stand it. I've already thought I've lost you twice that way. I will not have a third time."
"I'm going," I said firmly. "If you order me to remain behind, I'll disobey, and then you'll be forced to punish me severely. And then the next time you turn your back, I'll leave."
She stared at me.
"This conversation isn't about whether or not she's going," Balorie said. "It's to discuss how we keep her from becoming a warrior in the process."
One became an Amazon warrior when the demons invade your mind with their thoughts. I'd already done that once, but after giving the demon a true death, the voice was gone again.
"Promise you'll follow orders," Malora said. "Promise me right now!"
"I'll follow any orders you give except any that leave one of you behind for a demon to kill," I said.
"You will follow any order I give you," she said menacingly.
I gazed calmly at her. "Do you really believe that?" I asked her. "Do you really think I'd leave you if you needed me?"
Malora growled at me. Nori chuckled, so Malora spun to face her. "What are you laughing at?"
"If we haven't intimidated her into submission by now, we're not going to," Nori replied.
"She's not going," Malora said. She turned back to me. "I will tie you to the bed if that's what it takes to keep you here."
"That might be fun," I said, "if you were staying. How angry do you think I'd be with you after three days?"
I could practically see the steam coming out of her ears.
"I'll promise this. I'll stay out of fights as long as you don't really need me. I won't run away and I won't leave you to fight alone. The only way I'm going to become a warrior is if it's defending another Amazon. Do you really think it's better if someone dies to prevent me becoming a warrior?"
Malora glared at me. "Frankly, I don't believe you."
"We can keep her out of the initial fight," Balorie said. "It's nearly always the person who makes first contact who takes the voice."
"Nearly isn't good enough."
"It will have to be," I said. "I'm going. Get used to the idea. When you go without me, I spend three days fretting, and I'm not doing it anymore. You come back a wreck, and I'm a wreck, and then we're complete shits to everyone for another two days. I'm going."
"Fine!" Malora growled. She spun to Balorie and Nori. "If she becomes a warrior, I'm holding both of you responsible."
"If I become a warrior," I said softly, "it will be while keeping someone else alive. I'll behave, Malora. I promise."
Have I mentioned I follow orders like shit?
After that, I began going on patrol with Malora. At first, she still under-committed to her duty, but after three trips, spread well apart, and nothing had happened, she began to relax and returned to the proper patrol schedule for the Amazon queen.
Demon sightings tend to be rare, and I didn't see my second demon for another year. When I finally did, I stayed well clear of the fighting, and Omie took the voice. She had four now, and Beria was not along on that patrol. She came to me after the fight, and I held her as she shook in my arms. I was the only companion on that trip, and it would normally have been my responsibility to see to camp, but Balorie told me to see to Omie, and the warriors saw to camp. I held Omie until it was time for bed. She disappeared into a tent with Balorie after thanking me for my help.
She looked rough in the morning, but a few minutes of soothing, and she was ready to face the day. It was the last time she went on patrol without her companion.
Over the next year, I saw one more demon at a great distance, but another patrol team engaged with it, a group from Black Oak, and the demon was dispatched long before we arrived to support them.
* * * *
The next time I was to see a demon, it would be quite different.
It was our third day of patrol, and we were heading north to meet with our replacement patrol. Balorie led this trip with Malora, Clara, and Ping. Balorie's companion, Gweneth, wasn't ready for patrolling,
"I'm going," I said firmly. "If you order me to remain behind, I'll disobey, and then you'll be forced to punish me severely. And then the next time you turn your back, I'll leave."
She stared at me.
"This conversation isn't about whether or not she's going," Balorie said. "It's to discuss how we keep her from becoming a warrior in the process."
One became an Amazon warrior when the demons invade your mind with their thoughts. I'd already done that once, but after giving the demon a true death, the voice was gone again.
"Promise you'll follow orders," Malora said. "Promise me right now!"
"I'll follow any orders you give except any that leave one of you behind for a demon to kill," I said.
"You will follow any order I give you," she said menacingly.
I gazed calmly at her. "Do you really believe that?" I asked her. "Do you really think I'd leave you if you needed me?"
Malora growled at me. Nori chuckled, so Malora spun to face her. "What are you laughing at?"
"If we haven't intimidated her into submission by now, we're not going to," Nori replied.
"She's not going," Malora said. She turned back to me. "I will tie you to the bed if that's what it takes to keep you here."
"That might be fun," I said, "if you were staying. How angry do you think I'd be with you after three days?"
I could practically see the steam coming out of her ears.
"I'll promise this. I'll stay out of fights as long as you don't really need me. I won't run away and I won't leave you to fight alone. The only way I'm going to become a warrior is if it's defending another Amazon. Do you really think it's better if someone dies to prevent me becoming a warrior?"
Malora glared at me. "Frankly, I don't believe you."
"We can keep her out of the initial fight," Balorie said. "It's nearly always the person who makes first contact who takes the voice."
"Nearly isn't good enough."
"It will have to be," I said. "I'm going. Get used to the idea. When you go without me, I spend three days fretting, and I'm not doing it anymore. You come back a wreck, and I'm a wreck, and then we're complete shits to everyone for another two days. I'm going."
"Fine!" Malora growled. She spun to Balorie and Nori. "If she becomes a warrior, I'm holding both of you responsible."
"If I become a warrior," I said softly, "it will be while keeping someone else alive. I'll behave, Malora. I promise."
Have I mentioned I follow orders like shit?
After that, I began going on patrol with Malora. At first, she still under-committed to her duty, but after three trips, spread well apart, and nothing had happened, she began to relax and returned to the proper patrol schedule for the Amazon queen.
Demon sightings tend to be rare, and I didn't see my second demon for another year. When I finally did, I stayed well clear of the fighting, and Omie took the voice. She had four now, and Beria was not along on that patrol. She came to me after the fight, and I held her as she shook in my arms. I was the only companion on that trip, and it would normally have been my responsibility to see to camp, but Balorie told me to see to Omie, and the warriors saw to camp. I held Omie until it was time for bed. She disappeared into a tent with Balorie after thanking me for my help.
She looked rough in the morning, but a few minutes of soothing, and she was ready to face the day. It was the last time she went on patrol without her companion.
Over the next year, I saw one more demon at a great distance, but another patrol team engaged with it, a group from Black Oak, and the demon was dispatched long before we arrived to support them.
* * * *
The next time I was to see a demon, it would be quite different.
It was our third day of patrol, and we were heading north to meet with our replacement patrol. Balorie led this trip with Malora, Clara, and Ping. Balorie's companion, Gweneth, wasn't ready for patrolling,
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