Amazon | Twenty Four
She made her way to the waiting men; she smiled tightly and rubbed her hands together. Bastian jumped down from his horse and made his way towards her, his long legs taking up a lot of space as he reached her. Rhea rubbed her hands together as Bastian stopped in front of her, "Have they arrived?"
"By now I hope so," Rhea looked up to the sky and noticed the sun was nearing the middle of the sky, "Should we rest and eat?"
"That would be best," Bastian rubbed the armour over his stomach; he was beginning to grow hungry.
They made their way to a clearing and the men all relaxed. It had been tense with the Amazons; they all seemed to find a way to relax without being on guard. Rhea supposed it was because they were perhaps worried a number of the women would attack them, Rhea only hoped that none of the Amazon women came after them because it would not end prettily.
She sat beside Achilios and laid her hand on the boys shoulder, he lifted his head lightly. He was digging a stick into the ground and stabbing it every now and then. "Do you miss Marcellina?"
"Yes," He rubbed his cheek only to get it smothered in dirt.
Rhea licked her thumb and rubbed his cheek, cleaning away the dirt he had smudged on it. "Do not worry my little warrior," she touched his cheek lightly, "You will see her again."
"How do you know that mother?" Rhea's heart clenched as she leaned back in shock, he had called her mother? "Um Rhea," Achilios amended.
"No," Rhea reached out and held his cheeks as he tried to pull away. "I am your mother Achilios." She leaned away and dropped her hands from his thinning cheeks; he was becoming a little man. "But you will see Marcellina again; I know this to be true."
"How?" Achilios asked her suspiciously.
"We are coming into curious times," Rhea sighed, "I believe the Romans will win this battle with Greece and we will fall under their empire."
"But she is related to the Emperor!" Achilios cried, "If we become farmers how will I ever see my friend?"
"The Gods and Fates love to play with our lives," Rhea looked down at her hands, "They have lived for thousands of years, they have grown bored over time." Rhea couldn't help but smiled, "It is perhaps why my life has been so entwined with Bastian's, why I love him so." She looked at Achilios who was looking up at her with such innocence it made her heart squeeze, "You will see her again; I know this to be true."
"I believe you mother," Achilios through his arms around her shoulders and she hugged him close to her.
Someone cleared their throat, "I'm sorry Rhea, Achilios," a young soldier avoided looking at the both of them. "Commander Bastian needs to see you," Rhea knew that Bastian was not a Commander, perhaps the soldiers wished to call him that. Although, perhaps Elias had promoted him when they had left, it sounded possible. Bastian had all the capabilities and intelligence to handle such a role.
Rhea stood up and Achilios followed, "Wait here Achilios." She kissed the boy's forehead and began to make her way towards Bastian. He was standing with a piece of parchment in his hand; a person was already riding off away from them. She moved toward Bastian and touched his arm delicately, trying to show him the support a wife should show her husband, "What has happened Bastian?"
"My brother..." Bastian frowned, "Deacon has left with a few of his men, and he has given up his rank." He looked down at Rhea and smiled slightly though his smile looked heart, "I have been promoted to Commander."
"Is that not good?" She asked quietly.
"I do not know," he rubbed his face and shook his head, "I can only wonder what my brother is doing."
"Do not," she answered sharply, "Do not worry or wonder about your brother. He is perhaps on his way towards Anthea, he has probably missed her." Rhea felt like she was lying to Bastian, Deacon would never miss the wife he did not seem happy to be married too. "Be happy about your promotion, it is something that you never thought you would have achieved. I am proud of you."
"I love you," Bastian replied softly and kissed her.
"I believed I love you too," she answered and held his hand loosely in her own.
They were both quiet and in their own little world, Rhea was wrapped in his arms with her head tucked under his chin. They were quiet as the men moved around them, she heard the sound of footsteps and she turned her head. Achilios was standing a little way from them and she pulled away from Bastian, opening up her arm to pull the little boy into her own arms.
She squeezed him tightly as he closed his eyes and pressed his face into her body. They stood there like a small family, giving each other the support they needed. Rhea looked up at Bastian and she had never seen him look happier. She could not help but think about the relief she now felt, she had never had such a loving family and she hoped she could be a dutiful wife and a good mother to Achilios.
"Commander," they were interrupted by a sharp voice and Bastian pulled away from them both.
"Go head to the horses," Bastian kissed Rhea's forehead as he spoke to them both, "We will be leaving for Athens soon."
Rhea wanted to ask him if they would still possibly get the farm Bastian had talked to her about. But she knew now was not the time, they would head to Athens to be married in front of his family – she knew that. So she began to steer Achilios toward the horses and she helped the boy up onto his horse. It wasn't until she heard a loud cry and the clang of metal that she turned.
Horsemen jumped out of the forest and began to slaughter their unprepared men; she turned her wide panicked gaze to Achilios. "Run!" She begged him and smacked the rump of the horse. The horse then darted off down the road towards Athens, Rhea hurried over to the other horses and grabbed out the nearest sword, it was heavy but she needed to fight these men.
She hurried toward the fight and found herself surrounded by death. Men from her side and men from the opposing side were dying quickly. She looked around, worried she'd find the dead body of Bastian. A man came charging towards her and she threw up her sword, cutting into his throat and cringing as he dropped, blood squirting out of the large veins on the side of his neck.
Running passed the man she stood on the edge of the circle, dropping her sword as two men grabbed her and held their swords to her throat. She held her hands up as her eyes darted to look at the men of Bastian's that had been forced to their knees. Bastian stood in the middle of the circle, he held his sword tightly and his jaw was clenched, he looked tense with anger.
She then turned her attention to the other man who held a sword and was walking casually over to Bastian. She gasped and had to refrain from running forward to stop him. She couldn't believe Deacon had done this, had he not gone back to Athens? Rhea's head hurt as she stared in horror at the scene that was beginning to play out in front of her.
It was brother against brother; their family was going to be torn apart. Rhea was terrified; his father would be angry and if they both died Rhea would not know how to live with herself. Deacon had also just had a son; his wife was in Athens looking after the little boy that he was going to disappoint. She hated the scene in front of her, it angered her, and how could Deacon be so selfish and cruel?
"It's nice to see you brother," Deacon's voice was a taunt, "It seems as if you have gotten rid of the Amazons, did you kill them like I wanted?"
"No," Bastian spat at his brother, "I could never be so cruel."
"That's what made you so pathetic," Deacon sneered, "Always so weak and not wanting to harm others. Always falling in love with the wrong woman, like her," he pointed his sword at Rhea and her eyes met Deacon's. "It wasn't like she was going to stay and marry you Bastian, you would sleep with her and she would fall pregnant with a daughter. Once the girl was born you'd never see either of them ever again, she's an Amazon who would only hurt you." Deacon grinned maliciously, "She deserves to die."
"She doesn't!" Bastian cried, "Leave her out of this Deacon, this is between the two of us!"
"Then fight me," Deacon turned to look at his brother with a cruel smirk on his face, "Or are you too weak to do it?"
"Fine," Bastian straightened his back, "But you must agree to make your men back off."
"Of course," Deacon answered coolly and took his fighting stance, "But none of your people can escape."
Bastian's eyes met Rhea's eyes over the swords that were at her throat, "They will not." They both got into their fighting positions and Rhea watched as Deacon began to swing at Bastian. Bastian countered his attacks with his own sword. Rhea was on edge as she watched them fight; she cringed as Deacon's sword sung across Bastian's thigh and caused a line of blood on his skin.
Rhea gulped as she watched her future husband fight his brother. She turned her head slightly as she noticed Achilios sneaking behind the horses. Her eyes widened and she began to push her hands at him, wanting him to run and hide. But the boy snuck closer to look at the fight, Rhea could only hope that he did not come any closer because she didn't want him to be caught in the danger.
She heard a cry and her head swung back to look at Bastian who was lying on the ground. Deacon was standing over her and she hissed, "Ouch." She covered her throat with her hand and pulled her hand away looking at the blood that covered her hands. She had nicked herself against one of the swords.
Bastian looked up at her with worry and she didn't want him to be distracted by her pain. She bit her lip as Deacon stood over Bastian, "You're so pathetic."
Bastian looked up at his brother and swung his sword, burying it deep in Deacon's stomach. Deacon coughed and gasped, none of them moved as blood poured out of Deacon's wound and mouth, pouring over his armour. Rhea watched as Deacon fell to his knees, he gripped Bastian's shoulders as Bastian began to rise. They looked each other right in the eye until Deacon fell to the side – dead.
Rhea's heart pounded in her chest as Bastian rose to his feet, he staggered a little, tired from the fight. Rhea watched as Bastian as he held his sword out. "Everyone who was with my brother will come with us," he looked down at his brother, "We will be taking my brother's body back to Athens. Everyone will know the betrayal I faced today."
They packed up and slowly began to make their way to Athens, Deacon's body was wrapped in sheets and Bastian became distant. Rhea did not know how to approach him, she tried but he brushed her off. It seemed everything was changing, perhaps her story with Bastian was ending, and maybe she did need to go back to the Amazons. But she loved Bastian, she couldn't leave him.