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With the book back in its hiding place and the plank closed, I made my way to Aspasia, who was surely waiting for me.
As soon as I stepped through the door into the great hall, it was as if I had entered one of those fantastic worlds of my mother. Before me unfolded all the power and strength of the Amazons. All of them were dressed in inconspicuous black clothing and carried light weapons, which they had attached to their bodies in various places. Apparently, they were immersed in a ritual chant. Only Aspasia, Maggy, and Emma noticed me immediately, came over, and handed me my training pants and a dark T-shirt.
"What are the women doing?" I wanted to know while I hastily changed my clothes. I placed the dagger so that it was securely in one of the straps of my pants.
"This is a tradition of the Amazons that has been practiced and passed down for thousands of years," Emma let me know, and Aspasia winked at me, almost as if she could have read the thought that came to me at that moment. In my dream, there had been no such chant. But what did I know about the Amazons? I didn't want to think about these strange dreams now.
Suddenly, a huge cheer erupted, which degenerated more and more into battle cries.
“It’s time to go,” Aspasia informed us. I quickly braided my black hair into a pigtail and then followed the three women to the front of the group. Maggy led us into one of the corridors. For a long time, we walked in silence through the tunnel. By now, the other women were also as quiet as mice. On the one hand, the silence made our walk almost a procession and thus had something sacred about it; on the other hand, it also felt eerie.
"Only your brothers plus Alex, Jack, Edward, the four of us, and three of my best Amazons will enter the ship. The others willstay outside to defend us and fight our way out if something goes wrong," Aspasia explained to me in a whisper.
So, thirteen of us boarded; by my estimate, about twenty Amazons were waiting on the pier. The number thirteen had never been my favorite, as too many legends surrounded it, which made me suspicious. But maybe that was a sign that everything would go well if I had more confidence in us.
A short time later, we turned right, and I was sure we were already at the level of 46thStreet.
In front of me, Maggy checked her weapons one last time. Aspasia cracked the bones of her fingers and neck. Emma muttered something under her breath. Apparently, they all had a ritual, a final act they performed before going into battle.
Involuntarily, I had to think of the Amazon from my dream. She thanked her horse, checked her weapons, and then encouraged her army.
I had no horse, no army, and the single dagger I carried I didn’t need to control. So I reached for what had accompanied me everywhere during the last weeks. My necklace with the crescent moon and the three pillars.
Almost reverently, I took the piece of jewelry out of its hiding place between my breasts. I briefly let it dangle back and forth before me, then clasped it in my fist, closed my eyelids, and kissed it. For a small moment, the image of Tanael’s beautiful face flashed through my mind.
When I opened my eyes again, Aspasia was staring at me thoughtfully and surprised at the same time. Hastily, I stuffed the necklace back under my shirt. But Aspasia's gaze seemed to almost pierce me, and her eyebrows pushed together.
Unsure of what had upset her, I was about to call her on it when we spotted a light in front of us. The recognition sign of moving the torch up and down in a certain way was performedby both sides. Shortly after that, we met the men, who were also dressed in dark clothes and armed to the teeth.
Grinning, Maggy stepped toward them.
"Well, hopefully, you won't hurt yourselves with your toys."
Chris looked as if he would most likely agree with her but then held back because of the other men's indignant testimony that they knew how to handle weapons very well.
The smirking of some Amazons did not escape me. It ignited a rage in me that I could not hold back.
"Everyone who has gathered here today shows great courage!" I suddenly shouted, and everyone turned to me. "Amazons, escaped women, priests, and students! We are all here because we believe with all our hearts in our destiny, in our path, which we can determine and choose for ourselves. We are here because we believe in freedom, in the right of every human being, just as we can no longer stand by while these rights are trampled underfoot. We are here for those who can not stand up and fight for themselves. Each of us carries someone in our hearts to fight for. So today, let us show the Brotherhood and also the world that we can no longer stand idly by and are ready to fight for freedom and our fellow people! Men and women together!"
A storm of cheers broke out. The flames in everyone’s eyes had grown into an inferno of fire. The fighting spirit was strengthened.
My gaze fell on Jack, who nodded at me with an uncertain smile and then let himself fall into the joyful frenzy of the others. Together, we could do it.
CHAPTER 45
You did that well!" I heard Aspasia say behind me. "Could almost have been the speech of an Amazon queen. With your name, I didn't expect anything else!" When I turned to her, she grinned cheekily but quickly became serious.
"Really. It was a good speech, and it was just what everyone needed!" grimly, she let her gaze wander over our group. "Who knows how it will end today."
She was silent for a moment, took one deep breath, and stepped before our comrades-in-arms.
"Everyone knows where to be and when? In fifteen minutes, it will be midnight, and the changing of the guards will begin. From here on, we have to be very quiet so that we are not noticed before we arrive. Let's do it!"
Silently, we followed her and Maggy through the last part of the tunnel until we arrived at a grate overgrown with shrubs.
"We'll climb through here now and hide in the bushes. The ship group stays on the left, the other on the right. Pass it on," Maggy whispered to me. I relayed her instructions to the Amazons behind me, who, in turn, did the same.
Jack carefully lifted the grate off its hinges and leaned it against the inner tunnel wall. My hands were now shaking slightly with excitement, and a glance at Chris showed me he was nervous, too. Nevertheless, he smiled encouragingly at me before disappearing through the bushes. Next, it was my turn. It was hard not to make any noise with all the leaves and twigs on the ground. Through the foliage, I could make out a wall and, further away, an entrance gate leading onto the pier area. So often, I had already been here, but I had never experienced the gate being guarded so strictly. From this, I concluded that something was actually kept secret here. Something of great importance.
