Chapter 5: Homecoming

Superman sat with his back resting against a pair of big sandstone boulders in a grassy upland, about a mile or so away from the shore, his red cloak wrapped about him, with the black bag containing Gorgo's ashes between his feet. He could hear the waves crashing regularly against the distant beach, the cawing of seagulls, and strange insects buzzing. He was alone.

He and Diana had begun their journey from the mountaintop of some unnamed island in the Caribbean, although she'd told him that Themyscira was not near any actual geographic location on Earth. She tied one end of her lasso around his waist, and held onto the other, and then they had flown off. They flew south-eastwards for a while, and then Clark saw the massive anvil of a thundercloud looming ahead of them on the horizon. Diana headed straight into it. After a few minutes in the dark clouds, he realized he couldn't see anything, which surprised and unnerved him, but he heard Diana shout something in her native language, which he couldn't make out clearly. Then, the sky had suddenly cleared and then once again they were in the bright sunshine with a clear blue sea under them, and fast approaching a faint speck of green and brown and white. Diana swiftly sped down towards it, Clark following close behind.

Clark thought they would immediately land in the capital city, but instead Diana had dropped in low flying over the beaches and they landed on the grassy earth past the sandy shore. She knelt on the ground momentarily, grasping the ground with both hands, breathing in deeply of the cool, crisp air. She stood up, looked at him and smiled, spreading her arms.

"Welcome to my home. Themyscira!"

Clark laughed, embracing Diana. He was amazed at the scenic beauty around him, and the air was so fresh and clean! His natural curiosity urged him to go exploring right away, but as if sensing what was on his mind, Diana grasped his wrist and told him to stay of sight.

He was stunned. "What? Why?"

"I just have to do something before we head into the city, and I don't want anyone to run into you before then. My sisters regularly patrol the coasts should stray men wash up on the shore."

"I could be a 'stray man' then?" Clark grinned, but Diana slapped his hands away.

"Here," she shoved the backpack in his arms instead, ignoring his confusion. "Go over there and hide by those rocks. I will be back soon!"

Like that, she had disappeared. That had been nearly an hour ago, and he was starting to get worried. He had tried to listen out for her, but to his dismay he couldn't hear her, or any other sounds, for that matter, other than the wildlife nearby. There seemed to a curious dampening effect here, preventing him from hearing any sounds he normally could, such as motor vehicles, crowds, machinery. He wondered how far away they actually were from anything. But where the hell had she gone?

He was starting to nod off in sleep when he heard the sound of a horse, the pounding of horses' hooves. Oh no, perhaps it was one of the patrolling Amazons! He darted behind the rocks, although they provided not much cover. Suddenly he realized he'd left the bag, and cursed to himself, it would be seen. He lunged for it, just as a gray horse thundered into view, its rider yipping at him. Clark rolled out of the way of its flailing hooves, but found himself pinned to the ground as his cape was transfixed by a thrown sword.

Startled, Clark looked up, thinking he'd have to come up very fast with some kind of believable excuse for his presence, then he saw Diana leaping from the back of the snorting gray mare. She looked delighted and she pulled her sword free.

"Clark!" She laughed. "Come, meet Grey Eyes!"

A bit taken aback, Clark brushed himself off and approached the animal, which had to be at least 17 hands. Being from a farm country, he was familiar with horses. He reached out a hand for it to sniff, but it tried to snap at him. "Um, I don't think she likes me."

"She is a wild horse. We have many such herds on this island."

"Why did you go to find one?" Clark saw that she had used her lasso as an improvised bridle and rein.

"To see if I still had my hippeia," Diana said seriously. "My mastery of horses."

"I don't understand."

Diana gently stroked the gray horse on her withers. "We were...are horsewomen. That was part of our strength and identity in the old days. It still is, in a way. Every Amazon is taught to ride at an early age, and tame horses. It is said that if we lose this skill...it is an evil omen..."

"You've ridden horses before, I've seen you, in Smallville."

"This is a wild Themysciran horse!" Diana smiled at Clark, then she vaulted onto the horse's back. "This is the only way to enter the city!" She extended an arm to him. "Come, you shall ride behind me. Be brave!"

Tentatively, Clark picked up the pack and got on the horse behind Diana, holding onto her waist as she tsked and they rode off.

There did not seem to be any roads, even dirt ones, and it seemed that Diana navigated by memory; of course, Clark thought, she would know every inch of this island, probably. Diana took advantage of the leisurely ride to instruct Clark (again) on Amazonian customs.

"The most unusual sight you will encounter," she said. "Will be the sight of our sisters unclothed. We are not as...we have a different interpretation of modesty. You will see Amazons without the top, or with one breast exposed, and we train naked as the ancient Greeks did, but not always..."

Clark wondered if he should mention that he and the other guys in the League had often discussed exactly those customs and what they were like during times when Diana wasn't within earshot, but thought better of it.

"I understand, I won't look at your sisters at all."

"No!" Diana was alarmed. "If you avert your gaze they will assume you believe they are shameful and will take offense."

"OK. Then I'll look all the time then."

"No! Do not stare, they will find a man just staring at them offensive also."

"OK. I'll look but not look."

Diana turned to stare at him but Clark kept his face carefully straight. "Just...lower your gaze slightly. That...should be fine."

Clark sighed. "Anything else?"

Diana was silent for a moment. "Just...have patience. When Steve was here, it was very...hard for him. He was not treated kindly," She looked over her shoulder at him again, and her expression was one of distinct apprehension. "There are some things I cannot explain to you, even in Themysciran words. You just have to...see them, experience them for yourself. Do you understand?"

"I do."

At some point, Clark realized, they had both shifted into speaking Themysciran. He supposed he would speak in this language the entire time they were here. He was nearly fluent in it now, but there were still things he didn't quite have down yet, the nuances and ways they accented certain words. He knew that the way an Amazon could say 'sister' indicated whether that meant a biological sister, a friend, a war-comrade, or a lover. So he knew he still had alot to learn. But something about Diana's manner suggested that she was uncomfortable about something else.

"While you are here, you will hear the word netome often, directed at you. Do you know what it means?"

Clark thought a moment. "I remember, it means 'something new, different.'"

"It also means an evil thing. All men are netome, as is almost everything from your world."

Your world.

Clark kissed Diana on the nape of her neck, gently brushing her hair out of the way. More than anything, he wanted to reassure her. "You don't still think of me like that, do you?"

She reached behind her and squeezed his hand. "I never did."

Clark hugged her tightly. "I promise...I'll be patient."

"Good. Because we're almost there!"

Diana made only the slightest twitch of her thighs, and the gray horse burst into a gallop. They broke out of the forest, and the brilliantly colored pillars and buildings of Themyscira's capital arose before them.

From an alcove away from the audience room, Queen Hippolyta sat on a ledge and watched Diana's procession down the main avenue from a open slot window, which gave her an excellent view of the street below without the ability to be seen. She saw her daughter Diana clearly, and also the man sitting behind her on the gray horse. She saw immediately how Diana could be attracted to him. He looked young and strong and extremely handsome, his dark hair swept back from his forehead. He was clad in a costume of dark blue adorned with a strange serpentine emblem on his broad chest, a scarlet cape flowing over his back. He was gazing around him with boundless curiosity, taking in all the sights as if he was a child. The Amazons came rushing from all directions to see this distinctly rare appearance of a man in their city, and their Princess whom they had not seen in years.

Hippolyta recalled the last time a man had appeared in their city. It was six, (no, could it really be seven?) years ago, when they had seen the flaming airship crash onto their island. She remembered Diana impulsively going to investigate alone; the High Council had hardly had time to convene when Diana came riding back in triumph with her prisoner, a tall blonde man tied on a rope behind her horse. What was his name...yes, Trevor, that was his it. He looked like the soldier with his close-cropped hair and uniform, but just like this new man, he had been fascinated by his surroundings, despite the fact that his hands were tied and that a crowd of hostile and angry women were flinging rocks and dung at him.

But how much had times changed since then, although it seemed like only yesterday! This man was riding behind her, not led like a captive on a leash, and while Trevor's fascination had been mixed in with some fear at his circumstances, Hippolyta saw no fear on the face of this man. The Amazons also were not flinging filth at him, possibly because they didn't want to hit their princess, but the crowd this time seemed more curious than angry, and they were mostly quiet as they stared, although Hippolyta caught a few curses and cries of netome but they were few and came from the back of the crowd. Some Amazons cheered and cried out to their Princess, which she acknowledged; perhaps they thought this man was yet another captive.

But what struck the Queen most of all was Diana. She looked so confident, self-assured…so...adult. She seemed not uncomfortable in the least in the proximity of the man behind her; in fact, she looked quite relaxed in his presence. The man also seemed quite at ease, and Hippolyta saw them exchange glances at each other, just briefly, but their smiles, and their body language all clearly revealed a passionate and comfortable intimacy with one another, born of experience.

Hmm, Hippolyta thought. Perhaps I was too hasty in suggesting to Diana that I might have this 'Superman' flayed. Perhaps a slow impalement is called for instead.

"Only say the word, my Queen," boomed a rich, deep voice behind her. "And it shall be done."

Hippolyta turned to see General Philippus standing behind her, clad in her armor and her helmet tucked under one arm. The ebony woman was one of her oldest and closest friends. She laughed warmly, a contrast to the other's sour expression.

"Dear Philippus, you know my mind as well as I do!"

Philippus crossed over to the window and peered out with Hippolyta at the scene below the palace.

"What think you of Diana's 'guest'?"

Philippus frowned. "Hmph. A big bastard. If he chooses to cause mischief he could be very dangerous indeed, if Gorgo spoke true. I wish you had not decided to allow him here."

Hippolyta well knew that she and Gorgo had been close. Those two were the most conservative in their thinking among the Amazons. It didn't escape her notice that her Master of Horse wore the black cloak of mourning still for her old friend.

Hippolyta shrugged. "Diana insisted upon it, she vouched for his honor."

"No man has true honor!"

"Ah, dear friend, but you forget, this is no ordinary man! Diana claims he is from the stars, and is endowed far beyond the poor varieties of Man's World. He flies, his strength surpasses any ordinary man's, he has the power of sending fire and ice onto his enemies."

Philippus looked alarmed. "If so, then he is even more of a threat! Please, Hippolyta, reconsider! Allow my guards and I to test the powers of this 'Superman.' He cannot prevail against all the Guard, armed with the weapons from the Sacred Armory."

Hippolyta smiled. "Ah, but I have given my word to Diana, too. No, Philippus, we shall not offer him violence, his first day here. Instead, we shall give him hospitality. Present him with food and drink, and water to bathe in if he wishes."

Philippus shook her dark braids in consternation. "Oh, Hippolyta!"

"I'm surprised at you, old friend!" The Amazon Queen turned back to the window. "Have you forgotten the old wisdom," her smile turned wintry. "That it is easier to trap a wasp with honey, than with vinegar."

Thanks for reading! I seem to be on a roll right now with typing. The Amazon customs are taken from Steven Pressfield's great book "Last of the Amazons." What does the Queen have planned for Clark? How will she take Diana's revelation? Why did Lois Lane get picked to go to Themyscira? Will she dump Tyresa for one of the Amazons? When will the horror (other than mother-in-law horror) start?

All these will be revealed in the upcoming chapters! Please review as always your reviews are appreciated!