Ancient Hero - Pt 3
---
“Open the doors,” Barbara demanded as she stepped into the empty jail and looked towards Helena’s cell. It appeared empty but the queen knew better.
As soon as the strong bamboo and reed doors swung open a dark blur flew from the shadows of the cells walls and landed on Barbara, sending her backwards onto the ground.
The royal guards drew their swords and leapt for the two women struggling on the ground but before they could intercept a muffled order from their queen stopped them.
“Get out of here! Leave us.”
The guards hesitated as they saw the Conqueror snarl and drive, almost as if to bite their queen. Slowly they backed their way out into the sunshine and stood guard at the door.
“Stop it Helena,” Barbara grunted as she managed to bring her hand between their faces and grasp at the brunette’s neck.
The Conqueror let out an unhuman howl as the queen pinched at the skin under her chin. With two quick movements of her arms the queen was back on her feet, holding two long bamboo sticks, towering over the younger woman.
“How -“ Helena panted into the dirt, “How did you do that?”
“Simple instruction, using ones momentum, I’ll be happy to teach you one day. You’re to impetuous for your own good sometimes Helena. Sometimes the safest way to win a war is to deal with people gently.”
“Liar! You’re a liar and a coward, you wouldn’t fight me, you were to scared,” Helena snapped angrily as she held her arm across her middle and tried to stand.
Barbara reached out with her stick and rapped the side of the girls left knee sending her into the dirt again.
“For your safety and my own, I suggest you stay down while we have a little talk about what I’m going to do with you,” the queen walked to the other side of the room and turned over a bucket to sit on. She watched as the young brunette struggled to rein in her temper and push her body into sitting position.
Once she was settled against the outside wall of her cell, Helena turned her bright eyes towards the quiet queen.
“Are you going to kill me?” the brunette asked angrily as she prodded at her own ribs to make sure none were cracked or injured in a serious way. She knew she couldn’t rely on Dinah to assist her in an escape this time.
“I don’t kill people, Helena.”
“That’s bullshit Barbara,” Helena snarled, adding extra venom to the other woman’s name. “Twenty of my men say otherwise.”
“And nine of my warriors say you’re a murderer.”
Helena scoffed loudly, “Nine? Is that all? My men - ”
“No, Helena,” Barbara interrupted, “Nine of my women died by your sword alone. Your men injured my warriors at best, you’re the one who showed no mercy and cut through them like they were merely a twig in your path.”
Helena appeared momently shocked as the Queen stood from her makeshift chair and paced to the center of the prison.
“So what now,” Helena spat as she watched the queen, “You kill me? Hang me for retribution?”
Barbara turned, her green eyes staring unblinkingly at the brunette, “All the time we spent together over the last year and you do not know me well enough to know that I do not kill.”
“You rehabilitate,” Helena moaned, spitting the words towards the woman sitting across from her, “I do not need to be rehabilitated.”
“Yes you do. You’re hot-headed, selfish and above all, you allow your emotions to dictate the way you lead. You’ll learn,” Barbara stood slowly and pressed down the front of her skirt.
Helena’s eyes watched the redheads hands as they came to rest on the two long sticks she had left sitting next to the overturned bucket.
“You can make this easy on us Helena. You can go back in your cell and I can leave or you can make me put you back in there, your choice. How about a solid start to your recovery with the right decision?”
“If I don’t, will you kill me?” Helena asked as she glared at the two long sticks, remembering just how much they hurt when contacting with her ribcage.
“I won’t kill you,” the redhead said as she twirled the batons through her fingers, “for the final time Helena, you are safe.”
Helena glared, “You think you’re so much better than me, don’t you? Well you’re not, your sword killed my men and I saw it. How does that make you any better than me?”
“I never said I was any better than you. I know, just as you do, sometimes to survive you have to conquer. Now, the easy way or the hard way?”
Helena sneered, her mouth curving evilly as her eyes glinted blue ice.
“I’ve never been one for the easy way,” she gasped as she shoved herself to her feet and charged the redheads middle section.
---
“Do you think they’re ok in there?” Dinah asked as she tried to peek past one burly guards shoulder. “I haven’t heard any thumps for a while.”
“They’re fine,” Gabby assured the young blonde princess with a pat on her shoulder and a reluctant smile. “Barbara knows how to take care of herself.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Gabby smiled, losing herself in the blue of her friend’s eyes for just a few seconds.
Dinah blinked as a lock sounded and Barbara appeared from the prison, rubbing her long bamboo sticks between her hands.
“She’s back in her cell. Make sure she has food and water. When she’s ready to play fair with all the other kids have her sent to me. Dinah, you come with me.”
The young blonde’s eyes widened as she listened to the emotionless orders of her Queen and then the dead tone as she asked to be followed. She watched Gabby try to smile reassuringly but only manage a small grin.
---
“Your actions put every person in this village under threat!”
“I know I’m -”
“You acted recklessly, how can I trust you to take my throne when you cannot even show the smallest about of good judgement!”
“Barbara please -”
“There is nothing you can do to make this better Dinah, what you have done is inexcusable. You are a royal, of high standard to this village, people look up to you.”
Dinah dropped her eyes to the ground and silently willed herself not to cry.
“I have to admit that I’m finding myself rather perplexed by your attitude, if you mother was alive -”
Dinah’s head snapped up and her eyes clouded over with rage.
“Ok fine, so maybe the whole queen thing skipped a generation or something because what I did made me like, the lowest form of human existence, obviously. But don’t drag my mother into this.”
“You used your powers on her,” Barbara whispered bluntly in understanding finally.
“I wanted you to be happy Barbara; I thought if I helped her she’d be able to convince you of her reasons.”
Barbara closed her eyes tightly and pinched the bring on her nose between her fingers, suddenly wondering why she had offered to take in an obviously gifted teenager to begin with.
“You may have been trying to help, Dinah, but your actions were uncalled for and out of line, I hope that you can learn from this experience.”
Dinah stared at her queen, waiting for another form of punishment, mucking stalls, cleaning pots or hunting. It never came.
“Is that it? You’re not going to punish me?”
Barbara sighed from her chair, “I don’t think I could make you feel any worse than you do right now. You may leave.”
Thoroughly humiliated and let down, Dinah sighed and walked from the room.
---
“I’m starting to wonder if you’re worth as much trouble as you’re causing.”
Helena’s head snapped up and peered through the tiny holes in the walls of her cell. She watched as Dinah nodded to her personal guard and smiled sweetly.
“You’re hot on your guard. Very interesting. Does Barbara know?” Helena chuckled as she relaxed back against her wooden bed.
“Are you going to be nice? Because I have a pocket full of honeyed dates and I was looking to share them with someone … if she was interested. But if you’re going to be rude and threaten me I think I’ll take my dates and leave.”
Helena pouted and huffed slightly before crossing her arms across her chest and sitting silently.
“That’s nice, here,” Dinah reached through the doorway and handed the brunette a handful of treats, her short arms didn’t quite reach so she stood. “If I open the door will you promise to be a good Conqueror?”
Helena licked her lips, her eyes darting from the blonde’s hand to the pack of guards standing in the prison doorway. She sighed loudly and nodded her head.
Dinah reached out and slipped the lock from its holder, the door swung open and the blonde stepped inside the cell to hand the sweets to her friend. Dinah shrugged at the dirty floor then settled comfortably on the stiff pallet in the corner of the room.
“I could kill you, you know,” Helena mused as she munched on a date.
Dinah laughed, “I was trained by the best. I could totally kick your ass.”
“Yeah sure, maybe if I were drunk,” Helena laughed.
The two women sat in silence as they consumed their treat and contemplated the conversation between them.
“I hear Barbara’s putting you to work in the kitchens when you’re ready,” Dinah said conversationally, wanting to end the moment of awkwardness between them.
“When I’m ready,” Helena snorted, “How is that supposed to be punishment? I could just decide to stay here for the rest of my life.”
“Now who’s acting like a child? Would you really be able to live your life in this tiny cell? Oh, I know, you could take the coward’s way out and hang yourself with your blanket.”
Helena narrowed her eyes, “I heard Barbara gave you the tongue lashing of your life.”
Dinah stuck out her chin and grinned, “I could say the same thing.”
She laughed at the shocked expression on the Conqueror’s face. “Oh honestly, Helena! Barbara, Queen of the Amazon’s, ever abstinent, doesn’t involve herself in an elicit affair with the Conqueror and not have the entire village know when she returns.”
Helena crossed her arms and stared at the side of the cell and scowled at no one in particular.
“Maybe you should try taking your punishment like an adult - Say! Like I did! Then getting on with your life.”
Helena continued to scowl at the wall until she felt her anger die into the background of her mind.
“So you and Guard Vicious?”
Dinah rolled her eyes, “Has she hurt you?”
“Well … no.”
“Then how about just calling her ‘Guard’ or ‘Gabby’?”
“Fine … you and the guard?”
“It’s not what you’re thinking.”
Helena grinned as she turned to look up at the blonde woman sitting beside her,
“What am I thinking?”
Dinah sighed deeply and stared at the wall opposite her,
“It’s just men - they’re - you know.”
Helena nodded,
“Can’t live with them, might as well beat the centaur crap out of them.”
“Too true, my friend.”
“Sooo - what’s up with you and the blue light show anyway?”
Dinah’s eyebrow raised slightly,
“I’d assume the same thing that’s ‘up’ with your amazing ability to jump castle walls in a single bound.”
Helena looked at the date in her hand and grinned, “Does this mean I’m forgiven?”
Dinah let out an exaggerated sigh and rolled her eyes.
“We’ll work on it.”---
---
Present
Helena’s horse was fitful and untrained, she was used to the well trained war horses of the Amazon village or the fast, sleek hunting steeds she was allowed to use on occasion. She had to use all her patience just to keep the animal from moseying over to the lush grass on either side of the road.
It was several candle marks before the woman finally gave up and jumped down from the tall animal. Walking to the front of the horse she pulled his head in tightly and looked deep into its brown eyes.
“Ok mister,” she said in her most friendly of voices, “you may be used to the princess letting you get away with whatever you want or Gabby feeding you carrots when you do the wrong thing but I don’t work that way. You’re my war horse now, understand? And here in Helena’s private army we have a high standard of soldier. So if you want to make it to Greece you’d better start paying attention to my commands. Are we clear?”
The horse stared at her for a few seconds, as thought sizing the human up, maybe preparing to run as soon as it was let alone to drink or eat. Then he whinnied softly and butted his nose into Helena’s chest.
“That’s a good boy,” Helena smiled happily and petted the giant animal on his nose. “Now, we have a few more candle marks hard ride to make it to the city … how would you like a nice warm stall and a thorough rub down when we get there?”
The horse flipped its head and started a fast trot down the road.
“Yeah!” Helena yelled happily.
---
“What have you done with Helena?” Dinah asked as a woman wearing purple held up a soft white silk for her to examine.
Barbara turned her head just in time to see Dinah select a bright yellow sash from the piles of linen and dress fabrics around her. The queen smiled to herself, Dinah was so engrossed in her upcoming commitment she had only just realised that her favourite forest guard was no where to be found.
“I went to find her today and everyone said she’d left the village … which is utterly ridiculous of course,” the blonde woman snapped as she picked up a see through material, mentally considered something then shoved it into the ‘no’ pile.
“She’s gone to visit her father,” the queen said simply before turning back to her scrolls.
“Her father?” Dinah repeated to herself as she picked out a light blue material and several dark animal skins. “But she’ll be back before my ceremony, right? I need someone to walk down the aisle at my side.”
Barbara nodded to herself and smiled.
“Wait? She went to see her father? That means … but that means … you, her … and her?” Dinah jumped from her seat, sending the materials around her flying, she embraced her older friend in a fierce hug.
“This is wonderful! You two finally …”
“Whoa!” Barbara pushed at the young woman’s shoulders, sending her stumbling back a few paces. “Nothing is happening. Helena is visiting her father then returning to work in the village.”
“Oh,” Dinah sighed, her disappointment evident in her voice and features. “So you’re just …”
“Just her queen, Dinah.”
The blonde forced a smile to her face, “Of course you are.” She fluttered her hands to her sides and returned to her material samples, finally deciding on a pale gold sash and holding it around her waist.
“Now that you and Gabby are bonding we should really talk about your position here,” Barbara noted as she turned from her scrolls again and looked her Princess over, the gold bought out the blue in her eyes and made her hair glow in the bright light of the room.
“Do you want me to leave?” The blonde blurted out. “Renounce my crown?”
Barbara let out a long burst of laughter, sending her friend into shock. “Not at all Dinah, I was thinking that maybe it’s time for me to step down, to let you have the mantle of queen. I’m sure you and Gabby could keep this place together.”
Dinah rushed forward and dropped to her knees in front of her queen. “Barbara,” the young blonde whispered as she stared into the dark green orbs of her mentor’s eyes. “You couldn’t possibly want to give up your throne; you’ve led this village through famine, war, disease. You are everything to all of the Amazons. Surely you must want to stay in your seat for a while longer.”
Barbara sighed and shook her head, sending sprays of red gold around her face. “I’m an old woman Dinah. The Amazon nation needs fresh blood, someone who has fresh eyes and new ideas.”
“And what makes you think I have those, my queen?” Dinah grinned at her friend playfully. “After all I was mentored and taught by the old woman you claims she has no fresh blood, eyes or ideas.”
The queen laughed loudly and reached for the small hands in her lap. With a soft squeeze the queen turned away from her surrogate daughter, returning to her scrolls.
“Queen Barbara,” Dinah said loudly as she turned back to her bonding plans, “I believe you do not want to give up your throne. I believe you just need someone to rule with you…” Dinah dropped her voice to a whisper so only she could hear, “and I have just the perfect solution.”
---
Helena trotted her horse into her birth town just as the sun sunk below the horizon. She searched nervously for an inn, unsure as to wether she could find her way back to the house she had grown up in when there was no light to guide her.
She had just a few fists full of dinars to pay for her entire trip, the coinage just a small parting gift from her queen. The bronzed coins would barely cover a hot meal and room for the night but she realised if she was to see her father in the morning she should be well rested and clean.
A secret part of her upbringing danced joyously in her soul as she contemplated a warm, private bed instead of the cold hard planks that served as beds in the servant quarters where she spent her private time in the Amazon village.
Now that she was a free woman, she smiled in the growing darkness, maybe she could find a quiet spot in the village and build a small hut of her own design. The thought held much allure to the dark woman; she could have a place to call her own and a job to pay for it. Hard work, she had quickly learnt, earned a great deal of respect from the strong women that worked around her.
A flash of light in the corner of her left eye attracted Helena’s attention as she rounded the first corner of the main street. A brightly lit window proclaimed rooms for rent. Helena quickly dismounted and hurried to escape the blinding cold of the night air.
The old door of the inn squeaked loudly as she pushed it open. It was apparently used as security because as soon as she stepped through the shadows thirty pairs of eyes looked straight in her direction. If it weren’t for her pride she would have turned from the embarrassing scene and spent the night in the stables.
Instead she held her head high and walked through the silence to the bar.
“I’d like food,” she said softly, “Drink and a bed for the night, if you have one?”
The bar keep narrowed his eyes at her, “You look mighty familiar young one. You ain’t one of those wanted women now are you?”
Helena smiled, she was many things but wanted wasn’t one of them. “No sir, I’m just here visiting family and I thought I shouldn’t intrude on them the first night or they might throw me out of town.”
The bar-keep visibly relaxed as he laughed gaily. The crowd seemed assured by the man’s laughter and returned to their rambunctious conversations.
“There’s a room, four dinars a night, third on the left up them there stairs,” he told the stranger as she handed over the money. “Young Sandrais is cookin’ tonight, you’ll have to see her in the kitchens if yer want something ter eat. I’ve got port, ale and cider. One dinar a mug.”
“Port please,” Helena smiled as she handed over another of her borrowed coins.
“The cook,” the man said as he handed over a heavy mug of the strong beverage. “She’ll probably have sumfin’ left over.”
“Thank you,” Helena mumbled again as she took a slurp of her drink and headed towards the back door the barkeep had pointed to minutes before.
The smells of fresh baked bread and stewing meat hit Helena’s senses before she stepped through the doorway. But it was the sharp, familiar bark of an old friend’s voice that surprised her as she stepped into the light and watched the flurry of activity as people added spices, mixed brews and tried to keep up with the orders from the dining area.
“That broth needs more pepper, Tidus,” a slender dark haired young woman screamed as she rushed to a boiling pot and carefully sampled its contents.
The girl, seemingly lost in her preparations, didn’t notice the dark woman rooted to the spot in her doorway until a loud clatter of pots caught her attention.
Helena almost swore as a server ran straight into her and spilled hot green soup down the front of her Amazon leathers. Feathers clung to her burning skin until soft fingers plucked them away.
“Helena?” the brunette softly whispered as she lifted her friends chin to capture the twinkling bright blue of her eyes.
Helena smiled. “Sandy, it’s been a long time.”
---
“Queen Barbara, I request a minute of your time.”
The redhead jumped as the sweet voice of her chosen princess drifted into her thoughts. She had been so caught up in imagining Helena, alone, on horse back, riding towards her parents and further away from her queen that she hadn’t heard the blonde girl enter her chambers.
“Why so formal, Dinah? Come in, take a seat,” the redhead smiled, trying to cover her momentary lack of concentration.
“I’m here on formal business, Barbara,” Dinah told her queen as she placed a thick scroll on the table between them. “I bring to you a proposition regarding the future ruling of the Amazon nation.”
Barbara raised her eyebrow, she had been preparing for the day that Dinah would challenge her rule since she was barely out of her 20’s. “Oh you do, do you? Well let’s hear it.”
The redhead tried to keep her face straight and professional but her pride and amusement threatened to spill over.
”The Amazons are a proud and loyal tribe, we pride ourselves on being smart, intelligent warriors but what isn’t so obvious are the scholars and peacekeepers amongst us. That is why I stand before you today to propose a committee of the fairest, smartest Amazons to combine their knowledge and run our society as one.”
“I agree Dinah. We do have some of the bravest smartest women amongst us, there is however a problem. What would happen if the committee could not agree to a decision? Who would have sway with them?” Barbara played along with the young woman’s plan, one she had heard rumours about for days.
Dinah adjusted her posture, standing taller, “I would, my queen. Gabby and I will oversee the committee. Govern the people, I suppose you could say.”
“Why would you have me sanction this law Dinah? What would it bring to the nation? Why aren’t things good enough as they are?” Queen Barbara asked as she leant back in her chair and studied her charge.
“I never suggested that, my queen. But you said it yourself barely days ago, you have no will to continue to give every minute of your time to the Amazon Nation, with a committee we could divide the responsibility between many, we could have many fresh eyes and pig skins full of fresh blood.”
Barbara rolled her eyes, “That’s … well … something I’d expect Helena to say. Tell me Dinah, did she have anything to do with this?”
“No, my queen. This proposal was drawn up by Gabby and myself.”
“Ah, of course.”
The two women sat in silence for several heartbeats before their private contemplations were interrupted by a loud squeal of childish laughter.
“Queen Barbara is in deliberation, expect an answer to your proposal by the next new moon,” the redhead said formally before standing and retiring to her quarters.
---
“How’d it go?”
Dinah flopped onto her feather filled mattress and looked up at her betrothed. “I’m not exactly sure how it went. You should have come with me I think.”
Gabby scoffed, “I’m just a palace guard until you decide to make an honest woman out of me, remember?”
Dinah reached out and cupped her lover’s cheek. “You’re so much more than that, my love.”
Gabby smiled. “So if she accepts the proposal when do you expect for the committee to take over?”
“Right away I expect. The sooner Barbara and Helena have some time together the better.”
Gabby nodded as she rolled to lay on her back. “I’d say, Helena’s been sending off the strangest feelings lately.”
“She has?” Dinah questioned eagerly.
Gabby nodded, “it’s strange. I get the same feeling around her that I do around the stallions during mating season. She’s very …”
“Horny?”
“Thank you Dinah! Yes, horny, but violent and needy all at the same time.”
“Creepy,” the princess laughed. “I’m sure that as soon as she returns she’ll head straight for the queen’s bed then.”
Gabby laughed until her stomach hurt and Dinah couldn’t sit still any longer then she reached out and captured her lover in a tight hug.
“Our proposal will be a way for the Amazons to rule their own lives. It will be a revolution amongst our people,” Dinah whispered to her love.
“Sure, if we can get up in the morning,” Gabby teased
“What?”
“Nothing. I say we rehearse the wedding night again.”
TBC