her for a moment, as if it were looking at a particularly
revolting insect before taking off her nose. Aradia saw the Roman who had bought her for the arena and beat her
when she didn’t generate as much money as he expected, fluttering and tearing at her throat. One by one, she saw
all those who had fallen before her sword in the arena, friend and foe alike, tearing bits of her off and flying
away until there was almost nothing left but her bones.
She turned her head, the bones in her neck creaking and grinding, and looked over to the cross next to her where
Thalia hung, dead. Only Thalia was gone. A large crow wearing Thalia’s face was perched on top of the wooden cross,
glaring at her with one yellow eye. She flew at Aradia, perching on her bony shoulder.
“You failed,” she rasped at Aradia. “You failed my daughter.” Then the crow who wore Thalia’s face swung down and
pecked away at Aradia’s heart, pulling through the bare ribs before flying off with it.
Then came the wolves. They leapt up and tore her bones down from the wooden cross, grabbing them and worrying at
them until every shred of meat was gone, then carrying the dry bones away to the centre of the crossroads. The
huge flock of crows awaited them. Aradia somehow continued to see what was happening. The Great Mother stood in
the centre of the crossroads, waiting. She gathered the bones from the snarling wolves first and arranged them
in their proper order. Then she motioned for the crows, who rose up in the air and descended en masse, covering
Aradia’s skeleton in a blanket of black feathers. They rose up in the air and flew away, leaving only Aradia’s
re-formed, though still lifeless body and the Goddess in the centre of the crossroads.
The Goddess held up her hands and the crow who was Thalia flew down and deposited the heart in them. She perched
on the Goddess’s shoulder to watch.
“I am the Circle of Re-Birth,” she said, bending and placing the heart inside of Aradia’s chest. “Your soul has
been reborn, my daughter; let its wounds and scars be healed so that it may move on and do what you are destined
to do.”
Aradia sat up with a gasp. The bath water had grown cold. Her skin was wrinkled and water-logged.
“A dream,” she whispered, allowing her heart to slow. Then she scowled. “Or a drug-induced nightmare. What in Tartarus
did Mhari put in the water?”
She was out of the tub and dressed when Mhari returned with Arynë.
“Did the bath soothe you, Dear?” asked the shamenki, smiling. Aradia merely glared at her. “No? That’s odd.
Ah well, are you hungry?”
“Yes, actually, I’m starving,” said Aradia, her mood lightening a bit.
“Me, too!” said Arynë, her hair still damp from her bath. “I never knew riding was so hard - I thought the
horse did all the work. I ache in muscles I never even knew I had.”
“It’ll pass,” said Aradia, smiling proudly at the girl.
“That’s what Danaela said - she served under my mother,” said Arynë, serving up the food. “She said that I
have my mother’s gift with horses - what did she mean by that, Aradia?”
“Your mother had a way with all animals, but especially horses,” said Aradia with a wistful smile. “When Thalia
rode, it was as if she and the horse were one being. When she worked with the horses, they would do anything she
wanted them to - you could almost imagine that she was asking them nicely and they were responding to that. She
loved them and they returned that love. You could just feel it.”
“With that gift, Thalia could have followed the path of the shamenki,” said Mhari, sadly. “Instead, she
chose to be a warrior.”
“And died for that choice,” said Aradia, bitterly. “She wouldn’t even hunt - how ironic is that? She could kill
a man with a smile on her face, but she wouldn’t hunt an animal for food. Said it wasn’t fair to use her gift to
lure a creature to its death.”
“I think I understand,” said Arynë, quietly looking down. “I’m pretty tired. Is it okay if I just go to bed?”
“Sure,” said Aradia, smiling at the girl. “Tell you what, I’ll do the washing up; you go ahead and get the bedrolls
laid out ... What?” She looked at Mhari and Arynë who were grinning at her.
“No need for the bedrolls,” said Mhari. “This girl of ours cleaned the bedrooms and managed to procure fresh, clean
mattresses and bedding.”
“You ... my, you did have a busy day didn’t you, Kiddo?” said Aradia, obviously pleased. “Go on to bed, then. I’ll
take care of everything out here.”
Arynë rose and wearily made her way to her room.
“Mhari, what did you put in that bath water?’ asked Aradia.
“Just some relaxing herbs, a little rose and lavender for scent,” said the shamenki. “Why?”
“I dozed off and had a ... a troubling dream,” said Aradia, frowning.
“Well, moon-dark approaches; it is a time for dreams of omens and portents,” said Mhari.
“Why must you always be so cryptic?” said Aradia. “As shamenki you can interpret dreams, can’t you?”
“That’s what I do, Dear,” said Mhari, with a smile. “That and talking to the spirits, of course. What did you dream?”
Aradia recounted the dream with as much detail as she could remember. Already the images were fading from her memory
and she struggled with them. Mhari smiled and gently patted her hand.
“The experience of seeing one’s body torn apart and put back together is unsettling, isn’t it?” she said.
“You could say that,” said Aradia. “What does it all mean?”
“Well, if you were younger, I might say that the spirits were calling you to the vocation of a shamenki
- and it may be that they are. It sounds like an Initiation. But I think the beginning of the vision is equally,
if not more, significant. What do you think that part means?”
“That no matter what I do, if the Amazons are fated to lose this battle, then they will no matter what I do,” said
Aradia, quietly.
“Hm, I don’t think so,” said Mhari.
“Then what?” asked Aradia.
“You did not see the outcome of battles to come, only battles of the past,” said Mhari. “Unlike the past, the future
is infinitely changeable.”
“Oh,” said Aradia, her eyes widening slightly. “I think ... I think I see. I can’t change what happened; the Battle
of Chadesia was lost and will remain so, no matter how many times and different ways I re-fight it.”
“And the other part?” asked Mhari, smiling in encouragement.
“Part of me died that day,” said Aradia, her eyes taking on a far away look as she remembered. “And more of me
continued to die, little pieces at a time during my captivity. Now it’s up to me to pull myself together - so to
speak - and be fully alive again, no matter how painful that may be.”
“Well?” said Mhari. “What will you do?”
“I think it should be obvious, Mhari,” said Aradia, smiling slightly. “It wasn’t only instinct and reflexes that
made me fight for my life in the arena; I want to live.”
*************
Arynë lay down and was almost instantly asleep, despite the fact that her feet hung off the end of the
small child’s bed. She had indeed had a busy day - and a busier one to come, Thalia thought as she gazed
at her sleeping daughter. Still, Arynë’s work was not done. Thalia waited until she knew that both Mhari and
Aradia were asleep in the other rooms, then bent and gently shook the girl awake.
“What ... ?” began Arynë, sleepily. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the glowing blue figure standing beside
her bed. “Wh - who ...?”
“It’s alright - don’t be scared, Arynë,” said Thalia.
“Mother?” said the girl.
“Yes,” said Thalia. “I want you to come with me - it’s important, Arynë.”
“Okay,” said the girl, pulling on her leather breeches and boots.
“We must be very quiet - don’t wake the others,” said Thalia, leading her to the window and boosting her out to
the soft ground.
“Where are we going?” asked Arynë, not quite convinced that she wasn’t still asleep in her bed.
“To the Temple,” said Thalia. “I must show you something.”
“Will you be there with me?” asked the girl, slipping her small hand into Thalia’s larger one. Arynë could
feel the rough sword callouses on the warrior’s palm. “Are you really dead?”
“Yeah,” said Thalia. “But I’m still with you; I always will be.”
Arynë smiled and the two walked hand in hand through the quiet dark streets to the Temple. Thalia pulled open
the heavy oak door and ushered Arynë into the absolute dark stillness of the Temple.
“What did you want to show me?” asked Arynë, shivering a bit. It was a trifle unnerving to her that the only
illumination in this sacred place was the bluish glow emanating from her mother’s ghost.
Thalia moved along the walls of the Temple, lighting the lamps which hung at intervals along the length of the
Temple on either side before replying. In the warm flickering lamplight, she stopped glowing, appearing as real
and as solid as Arynë herself. She beckoned her daughter to the front of the Temple where the altar stood.
“Do you remember where Aradia found the scrolls?” she asked.
“Yes - in fact, I put them back there myself,” said Arynë. “Just in case the Romans ...”
“Yes, the Romans,” said Thalia, grimly. She held out her hand and the altar slid away to reveal two wooden trap
doors, side by side. Thalia stepped up and pulled open the one Arynë hadn’t seen before. “Come here, Arynë.”
“Wait - the last time I came here with someone I thought I knew in the middle of the night, it turned out to be
Ares in a disguise he pulled from my own memories,” said Arynë. “How do I know that you’re really my mother?”
“I am very pleased that you learn from your mistakes, Little One,” said Thalia with a small chuckle. “Unfortunately,
I can offer you no proof that would make you believe what I say. You just have to have faith.”
“Okay - what is that you want me to do?” asked Arynë, warily.
“Under the Temple is a tunnel which leads to a chamber,” said Thalia. “Only the priestesses remembered it. In that
chamber is something which will help Aradia against Aurelian and the Romans. I want you to get it and give it to
her.”
“That’s it?” said Arynë. “Why me? Why not lead Aradia to it instead?”
“Because only a priestess is permitted to enter this chamber,” said Thalia.
“I’m not a priestess,” said Arynë. “I’m not really even an Amazon yet.”
“Oh, but you are,” said Thalia, smiling at her. “You were destined for the Temple since you were born.”
“What if I refuse?” asked Arynë.
“It is your choice, Arynë,” said Thalia.
“It is?” said the girl.
“Of course - the Goddess does not want unwilling servants,” said Thalia.
“But if I don’t do Her will, the consequences will be terrible, right?” said Arynë.
“That depends on your definition of ‘terrible’,” said Thalia. “I think if you choose another vocation, you will
spend the rest of your life feeling unfulfilled because you’re not doing what you are best suited to do, but I
don’t see any great catastrophe befalling you or the Amazon Nation just because you exercised free will.”
“Well, I know you’re not Ares now - he uses a lot more pressure - and guilt - to convince people to do what he
wants,” said Arynë with a sigh. “But how did you know about this secret chamber that only priestesses can
enter?”
“No, Arynë, I am not Ares,” said Thalia, smiling gently. “ It isn’t a secret. At one time all the Amazons
knew about it. Only priestesses are permitted to enter it, but that’s because it’s a consecrated place; if anyone
else were to step foot there, it would lose its magic. I think when you see what is in the chamber below, you will
understand more.”
“Okay,” said Arynë, stepping up to the trap door. She looked down into the inky blackness, then back up to
her mother’s face. The girl leaned up and kissed Thalia’s cheek, brushing a tear from her own. “I sure do miss
you.”
“I know,” said Thalia, tears welling in her own eyes.
“Um, I don’t suppose you can come with me?” said Arynë.
“Of course I’ll be with you, Arynë,” said Thalia. “I always am - remember that; but it takes a lot of energy
to manifest this way and I’ve about used mine up.”
“Okay,” said Arynë, nodding. She climbed down into the tunnel.
“Wait,” Thalia said, reaching over and taking the Sword of Artemis from the statue’s hand. “You’ll need this.”
Arynë’s eyes widened a bit, but she took the Sword. Thalia smiled. “No, not to fight.”
Remembering how the Sword had illuminated Athtar’s dark cave, Arynë nodded, relieved and began to make her
way through the narrow tunnel. It sloped downward in a gentle incline and Arynë walked, holding the Sword
like a torch. She noticed carvings on the walls, strange symbols and pictures which told stories. She would have
lingered to study them, but she was filled with a sense of urgency.
She walked until the she came to a wooden door at the end of the tunnel. She tried the door, but found it locked.
“Now what?” she whispered to herself. Suddenly the Sword shimmered and vibrated in her hand. It changed into a
small silver key which Arynë fitted into the lock. The door swung open.
“Stop!”
Arynë looked to see a woman standing before her, blocking her from taking another step. She was tall and dark.
She wore black silk robes with long scarlet and flame-coloured feathers trailing from a magnificent headdress and
cape. “Who are you, Youngling? Do you not know the prohibition against anyone besides a priestess entering this
sacred place?”
“I do know, but I was told that I was permitted,” said Arynë, hesitant before the Guardian of this place.
“Who told you this?” asked the Guardian.
“M...my mother - or her shade, really,” replied the girl. “I am Arynë, daughter of Thalia.”
“By what sign do I know you are to be permitted?” asked the Guardian.
Arynë held up the silver key, which transformed back into the Sword. The Guardian smiled and stepped aside.
“It is the Goddess Herself who permits you, then,” she said, fading from Arynë’s sight.
“This just isn’t possible,” said Arynë, stepping gingerly into the huge chamber. “I have to be dreaming ...
or something. This isn’t possible!”
“Have faith,” Arynë heard Thalia’s voice in her mind. “Suspend your disbelief, Little One - remember how you
believed in this magic and this place when you were small.”
She looked around, hearing the sound of running water somewhere. Giant bins, spilling over with various types of
grain stood along the far wall of the chamber. Grain sacks were neatly folded in front of each bin. Other wooden
chests lined the other walls and Arynë eagerly went to them, slipping the Sword into her waistband since the
chamber was illuminated by some source Arynë could not see.
She wandered about, peering into chests and bins and cabinets. She found lamp oil, dried fruit and meat in addition
to the grain. She also found chests of scrolls she hadn’t read yet. Checking her eagerness with some difficulty,
Arynë looked around for the item she was supposed to bring back to Aradia, promising herself she would return
to explore further.
Then she saw another wooden door at the far end of the cavernous chamber. Quickly she walked over to it, but found
it locked. She pulled out the Sword, but it remained a Sword, so Arynë slipped it back into her waistband
with a shrug.
“Arynë, in this place, time stands still,” she heard. She turned to see Thalia, translucent and wavering.
“But outside it does not. It is nearly dawn. You must get what you came for and go back.”
“But what is it I’m supposed to bring out?” asked the girl, bewildered as Thalia faded before answering. Arynë
sighed. Then her eyes caught a chest, smaller than most of the others. It had the Queen’s mark carved upon its
lid. “This must be it.”
Arynë picked up the small chest and carried it back with her through the tunnel and into the Temple.
To be continued...
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