Amazon Chief (56 page)

"Well," Nori said. "Unless there is to be more wagering, I should put the whelp in her place."

"You make no wager, Nori?" I asked. "Afraid to put your skins where your mouth is?"

"You, little whelp, are wagering our honor. I believe that is sufficient wager."

"So be it," I said. I stepped further away from her and lifted the staff. "Whenever you're ready."

She came after me. We exchanged blows for a moment then backed off. When next she came after me, I offered the opening she had complained about. She immediately took the opportunity, but I blocked her strike and stepped back.

"That was one," Malora said immediately. "Four more."

"Just because you blocked it doesn't make it a good habit," Nori said.

I shrugged and lifted the staff.

She came after me, and I let her push me backwards, then shifted past her, tapping her with my staff on the way past, then turning to face her.

"Damn it," she said, rubbing her ribs.

"Oh, I didn't hit you that hard."

"That's not a point," Malora said.

"I never said it was." But I kept my eyes on Nori. She followed me, swinging, and after her third strike, I gave her the opening again, making it just a tiny bit bigger. She took the offer, but instead of a proper strike, I trapped her staff and rapped her wrist, although not very hard.

"Go ahead and shake that out," I said. "I'll wait."

"Two points to Beria," Malora said. "Stop messing around, Nori."

"I'm not messing around," Nori said. And then she shook her wrist out, flexing her fingers before gripping her staff again. She didn't wait but came straight for me.

We traded blows for a moment, and she managed to whack my arm, significantly harder than I had hit her wrist.

"No point," Malora said.

"Go ahead and shake that out," Nori said. "I'll wait."

I shook the arm, rotating it around, then gripp
ed my staff and grinned at her. I swung for her with little warning. It wasn't meant to connect; I only wanted her to think I was sore at her for the bump on my arm. We pushed back and forth, and then I offered the opening. She refused it. Ten seconds later, she refused a second time.

"Hold," I said, stepping back quickly. "Malora, I said I would offer it five times. That makes four."

"I didn't see it," she said.

"I did," Maya muttered, but it was said quietly I could ignore it.

"Nori-" Malora said.

"One point," Nori said.

"No," I said. "No points, but we're not doing this all afternoon until finally I make a mistake."

Nori held her staff to the side and stepped closer. "Did I miscalculate?" she asked quietly.

"No," I said just as quietly. "It's a real hole."

"It's an intentional hole."

"Of course it is. I really would like to know if you are able to take advantage of it. That's all I wanted, Nori."

She nodded. "Show it to me a couple more times, and after that, we'll see."

"Thank you." I stepped away. "Queen Malora, I would like to change our wager."

"Oh, I don't think so."

"I do not care to see my queen in pink hair," I said. "If I win, then I want you to order everyone to silence."

"Agreed," Malora said immediately.

I lifted my staff and waited for Nori. We traded blows and counterblows, neither of us connecting. I showed her the opening twice more, then we separated. "Got it?" I asked. She nodded.

She almost got me. Almost. I managed to block her, but barely, and we froze at that point, standing very close to each other, somewhat tangled together.

"Almost had you, but that's the best I've got."

"I could still make a mistake."

"Three points," Malora said.

For the fourth point, I tangled her staff then flipped her over my hip. We froze with the end of my staff resting on her sternum, her staff safely tucked underneath my armpit. She blinked up at me.

"Four points," Malora said quietly.

I helped Nori up.
She dusted off for a moment before lifting her staff.

The last exchange was lengthy, but then I offered the opening, and Nori took it. There was a scramble, and we ended up with our bodies pressed together, but her staff made a clear thud against my ribs. Everyone would have heard it. We froze.

"Point to Nori!" Malora said with pleasure.

Nori stared into my eyes. "Is that what I think it is?" I nodded. "If I hadn't pulled it, I'd have cracked your ribs." I nodded.

We separated, just a little, my back to the other Amazons. Nori looked down between us. I had a practice dagger pressed against her stomach.

"I never even saw it," she said. "You could have gutted me."

I nodded. "I wasn't sure. Nori..." I wanted it kept a secret.

"You couldn't use it in a practice bout, you know." I nodded. "I'll need to tell Malora." I knew that. I slipped the knife back inside my tunic and stepped away.

"Point and wager to Nori," I said.

"Why?" she mouthed.

I glanced at the kids. I trusted everyone else, but I didn't know these children. I turned back to Nori, and she nodded understanding.

"Like I said," Nori said firmly. "Impudent whelp."

"I guess you were right. I'll have to work on it." I turned around. "Who is next?"

* * * *

"Walk with me, Beria," Malora said later that evening. I climbed to my feet, and she put her arm around me before pulling me from the camp. "I'll have to dye your hair," she said once we were well out of camp. "You offered to let me cut your hair. And you were intending to lose."

"The story will get around," I said. "Maybe the version of the story that is most spoken will exclude the fourth point where I flipped her. But I wasn't planning that far ahead, Malora. I had intended to win, but when the flip worked, I decided I needed to know."

"And you don't want anyone else to know."

"If I ever need that, it's going to be against another Parlomith, Malora. If the kids weren't here, I would have accepted the win. The rest of us can keep our mouths closed, but they're eight and ten, and I might sit on this for ten years before I need to use it."

"Challenges are almost always steel, Beria."

"Almost always is not always."

"You lost large wagers for a secret you may never need."

"But if I do, it's worth the bear skin. And we haven't had pink hair in a long time. I'm sure I'm owed for some prank never assigned to me. Let Omie do it."

"Pink hair makes up for a lot of spiders." Malora chuckled. "All right."

"Does Maya know?"

"No."

I paused. "Malora, it's worth a bear skin to me to let it get around that Nori is still better than I am."

"It's a price you shouldn't have to pay."

I shrugged. "It's Ralla and Jasmine. Consider it a retirement gift. I don't know how much I owe Ralla, anyway. Surely I owe her far more than one
bearskin. Will they keep it, or will she trade it?"

"I'll make sure she keeps it," Malora said. "They'll think of you every cold winter night."

"Tell them when I come to visit, they can move it to my bed." She laughed.

* * * *

We finally arrived at Lake Juna. I offered to Malora to let them head straight to Queen's Town, but she said she wanted to see Lia settled in. And so we rode into Lake Juna shortly before dinner, some three weeks after departing, and we still had half our original trip remaining.

The village was pleased to see us, and we were greeted warmly. Lindara took my horse from me. She had a little help moving the horses to the stable, but she must have offered to settle all of them, because a moment later, Tamma and Lia reappeared. Tamma began giving Lia a tour of the village.

Glorana and Frida appeared, took one look, then Frida disappeared in the direction of the kitchen while Glorana continued towards us. I presumed Frida would tell whoever was cooking to put on more food.

"Greetings, Chief Beria," Glorana said. "Queen Malora. Are you back?"

"Just dropping off a new villager," I said. "We'll get introductions over dinner. Queen Malora, I hope you will stay for dinner."

"We shall," she said, "and then we'll head home. Do you need a day or two before continuing our trip?"

I turned to Glorana. "Do I?"

"Not on our account," she said.

"Queen Malora, do you wish me to take a day or two anyway?"

She laughed. "No. But a night in a warm bed will feel good."

"Speaking of a warm bed," I said, and I headed to my hut. "I'll be right back."

My hut was just as I had left it, although it was cold; there was no reason for a fire while I was gone. I collected the
bearskin from atop my bed, throwing part of it over my shoulder so it would not drag on the ground. I stepped back out. Glorana was watching me, but the rest were chatting and walking slowly through the village. I headed straight for Ralla, then settled the long skin over her shoulders, covering her entirely, then draped more of it over Jasmine at her side.

"Walk with me, Chief Beria," Ralla said. She nudged me away from everyone else, Jasmine at her side. "Nori told me. You don't have to do this."

Instead, I stepped into both of them, offering them hugs, and kissing first one cheek, then another. "I don't know how much I owe you, Ralla. You helped train me. You helped me learn to patrol. You were there the day I became a warrior and helped me get through it. Jasmine, you have offered comfort and friendship. We became Amazons on the same day. You soothed me when my heart was breaking. Now you are both leaving, and while this isn't forever, we will not see each other often. I want you to have this, and remember me during the winter gales, while you huddle under it."

"You know I expected you to keep my skin," Ralla said. "Now I take two skins from the Amazons instead of none as I had planned."

"You've only been to the coast in the late spring and summer," I said. "You're going to want these. Keep them both. Maybe you can will them to the queen of the Amazons, and when you are both gone, many, many years from now, the Amazons will have this gift returned."

"We shall," she said.

We hugged again and exchanged another set of kissed cheeks, and then we separated.

By the time we rejoined the group, we'd acquired a larger audience. "Why does Ralla have your bear skin, Chief Beria?"

"The impudent child lost a wager," Nori said. "She wagered she could beat me in a duel." And then they took turns telling the story exactly the way I wanted it told.

At the end, Malora said, "And when she returns in another two weeks, you will witness the results of her wager with me." She shook her head. "She should know better than to wager against Nori."

I shrugged. "Next time, Nori. Next time."

Nori chuckled. "Any time, Queen's Companion's Sister."

"That's Chief Queen's Companion's Sister to you," I said, earning some chuckles.

* * * *

Lia came to me that night, knocking at the door of my hut. I looked up when she entered.

"Settled in all right?" I asked.

"Yes, thank you," she said. "Do you have a few minutes, Chief Beria?"

I gestured to a chair. "What can I do for you?"

"Not a thing. I came to thank you."

"There's no need," I said. "We're happy to have you. Your girls are a delight, and I very much enjoy your company." I grinned. "Besides, you haven't seen the duty roster yet."

She laughed. "Yes, I have."

"I will be gone for two weeks," I said. "If Badra's hut gets cozy, you and your daughters may sleep here. I do not know how warm the bed will be. My best blanket rode away on the back of a horse this evening.
"

"We brought some bedding with us," Lia said. "That is a generous offer. Are you sure?"

"I never offer anything when I don't mean it," I said. "It is up to you. I would prefer the girls stay out of my chest. We don't have locks on anything here. If you do not trust their curiosity, have someone move the chest to safety elsewhere." Then I gestured to the fishing flies hanging from an old fishing net Dannick had given me. "The hooks are sharp. You will need to warn the girls."

She got up and looked at the flies. "What are they?"

"Fishing flies." I explained them. "I can teach you in the spring."

She turned around. "I'd like that." She stepped forward to stand beside me. "There is something I would do for you."

I raised an eyebrow. In answer, she took my hands and pulled me from the chair, then stepped into an embrace, laying her face against my neck. I wrapped my arms around her and sighed.

"Thank you," I whispered several minutes later.

"Do they grow silent?" she asked.

"They grow still. My sister can silence them in this fashion. For you, it may take more intimacy than is appropriate, or perhaps far more time than you are offering. But this is good. They are quiet, and I will be able to sleep."