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Amazon | Two

In the early morning, Rhea threw herself on the back of her horse and then steadied herself; the women were all cheering and hugging their relatives. Rhea glanced over at a few of the stronger women who were surrounded, Rhea scoffed and headed into the dense forest, ready to find someone to give her a strong daughter. Rhea did not know which village she would stop at, the nearest village was a while away but Rhea did not want to go there, it would be where everyone would head and Rhea did not want to be like everyone else.

Kicking the side of her horse softly, Rhea rushed in the opposite direction of the nearest village. She heard the shouts and battle cries as the woman left the little encampment, Rhea turned her head slightly to see the flash of golden hair of Xanthe. Rhea shook her head and looked forward; she pursed her lips as her horse jumped over a fallen log. Rhea glanced around the forest; she had heard rumours—and had been attacked once—by bandits, men and women who sat in the trees waiting for innocent people to walk passed so they could rob them.

Rhea had to be careful, she needed to make sure she was not attacked or robbed. Rhea thought back to last night, she had went to bed early and when she had awoken in the morning they had been lined up and given a speech by their Queen. Their Queen’s eyes had twinkled mischievously as if she knew something they didn’t.  Rhea was curious and she wanted to know what the Queen knew but defying the Queen was punishable by death. So Rhea headed far away from the encampment as possible.

“Rhea!” She heard someone shout from behind her and she froze, pulling her horse to a stop to see Xanthe and Leora—another woman—rushing toward her. “Why aren’t you going to the village?” Leora asked.

“Because that is where everyone is going,” Rhea spoke tightly; she did not like that they were following her.

“Clever,” Xanthe murmured as she moved to beside Rhea on Rhea’s other side, “Obviously,” she looked across Rhea toward Leora, “Rhea decided to go somewhere we had never been before.” Xanthe brushed her golden hair over her shoulder, “Very clever Rhea, I’ll give you that much. We will find men that none of the women have ever seen before, maybe they will have golden hair like me.”

“Men touched by Apollo,” Leora gaped in excitement, “Our daughters will be seen as angels, or Goddesses.”

Rhea rolled her eyes at their words; she did not care what type of man she found as long as she had a strong daughter – to show her worth. Moving her horse along, she listened to the two women beside her talk loudly about what would happen if they found a man kissed by the sun. Rhea shook her head, she had once seen a man with hair the colour of fire, it had been so bright and she had wanted to touch it. But men scared her, she hated them and it had been burned into a brain since she was a child, she would never get close to one unless it was mating season and she had to.

“What type of man do you want Rhea?” Leora asked.

“A strong man,” Rhea answered, “But it does not matter, men are still dangerous. We are only going to use them before we kill them or send them off on their way. It does not matter what he looks like, it only matters if whether or not he can produce me a strong daughter. If not, what use is he?”

“Rhea is right Leora,” Xanthe turned to smirk and Rhea felt the urge to roll her eyes, “Only having a handsome man to lie with won’t be all bad. We do not have to tell the Queen, do we?” Both women giggled and Rhea moved her horse further, she did not want to have a conversation like that with anyone. Handsome or ugly – it did not matter. All men were the same whether they were kissed by the sun or dark as night, they were rotten and horrible, and Rhea was only doing this because she had to prove something.