Amazon Companion

by Roseau, Robin

  I stared after them both with dread, but there wasn't a thing I could do for either of them.

  They were far too young for this.

  Nori crossed over to me and sat back down next to me. "They are children," Nori said. "And we are not animals. They are not about to be introduced to womanhood. When that happens, they will be old enough to understand what they are offering."

  I looked up at her.

  "I was deeply in love with my warrior," she explained. "My sixteenth birthday was a long-awaited celebration for me. I wore her out that night, and I love her to this day."

  I looked away. Sixteen was still a child. They were animals.

  "You think I can't read your thoughts. I can."

  It wouldn't be hard.

  "Many, but not all, companions join with her warrior that way. It is a very close experience, and falling in love is common, but sometimes it is the love of sisters. Sometimes, when the warrior is much older, it is more like the love between a mother and daughter. Sometimes there is fondness, but that is all. And sometimes there is not even fondness. At sixteen, if there is not even fondness, then many companions move out of their warrior's hut. Sometimes they move in with another. Often they become warriors on their own, but not always."

  I looked up at her.

  "Riva thinks she knows what she wants. Does your sister have the same fire you do?"

  I thought about it and shook my head.

  "But she still has fire."

  I nodded.

  "Riva thinks she has what it takes to tame an unruly companion. She does not, any more than she had what it took to beat you in a fight. But she is one of our better scouts, and she deserves the support a companion offers." Nori paused. "I wouldn't have taken you, but I needed a way to give the gift for Malora to Riva. The girl volunteered to join us, three villages ago. She is sweet and complacent. She will fit Riva better than she would have fit Malora. But I don't know what our queen will think of your fire."

  Their queen. I was to be a prize for their queen. I looked away.

  Nori turned back to the fire, and I followed her gaze, watching the flames.

  "It's late," she said after a while. "You have a choice. You can stay out here. I imagine you will be cold and miserable. Or you can share my tent. I imagine you will be warm and marginally less miserable. If you choose to share my tent, I will not punish you for inadvertently waking me, but I will be forced to punish you if I deem it is done intentionally. So, tent or the cold hard ground. Ground?" I shook my head. "Tent?" I nodded.

  It was awkward at first, but she pulled me up into her arms and carried me to a tent. She stood me on my feet, opened the flap, and then helped me to sit. "You should be able to inch in. You get the bed on the left.

  I managed to squirm my way in awkwardly. Nori was actually almost kind as she helped me to settle in, laying a blanket over me. There wasn't much underneath me sheltering me from the ground, but I could already tell it was better than being outside. She closed up the tent, settled into her own bed, and said, "I recommend you do your best to sleep. I recommend also you consider how you wish to ride tomorrow."

  And then she rolled away from me and lay still.

  I lay there for a long time, staring at the back of her head.

  I couldn't believe what a difference twenty-four hours made. I had gone from happy, if harried, to a prisoner of these women, lying in the dark, my shoulders in agony, and being carried from the only home I knew.

  I began to wonder what was truth and what were lies.

  I slept.

  I woke, crying.

  If I had hurt before, I was in even deeper agony, and the realization there wasn't a thing I could do about it made the crying worse.

  I woke Nori. She rolled over. I couldn't see much in the dark, but I could see the white of her eyes as she watched me cry.

  "Try to sleep," was all she said. And then she closed her eyes again.

  * * * *

  By morning, I was a wreck. I was angry and miserable, and I would have lashed out at anyone nearby if I could.

  When I opened eyes, I saw Nori watching me. I put as much glare into my look as I could.

  "Ah, the fire is back, I see," she said. "I wonder if you will channel it unwisely."

  I slammed my eyes shut. Lashing out at this woman wasn't going to do me any good. I could probably make her angry, but I had a pretty good idea how far that would get me.

  She sat up, pulled her boots on, then helped me from the tent, laying me on the ground. I watched as she rolled everything up, tying it all neatly.

  "If you were my companion," she said, "this would be one of your duties. I bet you would rather be doing this for me right now than lying on the ground like that."

  Bitch.

  It didn't help that she was right.

  I heard laughter, a voice I recognized, and I saw Olive and Narana working on their tent together.

  "Narana is kind," Nori said. "She's younger than you. So are Miari and Riva. Miari is firm, but she won't abuse Morana. She'll teach her better than Narana will teach Olive. Narana will let Olive slack off. The girl will probably never be a warrior, but Morana has a fighting chance with Miari."

  Nori finished with the tent then walked away, leaving me on the ground.

  I struggled futilely with my bonds. I don't know why I bothered, but I had nothing better to do.

  I watched the camp preparations. Tents were struck. Someone made a fire and put a large kettle on. Soon, the Amazons were eating. I saw Morana and Olive serving their warriors. There were no other young girls on the trip. I wondered why.

  Nori settled down next to me. She had a mug and a plate of food.

  "Have you decided to behave?" she asked.

  I nodded.

  "Good. Do you believe you and I agree on what that means?"

  I nodded again.

  "Excellent." She leaned forward and released my gag, pulling the very damp rag from my mouth. "Are you going to make me punish you?"

  "No," I croaked.

  "Good. You're learning."

  "Are you going to untie me?"

  "Oh, I don't trust you that much," she said.

  I craned my head to look at her. "I promise to behave."

  "Do you believe me about the demons?"

  "No."

  "And I don't believe your promise to behave."

  "Please don't make me ride like that today, Nori. I'm begging you."

  "Remain pleasant and I'll consider your request," she said. "Do I make myself clear?"

  "Yes, Nori."

  "Good." She helped me sit up then fed us both, just as she had dinner.

  * * * *

  Twenty minutes later, she still hadn't replaced the gag. I'd kept my speech polite, primarily by saying nearly nothing. I found myself looking up at her horse.

  She looked down at me. "Are you going to behave?"

  "Please untie my arms."

  "No. Is that the condition for you to behave?"

  I thought about it. "No."

  "I'm not untying you," she said. "But I believe we can make this less uncomfortable." She pulled me to my feet, then gestured. Two of the other Amazons stepped over. Nori climbed onto her horse, then the two women picked me up and handed me to Nori, who slung me across her saddle. I was basically sitting in her lap, her arms wrapped around me.

  "Squirm around until you think you won't fall off," she ordered.

  It wasn't comfortable, but it was better than yesterday. I squirmed, finding myself sliding, but she caught me. Eventually we found something that seemed to work.

  "I'm going to fall off, anyway," I said, "if you let go of me."

  "Try to avoid landing on your head," she suggested.

  I squirmed around a little more and thought I was, more or less, stable. I was sure it amused her greatly.

  "I'm going to remember the way you have treated me, Nori," I told her. "But perhaps you intend me as a sacrifice to your gods or something, and my threats are short-liv
ed."

  "If you remain civil," she said, "we can discuss that." She raised her voice. "Let's ride."

  And we set out.

  We didn't talk immediately, but finally she answered me. "I hold no ill will towards you, Maya. You really are destined as a present for the queen. Whether she'll want you, I cannot guess. Would you murder her in her sleep?"

  I thought about it for a moment. "Of course not," I said, not at all sure I wasn't lying. "I'm not a murderer."

  "But you would murder me right now, if you could, wouldn't you?"

  I thought about that, too. I hated her and hated the way she was treating me, but would I murder her? "I'd do what was necessary to escape," I said. "I wouldn't kill you unless I had no other choice. But you have no right to steal us from our homes, and I wouldn't call it murder if I killed my kidnapper."

  "I'd like you to consider something. I could have let Riva fight you with her sword."

  "She would have killed me."

  "Perhaps not. Perhaps only wounded you. She would not want to kill you. Would you have surrendered when it was clear you were outclassed?"

  "I was outclassed with the staff and I didn't surrender."

  "I am disappointed in Riva. She should have beaten you. Your win left me in a difficult position. Malora may not want you, but she will understand the decisions I made."

  "What happens to me if Malora doesn't want me?"

  "We see if someone else does."

  "And if not?"

  "That will be Malora's decision. We have not faced this situation in the past."

  "Will you kill me? Or will I remain a slave in some other capacity?"

  "Is that what you think this is? Slavery?"

  "If a band descended from the north, raiding a village and taking captives, tying them up and spiriting them away, what would you call it?"

  Nori didn't respond to that, and we rode in silence for some time.

  "You haven't answered any of my questions," I pointed out eventually. "I presume I will either be someone's slave or be dead. Am I correct?"

  "You're not a slave."

  "If I am not allowed to leave, then it is slavery. Can't you be that honest?"

  "Indentured servant."

  "Pretty word for slave."

  "Damn it!" she yelled. "You're not a slave!"

  "Abused captive of war being given to your queen as bounty, and being told if I do not please her, I'll be killed. And the village didn't know we were at war with the Amazons, so that makes it a surprise attack. Such honor you have."

  "One more word!" she threatened with a growl.

  I shut up for a while, but then I just couldn't let it go.

  "Are you well paid to capture slaves?" I asked her perhaps ten minutes later. A minute after that, she finished tying the gag.

  But at least I was still seated on the horse rather than thrown over on my stomach.

  * * * *

  Late that afternoon, we met with another group of Amazons, this one smaller but with far more captives. We had climbed into some low hills, and Nori propped me up against a large boulder. I watched as Riva was introduced formally to her companion, a stunning girl with long blond hair and gentle features. I understood why she might have been fit for a queen.

  I wasn't sure why Nori thought the queen would want me. She should simply let me go.

  It took me a while, but by watching the camp, I was able to figure out that not all of the younger girls were captive. Some seemed genuinely pleased to greet their warriors. Others were less exuberant, but I saw only a few sullen looks.

  The campfire antics that night were even more outrageous than the night before, and some of the companions joined in on the fun, offering a parody of their warriors. The warriors all looked on good-naturedly.

  Riva sat down next to me, leaving the young blonde girl near the fire. She reached over and untied my gag. I didn't say anything.

  "I came to talk about one thing," she said. "You embarrassed me badly in our fight."

  "You understand I am not going to apologize."

  "No, I wouldn't expect you to. But you may be wondering whether I will find retribution."

  The thought had crossed my mind.

  "It is not the Amazon way to hold a grudge against someone who bests you in a fair fight."

  "It is however, human to do so."

  "Perhaps it is," Riva agreed. "However, in this case, I believe I am the winner. Latari is beautiful and volunteered to join us. She was momentarily disappointed she wouldn't be going to Queen Malora, but Nori talked to her and she has offered to serve me well."

  "How lucky for you," I replied.

  "Yes," she said. "I agree with you, although I understand if you are currently feeling very human about the situation."

  I was, but my anger was no longer directed at her.

  "I have no immediate intentions of slipping a knife through your ribs," I told her.

  She laughed, then she realized I wasn't laughing with her. "Oh. You're serious."

  "Isn't that what war captives and slaves dream of? Sliding a knife between the ribs of their captors? Especially those captives who are to be killed at the end of the journey?"

  She cocked her head. "Why would you think that?"

  "Don't be a fool. Your queen isn't going to want me, and she is a fool if she trusts me. The Amazons declared war when they raided our village, and maybe no one else is going to lift a finger, but no one believes I will not. And she is a fool if she does."

  "It's not war!" she said. "Well, it is, but it's all of us against the demons."

  "I have never seen a demon in my life," I said, "and do not know if I believe they exist. But if they do exist, I do not believe they threaten Gallen's Cove. I do not believe you have the right to take us by threat of force, or in my case, by actual force. Do I look like I am here willingly?"

  She stared at me. "I understand why Nori is keeping you gagged."

  "People don't always like having the truth pointed out to them. It can be very uncomfortable."

  "If you are able to confound Nori, I'm not going to even attempt to reason with you," Ravi said. "I came to tell you that even though you embarrassed me, it was really my own fault, and you have nothing to fear from me. Do I need to fear you?"

  "If you get between me and freedom, you do. If I see you abuse any young girls, you might. Otherwise, no."

  She smiled. "I'm glad Nori didn't let me use steel. It would have been a shame to kill you."

  "I'm sure it's far more enjoyable to see my punishment for standing up to you."

  She didn't respond but stood up, not replacing my gag.

  Nori joined me later, once the fire was dying. "Did you manage to remove the gag yourself?"

  "Riva."

  "Ah."

  "Did I just get her into trouble?"

  "No." She paused. "Were you hoping you had?"

  "Curious."

  I contemplated riling her up again, but I knew I'd pay more than she would. Instead I asked her, "Are the stories they tell true?"

  "Some are more true than others," Nori admitted. "All are based on truth."

  "You allow them to tell stories about you. They are not always flattering."

  "If I can make mistakes due to lack of diligence, consider how important it is for a mere mortal to remain diligent."

  I couldn't help myself. I laughed. Nori seemed surprised by my reaction. I sobered. "If I promise to behave will you untie my arms?"

  "No."

  "You could tie my hands in front of me. I might think more kindly of you, and two months from now when you have relaxed your diligence, maybe I won't go out of my way to slit your throat on my way to freedom."

  It was her turn to laugh. "No."

  "Why not? It's not like I can escape. And if you can't tie my hands in a fashion I can't untie, you're incompetent."

  "It's not that I can't tie your hands again. It's that I am not convinced you do not breathe fire and could burn the ropes off if they were before yo
u."

  I looked over at her. She was smirking. "You're not worried I'll breathe fire in the middle of the night, bringing the tent down around us?"

  "I hadn't thought of that," she said. "Perhaps you should sleep out here."

  I turned away from her, frustrated. "I hurt, Nori."

  "You'll live," she said.

  I tried another tack. "Your queen will not be impressed at the way you treat her gift."

  "Maybe you're nothing but a bounty of war."

  I looked back at her. She was still smirking.

  "You are an ungracious captor."

  She frowned. "I am sorry. I was trying to lighten the mood."

  "Actions speak louder than words. You could lighten the strain in my shoulders or at least offer a real reason for your refusal."

  "Because I do not believe I can tie your hands in front of you sufficiently that you will not free yourself in the middle of the night. I do not believe I can tie your hands in a fashion you couldn't knife me in my sleep. I do not have much practice in tying someone."

  "You could have fooled me," I said. "Could I at least have some respite if I promise to behave while you retie them later?"

  "I would, Maya, but I believe once you achieve the respite, you would do anything necessary to avoid being tied again. You may intend to behave now, but I do not believe you would willingly allow me to tie you again, and I do not want to use the amount of force it would require to make you comply. If nothing else, it would undermine my authority with everyone here."

  "Well, we can't have that, and it's not like a prisoner of war has any rights to humane treatment."

  "And we were doing so well," she said. She held the gag up.

  "If my words didn't strike close to home, they wouldn't hurt."

  "Perhaps I don't choose to argue with a babbling idiot. Now open."

  "For someone who professes to protect the innocent, you sure are going to great lengths to prove what a hypocrite you are." But I opened my mouth and let her stuff the gag back in. After that, I ignored her.

  Eventually she left me there, retiring to her tent without me.

  Which is exactly what I'd been waiting for.

  I waited an hour, pretending to doze. They had set out a watch, but it grew dark, and no one paid any attention to me. I shifted around against the boulder, looking for a sharp edge. It took a while, but I found one, and I began rubbing the ropes against it.