Disclaimer: I do not own the character Cyane or any other characters that have been portrayed on either Xena: Warrior Princess or Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
General/Adventure: The early days of Cyane as Queen of the Amazons.
"Amazons, gather around," said the young queen of the Amazons. "Today, we get ready for war. Once again, we will have to protect our land. We will have to protect the land of our ancestors and we will have to protect the land that was chosen by our founding mothers. Once more, today, our great land of the south of Oukraina is being attacked by the barbarian nomads that have been our ennemies forever. But whether it has been the Scythians, the Huns or the Ostrogoths, the Amazon nation has always been able to keep this part of our beloved steppe. And as all of you are my witnesses today, we will not surrender this land to our assailants. Now... let's kick some scythian butt!"
Cyane, the queen of the Amazons of Oukraina had spoken. All around her, the Amazons raised their fists ans punched their chest in support of their queen. Although very young to be a queen, and even younger to be the commander-in-chief of an army, Cyane had been what the Amazons needed. A proven warrior in her days as a simple cavalier, she had been named commander of her detachment right in the middle of a battle after her commander, Irkut, had been killed. Successfully, she led her detachment through that battle and many others as the years would go by. But more importantly, she had been a fair, strong-minded queen who had revolutionized the Amazons much too feminist views and had made the Amazon nation stronger.
As the Amazons prepared themselves for war, Cyane went to see her lifelong friend Lodka. Lodka, as opposed to Cyane, did not fit the general physical mold of the Amazons of Oukraina. She had black hair and it was easy to perceive the asian traits in her face, consequence of the rapes that so often happen during raids. Lodka was a very gentle person who did not like to fight or to have to hurt any other living creature. Even in self-defence, she was overrun by guilt. But all Amazons had to participate in war, one way or the other. Their small numbers made that a necessity. Cyane, comprehensively, had decided that her best friend would assume the role of a doctor during the war. Lodka had been very thankful to her friend for making that decision. Another role that Lodka assumed was that she had to gather and lead the children and the elders to safety before the battles and raids.
"Are you ready?," Lodka asked her friend.
"I'm always ready. You know me," answered Cyane in a very calm tone. It always surprised Lodka how Cyane could stay so calm before their land would be attacked.
"You know, Cyane, I don't think I will ever be able to get used to it... you know... the battles... the raids... the murders..."
Cyane understood well where her friend was coming from. Lodka's mother had been killed when Lodka was in her early teens. A valiant commander, her mother had been captured and executed by a surrounding army. Cyane was often reminded of that scene, she had fought in Lodka's mother's detachment when she was only sixteen.
"I know, Lodka. But you see, war is in human nature. There isn't much we can do about that. The only thing we can do is to try to make sure that innocent people do not have to suffer the consequences of war. We have to try to keep war on the battlefield, not in the villages and cities. "
Lodka nodded in partial understanding and partial disapproval. "I better start rounding up the kids and the elders...," Lodka added, trying to get away from the war as fast as she could. She didn't want to know it existed and wanted even less to know that her best friend was in it, potentially being killed.
"You should bring them to Goula, it should be the safest village in the surroundings", Cyane said deliberately omitting to mention that if they had to fight in Goula, it would be the Amazons' last retreat.
Lodka grabbed her pack and hugged her friend, knowing full well that it could be the last time she ever saw her. She ran out of her hut and started to round up the elders and the children. Cyane hopped on her horse and, with three scouts, rode towards what would be the battlefield. She quickly noticed the potential hideouts for her soldiers and the opponents'.
" The Scythians will be coming from there," the blonde queen said, pointing towards her beloved steppe. "I want the main troops to stand in front of the village. I want a detachment of cavaliers to hide in the forest over there, she said pointing to her right. Finally, I want a small group of soldiers on the left, there in the fields, to attack the right flank of the Scythian army. The plan is simple: All we have to do is to make sure the Scythians advance as much as they can towards our village. As our main troops slowly retreat, the troops hidden in the fields will attack the right flank, splitting the Scythians in two. Then, the troops that were hidden in the woods will attack the Scythians in the back, trapping them."
The scouts took note of the plan and rode back to the village to explain the strategy that was to be utilized in the upcoming conflict. Cyane took a good look at her beloved steppe and then turned back towards the village. " Time for war", she thought as she turned.
As she was riding back to her village, Cyane remembered her earliest battles, as a simple cavalier, and her first wars as a commander. She had had a great career as a warrior. Courageous and calculated, she had taken her detachment through battles that no other person in their right mind would have dared to fight. But she had come out the winner. And she was determined to come out the winner once again.
An arrow was shot towards the Amazon village. " Amazons, get ready. The Scythians are coming", yelled Bhala, one of the commanders who was part of the main army. Bhala stood up, mounted her horse and, after seeing the ennemy coming towards them, pointed with her pike and yelled " Amazons attack!".
Cyane was mounting her horse, waiting for the Scythians to get to the other amazon troops. Although very calm, she was anxiously staring at the grass desert that is the steppe, covered in snow at that point of the year. After all, it was winter, and just like every other winter in Oukraina, it was a very cold winter. Cyane was wearing a long red tunic that went down to her knees so she wouldn't get cold. Many Amazons of Oukraina wore tunics like Cyane's. She looked around her and checked out her troops. Hidden in the woods on the right part of the battlefield, they were to wait until the Scythians were fighting on two fronts, the front and right fronts, to charge the back of their lines and trap them near the village. The Amazon queen spotted many young, inexperienced warriors, some of them probably taking part in battle for the first time. Gladly, she knew she could count on several good captains and commanders to direct the youngsters in battle.
The two armies had their first encounter, knocking into each other furiously. Amazon archers were shooting from every possible direction, trying to unnerve their opponents. Like in any battle, there were lots of injuries. The Scythians, experienced and dangerous cavaliers, were starting to get the upper-hand in the battle, as they used their superior strenght to overpower the Amazons and push them back near the village. But, all of the sudden, they were unexpectedly attacked by a group of on-foot Amazons who charged their right flanks with such fury that they caused many scythian horses to fall on their sides, leaving the Scythians baffled and dazed.
This sight pleased Cyane very much. Not that she enjoyed war but because it was telling her that she no longer had to wonder about the health of her main troops, who were getting tired.
"Amazons attack!", she screamed, pointing her pike in front of her. Her cavalry troops charged into to back of the Scythian's lines, already decimated by the furious attack on their right flank. Easily, the Amazons trapped the men who raided towards their village and captured a lot of them, including a few officers who had killed more than one Amazon in earlier battles. But this time, things turned out differently than they had expected.
As a few of the Scythians got to escape while the Amazons were capturing their fellow men, Cyane let out a war cry and raised her arms in victory. The rest of the Amazon troops reacted likewise, letting escape a couple of ennemy troops. She signaled to Bhala and Daek, the commanders of the two other groups to go to the village. After seeing them go back to the village, she signaled for her troops to go chase after the Scythians to make sure they would not come back immediately after.
Back in the village of Goula, a village in the surrounding area of the Amazons', Lodka was waiting for the signal meaning that the children and elders could go back to their respectual villages. An Amazon messenger arrived.
" Good news or bad news?," Lodka asked trying to hide her nervousness with a partially humoristic tone.
"You don't have to worry, Lodka. We kicked their behinds so hard that they left the battlefields crying like little newborn babies. "
"Is Cyane ok?"
"You know she is. She almost didn't get a chance to fight. We were just too good today, the messenger arrogantly answered. But that was the way she had always been." Vallat, that was her name, was in her early twenties. She had blond hair down to her neck and blue eyes. Although a definitely overconfident hothead, she was also a very capable captain, bordering on excellence during battle.
"So we can go back to the village, right?," Lodka asked, already packing her stuff.
"Absolutely. "
Lodka arrived at the village, looking to see if there were any serious injuries. She walked and went to every hut, checking out the injuries that some of the Amazons had and helping them. She was very happy to notice that there were not too many serious injuries, the worst being a broken leg and a sprained wrist. Mostly, the Amazons were just tired.
Lodka finally arrived at her best friend's hut. "Cyane?, Anything wrong?," she asked.
"No. Everything's fine, Lodka. I think I don't even have bruises. Quick battle. Easy battle..." Lodka walked in the hut.
"Everything all right with the elders and children?"
"All fine. "
It was only then that Lodka noticed that Cyane was almost naked, with the exception of her panties and a small leather strip the Amazons of Oukraina used as brassieres.
"Massage my shoulders, will ya?," Cyane asked. "They're a bit sore."
"Thought it was an easy battle," Lodka answered teasing while she massaged her friend's shoulders.
"Even if it's an easy battle, it is still a battle. You still have to fight, take a few shots, hopefully not too many, and give some shots. "
"It always scares me to know you're in a battle or in a fight, Cyane. There is always that possibility that you might not come back, you know. "
"You don't have to worry about me, Lodka. I don't even worry about me. "
"How can you not?," asked Lodka, completely shocked.
"I just have to focus on the task at hand," she answered, laying her right hand over her friend's left hand. "Now, I want you to stop worrying, alright?"
"Alright...," answered Lodka while massaging Cyane's shoulders.