Penthesilea's Wish [Vol.1]

Chapter Thirty-seven

(Coming of age by sword and bow: An Amazon's upbringing, 1245 BCE)

Penthesilea was riding into the evening light with Toxaris, who, like herself, was nineteen years of age. They were on a mission away from the sea and constant wind to find two of their comrades, Melousa and Euryleia. They had not been heard from since morning. The two missing ''Sisters,' both older than both of them by several years, were seasoned warriors and hunters, aware of the many dangers in the wooded areas of the foothills to the east of Themiskyra. Penthesilea believed the two errant hunters had simply sacrificed the safety of the wider plains for the dense areas around the mountain-born water—known to be a more abundant source of larger game.

Penthesilea's instincts as a future leader were becoming stronger, and her use of an intuitive gift the women called "dhars tosil," were becoming more depended upon as she matured. This ability, found to be more dominant in some of the 'Sisters,' carried with it a clearer insight to the immanent uncertainties which perennially surrounded them. Theirs was an exposed and dangerous world, and any such inherited instincts from the older hunting tribes, helped preserve the Amazons in their quest to survive and to maintain autonomy. Penthesilea, just as she could smell game or the nearness of the enemy, had begun to trust this gift which communicated silently and unexpectedly among her sister Daughters of the Moon.

Entering into a place where a small creek ran more narrowly through the wooded area and with a steeper bank on one side, Penthesilea motioned to Toxaris to move her horse slowly, more quietly as they entered the thicker foliage. She dismounted and signaled to her partner to do the same. They tied their horses to a tree trunk and crept stealthily deeper into the thicket along the creek bank. Penthesilea led silently, with one deer hide-booted foot at a time. Suddenly, they both could hear the sound of a women moaning in pain. They crawled forward with their swords in hand, bows and quivers hanging from their shoulders, ready to be rapidly employed.

Moving several branches to the side in front of them they could see the horrid sight of Melousa lying nude on the sandy flat bank. She was lifeless, in a pool of blood with her scalp crudely removed from her head. Next to her, Euryleia was being held down by three Pro-Cimmerian warriors with her legs in the air. A fourth tribesman was forcibly raping her. As shock and anger rose in the veins of the two observers, they knew they had to move closer to effectively stop the attack with force. Penthesilea and Toxaris quickly armed their bows with a first stout, poisoned-tipped arrow while they heard the louder screams of Euryleia. Each took a deep breath and crawled awkwardly ahead through the underbrush. They readied their bows to fire while moving as they had learned to do in hunting—pausing sporadically to maintain the paradoxical peacefulness of the woods.

Then, at no more than ten paces between themselves and the enemy, the young women each released their first arrows with great force and accuracy, striking the attacking man who was kneeling and thrusting his naked body on top of Euryleia. The arrows entered his back squarely and leg, just below his buttocks. He fell to the side in agony, while their second arrows were already in flight toward the two other men. These poisoned shafts also met their marks, with loud shouts emanating from each mortally wounded warrior. One was struck with a venomous arrow in his abdomen and the other in the back of the neck, while standing and trying to pinpoint his ambushers. A third arrow from each archer zinged across the short distance, both missing the last Cimmerian as he suddenly crouched and made for his war sword on the ground next to him.

As the dying men twisted in their last moments, the bronze arrow points, saturated in snake venom, had already done their lethal work. This last, un-assaulted warrior had managed momentarily to free himself from their swift missiles and now held his iron sword menacing with both hands. Like the other three he was thinly bearded, bare-chested, and with scrolls of colored tattoos on his arms, neck and back. He was shaved bald except for a long shock of black hair at the back of his head which hung untied and greasy across his back. His loins were covered by an animal fur garment, which left his legs bare, save for highly-laced leather sandals. The four men had only moments before laid down their weapons to take part in the violation of Euryleia. It had obviously happened not much earlier to Melousa—sadly resulting in her brutal murder and the removal of her hair and scalp as a future trophy. This final violation would not happen to Euryleia, as in the midst of the women's bold counter attack, she rolled free of her assailants.

The two rescuing Amazons ran forward, jumping over their 'Sister' at full speed. They carried their heavy war swords poised above them, ready to forcefully employ their blades against the Cimmerian from different sides. As they collided with him, the man's own sword clashed loudly with Penthesilea's, and at the same moment he ducked Toxaris' swing of her weapon to his midsection. He did this skillfully, while kicking her in the stomach. The force of this blow dislodged her sword from her grip and sent the young Amazon crashing into the brush backwards. Penthesilea whirled around defensively, and in one spin came back at the warrior with equal force. She then feigned a strike at his midsection, and while he wasted a vital stroke to defend against this counterfeit swing, she wielded the heavy blade down diagonally with all her speed and might upon his neck. This lightening quick maneuver severed the warrior's head from his body to the sound of his muffled scream. All was then silent and motionless.

Toxaris and the relieved Euryleia were now both at Penthesilea's side, standing vigilantly over the bodies of the four warriors, their swords ready for any 'coup de grace' if warranted. The men's bodies were motionless—no longer breathing, no longer a threat. The Amazons embraced each other for many moments, crying over the joyous release of Euryleia, and the great loss of Melousa. Fetching their saddle blankets and cleaning their blades in the river, they made ready their fallen 'Sister's' body. They would return with it that evening to prepare for the ceremonial burial of a fallen sister over the next several days.

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