From the Annals of Bastet

Calee looked up from the table where she was writing and smiled. The tall warrior stood before her with more documents.

"I'm sorry," Hercules said. "I have more."

She laughed. "It's alright. That's what I'm here for. Iphicles could never get through all this. I'm not sure why his counsel won't help him. There must be learned men among them."

Hercules put down the armload of scrolls sent from across the sea by foreign dignitaries and scribes. He sat down across from her and poured some more wine for both of them. "They're jealous; jealous because Jason chose Iphicles to be king of Corinth."

The Amazon nodded and looked at the seals of the scrolls choosing the next one in the series to start translating. She unrolled the scroll and began as he sat and watched her and drank his wine.

"You're an Amazon. A warrior by trade. How did you come to know so many languages?" He picked up a scroll she had done. "This is Sumerian! How ever did you learn that?"

Calee laughed. Her eyes went from one document to the other and the stylus raced across the page as she wrote. "It's a long story." she said. "I'll tell you sometime when we have a moment or two."

"Promise?" he replied.

Calee looked up into the ingenuous face of the hero of the Greeks. Her heart beat a little more rapidly as she thought. 'Here is a man that queens vie for. Yet he is completely without arrogance. He wants me to promise to take time to tell him my story.' Then she smiled. "I promise." She replied and went back to her translating.

"I could help him myself if I'd paid more attention to my studies." Hercules went on. "But Iolaus and I were always out hunting or practicing with weapons or in the gymnasium." He shook his head. "They think of me as brawn and not brains. Perhaps they're right."

"Not true," Calee replied. "You think your way out of as many problems as fight your way out. I've been there.

"You know, Hercules, we often are forced to rise to people's expectations even when we don't want to. Your strength is a great talent, though you have many others. People expect it of you and you oblige but never lose sight of the fact that it is only one of your talents."

He smiled. "Thank you. I know that but I need to hear it from someone else every now and then."

He continued to sit and watch as she scratched out a quick translation. It was wondrous to see her work so quickly. Hercules sat quietly.

"Hercules," Calee said after a long lapse of silence, "You don't need to sit here with me. Not that it bothers me because it doesn't. Quite the contrary. But I know you must be tired and you haven't had much time with your family."

"I'm just grateful that you were willing to come on such short notice and help Iphicles. The least I could do is sit here, get you anything you need. Fetch the scrolls for you, you know."

Calee put down her stylus and sighed looking up into the fabled blue eyes. "Hercules, you and I are friends. There are no obligations between friends. I'm happy to do this. Really! I'm glad to get away from the Amazon City for a while. Besides, your mother's cooking is excellent."

"It is good, isn't it!" he replied smiling.

"Very." She picked up the stylus again and went back to the page. "Now go away before I have to call her to put you to bed. I think it's past your bedtime."

The tall warrior laughed. "Gods, you Amazons are hard to deal with."

"You've got it." she replied.

"Are you sure you don't..."

"No."

"Can I..."

"Do you want this done or don't you?" Calee finally asked. "Get out."

"Okay, okay...I'm going." he answered laughing. "Thanks."

"My pleasure."

Alcmene, the mother of Hercules, knocked gently at the door but there was no answer. She thought about leaving to return later but it was already mid morning. She felt the need to check on her guest. She opened the door quietly and put her head in to see the Amazon asleep amid a sea of scrolls; her face down on her arms on the table where she had worked all night.

Alcmene clucked maternally and went to the sleeping woman. "Dear," she said rousing Calee who mumbled something in Phoenician and yawned.

"Gods, what time is it?" the Amazon asked.

"It's mid-morning and you are forbidden to work on this anymore today. You are my guest and you will be pampered today." Alcmene replied.

Iolaus poked his head in. "Hi, Calee. Want to go hunting with..."

"Iolaus!! Really!" Alcmene exclaimed. "This is a lady's chamber!"

"This is an Amazon's chamber!" he replied looking at Calee who seemed quite comfortable with the intrusion, "If I try anything, I'll get my.."

"I get the point." Alcmene replied.

"So.." he went on, "Hercules, Iphicles and I are taking out a new hawk that was sent to Iphicles from a pasha in.... I don't know...somewhere."

Calee stood up and yawned, stretching. "Great. I'd loved to hawk with you. I'll be ready in bit."

"You will have a nice hot bath, a leisurely breakfast and then you will all go hunting." Alcmene replied. She looked at Iolaus sharply, "I'm sure the boys will wait."

Iolaus made a face, "The mistress speaks!" he said. "See you downstairs in a while?"

Calee nodded and was led away by a servant to a bath that had been prepared for her.

The forests of Corinth were well known for their game. Iphicles and Iolaus led the party and Calee and Hercules walked behind. They were all talking excitedly about the beauty of the bird of prey that had arrived recently as a gift.

Iphicles took the hood from the bird's head and let it fly and it was soon calling out as it sighted prey and began its dive. The party took off running to follow the bird as it disappeared into the trees.

The ground cover was thick and made the pursuit difficult. Calee had gotten separated from the others and was keeping close to the bird. She had a sense with hawks and other animals and could sometimes almost feel what they felt. She ran along feeling the hawk's excitement when suddenly she stepped onto something. She heard metal creak and something bit into her ankle so deep she screamed. She fell to the ground gasping and looked down to see a strange metal contraption biting into her leg. As she bent down to touch it the rest of the party came through the brush.

Hercules bent down and cursed. He pried the two jaws of the thing apart with such force that he tore it into two pieces. One of the pieces was chained to a tree and he yanked and the chain broke free.

"What in Hades is that?" Calee cried.

"It's a new kind of trap." Iolaus said looking at the jaw piece. "Poachers set them out to catch small game."

"Damn them." Iphicles added. "I've outlawed these contraptions but the poachers keep setting them out anyway. This is what cowards call hunting."

Hercules ran his hand over Calee's ankle. "The puncture wounds aren't too deep but it's going to start swelling. We'd better get you back now."

"I'm fine. I don't think it's broken. Let me just see." she said trying to get up.

"No!" Hercules replied. "What is it with the Amazons. You all think you're so tough."

Calee looked at him aghast. "Oh, really? I seem to remember a certain Greek after a battle who stood there saying 'no, no. I'm fine.' with an arrow sticking out of his side!"

Hercules snorted and gathered her up in his arms as easily as a child. He looked down at her face inches from his. "It was a small arrow."

It was Calee's turn to roll her eyes and snort. Then she put the back of her wrist to her forehead and threw her head back. "Why, you're right, oh strong hero! You're so strong and I'm so weak." she teased.

Hercules laughed and set out walking. "I ought to throw you in that lake over there."

She snaked her arms around his neck. "You do and you're going in with me."

They both laughed.

Dinner had come and gone. Hercules carried the slender Amazon into the sitting room where a fire blazed. Iolaus had gone into the town and the rest of the family had retired for the evening so it was just the two by the fire's light.

"Your mother is really upset over this." Calee said. "It's not that bad. I don't think anything is broken."

Hercules nodded. "You and I have seen much worse in the way of wounds. It's hard for my mother to understand what life outside the shelter of her home is like."

Calee agreed although it was hard for any Amazon to relate to the protected life of a Greek lady of blood. From queen to servant, every Amazon lived, slept, ate and fought side by side. No one was recognized as any more or less than another. Calee had not told Alcmene that part of the reason she was still at the table when morning came was that she had tried to sleep in the rich bed of the guest room and found it too soft. She had returned to the table to work and fallen asleep.

Calee stretched and began to get up. "I want to see if I can put weight on my foot." she said.

Hercules was by her side in an instant. "I don't know if that is such a good idea." he said.

She stepped onto the injured leg and grimaced a bit. She took a step and looked at him smugly, "See, like I said, it's not that..."

The ankle gave out. She would have fallen but he had his arms about her and had swept her up into his embrace. They looked for a moment at each other.

Then he lifted her up by her slender hips until she was so close he could feel her breath on his face.

Then he kissed her gently in a long, lingering kiss. They drew apart for a moment and looked again into the face of the other. Then she combed his hair back with her fingers and they kissed again.

When he put her down he seemed embarrassed. He laughed slightly and looked away not knowing what to do now.

"Calee....I.."he began.

"Shhh" she answered, putting her fingers to his lips. "Sometimes wanting is much better than having." She took his giant hand in hers and kissed the palm. Then she looked up again at him and winked.

Iolaus was coming up the lane toward the house of Alcmene when he saw Hercules coming down the path with a purposeful walk.

"What are you doing out so late?" Iolaus asked. "Are you okay?"

Hercules walked past him toward the forest. "Amazon, cold lake." he said as he strode off not looking back at his friend.

Iolaus put his hands on his hips and looked puzzled. "Amazon, cold lake." he said to himself, "Oh, Amazon! Cold lake! Got it."

He went on his way as Hercules disappeared into the forest.