Trying to publish this in chronological page order, Difficult to do with a blog, bear with me please.
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Page 16
Wolf leaps and takes the spear deep in his chest.
Amrita quickly routs the two she is fighting and turns to
help Wolf. It is too late.
Ferociously, Amrita cuts down the
javelin thrower. Amrita looks at Wolf, but with the rest of
her group still fighting for their lives, Amrita must leave
Wolf's side and help.
Rendered almost helpless by the sheer force of Amrita's rage,
the attacking warriors fall back quickly.
Halting only momentarily by Wolf's side, Amrita signals to
Nealon approaching with the wagon.
The savage enemy are retreating even faster now. Amrita and
her small band pursue them recklessly.
They chase the fleeing warriors, right into the Oiorpata
village.
Instantly the camp is up in arms, the fleeing enemy sentries
now turn facing Amrita and her warriors.
The Thermiskyrians are surrounded by over a hundred Oiorpata
warriors. Although enraged at the death of Wolf, and ready to
fight to her own death, Amrita knows they would all be cut
down in seconds. With great difficulty she contains her rage
and sorrow and calms herself.
The situation is ludicrous. Amrita's small party is
surrounded by a hundred Amazon warriors, javelins and swords
raised. Bloodied from the skirmish, Amrita says...
AMRITA (cont'd)
...we come in peace.
Satianne comes forward.
SATIANNE
Of course you do, now!
(To her warriors)
KILL THEM!
Amrita's small party girds for battle, they will fight to the
last.
The enemy warriors close in.
A voice is heard.
LAQUIA
HOLD!
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Page 17
The advancing warriors stop.
Pushing through between them comes, LaQuia and Ndoni.
LAQUIA (cont'd)
(To her warriors)
Beware the perimeters! NOW!
Instantly half the warriors surrounding Amrita's party turn
to protect the outer edges of the village.
LAQUIA (cont'd)
You, Amrita are not foolish enough
to attack our village with such a
small party.
It is a tense moment as Amrita and her little band of
Thermiskyrians stare down LaQuia and the rest of her
warriors.
Amrita motions to her group. They all lay down their arms.
AMRITA
As I said, we come in peace. We
sent a messenger of truce to tell
you this.
LAQUIA
We have received no such messenger.
SATIANNE
(With a wicked smile on
her face.)
Perhaps your messenger met with an
unfortunate accident in the forest.
Amrita glares directly at Satianne although talking to
LaQuia.
AMRITA
We have brought your dead from the
attack on our village. Laquia
exchanges a look with Satianne.
SATIANNE
You lie! We have ordered no such
attack.
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Page 18
Amrita raises her arm with a "come forward" motion.
Nealon appears from the tree-line with the wagon of the dead.
All stare as the wagon lumbers into the village.
WE SEE the body of Wolf lying on the seat beside Nealon.
When the wagon with the dead stops in the center of the
village, Amrita lifts the coverings revealing the bodies.
AMRITA
I believe, Argonue is of the
Oiorpata. And Shelaina, Massalou
and others, all of the Oiorpata.
(Pointedly)
Though it is puzzling that this is
not the dress of the Oiorpata
tribe.
LaQuia stares at the bodies on the wagon, then turns to
Satianne and Ndoni.
Ndoni is perplexed.
Satianne just sneers.
SATIANNE
Rogues. They left the tribe moons
ago. Rather then hunt them down we
decided to let them fend of their
own devices.
(To Laquia.)
We didn't wish to trouble you.
LaQuia knows instantly Satianne is lying but is uncertain
whether or not Amrita will buy it.
LAQUIA
Then a ceremonial burial is not
justified. Haul them back to the
forest for the animals.
She motions to have the wagon taken away.
An Oiorpata warrior jumps to the seat of the wagon, replacing
Nealon who joins the rest of the Thermiskyrians.
AMRITA
Wait! There is one body that
should be honored with a burial.
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Amrita lifts Wolf's body from the wagon and holds him in her
arms.
Her face is unable to hide her grief.
Satianne has an almost childish gleam in her eyes.
SATIANNE
Ah, your wolf.
LAQUIA
This was from our sentries?
AMRITA
Yes, if our messenger had gotten
through...
(She looks directly at
Satianne again.)
...this would not have happened.
LAQUIA
I have seen this beast in battle.
He was legendary by your side. Take
him and give him the honors he
deserves.
(She looks past Amrita.)
I see Mikaleta there, she can tell
us of this, "peace" you talk about.
In the meantime we will keep your
weapons.
LaQuia motions to some warriors. They pick up the
Thermiskyrian's weapons. She then nods to Ndoni, Satianne
and other tribal leaders.
LAQUIA (cont'd)
Come.
She exits to her hut. Mikaleta and all the Oiorpata leaders
except Satianne follow her immediately.
SATIANNE
(To Amrita.)
I thought the Thermiskyrians were
only lovers of men.
Amrita is lost in her grief..
AMRITA
All manner of beast have our
respect. Until they have proven
they do not deserve it.
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SATIANNE
A lover of man, and beast? How
very interesting.
Amrita meets Satianne's bedeviling gaze. The hatred between
the two of them is palpable. She turns and walks away with
Wolf.
INT. LAQUIA'S HUT - DAY
The elders and tribal leaders are gathered around. Mikaleta
is just finishing with the explanation of the plan as
Satianne enters.
MIKALETA
...It simply requires the trust of
leaders from both tribes to bring
this peace. LaQuia stares hard at
Satianne.
LAQUIA
Alright, Mikaleta, we will discuss
this among ourselves now. You may
go.
Mikaleta exits. There is a long pause before LaQuia speaks.
LAQUIA (cont'd)
Satianne! What is this talk of
"rogue" warriors? These women were
under your tutelage?
SATIANNE
Yes, LaQuia, I was teaching them to
become the most savage warriors we
could produce. Obviously they took
their training too far and struck
out on their own to practice what
they had learned.
LaQuia obviously doesn't believe her, but lets it go for the
moment.
NDONI
The Thermiskyrians have an
interesting peace proposal Laquia.
I feel there might be some
advantages to it.
Satianne goes into her "smarmy" mode, oozing false charm.
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SATIANNE
Well, we should certainly look at
the whole picture of a peace with
the Thermiskyrians. What is the
positive side of this?
NDONI
We have lost many warriors in past
battles with the Thermiskyrians.
The continuous threat of them takes
away from our hunting and foraging
further to the east. The constant
alertness and patrols undermine the
morale of our people. With a peace
we would be able to forge a common
front that would intimidate any
other enemy.
SATIANNE
And the negative...?
NDONI
I... don't see any... at this time.
SATIANNE
No? Is not answering to another
for what we wish to accomplish a
negative? How about the
Gargareans, our male counterparts?
The seasonal rituals to produce
female children for our tribe might
be threatened. The Thermiskyrians
were never friendly with the
Gargareans. Would the Gargareans
then become our enemies? Our tribe
would very soon die out.
The elders and tribal leaders ponder this.
LAQUIA
You are right, Satianne. We cannot
afford to alienate the Gargareans.
We need the male seed in our
seasonal ritual to expand our
tribe.
SATIANNE
So, we cannot afford this peace.
NDONI
Yes! We can! If the Gargareans are
part of the plan.
to be continued...