This story will contain the following: two women as life partners and mothers, spankings to minor children, and anyone else whom the author deems needs it.
The rights of Xena, Gabrielle, Cyrene, Argo, etc. belong to REN pics and whomever else makes a profit from using them. I own nothing.
All that said, enjoy.
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Chapter 51
The problems in Kerkini had been solved quickly after Mom's arrival and the addition of her negotiating skills. Salmoneus had been overjoyed at the outcome as he was able to keep his inn and one-hundred percent of the profits as well as a stake in a future lakeside restaurant.
We had left the city sooner than I had thought we would and were once again heading back to Amazon lands. I decided to stay away from everyone, my parents included and had spent the day trying to remember any song I could and sing it in my head. When I was bored of that, I let my thoughts wander to Rhys and the fun things we had done growing up. The ache of Daria's betrayal more pronounced as I realized he never would have done that to me no matter the circumstance.
My mothers had had a long talk with me when Mom and I had first gotten there and I knew that Mama would once again try to do better. The only difference this time is that I didn't allow myself to get my hopes up on her promise. That way, I told myself, I wouldn't be hurt as much when she let me down once more.
We were moving at a fast clip and I noticed Mama and Mom silently communicating as we traveled. I wondered what they were up to and then dismissed it focusing once more on my own thoughts and blocking out the incessant chattering of the Amazons around me.
We had been riding for almost two hours and I figured we'd be stopping for a break soon. Noticing that Mama had slowed Argo and Mom followed suit, I did the same with Mavri and put my free hand on my staff. Something wasn't right and my senses were immediately on high alert. Feeling someone come up next to me I glanced sideways and sighed.
"Sam, what's going on?" Daria had known me long enough, and had spent enough time camping with me and my parents to know that something was off.
"Just get ready for anything," I hissed as Mama stopped Argo and put her fist up causing everyone to go silent as they stopped.
The air changed and I followed Mama and Mom's lead automatically. Pulling my staff from its holder I made sure I was secure in Mavri's saddle as my gut told us we had been surrounded. The young warriors were shifting in their saddles obviously confused while Daria followed me and made sure she held one of her chobos tightly in her hand as you would a club while she, too, remained on horseback.
Mama's sword came from its sheath and then the others reacted. The sound of swords leaving protective cover seemed deafening and yet Mom remained seated seemingly unarmed next to Mama and I marveled at the trust my mothers shared in each other.
"Sam?" Daria whispered.
"Three to our left, four to our right, two behind, and I'm not sure how many in front of Mama and Mom," I hissed back.
Finally seeing movement through the trees I waited taking my cues without thought or question from my parents. "You might as well come out," Mama finally called. "I'm not big on playing games."
"And we aren't big on playing them," a low voice responded as three men moved into sight in front of Mom and Mama.
"Then you might as well have the rest of your men show themselves," Mama growled. "Otherwise I might think you wanted to play."
"Oh, I do," the man held a broadsword confidently. "I just want to play something a bit more fun, starting with those two, I think," he said pointing to Daria and me.
"Sorry, we don't play well with others," I commented.
"Oh, look, fellows, the little one will be fun to break," another man spoke as he stepped forward and I held my staff tighter.
"This little one is going to kick your ass," I growled before Mama or Mom could comment.
Camilla turned to me and I saw the fear in her eyes at that moment. It was something that I did not possess in the same way. I was cautious and knew I needed to anticipate the moves of our attackers. I also had complete confidence in my parents despite how upset I was with them at the moment.
Sensing the shift in the air I braced myself as the men attacked and Mama and Mom began our defense. Flipping from Argo over the ring leader's head, Mama never hesitated on turning her back on the others knowing that Mom would be there to defend her. Hearing steel on steel I watched Mom for a moment as her sais set her nickname before turning my attention to the men that had come towards Daria and me.
Whistling, Mavri reared and came down, hooves crashing on one of the men. I saw two men pull Daria off her horse and ignoring the rest of the Amazons battling around me flipped off Mavri and began to cover Daria's back without thought. The other Amazons were fighting to the best of their abilities and as I managed to get the first attacker off Daria I sensed something more sinister than a band of men simply wanting to take their way with a bunch of women.
Helping Daria to her feet, she finally held both chobos and joined the fray as I threw my boot dagger past her, hitting a man with Camilla over his shoulder. He dropped her and Mom finished him off quickly. Hearing Mama's familiar battle cry the rest of the fighting was over quickly and the survivors of the attack ran into the woods as fast as they could.
"Mount up and fall out," Mama directed. "We need to put as much space between us as quickly as possible."
"But we can't, I mean…" Merri looked around at our group. "We have wounded, Xena."
"I know that, but no wounds are life threatening and this is an order. Mount up and move out, now." Mama's voice was like ice and I helped Daria on her horse before I mounted Mavri.
"Sam, Daria, fall into the middle," Mom commanded and we did so as our group moved out as fast as possible.
We rode in silence for the next half hour before we finally stopped. "We'll rest here and tend our wounded. Then we'll continue on for another candlemark or so before stopping for the night," Mom directed.
"Sam, secure the perimeter with Merri," Mama directed as she went one way and I walked over to Merri.
"You ready?"
The woman nodded, "You know how to do this?"
I also nodded. "She wouldn't have told me to do it if I didn't know how," I responded. "Come on, we need to set up a defense in case we're being followed."
"I am aware of that, child," Merri answered.
"Then why are we standing here instead of what we need to be doing?" I demanded heading into the surrounding woods with the expectation that the woman would follow.
Entering camp again, I saw Mama and Mom tending to the three girls that were wounded. "The perimeter is secure, but there's an easy area for them to breech to our southwest."
"We laid snares and warnings," Merri added.
"Good," Mom stood and came towards us. "Merri, I need you to stand guard with the girls that aren't wounded." The woman nodded and gathered her small group moving to the edge of the camp perimeter.
"Sam, take care of Daria," Mom put her hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes. "I think that run-in scared her more than she's willing to admit. We need her at a hundred percent."
I nodded and moved to sit by Daria. Taking a piece of ground next to her, I pulled out one of Mama's granola bars and split it in two. Handing her half, I bit into mine, waiting.
"I think he would have taken me right there, Sam. In the middle of battle if he could have."
"But he didn't," I sighed. Almost being violated in the middle of a battle was not something I'd ever have to worry about in the future, but thanks to a long talk from Mama and Mom after my twelfth birthday I knew that I needed to be wary here. I suppose I would have had to have been wary in the future as well, but at a different level.
"No, he didn't, but he could have. Sam, I'm an Amazon warrior in training and I couldn't even fight him off. I was so scared and he had knocked the wind out of me, I couldn't fight back."
"You would have," I assured her. "You just needed to catch your breath. Besides, you survived and he didn't do anything to you. If it ever happens again, you'll be able to react without thinking and just take your attacker out."
"How are you not afraid?" The flecks of gold in her hazel eyes seemed more pronounced and I took a deep breath.
"I am afraid, Daria."
"But you never seem afraid in battle, Sam. It's as if you enjoy the fight and welcome it."
"It's different for me, Daria." I tried to explain. "I trust my mothers with my life. If they're in the battle, I'm afraid, but more in the way of being cautious, of not taking undue risks. I know they'd give their lives for me without thought. But you're right, it's more than that.
"I love the anger I can feel in a battle, it guides me and helps me to focus. The rush you get from fighting and defeating your enemy is like something you don't feel any other way. I welcome the challenge of the fight for those reasons, but I know I need to keep my anger, my enjoyment contained as well. I don't need Ares showing any more interest in me than he already does."
"Was Xena really Ares chosen?" I had waited for someone to ask the question and wasn't surprised that it had been Daria.
"Yes, but not in the way most people think. She already had the raw talent in battle. She worked on that, she had to when Cortese attacked her village. Ares was drawn to that raw talent, to the fire she already possessed."
"Is he like that with you?"
I nodded, "Yeah, he knows he's lost her forever and I think he hopes that one day I'll turn to him as well."
"Would you?"
I shook my head, "No, the price is too high."
"Even if you lost everything?"
"I'll never lose everything, not like Mama did."
"How can you be so sure?" Daria squeezed my hand as she looked at me.
"Simple, I am my mothers' daughter," I replied before helping Daria to her feet. "Come on, we'll be moving out soon and we need to stick together."
"Do you think those men will attack again?"
"I don't know, I only know that Mom and Mama haven't relaxed at all and Argo and Mavri are jumpy. I don't like it."
"That special warrior sense of yours?" Daria teased.
"Yeah," I gave her a half smile and started to move away only to be stopped by her hand on my arm.
"Sam, I'm sorry I wasn't a better friend to you. I should have stopped the girls from teasing you or walked away when they talked like that."
"Thanks." My smile was full this time, though brief. "Time to head out," I reminded her as we finally mounted our horses once more and followed Mama and Mom closer to our lands.
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My mothers had us ride another two hours before finally allowing us to stop for the night. There was just enough light left for us to set up camp and disperse to catch game after our perimeter security was set.
After dismounting, I grabbed my bow and arrows and set Daria the task of taking care of the horses with one of the girls who had been slightly hurt. I knew Daria wasn't ready for leaving the safety of the camp and I needed to feel useful.
"Camilla, Lou come on," I directed after getting a nod of approval from Mama.
"What are you talking about?" Camilla demanded as Mama headed into the woods with Merri to set up our perimeter.
"We need to catch some game if we want to eat tonight and you two are the best hunters. Let's go," I directed.
"Fine, we'll go without you," Lou retorted.
"You'll come with me or I'll go alone," I responded. "We don't have time for your crap. Now, join me or stay here and explain to the queen why I'm out in the woods alone."
Huffing, the girls finally grabbed their bows and arrows and followed me into the woods. Stopping in a small clearing, I listened briefly before setting my arrow and letting it fly before the other girls were even ready. Moving to the rabbit I'd gotten, I made a quick job of dispatching him and putting him into the basket I'd brought with me.
"How did you?" Camille looked at me in disbelief. "Sam, how did you know he was there?"
"Wind shifted," I replied. "Come on, if we work together we can get enough meat for the rest of the trip home."
"Hera's left tit!" Lou shook her head as I kneeled on the ground.
"Come on, you two, help me butcher this thing will you?" I asked as I unrolled my cutting knives and began to butcher the deer in front of us.
"I still can't believe we bagged a deer, alone," Camilla mumbled kneeling next to me. "But how are we going to get it back to camp? We don't have enough bags."
I shook my head, "Haven't you ever had survival training?"
"Survival training?" Lou asked as she helped skin the animal.
"Yeah, living off the land. Going into the wilderness with next to nothing and making do with what you have at hand or find. "I'd think you'd have been taught to make baskets to carry meat or other provisions in when you don't have the supplies needed," I continued my task as the teens fell silent.
"Sam?"
"Yeah, Camilla?"
"How did you learn all this stuff? I mean, we've both been on hunting trips, overnight camping outings, survival training…"
"But nothing in our training has been half this hard," Lou interrupted wiping her hands off on a linen rag.
Stopping the breaking down of the deer for a moment I looked at both girls and for the first time didn't see anything but honesty. "Let's just say my mothers are pretty hard to please at times. When Xena tells you she's proud of you, it's not for something as easy as bringing down a rabbit. It's because you've learned her lessons well and used them."
"And the queen?" Lou asked cautiously.
"She's a bit easier to please, but still expects your best at all times. She and my mother have gone through too much not to expect others to do everything they can to succeed when they are capable of success." Looking at the sky I sighed. "Come on, we need to get the baskets made and roll up the hide."
"We're taking the hide with us?" Camilla slowly stood and followed me to a young tree.
I nodded, "We could use it and we don't want to leave much of a trace behind in case we're being followed." I picked some whippy branches and began to cut them off motioning for the girls to do the same. I then taught them to make baskets the same way I had taught Daria.
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We entered camp about thirty minutes before sunset and I moved from the girls as they happily showed off the kill and deer hide.
"Seriously, Sam, a buck?" Daria questioned.
I smirked and shrugged flopping onto my bedroll which she had placed next to hers. "Why not? We need the meat and the hide will come in handy."
Feeling a hand on my shoulder I looked up just in time to see Mama smile at me, "Nice job, little one."
"Thanks, Mama."
Squatting down next to me she smiled at me gently, "I don't think we're being followed, but be ready tonight, just in case."
Nodding, I smiled again as she tugged my braid before standing and crossing the camp to sit near the fire and begin the sharpening of her sword while Mom finished dinner.
I was finishing up my stew when Mom sat next to me with her bowl. "You did a nice job today, Sammy."
"Thanks, Mom," I returned my focus to my food and waited.
"We're going to be moving hard and fast tomorrow," Mom finally began. "I know it's hard, but you may have to help the others the same way you did today. They're going to find out what your Mama and I truly expect."
"And you think they'll just listen to me and allow me to give them advice?" I asked quietly.
"They did today," Mom tapped my knee. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be eating so well, would we?" Saying no more she rose and joined Mama at the edge of the fire.
