Green Eyes

“I was thinking that Phillipa should be tried out for the archers,” Jared was telling Mara as they went over the list of names that comprised their new trainees.

“I’m not so sure,” Mara frowned as she leaned back in her wooden chair. “You said she showed some promise.”

The twins were sitting around a wooden picnic table on the ground near where the Amazons stabled their mules and horses. On the table was a five-wicked ceramic lamp that gave the blue-eyed Kalashonians light in the darkness of night, the sun having gone down a couple hours before. Between them was a sheet of parchment with 43 names on it. Twenty-one had a crude sword marked next to them and twenty-one had a bow with one final name blank.

“She does,” Jared confirmed. “But we need to balance them out.”

“We can’t,” Mara replied. “There’s an odd number, so someone is going to be left out.”

“At least until Micaela gets healthy,” Jared pointed out. “And I’d rather have her as a swordsman.”

“Even after you kicked her butt so handily?” Mara cocked her head. “None of your test subjects did that badly.”

“I was going easy on them, remember?” Jared reminded. “And she underestimated me, a mistake I doubt she’d make twice. From what I’ve seen, I think that she’d make a very good swordsman, probably better than anyone else here.”

“That fits with what I’ve heard,” Mara admitted. “I’m actually surprised how good these girls are since they aren’t Kalashonians or have any real formal training.”

“I’m not,” Jared returned. “One thing I learned during the Ammonite Wars is that warfare isn’t nearly as sophisticated as we Kalashonians like to think. Swinging a sword isn’t that hard and just about anyone can learn to do it competently.

“Many of these women have been here for several years,” he went on, leaning back and placing his hands behind his head. “During that time, while not having any formal training, they have been practicing and training pretty much nonstop and some of them even have actual combat experience. That’s all you need to get a solid understanding of the rudimentary concepts, albeit without the refined technique that our Kalashonian blood and culture affords which gives us the martial mastery we enjoy. The point is that they have the basic understanding of the swords, those that have used them in the past anyway, and just need to tighten up their technique.”

“Phillipa isn’t a sword user,” Mara recalled that the woman had discarded a spear, not surprising for a Malchian, “which means she has natural talent but it would be starting from scratch with her.”

“Some,” Jared allowed. “And I agree that it is a shame to waste the potential, but we don’t have the time to really develop it. We need people that already at least have a feel for the basics of swordplay. Besides, if we are going to have an unbalance, I’d rather have it on the archery side. It’s easier to learn, safer for people not naturally talented, and better suited for the guerilla tactics they’ll be employing. We both agree that the other 21 have more potential than Phillipa so we put her with the archers.”

“Plus that is one less woman you have to deal with,” Mara remarked with a smirk.

“I have my estrogen limit,” Jared retorted.

“Fine,” Mara acquiesced marking down a bow by Phillipa’s name. “But we should—”

“What the fuck did you think you were doing?” a new voice exploded from the nearby darkness.

A moment later Micaela’s diminutive form emerged from the darkness, her amethyst eyes blazing in the flickering lamplight. The Amazonian leader ignored Mara, instead zeroing in on Jared.

“What the fuck did you think you were doing?” she repeated forcefully, thrusting a finger from her good arm into his sternum.

“Maybe if you were a little more specific,” Jared suggested not flinching under her furious glare.

“You assaulted my women!” railed Micaela.

“Assaulted?” Jared was caught off guard by the accusation. “Now that’s going a bit far…”

“Really?” snarled the Esthorian cutting him off. “What do you call the cuts and bruises my women say they got from your sword?”

“A test of their swordsmanship,” Jared still wasn’t following her rage. “We are dividing them into two groups: swords and bows and we are—”

“And your fucking idea of a test is attack them?” Micaela interrupted again.

“I took it easy on them,” Jared growled in return.

“Not easy enough,” Micaela retorted.

“Mara gave out her share of injuries too,” Jared pointed out.

“I don’t care about that,” Micaela brushed off. “Injuries are to be expected in training. What pisses me off is that they came from you.”

“Because I’m a man?” Jared guessed angrily.

“Damn right,” Micaela confirmed, equally enraged.

“I am getting really tired of your sexist nonsense,” Jared exasperated. “Testing their combat skills against my skills was the best way to determine what their level was. Why should the fact that I’m a man have anything to do with this?”

“Are you a fucking idiot?” Micaela snapped at him. “Because these women have been abused by men their whole lives. How do you think they feel having a man beat the shit out of them, again?”

“If they can’t handle a simple sparring exercise against me, how are they going to handle fighting men who actually want to kill them?” Jared demanded.

That gave Micaela pause. “Because you’re supposed to give them confidence,” she said after a moment. “Why the hell do you think I didn’t—don’t want you training them? They’ll never be able to beat you and that’ll just reinforce what they’ve always been taught: women are inferior to men.”

“And teaching them that men are inferior to women is so much better?” Jared sardonically questioned.

“After being treated like a political bargaining chip all my life, I would say that my position isn’t entirely without merit,” Micaela countered.

“Says the woman who was going to sell me as a slave,” Jared retorted sharply. “I know your story, Micaela, and your experience with men is nowhere nearly as painful as mine with women yet you don’t see me leading a male supremacist movement.”

“You were an idiot who was betrayed by a bitch, something that you should’ve seen coming,” Micaela shot back, her voice rising. “I was sold by my own father because it was convenient. You had control over your situation; I didn’t. Don’t even think to compare our lives.”

Jared’s sapphire eyes narrowed. “Watch your next words carefully, Esthorian,” he warned, his voice dropping to that arctic level. “You may lose the help your people desperately need.”

“Your help?” Micaela’s voice matched his. “Like you ‘helped’ your people 20 years ago? When they needed you most, you abandoned them like a coward.”

Jared erupted from his seat, drawing his sword and leveling it at Micaela’s neck in one glassy motion. “Do you have a death wish?” he snarled at her.

Micaela casually flicked a glance at the naked blade resting against her skin and then locked her violet eyes on Jared’s blues resolutely. Anyone else would’ve peed their pants but not Micaela. She didn’t even blink.

“Hit close to home, did we?” she allowed a subtle smirk. “I want your help but not in making warriors; in making women. I want them to be as strong and as independent as any Kalashonian princess and what you’re doing is not helping. From now on, I expect that you will take that into account.”

Calmly the Amazonian leader removed the weapon from her neck and then melted into the darkness, leaving Jared and Mara behind.

“I am going to kill her,” he growled, driving his sword into the ground.

“No you won’t,” Mara replied, suppressing a chuckle.

“Are you laughing?” her brother demanded.

“I’m sorry,” Mara tried taking a couple of deep breaths.

“You heard what she said,” Jared snapped.

“I’ll admit she did cross a line there,” the other twin acknowledged. “But you have to admit, she does have a point. We have been focusing exclusively on the technical side and ignoring the psychological side. If we expect them to stand their own in a fight, we have to make them believe that women can stand up to men.”

“How do we do that?” Jared inquired of no one in particular. “None of them will ever have a prayer against me.”

“How indeed,” Mara mumbled, her arctic eyes suddenly looking very far away as she processed an idea.

“What are you thinking?” Jared recognized that look in her eyes.

“There is one who can beat you,” she observed, a mischievous smile creasing her face.

Jared understood the plan immediately. “For this to work, it has to be completely real,” Jared pointed out. “Which means no holding back, which means it might backfire.”

“It won’t,” Mara confidently declared.

“No cheating,” Jared admonished.

“There won’t be,” Mara replied. “It’s not like I need to cheat.”

“True,” Jared admitted. “Tomorrow morning then?”

“First thing,” Mara nodded.

“Good,” Jared sighed as he glanced into the darkness. “Maybe then we can get Micaela off our backs.”

“Your back,” Mara corrected. “She loves me.”

“Whatever,” Jared grumped.

“She really gets under your skin, doesn’t she?” Mara remarked, eyes twinkling.

“You have no idea,” Jared growled. “Do you remember her being this annoying?”

“Not really,” Mara recalled. “But then again, I just remember a little girl. A lot has changed for her since then; for all of us.”

“I guess,” Jared sat back down, rubbing his temples. “Why am I putting myself through this?”

“Because, like me, after Jael, you want to believe that there are good people left in the world,” Mara answered the rhetorical question. “And because you want to believe that these girls are good people.”

“Good people,” Jared snorted. “She’s a sexist, meddling pain in the butt that makes some sailors I know sound like poets.”

“I think she’s good for you. Not necessarily like that,” she held up a hand to cut off the anticipated protests. “I think it’s good for you to have someone in your life that won’t cow to you just because you glare at them.”

“I have you,” Jared pointed out dryly.

“But I like you,” Mara countered. “Micaela doesn’t and is the only person I know on the planet who isn’t afraid to show it. It brings you back down to earth a bit, which is good for you.” Mara shook her head as she started laughing.

“What?” Jared questioned.

“I will never forget the site of her standing up to you,” Mara laughed. “I’ve seen giants pass out when you’re like that, all threatening and commanding. But then there you are tonight, towering over this little unarmed Esthorian with her arm in a sling, sword against her neck and she’s telling you off. And you just take it,” Mara howled. “I’d never thought I’d see the day.”

“I’m glad you find this so amusing,” Jared growled crossing his arms. “Just wait until we find someone to take you down a notch.”

Mara’s face immediately fell. “Yeah, well he’s not coming back, is he?” she quietly replied.

“Sorry, that was low,” Jared apologized.

“It’s alright,” Mara waved off. “That was a long time ago and I’ve gotten past it, I think. Anyway, my point is that Micaela’s a good, strong person. Give her a chance, alright?”

“I’ll think about it,” Jared allowed.

“It’s late,” she announced standing. “I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.”

“Good night,” Jared returned quietly and doused the lamp.

*******

“What’s going on?” Selene asked Micaela as she sat down beside the Esthorian on the platform overlooking the training ring.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Micaela answered, swinging her short legs over the edge. “Jared and Mara are doing something.”

“Aren’t they always,” Selene dryly remarked.

Down below the twins were in the center of the ring while the 43 Amazons were arrayed around the edge. Stepping forward Mara addressed them.

“I am not very good at sugar-coating things and I hate ignoring the hydra in the room, so I’m just going to be blunt,” she announced. “I know that many, if not all, of you have a deep-seeded fear of men. You have been taught since birth that men are superior to women and that is an ideology that you are still struggling to overcome. If you are going to survive in a battle against Kalashonians, or anyone else for that matter, you need to know that a woman can hold her own against a man in battle.

“Towards that end,” Mara reached up behind her and drew her blades, “Jared and I are going to duel right here and right now. You all saw what he did to your leader, Micaela,” beside her, Selene felt Micaela bristle at the reference, “and many of you fought him yesterday, so you know what he is capable of.”

“This should be interesting,” Micaela commented, shifting a little on the platform.

“It’ll be a show alright,” Selene agreed.

“You’ve seen them duel?” Micaela questioned.

“Several times,” Selene nodded. “Sparring is how they keep each other sharp.”

“Can she beat him?”

“Can she?” Selene cocked her head. “Sure. Will she? That’s 50-50.”

“I hope they know what they’re doing,” Micaela said.

“I haven’t seen them not know what they’re doing,” Selene pointed out.

“We’ll see,” Micaela replied.

Below them, Mara and Jared stood on opposite sides of the oval ring. Mara held her twin blades out at her sides, swords pointed at the ground in her War Master stance. Across the way Jared gently rested the flat of his steel on his forehead. The atmosphere tensed as the Amazons held their breath, waiting for the twins to start.

Then the tension broke.

The twins sprinted towards each other before clashing, the collision of steel echoing through the Harosheth. Jared swung his blade down at her right shoulder but Mara caught in the cross of her blades. She shoved her brother’s weapon away and down, letting the momentum drive all three swords into the gravel.

Swinging up with the top blade, Mara made a swipe at Jared’s neck but he leaned back underneath the strike. When she brought her left blade on a backstroke, Jared had already gotten his sword back and he deflected the attack high. Mara let the force of the stroke spin her completely around and she instinctively raised her sword over head to block Jared’s anticipated strike.

With her feet set, she absorbed Jared’s bone-rattling blow without flinching. Mara pushed the sword away before pivoting around with both of her blades coming in one-two, high-low. Jared crouched low underneath the high blade and brought his own sword around to block the second blade. Instead of trying to take advantage of Mara’s being wide-open, he bent the blade into the ground and backed out of range.

Both took a second to breath, sweat pouring down both their faces. Jared drew his blade back up in front of his face and charged again. This time he tried an upswing at his sister’s left side which she cross-blocked and drove it back down to the gravel.

Jared had planned on this and aimed a flying kick at her head. Mara leaned back under the blow, snapping back up and bringing both of her blades down on his head. Jared landed on one knee, barely getting his sword up in time to block the double-strike.

Pushing the blade to his left, using the resistance to leverage himself back to his feet before whipping his weapon around to the back of Mara’s head. She ducked instead of blocking and made a thrust at Jared’s gut. He rolled away from the stab and swung his blade at her legs. Mara had anticipated this, blocking the strike with her left sword while bringing her right up to Jared’s throat. With lightning quick reflexes, the mercenary batted the blade away and again retreated a step.

This time Mara pressed her advantage. She swung her sword in a scissor-cut motion on either side of Jared. He blocked one and managed to evade the second, still backing up. Mara feinted a stab with her left blade which Jared ignored and deflected her right slash across her body, opening up the right side.

Jared flicked his wrists around to cut off her arm but Mara pivoted around to her left and caught Jared’s slice in her cross-block. She deflected the strike and let the force of the blow pull all three blades to the left. Mara held Jared’s blade wide with her left-handed sword and whipped her right one back around until it was resting on Jared’s throat.

“Give,” she ordered, panting.

Jared raised both his hands, dropping his sword in the process. “I give,” he said loudly enough for everyone to here. Cheers erupted from the gathered crowd as the duel came to a close.

“Ten minute break,” Mara announced to the cheering crowd. “We’ll divide you up then and then we’ll get started on the individual training.”

“Water?” Jared croaked wiping the profuse sweat off his brow.

“Water,” Mara nodded and they went off to find some water.