Amazon Challenge (23 page)

We spent hours making love until finally we slept.

* * * *

We cuddled in the morning for a while, Malora's arms wrapped around me tightly.

"I love you," she whispered.

I bent my head and kissed one of her hands, then clasped both of them tightly to me.

It felt so good to lay with her, her body pressed tightly against my back, one of her legs resting partly between mine.

"The day you fought Riva was the luckiest day of my life, Maya," she said, kissing the back of my neck. "You've made me so happy these last three years."

"It's just a beginning," I replied. "And we both know I vex you more than anything else."

She chuckled. "There is some of that, but I wouldn't trade it away."

I squirmed a little, which I knew would tease her. She chuckled again. "Stop that."

"I don't think so," I said, squirming again.

"We don't have time, Maya."

"I know," I said. "You need to train with a little distraction." And I squirmed again.

"Do that again, and you're going to be training with a freshly-paddled bottom."

I lay still for a good fifteen seconds.

"Don't do it, Maya."

I squirmed.

She exploded into action, throwing herself over me, sitting on my back facing my feet, pinning me to the bed. I struggled to squirm away from her, but my legs were tangled
in the covers, and she lowered her weight fully onto me, pinning me to the bed. She slowly peeled the covers away from my ass until it was exposed to the cool morning air.

"I told you what would happen," she said. "You didn't believe me."

"Stop this!" I ordered.

She began rubbing my bottom, which caused me to squirm even more.

"Ten swats," she said. "You will count."

"No!" I said. I struggled, but I knew I was going to get the spanking. I knew it even before I squirmed.

She lifted her hand and swatted my bottom firmly. I yelped, then said, "One." Malora rubbed my bottom again, then delivered the second swat. I yelped again, then said, "Two."

By the time she reached ten, I was almost sorry for taunting her. Almost. She rubbed my now-flaming bottom before climbing slowly off of me to lay down lengthwise next to me again. I rolled onto my side to face her, still panting.

"What have we learned?" she asked me.

I smiled at her. "How to get my bottom rubbed."

She guffawed. She levered herself up then pulled me back onto my stomach. "It's bright red."

"You spanked it," I said. "Now you have to kiss it."

"I don't think so, Maya," she said, lying back down. She blew into my ear, and I rolled away to face her. "Spankings are punishment, not pleasure," she added.

I grinned at her. "Did you enjoy giving it to me?"

"No."

My smile faded. "I'm sorry," I said.
"I was feeling playful."

She leaned forward and kissed my nose.
"I may have enjoyed it a little bit."

"Only a little?
Doesn't my queen enjoy dominating her playful little schoolmarm?"

"You are so confusing, Maya."

"Oh?"

"You get so mad when I give you even the smallest order at all, but then you taunt me like this."

"Oh. Well, this is like roughhousing in the river, except here you actually have a chance."

"I have a chance, do I? Only a chance?"

"Well, you didn't get any special attention on your bottom."

She laughed. "Is that what you call it?"

"Uh huh. You could use a spanking yourself, though."

"Oh I could, could I?"

"Yes. You've been naughty."

"I have not."

"You most certainly have! You have been lounging in bed with your play toy instead of getting up for breakfast, and if you don't hurry, you'll be late for training."

She laughed then gave me a big push, rolling me right out of bed so I landed on the floor.

"Oh, you will pay for that, Malora," I promised in a low voice. "When you least expect it."

She rolled off the bed then pulled me to my feet and into her arms. "And just what do you think you'll do to pay me back?"

"Make you spank me again, of course." And then I pulled away from her, but I waved my bottom at her, barely scampering away when she reached for me.

We were late for breakfast and on the verge of being late for training. "Go ahead, Malora, I'll bring some food." I knew it would make me technically late, but Nori w
asn't going to punish me for it, not when I came bearing food for Malora. I hit the kitchen, assembling a basket of food, light things she could eat without giving her a heavy stomach. With a jug of water in my other hand, I was fully laden.

I was, indeed, late arriving to the training ground. They had already begun stretching. I sat down next to Malora and popped some food in her mouth then fought to catch up with the stretches.

I looked around; Beria was there, smiling at Omie. I worried about her back, but it had been over two weeks, and I wasn't going to get between her and Omie deciding what was best for her. She glanced over at me and smiled, but then offered a worried look. Everyone knew I was late.

We finished stretching, and Nori climbed to her feet. "
Gaylie, set a fast pace for the run. Maya, set a pace for the companions."

I gave them only a second or so to climb to the feet, and then I was running. A moment later, Nori was beside me.

"Don't make a habit of it," she said.

"You will cut me every tiny b
it of slack between now and the challenge," I replied. "Right now we both have one duty, and one duty only, and that is making sure she's ready. I'm seeing to her soul and her heart, and you will not interfere."

"Of course not. But the next day, I am working you until you drop."

"You get her ready, Nori. I want that fight to last three seconds with Parlomith's head separated from the rest of her."

"So bloodthirsty."

"She whipped my sister, she wants to kill my warrior, and she wants to destroy the Amazons. If I'd let Malora kill her three years ago, we wouldn't be facing any of this now. You go worry about Malora. Omie, Vorine and I will watch over the companions."

"Yes, Queen's Companion," she said, and her voice was filled with respect. She pulled away from me, cutting across the field to fall into step next to Malora. The two of them were beautiful to watch, and I knew they would lap us soon if I didn't step it up.

"All right, Companions!" I yelled. "Step it up or there will be a demon on your heels!"

We ran faster.

They lapped us anyway, but only once, and when Gaylie pulled the warriors to a slow, we caught up, slowing with them, and then all of us came to a stop, although many of us continued to walk around slowly, keeping heated muscles from clenching.

"The warriors are practicing with swords," Nori announced. "Bea, I want you with the companions today." Bea was good enough to practice with the warriors, but she wasn't good enough to help train Malora. I fully approved of Nori's decision. Bea nodded.

"Companions," said Vorine, "grab swords for your warriors and yourselves."

I led the way to the storage shed and asked Bea to help pass out the weapons. I grabbed two sw
ords and a staff. Bea raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. I ran back to Malora and gave her both swords. "Did you want a whip, too?"

She shook her head. "Too distracting."

I paused, then ran back to the storage shed and retrieved a whip and sword for Nori. When I handed them to her, I said, "Parlomith likes the whip, but I don't think she's as good as you are." Nori nodded understanding.

Then I ran to join the companions, carrying my practice staff. Omie raised an eyebrow.

"Omie, Vorine," I said, "I am hopeless with a sword, and I always well be. But I am at least adequate with a staff. I will practice with staff against sword, if you please. If you need me to also grab a sword to assist my sister Amazons, I can do that as well."

The two of them eyed me for a moment. I wasn't sure they understood.

"Try this for a few weeks," I said. "After that, you judge." In other words, until after the challenge.

And that they understood, both nodding.

We practiced for an hour. The companions were all unaccustomed to facing a staff while holding a sword, and no one knew what to do when facing me. Omie focused on the other companions, but Vorine stayed next to me, trying to envision exercises for sword against staff. For me, it was easy. I could defend against the swords in a fashion very similar to defending against another staff, although I had to be careful to avoid letting my knuckles get slashed. Swords were sometimes faster to use than a staff, but the range was shorter.

I was cycling against one frustrated companion after another. I'd been gentle, but I had delivered a few bruises. Finally Vorine sent my latest sparring partner, Aura, over to Omie. Vorine stepped in front of me herself and said, "Sparring at half speed."

I kicked her ass.

"Three quarter's speed."

I kicked her ass.

"Full speed but pull the blows," she said.

I didn't kick her ass, but I still was able to beat her back.

"Vorine, we never practice this combination," I said. "The only time we see it is in the partner matches."

"I know. And I don't have a clue what to do."

"Vorine, work with the other companions for a while. I'll be back."

I turned and ran over to the warriors. Malora was sparring with Chalena, her swords a blur. I waited for a strike and a pause and yelled, "Hold!"

Both fighters paused and stepped away before looking at me. Malora and Nori both raised eyebrows at me.

"Chalena," I said, "step away." As soon as she was clear, I stepped into place before Malora and raised my staff.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Half speed," I said. "Fight."

She got a couple of points on me, but I made her work for it. I pulled back and said, "Three quarters speed." That was more lopsided for her, but I could tell she found it awkward. She got a few more points, but I got one, too. Everyone stared.

I stepped back. "Do we know for a fact Parlomith is going to use a sword?"

"No," said Nori.

I turned to her and threw my staff at her. She caught it one handed. "I can't fix this, Nori. You have to." I stepped back.

Nori looked around. "Ralla, you're better with a staff than I am. Let's see if we have a problem." She handed the staff to Ralla, who stepped in to face Malora. The two bowed, and Nori called "Fight."

Ralla kicked Malora's ass. It wasn't even close. When Nori called the bout, I stepped forward, helped Malora to her feet, then pulled the three of them into a huddle.

"You will fix this!" I said. "You hear me? You will fix this!"

"Yes, Maya," Nori said. "We're going to need to test other combinations. Malora, none of us can use two swords as well as you do."

"That's only a little different than two separate opponents," Malora said. "We'll have to practice that."

"You're as good as you need to be against one sword," Nori said. "We'll make sure that stays sharp. Maya, we've got this."

"Nori, the companions need the same training. Vorine and Omie are at a loss. Are you going to work with swords and staff now?"

"Yes," she said.

"I'll send Omie and Vorine over to learn from you, then."

I pulled out of the huddle after offering a quick caress to both Malora and Nori. I could see the tension in both their eyes, but I could work on that later. I collected another staff from the supply shed and returned to the companions.

Omie and Vorine, and probably everyone else, had seen the fight between Malora and Ralla.

"They're fixing it," I said. "You two go learn what you can while they're working it out. You're going to have to teach us later. What do you want us working on in the meantime?"

"You guys want to wrestle for a while?" Omie asked. That earned a lot of nods, so the companions put our weapons away while Omie and Vorine ran over to sit with the other warriors.

"All right," I said, taking over the class. "Wrestling practice or should we hold a mini-tournament?"

"Tournament!" Bea said immediately to nods from most of the rest. "We're each wagering one night of dinner duty paid to whoever wins."

I laughed. Bea was the probable winner.

"Dinner duty if the winner is Sixteen or younger. Lunch otherwise."
Looked at Beria. "It is your choice if you want to wrestle."

"I'll wrestle," she said.

I got some unexpected looks. "Why does she get a choice?" Aura asked.

"You don't know?" I asked. "None of you know?"

"Know what?" Bea asked.