by Robin Roseau
Then Maya stood and stepped behind my warrior. "Do you need me as well?"
"No," Omie said. "Beria takes care of me."
* * * *
Winter arrived, and spring followed. I now accompanied Omie every time she went on patrol, but I still hadn't seen my first demon.
Maya and Malora went on their recruiting trip, this time to the northern villages of Morehama. They returned, and there was a new companion, a girl named Gweneth, companion to Balorie. All told, there were ten more companions recruited, ten companions we wouldn't have had if Maya hadn't talked the villages out of them, but she came home stressed out and tired, and grew increasingly snippy with everyone. Three weeks later, Malora showed up at my hut, Nori in tow. Maya was nowhere to be seen.
"May we speak with you?" she asked Omie. "And your companion."
"Of course," Omie said, gesturing.
Malora had a bottle of wine, and Nori was holding classes. Malora opened the bottle and poured, handing out the glasses. We didn't have much seating, so I was surprised when Malora gracefully folded her legs and took a seat on the floor. Soon, all four of us were seated on the floor in a rough circle.
"Omie," Malora said, "Nori. I would like a report on Beria's progress."
Omie and Nori looked at each other for a moment. I looked at the floor. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No," Malora said. "Omie or Nori, please, one of you give me a progress report."
"I will, I guess," said Omie. "Beria has been with us for just slightly over two years. In that time, she has worked very hard, and I couldn't be more proud of her. In wrestling, of the companions, she is second only to Bea. She makes good progress with the staff, and I would trust her in a fight. She also does well with the sword, although if there were a bandit fight, I would rather see her wielding a staff than a sword. However, she shows a great deal of dedication and natural talent, and in a few years, I believe she will make an excellent warrior."
"I would second that," Nori said. "I would also add that she is showing signs of leadership as well. In those regards, she is a lot like her older sister. If she weren't the youngest companion-"
"Second youngest now," I interjected.
"Don't interrupt," Nori said. "But she's right. Second youngest companion, she would also be filling a variety of leadership roles within the companions. It's a little early for this, but I believe we should look for leadership opportunities for her to explore. That may take some time to consider, but we should keep it in the back of our minds."
"Shortcomings?" Maya asked. "Omie, you first."
"She's still getting used to the way her body has changed over the last two years," Omie said.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"You're stronger, faster, with more stamina," Omie said. "All of these cause changes, and you haven't fully gotten used to them. It's natural. You haven't done anything wrong, but sometimes it makes you a little clumsy. You had thirteen years to grow accustomed to the body you wore, and in two years, it has had changes that are almost as drastic as puberty."
"Oh," I said. "So I'm not just a klutz?"
It was Malora who smiled at me. "Everyone in this room went through the same thing. Nori?"
"She has a few bad habits," Nori repeated. "Omie, Vorine and I have been working on them. It is still easy to pull her off balance with the staff, as she tends to over-commit. While she is ahead of Maya with the sword, she is behind with the staff, and it's almost entirely because she grows impatient and over-commits."
"And for her other duties?" Malora asked.
"She is an excellent companion," Omie said. "She sees to all her duties to me. While there is the occasional complaint, they are rare, and I daresay less common than the complaints I once voiced. By and large, she does her duties efficiently and cheerfully."
"How about her horse riding and camping skills?"
"She rides like a companion of two years," Nori said. "One whose warrior prefers she ride with her warrior than alone. I suspect she has never been on a horse before joining us."
"I haven't," I said quietly.
"I have taught her all the forestry skills I know," said Omie. "As a warrior myself, I feel this isn't my best strength, either, and I don't know what else to teach her."
"Would you trust her to travel the width and breadth of our forest unattended?" Malora asked.
"Yes," said Omie, "but if those were to become new duties for her, I believe she should spend time with Ralla."
"If I said I was thinking of sending her and Maya to Gallen's Cove for a few weeks, Omie, what would be your response?"
"I would ask you to reconsider, Queen Malora," Omie said. "I wouldn't want to be apart from her that long."
"How would you feel of the two of them crossing the plains?"
"Alone, just the two of them?"
"Yes. The truth, Omie."
"Queen Malora, I would not question your judgment of your own companion's abilities. And while Beria will be a good warrior someday, she's not yet."
"Nori?"
"Omie is right, Malora, except you asked her opinion, and she should be willing to give it."
Omie glared at Nori. Nori continued. "Omie is, after all, the companion training co-leader, and she should be willing to offer an accurate assessment of the skills of every companion under her care. Including the queen's companion."
"I think perhaps we'll save Omie from that fate tonight," Malora said after a moment.
"Thank you, Queen Malora."
Malora sipped at her wine for a moment.
"All right," she said. "Now, I am going to speak plainly. That conversation is the entire reason Nori and I are here tonight. If anyone asks, Nori and I came for a status update concerning Beria. Omie and Nori provided one, offering constructive criticism." She looked directly at me. "They told you that you are doing very well but mentioned some bad habits. I suspect it's not the first time you heard about them."
"No, Queen Malora. I'm trying."
"I know you are," she said. "So if tomorrow, for instance, your sister asks why I was here tonight, what will you say?"
"You came to talk about me," I said.
"Good. Now for the real reason we're here... I'm sure you've noticed your sister has been snippy lately."
I stared at her, initially holding in my response, but then I couldn't help it.
"It's not her fault!" I said hotly. "You make her do too much. You expect too much. Everyone expects too much from her, and it's not her fault the villages don't tithe and send us more companions!"
"Gentle, Beria," Omie said.
"But-"
"Quiet," Omie said. "She's the queen."
Oh shit. I had just yelled at the queen.
"I'm sorry," I said, staring at the floor.
"Beria," Queen Malora said gently, "it is very good for you to defend your sister. I am not angry, and when we gather like this, I expect people to speak plainly. I cannot waste time working through gentle words that don't say what they mean. You aren't in trouble. But please keep your voice down. Maya is probably skulking around. I waited until she was wrapped up in that work you believe I assign her, but she has eyes in the back of her head and probably knows exactly where I am. She is undoubtedly wondering what we're talking about, and I don't want her to know."
"Yes, Queen Malora," I said.
"Good. Now, for the duration of this conversation, I am Malora."
"Yes, Malora," Omie said immediately. She nudged me, and I echoed her.
"Good. I need to fix a misconception you have. I do not make her do too much. She took on those duties, and she decides how she will do them. She took them from me, and while I am very, very glad she did, I never asked her to."
I looked up.
"She is doing a far, far better job than I was, or the queen before me, and it was the queen before her that let the villages grow lax in the first place. The queen before me struggled with it, but until the end of her reign, she didn't fully appreciate the trouble
we were in. I struggled for several years, and then I foolishly bowed to certain pressures, and that was why your sister was taken from your home the way she was."
I didn't say anything.
"Maya takes every negative comment personally. She takes every lack of success personally. She thinks we are all disappointed with her. And while there are Amazons who blame her for our problems, the majority know what she is doing for us, and we are behind her. We might handle some of the details differently, but by and large, she's doing as good a job as any of us could, and better than most."
"That sounds like my sister," I agreed. I looked at her, trying to figure out what she wanted.
"Maya and I are due for our summer tour of the villages," Malora said. "They are important both for her and for me." She paused. "I have an idea, but I don't know if it's a good idea. Beria, you know your sister the best. And Nori, you know her very well. I think the three of you should come with. I think she would enjoy the trip more with all of you along. I'd invite Bea, too, but I can't take her away from Clara for that long, and we need Clara on patrol if the three of us are already going to be gone. Now, I want a frank discussion."
"That still means you are polite," Omie said to me.
"Omie, you go first. Would being gone for a couple of weeks interfere badly with your training schedule?"
"Nori and I would both be gone," she said. "That leaves a lot on Vorine, and if we're gone, she's going to need to patrol."
"That's a legitimate concern," Nori said, "but I believe the companions can train with their warriors."
"What about Gweneth?" Omie said. "Balorie is going to be gone a lot." She paused. "We could ask Serra to look out for her, but I bet Serra is going to have her hands full, too."
"Is that solvable?" Malora asked.
"Yes," Nori said. "Every warrior in Queen's Town is qualified to help train companions. I can quietly talk to them. They will all take Gweneth under their wings. Omie?"
"We should be including Vorine in this, but she's on patrol. But I agree with Nori."
"What about your own companion, Omie?"
"The trip would be good experience for her," Omie said. "I think it goes back to the comments earlier about leadership opportunities."
"I agree," said Malora. "So do either of you have other concerns to address?"
"No," they both said after glancing at each other. "We'd have to manage a few things," Nori added, "but the biggest difficulty will be handling the duty roster."
"That's going to drive Maya crazy," I blurted. "You're taking two companions completely out of the rotation for how long?"
"Two weeks, probably," Malora said.
"Plus she has to do the duty roster for when we're gone, and probably at least for a few days for after we're due back. And if we could be late, then she has to take that into consideration. I don't know what that means. But I bet it takes her most of an evening to do it."
"What else?" Malora asked.
"She'll take responsibility for me. She won't relax. She'll think she has to baby-sit me."
"That's ridiculous," Omie said.
"It's not," I said. I paused. "There are special rules at some of the villages, right? So she's going to think she's responsible for making sure I know the rules. And then she's going to think she has to grill me on them. If I do the slightest thing wrong, she's going to think it's because she didn't teach me properly."
Malora sighed. "Is this a bad idea?"
I wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not, but I really, really wanted to go.
"What if you sort of, I don't know. Made me her assistant?" I said. "Yes, it adds to her workload, but she can also give me some of her workload. Tell her she doesn't have to teach me everything, that I just need to be exposed to it."
We talked for an hour, finishing the wine. In the end, we had a plan.
The next morning, predictably, Maya pulled me to the side.
"So," she said. "What did Malora want last night?"
I sighed. "She, Omie and Nori spent forever dissecting me."
"Malora told me she's proud of you. I am too, Beria."
I smiled. "Thanks, Maya. I appreciate that." I smiled.
"Malora told me that Omie mentioned the need to give you leadership opportunities."
"That came up," I said. "I didn't understand."
She grinned. "Did they mention a trip?"
"Yeah. She said she had something to think about."
"Pack your bags."
* * * *
The trip started well. That didn't last. I don't want to talk about it.
First Kiss
My warrior needed me. I huddled in the back of the boat, clutching my cloak around me. It was a damp, foggy morning. Maya and I were in one boat, and in another boat, ten yards across the deep, still water of the cove, sat Nori and Omie. My back still hurt from the whipping, but it was healing.
My heart was in shreds.
I had been in and out of awareness during our initial flight from the forest, the home of the Amazons. Somehow I knew more was wrong than what Parlomith had done to me, but it wasn't until the second day that I had roused enough to wonder where Maya was taking me. Even then, I hadn't argued with her.
"I am taking you home, where I can keep you safe."
But my heart had been breaking, because she was taking me from Omie. Omie would need me, and deep down, I needed her, too.
Maya hadn't wanted to take me in the boat. Mama had come to us where we had hidden and told us Nori and Omie were here. Maya and Mama had agreed I was to stay hidden, but they also knew Nori wouldn't go away without talking to Maya. And deep down, although she wouldn't admit it, Maya was worried about Malora. Oh, yes, she was very, very angry, an anger that was eating her inside. But she wanted to hear what Nori had come to say, and perhaps also to scream at Nori. And she didn't say it, but I thought she also finally believed for once she was going to beat Nori.
So Mama and Maya had decided how Maya would meet with Nori in a fashion Nori couldn't take Maya home the same way she had the first time.
I thought it was telling when Maya said it that way. She referred to Queen's Town as "home", but she didn't notice she had done it. I noticed.
"I am going," I said.
"You are not," Mama replied. "You are fifteen and will do what you are told."
"I want to hear with my own ears what happened to that woman when Malora found out," I said. "And if you don't let me go, then I will have to go to Queen's Town and find out for myself."
"You will not," Maya said.
"Do you think you can keep me here?" I asked. "Do you think you can watch me every minute of every day?"
Mama and Maya had both grown angry with me, but I was right. And so Maya had taken me with her. After that, I didn't care.
I wanted to see Omie.
And now I could see her, ten yards away, huddled in her own boat and clearly miserable. The demon voices were after her. I could see it in her face and hear it in her voice. She was my warrior, and it was my responsibility to silence the voices and soothe her soul. But before I could do that, Maya had to calm down enough to let me.
"Maya," I said, "I love her."
My sister looked at me for a moment, but she was so terrified Nori and Omie would take us back, bound in ropes to be whipped for deserting, that she only looked at me for a moment before her gazed flashed back to Nori.
"She needs me, Maya," I said. "She's your friend. She's my friend."
Maya and Nori argued for a while. Maya pretended she didn't believe Nori, but she did. Of course she did. Nori wouldn't need to lie.
"Please, Maya," I said. "Omie needs me. And Nori isn't lying."
She looked at me again, huddled in my cloak, miserable, and I saw the moment when she decided.
She negotiated with Nori, and Nori gave her everything she could.
"Please, Maya," I said again, and I didn't try to hide the tear crawling down my cheek.
Carefully, Maya rowed our boats
together, the back of ours first near the front of theirs, so I could tie the two boats together, and then Maya adjusted us so our boat was against the side of theirs. Maya told me to give them a bucket, but instead I took the bailing pump from its storage place, and I handed it to Nori. It was clear she didn't know what it was.
"It pumps the water," I said. "That end goes in the bottom of the boat, and the hose goes over the side."
Then she understood, but her boat rocked precariously when she moved around, and I held onto the side, trying to steady it.
"Haven't you ever been in a boat before?" Maya asked harshly.
"No," Nori admitted. But she pumped the water from the back of her boat. I took the pump back and stowed it away then talked her through moving from her boat to ours, both boats rocking badly while she did it. Maya ordered her to sit next to her, and then I crawled into the boat with Omie.
"Beria," she said, but she wasn't touching me.
"Hold me, Omie," I told her.
And then she took me in her arms, but was very, very careful of my back. That was when she began crying, and me right with her. Over and over she whispered to me, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
I pulled her to me, and I quieted her voices. Slowly, she calmed down.
My pain wasn't so easily dispersed.
I heard Maya explaining to Nori how to help row. "I'm not doing it all myself," Maya told her. Maya chastised Nori repeatedly, but I felt when the roped between our boats tightened, and I trusted Maya to take us in the right direction.
"I'm so sorry, Beria," Omie said again.
"It's healing," I said.
"I'll take care of you. I need you so badly, Beria. Please come home."
"Omie," I asked. "I need to know. Do you love me?"
"Yes," she said.
"You know what I mean. Do you love me that way?"
She pulled away a little. I read longing in her voice, but it may have been longing for the comfort a companion provides to her warrior. I couldn't tell.