Warm sunrays forced themselves trough the tight leafage. Under the protective greenery many small houses were built, which gathered here to form a village. Some of them sat at the food of the tremendous trees. Others used the near of the single strains for a stable wooden structure. While a part found their home in the crowns.
Aa labyrinth of stairs, bridges and platforms led to the individual levels and houses.
Only the inhabitants of this homestead found their way, while newcomers were hopelessly lost.
It turned into a cozy home, which had granted them protection for so many centuries through natural rampart. Even the scout from the kings not succeeded unnoticed encroached in the wood area.
They didn't have to rely on their guards alone. The forest had become their strongest alley.
The shy animals with their keen senses spotted every enemy much earlier than they could. They only wanted to observe the silence around them.
In their duty they took from them what the forest them offered and never more. They only hunted animals that were marked from old age, animals they were to injure to recover or afflicted from a disease. Gather Mushrooms and whatever they also could find.
Beyond that they are bred animals. Horses, pigs and chickens, whose stables were on the ground. One of the women had even created a garden.
But their main supply was conducting sources from outside. Farms who secretly admit to them. That's why they embezzle every tribute request from the kings apart from their harvest to supply the resistance.
It was not only here that the Amazons found their allies.
Also, far outside from the empire and the merciless war. Entire camps, communities, even cities offer their warriors shelter and food.
All this, the wars and worries, seemed pushed away behind a wall, built by that beautiful day.
The warm rays of this wonderful morning lured out the birds whose peaceful song intone a choir. And a colubrid had been looking for a spot near the village for their sunbathing. The villagers made a large curve around the sleeping animal, so as not to irritate it.
Marli leaned back.
She stood on one of the observation platforms, from which she could see much from the glade and peered through the trees, lurking for every treacherous sign.
The still young woman was a warrior.
She would willingly move in the battle with her siters instead of staying here. Side by side on the battlefield, to show the kings that they were still bravely defending their freedom.
Somone must keep back. A guard for the village. Just as important as the fight on their border.
Anyhow she defended the weak in their care. Beneath many sick and old people. Then two children frolicking around the village carefree, as if all the horror really would expel behind walls.
They currently listened to one of the elders while they showed them the colubrid.
Soon the interest of the two girls slipped to another animal. A squirl gathered his stock for the next winter. The fluffy tail twitched mor often and led to happy laughter among the children.
This short sound might have been quiet, however it at once startled the squirl.
The nose elongated to the wind; the whiskers twitched as if it was checking on the air for hostile smell. Then it recognized its interested watcher and before any of them could approach them, the nimble animal had already jumped on a nearby tree. Now it clings tight at the bottom of the trunk, from where it observes his watcher.
The older of the two followed immediately, while the younger reached the tree with some delay. The claws of the small animal burrowed themselves into the tender bark of the tree at each of its steps. From above, it observed his chaser, for whom the tree was obstructing at their chase.
Marli couldn't prevent that a laughter exclaimed out of her throat.
The older of the two girls had taken the younger girl on her shoulders. So, the children stood there, hoping to reach the shy squirl.
The whiskers of the small animal twitched again during the girl's climbing attempts. After a short moment it turned away from them and disappeared up and jumped onto one of the guardrails. Light-footed its lumper thereon to a bridge and dived than in the crown of one of the trees, beyond of the human sight.
In such a time filled with war was the village of the Amazons, as the people it awestruck called, a refuge for discard, homeless and wrongly traced peoples. They found here affiliation and guarding.
The most denizen were woman.
They lost her mans and children to the war and they hadn't continued her live full of work only for the king. Or everything had been taken from them to pay the to high taxes. Some reasons are to be found to beg for refuge.
Many found comfort until they are ready to build a new home or search for a new destination. Only their warriors may stay for a long time.
For this reason, their army don't brin over with full trained warriors. Merely a few was it concede already bevor their entry in the army to skilled on the weapon.
On rare occasions a member of the kingly army joined their side. Mostly attended with the request they should give their family a safe home or freeing inmate relatives.
Thanks to the help from such people, they succeeded in establishing a stately army. Among them farmers they herself let train in fight to guard the life of their own family.
Not only they, but also their families would provide in the camps of the Amazons.
Here, in the heart of the resistance reside only adults. The children were to be brought up in camps outside. In peaceful regions, far down from war and out of the reach of mercenaries, thieves and bounty hunters.
Or the children were taken in by a family of farmers loyal to the resistance.
This was one of the laws of their life.
No children may be reared inside the village.
Although no one wrests the children simply away from them, like the kings did. It would be optional to go with their children or stay in the village. In face of the pain of the separation, many of them remain here, knowing full well that the kids are fine.
There was even a church where they give tuition and a home the children of the Amazons, in the hope that they might someday give this country a future.
For these two girls, who were now searching for a new task under the platform, it appears whole different.