Greetings to My Amazon sisters:

Hail Jopru, the birthday Amazon! I have written a special story for you. Hope you and all the sisters enjoy it.

love and happy day to you!

^-^
>b<
-------------
Musings
From the Annals of Bastet

The winter had come with more fury than the sister soldiers had seen in the past. The usually moderate temperature was cold, and for the first time in years, it had snowed in the Amazon Nation. This made the trees even more sparse in foliage and branches brittle. Patrolling was more dangerous.

“Be strong in a world that is weak,” said the Wolf, a tall dark Amazon whose given name was Lillian but who had the nickname of the Wolf. She looked around at her band of Amazons, just returning from surveying the outer boundaries of the Amazons’ lands. “Good job. You’re all dismissed. Let’s get Jopru some help.”

The war party of women broke up and went their ways to their huts but the Wolf and Whisper each took the arm of the wounded woman and headed toward the hut of Lady Pegasus who was one of the Amazons known for her healing talents.

Jopru winced and snorted in disgust. “I should have known that branch wouldn’t hold,” she said. She limped along between the two, cursing herself for the injury.

“It was an accident,” the Wolf answered. “For Artemis’ sake, don’t be so hard on yourself! It could happen to anyone.”

“And on your birthday too! That bites,” Whisper added.

“Yes, and it’s annoying,” she retorted. “I am entitled to one moment of whining.”

“Time’s up,” the Wolf replied.

The three women laughed and made their way into the hut of the healer. They were surprised by a tall man wrapped in fur with his back to them standing in the outer room. He turned around and the warriors realized that it was Hercules.

The half god grinned and embraced the women in turn as they all exchanged greetings.

“What brings you to our frigid little land?” Jopru said as he helped her to a seat.

“I think the same thing that is bringing you to Lady Peg’s tent,” Hercules replied. “Iolaus and I had just finished having a heated ‘discussion’ with one of the local warlords who is harassing a village just outside your border.”

“Pelias? That Warlord?” Whisper asked, taking Jopru’s boot off to reveal the gash on her lower leg. Hercules nodded.

“We had that discussion too with his band,” Jopru answered.

“Is that how you got hurt?”

“No,” the Amazon replied, “I fell out of a tree and if you tell a living soul, I will have to hurt you.”

Hercules laughed. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Are you hurt or is it the golden boy?” Whisper asked, bringing a cold wet cloth to her wounded friend. Jopru began to staunch the bleeding that had started again when the pressure of the boot had been removed.

Hercules knelt down and took the cloth from her, putting it over the wound. “Iolaus has an arrow in the thigh. He got a bit carried away when the warlord’s men set fire to the village.”

“We saw smoke,” the Wolf answered. “I didn’t know that they had burned the village.”

“To the ground,” the hero replied. “I wish we could have gotten there sooner. But we did keep the renegades from killing the women and children. Most of the men survived.” His jaw tensed in anger as he replied. He kept his hand on the wound to avoid looking at his friends.

The Wolf looked over at Whisper and the two nodded. Jopru knew the look.

“We need to go to the Queen and tell her about this. We’ll get a war party together and take food and medical supplies to the villagers,” the Wolf said.

“Lady Peg should go with you once she’s done with Iolaus,” Jopru said. “The bleeding will stop soon. This is just a flesh wound. Hercules, why don’t you go with them. I can hobble in and keep your buddy company.”

Hercules smiled and put her hand where his had been to keep pressure on the wound. The three left to go to the Queen. In a while, Lady Pegasus came out, wiping her washed hands after tending to her patient.

“Jo, what happened. I thought I heard voices out here,” the winged Amazon said.

“I… I got wounded,” Jopru replied.

“Fell out of a tree, yea?”

The Amazon groaned. “Why did you ask if you already knew?”

Lady Peg laughed. “I didn’t, but this is the third wound today like it. The trees are dangerous because of the freeze,” she answered.

“Hercules has gone with the sisters to talk to the Queen. They may want you to go with them. A village has been raided.”

Lady Peg nodded. “That’s what Iolaus said. I’ll get my kit together. He’s done. Just a flesh wound.” She had examined Jopru while they spoke. “Like this. You could use some stitches but if we bind it well and you keep it up and stay off it, I think you can get by without them.”

Jopru nodded. The healer bandaged her sister up quickly and then began to prepare for her mission. Jopru got up and limped carefully into the next room. There on the bed by the fire, Iolaus sat working on his pants. He had on only his linens. He looked up at Jopru.

“Do you know how hard it is to get blood out of leather?” he said irritated.

Jopru laughed and crossed her arms over her chest. She winked at her friend. “Amazons of adult age know the difficulties of getting blood out of most materials,” she answered smiling.

Iolaus looked up puzzled. “Because you’re warriors,” he said.

Jopru cocked her head. “Yah, that’s it.”

Iolaus looked at her and then blushed. “Oh, and that other thing. Yah, I keep forgetting that you’re women.”

“Do you now,” she said, slipping out of her breastplate. Underneath she had on the leather vest and a shirt. The short skirts that the Amazons usually wore had been abandoned for heavier pants and high boots against the cold. She tossed the armor aside. Her foot was getting cold without the boot.

Iolaus grinned, putting aside his pants. “No I don’t forget you’re women. It’s hard to forget.” He patted the bed beside him. “Come on over and sit down. I won’t bite.”

Jopru limped over and sat down, looking over at the handsome man. “No, but I might.”

------------------

Happy birthday!

And {{{{{{{{{Bastet}}}}}}}}} great story!

Lil

{{{{{{{{{{Jopru}}}}}}}}}}}

I hope your day is filled with creativity and laughter! Have a wonderful new year!

And, Bastet! I WISH I could write like that!!! WONDERFUL!

Shhh,
Whisper

Have a fabulous birthday jo :):):)

hugs
fayee

Hope it's extra wonderful for you hon

And Bastet - WATTA STORY!

Kendaa

Happy happy birthday {{{{Jo}}}}.

WOW what a story Bastet (fans self)

Later,
CJ

Geesh...

Wowza...

Thanks {{Bastet}} {{Friends}}

jo

but I just HAD to come and read this again!

Am I the only one who wants to know what's going to happen with the rest of the mission?! Bastet, you are a genius!! I feel like I should apologize for every story I've ever written! LOL!

And Jopru, when you get back to the Forum Dorm, we've got a HUGE birthday cake waiting for you! It's perfectly fine, so don't be nervous or anything. We haven't booby-trapped it or planned any surprises or anything.... REALLY!!

Shhh,
Whisper

know how the mission turns out....:D

Bastet you are the master.

Lil

Sister amazons...

Thanks so much for your words of encouragement. i hadn't even thought about the rest of the mission.... hmmm... have to give that some thought.

and Jopru.... happy birthday again.... hope your day was great despite your wound... but you had a great companion to ease your pain.

more later

love

^-^
>b<

I wanna know how it turns out too!

Kendaa (Scoffing birthday cake while no one is looking :D)

Jo sneaks two pieces of cake for her and the hunter, stopping only for a moment she giggles, remembering how Kendaa actually handed her the plates and shooed her out.

Slipping back out the door, she mumbles to herself. "Geesh, I hope I don't miss Bastet finish this mission."

lol...

thanks again,

jo

Not too late????

Happiest of birthdays to you, Jopru! It sounds like you're well on the road to recovery! Who wouldn't be with a certain hunter at her side!

Bastet, you're title is well-earned! Wow - unfinished mission, huh? I smell a warm one coming...

mallenia

I thought today was the 8th! LOL! Please don't think I was forgetting about you!

Shhh,
Whisper

I wrote 12/8/01 on all of my slips today. Crud!

Happiest of B-Day wishes! Hope it was wonderful!

That Bastet loves to leave us hanging, doesn't she?

Mermaid

I'm with the rest of these greedy little Amazons. I wanna know the rest of the story!

Happy B-Day {{{{Jo}}}}! If it was anything like that story, I know it was a good one!!!