Amazon Companion (54 page)

I looked out over the assembled people of Gallen's Cove. We had warned them ahead we were coming, and we would talk, only talk, and they would listen. But we required everyone there from the age of twelve.

And they were all there. All my old townsfolk, but they weren't really mine anymore.

"And so," I said, "they took me home. They cleaned me up. And then they cleaned me again, and again. And when finally I felt maybe I was clean, I told them the story of Lathana Jara Marquine, the demon who would have enslaved my soul. Then I turned to Malora and asked her, 'Can you kiss these lips, these lips that have kissed a demon?' And she didn't answer in words, she simply pulled me into the deepest kiss I could imagine."

I held out my hand, and Malora stepped up to me. I pulled her to me, and I kissed her, then I sent her away again.

I looked out over the people. "I see doubt in many eyes. Demons are not real, are they? They are a story from days long past, and the Amazons continue the legend so that you will offer us tithe." I smiled. I collected a sack and stepped down from the small stage they had set up for me. In the front row were the village elders, all the one
s I knew. I reached into the sack, and I pulled forth the hands, and I tossed them into Juna's lap.

She screeched and pulled away, dumping the hands to the ground.

And then I nodded to Nori, and she pulled the head from the sack at her feet, holding it aloft by the horns.

"This is a demon," I said. "Look at Nori strain to hold it." And she set it on the stage, staring at everyone. Several women screamed. "I killed this demon. It cannot hurt you."

I looked around, my eyes setting on the elders.

"Demons are real," I said. "And the Amazons protect all of you from them."

"We knew," my grandmother said. "We have always known."

"Then why did you stop tithing?" Malora asked. "Why did you stop giving us the girls we need to fight them?"

Juna stepped around the hands, lying on the ground. I hadn't made an effort to pick them up.

"We love our children," Juna said. "We are so far from the demons. They will never come here. How could we send our girls to fight that?" She pointed at the head. She looked at me. "How could we have let someone like you go to fight that? How could you expect us to know you would come home with such a horrific story, a girl the entire village loves, lost to fighting a creature like that?"

I looked at Malora. I hadn't expected that answer. But Malora left it for me to respond.

I stepped back to the stage. "Nori, put that away," I said.
Ralla helped her, and they put the head back in the bag, then Nori gestured, and Balorie stepped forward to collect the hands, putting them away. When it was done, I turned back to face the people of Gallen's Cove.

"Nori, come up here," I said, holding out my hand. When she arrived, I caressed her gently, and her face smoothed. "This is Nori. She is one of my best friends in the entire world. I love her like a sister. She saved me from a demon and she taught me to fight. She offered her friendship and her strong arm. And she has banished many demons and holds their voices in her head. She requires a companion to ease her days. She requires a woman of spirit and kindness, someone who will allow her to be gentle at home and fierce on the training grounds. Perhaps that someone is here today."

I kissed her on the check and sent her back to Malora. "Ralla."

Ralla
stepped up to me, and I said, "This is Ralla, who I love like a sister, the only Amazon I have met who can swim as well as I can. Ralla is responsible for coordinating the patrols between all the villages, and she is gone from home a great deal. She requires a companion who is gentle, and who can love her, who can give everything she might offer. She requires a companion who can learn from her and travel with her, who can sleep rough and enjoy it. Perhaps that companion is here today."

I hugged her and sent her away, then called
Balorie up.

"This is
Balorie. She coordinates the patrols from Queen's Town and is a fierce warrior. She reports to Ralla but advises Queen Malora. She is gone a lot, as she takes more than her share of patrols so that others can take less. She requires a companion who will be strong of heart and gentle of spirit. Perhaps that companion is here today."

I invited
Benala, Ree, and Karena, one after another, and then, together, Omie and Vorine.

"These are my friends,
Omie and Vorine. They are sisters, and they require two companions who can love one another as well as they will love their companions. Omie and Vorine are fond of wrestling and fierce in a fight, but they are gentle and sweet, and I owe them my soul for the things they have taught me. They are dear, dear friends, and I hope their companions are here today."

I looked around the room. No one
was speaking. "This village will tithe. We need food, anything that travels and keeps. I have a list of the things we need, and in the proportions we require. We need sewing needles and thread, cloth and leather. We need bandages and ointments." Then I smiled. "And I need fishing hooks and line, small hooks, as the fish in my river are small, but tasty."

I looked out over the crowd and saw my mother, tears in her eyes. "We need musical instruments, and music for them. We need paper and pencils.
" I looked at the elders. "This village will tithe. Won't it?"

"Yes," said Juna. "This village will tithe."

"As for companions, well... The villagers themselves will decide. It is no longer the choice of the elders. We will not rip girls from their mothers' arms, but we will ask you to help us. We need you." I looked around. "The village will assemble a dance tonight. Every girl in the village from age eleven to thirty will be there, and whoever else wishes to come is welcome. And we will meet, and get to know each other, and then each of you will decide. Maybe no one will offer, and we will ask again at the next village, and the next. Maybe a girl of eleven will offer, but that is too young, and we will hope she still wishes to come when she is older. Any other girls who wish to come will leave with us in one week's time. We will visit other villages in between tonight and a week from tonight."

Then I smiled. "I promised my warrior a ride on the cove. May we borrow a skiff?"

* * * *

"They all came," Malora said, looking out across the sea of dancers. "And they are making an effort to meet us. We get the most amazing questions."

"I know. I have been performing introductions. But I have not introduced you to my family, and you cannot escape any longer." I grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd. Along the way, I collected Omie, who was talking with Bea and Aura rather than doing what she was supposed to be doing: meeting town girls. I dragged both Malora and Omie until I found my family, sitting together at a table.

I introduced them both, my mother's eyes glistening, and then we were hugging deeply, and my father too. I ruffled the hair of my brothers.

Then I turned to Beria. "Hello, little sister. Did you miss me?"

And she threw herself into my arms, hugging me tightly.

"Was that story true?" she asked.

"Every word."

She looked at me, then glanced at our mother, then said, "I want you to introduce me to one of the warriors."

I smiled at her and held out my hand to
Omie. "Omie," I said, "this is my sister, Beria. Beria, this is Omie, a kind, gentle warrior. Omie, my sister is thirteen."

"I am nineteen,"
Omie said, sliding under my arm for comfort.

Beria cocked my head. "I thought you were with that one," pointing at Malora.

"I am," I said. "Omie is nervous, and she needs a companion especially strongly. I am comforting her, that is all."

My parents didn't look happy, but they didn't interfere. I addressed my next words more for them. "
Omie has been taking this comfort from her sister more than me, but Vorine became a warrior two weeks ago and now she needs her own companion, too. She can no longer help Omie."

"Is it magic?" Beria asked.

"No," Omie said. "It is only touch, and the desire in your heart to help me. The rest you learn."

"Does it hurt?"

"No," I said. "I rather enjoy it. I get a lot of attention. Balorie has taken to rubbing my feet, and at night, Malora gives me the most wonderful massages."

"Each warrior finds a different way to accept comfort,"
Omie said. "Would you perhaps like to help me a little tonight, Beria. We can dance, perhaps not like the others."

"It won't hurt?"

"Not in the slightest."

"All right," she said, and she accepted
Omie's hand. The two of them moved away, heading to the dance floor. We watched after them, and then Omie opened her arms, and Beria hesitated for a moment before stepping into them. Omie's features smoothed, and she closed her eyes, swaying gently to the music.

My parents stepped up to me. "You would take our second daughter."

Malora joined me. "We would come for visits," Malora said. "Not often, but as often as we could."

"It will be Beria's choice," I said. "That is the agreement. It is the agreement Malora gave me, and it is the agreement the council gave me. We will force no one, but every year, we will come, and we will hold this dance, and the girls of the village will grow to know us, and they will decide."

Mother sighed. "Are you happy? You were never happy teaching."

"Of course I was!"

"No. You were determined, and you were fulfilled, but you were not happy."

I smiled at Malora. "I am happy now."

"It is dangerous," Father said.

"Yes, it is, and it is not an easy life, but it must be done, and we need help to keep doing it."

"It will be Beria's decision," they agreed.

We moved away after that, and a few more times I offered introductions.

"I have not found companions for everyone," I said.

"This is one village," Malora replied. "Tomorrow we will visit others, and there will be more girls. I am proud of you."

* * * *

The next morning,
Omie asked to remain behind, as did Ralla. I didn't see whom she wished to visit with, but Malora immediately granted leave to them, sharing our schedule. "If it doesn't work out, you can catch up."

We visited four more villages, telling our story, demanding tribute, and accepting a dance at each. And Nori traveled with us. My heart grew heavy, watching this wonderful woman find no companion.

"We will not fill all our needs here on the coast," she said. "Perhaps I will find someone closer to home."

Finally we returned to Gallen's Cove, late in the afternoon. We would depart for home the next morning. We set up our camp on the edge of town, using a fallow field a gracious farmer had offered. Another hour later, and we received visitors.
Ralla returned to camp leading a quiet girl named Jasmine. Jasmine was nearly nineteen and had been a student of mine until a few years ago. She had been sweet and gentle, not terribly bright, but I remember her as being kind to the other children.

"Queen Malora,"
Ralla said, "this is Jasmine. She asks to become an Amazon Companion. I have explained everything to the best of my ability. She does not believe she will be a warrior, and I would want her trained gently."

"She would need to travel with you,
Ralla."

"When I visit villages, I travel through the trees, and I hav
e never seen a demon in the trees. When I patrol, she will remain behind. She must be trained as well as your companion was by the end of your first trip with her." In other words, good enough to beat a small group of bandits. "She understands it will not be an easy life."

"Welcome to the Amazons, Jasmine," Malora said. "We leave in the morning. You may bring anything you wish if it fits on a horse."

"Thank you, Queen Malora," the girl said. She smiled at me, but she'd always been shy, and Ralla pulled her away.

And then
Omie was there, and with her, Beria and my parents. They sought us out, and then Vorine caught up, dragging a girl of fifteen. I struggled to find her name, then remembered it was Careen. She'd been a handful in class, but I thought Vorine could tame her.

At the last moment, Beria ran to me, hugging me. "I really like her, Maya."

"I do too, Beria," I replied. "Are you coming with us?"

"Maybe."

"Queen Malora," Omie said, "This is Beria, Maya's little sister. She is thirteen and may be willing to come with us."

"I have requirements," Beria said, stepping away and back under
Omie's arm.

"Oh?" Malora said.

"Yes. I will go if I may live in the same village as my sister. If I ever become a warrior, I will still want to live near my sister."

"And one other requirement," Mother said.

"Yes. My mother and father must see both my sister and me at least every other year, for at least a week. They will come to the Dark Forest if they are invited."