Amazon Challenge Read online

  Amazon Challenge

  Robin Roseau

  Table of Contents

  Credits

  Pleasure

  Companions

  Patrol

  Summer Tour

  Music

  Incursion

  Running Away

  Part Two

  Facing the Enemy

  Battle

  Missing

  Gallen's Cove

  Part Three

  Lying

  Queen's Town

  Final Preparation

  Away

  Broken Plans

  Challenge Match

  Aftermath

  Punishment

  Slumber Party

  Morning

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Credits

  As always, I would like to thank The Lady for her continued support. And, as I am writing this during a particularly brutal cold snap, I will thank The Dog for warming my feet.

  My beta readers continue to be critical to the success of my writing. Thank you, Donna and Henriette.

  I have been heartened by the response to Amazon Companion. Thank you to everyone who offered kind words of encouragement.

  Finally to you, the reader, thank you so much for your continued support. You make it possible for me to devote so much of my life to writing these stories.

  Pleasure

  I moaned in pleasure. "Oh Malora. Oh. Oh. Yes. There. Oh yes, there!"

  Her hands moved, giving me exactly what I needed, and I moaned again.

  "You're so good at this," I said. "Please, don't stop."

  She chuckled, delighted with my reaction to her touch. I continued to moan, expressing my pleasure.

  "Oh stop it, Maya," she said eventually. "You don't hurt that much."

  "My own sister beat me up," I replied. "You're easing more than a few bruises. There's my ego to soothe."

  Malora laughed and continued to massage my lower back, all knotted after a particularly thorough thrashing on the practice grounds earlier today.

  "What do you expect?" Malora asked me. "She's companion to one of the best wrestlers in the village."

  "If being companion to a good wrestler was all it took, I should be able to beat everyone."

  "You have other skills," Malora said, leaning over me and brushing the back of my neck with a kiss.

  "Oh no," I said. "I still hurt. You have a lot more work before you can start kissing me."

  "Big baby," she said, laughing again. "I've spoiled you."

  "And you're going to continue to spoil me, too. Aren't you?"

  "Yes, Maya, I am going to continue to spoil you." But when she kissed the back of my neck again, I didn't complain. I grew tingly instead. I usually did, when her lips caressed me.

  "I love you, Malora," I whispered. "I don't think I can move. Roll me over."

  She chuckled, and I lay limply while she rolled me onto my back. I blinked up at her.

  "I love you, too, Maya," she replied.

  "What do you love about me, my queen?"

  She threw a leg over mine then sat back, straddling my upper legs. Her hands began stroking my sides. "Well, I like how ticklish you are."

  "You're not really going to undo your last half hour of soothing me, are you Malora?"

  She sighed. "I suppose not." Instead she bent down and caught my mouth with hers, and I found myself moaning again.

  "I love the sounds you make," she said after breaking the kiss. "I love the way you have me wrapped around your finger. I love your wit and your sharp tongue."

  "You say that now in hopes you'll find that sharp tongue thrust halfway down your throat."

  She laughed. "I particularly like that, as well as some of the other things you do with that tongue. But I love the way you challenge me."

  "I'm not much of a challenge for you." I darted my hands out for her ribs in a quick attempt to tickle them, but she captured my wrists and shoved them to the bed next to my head. I knew she would. She held me pinned, looming over me.

  "I love how you feel underneath me," she whispered. "I love watching you struggle."

  "I don't want to struggle tonight," I told her. "Be gentle."

  And she was.

  * * * *

  In the morning, Beria teased me, leftover joy from winning our wrestling bout yesterday. She was consistently winning against the youngest girls, but it was the first time she had beaten any of the older companions. It would be a while before she was beating Bea or Aura, but Neela better watch out. My little sister was getting a lot of extra training time with her warrior.

  I'd been with the Amazons over three years, Beria for more than two. She was fifteen now and had grown fit and incredibly strong in the last two years. Unlike her older sister, Beria had embraced the Amazon lifestyle from the very beginning, and it showed in her sleek, well-muscled figure.

  Oh, I had grown fit and strong myself, much of it against my will, but I had never embraced that side of the Amazon lifestyle the way my sister had. To me, it was a necessary evil. To Beria, it was a driving passion.

  She couldn't be better suited to her warrior, Omie. I had once been terribly frightened of the diminutive warrior, even when she'd still been a companion. But now Omie and her older sister, Vorine, were two of my closest friends. Their prior warriors had moved to other villages, leaving space for Omie and Vorine to remain in Queen's Town. My sister had made few requirements of joining the Amazons, but living in the same village as I did was one of them, which kept Omie here. And no one would think of separating Omie and Vorine. And so Benala and Ree had moved, helping to fill out other villages that were not up to full strength. With Benala and Ree gone, Vorine was the closest Amazon in Queen's Town to my own age, with Omie right behind her, two years younger.

  There had been other changes in the three years since I had arrived. Omie and Vorine, of course, were both warriors. Varda had also become a warrior. Varda had never been popular in Queen's Town, and Malora had found a gracious way to send her to another village.

  I remained a busy companion. Balorie and Ralla had both found companions, thanks largely to me, but for some reason, Nori remained alone. I served double duty, an irony that never failed to escape me, every time Nori asked me to drive the demon voices away for a while.

  Chalena, Varda's old warrior, lacked a new companion.

  Karena had found a companion, a woman of twenty-two whose husband had died, and in her grief, she had presented herself to the Amazons. The relationship had gone poorly, however, and the woman had returned to the home of her parents, released from Amazon service by permission of Karena and Malora.

  And so, I served as companion to Malora, Nori, Chalena and Karena, although the latter two were in less need than Malora or Nori, and they visited me infrequently. The casual touches I gave to all our warriors handled the needs for Chalena and Karena most days.

  I smiled at Beria. When had she gotten taller than I was? "One win, and you've gotten pretty cocky."

  "It wasn't the win, Sister," she told me. "It was the nature of the win. Did your warrior need to ease your aching muscles last night?"

  "Yes," Malora said, "she did."

  Beria grinned. "Then I'd say I won twice."

  "Oh?" asked Malora. "Would you care to explain that to your queen?"

  "Certainly, Queen Malora," Beria said. "First, after years and years of Maya sitting on me -- which I still haven't forgotten, you understand -- I finally was able to turn the tides. Win number one."

  "Quite," Malora agreed. "And it was a noble win at that."

  It had been, too. Omie had been trying to teach me that particular hold for years, but I just couldn't understand it. Beria, on the other hand, seemed to have it to perfecti
on.

  "And then, my sister, who amongst all the people I love, is-" she began counting on her fingers, finally holding up eight, "is number eight on the list."

  "Eight?" I screeched. "I darned well better be in the top three." Mother, Father, then me, was my thinking.

  Then I saw the way she looked at Omie and realized I'd be lucky with the fourth spot, as I was pretty sure that look placed Omie as number one. I decided then and there, that was okay too.

  Beria giggled. "As I was saying, my sister, who I love from the bottom of my heart, got a massage from the queen of the Amazons. How many almost-sixteen-year-olds can say she forced the Amazon queen to deliver a massage?"

  Malora guffawed, amused by my sister's wit. Beria grinned, pleased at the reaction.

  I waited for the laughter to diminish before I responded. "I still want to know how I'm relegated to eighth place."

  "Oh, that's easy." She began counting on her fingers. "Mother. Father. Omie-"

  "I'm third?" Omie asked.

  "Hush, you," she said. "Maybe after my sixteenth birthday, you'll move up." She looked at Malora. "I'm pretty mature for my age, Queen Malora."

  "Sixteen," Malora replied immediately. "Not one day before. And if I knew what part of the day you were born, we could be even more precise."

  "Shortly before midnight," I chimed in immediately. "I remember distinctly. Of course, if I were higher on the list, I might realize I was mistaken."

  That earned more laughter. Beria gave me a sour look then continued counting, beginning with four. "Dannick, Nathano, Chandor." Those were our brothers.

  "You rate me behind our brothers, after the way they used to pick on you?"

  "Of course. They haven't picked on me in years. You, on the other hand, take great delight in continuing to assign chores to me, and just last week you beat me with a stick."

  We had practiced staffs together, and I'd collected my share of bruises from her. I growled at her.

  "That leaves me at seven, not eight."

  "Alara, Mandi, Juna, and finally Maya."

  "Ten?" I said. "I moved down to ten?"

  "Who are Alara, Juna and Mandi?" Omie asked.

  "Alara is our grandmother," Beria said. "Juna is one of the village elders." Then she grinned at me.

  "And Mandi is the damned cat," I added. "And no way do you love Juna more than you love me."

  "She was very kind to me after you ran away with your new Amazon friends," Beria said.

  Nori spoke up. "Juna is the elder with the cane? The cane you used to beat Riva over the head, Maya?"

  "That's the one."

  "She seemed very kindly," Nori said, grinning at me. "I can see why Beria might prefer her."

  I growled, then smiled. "Beria, I believe you have pool scrubbing duty this morning after training."

  "No I don't," she said. "I already checked the duty roster."

  I rose from my seat, moving to the duty roster posted next to the door to the kitchen. I made a point of erasing my own name and writing my own back in. Beria wouldn't be able to see the details from where she was sitting and could believe I'd written in her own.

  "Hey!" she said. "Queen Malora!"

  "Don't look at me," Malora said. "I don't interfere with Maya's management of the companions' duties."

  I turned around, my back to the duty board. "And as for you, Nori. How are the voices today? Got a backup companion ready when I won't let you near me?"

  She actually looked chagrined, but she knew I was bluffing. I was perfectly willing to tease, but I'd never withhold comfort from an Amazon in need, and everyone here knew it.

  Then Nori grinned at me. "Queen Malora, I believe we need a tournament this morning."

  "Perhaps we do. I believe my companion was looking forward to one."

  There was no way I was looking forward to a tournament, and they both knew it. Which, of course, was the entire point.

  I sighed dramatically and returned to my place at the table.

  Beria was still glaring at me. "I can't believe you're making me do your duty today."

  "I believe, my fine companion," said Omie, "that you should check the duty roster before you get too upset."

  Beria climbed to her feet, shooting me another dirty look, and stomped over to the duty roster. She stared at it, then said in a small voice, "Oh." I turned to look at her. "That was mean."

  "Ten? Behind the cat? Seriously?" I asked her.

  She walked over and wrapped her arms around me. "You know I love you more than the cat."

  "Yeah, yeah," I said. I pulled her head down and kissed her forehead. "Omie, tell me you beat her."

  "Only on the training ground," Omie replied. "And I know where my hide would be if the answer were any different."

  I was rather over-protective of my sister, and everyone knew it. I grinned at Omie. "Your hide is safe," I said. "I have plenty of leather right now."

  We finished our meal, and the companions cleaned up. I took care of my shared dish with Malora as well as Nori's, a kindness that she never took for granted. Every now and then I found a fresh deer hide in my hut and sometimes other gifts, and I knew they were from Nori or one of the other warriors I had been helping.

  We cleaned up and Beria said, "Race you to the training ground!"

  She beat me by a good four steps and turned around, laughing in joy. When the others caught up to us, she asked Nori, "May I lead the stretching exercises?"

  "Is it your turn?" Nori asked her.

  "It's mine," I said, "but I am happy to relinquish the place of honor to my little sister, in congratulations of her win of a foot race."

  This was another of my duties: managing the list of whose turn it was to lead the stretching exercises. It didn't used to be; I had just taken it over like I had so many other responsibilities. But ultimately, Nori was the training leader, and leading the exercises was training in itself. She could override me if she wished.

  "Well then," Nori agreed, "Beria shall lead us, but we will start when I say, Beria." Beria had once tried to start the exercises when a few of the companions hadn't arrived, hoping to have them marked as late. She hadn't gotten away with it, but ever since, Nori had been clear.

  I sidled over to Nori. "Are we really having a tournament?" I asked quietly.

  "It was a joke," she said, "but we're due, don't you think?"

  "I suppose we are. Am I allowed to officiate?"

  She laughed. "You know the answer to that, Maya."

  "Can't blame me for trying."

  She glanced over at me. "Walk with me." She didn't wait but immediately turned away and led us on a path further from listening ears. As soon as we were well clear, she said quietly, "Are you pretending to hate it? I thought you were past all that. For a while, you embraced the training."

  "I had a demon to kill," I replied. "I never enjoyed it, Nori. I hated it the entire time. I appeared to embrace it because it was necessary."

  "So you really do hate it?"

  "I can't begin to tell you how much," I answered. "I'm tired of getting hit, and don't even tell me to try harder. I don't like hitting anyone, either. Inside I flinch every time."

  "Not always inside, either." She sighed. "I thought you've been joking."

  "I make jokes about hating it," I said, "like some people whistle in the dark."

  "So if Malora and I excused you from future training?"

  I stopped her with a hand on her arm, turning her to face me. "If you ever give me that choice, I will take it." Deep down, I knew that would be a mistake, but I wouldn't be able to help it.

  She nodded understanding. "There's a style of training you haven't seen very often." She paused for a moment, and I was sure I wasn't going to like what came next. "We're going to start doing more partner and team exercises."

  "What do you mean?"

  "You and Malora."

  "Malora and I spar nearly every day."

  "You and Malora spar against each other," she said. "But you don't spar as
a team. And it is even more rare we fight in larger groups."

  I searched her face, trying to understand. Other than during tournaments, the Amazons didn't usually train that way, not that I had seen. "I don't understand."

  "That's why we're going to start. Today, I believe."

  I sighed. "I'm going to get more bruises, aren't I?"

  "And if you fight poorly, so is your warrior."

  "So Malora drew the short straw when you gave me to her."

  "Not hardly," Nori replied.

  She turned, leading the two of us back to the center of the training ring. Everyone else was waiting, some having started to stretch.

  "Get us started, Beria," Nori ordered.

  We stretched. We ran. My sister was faster than me, as were all but the youngest companions. For a while, Malora and Nori had tried to use me to set the pace for the young companions, but I could only remember my first days as an Amazon, and I was too easy on them.

  But at least I hadn't felt the tip of Malora's whip across my bottom in two and a half years. Just thinking about it made me rub myself in imagined pain.

  When we were done running, Nori collected us all together. "As promised, we are having a tournament today, but it will be a little different than we're used to. In increasing age, you will each select a partner and invite her to a bout. The person you challenge gets to pick the style of the bout: wrestling, hand-to-hand, bows, staffs, swords, or free combat." Free combat meant each fighter would pick her weapon of choice, which was almost always a sword. Malora liked to pick two swords, and sometimes Nori picked a staff for herself, simply to change things up.

  "If you are invited to fight, you must accept. If you have already fought, then you are done until the next event."

  "What's the next event?" Vorine asked.

  "Teams, warriors with their companions. We will pick opponents the same way based on the age of the companion."