I did better, and she didn't get any easy taps against me. Nori moved from group to group, coming up behind me. She set her hands on my shoulders. "Swing slowly," she ordered, so I did. Malora blocked and began to counter, but Nori said, "Hold," and Malora froze. "You're done with the staff today, Maya. That's enough on your shoulders."
"Oh, thank you," I said. I lowered my staff and slumped.
"Now you thank your instructors," Nori said.
I turned to face her. "Thank you, Nori," I said.
"And your partner," she said, so I turned to Malora. "Thank you." I wasn't sure I was thankful to her.
"Put the staffs away," she said, "then you run."
"No," I said slowly. "Please, no."
"Do not argue with your training instructors," Nori said. "I better not have to tell you again."
I took Malora's staff from her and headed for the shed. It was obvious where the staffs belonged, so I put them both away and looked around. The shed was a bit of a mess, but I didn't want to think what would happen if I stayed to straighten it. I returned to my warrior.
"Do you need a demon chasing you?" she asked me. It was asked with a certain amount of kindness.
"Whatever," I said.
She ignored my tone. "I will set a pace," she said. "If you are unable to keep up, I will become the demon again. And no backtalk." Maybe she didn't completely ignore the tone.
I nodded. "The shed needs organizing."
"Were you tempted to linger?" she asked.
I nodded, and she smiled.
"Come on."
She set a modest pace to begin, one I could keep. We ran in circles, Malora talking gently the entire time, not saying anything I needed to remember. I was soon panting badly, but she was running alongside me with breath to spare.
We ran five circles, and I was beyond ready to be done, but not once did she threaten to become the demon. Then we walked a sixth circle before she allowed me to collapse in the grass facing the advanced warriors.
"We stretch now," she said, "but you can watch."
I had to admit, it was fascinating. It took a minute or two before I realized the companions were not partnered with their warriors. Instead, they seemed to be organized by ability.
Malora directed me through my stretches, explaining what was going on while we watched the warriors.
"Oh, oh," she said. She glanced over at Nori, but she was busy and hadn't noticed whatever Malora had seen. "Maya, run. I need a staff. Run."
I didn't hesitate. I jumped to my feet and ran for the storage room, grabbing the first staff I found and running back. By the time I returned, Malora had waded into the women. I ran to the edge of the training circle, but Malora held her hand out, and I ran to her, thrusting the staff into her hand.
Then I turned and ran for Nori.
"Nori," I said, "Malora may need you."
She looked up, then glanced at the training ground. "Did she send you?"
"No."
Nori watched for a moment then turned to the warriors. "We're done. Put your staffs away and run."
"Yes, Nori," Lidi said. "Thank you." But as Lidi stepped past her, Nori reached out and took the staff from her. Lidi turned, then relinquished the weapon to Nori with a nod.
"Come on," Nori said to me. "I'm sure it's nothing."
But we hurried to the edge, arriving in time to see Malora berating two of the women. I didn't understand what was going on, but she was angry. She was gesturing with the staff.
"What's going on?" I asked Nori.
"We missed most of it. Varda and Bea don't like each other. Their warriors should have handled this. Malora shouldn't have been involved."
"All the warriors were sparring."
"So they didn't see whatever Malora saw."
"If Varda and Bea don't like each other, why are they training together? That seems like a recipe for disaster."
"You need to trust the woman next to you, even if you don't like her. Pay attention."
I turned my focus back on Malora, trying to understand. Finally I caught up with the conversation. "Your dispute is over two years old," she said. "In that time, neither of you has honestly attempted to move past it. We are too small a group, and what we do is already difficult enough. We cannot allow this sort of antipathy to fester. I had thought you would grow past this, but I see I have been wrong."
Neither girl said anything.
Malora looked around, her eyes settling on me. "Maya. There is rope in the storage shed. Bring several pieces."
I stared at her, frozen. Was she going to tie them to the post? My eyes glanced at it, but Nori said quietly, "Do what your queen has ordered, Maya."
With dread in my heart, I ran to the storage shed, finding the bin with the coils of rope. I selected several pieces, then ran back. Maya gestured me to her, then she took one of the coils of rope from me. She winked at me, and I thought perhaps everything would be all right.
She tied the rope in a complicated fashion around Varda's body and chest. She used a second rope around Bea. Then she pulled them back-to-back and tied the two harnesses together. They had some give, but by and large, they were forced to stand back to back. But it didn't look like it would be difficult to untie. That was next.
She took a staff from one of the warriors and laid it between Varda's and Bea's shoulders, stretched out horizontally to each side like a pair of wings. Then she lashed their wrists and arms to the staff, using another set of complicated knots.
"There," she said. "That stays until you figure out how to remove it yourself." She raised her voice. "No one is to help them in any fashion."
"What if we can't get free?" Bea asked.
"Then you better get along really well," Malora replied and then addressed their warriors. "Chalena and Clara, I should not have had to deal with this. If I am forced to deal with this any further, the four of you will share an appropriate punishment."
"Yes, Queen Malora," the two warriors said.
She turned back to the companions, bound together. "The two of you are valued members of this community. I am no longer interested in excuses or accusations. You are both guilty of fostering this ill will between you."
"But she-" Varda began to say.
"Silence!" Chalena told her companion. "The queen just told you she was tired of accusations. Weren't you listening?"
Malora turned to Nori. "My companion is done for the morning and has other duties to learn."
"I'll handle things here," Nori said.
Malora nodded and turned on her heel, heading for the huts. I scrambled to catch up to her. She glanced over at me. I wasn't sure if she needed calming down. She was clearly fuming. She didn't slow down.
"Tell me what you need, Malora."
"Give me a minute, then calm me down," she replied.
We arrived at the huts and she turned to me. "We should bathe, and then I'll show you how we do laundry. You are going to need more clothes. Do you know how to sew?"
I nodded. "But I don't know if I could duplicate this." I gestured to myself. "At home I traded for most of my clothing and rarely did anything more complicated than repairs."
She led me into the hut. We collected soap and towels. I had nothing else to change into, but I collected a change for her, and we headed for the pools. Arriving, I set her clothes where they would collect sunlight to warm them then I helped her undress. She dived into the pool, and I was a minute behind her, bringing the soap.
We both splashed around for a minute, then I lured her to me and began bathing her. She was practically trembling.
"Tell me what happened."
She looked over her shoulder at me. "What have you guessed?"
"Nori said they don't get along. That was obvious by the time you were done."
"Good instincts to get her. I didn't need her help, but she needed to see I was forced to deal with it, and if it had been two warriors instead of two companions, I may have needed her at my back."
"I wasn't going to t
ry to judge the situation. Better safe than sorry. My only concern was that I might embarrass you by fetching her."
"Why would I be embarrassed?"
"By the implication you couldn't handle it."
"As you said, better safe than sorry, and if you retrieve her without my asking, then you are a worried companion, not an overreacting queen. You handled it perfectly. But the next time I order you to do something in a stressful situation, do it without hesitation."
"I can promise to try. I cannot promise to succeed."
"Why not?"
"I thought you were going to tie them to the post and whip them. I don't think I could stand helping you do that, even if they deserved it."
She frowned. "I am your queen."
"I am a school teacher, not a warrior, and I wasn't exactly a volunteer to the Amazon way of life, Malora. You cannot expect me to become an Amazon overnight. I do not know if you can expect me to become an Amazon at all. I have never seen someone whipped and can't imagine it."
"I need to be able to count on your unconditional support."
"So if you are about to do something wrong, I am still to blindly support you?"
"I wasn't about to do something wrong."
"But that's what unconditional support means. Is that what you're telling me?"
"Yes, it is."
"Even if I know you are making a mistake?"
"Yes."
"Even if you haven't given me an opportunity to explain why it is a mistake?"
"Yes."
I continued to bathe her, washing the same areas more than once.
"Maya, tell me what you are thinking."
"I think you can't count on me."
She turned to face me.
"Maybe in time," I amended. "I don't know. I'm not a puppet. I am not accustomed to blind obedience. You should know that by the way I defied my village elders in front of your senior warrior."
"You do not trust me to lead my people."
"It is not my business how you lead them, or if they trust you to do so, but you are suggesting I am to help you do something even when I think it is wrong."
"If I had witnessed a whipping offense, would you have interfered?"
"If it had been Morana or Olive, probably. I do not know Varda or Bea. They were not two of my students, so I do not feel responsible for their behavior. If Nori had taken my sister, then there is no way I would ever let you whip her. I am very glad she is safe at home from your post in the ground."
"You doubt my judgment."
"I believe whipping someone is barbaric, and I cannot believe anyone you whip is going to forgive you afterwards. I would not want someone at your back who hates you. I understand fear of being whipped is a significant motivator, but I cannot understand how the actual whipping would improve something when the woman you are whipping is someone you may need to count on later. I will tell you this; if you ever tie me to that post, you better start looking for a new companion."
We stared at each other, then I added, "I am sorry. You wanted me to calm you."
"We need to resolve this," she said. "I will not ask your help for a whipping. Can I count on you otherwise?"
"Yes."
"No hesitation, Maya."
"I cannot promise that. Maybe in time."
She nodded. "I guess that will have to do."
"As I said, Nori knew I was willing to question authority before she claimed me, and I did not volunteer. Nor do I recognize your authority to take me. I have agreed to do my best, but you are in no position to complain. You are getting exactly what you knew you were getting."
She nodded. "I hope in time you learn to trust me."
"You ask a lot overnight. My shoulders still hurt from my punishment for daring to fight for my own freedom."
She sighed but took the soap and bathed me.
"I never answered your question. They were bickering, and what was supposed to be healthy practice was turning dangerous. Bea made a dangerous swing at Varda's knee, which Varda barely evaded, and then she countered with a swing for Bea's head. If Bea's blow had connected, Varda would be a cripple. If Varda's had connected, Bea would likely be dead."
I thought about it then turned to face her. "If I had known that, I wouldn't have hesitated."
"So some offenses are worth a whipping? If you sister were here, and Bea tried to cripple her, or worse, succeeded, what punishment would you want to see?"
I ignored that question. "Why didn't you whip them?"
"Because you are right. It wouldn't solve the problem, and I was able to address it with a more creative solution. But if either of those blows had landed, I wouldn't have had a choice."
"Did anyone else see it? I know Nori didn't."
"I'll explain in detail to her later. And others noticed, but not anyone who has the authority to deal with it. That would be Nori, their two warriors, or me. Nori could use a second in command, but there is no one living in Queen's Town who shines sufficiently. The other villages and outposts have their own command structures."
I turned around and let her continue to bathe me. When she was done, I told her, "I am sorry I hesitated."
She nodded. "Don't make a habit of it."
We soaked for a while.
* * * *
After bathing, I began learning the rest of my duties, beginning with laundry. Malora showed me the clothing she had that required mending at the same time, and then she disappeared with several of the warriors.
From time to time I noticed Varda and Bea still lashed together, struggling to free themselves. During one of my trips I stopped by to see how they were doing.
"Come to spy on us?" Bea asked.
"I am trying to learn Amazon ways," I said.
"It is the Amazon way to help your sisters," Varda indicated. "If you free my left wrist, we can do the rest."
"I believe it is also the Amazon way to obey our warriors and our queen, and as my warrior is also the queen, I am, perhaps, doubly expected to obey."
"Can't blame me for trying," Varda said.
"Can't I?" I asked. "If I had helped you, what would my punishment have been if it became known? I think I can guess."
I decided then and there I didn't trust Varda. Bea had remained quiet. The two were still fighting with each other, but I had to admit, I didn't have a clue how they were to free themselves. I wondered if they could work the staff out from between their shoulders, although Malora had tied it very tightly.
By lunch they still were not free, nor were they cooperating with each other so they could arrange to eat. I served both Nori and Malora then sat down between them.
"How are they supposed to free themselves?" I asked.
"Slide the staff out," Nori suggested.
"That seems obvious, but I haven't seen them attempt it. Every time I go past them, they are bickering."
"Did Varda try to convince you to help?" Nori asked.
"How did you know?"
"Were you going to tell me?" Malora asked.
"I considered it tattling."
"It would have gone poorly for you if you had helped, and she knew that when she asked," Malora pointed out.
"It was a half-hearted effort," I said. "If I were foolish enough to help, I could not blame her."
"Someone younger may have been more easily swayed," Nori pointed out.
"But clearly you both know her ways," I indicated. "You do not need me to tell you."
"You didn't know that."
"Should I have reported it?"
"She expected you to."
"Is Varda the problem between the two?"
"No. Bea fosters the feud herself. They are equally at fault."
"I'll ask again. Should I have reported it?"
Neither answered immediately. "Use your judgment," Malora said eventually. "I would not have thought less of you for reporting it. I do not think less of you for keeping it to yourself."
"I looked at how you bound them, Malora. Did you expect them to fre
e themselves?"
"Nori and I would have been free in a matter of minutes, if even that long, but it would take cooperation and trust."
"What would you do?"
"Break the staff."
"So easily?"
"Not easy at all," Malora said. "They are very sturdy, and we would both be very sore before we broke it. But we'd break it."
"If it doesn't slide right out," Nori said. "We would try that first."
"Should I have been able to free me when you tied me?"
"No," Nori said. "You were making good headway against the rocks, and that was your only opportunity."
"You knew I'd try, didn't you? You set me up."
"I would have been disappointed if you hadn't tried."
I had a hard time not becoming angry with Nori again, remembering her unkind care of me, and I closed down. When Malora's water was empty, I filled it for her but neglected Nori. I wondered if she'd treated me as unkindly as she had so that Malora could, after a fashion, rescue me from her. I was sure that my relief at being untied had a great deal to do with how I responded to her afterwards. I wondered whether I should rethink my cooperation.
With the meal finished, Nori excused herself to attend to "things". She didn't specify what.
"Angry with Nori again?" Malora asked me.
"No comment."
"Why now?"
"No comment. Can we discuss something else?"
"Is there going to be a problem I am going to have to deal with?"
"No."
"You have an hour until the afternoon training," Malora said. "Do you have enough to do?"
I looked over at her. "Did you just decide to punish me for not filling Nori's water glass?"
"No. We train in the morning and the afternoon. Training is not punishment. A true Amazon relishes the opportunity to train."
"We both know I am not a true Amazon and unlikely to become one."
"Nevertheless, you will train like one."
I didn't tell her she was giving me more reasons to attempt my escape. However, I knew if they caught me, the punishment would be severe. I needed to learn more, and I needed them complacent before I tried it.
* * * *
Afternoon training began similar to the morning. My shoulders were sore, and I hoped there wouldn't be more work with the staffs, but whatever we were going to do, I was sure I wouldn't enjoy it. We began with stretching and a run. This time, Malora set the pace, and Nori was the whip-wielding demon. I had four new welts by the time they let us collapse, and I had four more reasons to escape.
Amazon Companion Page 11