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  “I can’t do that!” she complained.

  “She’ll know it was from me.”

  “I still can’t do that, Claary. She’s the duchess. She could order me pacified and toss me into the middle of your event.”

  “She wouldn’t do that.”

  “Maybe, maybe not, but it’s happened in the past.”

  “Fine. Tell her I was unimpressed with her handling of this event, and if she is also unimpressed, maybe she shouldn’t set it up for such chaos. She told me to let others control the conversation.”

  “Since when do you do what you’re told? I thought you were all about improvising when the situation calls for it. Isn’t that what set you in her sights to begin with?”

  “Did she tell you to say that?”

  “No. That’s all me. You know how this is going to go, don’t you? Cerelle and Verla are going to set a public plan and a private plan. The public plan will be to stick together. The private plan will be to start yanking you, Gigi, and Lassa off to be subdued.”

  “We don’t even know what the event is.”

  “Oh, please. In the meantime, they’ll let Marda have whomever she wants. They probably hope she grabs the other two so they don’t have to share with them. She’ll get two. They’ll share three between them. I’m guessing one will get you and the other will get Gigi and Lassa, but I don’t know.” She shook her head. “They may even share that plan with Marda.”

  “You know what, Bess? I think Marda is a team player. I think she’s a protector. I think she’ll treat us honestly.”

  “Maybe you’re right. I don’t know her that well. Or maybe Olivia is so upset with you, she’ll tell her to toss you to the dogs. Especially if you’re rude to her.”

  “What does it matter?” I asked. “This is my last event for a while. Then Lisbon and Mom will have their first chances. I think I’m just going to focus on running the inn after this.”

  “You can’t avoid this forever.”

  “Whatever,” I said. “None of these are my rules. Don’t blame me if I’m still struggling to keep up with them. I have work to do.”

  “Are you mad at me?”

  “You’re the one who came in with that shitty letter,” I said. “And then you piled on. Go away for a few days.”

  She nodded. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to pile on.”

  “I know. You can hug me first, then go away.”

  So she did, and she did.

  * * * *

  I received notice that our event would be Wednesday. That wasn’t a surprise. What was a surprise was that it would be in the arena. And what was truly surprising was that it would be open to the public. They were selling tickets, and the participants received four complementary tickets to give away. Mine were included in the note. That afternoon, notices went up all around town, announcing the event, and that was when I learned there would be several others as well.

  The headline was to be a real Challenge, to be held last. Our group event was immediately before, if the order on the announcements was correct.

  * * * *

  “Hello, Your Honor,” I said.

  “Ms. Rosebush,” she replied. “I wasn’t surprised to see your name associated with this event.”

  “Did you have fun planning it, Your Honor?”

  “I did, actually.”

  “And are you going to surprise us?”

  “I am, actually,” she said. She lifted her voice. “Bring them in.”

  The doors opened, and four guards escorted two more women in. Like eight of us, they wore shifts. The guards helped them through the door, but then they strode forward, coming to a stop before the judge, but then looking around.

  “Sarala Whitestar?” I asked. “What are you doing here?”

  “Ladies,” said the judge. “This is Sarala Whitestar and Becksta Whiterapids. They have asked if they could join your event. Team captains, do you accept them?”

  “As team three?” Cerelle asked.

  “Does your team wish an additional handicap?” asked the judge. “I was going to give one to each team, but I could give both of them to Marda.”

  Cerelle offered a little bow. “We’d be pleased to split them, and would allow Marda to choose first.”

  “Gracious. You get Sarala. She hopes to capture someone on Marda’s team.” Sarala looked straight at me. Great. “Becksta, please join Marda’s team.” She indicated our side of the room.

  The women split. Introductions were exchanged, and then we turned back to the judge. “There are three additional events before yours,” she explained. “I understand one requirement was that none of you were to know the details of the event until today, but there would be time to discuss strategy.”

  “That came from me,” I said.

  “And how much time did you think you required?”

  “I don’t know? A half hour?”

  The judge laughed. She actually laughed. “Two minutes,” she said. “Plus whatever you can discuss now, without knowing the details. You’ll learn the rest once you’re in the arena.”

  I paused before speaking. The judge watched me, and she was smiling. “Your Honor.” She raised an eyebrow. “Were my requirements unreasonable?”

  “Not particularly. However, perhaps you should have been more precise.”

  “Did you know I was the one who made that request?”

  She paused and then inclined her head.

  “Will you explain why, if my requests were reasonable, you are in fact ignoring one?”

  “I’m not ignoring one. I’ll give you two minutes to discuss strategy.”

  “Do you really believe that is in the spirit of the requirement? Or perhaps you feel a simple barmaid should speak with the clarity of a trained lawyer or judge. Is that your standard, Your Honor?”

  “You could have met with a lawyer before making final agreement,” she said.

  I folded my arms. “How often do people do that prior to a Practice Challenge?”

  “Perhaps more should,” she said. “Witness your frustration today, and so easily avoided.” She folded her own arms. “Do you have more questions, Ms. Rosebush?”

  Annoying the judge would be a bad idea. “Just one,” I said. “You once told me you were an advocate for the more vulnerable. Your first responsibility is to the law, but your second is to the vulnerable. I don’t remember how you put it.” I gestured. “Two trained soldiers to one. They can probably work together without much communication. Marda now has four teammates with titles such as barmaid.” I lifted an eyebrow.

  “As you say,” she replied. “This is a Practice Challenge. The potential repercussions if you are not suitably prepared are minor. Maybe I hope you’ll learn something. Good luck, ladies.” And then she strode from the room.

  The guards remained.

  Marda collected us at one end of the room. Verla and Cerelle moved to the opposite end. We huddled and shared introductions with Becksta. I then immediately looked at Marda. “It has been suggested to me that Verla and Cerelle may approach you with an offer.”

  “They did,” she said. “They told me to accept it, or they were going for a clean sweep. They’re assuming things about the nature of the event, but their assumptions only cover about half the possibilities. Do you think I would toss you to them, Claary?”

  “No. I told the person in question you would do the opposite.”

  She inclined her head. “You’re right. We’re a team.”

  “We’re a team,” I echoed, and then the others.

  * * * *

  We stepped into the sunlight. The stands were full, absolutely full. The tickets had sold out within two days of the event being announced.

  Mother had closed the inn. Somewhere in the stands were Mother and Lisbon. I hadn’t wanted them here, but Lisbon saw the tickets and grabbed them. Mother interceded when she saw us struggling, and as soon as she knew what we were fighting over, she took all four tickets then handed one back to Lisbon. She gave the others to tw
o of our employees.

  And so, somewhere in all those people, Mother and Lisbon were seated. I didn’t have time to think about that. I looked around at the arena.

  The judge waited in the middle of the arena. Our team had entered on one side, and Cerelle and Verla’s team was directly opposite us.

  At either end of the arena, left and right, were two walls made of timber, and padded. It was, in a way, a lattice. One could stick one’s hand through the wall almost anywhere. And immediately in front of each wall, a long trough. I thought I knew what might be in the troughs: resin.

  We strode to the middle, each team coming to a stop on opposite sides from the judge. She smiled at each team but frowned at me. Great.

  “This is our second to final event!” she called out. The audience roared. She held up her hand. “Save that for a minute or I’ll never get done. Marda, introduce your team.”

  Marda took a step forward and introduced us. Then Cerelle and Verla introduced their team members. When I was introduced, I clearly heard Lisbon scream, “You look great in red, Claary!”

  Thanks for the support, Sis.

  “Marda’s team will retreat to the north,” the judge said, indicating one end. “Cerelle and Verla will take their team south. When I call begin, we will have a simple event. Each team must attempt to capture members of the other team and return to their home base. They may then do what they wish with her. You will find rope and other devices at each home base.”

  She turned a slow circle.

  “You may not claim any woman within the first third of the opposing team’s side. If Cerelle and Verla wrestle Marda to the ground, they must drag her out of her own territory to claim her, but it is not required to drag her all the way to the other end.

  “The event ends when I call the end.

  “Any challenger may withdraw from the event only if she has claimed a slave. If she wishes to withdraw, she must retreat to her claimed slave, set a hand upon her, then drop to a knee. If she is being dragged by four others, but manages to drop to a knee while touching her slave, she must be released.

  “There is no rule as to how many women one woman may claim. It may be that Marda will claim the entire opposing team.

  “A woman may also withdraw if there are no unclaimed members of the opposite team. Or anyone remaing may move to the center circle, and I will declare a free for all. You could possibly still claim someone from your team.”

  She looked around for a moment and then said, “That means that Marda could, theoretically, walk from this arena with nine new slaves.” She looked around. “Questions?”

  I raised my hand.

  “Why am I not surprised, Ms. Rosebush?”

  “I don’t know how this is going to go, but imagine I am captured and subdued, but the woman who captures me does not withdraw, and is in turn subdued. What happens to me.”

  “Well now, that is a good question. You become free to be claimed by another.”

  “Will the obedience compulsion fade? Could I defend myself?”

  “If that happens, I guess you will find out,” she replied. “Very good.” And I raised my hand. “Seriously, Ms. Rosebush?”

  “If I have been successfully claimed, could my owner order me to assist in additional captures?”

  “If you have any mental capacity to so act, yes. Are you done?”

  “Yes, Your Honor.”

  “Good. The teams will retreat to their sides. I will call begin in two minutes, ready or not.”

  Marda turned to us. “Walk quickly. Do not get winded early.” Then she strode across the turf for our base. She arrived and immediately reviewed what was available. There must have been a dozen of the devices and coils of rope everywhere.

  “Uncoil the rope,” she said. “Everyone do two coils and spread them about, but not where we’ll trip. Hang a few from the wall.” We all started on that, and as we worked, she said, “We stick together. From the looks, some of them are targeting Claary, but I think they’d take whomever they can get. Our goal will be to improve the odds by capturing one and bringing her back here. We’ll do our best to get her tied and then repeat it. We’ll worry about claiming her after we catch a second.”

  “Begin!”

  “Let them come to us,” she said. “Step forward to the one third line, but then hold back.”

  With Marda at the head of a V, and me on the furthest right flank, we moved forward. The other team approached as well, but they were in a line with Verla towards our far left and Cerelle towards the right. We came to a stop. They proceeded to the center and also stopped. We were clustered together. They were spread out a little further, with a couple of yards between them.

  Then they began jeering at us.

  “How rude,” Marda said. Then she turned around, bent over, and mooned them.

  It was funny as hell, and from the reaction, nearly everyone present thought so.

  Unfortunately, they didn’t come any closer and continued to jeer at us.

  “Move a little closer,” Marda said. She closed a third of the remaining distance then tried mooning them again.

  “Nice ass,” Cerelle yelled. “This is the middle.”

  Marda turned around and gestured us closer. I kept my eye on our opponents but moved in. “All right. When we turn around, I’m going to yell ‘Get Cerelle’. We’re all going to feint in that direction, but then you stop. I’m going to go grab whomever I can. Converge on me, and we’ll retreat as best we can. Protect your team members. Don’t make this a trade.”

  “Right,” I said. And then I stepped aside and clearly eyed Cerelle.

  “Get her!” Marda yelled. We all took off, running only a short distance, and then she veered left and grabbed a very surprised Sareet. Sareet went over one shoulder, and then Marda was running back.

  We converged on her and began retreating, but Verla yelled, and they dashed forward. “You two help Cerelle,” she added. And then she ran up and grabbed Lassa. Gigi and Lassa struggled with Verla, but I didn’t have time to watch that. Cerelle ran straight for me, Rondi and Sarala with her.

  “Ours!” Sarala yelled. They grabbed me. Becksta pulled on my arm. Marda glanced around and saw Becksta and I were in trouble while Lassa and Gigi were, so far, holding their own, so with Sareet still over her shoulder, she ran to me and grabbed my arm. “Peel their grips,” she yelled.

  Becksta went to work. She peeled Rondi off me, and we began making progress deeper into our end.

  Then Cerelle yelled, “Switch.” She and Sarala both released me. Marda and I both stumbled backwards, leaving Becksta entirely alone. The three of them grabbed her and ran the other direction.

  On the other side, Gigi was down, and Verla was dragging a struggling Lassa by her feet. Then Gigi got back up and ran after Lassa. She grabbed her hands and pulled the other way, and it was a tug-of-war. Verla was winning, but it slowed down.

  But Cerelle’s group got Becksta to the far wall. She continued to struggle, but Cerelle held her long enough for the other two to get started, and then she turned around and ran for Verla, Lassa, and Gigi.

  Gigi gave a squeak, dropped Lassa, and ran for safety.

  “Well, shit,” Marda said. We ran for our wall.

  Sareet tried to struggle, but we tied her in place, her arms and legs extended. Marda checked the ropes and added more about her waist and chest, running around the wall to tie the knots. By the time we were done securing her, Cerelle’s team had both Lassa and Becksta tied as well.

  We were down, now three free to their four. But Rondi was busy with Lassa. Cerelle tried twice to pull her away, but she shrugged her off and went back to Lassa.

  “That’s a mistake,” Marda said. “This event is going to be over before Rondi can finish claiming Lassa.”

  “Maybe,” I said. “Give me a minute.” I stepped up to our prisoner and removed her shift. I didn’t take my time doing it.

  “We don’t have time for this.”

  “One minute,” I said. “One
minute. Hold them off for one minute.” I grabbed one of the devices and turned to Sareet. I smiled then caressed her cheek. She glared at me.

  “Don’t be like that,” I whispered. I moved closer, caressing her some more. She let me, not taking her eyes from me. She had stopped struggling with the ropes. “I’ll be very good to you. I’ve been through this now. I know what feels good.”

  “Claary, they’re coming.”

  I glanced. They were walking, only three of them. “Make them come all the way,” I said. I turned back to Sareet. I was standing in the resin. Her feet were well in it as well. I smiled. “It feels really good.” I bent down and collected some in my hand, brushing it on her body. I didn’t know if it would stick.

  It did.

  I kissed her nipple. I stood and kissed her.

  She kissed me back then whispered, “Please let me go.”

  “Cooperate, and when I come back, I’ll put one of these in me, and we can see who wins,” I told her. Then I kissed her again and began to wet the device with my mouth. Sareet’s eyes widened, but when I pressed it against her, she was ready for it, and it slid right in.

  “We don’t have time for this!” Marda complained.

  “Yes, we do.” Then I used the sheath like a diaper, holding the device from popping out, at least not too easily. I caressed Sareet’s cheek then kissed her again. “Wait here, love. I’ll be back.”

  “Don’t leave me like this!” she complained.

  “I’ll be back, love,” I said again.

  Then I turned around. “Let’s go.”

  * * * *

  “I can keep Verla and Cerelle busy,” Marda whispered. “Grab Sarala. Get her tied, then come help me.”

  So that’s what we tried to do, and at first it was working. We advanced on them, meeting them in our third, Marda at the lead. At the last moment, she ran forward and did something to trip Verla before throwing herself at Cerelle. Cerelle tripped over Verla. Gigi and I grabbed a surprised Sarala and began dragging her towards our wall.

  Cerelle surprised me. She and Verla jumped to their feet and faced off with Marda. I thought they would go for that capture. If they took Marda out of the equation, Gigi and I wouldn’t be difficult for them. Instead, Cerelle made a significant strategic mistake. She peeled off from Marda and ran for us. She grabbed Gigi in one hand and Sarala in the other and began pulling on both. I yanked hard on Sarala, but she twisted her arm, and I lost control, falling on my ass.