A Warrior's Heart Continued.

He could not help but keep the smile on his lips. "Yes I do." he leaned in and gently kissed her lips, then deepened it. She was what he wanted and he hoped she was now willing to stay with him. He knew he would have words with his father about it but he figured he could convince him that the Amazons would be good allies if he could show them the respect they deserved. The gift of th sword was a start. He knew that would be seen as a sign that his father knew it would be used as it should be.

It had surprised him that his father sent such a gift. Perhaps he knew more about the amazons and already respected them as warriors. It might help when he talked his father.

Maeve hesitated before returning his kiss, it was still rather odd. He confused her, everything she knew was turned upside down. He was changing the way she thought and she even found that she was curious. Her eyes half closed, and she relaxed a little bit.

He made the kiss last for a bit then eased up and broke the kiss. She had actually returned his kiss. She was changing, he wondered what had changed her. Surely not him riding off like he had. What ever it was he was not going to complain about it, he accepted it and liked it.

With the salve applied he pulled her top together and began to lace it up a bit loosely. As he laced her top up he asked her, "What do you think of Duncan and Cloe?" his voice was low and soft.

Maeve's eyes opened slowly, looking up at him as he broke the kiss. She didn't really know what she was doing, this was so un-amazon. But the shamaness and Nara wanted her to accept the change, instead of push it away because she was afraid of it.

It pleased her that he was pulling her top back on, instead of trying to get the rest of her clothes off. "Duncan and Cloe? It surprised me that she is attracted to him, after what happened to her."

"Yes it surprised me as well but, I guess a show of concern and respect for someone can go a long way." he told her. "We McClouds are not like most are. Not all these men with us are McCloud's, though they belong to the clan. But Duncan, myself and a number of others are of the McCloud family." he finished lacing up her upper garment and tied it.

He had thought about making love to her again, but it would not be proper or private enough for something like that. When they could have a proper place to enjoy each other then he might see if she was willing to. "Best get back to the others."

Maeve studied him closely. "All McClouds?" she asked him. "Thats interesting." When he finished lacing her top, she adjusted it, and smiled softly at him. "Thank you." Putting the salve away, she nodded to him. "Alright."

The actual McClouds under his grandfather had seemed to change the way they looked at things. They stopped raiding other clans for animals and crops and started producing more on their own. They began to insure all family members were educated the best that they could be, the men at least. Women were taught sewing, making clothes, weaving, ceramics and the like, as well as a bit of math and reading and writing.

Under his father women had been treated better, with more respect, though they were all still scared rabbits when it came to fighting and things like that. But his father treated wife with respect and took her everywhere, except to battles. Korag had come to see that as something he didn't like. He wanted a woman that could be at his side no matter what. That's why he was so drawn to Maeve.

Back at the camp the men had settled in and the traitor was awake, looking around in fear. Vespian was placed next to her and tied to the tree. Cloe was looking down at her with a hateful look. "Be glad these men are here or you would now be feeling the blade of the knife once more."

Maeve found a place to rest once they got back, and sat, sharpening her weapons. She was thinking about everything that was going on between her and Korag. It was against everything she knew, to be attracted to a male, to be attracted at all. Yet she felt something toward him that she didn't fully understand.


( Hey. Wanna name the traitor Velesca? <3 I'm a geek, and that was the name of a traitor Amazon in Gabrielle's tribe on the Xena show )

(Sure why not. She needs a name and I just couldn't think of a good one.)

Korag left her where she sat down and began sharpening her weapons. He went among the men and talked to them and shared a bit of food with some of them. He saw some looking over at Nara who was with Cloe, he could see them eyeing her up and down. He listened to their conversations and even though they were guarded when it came to the women, they seemed to be begining to have a bit of respect for the way they were.

Once done he brought Maeve and his bed roles to where she was and placed them on the ground. He then began a small fire and took out some food from his saddle bags and sat down next to her. Handing her an apple and some dried beef he streached out on his bed role.

( =D awesome if you need help with names behindthename.com is a good site )

it didn't take maeve long to sharpen her weapons. Sje set them aside when Korag came over with the bed rolls. She sat on hers and took the apple and meat he offered. "thanks." her body was relaxed as she ate slowly.

Korag chewed on some of the meat. It would not be long before they reached the castle. When they did it did not seem that there was that many to defend it properly, except for the harpies. He hoped a hundred men would be enough to take it if all went well. He looked at Maeve. His feelings for her seemed stronger then ever. Yes they would be going into battle and the chances one or both of them could be inured or killed. That only made things more worth living the moment for.

He reached over and caressed her face and smiled. "What do you think of?" he asked her.

Meave glanced to him as she felt him caress her face. She blushed a little at the gesture. it was strange, but she didn't push his hand away. "Think of what?" she asked him softly. There was a lot on her mind. About him. About the battle. About her sisters back at the tribe. About Cloe and Nara.

There might be alot that she had on her mind. He knew he did. But he was more concerned about what she thought of him, and the possibility of them being together. She seemed to be different then some hours ago. He wondered if he should be more direct. He took a deep breath, "Well what do you think of coming back with me after this is all over?" he got out.

His question was what Nara had thought, but she hadn't been fully prepared for him to speak those words. She studied him. That would be a really big step, to go to his home with him, when she was still struggling with this. "You want me to stay with you?"

"I do." he told her. "I never thought I would find a woman like you. All I can think of is fate has had a hand in this." He moved a bit closer to her. "Would you like to change the way men look at women? Together I think we can do that. Shake things up, make people see what can be." It would be interesting to see what people would think about her and him together, fighting side by side, making decisions together.

The sentries signaled that someone was approaching. Korag was up his sword drawn, those with bows, knocked arrows and took cover. It was not the enemy, but the Queen of the Amazons and a number of her fighters. The Queen and the Shamaness strode through the camp to Maeve and Korag as the other amazons waited at the edge of the camp.

"We have come to join you." the Queen said to both Maeve and Korag. She looked at the two bedrolls close to each other and raised a brow as she looked at Maeve. The Shamaness just grinned and nodded.

He made a valid point. But she still was unsure, it was a very big change. It might not be so big if she wasn't born within the Amazon tribe. Maeve was distracted when the sentries alerted of someone approaching. There was enough warriors here that she didn't have to jump up and cause her ribs to hurt.

She relaxed when she saw it was the Queen and Shamaness. She saw the Queen's look and shifted a little bit, not sure what the Queen was thinking, about her and Korag. Was it good, or bad? "Welcome, then, My Queen."

The queen looked around and saw the one amazon tied up and the signs of being tortured. Her eyes grew big and began to fill with anger. Cloe approached and saw her look. She bowed sligthly and spoke. "That is my handy work, my queen. She was the cause of us being captured. She betrayed us all and was the cause of my........" she turned away a bit but Duncan stood beside her. She looked up at him and gave him a slight smile. Cloe turned back to the Queen.

The anger left her eyes for the moment as she looked at Cloe. The others and the shamaness had informed her of her rape but not of the traitor. "Do as you wish to her then," the Queen put a hand on Cloe's shoulder. "But remember her final punishment is for all the Amazons to decide on. Keep her alive."

Nara approached to stand with Cloe. "Nara I see you stayed with your sister. It is good to see all of you."

Nara bowed slightly and said. "It is good to see you and our sisters here. I would like to have some of them join me and the men I command when we scale the cliff and wall."

Now that made the Queen look at Nara with wide eyes. "Command? Of men?" she asked a bit bewildered.

Nara grinned. "I command a third of the men here and Maeve is Korag's second in command. For a while I was in command of all of them." The Queen turned to Korag.

He just shugged his shoulders and qrinned.

"Something you never thought you would see, eh my Queen." the Shamaness said with a merriment in her voice.

The Queen stood straighter and smiled. Then turned back to Nara, "Pick the ones you need. Instruct the others to where they should be for the attack. We are now under Korag's command for this attack." Women commanding men, she could do no less then put the amazons under his command. Indeed it was a day to remember. "Also have our sisters file past the traitor. I want them all to see the one that betrayed us."

She then turned to Maeve. "Come I wish to talk to you alone." Korag stepped back to allow Maeve to leave with her.

Maeve wached silently. It was unexpected, to have the queen there, checking things out. It looked liked the queen approved. That was good. But when the queen wanted to talk to her alone, Maeve was worried, she could think of several things that the queen probably wanted to talk about. One of them being about korag, Which seemed to be a popular topic betwwn the shamaness and Nara. Pushing herself to her feet, she was careful not to cause her bruised ribs anymore pain, not liking the idea of showing that she was hurt around the queen. she took her sword and sheathed it. Moving over to the queen, she smiled in greeting. "Yes, my Queen?" she led the way to a quiet spot where they would be alone.

The Queen followed Maeve to a secluded spot and stopped. One hand rested on the sword that had been sent as a gift. "This Korag is a very strange man. I have never encountered one like him." she began. "From everything the Shamaness has told me, he treats you as an equal, with respect and from questioning him he told her that he would raise a daughter to be more like us then that most men do. "

She began to pace a bit. "I see the way he looks at you and the Shamaness has told me what she told you. But I want to hear from you what you think of this man and his clan. Do you have feelings for him? Do you trust him?"

Maeve sighed. "that seems to be a very popular topic. I expected that no one would approve, but instead I find curiosity. Shesighed a bit and figeted with a corner piece on her top. "he confuses me. After the shamaness talked to me, I tried not to let my fear of change get on the way of whatever. I don't know what I'm feeling. I am starting to trust him."

her hands trembled a little. "he found out my daughter was killed, and He pulled me into his arms.... I felt safe there. Before you arrived, he asked if I wanted to return home with him after this was over. I feel like it's too fast."

The Queen nodded, "Yes I have to agree with you there. He confuses me as well, as does his father." she unhooked the sword from her belt. She pulled the balde half way out. "Such a fine sword, made by a true craftman, is not a gift a man would give to a woman." she stood before Maeve. "He helps you free us, treats you and the others with respect and as equals. Gives Nara command over men and makes you his second in command. In all my life this is unheard of. What else has he said to you?"

Maeve watched her queen. She sighed deeply. "I slept with him, the first i had since my daughter died. He found out my fear of possibly having another child, and promised that she would have both worlds, protection and training of both his and mine." After a moment of silence, she admitted, "I don't really know why I wanted to sleep with him."

The queen looked at her and smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "Sleeping with a man does not concern me. We all have our needs and desires that need to be slated." It was her turn to sigh. "Even willing to train a daughter as he would a son. I think it is time I talked more with Korag. As for you, as it is for all amazons, it is what you want to do. For the most part we have nothing to do with men because of how we were once treated. Those born and raised within our community have known nothing of the way men are. Well the majority of them anyways."

She looked back towards the camp. "I also noticed how Cloe looked at that young man beside her and was told what he did back at the Main Camp of Korag's clan. If these men look at us as equals then perhaps we should see what else they have to offer. Come lets go back and talk to this strange man."

(If you want to play the Queen in her questioning of Korag, you can.)

"none of the fathers of our daughters never wished to be involved or to even know our daughters. He seemed to want to be involved." meave was relieved that the queen didn't care that she slept with Korag.

"alright," Maeve led the way back to Korag, feeling a little bit distracted about all this.

( I don't think I can today, I'm feeling agitated.)

The Queen lead the way back. When tey got back she looked over at Korag, then at Duncan and Cloe. Nara had gotten the amazons situated and the men were all looking around at the women. To one group of men Nara said, "Get use to it." and grinned and moved off making sure she moved her ass just right as she walked. The Queen raised a brow at her antics but didn't say anything.

"It seems that you have impressed some of my amazons." she told Korag. "When this is over I would like to talk to your father, the leader of your clan. I think something may come of all of this." was all she said to him before leaving witht he Shamaness to find their own beds for the night. The Shamaness turned and winked at Maeve.

(What is wrong?)