She turned around, and we watched the Amazons approach. And then she laughed, turning to the right. "Oh, your queen is clever. She intentionally ran slow when she realized I was taunting her, and she seeks to flank me."
And I saw Chief Valan to our left, ahead of us in the race, and running to cut us off.
The demon turned and began running for the portal, pulling away from Malora, racing Valan and her warriors. And I cried to them, "Faster! Please faster!"
"They will not be in time," she said. "Here, let me turn you, and you can watch your fate approaching." And she turned me in her arms, holding me tight against her chest, and I stared as we drew closer and closer to the glimmering portal.
I renewed my struggles, but she only laughed in my mind, not even bothering to taunt me.
Then the portal was two hundred yards, then a hundred, and then Nori stood up, her back to the portal.
"Nori!" I screamed.
The demon came to a stop. She looked back, she looked at Valan approaching, and then she began stalking towards Nori, towards the safety of her portal.
Nori lifted her sword and stood firm.
"Kill me, Nori!" I screamed. "Don't let her take me!"
"She's the only one to die today," Nori yelled. "Have heart, Maya!"
The demon purred in my mind, but she lifted me above her, grasping me firmly by all four limbs. "Tell her to step away, or I will pull your arms from your body."
"Go to hell," I said. "I'd rather die than go with you."
"But I am beautiful, and I have treated you gently," she said.
Nori stepped forward, but stayed between the portal and us.
"Put her down, demon, and live to fight another day!"
"Tell her you are my prize, and I will treat you gently."
"She said I am her prize, and she'll eat me slowly, Nori! Kill me if you must. I forgive you for the way you once took me, but don't let me pass through that portal!"
"Oh, you are very naughty," the demon whispered. "Perhaps we should negotiate. Tell her to stop where she is. They should all stop where they are, and you and I will negotiate."
"Nori," I said, "she wants to negotiate."
"I will not let her take you, Maya."
"Stop there," I said, "and we shall see, but if she moves, kill her, or kill me."
Nori held up a hand, and I heard the approaching Amazons come to a stop.
"You are afraid," I said. "I can feel your fear. Nori is one of our greatest warriors, and she will kill you. You can kill me, but they will descend on you, and you will die, and it is a true death, is it not?"
She turned me around to face her.
"I am beautiful," she said. "Admit it."
"You are," I said. "But I belong here. And so, I offer this. You will release me, and you will withdraw your mind. I will remain a companion, free of your thoughts, and you will escape, alive, to hunt again. Or you will die."
"Your queen was quite clever," she said. "She did not run ahead herself. That I might have suspected. She sent instead her right hand, which I did not expect. I felt you wonder where this Nori was, but I did not think she would lie in wait."
"Decide. Live, or die."
"I choose to live, of course."
"You will withdraw from my mind, and I will remain a companion, free to soothe my warrior."
"Of course," she said. "You help her in her battle against others of my people. And perhaps I will help you with that."
"You would help me against your people?"
"We don't get along," she said. "The word cooperation does not exist in our language, and most of my people do not understand it when they see it in you."
"And you do?"
I felt her purr in my mind. "You have the attention of two queens, little companion, although in my world, it means something quite different."
"Do we have an agreement?"
"Yes. I will release your body, and I will allow you to continue to serve your queen, quieting her voices. But my voice will remain with you, and we will talk again. And you will not be allowed to share anything we have discussed."
"That is not our agreement!"
"You will require no companion," she said. "And no one will know I am with you. Negotiation requires compromise."
I thought about it. "Fine. Agreed."
"You and I will fight again," she said. "I will be watching. Tell your queen's warrior of our agreement, as much or as little as you choose."
"Nori," I said. "She said she'll release me if you agree to let her pass to the portal. She will release me here, and then you will each circle around, you to me, her to the portal."
"Agreed," Nori said, "except I move from the portal only when I know she can't get back to you and beat me to the portal."
"I agree to that," she said in my mind. "Now, promises with a demon are binding, so you will promise me to say nothing of what we discussed, and I will promise to release you and allow you to continue to serve as companion to your queen, as if I have never been here."
"I promise to say nothing," I said, "if I remain a companion with the help you offered to me."
"I promise to release you, and I give you a little help. The voices of my fellows will be more afraid of you than they have been. But my voice remains with you."
"You will leave me alone when I am with her. You may speak to me when I am alone. You will not stay and watch. In exchange, when we talk, you will have my full attention."
She purred in my head. "You negotiate well. I agree. I will depart so far you must call me when you are alone."
"How do I call you?"
"You will say my name." She paused. "You could never remember my true name, so I take a second, true name, you can speak. You will call me Lathana Jara Marquine. Say it now, and then I will release you."
"Lathana Jara Marquine," I repeated.
"Again," she ordered, so I said it again, and then a third time. "If you forget, or I do not believe you call me sufficiently often, this portion of our agreement becomes void, and I will come when I wish, and I will rip from you the ability to be a companion. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Lathana Jara Marquine."
"This has been quite a day, Maya Softpeace, formerly of Gallen's Cove, now both Amazon companion and warrior."
And then, as gently as my mother ever did, she set me on the ground, holding me steady until I could stand myself, but she held me by the wrist.
"Tell your warrior to take two steps to our left."
"Nori, please take two, and only two steps to my left, and if she forces me to move from this spot, kill her or me, whichever of us you can reach."
Nori took the two steps.
The demon released my wrist, and she took two steps, and her two steps were far larger than Nori's.
"Go, demon," Nori said. "I will honor our agreement if you do."
"We will talk soon, little Amazon," she said, and then I felt her voice withdraw from my mind, and she bounded away, passing Nori and disappearing into the portal, and it winked closed.
Nori ran to me, pulling me into her arms, and I clutched at her and began sobbing.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
She pulled me to her. "You're safe, you foolish girl."
"Am I still a companion? Nori? Am I?"
She began caressing me, her strokes intimate, and she smiled. "Yes. How?"
"The agreement. I cannot say another word. Please be sure."
"You are," she said. "Oh Maya, better than ever!" And she crushed me to her chest.
And then Malora was there, crushing me, and she was crying.
"You are a warrior now," she said, "I am so sorry."
"No," I told her. "Feel me." And I threw myself on her, holding her tightly. She was shocked for a moment, and then she was hugging me so fiercely, stroking my bare skin.
"Still a companion," she whispered. "Oh Maya. I thought I lost you. I thought I lost this, too."
She tried to kiss me, but I pulled away. "No," I whispe
red. "She. Um."
"Right. We'll clean you up, honey."
And then the rest were there, clustering around me. I reached out to them, never allowing Malora to free me, touching the outreached hands, crying, and thanking them.
"Omie?" I asked.
"Here," she said, reaching out to clasp my hand. "You were supposed to run!"
"I couldn't let her kill Ping. Ping is okay?"
"Ping is fine," Malora said. "But yet again, you violated direct orders."
"I think I've been punished enough."
There was silence, and then I heard Chief Valan's voice. "I think I agree with her."
And Malora said, "I think so, too."
And they bore me away.
Part Three
The Voice
It was three days before I had any time alone. Malora didn't want to let me out of her sight -- or even her arms -- and I was happy to remain in both.
I thanked everyone over and over, until they told me "enough".
But Ping thanked me, pulling me down for a hug, and whispering in my ear, "and don't you dare ever do it again".
They tried asking me questions, but I found I couldn't answer. The demon allowed me to say one thing. "We reached an agreement." Eventually Malora said, "Leave her alone about it," and they did.
They took me home, riding on Malora's horse, wrapped in her arms, and that was nice.
We got home, and Malora took me to our bed, and I begged her to undress me, and to let me feel her body. And she did, stretched out with me, and then I asked her quietly, "Am I still your companion?"
"Yes," she said. "Oh yes. You feel so good, Maya.
"Then kiss me. Kiss me and make me forget anything else."
And she did.
After a while, I slept. I woke when she slipped from our bed, and then I heard her speaking quietly with Nori and perhaps the others. But then she came back to bed, slipping in quietly.
"Trouble?" I asked.
"She is only making sure you are all right."
"She saved me."
"She did."
"Your plan?"
"Yes, but brilliantly executed by her."
"And you," I said. "Chasing us like that, then flanking her to reduce her choices."
We talked, and we cuddled, touching, always touching, and then I made love to her, slowly and with great care until she cried my name. I filled my mouth with her taste, and tried to forget.
We slept, and when next I woke, I took her hands, and I placed them where I wanted them, and her fingers moved. I knew she was awake.
"What is this I feel?" she asked quietly.
"I don't know," I said. "You tell me."
Her fingers twitched, and her hands moved. And I moaned under her touch.
"I love you," I told her. "Never let me go."
"Never," she agreed. Then her fingers were inside me, and her mouth found mine, and her tongue was inside me as well. I moaned into her kiss as she filled me.
The night became day, and I woke in Malora's arms. She was watching me.
"You are magnificent," she said.
"Thank you." I smiled. "Can we talk about it?" She nodded.
"I couldn't let her kill Ping, and she would have. I thought to distract her. I thought Omie would attack. I thought I could live long enough for Omie to kill her. Are you angry?"
"No. You were exceedingly brave."
"Was I foolish?"
"No."
"Why didn't Omie attack?"
"She didn't have time. It was all over in seconds."
"No. It was... a long time. Minutes, it seemed."
"Ping said you were a whirlwind. She struggled to crawl after you, perhaps to hamstring the creature, but she managed only a few feet. Omie said she has never seen anyone fight as fast as you did."
"It seemed slow. She stood there and let me hit her."
"Sometimes time does that in a fight. That is how it is like for me, often. My opponents seem so slow. Our thoughts travel so fast."
"My blows bounced from her. I hit as hard as I could."
"I know. Mine would have as well. We do not use staffs against demons."
"Then you must give me a sword and teach me to use it. You must."
She smiled. "You are not a warrior."
"I will learn. You will teach me. You must. Promise me."
"Of course, Maya. Of course. That is what an Amazon does. But not today. Today is for us. What would you like to do?"
I took her hand and she knew exactly what I wanted to do.
* * * *
Early on the third day, I slipped from bed. Malora woke. "Sleep longer," I said. "I am going to sit by the river for a while and perhaps catch a fish for breakfast."
"You and your fish." But she let me leave, alone for the first time.
I slipped from the village, bringing my fishing gear with me, and I found a secluded spot where I wouldn't be disturbed. I sat, leaning against the cool rocks, and then I paused.
"Lathana Jara Marquine," I said. And then I said it again, and a third time.
And immediately I felt her with me. I had hoped I wouldn't. Her thoughts were slow, as if they were coming from a great distance, but she said, "You made me wait. I am not pleased."
"This was my first time alone," I said. "I am sorry."
"You must offer me something that pleases me, or I am forced to punish you. You will not enjoy it."
I thought for a moment, then said, "I found you beautiful, Lathana Jara Marquine."
There was a pause. "Go on."
"You were so big, so tall and powerful, and your golden, iridescent scales were like none I have seen before."
"My form pleased you?" she asked.
"Yes." She had been beautiful and frightening at the same time. I told her that.
"You are forgiven for making me wait, little companion. Now, I will give you a choice. We will talk for an hour. You are not obligated to answer, but you will listen. Or you will answer three questions, honestly and with no misdirection. Choose."
"What if I do not like your questions?"
"Then you may refuse to answer, and we will talk for two hours."
"I do not like these terms. You will ask three questions, and if I answer none, we will talk for two hours. If I answer only one, we talk for an hour. If I answer two, we talk for half that."
She paused again, then she purred. "I accept your terms. My first question is this. Did you and the Amazon queen make love when you returned?"
"Yes," I answered.
She trilled in my mind. "I gave you too easy a question. I did not think you would answer. Your second question. How much did you think of me while your lover was inside of you?"
I paused. "I thought of you," I admitted. "I asked her to help me to forget, but I couldn't help but think of you at least some of the time. I do not know how to answer how much."
She trilled in my mind again, a caress. "Your answer pleases me. I will accept it. My third question is simple. What was your punishment for disobeying the warrior's order to flee?"
"It was decided I had already been punished enough."
"Oh, so I was your punishment!"
"Yes."
"I did not punish you, however, although I frightened you. I was very gentle, and I allowed you to caress me. I think you enjoyed caressing me."
"I think I answered your three questions."
"You did, most graciously, little companion. I will tell you one more thing, and then I release you. You must call me every day. It does not matter when. If you miss one day, you must offer me a gift. If you miss two days, then I am allowed to touch your body."
"I don't understand. How can you do that?"
"I can," she replied. "That is all you need to know. If you miss three days, then on the third day, I will consider you in default of our agreement."
"What if I am sick or hurt? Life here is uncertain."
"Ah, your fragile bodies. You cannot lie to me, so I will come to you, and I will kno
w if you are sick. I will know if you are injured. And I will know if you allowed yourself to become injured to avoid me. These are our rules."
Then she purred to me again, the sound a caress.
"You like that," she said. "I can tell."
"You said you were leaving. Be gone."
And I felt her leave.
* * * *
I returned to the village at the start of breakfast. Malora's eyes found mine immediately, and I could tell she was filled with relief. I went straight to her.
"No fish?"
"Not today," I said. I moved into her arms. "Did you fear I ran away?"
"No. I simply missed you."
Omie and Vorine appeared. Omie left Vorine and headed straight for me, but then held back.
"Go on," Malora said.
I left my queen and pulled Omie into my arms, pulling her head against my chest and stroking her head, and she sighed. "Thank you," she whispered. "This really helps. The voice retreats further than with anyone else."
"You're welcome," I said. It only took a few minutes, and she pulled away from me, smiling.
"Are you ready to return to training?" she asked me.
"Oh yes," I said. "Swords."
"You will train as we train you," she said. "Including swords."
"Yes, Omie," I agreed. "Do not go easy on me."
She smiled. "And will you enjoy it?"
"It is necessary," I said.
She released me, and I returned to Malora for a quick kiss, then collected breakfast for both of us. I saw Nori and collected hers as well. After breakfast, I cleaned up and checked the duty roster. My name did not appear. I frowned. "Malora, what is this?"
"We weren't sure you would be ready," she called out.
"I am ready," I said. I washed up and headed to the training ground, arriving before all others. I was already stretching before anyone else arrived, and I pressed Nori to hurry.
"Look who is all bossy. She fights one little demon, and she thinks she runs the world." But she grinned and started the exercises.
We ran, and I ran until they called me to stop. Vorine and Omie took the companions to the side. "Today we wrestle," Omie said.
"I want to practice with the swords," I said.
"And we have already decided we will wrestle. If you wish to practice with swords, then you must impress us with your wrestling."
Amazon Companion Page 40