Styliani woke with a jolt. Her dream fading with an odd finality and she almost resented the empty feeling that replaced the former warmth. She sat up and adjusted her eyesight to the near dark, in the flimsy shelter the tent offered her. The sound which woke her took a moment to resume and she held her head to stop the almost irresistible urge to lie back down and ignore it. Standing she winced at the pull in her lower calf muscle. She had been stabbed a few years previously by a spear and the skin and muscle had healed by shortening the stretch in her muscles, causing slight immobility. She walked over to the small hammock and looked down at her sister. She was crying with gusto and bright red cheeks, with her hands in fists. “Come now sister, calm yourself.” Styliani soothed, picking the baby up and checking she hadn’t soiled herself. When it was apparent little, Adelpha was crying for attention and not an imminent danger, Styliani sang quietly to her. She could see such possibility in Adelpha’s eyes and the need for protection. She smiled down at the crying baby until Adelpha finally realised, she was safe and protected. Styliani lowered her into the cot and whispered a goodnight. Styliani started towards her own hammock, but turned hearing a shuffling outside the tent. She grabbed her bow and held onto it as she wearily peaked out the opening. The bonfire was still burning and the flame illuminated Melina being held up by her throat from the Gargarean interloper. She hitched her bow and quickly drew her arrow to aim at his left thigh. The arrow was fast and she was quicker. As he dropped Melina, she rushed towards them and slashed his calf with her knife as she collected Melina from his grasp. He growled as he snapped the arrow and started towards her, the adrenalin making him stronger than his wounds. He grabbed her and Styliani remembered her training went into the embrace rather than fighting. The moment of confusion was all it took, to disorientate the man’s height and topple him by kicking out the back of his knees. She quickly saddled him and pinned one of his arms under her knee, but he fought free of the other one and held her throat. She felt her breath leaving her. The pressure was not allowing her to breath. She looked resolutely into his eyes and used her pocket knife to stab him in the kidney. Not sure it had worked and growing desperate for breath she continued to stab him again and again, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She realised her breath was no longer hindered and wondered at how long she had been stabbing by the huge and growing blood puddle which seemed to be more liquid than a body could contain. She looked around at her sisters. They stared with an odd mix of fascination and horror. “Aretha, Calla, you take him into the forest, away from the mating ritual. South. Find somewhere to hide him until they leave for their northern camping grounds. They should travel west, if their previous paths are followed.” Eirini instructed the two girls. Styliani stood and fought back tears as Eirini looked intently at her. “Are you okay?”
Styliani nodded unsure of what to say, but grateful for the comfort of her big sister. Melina gave her a hug and Styliani looked at the bright red marks around her throat feeling another guilt at not protecting her sooner. “Who is, sorry, was he?” She asked Melina quietly.
“The Anax’s son.” Melina said, both Eirini and Styliani paused to consider the implications.
“Take her to your tent, I’ll deal with this.” Eirini said, dismissing them. Styliani gripped Melina’s shoulders and they quickly went back to the tent where Adelpha was quietly cooing to herself.
“I’m going to be sacrificed.,” Styliani mentioned, realising her days were numbered.
“I didn’t want to worry you, but even with our sisters protection, you may not be safe. I have the same worries. If we run, do you think we’d get passed the barrier?” Melina queried.
“Without our queens consent we do nothing. We wait till morning.” Styliani cautioned, feeling oddly detached from the situation. She was not worried about leaving the tribe. She felt an odd excitement at following her own toes and creating a sense of independance from the tribe. Her mind wandered to where she would go and what she would see. She wandered at the snow, to the far north or the oceans to the east. She had endless possibilities, she could even go to a city and make pottery or whatever they did there. She had only heard of them through folktales and outsiders. Feeling a hut with solid mud walls rather than the flimsy cloth, which often allowed the breeze and cold through. Styliani suddenly found leaving an exciting adventure, she couldn’t close her eyes from the excitement. She wandered if she would go on a ship. Apparently they used them to move between the islands! She had gotten to look out onto the endless blue before and envied the people who thought they could find an end to it. As she felt her eyes start to droop she said a silent preyer that she would be able to find her home somewhere and stop feeling the emptyness she had been begining to resent. Her soul longed for outside, but she felt she would be betraying her sisters. She understood her loyalty, but also understood her need for more than what was planned. Her eyes closed and she felt her spirit sore through the ethreal realm. She felt happy in her mind, or what she considered the collective dream space of all dreamers and she could explore without fear the odd thoughts which she often shyed away from. She floated as a cloud to the first which appeared a black clearing. She stood in the center and felt all eyes upon her. They were frowning in condemnation. She saw faces she knew, appearing randomly on the huge crowd surrounding her. They all began saying things like “You killed someone,” “They will never draw another breath,” “They are being eaten by worms,” “You killed him,” “You are worse than him,” “He didn’t kill someone,” “You’re a monster,” “Everyone hates you,” “They know you are violent,” “You just proved it,” “You are going to die alone because you are a monster,” “Everyone knows it,” “They all tolerate you, but don’t accept you,” “you’re a joke,” “you don’t belong,”…….
End of first part.
Maxine the Magnificent 