Amazon Chief (33 page)

"Is there more, Nori?" Malora asked.

"Yes, Queen Malora. I would ask our schoolteacher to provide lessons to our newest Amazon. I realize this is an imposition, but if she can provide books and assistance, we can perhaps find ample teachers for the day to day lessons."

"You ask me to evaluate her education to date, and then plan and oversee additional education?" Maya asked.

"Yes," Nori said.

"Happily," Maya said. "I have offered that in the past to everyone here."

"And I have one more request, Queen Malora," Nori said.

"Well then, state it, and we can consider the entirety of your request."

"Rora is strong, but she is here as a companion. I do not want her to patrol, and I wish her trained gently. Similarly, Narsana is young, and she should be trained somewhat more gently than she might be when she is older."

"I want to be a warrior!" Narsana said from beside her mother.

"Hush," Rora said to her quietly.

"Yes, Mama," Narsana said.

"Nori," Malora said, "I am quite pleased to grant your entire favor." She turned to Omie and Vorine. "You understand?"

"Of course, Queen Malora," said Vorine.

She turned to Rora. "Will Chester be upset with us?"

"No," Rora said. "I will need permission to go home and see to some business. My son is ready to take over the rest of my responsibilities in Howard's Den, and I would not have further children. I will need a week."

"I will take her," Nori said. "Perhaps we may leave Narsana here."

"And you will take one more warrior with you," Malora said. "Omie reports bandits."

"If I may have Omie and Beria, we'll take care of the bandits," Nori replied.

Malora smiled then walked over to stand in front of Rora and Narsana. She knelt down and looked into Narsana's eyes. "Do you understand what was just discussed?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, Queen Malora. Nori asked if Mama and I could be her companions. I think you said 'yes'."

"Nori asked if your mother can be Nori's companion," Malora said. "You will be trained as a companion but will not be assigned to a warrior for a year or two."

The girl took her mother's hand. "But you said I could stay here."

"Yes," Malora said with a smile. "I said you may stay here. You understand you will need to obey Nori."

"And you, and Maya and Omie and Beria and Vorine. And Mama, of course. And my warrior, when I have one."

"Yes," said Malora. She stood up and turned to Nori, pulling her into a hug. I heard her whisper, "Congratulations."

They separated, and then Nori turned to me. "I believe now your reaction is appropriate," Nori said.

I jumped to my feet. "Yes!" I said. "Yes, yes, yes!" Laughing, Nori pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you."

I turned twenty-two. I had been in two more demon fights, supplying the killing blow on the first and a hamstring on the second, but Nori took the first voice and Omie the second. I was still not a warrior.

Winter arrived, hard and cold, but still we patrolled. The demons didn't seem to care about the change of seasons. The snow was sparse, but it was a cold winter, and we all bundled under our furs and cloaks.
At night, we moved into the forest and constructed extra windbreaks to give the horses a break from the cold.

It was at the northernmost portion of our route that we noticed the demon. He was two miles ahead, standing at the top of a hill, still as a statue, right at the border we shared with Black Oak. Ralla was leading the trip with Bea, Karena, Omie and me. I was the only companion.

"Beria," Ralla said, "bad day to become a warrior."

"Yes, Ralla," I said. With no other companion here, if I became a warrior today, both Omie and I would need to make it another day and a half without comfort. I was not in a hurry.

"Bea, you need another voice."

She nodded. "Malora said it gets easier with four or five. I only have two."

"Bea, center," Ralla said. "Omie right, I'll take the left. Karena back up Bea. Beria, I know you're ready, but I want you to stay out of this fight. Stay with the horses."

We all acknowledged our orders and climbed from our horses. I took the reins from everyone, and they strode forth. Bea lifted her horn to her lips and gave a solid blow, an Amazon battle cry.

Seconds later, the demon's head snapped towards us, we could see it even at this great distance. He lifted his head to the sky, and it was seconds before we heard his answer. And then he was charging towards us.

The warriors fanned out, giving themselves some room. Bea blew her horn again, and they all came to a stop perhaps forty yards in front of me.
I loosened my sword, just in case, but I attended to my duties, keeping the horses calm. It was just one demon, after all. This would be a quick fight.

The demon bounded towards us, returning Bea's battle cry as he ran. And then about two hundred yards in front of the warriors, he stopped. He bellowed again, turning back and forth to include them all. Bea responded with her horn, and the demon stopped to stare at her for a moment.

It pawed at the ground, and I thought he would charge, but he looked around again, and then he looked past the warriors right at me.

Bea blew her horn again then dropped it and began yelling at him.

"You miserable creature," she screamed. "You come to our lands, forcing us out in the cold like this. Come fight us! Come fight me. I will thrust my sword deep inside you and see this body you wear turn to dust."

The demon bellowed once more then began running in great, ground-eating leaps, heading first towards Bea, but then he turned directions towards Omie. Bea screamed at him, but he ran towards my warrior, then gathered his muscles and made a great leap, landing twenty paces past her, off to my right. He skidded to a stop and immediately turned to me.

"Why are you hiding back here?" he said into my mind. "Did you not wish to become a warrior today?"

I screamed in rage, drew my sword, and ran at him.

"You are the only companion here," he said to me. "Will my voice drive you mad before they can find a companion to soothe you?"

"Die!" I screamed as I reached him. He swiped at me with his upper claws and tried to grab me with his lower claws, but I slid to the sparse snow, sliding underneath him, jabbing upwards into his heart, n
early losing my blade as I slid past him. But I retained possession, ripping it from his body, slicing deeply as I came to a rest several feet past him.

I was sprayed by his innards.

I rolled, rolled out of the way, then turned to face him in time to see the body crumble into dust.

But in my head, the voice was still there.

"No companions to soothe you," he said. "And a new voice. All this room in your mind, everywhere to roam. Whatever shall we talk about?" Then he went digging through my memories, memories of Omie, my warrior, my friend, my lover. "Oh, you won't be doing this anymore," he said. "Or this. And definitely not this."

Around me, the warriors gathered, and Omie was screaming, "Bea, did you take the voice? Who took the voice?"

I knelt in the snow. "Shut up!" I screamed at the demon. "Shut up! Those are my memories, and you can't have them."

"No," said Omie. "No." She ran around in front of me. "Beria, no."

She reached for me, but Ralla screamed at her, "Omie, don't touch her!"

And Omie drew back, falling to her knees, and she began to sob.

"Omie?  Make him stop. Make him stop!"

"Oh baby," she sobbed. "I can't. I'm so sorry. I'm not ready to lose you!"

She reached for me, and I reached for her, but Ralla screamed. "Omie, no! Bea, Karena, get her out of here!"

Bea and Karena ran around me, grabbing Omie by the arms, dragging her away. She fought them, and there was a tussle, but then she went limp, and they dragged her away.

"Omie?"

Then Ralla was there, kneeling in front of me.

"Beria," she said. "Look at me. Look at me!"

I raised my eyes. "Ralla. He's eating my memories. He's eating my memories of Omie."

"No," she said. "He's not. It's a fight, but he's lying. That's what they do. He can't steal your memories. He can't hurt your memories. They are your memories, not his."

"Oh, what does she know?" the demon said. "Just because her demons are too stupid to eat your memories doesn't mean I am. Oh look, this one is especially tasty. Nom, nom, nom... Burrrrrppp."

"He's lying, Beria," Ralla said. "Everything he tells you is a lie. They are all lies. He might try to disguise his lies with truth, but they are all lies."

"He's lying?" I asked.

"Demons lie, Beria," she said. "And you are stronger than they are. You are stronger than all of them."

"They are evil," I said in a cold voice.

"Yes," Ralla said. "They are. Selfish and evil, but you are the light, Beria. You are truth and you are strength. He cannot hurt you if you don't let him."

"Oh yes I can," the voice said. "Oh, what's this? Your mother. Did you know your father isn't your father? Your father was actually a horrid man who raped your mother while your father was fishing. Ask your sister. He made her watch, and then he raped her, too."

"Liar!" I screamed. "Liar, liar, liar!"

"Ask your sister? You'll see it in her eyes. Oh yes, you will."

"You're wrong!"

But the voice went on and on. I clutched at my head screaming, "Make it stop!"

"Karena," Ralla said. "We're going home. Beria can ride with me for now. Find enough to put between us. I'll ride in front."

I screamed at the demon, not paying attention to what happened around me. Hands on my arms helped me to stand, and then more hands helped me onto a horse. I found myself separated from Ralla by what appeared to be a folded up tent, keeping us apart so her voices wouldn't call out to mine.

And then we rode; we rode hard.

From time to time, I heard Omie sobbing, but she grew quiet.

We stopped, trading horses around. Someone gave me food and ordered me to eat. I screamed at the voice instead.

We rode into the night. I lost track of time.

But then I heard my sister's voice. "Give her to me. Carry her to my bed."

Arms lifted me, many hands, and still I clutched my head, screaming, "Make it stop. Make it stop!"

And then there were more hands, plucking my clothes off.

"Malora, the fire."

My sister undressed me like she did when I was five, and then she stripped out of half of her clothes as well. She pulled me to her.

The demon screamed at me, but then his voice grew fainter and fainter.

I clutched at my sister, sobbing as she rocked me back and forth. Malora stepped close, taking my wrists gently and setting them on the bare skin of my sister's back. Maya's hands were on my back, splayed out as she rocked me.

Slowly, the voice grew silent, running from my sister.

I continued to sob.

"Shhh, Beria," Maya said. "You're okay now. I've got you. Honey, I've got you."

"Omie!" I screamed. "I want Omie!"

"I know, honey," Maya said. "I know."

"Jasmine and Neela are with her," Malora said. "You're a warrior now, Beria. I know it hurts. I know it's hard. But you're strong, and we're so, so proud of you. You do this for Morehama. You do this for your mother and your father. You suffer this to keep them safe. Your brothers are safe, and all your friends are safe. And the price is hard, but you are strong, stronger than any new warrior I've seen in a very long time."

"Omie..."

"I'm sorry, Beria. I'm so sorry."

"Maya?"

"Better?" she asked.

"How did you do that?"

"It's what you've been doing for Omie for nine years, Beria," she said. "But if the voice is quiet, let's get some clothes back on, okay?"

"All right," I said.

So I sat complacently as Maya pulled a shirt back on, then helped to dress me again. The voice was quiet, but I found myself clutching at her anyway.

"She'll stay with us," Maya declared.

"Of course," Malora said.

* * * *

I slept fitfully, waking twice in tears, calling out for my lover. Maya held and rocked me, and they both told me it was okay when I apologized. By morning, I was witless and dull, and I wouldn't let go of my sister even for a few minutes.

Finally, Malora peeled me off of her. "The voice will be quiet for several hours," she said.

"You can touch me?"

"Yes," she said. "We can even hug. But you will notice when warriors hug, they avoid touching skin. If you touch too much, you will need your companion sooner, as the voice will return more quickly. But if the touches are not intimate, the voices will not flare to life." And she clasped my hands to demonstrate. "See? Still quiet."