Amazon

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Amazon | Ten

Rhea coughed and wrapped herself in the large furs Bastian had grabbed, the girls that sat around them—only a few had survived when they left the camp—were covered in the much thicker furs. Bastian had taken charge and had grabbed them their meals, especially with Rhea injured. Only eight girls out of the twenty seven Bastian had saved survived, Cassia and Iola who were twins had survived, Dione, Eirini, Kassiani, Niobe, Ophelia and Theia.

The youngest were Theia and Ophelia who were only a few moons apart. Rhea had to help the children onto the back of the horses they had found. Rhea was worried the little girls would die too, so she had suggested to Bastian that they take them to another Amazon camp. Rhea would be killed because word would already have been sent to them that she was a traitor, but Cassia—who was the self-proclaimed leader—would be able to speak and say that they had escaped.

They were close to the camp that was closest to Rhea’s village and it would seem more likely if the girls had ran there. Theia and Ophelia were only just babes and were carefully laid in baskets that Dione and Niobe held. “Will we see you again Rhea?” Cassia asked as the other girls stood behind her, they were only a short walk from the village.

“Possibly not,” Rhea smiled sadly, “I will be dead or a slave in a man’s world, do not get caught up in their world Cassia.”

“I promise,” Cassia vowed and Rhea kissed all of the girl’s foreheads.

Rhea and Bastian stood back as they watched them head toward the village; they heard the shouts and then the reassurance that it was only children. Rhea turned to Bastian who was smiling sadly, “I’ll miss them,” Bastian replied, “Will you?”

“They were part of my station, my people,” Rhea replied, “They are the last; of course I will miss them.”

“The last,” Bastian replied, “But you are the last, are you not?”

“I have betrayed my people Bastian,” Rhea looked down at him as she swung her body over her horse, “I am a traitor to my own kind, a sympathiser of males.”

“Sorry,” Bastian replied sheepishly as he looked down at his hands.

“Do not be sorry,” Rhea replied, “You might have lost your men and I have lost my women, we have both lost people and the animals are feasting on their flesh.”

“Right,” Bastian clicked his jaw as he looked at Rhea who had her back straight and a fur wrapped around her body. She was very serious but over the days they had been heading toward the closest Amazon village, he had noticed that she was a very caring person – especially when it came to children. They loved her and in return she loved them, she seemed like an easy person to be around, but Bastian was nervous – how would she feel when they entered Athens? She would hate it.

“So where are we going?” Rhea asked as she began to move her horse forward, “To meet your family?”

“We’re going to Athens,” Bastian replied, “We will be safer there and it is where my mother, father and grandmother live.”

“Wonderful,” Rhea muttered and began to move her horse forward, “Is there anything I should know before we arrive?”

“Well,” Bastian rubbed his chin, “Women are not given free will like you have received living as an Amazon, and you need to respect the men. If it helps I will tell them you are my fiancée there for we do not need to give you a husband nor do we need any questions about why an unmarried woman is travelling alone with me.” Bastian then looked at her clothing, “You will also need to wear a dress and fix your hair, plus you need to bathe.”