Usual disclaimers apply.

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Chapter 11

"Oh for the love of the gods, not like that!" My frustration was growing as I was forced to attend school with our new village allies. Zivah and Rory were here as well but both were able to hide their frustration better than I was. I had too much of my mothers in me to keep it bottled up for long.

"Then how am I supposed to do it?" Green eyes glared at me as the girl in front of me gripped her staff tightly.

"Like this, Denali." I showed her the combination again and then nodded to her. "Together, let's go." We moved through the combination once more and I stopped to correct her as we worked. After a good twenty minutes I figured we'd try it straight through once more.

Seeing the smile on her face I nodded, "Rough, but you're getting there."

"Getting there? I worked my ass off."

"Yep," I acknowledged. "And you'll work if off even more if you want it perfect. So come on, again."

Hearing snickers I turned to Zivah and Rory. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Junior," Rory teased running out of my reach.

"Come on, I'm not that bad am I?"

Zivah nodded, "Oh yeah. It's that bad."

Denali looked at the others in the class trying the staff combination and then looked back to me, "Come on, Sam. Show me again. I want it to be perfect not some half-assed try."

"I can work with that." Moving into position the four of us finally started to work on the moves yet again.

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I snickered as the girl next to me in the tree groaned again. "Seriously Sam? How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

I shrugged, "You're not with that attitude."

"What?" Her eyes were blazing now and I smirked at her.

"Good, I've gotten you angry, use that and try again."

"Way to go, Junior," Rory teased from the ground.

"Shut up, Rhys," I volleyed back in English. "I am not that bad."

"The hell you aren't," Zivah added.

"Um, what are you guys saying?" a short brunette with short hair asked as we had easily slipped into English.

"Nothing Sofie." I sighed turning back to the girl next to me. "Come on Sadie, you can do this."

Aiming her bow once more Sadie looked at the tree opposite where we were perched. "Draw it taught, big breath, let go, and then breath." I instructed yet again.

She had just let go when I noticed a sound in the underbrush near us. "Nice shot," I complimented before flipping out of the tree and nodding imperceptibly to Zivah and Rory.

"Sam, what's wrong?" Rory asked.

"Someone is coming this way," I replied.

"Shit." Zivah joined me as well and I held up my hands to the two young Amazons with us.

Hearing footsteps yet again, a figure stumbled from the trees, and upon seeing us, smiled briefly before falling on her face. "Damn." Running to the figure I turned her over and held my surprise. "Zivah, come check her out, she's hurt badly."

"Sofie, run as fast as you can back to the village and sound the alarm. She's just a distraction. Tell my mother that Tabitha is hurt. She'll understand. Go!"

Sofie nodded and took off running as if her life depended on it. Damn it, her life probably did. I watched as Zivah began to stop the worst of Tabitha's bleeding with the first aid bag I tossed to her from my ever present satchel.

"Give Zivah your knives," I directed. "Discreetly." I kneeled down and handed Zivah the knife I usually had at my back as well as another from my satchel.

Holding my staff tightly I stiffened as I heard heavy footsteps. Rory had just given Zivah the two knives she possessed and Sadie had produced the lone boot knife she had.

"Why are we giving Zivah our knives?" Sadie asked.

"Because she's the best at throwing them," I replied.

Turning towards the oncoming footsteps I looked at Rory and then back to Zivah. "Do whatever you have to do to keep them away from her. We aren't playing." Taking a deep breath I looked at my friends. "This isn't the time to play nice. They have to be stopped."

Zivah and Rory nodded in understanding and Sadie just looked at me, mouth agape. "You mean, you want me to ….?"

"If you can't, get in the damn tree and stay out of my way," I ordered as two men emerged from the trees their swords drawn. "Two more upwind," I informed Zivah and Rory in English, "and one on each side."

"Gotcha, Junior," Zivah replied quietly making sure to tend to Tabitha but still managing to have the knives at the ready.

"Lookie what we have here, boys," the biggest man spoke first as two more men emerged from the woods upwind of us. "Three more little girls to bring us a big profit to make up for hurting this one."

"Zivah?" I asked.

"I can't tell, Sam but there's no blood that low on her body."

I said nothing else but turned to the tall man, "What do you want?"

"You and your friends, little girl."

"Sorry we don't want to go with you," I hid my nerves behind a mask of confidence.

"Well you don't have much of a choice in the matter." Pointing at me with his sword he addressed the man next to him. "Take her, Talus."

"Gladly." The man smiled and I held my grimace. Why was it all the bad guys had teeth from hell?

He came towards me and I moved to meet him. I didn't want to start the fight near Zivah and Tabitha. Rory moved to stand from the spot I was in and I wondered when it was we had automatically learned to have each other's backs without words. Sadie had jumped into the tree when I had told her to but I noticed she had her bow drawn and I hoped that she didn't hit any of us with one of her arrows.

The one called Talus reached me and made a grab which I easily side stepped using my staff to block him. "Oh this one thinks she can fight back."

"Well give her a lesson," the tall man replied relaxing as he watched.

I heard Rory let out a breath and mutter idiot under her breath as all the men relaxed thinking we'd be an easy mark.

"This is gonna be fun," Talus spoke once more and swung at me with his sword. I countered the attack with my staff and easily brought him to his knees. Kicking him in the family jewels, I then used my staff to knock him out.

"He was right that was fun," I spoke to the leader who was no longer relaxed or smiling.

He rushed at me without thinking and I let him attack easily countering his sword with my staff. "Now!" I anticipated that all the men would attack at once and wished for once that I would be wrong.

Hearing a thud behind me I managed to see that Zivah had just thrown a knife and hoped her target wouldn't be bothering us again. Rory and I fought the best we could but I lowered my guard at one point and lost my staff. Cursing myself I pulled my sword and continued to fight.

"Sam!" Rory sounded panicked and against my better judgment turned my back on the tall attacker.

Saying nothing, I did a handless cartwheel and struck the man who was on top of Rory with my sword. Hearing footsteps in the distance I pulled Rory to her feet. "Go protect Zivah and Tabitha."

Rory merely nodded limping heavily as she ran towards her sister. I heard the strike before I felt it and as always the blood allowed my anger to surface. Ignoring the pain in my shoulder I turned and sliced the man's stomach with my sword.

"Sam duck!" Hitting the ground Zivah threw her last knife and I rolled over just in time to see a large man fall to the ground clutching his throat.

Trying to relax I looked around us. In total there were six men and I reacted once more when we were surrounded again. The battle stance relaxed when I noticed my mother and Eponin. Wasting no time on pleasantries I pointed to Zivah and Tabitha. "Tabitha needs a healer right away. She's hurt badly. Zivah's stopped the worst of it."

Seeing nobody but Solari and Eponin moving Mom turned to the other Amazons with her. "What are you waiting for, get them back to the village. Move!"

"Sam you're bleeding," Mom came up next to me and surveyed the scene.

"I know, it's just a little scratch and can wait. They were after us, Mom. They hurt Tabitha to get to us."

"Any idea of who they are?" Eponin stepped forward having sent Solari back to the village with Zivah, Tabitha and Sadie.

"No, but we can find out. Are any of them alive?" Mom's voice was even, but I knew we'd be talking later.

"This one," another Amazon hauled the man I'd knocked out with my staff to his feet.

"Good." Stepping up to the man Mom glared at him. "Who sent you?"

The man was silent and Mom kneed him between the legs causing him to drop immediately. Looking down at him she asked again, "Who sent you?"

"I'm not saying."

"Ah, he speaks," Eponin quipped.

"What's your name?" Mom changed tactics and I saw the man's confusion.

"Roland."

"Well Roland, you need to tell me who sent you and why you are here. You have one last chance before I decide to change the way I question you."

"Go to Tartarus."

"I tried to do this the easy way," Mom turned to us. "You saw me try to do this the easy way." Moving towards the man she jabbed him in the neck.

"My name is Gabrielle and I learned that move from Xena. Now, unless you want to die very painfully in the next few seconds, tell me what I want to know."

The man held on for a few minutes but when the blood began to run from his nose he finally nodded, "I'll tell you."

Releasing the pinch Mom waited for half a second, "Talk."

"I was sent by slavers from the coast. They gave us the girl and told us to use her as bait for an Amazon girl named Sam."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure," the man rubbed his neck. "I only know that I was told I would curry favor with the gods the same way he would by doing this."

"Damn it." Mom turned back to me once more. "The gods again."

I shrugged, "The usual."

Mom looked around us again and shook her head, "Burn the bodies and do what you will with the prisoner."

The women nodded and Mom finally relaxed opening her arms while Eponin did the same. I flew into Mom's and was vaguely aware of Rory doing the same with Eponin. "What now?"

"We head back to the village, check on Zivah and Tabitha, get you stitched up, and then decide what to do."

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First, another shameless plug: I wanted to let folks know that the second book in the Mockingbird Chronicles is available at Stormy Night Publications, Amazon, Blushing Books, etc… The title is "The Art of Discipline: Running Toward Trouble". This book has things that were never posted to FF and Stardawn and I are happy finally share it with you. Enjoy. It is posted under the names Alexandra James and Stardawn Cabot.

Also- again- thanks to all who are still reading and enjoying this story. Hope this one is enjoyed as well.