Here's the next chapter!!! I am incredibly glad ya'll enjoying this story! I am having so much fun writing it. Anyways here's the next chapter, for the second half it might get a little too hot, so I apologize in advance for any offense it might cause. I am not going to change the rating of the story because I don't consider it a big deal :"), Anyways I hope ya'll enjoy it and let me know what ya think :")

The festival would soon see its finale. It appeared that I had spent every second of it with Brennus. Because all were at the festivals it was not as busy in the inn as usual, and after dinner every evening almost all went to join the harvest festivities. Alana, Dea and I too, went every evening to enjoy a spirit-lifting Thebes. And during every night of the past weeks we would come across Brennus and as if it were magic of the gods Alana and Dea would disappear not to be found till the night's end. This evening proved no different.

I had discovered much about Brennus, and he about me. He told me of the many lands he traveled, the many adventures he claimed and the many difficulties he endured. I told him of my homeland, of the warrior-women, of my mother. I spoke to him of the life I led as a priestess in the temple of Athena. And of the war that had ended it all. But I did not tell him of the demented God that looked so much like him.

I lived more during these past weeks and with this strange man than I had my entire life. We had danced together, our bodies moving together at the rhythm of the music, I had watch him join the games and cheered for him as he had for me when I also joined. We laughed, we celebrated and we even grieved together for the tragedies in our lives.

What was stranger yet was that I enjoyed spending each evening with him. I enjoyed a many things that I would have no care confessing aloud. He was beautiful yes. And I enjoyed his every glory, the way his hair shone like golden fire under the sun, his emerald eyes, greener still when he was amused, the small freckles spread like golden dust across his nose, shoulders and arms. The strong and grand muscle beneath his youth-taunt skin. I became fascinated with his very voice. But I would not admit it to him or anyone else. For he was a weakness that in past times I would have never alowed myself to have.

"Those damned barbarians have taken our women too, look at that one, thinks he can touch her." The drunk said to his friends.

Brennus and I were walking through the darken streets when we came upon a group of drunks. They blocked our way, holding bottles and mugs in their hands. Brennus was close to moving onto them. I placed a hand on his arm and held him back a bit.

"Pardon us good sir." They would not move.

Instead one of them reached forward and placed an arm around my waist. I tried to shrug him off, but the drunk was persistent and though I knew I could easily get rid of him, I did not wish to harm someone on this happy evening, despite how deserving they were. But Brennus it seemed was not in the same mentality as I was, for he punched the drunk, barely missing me. When the arms around my waist went slack I quickly moved out of the way.

Thou there were half a dozen of them, Brennus was at an advantage for he was not drunk. I stood there and let them fight, Brennus even got a bottle to his head and a broken lip and I though that was enough punishment for almost hitting me too. That's when I intervene and I literally had to drag him away from the fight before he decided to inflict more pain upon helpless drunks.

We walked to the coast, ignoring the many curious stares along the way.

When we reached the beach he sat down on the sand, his feet almost touching the rising waves. He sat there with a smug smile upon his face. He seemed not the least bit bothered by the blood swelling from the cut above his brow or his broken lip. I shook my head at him and he only smiled, all the brighter.

I took off my sandals, for there was sand already on my foot and sat next to him.

"Are you going to clean the blood from your face or shall I do it for you?" My voice portrayed mock anger.

"Do it for me?" His voice was soft and amused.

"Break a piece of your toga and I'll do it for you, I have no intention of using mine." He did just that, he ripped a piece from the hem of him toga and handed it to me.

I leaned in to him and began working to remove the blood from his face. The cut was shallow and as soon as the blood was cleaned it's appearance improved. When I moved to his lips, I placed the cloth gently on the corner where it was bloody. His lips looked soft and full, so surprising when the rest of his features were sharp and angular. I had the urge to lean in and see if his lips felt as soft on mine as they did under my fingers.

I quickly finished cleaning his wounds and leaned back, away from him.

"'Tis more wine, you've got there?" I asked Brennus, pointing

"Nay, I've got more ale." He raised his mug of ale to me. His eyes were bright and his skin glowed silver under the pale light of the moon. I had not realized his hard-found ale had been un-spilt during the brawl.

"That's a barbarian drink." I chided in mock disdain.

"Not all things barbarian are bad." His words held a hidden meaning only obvious in his smile. "'Tis not so bad. Try it." I took his mug and brought it to my lips. The taste was strange, both sweet and sour, it was difficult to explain. It felt as if my blood warmed with each sip.

"I concede, 'tis not so bad." I agreed. I handed him the empty mug.

"You owe me, wench." He smiled brilliantly at me.

"Fear not, Warrior, I pay."

"Kiss me and the debt is void." His eyes were daring me, to place my lips over his.

I did just that. Perhaps it was the drowsy unreal feeling of the earlier wine in my head, or the night, or perhaps the air itself. I had never wanted a man in my life, but I knew now what want was. Everything together made me follow this want.

I leaned into him and smiled. I traced his cheek with my finders. Then his lips. His skin was cool to the touch. I leaned into him and placed a small chaste kiss on his lips. His lips were cool against mine. I had though the kiss had ended there, but I was surely mistaken. For his large hands circled my waist and he brought me to him, straddling him. One of his hands went to the back head, keeping me where he wanted.

The look in his eyes had changed. The seemed brighter, greener. There was a strange look in his eyes, one of awe and then of lust. He leaned to place another kiss on me. His lips met mine again, but the kiss was no longer chaste. His lips met mine, and it was a battle of lust. My hands went to his face, his shoulders, his chest. I could not distinguish my mouth from his, my body from his. I moaned against his lips.

"Perhaps brute force was not the answer." He whispered in my ear when we finally pulled away.

"It's never the answer." I replied, remembering Ares.

"BRENNUS!, LIAH!" I could hear Dea calling us.

A strange look passed through Brennus' eyes at hearing her voice. His eyes changed again and there was an irritated look on his eyes, his hand tightened on my waist, possessive and almost bruising.

He brought his lips upon mine again. And I could not stop myself from kissing him with as much passion as I had before. Something about him made me want to ruin myself.

"Let us go." I whispered in his ear.

* * *

And we went to his house nearly half a league away from the coast Thebes. The house was large, well adorned with riches from far lands. For a second I wondered how a soldier could afford such commodities. But only for a second, for the rest of me was much too occupied with a man. We had arrived to his house between stops of kisses and gropes. The heat ran high between us that night.

I did not see much of his house for I was too busy with him. We made it to his sleeping chamber, just as large and as grand as the rest of the house.

We fell on the bed, his body over mine. My hands tugged at his toga, and he removed, bringing it over his head. Soon he stood completely nude above me. His body was beautiful, as defined as any of athletes of Greece and as powerful as a soldier. It made me realize why the amazons went to 'mingle' with men every year.

"Are you certain of this?" He whispered in my ear.

"Yes." I replied. My body burned for his touch and for his body, in a way I never knew It could do so. He helped me remove my robe and there was not a greater feeling than his cool skin against my burning one.

"Are you certain?" He whispered again in my ear. I though then that though he looked much like Ares he was very different. I did not think Ares would ever ask for my permission in joining.

"Yes." I said again, smoothing my hand along his back in encouragement.

He needed not another word for he entered me completely. A hoarse sound escaped my lips as pain tore through me, and my hands tighten into fist, grasping the soft sheets beneath me. I had heard of the pain of the first time, but hearing and feeling were two different things. Brennus lifted himself off me enough for me to see his beautiful face above me.

"Do you wish me to stop?" His eyes said he did not want to stop, yet there was undeniable concern there.

"No." My voice was breathless and I was almost gasping for air.

It was a difficult night. For I wished to find the pleasures of my body with a man, with him. But my untouched body made it difficult. The beginning was most painful, almost I whimpered and gasped plenty of times. I could see that he held himself back with incredible effort. His hands were tight against my thigh, against my hips. Yet he took it slow until the pain faded. I had to force him then to release control and when he did, we burned bright. We lost ourselves in our skin, in the wonder that was our bodies. We became one.

I though of a goddess that I had once disdained.

Make love not war. she had said.

I realized then that the art of love was just as grand as that of war.

I hope you enjoyed it!! Let me know what you think :")