Armies of Nine, Book Three of The Adventures of Sarah Coppernick

by SJB Gilmour

  ‘She’s done it!’ she exclaimed. ‘The illness is gone! Listen!’

  The queen was breathing freely now. With each breath, she was getting stronger.

  Sarah twitched a few times and woke up. She stood again and shook her head several times, making her ears flap loudly. When she had regained her senses fully, she sniffed the sleeping queen.

  Hearing the commotion, several guards from the hall outside rushed in, crossbows at the ready. Sally motioned for them to be still.

  ‘She is still weak,’ Sarah told them all. ‘I’m not finished yet.’ She turned back to Penethelia and nudged her with her cold, damp nose. ‘Wake up,’ she told the queen urgently.

  Penethelia slumbered on. Sarah upped the ante and licked her face several times. Eventually, Penethelia moaned and woke. She turned her head to one side, with a half-smile, half-grimace.

  ‘All right, I’m awake! Gods above, can’t you let a woman get any sleep?’

  ‘Look into my eyes, Amazon Queen,’ Sarah commanded. Penethelia obeyed and stared into Sarah’s golden eyes with her own, which were now bright green. Sarah bored into those eyes as once more the power of Wolfenvald filled her. All the knowledge she had absorbed from Wolfenvald and the great Grey Mane Jasper, flooded her mind. She knew exactly what she needed to do to restore her patient. Two beams of the brightest, fiery light shot from the Golden Mane’s eyes into Penethelia’s. Sarah did not need to say anything. She merely allowed some of her own power to flow into that terribly weakened body.

  Penethelia gave a long, shuddering gasp. Her body filled out. The lines around her eyes and face disappeared as the damage of years of illness vanished. Her limbs and body grew stronger and stronger and her skin went from sickly pale to a healthy tan.

  Within moments, Penethelia was turned from a frail, sickly woman who appeared very old, to a strong, healthy woman, tens of kilograms heavier and several decades younger. Sarah shut her eyes and the beams of light faded away. When she opened them again, she was staring at a very strong and very excited Amazon warrior. Sarah leaped off the bed and stepped away to a respectful distance. As chance had it, she glanced up at Sally. The sturdy healer was staring at Penethelia with her heart in her eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her face was flushed with love. In an instant, Sarah understood the reality of the relationship between the queen and the healer. Angelina hadn’t quite been accurate when she described the ex-lover of Apollo’s story. She and Angelina really needed to have a long talk, and soon, Sarah decided.

  Penethelia threw back the bedclothes and jumped out of bed, stark naked. Naturally, in a society made up nearly entirely of women, nakedness was not quite such an issue as in regular, non-segregated societies. She stretched and shook herself a few times. She looked down at her body, her eyes going wide at the sight. Then she shrugged as if this were a common, everyday occurrence and stood facing everyone in the room defiantly.

  Absently, as she watched Penethelia, Sarah wondered just how Mel would have viewed all this. After all, Mel was very slender and did not possess such ample attributes as Queen Penethelia.

  ‘I believe you were asked to open the windows,’ she told the startled guards. Of course, they did nothing of the kind. The screams and cheers were almost deafening. They crowded around their naked queen in joy and excitement.

  ‘Enough!’ Penethelia commanded. Her voice was now strong and deep. She waved her fussing guards aside and turned to a weeping Sally Troy. ‘How come you didn’t think of that?’ she demanded with a tight grin. Without a hint of shame, she embraced her general in a tight hug and kissed her full on the lips for an embarrassingly long moment. When she broke from the embrace, she turned to Sarah.

  ‘How ironic,’ she said dryly. ‘A restorer of life here with the Angel of Death.’

  Sarah cocked her head to one side. ‘Death?’ she asked, alarmed. ‘You mean…’

  ‘An old nickname,’ Angelina supplied, a look of understanding appearing on her face. ‘You’ve read Dracul, I take it?’

  Sarah wagged her tail a little nervously.

  ‘Angelina here was one of the deadliest with a knife or a bow,’ Sally explained, grateful for the chance to get over the embarrassing moment. Sarah had only seen Angelina fight once before and that had been with the evil witch Miranda. Of course, she herself had been quite busy at the time and did not remember everything that had happened.

  ‘I will address the troops,’ Penethelia told them all. ‘They’ve waited a few years for me to die. They can hurry up and wait a while longer. It’s time to remind them who’s top dog.’ With that, she marched out of the bedroom and into the much cooler hallway. Monika and Sally had set fast paces before, but their queen was stronger and faster than even they were. Angelina and the Amazon guards had to march hard to keep up. Even Sarah had to trot rather than walk to keep pace with Penethelia, the naked Queen of The Amazons. They stormed through the halls, attracting stunned stares as they went. Every Amazon they passed dropped whatever she was doing to follow, cheering. When Penethelia barged into the main hall, a crowd of several hundred Amazons were already behind her.

  Penethelia stared out at the gathered crowd for several moments and then in a great voice, she bellowed, ‘Warriors of Amazon! Your Queen has recovered!’

  The thousands in the hall reacted in a tumultuous roar. The noise of the cheering crowd of warrior women was nearly deafening. Sarah winced and whined painfully. She rested her muzzle on the ground and pressed her paws over her ears. It took nearly half an hour for the noise to settle down enough for Sarah’s ears not to hurt. Once she could be heard over the racket, Monika took the opportunity to show Sarah and Angelina to a suite of rooms, away from the excited crowd. When she shut the doors, they waited while the cheers and cries of the Amazons echoed through the building. Soon, Sally joined them, grateful to be out of the noise.

  Once inside, Sally’s veneer of toughness disappeared. Crying, she knelt and hugged Sarah fiercely. ‘Whatever you want, Coppernick,’ she promised. ‘Anything at all and it’s yours!’ Sally ruffled Sarah’s ears and pounded her sides with affection.

  Sarah grinned when the sobbing Amazon healer had let her go. Her belly gave a loud gurgle. Even though less than just a few hours ago she had eaten a massive meal, she was now once more quite hungry. The effort of healing anyone as sick as Penethelia had been was quite a way to work up an appetite, she realised.

  ‘Well, Master Troy, I am very hungry!’

  Barely minutes later, Sarah was human and sitting down to an enormous meal of roasted lamb and vegetables. While Sarah shovelled food into herself at a ferocious rate, Angelina shared a few glasses of deep red wine with Sally. Sally grinned and joined Sarah at the table. Sarah politely made way for Angelina’s niece.

  ‘Would you like something to eat too, Ma’am?’ she asked.

  Sally grinned. ‘You don’t have to be so formal with me, Master Coppernick,’ she replied.

  Sarah was startled. She looked at Angelina in surprise.

  Her teacher shrugged and sat down at the table beside her. ‘Sally here is a master sorcerer, after all, Sarah.’

  ‘But The Guild—’

  ‘Can get stuffed,’ Sally said bluntly. ‘I was a master healer a full millennium before I joined this lot. I’ve been there and done that more times over than that whole mob combined. I’ve bedded a god, damn it! If I say you’re a master, you’re bloody well a master. There are well-established, Guild-recognised masters out there who couldn’t do a hundredth of what you did today.’ She sighed bitterly. ‘I’m one of them.’ She looked at Sarah seriously. ‘I know what you just did back there. It took more than just power. You had to know exactly what was wrong with her. I’ve not seen anyone diagnose a patient so quickly.’ She shook her head in disbelief. ‘And how you found that shrapnel… X-rays, all sorts of scans, all the scrying a witch could do and nothing!’ She shrugged and thumped the table with one hand while she downed her glass of wine with the other. ‘If I hear anyone not address you
or Master Angelina here by anything other than your proper titles, I’ll hang them with their own innards!’

  Sarah was stunned — not so much by the ferocity of Sally’s threat of violence but by her declaration that she considered Sarah to be a master. Most sorcerers, she had learned, took several hundred years to reach that status. Of course, most sorcerers did not have the aeons of knowledge of Wolfenvald at their paws. She had no idea what to say. She wiped her hands on her cargo pants nervously. Here she was, thirteen years old, and already considered a master by sorcerers who had spent lifetimes honing their craft. She looked down at her sloppy clothes, thinking she should probably start dressing a little better if people were going to be treating her like this.

  ‘Never mind your clothing, young Master,’ Sally said, clapping her on the shoulder. ‘Believe me, your wolf form is impressive enough to more than make up for this.’ She gently touched Sarah’s checked shirt. ‘I’m still seeing spots before my eyes. How do you manage to glow like that without setting fire to everything?’

  Penethelia, who had finally managed to find some clothes, poked her head into the room. Sally leaped to her feet but the tough Amazon Queen waved at her to sit down.

  ‘I’ve only got a moment,’ she told them brusquely. ‘I’ve been out of action for a long time and there’s a lot of catching up I need to do.’ To Angelina and Sarah, she said, ‘You’ll be staying, of course?’ This was more in the manner of an instruction than a request. Penethelia quite obviously ruled with an iron fist.

  Before Sarah could protest that they had to get back to Crete, Angelina replied, ‘We’d love to, Your Majesty! You run along and get your house in order.’

  Penethelia scowled a little uncomfortably. ‘Right now, Captain, your rank is honorary at best. If you’re to return to ranks, a refresher course will be mandatory,’ she told Angelina firmly.

  Angelina stood and saluted the queen. ‘Allorah Lentekhi!’ she declared.

  Penethelia smiled. ‘Good, now that that’s out of the way, enjoy your last few hours of civilian time, Captain. You know the drill.’ The Amazon queen nodded at a beaming Angelina and then turned to Sarah. In a tone far more gentle and relaxed, obviously not the tone she reserved for addressing her military, she said, ‘Master Coppernick, I thank you,’ and she bowed her head slightly.

  Sarah stood and, feeling very nervous, returned the bow. ‘No worries,’ she said before she knew what she was saying. ‘I... I mean you’re welcome, Your Majesty!

  Penethelia laughed. ‘I love werewolves,’ she chortled, ‘so unpretentious.’ Then she became more serious. ‘Lentekhi’s gates will always be open to you, young wolf, as a guest or a member. The choice is yours.’

  Not knowing what to say, Sarah stood there, feeling quite gauche. ‘Thank-you, Your Majesty,’ she said finally.

  Queen Penethelia nodded and raised one eyebrow at Sally. ‘There’s room for another recruit in the latest intake, isn’t there?’

  ‘There is now,’ Sally replied with a determined grin.

  Penethelia smiled. ‘Good,’ she said and marched out of the room.

  Angelina watched Sally gaze after her queen. She did not need to say anything. Instead, she let her expression speak for her. As hardened as Sally was, she could not hold out under that look for long. After a few moments, she choked back a sob. Angelina stood and embraced her niece. For several minutes, Sally wept like a broken-hearted child, while Angelina smoothed her short hair back and wiped the tears from her face with a perfumed handkerchief. Neither woman spoke at all.

  After the initial storm of tears had passed, Sally sniffed and composed herself. Embarrassed, she changed the subject. ‘You mentioned you had an issue with Medusa?’ She blew her nose loudly.

  Angelina nodded. She sat back in her chair calmly. ‘It seems she’s made off with a young minotaur. We dropped in to The Underworld and had a chat with Hades, but she wasn’t there. Hades brought us Medusa’s sister Stheno. She’d normally lie to us or try to kill us, but because Hades Himself was right there, she had to behave and tell the truth. She told us Medusa’s gone to her mountain hideout. Since that’s in your territory, we came here.’

  ‘Why?’

  Angelina shrugged. ‘Ordinarily the loss of one minotaur wouldn’t be such a concern, but our young Golden Mane here has made a commitment to find him, and we must honour that.’

  Sally nodded, sniffing. Then she stood and wiped her face a few times with the handkerchief, which was now quite moist, and straightened her uniform. She strode to the door and yanked it open. Dozens of laughing and cheering Amazons were outside celebrating. Sally casually reached out and hauled a joyous sergeant inside. The surprised warrior was remarkably well-disciplined. She snapped to attention and saluted smartly.

  ‘Get Lieuie Monika. Tell her I want her to take a platoon and a necromancer strong enough to counter the spell, and go and get Medusa,’ Sally ordered. ‘She’s petrified a buck. I want him brought back in one piece.’

  ‘What about Medusa?’ the sergeant asked.

  Sally shrugged. ‘I don’t care how many pieces she’s in. They grow back anyway.’ She turned to Sarah thoughtfully. ‘How long ago did she petrify him?’

  Sarah nodded and hastily swallowed a mouthful. ‘About four or five hours ago now, General Troy,’ she said politely.

  Sally sighed with relief. ‘That’s alright then. It usually takes her a few days to thaw out a body.’

  She turned back to the sergeant. ‘While you’re at it, tell Hannah I want some digs scrubbed out for Captain Troy.’ She glanced at Sarah for a split second and then went back to the sergeant. ‘And make sure there’s a spare subbie’s cot-room free too.’

  The sergeant saluted again and bolted for the door. Perhaps half an hour later, the door swung open and two strapping Amazon warriors dragged in an unconscious Medusa. The sorry-looking gorgon had a black eye and a fat lip and was missing her left hand at the wrist. Several of the snakes on her head hung lifeless down the side of her face. The soldiers dumped the gorgon on the floor and stood over her with drawn crossbows loaded with silver-tipped bolts. An Amazon necromancer stood at the ready to contain Medusa should she awaken and try anything naughty.

  Behind them, Lieutenant Monika and four more Amazons marched in carrying the still-petrified form of Alfred the minotaur. They set him down and leaned him against one wall. Both his horns had broken off and a golf ball-sized chunk was missing from his stone shoulder.

  Sally glanced at Medusa and then at Monika. ‘What happened to her?’

  Monika shrugged. ‘I told her not to cast any spells at me. She didn’t listen.’ She nodded at Sarah and waved at Alf. ‘That the buck you’re missing?’

  Sarah nodded gratefully.

  Angelina flashed Monika a grateful smile. ‘Thank-you, Lieutenant. Now if you could be so kind as to have him delivered to his mother in Crete? Masters McConnell and Cassandra Troy are there. I’m sure they’re more than capable of reversing the spell.’

  Sally also nodded her chin at the waiting Amazons. ‘Make it so,’ she ordered.

  Monika saluted. ‘As you wish, Ma’am,’ she replied with a smart salute. She and her comrades hauled Medusa and Alf out of the room again. Moments later, there was a polite knock at the door.

  ‘Don’t tell me they forgot how to get there,’ Sally muttered sourly. She opened the door. Corporal Hannah entered the room quietly. Like every other Amazon that night, she was grinning from ear to ear.

  ‘I just came to report that Captain Troy’s quarters are ready, Ma’am,’ she said respectfully after she had saluted. ‘We had to bump a couple of lads from the CIL, but there’s a free cot room available too.’

  Sally nodded. ‘That’s alright. The Columbian Irregular Legionnaires weren’t going to be staying long anyway.’

  Angelina smiled at the young corporal gratefully. ‘Thank-you, Hannah. Now would you mind showing our young Golden Mane here to her quarters so she can make herself comfortable?’

  ‘Aren�
��t you coming with me?’ Sarah asked, alarmed. She felt quite insecure as a human among these tall, muscular women.

  ‘I’ll be along later, dear,’ Angelina promised. ‘You run along now.’ To Hannah she added, ‘She’ll need her leathers and a full kit too.’

  ‘What?’ Sarah demanded. ‘What’s going on?’

  Angelina smiled chidingly. ‘Weren’t you listening, dear? You’re to be trained up.’

  ‘I thought I was here as a guest!’ This made everyone in the room laugh.

  ‘Sarah,’ Angelina said in a patient tone, ‘when The Queen of the Amazons offers you membership, you don’t refuse. Go on with Hannah now. She’ll show you around.’ She gave Sarah a gentle but firm push towards the door.

  Hannah nodded with a tight grin. ‘Leave her with me, Captain,’ she said confidently, and led Sarah from the room.

  ‘And now, my niece,’ Angelina said to Sally, pouring herself another glass of wine, ‘before you and I go back to being soldiers, we need to talk!’

  Chapter Twelve

  Hannah led Sarah through the celebrating crowd of Amazons. As they walked, the tall, powerfully built warriors stood aside respectfully. Few spoke and many went so far as to salute as she passed. After a few minutes, Sarah felt her face and neck redden. She returned to her golden haired werewolf shape so that her embarrassment would not be so obvious. Hannah herself drew many jealous stares as she led this very important visitor through the halls and corridors.

  Sarah noticed this. ‘Why are they looking at you like that?’ she asked.

  Hannah shrugged. ‘It’s not often that a mere corporal gets to share the company of one such as yourself, Master Coppernick,’ she explained. She led Sarah down several flights of stairs until they arrived at the armoury. A burly old sergeant looked up from behind the counter.

  ‘Well if it isn’t Corporal Hannah,’ she said with an amused expression. ‘Don’t tell me you’re here for another blade?’

  Hannah gave Sarah a slightly embarrassed look. ‘I lost a knife once. Just once and Sergeant Dallas here has never let me forget it.’ She turned back to Dallas. ‘It’s not for me this time, Sarge,’ she said and gestured to the Golden Mane werewolf at her side. ‘This young sub-lieutenant needs a full kit.’