Finding Home

Chapter one

"Cleoda, wake up!"

The call jerks me from my deep slumber. Silete is dancing around me, her dark hair pulled back into a bun. I run a hand across my bleary eyes.

"What is it?" I mumble.

"It is time," she responds. "the race Cleoda!"

I leap from my low bed.

"Why did you not say that sooner?" I cry, pushing her out of my way. I had before been training for this day for months on end. I pull my black sleeping tunic over my platinum blonde hair and toss it to the side. Silete tsks as picks it up off the floor and places it in the dirty clothes basket. I yank a pale blue tunic on and whip my hair into a thick braid. Just as I am leaving the room a male voice cuts through my head.

"Hey Cleo," Noah says.

"Not now, Noah! I've been telling you for months now about the race. It's today!" I respond with my thoughts, frustrated.

"Yeah, yeah. Can't you make time for your lonely brother?" he whines. I roll my eyes.

"Cleoda, do you think you can beat Kutlipe?" Silete asks, taking my hand. "I've been watching her train. She is getting good."

I ignore my brother's shout of, "who is Kutlipe?" and turn to my friend.

"If I can beat you, I can beat her," I say, smiling. She nods. "Come on, we can't be late!"

I begin to jog through the long corridors. Silete runs to catch up.

"Don't run out of energy," she warns. I giggle.

"I'll be careful. Promise," I assure her. Ahead of me a door opens. I skid to a stop as my mother steps out of the threshold.

"Cleoda," she greets, walking in my direction. She reaches me and kisses my cheek.

"Silete! How nice to see you. Are you running today?" Mother embraces my friend. Silete shakes her head.

"Not today," she replies, a smile lighting up her face. Marmodia steps out from the same room.

"We had a meeting today," Mother tells me. I smile proudly. My mother, the captain of the Amazonian army. Marmodia gives me a big hug. The woman towers over me like all the rest of the Amazons. I return the hug.

"My apologies, but I must be off," I tell the two, removing myself from Marmodia's large, dark arms. "I don't want to be late for my first race."

The two warriors nod in understanding and continue down the hall in the opposite direction.

"I will be there in time for your race, daughter," Mother calls over her shoulder.

I wave and then take off down the hall.

"Ugh. They're gonna make you late, Cleo," my brothers nagging voice enters my thoughts.

"Shut up," I tell him. "Also, when are you going to learn how to talk through thoughts, not words? Men. So weak."

I can practically hear him roll his eyes.

"When are you going to learn that when I find you I'm gonna kick your you-know-what."

'What's a you-know-what?" I play dumb.

"It's the other word for butt, dumbo," he says. "You Amazons are so uneducated!"

"Go away I need to focus!"

There is silence. I detect the faint sound of breathing.

"I said go away! Besides, can't someone hear you?"