Trials Chapter 17: Matriarchs

                Dawn waited eagerly for her mistress to arrive. She was nervous and excited about seeing her. It had been two month’s since they’d separated and now she could finally see her again. She looked at her reflection in the fountains water and anxiously straightened her hair. She had been waiting for almost a half hour and worried that she had come to the wrong place. She continued to pace and glance back and forth when a hand gripped her shoulder from behind.

                “EEEK!” she squeaked inadvertently. Dawn turned around and what she saw made her heart jump.

                “It’s always so cute when you do that.” Cassandra said. She was wearing her official blue robe that marked her as a guardian. She removed her hood and Dawn shuddered as she looked into her green eyes and blonde hair tied back in the customary braid. She wanted nothing more than to jump into her arms and embrace her in a kiss, but Cassandra was a guardian and her loyalties belonged to the queen.

                “You’ve grown your hair out.” Dawn observed.

                “Yeah.” She replied. She stroked her braid which now ran down past her chest. “It’s kind of a tradition.” Then she roughly thrust a large staff into Dawns hands.

                She marveled at the runes carved into the wood and the bend at the end were the wood warped into three separate prongs, on the end a metal band with the inscription “To my beloved daughter Dawn for finally proving an old man wrong and blooming into a precious flower all your own.”

                She wiped her eyes before tears could form. “You found it.”

                “I saw you in the first round and figured you might need it.”

                Dawn’s heart nearly stopped. Her face flushed with embarrassment. She couldn’t believe Cass had seen her chained to that oafish man being dragged around like a doll, and her spell was so forced and unrefined it would make her father turn in his grave.

                “It wasn’t really my best moment.” She mumbled.

                “You were amazing!” cheered Cassandra. “Especially whatever you did to that little guy.” She embraced the elf in a reassuring hug. Dawn melted in her warm grasp. She wanted to stay there surrounded by her strength and buried in her soft chest. She wrapped her arms around Cassandra and clung a little tighter.

                “Ummm, Dawn are you ok?” Cass questioned looking at Dawn with confusion.

                Dawn snapped back to attention quickly stepping away a little further face red.

“I just missed you is all.” She flustered. “It’s good to see you again mistress.”

“Stop with that mistress stuff.” Cass whined. “I told you I don’t care about amazon code. We’re friends.”

Dawn had to stifle a small gasp. If only Cass knew what she did to her? “I can’t do that mistress.” She knew that her life debt was the only reason she was allowed to linger by Cass’s side. “It is my duty to honor my debt to you.”

Cassandra sighed in exasperation turning her head in a huff. “You never change.” She gestured and Dawn fell in line behind her as they left the courtyard. “Oh! I almost forgot.” She smiled and leaned in close to Dawn’s ear. “I’ll be your partner in the games.”

Dawn stopped in her tracks and clutched her chest. Her heart couldn’t take it. It took everything she had not to fall to her knees in joy.

“Dawn?”

“How?” she murmured.

“Apparently the rules have changed another guardian spoke up so the queen just decided to let us all in.”

Dawn finally broke as tears streamed down her face. It seemed that all at once her dreams were coming true.

“Dawn aren’t you happy?” Cassandra said suddenly worried as her friend broke down in front of her.

“Why?” Dawn managed.

“What kind of friend would I be if I let you do this all on your own?”

Dawn went to hug her for a moment no longer caring about embarrassment. In that moment she made up her mind. If she won these games she would ask for the right to marry Cassandra.

“This ale is shit.” Alaster grumbled swallowing another mouthful.

“That’s because it’s not ale sir.” The bartender corrected trying his best not to anger the rowdy northerner. “It’s tea.”

“Tea!” he barked spitting out his last sip in the bartenders face. “Where’s all the hard liquor?”

“We can’t serve that to outsiders.” The bartender informed with a strained smile. “It’s alcohol content is too high for most humans. It could kill you.”

“Bullshit! I’ve been to three bars, talked to five different bartenders and they’ve all told me the same thing.”

“You could always try the temple.” The bartender suggested trying desperately to get the man to leave. “They have a number of imports with a more suitable alcohol level.”

“I’ve already been!” he growled getting angrier. “All they have is shitty spiced rum so weak it couldn’t get a child drunk.”

“I’m sorry sir but the Amazonian stuff is too strong.” He hoped the northerner would get the message.

“Too strong!” Alaster roared insulted. “No liquor in all the five lands could be strong enough to falter Alaster Treybern!” He reached over grabbing the bartender by his shirt collar. “Now give me your strongest stuff.”

“I’m sorry sir but I can’t.”  the man protested. “If something happens to you I’ll be responsible.”

“Dammit boy! I’ll only ask once more.” Alaster threatened raising a fist.

“Just give it to him.” A voice interrupted. They both turned and while the bartender sighed in relief Alaster only groaned in annoyance.

“You can never come between a northern man and his liquor.” She said as she took a seat beside him at the bar.

Alaster sneered glaring at the amazon with contempt. She was Lemere, Alaster’s “mistress” as they liked to be addressed.  The bartender handed him a large mug of dark ale and he sipped quietly not giving the amazon the courtesy of acknowledgement.

“I’ll have one too.” She said. “Make it a pint.”  This act was huge insult to Alaster and Lemere knew it. In the north women weren’t allowed to drink. His face turned red and veins were starting to appear on his forehead.

“You don’t honestly think you can out drink me?” He said sarcasm seeping from his lips.

“I’ve done it before.” She winked. Alaster downed his drink in one gulp and slammed it on the table.

“Bartender another!” he shouted.

Ramsey rubbed his aching back. The wounds from the razorback were being mended but that wasn’t helping with the pain. He squirmed and groaned as his teacher cleaned the wound with some water from the hot spring.

“Ramsey you really need to toughen up.” She remarked. “These are barely scratches.”

“Scratches!” he argued. “I almost got eaten alive!”

“And if you were just a little tougher we would be eating razor back steak tonight for dinner.” She ended the statement with a light slap to the back of his head.

“Sorry.” He defended. “I can’t handle this.” He raised his hands. “I can’t handle any of this!”

“You’re going to have to learn.” Lillian spoke matter of fact. “There is no going back now.”

“How?” Ramsey asked.

Lillian stood up a reached for some leaves overhead. She crushed them in her hand and a green liquid flowed into her palm. She returned placing her hand on his back once more. The sting was considerable.

“I’ve been talking to Kiri.” She finally answered. “There’s only two days until the next round. You’ll be under my care until then.”

“I don’t need to be under anyone’s care.” Ramsey said slightly worried by the implication.

“Clearly.” Lillian patronized rubbing more of the liquid into his wounds. “But it’s not your decision to make anymore.”

“So what happens now?”

“We train.” She started wrapping his wounds. “You have a long way to go if you hope to be any use.”

“I’ve already been trained. Twice I might add.” Ramsey stated flashing back to his months with Kiri; the bruises and cracked bones, going days with little food and even less rest.

This made Lillian laugh. “Whatever Kiri taught you wasn’t training.” She finished wrapping his back and gave it a slap causing him to shriek in pain. “This is proof enough.”

“Then what was it?” Ramsey spat annoyed by his rough treatment.

Lillian turned her head in thought. “Remedial lessons.”

She rose yanking him off the ground with her. “Now come on we don’t have much time. Your little game of tag has pushed us off schedule.” She pointed towards Ellie who had been busy lounging by the water. “You too kitty.”

They both fell in line behind her and they started off deeper into the forest.

The day was nearly over. As the sun set Lucinda Qwalis walked alone among the amazons. Even though it was late the village was still quite busy. Normally she would take her time and marvel at the workings that kept this society flourishing but she had a meeting to get to and she was already late. She weaved between the forest of legs that was the amazons until she came to a tavern. The Maidens Kiss it was called. She walked up the steps and encountered her first challenge. The door, it was large and made of thick oak three times taller than she was. She pressed against it with no avail. She doubted she would ever be able to open it.

“Crap.” She whispered. She felt foolish. She never considered she would be hindered by a simple door.

“Here you go.” Said a woman she was a few inches taller than Lucinda and had short cut hair. She easily pushed open the door with one hand. She smiled brightly. Then a call came from somewhere in the crowd in a language Lucinda didn’t understand.

“Coming daddy!” she shouted and ran off.

Lucinda shook her head. “She was only a child.” She was easily out muscled by a small child. “This is why father could never conquer these people.”

She entered the tavern surprised by the scale. All the tables and counters were above her eye level. It somehow reminded her of when she was young and she would crawl under the dining room table during feasts. The place was busy as women and men enjoyed the drinks and atmosphere. She was surprised that a significant amount of the customers weren’t amazon. She approached the corner of the bar which was the agreed meeting spot and tried to climb the stool. It was too high and her dress didn’t allow for a high range of movement. She continued to struggle embarrassed and hoping she wasn’t gaining any unwanted attention. She had never felt more insignificant. Suddenly she felt herself being lifted off the ground and placed onto the stool.

“There.” Said a tall amazon. She wasn’t the tallest Lucinda had scene but she was definitely one of the strongest. She had broad powerful shoulders and huge arms that bulged with vascular muscle.

“Thank you.” Lucinda squeaked ashamed at her own ineptitude. She turned to see a large red haired man she recognized from the arena. He was slumped over the counter passed out surrounded by empty mugs. He smelled like a brew house.

“Don’t mind Al.” The amazon said. “He talks a big game but he’s really a lightweight.” She walked behind the bar and started clearing away the mugs. “So what can I get ya?”

“Water will be fine.” Lucinda smiled. She continued to observe her surroundings with youthful curiosity. “I’m surprised by how diverse your customers are.”

“Yeah this place is a pretty big hotspot during the games.” She said. “Mostly because we serve different brands.” She handed Lucinda a large mug of ice water.

“Is this place yours?”

“Been in my family for three generations.” The bartender smiled proudly and walked back around to take the seat next to her. “My grandmother found this place almost three hundred years ago.”

“Wow.” Lucinda uttered somewhat shocked. “How old are you?”

“Eighty-seven.”

Lucinda’s eyes opened a little wider. She knew amazons aged slower but this woman still looked to be in her forties.

“Mind if I join you?” came a male voice. Lucinda recognize it instantly. She turned her face beaming.

“Tyson!” she chimed jumping into his arms and kissing him. “Your late.” She pouted.

                The trio had been walking for a while and as the sun finally hid behind the trees Ramsey finally had opportunity to ask something that had been on his mind for some time. He watched his teacher walking in front of him. She was so tall, so strong, so young.

“What happened to you?” He asked bluntly.

“Whatever do you mean?” Lillian replied coyly.

“I mean you look astonishingly spry for a women over ninety years old. Who had grey hair and was shorter than me the last time we met.”

“You mean like this.” She said and she instantly started shrinking in height her back hunching over and her skin becoming dried and wrinkled. In moments she was the women Ramsey recognized. The cranky old hag he called teacher. “Is this better?”

Just seeing her brought back memories and Ramsey rushed her in a tight hug. “I’ve missed you.” He said and suddenly he felt her hands around him returning the hug. He looked down at her tired eyes smiled at the face of the closest thing he knew as a mother. Then her grip tightened and he could feel her body expanding. Soon he was off the ground and once again staring at the much younger face she had now.

“Grannie’s missed you too boy.” She chuckled in a mocking elderly tone.

“That’s not funny.” He replied dryly squirming.

“Don’t be a brat.” She said dropping him.

“That doesn’t answer my question.” Ramsey continued picking himself up off the ground.

“She’s sold her soul to an Krell-kin.” Ellie joked.

They both looked at her confused.

“It’s a tiny demon in my culture that grants immortality in exchange for sexual favors.”

“Ramsey I’m disappointed.” She replied as they continued. “I would of thought that after these past few days the idea of magic would not be lost on you.”

“So these past twenty years you’ve been lying to me.” He shot.

“I’d like to think I was protecting you.” She said. “I never wanted you to enter the Emerald forest or discover the amazons.”

“Why?” he asked.

“For this very reason.” She pointed to the mark on his chest. “You’ve lost your freedom boy.” She sighed taking in a breath. “When I found you on the streets starved and scared I knew exactly where you came from and exactly what you were and it hurt. I never wanted you to experience anything like that again.”

“A slave? He questioned. “You have slaves here.” He pointed to Ellie.

“If you can’t tell the difference between what she is and what you were than you have much more to learn than I could possibly teach you.” His teacher shook her head.

“Why me then? There were countless slave children in the slums.”

“I sensed something in you.” She brushed the side of his face tenderly. “If I had known then what I know now I would have done a much better job in protecting you.’

“But what abo-“ Ramsey was about to continue but his teacher stopped him.

“Enough questions.” Lillian interrupted. “I’m old and my mind is tired.” She switched to her old lady imitation voice.

“You can’t just-“

“Old and tired!” she moaned really hamming it. “Besides we’re here.”

The trio had reached a clearing in the forest in the middle of which was a fenced off circle.

“Welcome to your new home for the next two days.” She went to the center of the arena and motioned towards a small shack off to the left. “And these will be your sparring partners.”

Out of the shack emerged two very familiar young girls.