the girl talking to the queen, sitting next to the tree?"
"Sure."
"Go introduce yourself. Offer to be friends."
"All right."
As soon as she was gone, I told both women about the conversation. "Gini? She's going to latch onto the first warrior who shows her an ounce of kindness. Make sure that's not Tarine. If you're not interested, tell me now."
"I think I'm going to tell her a story about how the worst warrior in our troop beat up two large men, all by herself."
I grinned at her. "Come on, I'll introduce you."
I pulled them both over, and we all sat down together. I made sure Gini sat next to the girl, and I leaned against Malora. After a minute, she turned her attention to me, and Badra pulled Tamma's attention, and that left Gini to talk to Callie. Five minutes later, Gini caught my eye and nodded once.
Then, in the background, I saw Tarine. She was glaring at me.
"Malora," I said quietly into her ear.
"I see it," she said. "The woman is a fool. That would have been a disaster of a match."
"She needs a companion from the plains, someone who fought to become an Amazon. Or, I suppose, a gutter rat."
"A gutter rat won't treat her with the respect she thinks she is owed," Malora pointed out. "Gratitude for a better life won't be enough."
* * * *
In the end, for the twenty warriors looking for companions, we found ten. Nori went without, as did Tarine.
She took every opportunity during our travels back home to make sure I knew it was my fault she would go another year without a companion. Eventually, Malora pointedly gave her permission to take a more direct route home, which she and several other warriors accepted.
Instead of celebrating the success of ten companions we wouldn't otherwise have, all of them well matched to their warriors and looking forward to becoming Amazons, they only celebrated the failure.
Which was, of course, entirely my fault and had nothing to do with sour dispositions.
Patrol
For months after I'd killed my first demon, Malora refused to take me on patrol, which meant either shirking her duty or leaving me behind. Finally, Nori, Ralla, Balorie and I confronted her about it.
"You're setting a bad example," I told her.
"Excuse me?" she asked with lifted eyebrow.
"You need to do your duty and you need to let me do mine," I said.
"Do not take that tone with me," she said hotly.
"You know I'm right."
"I don't even know what you're talking about," Malora said. She looked at Nori. "What is she talking about?"
"When can I put you and your companion down for patrol, Queen Malora?" Balorie asked.
"Never!" Malora said hotly. "Is that what this is about?"
"Malora," Nori said gently, "you're a wreck after three days apart."
"Frankly, I don't want you along without her," Balorie said.
"I went years without a companion," Malora said. "I can handle three days."
We went around and around for a while. I let the warriors fight with Malora for a while. Finally I said, "Malora, face it. You're addicted to me." I smiled at her. "What isn't to like? I promise to stay out of trouble and obey any orders."
"You never obey orders," Nori said. "Don't make promises no one here believes you're going to keep."
"I always obey orders!" I said. "Well, good orders."
"If I were facing a demon alone and told you to get out of there, would you?" Malora asked.
I stared at the ground. "No."
"Malora," said Nori, " you know you're going to give in. Your companion hasn't even begun to fight dirty."
"I will tell you what, Malora," I said, "Tell me who here has killed a demon with her bare hands, and then you can talk about leaving me home."
Ralla chuckled at that.
"You weren't bare-handed," Malora said.
"I was buck naked with just my boots and a knife," I said. "The only reason to exclude me is if you think I'm going to panic. I'll never be good enough for a real demon fight solo, but I'm good enough that I can help, when necessary."
"I do not want you becoming a warrior!" Malora said. "Ever. I couldn't
"Sure."
"Go introduce yourself. Offer to be friends."
"All right."
As soon as she was gone, I told both women about the conversation. "Gini? She's going to latch onto the first warrior who shows her an ounce of kindness. Make sure that's not Tarine. If you're not interested, tell me now."
"I think I'm going to tell her a story about how the worst warrior in our troop beat up two large men, all by herself."
I grinned at her. "Come on, I'll introduce you."
I pulled them both over, and we all sat down together. I made sure Gini sat next to the girl, and I leaned against Malora. After a minute, she turned her attention to me, and Badra pulled Tamma's attention, and that left Gini to talk to Callie. Five minutes later, Gini caught my eye and nodded once.
Then, in the background, I saw Tarine. She was glaring at me.
"Malora," I said quietly into her ear.
"I see it," she said. "The woman is a fool. That would have been a disaster of a match."
"She needs a companion from the plains, someone who fought to become an Amazon. Or, I suppose, a gutter rat."
"A gutter rat won't treat her with the respect she thinks she is owed," Malora pointed out. "Gratitude for a better life won't be enough."
* * * *
In the end, for the twenty warriors looking for companions, we found ten. Nori went without, as did Tarine.
She took every opportunity during our travels back home to make sure I knew it was my fault she would go another year without a companion. Eventually, Malora pointedly gave her permission to take a more direct route home, which she and several other warriors accepted.
Instead of celebrating the success of ten companions we wouldn't otherwise have, all of them well matched to their warriors and looking forward to becoming Amazons, they only celebrated the failure.
Which was, of course, entirely my fault and had nothing to do with sour dispositions.
Patrol
For months after I'd killed my first demon, Malora refused to take me on patrol, which meant either shirking her duty or leaving me behind. Finally, Nori, Ralla, Balorie and I confronted her about it.
"You're setting a bad example," I told her.
"Excuse me?" she asked with lifted eyebrow.
"You need to do your duty and you need to let me do mine," I said.
"Do not take that tone with me," she said hotly.
"You know I'm right."
"I don't even know what you're talking about," Malora said. She looked at Nori. "What is she talking about?"
"When can I put you and your companion down for patrol, Queen Malora?" Balorie asked.
"Never!" Malora said hotly. "Is that what this is about?"
"Malora," Nori said gently, "you're a wreck after three days apart."
"Frankly, I don't want you along without her," Balorie said.
"I went years without a companion," Malora said. "I can handle three days."
We went around and around for a while. I let the warriors fight with Malora for a while. Finally I said, "Malora, face it. You're addicted to me." I smiled at her. "What isn't to like? I promise to stay out of trouble and obey any orders."
"You never obey orders," Nori said. "Don't make promises no one here believes you're going to keep."
"I always obey orders!" I said. "Well, good orders."
"If I were facing a demon alone and told you to get out of there, would you?" Malora asked.
I stared at the ground. "No."
"Malora," said Nori, " you know you're going to give in. Your companion hasn't even begun to fight dirty."
"I will tell you what, Malora," I said, "Tell me who here has killed a demon with her bare hands, and then you can talk about leaving me home."
Ralla chuckled at that.
"You weren't bare-handed," Malora said.
"I was buck naked with just my boots and a knife," I said. "The only reason to exclude me is if you think I'm going to panic. I'll never be good enough for a real demon fight solo, but I'm good enough that I can help, when necessary."
"I do not want you becoming a warrior!" Malora said. "Ever. I couldn't
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