Although the girls' hands were untied once they were placed in their prisoner's tent, it was still a sleepless night for them. Zaria was very concerned for what would become of Tsudros, only several tents away from her. And of course, Branka shed tears throughout the long night for Moshtok, whose condition was still unknown since he managed to escape. As far as they could tell, he had not been brought back by the Amazon warriors who pursued him, though that was no guarantee the worst had not happened if they had managed to overtake or find him.

At the first light of day, the Daughters of the Moon tent camp was active. There was outside the sound of female voices and the protest of horses all around them as the many women went about their duties and routines. Though both Zaria and Branka knew this would be no ordinary day in their lives, Zaria could only hope it would not be her lover's last day. She knew the abhorrence the Amazon culture had for men, their mortal enemies.

It was not long before the two young women were taken out of their tent and moved at knife point by three warriors close to their own age. They were led to the center area of the camp. This wide zone had a large circular, grass-covered spot which was presently filling up with female spectators at its perimeter. The women obviously had been informed there would be some novel display of the prisoners once more that morning, and most likely some formal, public showing of their fate. Nevertheless, the girls were being marched into the center of this staging area and asked to sit.

As they sat motionless with the three Amazon girls behind them, Branka commented quietly to Zaria that the audience had none of the very young girls present. For some reason they were all being kept back in the tents, as it would appear they were not allowed to see whatever the ensuing event would be. This only caused both girls' hearts to beat wildly, fearing the worst, firstly for Tsudros and secondly for themselves.

At that point a small entourage of armed Amazons arrived at the edge of the center circle with Tsudros in tow. His hands were still bound behind him and two young women pulled dispassionately at the leather trundle still attached to his neck. They led him forward, also to be in the grassy circle for all to see. When he was brought up to the center point with Zaria and Branka, they could tell their friend and lover had not slept at all and was in considerable pain and discomfort from his bindings.

As the audience of Amazon women finally had swollen to what appeared to be many scores-perhaps a hundred females seated around the circle, a more senior woman wearing many loops of turquoise beads-and the only Amazon with silver arm bracelets, walked to the center and stood behind Zaria and Branka. She gestured for them to get up onto their knees so as to be seen more clearly by the masses of curious women watching at a distance. Tsudros who stood nearby, faced the crowd and then looked painfully into the eyes of Zaria and Branka. From what they knew of the gentle Tsudros, he was more concerned for their fear and feelings that moment than his own.

Once in place, the senior Amazon woman raised both her hands dramatically as a sign to all the women to be quiet and focus on the proceedings at hand. She then gave a verbal command which seemed to excite the crowd. Suddenly this caused all the younger women-most in their late teens and early twenties, to stand and run forward. It created a second, closer and more intimate audience only several meters away from where Tsudros stood with the girls.

When the energetic teens and young women had seated themselves in front of their leader, just before the standing Tsudros, she gave the command once more for them to be silent and observe the proceedings reverently and orderly. This the younger warriors did-obediently and with respect. Zaria turned and looked at Branka questioningly, uncertain of what was about to be shown here to these young, yet still very deadly members of the clan.

Another command was given to the three women who guarded Tsudros at knifepoint, and they proceeded to untie him. First the leather strap around his neck and then freeing his hands. Tsudros was only too glad to feel liberated from these bindings which he had endured for so many hours. He rubbed his injured neck which showed signs of where the leather had chaffed and bit into his skin.

Next came another verbal command by their leader and the attendants moved closer to Tsudros. Shockingly, they then began to undress him. As he resisted this, one of the warriors pointed her knife menacingly at his throat and told him in a soft, almost pleading voice not to counter their actions. Tsudros calmed himself and became peacefully resigned. He stoically accepted that the two women would proceed to remove what he wore-all in front of the close and captivated audience of young females.

This time it was Zaria who reacted violently. She jumped up and lunged forward to stop the spectacle, though she herself was quickly subdued by the attendant with the knife. The young Amazon in one graceful move grabbed Zaria's hair and pulled back her head, exposing her throat. The warrior then placed her blade lightly under Zaria's delicate chin. Tsudros' fair complexioned lover was quickly immobilized by this and knelt back down out of pain. The woman's superior strength gave her no options.

At that point Both Zaria and Branka realized they were powerless to stop what appeared to be some enlightening or entertaining event for the younger women at the expense of the gentle Tsudros. It was obvious most of this clan had never experienced a male in such confined and controlled proximity-especially one's naked body.

Once Tsudros had been fully stripped of his shirt, his lovely tattooed arms and shoulders were exposed. With this the young women began to whisper among themselves. Some of them smiled excitedly, while others were mesmerized by the intricate designs his upper body exhibited. Next came off his woolen trousers, and as the Scythian men in those times wore no undergarment, his manhood came fully into view of the female viewers who had in their lives never witnessed the bare body of a man.

There was some giggling and a few of the younger girls placed their hands briefly in front of their eyes, yet out of a perceived duty they eventually looked on. As Tsudros bravely and heroically endured this humiliation, the leader of the Amazon women walked up close him. She too seemed fascinated by his tattoos and ran her finger lightly down his arm-much to the loud delight of her near audience and the women at a distance as well. She turned quickly to who were obviously her pupils and admonished them to be silent and then stepped back. She then unashamedly pointed at Tsudros' bare genitals. And then began a long discourse which confirmed to Zaria, Branka and Tsudros that this was indeed some teachable moment for the benefit of the newly fertile females. It was their own fate that they would soon have to fulfill their duty for reproductive purposes in the ensuing months of summer.

At that point, after explaining the purpose and functionality of Tsudros' reproductive appendages, the leader stepped over to the audience of girls-now holding back their hushed whispers and excited expressions. Zaria and Branka's hearts beat wildly as they hoped this was all the bizarre drama would entail and that the unfortunate and exemplary Tsudros would be left unharmed.

The leader now paced up and down before the young audience of Amazons. She still lectured them and at some point asked a question, causing most in the crowd to lower their heads in a gesture of avoidance. Yet it also caused a few of the bolder girls to raise their hand in a volunteer manner. The leader walked up to one such young and robust girl and put her hand on the top of her head. It was a formal declaration for her to proceed as a model.

The girl jumped up anxiously to the uncontrolled jeers and claps of the others. She was led up beside Tsudros and fearlessly looked into his eyes. Next the leader gave her the instruction to lie down on the grass next to him, which she did. Leaving her chitin on, but upon a firm command to spread her legs, the girl awaited the next action ordered by her leader. The senior Amazon moved the naked Tsudros over to her and gestured for him to lay on top the girl. Once again Zaria leaped forward. She tried to stop the outrageous demonstration but this time was seized by the two warriors who forcibly brought her back to her place.

As the leader shouted out further instructions to the on-looking girls, she then knelt down and positioned the volunteer girl's knees to be brought up while pushing Tsudros' body down further between them. It was obviously a lurid but memorable simulation of a sexual position used in the sex act.

Many of the girls were standing now to see more clearly as the model couple lay on the grass motionless and tensely uncomfortable. Tsudros, now better understanding the situation, cooperated in a slow and submissive way-passively assisting with the girls' edification of reproductive methods.

There was much animated talk among the young Amazons and some laughter as they looked upon one of their sisters in her uncompromising position. It was perhaps both absurd and at the same time arousing for them, yet nonetheless disturbing to see one of their own in such a helpless configuration with their usual sworn enemy-a male.

The leader stood back and observed the two stationary models on the grass. She seemed proud of what she had created. She then gestured for them to sit up and told the girls other things at great length. She finished her instructions by positioning the couple into yet another sexual position-this time the girl on her hands and knees with |Tsudros kneeling behind her buttocks. Again the girl's chitin was left on and acted as a barrier between their bodies, yet to the young Amazon's in attendance, their imagination filled in all the gaps needed to formulate their future activities during their celebrated reproductive time, no more than two moons away.

Following this, Tsudros was told to stand, as was the representative Amazon girl. She smiled proudly as she went back to the audience with her sisters. Zaria and Branka were just relieved that actual sex was not attempted, nor was there any physical harm put upon Tsudros in the process of the day's "lesson." They were, however, both unfortunately reminded of their own nascent sexual experiences at the hands of the cruel Sharvur. It was a time in their past which did involve much humiliation and pain.

At this point the Amazon leader gave the signal for Tudros to dress himself and for the women to all go back to their routines. In very little time the Daughters of the Moon clan were again behaving as if nothing out of the ordinary had come into their hidden domain. As Zaria and Branka were led back to their tent-still a prison cell to them, they watched helplessly as Tsudros was taken away, again bound in leather straps not unlike a wild animal. In the dim light of their tent the girls both silently struggled with the question of their lovers' fates. When, or if, they would ever see them again.

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