Thank you Jenny for all the work you did on Roxanne. She is a warrior beyond compare. Here I pair her with her sister Rianne. And give you another story in the saga. Fourth in my mothers and daughters although the circumstances are perhaps unexpected. Big image needs a full size view to see expressions. The Old Lady of the Mountains was gone. Only the three siblings were left and only two of them, Yannis and Roxanne were battle hardened. Their mother had been amongst the bravest of the brave, a magnificent warrior, teacher and mystic, but yesterday she had fallen in a battle against the People of the Book. Her battered body now lay at rest in the throne room, the place where she had ruled so wisely and for the good of the people for her many long years. Now she was a rest, embracing the divine, touching the face of the Goddess. The battle had continued today and things had not gone so horribly wrong. Instead of collapsing at the death of their Queen her people had gathered new resolve to avenge her passing. Roxanne had taken her mother's place, screaming her battle cry as she lead the forefront of the assault hounds of the pagan hordes. Her older brother Yannis had held command of the defensive position of their stronghold. Both had done well and exacted a horrific tole on the enemy. Perhaps finally there was a glimmer of hope that the People of the Book could be beaten. Returning home cut up and badly bruised from holding an unwavering position at the front lines, Roxanne expected to find Yannis to be elated at their possible turn of fortune; instead she found him to be in a state of agitation. It was Rianne, little sister to them both. Just a week before their mother had been killed Rianne had turned 18, and with all the training her mother had put her through in the last four years she had earned the right to bear the tattoos of a warrior. They were still freshly etched on her unscathed skin and she bore them with evident pride. Yannis had always been very protective of his baby sister; overly protective as far as Rianne was now concerned. And this was the source of Yannis's discomfiture. For when he returned to the throne room of their stronghold his baby sister had confronted him with her demand to join Roxanne on the forward battle lines the next day. This he was not prepared to grant, no matter how dire their situation might be he was not willing to risk the life of his mother's baby girl. It was hard enough for him to see Roxanne at the front lines but she was just a year younger than he. She had proven herself a capable warrior in the many guerilla raids that had ensued over the years before the people of the Book had gathered in such strength to make their final determined assault. Like him, Roxanne had years of experience to gain savvy on the battle field. Though well trained by their mother and skillful handling a Bangis sword and her prized double edged Destructabus, Rianne had never actually been on a battlefield - her mettle in combat was unknown. Yanis was against testing her now. And so Roxanne had walked into the throne room, her dangal still dripping blood, to find her siblings in confrontation. Rianne wailed her case to her older sister, Yanis simply stated it was not going to happen. Roxanne gave pause. She told Rianne to pick up her Bangis and her Destructabus. "Show me," she said. "Show me the Yoohandooza Way. If you move with the stealth of a lion, the swiftness of a cheetah and the power of a leopard then you shall have your place in line next to me. Do well little sister and do not attempt to deceive me with false Kia, for I will know. Show me the Way and I will grant you the right to die with me tomorrow."