Growing Up “Livia”
Written by: Caina Q. Fuller
Cainaq@Yahoo.Com

Chapter Seven

Life among the Amazons, Livia noted a month into her stay with Brigid, would have been a wonderful and fulfilling experience…were she not a slave. For someone in her position, life was nothing short of dreadful. What made it even harder was the fact that she’d grown accustomed to giving the orders, not taking them.

She wasn’t subjected to any particularly difficult labor, but she wasn’t comfortable either. She was tense every moment she was a way from Brigid’s royal hut, living in constant apprehension that each woman around her was just waiting to kill her first chance she got. She wondered if they would succeed, considering she was only fed when she was with Brigid.

No doubt this was how all slaves were treated. Keep them weak, Livia mused, so they would be easier to control. From the conquerors point of view, it made perfect sense. From her point of view as the one who has been conquered, it was nothing short of hell.

Livia’s duties today were to help the male slaves, captured who knows how many years before, carry water from the river into the heart of the camp. It was a duty that was tiring to say the least since it was a half-mile hike one way. She was on her third return trip, and her shoulders ached so badly she thought her arms would pop off like a cork in a shaken wine cask.

She would have spoken to her fellow slaves…if any of them had a tongue to form words with.

Livia was so involved in her work that she hadn’t noticed the small group of Amazon children that had taken to following her from the river until they began to circle her, staring at her with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

“What do you want?” She asked irritably, and the girls shrank back.

“We’ve never seen a female slave before,” one particularly brave child said, moving closer to Livia. Livia tried to imagine what it would be like to have grown up in this cold forest, being taught that men were good for nothing but to be used for menial labor and breeding. She also wondered what happened to the male babies. Were they also raised to serve as slaves? Or were they just executed for the crime of simply being born male?

“Well, there’s a first time for everything isn’t there?” Livia snapped. She was tired and hungry, and the last thing she wanted to do was entertain a crowd of the enemy’s brats.

“What’s it like where you come from? For women I mean?”

This was Livia’s opportunity to get rid of them, so she decided to take advantage of it.

“The wealthy warriors, like me, eat female children who aren’t smart enough to survive. I sure am hungry. I wonder how you’d taste with butter and salt.”

The girls’ eyes widened in fear and they took off in a screaming caravan for the village. Livia was rid of them, but soon she would come to regret her little lie when they rushed up to one of the women standing in a group around a cook fire. She realized the woman was Linara, Brigid’s right-hand woman and the tribe’s princess.

Linara glared at Livia when the frightened girls ran off for their mothers, then came stomping toward her.

“Look, I didn’t mean anything-“

Livia’s explanation was cut short when Linara’s hand snaked out with lightning speed and caught her across the mouth, knocking her overworked, malnourished body to the ground. Her lip began to bleed and her head ached from the force of the blow.

“Think you’re funny, scaring our children with your silly stories Livia?”

Linara leaned in close to Livia, her voice low and dangerous. “You need to understand something slave. You may mean something to Hanai, but you mean nothing to us. Pull something like this again, I’ll kill you myself. Understand me?”

“I understand you. Now you understand me.” Livia stood up, her pride was not about to allow her to be condescended to by someone she considered to be little more than a nearly naked savage.

“If I ever get out of these chains, you’re the first one I’m killing.”

“Really?” Linara said, the smirk on her face stoking the fires of frustration that were already burning in Livia’s gut. “Well, let’s just see about that. Shall we?”

“Love to.”

Linara drew her sword and for a moment Livia thought she was going to go the way of the coward and run her through on the spot. Instead Linara broke the chains binding her hands and feet, giving her freedom to move. Even weak, Livia’s lifetime of training would make her a superior opponent to almost any Amazon warrior in this camp, with the exception of Brigid, aka Hanai.

The two warriors circled one another, looking for an opening to make their first strike and hopefully cause the most damage. Livia got that move first by punching Linara squarely in the chest and stealing her breath away. The young Amazon warrior went flying into the crowd of her sisters who’d come to surround them, but she was quickly back on her feet, throwing deadly punches and kicks at Livia in an angry flurry.

**********

Brigid had just begun to relax into her routine as Queen of the First Tribe and was beginning to think that perhaps her sisters were beginning to accept Livia’s presence. However that theory was proved wrong when she was pulled from her mid-day meal by the sound of cheering women from outside.

She emerged from her hut to find her people had congregated by the cook-fire, their fists raised in the air in support of Linara, but what her new Princess was doing was unclear. Every once in a while she could hear the sound of a fist connecting with flesh and a grunt of agony. It was a fight apparently, and Brigid didn’t need an oracle to tell her who Linara was fighting with. She motioned to the lookout to sound the ram’s horn, then flipped from the banister surrounding her porch, and landed on the outer rim of the crowd.

Brigid shoved her way through, expecting to see Livia lying in a bloody heap on the ground. Instead she found Linara was the blood-covered lump of flesh, her face no longer recognizable, and her head in a choke hold.

“Livie! Stop it right now! Let her go before you kill her!”

“She started this!” In the mouth of anyone else that would have sounded like a childish statement. Coming from Livia it sounded like a sound defense against a hanging.

“If you kill her I will have no choice but to behead you Livie. Don’t make me do that. Don’t make me choose between you and my people. Let her go.”

With a cry of frustration Livia let Linara drop, unconscious, to the ground in a wet heap of blood and sweat. She stood back just as the rest of the sisters began to draw their swords.

“What do you all think you’re doing?” Brigid asked, and she wondered, not for the first time, if she was going to lose control of her people in a revolt she could feel brewing just beneath the surface of everyday life.

“She fought one of our own. Slaves are not permitted to fight us, unless they are looking to be put to death.”

Brigid faced the woman who’d spoken up. “Tell me the truth, on your honor as an Amazon warrior. Who started this fight?”

The woman looked down in shame, knowing that she would have to tell her Queen the truth, or dishonor her name forever. “Linara freed her from her chains for the fight. But she only did it to put Livia in her place for scaring some of our children.”

“Scared our children how? Livia?”

“They were following me around, asking questions. I told them that where I come from warriors ate little girls. I only did it to get rid of them.”

“Livia, go home. You’re finished with your labors for the day.”

The crowd parted, albeit begrudgingly, and allowed Livia to pass through. Once Livia had closed the door of the royal hut behind her, Brigid spoke.

“I want everyone here, in the main square, at sunset. Everyone."

**********

Rome

Augustus Caesar paced the floors of his private chambers. He’d sent scouts out to tell him what had become of his beloved Livia and her Alpha legion. She should have either returned or sent word from a messenger by now of how the campaign was going. Instead there was nothing.

Finally, just as he was ready to mount up and ride to the Amazon Forests himself to find out what was going on, a soldier entered the room. He carried a scroll and his face was pinched and worried.

“My lord. I have bad news. The Alpha legion has disappeared. There is no sign of them with the exception of some bodies found floating downstream, and at the mouth of their forests.”

“No sign? How can that be? She went out there with ten thousand men!”

The messenger shrank back in fear from his lord’s wrath, but had nothing to say in response. Augustus pulled his emotions under control and nodded, trying to regain some measure of control over the worry that was gripping his heart. He’d just found Livia. He couldn’t lose her now.

“Very well. I want four legions prepared. We’re riding against the Amazon’s. Now!”

The soldier saluted and rushed out, wanting nothing more than to be out of the presence of his angry emperor. Augustus, however, was more afraid than angry. At least for now. If he found that Livia was dead, he wouldn’t rest until every single Amazon in existence was dead. But before he did any of that…

**********

Ghita was rarely shocked, but she was astonished when Augustus had her taken from her cell. Not to be crucified as she was expecting, but cleaned up and dressed in fine robes. She stood before him as he looked out of his bedroom window, staring down at the streets of Rome as soldier after soldier prepared to march against the Amazon forests.

“My Lord.”

Augustus turned to face her, his handsome face looking more haggard than usual. “I’m glad you’re here. I don’t need to tell you that the nature of our relationship has changed.”

“Changed? I thought it was over.”

Augustus nodded and came to stand before her, holding her shoulders, gently instead of angrily like she was expecting. “Yes. It’s over. I have fallen in love with Livia. However, I have decided not to have you crucified as she has ordered. Instead, there is the matter of a certain baby, possibly orphaned.”

She waited as he stared a hole though her eyes and into something private that she couldn’t fathom. “Yes?”

“Instead I want you to take responsibility for your actions. You have a choice. You can either raise Doran as your own or you can hang on a cross.”

“That’s a hard one,” she said with her old sarcasm. “I’ll raise the child.”

“There’s another stipulation. You must leave Rome and never return. You cannot take any of your valuables or possessions, except the clothes on your back.”

She stared at him, shocked. “How do you expect me to provide for the child?”

Augustus ran a hand insultingly over her body. “You have great assets to use in your favor, wouldn’t you agree?”

She stared him down until he finally rescinded some of his contempt for her. “The baby will need some things I suppose. Alright. I will have a soldier meet you outside of Cadmus’ quarters. You may take one slave and a bag of gold. After that, you’re on your own. If you ever return to Rome, I’ll allow Livia to whatever she pleases with you.”

He turned from her and Ghita new better than to push her luck with this man. She turned away from him and found a guard waiting to escort her either to the child or to the cross.

“Take me to the child.”

**********

“Livia, what were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself into a situation that I couldn’t get you out of!”

“I was thinking that I wasn’t going to let that Linara bitch beat me without a fight.”

“Is there anything else that happened I should know about Livie?”

“I told you everything.”

Brigid sat down in front of Livia so her younger sister would have no choice but to face her. “Livia, what happened to you since we were separated? Why are you so full of hate? Why can’t you trust anyone?”

Livia stood and turned away from Brigid. She was at her lowest point in life, but she was too blinded by her resentments with the world and Ares’ doctrines that she couldn’t see the blessings that had been bestowed upon her by the powers that be. She’d been given a second chance with family, and she was wasting it by withdrawing into herself instead of sharing with Brigid.

“I want you to pack your things.”

Livia looked up in excitement, but her hopes were quickly dashed when Brigid began to laugh and shake her head. “No, no. I’m not releasing you. If I did that, the tribe would have my head. No, I’m taking you out of here for a little while. Get ready. I’ll be back for you in an hour or so.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to talk to the princess. Then I’m going to make a few things clear with my sisters.” Brigid left, and Livia began to pack her few belongings. She was finished in under a minute, and had nothing but an entire hour of boredom to look forward to as she awaited Brigid’s return.

**********

Brigid entered Linara’s tent to find one of the healers tending her wounds, but the biggest wound Linara was suffering from was her pride, and she turned away from Brigid in shame.

“Is she going to be ok?”

The healer gave her a small wink. “Her most serious wound can’t be treated with a balm. I’ll check on her again later.”

When they were alone again, Brigid took a seat next to her sister. After a few moments of silence in which it became clear Linara wasn’t going to talk without prompting, or maybe a direct order, Brigid pulled her over to face her.

“I’d like to hear your version of the story. Being the loyal Amazon you are, I know you’ll tell me the absolute truth.”

“Fine.” Linara struggled to sit up. Once she was reclined against the headboard of her bed, she pulled her knees up to her chest. “Livia told some of our children that she would eat them if they didn’t leave her alone. She scared them, so I went over and told her to try it with me.”

“Her chains were cut.”

“I did that.”

Brigid understood exactly what had happened, and it angered her. “So you used that silly, pathetic excuse of Livia scaring the children with a story you knew was designed to get them to leave her alone while she worked as an excuse to try and kill her.”

“I can’t believe you’re taking her side on this!”

Perhaps it was the stress of the past month of having Livia in their camp and trying to stand up under the constant disapproval of her sisters, or maybe it was the anger she felt for whoever had turned Livia from the sweet, innocent child she’d known and loved only a few years before to the monster she was now, but Brigid was going to put her foot down. Not just with Linara, but with all of her sisters.

“I want you to understand something Linara, and understand it good. Livia is my sister. You know my story with her, and you know that I’m determined to save her if I can. Something happened to her when she and I were separated, and I have to heal her. I’m going to do it, whether or not you like it or understand it. As far as I’m concerned you got what you deserve for disobeying me.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

Though her words were obedient, Linara’s eyes flashed with anger, hot and furious.

“That sounded more like ‘Fine you stupid bitch’ but I’ll assume you meant the utmost respect.” Brigid said, and Linara didn’t try to deny it.

“I’m taking Livia out of here for awhile. I think everyone could use a break from seeing her, and vice versa. When we return, I’m making Livia an Amazon citizen. You’ll be in charge until my return.”

Linara watched her Queen go, and she was overwhelmed with resentment. Livia was the enemy. She’d tried to destroy the Amazon nation and take their forests from them. How could Brigid possibly try to resurrect a friendship that no longer existed?

When the other sisters heard of Brigid’s plan, Linara believed, they would probably be angry enough to revolt against her rule and banish her from the tribe. Hell, they may even consider executing her as a traitor for sparing the enemy. If so, would Linara remain faithful to the Queen who was rapidly becoming a stranger to her? Or would she join the opposition if it arose?

As she lay back down, hurting from the wounds inflicted by Livia’s hands and Brigid’s words, Linara wasn’t so certain where her loyalties would lay when the time came to choose sides.

The end of Chapter Seven