Amazon Chief (26 page)

Yes, Bea and I were still companions. Bea was long past ready to be a warrior, but she wasn't in a hurry. "If I become a warrior, I become a warrior," she had said more than once. "But if I remain Clara's companion forever, I think I'd like that, too."

Malora scored the last two points, and wordlessly, Maya sat back down in the grass. She hung her head, not talking to or looking at anyone. Malora moved to sit next to her, but Maya never looked at her, and when Malora tried to touch her, Maya shrugged her off.

"Omie," I whispered. "Jasmine only had to train hard enough to be competent in a bandit fight, and Gweneth barely more than that. Why do they push Maya so hard?"

"She's the queen's companion," Omie explained. "Malora can grant dispensation for others, but she can't coddle her own companion."

"It's not fair."

"No," Omie agreed. "It's not."

I didn't think it helped my sister's mood when Nori asked the companions to evaluate the last bout, but evaluating not only our own f
laws but also those of others made us better warriors. But rather than wait for other people to tear her apart, Maya stood up herself and gave a pretty accurate critique of her shortcomings.

My sister gave her own lessons, after all, and sometimes they were more important than Nori's.

"Did I miss anything?" she asked when she was done.

She had, but I didn't want to be the one to say it.

"She needs to hear it, Beria," Omie whispered to me.

"Then it can come from someone else," I said.

"Do you two have something to offer?" Maya asked, one hand on her hip, her leg cocked.

"No, Maya," I said quickly.

"Spit it out, Sister," she said.

I sighed and stood up. "Everything you listed is true," I said. "And in a bandit fight, none of it would matter. You would kick ass just like you do when you visit t
he villages and some tough thinks he can chase the Amazons out of town. But over the last few months, you've developed a habit that would make a difference in any fight."

"Oh?" she asked. "Do tell."

"You've gotten so tired of getting hit, that you're intentionally leaving openings," I said, "openings for blows that won't hurt too much if someone takes them. You especially do it when it's staff against staff, but you do it in almost every fight now. Malora doesn't need openings, but you even do it with her. And maybe it wouldn't matter in the fights with us, but if you do it in a bandit fight, it might."

Maya stared at me
then looked at Nori and Malora. From the corner of my eye, I saw them both nod to her.

"You did it twice in this bout," I said gently. "Easy slashes to your ribs where you're unlikely to get hit hard enough by a practice sword to really hurt, but if it was real steel, you would have been sliced open."

"Three times," Malora said.

"You didn't take advantage of them," Maya said. "They must not have been that big an opening."

"I haven't been taking advantage of them because I didn't want to encourage it. I thought you would train yourself out of it again."

"Is that why I got this instead?" she asked, pointing to her neck.

"I took a neck slice instead of the easy slice to your ribs," Malora said. "But you're the one that dragged the sword across your neck. You know I'm willing to bruise you, but not like that, Maya."

She sighed, and I saw tears come to her eyes, but they didn't escape and run down her cheeks. "You're going to have to beat it out of me, aren't you?"

"If it were only a problem in a demon fight, no," said Nori. "I'm sorry."

She took a breath then asked, "Are we done here? I'd like to get out of the sun, please. Malora, I'll take a rain check on the hair washing. I don't want to rinse the cream off."

She didn't wait for an answer but strode forth, grabbing Malora's swords from her, then carried the two swords and her staff to the equipment shed. We all stared after her.

"Put your gear away," Nori said, "then it's time to run."

* * * *

There was a knock at the door of the hut, moments after Omie and I had stepped inside. Omie was closer and opened the door. A moment later, Maya and Malora entered.

"I'm sorry I was crabby on your birthday, Beria," Maya said, smiling at me. She had her hands behind her back.

"We stopped celebrating two years ago," I said. "It's okay."

"Maybe Amazons don't celebrate eighteenth birthdays, but sisters do. Go sit down and close your eyes."

I grinned at her then moved to the edge of the bed and sat down, closing my eyes and holding out my hands. A moment later, Maya set a package of cloth in my hands. "You may open."

I opened my eyes. I couldn't tell what she had given me. I was holding a wrapped square of wool, tied with a ribbon. I set it in my lap, released the ribbon, and opened it. Inside I found a small bundle of material. It shimmered even in the light from the lamp, and when I touched it, it was soft and very, very smooth. I pulled it out and found a thin shirt. It seemed far too delicate to be very good, but the material felt amazing.

"I saw it this spring when we went recruiting," Maya explained. "It's silk. One of our recruits is a merchant. He gave it to me if I promised to find a good warrior for his daughter. I told him it wasn't necessary, that I would make sure she had the best warrior I could find."

I rubbed the material against my face. It felt amazing.

"He included directions for its care," she said.

I looked up at my sister. "Whom did you give the girl to?"

"Ree, Vorine's old warrior. She's gone without since Vorine became a warrior."

I remembered Ree, and I agreed with Maya's choice. "Thank you, Maya."

"You're welcome. It might feel good to sleep in. Or. Um. Not sleep in."

She giggled, a rare moment of levity for her lately, then she took her warrior's hand and pulled her from the hut.

"Good night," they said.

After letting our guests out, Omie sat on the bed and ran her fingers across the material. "I would love to see you in it."

I smiled and let her help undress me, then I pulled the shirt on. It was long, actually covering my bottom, and felt divine. Omie caressed my arms through the material. So I turned to her and helped her out of her leathers, and she pulled on her own nightshirt. We climbed into bed, and she caressed my arm through the silk again.

"Omie," I said. "I'm eighteen now."

"Yes," she said, "you are."

I took her hand and said, "There's somewhere else I think I want you to touch." I didn't wait, but I moved her hand to my breast. She widened her eyes. "Will you teach me how to make love, Omie?"

It turned out, she would.

* * * *

I don't know how many times we made love over the next month. Certainly every night, not counting the times we were on patrol, and frequently some mornings and stolen afternoons.

Then our rotation to patrol came up. The warriors were Ralla, Malora, Lidi and Omie. We were companion rich with Maya, Neela and me. Although Malora was the queen, she rarely led the patrols, and Ralla was the lead on this trip.

I had seen more demons since my first when I was sixteen, and for the last year, I had been helping with the fights, but only after the initial engagement began, and someone else took the voice. I'd been with Omie when she had taken one more and seen Nori take another.

Our patrols were for three nights. We would meet the previous patrol at the edge of our forest. We patrolled for three days, camping out for three nights, and then would meet our replacement patrol the morning of the fourth day, exactly three days after beginning.

The first day and a half were routine, but then Lidi had grown sick. We decided she had eaten something that disagreed with her.
Her symptoms had grown worse, and Malora had grown nervous. Lidi needed bed and rest. Neela had asked for and been granted permission to take her warrior home. And so we were down one warrior.

Still, it was uneventful until the morning of the last day. We would meet with our replacements in another two hours and were working our way towards the rendezvous point when Omie stiffened.

"Ralla," Omie said. "Southeast."

Immediately all of us looked, and I heard swearing.

"Four," Malora said.

"I only see three," Maya said.

"There's one low on the ridge in the shadows," Malora said. She turned to Maya. "Get out of here. You know the drill."

"No!" said Ralla firmly. "I'm sorry, Malora. We need her."

"Ralla," Malora said.

"She's good support, Malora."

"You are not letting my sister take her first demon solo, Malora!" Maya said. "You know she'll freeze for several seconds if she takes a voice. If I am running, we're all running."

"Damn it," said Malora. "Orders, Ralla?" She turned to
Maya. "Follow orders."

"Yes, Malora," she said.

In response, Ralla lifted her horn and blew a challenge to the demons. They were still a long ways away, but after a moment, they all froze, and we watched them turn to us and bellow. A few seconds later, the sound reached us.

"We have time," Ralla said. "Dismount. Spread out. Beria, you're with your warrior. Maya, you will assist whoever ends up with two. If your sister ends up facing one alone, you will support her. Do not get picked up this time!"

We climbed from our horses. I grabbed a first aid kit and tossed it and a canteen of water to the ground, then we turned our horses west, towards the forest, and slapped their bottoms to get them moving. "Omie, right flank. Malora, center, I'm on the left flank. Maya twenty paces behind Malora until it's clear where you're needed." Everyone scrambled into position and began striding forward. I followed Omie, my heart thundering in my chest.

"No heroes," Malora said. "Maya, that means you."

"Yes, Malora," she said.

"Watch the tail," Malora added. "Beria, if you take a voice, you'll freeze. Shake it off as fast as you can. We're going to need your steel."

"Yes, Queen Malora," I said.

"Malora," said Ralla, "Let's try to get three on us. If someone has two, try to keep them busy long enough for the rest of us to come to your aid."

We spread out further, but not so far apart we couldn't support each other.

Omie glanced over at me, then turned back to face the demons, still over a mile away. They were huge.

"You're ready," she said. "But let me take the voice. I'm not ready to lose my companion, Beria. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, Omie," I said.

"If we get one, I'll keep it busy and you will flank it, but do not get between two of them."

"Yes, Omie," I said.

I wiped my hands against my leathers then drew my sword, holding it with confidence. I glanced back at Maya, and she had her staff out. She looked... angry.

Ralla blew on her horn again, still moving towards the left. Malora strode forth, blowing on her own horn. We couldn't quite tell where the demons were aimed yet, but they were closing rapidly. Omie shifted further right and lifted her own horn, offering a firm blast.

One of the demons stopped and bellowed at us. The other three continued to run, and it was clear they were all running for Malora.

Ralla blew her horn again, and then Omie did. I couldn't tell if one of the demons changed direction for Ralla, but one clearly shifted direction and was running straight for us.

After that, I couldn't worry about the other demons. I could only focus on the one bearing down on my warrior and me. Omie waited until it was a hundred paces away and blew hard on her horn again. It closed to within fifty paces, and she blew once more. The demon ran another second then stopped and bellowed back at her. I heard more horns and more bellows, but all I could see was the demon Omie and I were about to kill.

"The fourth one is coming!" Maya said from behind us. "It's after Omie."

I glanced at it. It wasn't after Omie. It was looking directly at me.

"Split apart," Omie said. "Be careful, Beria. You're ready." Over her shoulder she yelled, "Maya, help Beria!"

I moved further right, and the fourth demon shifted to follow me. To my left, there was a clash of combat, and at least one demon bellowed. I heard Ralla's horn, perhaps trying to distract my demon, but it ignored her and continued after me. I set myself, ready for it's charge, ready to dash out of the way.

The
demon ran at me. From the corner of my eye, I saw Omie engage with hers, and I saw more demons past hers, but I couldn't see how Malora or Ralla were doing.

Then, my demon came to a skidding stop, just before I would have dashed to the side, and I felt the voice enter my mind.

"Companion," it said, and I knew it was male. "Yes," it agreed. "You have never had a male inside you, have you? But now you do. Will you live long enough to enjoy it?"

It stepped closer, and still I stood, frozen.

"Easy pickings," it said. It reached for me, almost casually, but suddenly I was yanked backwards off my feet, and Maya stood in front of the demon, swinging with her staff. She smacked it good right across the mouth.