by K C West
“You forgot to mention the hand-over-hand climb to reach this Shangri-La.” Keeping my eyes closed, I stretched my arms and legs.
“Reena or Alaina will take care of those aching muscles. I know you have questions for me and concerns about being here. I assure you everything will be answered in due time. Will you trust me to do that in my own way, PJ?”
My eyes remained closed, but I chuckled. “Do I have a choice?”
“Perhaps not.” Leeja’s voice was soothing. She moved her arms through the water and I felt something tickle my cheek. Startled, I opened my eyes to discover that Reena was sprinkling petals from a large white blossom into the pool.
“How beautiful.”
“This flower is one of our queen’s favorites,” Reena said. “It’s a white, short-tongued variety of an orchid that has an especially sweet fragrance.”
I had a vision of Kim doing erotic things to me with her own sweet tongue, though hers was not short by any means. Hastily, I pushed the petal away from my heated face and took a deep breath.
Reena still hovered over me. “Would you like some food now? You have only to ask, and I will prepare a plate for you.”
“I think maybe I’ll wait until after soaking, but thank you.”
My words appeared to have a positive effect on her.
“Why don’t you and Alaina have your supper now in the main room,” Leeja said, forcing Reena to redirect her attention. “When you are finished, you may prepare the benches for our massages.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty,” both women intoned and left us.
“That was intense.” Leeja moved closer to me. “I think Reena is quite taken with you, PJ.”
“Doesn’t she know that I’m committed to Kim?”
“She has been working here at the grotto for nearly a moon. It’s quite possible she doesn’t know that you and Kim are lovers. She is rather headstrong, however, so she might not care.”
“Oh, Geez. I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but she has no chance at all with me.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll see that she is informed about your unavailability. She gives a wonderful backrub, though.” Leeja shook her head. “Guess, I’d better have her work on me and let Alaina give you yours.”
“That would probably be better. Reena would never try anything with you. Marna would skin her alive.”
“Goodness, you have such a violent image of Marna. You haven’t seen her tender side.”
I played with a floating petal before picking it up and inhaling its scent. “True. I saw the way she looked at you, though, and I made up my mind never to cross her.”
“You are correct in that respect. Marna can get jealous easily, and before she tamed her anger, she would sooner fight than talk to any woman who so much as looked at me too warmly.”
My thoughts strayed again to Kim, my own hothead, and what trials and tribulations she must be experiencing on her journey to master her own rage. I sent her loving thoughts, wishing her good health, and adding that I missed her terribly.
I felt Leeja’s hand on my arm.
“They will be good for each other, you’ll see. Marna and Kim share the same soul after all.”
“How did you know what I was thinking?”
“Your expression gave you away. And, I must confess, my thoughts are never far from my lover, also. You must trust your soul mate as I trust mine, and know that their love, once given, lasts forever.”
I blinked back sudden tears. Forever and always. That statement had already been tested.
“If you’ve soaked enough, let’s feed ourselves.”
“Sounds good to me.” I stood up and joined her in exiting the pool, feeling less inhibited and more relaxed than when I went in.
*
Reena and Alaina appeared and began to work on our bodies. Alaina gave me the most incredible deep tissue massage I’d ever experienced. The warm oil she worked into my muscles gave off a rich aroma of olives and herbs. I remembered thinking I would smell like a Greek salad.
Under Alaina’s deft fingers, my skin tingled and penetrating warmth spread through my entire body. When she finished, I sat next to Leeja, wearing only my medallion and a robe. We sipped mulled cider that was so strong my head no longer felt connected to my body, and my brain took a definite leave of absence.
“May I ask you a question, PJ?” Leeja finished her cider and selected a piece of cheese.
“Of course.” I leaned forward and plucked a grape from our communal fruit and cheese plate.
“Where did you get that green leaf on your buttock?”
The grape stuck in my throat as I tried to swallow. After a few coughs, I regained my voice. “It’s a tattoo… a shamrock. I noticed that many of your women have red and black tattoos of different symbols on their bodies.”
Leeja chewed and swallowed. “Yes, but those reflect prowess in battle, and I did not think you were inclined to fight.”
Now, she had me curious. “I’m not so inclined. People in my time get tattoos for all sorts of reasons. They often refer to it as body art. The shamrock symbolizes the Irish and is said to bring good luck. My mother’s people were from Ireland.”
“Ah, the land beyond Gaul, far to the north and west.”
“Yes. You know of it?”
“I know of many things.”
She chose a fig and bit into it. “Why do you have this… this shamrock where it does not show? Surely you could not hope to display it very often.”
“No, I didn’t plan on showing it off. I guess I was rebelling against my father, doing something I thought he might not approve of. We weren’t getting along well at the time, and I was trying to get his attention.”
“I see. Tell me more about your father. Have you resolved your conflict?”
I told her all about my mother’s death, my father’s lack of interest in me, and my subsequent acting out in various unhealthy ways. I finished by assuring her that Dad and I were back on good terms now, except for his recent shocking involvement with Susanna, whom I’d practically come to regard as my therapist.
“Therapist?” Leeja’s brow furrowed. “That is like a shaman, yes? A healer?”
“I guess more like a healer, but a little bit of the wise counselor, too - a healer of the mind.”
During the silence that enveloped us, I sensed Leeja was thinking and planning what to tell me next.
“I’d like us both to get a good night’s rest before we get into all of this, PJ, but I have decided that you and our shaman should meet and talk. She is as old as the stones in this grotto, and as wise as all of our elders combined. I go to her whenever I have difficult problems to solve. I have consulted her about you and Kim, and she helped me arrange for an audience with the Goddess.”
My jaw dropped. “The Goddess? You mean Artemis? That Goddess?”
“That’s the one. Artemis is the protector of all the Amazons.”
“And you actually talked to her about Kim and me?”
“Yes.”
“Wow.” I took a final swallow of cider.
We sat silently for another minute. Then I remembered something I wanted to ask Leeja before we got on the topic of Artemis. “I told you about my tattoo, but I’m curious about what you said earlier. The red and black tattoos have something to do with battles?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“What do they represent? The red and the black colors, I mean.”
“The red ones represent wounds received in conflict. The black ones signify enemies killed during battle.”
I thought about the body parts I had seen decorated this way and shuddered. These women would have many notches on their guns, if they had guns.
“It bothers you?”
“Yes. I saw so much black.”
Leeja sighed. “Unfortunately, it reflects our times. The women who brought you and Kim into the village so roughly were on a scouting mission to watch for an enemy band of slavers in the area.”
“So
that explains the weapons you have half our group carrying at all times, even while we are here in the safety of the grotto.”
“You noticed them?”
“Hard to miss.”
“True. Marna would not let me take you up here without a security force. She knows, you see, that there’s no place that’s completely safe.”
A chill slid along my well-massaged spine. Suddenly, I didn’t feel quite so relaxed and mellow. I had another thought, and Leeja seemed willing to indulge me.
“So the red tattoos were for battle wounds.”
“Yes, and technically, you are entitled to receive one, if you wish.”
“Me?”
She gestured to my left shoulder and the pink scar tissue from a kidnapper’s bullet. “You were injured in battle during your times.”
I shook my head. “Thanks for the offer, but the scar is enough of a reminder.”
“You have scars inside, too, but we will not go into that tonight.”
“That’s good. What I wanted to ask you, though, was about the medallions Kim and I found in Arizona. We thought they had been awarded for injuries or bravery or some such thing during your times.”
“Not exactly.” Leeja bit down on her lower lip. “They have a more powerful purpose.” She stretched back on her mound of pillows. “For as long as I can remember, the medallions have been used to keep Amazon leaders connected to one another through the generations. They are given, too, to members of certain families when souls are transferred or shared. Sometimes they are bestowed when Amazons die and sometimes when women leave the tribe for one reason or another.”
I leaned back on my pillows, propping my head up with one hand, and watched her. “We noticed that they get very warm.”
Leeja turned her head to look at me. “Did that happen with the ones you and Kim wear?”
“Yes.”
“I thought so.”
Now it was my turn to stare at her. “Is that a good thing?”
“Yes, I think so. But PJ, we really should wait until morning for this discussion. We are both tired and the subject is complicated. I’m not sure how much you can absorb right now.”
“You’re stalling, Leeja.”
“And you’re not as tired as I’d hoped.”
“So, start talking.”
“I will explain what I was told and what I suspect, and then you must sleep. It will give you lots to ponder. Tomorrow, we will talk some more, and I will ask our shaman to help you understand better.”
“Fair enough.”
“The medallions are blessed by the Goddess herself. They are given to worthy Amazons for various reasons. Marna and I received ours after battles and after showing our leadership skills.”
“You can wear them and give them away at the same time?”
She frowned in thought. “In a way, that is right. When an Amazon with a medallion dies, the Goddess makes it possible for her to pass it on along with her soul. This is a relatively new venture, but Artemis feels it’s necessary because our tribe and our nation are in such peril right now.”
“Why is that?”
“These enemies I spoke of earlier. Warlords and slavers snatch up our girls and young women. They sell them off or keep them for their own amusement. We rarely see them again unless they are able to escape, or we can rescue them. Then, we hear such tales of torture and rape.” Leeja paused to take a breath and wipe her eyes. “Our numbers are dwindling, and I fear that if we don’t have help, one day there will be no Amazons left.”
“I’m sorry for your pain. You must feel so responsible at times.”
“I do. Not everyone understands that, but you have a sympathetic heart. I know you feel what I feel.”
“I wouldn’t presume to say that I can know exactly how you feel.”
Leeja shook her head. “You do know, PJ, because you share my soul and my medallion.”
I sat up. “What?”
“Easy. I didn’t mean to shock you. It’s true. At least, that’s what I believe has happened in your case.”
“But… you’re not dead.”
Her laughter broke the tension of the moment for both of us. “No. I’m not. But remember, these medallions come from the Goddess and are given to many of us in the same lineage. Maybe I didn’t explain myself clearly enough. Marna and I both have medallions that were meant for those of us in our given line, with our given traits. Mama’s pertain to strength, ability with weapons, bravery in battle, courage, power, faithfulness. My medallion follows the line of Amazons with leadership capabilities, intelligence, compassion, negotiation and communication skills, and loyalty.”
“It doesn’t make sense. I’m not a warrior, and I don’t have that kind of leadership ability.”
“This is where it gets complicated. I believe this arrangement is temporary. I think you share my medallion because you are an Amazon, and as Kim’s soul mate, you are destined to travel with her, to help her with her mission.”
“Okay. I’m with you so far.”
“But I think you were meant to receive another medallion.”
“Whose?”
She stared at the far wall of our chamber. “I am not certain, but the Goddess knows and may, if the time is right, tell us. If I say anything now, I would only be guessing.”
I shifted onto my back, feeling tired and frustrated, but full of puzzling thoughts. “Why was there a mix-up? Kim recognized her affinity with Marna right away. The medallion she kept was her rightful one, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. There can be no doubt of that. When the lineage is pure and the recipient possesses all the qualities she’s meant to have, then she physically resembles her benefactor. It’s almost a perfect match.”
“It’s obvious that I don’t resemble anyone in this tribe.”
“You must not blame yourself or feel bad, PJ. I think this is all part of the Goddess’s plan, and we must not try to second-guess her.”
That was easy for her to say. She had all the right qualities, including the physical attributes. How ironic. Before Kim and I found ourselves here, I was discounting all of her interest in Amazons, trying to convince her they were myths and that we were really just dreaming. Now, my feelings were hurt because I wasn’t picked to be part of the gang.
“Tomorrow, we’ll talk some more,” Leeja said. “And when we return to the village, we’ll gather information from the shaman. Perhaps even the Goddess will speak to us. In the meantime, know this.” She waited until I looked at her. “You are an Amazon. Spirit guides from the land of the dead have visited you and found you worthy. And the medallion you wear now works well enough to keep you in communication with us until you and Kim can locate your true medallion. Do not forget that.”
“I won’t.”
“Good.”
“It’s just that I’d feel a lot better if a short, blonde Amazon would show up and claim me as a relative sometime soon.”
“You have a wonderful sense of humor, PJ. It’s one of your best qualities.” She stood up and held out her hand. “Now, it’s time for us to retire. We will speak further tomorrow. I’ll find you a quiet chamber close to mine. All of this should make more sense after a good sleep.”
I stood and gathered up my bedding. “You were right. We never should have opened up this can of worms so close to bedtime.”
“‘Can of worms’?”
“An expression. It means a bunch of problems.”
“Ah. Unfortunately, being queen means opening up a lot of worm cans.”
*
We spent another relaxing day, doing much the same as the first. Leeja and I ate breakfast together and swam in the lagoon with her contingent of bodyguards. She had some queen-type business to take care of, so I walked along the paths, avoided Reena as much as possible, learned special dances and songs with a few of the younger Amazons, and sampled delicious culinary masterpieces, but didn’t dare ask what the contents were.
The mineral pool was a favorite place to soak and meditate. A
laina was ready to rub me with special oil afterwards. Leeja and I ate dinner together and chatted about how we had met our true loves. Of course she already knew most of how Kim and I met, but I was happy to learn that she and Marna were not very informed on the subject of my pre-Kim romantic liaisons. Leeja was also curious about our lives as archaeologists. She questioned me at length about our training, techniques, and procedures used in searching for artifacts and processing our finds.
I asked her how she and Marna had fallen in love, if they had any children, and where they would go if they were forced to leave their main village.
Her eyes lit up at the mention of children. Despite what she knew of the future, she was not informed about in vitro fertilization and other scientific breakthroughs.
“It seems like I’ve always known Marna,” Leeja said, with a faraway look. “We grew up in the same village, but were separated when a lack of food forced us to split into three groups. She went to the mountains and was trained for warfare. She became one of the best fighters and was chosen for the queen’s honor squad.”
“What about you?” I asked. “Were you a fighter, too?”
“Our group of women found a quiet place nearer the sea. I guess that is why I love the water so much. I’ve always lived close to it. Sorry, I digress. No, I was not as good a warrior. I was a negotiator, a peacemaker for tribal disputes, and I learned the fine art of working for peace with other tribes.”
“That’s an attitude I can relate to,” I said. “I was afraid that all the Amazons did was fight.”
“We tried to live and love in harmony with the people around us. Once or twice a year our women of child-bearing age would arrange to visit certain men in a nearby town for the purpose of becoming pregnant.”
Oh, so that’s how the babies happened. “Were you forced to do this?”
“Absolutely not. It was done by mutual consent. Male babies were left with the men, and female offspring remained with their Amazon mothers for a period of five years. After that time, the girls could remain with their mothers, stay in the village and be cared for by lots of the older women, or choose to go back to their fathers and live as non-Amazons.”
