Prologue
Nik, the leader of the trio, had been the first of the three to volunteer for what each knew would, almost certainly, be their last mission. They would remain behind and hold the bridge for as long as possible, while their sisters retreated to the village to gather the old, the sick and the children. These were the last sad remnants of the still proud Amazon Nation. They would leave their homes and move far to the west, across the wide waters and off the edge of the world. Better the unknown and possibility of death than the assurance of slavery beneath the Roman heel.
As the sound of marching grew louder, Nik could feel the vibrations in her feet. Ahead of her, a long column of highly trained soldiers approached. This was not the Roman Elite. In many ways, Nik knew, this was worse. This was a Mercenary Army. These were men had been trained longer and harder than the Roman Elite. The age and skill level would vary considerably from soldier to soldier with even the least qualified among them being a formidable opponent. The person in command was a familiar face; she had battled this man before. She recognized the missing eye and the long red scar along the man's jaw. Her blade had taken that eye and left behind the dark red scar; it had been a strike of retribution and redemption. A strike she had given him years ago in gladiatorial combat, something she knew as the law of the blood and blade.
She remembered back to their first meeting, when the traitorous Centurion had made an offering of peace between her people and the Roman outpost. She had been honored beyond words when she was selected to be a part of the peace congregation; a small and highly select group of Amazons who had left the comfort and security of their forest to attend the meeting. They had arrived unarmed, except for their eating daggers and shields of rank; seemingly in a show of good faith, but they had not trusted the Romans. An Amazon with or without weapons was a formidable warrior, something the Romans chose to ignore. These women were something unheard of: they were highly trained and well educated, each a skilled fighter and most spoke Latin, Greek and Aramaic.
The Centurion claimed he had come to discuss a new treaty, The Paix Romana he had called it, but the Roman had lied. When the Amazons appeared to have let down their guard during the peaceful dinner, the Centurion signaled an attack.
The Amazons were ready when the Romans began their assault on the congregation; they fought well but against overwhelming odds. In the middle of the battle Nik saw a vicious attack on the Queen's consort. She could have intervened and prevented the warrior's death but she had been tasked with a different mission: to save a single small Amazon, a messenger. She was successful. The messenger had been Ira, the fastest runner in the nation; she was to return to the tribe, if the Romans proved false, to warn them of the deception.
Nik had also survived; she had been taken to Rome, caged like some exotic wild animal, taken to fight in the arena for the pleasure of the Emperor. She had not wanted to fight but had been forced over and over again to defend herself - even to the point of killing to survive. Each fight was a life and death struggle, a fight to the death, and Nik did what she had to do but this battlefield lacked honor as far as she was concerned. The fact that, ultimately, these deaths were being staged and played out solely for the entertainment and pleasure of the Emperor disgusted and sickened her. Certainly the Romans had not expected her to last long and with each fight they had searched for stronger, tougher, more ruthless opponents to face her in the arena. For long months the fighting continued and still she remained undefeated. Perhaps most surprising of all to the Romans was the fact that, in her battles, she fought with honor and courage, always offering her attacker an honorable death if they chose to take it. Unlike their Emperor, she found that most of her opponents, chose honor.
Finally, this tall, beautiful and fiercely honorable warrior woman won the heart of the people and was offered her freedom in one last fight. It was to be a challenge fight by order of the Emperor himself; one final, ultimate battle - between herself and her captor and 'Master', this same man she now watched approach.
For the first time, she looked forward to the fight; she was eager to face him and had trained hard to prepare for the battle but he had presented no challenge at all. The match was one sided and she had quickly disarmed the man. Nik had been disgusted with him as he cried in pain and begged for his life at her feet. She had spared the Centurion, taking only a small tribute for her fallen friends, leaving him with one eye and a scar to remind him of his betrayal.
Now, it seemed the man had a faulty memory to go with his lack of battle skills. After all, it had been he who had thrown his pride at her feet by begging for his life in the arena. Why would he wish to face her again? Surely he must know she would not spare him again. If he didn't, he soon would. Dressed in the bronze breast plate, gauntlets, knee and shin guards that she had been given by the people of Rome. They were gifts which she knew in her heart represented a genuine tribute for her defeat of the Centurion. She stood between the two Amazons, the tip of her long, long heavy battle sword in the dirt, its pommel resting under her hand. As she saw the men approaching, she too tightened her grip around her sword, raising it to the ready and grinned at the approaching battle.
The Centurion had long since been stripped of his title and rank, but to her he would always be the Centurion.
Abandoned by his Emperor, the military, and even his family, the Centurion had hired a mercenary army to accompany him on the quest to redeem his non-existent honor. Now, as he imagined he was on the brink of accomplishing that mission, he smiled a lopsided smile, one half of his face frozen in a painful grimace. He had finally run the whore to ground and now he would kill her, a slow bloody death for this one. She stood on the far side of the ravine. He had only to cross the bridge to take her and once he had her, his army would find the remaining women and take them all back to face execution for defying Rome. He would once again find honor in the eye of the Emperor. But this woman would not be making the trip. This one would die here; perhaps, he allowed himself to imagine, he would take her head back as a trophy to his emperor or maybe he would just put it on a pike at the head of his army. He sneered, signaling his men forward.
The bridge swayed gently in the morning breeze as if getting ready for the day's events, the movement changing to a steady vibration, flakes of dirt and bits of grass and tree bark sprang from the bridge as if alive, reacting to the thunder of marching feet. He reached the bridge first, his horse was anxious, its eyes rolling at the sight of the narrow wooden structure; it reared refusing to move any closer.
The Centurion punched his mount in the neck to stop its antics, pulling up sharply on the reins causing the spooked animal to rear. Ignoring the beast, he surveyed the bridge. It was narrow and he could only send two or three men across at a time, but that should be enough considering that they faced only three women, two of which seemed to be in no shape to fight. He pulled on his horse's reins again, smiling when the animal reared, signaling his second, he gave his orders.
The second in command was a young and eager Lieutenant. This was his first campaign and he wanted so badly to impress the commander. He rode back to the Sergeant, ordering him to select three men from the unit for the honor of clearing the bridge. The three grinned in anticipation and with a loud roaring scream they charged the women. Their screams died abruptly, still sounding within their chests, as they fell, dead, from the bridge and down into the deep ravine on either side.
The three women remained, the swords in their hands quickly wiped of blood as they stood waiting for the next charge.
Nik smiled at the Centurion and raised her hand to wave him forward. Yes, today would be a good day of fighting.
Deep in the forest, the tribe moved quickly on silent feet, even the youngest Amazon knew how to move silently through the forest. The Queen had left four older warriors behind to guard the rear and to see to the three on the bridge. She had quietly commanded, with a determined sadness, that they would not meet the fate of the other Amazons who had died at the hands of the traitorous Romans. They would be gathered back into the arms of Athena. Never again. While there was no time for a pyre, it was decided they would be buried deep within the Amazon forest with the honor due them as warriors. The four would see it done, if humanly possible, and then rejoin the tribe for their march towards the west and the open seas.
The day had been a long one and this last assault had been the worse, the men having grown more cautious. Nik felt her arms weakening; she knew that she had lost much of her strength with the blood which already caused her sandaled feet to slip. Ira and Desta had fallen earlier and Nik had taken the time afforded when the mercenaries had pulled back, long enough to take water for themselves and their mounts, to push their bodies over the edge and into the ravine. No Roman swine would desecrate their remains. Artemis's wolves and birds would take her sisters to Athena.
She swayed on unsteady feet as she fought the soldiers knowing that if she could buy a few more minutes it could mean life to her tribe. She straightened again and raised her tired bloody sword once more, smiling at the men approaching, watching them pause in fear. The smile faded from her lips as she screamed out her warrior cry and struck.
They found her body next to that of the very dead Roman Centurion, half of her once beautiful sword had been broken off in his neck. She had been trampled into the dirt beside the bridge, her dark hair was filled with blood and urine; her beautiful face battered almost beyond recognition by the feet of hundreds of bitter soldiers. Her arms and legs broken and twisted at odd angles, the broken remainder of her heavy sword still clenched in her powerful hand. Strange that the Romans had left the Centurion here as well, trampled beneath the feet of the soldiers he had commanded, left unburied. They pulled her into the brush and away from the battle site following a hidden trail down the edge of the ravine to the river that twisted its way through the valley.
They had already buried Ira and Destra deep in the hills. They had been grateful to find the bodies of the two warriors undamaged by the filth of feet and human waste. They knew that Nik had been responsible for that last tender gift.
It had been easy to bury them, they were small women and the four older warriors had been able to lift their bodies from the river's edge and carry them into the forest. Nik was very different, she was no small warrior; she had always been very tall, dark and extremely deadly. So different from the other women of the tribe who, though dark skinned from the sun, were blond and slender women.
Nik had been a foundling discovered by the Arms Mistress long summers ago on the planes of their winter route south and adopted by the entire tribe. The golden skinned baby girl had screamed at them for attention and had only grown quiet when she had been wrapped in a soft wolf hide and placed in a carry shield on the back of the Arms mistresses' horse. A foundling, alone in such a wild place, must be a gift from Athena; they had all known she would be a mighty warrior but they had no idea how powerful she would be until later. As a youngster Nik had grown taller and stronger than any of the other children her age. Faster than most grown warriors, she had learned the art of war quickly and had gained a position in the Warrior class as a leader. Well known for her quick mind and even quicker sword, many young beautiful Amazons had vied for her attention. Even the most beautiful among them could not hold the warrior's attention for long and none ever held her heart.
The Tribe Shamanist was said to have once counseled Nik about her seeming inability to give her heart. The older woman had sadly explained to Nik that sometimes life was cruel and the one to whom we could give our heart was taken before we could meet. She was said to have assured Nik that she had spoken with Artemis about this and the goddess had promised her that it was an injustice she would find a way to right one day and that in the meantime she had given Nik special abilities to compensate for the loss of her soulmate in this lifetime. Nik seemed to accept the explanation and spoke of it only to her closest friends. Many in the tribe encouraged her to find joy where she could and she always listened politely, knowing they spoke from loving hearts. Still, though she was never lonely, Nik had never taken a life mate.
This warrior had been the best of the tribe and her loss would be felt for a long, long time. The women had stripped her and gently washed the badly broken body, straightening the twisted arms and legs, cleaning the bronzed armor that she had brought back from her battles in the arena, and carefully redressed the dead warrior. That done, they began building an earthen dam to push back the water of the river. They quickly dug a deep pit in the thick black mud and lay the warrior inside, over her face they placed her battered shield and beside her hand they lay both halves of her broken sword. With a quick prayer to Artemis, they filled in the hole and released the earthen dam, covering the body of the great warrior for all time.
Sadly the women left, without a backwards glance. No need to think of the lush forest or the warm days they had spent in their wild homes raising their families, growing strong and making love slowly to the sounds of the night creatures. Those days were over, it was a time of change and sadly, it seemed that change would not include the Amazons.
Chapter 1
This is where the historian thrived; the fact finders, the educators and the researchers shared residence. Everything that was on display to the public in the bright cheerful cases of brass and glass were once here in the dusty dark walls of the catacombs, in the searching and protective hands of the historians. It was here truth was separated from lies, errors and even well intentioned exaggeration; fact was sifted from fiction and sometimes the story behind the myth made itself known to the most persistent of seekers. This was where most researchers considered the true heart of the museum beat. This is where Dani worked.
But today was different, today she was a woman with a mission. A very special shipment had arrived while she was on the phone and for once her office was not small enough. "I still feel like the troll in the hole." The voice of a young woman echoed through the dark halls.
Danielle Patterson drummed her fingers impatiently on the desk top, where she had been sitting for what seemed like hours. A quick glance at her watch verified that she had only been on hold for five minutes, but five minutes was still too long. She glanced around the cramped area designated as her office space, her eyes lovingly roving over dust covered crates that waited patiently to be opened and cataloged. As her frustration rose her eyes wandered again over the stenciled writing on the newest addition to her crate collection.
The UPS man who had brought it in had grinned at her; his name was Ruben and she had known him for years. He knew how she was with new packages and he also knew how she hated phones. He had placed the boxes as close to her as space permitted and with a toothy grin had left her to figure out how to reach the crates and not lose her connection.
"Ruben I will remember this! I can find out where you live!" she yelled after the laughing delivery man.
Cursing, she edged her chair as close to the packages as she could, telephone cord permitting, but she was still out of reach. She took off her shoe and tried to reach the nearest crate with no luck. "Arrrgh!!" She began to picture the contents that would be revealed when she opened these boxes. She drummed her fingers again, her eyes measuring the distance from her desk to the stack, her mind quickly estimating her chances of leaving the phone for a minute to open just one of the smaller crates.
She picked up a crowbar and rolled her chair closer to the stack, one hand gently unwinding the long dingy phone cord attached to the hand set of the phone. Slowly she inched closer, her toes touching the floor, gently pushing her along, her head tilted side ways to hold the phone close to her ear, her shoulder raised to support it.
"Ruben, I am going to kill you." She muttered softly to herself. She could almost touch it when she ran out of phone cord, dragging the lower half of the phone off the desk and slamming it to the floor.
Cursing she rolled back to her desk to retrieve the object of her disgust.
"Damn, why won't the museum just break down and buy newer phones? I know this damn piece of crap cord isn't long enough to reach but Hell I just gotta..." Just as she decided to give up and began to rise out of her seat the phone clicked, alerting her to a person opening the line on the other end.
"Hello? Hello? Miss Patterson are you still there?" A woman's voice asked.
"Yes, I'm still here. Who am I speaking too?" Dani answered quickly, scooting back to her desk and picking up a pencil to copy down the name.
"This is Officer Beverly Sylvester. I got your information from the nine-one-one operator. What can I do for you Miss Patterson?" Asked the very business like, crisply professional voice.
"Well, I think I had a visit from my father, my stepfather actually. He and I really aren't related in any way, thank the Gods. Anyway, we aren't on very good terms and I was advised by my attorney that I may need to file a restraining order against him." Dani said, remembering the late night visit from her stepfather last night, her mind now totally concentrated on the matter at hand.
"Do you feel threatened Miss Patterson? Has your stepfather behaved in a manner that makes you feel...uncomfortable?" The policewoman asked, her voice still reflecting the business quality.
Dani wasn't nine anymore and she had learned a lot since then, but she was small, only just reaching five feet two inches. She thought of her stepfather and how he had towered over her, her mind slipped back to an image of her mother standing between her and her stepfather, trying to protect her from his vicious blows.
'I'm small but I'm wiry.' she thought, glancing over at her reflection in one of the many glass cabinets in the office. Her hair was an unusual shade of chestnut with deep auburn highlights mostly from the hours she had spent during the summer outside on archeological digs. Large, stormy, pale grey eyes were framed with thick dark lashes and graceful winged brows on a natural peaches and cream complexion.
'Okay, so I look like a "girly-girl" but looks can be deceiving. Well, maybe not that deceiving.'
"Yes, yes he makes me extremely uncomfortable. To tell you the truth, he scares the crap out of me." Dani said honestly.
"Well then Miss, um, Patterson did you say?" She continued without pausing. "I would recommend that if he affects you that strongly you might want to consider a restraining order. That should keep him away."
"But what about now, what do I do now?" Dani asked, her irritation beginning to ease out.
"Well, what do you want us to do Miss Patterson?" The officer asked.
"I want you to go talk to him, rough him up, do whatever it is you cops do." Dani said in frustration.
"First of all Miss Patterson, we cops obey the law. That means we don't go around roughing up suspects. Now, if he is breaking the law by, oh lets say, violating a restraining order well, then we can legally step in and assist you."
For the first time Dani heard a change in the officer's voice. She sounded like she might enjoy the prospect of providing assistance in the enforcement of the restraining order.
"But until then, our hands are tied. Perhaps you can take some self defense classes. I am sure your local fitness center offers some sort of instruction for women." The officer suggested politely.
"Well Hell, what exactly do I have to do to get one of those restraining orders?" Dani asked, writing quickly. The officer explained the requirements and Dani promised to file the order in the morning. Reading over her notes again she crossed her t's and dotted the 'i's' then placed the notes in her Day-timer and put the whole thing into her backpack to take home that evening. Thanking the woman, she hung up the phone, a bit relieved that she had taken some sort of action and now felt guilt free to do what her hands had been itching to do since she arrived that morning.
'Finally', she thought. Standing, Dani reached for the crowbar and headed towards the nearest crate. She had been waiting weeks for the arrival of these boxes and her curiosity had reached the exploding point.
These crates were part of an excavation from The Center for the Study of the Eurasian Nomads in Russia, which provided information on the excavations of Sauromatian and Sarmatian Women. Inside one of these crates could be the answer that had been bantered around for years: were there ever truly Amazons? Not the infrequent woman warrior, the Annie Oakley or Mulan - that rare creature who was the one rebel in the sea of "well adjusted" women of their times. But were there ever organized tribes of women warriors? Women who dared to live a life of freedom in a time when women were chattel, the property of men, the keeper of the hearth and bearer of children - not the bearer of swords. Were there really women with that type of freedom in that time of history? Dani was certain of it and the remains and artifacts inside these crates may verify the existence of these women.
Putting on her leather gloves, she picked up her crow bar and moved to the crates; reading each one, she selected a large rather flat crate to start. Her hands trembled as she forced the crowbar between the yellowed slats of wood. The nails creaked in protest as she pried the planks loose. Ignoring the nails and splinters of wood, she pulled the planks free and brushed away the packing straw that protected and hid the ancient artifact.
Her heart pounded with excitement as she stared down at the stained bronze and fragile leather breast plate of ancient armor. Rushing back to her desk, she yanked off the leather gloves and retrieved her latex gloves and her reading glasses. Slipping her hands into the gloves with a snap she placed the glasses on her nose, ignoring the fact that the heavy frames slipped to the tip of her nose as she absentmindedly pushed them back up only to have them slip again. She lifted the heavy breast plate, the stray bits of straw slipped from the green tinted metal. She walked back to her desk pulling the plate closer as she noticed the intricate raised pattern that decorated the front collar of the armor peeking through the heavy patina.
"Hmm, Roman armor, what is Roman armor doing with a Greek Amazon? Could be, she isn't what we think." Dani mumbled sadly, disappointment evident in her voice.
Carefully laying the plate down, she pulled her magnifying lamp over the plate and picked up her sable brush. Gently she brushed the soft green dust away from the collar revealing Greek writing.
"Okay this is really confusing. Roman armor and Greek writing. Nikomachos, Nikomachos? Her name was Nikomachos. That means 'victory army'. Hmm, army of victory." Dani muttered aloud. "Damn now I am really confused, Roman armor and Greek writing - a mystery wrapped in a riddle, this is going to be fun." Dani brushed more of the green dust away, exposing more of the intricate decoration, all glorifying the prowess of a great and mighty warrior.
"Boy, talk about your overblown ego." Dani grinned, imagining the warrior who had worn the armor. "She must have been a big girl for her time. I don't think I have ever seen armor this large from the time frame this is supposed to be from." Dani mumbled aloud, sitting down and pulling the desk light closer to the bronze plate.
The dusty green powder trickled down from Dani's hands onto her desk. She gently lay the front plate down and returned to the box, retrieving the back plate. She stood the two pieced together, impressed with the breadth of the warriors' chest. For the period, the owner of the armor was a large woman.
"WOW, this was some warrior. I wonder if these really are her bones." Dani continued to mumble to herself, a habit she had retained since childhood. "The femur will give me an idea of how tall she was."
Retrieving her leather gloves, she cracked open the remaining crates, tilting the lids against each crate to help her remember what was supposed to be inside each. With all the crates open, she was able to organize the bones and the artifacts so that it would be easier to collect the data needed to determine the truth of the Amazon.
Dani walked back to the crates and searched for labels, hmming softly as she walked from crate to crate, diving into each one in her efforts to uncover all the treasures. Straw flew in all directions as she threw the packing material out. Finally stopping at one relatively small, light colored crate marked with a red label signifying that this particular crate contained biological artifacts; she grinned as she reached one more time for her crowbar.
"Musta missed this one." She smiled, hmming as she pulled the box out into the last remaining uncluttered space on her office floor. Here she could open it without interference and scatter the packing guts to her heart's content.
Prying back the lid of the modest sized box she excitedly threw the straw aside. Her hmming stopped when she stared down into the crate. What she saw there choked her throat. She had been sure that she would find skeletal remains in the crake but what she found here, poking through the straw, were many bones, many ancient broken bones. The sight of these bones brought to existence the fact that this was, at one time, a real flesh and blood person, possibly a real warrior. Dani felt a knot grow in her throat as she reached out and touched one of the packaged bones.
Digging deeper, Dani brushed back the straw and exposed a large, round, tightly wrapped package. A skull. Lifting it from the packaging, she removed the bindings and stared at the smooth, tinted bones.
"Hello warrior." She said softly. "You are a long way from home." For some reason she found it suddenly difficult to speak. "Yes, a long, long way and a longer time. But don't worry, we plan on taking very good care of you. We...I, have been waiting so very long for you to show up."
Turning, she made her way slowly back to her chair, sitting back down she raised the brittle orb. Her eyes now level with those of the ancient skull, she stared into the hollow sockets.
"Welcome, welcome to America Nik." Dani whispered.
Chapter 2
Gently she began to unpack the bones, placing them in position one at a time. Careful not to rap them on the table, she began slowly building a skeletal, prone figure. Though the age of the bones had been verified the actual condition was amazing. Like the Bog man found in England, these bones had been preserved in what had once been a river bed of moist soil and bits of plant life. The results were that the bones were still firm, much like bones that were only a few hundred years old instead of a few thousand. Still, Dani handled them as if they were made of gold dust and would disintegrate into powder at anytime. She carefully set out the sternum and ribs, the clavicle and thorax, the scapula the beginning of the neck vertebra, the arm and finger bones were in the next boxes, each bone numbered, wrapped and boxed separately. These she set out one at a time. It was at that point she began to count the breaks.
One shoulder showed a broken scapula that had healed with heavy scarring in the socket. Dani's own joints ached as she imagined what cold weather would have done to such an injury. She had noticed similar injuries in the arms and ribs and even in the clavicle but the ones in the fingers were unhealed. Walking around the long table, Dani adjusted the finger bones again, still amazed at the completeness of the skeleton in front of her. Many of the bones were in pieces, apparently from injuries that occurred at the time of the woman's death. Others showed older, healed injuries with scars and nicks in several of the longer bones. She could only imagine the pain that the warrior may have been in just before she died. Glancing into the next boxes, Dani noticed that even the large femur bones were broken in several places; her legs had taken horrible beating. There were also healed scars on the warriors' arm bones.
Her hands gently brushed the creamy bones, talking softly to the skeletal woman on the table. "Why were you so badly battered? How many times did you pick up that sword and charge into combat?" She asked softly.
Turning away from the table, she looked at the weapons which, at first glance, appeared to be a long pile of rust covered branches, sticks and leaves. Looking more closely, Dani could see what appeared to be a sword with intricate tracings of lacy vine like engravings along the length of long metal shards. The grip still showed fine bits of leather and brass twined around a supportive wooden handle. Dani was amazed at the length of the sword and the details, imagining the time it had obviously taken to create such a beautiful item that would, eventually, be used to kill. Carefully removing the fragile leather and wooden grip, she placed them both in a small plastic box and labeled it with the corresponding number that had been assigned to the sword.
She placed the metal sword in a large blaster cabinet and poured in tiny plastic beads of grit. With a flip of the switch, the hum of the blowers in the cabinet let her know that the restoration of the broken blade had begun. Peaking through the glass window, she watched as the delicate beads gently brushed the metal, removing bits of rust and leaving the solid metal unharmed. This bath of plastic would be followed with one using bits of walnut shells. As Dani watched, the rust was replaced by the dull dark gleam of clean metal. This would make the creation of a replica sword a great deal easier and removal of the metal eating rust would stop the decay process without damaging the fragile metal of the sword.
Dani returned to her desk to prepare a plastic mold for the naked blade. The museum would want to display the sword in as close to the original found condition as possible. But to put the actual sword on display may prove impossible as more than one museum was interested in the artifact; so it was up to her to create a replica.. It was also part of her job, to verify, date and authenticate the find; it was just her luck that this required she recreate the artifact for comparison. In this case she could actually complete two, one for the display at the museum and one for her personal research and study.
Hmming to herself, she continued with her mold, her mind traveling back to a time when this warrior had walked the earth, fearing neither man nor beast. Clearly she had been thought highly of by someone. The way in which she had been buried was evidence of that, if nothing else. Her weapons having been buried with her spoke volumes, having occurred at a time and place in history when it would have been far more likely for the weapons to have been taken by her enemy or scavenged by whomever found them first. No, someone had taken the time to make certain this warrior was given a proper burial and considering what was obviously a brutal death Dani couldn't help wondering at what cost this last gesture of honor, and perhaps something more, had been given. What an extraordinary woman this Nikomachos must have been. She paused briefly, imagining herself trailing behind the tall warrior woman, possibly carrying her weapons, thrilled to be in her presence.
She smiled, trying to picture the face of the woman whose remains she had been charged with identifying, authenticating and dating.
"Dating," Dani chuckled. "What a concept. So now even the cosmos is making commentary on my long dead love life? Whatever. I guess when you start talking to old bones and crumbling artifacts you have to expect that, sooner or later, something's gonna talk back. Heh. As if."
Dani shook her head slightly, laughed softly and turned back to her work.
Soon, Nik. Yep, soon we are going to meet face to face and I can't wait. Will you be a handsome woman? Will you be battle scarred and angry or beautiful; or perhaps d, all of the above? Would we have been friends or lovers? If you were cute, lovers would work. Yeah, cute and lovers...I vote for that. Dani mused silently, chuckling.
Finally finished with the mold, she turned again to the skeleton. As she completed the reconstruction of the skeleton, she began to think of Nik again. The long table seemed dwarfed by the frame of the warrior.
You sure were a tall woman, Nik. I wonder; everything I have ever heard about Amazons indicates that they were taller than men of their time but you are even taller than the men of my time. Was that normal?
Dani pulled her digital camera from the desk drawer and began snapping pictures of the bones; first the legs then the pelvis, the ribs and spine, the arms and finally the shoulders and skull. Picking up the skull, she carefully placed it inside a digital scanner and, pushing a button, began a three hundred and sixty degree scan.
I can tell that you were not of African decent but it doesn't look like you were European either. So where are you from Nik? Not from the Americas either, I bet. You are just a tall old riddle aren't ya?
Turning back to the sword, Dani picked up a piece of thin tracing paper to do a rubbing of the engravings on the blade itself. Hmming again, she retrieved the largest part of the blade from the cleaning tank and gently covered it with the paper. Using a small fragment of charcoal, she rubbed the paper, transferring the scroll design to the tracing paper. That done, she began the arduous task of copying the image of the rubbing onto an art pad; she would use this to recreate the beautiful scroll work that would be on the replica blade when it was ready.
She lifted her hand for a moment to flick on a tape recorder resting on the table top.
"Based on the patterns on the sword, I would place the age of this artifact at about A.D. four hundred, about 2,400 years old. With permission, we will attempt to carbon date the grip and sheath." Dani spoke softly as she concentrated on the etching; the thrill of what she was seeing was evident in her voice, especially to those who knew her. "The intricate pattern would indicate that the owner was a warrior of some renown and held in high regard by her peers as well as her contemporaries. It would seem that this weapon was not just an ornament but an actual fighting implement with power symbols emblazoned on it, believed to protect the owner and destroy her enemies. The translations of the first symbols are..."
"There you are, always messing with old smelly shit. You need a life, girl; you need to get out of this place and live a little."
Dani switched off the recorder as her heart skipped a beat, wishing she had already gotten that damned restraining order. The voice coming from the door was not one that she wanted to hear. Her stepfather had always hated her interest in history. In her mind, she had decided that he could not help himself; it was due to his education or lack of it. He had left school after failing the sixth grade, for the second time. She had no idea why her mother had married him; he was as hard, crude, and rough as her mother was soft and gentle. She had always believed that he had been the cause of her mother's mental breakdown and subsequent attempted suicide.
Whenever she had to deal with him, her mind would flash back onto the scattered memories of her past. The times she could remember all seemed to fall into one of two categories, sheer terror and school. She had felt safe at school and had done well in her classes eventually earning a full scholarship to the University of South Carolina and a Doctorate in Archeology. The terror had come with every return home, from Grade school until she started college. Every night was filled with fear and anxiety. She would lay awake in bed listening for the sounds of fighting and footsteps. Her mother had tried to protect her and had been hospitalized more often than she could count. It had finally reached a point were the Police and Emergency room physicians knew them both by name and the police had their home address memorized. It seemed as though it had gotten worse as she grew older; he no longer visited her room with thoughts of beatings but with darker alcohol induced thoughts of rape.
When she turned thirteen her mother had tried to kill herself. Dani had come home from school to find her in the bathtub with an empty bottle of pain killers. She had called the emergency number and waited for the paramedics to come. It had been the most frightening thing that had happened in her young life.
The police had taken her to a foster home for a week but her stepfather had found her and brought her home. Her mother was hospitalized for months and she was left alone with her stepfather. At first he had been content to beat her, but within a few days he had begun trying to break into her room. She was sure her bedroom door would not hold; that was when she discovered that if she crawled out her bedroom window and slept in the bushes under her bedroom window she would be safe. It had worked well most of the time, only the winters had been rough but extra blankets had helped.
Finally, when she had turned fourteen her mother came back. She had gathered their few belongings and bundled them up in the family car one evening and left. They moved into a women's shelter and eventually into their own apartment. It had been hard; she had to work after school to help pay the bills but it had been worth it. Eventually her stepfather had found them and they had to move but they were together and they were safe - until the next time he found them.
It had taken years but her mother finally saved up enough money to hire an attorney and file for divorce. Her stepfather had fought it tooth and nail but the divorce was finalized while she was in college. Afterwards she and her mother had been able to settle down and actually begin to live a normal life; her mother had even begun to date again. Things were better, except for those few times when he decided to take advantage of what he considered his parental rights, which of course were non-existent. Truth had never influenced his thinking though and that was when he would drop in for a visit. But now she was older and hopefully wiser and unlike the child he had terrorized, she could protect herself. She hoped.
"What are you doing here?" Dani asked, her voice tight with anger and fear as she backed away from the table, her fingers searching for anything she might use to defend herself.
Clayton "Clay" Patterson loved that look in her eyes; he loved the feeling it gave him. He inhaled deeply, his mind automatically providing the scent that his nostrils couldn't, the smell of her fear.
"What do you mean Danielle? Can't a Daddy visit his baby girl's work place?" He asked, moving closer to her, smiling when her legs bumped the table behind her. He watched as her face paled and she realized that he had her trapped.
He stepped around the long table that held the transparent tracing paper and moved closer to the slender woman, thrilled as her strange grey eyes grew dark with fear. The long, thick black lashes had always seemed strange to him considering that she had that same dark reddish brown hair everywhere else. He was certain of that, he remembered with a satisfied grin, thinking back to when he had first seen his step daughter in the nude. He had waited until he was sure she was naked before he had burst into the bathroom. She had been thirteen or so and even then she had been teasing him. He walked slowly around the table, his hands beginning to sweat as he reached for her.
"Is everything okay, Miss Danielle?" The deep voice of Mr. Kitt, the museum security officer, asked from the doorway. His forehead resembled a freshly plowed field of wrinkles, displaying his concern as he eyed the large man who seemed to have cornered the young curator.
Mr. Kitt was a massive man. Tall didn't begin to cover it. He was huge, nearly filling to overflowing any doorway in which he stood. His hands dwarfed Dani's own, being nearly four times their size. This was a very large, very dark skinned, African American man who had the misfortune ( or distinction) of having somehow reached adulthood without the benefit of a neck. His broad head seemed to melt into an equally impressive tree trunk that was supposed to be a torso. He was not a man of glib humor and he took his job very seriously, with extreme devotion and dedication. He was known to carry out necessary missions with extreme prejudice and those missions directed towards his favorite curator ranked very high on his "to do" list. The welfare of the museum and its personnel was his primary concern and though he had a soft spot for lost children, small animals and old ladies, most strangers found him a bit intimidating. He liked it that way.
Mr. Kitt limited the number of people he allowed close to him and he kept a even shorter list of people he considered friends. Those few and carefully selected people, he was, admittedly, just a bit overly protective of -and Dr. Dani was at the top of that list. If it upset Dr. Dani, it usually pissed off Mr. Kitt and that could get down right ugly.
"No, it isn't. This person is leaving. Now!" Dani said, hating the quiver in her voice. She swallowed and stood straighter. "Please escort him to the door and make sure he leaves the grounds. Oh, and Mr. Kitt, he is no longer welcome on the museum grounds. Can you take care of that?"
"Yes Ma'am, consider it taken care of." For an extremely large man, he moved very quietly and almost gracefully to stand menacingly behind her stepfather, his shadow ensuring that there was no doubt that he would have no problem removing the much smaller man from the building.
Clayton made the mistake of taking a step in the direction of the good doctor and Mr. Kitt tightened his jaw and clenched his fists, the sound of knuckles popping was like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Clay stopped dead in his tracks, his expression similar to that of a rat caught in the gaze of a large, venomous snake. Slowly he moved his foot back, raising his hands in surrender.
"Nope, no problem here officer." Clayton said, smiling up at the huge man. He craned his neck around to address his stepdaughter again. "I will see you later Dani. Count on it." He promised, turning to leave the room.
Dani followed behind them, closing the door and flipping the lock from the inside, her heart pounding and her hands trembling. She walked back to table that held the rubbing and the broken sword.
She picked up the paper and turned the recorder back on. "The scroll work would appear to date the sword at...DAMN!"
She had been getting this creepy feeling for the last few days, and his presence explained it. He must have been following me for days. Dani thought, remembering the feeling of eyes on her back. She knew that feeling, it was real familiar; she had felt it for years. She slapped the paper back onto the table, tore off her gloves and threw them onto the table.
"Why does he have the power to do that?" She questioned herself. "Why? I hate him. That's why. I hate what he's done to me." She whispered aloud, her voice cracking with fear.
She dropped her head to the table, a shaky sigh escaping her lips as silent, frustrated tears dropped onto the paper and the pieces of the freshly cleaned, broken sword.
"Ah, Nik, if only there were still Amazons. The world has changed so much since you were here - and not for the better, I'm sorry to say. Most people today don't even believe the Amazons ever really existed. We know different, don't we, you and I? How I wish you were here with me now. It sure would be a better world if there were someone like you out there to protect women. We could really use someone like you today. Who am I kidding here? We could use you, Nik, not just someone like you. Besides, based on what I've seen so far, there really is no one like you. I pray the Goddess could see her way clear to send you back to us." She quietly pleaded, carefully removing her tears from the delicate metal.
She was exhausted, her head hurt and her brain just didn't seem to want to wrap around the fact that her stepfather had simply walked into her office.
As if orchestrated by some unseen conductor, her phone rang. It was the front desk informing her that her attorney had sent a courier with some urgent paperwork she needed to sign right away.
"Thank God," Dani sighed after thanking the woman and hanging up the phone. "Looks like hiring this attorney was money well spent if he gets this restraining order through by the end of the day like he promised."
It had only taken about five minutes to meet the courier, scan over the documents, sign them and place them into the envelope provided and seal it. Soon the young woman who had brought the forms was leaving, explaining that she had to meet the lawyer at the courthouse where he had made a special appointment with a judge to file the papers. A copy would be in the hands of local law enforcement by the end of business today. Dani allowed herself to breathe normally again but the headache persisted, effectively ending her work day.
Dani gathered up her back pack and keys, her helmet and, at the last minute, she picked up the tracing of the sword along with her journal. Shoving the tracing and the journal into the bag, she slipped out the back door and headed towards the alley. She fumbled for the right key as she approached the parking lot, the last sentence repeating itself over and over again in her mind. It was true. She did pray the Goddess would somehow send Nik back to her. The world. She meant the world. Didn't she? Shrugging, she opened the leather pouch on the front of her bike and slipped her backpack into it, pulling the dark green helmet onto her head, threading the strap through the buckle under her chin. August in the Carolina's was perfect bike season and the little Honda GB500 was her favorite toy.
Throwing her leg over the black saddle of the seat, she reached back into the bag and pulled out a pair of leather gloves; pulling them on, she snapped the small silver buttons on the back and slipped the small key into the ignition. Turning the ignition to the on position, she pushed the button and smiled as the single piston thumped to life, the throbbing of the engine drowning out the sound of the small voice in her head. She kicked the side stand up and shifted the bike into gear, grinning as the machine rolled onto the street. She loved that feel, the wind in her face and the vibration of the engine as it rumbled; it always made her feel better. She stopped at the first light and then turned left, electing to take the long way home and enjoy the ride on the highway. Living in Lexington sometimes had its advantages, and an almost empty highway this time of day as well as late at night was one of them. Coasting down the back roads always cleared her mind. The little GB was too small to handle driving on the main strip into or out of Columbia; I-26 always had the big rigs on it and the small bike seemed to get thrown around by the airflow from trucks.
Riding always seemed to make things clearer and to cheer her up; and with her spirits raised, the headache dissipating, her thoughts returned to her first love: Archeology and the search for ancient Amazons.
I still can't believe I was asked to verify the authenticity of the Amazon. This has got be the find of the Century. I can't wait to get home and start working on the sword. I wonder if those engravings are for decorations or if they mean something. It may take years to study everything thoroughly. I wonder if I will get to keep her that long.
As the bike growled down the road, she smiled remembering the day she first saw her ride. The GB suited her so well, it was small but very powerful, a replica of the old Isle of Man Tourist Trophy racers of the early 1900's. When she had decided to buy a bike she had initially wanted to get a 750 and had checked a few of the dealers in town trying to find a bike that she liked. When she stopped at the little Honda dealer hidden on a small back lot near the Broad River, she had not expected to find anything. Then she saw it. Sitting in a corner, snuggled in between two very narrow dirt bikes was the GB. It was love at first sight. The chrome wire wheels, the slender single exhaust, the huge boxy tank and the fine delicate decals, even the almost black, green color; it all spoke to her, it called her name. The fact that it looked like an antique didn't hurt a bit. When she asked the dealer about it he had told her that the bike had been misplaced for a year in the back of the storage building, still in its packing crate. They had assembled it and had it on the sales floor for a few weeks with no results. The had decided to use it as a trail bike for the stores competitive racing team and had it scheduled in a race that weekend. She felt like she had saved the little bike from an undeserved fate when she wrote out the check for it. That weekend she had a friend take her back to the dealer to pick up her new bike. She had never regretted it. She had been so enamored of the little bike that she had even splurged on a personalized vanity tag made just for the bike, 'GB500'.
As she pulled into her driveway she pressed a remote that was attached to the key ring and waited as one of the double garage doors hummed into life and rolled upward. She slowly pulled into the garage, careful to keep tight to the right, away from the dark side of the black SUV that hogged the stall. She still had no idea why she bought the truck, it cost more than she had planned to pay and she rarely took the huge thing out unless the weather was too bad for her bike or too nasty for her car.
It really is kinda silly, a single woman with three vehicles; but Hell, why not, I work damn hard and I earned them. She reminded herself.
Smiling, she looked at the red Nissan 300ZX glowing from its quiet, reserved and sacred spot under the security lighting in the other stall of the garage. She smiled again, seeing her reflection in the new paint. She had been restoring the classic Nissan and since she budgeted everything, it had taken her a year to save up for the original paint. 'Dragon Red' the dealer had called it. After that came a wet sanding, followed by two coats of clear and another wet sanding. The paint was so deep she could almost step into it and she loved it. For the first time in three years, she would be driving her car with a complete and intact clear coat. Now she was waiting for the decals; she was expecting them any day and when they arrived it would be time to head back to the paint booth. But right now she had a sword to restore; her vehicular baby would have to wait.
Chapter 3
This was her house but like most of her co workers she was expected to occasionally entertain; so, with that in mind, she had decorated the house with a collection of artifacts that she knew would meet the expectations of friends and family. But when it came time to decorate her bedroom she decorated it with her real treasures. One corner held an antique curio cabinet with figures of her favorite heroines. There was Sappho, Athena, Artemis, Proteus, Gia, even a token Amazon complete with bare breast and sword, and last but not least a stunning figure of Xena. Her bookshelf contained books and magazines on every female warrior she had ever heard of from Boadicea and Durga to Mulan and a few that most had not heard of like the little known Queen Penthesilea, the legendary Amazon Queen, said to have come to the aid of the Trojans at the battle of Troy.
'Now, I might just have another name to add to that collection. Right Nik?' Dani thought silently as she scrambled onto her bed.
Bouncing a few times to get comfortable, she propped the pillows behind her and crossed her legs. Bailey, her tabby marked Tortishell cat, sprang onto the pillow beside her. Bailey, a beautiful creature, had a habit, as with most cats, of getting into anything that bore the slightest hint of trouble. Which is how Dani had first found the bedraggled kitten that now shared her home.
Bailey had somehow managed to get into her garbage and had gotten trapped in the cardboard carrier for a small four pack of Bailey's Kaluah and Cream that Dani had polished off the night before. The sound of loud and pitiful howling had wakened her in the early morning hours and drew her outside to rescue the little bandit. Dani had once been told that cats with red hair were prone to trouble and now,, after spending a year with Bailey,, she knew the truth of that statement.
Right now, having been patient and left to her own devices all day long, Bailey was demanding her attention. She had started with gentle purring and chirping but this quickly progressed into some seriously heavy head butting, growling and nipping. With such demands on her attention, Dani knew better than to try to do any work until after she had given Bailey her ritualistic evening scratch. As she rubbed the soft fur, she remembered that when she first moved into the area she had promised to get herself a guard dog. Where or where had she gone wrong?
I went to the animal shelter with the best intentions. Yep, dog;; big dog. Big dog with big teeth, big sharp teeth. That is what I was supposed to get, a companion. Someone who would greet me at the door, tail wagging and rip out the throat of the bad guys aka my stepfather. But lucky me, what do I end up with? Hell,, I didn't even bring home a critter that day.
"Or I could just throw you at him." Dani mused aloud,, smiling at the tabby cat.
Bailey gave her a golden eyed slow blink as if to say, "Yeah, right, whatever, as long as I don't have to move."
Done with her nightly scratching,, Dani was finally free to pick up her lap top and the rubbings and begin to work on the translation. The glyces were fascinating; slowly she was able to translate the ancient language. It wasn't a complete story, just the brief translation of a name and the explanation as to how she had come to earn her own name. It told the story of a fantastic warrior woman who had been captured in a great battle and forced to fight in tournaments in order to stay alive. As often occurred with the work she loved, Dani became lost in her thoughts and soon forgot not only the time but everything else around her. Subsequently, when the sound of breaking glass erupted from her living room, she nearly leapt out of her skin. Bailey growled deep in her throat,, having also been disturbed by the sound. Jerking up from her laptop,, Dani sat up, her hand on her chest as if to slow her rapidly beating heart.
"What the Hell was that?" She asked the cat as she moved the laptop off of her thighs and onto the bed. "I hate this. In every horror movie I have ever seen the woman gets eaten or horribly mutilated as soon as she leaves the bedroom." Dani whispered aloud as she headed towards her bedroom door,, grabbing her softball bat as she passed the doorway.
The hallway was dark and suddenly a very scary place to be.
"I'm coming out and I have already called the police." She yelled out loud, hoping that whoever or whatever it was that had caused the sound believed her and left.
Shaking out her hands,, she wrapped them around the taped handle of the bat. Crouching low,, she walked slowly out into the hall,, the bat raised for a home run and a shrill scream trembling on her lips.
Dani hoped that she presented a confident and brave image as she moved into the living room, ready to swing for the left field wall and was extremely relieved to find herself alone. She wasn't sure if she should be grateful or pissed as Hell for the scare she had been given. On the floor in front of her beautiful bay window,, shattered plated glass covered a large, rust colored brick.
Bailey had followed Dani into the living room and now had ventured bravely up to the brick. Watching it like an alien from space,, she approached it cautiously, reached out carefully and tapped it with her toe,, ready to spring and swing if necessary. Once she was sure the brick was dead,, she sat for a moment, licked her paws clean and then walked away.
Dani was surprised at how well Bailey was dealing with the whole brick through the window thing. She, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck, sweating profusely. The ceiling fan made a gentle whirring sound as she cranked it up. She slowly walked to the window and peeked out, looking for the culprit who had thrown the brick, relieved to find the front yard empty.
"Fucking vandals!" Dani cursed, hearing the squeal of tires. "Hah! I knew it. Yeah, you keep running you worthless little chicken shits!" She yelled,, her eyes still scanning the area for movement.
Suddenly something brushed her leg. With a yell any banshee could be proud of, she jumped,, bringing the bat down at the same moment. The dull aluminum weapon stopped in mid air when Dani realized that the "thing" rubbing her leg was Bailey.
"Ya know Bailey, one of these days you are going to wake up to find a very dead woman, clinging to the ceiling by her brittle, bloodied,, broken nails."
Dani slowly lowered herself from the ceiling, or at least it felt like that. Dropping the bat onto the overstuffed sofa,, she picked up the brick,, turned and headed towards the kitchen.
"Cat you are really pushing that nine lives thing, you know that." Dani sighed and reached for the phone. "I think the nine-one-one guys are gonna get to hate hearing from me." She muttered as she punched in the numbers.
As she sat in her kitchen waiting for the local law to show up,, Dani examined the brick which she had set on the kitchen table.
"Not only was he a vandal but a stupid vandal." Written on one side of the brick was the word 'Hore'. Dani rolled the brick over and on the other side it read 'Dike'. "Oh yeah, a real Einstein here Bailey. Idiot probably has no idea that, in ancient Greek, he just called me the dispenser of justice."
A few minutes later the door bell rang and Dani spent the next hour explaining to the police how, to the best of her knowledge, a brick ended up in her living room.
As she thanked the last police officer and closed her front door. Dani felt exhausted;; half her evening had been taken up with what she considered a total waste of time and energy and now she was stressed and tired. There was only one thing she knew of that would fix this problem.
"This looks like a perfect Ben and Jerry's night."
Dani headed down the hall and into the kitchen. Next to the sink was the silverware drawer that held her favorite ice cream spoon. This was no wimpy, dainty little thing that bent at the first sign of a challenge. No, this was a solid steel number that would hold up to even the most solidly frozen confection. Grabbing that, she turned towards the freezer and grasped the handle. There were only two things in Dani's freezer since she was far and away the worst cook she knew, ice and ice cream. She reached inside and instinctively grabbed the round carton of Cherry Garcia, popped the lid as she passed the trash can and flipped it in. With a tabby purring machine on her heels,, she headed back towards the bedroom and her laptop computer.
Hours later, Dani closed the laptop, after having transferred her notes and thoughts onto the hard drive, thus making much of them available to other Amazon researchers world wide. Dani leaned back, her thoughts on what she had learned from the information gathered that day. Nik had become more and more alive in her mind. Sliding the laptop to the side of the bed and reaching for Bailey,, an empty ice cream carton lay beside a very fat, very satisfied, and very loudly snoring cat.
Laying Bailey on her lap,, she picked up an etching of Nik's shield as well as pictures of the skeleton, studying the battered bones closely.
"My Gods, what did you go through warrior? You must have had some life, short though it was."
Dani had translated most of the shield. The warrior had been captured in battle with a large Roman legion whose commander was determined to destroy the Amazon nation and colonize their land as his own. The Amazons had put up a devastating and desperate battle, many great warriors had died; but the Amazon nation was comparatively small and the Romans were growing, spreading like a plague across the entire known world.
Nik had been one of only two surviving warriors of a peace party that had been sent by the Queen to meet with the Roman commander. The Amazons had arrived thinking or at least hoping that there would be some way they could come to an understanding. They had arrived with only their daggers and shields. This was, after all, a peace conference and weapons were not needed when meeting under a banner of peace. The Romans lied. Once the Amazons had entered the meeting tent and had begun to eat, the true reason of the meeting became clear.
The Queen had sent her consort to meet with the Romans. She had been killed first. Nik had been too far away to save her but she had managed to help one Amazon escape and she had nearly ran her young body to the death but she had succeeded and was able to warn the tribe.
Nik had fought with only her shield and dagger but had still managed to hold off the men long enough to earn the respect of the soldiers. As a result,, Nik, once captured, had been sent to the arena to battle for the pleasure of the Emperor.
Nik had been allowed to keep her shield during her time in the arena and had used it as a journal to record her thoughts. Inside of the shield, scratched with perhaps a sharp stone or, once she had earned it back, a dagger, was Nik's story. It began with the betrayal of the Romans, spoke of her trials in the arena, the battle with a Centurion and the ultimate winning back of her freedom. The last entry was the joyous return to her people, cut short by a final attack by the Romans - that tale was left unfinished.
"Only to die, probably at the hands of those same Romans. You were some warrior,, Nik. Now I understand why you kept such a shield and you truly earned the name Nikomachos; though, as you pointed out, it was already yours anyway. You were a powerful warrior, an entire army all by yourself ." Dani spoke aloud, hoping that Nik could hear her, wherever she might be.
Snuggling into the covers with Bailey, Dani reached out and turned on her television, setting the sleep timer for thirty minutes. The news was on, nothing good; another woman found raped and murdered, off I-20, with no suspects. The newest ideas from the local cops was that they had a serial killer who was on his way to becoming a monster.
"On his way," she interrupted the reporter. "And just how many women does the bastard have to rape and murder before he becomes a full fledged monster, huh? What morons!"
She went back to listening, irritated by what she considered the stupidity of the words, knowing they had come not from the reporter but rather whoever was handling the information from the police department. They seemed to have a flair for stating the obvious and she found it more than a bit insulting. The reporter continued to say that if he wasn't stopped soon they would have a serial killer who was in the same category as Theodore Bundy. As she watched the images flit across the screen, her mind drifted and off away from the story. She watched the slender, elegantly dressed, black reporter finish the story by naming areas where police suspected the killer would target. Her brain weary, Dani felt her eyes begin to burn from exhaustion. She flipped off the light on the nightstand and, cuddling her cat, closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, lulled there by the drone of a news reporter.
"Who are you and what business do you have in these woods?" Asked a soft, deep voice in ancient Greek.
Dani spun around, expecting to see the woman from whom the sexy voice had come; instead there were only trees.
"Answer my question." The voice said,, more firmly this time. "What business do you have in these woods,, stranger?"
"I have no idea." Dani honestly replied in the same language,, turning around again, still searching for the source of the voice. Considering her answer before speaking, she further replied. "Actually I'm not really here at all.. I am in my bed, at home, sleeping. This is all just a strange dream. I guess that makes you a figment of my imagination." She said, turning to walk away only to be stopped suddenly by a very tall, very firm chest.
Her hands crept up, her fingers tracing the bronzed and leather breast plate in front of her. The leather was hard and stiff, swirled in beautiful thick curls around full breasts. As her hands moved down the breast plate,, her fingers followed the leather to lacing along the sides that cinched into a small waist and attached to a leather skirt. Her eyes had followed her hands and now moved down past the skirt, taking in long, bronze and cream colored legs encased in leather sandals with straps that wrapped around her calves and tied just below her knees. This woman was cut, possibly the most magnificent specimen she had ever seen that wasn't a comic book drawing.
"My God, you are beautiful. This has got to be a dream, but my gods what a dream, oh yeah; a girl could get to like this dream." Dani muttered under her breath as her smoky grey eyes finally met deep lapis blue. "Well Hell, as long as this is a dream, I might as well enjoy the moment." She grinned, as her fingers moved upward and tangled in surprisingly soft, long dark black hair. She smiled,, feeling the silkiness of the strands as they slipped like heavy liquid through her fingers. It felt clean, soft, and wonderful; she wanted to lift it to her nose, already imagining the smell of it. "But wait, there should be no smell. I'm dreaming and dreams have no smells."
She shook her head as her hands drifted back to the leather again,, enjoying the feel of it under her palm. It felt firm and warm. Curiously, Dani allowed her fingers to wander back down the leather breast plate and under the thick shoulder straps, stopping as they contacted with the warm moist flesh beneath.
"Damn. I wish this wasn't a dream." She said in English,, staring into the eyes of the Amazon.
The Amazon returned the stare,, her eyebrow arched as if she understood what Dani was saying. With only the smallest hint of a grin,, she reached for the other woman,, wrapping her hands around Dani's upper arms, and lifting her off the ground. Smiling slightly,, she tilted her head to the side and gently gently pressed her lips to Dani's.
"Oh my, oh yes!" Dani groaned. "This is the kinda dream I could have over and over."
"So,, did you find what you were looking for little one?" The stranger asked, still speaking in ancient Greek.
"What do you think I am looking for, beautiful warrior?" Dani responded in Greek.
"Well, first of all, my name is Nikomachos and if you plan on continuing to continuing to flirt with me we really should be properly introduced." She laughed softly, spoke, wrapping a strong sun bronzed arm around Dani's waist, effectively, pulling her closer, effectively molding their lips and bodies together.
Dani felt her heart beating faster as heat raced through her body, centering deep in her belly. A warm tongue slipped between her teeth and gently brushed hers.
"Oh my God!" Dani moaned and leaned closer, but before she could fully return the favor she was landing with a hard thud on the cream colored carpet next to her bed.
Chapter 4
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUUUUUUCK!" Dani yelled,, rolling over and pounding the floor. "Aaarrrrgghhhhh!!! Just when things were getting interesting." Dani groaned,, crawling back into bed pulling the covers up over her head. She had been seriously contemplating a cold shower when a sandpaper tongue stroked her cheek and a curious, "MmmBrowww?" purred into her ear.
"Aw, gee thanks Bailey, but it just isn't the same." Dani said,, pulling the curious cat close again. "Maybe if I try really hard to go back to sleep I can get back there." Dani wondered,, curling around the cat and closing her eyes.
Later that day, Dani sat at her table carefully examining the sword, nestling it gently onto a dark velvet cloth. She had left it overnight in the cleaner with the walnut shells and was amazed to see the metal bright and shining, almost as if it had just been polished. Carefully, she placed the broken bits closely together, forming one, long fragile blade. Staring down at the weapon, she could imagine the dark hand wrapping around a pommel, raising the blade to defend against the enemy of her tribe. She stared closely at the blade, she strained, trying to see the scroll work and even closer, trying to understand the etchings. She could not quite make out the letters but she scanned them into her computer so that when the time came to transfer the writing onto the mock up blade she would be as accurate as possible. That done, she gently picked up the bits and lowered them into a form she had prepared the day before. Once she had all the pieces in place, she covered them with more gel and put the entire thing aside to harden.
"Now let's take a look as those bones again." Dani was back to speaking to herself.
As she studied each bone, she noted any markings or damage found before turning on her recorder again.
"Most of the breaks and scarring seem to have been done at or around the time of death since there is no evidence of any healing. Old scars show growth of new bone and covered scarring. It would appear that the cause of death was massive hemorrhaging and tissue damage. There are several small bone fragments that should have been lost if the injuries had been sustained earlier than at the time of death."
She turned the recorder off now to count the number of breaks in the bones.
"Oh God Nik, what happened to you?" She muttered, feeling a dull, not fully explainable, pain deep within her heart as she stared down at the badly battered skeleton.
Carefully she began photographing each broken bit of bone, from various angles; then, using a tiny square of numbered paper, she glued the number to the fragments and marked the number with the corresponding photographs. Once a piece was numbered, she carefully wrapped it in cotton and placed it in a separate box, marking the box with the number and the medical name of the bone. Each box for a bone was then placed, one at a time, into the shipping crate to be returned to the Center. By the time Dani finished with the left hand it was five o'clock.
"Damn, time flies when you're having fun." She sighed sarcastically, already feeling a growing affinity to the woman in the box. Placing the last hand bone into the crate, she gently rubbed the label into place.
"One hand down, lots of other stuff to go." She mumbled, the stress of having handled the bones of a woman she could almost believe she had met threatening her clinical detachment, weighing heavily upon her.
Standing straight, she headed to her desk to gather her belongings. Her mind going over what she had done as well as what she discovered today. Nik used both hands when fighting. The multiple scars on the left hand attested to her ability to fight with either, or perhaps she might have held her sword in a two handed stance. She stopped at the gel mold and glanced inside.
"Nope, the blade grip is really too short for a constant two handed fighting stance. More likely, she was just taught to fight with either hand."
That thought in mind, Dani turned off the light in the office and headed home. Today it was raining and she was driving her SUV. Sitting up high in the front seat, she always felt like nothing could stop her; she would just roll over anyone who pissed her off. Finally having escaped the traffic of the city, she entered the somewhat tranquil road of Interstate 20. On the way home she stopped at her favorite Chinese fast food shop and ordered the Sweet and Sour Chicken with white rice and a spring roll. Munching on the roll as she drove, she cranked up the CD player and listened as Faith Hill crooned out a sweet melody, something about kisses. No, not kisses but a kiss. The song brought to mind the dream from the night before and she could feel the muscles in her stomach tighten again.
Girl, you are sick; she isn't even a live woman! Boy, you need to get a life... and a girlfriend.
Later that evening, after eating, Dani began her daily chores hoping to tire herself out and so that she might collapse into a long dreamless sleep. No matter how much she stalled she found that all her normal home tasks seemed to take care of themselves. She had finished all her usual things early. She showered and was in bed less than two hours from arriving.
With all her work done, Dani found herself in bed tapping away on her laptop. Bailey impatiently walked back and forth across Dani's legs, demanding her attention. Pausing for a moment, Dani picked up the tabby and placed her on the floor only to have the cat jump back up on the bed again and again. Finally, she was forced to give up any pretence of working and pet the demanding cat. She soon found herself becoming drowsy, the soft fur and the gentle purr of the cat was lulling her mind into a dreamy state.
Something shifted in the room, nudging her from that pleasant state that is not quite sleep and yet not completely wakefulness. Slowly a soft blue mist filled the corner near the foot of her bed, gradually revealing the figure of a woman. Dani sat up, alarmed to realize this was no ordinary woman appearing at her bedside, as it were, but Artemis herself. At least it looked like the images and descriptions she had seen depicting the Goddess. Rubbing her eyes, she attempted to wake and clear what must be some dream or vision brought on by her current fascination with a certain ancient Amazon. However, after vigorous rubbing, she found the figure only became more clear.
"Artemis?" She braved a question.
"Yes, my chosen." The dream spoke.
"Chosen?" Danielle inquired. "There must be some mistake. My name is Danielle Patterson and I can't possibly be one of your chosen, I am not even an Amazon. I was born centuries too late for that, unfair though it may be."
The Goddess smiled and the room became brighter. "Ah, but Dani, being an Amazon is not controlled by when or where you are born, my chosen. Search within your heart and you will see the truth of this. Have you not made it your life's work to prove that this is so? Even now, is not your heart held by another of my chosen?"
Dani blushed considering what Artemis was asking and realizing her dreams had somehow been observed or, at the very least, known to the goddess. She paused, wondering how best to reply, when Artemis spoke again.
"Dani, know this: you are one of my Amazons as surely as any who ever lived. Know also that Nikomachos is very special to me and has served me well, dedicating her very life to protect her sister Amazon. For this reason, and others, she has been allowed to tarry in my forest but there are conditions that must be met in order for her to stay there. She treads very close to breaking the most important of them. If she does not hold your heart, little one, do her the kindness of walking away before it is too late."
"Walk away? Are you out of your mind?!" Dani shouted to an empty room.
She turned to a sleeping feline: "Well isn't that just great Bailey? Now I'm not only dreaming of ancient amazons but goddesses too. What is worse, unless I am very much mistaken, I was just asked what my intentions are toward tall, dark and mysterious."
Shaking her head, Dani fluffed her pillow and laid her head down. Before she knew it, she found herself standing again in a lush green forest.
"You are back, little one." The deep voice growled from the trees.
"Yes, and you are playing the mysterious stranger again. I thought we had gotten past that." Dani answered, slowly turning around and tilting her head towards the treetops.
A soft rustling sound followed by a dull thud, barely rustling the leaves, announced the arrival of the warrior. Dani felt her heart rate pick up as she turned to face the tall woman, stunned again by her beauty.
"Um, Dani; my name is Dani and well yeah, I guess so." She muttered, suddenly tongue tied. How in the world was she going to talk to this gorgeous creature? She always seemed to say dumb things whenever she was around incredibly beautiful women. Not that I have had the opportunity to be around any women this hot. She thought. "I umm, well, I umm, I...I."
The warrior smiled at the smaller woman. She was cute but maybe there was something wrong in her head. She had known women like that, struck in the head in battle and never the same.
"You repeat yourself, little one. May I ask if you were injured in battle and stumble in your speech now?" Nik questioned, her voice showing her concern.
Dani chuckled softly. "Oh no, I am no warrior. I just have a problem talking to...umm to...when...umm, talking to..."
What the heck am I gonna say? I can't talk to you because I can't stop thinking about making love with you? Good one Dani, absolutely brilliant! And making love? Where the hell did that come from?
Nik smiled. She remembered her first meeting with a warrior woman. She had so many questions; she had not known what to ask first. Her voice had left her as well; she had been so impressed with the woman that she just stood there, her mouth hanging open.
"No need to be startled, I do not bite...unless you ask me to." Nik added, wiggling one eyebrow and adding a devilishly crooked grin.
Dani swallowed hard, her eyes drawn to that grin, unavoidably noticing the beautiful white teeth and the soft pink lips. This sure puts the term 'Bite me' into a whole new context. She thought, feeling a silly grin appear on her own face. Time to bring this conversation back to a safe place.
"I am a doctor; you know, like a shamanist." Dani nearly laughed out loud at the expression that now appeared on Nik's face. God, she should never play poker, she would stay broke. She watched as thoughts literally flew across Nik's features.
"Dani, you have the gift of healing?" Nik whispered, in obvious awe.
"Well, I am not exactly that kind of doctor, um, shamanist. I am more like a teacher. I study people and lately I have been studying Amazons." Dani said, her eyes drawn again to Nik's darkly beautiful face.
How can her eyes be that shade of blue, deep like the Caribbean ocean or that lapis lazuli stone I found at the mine a few years back?
"I would love to study you, warrior." Dani breathed the words as much as spoke them, reaching out a tentative hand to rest on a strong bronzed arm, enjoying the feel of the muscles as they moved beneath the warm skin.
Nik liked the strange accent of the little Shamanist and she couldn't help thinking the package that the accent was wrapped in was appealing also. She placed her hand over the small white one that rested on her arm. It felt small like a bird and she suddenly felt an almost overwhelming urge, no a need, to protect her.
I wonder where that came from? She thought, trying to bury her feelings, a bit confused at the sudden rush of desire that sought to overcome her. Well, it has been a long time since I have seen a woman. She paused for a moment to think about it. I can't even remember the last time I have been with a woman; that's strange. Why can't I remember? It can't have been that long. Nik worried, her thoughts quickly redirected to her seemingly faulty memory.
Dani noticed the confused look that now shadowed the beautiful face.
"Nik, is something wrong?" She asked, feeling the dark woman's grip tighten almost painfully on her hand.
Nik felt her head begin to throb and her ears ring. She slowly sat down, her legs folding under her, her hand still clutching the smaller one that was on her arm, forcing Dani to join her in on the soft, moss covered forest floor.
"Why can't I remember?" She muttered aloud.
"Nik. Nik, what's the matter? Talk to me." Dani whispered, stunned at the suddenly pale face of the woman she had already begun to care for far more than she could explain rationally.
"You are a Shamanist, little one?" Nik asked, her eyes still glazed and staring into nothing. "Why can't I remember? I can remember nothing...except fighting. I remember the arena and the Romans. I remember the chase and the bridge, then nothing. I can remember nothing more. Why have I not noticed this before? Have the gods have stolen my memories? Am I mad? Is that why I am here all alone in the forest?" She asked in a softly bewildered whisper, turning confused dark blue eyes to the smaller woman. "Why can't I remember?" She asked Dani.
What can I tell her? She's dead? She has been dead for several hundred, hell, several thousand years? I can't tell her that, Dani thought. I can't and I won't.
Chapter 5
"Nik, Nik...please easy, your grip...you are crushing my hand." Dani whispered.
"I am sorry, did I hurt you?" Nik turned concerned eyes to Dani's, her hands reaching out and turning Dani's hand palm up in her own larger hand, her thumb gently caressing the life line in Dani's palm.
Dani sighed; as she felt the rough flesh of Nik's calloused finger brushing her skin, a tremor ran straight up her arm and coursed through her body striking her head, her groin and her heart all at once. But it was the look in Nik's eyes that began to break her heart. She had to help her and she only knew one way to do that. There was but a moment's pause as she silently prayed she was not breaking one of the conditions Artemis had mentioned, but one look into the frightened, pain filled eyes told her it as probably already too late to worry about that.
"Nik, I think I know what happened. I believe I can help you remember; I can tell you your story. But you must understand, this is an ancient story and I am only your bard. Okay?" Dani asked, holding onto Nik's hand, her eyes dropping to their now entwined fingers.
She stared, mesmerized at the difference in their hands. One small and slightly pale but deceptively strong, the other large, dark, and very scarred, but powerful. Hands that she had held in a different time and in a very different condition. Dani felt tears begin to well in her eyes, but the look she had seen in those deep blue pools gave her the strength to tell this incredible woman the truth. She took both Nik's hands and held them close to her breast as she spoke to the warrior in soft, clear tones.
Nik looked at this pale woman and listened to the story...her story, her life drifting from those soft tempting lips. She was dead, had been dead for a very, very long time. But how could that be? She could feel the sun on her face, hear the birds in the trees and smell the sweet scent of this small woman.
Nik turned to Dani and peered intently into her eyes, searching for the truth. What she saw there shocked her but also made her smile. The truth was painful to the warrior; the young Shamanist was not lying to her. The thought that she was dead was terrifying in a way, but the warmth she read in the grey eyes of the young woman helped. It was almost painfully obvious that Dani had some feelings for her and for some reason had tried not to let it show, but she had been unable to hide it, at least from Nik's eyes. There was something more as well. Nik was nearly certain she had seen or felt something but it flitted out of her mind's grasp as quickly and uninvited as it had entered.
Her mind still could not quite grasp that she had crossed over; things here seemed so real, but where was her tribe? What had happened to them? Did they escape the Romans or did they all perish because she had been unable to stop them from crossing the bridge. Had she failed the only people who mattered to her?
Her heart pounded loudly in her ears and her mind turned back to the faces of her tribe, her family. Slowly, tears welled then slipped from her eyes, leaving a glistening trail of salt on her cheeks.
Dani watched as the truth gradually dawned on Nik, a fleeting shadow of pain drifted through her eyes and Dani felt her heart contract. She had not fully realized how much she had come to care for this dream woman or how much of her pain she would share.
'What the heck am I thinking?
She is only a dream, a creature created from my mind...Isn't she?'
Wait, how is that possible? I am in a dream, you can't smell in a dream. Dani felt Nik's warmth pressed against her, her hand buried in the soft, dark hair. I feel her, the heat of her body, the pressure of her breasts against me. What else can I feel?
She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, what would she want with me? Dani thought. Oh yeah, there aren't any other women here, so I guess she is stuck with what she can get.
A voice in the back of her consciousness somewhere chimed caution; silently reminding her of something she chose, for the moment, to ignore. Nik allowed her rational mind scarcely even a moment to consider the source of the warning. Whatever it was, she reasoned, it could wait.
Gently, she rolled over, pulling Dani beneath her. Lifting herself on her right elbow, she sheltered them both in a curtain of her own black hair, the light of the sun peeking through and casting rays onto the face of the beautiful young Shamanist. Nik stared down into Dani's eyes, slowly and tenderly committing every inch of flesh to memory. Lovingly, her left hand caressed Dani's face, tracing the winged eyebrow and soft full lips, down a gently curved jaw to a throbbing pulse in her neck, pausing at a sloping shoulder before sliding down to cup a full breast. Nik took her time, studying the reaction in the grey eyes, watching the passion build there. She slipped her hand under Dani's shirt and very gently lifted it up and over her head, leaving the small body naked and trembling beneath her. Never losing contact with those beautiful eyes, she settled down next to Dani, pulling her close. Her body draped over the smaller body like a living blanket, her long legs caressing Dani, one lying next to her, the other now slipping over her hip, coming to rest between her legs. Pressing firmly, Nik gently urged them apart, resting between them. She loved the feel of the powerful calf muscle as it rubbed the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Nik's hand stroked her ribs, moving slowly up to her breast, reaching again to hold it like a treasure. She kissed it with a quiet reverence, amazed at its beauty. She looked first into the grey eyes as if asking for permission, then slowly lowered her head to take the coral nipple into her mouth, sucking gently on it until she could feel the hard bud on her tongue.
Dani felt her heart contract as Nik suckled, the pressure between her legs began to build and she arched her back with need. The Amazon felt the muscles of the smaller woman jerking. She was so close but not yet; she rubbed her leg between the two paler legs, slowly but firmly, causing friction and heat, pleased to feel the moisture streaking her thigh. She released the nipple from her mouth and captured it with her fingers as her lips blazed a trail down the sweet body. Past the ribs and the navel past, the pubic to the soft fold of flesh that hid the treasure she feverishly sought. She twisted her body around so that she faced her prize, lifted the creamy thighs and placed one over each shoulder as she pulled the smaller woman to her.
Dani was entranced, her body was hot with need; her only thought was to fulfill the desire that burned within her and Nik was more than ready to help her. But she was unhurried in her task, seemingly determined to make this experience an enjoyable journey. She watched as Nik gently parted and opened the lips with her thumbs, exposing her throbbing center, wet and dripping. She blew softly on it, smiling at the Dani's moan as she bucked in Nik's arms.
The warrior pulled the Shamanist closer and stroked her gently with the tip of her tongue, delighting in the explosion of flavor she found there. Finally, she took the pulsing flesh into her mouth, suckling on it as if it were the last food on earth, enjoying the taste of this beautiful woman as she came, pulsing into her mouth over and over.
Later, as she lay curled safe and naked in Nik's arms, Dani smiled. Never had she felt anything like this woman and her lovemaking. She was exhausting, she was thrilled, sated and in love. Well, she mused, I guess Artemis has her answer. She looked up at Nik, still partially on top of her, peacefully sleeping, and was just about to wake her when the blare of her radio brought her wide awake.
With a rude and sudden harshness Dani realized that she was back in the present. She sat there, on her bed, feeling the unexpected loss of warmth and the physically painful aloneness of empty arms. Falling back onto her bed, she pulled her hands to her face and screamed at the unfazed dawn.
Minutes passed before Dani could bring herself to get out of bed. She didn't want to move. Here, at least, she still felt Nik. If she got up she would be leaving a part of her behind, the part she could touch and smell and feel. Bailey decided to do her part and helped motivate her to move. One minute Dani lay there in bed, feeling unloved and alone; the next, she had an eight pound hairy reminder on her chest, informing her that breakfast had not yet been served and she was hungry. Struggling her way out from under the covers, Dani pushed her backup, hairy alarm clock onto the floor and rose to start her day.
Having fed Bailey, she returned to her bedroom to dress. That was when she noticed it: a large red bruise that was just beginning to ache covered the majority of the back of her hand.
"Well how in the Hell..." Dani stared at the injury, her mind finally recalling the dream. 'But how can a dream do this?' She asked herself, still staring at the red welt.
It really didn't hurt much; what concerned her was how had she brought it into the present when the only way she could have received it had been in her dream, last night. And what about the visit from Artemis? How the hell had she dreamed that up, she wondered, still remembering how real it had all seemed.
Dani sat on the edge of the bed, trying to put her thoughts into some kind of order and figure out how the crushing grip of a long dead Amazon warrior could have affected her after she woke up. She had no idea how long she had been sitting there when Bailey suddenly landed on her lap and reminded her that she had a job to get to and kitty kibble to buy. Quickly, she scrambled into her clothes and rushed out the door to her bike.
It seemed as though her weeks had begun to melt together and her life had come to focus sharply on her home, or more precisely, on her bed. That was where Dani spent most of her time, alone with Nik. Dani sat in the McDonalds near the museum, the small booth that she usually occupied was in the farthest corner of the room and away from the kiddy play area. From her position there, Dani could see the entire room and be prepared in the event that one of her colleagues decided to drop in on her and chat. Today she was lucky, she had been so busy on the Amazon artifacts that she had worked through the usual lunch hour and was finally able to take lunch at two o'clock that afternoon. She sat munching on a double cheese burger from the dollar menu.
She smiled, remembering the dreams, the feel of Nik in her arms, the texture and smell of dark hair as it brushed her cheek. She had it bad, real bad.
This is really insane; I am falling hard for a dream woman...literally. There must be something in the 'You are a really sick puppy' book for this. Come on Dani, the woman isn't even real; don't you think having a girl friend from a different dimension would be tricky?
Dani sat there with a silly grin, shaking her head at the thought of the introductions to her mother and Jay. She finished her meal and headed outside. She loved to walk to lunch and back; it was her primary form of outdoor exercise since she seemed to never want to go outside since she met Nik. As she reached the corner, she looked up to check the crossing signal and watched the green 'walk' figure flash on. She checked up and down the street, then stepped out into the cross walk, glancing again to the left at the same time; that's was what saved her.
The car pulled out from the curve, tires squealed and smoke spewed from the rubber as it burned. It was an older model blue Ford Taurus. Besides antiquities, Dani knew cars, especially cars that seemed set on running her down. Seeing the car turn towards her, she threw her weight forward, pushing off with her toes. It wasn't the most graceful leap but it kept her out of reach of the car's deadly fenders. As she landed, she heard a different sound, the sound of breaking. She landed with a hard thud on the concrete median and felt the course grass scraping her arms. Quickly, she turned her head towards the sound of the car, trying to see the driver, wanting to know who and why. What she saw was the covered eyes of a stranger. She didn't recognize the car and all she saw of the driver was the reflection of dark glasses in the side view mirror. She tried to read the plate but legs were blocking her view as people seemed to appear from everywhere, hands helping her to her feet.
At first she was grateful, but one pair of hands seemed far more interested in fondling her than helping her. She slapped the hands away. "I'm fine, thank you." She said as she pulled away from the hands while, at the same time, trying to see who had the grabbing, exploring fingers. All she could see though was the back of a pair of broad shoulders, a black cap, a dingy grey shirt, blue jeans and dirty white sneakers. The man was moving away quickly as other people approached to help her up. As she watched carefully, he turned and she caught a glimpse of even white teeth that grinned eerily at her, sending a strange shiver of fear quivering up and down her spine.
This is so not good, Dani thought, as she stood brushing off her jeans. I know that wasn't my step dad and I know that wasn't his car; so who the HELL was that? Was he trying to kill me and what is up with the weirdo with the rushin' hands and roman' fingers? He musta just been in for a free feel...EW!
"Jay? Hi, it's Dani." She said in a shaky voice.
"Yeah Dani, what's up? Don't tell me you are finished with that moldy old skeleton already." He joked, knowing how enthralled Dani was with her latest project.
"No, it's coming along great, though. I have already shipped the hands and the skull out. That isn't why I am calling. I need to take off early today and I might be out tomorrow. I know I have loads of vacation time coming, and I hate to do it, but I gotta." She said, her voice still quivering.
"Dani? What's wrong, what's going on? Is your stepfather back? Do you need me to send in security? Better yet, I'm coming down there. If that SOB is in violation of the restraining order, I will personally have him tossed out on his ass and bar him from every museum in the state. Right after I phone the police to pick up his sorry ass."
Jay was pissed. He had heard about Dani's last paternal visit and he was determined that it was an event that would not be repeated. All he needed was to lose his best Archivist, not to mention his soon to be step daughter and a damned good friend.
"No, he isn't here, I just had a mishap on my way back from lunch and...well, I guess I'm a bit shook up." Dani said, cradling her forehead in one hand while holding the phone to her ear with the other.
"What!? What are you talking about? Forget it. I am coming down there." Jay said, preparing to hang up the phone.
"No, it isn't that bad; a car just got a bit close to me in the crosswalk and I guess it shook me up more than I realized." She explained, hoping her boss would not push the subject.
"Okay Dani, spill it." Jay demanded in a gruff voice. "How close is 'a bit'? Are we talking, the next lane over or are we talking 'seeing the flies on the bumper?" He asked, waiting patiently for Dani's answer.
"Umm, well, it depends," she grinned, happy to hear something humorous after such a hellacious experience.
"Depends? On what?" Jay asked, still concerned.
"Well do bees fit the "fly on the bumper" category? Dani tried to joke.
"Hell, girl. I'm on my way. You just sit still." Jay hung up the phone.
Chapter 6
Jay was the proverbial nutty professor, very distinguished looking, highly intelligent, great with books and research; impossible with humans and the real world -- and today Jay had a huge cup of real world to deal with. Dani smiled thinking of the fuss he had made over her little accident. He looked like anything but the head curator of the largest museum in the state. As far as looks were concerned, Jay was a real hunk, a large handsome man, well over six feet, with silver grey hair that was almost white over his brow and temples and faded to a deep salt and pepper at the nape of his neck. He had a broad smile, wide shoulders and huge, blunt fingered hands. Her mother loved him to distraction and he worshipped her like a Botticelli Venus. Dani was always amazed at his ability to handle even the most fragile of artifact without damaging them. When she had first arrived at the museum, he had taken her under his wing, becoming a mentor as well as a surrogate father and confidant. He was as close to a father as he could be without marrying her mother, which, since he was dating her mother, it appeared, could happen. Now her huge teddy bear of a mentor was taking a long dive off the deep end. He had ordered her to the nearest hospital for an exam and required that she produce a doctor's statement before she would be allowed back to work. A quick visit to the Richland County Hospital Emergency Room resulted in strict orders to stay home for three days, then return to either her personal physician or the hospital for a reevaluation. The chuckle she got from Jay did not make her restrictions any easier to take. However, it did help her in laying on the guilt that made Jay stop by the museum and pick up some of her paperwork. At least now she would be able to continue her ongoing research on Nik. Filling her briefcase with papers, she tucked it under her arm and, with Jay on her heels, she walked out the front door and into a prepaid cab. She wasn't even allowed to drive herself home.
"Doctor's order's", Jay had said smiling. Dani could envision him rubbing his hands together and dancing around a boiling kettle. If nothing else, he seemed thrilled to have been right.
"For once." Dani muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Jay to hear. His gruff chuckle followed her out the door and into the cab.
Jay promised that he would have her car delivered later that day; she was not a happy camper.
Well, at least I can explore the strange dreams I have been having; maybe I can figure out what the heck is going on. If not...no loss. She grinned, thinking of the tall, serious and loving woman who now appeared on a regular basis in her dreams. Truth be told, when she wasn't in her dreams she was in her thoughts. Maybe this little forced vacation wouldn't be so bad after all.
When Dani finally got home, it was dark and wet. It had begun to rain; a light, sweet summer rain. She could smell the earth, the dark, rich dirt soaking in the water. The sidewalk, still hot from the late afternoon sun, seemed to sizzle as the large drops of rain splashed on the cement. The Carolina sky was releasing all the moisture it was renown for holding on those incredibly humid summer days.
"Well that should cut down on the sinus headaches; now if I could just get rid of this: "I've just been hit by a car headache", Dani whispered aloud. She was very aware that her neighbors had already seen her talking out loud to herself on more than one occasion. She chuckled, imagining what it would be like if they knew about Nik.
Yeah, right, I can see it now. The always open minded Bible Belt would enthusiastically provide the burning cross right here on the front lawn, along with the little guys in white hoods, carrying torches. Get the evil Lesbian! Oh yeah, that would be real cool...NOT! And you know what? I bet we wouldn't even make the front page of the newspaper. Prejudice is so old news. It may wear a different face but bigotry is still alive and well, right here in the good ol' U S of A.
Bailey spotted her care giver and headed towards her. Dani reached down and picked up her pet, happy to have something to distract her over worked imagination.
"Hello Bailey, killed any lizards today?" she asked, knowing that the cat had a habit of bringing her trophy's in and depositing them in places that she knew Dani would go to some time in the evening. The cat seemed to get an inordinate amount of pleasure from hearing her care giver scream at the top of her lungs. Which, of course, Dani would do when she discovered the little desiccated bodies in places like inside her favorite pumps, under the covers on her bed, floating in the toilet bowl or in her newest display place: smack in the middle of the cast iron frying pan that Dani always kept on the stove.
As she walked back to the bedroom, Dani noticed that Bailey was unusually quiet and seemed to be as jumpy as she was. As she scratched the cat on the chin, she spoke softly to her.
"What's wrong Bailey? Are you picking up on Mommy's jumpy nerves? That's okay. I'm fine; just a bit banged up from a session of car aerobics this afternoon. What say we take a hot shower and call it a night?"
A vaguely familiar voice floated across the room. "I'm afraid I may be responsible for some of your cat's distress. Animals can always sense my presence; usually long before their owners do."
"Artemis?" Dani managed.
"Yes. I know we usually meet in your dreams, Little One, but we really must talk about Nikomachos."
"Nik?" Dani asked, fear inching its way into her voice. "Is something wrong? Is Nik all right?" She paused. "Oh my gods. She's real, isn't she?"
Artemis smiled. "Danielle, is that a serious question? You can ask me that after what you and Nikomachos have shared?"
Dani blushed, knowing exactly what the goddess meant. "Um, no. I guess not. Is she all right, though? I mean, you're here; so I figure there must be a reason. Right?"
"Ever the thinker", Artemis chuckled. "I am here because Nikomachos is troubled by her lack of memories."
"I know. I tried to help her but there is just so much about her that I don't know. I really hated to tell her she was dead but I've never been very good with telling lies and she was so upset. I didn't know what else to do. Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt Nik by telling her the truth?" Dani worried.
"You have done nothing wrong, Little One. But there is a reason Nikomachos does not remember everything of her life as an Amazon. She has been in my forest a very long time. Did you not wonder why she has not questioned before this?"
"Well, to tell you the truth, I hadn't thought about it? Is this one of those conditions you mentioned before? Will she have to leave the forest if she remembers?"
"My forest is not a prison for Nikomachos, but a refuge. Her mind protects her from things that cause her great pain, so great that she sought eternal refuge in my forest to escape them. She tarries there because I granted her that refuge. It is, as you say in your world, complicated. Nikomachos has earned more rewards than I could possibly give in one lifetime. And there is the matter of a long overdue promise I must keep as well. You will understand more of this very soon. For now it is enough that you know she is very much a real person. Nikomachos is one of the bravest and most loyal of all my Amazons. Her memories have no bearing on her right to be in my forest but they will, I fear, remove her ability to be happy there.
You asked me for something, not long ago. I must ask you now to think upon that request and be certain it is what you truly wish. Think seriously upon this, Little One; for once it is granted, it cannot be taken back."
Artemis gently took Dani's right hand in hers. "I must go to Nikomachos now. Think, Little One. We will meet again very soon."
"I will." Dani whispered to the empty room, staring blankly at the tiny golden stone resting in her palm. "Amber?" She asked the fidgeting feline. "Now where do you suppose that came from?" Bailey wasn't talking.
Later, dressed in a fresh night shirt, Dani was finally beginning to relax. The hot water from the shower had loosened the tension in her sore muscles, and cleansed the last of the dirt from her scrapes, leaving her injuries with a stinging feeling that let her know she had already begun to heal. Dani walked out to her kitchen and opened the door of the refrigerator. The soft white light illuminated the empty shelves, reminding her that she had yet to buy groceries this week. The only thing left was a sad twelve pack container of Diet Coke; it was empty except for two cans of the beverage.
"Well Bailey, looks like it's gonna be a Dominos night." With a soft sigh, Dani rolled both cans out of their container and, leaving one on the shelf, threw the carton away and headed to the cabinet with the remaining drink. Grabbing a glass, she returned to the refrigerator, opened the freezer compartment and dropped three cubes of ice into the glass from her bag of stored cubes. She crossed over the kitchen to the wall phone and hit speed dial for the nearest Dominos. The phone rang and a chipper young person picked up on the other end. Dani quickly ordered a medium Pepperoni pizza, thin crust with extra cheese, got the total and the estimated delivery time. She thanked the kid on the phone and hung up.
"I so hate cheerful right now," she grumbled to Bailey. "Cheerful really sucks when you're in pain." The day's events were finally catching up to her as she retrieved her chilled glass of Diet Coke and headed back to the bedroom to relax. And think; there was much to think about, she reminded herself.
Dani turned on the television, poured her drink and sat back to watch the evening news. The big story of the evening was still the killer who had been terrorizing the surrounding counties; he had finally been given a name: 'The 911 Killer'.
Dani listened with morbid curiosity to the news report. It seemed that this killer enjoyed leaving taunting messages for the police in the blood of his raped and dying victims. Most of the women had been so badly injured that they died from blood loss before the police could arrive; the rest had died in the ambulance on their way to the hospital. The police seemed to be closing in on him, the reporter explained, since the last two victims were still alive when the police arrived. The first three victims were found still warm and one even had a faint pulse when the police reached the victim's home. The killer liked to call in to 911 and leave the address and name of the victim with the operator. He never stayed on the phone longer than needed; so the police were unable to trace the number or location of the caller. The reporter gave a run down of some pretty basic precautions: locking your car and home, staying out of dark places alone at night, having your keys in hand when you walk to your car, and having the number for the police handy.
Dani's eyes were beginning to droop; she set her drink on the nightstand and snuggled down under the covers, absently picking up the small stone lying on the nightstand where she had placed it earlier. It warmed to her touch and, as she gently rubbed it against her fingers with her thumb, she felt her body relaxing as the pain seemed to fade a little more with every stroke. Bailey wiggled her way under the sheets to lie along the side of Dani's legs.
"Boy, what a little chicken shit you are tonight." Dani mumbled, reaching under the blankets with her free hand to rub the soft brown fur. The movement stopped as she began to snore, finally slipping off to sleep.
He watched, as the house grew dark, and studied the silhouette of the young woman from the flickering lights of the television as she went about her nightly ritual. She was one of several women he had stalked and, like his other victims, he fully intended to add something of her to his collection of trophies. As usual, he felt his hands begin to tingle and a hot bundle of nerves jumped in his stomach; it was a feeling he enjoyed, he lived for. He stopped outside the window, staring in at the sleeping woman, the glow of the television giving her face a beautiful surreal look. He felt the play begin anew, as it did each time. First he would watch and wait, allowing his victim to seduce him as only she could. Soon she would drive his body to the edge, forcing him to lose control as his penis began to swell, pushing against the inside of his pants. The feel of the zipper rubbing against him, felt exhilarating. He had stopped wearing underwear years ago, when he noticed the feeling of the metal teeth against sensitive skin. The women wanted this, demanded it. He reached down one hand and stroked himself through the cloth of his pants, as he smiled at the young brunette. He could almost hear her breathing with him, urging him to pump faster and harder, begging for satisfaction. Sweating profusely, he knew this one was just like the others; once would never be enough. She would require far more of his attention before their night was through.
Patiently, he waited. She had not moved in the several minutes and this, he knew, meant she was asleep. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his pocket knife; opening it, he slipped the blade between the two window panels, carefully feeling for the latch. One quick jerk and the latch sprang open, the second latch opened equally as easily. She had made it easy for him, just as he had known she would. He lifted the window quietly, slid over the sill and into the room. Standing there in her room, at the foot of her large bed, he could smell her herbal shampoo, his mind already visualizing what was to come next. This one was the most seductive yet, he marveled. Purposefully slowing his breathing, his motions followed suit. He would go slowly with her, she was much too pretty to waste in a rush job. Yes, they would enjoy this evening and, at the end, he would find a souvenir to take home with him. It would be a lovely token, something she had secretly wanted him to have, so that he could remember her forever. He would put it with his collection of gifts from all his other lovers.
Hours later, the police were standing in the same room, alongside the same large bed; the scene was anything but seductive. They were too late, again. It had been orchestrated and choreographed with precision and despite their fastest cars and best efforts they stood, frustrated and empty-handed, in a dark and evil place where earlier there had been a sadistic rapist and killer. They stared down at the once beautiful young, dark haired woman. This was not the same picture the killer had seen. No, this was his aftermath, the ugly reality left in his wake. What they saw was heartbreak, a parent's worst nightmare made real. Tomorrow it would be headlines but tonight it was a dead girl, brutally raped and bloody, posed in a pornographic position; her legs spread apart unnaturally and her mouth opened in a final, desperate, silent scream. As was his pattern, the bastard had called the authorities and told them where to find the young woman. Once again, he had laughed at their attempts to catch him, staying on the phone long enough this time to boast of his prowess. The 911 Killer had taken another victim and this one, by all accounts, was, by far, his most horrific killing yet.
Chapter 7
"Ugh! That is the second time in less than two weeks I've fallen out of bed. This is beginning to be a habit." She groaned aloud. "A very bad and painful habit."
Dani reached for the side of the bed and, pulling herself upright, began to untangle the sheets that had mysteriously twisted around her while she slept.
Bailey watched with interest as her care giver, litter changer, and all around slave, woke.
"Brrrowww?" She asked, trying to speed up the process which would inevitably lead to breakfast.
Her human was moving much too slowly this morning, even after Bailey had generously assisted in the waking process by cleaning her feet. Now, the cat pondered, that was a true sign of love, was it not? Well, maybe it was a true sign of impatience. Either way, the results would be the same: BREAKFAST!
"BRRROWWW!" Bailey called out, much more loudly this time; trying, it would seem to little or no avail, to speed up her human.
"I hear you, Bailey. I'm awake, already. Ya know, sometimes I really think you do this to me at night just so I will fall out of bed and fix your breakfast faster." Dani surmised, speaking out loud to the cat.
She pulled herself to her feet, the tangle of sheets and blankets falling to wrap loosely around her ankles. Carefully, realizing she was a bit sore from yesterday's impromptu adventure, she stepped over the pile and staggered, only half awake, towards the kitchen; Bailey hot on her heels. She opened a side cupboard and pulled out a tall orange bag of Iams cat food and scooped out a heaping cup, pouring it into the bowl marked 'Cat-tastrophy'. That done, she turned on the coffee pot and headed for the shower. A half an hour later she stepped from the warmth of the bathroom, wrapped in a huge terrycloth robe, her wet hair wound into a matching turban, and headed toward the sweet smell of fresh brew. At last fully awake, she took her steaming mug of cinnamon hazelnut and headed back to the bedroom. She was determined to review some of her notes on Nik, hoping that she wouldn't lose too much ground on her research as a result of her forced sabbatical.
Nik had become an obsession, that much was apparent. Each and every night since she had first seen the bones, Dani had dreamed of Nik. It had gotten to the point where she actually anticipated the night, knowing that Nik would be waiting in her dreams: a tall dark lover who made her world spin. Initially, she thought she was pretty desperate, if not pathetic. After all, the only woman she seemed able to catch was an imaginary one.
"Well, at least she is drop dead gorgeous." Dani smiled, closing her eyes and seeing the beautiful bronzed face that had begun to invade her waking hours as well as her sleep. "Damn it, Nik. Why couldn't you have been a modern woman?" She remarked, mentally watching the wicked, crooked smile twist the lips of her dream woman.
Soundlessly, her mind filled in for the absent warrior; just as if Nik could read her thoughts. Now what would be the fun in that? Nik seemed to whisper from her place in Dani's head. I am sooo much more fun here in your head, don't you think? I mean, what would the neighbors think if you suddenly showed up with a real live Amazon Warrior, in full battle armor, no less? The image chuckled. And what would you need an Amazon Warrior for, anyway? It seems to me that there is little or no need for me there in your strange time.
"Well, needed or not, I would be eternally grateful to the goddess if you were reincarnated or whatever and living right here in the present. There is nothing I would not give to find you, flesh and bones, smack dab in the middle of my time, right here and now."
Considering what she had just said, she paused as if tasting her words. "There is your answer, Artemis. No matter how many times I think and rethink this, one thing will never change. I can't pretend to understand how or why it happened, but somehow this incredible woman found her way into my life...and my heart. I don't want to let her go. I don't think I can. Consequences, neighbors and Bible Belt be damned. Wherever you are, Artemis, I stand by my original request."
Then, almost as an afterthought, she muttered: "I sure hope you feel the same way, Nik; because, if you don't, I'm going to feel incredibly stupid."
She didn't even realize she had picked up the piece of amber and was rubbing it gently until she had to put it into the pocket of her robe.
"Hmm, I wonder when I picked this up." With a tiny shake of her head, she dismissed the thought and the stone...for now.
Picking up her briefcase, coffee cup in hand, she settled on the bed. Placing the cup on the nightstand, she reached down and picked up the fallen sheets and blankets. She bundled them into a nice soft nest and opened her brief case to retrieve her laptop and the documents she had managed to scarf up on her way out of the museum the night before. She leaned out of bed and plugged the laptop into a wall outlet, then turned on the television as she waited for the computer to boot up. Sitting crossed legged, her back braced against the headboard of the bed, she sipped her coffee and watched the morning news.
"...The most recent victim of The 911 Killer was found this morning, horribly mutilated in what she had surely thought of as the safety of her own bed. The police, admittedly, are at a loss as to how to stop this madman. Police have now officially determined that they are dealing with a serial killer. Local law enforcement agencies have banned together with the FBI in a joint task force to capture this elusive rapist and serial killer. If you have any information or have seen anything suspicious, the task force is asking that you report it. Call area code 803- 411-1911; that is the direct line to the task force. Meanwhile, our own Channel Nine News is offering a card with safety precautions and critical phone numbers as well as free pen lights and whistles at our main office on Gervais Street to any woman who stops by. Back to you, in our studio, Michael."
"Thank you, Sandra. That was Sandra O'Keefe reporting live from the scene at Forest Acres, the home of the most recent 911 victim. We will keep you informed of any breaking news on this truly horrific situation."
The reporter turned to his colleague and began a short discussion on the ongoing steps the law enforcement agencies were taking to capture the killer.
"Well, I have it on good authority that the police will be staking out the homes in the area of the most recent killing. They will be in unmarked cars on the streets throughout the neighborhood since the killer has, thus far, shown a pattern of killing at least two women in each area." The man identified as Michael reported.
His coworker nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, my sources say the same. Well, I suppose there will be some restless sleeping going on tonight in Forest Acres. Let's just hope that, with so many of our police laying in wait there, we will finally catch this animal and see an end to this nightmare." The reporter stated, his voice relaying the disgust he felt at the failed attempts of the local authorities.
"What an idiot!" Dani spoke aloud. "Why not just give the killer the plate numbers of the unmarked cars? My gods, are all reporters idiots or just the ones on Channel Nine? That moron just told the killer what the police are doing. Does he think he is helping or is he just that stupid? Dumb question; he obviously is just that stupid. Well, I hope he's satisfied. The dumbass just set up another woman to get killed. I'm sure that any half brained killer would know not to be within a hundred miles of Forest Acres for the next few days. UGH, how dumb can you be?"
Still grumbling, Dani placed her cup back on the night stand and stared down at the laptop screen as the image struggled to settle. Once the screen steadied, she tapped the icon for her main museum page; then, with a few more taps, she reached the page titled SC Archeological Center. Typing in her pass code, she accessed her secured section, finally reaching the section dedicated to Nik. With a few more clicks she was in the section she had decided to work on. Reading, editing and rewriting sections, she was totally engrossed with the topic and did not leave the screen world until her bladder screamed for attention.
Back at the computer, Dani began her notes on the armor and weapons used by the ancient warrior. Creating the replica sword had been fascinating and had yielded information not only about the construction of the weapon but the owner of the sword. The length and weight provided critical information about the height and strength of the owner. Only a woman of commanding height could have had the arm length to swing the sword without having it strike the ground. In addition, the material the sword was made of required a strong arm to wield such a heavy weapon which meant that the warrior had to have been very powerful. So, based on those two conclusions, it was obvious that Nik was a tall and powerful warrior; something Dani already knew, having met the woman in her dreams. Now she was able to pass this information on to others and verify it, technically.
With the information, calculations and statistics from the report now entered into the museum data base, Dani paused to take another potty break. That was when she realized the time. Somehow the sun had set and she had totally missed lunch. Now, her stomach was letting her know about it in no uncertain terms. It was not happy and this had better be a case of: "I am fixing it RIGHT NOW" or "I'm sorry but somehow my throat has been disconnected from my stomach and surgery is pending". With growl and grumbles following her down the hall, Dani headed for the kitchen. Searching the freezer for a possible meal, she settled on a beefy Man Handler, tore open the box and slid out the frozen dinner. Grabbing a fork from the silverware drawer, she stabbed away at the meat section, quickly poking holes in the appropriate compartment. Placing the container in the microwave, she cranked up the dial and leaned back against the counter to wait.
As her dinner ticked away, her mind skipped over the information she had been working on; picturing Nik's strong hand gripping the pommel of the large sword, a battle cry issuing from her lips and anger burning in her eyes. A smile crept across her lips as her vivid imagination pictured the long legged warrior damp with sweat, dark hair flying and deep eyes flashing. She had become so caught up in her musing that the sound of the microwave bell nearly made her slide to the floor. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could almost swear she hear a deep chuckle.
Funny, very funny, Dani mumbled to the warrior as she retrieved her dinner from the oven. Heading out of the kitchen, she paused long enough to pick up the fork and grab the last Diet Coke from the refrigerator. Then she headed back to her room hoping to quietly enjoy her meal.
Finally the lights of the bedroom went out, he smiled in anticipation of the evening's adventure. This was the part he loved best, the hunt. He waited, watching the dim silhouette of Danielle as she prepared for bed. Slowly, quietly, he rose from his hiding place in the bushes behind her home. Dressed in dark pants, shirt and gloves, he pulled down his hood as he casually walked to Dani's screened in porch. Reaching for the handle, he smiled; this one would be worth waiting for, he was sure of that. Pulling open the door, he silently slipped inside and headed down the hall to the master bedroom. His hands itched and trembled in anticipation.
Deep in a sacred forest few had ever actually seen, and fewer still had been permitted to dwell, a tall warrior knelt in prayer.
"I am here Nikomachos." The Goddess answered her warrior. "Something troubles you. How can I help?"
Nik lifted her eyes to meet those of the Goddess and, still kneeling, spoke to Her in soft, troubled tones. "What is wrong with me Goddess? Why can't I remember nothing of my life but fighting? Who is the little Shamanist and where does she go? Will she return to me Artemis? I miss her so when she is gone." Nik paused for a moment. "How can it be that she lives so deeply in my heart so quickly? Am I bewitched?"
Artemis smiled and knelt in front of the beautiful warrior, gazing affectionately into her blue eyes. "Nikomachos, if you are bewitched you are not the first to be so; though few I have ever known in this condition would choose it to be otherwise. Look deeply into your heart, Nik. Unless I am very much mistaken you already know exactly who Dani is and how it is that she lives so deeply in your heart. Perhaps it is not so quickly as you believe. As to why you can't remember more of your life, I am afraid that is caused, in part, by my forest. It is your mind's way of making your choice to live here easier for you. There is nothing wrong with you Nikomachos. You have suffered much in my name, never complaining, and throughout numerous lifetimes you have only truly asked one thing of me. It has not gone unnoticed that the one thing you have ever asked of me is something already decreed by the gods. Though I have tried these many lifetimes I have not yet been able to fulfill my that request. Now it seems as though the request is attempting to fulfill itself."
Nik looked into the brown eyes, confused. "I don't understand, my Goddess. How can a request fulfill itself; especially if even You have been unable to fulfill it?"
Artemis lifted Nik's chin and bent to kiss her forehead. "Well, Nikomachos. You may just have to ask your little Shamanist that when next you see her. And yes she will return but, you know, she still believes you are but a dream and may disappear at any time."
"She does? Can you not go to her and tell her otherwise, my Goddess?"
Artemis smiled. "Oh, I have Nikomachos." She stroked the strong cheekbones. "Perhaps you can find a way to be more convincing, eh my warrior?"
Nik glanced at the ground and blushed. "I can try."
Artemis stood. "Well Nik, try very hard because even as we speak Danielle is in great danger."
Nik stood quickly, squaring her broad shoulders. "Danger? Someone would dare to harm Dani? I will...."
"I rather thought you might feel that way. Think about it before you ask Nikomachos. Once granted, that is a favor I can not reverse. Speak with Dani. I think she can help you remember the things you wish to know. When you are ready, you have but to call my name. I will hear you, my Chosen. I always have."
Before Nik could answer, Artemis was gone and she stood, once again, alone in the forest.
Chapter 8
"Come down from there and talk to me." Dani chuckled. "I had a visit from a friend of yours yesterday. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" She grinned as the warrior landed softly at her side.
"Artemis said she had spoken with you." Nik replied.
Dani's eyes widened as she listened to the warrior speak of talking with the Goddess as if she were just another woman.
Nik bent and brushed her lips against Dani's cheek. "She also said you thought I was just a dream. Do you often make such sweet love to your dreams, Danielle?"
Dani opened her mouth but, to her surprise and complete embarrassment, nothing emerged but soundless air.
Nik took her hand and led her to a nearby clearing where she urged the Shamanist to sit with her.
"I will allow myself the indulgence of taking that as a no. It is so much better for my ego." Nik grinned, hoping to ease Dani's discomfort.
"Um, that would be a safe indulgence Nik. Even in my dreams I have never made love with anyone as I have with you. I should have told you that. I guess I thought you knew. It's not as though I were a beautiful warrior who has probably made love with thousands of women over the years. I'm sure my lack of experience was obvious."
It was Nik's turn to be wide-eyed. "You're joking. Right?" But one look at Danielle and she knew her words to be serious and heartfelt. She bent slightly to look deeply into her lover's eyes. "Dani, there is far more about my life that I don't remember than there is that I do but one thing I know for certain. I have never, in any lifetime, loved anyone as I do you."
Dani creased her brow as if to question whether or not her ears had deceived her. "Did you just.."
"Tell you that I love you? Yes, I did and I do." Nik took the small hands into her own. "Little One, we need to talk."
Dani nodded as tears slipped quietly down her face.
Nik caught them on her fingertips and kissed the path they had taken. "I need your help, Little One. I need to remember more of my life and Artemis seems to believe you hold the key to help me unlock my memories."
Dani kissed Nik's fingers and considered the request. "Well, I'm not sure how much help I can be since I probably know less than you recall; but I'd like to try. I do know a little bit about suppressed memories, thanks to my step father."
Something about the way Dani said the words made Nik dislike whoever this stepfather person was, but she listened quietly. With a squeeze of the small hands, she urged her to continue.
"Can you lie back and put your head in my lap?" She asked the warrior who winked and grinned wickedly but quickly complied. Dani laughed softly. "You're incorrigible. Okay, now close your eyes. Go ahead. It's not like Artemis is going to let anyone get anywhere near you who could pose even the tiniest of a threat, Nik. Good. Now let your mind wander back to your earliest memory. Take your time. When you remember something, tell me about it."
Nik lay quietly for several minutes enjoying the feel of soft fingers on her brow and allowing her mind to wander, as Dani had suggested. To be honest, she really hadn't expected anything to happen but soon an image began to form in her mind. Tears pooled in her eyes and her brow knitted.
"They killed my mother," she whispered.
Dani bit her lip to keep from interrupting but in that instant she felt something she had never know herself capable of...a desire to intentionally hurt someone she didn't even know.
Nik squeezed her eyes closed and then tried to relax them again. "I was so young, maybe two summers is all; my mother had hidden me when she heard strangers approaching our camp. She was so brave, Danielle, and so beautiful. There were five or six of them and she was all alone, save a small child. I remember. I wanted to run to her and hit the bad men but my mother had told me to stay hidden, no matter what...and I obeyed. Why did I do that? I let them kill her?" Nik wept openly now.
Dani was pissed. "You most certainly did not! Now you listen to me. You were a baby, for the sake of the gods. You loved your mother and you obeyed her. Alone and terrified, you obeyed your mother. Nik, that is the finest tribute any child could ever give their mother. I mean that. Can you imagine the horrible suffering your mother would have been forced to endure had you disobeyed? Those bastards would have murdered you in front of her and still killed her. Damn good thing this happened centuries ago and I can't hunt the sons of bitches down."
Nik lifted her head, wiped her eyes and grinned. "Oooo. I thought you were a healer, Little One."
"MmmHmmm. I'll show you healer." Dani took a deep breath. "Okay. Sorry about that. Lie back down and close your eyes. Let your mind move forward from that day and see if you can remember anything else."
Nik gave her a quick kiss and laid back down. She barely closed her eyes before more images began to form in her mind.
"The next morning, the Amazons found us. They raised a pyre for my mother and one of them held me in her arms as she sang into the night. I didn't know then that she was singing my mother home. Her name was Iphigenia."
"Strong born," Dani said.
"Yes. She was the Weapons Master and they called her Genia. From that day forward she tended to me and cared for me as if I had been carried in her own womb. She was truly a wonderful woman and her physical beauty often amazed outsiders who expected a warrior to be hard and muscular. I wasn't very old before I noticed she was a favorite among her Amazon sisters, if you know what I mean."
Dani smiled and nodded. "So it was Genia who taught you to be a warrior then?"
"Yes," Nik answered. "Until I was sixteen summers, she was my mother, my teacher, my mentor and the mother of my best friend in all the world."
"Genia had another child then?" Dani asked.
Nik opened her eyes but looked at images only she could see. "I had forgotten. How is that possible? How could I have forgotten about Foteini? [Fo Teen ee]"
Dani felt strange, almost jealous, of someone long dead. Someone she had never even known. It was the pained look on Nik's face that said so much more than her words. Whoever this Foteini was, she had meant a great deal to the warrior.
"Foteini...light. Who was she, Nik? Can you tell me about her?" Dani hoped she would not regret asking about this woman whose memory could still put that haunted look on her lover's face, after so many lifetimes.
Nik sat up and looked at Dani, smiling slightly. "Light. Yes, she was that. She was my light, Dani. How could I have forgotten her?"
Dani took the trembling hands in hers. "Nik, sometimes our mind hides a memory from us if it is too painful. Maybe you needed not to remember...at least for a little while. Her loss obviously still pains you, even now, all these lifetimes later. What happened to her? Can you talk about it?"
"Yes. Artemis told me that. She also said that part of my memory problem might be associated with my choice to linger in her forest. I'm not sure I understand what she meant but it makes me feel a little better to know that I didn't just forget someone I once believed was the other half of my soul."
Dani gasped and Nikomachos immediately lifted the small hands to her lips. "I love you, Dani. Foteini and I were but children and it was so very, very long ago."
Trembling slightly, Dani squeezed the strong hands that held hers. "It's all right, Nik. Please. Tell me about her. She must have been very special to have won your heart. What did she look like? What happened to her?"
"I will tell you what I can remember but know this, Danielle: whatever happened in my past, it is you who holds my heart. Now and forever. If I know nothing else, this I know with all my being."
"As you hold mine, Nikomachos. Now and forever." Dani tasted the words and felt the truth of them as they ushered forth unplanned and unexpected.
Nik sprung from her seated position to her knees in front of the smaller woman, tears in her lapis eyes. "Blessed Goddess. Did you just tell me that you love me?" She looked to the treetops. "Thank you, Blessed Artemis. Can this be so? Please tell me it is true Danielle and that I will not wake and find you only a dream."
Dani laughed. "I am the one who has been dreaming, my love. Or so I believed until Artemis visited me and wisely left a tiny stone in my hand, thereby educating my scientist's brain. Oh yes, it is very much true. I love you, Nik. Somehow I think I have always loved you."
Nik leaned forward to kiss her but Dani touched her gently, stopping the motion. "Nik, you have no idea how much I would like to kiss you right now. But if I allow your lips to even brush against me I may never stop and I think it is really important that you remember Foteini. I think I am supposed to hear this. Please go on with the story. Believe me, my lips will still be here when you are finished; and they are forever yours."
Briefly ignoring her, Nik quickly leaned all the way forward and kissed her anyway. "Very well but keep in mind I intend to place my claim...and soon."
Dani smiled and leaned in, surprising the warrior with a quick nibble of her soft lips. An action that was rewarded by two waggling eyebrows.
Nik sat back down alongside Dani. "Foteini was born when I was almost five summers old. She came to us late in the springtime when the fields were full and green and flowers were blossoming everywhere. It had been an especially harsh winter and carrying a child had been difficult for Genia; though she never complained. When the older sisters thought I couldn't hear them they whispered of the night she conceived. It was not as she had let me believe. The event was neither planned nor wanted. It had happened when she had taken a small group to a nearby village to work out an arrangement for trading goods. The negotiations had taken longer than expected and the small troop had acquired lodging for the night. The barkeep put something in her ale to make her sleep soundly; a mistake for which he was paid twice. Once by the local merchant who dared take advantage of an Amazon, not knowing she was the Weapons Master. The second payment was the last thing he saw this side of Tartarus. Genia never said a word either to me or to Foteini and I would never hurt her by letting her know I knew the truth.
Foteini was well named, for she truly was the light in Genia's dark eyes. From the day she was born, she was full of laughter and sunshine...and energy. She seemed never to tire, especially of learning. I think many was the night that the Weapons Master fell asleep before her body hit the pallet but it was always with a smile. That much I recall. Oh and how furious she was when little Foteini announced to the entire tribe that she was going to be the finest warrior ever because her mother was the Weapons Master and would accept no less. Goddess how Genia fumed and paced that day, cursing whatever god had blessed her child with such a grand imagination and a mouth to match it."
Dani laughed out loud. Nik agreed with the sentiment.
"Well, Foteini never backed down and much to her mother's dismay the child was a natural athlete. She quickly bested everyone in her age group despite her small stature and deceptively fragile looking body. By the time she was ten summers old she was ready to join the older girls in the more serious training. Genia tried to pretend otherwise but she was so proud of little Foteini she nearly burst at the initiation ceremony. It was late the night following the ceremony that I first experienced true fear."
"Fear?" Dani asked.
"Goddess yes. The little brat decided it was time to explain to her mother that I was one sister she definitely feel sisterly towards. I swear to you Danielle, the woman shot flames from her eyeballs and they were aimed directly at my person."
Dani couldn't help it. She cracked up.
"Hey!" Nik looked at her indignantly. "I once faced down a black wolf with less trepidation!"
"Yes," Dani still laughed. "But was it a mother wolf?"
"Oh laugh it up, Little One. Yes it was a mother wolf but thanks to Artemis I no longer have the ten inch scar down my back to prove it. And I will tell you something else. I would face that gods be damned wolf again before I would face those fiery eyes again."
Dani struggled to stop the lingering giggles. "I take it Foteini was desperately in love with her adopted sister. You returned her feelings, I gather. Did Genia ever get over the fact that her daughters were soul mates?"
"I think she decided to overlook it, believing Foteini would outgrow what she believed was her infatuation with me."
"And what about you? What did she think about your feelings?"
Nik grinned. "Oh well she told me she didn't give a hair on Ares' back side how I felt so long as I understood that if I acted on those feelings before Foteini was of age it would be my last act as a mortal."
"Oh my gods. Was she serious?"
"Do I look stupid enough to you to have tried to find out?" Nik laughed.
"Oh. Good point." Dani winced. So tell me more about Foteini. What did she look like? What happened to her that kept you apart?"
"Well, you understand I never got to see Foteini as a woman. She was still a child, even by Amazon standards, when she was murdered."
"Oh Nik. I am so sorry. How horrible for you. No wonder your mind hid the memory from you. That must have been almost beyond enduring, especially after losing your mother when you were so young." Dani laid her hand on Nik's knee, comfortingly.
"Yes. Well it didn't help that they murdered three other of my Amazon sisters with her, including Genia."
Tears slipped from Dani's eyes as she silently asked Nik to continue.
"Foteini was smaller than me, a slight, almost fragile looking build and head and shoulders shorter than me when she died. Her hair was like yours, the color of a newborn fawn with golden glints where the sun danced in the light. She had eyes the color of the sea...like...yours...and they turned dark and smoky when she was angry. Um...also like yours. How strange that I never noticed that before. Her face was soft but strong like yours is too. In fact, the more I look at you the more I wonder at how very like you she might have looked if she had grown to become a woman. I always thought she was a lovely girl but until this very moment it never occurred to me what a breathtakingly beautiful woman she was becoming."
Dani was stunned, both by the similarities and the way in which Nik was describing...her. Something inside her began to tug but she didn't know what it was so she tried to ignore it; at least for the time being. "Who found them Nik? It was you, wasn't it?" She wondered how she knew that but she did, even before Nik answered.
Tears welled up in the warrior's eyes. "Yes. It was me. They were late returning and something stopped me in my practice that day. It seemed to lift me and set me down again on the path they were to have taken. I was only a few hours out from camp when I heard the galloping horses. No one from our tribe had left with horses in several moons so I knew it meant trouble. I began to run in the direction they were leaving but when I got to the camp it was too late. The bodies of two of the young girls were sprawled about ten paces from the camp fire, beaten and raped. My heart raced nearly out of my chest as I pushed my feet to move faster. That's when I saw Genia. Her body draped across what I knew was Foteini. I heard the scream pierce the air and wondered who had followed me as I lifted her battered body and tossed it aside. I was too late. Foteini was gone, her body still warm. I had only missed saving her by heartbeats."
"What happened Nik? Why do you tarry in Artemis' Forest? Why are you not living in my lifetime, searching for your lost soul mate?" Dani asked in an oddly unfamiliar voice.
Nik dropped her head. "Oh Dani, I tried. For lifetimes I tried. Over and over again I tried. Each time Ares plotted and intervened. Each and every time I struggled only to find the body housing the other half of my soul murdered in childhood. Finally, I just couldn't take it any more. So I pleaded with Artemis to make it stop and allow me to tarry here."
"What!?" Dani shouted into the stricken, tear stained face. "How could you? You promised me, Nikomachos!! My body still warm, you rocked me in your arms and swore to me on your mother's blood that you would never stop searching. You promised Nik. No matter how many lifetimes you said. Why, Nik? Why did you give up on me? On us?"
Nik stared into the face of the young Shamanist, her eyes gone wide and nearly wild. She lifted Danielle to her feet and grabbed at her shirt. "Remove this! Now!" She demanded.
Dani was stunned, confused.
"Please Dani." Nik begged. "I need to see your stomach, just above your navel. I need to see it now in the light of the sunset, here in the Sacred Forest of Artemis. Please, my love." The warrior was openly weeping now.
Dani slowly removed her shirt and watched as Nik dropped to her knee and kissed the chilled flesh of her abdomen. She struggled to see what it was that her warrior sought and then she realized Nik was kissing her birthmark. It was an odd one to be sure, even her mother admitted that; though no one ever took her seriously when she told them what she thought it looked like. The always laughed and told her she was just obsessed with all things Amazon.
Nik smiled a broad, loving smile that lit the forest. Lifting her own clothing she revealed a tiny birthmark with the exact same placement.
"Have you not missed your bow, my love?"
Artemis materialized only inches away and smiled. "At last. My bow has not been the same without its quiver these long lifetimes."
"Oh my Goddess. It really is a quiver?" She leaned down to get a closer look at Nikomachos and her bow. "So the myth is true. You really do place a bow and quiver on the bodies of your Chosen?" She asked. "But why did we not see them on one another before? Surely when we were making love...um, I mean.."
Artemis smiled. "Nikomachos is right. You cannot see the mark upon another's body unless you are in my forest at twilight and even then you have to be actually looking for it. Until today, Nik had no reason to look at you for the quiver. Sadly, she had all but given up, Little One."
Suddenly the light bent and twisted. Dani had vanished...and Artemis was furious! Damn you, Ares. Not this time. Her immortal eyes narrowed to slits and her image faded, leaving in its wake a pillar of pure blue flame. Someone was in trouble this time...and it wasn't a mortal.
Dani's world abruptly changed. She was no longer standing beside her warrior. Nor was she in the protected Forest of the Goddess. Worse, she felt the presence of someone in her room, in her bed. As she struggled to make sense of things, she felt hands on her shoulders pinning her to the mattress. The sheet that normally covered her had pinned her hands and legs to the bed. Her eyes shot open and she stared into the masked face of a stranger. Struggling, she tried to fight him off.
This was definitely no dream, a nightmare maybe, but her eyes were open. Screaming as she struggled, her mind tried to wrap itself around what was happening. A feeling of horror leached into her subconscious as she realized she was about to become the next 911 victim. Worse still, Ares was about to cheat Nik yet again.
"Nooooooo!" Her very soul shouted, sounding a blood curdling scream to a warrior in a forest lifetimes away.
To be continued in Part II
