Castlewarming Chapters 151-160
by Hercules Forum Collective
Chapter 151
by Eeyoraus
Aquillea, who had been sent into the woods to investigate the explosions,
was walking back towards the tent to let her leader know what had happened.
Her apprehensive feelings mounted with every step. She felt sure the stone
would bring them trouble.
She called and Kendaa appeared, followed closely by the soldier king,
Iphicles, who was really beginning to get on her nerves.
"Report!" the Amazon leader respectfully demanded.
"I must speak to you in private" Aquillea gestured away from the king and
onlookers.
"Report!" demanded Iphicles
"This is my warrior. She reports to me!" Kendaa spat.
"This is my war!" roared the king.
"Why you...pompous...
"Excuse me." Aquillea tried to interrupt.
"arrogant...
"EXCUSE ME." The dark amazon raised her volume to be heard.
"How dare you speak to me, a king, in that...you uncivilized...."
"Would you two PLEASE knock it OFF!" Aquillea finally made herself heard,
pushing her way between the now nose to nose leaders." Your majesty, With
all due respect..."she started, feigning sincerity
At that Kendaa let out an "Oomph"
The more composed warrior continued" As I was saying, with all due respect,
a private matter concerning only Amazons has arisen." She knew she was
lying, the stone could concern anyone near it, but she knew that the fewer
people she told the less danger it would bring with it.
Ithacus and Eeyoraus had paused their courting just long enough to hear the
report and both were entertained by the feuding leaders, apparently for
different reasons.
"OOoooh! This ones gonna be really hot!" Eeyoraus cooed
"Yes. If those two come to blows, I don't know who I'd put my money on."
The second in command answered.
"No, silly. Don't you see? They want each other....*bad*. If they let their
true emotions show right now, that's when someone could get hurt."
He looked at his strange and exciting interest with utter astonishment.
"NO!" he exclaimed
Of course she was right. In these, perhaps only these, matters she was
always right.
Then the strangest thought hit her. "You know who he looks like?"
Aquillea was feeling rather agitated but concentrated on appearing calm and
courteous. The two women stared silently at King Iphicles who, knowing how
stubborn Amazons could be, grudgingly relented, and approached his
guardsman.
Kendaa turned to her new warrior. "So?"
"Can't verify it, but Gabrielle thinks Strife and Discord are using each
other for target practice."
The Amazon leader raised an eyebrow asking, "Strife and Discord are private
Amazon business?"
"Not exactly," Aquillea replied shaking her head almost imperceptibly, then
explaining in brief why it was likely that Xena's friend was right. Arkie
had found the Chronos stone, no doubt the object of the gods' disaffection.
The teacher had given the stone to Aquillea who had in turn entrusted it to
Maddie. "She'll have Autolycus check it out . make sure it's the real deal.
Then we can turn it back over to Hades."
"I see," said Kendaa. "How many people know about the stone?"
"You, me, Arkie and Maddie. That's it. I thought it best to keep it that
way."
The ruckus from the forest was the musical accompaniment to Kendaa's
nodding. Ithacus had been sent to check in with the Corinthian armies
outlying posts leaving the king and Eeyoraus staring uncomfortably toward
the woods. "We will have to tell him about the little pests of course,"
Kendaa frowned nodding to Iphicles, "But you're right Aquillea, no mention
of the stone."
The Amazon leader called the King of Corinth back over for a briefing.
Eeyoraus watched the man walk away, her eyes following him until she caught
sight of the tent where Xena still remained with the boy. The disturbance
in the forest faded from her consciousness as Cupid's daughter again became
preoccupied with the welfare of the child.
As if on cue, the Warrior Princess emerged from the tent looking almost
tired. Eeyoraus hurried over to the woman's side, her eyes filled with
questions that her voice could not generate. "I'm not sure that we can help
him," the dark woman said cheerlessly, "It may already be too late."
Eeyoraus was about to protest but something in Xena's solemn eyes kept her
silent. "Could you do me a favor and go sit with him?" she asked. "We have
matters to be discussed out here." The kind hearted Amazon who felt the
boy's pain did not have to be asked twice. She disappeared into the tent to
offer what assistance she could.
Aquillea had missed the end of the interrogation but the current status
both of the young teen's plight and the military maneuvering became clear
as the leaders talked. The dark Amazon stood quietly, just outside the
circle, and pieced together the situation.
The two warlords, Stygnos and Maloran were recent allies. The territories
they occupied were almost adjoining and the men had previously been
competitors but not actually enemies. They were something of a study in
contrasts. Stygnos was intelligent and calculating, he had amassed his
followers and fortune slowly and steadily over the years. He was
dispassionate and conservative for a warlord and understood that his power
was limited only by his reluctance to take inordinate risks.
Maloran, a man of average intelligence, was not the intellectual equal of
his counterpart. He was consumed by his passions and his success as a
warlord had been somewhat erratic as a result. His enormous appetite for
wealth and power had Maloran always more conscious of the reward than the
risk, and he liked his rewards big. Not surprisingly, he was very uneven of
temperament and easily provoked to violent rage. The peaceful coexistence
of the two neighboring warlords was achieved solely because Stygnos saw the
advantage of it and worked very hard to maintain good relations.
It was only natural for both warlords to begin coveting the Tripoli
Cooperative, three prosperous villages that lay to the southwest of
Corinth. The villages from southwest to northeast were Duos, Millia and
Antianos. Both warlords were already expanding their territories eastward
and the Cooperative would be a delicious prize. But Stygnos knew that the
villages were too close to Corinth and too important a trade center for
King Iphicles to turn a blind eye. If he moved on the Cooperative alone his
forces might not be able to overcome the Corinthians especially if he made
an enemy of Maloran in the process. So Stygnos courted Maloran as an ally
and eventually their partnership was formed.
Xena and Gabrielle had been traveling in the area and stopped in the
northern-most town of Antianos when they uncovered the plans of the allied
warlords. The forces were already gathering, planning to strike while the
men of the villages were away on their three day, winter hunt. Xena
dispatched messengers to Iphicles in the north and the Amazons at Calee's
in the south. The hunters had been gone for a day when the attackers and
the defenders all converged upon the villages of the Cooperative.
The combined forces of Maloran and Stygnos were supposed to engage the
Corinthian army at Antianos. But Maloran had learned of the advancing
Amazons and took his men south to intercept them, much to Stygnos'
consternation. So Stygnos was left to face Iphicles' forces alone at
Antianos while Maloran's men first ambushed then engaged the Amazon party
just south of Duos. On the northern front, the battle had turned out to be
more or less a draw while to the south, the Amazons had clearly taken the
day.
When Stygnos was updated on Maloran's progress, or lack thereof, he knew it
was imperative for the forces to reunite. He dispatched another messenger
directing Maloran to move his men to Millia, the middle village, where
Stygnos would meet him. The warlord and his forces moved south in the night
as did the army of Corinth. The move had allowed Iphicles to stumble upon
the Amazon camp.
When Maloran received the communique from his partner he moved his men
north of Duos but stopped in the rich farmlands well to the southeast of
Millia. The warlord was embarrassed that his warriors had been beaten by a
bunch of women. His embarrassment made him angry; his anger made him
vicious and reckless.
Maloran's troops set up camp in a strategically, well appointed field,
approximately three quarters of a mile from a spacious farmhouse the
warlord took for his headquarters. It was the home of the teenaged archer,
Phaeleon, and his family. Maloran should have moved farther north to
regroup but his anger would not allow him to completely turn tail and run
from the Amazons. He stewed all night as he waited for his mistress to join
him, but she never showed.
The warlord vented his spleen on the innocent family, inflicting tortures
the boy could not bring himself to describe. He and his dozen best men
comprising his personal guard enjoyed the amenities the home provided.
Phaeleon, left behind from the hunt to tend the ox about to give birth,
tried to protect his younger siblings as best he could much to Maloran's
malignant amusement.
Just before dawn, Maloran's archers set out to ambush the Amazon camp as
the warlord had planned the evening before. As he watched the men head out
his face was transformed by an almost demonic delight. He thrust a bow and
quiver at the man of the house. Phaeleon was to bring back the body of a
dead Amazon or his family would die. Their fate, the boy was told, was in
his hands.
And now the three warrior leaders were left to determine what should be
done about Stygnos, Maloran and Phaeleon.
As if on cue, Angel & Ares appeared in the meadow. "Hey, I heard someone
was hungry" Angel remarked as Ares went about making a table loaded with
food appear.
"You're a lifesaver!" Lyrical exclaimed as she struggled to her feet. With
Hercules help she managed to walk over to the table & sit down in one of
the chairs.
"How'd you know we were hungry anyway?" Herc asked.
"Lyrical told me your stomach was growling, so, here we are" Angel gave
them an exaggerated bow & continued "at your service."
Herc & Ares exchanged amused glances. "We really have got to get them to
quit doing this telepathy thing" Herc commented.
"Yeah, we keep getting only half the story!" Ares replied.
"Well, look on the bright side boys" Lyrical piped in with a smile, "you're
not fighting!"
"That is a plus. Maybe we'll have to continue to talk like that" Angel
teased.
"Oh no you don't! I hate it when you keep me in the dark!" Ares retorted.
"Do you two want to join us?" Herc asked them. "There's plenty of food." He
surveyed the packed table wondering if his brother really thought they
could eat all that food.
"No, we really need to leave. I have a war to get to." Ares looked
impatiently at Angel & added "come on Angel, it's time to go. They have
everything they need now."
"First I want to talk to you both. I swear, you two are stubborn. I was
hoping you would get things figured out without help, but I see you're
going to need a shove in the right direction."
"What on earth are you talking about?" Herc asked.
At the same time Lyrical started blushing & said "Angel don't."
Ares narrowed his eyes, grabbed Angel's arm & started to 'walk' her over to
the other side of the clearing. He called over his shoulder to the others
"we'll be back in a moment." He lowered his voice as he turned Angel around
to face him. "What in Tartarus do you think you're doing? We don't have
time to stand around playing matchmaker to a couple of grown adults!"
"Oh Ares, they are both so stubborn, & hesitant to get into relationships,
if I leave things to them, I'm afraid nothing will ever happen! I'm just
going to give them a 'push' in the right direction."
"No, you're not!"
"Watch me" she said as she walked back to the now bright red duo. Ares
attempted to stop her, but she easily slipped out of his grasp.
"I'm going to say my piece, then leave. The rest is up to you two" she
informed Lyrical & Herc. "Herc, Lyrical is nuts about you, you're the first
man she's truly cared about in a very long time. She won't tell you how she
feels because she's been hurt badly before. " She broke off long enough to
shrug off Ares again "Ares, give it up, I'm going to have my say, & that's
that! So lay off! " She continued talking to the still blushing couple. "
Lyrical, Herc is also nuts about you, but he won't say so, because he's
afraid to care for anybody. He seems to think he's bad luck. There, I've
said my piece, now it's up to you! Ares, " she turned to him "I'm ready to
go."
Ares turned to his brother "I'm sorry, I couldn't stop her. But I can
assure you; she won't be interfering anymore. I'll see to that." Ares face
now held his customary annoyed look. Lyrical started to giggle at the
challenge that came next.
"Right, & just what do you propose to do that will stop me from doing
'anything' I want to do?" Angel inquired, the challenge now issued.
"If you don't behave" Ares' voice took on a dangerous silky tone, "I will
personally drag you back to the temple & keep you locked up there until
this is over."
"Aren't you forgetting that I can just leave if I want to?" she retorted.
By now Herc & Lyrical had forgotten their embarrassment. They were too busy
laughing at Ares & Angel.
"Not if I keep you too busy to leave" he retorted still speaking in a
voice that was even sending chills of anticipation up Lyrical's spine.
"What about the war" Angel countered.
"There will be other wars" Ares remarked as he advanced toward her.
Angel started to back away from him, knowing full well that if she allowed
him to distract her she'd never get back to the camp to help her fellow
Amazons.
"Ok, I'll be good, let's go back to the Amazons."
Ares raised his eyebrows "As you wish. But later, I think I'm going to have
to teach you some manners!" He looked over at Herc & said as they were
departing "women, I'll never figure them out!"
Herc & Lyrical were still laughing long after the couple was gone.
"Those two are hysterical!" Lyrical said between fits of laughter. "I
wonder why Angel backed down from him though?" Lyrical mused. She sobered
at her next thought; "do you think that he was serious? I hope he really
won't hold her in the temple against her will."
"I don't think you have to worry about her." Herc put his hand under her
chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. He had a mischievous look in his
eyes. "I don't think Ares meant that he would be holding her prisoner. At
least not in the way you think he meant."
Lyrical blushed, suddenly getting the true meaning behind Ares' threat.
"Oh, duh, guess I'm a little slow right now." She realized that Herc still
had his hand under her chin. And he was still looking at her, but not with
a mischievous look anymore, it was much closer to passion. He moved his
hand to stroke the side of her face. Lyrical felt a shiver go down her
spine. "Still, I hope she doesn't let him distract her for too long, the
Amazons need her."
"You worry too much" he scolded her softly. "The Amazons will be just fine,
with or without her." He grinned suddenly and continued "besides, if she
keeps him.. uhm.. busy, he can't cause any trouble, can he?"
Shamba and Raincloud had just ended their meditation. Raincloud smiled a
little at Shamba.
"I think this might help a lot, thank you Shamba for this. How can I ever
thank you enough for this?"
"Just do this whenever you need it. It isn't anything I expect any kind of
repayment of. Sometimes we repay what others give us by passing it on to
others anyway." The two Amazons stood up and embraced.
Shamba knew that Raincloud would probably running into Xena somehow in the
next few days until the battle was done or until this campaign was done.
She hoped Raincloud could avoid the constant thoughts of Xena until she
could use the meditation more easily. Deep inside, Shamba suspected, Xena
needed this meditation training as badly or worse than Raincloud. Or
perhaps she already knew some other similar technique and used it. Shamba
had no conception of where Xena had once been and how far she had come from
that.
There was a noise not far from them and a flash of light. The Amazons
ducked but the light bounced off a tree and away from them.
"What was that?" Shamba said astonished.
"A fireball," Raincloud said. "There must be some gods or demigods throwing
their weight around here.
Perhaps Ares is pissed off about something. We'll have to get to camp and
find out what going on. How long have we been gone?"
"Perhaps a half and hour," Shamba answered. "But things move pretty fast
with this group. Now we have new gods fighting?" Shamba had never
encountered any of the Indian gods and didn't know anyone who was as
familiar with them and some of the Amazons were with the Greek gods. She
thought however if they could it would be good for their side to have
someone who either stop all the parties fighting or one god/goddess come in
and slaughter all the bad guys and end it that way. She didn't like to
think where that thought would lead. Yogis weren't supposed to be messing
with gods on such a level. "Maybe, let's go." Raincloud replied.
They went back to the Amazon camp and found new circumstances that someone
had to fill them in on.
Ioannes hadn't slept well the past night (or is it nights). He wasn't used
to sleeping out in the open anymore and wasn't used to riding on a horse
most of the day anymore. "I'm just too old for this, anymore,' He thought.
And he wasn't enjoying it any either. If he liked it, it would make it
easier to do. He was smart enough to know his own limitations. If he didn't
find what he was looking for in the next couple of days, he should probably
just go back to Corinth. He realized two days out from the city, he had
only a general idea of what he was looking for. Oh, for Shamba for sure.
But he also badly needed some information on what was going on out here.
Ithacas was probably out here somewhere, too. But he was with the army.
Ioannes felt like he was making decisions in a vacuum but he trusted his
instincts and they has led him here. So, he would go on until he knew what
he should do next.
He packed up what he'd brought with him and made the horse ready to go. He
then sat in silent meditation and especially at the end asked for guidance.
He didn't have long to wait. As he started to lead his horse our of the
glade where he had camped, he gasped at the sight before him. One man stood
before him with a drawn sword dressed in hard to identify clothes. Then he
heard someone come from behind.
"Don't' try anything. We have you covered from all sides." The first
soldier said. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"I should ask you the same thing," Ioannes said without thinking. That kind
of talk would not placate these men, whoever they were. "I am a merchant
from Corinth. Members of my family are missing while traveling to join me.
I have heard nothing but rumors of battles of marauders and the Corinthian
army for several weeks in the city with no confirmation of anything. I came
from Corinth two days ago hoping to find my family or find some kind of
information about what was happening here. "
Two men came from behind him. One searched his horse and packs and the
other searched him. He gestured with open hands. "Perhaps it was simply
foolish of me to come here and now I will have to pay for it. I am not
carrying anything of value and very little money it that is what you want
of me."
The two men finished their search. "Nothing but his weapons," said one of
the men as he handed the first man the knife and sword and a small money
pouch. "Just supplies for him and the horse," the other man told his
companions.
The first man examined the contents of the purse and the weapons. "You know
how to use these weapons?" he asked eyeing Ioannes. Ioannes nodded. The
first man told them to give Ioannes back the money pouch and the sword.
"We are part of King Iphicles' army," He pulled his cloak aside to show his
insignia underneath. "We are preparing to do battle with the warlords who
you have heard about. You are coming with us. You will be safe with us for
the time being. I do not think the King wants his merchants wandering about
in war. They might get killed and then who would make money and pay the
taxes for our pay." The two other soldiers laughed at that. " Keep the
weapons, in case you need them before we report in."
They rode a ways along the road since it had been secured by the army. The
party that found Ioannes was an advance scouting party. They rode into a
small camp that was the scouts reporting station. It was just after dawn
and some of the men were eating breakfast.
"Well, now, what have you found Basil?" the man in charge asked as the
group rode up.
"A stray citizen from Corinth, who will need protection until he can return
to the city," Basil said as he dismounted. The other soldiers were
dismounting as well. Ioannes dismounted and as he turned from his horse he
saw the men eating by the fire. One of them had just taken a mouthful of
bread as he watched the party ride in. As Ioannes dismounted, he almost
dropped his food.
"Ioannes, is that you?" Ithacas asked as he stood up suddenly.
"My brother . ?" Ioannes said quizzically. "Ithacas, that is you!"
The two brothers clasped arms in greeting and astonishment and relief. It
had been a few weeks since Ithacas had been in the city.
"What are you doing out here?" Ithacas asked gruffly. "You decided to joint
the army after all these years? You would have done better to stay home
with the goods and books."
Ioannes gestured sort of helplessly as an explanation. "Ah, you are worried
about that woman from India being lost out here in all this." Ithacas
smiled as he explained to the fellow soldiers that his brother was out here
for romantic purposes.
"Surely this woman has an escort?" someone said.
"Even then they could have been taken by the warlords." One of the soldiers
said as Ithacas handed his brother something to drink. The soldiers words
did not make Ioannes feel any better about the situation.
At the soldiers words, Ithacas remembered the woman dressed in the red silk
headdress at the Amazon camp. The very same woman who had knocked him out.
"Perhaps, my brother, you are worried for nothing," he said as he began to
tell Ioannes what had happened to him just yesterday.
Well, Ioannes could hardly believe a word of what Ithacas was telling him.
Then again, it all somehow fit in with what he knew about Shamba. Learning
all that sword play at the ashram that was supposed to be training in
concentration like a martial art and trying to learn how to do backflips.
She finally gave up on that idea. Then there had been that levitation
stuff.
"Come with me, you shouldn't be up here on the edges of the battle lines
anyway ,' Ithacas told him. " I'll take you to these woman and you can
decided for yourself if this redheaded woman (no joke intended) is your
lost Indian Amazon." He laughed at that last comment. He could imagine what
all these soldiers thought of his peaceable brother doing with an Amazon
woman. At least, if their days together weren't peaceful their nights
probably wouldn't be either. He wondered if it was Ioannes who would be the
one to surrender there.
A little while later .. the two riders came to where the Amazons were
preparing to move out.
"My good Amazon leader," Ithacas greeted her. "Here is someone to see you."
Kendaa looked at the man with curiosity. The man didn't harbor any
animosity towards the Amazons that had captured him. He was very curious
about them after it was explained to him that they were joining his army in
battle. She had also noticed that he was extremely attentive to Eeyoraus
when he was around her and she was happy to return his attention.
Ithacas dismounted stood next to his horse and continued, " We found a man
from Corinth wandering along the battle lines. It turns out he is my
brother and I couldn't let him wander around alone out there. I told him
about your warrior Amazons and he has come to meet them himself." He
finished this curious statement with a big smile.
"My brother, here are the legendary Amazons. Amazons, this is my brother,
Ioannes." Both the Amazons present and Ioannes were surprised by this
unusual sort of introduction. Kendaa thought this whole thing was
irritating. Aquillea, Greensleeves, Shoshana, Hibblette and Wikewike were
wondering if they should be offended by this whole thing. Iolaus watched
the Amazons a little anxiously. Auto, and Maddie glanced at each. Was he
making fun of them?
Eeyoraus and Arkie didn't really know what to think at the moment. Arkie
had decided there was not much point in trying to categorize anything that
happened here since it was so unlike anything in here previous life. She
just tried to take it as it came.
"Amazons, I am honored to meet you," Ioannes stepped in to say something "I
.."
He stopped as he found what he was looking for. Shamba and he looked for a
moment at each other. Then her eyes got very large as she stood up.
"Oh .. oh " was all that she could say. She thrust her sword at
Eeyoraus to take and hold as she took a step and then ran to Ioannes.
Raincloud smiled to herself as she realized what was happening here.
"By the heavens, it is really you," Ioannes said as he put his arms around
her. Shamba buried her face in his shoulder and began to cry, Amazon or no
Amazon.
Ithacas and Eeyoraus exchanged big smiles as much for themselves as for the
reunited lovers. Aquillea became a little misty-eyed at this sight. She
knew too well what Shamba was feeling. She didn't even try to look at
Iolaus knowing that he felt the same way.
"So," 'shana finally broke the silence. "We have met the mythical Ioannes
and he is very real. And he is your brother, you say?"
"You didn't know who Shamba was, did you ?" Arkie said, filling in Ithacas'
answer for him, as he shook his head.
Kendaa was relieved by all this. First, they had retrieved the Chronos
Stone and now Shamba and Ioannes were reunited. Two mysteries resolved .
So far today.
