A Warrior's Heart Continued.

Korag nodded and then seen Nara's look. He would welcome her sword as well. Eyes blazing with hate and a desire to kill, Cloe stood slowly. "I wish to come as well. My pain, my......... a look of shame crossed her face...My vengence!"

Korag looked at Cloe and then Duncan. "That makes three more." He nodded to Nara and then to Cloe.

Cloe then looked to Duncan, an embarased look on her face then back to Korag. "Is he coming as well?" she asked.


"He is my second in command." Korag said.

A slight smile crept to her face. "We will let you all get your rest. Tommorow the others will return to the village, and you three will go with us to deal with this Mage." he took Duncan by the arm and took him out of the tent.

Maeve was glad Nara and Cloe were going to, she did not know if she could handle having to fight among so many man, to travel with them. She watched them quietly, seeing Cloe's interest in Duncan. That was interesting. When Duncan and Korag left, Maeve moved and sat in the corner of the tent.

"What is wrong?" Nara asked when Maeve moved to a corner of the tent. She wondered if Maeve was worried about again going with Korag on another mission. Nara wanted to see how things played out between her and Korag and what might be happening between her sister and Duncan. Her and her sister had come from a town where they were thought as only things to bear children, clean and cook. Nara wanted to be more then that, she wanted to learn how to use a bow and sword.

They came to the amazons and they learned what they wanted to do. Of course they also heard the others talk about how men were beasts, could not be trusted, and everything else. They knew that most of what was said was right. They had come from a place like that. But Nara was not closed minded as most of the Amazons were.

"Still worried about your feelings?" she sat down next to Maeve. Cloe came over with her new cloths and began dressing. "What feelings?" she asked.

Maeve glanced to Nara as she sat beside her. She sighed a little. "I don't know how to deal with this. He's changing things, and I don't like change. I've grown up among the Amazons, their all I know, all I want to know."

The sooner they parted ways, the better she would feel. He was messing with everything.

"He's the first man I had in three years," she whispered, finally admitting that. "Not since Roman's killed my 10 year old daughter." It was what bothered her the most, though strangely, she didn't regret sleeping with him, she was afraid of having another child.

Nara looked at her and nodded. She had heard about it and that was something that it seemed that the amazons and the people of the lands to the north of the Empire had in common. A common enemy. "So you are afraid of change. You shouldn't be. Change is good."

About that time the guards posted about the southern perimeter of the camp called out that some one was approaching. Korag and Duncan went to see who it was. Two people on horseback rode up to the camp. Both were women, one old and one that was Cloe's age. Korag recgonized the old woman, the Shamaness. "Greetings." he nodded his head in respect to the old woman.

"Ahhhhhh I see that you have healed up quickly." she smiled.

He shugged his shoulders and smiled. "I suppose you are looking for Maeve and the others."

She nodded, so Korag took her horse by the bridle and lead the two into the camp to the amazon's tent. They young woman helped the Shamaness down from her horse and the old woman entered the tent.
"Well now this is indeed strange times. A group of Amazon women, in the middle of a camp of men and being left alone. Times must be changing." she smiled at the women.

Maeve wasn't so sure about that. She sighed. Nara was so calm about this. If it weren't for the Mage, she'd walk away from all this.

Her gaze shifted to the Shamaness, surprised, and pleased to see her. "Not in a good way," she stated softly. "I am glad you are well, Shamaness." The Amazon would have gotten up, but it would be a struggle to get up, and she would loose her grace.

"Child, I would say that it is. I have been keeping tabs on you and your sisters. I have seen things that would never have been in my youth." She looked over at Cloe. She could feel the young woman's shame and anger and yet another emotion. "You have done well these past days. The Queen and the others have returned and she has told me about you. She is very proud of you and she is impressed with the man Korag. He has assisted us greatly and has shown nothing but respect which is very strange but welcome. She has decreed that your challange with him no longer exists."

She eased her self to the ground. "So tell me of this Mage. The queen has told me only what she knows of him, which was not much. Were you successful in killing him?"

Maeve was surprised that the queen wouldn't cause her to carry out her challenge with Korag. Which meant, he wouldn't challenge the queen. Relief filled her, and she sighed a little. Without the challenge, he was free to go back to his clan.

"I saw him briefly, but he is vicious, cruel, his power is strong. I was not able to kill him, but wound him badly, before he shot a blast at me. Rubbing her hand over her ribs, she sighed, there had to be a way to get around his magic. Other wise she would end up with a lot of bruises or broken ribs.

The shamaness nodded. "Powerful he may be, but he bleeds and can be hurt. Therefore he can be killed. But I sense that your quest is not yet done. I saw on my way to the tent, many men preparing for battle, and you are still here."

Nara spoke up first. "The Clansmen here prepare to attack the castle. Korag has invited Maeve to go with him and Cloe and I will be going as well."

That made the old Shamaness smile. "Again he does what no other man would. He asks a woman to go into battle with him."

"He is not the only one." Nara told her, "Another, a younger man, Cloe's age stood up for her when one of the other men made a rude comment. Knocked the man to the ground and told him to keep his mouth shut." she chuckled. Never thought I would see that happen."

"Perhaps times are changing. Perhaps." the old Shamaness commented. "I will take the others with me in the morning. I am sure the Queen will want to know about this attack."

Maeve wanted to only think he did so because he knew she wouldn't let him go without her, it was her battle, not his. Why he was going to fight the mage, she didn't know, it didn't make sense. He couldn't possibly want to help the Amazons.

She nodded to the Shamaness. "Why did you have him go with me?" she asked her softly, a question she thought about a lot.

"Because I had a feeling that he would help, and you could not have done it alone." she looked at her, "The queen told me what he said about you. How it was all your doing that freed her and the others." she looked into Maeve's eyes searching for the truth. "What do you think of this man, Korag and the men of his clan?"

Korag wanted to wait and hear what was being said but he had to check on the men that would be going with him and ensure that all had everything they would need.

Maeve sighed and told what korag really did. Lying to her sisters was not something she wanted to do. Ever. Especially to her queen.

When the shamaness asked what she thought about korag, Maeve siged in annoyance. "Tara asked that too. I don't know. He's so complicated."

"Complicated? He gives you compliments, treats you like an equal, gives you credit for the rescue, helps when it does not concern him. Complicated or is it you don't want to see it?" the old woman asked. "Would you rather him look at you as just a woman, treat you like you were nothing? We all have strived to be regonized as equal to any man. I think you are afraid of change."

She pulled out some save from her large satchel. "Here rub this into the areas that you hurt, it will promote healing at a faster rate. Then off to sleep with the lot of you." She stood up with the help of the young amazon that was with her. "I wish to speak with Korag."

Her cheeks blushed, the shamaness knew how to make her see the logic, even when Maeve was weary of what was happening, of whatever she was feeling. She sighed a bit. "I guess so."

Taking the salve, maeve whispered her thanks. She sat back, thinking quietly, wondering what the shamaness had to talk to korag about, but she didn't ask.

The Shamaness hoped that Maeve would think over what she had said. She leaned on the younger woman. Age was finally getting the better of her. The young woman was her apprentice and from a very early age had been learning everything that the old woman knew. When she would finally cross over the young woman would become the Amazon's Shamaness.

The clansmen watched the two move through the camp and kept their distance. Not only because they knew she knew magic but because word had spread that the amazons were not to be mistreated or bothered. She finally found Korag. A couple of the men going with him pointed to her and he turned to see her aproach. "What can I do for you." he asked.

"First I must inform you that your challange with Maeve has been decreed ended, by the Queen." he raised a brow at that, "The Queen wishes me to express her thanks for your help and for your attempt to make Maeve look to be the one that did it all." the old woman chuckled. "She appreciates your attempt to down play your role."

She moved to an old tree stump and sat down. "You are a strange man, Korag. You do not fit the standard type of a man that we know." she looked up at him studying him. "From talking to Maeve, it seems you feel that women should be elevated to an equal of man. You want a woman that will stand at your site in war and in peace, a warrioress."

Korag shugged his shoulders, "Why not. Why shouldn't they be. I am a warrior, I fight to keep my clan free and defend its lands. Why not have a woman that will stand beside me, fight with me."

She smiled and nodded. "It is rare to find a man that thinks like you do. What if you have a child and it is a girl. What will you do?"

Raising a brow, he chuckled. "I will train her to be the best swordswoman that there is along with everything my father taught me. I have the training and I will pass that on to her and any son I have."

The old woman shook her head and stood. "There needs to be more like you in this world." she chuckled. She then returned to the tent and with the assistance of the young amazon, laid out their bedrolls.

Maeve removed her top, and worked the salve in her skin where she was hurt, where she was bruised. Then pulling her top back on, she tied it back loosely enough so she would be comfortable. After she was done, she settled down for the night, to get the rest she needed, the rest she didn't get much of since she met Korag.

When morning came, the shamaness and her apprentice was up early and getting the others up to return home. As promised Duncan had the horses ready for them. Nara and Cloe went out side the tent with the others. "So this is the young man that defended Cloe's honor." the Shamaness turned to Nara. She nodded and the Shamaness looked back over at Duncan. "Interesting." she said as she was helped up into the saddle.

Korag walked up. He carried an sword in a leather sheath. The Sheath was finely made and etched with runes. The craftmenship of the sword was esquisite, made by the finest sword maker of the clan. He handed them up to the Shamaness. "A gift from my father to your Queen." She took the sword and looked at it and smiled.

Turning to Maeve, she again smiled. "Do not be afraid of change child. It can be for the best at times." With that she lead the rest of the amazons back out of the camp.

Korag turned to Maeve next. "You ready to go back to the Mage's castle?" More horses were brought up for Nara, Cloe, Maeve, Duncan and Korag. They would be riding as the men going would be on foot. He saw how lose her top was and though he liked it that way, he knew that something was wrong. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Maeve was ready for this, but also not ready. Fighting with one man was one thing, but a whole army of them was a completely different thing. Instead of thinking about that, she tried to think about the actual task at hand.

Her gaze spotted Korag hand a sword and sheath to the shamaness, and she wondered about that. But sje didn't ask or bother to dweal on it.

When the shamaness spoke to her, she nodded. "yes shamaness." she didn't think change was good, but she would try, for the shamaness.
Korag's question startled her, if she was alright. Glancing down to her chest, she saw her loose top. Maeve had forgotten about it, and tightened it back up, biting her lip against the pain the pressure caused. "it just hurts," the amazon told him, deciding not to brush it aside, he was actually concerned, she had to believe he wouldn't use her weakness against her. Because she was going into battle with him. Again.

He had seen her get thrown back by the Mage but didn't realize that it had hurt her. She continued on even when hurt, now that was another plus for her. The more she was around the more he was wanting her to be his. Without the worry of being forced to marry, he now could concentrate on trying to win her over.

As he mounted up on his Horse the hundred men formed up. He rode to the middle and issued his orders. "You twenty five men will be under Duncan's command." He moved down the line. "The next twenty five men will be under Nara's command." the men looked at him with strange looks. "Thats right, she will be leading you on this mission. You have a problem with that?" There was on no for an answer and he grunted his satisfaction. "The rest will be under my command. Maeve her will be my second in command of this group."

He explained what they were going to try and do. While he took fifty men up the winding path to the castle, to get the attention of the soldiers, Nara's group would scale the cliff and wall as Maeve and he had while Duncan and his men covered them with bows.

Maeve was glad he didn't fuss over her, or try to get her to stay behind. She could still fight even with the bruised ribs. Wounds would not hold her back. The salve that the shamaness gave her had helped, but she felt it would be a couple days before she wasn't sore anymore.

Mounting the horse that was she was offered, it hurt even to do that, but once one the horse, she felt some what better. The only thing she did not look forward to, was galloping, if they needed to.

When Korag named her his second in command, she frowned a little, but did not argue. The amazon did not like be in command of anything.

Nara was shocked to be given command of a number of men. Korag quelled any bickering among the men. A woman giving commands to men, was something unheard of. Oh the story she was going to be able to tell when she got back to the village. She nodded her head when Korag anounced her command, and what her job would be. She looked at the men she was to command and could see that they were not sure about being commanded by a woman.

Cloe looked at Nara and smiled then said, "I will go With Duncan and his men and cover you as you assend the cliff and wall." Nara looked at her and grinned. She had a feeling there was more to it then that. She just nodded and let her sister join Duncan's group.

With in an hour after the shamaness left they were on their way. It would take them some time with the men walking. Korag rode next to Maeve.

Maeve rode quietly, her gaze on the journey ahead, aware of Korag next to her. She would try to heed the Shamaness's words, to try not be afraid of change. So much has changed, so quickly. He was so different, she honestly did not know what to do with it.

It seemed that Maeve was a bt preoccupied with her thoughts as they rode. He was wanting to get to know her more. She still had not told him what she said she would when they were at the Mage's castle. There were things he wanted to know about her. He was hoping to talk to her some on the way back there but it seemed she was not ready to do any talking.

His thoughts turned to giving command of men to Nara. He wanted his men to see that the amazons were not just women, but capable thinkers and warrioress. He had a feeling that like Maeve, Nara would excell in telling them what to do and how to do it.

He looked over and saw Cloe riding next to Duncan and talking with him. That was a good sign he guessed.

Maeve had sort of forgotten what had previously bothered her. They had been preoccupied, and then they ended up having to leave the traitor behind. But now, she wasn't so sure that she would be judged or have to face whatever consequences if they found out she slept with him for pleasure, instead of for a child. Though she still feared that there would be a child.

Her gaze shifted to Korag. This was all so strange to her. He fought with her. She slept with him, and he was still fighting with her, and despite that they slept together, he was still around.

Korag had been watching what was going on with Nara and the men she now commanded, Duncan and Cloe, wondering what those two were talking about. When he turned he saw Maeve looking at him. He smiled and asked her, "Well what have you been thinking about" He wondered if he was getting through to her yet, well breaking down the barriers that had been put in place for so many years.

He had been trying to show her that all men were not like she was told. He hoped that she would look at him in a compltetly different light and perhaps they could get to know each other better.