Amazon Companion

by Roseau, Robin

  "Your obligation will be brief, a few minutes probably spent watering or weeding. They may simply ask you to haul water, not trusting you for anything requiring special knowledge. If you step into the garden, be very careful, as damaging the plants caries a punishment. Unless the punishment dictated is unduly severe, I will not intercede for you. I may insist on being the one to apply any punishments you earn."

  "You expect me to earn punishments?"

  "No, but everyone earns punishments from time to time." She fingered my hair, and I laughed.

  "If anyone asks why your hair is pink, you will answer her."

  "So I may say my warrior enjoys seeing me in pink hair."

  "You will explain it is punishment for being tardy, and if they ask for details, you will offer them. You are free to make it an amusing story. You are free to embellish. You are not free to lie about your queen."

  I laughed again and leaned against her. She wrapped her arms more tightly around me, and for the moment, we were happy.

  "Some village chiefs have rules I do not care for," Malora explained. "I am their queen, but I do not interfere in the running of the individual villages unless something is egregious. There are three villages where the companions are treated like domestic servants. They serve the meals and are not allowed to eat until the warriors have finished. The distinction between warrior and companion is much greater in these villages. I do not care for this distinction, but it is not so egregious that I must interfere. I nudge, but to do more would be to ferment dissent."

  "Thank you for explaining," I replied. I snuggled more tightly into her. We rode on.

  It was a lovely morning for travel. We rode together for two hours before Malora called a brief halt. When we started up again, she told me to ride my own horse. "I need to concentrate on business, and I find you too distracting," she said in explanation.

  We rode quietly after that, each of us lost in her own thoughts, until finally Malora turned her horse sideways to the path. Mine, following behind, stopped.

  "Black Oak is over this next rise," she said. "Do you have questions?"

  "Probably," I admitted, "but I don't know which to ask."

  "If some occur to you, try to find a lull to ask them, or save them to ask this afternoon."

  I nodded.

  "Remain polite to everyone, especially to me."

  "All right, but I'm starting a tickle fight later."

  She laughed. "We'll see."

  She turned her horse, and several minutes later, we rode into another village.

  This one was laid out slightly differently from Queen's Town, but the differences were minor. We were greeted immediately and dismounted before a small, growing contingent of women. Malora strode forth and greeted several women, then held her hand out to me, and I stepped next to her.

  "This is my new companion, Maya," she said. "Maya, this is village chief Valan." I bowed briefly to her then was introduced to the other women, using my tricks to remember their names. Valan was older than Malora; I guessed her age at mid-forties. Valan's companion was Honna, a girl of seventeen years old.

  "Perhaps your companion can tend to your horses," Valan suggested. "Honna, please show the queen's companion to the stables."

  Malora turned to me. "Unsaddle them, rub them down, and see to their needs. Everything can remain at the stables except your staff. Bring the paper as well and return to me."

  "Yes, Malora."

  I collected the horses, although Honna beat me to the packhorse, and we strode together to the stables.

  "Is it true?" she asked me the moment we were out of hearing distance of the queen and the village chief.

  "Is what true?" I asked her.

  "You're the new companion, the one who arrived bound and gagged?"

  I smiled wryly. "That's me."

  "How did you become the queen's companion after that?"

  "Nori -- do you know Nori?"

  "Everyone knows Nori."

  "Nori selected me for the queen," I said. "I do not know why. She tumbled me in front of the queen, the queen said, 'You are my new companion', and one does not argue with Queen Malora. And so here I am."

  "What's she like?" Honna asked.

  "Very... regal," I replied.

  "What does that mean?"

  "She acts like a queen," I said. "But in private, she is very kind to me. She's a good queen and deeply respected, and as a warrior, I am in awe of her."

  "I haven't seen her fight. I'd like to." She paused. "Why is your hair pink?"

  I sighed. "Punishment for being tardy."

  "Pink hair?"

  "I had to wear pony tails," and I gestured, "with bright pink ribbons, and my lips painted with pink paint. Only the pink in my hair is left. I kind of like it. What do you think?" I fluffed my hair at her.

  "It's... bright." She paused. "What were you late for?"

  I gave her the abbreviated story.

  "Oh. I was late like that once. I was gathering mushrooms for dinner, and I lay down for just a minute, and I feel asleep."

  "Oh-oh. Did you get punished?"

  I began rubbing down Malora's horse while we were talking, having set our tack and equipment aside. Honna began on the packhorse.

  "Yes. I got a beating." She eyed my hair. "I'm not sure which is worse. It's awfully... pink."

  I laughed. "I know. I didn't mind."

  "If you didn't mind, it's not a very good punishment."

  "I think it serves as a reminder, and I felt badly that people worried. It's not as important that I feel punished as I feel guilty and work to do better in the future."

  "I haven't fallen asleep gathering mushrooms again. Are you sure you won't be late again?"

  "I am new to being an Amazon, Honna," I said. "I am sure I have much to learn." I didn't want to talk about the philosophy of punishment with her, as I was sure Malora wouldn't want me spreading my very un-Amazon views on the subject.

  The girl was hard to put off, however, because next she asked what I had done to arrive tied up and gagged.

  "Honna," I said, "I'm sure that story makes for good gossip, but it is not a happy story for me. Can you understand that?"

  "But what did you do?"

  "I told Nori, 'no'."

  "That's it?"

  "I was somewhat forceful about it."

  "No to what?"

  "Being taken from my home and forced to become an Amazon."

  "But-" She paused and looked shocked. "It is our duty to be Amazons. We must protect Morehama from the demons, and if you are selected, you must go."

  "I had my own duties. I was the schoolteacher. By taking me, my students no longer had a teacher. Honna, I would love to talk to you, but I do not know if I am allowed to talk about this. I have not asked my warrior."

  "Oh," she said. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble. Do you have to tell her what we talked about?"

  "She has not said so, but I will. She will not be angry, but she may not care for my version of this story to be the one most people hear."

  She cocked her head, and I suddenly realized I had opened another bucket of worms. I held my hand up.

  "Tell me what being an Amazon means to you, Honna," I said, forestalling any questions she might have. She began chattering away, and it was clear she was very proud to be here, even if at times her warrior punished her.

  We finished with the horses while she was still talking. I collected paper, several pencils, and my staff. Honna led the way back towards the huts. When we arrived, Malora was in conference with Valan and several of her warriors. Honna stopped a respectful distance away. I wondered if she had other duties, and I stepped past her to take my place beside Malora, but I got two steps past Honna, and she reached forward and grabbed my arm, pulling me back.

  "What?" I asked.

  "You have to wait to approach," she said. "You are new, but you should know that."

  This must be the case of different rules in different places. I stepped back and t
ook my place next to Honna, waiting for us to be noticed.

  Malora had noticed us immediately; I knew she did. Her eyes were never still, after all, always scanning things around her, and I had yet to sneak up on her in the weeks I had been with her.

  Eventually Valan gestured, and Honna tugged me forward. She stepped behind her warrior, and I moved to a place behind Malora. She tapped space on the bench next to her, so I sat down, careful with the staff across my back and setting the paper and pencils on the table.

  "In her former life," Malora said, "my companion was a schoolteacher."

  Valan looked surprised, settling back and arching an eyebrow. "She left the quiet life of teaching to become an Amazon?" She looked directly at me. "How long have you been a schoolteacher?"

  "I was head teacher for five years and assistant teacher for several years prior to that. Most of the assistant teaching was unofficial."

  "You were a poor teacher? Perhaps you felt the need to escape an uncomfortable position."

  I glanced at Malora. Valan obviously hadn't heard the story.

  "My opinion on whether I left my position was not solicited," I said. "Neither was that of my village elders. I do not believe anyone in Gallen's Cove wanted me replaced as teacher, not even those students who received substandard grades. However, perhaps there were discussions I did not attend."

  "I do not believe I have the entire story," Valan said after looking between Malora and me several times.

  I shifted on the bench to face Malora. If she wanted to tell it, she could, or she could direct me to do so.

  "I brought up Maya's former position as an introduction," my warrior said. "She is accustomed to running a school."

  "And so?"

  "She perhaps understands the concept of taking inventory."

  "Of course," I replied.

  "How long would it require to take inventory of the village stores?" Malora asked.

  "A detailed inventory?" Malora nodded. "If there is assistance from someone familiar with the contents of every bin and bag, then not long, perhaps one or two hours. If I must open every container to verify the contents and the quantity, then significantly longer, perhaps a day or two, perhaps twice that amount. If you also want to know the quality of items so you can anticipate required repairs or replacements, then significantly longer."

  "What can you do in the half hour before lunch?"

  "I can work through lunch if you do not require me to serve you, Malora."

  "That is not what I asked."

  "I would be embarrassed to present to you an inventory performed in a half hour," I said. "Five bags of various sizes containing various dried foods. Two drawers of dried meat, half full. Odds and ends for repairing tools." I paused. "That presumes the stores here are similar to the stores at Queen's Town. I presume you wish to use the inventory to assist in distributing tithe." She nodded. "It does you no good if I tell you 'three sewing kits' if I do not tell you what is in the kits. It does no good to tell you 'five needles' if I do not tell you the sizes. You will end with ten large needles useful for sewing leather and none useful for more delicate work. You will spend more time correcting the misappropriation than if you take proper inventory first."

  "You allow your companion to address you in this fashion, Queen Malora?" said Valan.

  "I would not have asked her opinion if I did not care for an honest, useful response," Malora said. "I believe I have been given one." She smiled at me then turned back to face the village chief. "Valan, do you disagree with my companion's assessment of the task?"

  "Yes," Valan replied. "I can go in there and dictate the stores in ten minutes."

  "No way," I whispered directly into Malora's ear. "Not accurate and detailed."

  "Well then," Malora said, "let us go together and take inventory. Maya, you will take notes. I presume as a schoolteacher you can write legibly."

  "Yes, Malora." I grabbed some of the paper and the pencils and stood up. As soon as Malora was also standing, I grabbed the bench we were on. She raised her eyebrow.

  "I will need something to write on. This bench is portable although not optimal."

  "Quite," she agreed, and we followed Valan towards the stores located beside the kitchen. Valan and Malora stepped inside, and I set the bench down, then knelt in front of it with paper ready.

  "Five sacks of flour," Valan said. "Two sacks of sugar. One sack of salt. Dried beef." She went through the entire room, naming everything present, and I struggled to write as quickly as she announced the contents. It took about fifteen minutes, but Malora didn't comment. In the end I had a single sheet of paper outlining in rough terms the contents of the storage room.

  "See?" Valan said. "How difficult is that?"

  "Not at all," Malora said. "Let us return to the tables." So I collected the bench and avoided grumbling. I hoped Malora was smarter than this.

  We sat back down, and then Malora asked, "Did you record everything?"

  "Exactly as stated," I said. "I'm sorry, but it isn't well-organized, but I can rewrite the list in a more organized fashion if you require."

  "No, no," she said. "As is will be fine." She took the list from me. "You have lovely handwriting, Maya."

  "Thank you," I said.

  "Now, how much flour do we have? Ah, five sacks. How big are the sacks, Maya?"

  "I don't know," I said. "I didn't see them, and Valan didn't indicate."

  "Were all five full?"

  "I don't know, Malora."

  "Was it all wheat flour, or was there also corn flour?"

  "I do not know, Malora."

  "Were they ten-pound sacks?"

  "I do not know, Malora."

  Malora continued to ask me questions. "Do we have any candles?"

  "Yes," I said.

  "How many?"

  "I don't know."

  "Big or small?"

  "I don't know."

  This went on for two or three minutes, then Malora turned to Valan. "I believe my companion is inadequate at recording inventory. She can't answer any of my questions, and I find myself unable to determine what your needs are from this list."

  Even though I knew she was making a point, and it wasn't about my inadequacies, I bristled but kept my mouth shut. Malora laid her hand on my knee, underneath the table, and squeezed gently. I clasped her hand and didn't want to release it, so she rolled her hand palm up in mine, and we held hands for a time.

  Valan did not look pleased by any of this, but she didn't comment.

  "Valan, the inventory you recited is the same quality you give me every year." She slid the paper across the table. "From this list, how am I to know how much you have and what you need?"

  "I have five sacks of flour," she said. "I will need more."

  "You could have five hundred pounds of flour or fifty pounds," Malora pointed out. "It may be all corn flour. Now, I saw the bags, and I saw they were fifty-pound sacks, but that didn't make it to the recording, and it was not my companion's poor note taking that is to blame."

  "I am sorry, Queen Malora," Valan said. "I do not believe I fully understood why you required inventory monthly. I believe I have greater understanding."

  "Maya, how long would a proper inventory of just the dried goods take?"

  "Twenty minutes, more or less, with help. Longer without, as I will need to search the entire storeroom to make sure I haven't missed any. I presume you mean flour, sugar and salt."

  "Yes. Valan, shall we go try again?"

  Valan looked chagrined but she nodded, and we returned to the storeroom, bringing our bench with us. "Maya, I will be your muscles and Valan will be your guide, but I want you to direct us."

  "All right," I said. "First let us understand what we want. Flour, divided by type, sugar, also divided by type."

  "Sugar is sugar," Valan said.

  "Then that part is easy. We have three types of sugar in Gallan's cove and sometimes a fourth type, but the fourth is expensive." I thought about it. "Baking powder. Herbs?
"

  "No herbs, that would take forever," Malora said.

  "Quite," I said with a smile, borrowing her word. "What else?" We ended up with a short list of the items Malora wanted inventoried.

  "Let us start with flour," I said. "Five sacks. Are they all wheat flour? Please pull all five sacks from the shelves and pile them here." I pointed.

  "That is ridiculous," Valan said.

  "Nevertheless," Malora said, "I trust my companion has reasons for making me work."

  I smiled.

  Malora dragged all the sacks of flour. "They are all labeled as wheat flour, and they are twenty-five pound sacks."

  "Are any of them opened?"

  "The top one was."

  "Please check it," I said. Malora opened the sack. "Wheat flour. It's about a third full."

  "Is that accurate enough?" I asked.

  "Yes."

  "Please check each sack for holes," I said.

  "Why?"

  "In case the mice have been at it."

  Malora examined the bags, and she found holes. She fingered one.

  "Malora, I am not an Amazon quartermaster. I do not know the implication of sacks of flour that the mice have been eating. It is my opinion to do this properly, one would empty the flour into a large, clean container and examine it carefully, perhaps sift it. I do not know if this is new flour or old flour."

  Malora hefted the sacks. "They feel the same weight. Record what we found. We do not have time to delve into the details you indicated."

  We finished with the flour, and then I asked, "How much flour is in the kitchen?"

  "Excuse me?" Valen asked me.

  "I presume the cooks have a pantry closer to the kitchen," I said. "I doubt they come out here every time they need a little flour."

  Malora smiled at me. "Leave a note for that and let's move on."

  "We should at least sift the open sack to see how bad the weevils are," I said.

  "Moving on, Maya."

  I annoyed Valen to no end, but Malora gave me subtle grins at all my questions. In the end, we inventoried the dried goods, consuming thirty minutes in the process.

  "How much flour did we use this month, Maya?"

  "I have no idea," I replied. "I do not know if more flour arrived this month, and I do not know how much there was last month. Nor do I know what the kitchen stores are. I cannot tell you, Malora. I am sorry."