Captured Chapter 9
Written Virginia Leonard
Copyright 1998
The small group had been pushed at a relentless pace. As they had
done so many times in the last few days, they walked while eating their
midday meal. Gabrielle, Rhoane and Xena were used to the exertion but it was
beginning to take its toll on Brandy.
She had taken this all in stride, or so her companions thought. On
the surface, the former tavern maid looked calm but underneath she was a
bubbling cauldron of emotions. After the initial excitement and relief of
being away from her father had worn off, the gravity of their quest settled
down upon her shoulders and it was rapidly becoming more than she could
carry.
That, coupled with the conversations she had been having with
Xmerson, was enough to crush her under its weight. It was only the
strength she gained from her beloved partner that kept her going and kept
her holding her head up in determination.
Rhoane reached out to catch her when Brandy tripped and nearly
fell. “You OK?”
Brandy nodded then shook her head and whispered, “No. I can’t
do this.”
“It isn’t much far.....” Rhoane was silenced as Xmerson came to a
sudden halt.
The amazon felt the air around her begin to compress much like
that of a sealed room being opened. The pressure changed and a rip
appeared in the thin veil that separated the two worlds. Out stepped a
creature, almost human in appearance but with enough subtle differences
that Xmerson recognized it immediately. Of course, the stench of death that
surrounded it would have told anyone that they were about to tangle with a
demon.
It grinned, revealing a row of pure white but pointed teeth, each
glistening with poison. ?Ahhhh.....humaaansss. We are hungry. We will
eat. You will die.?
Rhoane covered her mouth and nose with her hand and blinked back
the tears brought up by the putrid smell. She heard Brandy behind her
heaving up the contents of her stomach but she did not dare take her eyes off
the deadly creature. “What is that thing?”
It turned its face toward her and Rhoane who was nearly brought to her
knees with fear. Dread.
“We arrrre the Mondhamma. We are hungry. You look
taaaasssty.”
Rhoane drew her sword. “But not so easy to take...or chew I’ll
wager. Come on Mr. Major Ugly, let’s see what you’ve got.”
Xmerson stepped between the two, the engravings on the handle of
her double edged weapon glowing faintly. “Who brought you here?”
The Mondhamma turned its attention towards Xmerson, an action
for which Rhoane was immediately grateful. “We comessss and goesss as we
pleasssse.”
Xmerson twirled her weapon in her hand causing a reflection to
bounce off the demon’s face. “That’s a lie. You had to be summoned. Who
called you here?”
It stared at the woman for a moment, a look of amusement passing
over its face then it shrugged. “We care not for your human matters. She
calls herself the mother of the amazonsssss.”
Xmerson’s eyes narrowed.
Xena let the air hiss softly between her teeth.
“Who?” Gabrielle whispered.
“Leahnthea,” Xmerson sneered.
“Who?” Gabrielle asked once again not recognizing the name.
Before Gabrielle’s question could be answered, the Mondhamma
lunged for Xmerson. She easily stepped out of its way and brought her
weapon down across its hamstring in a slice that would have brought a
human to its knees but barely scratched the surface of the leathery skin.
The Mondhamma stopped its forward motion and turned to face
the source of his irritation. He saw the weapon spinning in Xmerson’s hands
and began to hear the high pitched whirring sound that the blades made as
they sliced through the air. Before long, the weapon was spinning at such a
pace as to make it invisible.
He then recognized the weapon for what it was and decided to
focus his attack on a less deadly member of the group. A body lying
hunched on the ground caught his attention and he took two quick steps
towards it. He reached for its arm but was thwarted as Rhoane’s booted foot
connected with his elbow. He threw back his head and roared in frustration,
jerking his arm back, causing one of his claws to rake across Brandy’s cheek.
She screamed in pain and quickly covered the cut with her hands
but not before the blood began to flow freely down her cheek and neck. It
felt like it was sizzling, melting the skin away and Brandy began to lose
consciousness.
The images of her companions began to waver, melting and turning
into hideous creatures which she was certain were about to grab and do
horrible things to her. She wanted to run but her legs would not work. One
of them, the closest one to her, reached out and touched her arm. She
screamed and tried to scoot away but could not make her limbs obey her and
finally, she fell into darkness.
Rhoane clenched her jaw and took her sword in both hands. She
stood and pressed an attack on the creature without regard to her own
safety. Blow after blow rained down on its body causing icor to ooze from
the cuts and yet it barely stumbled. The clearing was filled with the sounds
of primal screams and had she not felt the strain on her throat she would not
have believed them to be her own voice.
Her sword bit the skin of the Mondhamma and with each strike, she
was engulfed by a growing feeling of pleasure bordering on ecstasy. Her
eyes were focused only on her prey and though she could hear the voices,
the berserker haze did not allow her to recognize them.
Xena heard Xmerson groan. “What?”
“She can’t kill it. He’ll let her go like this until she’s exhausted then
take and devour her. I’ll pull his attention then you grab her and get out of
here. Brandy has to get attention or the poison will kill her and if that
happens...well, it just can’t happen. Get them to the village as fast as you
can. Keep heading northeast and don’t worry, when you get close the
guides will find you and lead you in. Now go.”
Xena paused but only for a moment. She heard the ancient amazon
war cry and knew it was time to take Rhoane, to try and bring her out of her
haze. It was going to be a tricky move since the blade of her friend was
flying in every direction at once. Finally, she found an opening and moved
up behind the curly haired woman, locking her arm around the sweaty throat
and began to pull her back.
Rhoane continued to fight and struggle against her assailant until
finally, Xena’s voice began to break through the fog in her head and she
recognized the images of her companions.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” Xena said.
“Someone has to stay and help Xmerson,” Rhoane protested,
watching the battle between the mysterious amazon and the demon.
“No. She told me specifically that we...the four of us...have to
make it to the village by a certain time.”
Xena and Rhoane stood there for only an instant watching Xmerson
deal what should have been fatal blows to her opponent. They were both
startled into action by the ringing of Xmerson’s voice inside their heads.
“GET BRANDY TO THE VILLAGE.....GO!!!!”
Rhoane had no idea how long she had been running with her love
thrown over her shoulder. All she knew was that the life was draining out of
Brandy and she had to find help or at least hope that help found her small
group.
When the masked women dropped from the trees to surround them,
all she could do was drop to her knees and gently lay the barely breathing
woman on the ground in front of her before nearly losing consciousness
herself. It they wanted to run her through with their swords, that was fine
with her. The burning in her legs and lungs was enough to make her want to
die and the quick death at the hands of the amazons would be welcomed.
“Just slit my throat and be done with it.”
What she felt instead, were the strong hands of several women
lifting her to a litter then the gentle, rhythmic swaying as they began to run.
She managed to lift her head and saw that all four were being carried.
Satisfied that all were safe, she dropped her head and lapsed into a deep and
undisturbed sleep.
@@@
Brandy woke to the bitter taste of hyssops being spooned down her
throat. She quickly jerked her head to the side and began to heave the
contents of her stomach into a pot next to the bed. Soothing hands touched
her back and began to stroke her hair.
“That’s it child...rid your system of the poison.” A soft but aged
voice sounded in her ears.
She lay back against her soft pillow and tried to will her stomach to
calm itself.
“Where am I?” Her voice sounded foreign to her, raspy, no doubt
from the day of purging her system.
“In the village of your sisters,” came the reply from the crone as she
lay a cool cloth across Brandy’s forehead.
“I have no sisters,” Brandy groaned.
The old woman chuckled. “You have many sisters, my child.
They’ve been waiting a long time for your return.”
“Enough, Marne, she needs her rest.”
Brandy opened her eyes at the sound of a new voice and saw, in the
doorway, a tall, well formed amazon dressed, obviously, in the
accoutrements of an amazon queen. Her long, raven black hair was held
back by a braid running from her temples to the back of her head. Woven
into the braid was a thin metal band with tiny engravings that marked it as
the queen’s crown. She was dressed in the traditional garments of an
amazon warrior with one addition, a soft, tightly woven silk cape that
fastened at her throat with a gold clasp in the form of eagles claws. It had
been dyed a deep, rich forest green which complimented the hazel eyes set in
the tanned face of a woman who spends a great deal of time in the sun.
Marne smiled at her queen and patted Brandy’s hand before
standing and walking silently from the hut. The queen watched Marne leave
then moved to sit next to the cot. She looked deeply into the young woman’s
eyes for what seemed to Brandy to be an eternity. Brandy was certain that
something had brushed against her soul.
“Your journey is just beginning, little one.”
Brandy was almost startled by the sound of the queen’s voice.
“Gods, I hope not,” Brandy mumbled as she closed her eyes.
The woman laughed a soft, almost soothing laugh. “It surely has not been
easy getting you here. You have been watched through the ages and have
given those assigned to you fits.”
Brandy opened her eyes and looked at the woman, noticing the
pattern inlaid in her crown for the first time. She reached for the medallion
laying between her breasts and saw that the patterns were identical.
“How...Who...”
The queen raised her hand and smiled. “I am Innanna and queen of
this tribe of amazons. There is much yet to be learned but you must rest and
regain your strength. Time is crucial now.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will. When the time is right, everything will be as clear as a
mountain stream to you.” Innanna stood up to leave and placed her hand to
Brandy’s forehead. “Sleep.”
Brandy was unconscious almost immediately.
@@@
Xena walked in the room and found Rhoane sitting, propped up on
her cot drinking warm broth from an earthenware bowl. “You look like
yesterday’s slop.”
“Love you too.” The thief smiled and winked.
Xena returned that smile with one just as warm and sat on the stool
next to the cot. She watched her friend down the last drops of the liquid
then took the bowl and placed it on the table next to her. “Looks like we
made it.”
“What in the name are tartarus are we doing here Xena?”
“I don’t know everything but I’ve been wandering the camp and
listening. They’re preparing for some sort of huge celebration tomorrow
night but are tight lipped when I ask about it.”
Rhoane looked at her friend and raised one eyebrow. “I thought you
knew everything there was to know about amazons.”
Xena leaned forward and rested her forearms on her knees. “Not
this bunch. I don’t recognize any of them but judging from the symbols on
their amulets, they’ve been around a while. The symbols are parts of an
ancient language that I thought had died many years back. Anyway, they
aren’t talking much to me.”
Rhoane nodded. “Same here. All they do is smile and pour more
soup down my throat.”
Xena laughed. “One would think you’d be appreciative of the
attention.”
The thief grinned. “Before Brandy...yes but now?” She shook her
head. She’s all I can think about and nobody will tell me where she is or
how she’s doing.”
“She’s in the queen’s hut and recovering, just like you are.”
Rhoane stood up and began pulling her pants on then her boots. “I
can’t stay cooped up like this anymore. I want to go for a walk.”
As if on cue, an amazon warrior appeared in the doorway.
“Excellent idea. Someone wants to see you.”
Rhoane whirled around and instantly, a dagger appeared in each of
her hands. The amazon stepped back and laughed.
“Easy there...didn’t mean to startle you.”
Rhoane almost growled but held her voice for a moment. “Just a
little jumpy. Dodging demons will do that.”
“I see. Come with me and I’ll take you to Brandy. She’s asking
for you and the healer says it’s ok now that you see her.”
Xena stood to follow and the amazon held up her hand. “Sorry,
only Rhoane.” The warrior gave a slight hand signal that Xena instantly
recognized. She smiled and nodded.
“I’ll see you later,” Xena said as she ducked out of the hut.
@@@
Rhoane must have lost all track of time. She was confused when she
stepped out into the darkening village. According to her best recollection, it
should have been early morning.
She followed her guide and looked around at the orderly and busy
surroundings. Each amazon had a task and each was performing it with a
great deal of earnest enthusiasm and haste. Xena was right, they were
preparing for something big.
She soon found herself at the entrance to another hut and was
directed inside. She stepped through the opening and heard the flap being
closed over the doorway, giving the two women some privacy. Rhoane
walked slowly to the bed and sat down on the low chair next to it. She
picked up her sleeping lover’s hand and held it against her lips, her eyes
taking in the peaceful and almost innocent look on the serving woman’s face.
Brandy’s eye opened and she smiled up at the woman who held the
key to her heart. “Hi.”
“Hi yourself. You feel ok?”
Brandy nodded. “Just fine. Apparently they got me in time to
leech the poison from my body. I’m going to be just fine.”
Rhoane could not hold it back any longer. Her eyes brimmed and the
tears finally spilled over and down her cheeks. She lay her head down on
Brandy’s chest and felt arms go around her shaking shoulders.
Brandy held her while the storm of emotions wracking her body
finally playing themselves out. She gently stroked the dark curly hair and let
her fingers brush against the side of Rhoane’s tear streaked face before taking
that same face in her hands and lifting it to look down into the calming blue
eyes. “I’m going to be fine,” she whispered.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again. I don’t know what I would
do if I lost you.”
“Shh...I’m not about to go anywhere without you, silly thief.”
Something flashed in Rhoane?s eye and she found her attention drawn
to the medallion. Her fingers touched it, lightly tracing the designs etched in
it and once again, she heard the chorus of voices in her head. A warmth
flooded her body and she looked up into the eyes of her love. She had to
have this woman. She needed this woman.
She felt herself being pulled up towards soft, waiting lips and she
eagerly but tenderly pressed her own against them. Something passed
between the two women and each felt what the other was feeling. A loop of
emotions and sensations feeding each other. They were pulled towards each
other, spirits mixing and touching. Where she touched Brandy, Rhoane felt it
and vice versa. She opened herself completely to Brandy and felt those same
doors opening in the woman beneath her.
Brandy cried. How could she not? She was raw, vulnerable to this
woman and the love that was pouring into her from Rhoane. She felt herself
filled with the thief’s nimble fingers and all she could do was lay her head
back and surrender. She felt herself being pulled from her corporeal body
and surrounded by a brilliant white light. Images flooded her consciousness.
Images of her and Rhoane together for the first time. Images of her mother
and other women whose recognition teased at the edges of her memory. She
saw hundreds of women rising and moving towards her. She saw and felt an
energy enveloping her and in the middle of all of this, she saw an image of a
woman looking back at her. Tired. She felt tired. She saw the life draining
from this woman and something in the eyes told Brandy that she was needed,
her life was needed, her essence was needed or all those coming towards her
would perish. For a moment, it frightened Brandy and then she felt the
touch, the strength, the love coming from her partner and she knew what she
had to do.
The energy that now filled her fed her passion and she focused back
on Rhoane, taking her, touching her with a fire that she had never felt before.
Suddenly, she couldn’t touch her lover deep enough or strong enough. Her
kisses felt inadequate and she felt unable to make Rhoane understand just what
she felt in her heart for the irascible thief. Both women released their
pleasure in voices that rang out through the universe, touching each and
every soul out there.
They made love until neither was able to move. Both lost
consciousness and were not certain how long they had been laying in each
other’s arms before waking. When they did finally look at each other, they
could see in the other’s eyes that both knew what was about to happen.
“I can’t,” Rhoane whispered.
Brandy said nothing, just continued to look at her beloved,
memorizing every tiny detail.
Neither woman flinched when Innanna walked in and announced in
a soft but firm voice that it was time.
@@@
Xena and Gabrielle walked out through the village and watched as
the final preparations were made. The stone alter had been moved outside
the temple and a round piece of convex shaped glass mounted on a tall pole
had been set into the ground at a precise distance behind the altar. Various
bowls and ceremonial daggers had been arranged on the top with a mat of
finely woven forest colored silks laid out on the ground in front of it.
Xena stopped walking and looked out into the surrounding trees.
She reached over and laid her hand on Gabrielle’s shoulder giving it a slight
reassuring squeeze. “Something’s not right Gabrielle.”
Gabrielle looked out into the forest as well then turned her attention
to the myriad activities still going on around them. “Seems fine to me.”
Xena shook her head. “No, something isn’t right. I can’t put my
finger on it.” She paused, the noise of the village having died down for just
a moment and then it became obvious. “Gabrielle, there are no sounds
coming from the trees around us. None.”
Gabrielle listened for a moment but her hearing was not as acute as
the warrior’s and she still could not hear what her companion heard...or did
not hear as the case may be.
Xena took off at a brisk pace. “Come on, we have to find
Innanna.”
@@@
Leahntha whispered to Hersius and the warlord signaled to her
soldiers to halt. An order that was silently but gratefully welcomed. The
pace that had been set had already cost the leader fully half her army. Those
that had not dropped dead on the march were so exhausted that they would
be of little use in a battle except as bodies to throw in the way of the
amazons. Expendable.
“We’re almost too late,” Leahntha hissed.
“Any faster and we would have NO troops to fight this battle with.”
Leahntha just looked at her lover before turning her attention back
to the preparations in the village. “The witch’s shields won’t hold much
longer. We’ll have to be ready to move quickly but at the precise moment.
Timing is everything now.”
Hersius dismounted and her warriors quickly followed her lead.
“I’m not certain I fully understand what you have to do.”
Leahntha’s eyes nearly glowed and a smile flickered at the corners
of her lips. “I have to steal a soul.” She turned and looked for the witch.
“Will you be ready?”
“You call your demons. I’ll protect you as best I can but be
warned. This is foolhardy and I strongly counsel against it. Those demons
owe no one their allegiance, especially one who disturbs them for their own
personal gain. Listen to me Hersius. What she intends to do will get you
killed, surely as I stand here.”
Leahntha glared at the crone. “Everything comes with a price. The
greater the gain, the higher the risk and this is one I’m willing to take. So is
Hersius.”
The warlord did not answer, instead she just looked from one
woman to the other and then walked back to check on her troops.
Leahntha watched her walk away then took the old witch by the
throat. “Just make certain everything is ready. When I give the signal, you
do what you’ve been told. Is that clear?”
The old woman reached up and with a strength that surprised
Leahntha, she grabbed her wrist and easily took it away from her throat,
nearly crushing it in her grasp. “Nothing is EVER as it seems. Is THAT
clear?” Her voice was low and strong, not the crackly voice that Leahntha
had come to expect.
@@@
Alann watched the exchange between the hag and Leahntha. She
waited until the witch had disappeared into the darkening trees before
approaching. “Hersius is having second thoughts, but you know that.”
Leahntha was startled by the sound of the lieutenant’s voice, having
not heard her approach but her discipline kept her from showing it. “I know
that. Doesn’t matter at this point. What’s been set in motion can’t be
stopped now.” She turned and looked at Alann, letting her features soften.
She took slow, seductive steps towards her next victim. “You are key to
this now.” Her delicate hands slid up over the soldier’s chest and clasped
behind her neck pulling her lips closer. “You know your job.”
Alann nodded and let her hands slide around her leader’s lover. “I
know. Hersius has no clue what’s about to happen to her.”
Their lips found each other and the lieutenant became lost in the
spell of passion being woven by the ambitious and power drunk Leahntha.