Pursued into a panicked, hasty retreat Katarina and her remaining 33 warriors made it through the mountain pass down into the lush green valley of Argolis managing to elude Queen Thera's riders and the Spartan army, who fell back in their pursuit for well they knew where Katarina and her troops were heading. Nearing exhaustion the defeated Themiscyrans clearly saw the Sacred Grove of Argos, a vast expanse of wilderness covered with pines, cypress and ancient oak trees, whose orange and red leaves were illuminated in the early morning autumn sun. The scent of the evergreens permeated the crisp air, yet the forest was eerily silent, save for the thunderous sounds of the their war horses hooves galloping across the soft soil of the pine straw covered forest floor. Maneuvering slowly now through the thick growth of towering trees the warriors, along with their horses, panted hard trying to catch their breath, there in the inner darkness of the oaks and pines where the sun could not shine through the canopy of trees. The women thought it strange that there came no scurrying of squirrels or deer and, in this bizarre silence, they heard no birds chirping or twittering among the forest leaves. All was deathly silent, as silent as tomb, there in the midst of the overgrowth where a small shallow stream flowed through the still woods.
Here Katarina ordered her troops to dismount to take rest and the weary warriors were glad of it. As they all climbed down out of their saddles each found their arms and legs weak after hours of fighting and riding. Many were angered and confused after the perilous battle asking Katarina how the Spartans could have known exactly where they had been waiting, and why hundreds upon hundreds of the Greeks had turned out to fight able to devastate their ranks with their overwhelming force and might. For all these fearful questions their leader, Katarina, had no answers. So she did her best to quiet their minds of fear and doubt, telling them it was all over now, that they were safe, bidding them all to rest and wash their bloody bodies in the babbling stream and tend to their overworked horses; which they all quietly did sitting down eating green apples, the only food they could manage to bring. So it was, unknowing of the danger amassing all around them, slowly, silently the Spartan Army were busy surrounding the woods, Katarina and her warrior women did the best they could, calming their hearts and minds trying to relax on the soft bed of pine straw trying to rest and get a little sleep taking a brief respite hoping to have pleasant dreams to escape from the nightmare of reality.
During the next hour the Spartans took their time maneuvering around the 40 hectares of the grove forming one solid line surrounding the forest with 1600 men, under General La Quint's command, and the 9 women who served to mete out Thera's revenge, who told the Spartans to give Katarina and her troops this time to rest. Then Lucia Vega and Lacuna proceeded with their task each standing to the east and west baring two torches in heir hands. Simultaneously they touched the flames of fire to the oil soaked perimeter of the grove which they had prepared earlier that day. In a flash with a loud sound of a whoosh a furious fire took hold, engulfing the forest in raging flames and thick black smoke, then with their work done Lacuna and Lucia Vega turned away, walking back down to the coast where Admiral Vasha waited aboard his war ship, and never once did Thera's loyal friends turn to look back at the forest fire they did create that fateful day as the massive inferno raged.
Awoken from their slumber Katarina and her warrior women heard the crackling of burning timber and smelled the acrid smoke billowing through the trees. Their horses, sensing the approaching danger, reared up breaking loose from their ropes in a terrified stampede, bolting away in every direction leaving the Themiscyrans totally alone and frightened. Here the Spartans ready themselves outside the fiery wall of flames, lifting their shields and swords ready to kill off any of the women who tried to escape. As the heat and choking smoke rose ever higher and closer to their location many of Katarina's warriors fled, chasing after their steeds, many were naked, some wearing only their white tunics they had worn under their armor. Now the horses were overwhelmed with terror and dozens turned back, en mass, when they discovered the fire was all around them and this caused many of the women to be knocked down, crushed under the hooves of their own horses, their broken, trampled bodies scattered upon the ground. Now some of the horses and women broke through the wall of flames, severely burned and suffering in immense pain, however they were greeted by the waiting Spartans who were more than delighted to strike at them and put them out of their misery.
Screams and cries of horses and women being burned alive echoed throughout the forest as Katarina stood motionless in shock, her heart racing as her mind filled with fear, gripped by terror, and she knew she had only two choices, be burned by the fire or try to out run the flames. The tortured voices, coming from those who lay dying, their skin being scorched by the intense fire was the most horrible noise Katarina had ever heard. Then, those still alive, heard the loud cheers of the Spartan men rise up above the roar of the inferno with this Katarina knew all hope was lost.
"What shall we do!?" came the calls of the 12 women who remained at their Captain's side. Yet Katarina had no reply, for she, herself, had feared death by fire more than anything else in her short life. So it was Katarina stood motionless, shocked into silence with no orders to give as thick black smoke with the intense heat and the sound of falling trees echoed through the forest to her ears and back again. The fire, moving at a ravenous pace, cornered Katarina, and the 12 women, who could feel the burning heat upon their cheeks. In a deathly panic Katarina watched in horror as she witnessed the soul crushing scene of her beloved sisters in battle plunging their swords deep into the earth, digging, clawing out holes in the ground, holes that were just large enough to place their heads as they all knelt down giving up their last and final prayers to Artemis as they each buried their faces down deep into the earth swallowing mouthfuls of black soil, suffocating themselves, committing a tragic act of mass suicide, rather than die in the flames.
Katarina, now completely alone, stepped into the shallow stream, her mind reeling her heart racing, as the burning ring of fire slowly closed in all around her. She began shaking uncontrollably with no earthly way to escape, not knowing which would be better, to die by fire, or suffocate. Neither of these was an honorable way for a warrior to die. So Katarina unsheathed the dagger from its scabbard at her side as she knelt in the cool water alongside the corpses of the dead, sweat pouring from her skin, the thick bitter smoke filling her burning lungs as she tried to breathe. Katarina gazed up, offering an apology to her gods and goddesses she cried out in a loud clear voice "PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" her last act of violence she committed was against herself as she grasped the handle of the sharpened knife in her hand. With one swift and precise motion she plunged the blade deep into her chest, painfully slicing into her rib cage, piercing her heart; which ceased its furious beating. Katarina collapsed face down in the water, dead.
Now all the pain of this world melted away, the panic and terror she had known faded into darkness and she was, at long last, cradled in the warmth of a deep abiding, eternal peace as the flames rose up consuming her body and the corpses of her faithful friends, never would these Themiscyrans ever rise up and fight again. Their life long held ideals of Unity, Loyalty, Respect and Honor died along with them that day. As the Spartans watched with a glorious joy in their hearts knowing that killing was never easy but there was much more work to be done as they stood under the autumn sun.
Here Katarina ordered her troops to dismount to take rest and the weary warriors were glad of it. As they all climbed down out of their saddles each found their arms and legs weak after hours of fighting and riding. Many were angered and confused after the perilous battle asking Katarina how the Spartans could have known exactly where they had been waiting, and why hundreds upon hundreds of the Greeks had turned out to fight able to devastate their ranks with their overwhelming force and might. For all these fearful questions their leader, Katarina, had no answers. So she did her best to quiet their minds of fear and doubt, telling them it was all over now, that they were safe, bidding them all to rest and wash their bloody bodies in the babbling stream and tend to their overworked horses; which they all quietly did sitting down eating green apples, the only food they could manage to bring. So it was, unknowing of the danger amassing all around them, slowly, silently the Spartan Army were busy surrounding the woods, Katarina and her warrior women did the best they could, calming their hearts and minds trying to relax on the soft bed of pine straw trying to rest and get a little sleep taking a brief respite hoping to have pleasant dreams to escape from the nightmare of reality.
During the next hour the Spartans took their time maneuvering around the 40 hectares of the grove forming one solid line surrounding the forest with 1600 men, under General La Quint's command, and the 9 women who served to mete out Thera's revenge, who told the Spartans to give Katarina and her troops this time to rest. Then Lucia Vega and Lacuna proceeded with their task each standing to the east and west baring two torches in heir hands. Simultaneously they touched the flames of fire to the oil soaked perimeter of the grove which they had prepared earlier that day. In a flash with a loud sound of a whoosh a furious fire took hold, engulfing the forest in raging flames and thick black smoke, then with their work done Lacuna and Lucia Vega turned away, walking back down to the coast where Admiral Vasha waited aboard his war ship, and never once did Thera's loyal friends turn to look back at the forest fire they did create that fateful day as the massive inferno raged.
Awoken from their slumber Katarina and her warrior women heard the crackling of burning timber and smelled the acrid smoke billowing through the trees. Their horses, sensing the approaching danger, reared up breaking loose from their ropes in a terrified stampede, bolting away in every direction leaving the Themiscyrans totally alone and frightened. Here the Spartans ready themselves outside the fiery wall of flames, lifting their shields and swords ready to kill off any of the women who tried to escape. As the heat and choking smoke rose ever higher and closer to their location many of Katarina's warriors fled, chasing after their steeds, many were naked, some wearing only their white tunics they had worn under their armor. Now the horses were overwhelmed with terror and dozens turned back, en mass, when they discovered the fire was all around them and this caused many of the women to be knocked down, crushed under the hooves of their own horses, their broken, trampled bodies scattered upon the ground. Now some of the horses and women broke through the wall of flames, severely burned and suffering in immense pain, however they were greeted by the waiting Spartans who were more than delighted to strike at them and put them out of their misery.
Screams and cries of horses and women being burned alive echoed throughout the forest as Katarina stood motionless in shock, her heart racing as her mind filled with fear, gripped by terror, and she knew she had only two choices, be burned by the fire or try to out run the flames. The tortured voices, coming from those who lay dying, their skin being scorched by the intense fire was the most horrible noise Katarina had ever heard. Then, those still alive, heard the loud cheers of the Spartan men rise up above the roar of the inferno with this Katarina knew all hope was lost.
"What shall we do!?" came the calls of the 12 women who remained at their Captain's side. Yet Katarina had no reply, for she, herself, had feared death by fire more than anything else in her short life. So it was Katarina stood motionless, shocked into silence with no orders to give as thick black smoke with the intense heat and the sound of falling trees echoed through the forest to her ears and back again. The fire, moving at a ravenous pace, cornered Katarina, and the 12 women, who could feel the burning heat upon their cheeks. In a deathly panic Katarina watched in horror as she witnessed the soul crushing scene of her beloved sisters in battle plunging their swords deep into the earth, digging, clawing out holes in the ground, holes that were just large enough to place their heads as they all knelt down giving up their last and final prayers to Artemis as they each buried their faces down deep into the earth swallowing mouthfuls of black soil, suffocating themselves, committing a tragic act of mass suicide, rather than die in the flames.
Katarina, now completely alone, stepped into the shallow stream, her mind reeling her heart racing, as the burning ring of fire slowly closed in all around her. She began shaking uncontrollably with no earthly way to escape, not knowing which would be better, to die by fire, or suffocate. Neither of these was an honorable way for a warrior to die. So Katarina unsheathed the dagger from its scabbard at her side as she knelt in the cool water alongside the corpses of the dead, sweat pouring from her skin, the thick bitter smoke filling her burning lungs as she tried to breathe. Katarina gazed up, offering an apology to her gods and goddesses she cried out in a loud clear voice "PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" her last act of violence she committed was against herself as she grasped the handle of the sharpened knife in her hand. With one swift and precise motion she plunged the blade deep into her chest, painfully slicing into her rib cage, piercing her heart; which ceased its furious beating. Katarina collapsed face down in the water, dead.
Now all the pain of this world melted away, the panic and terror she had known faded into darkness and she was, at long last, cradled in the warmth of a deep abiding, eternal peace as the flames rose up consuming her body and the corpses of her faithful friends, never would these Themiscyrans ever rise up and fight again. Their life long held ideals of Unity, Loyalty, Respect and Honor died along with them that day. As the Spartans watched with a glorious joy in their hearts knowing that killing was never easy but there was much more work to be done as they stood under the autumn sun.
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