2 - Fighters in the cell

After the call to eat, drink, and make merry, the whistles and chants and drums continued. Axena watched as the prince, as he so described himself walked the passage back to the building behind the wall. She could see many dressed in the same resources sitting under a tent. It was a ceremony. 

"Hear that? We were raided," Axena said to Mowe who dropped her head and wept. 

"Women of RebelHood. I repeat, we are damned. Slaves? Over my dead body," the one that had been speaking out of turn said and struggled with the chain that wouldn't succumb to the fights. 

Axena was about to speak when a sound called her attention. When she looked beyond the women to see, it was the wooden door that was raised, revealing a staircase from which soldiers emerged. They all had an expression on their faces and Axena knew what was coming. They all were with whips. 

"Bitches. Up you go," one said and whipped the women close to him. His company did the same and Axena rushed up, Mowe too. They were directed to the stairs and they journeyed down. Axena counted forty-three stepping on the rungs as she proceeded down the stairs. 

They got to the base and they were locked in a room with iron bars that would only allow the tiniest hand to make an entry. When the guard with the lock sealed it, Axena lost hope as the lock was twisted three times with the key and it was the size of her head.

The women were closely packed and were all on their feet. They breathed heavily and some whimpered and wept, raising the heat and tension in the cell. She knew they all were in a jumbled state and want answers as well. More the reason she kept her questions all to herself. All she did was look around and examine the cell wherein they were kept. A cell which show no sign of escape. Still, with no visible sign of escape, she continued to look around. There she saw more than she was after - she saw that there were girls and there were women, but no kids. Mothers whom Axena knew were in tears, girls who are to be betrothed too, and to free women like herself, also called the fighters. Just like that, the caste of RebelHood had levels. There were weaklings and sexual diversity who depended on the fighters for survival. In there, it was not meant to change; Axena knew her role. Axena saw women with warrior looks. She knew them and saw the tenacity in their eyes - women like Xylin and Plinx. Axena could then feel an iota of strength with those women. She was sure they could do something. 

"Quiet," Axena saw Plinx speaking. It took time before the call for silence could hold and when it finally did. They could hear a distant decree  - "The masculine rebel of the south"

"They are alive too," Mowe said and laughed. 

"What about our kids?" a woman spoke and there was silence. 

"There are lots of questions, I know. But there are no answers. If you know where your kids and husbands are how do you get in touch? We are here and we have just ourselves. How do we get out?" Xylin said.

It seemed to be the best time for Axena to talk. She worked her way close to Xylin. Xylin was known as the spear. Axena knew her and her story. She was known as the spear not just because she heightened in stature, with long hands and torso and legs but because she was good with the spear. The long-range was her specialization. 

When Axena made it close to her, they stared long into each other's face and said no word. 

"Axena," Plinx called out. "I know her. She's a fighter," Plinx said to Xylin and she nodded. 

"We are damned, we are damned," Xylin sang and all looked in her direction. "I don't want to hear it again. That we have never experienced captivity doesn't make us weaklings. We survived the test of time and we're known for it. We survived the valley and killed off other rebels; we harmonized with the giants on the mountains till we wipe them off; these are places where no man would survive but we did. We fought Arbiticus off our territory and we served or bow to none. We are not going to bow now either. I need the fighters around me now. Our men are alive and they will come for us. We need to live till they do," Xylin said and Axena was dumbstruck to see that not just Xylin and Plinx and her alone, but there were eleven others of whom she found a familiar face. They all stood around Xylin, and Axena's strength chain was complete. There were fourteen that could fight. She now began to think that they had a chance. 

"Ideas," Xylin said and began to look into the faces of the women around her.

"First, I suggest we stay before the women. We are all they've got now and we should repel any attack. It doesn't matter if we're bound," Xylin said. 

"I object," Axena said. "We've been shown to the villagers and trading commences soon. I don't know where or how. However, we are naked and there are guards. I saw the expression on their faces when they led us here. What do you think they have in mind?" in a softer tone, one cornered within the fighter's group, she concluded, "We should be in the backline. The women in the front row may need to warm beds tonight."

"And I object," Xylin said. "If that's the case, we should go. We can fight."

"With what?" Axena countered and continued in a softer tone with her voice sharp and quick. "With bounded hands? We don't fight without sight. We don't know where we are. We don't know how many guards would lay with one woman. We don't know where they'll take us. They knew who we are and won't risk untying us. If there are four guards on you what would you do? We still need you while you can walk."

The women stared at the two as they argued while Axena and Xylin looked deep into each other faces. When Xylin nodded in triplicate, the others nodded as well. They all began to find their way to the back line. Axena found Mowe and spoke softly into her ears, "Follow me. Do not ask any question?" Mowe's countenance was quite questionable and Axena walked away immediately. She sensed Mowe following. 

No sooner than they reached the backline and took a spot where viewing the iron bars would be possible than the guards appeared, eight, each with a whip. The lock was opened and they grabbed four women from the front line. The women cried and won't go but whips forced them into compliance and left a bloody signature on their bodies. They were forced out of the cell and the cell was locked. 

They said nothing to one another but hoped and waited that the women we returned. Axena was noting the minutes and when the fighter's group met to converse, she stood waiting and noting the time. Close to an hour, she heard a distant badge on the wooden door and while they all watched, three out of four were returned.

The guards opened the cell's door and tossed them in.

Axena watched while the door was locked. She was palpitating - not fear, but anger, birthed from the hatred she was having towards the perverted guards.