Growing Up “Livia”

Chapter Five

Written by: Caina Q. Fuller

Shiria had forgotten what freedom tasted like, but now that she was out and away from Rome, the city she’d called home since she was ten years old, she began to remember what it felt like to be her own person. She’d been miserable away from her sisters, but she wondered what the homecoming would be like. She wondered if she would recognize her sisters and her tribe now that everyone she’d been close to had grown older, and would they recognize her?

Shiria’s feeling of freedom diminished somewhat as the sound of her “escorts” wheezing and coughing broke the silence of the morning. She’d been riding with him for over three days as they traveled for Amazon country on her last mission for her mistress-former mistress-Ghita. She had been given a scroll to give to the Amazon Queen, if she could get that close, and this soldier was here to see to it she did as told. Shiria still found herself hoping that as soon as the message was delivered the Queen would send soldiers to slit this pig’s throat. He’d done nothing but leer at her since they’d gotten out of Ghita’s site, and she’d been traveling under a constant fear of rape the entire trip.

Finally their small caravan reached the foothills that led to the Amazon forests and her traveling companion, Cenon, halted their progress. “Alright Shiria. This is where you continue in alone. Here’s the message.”

Shiria took the parchment handed to her but Cenon grabbed her wrist and held it so tightly she began to fear he would bruise her. “Is it necessary to hold my wrist that hard?”

She tried to keep her tone respectful but the anger still showed through. For a moment she was certain he would strike her, but he reigned in his wrath and let go. It wouldn’t do for the messenger to show up with a black eye.

“You listen and listen good. Ghita has given you your freedom for this mission. Would you do something as dishonorable as fail her?”

Like I owe her so much, Shiria thought. After all, the only thing Ghita ever did for me was enslave me most of my life. Shiria looked to the hills that had been the home of her youth and considered what he’d said.

The first thing she’d been taught was to be honorable. Her word was to be as precious as diamonds and gold, and since she’d made an agreement with Ghita that she would deliver the message, she intended to do just that. However, she would read it once they were out of sight. She almost smiled at the memories of Ghita’s sons teaching her to read behind their mother’s back. She would use the knowledge they’d taught her, and if the message didn’t put her sisters in danger she would deliver. Otherwise she intended to tell the Queen the entire truth.

“I will live up to my end of the bargain. For the sake of her sons,” she added. Though she’d been a slave, they had always been good to her.

Cenon let her go, watching her disappear into the thick shadows and foliage of the forest. If she did indeed live up to her end of the bargain then he would need to put the next phase of the plan in motion: Making Rome look like she was under attack.

***

Shiria stopped her horse once she found the first warning totem pole that announced the edge of the Amazon land. From what she remembered as a girl there were dozens of guards in the trees at all times to monitor each passage to the Amazon camp. She could feel their eyes all over her, though she could not see them, regardless of how hard she tried. Now that she’d read the scroll she decided to give the Queen the message, along with a large dose of truth.

Shiria dismounted, went to the totem pole and bowed respectfully. After this she stepped across a line drawn clearly in animal blood. No sooner had she done so did a warning arrow plant itself in the ground at her feet. She quickly held her hands above her head in the Amazon gesture of surrender, clasping her hands to make a ball. At the sight of this seven warriors came from the trees, their faces hidden by masks.

“My name is Shiria, and I’m a friend.”

One of the guards stepped forward, lifting her mask. She was unusual for an Amazon, with dark auburn hair and beautiful green eyes. She had a gentle look to her eyes that calmed Shiria’s pounding heart.

“Why are you here Shiria?”

“I have a message for the Queen, and…I wanted to come home.”

***

After languishing for three days in the palace dungeon Ghita was beginning to lose her mind. It was one thing to have your lover sentence you to death. It was quite another not knowing when he would carry out the sentence. She found herself praying he would have the courtesy to make it a quick death.

The door to the dungeon entrance clanged open and Ghita ran to the bars of her cell door. Perhaps Augustus had changed his mind and he would simply banish her instead of sentencing her to die. During her hours in the dungeon she’d had nightmare after nightmare about the people she’d wronged, especially Jara and Shiria. She’d taken for granted her position of power over others, and for the first time she was finding herself in the victim’s shoes. It wasn’t a pleasant place to be and she’d give anything to take them off.

Finally her cell door opened but instead of seeing a face she could plead for mercy to, she found the girl who’d finally managed to bring her down: Livia. The young warrior entered the cell, wrinkling her nose at the smell of mildew that covered the walls.

“What are you doing here Livia?”

Livia found a clear spot on the wall and leaned against it. Her face was a mask of sheer arrogance but Ghita was too whipped to feel any indignation. The girl had won so what more could she want?

“You’ve won. Is that what you want to hear?”

Instead of answering she only stared at Ghita, boring a hole through the older woman until Ghita couldn’t stand it anymore. When the tension was almost too great between them Livia broke the uneasy silence.

“You did lose. Somehow I am not taking as much pleasure in it as I thought I would.”

I wouldn’t have known that from your face, Ghita thought. She walked up the younger woman, sensing that if she could pick a fight with the girl, then Livia may kill her now, quickly, instead of on a cross in public.

“What do you want? Answer me!”

“I wanted to tell you how you’re going to die.”

“That figures.” Ghita felt her shoulders sag as she lost all hope of having her life spared. “How?”

“Crucifixion. Cadmus is going to drive the nails in. You have one week left for your family to settle your affairs, in case you were wondering.”

Cadmus…that name sounded familiar to her, but Ghita couldn’t place it right off. At least not until she remembered Livia ordering him to stop choking her and sending him away the night his wife had died in Livia’s place.

“The husband of that woman. How is the baby?”

Livia snorted in disgust. “Like you care.”

“Just tell me child.”

“I am not a child!” Livia screamed, coming up off the wall and advancing on Ghita.

Ghita began to laugh uncontrollably. “Of course you are. You’re a spoiled, evil little child. You are exactly who I was twenty years ago Livia. Careful: You’ll end up just like me if you don’t change.”

Livia turned away in disgust. “I have half a mind to kill you right now.”

“And ruin your chances to win that handsome young buck’s heart? I don’t think so. He’s looking forward to avenging his wife’s death by nailing me to a cross. You rob him of that and he’ll hate you forever.”

It was all Livia could do to keep her jaw from falling open. It was as if the woman could read her mind! “You think you’ve got it all figured out, don’t you Ghita?”

Knowing she had something on the girl, Ghita circled around to face her. “You think you know everything Livia, but you don’t. There’s one lesson you need to learn or you won’t last in the game of life very long: There is always someone watching you. Always. I saw you with Cadmus. I saw that you want to control him. That’s smart considering he would make a very powerful ally…and lover on the side. If you can convince him that you care for him and value him, he’ll fall for you and when he does that he’ll become a valuable tool in your climb to power.”

Livia stood a few inches taller than Ghita, so she leaned over the woman in an attempt to intimidate her and take control of the situation. Unfortunately Ghita was a condemned woman so she wasn’t the least bit afraid of her. On top of that her life experience allowed her to get right back in Livia’s face.

“Seeing as you are only 18, you tend to wear your heart on your sleeve. I, however, have been in the game a long time. There’s a lot you could learn from me. Pity you won’t get to.”

“If I spared you, you’d just try to kill me again.”

“Probably,” Ghita said. She stared Livia in the eye until the younger woman backed down and headed for the door.

“At least you’ll die telling the truth. And I have learned a few things from you.”

“What’s that?”

Livia didn’t bother to turn as she sauntered toward the door to leave. “Keep my feeling’s hidden, never back down and never forget someone is always watching me. Thanks for the free lesson.”

“Here’s another for you Livia: Nothing in life is ever free.”

Livia exited the doors. It was the last time she would ever see the woman, for the biggest storm of young Livia’s life was heading her way…and she didn’t even see it coming.

***

Cadmus rocked his son to sleep as he thought about his beloved wife Jara. This was the ninth sunrise he’d seen since she’d died but he felt the pain as freshly as he had the moment he’d first lost her. He found himself weeping all the time and his son, Doran, was picking up on his feelings. It was no way for him to begin his life, so Cadmus did all he could to hold his feelings in. Sometimes the pain was too much and he wept despite his best efforts. Each time he gave in to the need to cry he felt weaker and held even less hope for a happy future than he did before. Would this torture ever end?

“Tomorrow is the day I avenge your mother my son,” Cadmus said, looking at his son’s peaceful face. The boy had already opened his eyes and Cadmus had seen they were a beautiful blue, just as his mother’s had been. As the boy grew older, Cadmus prayed he would see more and more of Jara within him so he could catch a glimpse of her each day.

A knock sounded on the door to his chambers and he got up to open them. Livia stood on the other side, an excited look on her face.

“Cadmus.”

“Is it time?” He was surprised at the excitement in his voice. For the first time in his life he found he wanted to kill someone. He knew he would relish each scream that ripped from Ghita’s evil body as he pounded the nails through her wrists and ankles. “Is it time to kill that murdering bitch?”

He stepped back to allow Livia entrance into his room but he didn’t like the answer she had for him. Livia loved seeing him in a rage like this, and she hoped he‘d hold onto the fire in the heat of battle. “You’re going to have to put that on hold Cadmus.”

“What? Why?” His disappointment was tremendous and it showed painfully clear on his face.

“Rome is under attack by the Amazon Nation and Caesar wishes for me to lead the Alpha Legion into battle against the enemy. Cadmus, this could lead to my position as the youngest Champion in Rome’s history!”

Cadmus looked to his son, then back to Livia. “But…Livia. What about my son?”

Remembering what Ghita had said, Livia hid her irritation well. Instead of showing her disbelief that he wasn’t as geared up to fight as she was, she only touched his hand instead.

”I know you want to avenge her Cadmus, and I promise you will. Right now I need you and Lycus at my side. I’ll tell you what. Fight with me this one last time and my first action, as Champion of Rome will be to release you from the military for good. You will be free to raise Doran and I’ll give you choice farmland in the eastern provinces. What do you say?”

Cadmus considered his son as he paced back and forth. “And if I die in battle? What will happen to Doran? He‘ll have to grow up without knowing either his father or his mother. No child should have to go through that.”

Livia thought of how she‘d had to go through it and felt no pity for the boy, but she didn‘t come out and say so. Instead she put on a mask of understanding. “He will be raised in the palace as Caesar’s charge. I’ve already made he arrangements. And I will nail Ghita to the cross myself Cadmus. I promise you. I’ll drive in each spike in Jara’s name.”

A flash of anger went through Cadmus’ eyes. “You assumed I would be willing to abandon my son to follow you, right?”

It was hard, but Livia performed admirably. She put on a face of understanding instead of wrath. “I assumed you were my friend. Technically you are still in the military in service to Caesar. I just tried to make leaving your son a little more-“

“Ok, Livia. I get it. Doran will be taken care of. And Ghita will be punished.”

“You have my word. That’s if something happens to you Cadmus. You’re one of the finest warriors I know. I’ll probably die before you.”

“Not likely Livia. I’ll be right down.”

Livia turned to leave and Cadmus held his son close. He had the intense feeling this would be the last time he would ever see his child. He was right.

***

Shiria had only been home for six days, but she felt as if she had never been away. She’d fallen back into the routine of daily living easily, but being treated with respect and like a person with feelings instead of a mindless slave would take some getting used to, and she wondered if she would have the chance. Queen Vashana was moving the sisters to the Eastern hills where Ghita’s note had said the Roman attack would come from.

Every woman with a claim to Amazon heritage, past and present (for some sisters left the Nation for husbands and sons) had returned to this land, which was commonly known as the First Tribe. For it was here, in these forests, that the first Amazon’s first rose up to become a nation of women independent from male domination. Not since the Tribal Split, caused by rival tensions for power over two hundred years before, had so many Amazon’s been gathered in the First Tribe. Shiria estimated that in the past six days over six thousand sisters had moved in from surrounding areas, and this didn’t even include their Northern sisters which were over ten thousand in number.

Since she’d been home Shiria had been busy helping pack the wagons that would carry the children and girls too young and inexperienced to fight back toward the Northern Amazon lands should they lose against the Roman’s that had been spotted moving in on them. Apparently Ghita had been telling the truth about Caesar’s plan take over the Amazon forests.

“Hello,” Shiria said timidly. The woman with the exotic green eyes who’d first welcomed her home stopped packing food supplies for the children long enough to look around at Shiria.

“I’ll bet you’re here to ask me my name,” she said, and Shiria noted this woman had an uncanny gift for anticipating other people’s actions. She also had a constant smile in her voice, which put Shiria at ease.

“That’s right. No offense, but I’ve never seen anyone like you before.”

The woman finished loading water skins in a wooden crate then sat down to rest. “My name is Hanai. It means “strange one” in our language.”

“Why did your mother name you that?”

Hanai moved over on the crate to allow Shiria room to sit. The day was warming to the point of being hot, even in all the shade of the trees. “My mother is dead. Queen Vashana’s older sister Cyane, who was Queen before Vashana adopted me. She rescued me from slavery when I was twelve years old, but she‘s dead now.”

“You’re the tribe’s Princess! Of course. That would explain why you give the orders around here. I’m sorry,” Shiria said. She could definitely sympathize with Hanai on the point of losing one’s family. “Were you insulted by the name she gave you?”

Hanai began to laugh as she remembered her first days among the Amazons. “Oh, let me tell you. I thought she was being mean until I found out her mother was named Hanai as well.”

Without thinking Shiria reached out and took hold of a lock of Hanai’s auburn hair. “It’s just you have an accent I’ve never heard before, and I’ve seen women with red hair but yours is so dark. It’s almost as red as…as…”

“Blood. I know. My little sister once told me my eyes were as pure as Jade.” For a moment Hanai’s voice caught at the memory of a family she no longer had.

“Where is your sister now?”

“You are just full of questions aren’t you?” The words came out sounding harsher than Hanai had intended but this didn’t seem to bother Shiria at all. Perhaps a life of slavery could do that to one.

“I didn’t mean to sound so harsh.”

“Not at all majesty. I understand.”

‘Majesty’ brought another laugh from Hanai. “Please, just call me Hanai. My sister and I were separated when the slavers took me. I haven’t seen her sense. I imagine she’d doing well though. Now, are you ready?”

“For what?”

“To lead the children to the Northern Forests. Vashana and I have to lead my sisters into battle. One of our young sisters named Marga will help you. She knows these forests like the back of her hand.”

“I think you’re just afraid I’ll get hurt,” Shiria said, though she wasn’t offended. She’d long since forgotten her fighting skills, and they’d never been much to begin with. “I understand.”

“You’ll become a great warrior one day Shiria. You’ll make Queen Vashana proud.”

With that, Hanai was off. She would soon face the most important battle of her life with a ghost from her past. Though the battle would not merely be physical. It would be a battle of the heart, and one both opponents will lose.

***

Queen Vashana and her adopted sister Hanai rode side by side through the dense foliage of the forests they were prepared to die to protect. Vashana was the youngest Queen in Amazon history and this was her first major battle, but she didn’t seem the least bit concerned. Whether or not that was good or bad was still a debate up in the air for Hanai.

“My Queen, you don’t seem very nervous.”

Vashana began to laugh, which put on a good face for the other sisters. It wouldn’t do for them to see their queen afraid. She leaned in to Hanai and whispered so only she could hear.

“We’re sisters. Call me Vashana like you always do. I hate that title, ‘My Queen‘.”

Hanai felt a giggle struggling to work past the nervous butterflies in her stomach. “I know. You’d better get used it girl. You’ll be saddled with that title for a long time to come.”

“I hope. Listen, Hanai, I’m going to try talking with them first. Maybe I’ll be able to discover what is going on. If talks fail, we’re going to have to force them into the forests where the tables will be turned to our favor. If I die, you will take over as Queen immediately.”

“Don’t talk like that. You’re not going to die-“

“Listen!” Vashana said sternly, cutting off Hanai’s objections. “You have to chose a successor. I have set up a chain of command that names fifteen successive Queens, starting with me, going to you and so on. They are all aware of my battle plans as thoroughly as you are. Here.”

Vashana handed her a small scroll with a list of thirteen names. She chose the sister that would succeed her should she fall in battle as acting Queen. How Hanai hated war or anything associated with it. All it ever served to do was to rob people of the ones they loved. She handed the scroll to another sister to show the warriors who would become Queen should Vashana and she fall.

Vashana studied the outline of Hanai’s exotic face. “We didn’t get along at all when Cyane first brought you home. I thought you were so wimpy and whiney…until I found out what happened to you. I’m sorry for all the cruel tricks I played on you.”

Hanai didn’t like the way her sister was talking but she decided to allow it to pass. For now at any rate. “All past sins as children are hereby forgiven by order of Hanai, Princess of the First Tribe. That official enough for you sis?”

Vashana tousled Hanai’s auburn hair then planted a kiss on her cheek. Some of the warriors behind them giggled but the sisters ignored them. Who knows when they would have a chance to enjoy a sisterly moment like this again?

“I love you Vashana.”

“I love you to Hanai. Till the end.” They held up their hands and clasped them in a pact that nothing would separate on this day.

Hanai looked deeply into her sister’s eyes. “Till the end.

***

Livia, Lycus and Cadmus leaned over the most recent map of the area Lycus had made on his last scouting trip.

“I managed to get this far,” Lycus said, running his finger along the base of a mountain. To the east were treacherous hills, to the west a great river cut through the valleys and cliffs that led to the more civilized reaches of Greece. All of the northern forests on the map belonged to the Amazon’s and it had been colored gray, signifying that he had been unable to scout the area.

“How many warrior’s did you spot?” Cadmus asked. He had to struggle to keep his mind on the work at hand instead of his son who was back in Rome under the care of a slave girl he’d never even heard of before. Lycus had commented on several occasions that he needed to keep his mind on the battle or he would never see his son again.

“They have two thousand warriors lined up along the tree lines. Their Queen is among them. She is asking for negotiations.”

Livia began to laugh. How perfect. The Amazon’s two thousand to her ten thousand. “They’re so hopelessly outnumbered the Queen herself is out begging for mercy. I agree to negotiations, and when she gets here I’ll kill her. Nothing would throw them into confusion faster than losing their queen before the battle even started.”

Cadmus and Lycus both shot glances at Livia as both men saw the same arrogance in her now that they’d seen in Damen and Acastus before they’d helped Livia bring down the former commander of the Alpha legion. This was not a good sign.

“Livia,” Lycus said, standing up to formal attention. “It would not be wise of you to underestimate these women and assume your forces are greater than theirs. They let us see two thousand warriors, but for all we know their forests could be infested with them. They could have fifty thousand warriors-“

Livia cut him off, angry that he would even consider that she would underestimate the enemy, which is exactly what she was doing. “Are you insinuating that I’m too arrogant?”

That’s exactly what he was doing but of course he wasn’t going to say that. “No sir. I’m just offering you advice from my years in the field. Isn’t that what your officers are for?”

Livia studied the map again, ignoring his question. To answer it would be admitting he was right, and her arrogance had grown too much for that. “A full frontal assault would be ideal, but of course it’s also foolish to put all of our eggs in one basket.”

Livia turned the map in their direction. “The cavalry will stay in front. The archers will divide into three, taking the eastern hills, the main front and the western attack. Send foot soldiers to traverse the eastern hills and artillery will attack by water. We’ll set their forests on fire and flush them out.”

“Set the forests on fire?” Cadmus didn’t know if he liked that idea or not. “What about the men in the eastern hills?”

“It will be a controlled fire and hard to start with all the rain we‘ve had in this region lately. I don’t really need flames, just smoke to force them to fresh air. We’ll keep the flames close to the waterfronts as much as possible. If we can kill off their cavalry we stand a good chance of defeating them. Regardless of how many warriors their trees may be “infested” with. I’m staying here with the cavalry and to lead the front line. Cadmus, you will lead the attack in the eastern hills. Lycus, you will attack by water and start the fire in the west. You have your orders, now leave me.”

Cadmus and Lycus saluted and exited the tent as they prepared to put her orders into effect, but the two men were unsatisfied. “Did you see her?” Lycus said, mounting his horse to gather his men. “She’s just as arrogant and Acastus.”

“Hopefully she’s just as smart as Damen,” Cadmus added. He too mounted up and the two men rode off in opposite directions. Cadmus hoped Livia knew what she was doing in this battle. For his son’s sake.

***

Vashana, Hanai and the other thirteen warriors that helped organize the attack had their own battle plan in mind. As Vashana and Hanai watched the enemy gather below them she noticed one important detail that her sister Linara, returning from her mission to give Livia the message the Queen wanted to open negotiations, only served to confirm.

“They’re led by a woman. She is prepared to meet with you on the battlefield for talks.” Linara took up a position on Vashana’s left and watched as a small, feminine figure came out to the battle front.

“Well?” Linara asked. “Aren’t you going to go?”

“Of course not,” Vashana said. “Roman’s never negotiate. Not since the days of Julius Caesar anyway.”

“Then why did you have me tell them you wished to negotiate?”

Linara didn’t sound irritated, only curious. She was a fast learner and she had a thirst for knowledge that rivaled Hanai’s. It was one of the reason’s Hanai had chosen her as her successor should she die in this battle.

“Because,” Hanai said, “Vashana wanted to get a glimpse into the character of her opponent. An honest Roman male warrior would not have even considered negotiations. It would make him seem weak. This woman leader is different. She’s willing to do anything to win. Even something as dishonorable as lying.”

“I see,” Linara said, nodding her head in understanding.

The Queen spoke up now as she watched the Roman Legion separate. She wanted her sisters to hear how she thought so they could better understand the decisions she made.

“They have ten thousand brothers. We have nine thousand sisters. They are on foreign land. We are on home soil. We’re both led by women. What would I do if I were their commander? I would divide and conquer. If I couldn’t divide I would…force them out into the open. Look there.”

Vashana pointed to the soldiers marching into the eastern hills. “They’re sending archers and foot soldiers into the eastern hills. Those flaming arrows will set the trees on fire and force us west. And look there.”

Vashana pointed to the soldiers heading west with the artillery. “They’re carrying firestarters. No doubt they plan to set the western part of the forest on fire.”

Hanai picked up on Vashana’s thinking. “That will force us out. Right toward the Cavalry.”

“Yes,” Vashana said. “Or deeper into the forest and South into strange lands. We cannot allow our home to be burned. Linara, take the three thousand sisters in the western valleys. They will probably attack by water. Whatever you do, sink those ships. Use our artillery to rain fire down upon them. Hanai, you will take two thousand of our sisters and attack from the trees. Whatever you do, don’t allow them to set the eastern hills on fire. We need that land for our cattle to graze there. Go.”

Linara and Hanai set off to carry out Vashana’s orders but Hanai stopped and turned back to her Queen. “You’ll be left with only four thousand against her six thousand.”

“Yes. But if she wants to fight with me, she’s going to have to come into my home to do it. If she has any sense she’ll know she doesn’t stand a chance in our forests.”

Hanai rode back into the trees where the bulk of their warriors were hidden and led them toward the eastern hills while Vashana exercised one attribute Livia didn’t possess: Patients. Vashana pulled her visible sisters back into the trees to wait. Vashana hoped Livia would become inpatient and attack, and when she entered the forests, she would lose.

***

Hanai didn’t know why but whenever men attacked them they never did think to look up. Not that it would do them much good. Every Amazon warrior was camouflaged to look like her surroundings, but even more, they knew how to blend with nature without the aid of paint. When they were in the trees they were practically invisible, painted or not.

Now Cadmus and his men had entered those trees. “Spread out! We need to start the fire and get out as quickly as possible.”

No sooner had he said this did he hear an odd sound that reminded him of a crow, but he couldn’t locate any of the black birds in the trees. His first instinct was to pull his men back, but that would only be met with criticism from Livia.

This is a mistake, he thought, his eyes searching the forest for the enemy, and though he could not see anyone he knew in his gut they were surrounded. The Amazon’s had to have had more than two thousand warriors on their side, and by coming in here he may have committed suicide.

The quiet was eerie, the only sound being that of his men stepping on twigs and dry leaves as they spread out into the forest. He watched the archers disappear into the thick of the foliage to start the fire before they retreated to return to the main battleground and their commander, Livia. They would take out any Amazon’s they saw along the way, or so was the plan.

The crow sound came again, and this time he saw the source of the sound. It wasn’t a black bird, but an auburn haired angel of death flying through the trees and coming straight at him. Suddenly his men began dropping like dead flies as arrow after arrow rained down from the trees, followed by thousands of screaming Amazon warriors. In seconds nearly every man in sight was dead and they had yet to kill one female warrior. If they all died without taking these women down…Livia would be short three thousand men, and the Amazon’s would be short very few.

As he fought with the warrior who was obviously their leader, he was surprised by her skill. She didn’t have much in the way of arm strength compared to his, but she was amazingly agile. She ducked and dodged each blow he tried to deal out to her with ease until she almost looked like she was dancing and he was her unwilling partner.

In the corner of his eye, Cadmus could see his men losing horribly to these skilled warriors, and he knew that he wouldn’t make it from these trees alive. He was proved right only seconds after this thought when his opponent drove her sword deep into his chest. Cadmus fell to the ground, mortally wounded, and the last thought on his mind before death claimed his soul was a simple and heartbreaking one.

My son…

***

Hours passed and Livia still saw no sign of smoke. Something wasn’t right. The forests should have been burning by now, and that Amazon Queen had retreated too quickly. Livia appreciated the other woman’s wisdom for not coming to the camp, for Livia would have killed her first chance she got. But why weren’t the trees burning?

Her mind drifted to Cadmus as she waited. When he returned she would begin her efforts to seduce him. If she had his heart she would have a very formidable ally in her climb to power, just as Ghita had said. Plus she wondered what he would be like in bed. Ares was still the only lover she’d ever known, and she wanted to change that as soon as possible.

Just as her patients was beginning to wear thin a soldier from front called out to her.

“Rider approaching commander!”

From her mounted position she could see over the heads of her men and the soldier who’d called out to her pointed east. Cadmus came riding for her, full speed, but there was something wrong…

It didn’t take her trained eyes long to see he was dead. The Amazon’s had killed him and tied him to his horse to return to camp. Livia didn’t know what emotions to expect, but devastation was not one of them. Her heart felt as if it had been ripped from her chest and she was filled with a rage she’d very rarely known.

“Alpha legion!” She called out. She had no doubt that Lycus had either met or was meeting the same fate. Well she wasn’t about to sit here and allow those savage bitches to humiliate her and her precious Alpha Legion this way. “Attack!”

***

Lycus hated traveling by boat, but since he had his orders to set the western hills on fire he really didn’t have a choice but to take the river close to Amazon land. His instincts told him something was not right. Perhaps it was the deathly quiet of the hot afternoon that bothered him, perhaps it was the fact that he knew setting the trees on fire could cause a fire that no one would be able to get back under control again that bothered him. Either way he could feel his skin crawling. This mission had failure written all over it, and everyone could see that but Livia.

“Alright men. It’s time.”

“Catapults are in position,” one of his men called back. Lycus nodded and gave the order to light the firestarters.

“Fire number one!”

The first catapult shot a ball of fire through the air and toward the Amazon forests. However it never reached it’s target, as it was hit by another ball of fire halfway to the trees. It exploded uselessly in midair, it‘s flaming remains falling harmlessly into the waters of the river.

“What the…?”

The men looked around in confusion, but the confusion didn’t last long as ball after ball of fiery death rained from the sky. The Amazon’s had their own artillery and warriors with deadly accurate aim. Somehow they had anticipated this attack! Lycus could only watch helplessly as the ships were hit with one bomb after another.

“Abandon ship! Abandon ship!”

Lycus and his surviving men, approximately fifteen hundred jumped overboard and swam for shore. However half way there a swarm of Amazon soldiers, a couple of thousand from Lycus’ estimation, began lining the shore. They shot arrows at the defenseless men, killing them until the water was full of floating Roman corpses.

Only about eight hundred men made it to shore. They were hopelessly outnumbered and the Amazon’s were showing no mercy. As Lycus went into his last battle, he wondered how long he would be in the underworld before Livia came to join him.

Lycus and his men fell under the blade of the Amazon warriors, never having known such utter defeat before in their short careers.

***

Vashana didn’t share her sisters enthusiasm for the victories her sisters had earned. Both Linara and Hanai had returned with light casualties, reporting that they’d killed every soldier in the two groups that had attacked the east and west, but they still had the six thousand remaining soldiers that were preparing to march on them at this very moment.

“Hanai, how many have we lost.”

Hanai grinned from ear to ear. “We’ve lost four hundred my Queen, between Linara and I. Can you believe that? We’ve killed over four thousand of their men and only lost four hundred of ours. We’ve never done so well in battle before!”

Vashana was glad morale was up, but the battle wasn’t over yet. “We haven’t won yet. Spread our sisters out. When every one of the Roman’s has entered the trees they’ll be surrounded. Show no mercy do you understand me? They are all to die. Hopefully this will send a message back to Augustus Caesar that we are a force to be reckoned with!”

Her sisters cheered and as her orders spread throughout their number, they jumped into the trees to wait for Livia to foolishly allow her arrogant pride to lead her soldiers into the trees where they will find nothing but blood and death.

***

It was almost embarrassing the way Livia allowed the Amazon’s to play her so easily, but her belief in her own importance and her Roman superiority wouldn’t allow her to retreat. She truly believed she was superior to the people she was attacking, as did her men, and it was that arrogance that sent them into the Amazon forests. Only this time, instead of finding victory, the Alpha Legion would find total destruction.

***

Hanai had never seen her sisters fight so well, or cause so much death and destruction on their enemies. The Roman soldiers blindly followed their arrogant commander into their forests on a mission they couldn’t hope to win. The Amazon’s were not only on home soil, they now outnumbered their enemies by about thirty six hundred warriors.

Each woman knew these trees as well as they knew their own huts. Arrow after arrow rained down upon the men, if not killing them then wounding them and making them easier for each sister to defeat.

Hanai followed her sister Vashana to head of the line where the commander of the legion was cutting down woman after woman, left and right. The princess thought the woman’s abilities as a leader left something to be desired when she rushed the trees in a head on assault without waiting for back up, or to see if the men she’d sent out to set the forest on fire would return. She did have to give the girl credit for one thing: She was clearly the best fighter in the entire legion. No sister who attacked her could stand up to her for long before being brutally cut down. Hanai couldn’t wait to get a look at the girls face. It was rare to see such boldness in a non-Amazon woman.

Vashana charged the fierce warrior but before they could so much as clash swords the Roman commander ran her through. Hanai could only stare on in shock as she watched her sister and her Queen fall to the ground in a shivering heap. She rushed to Vashana’s side and picked her up. There was a wagon for the wounded near by, and if Vashana could be taken to safety quickly enough then perhaps she could pull through.

“Linara!” Linara heard Hanai call for her and she ran over. The Roman commander continued to fight, not even sparing them a glance. Well, that would change soon enough.

“Take the Queen to the hospice. Now! She must not die.”

“I understand.” Linara took Vashana’s unconscious form from Hanai and ran off into the trees as the newly acting Queen of the Amazon’s readied her sword and called out to the commander.

“You!”

Livia stopped, instinctively knowing someone was calling to her. She turned to find a masked Amazon with auburn hair falling to her curvy waist pointing a sword to her. The only Amazon warriors to wear a mask in battle were the higher up officers. Judging from the peacock plumes coming from the top of the warriors mask, this one was very high up indeed.

“You may have just killed my sister,” the Amazon said. She was tall, standing at least four inches over Livia’s 5’7” inch height, and her body was corded with strong muscle, and Livia knew this one would be hard to take down. As the battle raged around them, Livia and this new warrior began to circle one another.

“That tends to happen in battle. You look important. The Queen perhaps?”

“I am Princess Hanai of the First Tribe. The woman you wounded is the Queen. You will pay for that.”

“You’ve got guts. I may spare you and take you back to Rome as a trophy.”

“I doubt that.”

Hanai attacked with a ferocity that Livia wasn’t prepared for, and it took her awhile to get a feel for her opponent. She could only hope Hanai’s somewhat fluffy mask would serve as a hindrance instead of a help.

They fought fast and hard, but neither woman was able to defeat the other. They remained at a standstill as the Amazon’s continued to cut down one Roman soldier after another. Finally some of Livia’s men began to mount up and ride from the forest with Amazon warriors swinging behind them or chasing them on foot. Unfortunately for the Amazon’s, some got away. They would no doubt take word back to Rome of how badly the battle was going. If only they knew this was exactly what Ghita had planned.

Hanai stopped for a breather and pulled her mask completely off. When she did, a finger of recognition suddenly began to tickle Livia’s gut. There was something about the woman’s eyes…No. It couldn’t be. Livia stood staring at Hanai as her men were either cut down or tried to desert.

“What are you looking at?”

Now that the mask was no longer distorting the sound of Hanai’s voice, the feeling of familiarity grew even stronger. No, Livia thought. It can’t be. She’s not…

“What’s your name?” Livia asked. Part of her was panicked, another part filled with dread. All of it was mixed together to form a feeling of unpleasant excitement.

“I told you. Hanai.”

Livia wasn’t the only one feeling the familiarity. Now that things were beginning to calm and Hanai could study her opponent closer, there was definitely something in the shape of the Roman’s face that looked familiar, but what was it?

“I’ve told you my name. What’s yours?”

Livia’s eyes slowly trailed down Hanai’s sword arm. With each inch of skin she examined she prayed she wouldn’t find what her heart knew would be there. Sure enough, in the crook of Hanai’s right arm was a small horseshoe shaped mark. It had distorted a little over the years as her skin had stretched, but it was exactly as Livia remembered it.

When Livia spoke her voice was barely above a trembling whisper, but it was the best she could manage. And the recognition in the Amazon warrior’s eyes was all Livia needed to know that the impossible had indeed happened.

“Brigid?”

“Livia.”

The two who had known and loved each other’s as sisters in their childhood, now stood in the center of a battle in the Amazon forests as women, and as enemies.

The End Of Chapter Five.