The Crystal Chalice, Volume II of the Land of the Wand

Chapter Thirty-one: Sacrifices

At the edge of the woods Chloe, Marshall and Evan were in uneasy alliance. Chloe had come to understand that, while Evan had no interest in her as a sexual partner, he and Marshall were adamantly eager to rescue the child. The question was how. They had already checked out the ravine and found it empty of predators, and with the tide still going out. Perhaps they need do nothing but pick up the child when the Queen and her women left it there to be killed by the weather or a passing carnivore. And that is what they decided on, so the two men laboriously climbed down to the bottom of the ravine. The exercise took the better part of an hour. There they found no evidence of previous sacrifices.

The mistress of the sea is a tidy housekeeper. They carefully placed themselves so that rock edges hid them from view, and settled down to wait.

Chloe waited at the edge of the woods. She had seen other sacrifices, every woman of the

The two women stood by the rocks at the sea-cliff edge. A little ravine about ten feet wide stood to their side. It narrowed to nothing fifty yards inland, and went from being some thirty feet deep at oceanside to a depth of less than a foot. The two had come here, to this preappointed spot, to await the

Escape had presented no problem whatsoever. They had simply

With no solutions at hand, they decided to return to their friends. Maybe

"Seize them and Hypsipyle. No doubt they will share her squeamishness. Don't worry, Valaura and Lilly, we'll release you when the ceremony is done."

"What ceremony?" Valaura felt her arms being held by firm hands. There were two women each at her, Lilly's and Hypsipyle's backs.

"The sacrifice to the Goddess of Death, the Grandmother of Midnight," was the answer. "Now be quiet until it is done."

Hypsipyle sagged against her guards. "I'm sorry you happened to be at this spot. These ceremonies always unsettle the women. They do not all attend on this spot, but they will be doing a less destructive ceremony back at the keep. I'm sure no one told you not to come here. No one

Maybe, thought Lilly, but one thing was certain. Opheltes was relishing the moment. Her eyes glowed. She held the deep basket before her and began to murmur a chant in a low voice that was indistinct to Lilly. A rope was attached to the basket, and she swung it gently to and fro over the ravine. A faint squall was heard, and a chubby hand rose from the interior. Lilly gasped and began to struggle against the restraining hands. Her guards merely wrapped their arms around her, and held her more tightly.

Valaura's comprehension was but a heartbeat behind Lilly's. She screamed for all she was worth, praying that the

And then GreatHeart topped the rise of the hill, and stood on the other side of the ravine. His mauve mane billowed in the breeze, and he let out a great roar at the sight of Valaura and Lilly being held captive before him. The warrior woman bit the hand that silenced her, and the guard yanked it away, swearing. "The baby, GreatHeart! Save the baby,"

Valaura screeched. There was silence when the guard risked another bite by clamping her hand across the her mouth again. Silence but for the squalling from the basket.

Opheltes was staring blankly across, mesmerized by the angry purple eyes that returned her stare. She clutched the swinging rope but it was forgotten in her hands. The giant cat bunched his muscles and crouched. Then he leapt across the gaping hole in the earth, his mouth snagging the basket as he leapt. His leap was perfectly judged, for he landed squarely on the Queen, she being the greatest threat to the baby. His great weight caused her chest to collapse, visibly. She moaned, but even that was a dry, unfeeling sound. Her face was startled, but not frightened.

GreatHeart's mouth opened and closed again on the handle of the

Meanwhile, the guards loosed their hold, watching in silent awe. The three captive women broke free. Hypsipyle ran to Opheltes' side and knelt there, unaware of the melee that ensued around her. The

Behind them, the battle was in full tilt, and Valaura and Lilly were in the midst of it. Back to back they contended with women who had decided this disaster was all their fault. At the first tree was a young woman running straight for Herschel, screaming, "My baby! My baby!" In the heat of the moment it seemed to him that she, like the baby, was a gift from GreatHeart. He scooped her up and tossed her across Junior's broad back. The cat never broke his stride.

By now, Beelzebub had arrived and the battle was over. It took a dozen men to subdue the half dozen

Valaura spoke tightly through unshed tears. "Too bad she didn't die as well as GreatHeart." Lilly took her hand, and together they Amazzone tribe was forced to attend at least one, and was certain that her child would not be dashed against the rocks or otherwise harmed. It was Queen Opheltes deceit that the Goddesses made the choice.Daemona. A small shape that looked suspiciously like a winged horse was silhouetted against a cloud for a moment, before disappearing beyond the inland trees.announced a desire to explore. One of the cooks even packed a picnic for them. "Take your bow," she ordered, "I wouldn't mind some pheasant for the pot." Since the previous day's comic battle with Sherl, they had found an easy acceptance from the other women. Their door had not been bolted from the outside on the previous evening, and the two friends spent the night trying to find options. How to locate Marshall and Evan? Where to begin the search? Their inquiries among the Amazzones had been fruitless. The women genuinely did not know what had happened. Several times it was suggested to them that, 'The men must have gone to the other world; it's where they came from, after all'."they would have some idea how to proceed. The two sat in the sand at the verge of the cliff to sun themselves and to eat their lunch. They were both wearing Amazzone outfits, tunics and leggings. Valaura's was a rich topaz that set off her eyes, and Lilly was wearing that shade of aqua that is always best on blued-eyed blondes. That they might be followed was the last thing on their minds, so it came as a surprise when a number of the Amazzones marched up the grassy verge toward the ravine. Opheltes was at their head. She carried a basket slung over her right arm. Another woman carried a rope. Hypsipyle trotted alongside the Queen. She appeared to be talking at length and with animation, somehow entirely out of character. Lilly and Laura rose to their feet. Opheltes spoke to the other Amazzones.likes to talk about this."Daemona were close enough to hear. Someone clamped a hand over her mouth. Queen Opheltes merely raised her voice to accommodate the noise about her, and continued swinging the rope. They heard, "Grandmother of Midnight, who comes from the north, accept this offering." Valaura tried to scream again. She'd never heard of any Goddess-worship that harmed children, nor any Goddess that wanted sacrifice. Goddesses promoted the living of life, and the natural cycles of birth and death. Never murder. She struggled so hard another woman came to help hold her.basket, two teeth severing the rope that Opheltes still clutched. The infant's crying turned to screams. Still standing astride the Queen, he sat the basket down and drew in a ragged breath. His glance sought Valaura's face, telling her of his love. She smiled at him with her eyes, still struggling to release the hand that silenced her. He picked up the tiny burden and leapt once more across the ravine. Herschel and Junior were there to greet him. He landed lightly and delivered the baby to Herschel's hands. Then he collapsed, pausing to look deeply at his life-long companion before closing his eyes forever.Daemona band crested the ridge, down where the ravine was narrower. The Amazzones unleashed a flurry of arrows at them. Herschel leaped to Junior's back and headed him towards the trees for cover. Still reeling from the loss of GreatHeart, he had enough sense to realize that the baby did not belong in the midst of battle. Besides he wanted to grant the cat's last wish. Greatheart had done his best to save this child, and his last sacrifice was not to be wasted. Once headed away from the battle, Junior was only to eager reach cover quickly.Amazzones still fighting, but they managed. Hypsipyle rose from the dead Queen's side and spoke. "Our Queen has died. She was glad to go. She'd have been happier if she'd gone long ago."walked down to where the ravine was narrow, crossing and finally kneeling by his side to stroke his mauve mane one last time.