Children
of the Moon
Chapter
XIII
Linnah moved among the clucking hens searching through the straw for cackleberrys. Occasionally one of the little brown birds would take exception to having her roost disrupted and the air would fill with a fierce squawking. More noise came from the far side of the shed where her husband worked; the birds weren’t used to him and seemed to be putting up more of a fuss than when the boys gathered the eggs. High sun had come and gone and neither of their children had come back to the farm.
The farmer and his wife could have split up the chores and probably would have gotten them done faster but they stayed in sight of each other, drawing comfort in doing small things together rather than apart. Looking up from time to time, one would catch the other’s eye, give a silent smile of support, fearful of saying anything and break the illusion that their children were safe and would be back at any second.
At the edge of Spiro’s hearing came a sound; the muted thuds of a horse and rider. “Lin, someone’s here on a horse.” Holding up one hand, he stayed her from following. “Stay here until I call you.” Stepping quietly around the barn, he pulled up the axe that stood waiting in the splitting block. He didn’t know what to expect and his hands squeezed tight on the smooth wooden handle.
Xena reined Argo in as they passed into the farmyard, forcing herself not to react when the small man came around the far side of the house carrying an axe.
“Papa, You’re Okay!” Kinay slid from behind the warrior and ran to greet Spiro.
The axe dropped forgotten from the farmer’s hands as he gathered son close, kissing him on both cheeks before turning and shouting behind him. “Linnah come, it’s Kinay. He’s back-safe!”
The boy got the same treatment from the tall farmwife when she emerged from behind the house. Hugs and kisses given and received, the trio looked up at the woman on the tall horse.
“Papa, this is Xena…”
The farmer’s brows shot up. He had heard of the fearsome warlord but he had hoped he would never have to make her acquaintance. Xena held his gaze and met it with own steely stare. The small man smiled, “thank you for bringing home my wayward son.”
Sliding bonelessly down off of her mount, Xena accepted Spiro’s proffered arm with a wry grin. “It seemed only fair since I was the one that captured him.”
Kinay felt his father’s surprised eyes even before they reached his face. He scrubbed one toe in the dirt in front of him, wishing suddenly that he were anywhere other than here. “I followed you Papa, you and that woman. At least I followed you until I reached the forest… and then I got lost”
A herd of possibilities thundered across the small farmer’s eyes, most of them ended with his boy winding up dead. Pulling the boy to his breast, he hugged him roughly, running his callused hands thought the boy’s dark curly hair. “I’m so sorry son, …so sorry. You could have been killed and it would have been all my fault.” The words tumbled out filled with emotion and then he pushed the boy out to arm’s length. “She didn’t hurt you did she?” he asked, looking Kinay up and down for sign of injury.
“No Papa, “ Kinay looked away in embarrassment, “I’m just ashamed that I got lost and Xena here found me trespassing. I now know that it’s wrong to trespass into the Amazon territories, Gabrielle explained it to me.”
Linnah stepped into the small circle of her husband and son, hugging the boy and looking at the tall warrior with a protective glare. “Who is this ‘Gabrielle’, did she hurt you?”
“No Mama, I said I’m fine. Gabrielle is the Queen of the Amazons, she told Xena to take me home.”
The dark warrior arched one brow but chose to say nothing at Kinay’s perception of events; instead, she turned and re-mounted Argo riding away almost before the others noticed she was gone.
Estrian lifted the last fork full of straw into the stable and made sure that the Bay gelding had lots of feed before she called up to the loft. “Com’on Kerri! I’m done.”
A sleepy looking young Amazon peeked over the edge at her friend, who stood, hands on hips waiting at the door to the barn. “Alright, I’m coming.” She yawned before making her way down the ladder. “Thanks for watching out while I had a nap. Since Mom had my little sister, I haven’t gotten a whole night’s sleep for nearly a month. Even with Mom and Mama both feeding her, she still doesn’t sleep through the night and so neither do we.”
The little Scout just smiled, she wondered what it would be like to have a little sister. In fact, she wondered what it would be like to have two mothers like most of her friends. Kerri was slightly older than she was but just didn’t have the makings of scout or a warrior. Her mothers were the village weavers and so her lack of martial aptitude was almost to be expected. Nonetheless, like all the others her age she was required to learn the basic skills and found a willing tutor in the younger Estrian. Despite Kerri was almost two summers older, the girls had become fast friends, Kerri helping Estrian to sew and mend and in return, the arms master’s daughter aided the weaver in basic scouting and tracking.
“So where have you been?” Kerri asked once the two girls moved out of earshot of the village. “You and your Mom had that big fight and the next morning you were gone. Then you were back, and before I could talk to you, you were gone again. I thought we were friends.”
Estrian laughed. “Don’t get your leathers in a knot.” She looked around to see if anyone was near and then continued when she saw that they were alone. “Can you keep a perfect secret?”
“Of course I can,” Kerri grinned, “I’ll even give you a perfect secret in return.”
“Okay… Mom took me to meet my father. He’s a farmer in the hills southwest of the territories, and…” Estrian’s eyes shone with delight, “he’s as dark as me.”
The older girl rolled her eyes. “That’s your perfect secret? …I’ve got a better one than that.”
“It’s still my perfect secret and you have to promise not to breathe a word to anyone just like I promise not to tell anyone about you and Nico.”
Kerri stopped dead in her tracks and turned to her friend, “How did you know about Nico?”
"I followed you the last time you took off to meet him at the western border."
"…You, y-you didn't!"
The little scout grinned. "Yup, I did. How can you stand to have him slobbering on you like that?"
The older girl laughed. "I like it just fine, thank you very much. He's so cute with those big brown eyes of his and when he kisses me I feel it all the way to my toes."
"Yeah, well when he started grabbing your boobs I thought I was going to sick-up, so I left."
Coloring deeply, Kerri coughed and cleared her throat. "Good, I'd hate to think you were peeping on our love-making."
Estrian stopped cold and then turned slowly to look at her friend. "Don't tell me you're fucking him too?"
Angrily giving the smaller girl a shove, the weavers' daughter growled. "We love each other, we make love, not rut like animals."
Hanging her head the young scout didn't retaliate the push, rather she gave her friend a hug. "I'm sorry Ker', I didn't mean it to sound like that. I'm glad you've found a lover, even if he is a shepherd but aren't you worried about him starting a baby?"
The girls climbed over the fence into the horse pasture, the big animals looking up for a second as they passed, before returning to graze on the short grass. Estrian stopped to scratch a favorite foal between the ears, waiting patiently for her best friend to answer.
"We are careful. We only do it standing up."
"What!"
"I said…"
"I heard what you said. --Are you nuts?"
"Nico says…"
The younger Amazon shook her head in disbelief of her friend's foolishness. "Nico is thinking with that thing between his legs. Ker, How can you be so daft? …No don't answer that." She canted her head to one side and looked up at the taller girl. "This little fellow's parents were standing up when he was started too."
Kerri's smug look turned to uncertainty as she looked around at the many foals that frolicked in the field. Her lower lip started to quiver. "Oh Estrian," she cried, "what'll I do?"
The scout let go of the little horse and hugged her friend close. "You might not be. When did you bleed last?"
"Right before the last time I saw Nico, so…" she counted on her fingers." "I should start again in a day or two. No wonder I felt so sleepy today."
Estrian grinned, "That's great!" The older girl looked puzzled. "Don't you see? That probably means that you're okay …but you should go see the healer to make sure. And while you're there get something to stop Nico's seed if you're going to 'make love' with him again."
"Will you come with me?"
The little scout smiled widely at her friend and gave her a small squeeze. "Sure. C'mon, let's go now, or else we'll have to wait until the healer gets back from her mid-day meal." Silently she was amazed at the naivety of her friend. Nico wasn't the only one who was thinking with what was between his legs. Now she had an inkling of what her mother meant about being mature enough to think things through before doing something; especially if it was something that would affect the people that you loved. Why was it that Mom got smarter as she grew nearer to adulthood?
Eponin was going to get a big hug from her daughter next time she saw her.
Chapter
XIV
Demmy woke slowly, his consciousness wading through a thick soup of agony. As he became aware of his body over the pain, he realized that his hands and feet were bound together and he was lying on his side some place dark and slightly damp. Scared and angry, he puzzled over why he had been taken. He'd done well at the market that morning but hardly enough to attract bandits. Why? Why hadn't they just taken the money? 'Slavers!' He thought in a panic.
He'd heard of slavers taking people further south down the coast but never this far north. He lay there for many long moments too terrified to even open his eyes, instead he concentrated on dislodging his tongue from the roof of his mouth. Gods he was thirsty! Thoughts of the clear cool water in the well behind the house tortured him and when he thought of the well, he thought of home… hot tears worked their way from behind closed lids, a quiet whimper escaped his lips.
"Ellon, I think that little brother is awake." Said a voice from somewhere above his head.
His shoulder was roughly shaken and he opened terror filled eyes to find an older man holding a torch, looking down at him like a prize calf. "What's your name Boy?" The old man asked. Stubbornly Demmy kept his name to himself, this man had taken all that he was; he was not giving him his name as well.
Rocking back on his heels, Ellon looked up at whoever belonged to the first voice behind Demmy. "Watch him." Then he looked down at the boy like he was solving a puzzle. He must have decided something because he leaned down and said, "hold still" before untying the ropes.
At first he couldn't move. His arms and legs were cramped from being too long in the same position. Still he was grateful to be free and he lay there rubbing his wrists and glaring back at his benefactor, hoping that he didn't look as scared as he felt.
"Still nothing to say Boy?"
Demmy scrambled away from the old man until his back came in contact with a wall and then a corner of the small room. Trying to be as small as his long frame would allow, he could now see the other man in the cell but not his face, which was hidden in the depths of a cowled cloak. Ellon clapped the tall mystery man on the shoulder and handed him his torch as he moved to the door in the far wall. "Keep little brother here, company. I'll send someone to relieve you in a bit."
Time passed, Demmy wasn't certain how long he sat crouched in the corner of the small room that he guessed was underground, perhaps a cellar. The only noise was the hissing of the pitch on the torch as it burned in the sconce by the door. The guard standing there, never moved enough for the young captive to see his face, it was as if the man was a statue. Surely they would at least give him some water. The young man ran his tongue over his teeth, vainly trying to build up some kind of moisture in his mouth, yet he dared not say a word to the man guarding the door.
Demmy awoke with a start. The exhaustion and stress took its toll and the young man had nodded off in spite of himself. Crying and shouting came from outside the door; probably what had woken him in the first place. Running a hand over his face, the young farmer saw that his tall companion was still there -- or was it the same man? He had no way of knowing. The cries grew louder until they where right outside of the cell. The door flew open and several men, all dressed in the dark hooded cloaks flooded in pushing a screaming young girl before them.
One of the men swept back his hood, revealing the same older man from before: Ellon. "Look," he said smiling at the others, "little brother is awake. I think we should show him what a Son of the Moon can do with a bald cock." He dragged the girl up by the hair until she was standing by her tiptoes, looking into his dark eyes with naked terror.
"P-p-please… Don't hurt me." The girl begged, her eyes wide with fear.
The man laughed and pushed the girl into the arms of the men standing behind her. He shrugged out of the heavy cloth and held it out into waiting hands. Free of the cloak he was bare-chested and wore a pair of fine woolen trousers that spoke of an understated wealth over the homespun that most people wore. With his fingers scratching through the curling grey hair on his broad chest, Ellon looked over where Demmy watched in horror. "This little twat has a yen to taste a harlot." His lip curled sadistically. "Well I've a mind to teach her the error of her ways." He nodded to the men holding the hysterical girl. "I want her on all fours like the bitch that she is."
The sobbing girl was forced to her knees, she screamed as the clothing was rent from her body. Outraged Demmy sprang to his feet screaming "NO!!" The young man didn't know what he was trying to accomplish, only that he had to do 'something'. Many strong arms grasped him and easily pulled him away. Shouting himself horse and struggling, tears of frustration rolled down his face as he watched the tattooed buttocks pitch and thrust in time to the painful cries of the captive girl.
Karrah circled the meadow a third time, then returned to the women waiting quietly in a stand of poplar. "I don't understand it, I told her to be here and she's never been late before." She told Solari, the concern evident on her face.
The Captain of the guard knew that the young woman, even though she hid it well was on the verge of panic. It wasn't really a secret that she'd been courting the girl that worked in the town tavern. The Girl's Grandmother had been an Amazon that had left the tribe to marry a Thatcher in the village. Arris still lived with and cared for the old woman; probably the only reason she hadn't already left the village to join with Karrah.
Solari hopped down from her horse and reached out squeezing the shoulder of the younger woman. "Karrah, go into the town and speak with Arris' Mam. We'll wait here until you return. Do what you have to not to be seen and report back here as soon as you are able." She watched as the Scout nodded grimly and slapped her fist over her breast in salute before racing off into the brush in the direction of Therma.
"Mam?" Karrah whispered at the door, glancing around making certain that no one had seen her creep into the village and up to the ex-Amazon's door. "Mam… it's Karrah. Please let me in." Her heart thundered in her ears during the eternity she spent waiting, finally to hear a slow shuffling before the wooden portal fell back and the scout stole inside.
One look at the drawn and pale features of the shaking old woman and Karrah knew that something was desperately wrong. "Where's Arris?" She asked cautiously, her hand catching at the old woman's sleeve. A quivering lip and silent tears answered the young scout's question.
It was almost full dark when the scout returned to the meadow. Solari frowned when she saw that the girl was laden with a heavy pack and carefully leading the elderly Thatcher's wife through the trees. Something had to be terribly wrong. "Greetings Mother." She said respectfully to the old woman before turning to her younger escort, "Karrah, report."
To her credit, Karrah's chin quivered only slightly when she spoke. "Captain, Arris is missing and hasn't been seen since I last talked to her. The men she told me about are openly hostile to the nation and number nearly a score, with more coming daily. I couldn't in good conscience leave Mam there, so I brought her with me." She looked up and into Solari's eyes. "Don't worry we were very careful leaving town. No one saw us."
"You did the right thing." Solari turned to her team who stood quietly awaiting her order. "Bring me a bird." A small cage was passed forward and a quick message flew on feathered wings back to the Queen.
Spiro walked slowly up the trail his eyes moving back and forth into the bush and back to the ground at his feet. Demmy hadn't returned from the village the previous night and his mother was beside herself with worry. The farmer has traveled almost half the way to the village and hadn't seen any sign of his eldest son. It wasn't that unusual for the boy to stay an extra day or two in the village but with the scare of having Kinay go missing, he agreed to go and look for him if only to give Linnah peace of mind.
If a small bird hadn't picked that moment to fly up out of the brush, he would have never noticed the slight gap in the foliage. Bending down to investigate, Spiro found a place where something had been dragged onto the trail and several steps further into the trees he found Demmy's pack half buried in a patch of briar. A quick examination showed that all of the boy's belongings were intact including a small pouch of money he must have gotten for the sale of the eggs and baskets he had taken to market. Horrified the man didn't know what to do next. Looking down at the bag in his hands, Spiro let loose a wail of anguish.
"What was that?" Gabrielle asked from her seat behind the warrior.
Xena frowned and stood in the stirrups, trying to see further down the trail. "I don't know. It sounded like someone in pain." Throwing her leg up over Argo's head, she slid off the horse and handed the reins back up to Gabrielle. Making hand signals to the Amazons around her, they broke off in several directions to surround the area where the noise had come from, while the mounted women stayed behind with their queen; this done, the warrior also slipped quietly into the brush.
The Amazons circled the area where the strange noise had come from, slowly closing in to find a small dark man sobbing into his hands. At a loss as to how to proceed, the women simply stood watch for the few moments that it took Xena to get there. Silently dropping down from the trees behind the farmer, she knelt down beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Spiro?"
So wrapped in his grief, the poor man didn't jump, he barely acknowledged the warrior's presence, slowly turning his head and rolling tearful eyes up to meet Xena's. "This is my son's." He whispered holding up the small pack. He looked around in wonder as several Amazons appeared from out of the trees. Brightening he asked, almost begging, "Please tell me that you have him."
Frowning, the warrior shook her head. "This belongs to your other son?"
Spiro hung his head. A large, fat teardrop gathered at the tip of his nose and then fell, landing on the strap that lay twisted in his callused hands. "Yes, this belongs to Demmy, my eldest, I made it for him."
This didn't bode well. Perhaps there were slavers in the area but they were usually too lazy to pick off one person at a time. They were more likely to swoop in on a small village and cull the young and healthy to sell in foreign ports. Xena squeezed the shoulder still under her hand. "We are looking for a girl from the village that has gone missing. I find it suspicious that your son has disappeared to close to where she was taken from."
"Xena?" Gabrielle's voice called from the trail.
Standing she offered her hand to Spiro, "Come, there's someone I think you should meet." Taking the hand up, he followed the warrior back out to the trail.
Emerging back out into the dappled sunlight of the wide trail, Spiro saw a tall golden horse like Kinay had described to him, on her back was a beautiful golden haired woman that could only be Gabrielle, Queen of the Amazons. She was everything that Kinay said she was. The farmer could see the reason for the crush that his youngest son now had for the woman.
"Gabrielle, this is Spiro, Kinay's father." Xena introduced the man at her side, "He's looking for his other son, Demmy. The boy didn't come home last night and Spiro has just found some of his son's things. He thinks that someone may have taken him and I would tend to agree with him."
The Queen alit from the tall horse and nodded in greeting to the small farmer. She smiled sadly before she reached out and gently squeezed the man's callused hand. "I am glad to meet you Spiro, though I wish it didn't have to be under these circumstances, Kinay is a very nice young man and I'm sure that Demmy is too. We will do everything in our power to help you find him." Internally she had also taken note of the similar features that the small man shared with Estrian; she could see where the young scout had gotten her long lashes and generous lips.
The little man was overwrought with emotion and he placed a reverent kiss on the small hand in his own. "Thank you your majesty, my wife, Linnah, and myself would be grateful for anything that you can do."
"Please call me Gabrielle." The Queen begged with a smile. "We are glad to help."
Xena beckoned to two of the mounted warriors, as they approached she asked, " How might we recognize Demmy if we find him?"
Spiro looked up at the tall woman, he couldn't very well tell her that Demmy had the coloring and height of his mother. "He's almost your height, brown eyes, with dark curly hair and skin much lighter than my own."
Gabrielle glanced up at her warrior, 'Gods! He could be describing Eponin.' Catching Xena's eye, she knew from the slight arch in her partner's brow, that she was thinking exactly the same thing.
"Escort this man back to his farm and stay there until you are told different. He is a friend to the Queen and the Amazon nation; you will protect him and his family until this is over." Xena told the two Amazons and then boosted Spiro up behind one of them. She patted his leg. "Don't worry, we'll find him." She told him in a low voice.
Chapter
XV
"What in the blue bloody blazes is this?" Eponin demanded slapping down a soft deerskin bag on the worktable of the healer.
Glancing up at the tall Arms Master, the healer untied the drawstrings of the small bag. Two items fell out. "You know what these are… I know that you aren't that naïve; so why are you asking me?"
Eponin crossed her arms under her breasts and glared down fiercely, becoming twice as angry when the small hazel-eyed woman refused to even flinch. "Perhaps then," she said through clenched teeth, "you could tell me what my daughter is doing with a man-sheath and a vial of barren root?"
The Healer only laughed and patted Eponin on the shoulder. "Did you ask her?"
Scowling, Eponin scratched absently at the side of her chin, “Of course not! I was too shocked when I found them laying on her bed in plain sight.”
“Well then it’s not like she was hiding them was it?”
“Um… no.”
“So why are you talking to me?”
The big woman fidgeted, caught in the warm gaze of the healer. “Aw… c’mon Darista, you know that things have been tense between us lately. I was going out of my mind when she took off. She used to tell me everything, now I'm scared that she's afraid to talk to me." Eponin pointed at the items on the table. "This is something that I hoped she come to me about."
"Surely you two have discussed how a child is made."
"Well… Yes. …But shit Darista-- she's only fifteen summers, surely she can't be thinking about it yet."
The small healer laughed. "Let's just say that your daughter is a very good friend to the weaver's daughter. She endured my poking and prodding and a stern lecture about personal protection, so that her friend wouldn't have to go through the same thing alone. I shouldn't really tell you this…" The healer sighed, and then shook her head; "Estrian is intact, so you have nothing to worry about." Darista put the vial and the sheath back in the bag and handed it back Eponin. "Go talk with her. She's a good girl."
Beaming the Arms Master nodded and for no apparent reason wrapped the small healer in a bear hug. "Thank you -- thank you very much!" She gushed and turned to go.
"Pony?"
"Yes?"
"What are you doing for the mid-day meal?"
Puzzled, Eponin turned back to look at the healer, whose demeanor had changed from serious, to the shy young woman she had grown up with. Surprised, the tall woman looked with new eyes, noticing the shining softness of her auburn hair, the full round curves of her body. Where had this come from? She'd known Darista all her life. …Hmmm. Affecting a cocky grin she took a step back into the hut. "Why nothing Dee, would you care to join me?"
Pain. Cold. Arris registered each new sensation with an odd detachment. Someone was stroking her hair and holding a small wooden cup to her lips. "Karrah?"
"Shh… here drink this, it's just water but that's all they would give me." A strange whispered voice told her.
"Who…"
"Don't try to talk. My name is Demmy. You've been badly beaten. Don’t try to move too much or you'll start to bleed again."
Arris opened one swollen eye to find that her head lay on the leg of a sober faced young man with large expressive brown eyes. He stroked her hair gently and again offered the cup. Parting her cracked lips she sipped at the cool water and lapsed back into a healing sleep.
A while later she woke again, this time she was warmer, dressed in a heavy homespun shirt and cradled in Demmy's lap. Her face was pressed up against the smooth skin of his chest and she could tell by his breathing that the young man was asleep. She opened the eye that could indeed open and peered about the dim room. A torch burned by the door at the far corner. Demmy had his back propped into the opposite corner, a bucket of water by his elbow. She could feel the sharp burning pain from where the evil man had torn her open, and the dull ache of pulled muscles and bruises from fighting the entire way.
She has been saving herself; it was to have been her gift to Karrah. Shame and anger boiled up amid the pain. Tears and gall were all that was left of that gift. She whimpered and a quiet sob escaped into the silence of the room.
Demmy woke to barely discernable shudders of the girl weeping silently in his arms. "Hey…" he asked softly, "can you drink some more water?" She nodded and sniffed, running her free hand under her nose, before accepting the wooden cup.
Drinking until the cup was empty Arris clutched it to her breast and rode though a cramping wave of pain. "Thank you." She searched the young man's face and felt a stirring of recognition. "I've seen you before…" This time she met the pain and conquered it before it took her breath away. "…in the market place -- you were selling eggs yesterday."
A sad smile formed on the young man's lips but never made it to his eyes. "Yes that's me. I'm Demmy Spiro's son. My family has a farm a day's walk to the northwest, near the river."
"Arris Thatcher's daughter." The young woman supplied, before asking, "Spiro, the little dark man, he's your father?"
"Yes."
"Then we are cousins."
"We are?" Demmy frowned because he knew that his father had no kin in Greece and his mother had never spoke of a family.
The girl didn't answer for a moment; she buried her face in his neck and sucked in a sobbing breath. "It hurts." She admitted quietly once the pain subsided somewhat.
Demmy looked away, fighting tears. He had failed to stop the men and his soul bled because of it. "I'm so sorry…" he whispered and then gave in to his pride, letting the warm tears flow down his face. "…I tried to…"
"I know." A small hand came up and brushed the tears away. "Linnah is your mother right."
Demmy nodded mutely.
"She's my grandfather's niece but her family hasn't talked to him since before she was born, because he married my Mam, she was an Amazon. I think that's why I'm here: these men hate Amazons."
That made sense but it also troubled the young farmer. "But why did they take me? Surely they don't know that we're related."
"I don't know, Demmy."
They sat in the dim cell for many long moments before either of them spoke again.
"Arris?"
"Yeah?"
"When you first woke up you asked for Karrah. Who's Karrah?"
"I took over for my Mam, when she got too old, watching things going on in town and reporting back to the tribe. I would go to the poplar grove every hand of days to pass on any news. That's how I met Karrah: my beloved. We've been courting for the last three seasons now." Arris snuffled and began to cry thinking of her Amazon, she was on her way to meet her and instead wound up here. She prayed to any Gods that would listen that these evil men hadn't gotten her too.
"Shhh…" Demmy cuddled the girl to his chest rocking her slowly. "You'll see her again." He told her, mostly because he didn't know what else to say. All this talk of Amazons and the strange woman that had shown up at the farm to see father, had him thoroughly confused. It was like some huge riddle to which he had only a couple of the clues. Why had Papa gone with that woman? Who was she?
As Arris slipped back into an exhausted sleep, he let these questions chase around in his head. If nothing else it took his mind off of what might be happening next and the numbing fear that came with it.
Estrian's eyes clocked back and forth watching the bag dangle from its strings hanging from her mother's finger. She sucked in her bottom lip and chewed on it thoughtfully waiting for Eponin to speak. In all honesty she didn't know what the big deal was, it wasn't like she going to use the damn things.
"…Well?"
The young scout looked at her mother's upturned brow and gave the standard teenage answer, "What?"
Eponin couldn't keep the pretense of the upset parent and a chuckle escaped her. "You little scamp, you bloody well know 'what'."
The girl broke the staring match first and sighed. "Okay, …so what. So I've got sex stuff. I AM fifteen seasons old you know."
"Yes," Eponin replied wryly, "I remember the first one; I was there."
"…So?"
It was the Arms master's turn to sigh and she sat down on the bed beside her daughter. "…so …I thought we agreed that you would talk to me about this kind of thing. I thought we were good again, that you were talking to me again." She held up the bag. "And then I find this."
Estrian simply leaned into her mother and wrapped her in a hug. She pressed her face into her shoulder and squeezed. Hard. "Oh Mom… I was gonna tell you. Ker was being a bonehead and so when she needed this stuff, the healer gave me some too. The idea of using that thing gives me the creeps and I would never get rid of a baby just because it was inconvenient."
"Why does Kerri need this stuff, is she…"
"NO Mom! But the thick headed son of shepherd that she's been 'making love with'," Estrian made a sour face, "convinced her that he wouldn't give her a baby if they did it standing up."
Eponin coughed and choked at the same time. She didn't want to laugh considering this was supposed to be a serious talk with her daughter but the open disgust on Estrian's face told her everything she needed to know. Instead she pulled a deep breath through her nose and bit the inside of her cheek. "So you took her to see the healer?"
The young scout rolled her eyes at her mother like it was the most obvious thing in the world and groaned, "Well yeah! It was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard. But when we got there Kerri gets all spooked, so I told the healer I needed the stuff too." Putting her legs up over her mother's knees, Estrian wiggled up into Eponin's lap. "When I have a baby, I wanna be a mom just like you."
Clasping her daughter tight to her chest, the Arms Master felt a tear or two roll down her face and get lost in the curly hair that was pressed into her neck.
By the time the Queen and her Guard arrived at the poplar grove, Solari had secured a small camp and stood watching with a frown as they rode up. "When I sent word for help, I didn't expect you to come yourself."
Xena hopped down from the mare's back and reached up to help her lover down. Turning back she grinned and patted the Captain on the shoulder. "Well hello to you too."
Gabrielle rolled her eyes and wrapped one arm loosely around her tall lover. "Believe me, Xena wanted me to stay behind in the village Solari, but I decided that I want to see this thing through first hand. If these men are the ones that are trying to kill me, I want to look them in the eyes and ask them 'why?' I can't do that hiding away in the village."
"No I suppose you can't …however you do realize that you've made my job that much harder, now that I have to worry about keeping you safe too."
Grinning up at Xena, Gabrielle winked and looked back at the captain. "Let's just say that I'm used to getting my way and I brought my own personal body guard."
Solari could only shrug, 'What Gabrielle wants -- Gabrielle gets' was becoming a standard line with the amazons, while the truth was no one really knew how to tell the young Queen 'No.' "I've got a couple scouts watching the town now but I don't dare send anymore until we have an idea of how many there are."
Xena nodded her head in agreement, "We have another problem: The son of a local farmer has gone missing not far from here and we think that this might have something to do with Arris being missing as well."
"Judging from what Karrah has told us so far; we aren't dealing with slavers here. Several strangers have been showing up over the last few days and they've been quite vocal about their disdain of Amazons. I can see why they might have grabbed Arris but why would they have grabbed a farm boy?"
"Wrong place, wrong time, maybe he saw something he wasn't supposed to, either way it's too coincidental to ignore; so be on the look out for a tall, swarthy young man with black curly hair and brown eyes. His name is Demmy."
(c) 2002 S. Day