Chapter 3

Melosa's POV

"Hello, Girls." I said.

"Hello, Queen Melosa." Kara said she wheezed slightly. She was sickly she always had been Its most likely why she was abandoned here, my old friend and teacher Eugenia loved her so.

"Kara are you alright?" I asked. "Do you need your Mama?"

"No, My queen just needed to catch my breath." The rest of the afternoon was uneventful. Lila seemed to be having a good time. The next day I arranged for Eugenia to dismiss all classes, I took Lila to see her.

"Eugenia, it is good to see you, old friend."

"Good to see you, my Queen. So this is the newest Princess." Lila hid behind me. I pulled her in front of me.

"This is her, this is Lila. Her knowledge needs to be tested. I'll leave you to it." I go to leave.

"Stay please." Lila said in a small voice.

I stayed until Lila finished her tests she was smart and well educated for a girl her age, of course her knowledge of Amazon History and Battle strategy was lacking. But the fundamentals were there. After that I let her go off and climb trees with the other children her age as part of their training Solari would conduct a staff lesson after that.

"go ahead dear heart, climbing trees isn't just a childish game here it's an important life skill, you go with your friends….tree climbing and the Staff lessons that follow are important go ahead…." She ran off after Kara and Helena. ith them, I want you to learn too." I ruffled her hair and she ran off with Kara and Helena. I smiled glad she was making friends. I found Gabrielle, she was on a practice field, she and Xena were fighting with the Chobos, while Eponin barked out instructions. It was obvious Xena was holding back, and Gabrielle was still learning the weapon. Xena knocked her on her ass. Then helped her up.

"Is this really necessary?" Gabrielle whined I chose to ignore the tone.

"Yes it is, you will spend your time here, learning new skills and being tested on them." I said "

"Xena has already taught me much, Sister." Gabrielle said respectfully.

"Good but I want you to be able to handle yourself in any situation outside this tribe, Xena has and will teach you much, together she and Eponin will prepare you will pass every test for your age group, before you are allowed to leave. So You will have the foundations of a Student Warrior, before you are allowed to leave as Xena's student."

"Yes, Melosa, I understand." Gabrielle said. "I know you only want to protect me….."

"It's true I care about you as if you're my true sister, because now you are….but it's more than that I want you to succeed me as Queen, you'll make a good leader for our people Gabrielle. You have a good heart Gabrielle, the best I've ever seen, you're a true Amazons even if you weren't born to us. and plainly put I think you'd make the best person to take over for me when I die. Especially with you learning from Xena, but I also want you learning from the women of this tribe, we have things to teach you just as important as Xena does, now do as you're told…."

"Yes, Melosa."

Lila's POV

After climbing trees with Kara, and Helena, and a few other girls my age. Solari taught us staffs, there were extras until I could get a staff of my own. I learned the basics, and it was lots of fun. But it seemed a bit dangerous, Melosa was there and she watched. I learned a lot, and I even got a few hits on Kara.

"Very good, very good, everyone…" She said. I ran up to Solari and Melosa.

"So, How'd I do?"

"Very well, Princess for your first try. You have the basics down,"

"Gabby had me practice those with her staff on the way here…."

"Good, now I'll get you your own staff, tonight or tomorrow….." Melosa said, and she took my hand. We walked back to the Queen's personal hut which is different from her official hut, "Did you have fun today?"

"yeah, Kara and Helena are my new friends…."

"That's great, Child."

"I never really had friends, before first because my father wouldn't allow it, and then after my parents died I was living with Makis he was the village outcast he was the one who taught Gabrielle, how to read, write, about the Gods, and Sums and such, He had a small farm, he keeps running, and he used to be a teacher and a scholar, he's old and bit of a drunk, but not a drunk like father he was just a little colorful, not abusive and he'll still teach anyone who shows up to him, anyone who asks, I didn't ask until my parents died and I went to live with him, but Gabrielle did, she learned from him for years, she was always so curious, always wanting to learn…"

"And you didn't?"

"Gabrielle, got hit a lot of times for going to Makis, Gabrielle didn't think it was safe for me to go she taught me what she learned there and then when she left to go with Xena Father was worse, I didn't think it was safe. I didn't either after she left."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that little sister, no one will beat you here, and when you are punished physically you will never be punished in anger. There is a difference, between punishing a child in anger, or beating them ust because you can and punishing a child to help them learn and grow."

"I know that, Melosa, I just haven't much experience with people who were just trying to help me learn and grow, it was always in anger, and often times it wasn't even a punishment it was just a beating for no reason at all."

Melosa sighed. "that won't happen here….You're safe from that here. I won't say that life here is easy or completely safe but we do our best to give our children a childhood….."

"good to know…."

The next few days passed quickly, Gabrielle was going through special training so she's be more prepared on the road, I went to school. And I went to staff lessons and Melosa gave me my own staff, it was her first staff. Everyone was really impressed by that. Solari was impressed by how quickly was learning the staff combinations. At the evening meal Melosa and I ate at the royal table, Xena and Gabrielle and came in, Gabrielle looked exhausted, but ate like usual, We all eat together, talking, about our days.

The next day was school, my first official day. I went to school after breakfast in the dining hut, Eugenia seemed strict but fair I worried about Gabrielle they were going out into the woods today. I made more friends today Candice, and some older girls. After School, school, we have warrior lessons, today is hide and seek it's much more involved than the version we played in Potidaea but it's also a lot more fun. It's my age group against the older age group. We should be losing but we're holding our own, we're not winning by any means we're not definitely not losing. In the end we do lose but we put up one hell of a fight, Solari is proud of us. After we releases us me and my friends climb trees for awhile, then I go to dinner with Melosa. We talk about my day, and then we practice my staff moves before bed.

Melosa's POV

Gabrielle, Xena and Lila have been here 6 weeks it's time for Xena and Gabrielle to leave again, Gabrielle has learned all she can, and Lila needs to settle into Amazon life without her big sister leaning over her shoulder.