Amazon Challenge (11 page)

"I cannot leave without the permission of the village chief," Badra said. "I see my family about as often as Gini sees hers."

"I can promise this," Gini said, "and I bet Badra can as well. I can promise to ask my chief to
let me take you home once a year, but they may be brief visits, only for a few days. My chief may not allow that. If we are not able to come at least every other year, then the years I would visit my family, we will visit yours instead."

"I can make that same promise," Badra said. "But more likely we would visit both your family and mine on the same trip. It would only add a few days of travel to see both."

"You'll ask your chiefs?" Tamma asked. "Really ask, not fake ask?"

They both smiled. "Really ask," Gini said. She paused. "We might have to trade duty with the other Amazons so they don't mind taking our duty while we're gone."

"I can do that. I trade with Lia all the time." The girl turned to me. "I want to go. May I leave in the morning with you?"

I smiled broadly. "We would love to have you."

"Which warrior is mine?"

"Well," I said, "that's the tricky part. We could make them fight for you."

"We could?"

Gini and Badra both laughed.

Tamma looked between them, then looked at me with pain. She didn't want to pick. To be honest, I wouldn't have wanted to, either.

"You like them both?" She nodded. "Well then, let them work it out."

"Queen's Companion," Gini asked immediately, "do you believe we will have similar luck at other villages? Tamma is a special find for us."

"I agree, she is. We will find more companions. Tamma is unique, but perhaps there are others whose company you will enjoy as much as hers."

"What about Lia?"

"Their mother asked that they don't both leave, and Lia let Tamma decide. I
cannot fault the girl for caring about her mother's wishes."

"No," Gini said. "Neither can I." She turned to Badra. "My home village is far away. Yours is closer, and you have been without a companion longer than I have. If you will treat Tamma well, then it is your choice, Badra."

"I will work her very hard," Badra replied.

Gini smiled. "To an Amazon, that is almost the same thing."

There were three chuckles and one nervous teenager.

"You would also treat her well, and your chief may be slightly more amenable to more frequent departures."

"If you do not want her, I will happily claim her," Gini said. "I cannot imagine a better companion. But if you want her, claim her now."

Badra smiled. "I do want her."

"Congratulations to both of you," I said. I turned Tamma to me. "When you tell your parents, your mother will probably cry and your father may try to interfere."

"They can't make me stay, can they?"

"No, but it can be very difficult to watch your mother cry."

She thought about it and nodded.

"From this moment forward, you must do as your warrior tells you. You understand that, don't you?" She nodded. "And the punishments for disobeying can be very unpleasant."

"I'll be good."

Badra was grinning, but she wasn't touching her new companion.

"This part can be awkward. Do you remember what we said about what a companion does?"

"We do chores like laundry and serving dinner."

"Yes, but there is something much more important. We offer comfort to our warriors.
I am going to show you how we do that. It isn't scary and it doesn't hurt." I turned to Gini and stepped closer. I caressed her cheek, and her eyes opened widely before she smiled. She wrapped her arms around me, and I let her hold me, her fingers at the back of my neck. She trembled a little, then sighed softly and whispered, "Thank you."

Tamma watched carefully. "Aren't you with the queen?"

"Yes," I said, "but this is only comfort. It is just like hugging your little sister when she's had a bad dream."

"Did Gini have a bad dream?"

"Yes," Gini said.

Tamma looked over at Badra. "Do you want a hug?"

"Very much," Badra said. She stepped closer, hesitant, and I saw she would be very careful with the girl. Tamma was less reserved and hugged her tightly. Badra slowly put her arms around her.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to Gini, pulling away. I turned to the other two. They were about to break their hug, but I held them together. Then I moved Badra's hands to the back of Tamma's head.

"Skin contact helps," I said. I adjusted Tamma so her face was buried in Badra's neck. I could see Badra's entire posture change as she held the girl.

I whispered to Tamma, "if you listen to your warrior's body, you'll start to hear when you're comforting her, and you'll learn what she needs the most from you."

"This is all?" she asked. "She needs me to hug her."

"And care about her," I said.

She pulled her head away and looked at me. "I can do that."

"Good.
She'll want to touch you a lot. If you have questions, you can ask Badra, but if you are uncomfortable or don't understand, you may find me as well."

"Thank you, Maya," she said. She laid her head against Badra's chest again. "You're warm, Badra."

"Tamma, you will stay with your warrior now, but you should introduce her to your family and let them know what you decided. Lia can collect your things for you a little later." I didn't want to give her parents an opportunity to interfere, so I wanted her plastered to Badra's side until we were well gone. Badra looked over the girl's head and nodded, letting me know she understood.

"Congratulations!" Gini said. She said it with meaning, but I knew there was disappointment as well.

"Let's leave them to get better acquainted," I said, grabbing Gini's arm. I pulled her away and said, "That was very gracious."

"Badra's a good woman," Gini said. "We already had decided earlier if both girls came, I was getting Lia."

"Then I am doubly sorry. If it's any consolation, I believe you will have a companion long before we return home."

"Tarine would be happy if we treated the companions the way Nori treated you." Everyone knew the story; it was famous, the new companion who had beaten a warrior in a duel, then taken by Nori instead, given to the queen. "This is better."

"Yes. Perhaps slower."

"Will they tithe?"

"We just took the mayor's daughter. I hope he loves her enough to be generous."

"That was clever, the bit about taking her to visit. Your idea, I presume."

"Yes. She asked if she'd ever see them again."

"I didn't see my family for five years. I missed them terribly."

"Mine comes to visit," I replied. "And of course, I saw them the first year, when we went back." We came to a stop. "See anyone you want to meet?"

"You don't need to escort me around, Maya."

"You instead want me to introduce Tarine to some of the girls?"

She laughed. "You don't know them any better than I do."

"True. So plan B. Come on." I tugged on her arm, having found Lia talking to a couple of other girls about her age. I dragged Gini to them.

"Lia," I said. "Who are your friends?"

Lia was good about it. She gave introductions then gushed about how nice Gini had been to her that day. One of the girls asked Gini if she could see her sword, and I took a moment to pull Lia to the side.

"I need two things from you. I need you to collect your sister's things for her before the night is over. Can you do that?"

"Sure."

"And I need you to introduce Gini to any girls you think would make good Amazons. If she meets anyone you think would be bad Amazons, find a way to tell her without anyone else hearing."

"Can I introduce the girls I don't like to Tarine?"

"Oh, you are a wicked girl," I said.
"Be my guest."

* * * *

In the morning, we left White Pine with Tamma, riding double with Badra. Both seemed very pleased with the situation. No other girls chose to leave with us, but I hoped the village would begin sending girls annually after this. Malora talked to the mayor, who made promises, but we didn't know if he would keep them.

We hadn't gotten far from town before Tarine began sniping again. "One. We left with one companion. "This is success? I would have taken ten."

I turned to her. "Tarine, Badra has a companion she wouldn't have if we hadn't come. The village will begin to tithe. They may begin to send girls in the future, but I do not know. And we did that without ruining our reputation. Our reputation is at least as important as the companions we could have taken against their wishes. The Amazons are stronger for having come." After that, I ignored her.

We traveled to the coast, picking
up two more companion on the way. We visited four villages on the coast, and we found a companion for Gini, a sweet girl of sixteen named Callie. I think Callie was leaving a bad household situation, as she made a beeline for me the moment I finished talking to the village.

"Miss Maya," she said.

"Yes?"

"Do you have any men?"

"There are no men living with the Amazons," I said.

"You said it was our decision if we wanted to go."

"Yes."

"I want to go. Right now."

"What's your name?"

"Callie. I'm sixteen. Please, may I go with you?"

I studied her. She looked nervous.

"Please don't make me beg," she said quietly. "I have to go with you."

"I'm not going to make you beg. I want to be sure you know what you're getting into. There are rules. You will have to follow them."

"But there aren't any men?"

"No, no men."

"I want to go. Please."

"Come with me." I took her arm and went in search of Malora. She was talking quietly to Nori. Malora smiled when she saw me.

"Malora," I said, "this is Callie. She wishes to become an Amazon. Immediately." I turned to her. "Do you want to go home, think about it?"

"No!"

"Maybe pick up your things?" Malora asked.

"There's nothing there I need."

I looked at Malora. "Then of course, you may stay with us." She put an arm around her. "But I must talk to you and make sure you understand."

"I listened carefully. I'm going."

"Come on," Malora said. "We'll go talk under that tree." She looked over her shoulder and mouthed, "Gini."

I nodded. As soon as they were out of hearing, I stepped up to Nori, "if her father, or more likely stepfather appears, I won't mind if you find an excuse to beat the crap out of him."

Nori raised an eyebrow, so I related the entire
conversation. Her lips grew tight.

"Don't jump to conclusions," Nori said. "He may just be overprotective, or it might be one of the local boys."

"I suppose." I sighed. "I still haven't found one for you."

"You mean I haven't found one I want," she said with a smile.

"I need to find Gini."

Gini was talking to Badra and Tamma, so I grabbed the four of them. "Tamma, see the girl talking to the queen, sitting next to the tree?"

"Sure."

"Go introduce yourself. Offer to be friends."

"All right."

As soon as she was gone, I told both women about the conversation. "Gini? She's going to latch onto the first warrior who shows her an ounce of kindness. Make sure that's not Tarine. If you're not interested, tell me now."

"I think I'm going to tell her a story about how the worst warrior in our troop beat up two large men, all by herself."

I grinned at her. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

I pulled them both over, and we all sat down together. I made sure Gini sat next to the girl, and I leaned against Malora. After a minute, she turned her attention to me, and Badra pulled Tamma's attention, and that left Gini to talk to Callie. Five minutes later, Gini caught my eye and nodded once.

Then, in the background, I saw Tarine. She was glaring at me.

"Malora," I said quietly into her ear.

"I see it," she said. "The woman is a fool. That would have been a disaster of a match."

"She needs a companion from the plains, someone who fought to become an Amazon. Or, I suppose, a gutter rat."

"A gutter rat won't treat her with the respect she thinks she is owed," Malora pointed out. "Gratitude for a better life won't be enough."

* * * *

In the end, for the twenty warriors looking for companions, we found ten. Nori went without, as did Tarine.

She took every opportunity during our travels back home to make sure I knew it was my fault she would go another year without a companion. Eventually, Malora pointedly gave her permission to take a more direct route home, which she and several other warriors accepted.