Page 34 of The Sun God's Prize
We’re laughing when Brem relaxes, the three women falling together, and I’m going to leave them to it when I’m snagged by ankle and wrist and pulled into the sweaty, sex-scented fun.
I’m happy to join them.
When we’re finally done, the lantern out and the twining arms and legs hold us gently, soft snoring from Hloraine paired with the bare breath of Morinthi, I hear Brem’s whisper in the dark.
“Thank you,” she says.“My love.”
She’ll be all right when I go.I know that now.It ends the guilt I feel for using her for comfort.Sleep is deep and peaceful that night, and for all the nights I slumber thereafter, none of which I spend alone.
It’s not until the next morning that Hloraine asks for help.“The way you fight,” she says, voice low and faintly awed, glancing at the others who already have their own little groups and ignore us for the most part.“I’ve watched and tried to learn, but…” she spreads her short-fingered hands in front of her.“I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”
Brem perks, but waits for me to answer.But she’s the leader here, and I nod to her.
“If you’ll allow it, Brem,” I say, “I’ll share some of my techniques with the others.”
The small warrior woman takes a pause, thoughtful, as though thinking it over, when I know that’s the last thing she’s doing.We’ve already talked about her frustration with the warriors not wanting to learn from her.It’s clear she appreciates my deference, too, because she finally nods with a lift of one eyebrow.
“Perhaps that might help,” Brem says.“I’ll discuss it with Romouth and let you know.”
Only I catch her sharp grin, her sparkling gaze when she shares it with me, Morinthi and Hloraine’s mutual excitement distracting them from Brem’s reaction.I’m delighted to assist, glory to ourmistresseand all.More so because this small collective has become my family while I’m here, and I am grateful for them.
Romouth immediately agrees and even emerges from her quarters to observe as I begin instructions.I’ve already watched the fighters and can see where their educations are lax, focusing on their strengths instead.
“You’re taller than most, even a lot of the men,” I tell Morinthi, tossing her two long spears instead of one, the whip just a distraction, and she’s not great with it, anyway.“Focus on your reach instead of brute strength.You’re fast, too, and limber, all of which will make you formidable if you master that weapon and use it to your advantage.
I set her up, showing her a few simple moves that will allow her to practice on her own and then turn to Hloraine, the nervous woman watching her lover stumble through the first few attempts.
“And you,” I say with a grim smile, “are fucking strong, you brute.”She’s shown me as much, if only during sex, lifting me easily when she needs to adjust me to her liking.“But a brute weapon will only slow you down.”I take the wide-bladed axe from her hand, unstrapping the shield, and give her the weighted net instead, a short leaf dagger, jagged along one edge, for her other hand.“You’ll be against those with longer reach, who are taller and faster.Your advantage will be getting them close where you can leverage your strength.”
She seems surprised to hear than but nods and steps back when I instruct her on how best to use the net, showing her how to fold the edge into her palm to compact it and then toss it to spread it in the air, while anchoring it to her grip so she doesn’t throw her best weapon away as I’ve seen them all do.
I catch Romouth’s nod of approval, but keep my focus on the two women now training, noting their stumbles, correcting their movements in increments.It helps that they’re both at least competent, so I’m not starting from nothing, and it’s clear they’re both as dedicated to this idea as they are fast learners, because we’re barely breaking at noon for our midday meal when I realize they’ve already vastly improved.
They seem to know it, too, grinning and hugging me, Hloraine’s enthusiasm making my ribs groan, but it’s Brem whose delight has me smiling.
So, it’s no surprise that Kasha approaches our table while we eat, the sullen woman I bested my first day planting herself beside me with a much softer expression than she’s ever shown me before.
“I’d like to learn, too,” she says.
“Of course,” I say, no grudges allowed to linger, while Brem nods when I turn to her for acceptance.“All are welcome, I take it?”
They’re listening, the other women, and I catch the relief that washes over them, hear their happy chatter as they finish their meals, and see their trepidation when they line up on the sand after we’ve done eating to wait for me to take them in hand.
Who would have thought that I’d become the teacher?Not me, not even once.I’ve always believed I still have so much to learn, that Vivenne’s talents as an instructor would outweigh my own if I ever decided in my arrogance to try.Yes, I’d corrected one or two of my personal company on occasion, but they were all selected for their expertise and skill, hand-picked from my mother’s soldiers and fully prepared, already honored soldiers of Heald.This is a far different situation, and I find I’m enjoying myself showing them a new way of fighting as much as I feel joy in my own practice.
There are groans and complaints, of course, and a few needed ass-kicks to stop the resentment from festering.But even more so, there are shouts of encouragement, cheers at successful attacks, and laughter.
So much laughter.Romouth was right after all.I truly feel like I’m home again.
I’m amazed when I look up to find the sun is setting, the sweating, weary, and yet enthusiastic stable of warrior women hugging one another.They put their equipment away without prompting, stopping to hug me, too, on the way to our quarters.Even Kasha, who’s shy when she does it, but presses a kiss to my cheek before she goes.
Brem takes my hand, beaming up at me, we two the last as twilight darkens the arena to flickering gold from the lanterns.“You’ve done what I could never do,” she says.
“No,” I say.“Youdid this, Brem.”I gesture at the departing women.“You’ve held them together.I merely convinced them they needed to listen to you.”
“Agreed.”We turn to find Romouth has joined us, the toweringmistressesmiling down at the tiny fighter she’s made her second.“Well done, both of you.”Her dark eyes glisten in the lantern light.“What a show we’ll have for the Sun God this season!”
I murmur in support, following Brem to the bathing room, wondering if Romouth also knows what I intend.She has to, and though I’m a slave here, she’s done what she can for me in this system where I find myself.I honestly believe that had they ever met, she and my mother would have been friends, the products of their own particular circumstances, but so similar in many ways.
