PART THREE
Somewhere in the still hours of the night when all was silent in the Temple of Ares, a tall figure silently materialised in the room where Leonides slept.
Ares stood gazing down at his son for a long time, a reflective expression on his normally severe face. The dark eyes moved over the small form, with something that could have been akin to love, and the god exhaled deeply, thinking of another child and the callous, unloving parents who had shaped him a very, very long time before. He swallowed. Only the moon witnessed the pain that crossed his face as he remembered, alone as always in his grief. He clenched his jaw, determined that this child, whose features carried the stamp of both his mother and father, would never be exposed to the barbarity of parents who shaped and used him for their own purposes.
Leonides shifted in his sleep, flinging his hand out from under the coverlet. Something fell with a soft thump at Ares' feet. The god looked down to see the small onyx soldier he had given his son almost a year before.
He bent and picked the small statue up, slowly turning it over with his fingers.
"Ares! What do you think you're doing? What is that disgusting thing you're trying to hide from me?"
"It's nothing mother."
**SLAP**
"Don't lie to me! Stand up and act like the Prince of Olympus you are instead of a gutterbrat of a mortal!"
"Yes mother," the small child mumbled, trembling and fearful for the fate of his new friend.
"Now, show me that creature at once!"
"It's only a puppy, mother."
"A puppy…" Hera's looked had blistered him.
"Get rid of it," she hissed, her eyes as cold as a snake's. But he sat perfectly still on the floor, afraid to move, his hands running gently over the puppy who, sensing the unease in the atmosphere, was whimpering softly. With the suddenness of a viper striking, Hera reached down and tore the small animal from her son's grasp. As Ares gazed up in horror, the Queen of the Gods took one hand and snapped the poor creature's neck. She threw the limp still-warm corpse at her son's feet. The godling's face spoke eloquently of his horror and pain. Hera paid him no heed.
"You have a great destiny ahead of you. The Prince of Olympus does NOT play. You have responsibilities…"
The small godling was not to know yet that his unique destiny would be written in blood.
The cold, cruel voice slowly receded back into his hidden depths. He blinked, annoyed, abruptly bringing his thoughts back to the present.
Kendaa adored the child, a fact for which Ares was, if he had chosen to admit it to himself, profoundly grateful. So many of the mothers of his children in the past had been anything but grateful. A large number of them had seen the gift of his child as a curse. He smiled bitterly at that. And why shouldn't they, when his very name was destined to strike terror into the hearts of mortal kind.
He reached down, placing the small toy beside his son's pillow, and gently brushing unruly curls away from the innocent face. Innocent. He sighed heavily. His son would lose his innocence soon enough. He was very young in mortal years, but the God of War knew that now circumstances had forced him from the relative shelter of the Amazons, his education would need to commence. He was Ares' son, and too many of his children in the past had suffered cruelly for that dubious privilege. The boy would need to learn of his heritage; he would need to learn how to use and control the powers that were a part of that heritage. He would need to learn how to protect himself. There would be too many out to make a name for themselves by trying to use him as a pawn. Ares had no doubt of that - it had happened too often in the past.
On silent, cat-like feet, he moved to stand beside the window in the room. Ageless eyes gazed out at the night. He folded his arms and pondered. He couldn't always be present for the boy - far from it. But he had an idea on how to remedy that. He smiled slightly. With any luck, his plan would soon come to fruition. He was still pondering the irony of the plan as he thought himself back to his bed.
A soft, furtive sound came from the woman in the bed beside him. He frowned slightly, and turned towards her. She was lying facing away from him, but he could hear her quietly sobbing into her pillow. For a long moment he did nothing, merely listening, and feeling the quivering movement of her body as she sobbed.
His mind went back to the child he had just left. He thought of the boy, and he thought of the mother. Then he considered his own mother - and finally Ares began to understand a little of the pain his chosen carried in her heart.
He reached out for her. "Come here," he whispered quietly, pulling her shaking body to him. Gently he turned her to face him, the warmth in his dark eyes unseen in the chamber's darkness. She said nothing, continuing to sob brokenly as he held her now, his hand rubbing soothingly over her back. He kissed her hot forehead, then each wet eye. She moved closer then, wanting - needing - the comfort of feeling his body against hers. He continued to kiss her - her cheek, her chin, her neck. The half-dryad's hand came up and encircled him now.
Almost imperceptibly, they eased into another movement. Still she cried, but now her hands moved over him, as his did over her, gently, lovingly. He wished he might take her pain from her, but not even he could do that, he knew. So instead his body tried to tell her what he could not. His warm, full lips caressed hers, demanding nothing, but seeking only to give. His strong fingers found hers and tenderly, slowly slid between hers, locking them securely together with his, and as their limbs entwined and they became one, they made love, in the truest sense of the word.
And the healing of Leonides' mother began its long journey.
Laurissa was dreaming. All things considered, it was a wonderful dream. She was dancing, held in the muscular arms of a tall, fair-haired man. The music was divine, as they moved slowly around the dance floor. She wasn't sure where they were, but it appeared to be a castle of some sort, and she knew that he with whom she danced wore a golden crown on his head that glittered in the flickering light of a multitude of torches. He must be some sort of royalty, her dreaming self happily supposed. But for all that she felt an indescribable joy welling within her as they danced, as hard as she tried, she couldn't see his face. She knew she loved this man, and that he loved her, and it pained her to not be able to see the face below the crown. She also knew that if and when his face did become clear to her, she might very possibly weep for joy.
"Riz, time to get up," came a voice, intruding on the beautiful feelings surrounding and enfolding her.
She groaned, in that twilight place between sleeping and dreaming, watching her dream lover's form recede into the mist of awakening. "Go away," she moaned, pulling her pillow over her head, her heart already beginning to ache with loss for this mysterious man.
"Come on Riz, you have to get up. We're expected at the training field." The voice was more insistent now. Laurissa knew that voice - it belonged to one of her closest friends. The mist, and her lover, swirled away into the distance and as her pillow was pulled firmly away from her head, she opened one eye to glare balefully up at the half-dryad Amazon.
"Did you have to do that? I was having the loveliest dream," she muttered.
Kendaa looked at her sister Amazon in incomprehension. "Riz, I don't know what you were dreaming, but the reality is that we have to get to the Temple training field, now," she told her friend quietly, absently tying her long blonde mane back with a strip of leather.
Laurissa came awake fast at that. "What Temple training field? What are you talking about?"
Her sister finished tying her hair back and stood, hands on hips. "It's compulsory - a form of worship, really, I suppose. Whenever Ares is present at any of his Temples or Shrines, all Temple/Shrine residents, and visitors, are required to train in Ares' presence out of respect for his Lordship," Kendaa explained. She was now strapping her sword on her back, after having adjusted her gauntlets, making sure they were secure. She looked, Laurissa thought, for all the world as if she were preparing for battle.
Bantia's daughter swung her long legs over the edge of the bed, then squinted to peer out the window of her chamber, through which only a dull grey pre-dawn light sluggishly oozed. "Oh gods! Helios hasn't even left his bed yet! What is it with Ares? Is he some sort of sadist?" She yawned, pushing tangled hair off her face. "No - don't answer that!"
Kendaa laughed. "You might say that. He often chooses to spar with those present himself."
At that, Laurissa paled. "You don't think...? No...he wouldn't do that..."
"What?" Enquired the half-human Amazon.
"Well, he wouldn't train with us...would he?"
The dryad laughed again, quietly. "Come on, Riz. Let's get it over with - and then, hopefully, some breakfast!"
It didn't take them long to reach the training field adjacent to the Temple. Even given the pre-dawn hour, the field was the scene of much activity. Several warlords, leaders of various sections of Ares' personal army, had arrived the previous day to report to their Lord. They, together with the almost-full complement of Temple residents - including priests, priestesses, and attendants, now combined to fill the field. There were pairings all over the field, some training with swords, others with staffs, yet others with bare hands. Off to one side, Ares stood watching the activity, his sharp, assessing eyes missing nothing. Beside him stood Leonides. The little boy saw his mother and waved happily. He was used to this particular activity, having witnessed it several times in the past.
Laurissa and Kendaa moved to an unoccupied corner of the field and drew their own swords, preparing to spar with each other.
"Well, look'ee here. Amazons! From what I've heard, the bitches are supposed to be better in battle than any men living," remarked a swarthy warlord, openly staring at the two imposing women. "I reckon they're highly over-rated myself. This should be fun," he sneered to his two companions, who wisely remained silent, knowing full well that his voice had carried in the pre-dawn stillness.
Both women heard the comment, but chose to ignore it, circling each other now in combat positions.
Ares' godly ears had heard it too. He stared coldly for a moment at the idiot who had made the remark. One of the less senior warlords - from Sparta. I might have known. Well the fool has had this coming for a long time. Before the swords of the two Amazons could connect, the god's voice rang out like the crack of a whip.
"Kendaa!"
The Amazons turned, surprised, and Ares' lover moved to go to him, her sword still drawn.
The piercing gaze of the God of War lay on the blowhard warlord as Kendaa approached him. "Watch - and learn, if you're capable of it," he snarled at the Spartan, his dark, savage face illuminated by the first golden rays of Helios' chariot. The morning glory of that blazing chariot was reflected in the dark, glittering eyes of the angry god. The Spartan swallowed in fear, silently cursing himself for his stupidity.
Laurissa moved closer, curious, as did several of the others, as Kendaa stood waiting, her face alert.
Without another word, the dark Lord of War drew his own sword and with a bone-jarring roar launched himself at the tall Amazon who crouched ready to meet his onslaught, her sword up and ready.
Their swords crashed together, shattering the dawn stillness. Again and again, Ares came at her with unrelenting, deadly determination. Again and again she met his onslaught, never giving an inch. Their duel became an intricate, balanced dance as they fought, parrying and thrusting; slicing, jabbing - each seeking an opening in the other's defence. Kendaa, her blood singing, gave the Amazon war cry, the sound reverberating through the field and the land beyond in startling, spine-tingling ululation as her sword flashed out yet again. Ares laughed as he brought his sword down on hers, the sound wild and unfettered.
Laurissa watched in wonder. They're enjoying this! It's almost a sexual thing between them, she thought. Leonides' childish giggle drew her attention. The small boy was standing close by Draesa, the Priestess who had taken him from the Throne Room the previous day. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the combat between his parents. Perhaps he thinks they're playing, Laurissa mused to herself, watching the glee on his young face. Perhaps they are...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Ares calling a halt to his duel with the half-dryad. As Ares stood, not in the slightest out of breath, Kendaa bowed formally to him, moving away.
Bantia's daughter was startled to hear the God of War call her own name then. Her eyes widened. As Kendaa drew near, she saw the arrested look on her sister's face. She grinned. "Your turn," she told Laurissa wickedly, wiping a gauntlet across her perspiring forehead.
Laurissa's heart nearly stopped. But there was no time for her to stop to think about the situation. The God of War was waiting. She swallowed and walked towards him, schooling her own face to calm indifference. She thought of all the Amazons who had gone before her; of those who first built the famed mother city of their nation, Themiskyra. She thought of how they had fought to build a fortified city that had been, for centuries, impregnable to assault; she thought of the countless battles.
She thought of her heritage.
And, as she came to a halt before the dark Lord of War, she smiled and raised her sword in silent warrior's tribute to her Lord. Ares inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Well met Amazon. Now, let's show these warlords of mine how real warriors fight, shall we?" He invited her with a feral grin.
Laurissa suddenly grinned in return, taking up a combat-ready stance.
It was nothing like she had imagined. She had thought he would annihilate her with the first stroke of his sword. But he didn't. She met each thrust and stroke with one of her own, her movements fluid, graceful and all but faultless.
Kendaa had moved to stand beside her son. She watched Ares pushing her battle-sister and friend to the limit of her endurance, and then taking her beyond it. She grinned, silently urging her sister on. Laurissa met every challenge the God of War threw at her, not once faltering in her own assault. The sword of Bantia's daughter flashed out and down, catching the rays of the early morning light repeatedly.
Ares' warlords were strangely silent as they watched their Lord and the Amazon. The face of the Spartan blowhard in particular contained a greenish tinge. Now he knew why the Amazons were feared throughout Greece - indeed the known world. And he uttered a prayer to any god besides Ares who happened to be listening that he might never encounter them in battle. He didn't think the Erinyes themselves would be any more frightening than the Amazons, if the two Ares had sparred with were an indication of the entire Nation.
Again, Ares called a halt to the duel, and Laurissa, like her sister Amazon, bowed her head before him. "You did well," he told Laurissa shortly, his face revealing nothing. The tall Amazon's mouth opened in complete surprise.
Then the god's face broke into a humourless smile. "Take them - and teach them," he ordered both Amazons, indicating the white-faced warlords. "And when you're done, come to my quarters," he added, placing a hand on Leonides' shoulder. "Oh, and do try to leave them all in one piece?" He exhorted the women with a quirk of one eyebrow, before vanishing, taking his son with him.
Kendaa and Laurissa looked at each other, shrugging in bemusement, before turning to advance on the warlords, while the permanent Temple residents looked on with barely-concealed amusement.
Helios was well on his daily journey when Ares called out, "Enter!" to the quiet knock.
The two Amazons entered, closing the door quietly behind them.
The God of War was standing at a table studying a large map which lay unrolled before him, his face set in a considering frown. For a moment, he continued to gaze at the map, so they stood silent, waiting for him to finish.
"You didn't harm them, I trust? They're going to be needed back in southern Greece," Ares commented without raising his eyes.
Kendaa shrugged. "Well only a little. The Spartan was...careless. He got in the way of both our swords. Repeatedly," she told the god. "He's with your healer. She says he'll live."
That made him laugh quietly.
Laurissa folded her arms. "Well, my Lord, he did insist on trying to see if the tales about Amazons only having one breast were still true. I took exception to his methods of checking the truth of it," she added casually with wry humour, making him laugh harder.
But his laughter died as suddenly as it had started, and he looked across at them. "Sit," he told them, the map disappearing courtesy of a brief wave of his hand. In place of the map, there were now several bowls of fruit, a plate of cheese, and a loaf of bread. Ares indicated they should eat, as he began to speak.
"The citadel you'll be looking for is almost three days north-west of here, in the Mountains of Orion. There's a landmark quite nearby known as Apollo's Folly." The God of War gave a short bark of laughter. "It fits Apollo, but not even he knows or remembers why it was called that. At least, that's what he tells everyone. You need to look out for a cradle-shaped depression along the ridges - it's quite distinctive, you can't miss it."
Laurissa was munching on some grapes and cheese, while Kendaa had quartered a peach and was consuming it. "Does Hera have any surprises waiting for uninvited visitors?" The half-dryad asked before slipping another piece of peach into her mouth.
Ares shook his head. "None that I'm aware of. The place is so well-hidden, she probably didn't bother setting any traps. There are, I gather, at least two dozen soldiers on duty there at any given time."
Both Amazons froze.
"Two dozen?"
Laurissa carefully replaced her cheese on the table. "Lord Ares, I'm sure we both appreciate your...faith in us... But two against 24 does seem to be heavy odds," she offered quietly.
Ares smiled, unconcerned. It set off alarms in both women.
"Don't fret. Not all of them are on duty at the same time. From the information I've been able to gather, at least six of them guard the dungeons full-time, while a couple of others guard the perimeter of the cave that gives entrance to the citadel. As no-one besides my mother's followers has been there before, the chances are very high that they'll have grown complacent and careless. They won't be expecting you," his smile widened as he concluded.
"Those odds are still pretty high. How exactly are we supposed to make a clean getaway with an old man who probably won't be in the best of health, and what about the others? I've heard of the Mountains of Orion. The land around them is supposed to be pretty bare. There won't be much cover for us once they find out we've been visiting," Kendaa pointed out, absently licking her lips to dispose of some peach juice.
There was silence.
Ares' Chosen looked across at him, frowning, to discover dark eyes fixed intently on her mouth. She frowned.
Almost without missing a beat, the dark Lord of War shrugged dismissively. "Don't worry about that. I'll keep mother preoccupied while you're at the Citadel and provide a distraction, once you're out. It won't matter if mother knows I'm involved at that point. In fact, I'll relish it," he told them, smiling with pleasure. "There will be time for you to get the others out. Provided they're in a fit state to travel. Hera likes to...toy...with her prisoners. If they're not capable of travelling with you, leave them," he added calmly, chilling Laurissa to the bone. She looked down. She wasn't about to leave anyone behind in Hera's clutches if she could help it.
Then the tall blonde with turquoise eyes thought of something else, and her head came up. "And when Hera finds out we were the ones who invaded her secret little domain?" She asked, thinking that the consequences could well be less than enjoyable for her sister and herself.
The God of War nodded slowly. "Good question. Leave that to me. I think I can safely say that Hera will be kept busy enough trying to explain why exactly she saw fit to take one of my warriors and keep him for herself," he told Laurissa, a wicked gleam in his dark eyes that suggested he was looking forward to making his mother uncomfortable.
Two days of hard riding later found the two Amazons well east of Ares' great Northern Temple in Thrace. They had crossed into Paeonia earlier that day, and now sat by a small campfire eating the last of the food prepared for them in the Temple kitchens.
Kendaa drank from the water skin that Laurissa passed to her, thinking back to the morning they had left the Temple. Leonides had stood quietly with Draesa as they had prepared to mount their horses. Ares had been nowhere in sight. When she had turned to her son and the Priestess, the little boy had smiled up at her with all the adoration the very young reserve for their parents. She had smiled back and crouched down. She longed to pick him up and hold him to her, but resisted the impulse.
Instead she rubbed her hands up and down his arms. "We'll be back in a little while. Remember your promise, that you'll obey your father, no matter what he asks of you."
Leonides had grinned, nodding his head vigorously. "Yes, Mama, I'll be good," he told her.
Beside him Draesa leaned forward slightly. "Have no fear, Chosen, I will guard him with my life. We'll make sure he's happy here," she told the half-dryad softly with more than a little perception.
Kendaa smiled her gratitude, and nodded, before kissing her son gently on the crown of his head.
Then she and her sister Amazon had mounted their horses and headed off without a backward glance. Kendaa didn't dare look back as she gave Victory his head, and he shot forward into a gallop. Fellippe easily matched him stride for long, fast stride as they increased the distance between themselves and the Temple of Ares.
They packed up the remnants of the food and threw the crumbs on the fire before unrolling their bed rolls and settling themselves for the night.
"We should reach the foothills of the mountains tomorrow some time," Laurissa murmured, lying on her back, one arm flung over her head. She lay gazing up at the beautiful, brilliant tapestry of stars shining against a background of utter blackness.
Kendaa lay on her side, gazing into the flames. "With any luck, we can be in and out with this warrior Ares wants before they know we've even arrived," she said, although she felt the reality might just, knowing Hera, be somewhat more involved and stressful than they could hope for. The flames crackled as she lay staring into their golden, flickering heart.
Both women fell silent, lost in their own thoughts. This was normal for Amazons. Each woman warrior would, on the eve of a crucial battle, withdraw into herself and her own silence, much like contestants in athletic contests were prone to doing before a race. In that silence, the warriors centered and focussed themselves, preparing for the struggle that lay ahead. The put aside their hearts and all forms of gentleness, for the only way they could approach battle as warriors was by calling on the cold depths of ruthless determination, rage and callousness that normally lay covered by humanity.
The ferocity and single-minded focus of the Amazons in battle and in protection of that which was theirs was what had made them a legend in the world to which they belonged.
At length, the sound of deep, even breathing could just be heard above the low, lazy crackle of the dying fire as both women slept, dreaming dreams that enfolded and carried them through the long night hours until the coming of a blood-red dawn.
They broke camp at first light - the sky a horrid, dull red near the horizon and the distant mountains that could have been an omen or simply an indication of their closeness to a place touched by the hand of Hera. They turned their horses in the direction of the mountains.
The landscape through which they travelled at a steady gallop began to change and thin out. Soon they were riding across a great plain. In the distance the Mountains of Orion drew steadily nearer. There was now little in the way of vegetation anywhere nearby. Small bushes dotting the ground here and they eventually became the only objects visible in a dry, barren landscape.
The area seemed to be devoid of living things, although once they saw a large lizard scurry out of their way - but it was a rarity. Behind them, a cloud of dust was thrown up by their horses' hooves, while above them, an unrelenting blood-sun blazed down.
Few words were exchanged between the two women until Helios's chariot was just past the highest point in its daily journey. Laurissa squinted into the distance, shielding her eyes from the harsh glare of the sun. Reining in Fellippe, she called out a warning to her sister Amazon. "Apollo's Folly - there!"
Kendaa likewise brought Victory to a halt. Both women studied the landmark and the surrounding landscape. The Mountains of Orion began with a series of high, jagged cliffs extending from ground level and rising several hundred feet high. Between the plain and the cliffs there were several pockets of brownish-green vegetation, growing indifferently from the earth as if even the very earth itself in this place repulsed any attempts at strong, vibrant life.
They moved forward, but now traced a wide circle that took them to the left of the cliffs and Apollo's Folly, careful to avoid detection by any prying eyes. Slowly, they traced the line of the cliffs, seeking something - anything - that might have indicated a hidden opening. At length, they found what they sought. It had been covered by a large and surprisingly conspicious pile of bushes, but careful probing revealed an opening in the mountainside. Tethering Fellippe and Victory in a clump of trees a small distance away, but out of sight, they eased their way through the blind and carefully moved into the space beyond the opening in the rock.
Both women drew their daggers, distinctive for the sharp, weaving edge that marked them Amazon-made, and examined the space in which they were standing. It was small, but a tunnel to the left led off from the entrance chamber. While the vegetation covering the entrance left the chamber in dim light, they could see torches set into the walls of the tunnel as far as their eyes could see, before the tunnel dipped and turned out of sight.
"Ares was right - they are complacent," Kendaa whispered to her sister. No guards near the entrance was a surprise, but a welcome one. And no sound drifted towards them from deeper in the citadel to indicate there was any life nearby at all.
"Complacent and stupid - they do serve Hera, don't they, after all?" Laurissa whispered back wryly, slowly moving forward towards the mouth of the tunnel that had been carved out of the rock.
Kendaa could only agree as she moved after Laurissa through the gaping mouth of the tunnel.
The rough-hewn tunnel went straight for perhaps 150 feet before beginning to curve and slope downwards. The very air smelled musty and old. Torches burned at regular intervals along the way. The Two Amazons moved forward slowly and with caution, alert for the slightest sound or sign of possible danger.
Time became meaningless in the subterranean world of that narrow passage, so much so that they had no idea how long they'd been underground when the first faint sounds drifted up to them. And they were the sounds of mortal suffering. Men crying out in pain, or simply moaning and weeping.
The faces of both Amazons hardened.
Abruptly the tunnel straightened out and a closed doorway with a small grill in the centre of it stood just feet away from them. The two women immediately moved to the left, crouched down and crept up to the door before slowly rising to peer through the grill.
On the other side of the small opening was a long passageway with several doors similar to that at which they were standing on either side. Some were locked. Some were open. There were no guards in sight.
Laurissa tested the door, raising a surprised brow when it opened beneath her gentle pressure. They had risen, opened the door fractionally and were about to creep through when a sound had them quickly moving back and closing the door again, carefully looking through the grill.
Two guards had emerged from one of the cells and were moving down the passageway towards another door, which they entered, again moving out of sight.
Kendaa rolled her eyes, tossing a silent look of exasperation at her sister, who grinned briefly before re-opening the door.
The two women crept on silent feet through the doorway, fully alert and ready for anything that might happen. Both held their breath as they passed the cell into which they had seen the two guards disappear, but the door was closed, although the wretched groans coming from inside the cell suddenly escalated in volume, accompanied by raucous, taunting laughter.
Down the end of the corridor, a door stood open, and the Amazons quietly made for it
Once inside, they stopped, assailed by a stench that was almost overwhelming. The only occupant of the cell was curled up in a foetal position in the far corner. They approached him quietly, crouching down before him. He didn't seem aware of their presence.
Laurissa carefully touched him, causing him to jump in fear. Kendaa's hand clamped over his mouth to stifle the startled cry he made as he weakly came upright. "Ssshhh, don't make a sound," the turquoise-eyed Amazon whispered. The frightened man looked up at her fearfully, but slowly nodded his head, and Kendaa removed her hand.
"We'll get you out of here, but we need to find a man called Danilis first. Do you know where he is?" Laurissa whispered, anger surging through her as she surveyed the terrible, untreated wounds covering the prisoner's body.
The man lay back on his pallette, pointing with a trembling hand. "Cell opposite mine. Hurt bad," he managed to get out, breathing heavily with the effort.
Kendaa rested her hand gently on his chest in reassurance. "Thank you," she whispered. "Be back soon," she added to Laurissa, who nodded, moving to help the prisoner sit up. The tall blonde moved on silent feet to the door and out into the corridor after checking to see that it was still empty. Sporadic cries rose from further down the corridor. She gritted her teeth in silent fury as she carefully crossed to the opposite door.
And swore.
It was locked. "Wonderful," she muttered silently, before bending to examine the lock. Cursing impatiently, she brought her dagger up and inserted the point into the lock. After almost a minute of prodding and prying, the lock gave with an almost-silent click.
She crept in, and stopped dead, staring at the cell's only occupant. He sat on his haunches against the far wall, almost like a dog, his thin arms supported by his hands lying flat on the filthy floor on either side of him. His hair and beard were long and matted. His dirty body was covered from the crown of his head to his feet with horrific wounds both old and new. He was whimpering piteously.
The Amazon swallowed, but moved quickly forward, aware that every minute that passed increased the chance that the guards would find they had visitors. She touched her target lightly. "Danilis?"
The older man's head came up sluggishly. "W, what? Please - no more," he mumbled pathetically, clearly unable to focus on the woman before him.
She crouched down beside him. "Danilis, it's alright. We've come to get you - to take you out of this place," she told him softly.
He peered distractedly up at her, then his face took on a cunning expression. "Oh yes," he croaked, his voice barely emerging. "Stop taunting me, Hera. It won't work any more. Leave me alone. Let me die," he whispered tiredly, before lapsing into apathetic silence.
When he showed no further signs of moving, the Amazon took hold of his arm and gently tried to draw him to his feet. It took some effort but she got him upright. He stood wavering, staring blankly before him.
Kendaa sighed. "Great. Just great," she told herself. She moved to put his arm over her shoulder and help him forward. With the Amazon taking most of his weight, they staggered forward, eventually reaching the door. She was aware of the chance of discovery with every passing second, but they kept going. With increased urgency, and as quickly as she could, she manoeuvered Danilis out the door, across the passageway and into the opposite cell where Laurissa waited with the other prisoner.
"Took you long enough," commented Laurissa calmly, carefully helping the other man to his feet now. Kendaa shrugged.
"Well we're here now. Let's get the Hades out of here," she whispered, looking anxiously at the man beside her. He was tottering backwards and forwards in an almost drunken manner. She wasn't sure how much longer he would last before his stick-thin legs gave out completely.
The small group moved out into the corridor, both Amazons holding their breath and praying to both Artemis and Ares that the two prisoners might remain silent until they had traversed the passageway. Their luck held. Until they came abreast of the cell into which the guards had disappeared.
A scream sounded from within the cell. A hideous, keening scream that made the Amazons' flesh crawl. They looked at each other for an instant in silent, determined communication, before reaching out and in a perfectly synchronised move, lashing out and kicking the door open. It flew back to crash against the wall with a sharp sound that gained the undivided attention of the two guards in the cell as they worked on one of the two prisoners in their hands. It was a sight at which even the gods - with the possible exception of Ares - might shudder.
Laurissa stared in horror. "You bastards," she hissed, the enraged expression on her face terrifying.
Kendaa said nothing, however. She stood as if frozen, forest green eyes locked with incredulous hatred on the guard who held the bloody dagger, preparing to use it once more on the helpless man in his grip.
Almost gently, she gave her own human burden into her sister's hands, as Laurissa looked on in puzzlement. Then her dagger hand was raised. Before either guard could react, the weapon had left her hand with swift precision. It flew through the air to bury itself deep in the guard's abdomen. He cried out and fell, but didn't die instantly. She hadn't intended him to.
Laurissa was stunned. "What in Tartarous do you think you're doing?" She snapped incredulously, pushing both men back against the wall where they sagged, hardly aware of what was happening around them. She drew her own sword and advanced on the second guard, annoyed that her sister appeared now to be preoccupied with the man she had felled.
But Kendaa hadn't heard her. The half-dryad's full attention was focussed on the fallen man before her. Almost in slow-motion she advanced to stand over his writhing body, her eyes deathly cold.
Behind her, Laurissa's hard voice rapped out a sharp, "I wouldn't if I were you," at the other guard, who wisely lowered his sword.
Kendaa paid that no heed. She stood, her elfin face expressionless, gazing down at the man on the floor for a moment before slowly drawing her sword. She crouched down beside him, carefully avoiding the spreading pool of blood.
Her hand flew, slapping him hard, to gain his agonised attention. He looked up at her out of pain drenched eyes.
"Remember me?" She enquired icily, ignoring his agony.
He clutched his stomach, trying to remove her dagger. "N, no," he growled hoarsely, his own face filled with loathing. "A..Amazon..."
The half-dryad inclined her head, her face cold.
"Kendaa, I don't know what you..."
"That's right," Kendaa replied to the man, ignoring her sister and overriding her objections. "But before that, I was a dryad," she informed him, her voice expressionless, morphing into her dryad self. "You DO remember me - don't you?" She asked him softly, almost conversationally. "You see, the last time you saw me was just after you murdered my mother and were trying to murder me. As you can see," she informed him precisely, icily, "I survived - and the dryad throne no longer sits empty."
Behind her, Laurissa gasped, but remained silent, while most of her attention was on the man standing in frozen pose before her, and alert for the sound of other guards.
The wounded guard gazed up at Kendaa in horror, knowing his death was upon him. Oh yes, he remembered the dryad princess. He remembered how he and his troops had destroyed the Northern Forest Realm and its Queen; how he had been prevented from killing the Queen's successor by Hercules. Most of all, he remembered his punishment at Hera's hands for that failure - she had relegated him for life to this forsaken, hidden place of punishment. His eyes were dull.
And Kendaa was satisfied that he knew her, and that he understood what she would do.
Laurissa's head swung back, hearing faint sounds in the distance; sounds that were coming steadily nearer.
"Kendaa!" She called sharply in warning, just as the man before her abruptly spun, launching himself at the two prisoners in the cell. His dagger was out and he had slit both their throats before she could react, half-preoccupied with what was happening outside the cell. Then he lunged at her, picking up his sword as he did so. She engaged him, a guttural snarl of fury erupting from her at what he had done.
The half-dryad's attention was still focussed on the guard. She returned to her human form. Never-before uttered words now sprang unbidden into her mind, and softly, with her entire being, and with battle madness in her eyes, she whispered dryad Words of Power that she had never thought to say. It was a prayer to the very Earth itself to give her right of blood vengeance. As she said the words, she closed her eyes briefly.
Almost instantly, something that defied description poured into her. Her eyes snapped open, a deadly, feral light filling them, and she raised her sword above her head with both hands.
Time was running out. Running feet could now be heard, pounding nearer and nearer.
Laurissa's sword flashed out and down as she and the guard fought. "Kendaa!" She screamed now in urgent warning. "We have company!" She screamed again, a harsh cry of fury, as her own sword ended her opponent's life, and she spun to face the door and the two prisoners.
She sagged momentarily in pain and frustration. The man she had aided from his cell had fallen to the floor. He was clearly dead. The other man, Danilis, was slumped against the wall, eyes closed, and breathing heavily. She caught him as he pitched forward in a dead faint.
"We have been breached!" A voice roared from the end of the passageway. "You know what to do!"
As Laurissa turned desperately, taking the full weight of the inert man she was holding up, Kendaa's sword sliced down hard and fast, as she screamed "Melinnope!!" It was a bloodcurdling sound.
She stood gazing down at the dead guard.
Closure.
No, not quite, but almost. It was enough for now.
"Tartarous be damned, Kendaa!" Snarled Laurissa, moving as swiftly as she could as the first of Hera's guards crowded through the cell door. She had no option but to shove Danilis without ceremony over into a corner, where he fell to lie still.
Kendaa spun, pushing her mother's murderer from her mind. She immediately moved to her sister's side. They both fought with silent, concentrated fury, while confused sounds - roars and screams of pain - came from outside, in the passageway and in other cells. They despatched the guards who came at them, but still they kept coming through the door. Two dozen? Laurissa thought, as her blade took out yet another guard. More like four dozen! She thought as she gave herself over to battle rage.
They fought their way to the door, and for a moment there was a lull in the number of men pouring through the door.
"Get Danilis!" Laurissa yelled at Kendaa, knowing the tall blonde warrior would be able, because of her dryad being, to carry the unconscious man with relative ease. "I'll take care of the rest!"
The half-dryad nodded, bending down to lift him onto her shoulder. "Ready," she rapped shortly, as they headed out the door, even as yet more guards were pouring into the passageway.
But the passageway had become a charnel house. Instinctively, the Amazons turned to look behind them. A terrible sight met their gaze. The guards had dragged all the remaining prisoners into the long passageway and slaughtered them without remorse or hesitation. Blood covered everything, the metallic stench filling the nostrils of the two warriors. They didn't stop now. Hearing men coming up behind them, they took off at a dead run, knowing with certainty that their lives now depended on getting out of that place and away as fast as they could.
The stone tunnel seemed longer on the return trip, even though they were moving through it at a run. The entire time, they could hear the sounds of pursuit behind them. They never faltered.
Then they were nearing the end of the tunnel and emerging into the entrance chamber. They didn't stop in their wild flight, charging for the barrier of bushes and pushing through them and out into the light of late afternoon. Hera's minions could still be heard coming down the tunnel. The Amazons made for their horses.
Laurissa mounted Fellippe, and waited while Kendaa lifted Danilis over Victory's saddle, before mounting behind him and unceremoniously giving the great war stallion his head. Fellippe needed no urging from Laurissa, his keen senses picking up the urgency flowing through his mistress, and he leapt forward, great muscles moving with effortless grace as he picked up speed.
Soon both horses were thundering back across the plain, while in the distance, Hera's guards had mounted their own horses, brought quickly from a pen hidden further along the cliffs, and could be seen following.
Fellippe suddenly gave a loud scream, bucking under his rider and tossing his head. Then Laurissa could feel it too.
The ground beneath them had begun to tremble.
Kendaa felt it, even as the ground shuddered yet more perceptibly. Keeping a firm grip on the inert man on the horse with her, she turned to steal a glance behind her. What she saw made her gasp.
Laurissa turned too.
A great black cloud was moving swiftly from the east towards the place where the Citadel was located, flash after flash of menacing lightning bursting forth from within the huge cloud.
As the ground began to heave more drunkenly under them, a great wind arose, sending dust into their eyes and causing their hair to whip furiously around their faces.
"It's Ares!" Screamed Kendaa to be heard above the combined sound of the wind and the heaving and groaning earth. "It's his distraction! Move it!" She yelled, her knees urging Victory to an even faster, more desperate speed. Behind them, she had seen that Hera's minions were still in determined pursuit. She snarled in rage as Victory shot forward in full-out gallop, Fellippe right beside him.
Then Laurissa saw something that had her uttering a short, succinct curse. "There!" She roared at her sister, her face disbelieving.
Not very far in front of them, a line had appeared in the ground and was rapidly widening even as the two horses carrying the Amazons and Ares' warrior drew ever closer to it.
Bantia's daughter looked behind her at their pursuers and then back at the now-gaping chasm. "Great choice here!" She threw at her sister, who shrugged in helpless, harried agreement. Then the half-dryad's face hardened.
"No choice!" She snarled, absolute determination written on her face. "We go over!"
Both women bent themselves low over the necks of their horses and urged them to redouble their already heart-spending efforts.
Amazons were renowned horse-breeders, and their war horses were universally accepted as the finest in the known world. Trade offers came in from near and far from would-be purchasers of the stallions, but the Amazons refused to give their stock into other hands. The two stallions bearing their warrior mistresses in mad flight across the desolate plains below the Mountains of Orion acted now almost as one. Long legs stretched out, pounding impossibly faster and faster towards the ever-widening chasm that awaited them.
They never hesitated.
At breathtaking speed they approached the edge of the gaping hole. Then they were soaring up and over the fearful cavity beneath them. After an instant when they seemed to be suspended over the chasm, mighty legs touched down safely on the other side, and their riders urged them back from the edge before reining them in and turning to watch their approaching pursuers. There might have been a dozen of them.
Too late they saw the ground opened in front of them. Kendaa and Laurissa watched grimly, their excited mounts snorting and pawing the rumbling ground beneath them, as the riders approached the chasm - and couldn't stop their horses in time.
One by one, with screams from both riders and horses combining into an awful, unanswered plea for help, they fell over the edge and tumbled out of sight. As the last animal and rider disappeared over the edge, the sides of the chasm began to move, closing together again.
"Look," came Laurissa's hoarse voice, quiet now, for all that the earth was still shuddering beneath them. But Kendaa heard, and looked in the direction in which her sister was pointing.
The great black cloud had settled over Apollo's Folly.
As the two Amazons watched, lightning began to smash into the spot where Hera's Citadel was hidden. The very mountains were shaking visibly. The entire section where the Citadel was located began to collapse in on itself.
After a long time, when the dust cleared, the Amazons could see that nothing remained of Apollo's Folly, or of the mountain it had marked so well for them earlier that day.
Gradually the earth stopped moving beneath them, and all was still.
"Gods," Laurissa managed to get out, thoroughly shaken. "Remind me never to get Ares mad at me," she whispered, looking askance at her sister Amazon.
Kendaa shook her head tiredly, unable to find the words. She slowly turned Victory around and nudged him to move eastward. The events of the day, both physical and emotional had almost completely drained her and she felt exhausted enough to sleep for a week. She knew it would take a great deal longer to forget what she'd done to avenge her mother's murder.
It was well after moonrise when they reached the woodlands bordering the great plain. By mutual consent, they continued to travel for some time, wanting to leave the plain well behind them. They found a narrow stream and made camp. It was too late to hunt for a meal, and they had used up the last of the provisions from the temple, so they started a fire, more for the injured older man than for themselves. After seeing the horses fed and watered, they settled for the night.
Kendaa knelt over Danilis, relieved that he had survived the wild flight across the plain, and was carefully cleaning his body, repeatedly returning to the stream to wring out and replenish the cloth she was using.
Laurissa was on the man's other side, silently watching her sister, her legs drawn up almost under her chin, and her arms linked around her knees.
"He's really bad, Riz. I hope we can get him to Ares' Temple in time," the half-dryad observed quietly, as she wiped the dirt from a face that had once been exceedingly handsome.
Bantia's daughter frowned thoughtfully, although she nodded in agreement. "I wonder what's so special about him that had Ares wanting him back at all costs," she mused. "I wouldn't have thought Ares was into sentiment," she added, then shrugged when Kendaa's eyes flew to hers. "Well, you must wonder too," she added defensively.
Kendaa's eyes fell soon enough and she resumed her ministrations. "Of course I do. But knowing Ares, if Danilis is as good a strategist as he says he is, then he'll stop at nothing to get someone he sees as valuable back under his own control. Especially when it was Hera who took him in the first place."
Laurissa nodded, but said nothing for a while.
At length, she broke the silence, though. "Kendaa, what happened back there? In that cell." She asked quietly, her eyes fixed on her sister.
The tall blonde took her time in answering, finishing up her gentle cleaning of Danilis's arms. She slowly put the damp cloth down beside her before sitting back on her heels, her eyes running over the still man in silent, thoughtful scrutiny. Her mind was no longer on Ares' warrior, though.
Finally she looked across at her battle-sister and friend.
"Dryad blood vengeance," she said softly.
"What?" Laurissa wasn't sure she understood.
Kendaa's face was expressionless. "I watched that piece of carrion slaughter my mother. He commanded the men who destroyed the Northern Realm. And he would have murdered me, if Hercules hadn't stopped him." She gave the brief explanation in a flat voice, devoid of emotion.
"I called on Dryad Words of Power, and was answered. ...It comes from the Earth," she told her sister warrior by way of explanation. "I invoked Dryad Blood Vengeance. Only a Dryad Queen may do so. He didn't go to Tartarous - but to a place far, far worse," she finished softly, looking at her friend now, the flames dancing in green eyes set in a tired, pale face. "His offence wasn't just against the Dryads - it was against the very Earth itself."
Laurissa drew a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Kendi," she told her friend gently. "I know it must have cost you a lot."
The half-human Amazon smiled slightly. "Well, it's over now. I'm sorry too, Riz."
"For what?" Bantia's daughter asked in surprise.
"For getting side-tracked like that. It could have cost you," Kendaa whispered.
It was Laurissa's turn to smile. "Well it didn't, so let's forget it, ok? What you did was important and you had to do it." She slowly stood and stretched tiredly. "I'm just about ready to fall asleep standing up. I think I'll turn in." She headed for her bedroll and was soon covered and drifting off.
Kendaa covered Danilis with a blanket and moved to her own bedroll.
But it was a long time before she slept.
They arrived back at Ares' temple mid-afternoon on the third day after leaving the Mountains of Orion.
As they rode into the forecourt of the great Temple in Thrace, the two Amazons could sense a change in the atmosphere surrounding the primary place of worship for the God of War. There were many people moving in and out of the Temple, the numbers largely comprised of warriors sworn to Ares.
They had dismounted, and were removing Danilis from Victory when Prylatis approached them. When he saw the unconscious man in Laurissa and Kendaa's arms, he immediately gestured to the two attendants trailing behind him. "Welcome back, Chosen," he greeted Kendaa, nodding in Laurissa's direction at the same time. "Lord Ares will be pleased."
With great care, the attendants took hold of the former prisoner, as Kendaa and Laurissa watched. "He's very ill, Prylatis. I hope the temple healer can help him. He's been through a lot," Kendaa told the older man. At a nod from the priest, the two attendants moved off with their unconscious burden in the direction of the main door of the Temple. "Lord Ares' healer will bring him to health, I'm sure," Prylatis murmured, his own eyes following the attendants as they disappeared inside the temple.
"What's going on?" Laurissa asked, watching the seemingly endless procession of visitors entering the temple.
Prylatis turned back to her, his grey eyes calm. "A war has broken out in the Peloponnese," he told them. "The God has left to oversee it. It's a major conflict...many city-states in the south of Greece are involved," the priest added quietly. "These people are followers of Ares, or sworn to him. They come to offer worship and prayers - as always during a war. Many of them will be heading south from here in the morning."
The two Amazons exchanged glances. "Did Ares say anything before he left about involvement by the Amazons in this war?" Kendaa asked, wondering if the war drums had sounded across the Amazon Nation.
But Prylatis was shaking his head. "No, Chosen, he said nothing in that regard. But he did leave a message for you; he requested that you both remain here until he returns."
Laurissa's hands went to her hips in frustration. "What? But we've done as he asked. What else would he want?" She asked, annoyed and showing it.
Kendaa was annoyed too. "I don't understand...all he asked was that we retrieve his warrior. We've done that, now we need to return to the City of the Amazons. We can't stay here indefinitely!" Yet a part of the Amazon sighed in relief, knowing that the time when she would have to bid farewell to her son had been deferred for that much longer.
The priest's own face remained expressionless. "It's not for me to question the God, Chosen. I serve him and obey him. He has said that you both must remain - therefore you are obliged to do so," he told them calmly.
The half-dryad Amazon was frowning, but nodded, knowing it would do no good to argue with the priest. "Alright, we'll stay. Where's my son?" She asked.
Prylatis smiled for the first time. "I believe Master Leonides is in the temple gardens with some of the priestesses. Shall I get him for you?"
"Thank you, no. I'll go myself," the half-dryad smiled tiredly in response. She looked at her sister Amazon. Laurissa was trying unsuccessfully to hide a yawn, and stretching muscles that ached from almost three days of continuous riding. Prylatis saw it too.
"There's a hot spring in the Sacred Forest quite near here. Perhaps you might like to refresh yourself there until the evening meal is served," the priest suggested to the tall Amazon.
Laurissa smiled gratefully. "That sounds like just what I need."
"Come then," Prylatis invited her. "I'll take you there," he offered, returning the Amazon's smile with one of his own.
Kendaa was already moving away, anxious to see her son. "See you later, Riz," she called over her shoulder.
Bantia's daughter grinned in amusement. "Don't let me hold you up!" She called after her sister.
But Kendaa was already out of earshot, heading rapidly in the direction of the gardens.
The sound of laughter greeted the half-dryad as she moved into the gardens. She turned the last corner and came to a halt. Leonides was in the middle of a vigorous game of tag. He was running after several laughing priestesses, who remained tantalisingly just out of his reach. He was giggling madly, his beautiful child's face flushed with exertion.
His mother remained in the shadows unobserved for several minutes. She smiled softly as she saw him throw his head back, his green eyes sparkling with delighted laughter.
He had just managed to grab the long robe of one of the priestesses when she stepped out into the light, her arms hanging loose at her sides. Almost instantly, as if instinctively aware of her presence, he spun, his black curls flying wildly about his head. For a moment he just stared. And then he was off and running on fast, sturdy legs towards her, his child's arms out and ready for a hug.
Kendaa began running too, a wide, glad smile on her face. They met half-way, and he launched himself without hesitation into her waiting arms. She swung him around her in sheer joy, then held him close in a warm hug, breathing deeply of the distinctive scent of the child who was her son.
"Mmmm - I've missed you so much, little one," she told Leonides, who snuggled closer to wrap his own arms tightly around his mother's neck.
"I've missed you too, Tishka," he told her, nuzzling against her face.
Ares' priestesses, most of them smiling, were quietly moving back into the temple so that the Amazon could be alone with her child. As they passed the half-dryad, she smiled her thanks to them, walking further into the depths of the gardens, intent on making the most of her time with her son before Ares' return.