Amazon Companion (42 page)

"I was safe in Gallen's Cove," I said.

"Oh Maya-"

"Wait, Malora." I tightened my arms for a moment before I continued. "I was a good schoolteacher. I had the respect of the entire village. I had the respect and ear of the village elders. I came into my job younger than I should have been. I worked hard, and I succeeded. No one ever accused me of being lazy, of shirking my duty-"

"Maya-"

"I'm not done." She clasped my hands but grew still. "Here, I have none of those things. You make me train hard because it's not safe; yesterday was evidence. You'll never be able to let me travel alone, because while I performed well yesterday, I could not have handled that without you. I am alive because of you.
"

"Maya-"

"I'll tell you when I'm done, Malora," I said firmly. "Here, I have the ear of a queen, but I have no influence."

"That's not true!"

I shut up. She wasn't going to let me finish. I pulled my arms away from her and rolled over, bending away from her so my bottom was pressed against her, making it harder to hold me.

She rolled over to face me.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I keep interrupting. You are misstating your position here, and I can't help it. You can gag me and finish, if you want."

The thought of her letting me gag her almost made me smile. I rolled onto my back and let her wrap her arms around me, one underneath my neck, the other across my chest, her hand on my far shoulder.

"I am not respected," I said. She opened her mouth then closed it. "And I shouldn't be, either. I'm a good swimmer, but everyone in Gallen's Cove is a good swimmer. I am organized. Neither of these holds great value to the Amazons." I paused. "The worst part is, I know there's nothing I can do about this. I know I'm never going to be worthy of respect here. The youngest amongst us are already worthy of greater respect than I am. What do you think that does to my ego? How helpless do you think I feel?"

She started to open her mouth to answer, but leaned towards her and set my fingers across her lips, and then I rolled into her, laying my head on her shoulder, shoving her onto her back. She let me.

"But in spite of all that, you make me feel safe. I wasn't afraid of dying yesterday; I was only afraid of disappointing you. I know, right at this minute, I am safer than I could be in my own mother's arms with you here and Ralla only a tent away. And I know that while you'll never respect me as an Amazon, you need me, and right now, so do Nori and Ralla. And while I am not respected, and I have nearly no influence and even less power, I am liked. I have friends. I have never had friends."

I bent my head and kissed her shoulder before laying my head back down.

"I've never been held the way you hold me. As a teacher, I was wanted, and I guess my students liked me." I grew still. "I'm not sure if I have a point."

We both lay quietly for a minute before Maya asked me, "My turn?"

I nodded.

"You have influence, Maya," she said, "more than you realize, and it will grow. And you have power, although right now it's subtle. That will also grow.
" She kissed the top of my head.

"You are liked, deeply liked, and you have many friends now. That will also grow."

"But I'm also a laughingstock and an embarrassment to you."

"Neither of those are accurate," she said gently. "There are Amazons who are narrow-minded, but there are people everywhere who are narrow-minded. Were you respected by every single person in Gallon's Cove?"

I thought about it. "I don't know. Probably not. There are people who don't respect teachers."

"Exactly. And there are Amazons who don't respect a good companion. But doesn't say a thing about you; that is about them."

My emotions began to bubble out of control, and I felt tears leaking from my eyes. "I want you to be proud of me, Malora, but how could you ever be proud of me?"

"Oh Maya," she said, tightening her grip. "I am proud of you."

She stroked my cheek, and that's when she encountered the tears.

"Oh Maya," she said again. "Do you have any idea how important you are to me?"

"You're forever going to be apologizing for your worthless companion, until you finally send me home."

"You promised me two years," she replied, "and I am never sending you home. In two years, if you ask, I will let you leave, but it will break my heart. And I have never apologized for you, and I do not expect to ever be required to do so."

I didn't understand but allowed her soft words and gentle touch to soothe me.

I didn't tell her the most important part. I didn't want to leave, not if it meant leaving her.

* * * *

We traveled south to the far end of Amazon territory, sticking to the plains where traveling was faster. Finally ahead of us I could see the start of a massive swamp.

"This is the southern border," Malora said. "Sometimes the Halana people raid northward, and we deal with them, but mostly they stay to their swamps and jungles, and the demons never get quite this far south. We cut into the forest here."

We stayed overnight in a village there and worked our way north. Our visits were routine, but then we reached a village called Broken Knife, and I came face to face with Riva.
Malora was off with the village chief, and I had just settled the horses and was heading to the hut we would be using that night.

"Hello, Maya," she said. "How is it going?"

"Good," I said. "How is your companion?"

"She suits me well, thank you." There was a pause. "Would you like a tour of the village?"

"I would, thank you."

She showed me around. At first, there wasn't much to see, but then we arrived at the dining hall. Broken Knife had an indoor dining hall, which wasn't common, but we'd seen a few others. What was notable was the way this one was decorated.

I almost recoiled in shock. Beside the door was a large bear, standing on his rear legs. But then I realized it wasn't moving.

Riva laughed. "Everyone reacts that way the first time. It's a village rule that we don't warn newcomers."

"It wasn't mentioned in the briefing I got."

"Well, telling you there was a rule not to tell you something might negate the entire reason for the rule in the first place."

I studied the bear. "It looks so real."

"It is real. Look." She gestured, and I looked around. Throughout the room there were other animals, all standing still, although none of them as dramatic as the bear. There were the heads of
deer, and there were the entire bodies of smaller animals. They were everywhere, it seemed.

"I don't understand.
"

Just then, another Amazon walked in. "Aww! Riva, I missed it. Did she jump?"

"She did. Maya, this is Giorda. She made all of these."

"How?" I asked. "They look so real."

"They are. Basically, they're tanned."

"Oh. Clever."

I walked around, admiring the animals. "How long does it take?"

"Weeks, a little at a time," she said. "I do one every winter."

I counted them. "You're not this old."

"My warrior did it before me, and I believe her warrior before her. But now you must tell me. Why is your hair such an unusual color?"

Malora assured me the color was beginning to fade, but I knew it was still shocking. I told them the story with only a few embellishments, the ones I'd learned amused people the most.

Two days later, we were home.

We were
well greeted as we arrived. We had barely climbed down from our horses when Nori said, "Aura and Neela, see to the their horses and drop their things off in their huts."

I wasn't expecting that; it was my responsibility, after all. But she grabbed me with one arm around my neck and pulled
Malora and me away from the crowd. She was more familiar with Malora than I would have expected.

We had only take a dozen steps when she hissed, "What is
Parlomith doing here, why does she think she is getting my job, and who in the hell is she to say those things about the queen's companion?"

I began to stiffen as soon as Nori mentioned
Parlomith's name, and Malora's face clouded. There was a moment of silence lasting five heartbeats, then Malora said, "I'm going to kill her!"

She began to pull away from Nori, saying, "Where is she? I'm going to kill her!"

"Nori," I said quietly. "We have to stop her." I stepped out from Nori's grasp, grabbing one of Malora's arms. Nori grabbed the other, and I said more loudly, "Ralla, we could use your advice. Is Balorie here?"

Nori and I began herding Malora further away.

"Let's go for a walk," Nori said. "I'm sorry. I was angry. I thought you were replacing me. Come on; let's go for a walk. I shouldn't have sprung this on you so abruptly."

We pulled her away further, and
Ralla joined us.

"
Parlomith's here," I whispered. "We're going to go for a walk and calm down. Is Balorie here?"

"She's here," Nori said.

"I'll find her," Ralla said. "We'll meet up at the lover's tree. Queen Malora, go clear your head so we can make the right decision."

"Fine," she said. "And then I'll kill her." She pulled away from us, storming into the woods with Nori and me struggling to keep up with her while
Ralla reversed directions in search of Balorie.

Malora lead us to the same tree where Nori had cried in my arms. I looked at her. "Lover's tree?"

She shrugged. "It's comfortable and private."

Malora wasn't ready to settle down, but I grabbed her hand, knelt down to the mossy gra
ss, and pulled her down with me, wrapping my arms around her.

"Malora, I'm sorry," said Nori.

"It's not your fault."

"The voices..." Nori looked uncomfortable. "I wasn't gracious."

"Sit there," she said, pointing to my other side. "I think we both need her. Do you mind, Maya?"

"No, of course not," I said. "I'd offer more skin..."

"We're going to make some vests for you," Malora said.

"Bare arms?"

She nodded. "A problem for another day."

I gave each warrior a hand as they sat on either side of me. I could tell right away the voices were after Malora, and she leaned against me, tangling the fingers of her free hand in my hair. Nori looked over at me, and I told her, "Take what you need." She clasped my hand firmly, her other hand resting against the skin of my neck.

"We'll save the Parlomith discussion for Ralla and Balorie. Everyone has different parts of the story, so we'll tell it once. What else has been going on while we've been away?"

"
Benala needs a new companion," Nori said immediately.

"
Omie-"

"
Benala killed the demon, but Omie took the voice. Physically, she's fine, but Benala had to restrain her to get her back here. Her sister has been helping. All the companions have. Omie has someone touching her nearly constantly. She's going to need a special companion of her own. The current solution is workable for now, and maybe she'll learn to better deal with it."

"We've had others with bad reactions like this," Malora said. She turned to me. "Do you understand? Do you understand our choices?"

"Yes, Malora," I said. "I do."

"We'll have a bonfire tonight and find a way for
Omie to announce she has become a warrior. I'll pretend you didn't tell me."

"It will be obvious."

"I know, but we need a proper ceremony."

"Vorine is pissed. She's older a
nd thought she should go first," Nori explained. "For now, Omie has moved in with Ree and Vorine. We'll need a different solution if Vorine becomes a warrior, and it's not fair to her to hold her back from patrols. She's ready."

I had the glimmer of an idea. "May I suggest we come back to that?"

"You have an idea?"

"I want to think about it before I open my mouth," I said with a smile. "Yes, I might."

"All right," said Malora. "What else?"

"That's the big news. Maya, you should let your friends tell you about your snares."

"Trouble?"

"No, not at all. Everything is fine."

"Did they keep up?"

"Yes. If we're having a bonfire tonight, then we should let the companions discuss the snares during the bonfire," Nori said. "We received updated inventory reports from most of the northern villages. I asked
Serra to review them, expecting more of the same."

Malora grinned. "Not the same?"

"No. Your trip seems to have worked, at least for this round."

"If they slide backwards, Malora," I suggested, "you can intentionally send them poor supplies."

"I've done that in the past. They don't seem to equate the two actions. But now at least they've demonstrated they know how to take proper inventory, so perhaps they'll understand if I do it again."

"
Serra's review was cursory," Nori went on. "Frankly, she does not have the organizational skills to manage this. She can handle her own needs, but asking her to think larger is too much."

"Do you have the organizational skills, Maya?" Malora asked.

"Yes, but I don't have a clue what a village might need. It would take a few years of proper records before I could handle this."

"This village has proper records going back a hundred years," Malora said. "All our villages are the same size, more or less."

I thought about it. "I would want oversight for a year. I think it's too important for a new companion to handle without an experienced warrior looking over her shoulder."

"
Serra can help, and you would review your lists with me even if you had all the experience necessary. Do you have time?"

"Do I get paid?"

"Paid?" Nori asked. "None of us get paid."

"We all get paid," I said. "The Amazons take tithe, which is distributed. Tithe is mostly food, which we all eat. That is a form of payment. Many of us wear clothes made from the animals we kill ourselves, but I see cow leather amongst the clothing, and there are no cows in our forests. I see evidence needles are used, and I see strong thread."

"You've made your point, Maya," Malora said. "What do you want?"

"Fishing hooks, fishing line, thread, and while I have never been focused on clothing, I find I have a newfound respect for access to materials to make clothes."

"I just bought you enough leather to keep you busy for months."

"And after that? If I take this on, I don't think I can manage my snares anymore. I have enough rabbit skins for my own needs, but I won't acquire more for trading purposes."

"Who have you been trading rabbit skins with?"

"Me," said
Ralla as she stepped up. "And I have your supplies, Maya. I think you'll be pleased."

"Thank you!" I said.

She and Balorie stepped over the roots of the tree and settled down, the five of us forming a small circle.

"Maya," said Malora, "I will make sure the needs you listed are covered. Will you handle these needs for us?"

"Of course," I said. "And I would have found time even if I still had to tend my snares." But then I held up Nori's hand. "But I am being pulled thinly."

Balorie
looked between us. She also had no companion of her own. "Maya, I hate to ask. May I rub your feet?"

I looked at her. "You hate to ask? Because they stink so badly?"

She smiled, but it was ragged.

I glanced at Malora and she nodded agreement.

"I would love having my feet rubbed, Balorie," I said. I stretched my feet out, and she unlaced my boots and pulled them from my feet. Then she produced a towel, dampened, and washed my feet. I began to laugh. "You came prepared."

"
Ralla's suggestion," she said. She looked at her friend. "Thank you."

Balorie
began to massage my feet, and we sighed together. "I could get used to being the leadership council's pet companion," I said with a moan, eliciting chuckles from the rest of them.

"There's nothing left of you to touch,"
Ralla whined.

"You had her on your horse for hours," Malora said. "Are you really in need?"

I cracked an eye open, and Ralla was grinning. "No, but I feel left out."

"Don't you people use the other companions? Why do I have four of you fawning over me? Not that I'm complaining. Oh,
Balorie, yes, right there. Oh my god!"

"For some reason, you're better," Nori said. "Look at
Balorie."

I opened my eyes again, and
Balorie had the most blissful expression.

"That's from touching your feet. Feet isn't normally anywhere intimate enough to do much," Malora said.

I looked at her. "How bad are your voices?"

"Right now? Calming down."

"Without me."

"A lot worse than I realized," she said. "I've killed a lot of demons."

"We all have," Nori said. "Omie is a wreck from one. We're all holding a dozen or more. Malora has at least three dozen."

"All right," Malora said after a moment. "How long has she been here?"

"Three days," Nori said. "She arrived in the evening, after dinner. She insisted on training the younger companions yesterday and today. She said she came with your authority to manage their training."

Malora's expression clouded again.

"Let's hear the rest," I said. "What else do we know about it?"

"That's it," said Nori.

Malora and I took turns explaining what we knew, and what we had already agreed.

"The question is, do I kill
her or send her packing," Malora said.

"Or do I take her swimming?" I suggested.

There were chuckles. Balorie felt left out. I looked at her. "Are you a good swimmer, Balorie? Perhaps you would like to wrestle with me in the water?"

"Not now," Malora said. "We're not using that solution. I thought of a swim with you to humiliate her, but I don't want you to become a target. If she comes after you, you won't be able to defend yourself."

"I have a question then. Is she here because she thinks she can saunter in and take over like this, or is she here because she thinks she can saunter in here and. Um. Take over."

"Oh shit," said
Balorie. "A challenge?"

"Beating the crap out of me could have been an opening salvo. She may have thought I'd have pushed you away, and you would be a wreck."

"She may hope to destroy confidence in Maya," Nori said, "and convince you to get rid of her. A few weeks of the voices back after her calming them for you, and you'll be at a disadvantage."

"If she saw this, right now,"
Ralla said, "She would know that plan didn't stand a chance of succeeding."

I glanced at her. "My adoring subjects."

"Or if she saw the way you look at your companion," Nori said, "she would know that plan didn't stand a chance."

"Well, I don't think she's here because she
wants to train the companions," I said. "I think it's more than that."

I paused. "I need to ask another question. Nori, release my hand please." Nori let go, but I continued to hold my arm out, turning my hand over. "Imagine I am clutching a rock, and I am wet."

"From swimming," Malora said.

"You are going to pull me from the water, as you believe I am in danger. This is the hand you can reach, and I'm hanging onto a rock for safety. Grab my hand."

Nori immediately grabbed the wrist, reaching underneath so I could grab hers. She didn't even have to think about it.

"Hmm. Release me." She did. "Give me your hand." I moved her arm where I wanted it, then I clasped her hand, pointed towards
Ralla. "Same problem, Ralla. Grab my hand."

And she grabbed me by the wrist, lifted my hand from
Ralla, and then smoothly offered a second hand underneath mine, giving me a wrist to clasp.

"
Balorie," I said. And Balorie effectively did the same thing.

"I'm going to kill her," I said. "She tried to kill me. This is what she did." And I grabbed Nori by the hand.

"That won't work!" Balorie said. "Especially if you were wet."