AMAZONOMACHY

TORSAS

The citadel was situated on top of the hill, in the center of the town surrounded by a high stone wall. The top floor was the highest point for observation and when it was light outside a man could see the numerous stone and wooden houses, sprawled from the tower to the thick fortress walls. One could very easily distinguish the four massive bronze-sheathed gates, even though the furthest one stood more than a thousand feet away. The towers, looming over the gates like soaring eagles, were clearly visible as well. Everything was laid out clearly and neatly.

When someone would look up, the plain spread wide and then merged with the sky in the far distance. At dark, there were thousands tiny lights at one’s feet touching the tall protective wall where giant burning torches, placed at every thirty feet along the length of its entirety, formed a fiery shield around Asura. Beyond this thin thread of light dusting one’s sight was submerged in darkness.

Lysippe was leaning on her elbows on a massive beech railing, her eyes sweeping over the lights which were constantly appearing throughout the town below her. She enjoyed watching that for these few minutes of observation reminded her that every light was bound to burn out. The only exception was the light of the Mother. The town was slowly getting quiet and the more silent it became, the more the illuminations were growing in numbers. The strong east wind, warm for the end of February, was playing with her unusually short hair which looked as if woven from gold. “What will the future bring? … Intriguing, but still a secret! … A secret which we are trying to uncover instead of making our lives more interesting… Hmm… If we bring forth the best of ourselves every single day, won’t the trace we leave behind lead us towards the light of good fortune?” Then she secretly looked at her sister and changed her train of thought. “What is going on in her head? … I’d better not know! After all, these are her stars…”. She then stood up abruptly, turned around quietly as a cat and without a word disappeared into the darkness in silence.

It seemed as if Torsas did not pay any attention to her because she did not move or make a single sound. She kept gazing at the stars. They were becoming visible one by one in the sky and each one had its own time to shine. “Fortunately, we are not as long-lasting as them”, the Priestess thought and looked in the direction of the retreating princess. The youngest of the three sisters disappeared from her sight and she looked back at the stars. Only a few minutes had passed when the voice next to her brought her back to the terrace.

“Do you think we know more today than we did yesterday?” Otrere asked in a firm voice standing a couple of steps away from her daughter.

“Do you think we know people better today than we did yesterday?” Torsas replied with a smile and embraced her.

The embrace was strong and lingering. The two women appeared to be of the same height, but as soon as the younger one stepped back, a sort of an optical illusion took place. Anybody could clearly see that one of them was taller than the other, and yet there was the misperception. What stood out even more was the difference in their weight, even though both of them were tightly wrapped in long mink cloaks. In fact, Torsas was not thinner than her mother, but she appeared that way standing next to her. This was the nature of the deception of one’s senses.

“I’ve always known you were headstrong”, Otrere said softly and put her fluffy hand on her oldest daughter’s shoulder. “I believe in this gift but never forget that if you overdo it, you might not be the only one you destroy!” she concluded wisely.

“But we know today more than we did yesterday. We’ve got it”, the young woman raised her dark eyebrows peering back at the blue eyes in front of her.

For several years, Torsas had been attempting to discover a substance that would quickly stop a wound from bleeding out. She was joining her efforts with those of many other priestesses who had tried to do the same for many years. She worked just as tirelessly towards the discovery of new metals. She was convinced in the existence of something stronger and more resilient than the bronze alloy, which is why she was experimenting with many different stones and ores brought to her from distant countries. Her interests and explorations did not end there. They reached almost all spheres of life; however, those two in particular attracted her the most.

“What are you talking about?” curiosity and interest mingled in the Queen’s voice.

“Mother, we’ll be able to stop bleeding wounds much quicker.

“Torsas”, Otrere’s face lit up like a ray of sunshine and the tattoos on her forehead somehow became more defined. “This is a great success. I want you to tell me everything, every detail. Who else knows?”

“Only the one who revealed it to me”, the Priestess responded and looked above.

“Hail to the Great Mother who deigned to open your eyes to that. Hail to the Goddess for granting us knowledge”, her mother said solemnly and she too raised her sight towards the sky.

“Hail. Hail. Hail”, the quiet words of gratitude Torsas said sounded like a song.

The two women stared silently at the infinity of space. The wind abated, the town grew quiet.

The Amazon women strongly believed that everything around them was created by the Mother, who in order to be seen by the people would turn into a moon, and that they were her daughters. They were convinced that the Goddess, who they also called the Mother, was the daughter of the Great Mother - the Creator of the stars, planets, and other worlds.

Queen Otrere looked at a bright star. The white light pierced through her mind and memories of times past invaded her without warning like a hostile army.

When her mother sent her here, in Asura, to rule, she was only fifteen. Since then, already twenty years later, she had been ruling the town in which she gave birth to her first daughter Torsas. From the fortress, the Queen controlled the territory called the South Lands. It included to the southwest the town of Zaza with its mountain territories, located on the west bank of the river by the same name, and under the rule of Princess Charope; to the east was the town of Maka, situated on the bank of Salty Lake and the Makanis Island, under the leadership of the Priestess Torsas; and more, the valley of Fermodont river, flowing from the icy tops of Mountain Kaukas and merging with Salty Lake splitting into several distributaries. Its waters passed closely by Asura and if one looked at the rising sun, facing the fortress of Maka, part of it flowed behind your back, and another - on your right.

“Times are changing. And what about us?” Otrere thought and sighed. “Power? … divided among few, or among many? What difference does it make if one or the other stumble on the wrong path… The rulers of the West and North tribes lead alone but trample on their own brothers and sisters, trying to plant the idea in their minds, often by force, that Fate has chosen for them to be servants and slaves.

The few who got the blessing of their many gods and the might of their blood-painted swords, gifted to them by the gods themselves, to rule, are… are cruel and greedy people, they do not know love…

And what about the clan gatherings? That cheating mass, they do the same! … There have always been some people more powerful and wealthy than others and there always would be, but shouldn’t these gifts be directed towards the common good, and not towards… Hmmm… Sooner or later, we are going to have problems with these tribes because greed is contagious…”, Otrere kept contemplating shifting her gaze to a small twinkling light.

“Queen”, they heard someone behind them. The voice made the two women turn around. “Excuse my interruption but a message arrived”, said the woman guard who stood tall and straight just three feet away from them.

She held the scroll in her hand and it looked miniature in her large and rough leather glove.

“Alright, let’s see who it is from”, Otrere reached out her hand.

The guard approached and gave her what she was carrying, then she turned on her heels and disappeared in the dusk the way she had come - as quiet as a shadow. Otrere neared the closest torch and looked at the initials on both ends of the scroll and smiled.

“It’s from Zerynthia”, she swiftly untied and opened it, read it, then the parchment was tucked in somewhere underneath her cloak. “She’s coming tomorrow night along with my sister and the children”.

“Today the good news is not passing us by”, Torsas commented. “I am happy that we can be together. And in a moment like this! Let us go to Lysippe”.

The Queen meant to say something but then thought better and replied only: “Yes… let us go to Lysippe”.

CHAROPE

Princess Charope had arrived from the fortress of Zaza before the new moon. A small escort was accompanying her. The town she was coming from was situated in a vast plain on the banks of Zaza river, merging to the northeast with Fermodont river. From there, along its stream one could reach Asura. South of it, spread out far and wide, were the vast forests and the snow-white tops of Kaukas Mountain which served as a natural protective wall and a border of the kingdom. Zaza was a large and beautiful town but it was mostly famous for the school that taught the most talented craftsmen in metal work.

“Why should I wait for some better opportunity for them to see the little one?” Charope asked herself and then brought along her first-born Dolope. Since they settled in the town, the Princess had been dragging her daughter everywhere, parading her to all women with the pride of a small child, satisfied with what she had accomplished for the first time. A few days after their arrival, Otrere had gently reproached her for not leaving the baby alone for a moment. But the joyous mother was adamant, “She will learn little in her crib and besides we need exercise”, she would say and throw the little girl in the air. Her round face radiated the stamp of happiness, amazingly reflected in her beautiful smile that no one could deny.

Charope quickly crossed the spacious room and went out on the terrace. She found her sister with her back to her, sitting on a small bench made from a walnut tree right next to the railing.

“Alright, so it seems you are not as excited as I was when I was about to give birth”, she began and embracing Lysippe sat down noisily next to her. “Is there anything that is bothering you? Are you in pain? How do you feel?” she was shooting her questions out and staring at the puffy face across from her.

The Princess was smiling and her white and perfectly aligned teeth sparkled as if they were glowing. Her face was really puffy but this in no way could hide her beautiful and well-proportioned features, sculpted to perfection by the Mother. “What can I say back to a person such as my sister? … ’The only way forward is through daughters and wars’, are her favorite words. One would say she’s at the age of our grandmother. And she never stops talking, as if she can’t even breathe quietly”, Lysippe ruminated.

“I am well. I have a few extra kilos and I’m a bit lumbering, but other than that it’s all good. It will be over soon”, she tried to sound perky. “And about being excited, of course I am”.

“As you should be. Just don’t go overboard! We all believe that you are going to give birth to a healthy daughter. And nobody doubts that she is going to be big. I have never seen a bigger belly than yours”, Charope told her excitedly and giggled loudly. “Do you remember how small mine was a year ago? I sometimes had nightmares that I was giving birth to a mouse, but hail to the Mother, she gifted me with a delicate but beautiful daughter. Isn’t it all in the hands of the Goddess?”

“Yes, indeed…”

“And the pain?” Charope continued without paying attention to the answer. “The pain is intense but sweet. Prolonged but joyous”, she stood up energetically and continued as if she was not even talking to Lysippe. “It is nothing compared to an arrow in your leg or heavy strokes at your face”.

A few moons before Princess Charope gave birth to her first daughter, while visiting Zerynthia in the North, in Amaza, she was wounded by an arrow from a goat thief.

“Actually, how is your leg?” Lysippe asked.

“It’s alright. Well, it hurts sometimes but the man responsible is right here”, she pointed at her shoulder with satisfaction.

It was common for the warriors to tattoo their victories on their bodies. Some preferred the shoulders and back, some - the arms, while others - the face.

Lysippe instinctively rubbed her wrists. There was a squeaking sound coming from boards which made the two women turn almost at the same time towards the noise.

“Ah, there you are”, Otrere started while approaching with Torsas. “How are you, my daughter?” she turned to Lysippe and bent down across from her, putting her hands gently on her knees.

“I’m well, mother. Charope and I were just talking”, the Princess replied and leaned back slowly.

“Why is your sister keeping you outside? Does she not know that you have to be careful not to catch a cold?” the Queen asked reproachfully, keeping her gaze at the pregnant woman and not the one whom she directed her questions at.

“The east wind brings favorable mists from Salty Lake, you can even feel soft sprinkles of salt water. It’s good for the lungs and the skin. I should have brought Dolope as well, shouldn’t I?” the young woman shrugged in response to her mother.

“Let’s go inside”, Torsas suggested. “It is time for dinner anyway. What do you think?”

“Yes, I’m already hungry”, Lysippe said and the baby in her womb shifted around. She leaned on the armrest of the bench and rose to her feet.

“Come on, sister”, she winked at Charope. “You don’t want me to catch a cold, do you?”

The three sisters secretly smiled at each other. That, of course, was not left unnoticed by the sharp eyes of their mother. They headed towards the closest door, wordlessly letting the youngest one be in the middle.

Otrere gazed after her daughters without moving. The pregnant one was a head taller than her sisters. “With the youngest one in the middle they look like a spear.” Lysippe was sixteen, two years younger than Charope, who was two years younger than Torsas.

“The way I used to be at their age…”, she kept thinking. She smiled and followed after them. She was a big woman and those who did not know her thought she was slow and sluggish. That, of course, worked in her favor and sometimes she pretended to be like that on purpose. The surprise was great when the situation called for her to demonstrate what she was capable of. Swiftness, agility, and strength were her armor. The blows she inflicted on her enemies were heavy, precise, and deadly. She endured pain incredibly well. At least in the eyes of the observers. It seemed that Lysippe had inherited it from her.

The Queen pushed the wooden door gently and it opened noiselessly. She slowly passed through the lengthy space. She reached the opposite end and walked down the narrow ladder. After the last step and a few strides later, she opened the first door and the light from the inside swallowed her whole together with her shadow. It was warm in the large room, dry wood was crackling in the fireplace, and the flames from the torches placed in exquisite bronze holders were flickering playfully on the walls like gracious dancers. Her children were seated around a massive table made from walnut tree chatting; there was a bowl with dried fruit, two pitchers and four glasses on the countertop. She removed her cloak and hung it on a hook, made from elk antlers, next to the other three. She sat down on the bench next to her youngest daughter. Next to them, lounging on the bed, a large cat was lurking, which did not welcome anyone close to it - it allowed only Lysippe, Torsas, and Vea to touch it.

“I received news from Zerynthia. They will be here tomorrow night”, Otrere said after Charope concluded with her plans for fortification of one of Zaza’s towers.

“Torsas already told us, mother”, Lysippe smiled. “I hope their journey is safe and sound.”

“Of course it will be”, Charope added. “There is scarcely any snow, the weather is nice, and she has Archippe, Alkynoe, and Taygete with her.”

She reached out, grabbed the ceramic pitcher and poured herself some fermented fruit juice.

“Is that all she told you?” the Queen asked. “Come on, Priestess, tell them the good news”, her voice sounded gentle and melodious.

Torsas glanced for an instant at her sisters with her beautiful, knowing, greenish blue eyes that could bewitch you and anticipating the surprise that she was about to reveal, she spoke:

“As you all know, the prompt occlusion of a traumatic bleeding is of utmost importance in life preservation, not only in people, but animals as well”, she made a small pause everybody was nodding in agreement. “We have now in our possession a powder that could stem, for a short period of time, even heavy bleeding”, the Priestess continued and raised a brow, as if asking “What are you going to say?”

“How? Really? Is it certain?” Charope was throwing question after question, clearly excited by the news.

Torsas did not respond to her. She stood up, walked to the fireplace and threw a piece of beech wood in the fire. Then she turned around, stood a step away from the table and swiftly lifted the left sleeve of her linen shirt. The palm of her hand was facing the ceiling. Just above the wrist there was a recent average-sized wound that looked like a freshly ploughed furrow.

“This, my dear, is the proof. As you can see, I personally convinced myself in the effect of the powder. Does anyone want to try?” she asked and her satisfied smile spread wide on her elongated face.

Charope jumped from her seat and threw herself on her older sister’s neck. Lysippe made an attempt to rise but her mother put a hand on her shoulder and whispered.

“Better wait. She will be hanging on her neck forever.”

After a while the two women released each other and the younger one spoke.

“I never doubted that you would succeed. The whole kingdom will be grateful to you for this.”

“Don’t be hasty. We have only three jars so far. It will take time to make enough. And speaking of gratitude, you know who we owe it to”, Torsas replied.

“Hail to the Great Mother”, Lysippe started and the rest shouted together, “Hail! Hail! Hail!”

After that Otrere filled her daughters’ glasses and poured water from the silver pitcher to the youngest. They raised their hands and drank. Later they were asking for details about the powder and Torsas willingly gave them answers. When their curiosity was satisfied, the Queen asked how her first-born granddaughter was doing and the happy mother, who was only waiting for a chance to do so, started telling excitedly about her daughter.

Charope was still engaged in her stories when dinner arrived. “Thank goodness that the food is in front of us, otherwise she would have continued until midnight”, the three pairs of eyes filled with fondness seemed to be saying when they met secretly.

They finished eating and talked for some time. Then they left Lysippe with the two women who were supposed to look after her during the night, and headed for their rooms.

LYSIPPE

When Lysippe awoke it was still dark outside. She slowly propped herself up and pulled the sheepskin blanket. The embers were still smoldering in the fireplace but she did not feel their heat. There was a lit-up torch on every wall, which was enough to light the room well. The Princess gazed at the beautifully carved ceiling. Shadows were dancing over the shapes and gave them a shimmering and different look. She was trying to catch their rhythm and just when she got it, they would switch to something else. “Will I give birth to my first daughter today”, she wondered and smiled. The baby in her womb moved as if to remind her of its existence, as if it wanted to say, “Good morning” or “I’m coming out”. After a little while it calmed down. Lysippe kept still for a bit, inhaling and exhaling in full breaths. Then she got up, put on thick woven slippers, dressed in warm wool clothing and went to the big ceramic washing pot. Her lynx only lifted his head from the wide armchair where he could only fit in by folding himself into a ball, and then relaxed back again. She was smoothing down her still short blond hair when a woman came in with logs of wood.

“Good morning. How are you this morning, Princess?” she greeted and asked quietly as if not to awaken anybody, then crossed the room.

“Good morning, Vea. I feel great, and you?”

“Everything is fine. I’ll just clean up and start the fireplace. Breakfast will be brought in at the usual time”, she paused for a second, “unless you need something else”, continued attentively the young woman who was a year Lysippe’s junior.

“Leave it, I’ll start the fire. You go and have some rest”, the Princess offered willingly and rested her hand on her belly as if urging the baby inside it to support the idea.

“No! Absolutely not!” Vea argued firmly and gestured with her hand. “I know you like to do everything on your own but in your condition you should not be doing anything unnecessary - you can give birth at any moment now.”

“Alright, alright”, the pregnant woman assented, though reluctantly, and sat down in the empty armchair.

Vea was modest and hard-working, always ready to help. She had great passion for plants and her knowledge stood out so much that she was considered to be one of the best ‘gatherers’ of spices. The gatherers were women who had knowledge of and collected grass, leaves, blossoms, mushrooms, strange shrub fruits; they gathered peels, resins, roots, bulbs and even some parts of the bodies and blood of animals which they then steamed, boiled, dried, and soaked in colored liquids; finally, they turned all that into tea, powders, potions, syrups, ointments and much more. They were close with Lysippe and often walked together across the fields of Asura and when the Princess travelled to other towns she would take Vea with her.

“I’ll go out to get some fresh air.”

“Wonderful, just make sure you dress well. It is chilly this morning”, Vea advised her while she was putting down the last of the bed sheets into the wooden basket.

“Of course”, replied Lysippe and made to stand up.

“Stay there. I’ll help you with your boots.”

The tall leather boots were tied well, the thick fur coat made of sheep skin, tight on her body though loose enough not to press her stomach. The Princess was ready for her morning walk.

“I have great news”, the pregnant woman sounded cheerful.

“Is that so? Tell me quickly.”

“Torsas has discovered a miraculous powder that can quickly stem blood flow from a wound.”

“This is great news. Hail to the Mother”, the girl said and a smile appeared on her ruddy face.

“Hail!” Lysippe whispered and after a moment of silence continued. “Isn’t that proof that yet again things are revealed to us when the time is right?”

“Certainly”, Vea replied, sighed and resumed her work.

The door was already half-open when Lysippe turned and asked.

“Vea, will I give birth today?”

“This is a decision for the Mother to make. We can only pray that she watches over us”, she smiled brightly at her.

The answer was not much different from what the Princess already knew very well but it still encouraged her. She returned the smile and walked out. She turned left in the corridor and just as she reached the landing leading to the stairs, Torsas appeared in front of her.

“Good morning, sister.”

“Good morning”, Lysippe returned the greeting and her smile continued to shine as bright as a sunny morning in May.

“A walk before breakfast”, the Priestess smiled back.

“Yes. A walk before breakfast. Too bad we can’t ride or engage in a little fight”, Lysippe looked mischievously. “I’m happy you are here.”

The Princess started up the stairs first. “I’ve never believed my back could hurt so much. But if everybody experiences the pain, that means we are given as much as we can handle. I hope this is the last climb”, she thought to herself. Her ascent was slow but she did not rest until she reached the terrace.

“I am happy too”, Torsas said as she sat down on the bench next to Lysippe.

“Let me take a breath and we can go.”

The Priestess kissed her white forehead which had the color of milk fresh from a mare. Then for a fraction of a second she met her sister’s light blue eyes, the same shade as that of a cloudless summer sky. The three stars above Lysippe’s eyebrow moved barely noticeable but the old moon tattooed just above them stayed still. The Priestess, of course, saw this. “Her thoughts are clashing”, she thought. She knew that the raising of the left eyebrow was not controlled by the Princess who had been trying to keep an inscrutable face when in pain or stress since her childhood. Having started out as a game, it had turned into an exceptional self-control. And even though she was only sixteen, very few did better than her. Every muscle, not only on her face but her entire body, was glued in a wall of stillness - just like her mother. The tranquility pouring from her expression was magnetic; it forced you to relax and soon mesmerized you as if you were standing in front of the massive wooden monument of the “Great Mother”.

“I know you’re in pain. You cannot hide it from me”, the Priestess started gently. “I know why you’re asking certain questions and the closer the end, the more agonizing and fierce your anxiety will be”, she sighed. “But this will warm you up”, she started cheerfully and put her hat made of the skin of a brown bear on top of her head. “And it will remind you that our life line was drawn by the Mother before we even came into this world. The decisions we make can only guide us on the path or stray us from it but not change its course! … I know that you are stronger than you think and that you will face challenges you cannot foresee … But of course, I will stand beside you and support you”, the Priestess smiled.

She leaned back and her gaze flew to the east where the mauve sun was slowly starting to rise.

“Doesn’t that mean that there is no need for your silence?” Lysippe asked calmly in her ringing voice.

Torsas did not respond immediately. She was the youngest priestess of the Mother in the kingdom but her gifts which she had been constantly developing since the age of five were irrefutable. She knew what the question of all the questions was for her sister but she also knew that she should not tell her everything. “We want answers but are we ready to accept them and are we able to understand them?” she wondered silently.

“Need and desire often intertwine and we lose their meaning…You know that curiosity can be dangerous if it’s not aimed in the right direction… I have a gift for you”, the Priestess swiftly changed the subject. She stood up and ran her fingers through her light-brown hair which was as short as her sister’s. The color was just like that of the door they had opened a moment ago to go out on the terrace - warm, light walnut, intense in the middle and lighter towards the ends.

“Torsas! Lysippe!” someone called out.

One of the ‘messengers’ was approaching them. These tiny women were like blood vessels bringing vital news to the whole body of the kingdom. They were breezing through night and day on the back of their resilient mares. In war, they had the immense responsibility to pass on the news at all cost, which meant that they were some of the best warriors. “Fast as the wind, untouchable as an eagle, sure as death”- these were the words of the oath they gladly took.

“I’m one of Halka’s messengers”, she introduced herself. “I have a letter for Queen Otrere. She asked that I pass its content on to you as well”.

“We are listening”, the Priestess raised her eyebrows.

“Last night Anaxilea gave birth to a healthy girl. Her name is Maia”, the woman started glancing first at the Priestess, then at the Princess, and there she paused. “Everyone in Halka’s and Ktessipe’s homes is praying that the Mother be by Lysippe’s side so she can give birth to a healthy daughter”, she chirped.

“Our joy for Princess Anaxilea and her first-born Maia is immense”, returned Lysippe and her ruby lips as red as the cranberries on the hills above Zaza opened in a welcoming smile and unveiled her snow-white teeth.

“Thank you for the great news. You’ve ridden for a long time and you must be tired. Have some rest. You can go back around noon tomorrow”, Torsas said watching her with eyes as charismatic as a mountain pond.

“Allow me to leave at dawn”, the messenger asked pleadingly. “I would like to return as early as possible.”

“I’ll walk with you”, the Priestess replied. “Sister, I’ll be back shortly.”

The two of them walked off and when they reached the entrance the Priestess whispered:

“The Princess will give birth tomorrow. Now you and I both know this and let it stay this way. You will leave soon after”, then she opened the door.

The young woman smiled mysteriously, nodded respectfully and entered the premises. The eyes of the Priestess followed the retreating figure and noticed her slight limp. “How quickly she has recovered, she could have died”, she thought as she happened to be in the right place at the right time to tend to the bone fracture that the messenger had undergone more than a year ago. Then she startled as if she had forgotten something, turned on her heels and approached Lysippe. She stood in front of her, flipped off her heavy fur coat and detached a small pouch from her wide belt embellished with silver eyelets. She untied the kidskin bag and took out a necklace. It was made out of carefully selected and polished to perfection amazonite stones of equal sizes. Exactly twelve of them, tinted in the rare white-grey hue.

“This necklace will bring peace to your soul and will protect you in battles”, Torsas smiled openly. “I hope you like it.”

“Of course I like it, sister. It’s very beautiful”, the Princess responded and took the stones that were casting off a pearly shimmer.

She knew that these stones had the power to relieve muscle spasms and release tension. What she did not suspect was that the amazonite increased the propensity for visions and mystical revelations.

“You always know what to give me. Thank you”, she took off her hat and put on the jewelry.

“Are you ready for a stroll?”

“Let’s go”, the Princess replied energetically.

ATANEA

Zerynthia was leading the cavalcade that had been progressing towards the south for a few hours already. It had been drizzling since their last break. Everywhere they looked there were only the wide plains covered with juniper shrubs perched here and there and reeds that were not too tall. The whole area was overlaid with swamps, but the Queen-Mother knew the land extensively and was leading the group in a sure and safe way. The sky was gloomy as if begrudging someone.

She raised her hand and everybody stopped. The two riders closest to her aligned their horses with her beautiful grey mare.

“How the weather changes! When we left it was a cloudless, sunny, and quiet morning as if wishing us ‘happy trails’. And now - unusual rain, a chill and a grey sky”, Zerynthia kept silent for a moment. “We’ll stop for a break”, she ordered in an authoritative voice.

“We’ll put out the tent”, Alkynoe said, pulled the leather strap of her large brown horse and retreated.

“Make sure the people eat; this, at least, we can take care of”, the Queen turned to the grey-eyed Taygete.

“Right away”, the young woman replied and turned her horse.

Zerynthia lost her mother in the late autumn thirty-nine years ago during The Great War in the north. She was fifteen and expecting her first child, which had been the reason she was forbidden from taking part in the fighting. The following year in the spring, the confrontations had been still going and her two older sisters had led the armies. She had already given birth to her first daughter, Archippe, and desperately wanted to be included in the fighting but had been left in the periphery. “You can surrender territories but you must preserve people’s life at any cost”, were her mother’s words before she died. The sisters leading the fearless warriors honored that advice in an indisputable way. Not only had they preserved the life and territories of the kingdom, but they had forced all tribes that were part of the war to pay a tax. That continued on to this day. But the price of the success was considerable - the death of her mother, the death of her two sisters who had died of their wounds a short time after the fighting had ceased. And many more who were killed or mangled - war is always taking its own.

Thus, Zerynthia had become a queen at the age of sixteen.

Along with her daughter Archippe, who was eight moons old at the time, she had raised as her own the daughters of her deceased sisters - the five-year-old Halka and the three-year-old Ktesippe, in the town-fortress Amaza. She had given birth to her second daughter three years after the birth of Archippe, this time in the town of Asura where they were going to now, and not Amaza. She named her Otrere. Four moons after her birth, she got on her mare and led the army so she could remind some of the tribes’ chiefs in the north why and to whom they were paying annual tax. A long time was required to achieve the desired effect with the only possible course of action - sword and slaughter. The view in front of her awakened memories from those years. “What times - wars, peace, sorrow, joy…”, Zerynthia reminisced and the scars on her forehead danced, pushed by her sparse eyebrows. Her daughters had grown during those years and whenever the time was right, she would entrust a town or a territory in their charge.

Time had given her life that was as wild as the wind and as rousing as the moon. The proof was cut into her face and reflected in her wisdom.

“We’re ready”, someone said behind her.

She turned slightly and responded. “Wonderful. Has the escort eaten?”

“Yes, mother, just as you wished”, Princess Archippe answered.

Zerynthia just waved with a hand and kept on gazing in the distance, while her daughter turned the horse around and retreated.

When Archippe gave birth to her second granddaughter, Taygete, she had been eighteen and in that same year the Queen-Mother entrusted her with the towns of Sasi and Toa - one on the south, and the other on the north side of the river Mermodosa and adjacent to the waves of Salty Lake. Now Taygete, along with her two years older sister, Alkynoe, were ruling the town of Toa - the most northern town-fortress of the kingdom. Their mother controlled the fortress of Sasi which was also the point of assembly they had left that morning from, after the arrival of Zerynthia from Amaza - the fort in the west across the stream of the river Mermodosa.

“Heavy is the burden of those who know what the future holds. Fortunately, I am not one of them. That burden is not for me”, Zerynthia said to herself, sighed and headed for the tent.

It was warm and pleasantly dry inside from the stoked fire in the middle. She sat next to Princess Alkynoe, who had taken her three-year-old daughter along on the journey. She slowly tossed back the long skirts of her cloak made of yellow desert foxes and the handles of the dagger and the knife, tucked in her wide leather belt, gleamed, and the lively silver incrustations on them looked softer. Taygete, priestess of the Great Mother, passed her a wooden bowl.

“Thank you, daughter”, said Zerynthia while taking the food. “Let it be a nourishment for our bodies”, she brought the bowl close to the fire, then put it on top of her crossed legs.

Everybody followed suit and started eating. A morsel of bread, a piece of stag’s dried meat, half of salted fish, and fresh goat milk from that morning were enough for lunch, and when you add some hot thyme tea it becomes more than satisfying.

“Atanea, how many of us are here and how many outside?” the Queen-Mother asked and smiled teasingly.

The little one thought for a moment and answered simply.

“Fou here, tuelf dere”

“Four… twelve”, she corrected her, nodding slowly at every word and the little girl silently mimicked the movements. “Why don’t you count again? Are we not more than that?”

“Four people, one queen”, responded the girl and looked at her mother, on whose lap she was seated.

“Okaay. Isn’t the Queen a person too?” Zerynthia continued with her questions.

“Queen no person, she queen”, the light-haired Atanea said and took a bite of the fish she was holding in her hand.

Everybody smiled patronizingly.

“Listen, my dear”, the Queen-Mother started. “You are wrong. The Queen is a person just like anyone else, the only difference is that she has to carry a big burden on her shoulders. Only the Great Goddesses are not people, which is why they never change and never die as it happens with the rest of us. Do you understand what I am saying, my darling?”

“We die? But queens dat die... dei live?” Atanea questioned her mother with surprise in her voice.

“Sooner or later a person dies, that’s how we were created”, Princess Alkynoe said gently and embraced her daughter.

“Only the names and deeds of people can be immortal”, Archippe joined in.

“Oookeii, we talk later”, the little girl chirped in her soft voice, having learned those words from her grandmother. “Can I hev milk naw?”

Everybody laughed and continued their lunch. When they were finished and had a cup of aromatic tea, Archippe turned to her daughters.

“Alkynoe, take care of the child and the people. Taygete, get the luggage and horses ready. We’re leaving soon.”

The women nodded and rose enthusiastically.

Zerynthia and the Princess remained around the comforting warmth of the fire for a little while, then followed the others.

The rain had stopped. The sun had pierced through the curtain of clouds. Not long after, they left for Asura.

OTRERE

Along with the members of the family, the big hall was to house some of the wealthiest people in town. Three times a year the queens donated food to the common people but only during the first quarter of the full moon; on the twelfth and last moon of the annual cycle they opened the reception hall for a feast. The rest of the time, the big room served as a judiciary where their written laws were executed in the name of justice; there were peace assemblies and secret meetings of the military council. Now, Queen Otrere had ordered for improvised kitchens to be set up, similar to those used in a war, all around the castle, and food be given to the people. That was the custom. It symbolized their unity and reminded everyone that they were a family. There were not any poor or hungry people but everybody brought their bowls so they could be part of the whole. From kids that had just started to walk led by their mothers to the slow as turtles elderly people - all were coming towards the unity. That was happening not only in Asura but in all towns, villages, and garrisons in the kingdom.

The Queen first stopped in the big kitchen, so she could check the process of getting dinner ready. The work there was bubbling in a mood appropriate for a celebration. People were running up and down the room with only tunics tied at their waists. It was sweltering. They were chopping products on one end, boiling dishes in big caldrons and pots on another and baking bread and roasting meat in several ovens. Her gaze stayed onto one of the women. “If I am big, this one is massive! … Why am I so surprised by her size when I’ve known her since she was a child?” Otrere thought to herself and shrugged her shoulders, then spoke.

“I never doubted that you will make it”, she untied the belt on her waist-length fur coat and opened it up. She felt the heat as well.

“I am trying, Queen”, sweat was running down the flushed face of the woman.

“Are you ready for the trip?” the Queen tried to sound stern and lifted her head so she could see the face next to her.

Otrere was five years older than “The Big One”, as people called Sona behind her back. She knew of her longing to go to a war expedition. She remembered Sona running (‘running’ being an exaggeration considering her unsuccessful effort to do so) to her, asking for permission to join a battle.

“Ahh, I wish there was an expedition so I could go as well. To grab my spear and plunge and plunge, to kill enemies”, Sona was dreaming.

“You do know you won’t be in a battle with a spear but you will be where you are most needed. Leave the plunging to me.”

“But…”

“I know, I know. You are very good with the spear”, the Queen winked at her friendly and Sona blushed like a child. “We both know what comes after peace. We know what war turns us into as well, but it is part of life - it has existed and it will exist. I promise next time I will take you with me.”

“Of course, you’re right. Thank goodness not all of our dreams come true”, “The Big One” said and hollered at one of the women to hurry.

“Indeed Sona, indeed”, Otrere replied and clapped the strong shoulder of the rosy-cheeked woman, then went out to resume her rounds.

The Queen unhurriedly crossed the big inner yard. She always slowed down her otherwise fast pace whenever she was contemplative. It was getting darker and dinner was soon to start, and she had so many things to do. She came into the chamber and stopped a step away from the entrance. It was empty but the tables were arranged with plates and glasses. The benches were in their right places. The music podium was ready. “Hmm, whenever this room is empty, it looks long and cold like a bitter winter night, and when it’s full it becomes narrow and sizzling, just like the bread ovens in the kitchen”, she said to herself. She looked over the three large candlesticks hanging on chains down from the ceiling. All candles were burning. The torches on the walls were loaded to be lit later, to shine on the many weapons captured from defeated tribes. She went out to the yard again and this time headed for the stables. After that, she was to clear up some details with the guards, write a few letters, and then retreat to her chamber to get ready for the dinner.

ZERYNTHIA

The big hall was full, bright and noisy. About a hundred women were sitting around the tables overflowing with dishes and drinks, eating and drinking loudly, one would think they had been kept hungry and thirsty for a long time. They spoke vehemently as if they were quarrelling and laughed loudly, and the music accompanied them. And this was the way it was supposed to be - excellent food, fermented mare milk, which they called “appa”, abundance, and as much noise as possible. The good mood was contagious and could be seen on their faces. Everybody had a smile and a sparkle in the eyes.

Dinner had started over an hour ago and Zerynthia’s eyes would cast a glance towards Lysippe more and more often. Charope, who had been sitting next to her pregnant sister just a moment ago, joined the women sitting at the table across from them. The Queen-Mother rose to her feet leaning her hands on her daughters’ shoulders. She stepped over the wide bench and went to the empty seat.

“You don’t look tired”, she said and smiled looking at the eyes opposite her, which were as blue as a cloudless sky. “The necklace that Torsas gave you is doing a good job.”

“It’s true, I feel great but I intent to retreat to my room in a bit. It’s too noisy here”, Lysippe replied and smiled in turn.

“Do as you should. Daughter, I would like to accompany you to your room. This way we could talk.”

“Of course, mother.”

“Excellent”, Zerynthia nodded her head. “I can already feel the exhaustion weighing down on me. Years ago, I would travel a greater distance than the one between Sasi and Asura and after that instead of sitting at a table I would join a battle, exhaustion was an unknown feeling then”, there was a tinge of nostalgia in her voice. “It is different now. Remember that the power of mind cannot overcome the cycle of life. That’s why everything has its time, place and reason. And now, do you want us to go? We shall continue our conversation on the way there”, she concluded and tucked her arm underneath that of Lysippe’s, pulling it up a little - a gesture that was explicit to the young woman.

The two rose from their seats at the same time. Zerynthia told Otrere that she was to escort her granddaughter to her room and would be back. They left the big room and walked along the wide alley towards the exit of the rectangular complex. They were soon walking on the slightly-sloped paved path leading to the east gate. It was chilly as if they were north of Amaza, the sky was clear and looked somehow punctured by all the bright dots spread all over. The wind had stopped for a break. The moon needed a few more days to fill up but it was still so big and so low it gave the feeling one could touch it with a hand. The two women stopped and gazed at it. The town was quiet. Most people had gone. Only shadows were pacing about once in a while, yearning for the comfort of their home. A creaking carriage passed by and then it felt as if silence fell from the moon and embraced everything around.

“Does that make you sad?”

“Of course not. How can the inevitable make me sad? It’s just time for me to pass on more of my responsibilities to you, the young ones”, the Queen replied confidently.

“Mother? You are in great health, the strength of your mind hasn’t left you yet, I can see, and your time hasn’t come yet”, Lysippe said and took her grandmother’s hands.

“Dear child, do I have to be unable to walk and my mind be away from the reality for me to retire? And besides, you are ready for this.”

“But…”, the Princess tried to object.

“But this is the truth. We both know it”, Zerynthia interrupted her in a firmer voice, but still smiled.

In the pale moonlight, the familiar seemed different to us just like Zerynthia’s face looked different. The tattoo shapes on it were changed. The wrinkles, deeper now, were weaving and coming down on all sides, while the scars altered its perfect oval form and it looked somehow unreal. All that was an undeniable proof of many challenging and harsh years. One could see more on her face than in someone else’s entire life.

“What does the moon have in store for us tomorrow?” Lysippe wondered quietly and looked up again.

“Whatever it is, we shall accept it. I think that this beautiful and clear moon promises nothing but good”, Zerynthia took a deep and loud breath of fresh air and continued. “Listen now, I know you wish very strongly to have a girl. We all want that. But even if it is a boy, you would have contributed your part toward the Holy Union. Conception, birth, and gender of the child are under the will of the Mother. Men are part of our society and they have their place and role in it, after all we cannot live without them”, she embraced the Princess and they continued along the path in silence.

Lysippe opened the door and entered the room. She left her mantle on the bench next to the table and sat down in the comfortable armchair in front of the fireplace leaning back on the white lamb skin. Zerynthia took a burning stick and lit up the three candles in the bronze candlestick placed on the table. Then she threw a piece of oak wood in the fire and sat down in the chair next to her.

“I see that the cat is still here”, the Queen pointed out in a disguised displeasure. Some time ago she had advised her to keep the lynx away in the days before the birth.

More than seven years had passed since Lysippe found him in a swamp far from the town. There were two male kittens that she took with her but a few days later one of them died. The survivor grew up in her care and she trained him to hunt. Ducks, pheasants and hares were his favorite catch, and when he was not hunting, he was her pet. She was strongly attached to the big cat and was rarely without him but his presence there, around her, at that time was inappropriate.

“Tomorrow I will hand him over to the care of Vea. I promise”, the golden-haired Princess vowed and turned her eyes towards the lynx, who was lounging in her bed.

‘The Swamp Cat’, as they often called these predators because they inhabited regions around the swamps rich in reeds, looked like he was sleeping. All of a sudden as if understanding the words of his mistress, he lifted his head and his yellow eyes peered at the two women. The animal’s long fur was dark-grey with four stripes starting at his forehead and ending at his neck, then turning into spots along the length of his body; that served as a perfect disguise in the midst of reeds, bushes and prairies. Now, lying on the bed, only his eyes reflecting the fire could be seen. The lynx rose energetically, shook his big long legs, and sat on the edge of the bed closest to his mistress. He pulled back his large triangular ears as if tuning the black hairs on top of them. He waved his short striped tail in a greeting and sat up straight as if he was on watch. His yawn showed his big white teeth - ″One of my weapons″, he seemingly claimed.

“Excellent. I won’t be long but before I go I want to ask you something”, Zerynthia began and stretched her legs out staring at the animal with some distrust. “Do you think that we know enough of the tribes that surround us?″

“No, we don’t.”

Lysippe responded so quickly that her grandmother’s last word overlapped with her “no”. As if she knew the question before she heard it. Zerynthia settled on the chair. “Did she really know what I was going to ask?” she wondered.

“And do you think that now is the time to take action in that direction?”

“Yes. You know my opinion.”

“Wonderful”, approved the Queen and continued. “Later tonight, I shall gather the family and will propose a course of action. I have already sent letters to Ktesippe and Halka in which I familiarize them with the idea. At the next moon we will call a council in Amaza”, she concluded and stood up to throw one more piece of wood in the fireplace.

“What retirement were you talking about?” Lysippe smiled. “As you can see, it’s not us but you who makes plans.”

“Listen, child…”

“Now you can say that I am a part of these plans and you can wish me ‘good night’″, Lysippe interrupted her grandmother and sat straighter.

“Wonderful”, the Queen said again. ″Keep making me happy, Princess. Take the necklace off before you go to bed”, she pointed to her own neck and reached for the door but stopped at the threshold and turned around. “Good night”, Zerynthia ended the conversation and went out without waiting for an answer.

LYSIPPE

Lysippe had been with contractions for the past few hours. For most of the time she was walking around the room surrounded by two women and only once in a while she would sit down. But when the pain in her belly became more frequent and growing in intensity and her back was hurting to a point of being unbearable she agreed to lie down.

Now she was propped up with two pillows behind her back and Zerynthia and Otrere were on both sides of her, holding her hands. Something grasped her throat tightly as she was trying to breathe. She was moaning and sighing quietly as if she was worried she might disturb someone. Vea had her back to the Princess and was nimbly wetting another piece of cloth. “The time is nearing. That’s the third one for the last few moments”, she thought to herself and believed she heard the water breaking.

“The chair, get the chair right away”, Zerynthia shouted with wide open eyes.

The young woman threw the piece of cloth in the water and jumped to grab the birthing stool. The Queen-Mother and Otrere gripped Lysippe and lifted her quickly. They put her on the walnut chair that was brought in, which had arms and a big opening on the seat, and stood on both her sides without releasing her hands. Vea was crouching down because she had to put on the rectangular stand. With great effort she managed to pry Lysippe’s legs open so she could do it.

Those who were just outside the bedroom door barged in like mad as soon as they heard the Queen-Mother shouting for the chair. Meanwhile, Zerynthia and Otrere were yelling simultaneously: “Push”, “Breathe”.

Lysippe felt like she was on a battlefield - everything hurt, it was difficult to breathe, she was wounded, screams of life and death surrounded her.

Someone took her head so they could prop it up. She felt the pain dissipating for a moment but only for a moment. Then Torsas leaned over her. Lysippe looked at the familiar face, the lips were moving in a strange way as if speaking to her in an unknown language. She tried to hear the words. Nothing but her own breathing. She knew she had to push despite everything because this was the sacred pain and the result was life.

Vea saw that Lysippe took a breath for the next push and instinctively held the leather underneath the chair. When she looked down, she saw amniotic fluid running down the Princess’ legs. She glanced at the light-tanned leather and saw how the red-white slime was turning brown-black once it touched the surface. Lysippe started screaming and the little head popped out. Vea put her hands underneath it and when the shoulders were out too, she took them gently and lightly pulled the baby. It came out quickly - big, slippery, with long blond hair. The young woman deftly cut the umbilical cord and tied it as if she did that every day. Actually, it was her first time. She had seen others do it and had dreamed about it many times in anticipation of the birth, and it looked like she was doing well. But all of a sudden she realized that the newborn was not moving, it did not even make a sound. She froze.

“Step back”, Zerynthia cried out and nearly pushed aside Vea.

She kneeled down and grabbed the baby from the girl’s shaking hands. She deftly put her finger in the little mouth, stood up and turned her back on Lysippe. She grabbed the newborn’s legs with her right hand and lifted it to an eye level twisting her wrist. The baby sprawled upside down and its body was hanging helplessly. She shook it carefully a few times with experienced movements.

Everybody in the room held their breath. Their faces looked tense. Lysippe felt relief - the strong pain was gone. But soon after exhaustion hit - brutal exhaustion that paralyzed her whole body. She tried to lift her head but it did not oblige. She tensed her whole being and then she heard a sound like the sound of the sea waves crashing into a sandy bank in calm weather - slap, slap, slap… Zerynthia was slapping lightly the child’s butt. The ones present, apart from her, were all counting silently.

Just as Torsas counted seven, the newborn cried out. The relief rapidly spread on the faces and turned them into joyous smiles.

“Give her to me”, Lysippe murmured weakly, lifting her head.

The baby kept crying in Zerynthia’s arms. She dried it in a soft towel, then wrapped it in a white cotton cloth until only the wrinkled little face could be seen, and turned around. Something pierced through her chest as if a dull arrow had been stuck there. She tried to swallow but the saliva got stuck in her throat.

“It’s a boy”, she said with disappointment, even though she made great effort to sound happy, she smiled and passed the newborn baby.

The first reaction of the young mother was the attempt to smile but it was not the smile she had dreamed of. She took carefully the child in her trembling arms and when it was in her embrace everybody showered her with words: “good job, sister”, “it’s over, it’s over”, “congratulations on your baby”. She did not hear their words. She did not even hear the cries of the boy. She was gazing at the little face, succumbing to a world where only the two of them existed.

Torsas nodded at her mother who was across from her.

“Come on, my sister, let’s put you in bed. You’ll feel much better there.”

Her words seemingly startled Lysippe. She lifted her gaze slowly almost insecure and their eyes met. Huge tears were streaming down her red-rimmed eyes. One fell on top of the nose of the newborn baby, at which he made a funny grimace and stopped crying. Torsas saw questions in the eyes of the young mother and felt her head heavy as if someone had hit her with a battle hammer.

“Let me take him for a little bit, only until you lie down”, the Priestess spoke but did not reach for the child.

Lysippe felt strange. She did not know what she was feeling at the moment - love, hate, disappointment, pain, pity, guilt, joy, relief, gratitude, loneliness. It was a mixture of all of them and she could not focus. She nodded unnoticeably.

Her oldest sister took the boy and gave him to Charope. They moved the Princess to the bed and just as they were about to leave her, she grasped Torsas’ hand and pulled her towards her so sharply that she lost her balance. The Priestess ended up on the bed with her face close to Lysippe’s.

“Please, ask the Mother to reveal to you what this means”, Lysippe asked quickly and firmly but quietly.

“I knew it was going to be a boy and I know that nothing more will be revealed to me. I am sorry, sister”, Torsas replied in a voice which emphasized that her words were immutable.

“Sister, I beg you!” the mother did not want to give up.

“You don’t want to…”

“I do”, Lysippe whispered and released her grip.

“I’ll do everything in my power”, Torsas replied after a moment of hesitation and quickly left the room.

The Priestess crossed the spacious temple and disappeared in the only small door at the end. She passed along a narrow corridor which led to an expansion, lit up by a single torch. There were three entrances to the small anteroom; she opened the right door without hesitation and disappeared in the darkness. That corridor was longer than the previous one. There was light at the end which gave the illusion that it was narrower. This time Torsas found herself in a spacious room with no doors, windows, ventilation, or any other object apart from a massive bronze candlestick fixed right in the center of the wall across from her, at the level of her knees. She sat on the floor and with her right heel hit hard one of the ashlar stones under the light. The sound of rubbing two stones together filled the space with surprising softness. A small door opened to the left. She lit up a thin stick which she pulled out of the pouch on her belt and entered a tiny round room. She leaned on the door and it closed shut.

It took her some time to prepare everything needed to begin the ritual. A quiet fire was burning in the tiny fireplace in front of her, the smoke was weaving up, disappearing through the hidden chimney. She was sitting cross-legged on a mountain lion skin and the only thing on her body was a wide belt, embroidered with silver and gold. On her left side, she had placed three wooden bowls with ground herbs and roots, and on her right, just as many tiny ceramic bottles.

The Priestess was still with her eyes closed - she was praying silently, even though her lips moved from time to time. Then, with three fingers, she took some of the white powder and threw it in the fire. She stretched her arms forward and with quick movements of the palms of her hands she wafted the smoke towards her nose. She inhaled deeply several times. Then she opened one of the bottles, dipped her finger in the white paint and drew a single strip under each eye. She laid her hands on her naked knees and froze for a few minutes. She did this ritual two more times and after the last one the colors of the moon were etched on her face - white, red and black.

She stood up slowly but confidently, stepped over the fire and lied down on the leopard skin spread on the stone floor. She arranged the belt in such a way that the sturdy golden buckle, adorned with twelve precious stones, was right above her solar plexus. She laid her arms next to her torso and froze again. She did not move or breathe for a long time and if it were not for the spasms once in a while, one might think she was dead.

The fire was out, only a few small charcoals were still smoldering when the Priestess rose slowly, removed the heavy belt and put it carefully on the special stand. She put on the tight leather pants made of thin elk skin, dressed in the loose linen shirt, and tied the laces of her high boots. She slipped into a thick wool vest and threw on top the long fox cloak which she tied at her chest. She could go back now.

Torsas entered the Princess’ bedchamber. Lysippe was alone lying down with her eyes closed but the moment the door clicked shut she opened them. The Priestess approached and kissed her sister’s forehead, then stood next to the window with her back to her and gazed outside. No one spoke for a long time.

“Sister”, Torsas broke the silence turning around. “The Goddess is gracious to us and has gifted me with a vision. But what I am about to tell you must remain between us.”

“I know”, Lysippe replied and felt the piercing pain in her body again.

“We rarely understand the meaning of Fate because we are simply mortals who come and go in the blink of an eye”, the Priestess paused shortly without taking her eyes off the Princess. “We know so little about the past and almost nothing about the future”, she stopped again for a moment, then continued. “To stay in a holy union - that is our responsibility. Whatever is ahead of us, and it will be both good and bad, I will stand by you”, she smiled and went to Lysippe.

She sat down on the bed and took her sister’s hands. Their eyes met briefly. Despite the pain, the Princess smiled as well. “How beautiful the eyes are when the face is smiling”, Torsas thought to herself and closed her eyes. Lysippe did the same. Torsas’ voice sounded as if coming from beyond.

“Tears of joy and sorrow will flow like a river… blood will soak the earth… memory and glory will be its reward”.

Silence fell. Only the fire crackled from time to time, its quiet sounds echoed like bells. The slightly opened window top, constantly creaking from the wind outside, froze and did not dare move. Even the wind quieted down to hear the silence of the two strong women.

“Tanais… he will be named Tanais”, Lysippe whispered.