Authors: Robin Roseau
"I did not know Nori had any snares at all."
I smiled. "I check them in the afternoons after training. Some days my warrior rides with me. Some days Nori does. We usually only take one horse. If you ever wish to go, I would enjoy your company. It is just a ride out, check the snares, and return, but it is a gentle ride and perhaps relaxing."
"I can show you other places to set snares."
"You could," I said, "but that is not why I am inviting you. I am inviting you if you wish to go. That is all."
"I may," she said. "I would not take from your time with your warrior or Nori."
"They allow me to go alone some days, too, as long as I report to Malora both before I leave and immediately upon returning. Well, Malora allowed me to go alone yesterday, but she said this is the rule. If anyone else is going with me, then I am allowed to take a little more time, but must be back for my dinner duties with Serra. If you go with me, then we must tell Malora together."
The rules were because Malora didn't trust me. I didn't blame her, as I'd promised them I'd attempt to run if I had the chance. I hadn't reverted my promise.
"Then tell me the days you are to go alone, and if my schedule allows, perhaps I shall go along."
I nodded. "I'll see you at the fire."
* * * *
Nori went on patrol the following week. I was frantically working to clear my debt, but managed to finish the mending for
Ralla and got caught up on the mending I owed Karena. I was also collecting a tidy supply of rabbit skins, and Malora assured me I was preparing them properly.
Ralla
joined me for two of the trips to check my snares the days Nori was gone. I saddled her horse and not my own, then climbed up to ride in front of her.
"Companions ride in back," she said.
I smiled. "Wherever you want me," I said. "Or I can bring my own horse."
"No," she said. "And perhaps this is better." She climbed behind me, and I pulled her arms around me.
"Don't let me fall."
She laughed.
We had a nice time.
* * * *
I continued to hate training, but in every other way, I was fitting in. I began playing the borrowed fiddle around the campfire, and some of the women danced to the jigs I played.
Malora was ruthless during training, but gentle, very gentle, at all other times. She thanked me for every little thing I did for her, as did everyone else.
Serra even thanked me for my help in the kitchens, even though I was only doing my duty.
Nori came home from her patrol, and the next night was a night for a bonfire. Story time arrived, and she stood up.
"I have a story, and tomorrow a new competition. The story is brief. The day of our last competition, I applied a firm foot lock on one of you, and you broke the hold."
The women murmured at each other, then Lidi said, "I do not recall you wrestling that day, Nori."
"You were not present when I wrestled," she said.
"It was not a proper foot lock if someone broke it," Lidi said. "Or you allowed her to escape."
"It was a proper foot lock, and I most certainly did not release her willingly."
They all began talking at once, everyone wondering who had done it. Finally
Benala stood. "Are you going to tell us?"
"I will narrow it down. It was one of the companions."
"No!" Benala said. "That is not possible." She turned to Omie.
"It wasn't me," she said. "I apply submission holds, but I'm not any better at escaping them than most of you."
"It wasn't me, either," Vorine added.
"Then who?"
Benala asked.
"Stand up," Malora whispered into my ear.
Slowly I stood. No one noticed, and they continued to argue about it. I took two steps forward and waited.
"Were you there?"
Benala asked. "Did you see who wrestled with Nori?"
"I was there," I said. "There was a wrestling hold of some sort, but I could not talk about the quality of the hold."
"It was one of my best," Nori said. "The companion did not recognize what I was doing, and she made little effort to escape. I held her for-" She turned to me. "How long did I hold the companion's foot?"
"A minute, perhaps," I replied.
"Whose?" Benala demanded.
I smiled. "Mine."
There was an uproar.
Malora stood. "I was there," she said. "I was sure my companion was to regret allowing herself to be caught. My companion broke the hold. I did not see how."
"Allowed herself to be caught?" Benala said, almost a yell. "Allowed? I can catch her right now."
"Allowed," I said. "I believe I taunted Nori, actually."
"We wrestled," Nori said. "Eventually, I tapped out."
There was another uproar.
Malora held her hand, and they quieted.
"Who doubts this story?" Malora asked.
Every hand went up.
Nori spoke. "I explain all this because I would not want anyone to claim a sucker's bet," Nori said. "Tomorrow afternoon, training is at the pools. There is to be a competition. All of you against Maya."
"One at a time!" I said.
They laughed.
"Every one of you raised your hand, so tomorrow, come with wagers. I will back any wager Maya can not pay."
"No," Malora said. "She is my companion. I will back the wagers."
Nori bowed briefly to her.
After that I sat down. Malora joined
me a moment later and wrapped her arms around me. I kissed her hand and leaned against her.
* * * *
Morning training was light. I complained quietly to Malora. She raised an eyebrow.
"Everyone knows she's going easy on me so I'll be fresh later. I don't need to be coddled."
"You need to win. She put her reputation on the line for this."
"One or two may swim better than I do, and I got lucky escaping her foot lock. If someone uses a different hold, I can lose. If she expects me to beat everyone, that's too much pressure on me. I'm going to lose a few."
Malora didn't respond to that. "I'll make sure she understands that."
"Will you compete?"
"No."
I smiled. "Chicken."
"Wrestle with me here and now, and I'll wrestle in the water with you later."
"No
, thank you," I told her.
* * * *
The afternoon session came, and we collected at the pools. People were eyeing me carefully. Nori collected everyone closely and then said, "Maya gets a short break between matches. You are wagering individually. It is not all or nothing."
"We are wrestling in the water?" Aura asked.
"Yes."
"Is it deep?"
"Yes."
"I can't swim."
"If you ask," I told her. "I will teach you at least enough you won't drown. Although not today."
"Who else is a poor swimmer?" Malora asked. Four hands went up. "Nori, do you think this is something we should resolve?"
"Perhaps one afternoon training session a week should be down here," she said. "But your companion needs a proper workout to build stamina." She turned to me. "Suggestions?"
I gestured to the rapid water of the flowing river. "Ten minutes in that and you'll have to fish me out." I paused. "I won't do it unless you really are prepared to fish me out."
She smiled. "All right. And maybe we can come up with other games to play."
I nodded.
"She's going to swim out there?" Lidi asked. "That's insane."
It was pretty fast water for swimming.
"I can last longer out there than you can in a wrestling match against my warrior," I said.
That earned laughter.
"How do we wrestle in the water?" Neela asked. "How are we supposed to pin someone?"
"Submission holds or..." she turned to me.
"Being held underwater for a count of fifty. You can always tap out if it's too long for you. Note that it does not count if you are swimming around underwater."
Omie
was smiling. "I am allowed to use submission holds on a new companion, Queen Malora?"
"Yes,
Omie. Do not break her."
"I wouldn't think of it," she said.
"If this goes on a long time, I may need an opportunity to warm up every few matches," I said. "Otherwise I won't need much delay between them."
"Cocky," said
Benala. "I am a fine swimmer." She smiled at me. "You need hides?"
"You may arrange wagers with my warrior," I said. "I will accept whatever she decides, but I want
all wagers made before the first match."
I began to slip out of my clothes. Everyone else clustered with Malora, and I ignored them, diving into the pool instead, I moved out to the middle and began floating. The water felt good.
I lost track of time, bobbing in the water, but then I heard Nori's voice. "Maya!"
I straightened. "I'm sorry. My ears were under water."
"Aura is your first match."
"All right," I said. "One second." I swam to a shallower section. "You can stand here, Aura."
She climbed slowly into the water, wading towards me, then stopping a few feet away. She looked at me.
"You're not going to drown me, are you?"
"I can't let this take too long," I said. "I won't drown you. Tap out if you get scared."
She nodded, coming closer. Then she launched herself at me suddenly, perhaps hoping to clutch me and force me under. I caught her about the middle
, turned, and bore her down, pushing away from the shallower area. She struggled, but as soon as she lost her feet, she got scared. I spun her around, tossed an arm over her, and then began towing her into deeper water.
She squirmed around, but she had no leverage, and it didn't occur to her how easily she could escape my arm.
"I can't swim," she said.
"I know. I have you."
"Are you going to hold me under?"
"I'm going to dunk you. Ready?"
She did what every poor swimmer does. She took a huge breath, pushing out her cheeks, and plugged her nose with one hand. I pushed her under, holding her for about five seconds, before pulling her back up. She came up sputtering.
I let her catch her breath.
"To be honest," I whispered, "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with you. I don't want to make you afraid of the water."
"Is it deep here?"
"Very," I said. "Fifteen feet or so."
"If you let go, I'll drown."
"I won't let anything happen to you. How long do you think you can hold your breath?"
"I don't know. Fifteen seconds?"
"Let's try ten. Take a big breath now." I waited until I heard her breathe in, and then I dunked her. She began struggling immediately, but I held her down for a count of ten before pulling her back to the surface
She panted, and it had only been ten seconds.
"When we wrestled, I didn't give up," I told her. "And you're a better Amazon than I am. That wasn't so bad, was it?"
"I couldn't even get free."
"It's time to end this. You can tap out, but otherwise I'll hold you down until Nori calls it. Hold your breath now." She clutched her nose, and I pushed her down. She lasted about twenty seconds before she began tapping frantically at my arm. I pulled her back, and she was still tapping when she surfaced.
"No more," she said. "Please, Maya. I don't know how to swim."
I turned us around and began towing her to shore.
"Tap out to Maya," Nori announced. "
Omie is next."
"Let me drop off the non-swimmer first," I said. I towed Aura all the way to waiting hands,
which plucked her out of the water. She turned to Gaylie and clutched at her.
I swam out towards the middle of the pool. "Ready."
Omie didn't wait. She dived in, and it was a good dive, but she came to the surface immediately, and I could see she was, at best, an adequate swimmer.
"Stop a distance away,
Omie," I said.
She came to a stop about ten feet from me, treading water, burning energy. I relaxed in the water, conserving my energy.
"I presume you intend a submission hold?"
"Of course."
"Will it hurt?"
"Yes. That is why someone submits. I promised to use only the ones that hurt, not the ones that maim. You wouldn't know how to avoid damage. You may surrender from the pain or I may hold you under."
"That's what I wanted to know. This isn't worth crippling me. Are you confident you have enough choices?"
"Of course."