Hello all,

Here comes the twelfth entry to my Destiny tale. Amanda has a big family. They also need to be taken care of. Little Artemisia is very curious of the wide world. She goes on a mission all of her own - but she is sorely missed by her worried mother and brothers. Fortunately there are always good helpers and searchers.

All the best wishes and hopefully good reading,

/ NorthernLight

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Escape From Destiny, Part Twelve

Ecbatana 324 BC

Autumn Escapes

Artemisia loved her brothers, her father and her doting mother. All the same, it could bee too much with them all watching over the little girl. She was a curious child and she loved to go away on her own and see new things. This day was more strange than usual. Her mother Amanda had been with important patients all the day before and she was sound asleep very late in the morning. Cleitus was at his military command and he had assigned to Little Cleitus, Alex and Phai to look after their little golden haired sister.

Artemisia was a big girl now and she did not want to be looked after!

She played ever so kind for some time in the garden. Her twin brothers were together with her, playing with a leather ball. Artmisia kicked it all over the garden. Her little feet and legs were very strong. Little Cleitus was not so little anymore and he sat reading a book about Healing herbs on a wooden sofa. The ball went over the wall. Artemisia and her twin brothers went after it. The cobblestone street looked ever so enticing. It beckoned to the little girl. Quickly she ran away down the lane. The houses were ever so fine. She watched the stands, the windows, the people, the dogs and the horses. Then the city wall came before her and the strong gates. She ran through them and out on the even sturdier cobblestones on the Royal Road.

Artemisia had never been this far before. She liked the wide landscape, the meadows and the forests surrounding the city. The trees were so big and so beautifully adorned with flaming red, golden yellow and fiery orange leaves. She ran away on the Royal Road, not hearing the desperate cries of her older brothers at all.

"Mother! Mother! What shall we do? Little Artemisia has run away again! We cannot find her!"

Amanda was violently awakened from her heavy sleep. Little Cleitus stood over her and shook her. Alex and Phai were with him and helped him with the shaking.

"We were kicking the ball over the walls, then she went after it and was gone!"

Amanda cast the furs and blankets away and quickly put on her green woolen gown and cloak. They went outdoors but they could not see the little girl anywhere.

"We need more able help, "the Healer said to her sons. "Peritas and Pollux are guarding Alexander and Hephaestion. They will not leave their Masters - but we can perhaps ask Nychta and Mavra to help us. "

They went to the Royal Gardens nearby. There two enormous coal black panthers prowled around. They were just chasing after two hapless peacocks. The poor birds were plump and well fed and had great difficulties to spread their wings and fly away. At last they managed to lift and escape to safety up to a huge tree loaded with red and golden apples. There they sat screaming and cackling in an impertinent manner at their pursuers.

"Bad cats, bad cats, "Amanda called out to them. "Now you must not be naughty to the King's peacocks. You will help me to find my little girl instead!"

She held out the leather ball and a pair of Artemisia's tiny blue woolen socks. Hephaestion's faithful black panthers had been with him ever since the hard Indian campaigns. They knew Amanda and her children well. Even so they looked most reluctant to the proposed task. At long last they took a sniff on the ball ans socks. Then they disdainfully turned away and tried to climb up the apple tree instead. Amanda got very angry. Her green eyes blazed as she went after the panthers and smacked their coal black behinds.

"Bad cats! BAD cats!, "she roared at them. " Now you WILL behave and help me to find my little girl. I think that you will like to go to the other side of the city walls. When you have found Artemisia for me I will let you lose in the forest. There you will find something better than the poor peacocks to chase!"

This reward was most enticing to the panthers. They let her put black leather leashes on their diamond studded nacklaces. After this they eagerly followed the tiny but determined woman and her three boy children. They all went through a hidden portal in the Royal Gardens. They could see the Royal Road from there.

"I could see Artemisia run down that big meandering road, "Little Cleitus tod his Mother. It was the last we saw of her!"

Nychta and Mavra quickly caught the scent from the little girl. They sniffed and then started to run so very quickly that Amanda had to unleash their leather cords and let them loose. She followed them down the Royal Road, knowing that soon, very soon little Artemisia would be found.

The Archer gently patted his brave and fast paced stallion Erexsha. The big gray horse had carried him swiftly up to the north. He loved his horse and he had taken good care of him on this important mission. Arach had always lived in the south where it was warm and sunny, often even stifling. He liked the contrast of the crisp and chilly air of the north very much. It was so much easier and more pleasant to breathe and it filled his lungs and his whole body with new and well needed energy. The Persian maples and ironwood trees beckoned to him. Their flaming golden, red and orange leaves looked like precious jewels as they swirled around him.

Suddenly there was a beautiful and very strange little girl running towards him. The swirling and eddying flaming autumn leaves surrounded her like a curtain. She was dressed in a deep blue gown and sturdy little leather boots. Her hair was golden and curly and her eyes were azure blue as the autumn sky. She looked just like a little Amazon Princess.

/ Oh my, oh my, "the Archer mused to himself. "I did not know that Alexander had a daughter!" /

The little girl came up to him. Erexsha lowered his big head and gently sniffed at her curly golden hair. She patted his big muzzle and talked kindly to him.

"Good horse, good horse. You must be of the same breed as Gorgon and Megaira, you look the same as Father's and Mother's horses."

Erexsha was a dangerous stallion with a most fiery and stubborn temper. The little girl, who could not be much more than three years old must be someone very special indeed to be able to befriend him in such a close and intimate manner. The Archer bent forward and scooped her up, putting her in front of him on Erexsha's broad back.

"And who might you be, my little dear one?, "he curiously asked.

"I am Artemisia, "the little girl prudently told him. "Mother had me while picking wormwood to boil into remedies for the soldiers with belly aches. Then she named me after those Healing herbs!"

"Then you must be Amanda the Healer's daughter, "Arach replied."I knew that she had a little baby girl some time ago."

"I am not little anymore, "Artemisia corrected him. "I am a BIG girl now! Why are you here and whoever are you?"

"I am the King's friend Arach the Archer, riding towards the Rainbow City on a most important mission, "Arach told her. "King Alexander and his friend are in dire danger and I must help them! My friend Shamash the Seer has sent me."

"Oh no! Have you and Shamash had the Bad Dream, too?"

Arach knew that Amanda the Healer and all her children had the Second Sight.

"Yes, perhaps I have - but we all must do what we can to avert the Ill Omens!"

"Yes, we sure must, "the little girl answered. In saying this she looked much older than just three years.

/ "These are hard and dangerous times of dire need, "Even small children know about the Dire Omens for the King and his Chiliarch! And, the King's Healer has the strangest secrets of her own, "the Archer mused to himself." /

Two huge black panthers came running towards him. They roared and hissed when they spotted the little girl they had searched for so long. Erexsha reared up and neighed in a terrible fright. Artemisia gently patted the big stallion.

"Good horse, good horse, you must not be afraid. Nychta and Mavra are TAME panthers, just a little bigger than hose cats!"

Now Amanda and her three sons came running towards him.

"Artemisia! Whatever are you doing here? What have I told you about avoiding the company of strange men?"

"Arach the Archer is no strange man, "the little golden haired girl prudently told her worried Mother. "He is a friend of the King. He knows you, too. And look at his horse. He must be a friend to Gorgon and Megaira!"

Amanda instantly recognized the handsome Persian with his curly black hair and braided beard. There were strands of silver in it but he was still young and strong. His bow and quiver was tied to his back. They shone from fine polish and the quiver was adorned with gold and jewels.

"Yes, of course he is, "Amanda told her little wayward daughter. " Erexsha is their son!"

"Arach, I am so glad to see you, "she told her Persian friend. "It was a long time ago. My fond thanks for picking up my daugter. You are most welcome to the Rainbow City!"

"Yes, I am glad to see you, too, Amanda the Healer. We have much to talk about and much to do this autumn, "the Archer told his long time friend.

Amanda knelt before Nychta and Mavra.

"Good cats, good cats. Now you may roam the wild forest as long as you like. You need your reward for finding my little girl!"

The big black panthers stubbornly shook their heads. They knew that their Dear Master needed them since he had not been very well of late. They, too felt that something was very wrong with the health of Hephaestion.

Together they all went towards the Rainbow City. Dire Omens were at hand for King and Chiliarch and they would need all their skills and courage to avert them.

TBC

Author's note: Little Artemisia's paternity is somewhat complicated. Alexander wanted to reward her for taking very good care to him during a serious illness in the aftermath of the Jaxartes Campaign. He asked what she wanted the most and if he could grant her this boon. Amanda was too shy to tell him that she wanted a little baby girl with Alexander's golden curls and Hephaestion's blue eyes. All the same, nine months after this Campaign Amanda had her dear little baby girl...

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