Discoveries

"You're right," Sarah says. "But I still don't want to be abandoned by the Amazons, and I certainly don't want to get caught."

"If we're left behind we can catch up with the Amazons," Aaron says. "We know where they're going, and we can get there more quickly than them because we don't have to haul prisoners around. And if we're careful we won't get caught."

You and Sarah agree to that, and the three of you go off into the woods to wait.

As you're waiting Aaron says to Sarah, "Well, we haven't officially met. I'm Aaron." He extends his hand.

"I'm Sarah," Sarah says, shaking Aaron's hand. "So, how did you and Karen meet?"

"We met on the battlefield outside of the New Amazon fortress after the battle," Aaron says. He tells her the basic story of your adventures so far (from his point of view, of course), leaving out the fact that he's the prince and Princess Illura was his sister. "So, what about you?" he asks finally.

"Me?" Sarah says. "Oh, Karen and I met as part of the New Amazons. We both came at about the same time, and we were trained together. We got along from the beginning."

"Where did you live before that?" Aaron asks.

Sarah looks nervous. Then she says, quietly, half-whispering, though there's no one around to hear, "I used to be the daughter of the Duke of Westham. When I couldn't convince my father to petition to King Hengist to change Zendara's policy toward women, I decided to join the New Amazons and get it changed by force."

"I take it from your tone not many people know this?" Aaron says.

Sarah nods. "Of the New Amazons, only Karen and her sister Alyssa knew. I didn't trust anyone else with it. But Karen obviously trusts you, and I trust her judgement, so I trust you." She turns to you. "And I take it from his story Alyssa's alive?"

"Yes," you say. "She escaped the battle as well. She got into some trouble, as Aaron said, but now, as far as I know, she's safe in an abbey near my old village."

You hope she is safe. Though she was when you left, you wonder if maybe your escape got her into trouble. You feel an urge to go back and check on her, but you know that to do so is suicide.

By this time it's starting to get dark. Soon Aaron says that it's time to go and find out what you can from the camp. You walk quietly and carefully into the woods and get as close as you can without alerting anyone. A group of men is gathered around a campfire nearby; you listen to their conversation.

"...can't believe you let them escape," says one of the men. "We can't afford to let any of the New Amazons survive."

"Well, we weren't expecting an armed attack," another man says. "Besides, there are more survivors than we thought. There's no way we could have caught them all."

"Do you realize how much trouble we'll get into if Prince Samuel finds out we failed?" the first man says. "He isn't a forgiving man. We could be imprisoned, or executed."

"What did you say about the man that you captured?" says a third. "We know that Prince Aaron came to help out the New Amazons." Sarah suddenly looks at Aaron in surprise. You motion to her to stay quiet. You turn back to the group and continue listening, "If he's the one we let escape we're in serious trouble. He'll know what Samuel is up to, and he'll return to the palace and declare war of Daria, and who do you think Samuel will take his anger out on?"

Suddenly, you hear movement behind you. You turn and see a man standing behind you.

1. The man draws his sword and calls out to the men in the camp.

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