Amazon Chief (38 page)

"Yes, Omie," she said. "It always works on the other companions."

I chuckled. I had no doubt it did.

"Your warrior was kind, or it would have been a fatal mistake. Try it with Nori and she'll leave you with bruises."

"Yes, Omie," she replied.

"All right. I want you to practice lunge and recover, on your own. I will give you today to remove the hesitation. After that, I will arrange for Nori to remove it for you."

"Yes, Omie," she said. "Thank you, Omie. Thank you, Beria." The girl was polite. She stepped away and, as Omie and I watched, she raised her sword to an imaginary opponent, tapped aside an imaginary blade, lunged...

And hesitated before the recovery.

She did it twice more before I quietly asked Omie, "Think she'll cure it herself."

"I doubt it," Omie replied. "It's her worst habit."

"This is solidifying the habit."

"And it's also giving both Nori and Malora a good chance to see it. They're both watching."

Sure enough, the two walked over. They watched for a minute, then Nori asked, "How long did you give her?"

"Until tomorrow," Omie replied.

"You even put the fear of me into her?"

"Yep."

"All right. And have you gotten rid of that little habit you were picking up?"

She sighed. "I can't tell."

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow, won't we?" Nori said with a grin. She and Malora stepped away again and I turned to Omie.

"So.... How are things with Aren?"

Omie grinned. "Things with Aren are quite well," she replied. "Thank you for asking."

"Has she figured out how ticklish you are after making love?"

Omie sighed. "You didn't hear me shrieking three nights ago?"

"I was on patrol. I must have missed it. Has she discovered your distaste of spiders?"

"Someone seems to have told her about that one. You wouldn't happen to know whom?"

"I might have some guesses," I said. "Have you asked Bea?"

Omie laughed. She turned to face me. "I miss you, you know."

"I miss you, too."

"I still wish you weren't any better of a warrior than your sister."

"I wish I were every bit the companion my sister is, so I could have scared that voice away and remained yours forever. But it wasn't to be. Does Aren know you pine for me?"

"I called her by your name."

"Let me guess. Tickle torture for punishment?"

"And spiders the next night, but she said she understands."

"Does she hate me?" I asked.

"She is happy you gave me so many good years." She paused. "So, you and Narsana?"

"No, I don't think so," I said. "I look at her, even now, and I remember that girl that met us at the door in Howard's Den. Is that how you saw me when I was fifteen?"

"No, Beria," she said. "I saw you as a woman from the day we met. I sort of creeped myself out about it."

I laughed. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Vorine gave me no end of shit about it, too. I have a confession."

"Oh this should be good."

"Remember that speech I gave you about how Benala punished me for teasing her?"

"Yes, I remember it well. I've had it memorized just in case that one started playing the games I once contemplated."

"It was a lie."

"What?" I said.

"It was Ree and Vorine. I was way too shy to throw myself at Benala. She seduced me. I got cocky about something, and she wagered a week of easy training if I won, and a kiss if she did."

I laughed. "Damn. All that wasted time."

"Oh no," Omie said. "I made promises, not threats."

We turned back to watch Narsana. She was still hesitating, some lunges worse than others.

"What is she waiting for?" I asked.

"For people to notice how good she lunges," Omie said. "You started doing it, too, but Nori beat it out of you before I even noticed it. I think I did it, too, come to think about it." She raised her voice. "You're still doing it, Narsana!"

She stopped and turned. "I know." She hung her head. "I'm trying."

"Imagine how much it's going to hurt if Nori smacks you with a sword every time you hesitate," Omie suggested.

"I'm trying."

"We don't have to wait until tomorrow," Omie said. "I can call her over right now."

"No!" she said. "Um. I mean. I'll keep trying."

"Don't let Nori smack her around so much she can't go on patrol the next morning."

Omie laughed. "Might be good revenge for telling Aren about my spider phobia."

"Who said it was I? Maybe it was Jasmine."

"Yeah, right."

We watched Narsana for a while. "So, when I was busy matchmaking for Nori, who would have predicted it would lead to a companion for me and a permanent companion for you?"

"And Aren can even cook."

"Good thing. I don't know what we would have done when Ping retired and took Serra with her." Ping had broken her leg again, and it hadn't healed well. I thought it broke her heart, but she told me she was getting ready for an easier life, and she wanted to spend less time away from Serra. They were living in the south now and owned a small orange grove. They sent us oranges last year; they were amazing.

"Nori's got her work cut out tomorrow," I said. "I wish I'd seen this sooner."

"It came on fast," Omie said. "I noticed it last week."

"I've been lax. I haven't sparred with her in two weeks."

"Too busy leading patrols?"

"I've only been co-leading with either Balorie or Nori. Balorie is making retirement noises, but Maya told me that Malora told her that Balorie does this every few years. She's younger than Malora."

"Anxious for her job?"

I smiled. "No."

"All right," Omie said. "I think that's enough. Time to make them run."

"Where's my sister?"

Omie cocked her head. "Hiding in the equipment shed, hoping we won't notice she's missing."

"She lost that wager, didn't she?"

Omie grinned. "Yeah. She's got another two weeks."

"Make 'em practice a little longer," I said. I turned to the equipment shed. Sure enough, Maya was hiding inside, pretending to take inventory. She shrieked when I opened the door.

"Sorry," I said. "Scare you?"

"Yes." She held her hand to her chest. "Do you have to be so quiet?"

"I thought you might be hiding from me and I didn't want you running away."

"Why would I be hiding from you?"

I didn't answer immediately but instead examined my practice sword before putting it away. Then I looked up and grinned at her.

"No. Beria, please."

"Wrestle with me, Maya," I said.

"No. Please, don't do this to me, Beria."

"You shouldn't have made that bet with Bea," I said. "You know she only makes that bet when she knows she's going to win." I hadn't heard the details, only that Maya had lost and had to accept any request to wrestle for a month, limit one per person per day.

"You're really going to make me wrestle."

"Yep, but if you're nice about it, then I won't be mean about it." I wouldn't have been mean about it, anyway, and she knew it. "Come on. Nori was looking for you, but if she sees me wrestle with you, maybe she'll leave you alone."

She eyed me. I didn't know if Nori had been looking or not, but it made for a good story.

"Tell you what," she said, "We'll go find Nori, and we'll ask her point blank if she was looking for me. And if she says 'no', then I am immune to wrestling requests from you."

"And if she says 'yes'?"

She sighed. "What do you want?"

"An extra month of you saying 'yes' to wrestling."

"No! Those aren't remotely even."

"Just me."

"Beria, don't do this to me."

"Fine. If she says 'yes', then you have to play our water game whenever I ask."

She smiled. "All right. For now long?"

"Through the summer."

"Only when we're already swimming. I don't want to be dragged off constantly."

"Yeah, sure," I said. "That's kind of what I meant. Let's go ask her."

Maya stepped past me, stepping out of the shed, the held the door for me, closing it behind me. We turned towards Nori, who saw us and immediately began smiling.

"Damn it!" said Maya. She turned to me. "You set me up!"

"Let's go ask her. Besides, you won't mind water wrestling. You love that game."

She grinned. "Yeah, I do. It's a good wager, Beria."

We approached Nori, and Maya held up her hand. "Nori, not a word. We have a wager." She turned to me. "Not a word from you, either."

I held up my hands. Nori's body language was clearly all, "I'm about to ask Maya to wrestle." She was grinning too hard.

"Nori, prior to Beria finding me in the shed, were you looking for me?"

"Am I allowed to speak?"

Maya smiled. "Yes."

"Is this the wager?" she asked. "Whether I was looking for you?"

"Yes."

"Are the terms significant?"

"I would very much prefer to win, but this time I did not wager something I am unwilling to lose."

"Malora!" Nori called. The queen joined us.

"You bellowed?" Malora asked.

"A few minutes ago, I asked you a question. Would you tell your companion what that question was?"

"She asked where you were," Malora said.

"Damn it!" Maya said. "Just. Damn it."

"What did I say?" Malora asked. She looked at Maya with concern.

"She's not mad at you," I said. "She lost a wager."

"I'm sorry," Malora said. Then she grinned. "Am I going to like this wager?"

"She tried to talk me out of asking her to wrestle," I explained. "If she won, then she wasn't obligated to accept."

"And if you won?"

"Then she has to play the water wrestle game whenever I ask,"

"Subject to us already going swimming."

"Excellent," said Malora. "I love that game, and maybe she won't be so sullen about losing."

Maya offered a weak smile then turned to me. "All right- Oh, wait, look, the companions are all running. I have to run!"

She got three steps before Malora said, "Maya, freeze!"

Maya stopped in her tracks.

"Did Beria invite you to wrestle?"

Maya turned around and nodded.

"And did she invite you with ample time to have already wrestled if you hadn't stalled?"

Maya nodded.

"Then you better fulfill her request," Maya said.

"Hey!" said Nori. "I was going to ask her."

"Maya, if you hadn't argued with Beria, would there have been time to wrestle both of them?"

"Why are you doing this to me, Maya?"

"Because I love you," Malora replied.

Maya cocked her head. "Oh?"

"And you love your sister."

"What has that to do with it?"

"You want to make her happy. And wrestling you would make her happy. And I have reasons to want her happy, reasons you already know."

Maya nodded. She took a breath then turned to me. "If you use a submission hold, will you please let me tap out before it hurts?"

"Yes, Maya," I said. "Did you want to start down?"

"You'll both start up," Nori said.

Maya nodded to me, and we moved into the training ring. Everyone else was running, so it was only the four of us. "Ready, fight," Nori said.

I stepped into her, swept her feet from her, then gently lowered her to the ground. She tried to reverse it, but I hooked her legs and rolled her onto her back. After that, she struggled, but Nori called the pin about ten seconds later.

"That is so embarrassing," she said from beneath me. "What was that? Fifteen seconds?"

I climbed off her and helped her sit up. She looked really upset.

"Hey," I said quietly.

"I'm fine," she said. "I'm upset about something else, that's all." She pulled me into a hug. "Please ask me to water wrestle later."

"I will. Do you want to be a captain?"

"Sure."

She released me, then I pulled her to her feet.

Her bout with Nori wasn't any longer than the one with me. And then to add insult to injury, Malora said, "Maya, would you-"

"Malora!"

"-wrestle with me?"

"You all suck," she said. I could tell she intended to just stand there and let Malora pin her, but that never went well. Malora hated it when she just gave up.