Aegea could see their shocked expressions. Joe more so because she was certain he was the one that thought the littlest of the Riders.

"You only see thirteen Riders at a time because it's a rule we live by. But this is why keeping our whereabouts secret. A lot of these women and children are victims of men and their anger."

Her green eyes scanned the three men as they stood still and rigid, not really gawking in Jon's and Colby's case but she could see the bewilderment on Joe's. His gray eyes were large and round, his mouth slightly open in a small O. Rune came to stand next to him as if trying to give him some support.

"This is why we do not deal with men all that much. Men have given a lot of these women scars that they wear fresh every day. So don't be surprised if they turn away from you if you try to talk to them." She told them, mostly in Joe's case.

"You run an underground railroad for battered women?" He asked.

"Underground railroad, that's a nice way of putting it, Boy." Cleo said.

"Mama!" Keegan yelled running up.

The nearing thirteen year old boy hugged Cleo. Aegea could see the shock that was now starting to show on Jon's and Colby's faces. They were not expecting to see a boy that was as tall as they were to go running up to Big Mama Cleo. She was growing fond of that name actually, from the various little conversations The Queen and her Second in Command shared since the night Aegea went on television.

"I knew she was a Mama." Jon stated as his eyes darted to the women and children milling about in the compound.

Aegea stepped from Jon's side. "Listen up everyone, these men are the three that owe us Amazons their lives. They will be staying here for thirteen days and thirteen nights, they will be leaving on the fourteenth day. They will be staying in the men's cabins and there will be a curfew for all the children while they stay here. You underaged maidens will not go anywhere near these men, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Queen Aegea." A chorus of young women sounded.

"Good, now go back to your chores and lessons. You three, follow me." She motioned to the three men. "You'll be shown around the compound and then you'll be shown to where you'll be staying while you're here."

Gea started walking making the various women step back, not because of her but because of the three men that followed her. She didn't see what Jon's reaction was to the entire thing, he was rather good at hiding his expressions from the little time that she had known him. Colby was oddly quiet and Joe seemed to be deep in thought.

"This is the main house, this is where my office is located. This is where your phones will be houses. If you want to call your families I will allow it but only in my pressence. I'm allowing you that one offer, Joe." Aegea turned to look at the Samoan man.

"My mother will thank you for that." He responded.

"Behind the main house, as you can see is where the Warrior bunk houses are located. Over there," she pointed near a far side of the property, "That is where the women's cabins are located, the ones with children. You are forbidden on ever going over there, especially at night. If a woman wants to talk to you then she will approach you. If you go over there, you must be in the presence of an Amazon."

Lyra lightly touched Colby's arm. "A lot of these women are afraid of men." She told him.

"I understand. It wouldn't be the first time I've come in contact with an Amazon."

Aegea turned to him. "What do you mean by that?" She nearly demanded of him.

"When I was younger a group of Amazons came by my house and took away my neighbors, who were living in an abusive house with a man. So yes, I understand now what you are doing." He tried to sound sincere and she appreciated his honesty.

"Okay," Gea turned away. "As you can see that big building is the barn, which is where most of the work supplies are located and the bikes and other vehicles we use around here. If you need anything find a Warrior and she'll get it for you." That way the three men had no way of leaving, running away.

She showed them the Mess Tent, which was where meals were going to be taken.

"Over back there is the training ground. There is a shed which holds out modest weight room if you're so inclined to use it. Maybe you could give the boys tips on weight training. And the showers are over there as well."

"Seems fair enough." Joe said.

Jon still hadn't said a thing. Aegea made a mental note to talk to him about what was going on in his head for later.

"Gea," she looked a Joe. "I mean, Aegea…"

"If you prefer to address me as Gea then that's fine." She assured him. "What do you need, Joe?"

He shrugged. "Nothing. Where are we going to be staying?"
"On the far side of the property, near the boys bunk houses and their cabins."

"So you do keep the boys from the girls."

"No, the boys are teenagers and are more independent now. We thought it would be best if they had their own living areas, which they seem to enjoy. You'll be staying in the men's cabins that are on that side."

She knew the place was a bit run down, but that was what all the factions had to deal with. The men's cabins were one room buildings with their own porches what held a chair and a small table out front. They were pretty much log cabins it looked like with doors and drapes hanging in the window. On the inside Aegea was sure that the men would have a lot of time to themselves to fix the place up.

"You'll be expected to clean the rooms yourself." She told them as they walked to each cabin that was side by side with the other.

A grand total of five men's cabins were set up, side by side. Jon went into the first available cabin, Colby in the one next to him and Joe took up the middle of the five cabins all together.

"Here, Colby." Lyra said handing him one of his suitcases that had been taken to the compound with him.

Gea could see the smile the spread out on Colby's face when he took one of the suitcases from her. Serena was the other one to hand off his suitcase.

Countess came walking up. "So, Gea, what are they expected to do?"

Glancing over her shoulder at the raven haired woman, Aegea turned back to the men. "Men's cabins are for the men to upkeep. You'll be expected to clean them. Around here, everyone works to make the place livable."

"Can we help though?" Rune asked her.

"As long as they don't make you do all the work, I don't see an issue with it."

Rune and Lyra looked at each other and then moved off across the large compound towards the main house. They would be getting cleaning supplies and bedding, at least for Colby and Joe. Jon seemed to be on his own. Aegea moved back away from the cabins, just to keep an eye on everything going on in the place. Cleo joined her while Countess left to follow Lyra and Rune.

"Dude, there's a spider the size of a bat in here." She vaguely heard Colby yell to his friends.

"If that's so, I'm feeding this rat to it." Jon retorted.

And just before they were out of ear shot, Joe was heard sneezing nearly hysterically. A bunch of the women were snickering at this. It's like these men had never lived in the wilderness before, apparently. Aegea knew this would be a lot to take in for the three men.

"We need to keep an eye out on them." Cleo said. "The men I don't think we have anything to fear about. But Countess, she is the one I don't trust all of a sudden."

All of a sudden seemed to sum it up for Gea as well. It's like she was obsessed with Jon Good for whatever reason. He was a handsome man, a physique not any normal man would possess in the world that she lived in.

"Do you think she'd be able to do something to him." Gea said stopping at a nearby tree.

"Emotionally, that would be a yes." Cleo turned to look at the men's cabins and smiled when Jon chased one of the biggest rats I had ever seen around here. "Physically, unless she got him really drunk, I don't think she'd be able to."

"Do we keep alcohol around here?" She asked.

Joe came out with another sneezing fit. He nearly looked like a dog that got into a fireplace. Dust fell from his body like snow, and when he tried dusting his shirt and pants it looked like small explosions every time he patted himself.

"I don't think so but with no one making sure that Countess isn't hoarding alcohol, she did say she had dibs on Jon tonight." Cleo said, watching the sneezing man.

There was a high pitched squeal and Colby came out of his cabin, followed by a ring tailed raccoon who, if it had a voice, would be laughing at him. Really, that guy was a cute and funny, and a scared little boy all in the same package. Jon stood at the door to his cabin, holding his ribs, pointing at Colby who had stumbled and fell into a mud hole one of the boys decided to make earlier.

"Colby," Lyra said looking down at him as she walked up with some pillows and blankets. "Oh Colby, are you okay?"

Cleo leaned in close to Aegea. "I think she's a late bloomer."

"Rune, too." She added nodding to the girl that was walking towards the cabin where Joe was still trying to get the dust off.

Cleo and Gea tilted their heads in curiosity. Lyra was helping Colby out of the mud pit and Rune was handing Joe a cloth to help get the dust off of his shirt.

"How much you want to bet that they'll help those men clean the cabins." Countess said from behind me.

Gea and Cleo looked at her. "A true gentleman would act like an equal to a woman. We may have said that they needed to clean it themselves but if they tell the women that they can do it themselves but if they let the women to help them then it is still okay."

She bumped Gea's shoulder as she headed straight for Jon's cabin. He smirked at Countess, as the queen had expected him to do. But then he looked right at Gea and smiled a little bigger, waving to her at the same time. What a goof, she thought but couldn't help the smirk that played on her lips.

"Well, I think you have a fan." Cleo leaned into Aegea's ear. "Come on, let's go get things done around here today."

Reluctantly, as the Queen, Aegea had other obligations to take care of. At least during daylight hours she knew that Countess wouldn't try anything.

It was night time that she wasn't so sure the other woman could contain herself.


I hope you guys liked this update. I'm still busy so I hope you like the shorter chapters that will be coming up. It's actually the next chapter that I am not so sure you all will like. But I'll worry about that when I actually revise it.