A Warrior's Heart Continued.

The five clansmen followed the tracker, looking around them. The tracker stopped suddenly as a horse came running towards them with no rider. He ran into it's path and grabbed the dangling reigns and brought the horse to a halt. "It is Korag's horse." the man said. He then turned and continued on in the direction they were going.

Cloe looked at Maeve. "He is in trouble." She followed behind the men as they continued their fast pace. Soon they came upon the spot where he had been attacked. The tracker stopped and looked at the tracks. "He was somehow knocked from his horse. Tracks of a man and smaller tracks of a woman dragged him off in that direction." he told Mave.

Maeve kept a look out. When the tracker caught the horse and said it was Korag's, she frowned, and nodded to Cloe. They'll get him back, one way or another. It was rather strange, that she was willing to risk her life to get Korag back.

When they got to where he had been attacked, she dismounted, wincing a bit from the movement, it hurt her bruised ribs. Pain wouldn't keep her from doing what she needed to do. "If the two are who I think they are, they won't be happy. We need to move quickly, but quietly. Use the trees as cover, be stealthy."

"I suggest we leave the horses at the edge of the forest and proceed on foot." the tracker said to Maeve. Horses would make to much noise. He looked to Maeve for her command. Cloe examined the tracks herself and looked puzzled. "Maeve, these boot tracks are of an Amazon. See the mark."

Cloe had no idea that there was a traitor among the amazons. Korag nor Maeve had said anything about it.

Maeve nodded, and led the horses to where they would be safe, and somewhat hidden. Her gaze shifted to Cloe, and went over to see the book track. She swore under her breath. The traitor bitch must have been found by the mage, and if the traitor wasn't in the castle, then Maeve concluded that the traitor was no longer on the mage's good side.

"Cloe, if I'm right, those belong to the Amazon who betrayed us. We caught her with her 'man', they were about to get snugly, and we tied them up. I meant to go back for her after we killed the mage, but the plan didn't go as smoothly."

A horified look apeared on her face. "A traitor? One of our sisters betrayed us to that bastard." The horrified look changed to one of rage, and a desire to kill. One of their own had caused her to be captured and then raped. "I'll rip her heart out." Cloe spat out as she drew her sword. The clansmen seen her face and was taken aback. They knew that look, many of their brethern had it after they lost relatives or good friends in battle. They pittied the fool that stood in her way.

Maeve knew it was a good idea to take Cloe. "Aye. She'll pay for what she did. We''ll go to their camp, but we must be quiet, and stealthy. You'll have your revenge, but we can't rush into this." She stated softly. "Are you ready to hunt them down, get Korag, and then slay her and her man?"

Cloe's eyes locked on to Maeve's. "I will kill her, but it will not be a fast death. She will suffer for what she caused. The man you can do what you wish with." she turned to the tracker and the other men. "When we find the ones that took Korag, the woman is mine to deal with. The look in her eyes told it all and the men nodded the acknowledgement. One of the men a hunter, took from his belt a knife used for skinning animals. "It is very sharp and......." He said no more but handed it to Cloe. They knew what they would do to a traitor, and all didn't feel any pity for the amazon traitor.

Maeve nodded. While she had been planning to take the traitor back to the queen, she knew Cloe needed this, to have her revenge. "I wouldn't expect any less." She looked to the men. "Alright, lets move."

The clansmen moved out, keeping to the trees. The tracker kept an eye on the trail. It was not hard to follow. It was evident that they didn't think anyone was going to be tracking them. Cloe kept on their heels. She was wanting to kill the traitor, slowly and most painfully. Her fingers on one hand went over the hilt of the knife she had been given. The traitor was going to feel so much pain for as long as she could make it last.

Korag kept his eyes half closed and laid still, to make them beleive he was sitll out. But he was not going to be able to do that for to long.

The tracker stopped and put his hand up, makeing a fist to signal everyone to stop and freeze in place. He heard voices, not to far ahead. He motoned for Maeve to come up closer.

Meave moved quietly, quickly, following the trail. Maeve glanced to the tracker when he had them stop. She moved forward, quietly. She was cautious, being careful to not make a noise that would alert the others of her presence.

(sorry its short, so distracted right now)

The voices of the man and the amazon traitor could be heard talking about how they were going to turn Korag over to the Mage to get back in good with him. The man wanted back in good graces with the Mage. He kept talking about how there was a plan to begin taking control of the clans and then moving further south to more lands. The amazon traitor was not sure about all of that, and was afraid that the Mage would turn her into one of the Harpies.

The tracker crawled on his belly towards the voices and soon saw the man, amazon, two soldiers and harpie.

Maeve would have crawled on her belly, but if she did that, it would be difficult to remain quiet. She took a bow and arrows, and moved slowly. As an Amazon, she was skilled to through the forest, never noticed. When she saw the Amazon and the others. They would be easy to take care of. Taking her bow and arrow, she pulled back the string, and aimed. She let the arrow fly, toward the Harpie, taking out the creature first was wise.

The arrow flew true and hit the harpie. As the harpie fell to the ground clawing at the shaft of the arrow, the clansmen took that as their signal to attack. They rose from their position and charged, yelling out the clan's battle cry. Cloe was right with them but as they went for the two soldiers and the man in fancy clothes, she went directly for the traitor.

The traitorous amazon tried to run but Cloe would not have any of that. "Oh no you don't you bitch." she cried out and tackled the traitor. The traitor tried to get away but Cloe pulled her back and began pommaling her with her fists. She struck her face again and again, until the traitor lay unconscience.

The clansmen made short work of the two solders and had the man surrounded. Korag when he heard the battle cry opened his eyes and rolled over to watch his men, Maeve and Cloe take the enemy down. He grinned from ear to ear as one of the men came over and cut his bonds. He stood up and looked at the one man. "Well now it seems the tales has turned." He turned to one of the men and told him to return to the main body and guide them to the camp. They would make camp there for the rest of the day while he interrogated the prisoner.

Cloe already was binding the wrists and ankles of the traitor. He could hear her talking to the unconscience woman. "Now you are going to pay dearly." she said as she tightened the ropes on the ankles. "I am going to take my time and make your pain last what will seem a life time to you." Korag looked from Cloe to Maeve. Evidently she had told Cloe about the traitor and she was in the mood for some vengence.

Maeve watched the men and cloe attack those the camp. She would have gone to free korag, but one of the men already took care of that. Seemed te only thing she could do was check on the harpie, make sure it was dead. She stabbed it's heart for good measure.

Staightening, she turned slowly, her gaze shifting to cloe and the traitor. She was proud of the girl. After a moment, she went over to Korag. "You are supposed to be a Damsel in Distress." she pinched him, something a bit odd or her, but he deserved it. Letting his emotions keep him paying attention.

Korag watched Maeve finish off the harpie and then walked over to him and pinch him. That shocked him and then she said he was suppose to be the Damsel in Distress. Now what did she mean by that he wondered. "Damsel in Distress?" he muttered. She was not acting her normal self.

Cloe stood up from securing the traitor and gave her a kick with her booted foot and then spat on her. She then walked over to Maeve and Korag, "If you need help getting information out of him let me know." she fingered the knife and gave the man a deadly look before walking away.

Meave just looked at him and gave him a smirk. "is there any wounds on you," it was her way of asking of he was alright. Her gaze shifted to Cloe. The girl was fired up and rightly so. Moving around Korag, she examined him. "Why did you go off alone after i answered your question?" she asked him, moving around to stand before him. "you keep wanting me to tell you stuff, but you never tell me stuff."

Korag looked down at her a bit confused. She was concerned about him. That was different. Then when she asked why he took off alone after she had answered his question, he was not sure what to say. He had wanted to clear his head. He had been so into trying to win her over and hoping she would stay that he needed to get foucsed again. Especially after she had said that the amazon life was everything to her, that it was her home.

"Had to try and clear my mind." he told her. "Guess it was filled with a bunch of 'stuff' that could not be." her next statment kind of threw him as well, but he managed, "You never asked me about anything. What do you want to know?"

Maeve studied him, there was something strange that she felt, and she didn't understand it. "What could not be?" she asked him. If she hurt him, she wanted to know why. It was odd that he would get to her enough that she was concerned for him. Putting her hands on her hips, she eyed him.

There was definately something different about Maeve now. She seemed more concerned about him and now was asking questions. He crossed his arms before him and looked at her trying to determine why she was now acting like she was. She had not been that intrested in him before.

He felt a bit uncomfortable and not sure what to say. Should he just come out and tell her? She probably didn't want to hear how he was feeling about her, being an amazon and not liking men that well. But......."What could not be?" he repeated, "Well You and me." he told her and then strode over to his prisoner. He checked his bonds, "You will tell me everything you know about this Mage and his castle.

'you and me,' those words repeated in her head over and over as she watched him with the prisoner. Nara was right, he wanted more from her. He wantedbto keep her, but now he thought they couldn't be. She was an Amazon. He was man, the son of a clan leader. It would be difficult to change her ways, they were so ingrained in her since birth. Oh if they weren't busy and trying to destroy the mage and his plans, she would pull Korag away and make him talk to her. Her strange emotions and feelings toward him wanted her to fix it.

The man looked at him with a look of hate and loathing. "He will tear you apart and feed you to the Harpies." he spat on the ground infront of Korag. "And I will enjoy watching him doing it."

Korag just grinned, then said "We will see about that." He motioned for a couple of the men to take him away and guard him. He took a look back to Maeve and saw her looking at him still. She had a strange look on her face, or was it just him. He wished she didn't want to go back to the Amazons after they got done with the mage and his harpies. But she had said it was her home, her life. Why would she want to stay with him? He had rode out to clear his mind but couldn't even do that.

Meave wasn't really sure what she should. She never felt such strange feelings. He caused them. It confused her. She grew up with th belief that she didn't need a man, that they would just hold her back. But he didn't want to hold her back.

He sent one of the men ahead to scout the lay of the land as he waited for the others to arrive. Cloe drug the traitor over to a tree splashed her with some water and drew the knife. The traitor woke up and she looked at Cloe and the knife, fear filling her eyes. Cloe ran the knife over one of the traitor's arms and then turned it to cut deep. The Amazon screamed in pain, but it fell on deaf ears, except the traitor's man. He looked over, eyes wide and filled with horror.

Cloe then took some salt that she had found near the fire and rubbed it into the wound causing her more pain. Again the traitor screamed. Korag saw the reaction it caused in the man and he smiled. "Oh you will talk, or I will let her carve on you." he told the man. "What name do you go by." he asked.

He turned his head and looked at Korag, a sneer on his lips. "I am Vaspian of Rome."

Maeve would have to deal with her feelings. She moved over to korag to help with the questions. Cloe didn't seem to need the help, she probably wouldn't want it anyway. Hearing the name the man said sent chills through her body. Could he know who killed her daughter?

"A Roman? You are far from your empire. Kicked out as you were with the mage?" he rubbed it in.

Giving Korag a look of discust, "I left with my men. I was a Centurian but the General leading us was a fool, he wanted to negotiate with you barbarians. Rome is an empire that conqures and tells scum like you what to do. My men and I attacked and plundered the lands south of here." he bragged. "We killed everyone that stood in our way or tried to stop us, raped, and pillaged putting fear in all." The screams from the traitor made him jerk his head around. Cloe was exacting her revenge.

Korag didn't like the guy one bit. War was one thing, but to kill innocent people, no that was not right. He back handed the an across the mouth sending him backwards and to the ground.