A Warrior's Heart Continued.

Maeve drew her sword when they were surrounded. Taking a stance, she was ready to fight them, despite her aching body. "Amazon's do not surrender," she stated firmly, her gaze studying the soldiers. She stood by her sisters. "You've obviously never fought Amazons."

Korag moved up beside Maeve and looked at her. "Well you will be the first to die." he told the commander. The man laughed again, the last thing he did. Cloe's sister grinned as she let fly her arrow at the man's head. It struck an knocked him off his horse as it impaled his brain. Quick as the eye could follow, she had another arrow in hand and knocked. The other men rushed in and the other amazons let loose with their arrows, dropping their bows and drawing their swords.

As the men reached them the amazons met them as did Korag. His blade flashed before him and one man's head went flying and a second felt the steel of his blade run him through.

Maeve still found it weird that Korag fought with them, but she didn't think about that, as she fought, clashing blades. She fought hard, taking down a couple of soldiers. They would not take her sisters.

There was twenty of the soldiers, and now four on horseback. There was only eight of them and one was weak and had to fall back into the middle of the circle. Cloe had tried but it would take her time to recover fully. The soldiers pressed in on all sides. Even with the amazons taking out one soldier each, they were still trapped an from the screaching of the harpies, all they had to do was keep them there for a bit more.

A couple of the Amazons were now wounded themselves. Suddenly a few of the men stiffened and fell, arrows in their back. Then there came the battle cry of the McClouds. Five clansmen came charging out of the trees and attacked the soldiers from behind. Those that survived the attack ran off. As they did the five clansmen moved up towards Korag. It was Duncan and his men.

"Thought I told you to return to my father." he asked.

Duncan shugged his shoulders. "Did. He sent us back to fetch you. He was very insistant." Duncan looked around at the amazons and the dead men on the ground. Then he saw Cloe and his eyes lit up. He then looked up and at Korag. "Better get going, a lot more of them is coming. Saw them a bit earlier, plus those damn flying creatures."

Korag nodded and looked at the Amazons. "Come with us. If I know my father, his camp is not far. From there you can be furnished horses and make it to your people faster." He looked at Maeve. She was more or less the groups leader. Duncan saw how weak Cloe was and picked her up into his arms. She was splattered with the blood of the soldiers. He looked from her to Krell. He saw the look in his eyes and smiled.

Maeve kept fighting hard, she woudln't give up, even though it was starting to look hopeless. Then she saw that some of the soldiers were shot from before, and the rest run away, like cowards. She frowned when she saw it was the man from before that Korag knew.

She saw Duncan pick up Cloe, but she didn't know him. She didn't like him carrying Cloe. Her gaze shifted to Korag, hearing his words. "Go to a bigger group of men?" She was a little bit uneasy, cautious by that idea. She might be starting to be okay with him, but she wasn't sure about more than one.

He could see that didn't go over to big with her. Amazons going to a large group of men. "Well it would be safer and having horses will make it a lot faster to return to your people. Also if I don't return, my father will more then likely send out more men and the chances of them finding your village is more likely. The less that know where it is the better. These men here answer to me and they will not speak of it to anyone." He looked sternly at Duncan.

"Aye Korag. I wouldn't do that." he looked at Cloe then at Maeve. "I not be wishing you or your people trouble."


The other amazons were a bit hesitant on going with them as well. Cloe's sister was the one that finally spoke up. "There is safety in numbers. Though I do not like it." she looked at Duncan holding his sister, "If it was not for them we would be dead or captured again. I don't hold much to a mans word, but this one...." she nodded to Korag, "has helped us and our people." She looked over at Maeve. "Do you trust his word?"

Korag had to go and use logic and reason. Her gaze shot to Cloe's sister, hearing the question 'do you trust his word?'. She glanced to Korag. He hasn't lied to her. Not yet. But it was difficult to admit that she could start to trust him. With a sigh, she finally replied. "I suppose." Maeve was hoping that if she put her trust in him, he wouldn't turn around and do something that would break that trust. She felt like she was risking something with him.

Cloe's sister, Nara, nodded, "Then it is settled, we will go with them and then return home." She eyed Duncan and the way he was looking at Cloe. She didn't know if she liked that or not. She looked at Korag. "Don't make us regret this trust." She then turned to Duncan, "Lead on." she had a bit of trouble getting that out.

Duncan, carrying Cloe moved out in front. He lead them through the forest and out onto the grassy plain where in the distance was the campfires of Korag's Clan's encampment. They had a truce with the other clan for a few days, and was working on a more longer peace. With in a couple hours they were entering the camp

The men of the clan stopped what they were doing as they came in. They looked at the Amazons that were with Korag, and Duncan. Some stood up to stare. One man called out as they passed, "When you'r done with her Duncan bring her back here." the group began to laugh. Duncan stopped shifted Cloes weight and backhanded the man, knocking him from his feet, "Keep that trap shut if you don't want to be eating your own teeth." his voice was angry. The group of men went quiet. The man Duncan had hit spit out blood and looked back at him with surprise and understanding.

Nara's hand was on the hilt of her sword when the man had spoke, but eased up when Duncan had hit the man and said what he had. Was this one like Korag. Perhaps the amazons would have to reevaluate some things.

Maeve moved quietly, keeping a cautious, careful, protective look out. When they arrived to the camp, she was alert, uneasy. Being in a camp full of men was a bit unnerving. Her gaze studied the men, and then shot to the man who had spoken to Duncan in such a manner about Cloe. That made her angry, but it surprised her when Duncan took care of it. she glanced over to Korag, why were they so different?

Korag glared at the man that had spoken. His friends helped him to his feet and out of the area. There was no more inapproprate remarks. Cloe was a bit taken aback at Duncan's actions. Her strength was slowly returning but she said nothing. Korag lead them to the center of the encampment of hide tents to a large one. Two clansmen opened the tent flap as they approached.

He entered the tent, "Come all of you." he told the Amazons. Duncan entered with Korag, still holding Cloe.

"Well I see they have finally found you." he looked at the Amazons and raised a brow. "And who are your friends."

"Amazons Father. They found me wounded in their forest and tended to my wounds. But whe have a serious problem." he told his father and then went on to explain about he Mage and his Harpies and soldiers. His father sat back in the large wooden chair and listened to his son. "Duncan you see to finding good mounts for them for their return to their home." he turned to Maeve. "My thanks for your kindness towards my son. Rest the night here and you will have horses and supplies to see you back home in the morning. If any here bother you, be assured they will regret it."

He then turned to Korag. "You stay, we have much to talk about." Korag had a feeling he knew what that was going to be. He looked at Maeve and smiled. "You and your sisters will be well taken care of. Duncan will see to it."

Maeve was quiet, as she went with Korag into the tent, though sje really did not want to. Her gaze shifted to his father, and she stood quietly, listening. When his father thanked her, she tensed up a little. It wasn't kindness that had her take him in and take care of his wounds. But she wasn't going to say anything.

With a nod, she left with her sisters once they were dismissed. They were able to rest the night in te camp, but it felt more like spending the night in a camp full of snakes.

Duncan lead them to another tent. He laid Cloe down on some furs and stood up looking down at her with a smile. Then he turned to Nara and gave a nod of respect. "I will have food and drink brought for all of you." he then left. He stationed two of the men that had been with him at the tent to keep any one from bothering them.

Nara looked at Maeve. "Some of these men don't fit the ideas we have about them. Well at least two so far. It is strange, yet a bit refreshing." She grinned.

Back at the Clan's Leader's tent Korag's father told him. "A change in plans about your marriage. It seems your birde to be has run off with someone." he looked at his son. He knew he didn't like the idea of marrying someone he did not know. A stunned look crept onto Korag's face as it sunk in and then releif. He chuckled then laughed and finally breathed a big sigh of releif.

"That is the best news I have heard all day." he told his father.

"Son, we still need this treaty." his father said.

"We can find another way." Korag said and thought of Maeve.

Maeve Glanced around the tent that Duncan took them to. Her gaze shifted to Nara. She nodded. "Its very strange and different. I don't understand how they are.... Kind." kneeling beside cloe, she winced at the sharp pain, but instead of checking on herself, she checked on Cloe, making sure she was okay. She worried more for her sisters than herself, and cloe went through something tramatic.

Nara saw the wince that Maeve gave as she knelt beside Cloe. She knelt down next to Maeve and put her hands on hers. "You have been hurt, now sit down and let me check you out. She began pressing her fingers on Maeve's ribs. "What happened?" she asked as she continued to check Maeve out. If it had been Korag that had hurt her, Maeve would not have been as nice to him as she had been. Someone else had hurt her.

Maeve glanced to Nara, she would have protested, but sometimes it was just pointless to argue with her sisters. Sitting down slowly, she felt Nara touch her ribs, and she gasped, it hurt. "The mage shot his power at me, it was stronger than anything I ever felt." Moving her hand to her top, she started to untie it, it made her feel uncomfortable, like it was too tight.

"I think you have some bruised ribs and muscles. I don't feel anything broken. It will be a few days of being uncomfortable, but this should help a bit." She took out a vial from a pouch and handed it to Maeve. "When the food and drink come mix this with something to drink and it will help ease the pain." She then attended to Cloe.

"Why are they so nice to us?" Cloe asked. "I saw the way the one that carried me here looked at me. It was not like, like ..... that bastard had. It was a strange look and then he hit one of his own for making a rude remark. This is not what we have been told about men."


"I know." Nara stroked her head. "They are not the same mold as those we have known. She looked at Maeve, "They seem to like what they see in us." The other amazons made themselves comforatable but had their swords at the ready. They were a bit confused by the way they were being treated and the actions of Korag and Duncan.

Maeve to the vial. "Thank you," she stated softly. She fixed her top so it wasn't so tight, but also so it wouldn't fall off her. Then she went to check on the other Amazons and tend to any wounds she they had. Her gaze shifted to Nara. "From what Korag told me, he didn't think women should be pushed back, to stand aside while the men do the protecting and fighting." She sighed deeply. "I feel like I should push him away, before he gets too close."

Nara raised a brow. "We left the world of men because they did not think us as equals, that we could do what they did. That was a long time ago. We have proven we can survive on our own and do what they do. Those coming to us after that have been abused or more. We are now taught that all men are beasts and bad. But are they?" she helped Maeve tend the wounds, making sure no infections had set in. When the food and water came they washed the wounds and bound them up. "Do you know that some of our people have left, returned to the world of men?"

Maeve nodded slowly. "aye, but I never understood why," she replied softly, finishing up on one of the amazons wounds. "maybe not till now, now that I see they aren't all like the men we were taught about."

Korag left his father's tent a happy man. They would find another way to get the treaty with the clan his father wanted as an ally. He went to find Maeve and have a talk with her.

"Some left because they wanted to prove that they could make it in a mans world. Others found that they were not cut out to be without men. But a few, I know of a couple that left because they said they found a man that was not like the others. I could not beleive it at the time, but........" she shugged her shoulders. She took Maeve back away from the others and whispered. "What are your feelings for this man?"

Maeve supposed those were fair reasons, they made sense somewhat. When Nara drew her to the side and asked hr about her feelings. "I don't know how I feel," she whispered back. "he confuses me."

"Well I am sure you confuse him as well." Nara told her. She looked over at Cloe who was now sitting and eating. She would now and then look to the tent entrance as if expecting some one. "Well I have a feeling that he is going to ask you to stay behind. He evidently likes you by what you have told me so far."

Korag arrived at the tent to see Duncan pacing back and force as if trying to decide something. "A man that seems to be undecided about something." he grinned. He had an idea of what he was thinking on.

Duncan stopped and turned to face Korag "Aye." he paused and then spat it out. "I've seen many a woman about, but none have caught my attention as the young one in there. Something telling me that she is the one, but she be an amazon and hates men."

Korag grinned a wider grin and shook his head. "Well that is a problem now isn't it." he aproached the tent entrance and called out. "Is it alright if we come in." he pulled Duncan along with him.

Maeve frowned at that idea. Oh she hoped not, the amazons were her family, the only home she knew. Her gaze shifted to the tents opening hearing him. The woman nearly sent him away, but instead she gave him permission to come in, and stood off to the side, feeling cautious.

Korag entered the tent, draging Duncan along with him. Duncan had a bundle with him. When he entered he hesitently moved towards Cloe who looked up at him and then back down with a kind of shy look on her face. "I brought you these. " he put the bundle down. "I hope that they all fit." he opened the bundle and in it was a clean shirt, breaches and boots and it was all in a warm woolen cloak. She looked at the clothing and moved a hand over them then looked up a shy smile on her lips.

"Thank you." she whispered.

Nara almost chuckled and looked Duncan over a bit more. He was a handsome young man, younger the Korag and around Cloe's age. She could tell that he was smitten with Cloe. It was not up to her to say what Cloe should or should not do. Even though she was her actual sister, she was still free to do as she pleased.

Korag looked over at Maeve. "My father has agreed to send with me a hundred men to see about dealing with the Mage. I was wondering if you would like to come along, seeing that you also would like to have him dead."

At the mention of going back to deal with the Mage, Nara looked up at him and then to Maeve. If Maeve didn't want to go, she sure did. She wanted to castrate the bastard and hang his head on a pole.

Maeve watched Duncan as he gave Cloe some clothes. That was... thoughtful. When Korag spoke, Maeve's attention turned to him. She nodded. The mage kidnapped her sisters, planned on turning them into Harpies, bruised her ribs, and raped Cloe. No one harmed her sisters and didn't pay for it. "Aye. I have to get the traitor too." Her gaze shifted to Nara, she saw the familiar anger, she could tell Nara would want to go as well. "You want vengeance, too?"