meet?"
"You don't need to escort me around, Maya."
"You instead want me to introduce Tarine to some of the girls?"
She laughed. "You don't know them any better than I do."
"True. So plan B. Come on." I tugged on her arm, having found Lia talking to a couple of other girls about her age. I dragged Gini to them.
"Lia," I said. "Who are your friends?"
Lia was good about it. She gave introductions then gushed about how nice Gini had been to her that day. One of the girls asked Gini if she could see her sword, and I took a moment to pull Lia to the side.
"I need two things from you. I need you to collect your sister's things for her before the night is over. Can you do that?"
"Sure."
"And I need you to introduce Gini to any girls you think would make good Amazons. If she meets anyone you think would be bad Amazons, find a way to tell her without anyone else hearing."
"Can I introduce the girls I don't like to Tarine?"
"Oh, you are a wicked girl," I said. "Be my guest."
* * * *
In the morning, we left White Pine with Tamma, riding double with Badra. Both seemed very pleased with the situation. No other girls chose to leave with us, but I hoped the village would begin sending girls annually after this. Malora talked to the mayor, who made promises, but we didn't know if he would keep them.
We hadn't gotten far from town before Tarine began sniping again. "One. We left with one companion. "This is success? I would have taken ten."
I turned to her. "Tarine, Badra has a companion she wouldn't have if we hadn't come. The village will begin to tithe. They may begin to send girls in the future, but I do not know. And we did that without ruining our reputation. Our reputation is at least as important as the companions we could have taken against their wishes. The Amazons are stronger for having come." After that, I ignored her.
We traveled to the coast, picking up two more companion on the way. We visited four villages on the coast, and we found a companion for Gini, a sweet girl of sixteen named Callie. I think Callie was leaving a bad household situation, as she made a beeline for me the moment I finished talking to the village.
"Miss Maya," she said.
"Yes?"
"Do you have any men?"
"There are no men living with the Amazons," I said.
"You said it was our decision if we wanted to go."
"Yes."
"I want to go. Right now."
"What's your name?"
"Callie. I'm sixteen. Please, may I go with you?"
I studied her. She looked nervous.
"Please don't make me beg," she said quietly. "I have to go with you."
"I'm not going to make you beg. I want to be sure you know what you're getting into. There are rules. You will have to follow them."
"But there aren't any men?"
"No, no men."
"I want to go. Please."
"Come with me." I took her arm and went in search of Malora. She was talking quietly to Nori. Malora smiled when she saw me.
"Malora," I said, "this is Callie. She wishes to become an Amazon. Immediately." I turned to her. "Do you want to go home, think about it?"
"No!"
"Maybe pick up your things?" Malora asked.
"There's nothing there I need."
I looked at Malora. "Then of course, you may stay with us." She put an arm around her. "But I must talk to you and make sure you understand."
"I listened carefully. I'm going."
"Come on," Malora said. "We'll go talk under that tree." She looked over her shoulder and mouthed, "Gini."
I nodded. As soon as they were out of hearing, I stepped up to Nori, "if her father, or more likely stepfather appears, I won't mind if you find an excuse to beat the crap out of him."
Nori raised an eyebrow, so I related the entire conversation. Her lips grew tight.
"Don't jump to conclusions," Nori said. "He may just be overprotective, or it might be one of the local boys."
"I suppose." I sighed. "I still haven't found one for you."
"You mean I haven't found one I want," she said with a smile.
"I need to find Gini."
Gini was talking to Badra and Tamma, so I grabbed the four of them. "Tamma, see
"You don't need to escort me around, Maya."
"You instead want me to introduce Tarine to some of the girls?"
She laughed. "You don't know them any better than I do."
"True. So plan B. Come on." I tugged on her arm, having found Lia talking to a couple of other girls about her age. I dragged Gini to them.
"Lia," I said. "Who are your friends?"
Lia was good about it. She gave introductions then gushed about how nice Gini had been to her that day. One of the girls asked Gini if she could see her sword, and I took a moment to pull Lia to the side.
"I need two things from you. I need you to collect your sister's things for her before the night is over. Can you do that?"
"Sure."
"And I need you to introduce Gini to any girls you think would make good Amazons. If she meets anyone you think would be bad Amazons, find a way to tell her without anyone else hearing."
"Can I introduce the girls I don't like to Tarine?"
"Oh, you are a wicked girl," I said. "Be my guest."
* * * *
In the morning, we left White Pine with Tamma, riding double with Badra. Both seemed very pleased with the situation. No other girls chose to leave with us, but I hoped the village would begin sending girls annually after this. Malora talked to the mayor, who made promises, but we didn't know if he would keep them.
We hadn't gotten far from town before Tarine began sniping again. "One. We left with one companion. "This is success? I would have taken ten."
I turned to her. "Tarine, Badra has a companion she wouldn't have if we hadn't come. The village will begin to tithe. They may begin to send girls in the future, but I do not know. And we did that without ruining our reputation. Our reputation is at least as important as the companions we could have taken against their wishes. The Amazons are stronger for having come." After that, I ignored her.
We traveled to the coast, picking up two more companion on the way. We visited four villages on the coast, and we found a companion for Gini, a sweet girl of sixteen named Callie. I think Callie was leaving a bad household situation, as she made a beeline for me the moment I finished talking to the village.
"Miss Maya," she said.
"Yes?"
"Do you have any men?"
"There are no men living with the Amazons," I said.
"You said it was our decision if we wanted to go."
"Yes."
"I want to go. Right now."
"What's your name?"
"Callie. I'm sixteen. Please, may I go with you?"
I studied her. She looked nervous.
"Please don't make me beg," she said quietly. "I have to go with you."
"I'm not going to make you beg. I want to be sure you know what you're getting into. There are rules. You will have to follow them."
"But there aren't any men?"
"No, no men."
"I want to go. Please."
"Come with me." I took her arm and went in search of Malora. She was talking quietly to Nori. Malora smiled when she saw me.
"Malora," I said, "this is Callie. She wishes to become an Amazon. Immediately." I turned to her. "Do you want to go home, think about it?"
"No!"
"Maybe pick up your things?" Malora asked.
"There's nothing there I need."
I looked at Malora. "Then of course, you may stay with us." She put an arm around her. "But I must talk to you and make sure you understand."
"I listened carefully. I'm going."
"Come on," Malora said. "We'll go talk under that tree." She looked over her shoulder and mouthed, "Gini."
I nodded. As soon as they were out of hearing, I stepped up to Nori, "if her father, or more likely stepfather appears, I won't mind if you find an excuse to beat the crap out of him."
Nori raised an eyebrow, so I related the entire conversation. Her lips grew tight.
"Don't jump to conclusions," Nori said. "He may just be overprotective, or it might be one of the local boys."
"I suppose." I sighed. "I still haven't found one for you."
"You mean I haven't found one I want," she said with a smile.
"I need to find Gini."
Gini was talking to Badra and Tamma, so I grabbed the four of them. "Tamma, see
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