Katarina sat atop her war horse in the cold night just before dawn and she had a deep feeling of dread, for she knew something was terribly wrong. Odessa had said the Spartans would hurry to assemble their troops to give chase and pursue the invading group of Odessa's raiding party, yet hours had passed and still the Spartans had not come.
"Where are they?" came a call from her warriors poised and ready to fight.
"They will come." Katarina reassured them and still they waited, growing uneasy and impatient. However, they had no idea they had been betrayed, their plans given away by the three captured warriors, whose bits and pieces of their remains, the last remnants of their bodies, scattered and scavenged by the ravenous wolves.
Then it came, a noise as loud as thunder, as they all heard the Spartan Army on the move, marching in a steady cadence that shook the Themiscyrans and the Earth. Katarina peered out in the pale-blue early morning light and she, along with her small band of infantry, cavalry and charioteers, were amazed and in awe to see a massive wave, column after column, of soldiers, spears and shields advancing towards them. There were hundreds, if not thousands, coming to destroy Odessa's women. Clearly they were outnumbered.
"Ready yourselves my brave warriors! Hold the line!" came Katarina's battle cry. "Wait for my signal to retreat!"
Then all the women noticed Thera's determined ladies, in full armor, in front of the Spartan Army, riding on horseback out to the field of battle. As the former Themiscyrans neared Katarina's position they clearly heard and recognized the voice of Scotia shout out "Odessa has killed Queen Thera! And she had murdered the child that was growing inside her royal person!" Scotia screamed with furious anger and rage. "Now you all have a decision to make! SURRENDER OR DIE!"
This was the moment when this devastating information, in a split second, planted the seeds of shock and self-doubt and were sewn in their hearts, in a sudden flash fear crept into their minds. This was all the time it took for the fog of war to settle inside of Odessa's women. The two armies came silently close to one another as Katarina's warriors raised their shields, twelve deep, and began a forceful attack as thousands of pounds of flesh, bones and weapons smashed together with such a clash of impact that many of their spears snapped in half. The two armies pushing with their heavy shields at each other could now only use swords and daggers fighting in close combat. The men and women fought desperately, slashing skin, muscles and bones, the Spartans hacking their way through Katarina's army of women who fell dead in an ocean of blood and gore. Many who fought for Vyakles, side by side, though were themselves wounded, they fought back with valor and those of their hated enemy who were captured were quickly put to the sword, executed on the spot.
Katarina's division was split in twain as the front line was engulfed by the vicious, blood-thirsty, vengeful Spartans, along with Scotia, Iona, Jessa, Johanna, Katara, Kayala, Amarra, Ia and La Scoffa, who themselves took no pleasure in killing their former compatriots. Katarina cried out loudly "RETREAT! RETREAT!"
But the call came too late for the outnumbered infantry as the cavalry and charioteers withdrew in a panic, with what was left of the team of archers and frightened horses, their hearts pounding with fear and terror. They were beaten back by the might of the Spartan Army and quickly Katarina and her overwhelmed army fled the scene, fleeing as fast as they could up along the mountain pass. Here Thera's noble warrior women followed closely pursuing them through the thick growth of pine trees, for well they knew King Vyakles, and his Spartan warships, under Admiral Vasha's command, had already set sail for Themiscyra and Argolis to the east, where General La Quint would be ready and waiting with 600 of the King's men, along with Lacuna and Lucia Vega who would themselves drench the soil of the Sacred Grove with olive oil ready to burn it, along with Katarina and what was left of her army, to the ground.
"Where are they?" came a call from her warriors poised and ready to fight.
"They will come." Katarina reassured them and still they waited, growing uneasy and impatient. However, they had no idea they had been betrayed, their plans given away by the three captured warriors, whose bits and pieces of their remains, the last remnants of their bodies, scattered and scavenged by the ravenous wolves.
Then it came, a noise as loud as thunder, as they all heard the Spartan Army on the move, marching in a steady cadence that shook the Themiscyrans and the Earth. Katarina peered out in the pale-blue early morning light and she, along with her small band of infantry, cavalry and charioteers, were amazed and in awe to see a massive wave, column after column, of soldiers, spears and shields advancing towards them. There were hundreds, if not thousands, coming to destroy Odessa's women. Clearly they were outnumbered.
"Ready yourselves my brave warriors! Hold the line!" came Katarina's battle cry. "Wait for my signal to retreat!"
Then all the women noticed Thera's determined ladies, in full armor, in front of the Spartan Army, riding on horseback out to the field of battle. As the former Themiscyrans neared Katarina's position they clearly heard and recognized the voice of Scotia shout out "Odessa has killed Queen Thera! And she had murdered the child that was growing inside her royal person!" Scotia screamed with furious anger and rage. "Now you all have a decision to make! SURRENDER OR DIE!"
This was the moment when this devastating information, in a split second, planted the seeds of shock and self-doubt and were sewn in their hearts, in a sudden flash fear crept into their minds. This was all the time it took for the fog of war to settle inside of Odessa's women. The two armies came silently close to one another as Katarina's warriors raised their shields, twelve deep, and began a forceful attack as thousands of pounds of flesh, bones and weapons smashed together with such a clash of impact that many of their spears snapped in half. The two armies pushing with their heavy shields at each other could now only use swords and daggers fighting in close combat. The men and women fought desperately, slashing skin, muscles and bones, the Spartans hacking their way through Katarina's army of women who fell dead in an ocean of blood and gore. Many who fought for Vyakles, side by side, though were themselves wounded, they fought back with valor and those of their hated enemy who were captured were quickly put to the sword, executed on the spot.
Katarina's division was split in twain as the front line was engulfed by the vicious, blood-thirsty, vengeful Spartans, along with Scotia, Iona, Jessa, Johanna, Katara, Kayala, Amarra, Ia and La Scoffa, who themselves took no pleasure in killing their former compatriots. Katarina cried out loudly "RETREAT! RETREAT!"
But the call came too late for the outnumbered infantry as the cavalry and charioteers withdrew in a panic, with what was left of the team of archers and frightened horses, their hearts pounding with fear and terror. They were beaten back by the might of the Spartan Army and quickly Katarina and her overwhelmed army fled the scene, fleeing as fast as they could up along the mountain pass. Here Thera's noble warrior women followed closely pursuing them through the thick growth of pine trees, for well they knew King Vyakles, and his Spartan warships, under Admiral Vasha's command, had already set sail for Themiscyra and Argolis to the east, where General La Quint would be ready and waiting with 600 of the King's men, along with Lacuna and Lucia Vega who would themselves drench the soil of the Sacred Grove with olive oil ready to burn it, along with Katarina and what was left of her army, to the ground.
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