Terreis

Murderer. Savage. Disease upon this land.

As Terreis saw it, everyone else was jealous. Jealous that she could travel, surrounded by her friends. That she could see the world, jump from place to place without any desire to stop and stay, no matter how people begged. That she was free from the burdens of children or duty, her only worry her own stomach and that of her girl’s. She was her own master, her own leader, and ever since she fought her mate Cyan for control of the Amazons and won, she was her own Queen.

A Queen with no land, a Queen that led her hoard through the lands of other clans, stealing whatever they could gather, fighting off those who even dared to stand up to them, a Queen that in all ways stood above the rest.

A warrior Queen that cast aside males, that trained her girls to fight just as well as she did, that became everything the world said she should never be.

It was a life she loved. She loved never knowing where her next meal would come from, where they would spend the nights, taking no orders but her own. She loved the trill of the fight that came from a raid, whether it be against dragons or the Beastclans, she didn’t care. A fight was a fight, blood was blood, and the only thing that made it better was when it came from a filthy centaur.

The only thing wrong with it was that it offered no security, no place to allow those who were injured a place to rest. Like the place Amarice needed when, after a fight, she almost lost her life.

It was a bad wound, one right to the neck from a toridae, that left her barely able to breathe, much less move. They had bunkered down in the middle of the swamp that right, taking turns looking over her, trying to keep the wound clean, trying to help her heal as best they could without any of them being a healer. An almost worthless venture, because how could they help, how could they do anything to heal their sister, when all they knew was how to kill? Kill and fight and destroy?

She lived because of luck. Because Yuko and Howl, escorted by young Rapunzel, stumbled upon them on an herb gathering mission. Because the three of them, three of the healers for the clan, found them on a random whim of fate, and were able to help. Able to pack the wound with herbs to drive away the rot that had begun. Able to improvise some thread to sew the wound closed, at least temporarily. Able to create a liter for them to load her onto, to carry her back to the clan.

They were greeted at the gates, ushered in without a second thought, and given rooms to stay in for as long as they wished, for as long as it took Amarice to heal.

It was a kindness Terreis hadn’t been expecting, a gentleness to the clan she knew she could take advantage of if she so desired, but there was none. She wanted only for her friend to be ok, then for her to live, and she was willing to do whatever she needed to make sure that was done.

And it was a good thing too, because a few days later, when a group of Beastclans warriors tried to attack, she found that the clan was strong, almost the entire clan trained in the art of war, more than enough to destroy her and her friends if they had tried to attack themselves. And instead they were being helped, being healed and fed and houses without anything in return, all because they were kind.

She went before the Queen, after a few weeks had passed, and asked if they could stay.

Because a strong home, even if they had to suffer the presence of males, a steady place they could call their own, where they didn’t have to worry about injury and death and hunger, that was worth more than they could offer.

And Queen Tamora, as if she knew they would come ask, introduced her to her daughter- Gabrielle.

Just a small little child, she was precious- a storyteller more than a leader, she still had the makings of a great Queen, of one who would do even better than her mother. And even though her chosen future mate, Xena- a name well known to Terreis when Tamora said it, one that sent a shiver of fear through her even as her respect for young Gabrielle grew a thousand fold, because to earn the heart and loyalty of that monster was to be something beyond great even with her young years- was already as strong, worthy protector and Consort, she would need more. Tamora knew, just somehow knew, that her daughter would have many enemies, would make a great number of foes in her future; some from her Consort’s past, others from her own choices, but all a danger nonetheless.

Even with Xena and the clan’s protection, she would need a guard. A Queen’s Guard.

She talked it over with her girls, but the decision was quick- they all wanted to stay, wanted to live and serve and be a great part of this clan, and so just a few days later, when Amarice could stand by their side and be promoted with them, the wandering Amazon clan took on the name of guardians, and settled into their new roles, with Terreis as the leader of them all.

While their main concern was Gabrielle, they would serve the entire royal family with their last breaths, protecting all four of them until the ends of their days.

They might still be Amazons, might still shun the company of men, but they were the Queen’s Guard first, and they were finally home.