Amazon

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Amazon | Twenty One

Rhea could not hear what was being said; she had sat down on the ground earlier and was waiting for Bastian. She looked up as Deacon's men mingled with the men of Elias's garrison. She wrapped her arms around her knees and waited, somewhat impatiently. She felt like she was a slave that had been ordered to wait for her master, she heard a shout and she jumped, standing up as she turned to face the tent.

"Never!" There was fierceness to Bastian's voice that she had never heard before, "Do not speak to me like that again Deacon." Rhea stood up slowly as the tent flaps were pushed open and Bastian made his way out of the tent. He was clearly fuming, incredibly angry and he looked over at Rhea. "Collect the Amazon women Rhea, Achilios too, we are taking them to their homes."

Rhea tried to reel in her scattered thoughts, "W-what?"

"Go now!" Bastian barked the order and she scurried away, her feet pounding on the dirt ground. She hurried into the area where the women all story restlessly. Some looked up at her and sent her hateful looks; others rolled their eyes as if they didn't have time for her. Rhea was worried she would not have time for them if they did not leave soon; she was growing more and more worried by the minute.

"We need to leave," Rhea sounded panicked even to her own ears, "Now, I do not know why do not answer me. Where is Achilios?" One of the women pointed to the forest and Rhea frowned, "Find Bastian, please. He will tell you what to do; he will take you back to your camps." She hurried through the women, shoving some out of the way as they hurried toward the exit to find Bastian.

Rhea began to hurry through the forest, no sign of the young boy. She stopped and held her hands beside her mouth, shouting for him. She heard nothing but the chirp of birds. She suddenly stiffened; it was quiet, much too quiet. She was on edge, there was something out there, and she could feel a prickling sensation on the back of her neck and knew that someone was watching her.

She stepped over a large root and noticed a tuft of hair sticking from behind small bushes. Rhea slowly peered behind her, her hair framing her eyes as she looked through the strands. There was nothing behind her, she took a deep breath and began to walk slowly toward the tuft of hair. She pushed the bush back and gaped when she saw the mangled corpse of what appeared to be a woman.

She covered her mouth with her hand to keep from crying out; her stomach had been torn open. She heard sobbing and turned her head to find Achilios who was bent down beside a girl and a baby. The girl was perhaps six or so years younger than Achilios, perhaps more. She didn't know for sure as she bent down to face the two, Achilios had the baby in his arms, rocking it.

"Achilios," she gasped and dropped to her knees, turning her back to the dead body. "Who is this?"

"Eleni," Achilios whispered as he looked at the little girl with wild, brown curls. "The baby died," Rhea reached out shakily and curled the cold infant into her arms. She took a deep breath and stood up; she looked over at the body and almost felt as if she was going to be ill. "Eleni is the woman's daughter," Achilios cleared his throat, "That is her little brother."

"We need to bury them," Rhea handed the infant to Achilios and began to dig at the ground, "Help me." The little girl scrambled to help Rhea as she dug a shallow hole just big enough to fit the child and the mother inside. The dirt covered her hands as she delicately pulled the woman toward the hole. She felt sick at the image of the dead woman; she could not do anything but turn and reach for the child.

Blood covered her hands, dirt mixed with the blood as she laid the dead infant on the woman. She wrapped the arms of the woman around the infant and began to push the dirt back onto the body of the two. Achilios and Eleni dropped to their knees to help cover the bodies with dirt. She gasped and sat back and leaned away from the bodies. She looked over at Eleni and Achilios who stood together, the little girl with tears in her eyes.