At the table where Sharvur sat, Zaria at his side, the men were discussing their chance encounter with the Amazons. They seemed proud of the fact that they had defeated them and still held one as a prisoner. A discussion ensued about their past and how there was a time when no army was confident in a clash with them and how legends about the women warriors traveled far and wide. Each man had a story to tell which had come down to him from his father and his father's father. They were all about these ferocious women who were adroitly attached to their horses and whose skill at full speed with a bow and arrow was so historically lethal.

            "We all have heard how they breed like horses with men every year during a short truce with their enemies in the summer." It was one of the older commanders who was reminiscing the tales he had known.

            "Yes," another said, adding that these women upon bearing their young nine moons later would slay the boys and keep the girls to raise and nurture them in the clan of female warriors.

            "They are like animals," said a third. "Their wild ways have no logic. They are driven by the seasons. Their lust to kill us men is famous. At the Trojan War it was said twelve of them came to fight, knowing they would die in honor. And it was only at the hands of the Greek's heroes . . . Achilles and Ajax that they were soundly defeated."

            "Yes, but today they are still a formidable foe," Sharvur warned his men. "Quicker than cats and stronger than bears. Encountering the nine of them as we did on our return across the plains . . . it was like engaging with a small army of elite soldiers."

        The twenty or so men who were there--all seated in a circle around their king nodded in agreement.

        "And they did not die easily those we had to destroy," he added. "Not once did we hear them scream or retreat from our swords and arrows."

        "Time and their smaller numbers has taken nothing away from these Amazons," the hero Murka added. He had been the first in command of Sharvur's envoy, returning from the west. "Their strength and resolve to kill or be killed can give a man a fear like no other . . . once he realizes it is women who charge him." Several of the men shouted out in agreement.

        "I watched with amazement as this one I have now locked in my palace threw a double-bladed axe which split a tree." Sharvur added. "She leaped from her horse and took two of my best men down. And on the ground she bested them both without weapons before another three of our own managed to capture her."

        "What will you do with this captive, king," One of the younger general's asked.

        "Well . . . I will first have to see if she is as ferocious in my bed as she was on the battlefield, I suppose."

        All the men laughed, clapped and raised both hands up in honor of their leader's good-natured camaraderie and prowess. Zaria looked down in embarrassment and felt disgusted by their words and behavior. Wishing to speak on behalf of the captive, she held her tongue, knowing it would only incite more aggressive comments and bullish antics from the brutal men she was in the midst of. But Zaria knew very well that in private conversation with the king she could have a better chance of interceding on Aella's behalf.

        That evening, Zaria's intuitions were confirmed when Sharvur opted to call the safer and more compliant Branka to his bedchamber for the night.  While taking his request to inform her, Zaria saw the opportunity to have a further word with Sharvur regarding the new prisoner in the palace.

        "I have spoken with the Amazon warrior today," she told him as he was making ready to retire for the night. "And I found that she, like all women, deserves to be treated well, Amazon or otherwise."

        Sharvur, while changing into his silk night clothes laughed at her words. "You cannot be serious Zaria! Or truly even look upon this creature as a woman . . . anything like your people or mine. She was raised on a horse since the age of eight and was taught to kill men all her life. She is as wild as any beast my hunters bring to me from Africa in a cage. For a thousand years the Amazons did not cooperate with men. They worship goddesses we would never trust or understand. And they believe in a world where only they will go after falling on the battlefield. No, Zaria. You cannot consider she has any traits the same as yours or any woman. Even her smell is that of a foul animal, if you haven't noticed."

            "I am requesting that tomorrow I be allowed to help her bathe and see if her wounds need attention."

            "She is a dangerous creature! Do you understand me? Like the poisonous snake or the hungry lion. I will not allow you to walk in the path of harm."

            "If I am accompanied by your soldiers tomorrow, will you just let me see that she is cared for? I will bring her food and water and see to it that her awful odor is taken care of."

            "That would be an impossible challenge," he laughed. "Her smell, indeed, is something I wish not to encounter again."

            Zaria looked at Sharvur the way she had learned to do when she wanted to manipulate his power. It was with an innocent stare combined with a certain pose he found attractive and difficult to dismiss.

            "Oh, all right," he said, smiling at her persistent stance. "As you wish. But with no less than  four soldiers between you and the beast. Feed and bathe her tomorrow. Make her as tolerable as you can. Now be gone. I expect Branka here shortly to tend to my needs tonight."

            Zaria nodded to him in her falsely suppliant way and left to inform Branka of her obligatory duties—all the while having knowledge of her friend's recent romantic sojourn with Moshtok. She knew that whatever the king subjected her to that night, Branka's mind would still be in a little tent in the countryside, with her lover and former teacher.

                                                                  *     *     * 

           That next morning, Zaria found the four armed soldiers Sharvur had relegated for her protection waiting outside her own chamber. They were there to escort her and the prisoner to the rock bathing area she often shared with Branka and Svetlana. As the men entered first the prisoner's chamber they found her already standing near the doorway in a defensive stance, as her sensitive ears had heard them approach and this galvanized her actions. Zaria entered carrying a large tray of food and a bag of clothing. She told the soldiers to step aside and then to wait behind her with their weapons sheathed.

        The Amazon relaxed upon seeing this and that Zaria was unarmed and had brought food and water. She responded amicably to her signal to sit with her and eat. And this Aella was eager to do. There was some rude discussion of the smell in the room among the soldiers behind them and Zaria went back and scolded them, insisting they wait outside the door. The men seemed all too happy to comply with this.

        Together the two women, virgin and Amazon, sat and ate--occasionally looking into each other's face out of curiosity. The meal of fruit, dried meat and bowls of soup Zaria had ordered for Aella was consumed quickly. The female warrior ate roughly and noisily, drinking down the water and the contents of the soup bowl in haste, as if there was a threat it would all be taken away at any moment.

        Following this brief and frenetic meal, Zaria motioned for Aella to follow her. With two soldiers walking before them and two at the rear, the small entourage passed through the palace hallway and up the stone steps to the bathing pool where Mila and her fellow older slaves had prepared the hot water, the perfumed soap, and towels for the both of them.

        Aella was visibly intrigued by this room whose sole purpose was to bathe, something judging from her soiled body and offensive smell, she had perhaps never done before in her life. Zaria dismissed the women who had poured the water heated by the fires into the pool. She then gave strict orders for the men to move back down the stairs and wait for them below. As this was all orchestrated by Zaria's plans, the Amazon had no idea what was to take place.

        "Come," she said, when they were alone. "We will wash ourselves in the warm water now."

        With this, Zaria removed her own loose-fitting gown and her undergarment, exposing her soft white body with the elegant tattooes--on arm, shoulder and back, to Aella. The young woman seemed mesmerized by them.

        "Come, Aella. Take off your clothes too," she told her, stepping slowly into the tepid yet soothing water.

        Aella was reluctant to move. She at first only stared at the remarkable creature which, with its phenomenal wings, cascaded down from Zaria's shoulder to her lower arm. Then the Amazon finally bent down and touched the bath water with her hand, removing it quickly, not expecting it to be so warm.

            "That's right," Zaria said softly. "The water is hot. But It will feel good for you."

     The young warrior removed her leather boots and dipped her foot carefully into the water. Zaria then stepped down completely into the bathing pool which was waist deep. She began to slowly splash the water up onto her stomach and chest, dipping down further, submerging her body to her shoulders.

        Aella suddenly smiled. She got into the adventuresome spirit of the activity and removed her loose tunic and greasy woolen pants. She had no undergarments and showed no sign of modesty as she mirrored the way Zaria had slid into the very warm water. A wider smile arose from her face as she felt the soothing bath engulf her whole body. She splashed the water vigorously over herself and moved about in the pool seeming to enjoy the way the water felt when she moved through it.

        Zaria reached over and placed the bronze soap bowl closer to them. She placed her hand into it and took out a generous amount of the greenish thick substance. The Amazon watched with intrigue as she rubbed the paste on her arms and chest then lathered it into foam. She motioned for Aella to do the same. The Amazon could smell the soap in the air and placed her hand in the bowl slowly. She put her hand up to her nose and gave back a surprised expression. Once again Zaria motioned to her to follow her lead but the Amazon seemed strangely overwhelmed by the process and stopped.

        Zaria then took one of the small towels at the edge of the pool and submerged it  in the water. She then dipped it into the soap bowl and moved over closer to Aella. Like washing the body of a child, Zaria began to wipe her skin free of the layers of dirt and filth which had accumulated on her over the years. Aella was patient to allow this and her eyes were wide as she felt Zaria's hands scrub her arms and shoulders. Soon she permitted her to cover her neck and face with the cloth and rub carefully over her skin. Aella remained silent, just taking in the sensual feeling of the cleansing Zaria offered her.

        Next she stood up and turned the young woman around to scrub her back. Aella allowed this but seemed surprisingly ticklish to the touch of the washcloth on the back of her neck. She slowly turned around and took the cloth from Zaria. Turning her around she did the same for her mentor, scrubbing gently her back and shoulders. Zaria could feel the young woman's fingers  tracing over the dancing leopards decorated on her back. She seemed in a trance while doing this and when she turned around and faced her, Zaria felt the Amazons hands move around her waste and then glide down along her hips.

            There was a long moment when neither of them moved. Zaria felt distressed but strangely aroused by the young woman's touch. She could tell through the movement of the Amazon's hands that she was comfortable, almost familiar with this exploration which was quickly becoming a series of gentle caresses. Aella let go of the washcloth and put her arms now around Zaria in an embrace, her warm face sliding over her neck. Zaria froze as she felt this advance become more deliberate. Aella's thigh had now effortlessly slid between Zaria's thighs and the young woman's breathing indicated that her actions would proceed impulsively were she not stopped.

        Zaria quickly pulled away, out of the Amazon's embrace and held out an open hand--signaling to cease in what was threatening to become a full sexual encounter. Aella stopped as directed, though her eyes seemed to ask her why. Zaria had become suddenly fearful through her own mixture of repulsion and arousal. She moved away from Aella in the bathing pool to gather her composure. This left the Amazon uncertain of what they would do next.

        Zaria, recovering from her momentary shock and confusion, took another of the small towels, immersed it, and continued to demonstrate to Aella at a distance how to wash her entire body thoroughly. The Amazon eventually followed her lead and together the two women proceeded to scrub themselves with the perfumed soap from head to toe. Next, Zaria submerged her head completely under the water and when she surfaced, showed the young woman how to wash and rinse her hair. This Aella did as well and soon Zaria was up and out of the pool drying herself off with the larger towels.

        Once the young woman had dried herself, following like a mirror image Zaria's instructions, the bag of clothing was opened. While dressing herself with her own original undergarment and gown, Zaria handed the new young prisoner a similar set of fresh, clean garments to wear. And these she put on with some difficulty due to their newness of design. Zaria then took from the bag a comb and moved over to where Aella stood to brush out her wet hair. The Amazon's hair, now almost as light as Zaria's, no longer had its greasy appearance and had thankfully lost its offensive odor.

        The two young women smiled at one another in the cooling air and Zaria, as a final act of solidarity with her new clean sister, kissed her sweetly on the cheek. Aella smiled back and took a strand of her own clean hair, continuing to smell it as they walked out to join the soldiers once more.

                                                                  *     *     *