Amazonia (11 page)

To a simple observer, Shale’s
demeanour indicated she was unharmed. If it wasn’t for the blood, or the
bruising that was starting to appear, most wouldn’t have even known she’d
been in a fight. Shale was composed and dignified, standing tall. Only the
slight furrowing of her eyebrows betrayed that she was in pain.

Blake examined her closely
for a moment. “Release her,” she told the warriors who were holding Shale
in place.

Anataeus stepped well back,
looking relieved to be out of the firing line. Melaina let go, but barely
moved.

Now free, Shale shifted her
weight off her bad leg, though she was careful to do it slowly, not
wanting to startle any of the nearby warriors into action.

Blake noted it with a
concerned frown. “Do you want to sit down?”

Shale straightened. “I’m fine
standing.”

Blake rolled her eyes.
“Warriors and their damn pride. I shouldn’t have asked, I should’ve just
ordered you to sit.”

Shale’s lips quirked upward
at Blake’s frustration.

Blake’s eyes narrowed
playfully for an instant, then grew serious. “What did Melaina say?”

There was no way Shale was
going to repeat what Melaina had said about Blake, and definitely not in
front of everyone. So she simply summed up the end of the conversation.
“Melaina was questioning our competence as leaders.”

Blake’s forehead creased.
“Oh? And why’s that?”

Shale looked around. Most of
the tribe were here, and they were all listening intently. She hesitated.
What if they all felt the same way as Melaina?

“Shale?” Blake lowered her
voice to a whisper, giving them as much privacy as she could. “I can’t
help you if you won’t let me.” Gentle green eyes pleaded with her. “Please
let me?”

Shale drew strength from
those eyes. From Blake. She cleared her throat, and spoke loudly so
everyone could hear. “Since our tribe is dead, she felt we weren’t best
suited to that position.”

Gasps were heard throughout
the crowd, followed by mumblings of discussion. Numerous Amazons shook
their heads disapprovingly at Melaina.

“That’s putting it nicely,”
Kale said from the stake.

Blake whirled on Melaina.
“You said that?” Shale knew that Blake believed her, she simply wanted the
rest of the tribe to believe it too. “You blame them for the death of
their tribe?”

“Why not?” Melaina said.
“It’s true.”

“That was uncalled for,
Melaina,” Aris said sternly. “I expect better of you.”

“They’re warriors,” Melaina
continued, determined to get her point across. She strode into the center
of the circle so all eyes were on her. “They were meant to take care of
their sisters, they didn’t. They didn’t have a scratch on them when they
arrived. I bet they ran like cowards. I don’t care what tribe they’re
from, all warriors are taught to stay and fight, to protect their sisters,
even if it means their own death. And as leaders, they should’ve died with
their warriors, yet here they are. Cowards, the both of them!”

Shame flooded Shale’s cheeks,
and she dropped her head. Many times she had wished to change what had
happened, but she could not. The nightmares alone were testament enough to
the guilt that she felt. And there wasn’t a word out of Melaina’s lips
that she hadn’t already thought herself.

Blake opened her mouth to
defend them, but Shale placed a hand on her shoulder, quieting her.

“Melaina’s right,” Shale
began, drawing more gasps from the crowd. “We should have died with our
tribe...the gods know I prayed that we had. But we’re not cowards. We
would’ve happily given our lives in battle, in defence of our home, our
kin.” Shale took a few steps forward, trying her best not to limp. “But we
weren’t there, neither of us. We were a good distance away, searching for
an herb that our healer wanted. By the time we got back...” The burned and
mutilated bodies of her tribe flashed through her mind, and she swallowed,
hard.

“There was nothing left but
corpses, and charred remains.” Kale carried on for her. “We were too far
away. By the time we saw the smoke... We ran as fast as we could, but it
was no use...”

“We were too late,” they
finished perfectly in unison.

Shale was exhausted. The
combination of the physical and emotional pain nearly overwhelming her.
She had no choice but to sit, it was either that or fall, so Shale chose
the most graceful of the two options, immensely thankful when Blake was
suddenly there, guiding her carefully to the ground.

Blake knelt in front of her,
placing a hand under Shale’s lowered chin to get Shale to look at her.
When weary blue eyes met hers, Blake still didn’t remove her hand. “Shale?
Talk to me, Shale.”

“Just tired. I’ll be all
right.”

“Glad to hear it, but
Appollonia is still going to check you over.” As Shale went to protest,
Blake added, “Don’t make me order you to.”

A small smile appeared, and
some of the twinkle returned to Shale’s eyes.

Blake’s hand shifted, briefly
caressing Shale’s cheek before withdrawing. “Give me a few moments to
finish this, then I’ll take you myself.”

“No rush,” Shale said wryly.
She hated going to the healers, though the thought of Blake being with her
made the concept a lot more agreeable.

Blake gave her an amused
look, and then stood, once again addressing her tribe. She didn’t move
from her position though, standing protectively over Shale. “Don’t you
think they both feel guilty enough over what’s happened? I know they do,
and they blame themselves even though they weren’t at fault. They don’t
need to be judged further. Especially by people who weren’t even there.

“This ends here and now. No
more fighting. No more malicious rumours,” Blake said with a pointed look
to Melaina. “Though they’re from a different tribe, we are all sisters
here. It’s time we started acting like it.” Murmurs of agreement met her
words.

She faced Kale. “This is your
new home,” Blake told her. She then looked down to Shale, who was watching
her avidly. “You belong to this tribe now.”

Addressing the crowd once
more, Blake spoke strongly, “I expect you to treat both Shale, and Kale,
as you would any other.” Blake turned full circle, taking the time to lock
eyes with several of her tribe. Nods of acceptance and smiles greeted her,
and the murmurs grew louder. “Tonight, let us celebrate our two new
sisters. We shall have a feast in their honor.”

Hollers of excitement came
forth, and when Blake dipped her head to dismiss them, the crowd started
to break up, the Amazons talking eagerly about the night ahead.

“Aris,” Blake called. “Cut
Kale loose.”

“Yes, Princess.” Aris was
soon at the stake, and Amber assisted in setting Kale free.

Shale was helped to her feet
by several women. She smiled as Blake slotted herself under her shoulder,
relishing the feel of Blake in her arms. She wondered how Blake’s simple
touch could make her feel so much better. Though Shale never wanted to get
injured, the physical closeness it allowed between them was a definite
upside to the situation. And she intended to make the most of it.

The queen suddenly appeared
in front of them, causing Shale to straighten instantly.

“I see you two are keeping my
warriors on their toes,” Zayla said to Shale.

“I’m sorry for the
disturbance, my Queen.” Shale noticed the queen’s eyes were hazel, unlike
her daughter’s, and they appraised her for a long moment. “I apologise for
my sister also.”

Zayla’s lips twitched.
“That’s the second time you’ve apologised for Kale.”

If you only knew. Shale had
lost count of the times she’d had to apologise on Kale’s behalf.

“You are both forgiven. But
don’t let it happen again.” Zayla’s voice grew firm, and Shale dipped her
head respectfully. Zayla’s attention switched to Blake. “I’ll speak to
Melaina myself. You handled that well, daughter.”

“Thank you, Mother.” Blake
accepted the comment gracefully.

“I didn’t realise you were
here.”

Zayla nodded as she walked
away. “That was my intention.”

Blake shook her head at her
mother’s retreating form. “She’s always testing me.” Blake started
forward, leading Shale toward the healer’s lodge.

“I was hoping you’d
forgotten,” Shale said.

“Afraid not.” Blake smiled at
her. “Anyway, what are you doing out of bed?”

“I was feeling better. I’d be
happy to return there now though.”

Blake looked worriedly at
Shale, then she said, “I’m sure I can arrange something.”

Shale gave her an
affectionate look. “I would be deeply grateful.”

“Then it’s settled. Get Kale
to bring you across after you’ve been treated.”

Shale frowned. “You’re not
staying?”

“I’m sick of arguing, Shale.”
Blake indicated Kale, who was making her way over to them. “Kale obviously
intends to be there, and I’ve had my fill of confrontations for the day.”

“I understand,” Shale replied
quietly. And she did understand, all too well. Blake was already fed up
with Kale, not that Shale could blame her, Kale was quite awful to her.
She had never encountered this problem before, Kale had always supported
her other relationships.

It saddened her to know that
the one person she really wanted, she could never have. Shale couldn’t
become involved with Blake, not when there was such animosity between her
and Kale. And Kale was right, she was fooling herself, she could never be
happy with just Blake’s friendship, she wanted so much more than that.
Shale had never felt this way about anyone, and the gods in all their
cruelty had decided to pit the two people she loved most against each
other. It wasn’t fair.

She closed her eyes briefly,
trying to memorise Blake’s comforting touch. She didn’t linger though, it
was painful enough without delaying it.

Shale pulled apart from Blake
and strode quickly away, the pain in her knee nothing compared to the pain
in her heart.

“Shale?” Blake chased after
her. “Shale, for pity’s sake, your knee!”

“It’s fine.” Shale said
through clenched teeth.

Kale reached them, glaring at
Blake when she saw Shale’s expression. “What’s wrong?” she asked, sliding
an arm around Shale to help steady her.

Shale pushed her away,
surprising both Kale and Blake. “Just leave me be.”

“What in Artemis’s name did
you say to her?” Kale asked hotly, completely ignoring the fact that she
was speaking to the princess. Though that had never stopped her before.

“Me?” Blake said in disbelief
as they walked toward the healer’s lodge, Shale in between them. “Why do
you assume it’s my fault?”

“Is it?”

“Stop it,” Shale told them.

“Did it ever occur to you
that she might be mad at you?” Blake shot back.

“Me?” Kale scoffed. “For
what?”

“For losing your temper and
nearly getting yourself flogged. And you’re welcome by the way.”

“Stop it,” Shale repeated.

“Don’t think you did me any
favors. You only stepped in because of Shale.”

“I didn’t even know Shale was
there. I thought she was still in bed resting.”

“You expect me to believe
that?”

“Shale wasn’t the one about
to be flogged. A simple thank you would suffice,” Blake said
sarcastically.

“Stop it!” Shale yelled.
Then, when she realised they had actually listened, added a much quieter, “Please.”
She rubbed her temple, which was pounding from the blows it had taken, and
from the tension.

Both Kale and Blake had the
grace to look embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, Shale, you don’t
need this right now,” Blake said softly, all the anger gone from her
voice. “Let’s get you inside.”

“I don’t need this anytime,”
Shale said.

Kale opened the healer’s
door, and moved to go inside.

“No,” Shale said. “I’ll be
fine from here.”

Kale looked upset. “You’re
choosing her to go in with you?”

Blake frowned. “You shouldn’t
have to choose, that’s not fair on anyone.”

“I’m not choosing either of
you.” Shale stepped inside the lodge, not meeting either woman’s gaze.
“Leave me be. I want to be by myself.” She shut the door on them. It was
too much. She needed some time to get her emotions under control.

AS PRINCESS, BLAKE wanted to
go into Appollonia’s lodge and start demanding answers. She was completely
in the dark as to what had transpired. One moment they were arm in arm,
the next Shale was leaving, and all Blake had said was that she was sick
of arguing. What was so wrong with that? It was simply the truth.

The forlorn look on Shale’s
face as she’d closed the door on them was replaying over and over in her
mind, and Blake didn’t know whether she could bear it for much longer, let
alone until this evening. It was barely after midday now, and it was
driving her mad.

She was astounded by how much
it hurt her to see Shale like that. She wanted nothing more than to go to
Shale, embrace her, and tell her that everything would be all right, and
whatever it was that was bothering her, they could sort out between them.

Blake got to her feet, her
cabin’s wooden floor creaking as she paced across it. Yes, she would do
just that. She was nearly out the door when Shale’s quiet words rang
through her head. I want to be by myself.

Blake sighed, rested her head
against the door’s surface, then returned and sat on the bed. She had to
respect Shale’s wishes, whether she liked them or not.

She suddenly wondered whether
Shale would even show up to this evening’s festivities, her injuries would
certainly give her a good excuse not to.

Blake became alarmed at that
prospect, but soon dismissed it, knowing Shale would never do that. After
all, the celebration was in both her and Kale’s honor.

At the thought of Kale, her
temper rose. She still couldn’t believe it, she’d saved Kale from a
lashing, and the woman still wouldn’t be civil to her. How she was related
to Shale, Blake would never know. Where Shale was kind and gentle, Kale
was rude and abrasive. They were nothing alike.

She made herself get up
again, though this time she did leave her cabin. Blake glanced across the
village, looking toward the healer’s lodge longingly. She didn’t head
toward it like she badly wanted to, she went in the other direction.

Blake didn’t need to make
sure things were organised for tonight, her sisters knew what they were
doing, and would all have their own roles to fulfill. But it would give
her something to do, and she desperately wanted to take her mind off
Shale. Or at least until Shale would allow her to help.

“AMBER? ARE YOU here?”

“Come in, Kale,” came the
muffled response.

Kale entered, closing the
cabin door behind her. She didn’t even know why she’d come here, but she
had, almost straightaway in fact. Kale didn’t stop to dwell on the reason
why, though she did stop moving when she spotted Amber across the room
from her, in the middle of getting changed.

“Oh,” Kale said dumbly,
immediately turning her back, though not before noticing the milky white
skin of Amber’s stomach. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise...” She swallowed,
her throat suddenly dry.

“It’s fine, Kale. I invited
you in, remember?” A teasing note entered Amber’s voice. “You can turn
around now.”

Kale slowly did so, making
sure Amber was fully dressed first. She studied the cabin’s layout, trying
to take her mind off Amber’s bare skin. A double bed was in the center,
pressed against the wall. A carved wooden chest was on the left side of
the bed, a table and chair were to the right. A rug covered most of the
floor in front of Kale, and beyond that, in the corner of the room, sat
numerous weapons, ranging from bows and arrows, to swords and staffs.
Several more weapons were fixed onto that wall, creating a striking
display.

Kale stared at it for a
moment, then Amber cleared her throat, and she glanced back to her.

Amber gestured to herself
with her hands. “What do you think?”

Kale’s eyes raked over
Amber’s body, really seeing her for the first time. She’d always thought
of Amber as attractive, but had never ventured beyond that. After Aeron,
Kale had ceased to think that way about women, knowing it would only bring
her pain. But looking at Amber now, she felt those feelings re-emerge,
even after being buried for so long. Amber was beautiful, her curly red
hair bouncing around her shoulders as she bobbed on the balls of her feet.

“Well?” she asked
impatiently. “How do I look? It’s for tonight. It’s either this or...” She
held up another top, this one being green and a lot shorter. “Or this
one?”

The memory of Amber’s pale
stomach flashed to the front of Kale’s mind, and she found it odd that
she’d never noticed before. Amazons often wore tops like that. As she
thought, Kale realised that Amber never had, she was always well-covered,
favoring the trousers over the traditional skirt.

“I’m sure either will look
fine,” Kale finally said, trying to keep her face neutral.

“I don’t want to look fine,
Kale,” Amber said, in an exasperated tone. “I want to look nice.”

“You always look nice.” It
slipped out before Kale could stop it, but was pleased she’d said it when
Amber rewarded her with an impish smile.

“Thanks.” Her brown eyes
locked onto Kale’s. “So do you.”

Kale felt a flutter in her
chest at the words, and she cleared her throat self-consciously. She
nodded to the green top. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in something
like that.”

“No, you wouldn’t have. I
can’t wear clothes like that during the day, the sun burns me really
easily,” Amber said. “So, what can I do for you anyway?” At Kale’s
confused look, she added, “What did you want me for?”

Kale hesitated. “I wanted to
see if you were free for a sparring session?”

“I don’t think that’s a good
idea. Not now anyway. I think you’ve been in enough scuffles for one day.”

A small smile, then Kale
nodded. “You’re right.” Blake had smoothed things over with the tribe, it
was best she lay low for a while. “Shale and I had a fight,” Kale suddenly
said. “Or rather, Blake and I argued, and Shale got upset. Now she won’t
see either of us.” Kale exhaled heavily, sitting on the bed. “And it’s all
my fault.”

Amber’s brow creased and she
sat on the bed also. “How’s that?”

“I’ve been...am still being,
a complete bitch to Blake. She’s Shale’s friend and I just can’t bring
myself to get on with her. It’s causing friction.” Kale wouldn’t tell
Amber about Shale’s feeling for Blake, she wouldn’t betray her confidence
like that.

“I hate to break this to you,
Kale, but you’re going to have to get used to her, because soon they’re
going to be a lot more than just friends. If they aren’t already.”

“What?” Her voice rose in
pitch. “What makes you say that?”

“I can’t say I know Shale as
well as you do, but I do know Blake, and let me tell you, she’s fallen
hard for your sister.”

“She told you that?”

“No, of course not. Blake
keeps her own company. She is the princess after all. But despite that, I
do know her, and I’m telling you that unless Shale doesn’t feel the same
way, this will happen. And I’m pretty sure Shale does feel the same, I’ve
seen how they look at each other.”

“Does anyone else know about
this?”

“I haven’t told anyone. And
I’m only telling you because as Blake’s friend, and yours, you need to
accept this. Whether you like

Blake or not is irrelevant.”

“I don’t dislike Blake,” Kale
said simply.

Chestnut eyebrows rose. “You
could’ve fooled me.”

“I don’t,” Kale insisted.
“It’s not her I’m averse to. She seems nice enough. She’s certainly a good
leader.”

“Then what is it?”

Kale sighed. “The
relationship. I would be like this to whoever Shale fell for, it just so
happens that it’s Blake.” She winced, realising she had just confirmed
Amber’s suspicions.

“I give you my word I won’t
tell anyone,” Amber said. “So you don’t want Shale to have any sort of
romantic relationship?” Amber’s face cleared, as if she knew the answer.
“You’re jealous of the time that Blake would take up in Shale’s life, the
time she would take away from you.”

Kale shook her head. “I wish
it was that simple. I could get past that.”

Amber moved closer to Kale,
stopping only when they were side by side on the bed.

“I don’t want either Shale or
myself to have that kind of relationship.”

Amber looked perplexed. “I
don’t understand, Kale. Why not?”

“Because it never works,”
Kale said. “No matter how hard Shale and I try, we’re inevitably put into
a situation where we have to choose. Them, or each other. And I could
never leave Shale, just as she could never leave me. I won’t have Shale
put into that situation. I won’t have her heart broken like mine was. I
won’t allow it.”

“You’re trying to protect
her.”

Kale nodded. “Exactly. I
won’t stand by and see her hurt.”

“Kale.” Amber’s smile was
gentle. “I think that’s the sweetest, and most messed up thing I’ve ever
heard.”

The corner of Kale’s mouth
curled upward. “Tell me about it. I come off as the bad guy, and I’m only
watching out for her.”

“Blake won’t do that to
Shale, she’s not like that,” Amber said. “Trust me when I say that, Kale.”

Kale remembered what Blake
had said when choice was mentioned. She clearly hadn’t been keen on the
idea herself. “Maybe not intentionally, but that’s what it’ll come down to
in the end.”

“You can’t know that, Kale,”
Amber said, though her tone held nothing but patience.

“That’s what always happens.
Shale’s never been in love before. She’s had relationships, but she’s
never truly fallen for someone. Not like this, not like Blake. Shale loves
her, and it will tear her apart when things don’t work out. And everyone’s
expecting me to just allow it, and I can’t. I can’t do that to Shale. I’d
rather have her mad at me than have her endure that kind of pain.”

“Is that what happened to
you?” Amber asked quietly.

Kale nodded ever so slightly.
“I won’t have Shale go through that. I couldn’t live with myself, knowing
that I could’ve stopped it.”

Amber placed a comforting
hand on top of Kale’s. “You can’t stop this, Kale. If Blake and Shale
truly want to be together, they’ll find a way. You need to step back.
Accept this.”

They sat like that for
several moments, then Kale abruptly stood and went to the door. Her hand
tingled from Amber’s touch, and she tried to focus, her emotions all over
the place.

Kale knew that Amber spoke
the truth, but her heart was still pulling her in one direction, while her
mind took the other. She glanced back over her shoulder to Amber. “Thanks
for the talk.”

“No problem.”

Kale’s eyes shifted to the
clothes on the bed. “The green one.”

Amber smiled. “Green it is.”

SHALE KNEW THAT tonight was
going to be hard, and she was seriously considering not making an
appearance. But the event was in her and Kale’s honor, and it would be
extremely rude of her not to show.

Shale had no idea how to act
around Blake, though. The four blissful days she’d woken up in Blake’s
arms were both a blessing and a curse. It was one of the happiest times of
her life, but now it was a constant reminder of what she could never have.

She didn’t want to lose
Blake’s friendship, that in itself meant a lot to her, but she also
realised how difficult it was going to be to spend time with Blake, her
presence would bring both pleasure and pain.

Even after Appollonia had
patched her up, and bandaged her knee to give it some extra support, Shale
still stayed in the healer’s lodge. She didn’t want to risk running into
either Kale or Blake until she was ready, and Shale was grateful that
Appollonia never tried to get rid of her, and left her alone with her
thoughts.

Shale was also pleased that
Kale and Blake had done as she’d requested, and given her the space that
she had asked for.

The evening came all too
quickly for Shale, and when the drums started to play, she knew the
festivities had begun.

Appollonia had left a while
ago, Shale insisting that she could make her own way there.

Shale hobbled to the door,
took a deep breath, then exited the lodge, her eyes scanning the mass of
Amazons that had converged into the village center and gathered around the
large fire.

Descending the steps and
moving into the crowd, Shale felt the loss of Kale’s usual presence even
more, acutely aware that she was on her own. She didn’t like the feeling,
not one bit.

Shale wanted nothing more
than to return to the lodge, but she gamely kept going, heading for one of
the tables that was filled with food and drink. The least this night could
provide her with was good food. And ale too. She hoped the beverage might
help ease some of the pain that was ever present in her knee.

Once her plate and mug were
filled, she looked around for a quiet place to sit. Her tall height
allowed her to see over the crowd, and she finally spotted a less
populated area.

Making her way to it was more
difficult. Negotiating through a group of bustling women wasn’t an easy
task, especially while trying to balance what she carried. And with one
bad leg.

The women were friendly to
her though, most smiling and greeting her as she passed. Shale returned
their kindness, having to stop numerous times as she was questioned about
her leg.

“It’s fine, thank you,” Shale
repeated. She had lost count long ago of how many times she’d said that,
and she still hadn’t made it to her destination. It most certainly wasn’t
fine, her knee was killing her. Shale suspected that by the time she made
it to her seat, she would be quite adept at lying.

People suddenly shifted
around her, and Shale felt a hand on her elbow. She followed the hand to
its face and found Blake’s twinkling green eyes looking back at her.