Cypress Daygona

Alovasuri Archila (Cavalry Leader)

Alogosida Koritsi (Equestrienne Apprentice)

Daughter of Otrere

Sister to Rowan

Her mother was a great Amazon Archer named Otrere. She was one of the most skilled warriors within the tribe and greatly loved by her sisters. That is, until the war. The Amazons were at war with a group of warlords and Otrere committed the ultimate betrayal to her tribe. She fell in love with Daimon, one of the lords, and gave up her sisterhood to marry him. Daimon had sworn to Otrere that he would withdraw his men from the war and do all he could to persuade the other lords to do the same. So Otrere married him and had 2 daughters, Cypress and Rowan.

Cypress had a relatively happy life. Her mother taught her as much as she could. They would go out riding, hunting small game, and learning to track animals and humans alike. Her father demanded she have domestic lessons as well, learning to sew and cook, to be civilized and a good wife. He refused to let her be taught to brandish a weapon however. Her mother soon became quiet and reserved whenever her father was around. She would rarely take Cypress out of the house anymore and spent most of her time alone in her room.

By the time Cypress was ten, her mother had completely shut down. Six months later her mother gave birth to a boy. At that point her father completely ignored Cypress. She was his first child, his mistake. He now knew how to handle his children. She was a learning tool, nothing more. Rowan was what Cypress was not. She hated weapons and shuddered at the thought of even touching one and enjoyed her domestic abilities. She was beautiful, that was true, but she was calculating and deceitful. She would always find ways to ruin Cypress's fun.

Cypress's 11th birthday came and went uneventfully and she had expected nothing less. At that time she had stopped spending time with her shell of a mother and would sneak into hiding near the barracks to watch the men train. Taking in every movement they made, learning. One day some boys caught her watching them fight and with speed they circled her and started teasing her. Just before they could attack her one of the men walked in and pulled Cypress up by the back of her dress, like a mother cat would a kitten. He glared at the boys and then at Cypress. Without a word he set her down, grabbed her arm and marched her into the hall and straight to her father who was dinning with his 'proper' children and her mother.

The man told Daimon that he had found Cypress in the barracks with the boys. The man left and her father came down from the table to look at her. She had opened her mouth to tell him what had really happened when she felt the sharp sting of the back of his hand against her cheek. Her head snapped to the side and tears welled up in her eyes at the pain. Somewhere in the background she heard her mother gasp, the first sound Cypress had heard her make in weeks. Her father told her that if ever he or one of the other men should catch her down there again she'd be beaten. Cypress didn't doubt his words. Rowan's eyes twinkled with wicked delight. That was the first and last time he ever touched her and she continued to sneak down to watch the men. She made herself a wooden sword out of a tree branch with which to practice.

Two years had passed since that time and Cypress was now thirteen and one night, her father had a great feast; all of the neighboring lords were there. The talk among them suddenly turned to the war. After twelve years they were finally beating down those damn warriors. The lord across the table, Helonic's father, laughed heartily, telling her father how he captured some of these warriors and they made great bed sport saying, "At least the Amazons are good for something". Otrere suddenly stood, glaring at the Lord. She turned a murderous gaze to her husband.

"You told me you stopped the war! You swore you would pull out your men! You swore you would stop attacking my sisters!" She bellowed loudly.

"Sit down and stop making a scene, Otrere. You'll regret it." He said back to her. She stood then and as she opened her mouth to reply, Daimon did as he had to Cypress; he backhanded her across the face. As she crumpled from the blow, he ordered her to return to her seat. She stood up and told him she would no longer obey him. Daimon stood and grabbing her around the arm painfully, he pulled her, struggling, up the stairs. Cypress followed them discretely and peeked into the room; her mother had out her Amazon leathers. Beside the long unused leathers were some weapons and her parents were shouting at each other.

"YOU WILL NOT LEAVE ME! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!" Daimon shouted. Cypress cringed in horror as she saw Otrere double over; Diamon's fist buried in her stomach...blood pouring over his hand. He had stabbed Otrere. Cypress reacted without even thinking. She rushed into the room and seizing the sword lying on the bed, she turned and plunged it into her father’s chest. He looked shocked and unbelieving as she glared at him, breathing heavily. He fell to his knees and then onto his side as his eyes remained open and unblinking. Cypress ran to the door to slam it shut and lock it as fear now encased her body. She had killed her father! They would kill her for this. She knelt down beside her mother who was breathing harshly. She pulled out a leather armband and handed it to Cypress. She swallowed as if getting ready to say something, but instead her eyes closed and her last breath escaped her. Cypress let out a sob. Her mother was dead and she had killed her Father.

She went quickly to her mother’s bed and donned the leather riding breeches and a leather tunic. She wrapped up the weapons in some cloth and pulled boots onto her feet. She next opened the window and walked out onto a lower roof of the Villa, stalking her way carefully towards the far end where she tossed the weapons to the ground and slipped into the tree next to the building, climbing down it rapidly. She retrieved the weapons and sprinted to the empty stables. She went to the stall of her old pony before rethinking that decision. Cypress looked around the stable and grinned in spite of her situation. There was Mauros, her father’s prized stallion. She quickly saddled him before taking Malika, her mother's horse, whom she loaded with some provisions. She jumped onto Mauros with her mother’s sword at her side and Malika ponying behind her. She rode to Cala's stall and released her knowing the pony would follow without being led.

That was the last time Cypress saw her family. She is now 22 years of age and has lived with the Mateo Amazon Tribe of the Lake Azov region for the past nine years. She arrived at the camp and was immediately taken in. Ironically, this was the same tribe her mother had left, yet they took her in anyway. She learned as much as she could as fast as she could and became their tribe's Equine Mistress and Weapons Mistress on her 21st birthday. Latra Kyriana even gave her a new name. Daygona, meaning woman of the night, since Cypress enjoyed the night and doing things in the darkness.

There became much trouble within the tribe. Myrene, the commander of their army, became greedy and jealous of Kyriana. She issued a challenge to the Latra for position. Finally, Myrene won and Kyriana lay dead.

Cypress moved forward to gather her dead sister when the new Latra stopped her and said that Kyriana had been a traitor to the Nation and wouldn’t be given honor. Cypress glared at Myrene and nodded. Half of the tribe didn’t give another thought of it, since the new Latra had ordered it but Cypress refused. The dead Latra was the one that accepted her so openly into the tribe and she deserved to be honored. She waited for nightfall as she gathered her things. She spirited the fallen Latra to a clearing a few miles away from the outskirts of camp. There she made the pyre on her own and placed Kyriana onto in before setting it ablaze. After she had honored her friend, she mounted the stallion and headed south towards the mountains.

Cypress Daygona is 5’ 6" and has mahogany hair and brown eyes. Her totem is a Cougar named Vindonissa. She favors the dagger and uses knuckle blades. Her roomates are Kiarna and Willow. She has a pet king snake named Luminesca. 

One of her passions is horses and she owns several. Mauros, a black Fresian stallion; Malika, a bay Warmblood mare; Daicor, a dapple gray Warmblood/Fresian cross stallion; Raven, a black Fresian mare; and Cala, a Dales pony dapple white and light. She speaks Latin and Greek.

Tae'Nah athelfi arche: 21 Oct 2005

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