by Travis Bughi
Emily sighed in relief and came forward to lend a hand.
* * *
They came upon Themiscyra as the sun was setting. Emily had resisted her urges by not asking Chara or anyone else what to expect. She wanted to be surprised and awestruck again, only this time pleasantly. The group wordlessly honored that desire, and Emily found herself lost in wonder for the umpteenth time since going beyond the plains.
Themiscyra was a magnificent fortress.
The walls came into view first. The entire city was enclosed in thick walls as tall as a treant and made of massive tree trunks stacked together. In front of them, a deep trench led steeply down to a pit of wooden spikes tarred black. On top of them, were amazon women walking behind a parapet, wielding bows, and scanning the horizon. Chara took the moment to whisper to Emily that the walls were thick enough for four women to walk abreast. These walls spanned north and south, fading as they turned at right angles in the distance.
The fortress stood alone in a woman-made clearing, a good fifty paces from the nearest tree or bush, where the ground was scorched and barren. Emily asked about it immediately.
“It’s to discourage assaults,” Chara said. “If ever an army were to come for us, they would be caught out in the open on all sides. Prime targets for our arrows. It’s worked so far. The greatest achievement a defense can earn is the boast that it has never been used.”
As they passed out of the thick jungle and into the open lands, a horn was sounded. When they reached the city, both the first and second gates were opened, and they found a crowd awaiting them.
Still carrying Hanna, Emily and the group were greeted by a throng of women pouring out from all over the city. Emily gaped as hundreds of amazons cheered and roared nearby while others streamed in from every hut and building around them, swelling the ranks of those already crowding the well-trod street—all of them in studded leather armor, carrying bows and quivers with knives at their sides. Not a single strand of hair grew past their shoulders, and they were just as loud and boastful as Emily had come to expect. As she looked around, she saw that Themiscyra, while not as large as Lucifan, was a city, nonetheless.
The amazons flooded in, grabbing the women in hugs and shouting their names. The congratulations came to a swift and ominous close, however, when it was realized how few amazons had returned. In the void, Emily began to hear words that tugged at her heart and made her eyes water.
“Leda, Leda,” came one. “Where’s your sister?”
“Iezabel! Iezabel?”
“Mother? Where’s my mother?”
“Gaia? What about Belen?”
Next came the questions, the asking, and the wondering what had happened. Who had survived? Who was this strange young girl was who was dressed as an amazon? The fears for Hanna were easiest to answer with such simple words as ‘manticore spike.’ For the rest, though, Adelpha held up her hands and asked for silence.
It took effort, but silence was finally granted. However, before Adelpha could speak, the crowd parted for a woman not much younger than Emily’s own mother with short black hair, brown eyes, and a perpetual scowl. She came forward, dressed and armed as any amazon, and Emily might not have taken notice of her at all if the entire crowd hadn’t turned to her upon arrival. Adelpha nodded to her, and Heliena stepped forward and raised her chin.
“Aunt,” Adelpha said, spreading her hands.
“Where is everyone?” Stefani said, her voice a mix between scorn and dread. “What happened?”
“I have terrible news.”
Chapter 20
There was no easy way to state what had happened to them, and Adelpha was not one to soften a blow. To her credit, Queen Stefani listened aptly, if somewhat emotionlessly. By the way Chara had spoken of the woman, Emily had expected her to scream like a banshee and point accusing fingers like Belen had done. Yet, she did not. She stayed quiet through most of Adelpha’s tale, only pausing the tragic speech to clarify things or to ask pointed questions.
“The angel? Which angel? How can you know that? What proof?”
“Where in Angor, exactly? At what point? The elves, really?”
“How many centaurs by your guess? The werewolves?”
“Can you be certain? Truly? Was there any doubt?”
“Heliena, how much of this can you confirm?”
“Do any of you have anything to add?”
Neither Heliena nor any of the other amazons did. Emily felt herself shying away from the center of the group, trying to shelter herself from the attention she was receiving because it was inevitable that her name was mentioned often. She’d been the reason for their discovery of the traitor and also for their miraculous time spent with the elves. Emily clenched her jaw, expecting to be called upon, but Stefani ignored her. All her focus was directed at Adelpha, and when the story was done, she only nodded and spoke brief, parting words.
“Rest, food, and drink for all of you,” Stefani said. “Tomorrow, we will hold a funeral pyre for those lost. Heliena, with me.”
Heliena nodded and followed her aunt, and together they left the way Stefani had come, parting the crowd. Emily watched them go, half expecting Heliena to glance back towards those she’d travelled with, but she did not. Once they were gone, the crowd came forward and encircled the group in hugs once again. Quiet conversations, most mournful, took precedence.
“Sorry for your loss.”
“She was a great woman”
“Would that I had died by her side.”
“You did all that you could. Her memory will carry on.”
“If I had known, I’d have gone with her.”
“She will not be forgotten.”
“She lives on through us.”
Others whispered in disbelief at Adelpha’s accusations about Belen. There was nothing but shock, though a few uttered malicious statements along the lines of good riddance. The vast majority were overcome by the betrayal of one of their own. Adelpha was offered encouraging and regretful words, saying she’d made a tough but proper choice and that any would have done the same in her position. She honored her mother’s memory with her strength.
In some corners, still others whispered about the only good news that had been brought, that of the elves.
“An alliance?”
“Do you think?”
“It might be faint, but I’ll take it.”
“Just one tribe, though? Doubtful.”
“A legend breaks; this is our chance!”
“I dare to hope! We should send an envoy.”
“I never thought I’d live to see the day. To think I’d given up hope.”
“Although the losses are great, at least something valuable was gained.”
Through all of this, Emily experienced a flood of hands, smiles, handshakes, and even hugs. Women came up to her and gripped her as if family, something she’d hardly expected, judging by how she’d been treated by the others during her travels. Emily knew she had Adelpha to thank for that. The princess had been sure to avoid any skepticism when speaking of Emily.
“My sister might not be here if not for you. I welcome you with open arms.”
“You’ve fought and bled for us already; that’s good enough for me.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. Mariam’s daughter, are you?”
“You are as beautiful as your grandmother.”
“Thank you for fighting for my sisters.”
“Take heed, though, your training has only just begun.”
”It seems Chara’s wisdom and strength skipped a generation.”
“I don’t know how or why the elves took you in, but I’m thankful for it.”
“So, Mariam had a daughter? Did she mention me? No? Well, it was a long time ago.”
Somewhere in the midst of it all, Hanna awoke, and she burst into tears of joy at being home. Those tears turned to sorrow, however, when the others swept down on her and began to console her for her loss. Leda stayed close, crying softly and nodding at
all those who told her that her sister would never be forgotten.
In the midst of it all, Emily saw a young girl about half her age running up to Adelpha with tears streaming from her eyes. Adelpha knelt to the girl and produced Iezabel’s bow. The little girl sobbed aloud, and a plethora of hands descended from the crowd to touch her shoulders, back, and hair. She stiffed her back, shook her head, and then nodded meekly before taking the bow. Adelpha stifled a tear and watched as the girl took off running into the crowd.
Emily took a deep breath as well.
Eventually, enough people passed that others began to shout that the women needed rest. It was late, the sun far past setting, and darkness had consumed the world. With two days and a night of no sleep and plenty of running, the amazons were well in agreement. The crowd led the women off as they split up, Adelpha giving Chara and Emily a strong hug before parting. She promised to find them the next morning, assuming she awoke from her slumber at all. Emily and Chara agreed to do the same, and Chara led her daughter through the fortress to a small hut with a thatch roof and only a cloth covering as a door. She pulled aside the cloth and led the way inside, and Emily found a comfort she had not seen since leaving home.
There were two beds inside, both of which were dusty from disuse. Neither woman cared, though. They climbed inside and wrapped old blankets about themselves.
“Tomorrow, we bathe, we drink, and we mourn,” Chara explained. “The morning after, I wish to take you hunting.”
“So soon?” Emily yawned.
“Believe it or not, we will be late. Hunting is a way we amazons honor our dead. I would take you out myself.”
Emily murmured her understanding and passed into a coma-like sleep.
* * *
The bath brought more joy than Emily could have thought possible. Layers upon layers of dirt and grime came away from her body like an outer shell begging to be shed. It was a call she answered with hard scrubbing and deep sighs, and when she emerged, she felt lighter than she’d ever felt in all her existence. When she donned clothes again, it wasn’t the borrowed leather skirt and vest but real armor studded with metal and sturdier than the other. It was also heavier, and all the lightness Emily had felt was washed away to the metal. That was fine with her, though. Now that she looked like an amazon, she was eager to prove herself as one.
As Chara and Emily emerged from the baths, Emily was greeted with the bustle of life in Themiscyra. She saw women everywhere, each armed with her bow and arrows and a knife at her side. They carried baskets of food, rolled kegs of booze, and brought in thick logs for the funeral pyre. The place was alive with preparations for the evening, and Emily took note of how little shouting was required to get things in order. The amazons had done this before, she realized, and that made her frown in sadness. Yet, despite this, the women looked strong and proud, just as she’d imagined, and Emily felt safe. This is a good place, she thought.
Emily’s curiosity came back to her when she noticed that there were a few buildings besides the huts. She asked Chara about them.
“Well, that’s a granary,” Chara pointed to one building that was larger than the others. “We store food in there for the short winter. It’s really just for feasts, such as tonight, or for emergencies in case we were ever besieged or couldn’t go outside because of a basilisk or something.”
“There’s no blacksmith, or shops?” Emily asked, thinking about Lucifan.
“This isn’t a trading city,” Chara scolded. “We don’t produce goods we don’t intend to use, and there’s no need for a blacksmith because everyone can look after themselves here. We don’t even have a currency beyond bargaining and favors. Really, Daughter? A blacksmith? That’s almost insulting.”
Chara shook her head and led on. Emily, blushing from embarrassment, caught up quickly. As they walked, Emily noticed a couple of the women catch her eye and give her a brief nod of acknowledgement. Emily returned the nod, unsure of what it meant. Until she found her way in this place, she would probably do well to just treat everyone as if they were a minotaur. Emily had half a mind to ask Chara where they were going until someone called out to her.
“Emily,” came a quiet voice from behind.
She turned to see Heliena a few paces behind them. Emily stopped to let the woman catch up, but she stopped, too. Heliena looked cautiously at Chara and then waved Emily over.
“Hold on, Mother,” Emily said and walked towards Heliena.
“You’re awake,” Heliena said once Emily was close enough.
“I am.”
Heliena leaned in once Emily was close enough and whispered in her ear, “So the hunt is tomorrow. Many are going out in pairs to look for manticores. I normally go alone, but this time, I was wondering if maybe you would like to come with me? You said we could hunt together sometime.”
Emily’s throat tightened. This was a friendship she’d coveted, and yet she knew she must decline. She hoped that Heliena would be able to take the rejection.
“Um,” Emily replied, whispering back. “I’m so sorry, Heliena. I’m going with Chara tomorrow actually.”
“When?” Heliena asked, looking hurt.
“First thing in the morning.”
Heliena took a deep breath and released it. She looked to her feet, nodded, and then turned to leave.
“Hey,” Emily said, grabbing Heliena’s wrist.
“Yes?” Heliena stopped but did not turn.
“We’ll go. I promise.”
Heliena glanced back, and a smile crept slowly across her lips before she replied, “Yes, I’d like that.”
Emily smiled back and released her hand. Heliena moved off and away, and Emily returned to Chara. Emily’s grandmother had a bored frown on her face and gave Emily a disapproving glance.
“You know,” Chara started a bit hesitantly. “I’d rather you didn’t associate with that girl.”
“Why’s that?” Emily replied, feeling slightly hurt. “Not too long ago you wanted me to get close to her, and now I’m being told to stay distant? She’s saved my life more than once. Why does it matter to you whom I associate with?”
“Look,” Chara said, wrapping an arm around Emily as they started walking again. “I know I told you to watch her, but that time has passed. That girl is a strange one. She’s always done her own thing, and she’s always hated me. Even Adelpha, her own sister, can’t connect with her. I know they have a history, but she’s one to hold a grudge. I didn’t say anything until now because I was hoping you wouldn’t become friends in the first place and that, if you did, maybe things would dissolve once we got home.”
Emily only nodded to this, her heart heavy. She’d thought it would be great to learn from Heliena, but now she was being forbidden. Worse yet, she would be made to look like some cold, heartless thing, trying to get close only because Heliena was distrusted and then discarding her at first chance. To say the least, it wasn’t a pleasant thought.
“Where are we going?” Emily asked, deliberately changing the subject.
“To the archery range,” Chara said with a grin, thinking the conversation over. “You have some people there who want to see you.”
The people Chara was referring to were Leda, Hanna, and Adelpha. They cheered when Emily approached, and Adelpha gave Emily a hearty smack on the back.
“Don’t knock me to sleep again,” Emily warned and they laughed. “You all woke up rather early.”
“I blame Hanna,” Adelpha replied. “She’d already slept plenty and awoke me early. I’d have gone right back to sleep if she hadn’t persuaded me with a warm bath and coaxed me with tears. She’s better now, but you can bet we’ll all be a wreck when it comes time for the pyre tonight. You can bet there will be a lot of drinking between now and then.”
Emily noted that Adelpha had already started, but chose not to comment on it. Emily had had her first drink back in Lucifan at The Kraken’s Eye tavern and remembered the cloudy feeling it had given her. Maybe one of these days she’d have a
nother in honor of those dead, but not today. She wanted her mind sharp as an arrow for tomorrow’s manticore hunt.
Emily continued to chat with the others and practiced a few shots with her bow. She nailed the unmoving targets in the dead center every time, though by now that was no surprise to her. After the events in Angor, Emily’s confidence in her abilities had grown. She wished that her brothers could be here to see her shoot. They would be surprised for sure! Not too long ago, Emily had never even touched a bow, and now she was using the instrument as if it had been with her all her life. It felt natural, a part of her, and she embraced all that it represented to her.
To Emily, the bow meant independence from the hardships of the Great Plains. Without it, all she would ever have amounted to in life was to become a farmer. Not that it was a bad thing to be a farmer. Her father was one, and he loved it, and Emily was happy for him. She respected and loved her father for the fair man he was. However, Emily had never wanted that. She’d wanted the freedom to explore and a life that didn’t depend on the land for survival. Emily had wanted the means to live and travel wherever she wanted to go, and now she had it.
“Are you ready for a drink, Chara?” Adelpha asked, then added, “Emily?”
“So early?” Emily said.
“Yes,” Chara confirmed. “Today is no day to say no. We will drink now and be sober for more sleep. I’m ready.”
Emily nodded her reply and went with them. It turned out that there was one structure in Themiscyra that bore a resemblance to one in Lucifan. It was a place to drink, laugh, play music, and have a rowdy good time. In the spirit of the day, it was now also serving as the place of gathering for the funeral. The pyre was being built near it, in an open square perfect for such a thing.
Chara and Emily split a drink, to Adelpha’s dismay, but the burly amazon princess relented when Chara explained they were hunting tomorrow. To this, Adelpha replied that she was not and so had no need for such repressive restraints. Adelpha drank to heart’s content, as did most of the others. The tavern was bulging with guests, and there was so much chatter that Emily had to shout just to be heard. The place seemed rather jolly, to Emily, and she asked Chara about it.