Her First Letter
I wish you power and glory, matchless Tayuna!
Hi Tayuna, my sweet!
I fail to depict how much I miss you! Of course, there are lots of thing to do, but it seems that something has abandoned me after your farewell with Nica and the rest of us and fled to Rome for glory and gold... May you always have luck in your cruel competitions, may your sword glorify the name of the Tagares in Italy! Oh, Yuna, I start speaking very grandiloquently, please forgive me.
I promised to the Heavens to write you every day, for you to seem closer to me. It doesn't matter that the Greek ship arrived only once a week; I will not miss a single day of our adventures, I will truthfully depict everything - us, amidst the hills, near the sea. The Greeks call it Euxenian and the local tribes call it Dark.
Everything began very poorly. The Greek boat was stinking with fish and cheap wine, all of the girls were being sick. The moment we landed we realized that we were late. The amazons had already killed the weak dozen of Pontiacs and we robbing the colony, their main army waiting outside the walls. Nica (gray like mouse skin) decided to attack from the sea. She was so brave! I was very weak, but I didn't show it. Hiding in the reeds, we approached them unseen and attacked. It was wonderful!
The amazons, dressed like bazaar women, expected nothing of the kind. I saw Nica slay two of them beauties - each one got her sword in the belly. You should have seen how funny it was: two tall, well-kept babes wiggling on the ground, yelling and squeezing their wounds! Nica didn't clean them out; she ran to attack the others, as well as me and the rest of the girls. I was very curious whether these famous girls were worth in the hand-to-hand fight. On the edge of the meadow I saw one - blonde, skinny, 22 or 23 years old, just like me. A hell of a rival! She was unarmed, and wore a torn opaque tunica. She was scanning the glass to find a weapon. I asked her name: it was very complicated, Oiya-Noiya or something like that. I offered her a naked fight. She wasn't frightened, quickly taking off her clothes and making the stand. She still had her sandals on, while I was barefooted. She was the first to use her feet, trying to kick me, but I grasped her ankle and threw Oiya on the ground. Then I sat upon her and we began fighting! This girls turned out to be dexterous and strong, but I grasped her hair and tried to squeeze her neck with my thighs - Yuna, you surely remember my
favorite trick! I wanted to wreck her neck. But this little blonde somehow escaped my iron grip and hit my belly! You do know how delicate this little spot of mine is... I suffocated and she started kicking me, and she would have most certainly kicked me to death but for Aella's help. The little Amazon kicked her too, and then quickly ran away.
What went next cannot be described in words. It was a real scramble. Aella and me ran to help the rest of the girls. Crash, screams, howls... I saw a bitch with prominent cheek-bones, probably a Scythian, kill Alitta, Aella's friend. I was attacked by a dark-skinned tall girl with a flail which she used as though it were an axe. She had to pay for that: I plunged my bolt into her flesh, near the navel. It was enough for the silly Amazon: she fell on the ground and started dancing the last dance. I was very eager to watch her, but all of a sudden the whole place became invaded with arrow. To tell the truth, Yuna, I was scared - for I was naked, without even a buckler! But I stood and tried me best to evade the arrows. And I laughed, although it was very scary. Next to me stood Lianna - she got two arrows, one in her groin and the other in the throat. A little later Nica told us to retreat. We withdrew to the shore, while the amazons returned to the colony they had invaded.
It's already evening, and I sit by the fire writing this letter to you. I have healing leaves attached to my left hand, it's just a scratch... The nasty thing is that the tall stupid bitch ______________ my pretty red dragon! I'll have to wash it off and draw myself a new one. Nica has just told me about how she nearly killed the amazons' leader, a beautiful red-haired woman wearing tons of jewelry. Nica hit her right below the chest, but the woman's battle belt saved her. I might be the next to meet her... It's getting dark. As soon as I finish writing, I'll go and massage our best warrior Nata. They hit her badly, in the very middle of the belly. The brave woman suffers quietly, but I see that her pain is terrible. And tomorrow we're going to fight again! I know how to massage, I'm going to put some magic lotion all over Nata, and she will be fresh and pretty like a morning rose.
It's time to go! Lot of love, my darling Yuna! I wish you luck and lots and lots of gold! If I'm alive tomorrow, I'll write to you.
Forever yours,
Olcha.
Original Author: Nica (2001).