Amazonia (20 page)

Shale was disgusted, but her
face remained impassive.

“My blood,” he said, as if
that explained everything.

Theron thrust his sword
toward her, and Shale deflected it, knocking it downward. She then rammed
the hilt of her weapon directly into Theron’s face. He stumbled back, and
Shale unleashed a diagonal slice that would tear him in two.

Theron’s sword blocked at the
last possible instant, and he lurched forward, his leg lashing out for her
bandaged knee. Shale jumped, barely clearing the strike. When she landed,
her leg gave way, and Theron pounced, taking her to the ground.

Theron lost his sword in the
tumble, and he wrenched Shale’s out of her grip, tossing it aside. He
pinned Shale to the ground, and delivered several blows, battering Shale
fiercely with his colossal fists.

Shale raised her arms,
protecting her head as best she could. She tensed her muscles as Theron
punched her stomach, but the wind was still knocked out of her. She kneed
him hard in the groin, and he relented briefly. It was all she needed, a
sharp jab rocked him backward, and she wriggled free, releasing a savage
kick to his face. Her boot connected, and a spray of blood erupted from
his nose and mouth as he fell onto his back.

Shale struggled to her feet,
mortified when she immediately fell back down. She tried again, swaying
wildly as her vision swam. And she thought Kale had a wicked punch.

Shale descended on him,
pounding Theron relentlessly. She yelled in pure rage, this man had
annihilated her tribe. She’d seen his brutality firsthand in her, or
rather, his dream. When Theron coughed up blood, Shale recognised that he
was barely conscious— she had won.

Shale stood, kicking him away
from her. She teetered toward her sword, and was halfway there when it
dawned on her that she could have just used the dagger in Theron’s boot to
kill him. She shook her head, her mind was still hazy from the hits it had
taken.

She suddenly realised that
she had kicked Theron right near where she had discarded the whip. Shale
turned in horror, hearing the snap of the weapon too late. The whip curled
around her stomach and waist, the barbs digging deeply into her flesh.

Theron wiped blood out of his
eyes, and despite a missing tooth, he was still grinning. “Got you.”

DESPITE THEIR BEST efforts,
Blake and Amber lost sight of Kale pretty quickly, she was much faster
than they were. It didn’t matter though, they knew where she was headed.

It was a hot day, without
even the slightest breeze, but Blake felt a shiver run through her. Her
stomach was in knots. Never in her life had she ran so fast. She was
desperate to get to Shale. She prayed to all of the gods on Olympus,
begged them, to keep Shale safe. She kept going over different scenarios
in her head, each one more terrible than the last, wondering what had
happened to Shale, what was happening to her that very moment.

Not knowing was driving her
slowly insane, and through sheer determination, Blake increased her speed.

SHALE GRAPPLED WITH the whip,
but the barbs sliced into her hands, making it difficult to get a good
grip. She found the whip’s tail end, and started to unravel it from her
waist, the embedded metal sliding free from her skin. It was excruciating,
but she kept going.

“Ah-ah,” Theron scolded,
giving the whip a sharp tug to keep her still.

Shale bit into her already
split lip to keep from crying out. The barbs sank deeper into her flesh,
firmly embedding themselves.

“Keep fighting and I’ll yank
it out of you,” Theron said. “I hope you’re not too fond of your skin?”

Shale stopped struggling—he
had her. She held her hands out, away from her body, cooperating with him.
If Theron did as he said, and Shale had no doubt that he would, pulling
the whip from her would rip out a good portion of her midriff. And even if
she survived that, there would be no skin for Appollonia to stitch
together, she would bleed to death.

“Clever girl.” Theron walked
toward her, reeling the whip in as he moved, keeping it taut. When he was
in range, Theron punched her with all his might.

Shale fell, hard. Blackness
tried to engulf her, and she fought to stay conscious. Kale would be here
soon, she had to stay awake.

She heard Theron standing
over her, laughing, but couldn’t see him. Her eyes wouldn’t open. The
sound infuriated her, but even her anger wasn’t enough to rouse her. She
slipped into unconsciousness.

KALE SLOWED CONSIDERABLY as
she neared the boulder, treading carefully so she didn’t disturb the marks
in the soil. The bodies of five men were strewn around her, but she barely
glimpsed their way. She followed the tracks of the fight, kneeling down
where blood had been spilt.

Though Shale had killed most
of them, Kale could tell she had been taken down by one man. That worried
her. Shale had clearly fought back, but either the man was too good for
her, which Kale doubted, or Shale had been hurt enough so that she
couldn’t hold him back.

The blood she found added
proof to her second theory, and Kale’s hand tightened around the hilt of
her sword.

Amber and Blake emerged into
the open meadow, both sprinting full out. They were soon by Kale’s side,
and Kale filled them in while they caught their breath.

“Six men attacked, looks like
a scouting party. Shale killed five of them, but the sixth got her, put
her on horseback, and he took her that way.” Kale pointed.

“One man?” Amber asked
dubiously.

Kale shifted her position,
and gravely indicated the red soil she was squatting next to. “She’s
hurt.”

“Oh, no,” Blake whispered,
shaking her head. “You don’t know it’s Shale’s,” she said desperately.

Amber draped a comforting arm
over Blake’s shoulders. “Shale wouldn’t have been captured otherwise.”

Blake nodded.

Kale stood abruptly, and
started for the trees she’d pointed toward.

“Where are you going?” Blake
moved swiftly to intercept her.

“Where do you think? After
Shale.”

“We need to get Aris and the
warriors,” Blake said. “It’s likely to be the same man who destroyed your
tribe. We need backup, Kale. If he wanted Shale dead, he’d have killed her
already. He’s setting a trap. Let’s make sure we’re prepared.”

Amber nodded in agreement.
“Blake’s right, Kale. We need to get reinforcements.”

“You two go.” Kale stepped
forward. “I’ll go on ahead.”

Blake grabbed her arm. “No,
you won’t. You said he was on horseback. Even you can’t catch up to a
horse.”

“I can try,” Kale said
stubbornly, trying to wrench her arm free of Blake’s grasp.

Blake held tight. “We need
you with us, Kale. He’s on horseback, so he could be travelling for days.
What if it rains? What if we lose his tracks? You can find Shale without
them, we can’t.” A brief pause. “We need you,” Blake repeated.

Kale, despite her
unwillingness to head in the opposite direction to her twin, could see
Blake’s logic. She hesitated, then tipped her head ever so slightly.

Blake squeezed her arm before
releasing it, and they took off toward the village.

NOT ANOTHER WORD was spoken
until they reached the village. Then they all began to talk at once.

“I’ll find my mother,” Blake
said.

“I’ll get Aris,” Amber said.

“Meet us in the center,”
Blake told her.

Amber nodded and darted away.

“I’ll go and fetch some
supplies,” Kale added, striding off.

“Stop by Appollonia’s, too,”
Blake called after her. “Get some bandages, and whatever treatments she’ll
give you.”

“Will do,” Kale said,
impressed by Blake’s focussed determination. She hadn’t missed the torment
in Blake’s eyes, but the princess didn’t falter, calmly organising the
things they would need for the ordeal ahead.

Kale stopped by her cabin to
collect a travel bag, and scrunched a blanket inside, followed by some
bread, biscuits, and fruit. She then went next door and did the same for
Blake, shoving an extra blanket into her own bag for Shale. She repeated
the process at Amber’s cabin, and then filled the three waterskins at the
nearby stream.

By the time Kale got back,
the village center had filled with Amazons, and she had to work her way
through them to reach the healer’s lodge. Kale could hear Blake’s voice
clearly, but didn’t stop to listen to what was being said.

She entered the lodge, nearly
colliding with Appollonia, who was making her way outside, as if to see
what all the commotion was about.

“Kale, do you know what’s
going on?”

“Yes, that’s why I’m here.
Shale’s been kidnapped.”

“Oh my!”

“She’s also hurt. Can you
give me—” Kale broke off as Appollonia started to bustle around the room.

“How is she hurt? It would
help if I knew the injury.”

Kale shrugged helplessly. “I
don’t know. I just saw blood.”

Appollonia picked up several
bandages from the shelf at the far end of the room, and tossed them onto
the nearby bed, along with a bone needle and yarn. Kale opened Blake’s bag
and wedged them inside, knowing that she herself might not have time to
treat Shale if she was busy fighting. Kale was in no doubt that Blake
would take care of her though.

“This,” Appollonia held up a
jar, “is to prevent infection. Sprinkle it over the wound before you wrap
it.” She moved to the table, and transferred some of the contents into a
smaller bottle so it would be easier to carry. She passed it to Kale, and
selected another jar. “This will help with the pain. Mix it with a drink,
preferably something warm. Two pinches if it’s mild, four if it’s serious,
but no more than that.” Appollonia again poured it into a bottle. “Do not
mix them up, the herbs for the infection are poisonous to drink.”

Kale looked around. “Have you
got a small knife?”

Appollonia glanced up, and
indicated the shelf behind her.

Kale spotted it and retrieved
the cutting tool. She etched an x onto the bottle she was holding.

Appollonia gave her a look of
approval, and handed Kale the other bottle and also a mug.

Kale tucked both bottles
carefully inside Blake’s blanket. She knew that out of the three, Blake
would fight the least, so had the smallest chance of breaking them. The
mug went in next, then Kale closed the bag and shouldered it once more.

“And most importantly,”
Appollonia added, “get Shale back to me as soon as you can.”

ONCE ARIS, THE warriors, and
the queen had gathered in the center of the village, Blake spoke up, “One
of our sisters, Shale, has been kidnapped.” Gasps and mumbled conversation
came forth, and Blake waited a moment for the crowd to quieten before
continuing, “We suspect by the same man who wiped out the tribe south of
here.”

“We’re under attack?” one
woman asked worriedly.

“He has taken Shale to draw
us to him,” Blake said. “But we had best prepare for an all out assault.
We don’t know what he’s going to do.”

“You cannot take all of the
warriors, Blakaea,” Zayla said.

Amber glanced to the queen in
surprise. “But Shale...”

“I know, Mother,” Blake said.
She turned to Amber. “We must leave most of the warriors here. We can’t
leave the village defenceless. That could be his plan. And when we leave,
his army swoops in.”

Aris nodded her agreement.
“How many do you want?” She looked between Zayla and Blake.

“Take six of the best,” Zayla
instructed.

Aris nodded again. “Anataeus,
Demetria, Hellana, Arkayus, Charis,” she called out immediately. “I’ll go
as well, my Queen. Lathana can stay and organise a defence here.”

“Very well,” Zayla said.

“Step forward,” Blake said.
The chosen warriors came to the front of the crowd. “This is a very
dangerous task you are about to undertake. Our main goal is to rescue our
sister, but I will not lie to you, we could end up fighting an entire
army. I am giving you the option, step back if you don’t want to go.
You’ll be replaced. No one will think any less of you.” Blake paused for
several moments, but as she suspected, none of them moved. She’d wanted to
give them the choice though. “Then as princess, and on behalf of this
tribe, I thank you all for your bravery.” Blake locked eyes with each
warrior, and then nodded to Aris.

“Pack light, we’ll be moving
fast.” Aris dismissed those selected with a wave of her hand. “Be quick.
We’ll be leaving shortly.” She faced Blake and Zayla, as if checking to
see if she was wanted for anything else before she left to get ready
herself. Neither spoke, so Aris departed.

“Blakaea, a word.” Zayla
placed a hand on Blake’s shoulder and moved her toward the queen’s cabin.
Once inside, Zayla opened her mouth to speak, but Blake cut her off. That
action in itself told of how uneasy she was.

Blake was adamant. “I’m not
staying, Mother. Don’t even ask me to.”

“I wasn’t going to, Blakaea.
I know you better than that.” Zayla stepped closer and embraced her. “But
please be careful.”

“What if Shale’s...” Blake
couldn’t even bring herself to say the word. She clutched Zayla fiercely
but didn’t cry, knowing that once she started she’d never stop.

“Shale is strong, Blakaea,”
Zayla said. “She’ll not leave you easily. She’ll fight till her last
breath, for that is her nature.” She kissed the top of Blake’s head, and
Blake nodded in response. “I have something to give you.”

Zayla crossed to the corner
of the room and picked up the sword there, offering it to Blake. “This
sword has protected the royal line in many battles. I wish for you to
carry it now.”

Blake took it gratefully.

“Turn around,” Zayla said.
When Blake did so, she fastened the sheath onto her back, and Blake slid
the sword into it. “Be safe, my daughter.”

They hugged again, though it
was all too brief. Then Blake was gone, striding swiftly toward the
cluster of warriors.

THE FIRST THOUGHT Shale had
when she came to, was how uncomfortable she was. She knew she was draped
ungraciously over a horse’s back, and from the wind buffeting her face
they were travelling quite fast. She felt Theron’s hand gripping her top,
keeping her in place, and had the sudden urge to break all of his fingers.

To her dismay, she couldn’t
even sense Kale. Theron must have got away before she arrived. Shale
cursed herself for losing consciousness.

She opened her eyes, but
could see nothing except a close up view of horse’s hooves and the ground.
She needed to look around, to get a sense of their direction and where
they were heading, but she didn’t want Theron to know she was awake and
alert.

Shale stayed motionless,
carefully assessing her injuries. Most places hurt, but she’d expected
that. She knew she wasn’t in the best of shape, but neither was Theron,
she’d got in some good hits. She realised in relief that the whip had been
removed from her waist. Shale was surprised, she’d thought Theron was
smarter than that.

As soon as Theron stopped,
she would make her move. She would take his horse too, she wouldn’t move
very quickly on foot in her current condition.

Theron’s hand snaked
downward, pressing hard against the wounds on her back. It was so
unexpected that Shale tensed, and she paid for her mistake an instant
later, when Theron removed his boot from the stirrup and kicked her
perfectly positioned head.

As Shale sank into oblivion
once more, a grudging respect emerged—Theron certainly knew what he was
doing.

KALE SQUATTED OVER the trail,
examining it expertly. “They went that way.” She pointed to the west as
she straightened up.

“I agree,” Aris said from
beside her.

Kale glanced impatiently over
her shoulder, to where the rest of the group was emerging, all red-faced
and breathing heavily. Kale knew she was pushing them hard, but she still
wasn’t satisfied by the pace they were going. If she were alone she’d be
travelling much faster, and would have covered a lot more ground.

Kale stiffened when a hand
touched her back, but relaxed when she saw it was Amber. The red-head had
kept up well, following closely to Aris, who was only second to Kale. To Kale’s
surprise, and to the chagrin of the other warriors, Blake was after Amber,
and Kale made a mental note to tell Shale about it later, knowing Shale
would be both proud and amused by that.