Amazonia (22 page)

“I thought I heard
something,” he said casually, apparently not the least bit disturbed to
find uninvited guests in his camp. “It seems I underestimated you.”

“Zale, how could you do this
to your own blood?” Kale said angrily.

“My name is Theron. I know
nothing of this Zale you speak of.” He appraised Kale keenly. “I revile
the Amazons. I certainly don’t want to be related to one.” He sneered. “Or
two in this case.”

“The Amazons haven’t done
anything to you,” Blake said.

“What do you know of it?”

“I know that you were given
to a farmer to be raised.”

“You’re correct. But my
village was raided, my family murdered, and I was taken in by my new
father, Xerton. He taught me how to fight, how to lead,” Theron smiled
darkly, “how to kill. And who the real enemy was.” He pointed his sword at
them. “The Amazons.”

“It was Xerton who destroyed
your home, not us,” Kale said.

“I agree. That’s why I killed
him and took his army. But Xerton was only there to get a treaty signed
with the Amazons. On behalf of Kedross.”

Kale latched onto the name.
“So you’re working with Kedross?”

“No. I outgrew him years
ago.”

“You still use his land,”
Kale muttered, clearly connecting the pieces together. Blake understood
that she wanted to know exactly who was involved in wiping out her tribe,
and how they had done it.

Theron’s eyes narrowed. “Now
how do you know that?” He thought quickly. “You found the tribe south of
yours.” He grinned. “That was a good day. An entire tribe of you bitches
dead. A personal accomplishment of mine.”

“Not quite an entire tribe,”
Kale said. “You missed two.”

His face lit up. “So it was
your tribe. I wondered why you’d left the tribe you were born into.”
Theron broke into laughter. “That is just perfect. You took my family, now
I have taken yours.”

No one bothered to argue that
they hadn’t taken his family, that the Amazons had nothing to do with it.
Theron clearly believed it, and they would never convince him otherwise.

Theron looked to Shale. “You
didn’t tell me that.” He shrugged. “Well I’d better finish the job. I
don’t want people to think I’m a liar.” He raised his sword at Kale. “I’ve
been looking forward to this. I hope you’re better than your twin.”

“I don’t know that you could
handle any better,” Kale said.

“From the looks of you, Shale
messed you up pretty bad.”

“I got her here, didn’t I?”

“My guess is you used that
whip. You got lucky and wrapped it around her. She’d have had no choice
but to submit.”

Theron nodded. “I’m
impressed. I still won though.”

Kale didn’t hide her disgust.
“If you call that winning.”

“Oh, I do.”

Kale drew her sword, but
Blake grabbed her arm and lowered her voice. “Kale, you can’t kill him. If
it’s true about your souls being linked, it could hurt you too, and in
Shale’s condition she might not survive. You can’t risk that.”

“You don’t know we’re
connected.”

“What about Shale’s dream?”
Blake said. “That had to be him.”

“I don’t...want to
be...linked...to him,” Shale struggled to say. “He’s...a monster.”

They both regarded Shale for
a long moment, and then Kale nodded. “I’ll try to lead him away from the
entrance. Get Shale out of here.”

“What about you?” Amber said.

“I’ll be right behind you.”
Kale hesitated briefly before she closed the distance and kissed Amber
deeply.

“How sweet,” Theron mocked.
“I hate to interrupt...” He twirled his sword in a swift arc.

Kale stepped forward, then
brother and sister began to fight.

“OH, IF MOTHER could see us
now,” Theron taunted. “Did I kill her?” he asked hopefully.

“No,” Kale replied flatly.
Her anger toward him built to a boiling point. She didn’t let it control
her though, she channelled it. Her sword clashed against his, and she
kicked him, causing him to stumble away from the entrance.

Blake and the others darted
forward. Theron tried to intercept, but Kale blocked his path. He was
determined though, and managed to push her back a few steps before Kale
dug her heels in, refusing to budge any farther.

Kale shoved him away, quickly
glancing behind to make sure they’d got Shale safely out.

“Looks like it’s just you and
me.” Kale smirked at him.

Theron growled and launched
his attack. He fought fiercely, and Kale matched it, knowing time was of
the essence. Her sisters wouldn’t leave until she was clear.

Theron ducked under her
swing, rolling and coming up behind her. He slashed the back of Kale’s
calf.

She stumbled, but didn’t
fall. Theron dropped his sword and threw himself at Kale, lifting her off
the floor and slamming her into the rough wall. His strength was immense,
and he gripped Kale’s wrist tightly, trying to make her release her
weapon.

Kale wouldn’t comply, a
decision she regretted an instant later when he coldly snapped her wrist.
She grunted in pain, and the sword fell from her now useless hand.

Theron punched her twice,
then rammed her head off the rock wall.

BLAKE WENT THROUGH the
crevice first, since they had to turn sideways to fit through the narrow
gap. The trio hurried down the tunnel, pleased that no skirmish was going
on up ahead.

Blake knew they’d been lucky
so far, they had yet to be noticed. Though she could clearly hear Kale and
Theron fighting, and suspected it wouldn’t take long for the sound to
reach Theron’s army.

Blake signalled to Aris as
they passed the fork in the tunnel, letting her know that they were clear,
but Kale was still in the cavern.

Soon shouts were heard, and
the trio picked up their pace. They reached the cave that the horses were
kept in just as the battle broke out, and they rushed inside.

“Good thing...gave
you...riding lesson,” Shale murmured.

Blake laughed unexpectedly.
Shale was still making jokes despite both the situation, and the obvious
agony she was in. She loved this woman.

With difficulty, they managed
to get Shale on a horse, and Blake clambered on behind, wrapping her arms
around Shale to keep her steady. Blake secured the blanket snugly around
Shale, trying to give her as much defence against the cold night air as
she could.

Amber quickly fitted the
horse’s bridle, and passed the reins to Blake. “I’m going back to help
Kale. Keep riding, we’ll catch up.”

Blake didn’t try to stop her.
“All right. Be careful.”

“Ready?” Amber asked. At
Blake’s nod, she smacked the horse’s backside. “Yah!”

The horse took off, and they
were soon outside. Blake kicked the animal on, her hair whipping back as
its speed increased.

“You’re...doing great,” Shale
said through clenched teeth.

Blake grimaced at the amount
of raw pain in Shale’s voice. This bouncing around had to be excruciating
for her.

“Can you...hold me? Can’t.
Stay awake. Hurts...too much.”

“I’ve got you,” Blake
reassured, tightening her grip. She had barely finished speaking when
Shale sagged against her, trusting Blake completely to keep her safe.

THERON GRINNED DOWN at her.
He stood over Kale to haul her upright, and she lashed out with her leg,
delivering a well-placed kick to his shin. It gave way, and Theron fell
onto her—or he would have if Kale hadn’t moved.

She rolled quickly, reaching
her sword and lifting it with her left hand as she stood.

Theron sneered. “Do you
really think you can beat me one-handed?” His sword was out of reach, so
he withdrew the dagger from his boot.

Kale’s head hurt from where
it had struck the rock, and she felt warm blood trickling down her neck.
“Do you really think you can beat me without your whip?”

Theron snarled, his features
twisting in rage.

Kale had to jump backward to
avoid being gutted by his dagger. His swipe went wide, and Kale got in a
side kick to his head, causing Theron to collide with the wall.

He dodged and weaved, then
went for an opening. Theron lunged, and stabbed his dagger deep into
Kale’s side. “Got you,” he wheezed, seeming surprised when his mouth
filled with blood. Theron looked down, finding Kale’s sword protruding
from his chest. “But...I always win,” he said, a puzzled expression on his
face.

“Not this time.” Kale ripped
her sword out of him.

Theron sank to the floor, his
eyes glazing over. One final shuddering breath emerged, and then he was
dead.

Kale sheathed her sword and
fell to her knees, slowly pulling the dagger out of her side. She heard
hurried footsteps approaching, and glanced up as Amber ran in.

Kale beamed at her. “You came
back.”

“Of course.” Amber squatted
in front of her, taking the dagger from Kale’s crimson stained hand and
throwing it away. She then pressed Kale’s unhurt hand against the stab
wound. “It’s a good thing I did. Keep pressure on it.”

Kale leaned on Amber as she
got to her feet.

“I’m afraid I can’t offer to
carry you,” Amber joked, reminding Kale of their first meeting.

Kale chuckled. “I’m all
right.”

“You’ve been stabbed,” Amber
pointed out dryly. She then became serious, cupping the back of Kale’s
neck. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

Kale kissed her gently,
touched by Amber’s concern. “I’m fine.”

Amber nodded, and guided her
out into the tunnel. Kale couldn’t sprint, but she broke into a jog,
seeing her sisters were struggling to keep Theron’s army at bay.

Aris yelled as they passed
by. “Fall back!”

Kale stopped when she reached
the cavern full of supplies. “You release the horses,” she instructed
Amber.

Amber didn’t question her
reasons, and continued on without her. She soon had the animals’ pen open,
and striking her sword against the rock made them flee.

Amber kept eight horses
locked in, mounted one, and led another into the tunnel beside her for
Kale.

With her teeth, Kale uncorked
the bottle that she’d retrieved from the supply cavern, pouring the ale in
a thick line that stretched right across the width of the tunnel. She went
through several bottles, but managed to get it done before her sisters
reached it. Kale grabbed a torch from the wall, and whistled to Aris.

Aris clearly saw what Kale
intended to do, for she said, “Together. Push them back!” Her warriors
surged forward, shoving the soldiers away, causing many to lose their
balance and crash into the row behind.

The Amazons turned and ran.

Kale lit the alcohol, and the
flame darted along the line, burning brightly. It was close, but every
Amazon made it through before the fire blocked the passage behind them.

Kale knew that the army
wouldn’t be held back for long, as the fire could be put out with dirt. It
would give them the time they needed though.

Aris, bringing up the rear,
was the last to a horse. She jumped on it bareback, clutched its mane, and
kicked it on, following her sisters out of the cave and disappearing into
the darkness.

WHEN SHALE CAME to, they were
in a forest, and she blurrily noted several sets of hooves.

“Blake,” she murmured, though
it came out sounding more like a moan than a name. She felt an answering
kiss on the back of her neck.

“Shh. It’s all right, Shale.
It’s all right,” Blake said, her voice impossibly gentle.

Shale’s vision started to
darken again, but she didn’t fight it. Blake’s words of comfort had
soothed her, and she drifted into unconsciousness once more.

KALE BROUGHT HER horse closer
to Blake’s. “Did she wake?”

Blake nodded. “Briefly.”

“All right, we’re far enough
away. Let’s stop here and treat the wounded,” Aris said.

Kale looked skyward as she
slowed her horse. They were fortunate that the clouds had shifted,
revealing a full and bright moon overhead. The trees around had grown
sparse, allowing the light to shine down unfiltered. Despite the night
sky, she could see quite well.

Aris drew to a halt and
dismounted. “Charis, Anataeus, start making a litter. Demetria, sit down,
I need to stitch that arm.”

Though exhausted, no one
delayed, and the warriors all went into motion.

Aris helped Amber to lift
Shale off the horse. They laid her carefully on the blanket that Kale
placed on the ground.

Blake was soon beside them,
and she tipped out the contents of her bag. Amber selected the fine bone
needle, and threaded it with the yarn. Kale draped another blanket over
Shale, though this time it was over her legs. She then uncovered her top
half.

“Gods,” Aris uttered, upon
seeing Shale’s injuries.

Kale touched Shale’s pale
skin. “She’s too cold.”

“We can’t afford a fire,
Kale,” Aris said. “The light will give away our position.”

Kale nodded. She knew that.
Using her left hand, she stretched across and retrieved the two small
bottles. After checking them, Kale held one out to Blake. “Sprinkle that
on her wounds.”

Blake took the bottle,
tipping her head in acknowledgement.

Kale then turned to Aris, who
was filling the mug from a waterskin. Kale traded her the other bottle for
the mug. “Put four pinches in,” Kale said.

Aris did as instructed, not
quibbling as to who was in charge.

When complete, Kale added,
“Make sure the litter is strong enough to hold two.” Shale needed body
heat, and another person beside her would help to keep her warm.

Aris nodded, then put the
bottle down beside Kale and moved away.

Shale didn’t even stir while
Amber stitched the deepest of her wounds. Blake patched the others as best
she could, dusting the herb over them before they were covered. There were
so many lacerations, that by the time they had finished, the litter had
been constructed and attached to the horse.

Shale’s body was mottled with
bruises, but it was her stomach that worried Kale the most. It was dark
and discolored, and Kale wondered about internal bleeding. Kale looked up
into Blake’s concerned face, and knew she was thinking the same thing.

Kale indicated the drink, and
Blake lifted Shale’s head. Kale poured it in a little bit at a time, so
Shale wouldn’t choke. She felt Amber start to work on her own injuries,
but Kale focussed on the task at hand.

“Do you feel any different,
Kale?” Blake asked. “Now that Theron’s dead?”

Kale was pleased for a
distraction from the pain. She thought about Blake’s question seriously
for a long moment. “No, not at all. I guess the mystic must have been
mistaken.”

“It’s been known to happen,”
Amber said.
 
Kale tipped the last of
the drink into Shale’s mouth, and Blake wiped away the liquid that spilled
down her chin. Kale held out the mug to Blake. “Can you mix me some?” She
hated to ask for help, but she couldn’t do much with one hand. “Sure. Four
pinches?” At Kale’s confirmation, she set to work.

“Blake, I need you to travel
in the litter with Shale. Use your body to keep her warm,” Kale said.
“I’ll ride the horse.” They couldn’t afford to wait until daybreak, and
would continue on through the night. Shale was too weak. If a fever kicked
in, she would need the expertise of their healer.

Kale drained the mug Blake
gave her, almost retching at the taste. “That’s foul.”

“You’re hurt, you should—”

“I’ll ride,” Kale repeated
firmly, her mind made up.

Blake nodded, not arguing
with her.

Amber finished stitching
Kale. “Stay still till I splint your wrist,” she said, moving away to
fetch some sturdy sticks from the forest. When she returned, Amber
positioned the supports on either side of Kale’s wrist, and held them
there as Blake wound the bandage round.

Blake then put everything
else back into her bag, stood, and gave it to Aris to treat the others
with.

“You and Kale ride on,” Aris
said. “We’ll follow on foot and cover our tracks.”

“All right,” Blake said.
“We’ll see you back at the village.” She waited until Shale was placed on
the litter before climbing in herself. Blake wrapped her body around
Shale’s, wincing at the coldness of her skin. Blake moved closer still,
and they were both swaddled from head to toe in blankets.

Kale didn’t waste a moment,
mounting the horse and clicking her tongue to encourage it forward.

Amber frowned as they started
to leave, clearly wanting to go with them.

Aris took pity on her. “Are
you going or what?”

Amber grinned, gave Aris’s
arm a squeeze, then ran to a horse.

“WE’LL SOON HAVE you home,
Shale.” Blake kissed her cheek. “Appollonia will fix you up, don’t you
worry.” Blake’s throat was sore, she’d been talking to Shale for that
long, but she wanted her to know she was there. She kept talking, soothing
her with words of comfort.

The litter shook slightly as
the ground became uneven, and Blake tightened her hold, keeping Shale
steady. Shale’s eyelids fluttered, but they didn’t open.

“I have you, sweetheart,”
Blake vowed quietly. “You’re safe.”

Blake could have sworn a
ghost of a smile appeared, but it was gone before she could be certain.

“Shale?” Blake waited, but
didn’t get a response. “It’s all right,” she added. “You rest.”

Kale came back to check on
them, as she had many times. They didn’t stop moving though, Amber guiding
the horse alongside her own. “How’s she doing?”

Blake looked troubled.
“Warming up, but I think she’s getting a fever.”

Kale leaned over and felt
Shale’s forehead. “Damn,” she cursed, her brow knitting. “You’re right.”

Kale brushed Shale’s cheek
tenderly, and Blake finally saw the woman beneath the warrior. A moment
later, she was gone, and Kale straightened as she gathered her composure.

Kale returned to the saddle,
and made the horse pick up its pace.

BOTH HER HANDS were being
held, and as Shale slowly opened her eyes, she saw Blake on her left, Kale
to her right. Amber was there, too, her head resting on Kale’s shoulder.
All were slouched over the bed, fast asleep. And they looked as bad as she
felt.

She was in Appollonia’s
cabin—a place she recognised well from her frequent visits. She tried to
talk, but all that emerged was an unpleasant rasping. It still had the
desired effect, and all three heads snapped up.

“You’re awake!” Blake
exclaimed, utter relief on her features.

“You had us worried, Shale,”
Kale scolded, though she smiled at her.

Shale squeezed their hands
lightly, dismayed by the amount of effort it took.

Appollonia appeared, and
touched Shale’s forehead, a pleased expression crossing her face. “Her
fever has broken.”

Blake burst into tears, and
Shale wondered what had happened to make her so upset.

“You’ve been out for two
days, Shale,” Appollonia said. “We almost lost you.”

Shale was shocked. No wonder
Blake was in such a state. No wonder they all looked exhausted. “I...” She
strained to speak.

“You’ll be weak for a while.”
Appollonia fetched a mug of water. “Slow sips.”

Blake raised her up slightly,
supporting Shale’s head. She managed a few sips, pleased when it removed
some of the dryness from her throat.

“Had to...keep my word.”
Shale smiled tiredly at Blake.

Blake beamed at her, amidst
her tears. “Yes, you did.” She wiped them away. “And I thank you for that,
Shale, from the bottom of my heart.”

Ever the modest warrior,
Shale’s eyes twinkled. “It was...nothing.”

Blake shook her head in
amusement, then leaned in and kissed her gently, but devotedly.

Shale’s smile strengthened.
“For a reward,” she had to pause, “like that,” she was about to say that
maybe she should get hurt more often, when she got her response.

“Don’t you dare.” Kale
replied sternly.

“Don’t even think about it.”
Blake said, equally firm.

“Looks like you’re outvoted,”
Amber said, grinning when Shale gave a short chuckle.

“Looks...like.”

“THERON BROKE IT,” Kale
answered, though Shale hadn’t asked a question. She didn’t need to, Kale
had seen her observing the bound wrist.

“Is...”

“He’s dead,” Kale said

“His army?”

Amber leaned forward. “We
covered our tracks. They don’t know where we are.”

“They’ve likely dispersed,”
Kale said. “But we have extra guards on patrol just in case.”

Shale’s eyes darted nervously
to the door, as though she expected an army of men to come barging in at
any moment.

“Don’t worry,” Blake said,
“You’re safe here.”

Shale’s breathing had
quickened slightly, and she looked uncomfortable. “Tight,” she gasped.

All eyes flew to Appollonia,
who came over swiftly. “You’ll feel restricted around your middle, Shale,
I have wrapped your ribs to give them support. Is that what you’re
feeling? Or is it inside?”

Shale focussed, concentrating
on her breathing for a moment. “Bandage,” she finally said, hearing sighs
of relief being released around her. Shale glanced at them meekly.
“Sorry.”

Blake smiled and squeezed her
hand.

“Your back is covered also,
that whip cut you up pretty badly,” Appollonia said.

“But look at it this way,
you’ve got a lot more scars to add to your collection,” Kale said. “The
wound on your side is a beauty.”

Shale perked up a little.
“Can I see?”

Appollonia shook her head.
“Later, Shale, when your bandage needs changing. You shouldn’t be moved
unnecessarily.”

Shale was disappointed, until
she realised that her ribs would have to be unwrapped first, before
Appollonia could get to the dagger slice on her side. Then she saw her
point.

“Well, at least you have
something to look forward to now,” Kale said, drawing a mortified sound
from Blake. “What?”

Blake just shook her head,
and Shale smiled.

“Warriors,” Amber imitated
Blake perfectly, making her laugh outright.

“Precisely,” Blake said. Her
tone became wry. “I’m surprised you haven’t shown her your injury yet.”

Kale’s eyebrows rose. “I’d
forgotten.” She reached down to her side and began to remove her bandage.
“Thanks for reminding me.” Kale grinned when Blake rolled her eyes.

Shale shifted a fraction,
trying to get a better view. She grimaced as searing pain lanced through
her, and she thought better of it, staying put.

“Don’t try to move,”
Appollonia said.

Shale couldn’t have continued
anyway, that slight movement had taken most of her energy. She felt
Blake’s thumb caressing the back of her hand, and when the pain had
subsided, she gave her a small smile.

“There,” Kale said, revealing
her stitches. “What do you think?”

With effort, Shale turned her
head. “Stabbed?”

“With Theron’s dagger,” Kale
said.

“Mine, too,” Shale said
simply.

“Really?” Kale sounded
surprised. “That’s a first.”

“What is?” Blake asked.

“We don’t all speak twin,”
Amber said good-naturedly.

Kale snickered. “Shale’s
saying the slice on her side was made by Theron’s dagger, too.”

“I got that,” Blake said.
“Why is it a first?”

“Because no one has ever been
good enough to scar both of us,” Kale said. “And in the same place, too.
How weird.” A thoughtful expression crossed her face. Amber took the
bandage from Kale and started to rewrap her wound, and Kale brushed her
cheek in thanks.

Shale’s eyes widened at the
intimate gesture, especially since Amber didn’t look at all surprised. She
caught Kale’s gaze, not wanting to ask outright in case she was mistaken.
Kale nodded, confirming that the relationship had developed beyond mere
friendship, and Shale returned her smile, exceptionally happy for her.

Shale noticed that Blake was
watching the silent interaction amusedly, and seemed to know what they
were referring to.

Amber tucked the end of the
bandage underneath the rest of the binding, and looked up, clearly taken
aback to see them all smiling at her. “What have I done?”

“Nothing,” Blake said.

Amber’s eyes narrowed. “Is my
hair sticking out or something?” she said, twirling red curls around her
fingers.

“No.” Kale laughed.

Shale chuckled too, though
she stopped quickly when it pulled on her ribs.

“How is the pain, Shale?”
Appollonia asked. “Do you want—”

“No drink,” Shale said. She
couldn’t possibly stomach any of that vile substance. Shale knew she would
just be sick, and the retching motion would cause her considerable pain.
She was so tired of hurting. She couldn’t stand any more. The possibility
of it alone made her panic.

“No,” she repeated. Shale
shook her head as well as she was able, which wasn’t very much given her
weakened state, but it alerted them to her distress.