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Eternal Spirit
Part 16
Solari gently tugged on the reigns of her horse bringing her to a
standstill. She glanced over her shoulder at her fellow sisters whom trailed
behind sluggishly. “Just a little further and then we will make camp and
rest.” She smiled shaking her head playfully at their scowling expressions. “I
will scout ahead a bit and see what is further up this trail.” With a soft
nudge her mare fell into a slow trot deeper into the tree-lined terrain.
“That woman is going to drive me mad yet,” Epinon finished with a chuckle.
“C’mon let’s catch up with her.” She broke into a slow trot leading the way.
A figure sat balanced on a large overhang of a tree. Its movements stilled
suddenly and it swayed its body forward, away from the glimpse of moonlight,
embracing the deep darkness the trees supplied. Ignoring approaching sounds of
horses it strained to hear the faint sounds that had filled the air only moments
before. It’s piercing blue eyes gazed down below at an approaching Amazon on
horseback. Very carefully the figure slithered its legs over the tree branch
securing them and swung upside down its head lowering just behind the Amazon’s.
“Perhaps we should have waited until sunrise to move. I should have
listened to reason.” Solari patted her horse and sighed heavily. She could
see the approaching Amazons a short distance away. As she was about to shout
out to them she felt a hand cover her mouth firmly. Alarmed she grabbed a hold
of the hand covering her mouth in a panic.
“Solari, calm down it’s me.” The voice was soft and barely above a whisper. At
the sound of the familiar voice the Amazon’s body immediately relaxed. She felt
the hand release her. The figure swung its body and back-flipped off the
overhand landing solidly on the ground beside the Amazon. “Shhh, I need you to
stay quiet for me.”
Solari dismounted her horse and kept her voice down to a hushed whisper. “Xena
what are you doing out here? You nearly scared me half to death. What is going
on?”
Blue eyes scanned the darkened radius of trees. “Something or someone is out
here. I heard something just before you got here.” She turned in the direction
of oncoming Amazon’s. “Solari, is Serenity with you?”
Solari felt a lump in her throat as she swallowed hard. “I was hoping she was
with you.” Their eyes met. “She never returned from the village which is why
we are out here looking for her.”
“Guess you were right Ephiny. This doesn’t look good. Doesn’t look good at
all.” Xena exhaled quietly. “I’m here because she never made it to the
village.” Xena saw the fear creep across Solari’s face. “Solari, we will find
her.” She placed her hand on her shoulder. “How could I let this happen?
I should have never agreed to this. I should have been out there looking for
Draden. If anything happens…” The forthcoming Amazons interrupted her
thoughts. She turned her full attention to the group of confused Amazon’s now
halting before them. Xena placed her finger over her lips in a hushing
gesture. “Questions later, right now just stay quiet.” Her blue eyes met the
teary eyes of the Amazon leader.
A soft moan broke the uncomfortable silence between them. “There it is again.
It’s coming from over there.” Xena gestured towards the right with a nod of her
head. She spoke to the Amazons quietly. “Stay quiet and stay behind me.”
Slowly, step-by-step she moved toward a gathering of bushes her sword in hand.
Another moan, significantly weaker in strength, was heard through the
shrubbery. With a quick swipe of her sword, Xena chopped a path through the
shrubs, revealing the source of the strange noises.
Solari covered her mouth with her hand after a sharp intake of breath. Her
voice trailed just above a whisper in sudden acknowledgement. “Serenity.”
Continued In Part 17
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