Freedom for Contrez: Part 7
The Queen’s Choice
By Wyldewood

What happened in the last chapter:
Queen Amerlin and Contrez had returned to the queen’s village and hoped all would stay quiet. Not to be however when Contrez’s own captured woman from the plains named Pring ran off and worse was spotted with the fugitive false queen Kittrezz and then they fled upstream, with Amerlin and Contrez in pursuit after they killed a few people, they soon realized that they had made allies with the brutish cave people, and had escaped in to their cave kingdom.
Returning to her own village the queen was gathering warriors from her own and other nearby villages to go after the fugitives when one of the cave people arrived, a young girl barely in her teens and bearing a written message from Kittrezz challenging Amerlin and her champion to face her in the caves just the two of them versus her and her own chosen champion. The queen responded in acceptance, but also brought her army along as well. At the cave entry, just Amerlin and Contrez would enter, but with orders left behind that if they were not back in three hours they were to assume they were dead and attack. The walk through the cave complex was long, and Kittrezz also had laid a trap as well perhaps for Contrez’s woman Pring had hidden herself, and as they passed below, leaped to attack, and barely missed striking a deadly blow with a long knife. Before she could recover however, Contrez turned on her in anger, and in a swift move broke her neck and left her there to die while they continued to the meeting and fight.
Another shock awaited them however, for when they confronted Kittrezz at last, and her champion strode forward, both women experienced a sense of shock. Her champion was called Flame and she was Spice’s big sister. Spice who had at one time been the queen’s champion as well as lover and who had fought to the death against Contrez who she hated with all her heart for displacing her in the queen’s eyes. And now her big sister knew who killed her sister and she hated both Amerlin and Contrez with a fiery passion. In the struggle that followed, queen on queen and champion on champion, Amerlin after bad injuries to herself killed Kittrezz, and Flame went in to a berserker rage and abandoned her fight with Contrez and tried to finish off the queen. Both turned on Flame and severely injured her before getting through her rage and offering her a chance to surrender and earn her right of freedom. After some hesitation, Flame chose to surrender but not before Contrez gave a very solemn vow to protect her until it was settled formally, and then Flame insulted the queen by surrendering to Contrez rather than her.

And Now. . . . We Continue:

Flame had been expecting herself to be fully tied and trussed for the trip to the queen’s village, yet to her surprise, this did not happen. Instead she was set in the center of a group of warrior’s unbound and allowed to march with them back on her own two feet. The trip now moving back to the village, Contrez could see the queen did not need her for anything at present, and slipped back to where Flame walked, and together they began to speak, neither of them caring who else was there or might be listening in. Flame’s own eyes were narrow and hard, growing even harder as Contrez approached and then walked beside her. For a few minutes they walked silently, but then Flame in a surly tone said, “You come to mock me?” Contrez’s own voice was cool, yet firm and to the point as she said, “I come to keep my word, I noticed some of the warriors here, starting to mock you and that is not right. My presence here will either make them keep their peace, or find themselves answering to me. You are my responsibility now, and I take that very seriously.”
A look of startled surprise crossed Flame’s face, but she quickly masked it and her growl deepened. “Why should I believe you? I am prisoner, and you are but one, if they choose to mock or attack you could not hope to stop them all, and your bitch queen would likely join them and enjoy seeing me torn to pieces.” The comment made Contrez give her a sharp look, her own countenance registering more than a bit of surprise, and before she could choose her words, they came out. “What did that bitch Kittrezz teach your people?!? Granted your people and ours have been hostile for some time, but our responses have always been after the forest people were first attacked. We are warriors, just as you clearly are, but most also have learned to fight with a sense of honor. Those who don’t and we discover this, we discipline and reteach them in the matter of honor, even a prisoner such as you are is expected to be given certain respect, and the mocking of you should not be permitted. That is why I chose to come back here, to ensure they remember to be honorable, and ensure you keep yours at least for now.”
Spice caught the ‘for now’ and her scowl deepened, “Yet you speak also of what is to come, and you sound like you will not show honor later. Answer that if you dare!” For a moment Contrez was silent, but then her own voice showed some ire as Flame continued to deny that she was less than honorable. “If I did not show any honor, I would still be up front, and with the queen, I came here to ensure your honor remained intact, and that honor shall remain intact until we finally face each other in the promised final battle. If you fight with honor, then the honor shall remain until one of us has drawn their final breath, but if you throw your own honor away at that time of battle, or doing something foolish even sooner, then do not expect me to continue to honor you, I will destroy you with no mercy, by any means, and with no honor in your death.” Her own words surprised Contrez herself, but it also showed in the face of Flame as well, and Contrez also saw it and knew she had scored a verbal and mental victory. Flame knew and was accepting albeit grudgingly the fact that her foe was serious about ensuring she kept her honor until they fought, and that she would keep her vow which until now, she had been skeptical about.
The rest of the march proceeded quietly back to the village at least so far as Flame was concerned, One of the guards made a comment about her however, and before she could take another breath, she found Contrez turn and step to her and ordered her out of the column and before the remaining passing army she stood there loudly chewing her out for her lack of respect and then ordered the errant guard to mark 100 paces behind the last of the army as a sign that she had failed to keep her moral spirit and her honor at the proper levels, and upon return to report to her own leader for discipline. Satisfied the errant warrior was dealt with; Contrez picked up her own place and was soon back with Flame. Her actions with the warrior had not been lost on the others either and no further words were spoken against Flame for the final stretch home.
The return was however soon to become a celebration as they entered the village. The death of the traitor queen Kittrezz and the apparent end of the long simmering war with the cave people perhaps also ended, it was time to celebrate, and even as Flame was being ushered to the building for prisoners the impromptu celebrations got under way. Queen Amerlin joined with the villagers for a good half hour or so, but soon excused herself and returned to the royal compound and called Contrez to her there in the public room. Except for the customary two guards at the entry, they were alone, and Amerlin sent them outside and told them to close the doors, which they did. Finally alone just the two, for the first time in a long time, the queen allowed herself to relax and actually sank down with a deep sigh on the green stone slab that served as her throne.
“Tonight” she said, “For the first time in a long time, the people can know peace if the cave people follow my command and leave for good. What we did this night ended not one but two threats to the peace of this land, and it could not have been done without you, and it also ended a threat that has plagued us for several generations.” Amerlin allowed herself a deep breath, and then a sigh, and also a grimace as her own ribs reminded her of damages that needed to be dealt with. “Right now however” she added with a rueful grin, “We both need to see the priestess and get ourselves healed before we do any more celebrating, and then I want to thank you in my own way for saving my life back there. I do not doubt, had you not helped me when their champion lost control and attacked in a blind fury, it would not have been a celebration out there,” Gesturing in the general direction of the village, the sounds of the celebration drifting in to even there, “But a sorrowful one instead, even if the champion had also died afterwards, and the cave people sent away.”
Contrez smiled and nodded her head, it was high praise from the queen and she was also delighted that peace was finally descending, and the two turned and left for the local temple. There, even the usually sour tongue of the priestess was silent as she examined, treated, and wrapped the rib cages of both women and offered no comment, she knew by time they showed up what the two had done and it would make even her own life a lot easier now. Done at last, the queen headed back to the royal room, but Contrez allowed herself to visit the village center where many had descended and where music was playing, and it got noisier with her arrival. Contrez enjoyed the celebration for a bit. But her own mind was also turning ahead, and she soon left the happy villagers and turned her own footsteps towards the prisoner hut to ensure Flame was OK. There she found she was, they had moved her to the smaller one for special prisoners and had chained her ankle to the center post with enough to easily reach a nearby bed, but Contrez ordered the chain removed declaring she would remain so unless she tried to escape. This was quickly done and again earned a surprise look from Flame.
Looking at Flame as she massaged her freed ankle while she sat on the bed, Contrez made her position clear, “You are not a free woman, you still remain a prisoner, and may not leave this hut until the matter of our fight is resolved, but I want you to have as much freedom that we can allow by our laws, and bind you by your own honor to not try to escape. If you do make such an attempt, you won’t get far, and when you are brought back, the chains will be put on, and a lot more than that single one.” Giving her a long piercing stare, she added. “I am placing my own trust in your word woman, do not prove me wrong, and keep your word and your honor until we settle in personal combat.” The Contrez turned and called to be let out, and the door closed and the sounds of the bar dropping came again and Flame knew she was safe for now, and slowly laid down, and allowed herself to fall asleep naturally.
Contrez herself found her own way back to the queen’s hut, in the distance the party continued, though given the late hour it was slowly fading out, it was long past the hour when most would have turned in, and many would be tired when they arose at sunrise, but the cause was worth it. A small smile twitching at her lips, Contrez entered the building and made her own way to the queen’s chamber expecting to find the queen awake, and she was right. What happened for the next few hours would leave them both hurting once again, and they fell asleep, completely exhausted there in the queen’s chamber rather than in their own rooms. And like many of the villagers, they too would wake up very tired as well.
The next few days would see the village of the queen very busy as scout patrols were launched to check not just the main entry to the cave people but also a few others they were known to emerge from and to travel inside a fair way for each. Armed warriors also went with each with clear instruction if they found any cave people, warn them of the queen’s orders and get them moving away from the forest kingdom, if they refused; they were permitted to take them out. One by one the patrols reported back most speaking of no sign of the cave people, the one solitary group they did find, seeing the weapons the patrol had, took the hint, packed, and headed deeper towards the far exit to the hidden valley and beyond. It looked like the war was finally over so far as those people were concerned, and after two weeks of this and no further signs of the cave people, the patrols were called off and peace descended upon the village at last,
It would not last however, barely had another eight of days passed when they were visited by a powerful but squat plainswoman and her entourage from the horse people, and she made her presence known as she approached the river bridge leading in to the village proper, and demanded quite loudly and profanely that she was there to see the queen and to present a demand to her for the release of Chief Rayelvak. Her open demand did get a few stares and even a growl or two for his reputation was known to all there. Even as a slave, he was still lazy and loud and a trouble maker, which had been grounds for several reprimands more than once by the task masters and mistresses. With little comment, they escorted the woman and her group to the queen’s chamber allowing her to enter, but her entourage was kept out in the open courtyard. An action that got a snort of contempt from the woman, and then she turned and entered alone, when it was clear the guards would not budge from this rule.
Upon her formal announcement, she sketched a barely minimal bow to the queen, and ignoring all others she spoke. “I am Chotur, chieftess of the Horse people village of the Red Eagle, wife of Rayelvak, and the champion of my village and several others who have banded under my flag. I am here to demand the immediate release of Chief Rayelvak in to my hands for return to our village where he shall resume his role as our leader.” Her demand got a stir from those in the chamber and more than a few mutters at her bluntness as well as the demand in itself. Amerlin however raised her hand for silence and when it came; her own voice was clear, cold, and unwavering as she locked eyes with the woman before her. “Your demand I deny in whole, your former chief did conspire to kill both my champion and myself in an un-honorable manner, his scheme found out he was taken in lawful combat and became our war prize and is now bonded in to slavery until he has earned the right of freedom by hard work, or through proper and formal combat, something he seems to have trouble understanding.”
“Then I shall fight for his freedom!” Was Chotur’s immediate response, “Whatever it takes to gain his freedom, I shall do it!” Nodding her own head, Amerlin had Contrez summoned quickly and was formally introduced to Chotur, and Chotur’s attention was immediately upon the tall woman as she realized this was the one who had conquered and enslaved her husband and chief. Her face quickly becoming one of scorn and hatred, she snapped, “You were the one who stole him from us, I shall take great pleasure in slowly destroying you and after you yield to my own power, I shall take you back to my village as my prisoner instead, there to suffer a slow death at the hands of myself and my chief!” Contrez’s own face screwed up in immediate distaste for the loud woman, and she began to retort in a similar manner, but Amerlin was even quicker, her voice rising in a sharp command of “Enough!” that got looks from all back to her. Stepping from her throne of stone, Amerlin walked straight to the horse people’s champion and her voice was ice cold. “You were given a proper welcome to the court of the queen, yet you stand here and insult my champion, my people and myself as if we were nothing at all, and this shall neither be tolerated nor accepted. My champion’s time is full with her duties and she already has one death fight due soon to deal with.” Amerlin’s own eyes were showing a suppressed anger similar to Contrez’s own as she continued, “It is clear that you and your people still remain barbaric, and for now I not only deny your request for battle, but order you to be removed from this village. You may establish a camp beyond this village across the river and there you may consider your manners and your tongue and in one month’s time you shall be allowed to re-enter alone and seek an audience with us, if you have learned your proper place by then, I shall consider your words and perhaps allow you to face my champion for the right to claim your husband and former chief.”
A hand signal from the queen signaled that this conversation was over, and the guards quickly stepped in and ushered Chotur from the royal compound along with her entourage and despite her loud protests which they ignored kept them together and marched them back through the village and over the bridge. Once there, the leader of the guards told them all, “By order of the Queen, you are forbidden to enter the village under the penalty of death until a full month has passed, you may set up camp along the side the road here and partake of the lands until the month has passed, and then your champion will be allowed to re-enter and make her case to the queen again.” Realizing that the queen was serious, Chotur tried to look ferocious before the guard, but they refused to back down one bit, and after a minute or so, she finally turned and gesturing her own people to follow her, they walked a hundred yards or so down the road and then gave the signal to make camp, refusing to return to her own people empty handed.
Once the camp was set up, the next several days soon became one of vocal politics, as Chotur would spend hours each day on the road just short of the guarded bridge trying to bend the ear of anyone coming out of the village along the road either way trying to find sympathetic ears to her cause. For the most part however, her words fell upon deaf ears as most of the village was aware of the fights of the festival, the treachery that occurred, and later the capture of the former chief who was now both war prize, and slave, and whose still bad manners and belligerent ways was well known in the village. Rather than get sympathetic ears, she found more often derision returned as she was told in turn how badly her ‘husband and chief’ had behaved earlier and even today.
Amerlin also got wind of the champion’s action and after the first week she was sorely tempted to not just keep her from the village, but send a strong escort team to take her down river to the open plains border and tell her to never return upon pain of death for trying to destroy the peace of the village, and trying to have the queen removed. Wisdom won out however, she allowed them to stay there, so as to not give the loud mouthed woman any kind of political victory or ammunition to rally the horse people for a war. As she confided to Contrez, “Most already know she is here, and what she is doing, and are learning to ignore her which has to frustrate her even more. Soon enough, she’ll drop these actions realizing they will get her nothing.”
The queen was right, though Chotur did not give up trying, shortly after the speeches stopped, both she and a couple of her entourage were caught trying to sneak in to the village at night, the guards however were watchful and they were despite poor lighting spotted emerging from the river and captured. Amerlin awakened from a good sleep came to the incident, her eyes angry at the sight of Chotur and the two others. “You were banned from this village with good reason, which has not been lifted. By law and by rights I can have you slain here and now as you were fairly warned. Looking over the three there, she pointed to the healthier male and told the guards “Take him as a prisoner.” As they moved in on him, her attention returned to Chotur. I take this as a new slave, in exchange for the life of yourself, and the other, but I am also telling the guards, they see you emerging from the waters on this side, regardless of any reason, they have permission to slay you on the spot.”
As the protesting companion of Chotur was led away, the rest of the guards descended and surrounded the other two and none too gently ushered them back across the bridge. And Amerlin’s orders passed to the rest. Chotur however wasn’t willing to listen or obey Amerlin, and just before dawn two days later, an unearthly scream came from the river, as she attempted the river again. This time however, the guards didn’t have to administer the law, a pair of the always dangerous roper snakes found them and went after the one slightly behind Chotur. He had time for a short gasp, and then a sharp cry turning in to a shriek as they coiled in bone cracking fury and then he and the snakes went under the surface, and Chotur and her companion thrashed frantically back for the safety of the far shore knowing the attempt was doomed, and uncertain if whatever got their companion had friends or not close by.
The failed attempt managed to bring quiet to the camp, except for the occasional cursing heard from Chotur, after the last failed swim, none of her entourage was about to enter the waters and risk the same fate, a couple actually telling her if she was so desperate to swim, go on her own. One of them, enraged the champion and she fell upon him, knives drawn and slashing, and he unarmed went down quickly spilling his life blood upon the ground before the rest. Calling him a coward, she dared the others to complain, and got silence. The next day however, her camp was lighter by four others. As she slept that night, four of them gathered, and quietly approached the bridge asking the guard for help to return to their homeland. The guard leader and Contrez were summoned and after listening, Contrez agreed. Six guards and four paddlers as well as two boats were quickly assembled, as well as food and supplies, and before dawn poked above the trees, they were already well down the river putting miles between them and the woman they seriously now considered as demented.
Amerlin for her part had quiet praise for Contrez’s quick decision, and later that day, asked her to join her for a ride to the main temple of Suhr, where she wished to “consult with the high priestess on this matter as well as take care of something that was overdue.” Contrez of course agreed, and within an hour the two women along with two hand-picked guards were heading over the bridge and heading south along the river road. As usual Chotur was out near the road, but for once, she said nothing, just watched sullenly as the foursome passed, loathing clear upon her face. The pace they set was a brisk one, and they would arrive four hours later at the temple with about an hour of daylight remaining.
The guards as required by law set themselves outside the temple, along with a handful of the temple guards, while Queen and Champion entered and met with the high priestess. After the formal welcomes and cordialities were exchanged, and Contrez was expecting it to be about the pending challenge of Chotur, but instead the queen turned the subject immediately to the matter of Contrez. Facing the high priestess, Amerlin declared, “Contrez has shown her loyalty to the people, the kingdom, to myself, and to Suhr herself. Yet she lacks something a worthy champion should be entitled to try for and that is to become one of the chosen. I therefore with the full moon overhead tonight present my champion here for the right of the chosen to see if she will be accepted by one of Suhr’s own.
Contrez’s own mouth dropped in utter surprise and shock at the request. She was aware of the great white hunting cats, they were huge beasts much like a tiger, but their coats were white with black tiger like markings and easily large enough to let most people ride them, She was aware of three in the queen’s own village that the cats had joined with, most notably the leader of the hunters and huntresses, though the queen herself, she had never seen one with her, and had wondered why to herself.
The high priestess however did not seem surprised at the request and told you to both come. As the three of you went deeper in to the temple, the High priestess explained what laid ahead for Contrez. At the center of the temple laid a large open air area that served as the home for these sacred great cats, close to 30 of them in various ages lived here, and when one came to be tested by them, they had to in the light of the full moon strip down, and then enter their lair and spend the night with them. If their spirit held evil and bad intentions, the cats would know and that person would never walk out at dawn. If their spirit was neutral or perhaps not goodly enough to serve the needs of Suhr, they would emerge at dawn, but also alone, none of the great cats would choose such a person.
Contrez was a little worried herself as she considered her own past, she was sure she was not evil and would not die, but she had doubts she would also gain one of the cats. Perhaps to get her mind off her own worries, she asked Amerlin why she didn’t try for one of the cats, and that got a quiet smile from the queen. The high priestess seemed ready to answer it, after a glance at the queen but Amerlin herself admitted, “I did indeed make the attempt after my first year of rule, but they chose to not accept me.” Shrugging the queen seemed to dismiss the matter with a gesture adding, “In an average year maybe twenty come forward to make the attempt, maybe one every two to four years will actually get chosen, so if you exit alone, it is by certain no bad thing to be said against you!”
By now the winding halls opened to a wide arch and the hallway widened here, the darkness ahead showed a tiered series of steps and platforms lit by the rising moon. The priestess stopped here and her attention now upon Contrez. “Bare yourself, that the hunters and huntresses of Suhr may know you fully.” A slow nod, and Contrez did as she was told, as the last item dropped, the high priestess pointe through the arch, “Enter and be with Suhr and let her wishes be know.” Without a backward glance, Contrez drew a deep breath, stood a bit taller, and then strode forward and in. Amerlin moved to wish her luck, but found the arm of the priestess between her and Contrez. “This path is closed to you my queen; you may not follow her beyond the arch for Suhr would surely turn upon you in anger.” Amerlin stopped, nodded her head and turned away. The priestess also did the same saying, “Neither of us can help her standing there, we’ll return just before dawn, speak to me of other matters that I should know of.” And the two disappeared around a bend in the hallway.
Contrez in the meantime had found herself on a downward sloping ramp to the first tier below, one of four such until it reached the large base floor in the center, a ramp downward at every 90 degree turn would mean a walk around the full circle to reach the base. However even as she reached the first and walked towards the second, she was the object of scrutiny and attention by virtually every one of the cats in there, three of them one fully adult, the others a bit younger were already approaching and giving her the once over at close range. Contrez paused realizing this may the moment of truth and waited. Both circled her and seemed to be smelling and scoping her out, the younger from behind even rising up and draping it’s big paws on her shoulders and nuzzled the hair with its nose for several long and perhaps heart stopping seconds before it dropped and the two walked away.
Releasing a sigh of relief, Contrez felt suddenly embolden and much more at ease and at peace. She had survived the first inspection and testing, now to see if they would accept her or not. Slowly, she continued to walk all the way down to the base. And there she found a large pile of rocks from which an underground spring burst forth and knelt to drink from it, and then settled down against a nearby boulder and began to watch the cats herself, her eyes attentive, and her mind digesting it all trying to better understand the great cats a bit better. A light batting at her leg drew her attention back to right there and she realized a young one of them, maybe a couple weeks old at best was inspecting her, and even climbed in to her lap, and she playfully scratched the ears of it, getting a deep rumbling purr from it. Half absently, she continued to stroke the younger one while also keeping an eye out for either parent and hoped they would not be upset. Still watching and wondering she didn’t realize her own eyes were slowly drifting shut, her hand stroking the young cub a final time and then going limp as among the great cats she fell asleep.
The sudden loud chattering of bird life would be the next thing she heard and it would bring her back to wakefulness with a start and then she remembered where she was and looked around and her heart fell as she realized the sky was lightening up. Dawn had come, and she had slept through most of the night without really figuring out how to appeal to the big cats, and now her time was over. The little one was still there, curled up spoon style next to her, and moving carefully she lifted herself clear and rolled away and quietly to her feet and looked around. Several of the great cats were already asleep or settling down as they are prone to do, awaiting the arrival of nightfall, and another night of prowling around.
Slowly, perhaps a bit disappointed, despite the fact the priestess had warned her that most get rejected, Contrez began to slowly walk back the way she came, following the trail around each tier’s square and started up towards the high priestess and the queen, both which stood just beyond the forbidden archway, the queen was giving her such a strange look, and the high priestess. . . . . she looked like she was about to faint dead away in total shock. A faint sound suddenly behind her and she whirled and gasped herself for less than a half dozen paces behind her stood one of the great hunting cats, and next to it was a second slightly younger yet near adult one. She had been chosen by not one but two of the great cats, and as she turned back towards the priestess and started coming up faster to the top, even the priestess gave out a small gasp and as Contrez came abreast of her, she said, her voice clearly shaky. “Suhr has seen fit to bless you as no one else has ever been blessed, rare would be a person that would have a single one follow a candidate out, but like the mighty goddess herself, you emerge with two, never has this been recorded in all out people’s history.
Realization was still a little slow sinking in to Contrez, she was after all the former queen of the Northern mountains and was not deeply familiar with all the legends yet of her new homeland, and still assessing the implications she turned to Queen Amerlin and respectfully asked her, “What now? Do we return to your village and continue like normal or what?” Amerlin was herself still dealing with the shock of this gift, and threw a desperate look to the high priestess seeing if she wanted Contrez to remain, but saw no answers there, and she nodded her head and in a slightly shaky voice said, “Yes, let us return, the priestess has not seen fit to demand you remain here, so let us go back.” That said, the two women turned to the high priestess and bade her a ceremonial farewell and then left the high temple gathering the guards up at the doorway, and with the two big cats following along not too far behind, began walking the roadway back to the village.
A sudden and unexpected rustling from a nearby brush was their only warning, and then from it burst Chotur, a long and wicked looking curved knife in her hand and she charged the queen who was the closest even as the queen realizing the attack on her, leapt back to get space between them and Contrez leapt forward though possibly too late as the knife slashed at the queen. The wicked blade did connect though nowhere as deeply as Chotur was trying for the edge just barely cutting the skin under her breasts, showing she was going for the heart. Contrez was fast upon her even as the blade struck, and slammed in to her knocking her to one side and away, but then two tawny shapes were between them and Chotur went down under the combined weight of the two great cats, and Contrez stomped down on the wrist holding the knife and the hand released it, a second lick sent it sailing in to the deep brush, and the cats seemed to know the women was no longer a danger to Contrez and the queen, backing off but deep rumbles in their throat said they would attack at the slightest provocation.
Amerlin her own face furious came storming forward her voice as hot as fire and demanded Chotur be released and allowed to rise and face her. A slow trickle of blood streaming from the small cut inflicted, but the queen’s eyes were furious and hot and her words equally so. “You are no champion, to try and attack as you did is the way of a coward and an assassin and by raising your hand against me in such a manner, your life is now forfeited.” A glance sideways and she snapped “Guards slay her where she stands and leave her body for the animals!” Both guards raised their spears ready to do the queen’s justice, but again, the great cats went in to action, but this time they did not attack but get between the guards and Chotur, one of them showing teeth and a warning growl, while the second turned towards Chotur and started to force her to back away herding her it was apparent, but where. The queen’s own face her anger still evident called to Contrez “Call your cats off, she must die.” But Contrez started forward and found the one cat that stopped the guards also stepping between her, a warning tone in its voice, and seconds later Amerlin realized the cats intent as they stepped from the brush and on to the river bank and in clear sight stood the sacred isle and the one was herding Chotur in that direction.
Raising her voice, Amerlin proclaimed, “Suhr has spoken, she has seen this attack upon me and wants proper punishment, she has told the cats she must go to the sacred isle and face death there at my hands in formal combat!” Amerlin’s own eyes glittered dangerously as she realized what the goddess wanted and her voice snapped at Chotur, “Suhr has spoken, and she knew you wanted to kill me, but would not allow it to be as a coward would kill! Strip down coward as shall I, we shall swim to the sacred isle and fight formally until one has taken her final breath!” Even as the words ended, Amerlin started to strip down and Chotur looked briefly confused, then Contrez barked out “Strip fool, or must the guards and I step in and strip you naked and throw you in the water?” That got the woman moving, as she realized she had no more chances and no more options either, slowly she began to strip down, even as the queen finished her own disrobing and turning to the waters plunged in and began with strong strokes to swim for the sacred isle.
Contrez kept an eye on the queen as she swam, normally she would not worry, but the queen did have that small cut and she was leaving some blood in the stream, it would be sure to attract the attention of both the great gators and the roper snakes if either of them was close enough to pick up the traces in the water. Fortunately the queen emerged unchallenged though her cut was flowing a bit more now, but Chotur was stripped by now, and with the two cats using claws and warning growls pressing in, she turned to enter the water and began her own swim to the isle while Contrez called after her, “Make whatever prayers you can while you cross, because once you come ashore, your life belongs to the queen!” If Chotur did choose to pray, it came after she cursed at Contrez and then called to the queen, “You can’t escape me now, you are doomed, I will have not just have my husband, but your kingdom as well, and it shall be shared with our people as the victors and all your people as our war prize to be used and beaten at will!”
Amerlin’s own face was set in a deep and grim look seen even from those still on the shore where Contrez and the guards stood, as Chotur reached about halfway across the two great cats suddenly turned, and began to run along the shoreline and downstream, Contrez considered them a few seconds and then smiled as she realized just how intelligent these huge cats really were, they were anticipating that Chotur as the fight went against her would try and bolt, using the river to escape, and they were going to wait a short ways downstream, and if she appeared in the waters there, Contrez had no doubt the tigers would enter the waters and go after her, and her break for freedom would end in a gruesome manner.
But for now, Chotur was unaware of that and was coming ashore on the isle not too far from the queen, already breathing hard from the swim across. Amerlin however was not in the forgiving mood or willing to allow her to catch her breath, barely had she put both feet on hard ground and the queen charged her and slammed in to the woman taking her down hard and the two began rolling there and then in to the waters before Chotur surfaced from under the queen, roughly throwing her off and scrambling for the shore. Amerlin however was right behind her by barely a pace and sprang forward seeing Chotur had not got her arms up to defend yet and slid her own under hers and caught her in a powerful full nelson and jerked her shorter frame off the ground and began to spin in circles forcing the woman’s thick neck and head down by sheer centrifugal force working the neck and trying to deprive her foe of air even as she also made her dizzy.
Chotur’s grunts of pain and her flailing arms and legs as she endured this was clearly heard by all, and then the queen released the hold sending the woman crashing down several feet away. Half stunned from the dizzying and the lack of air, she laid face up on the ground and was almost an easy target, not even realizing the queen had followed and grabbed both ankles and lifted her legs up. That changed however as the queen crossed the legs over her upper legs, stepped over them and then dropped her weight on them in a hard squat, the end result got a sudden scream of pain from the plains woman and a frantic but far too late grab for her knees as the sideways pressure blew both knees from their sockets and essentially left the heavy set woman unable to stand.
Amerlin however was not done yet, she was there to kill and circling the woman and getting near the head, she grabbed a double handful of hair and drew her to her feet even though her legs could not support them and her arm encircled her neck and she locked her hands in a choking headlock that was meant to finish the woman off. Unable to stand or use her legs, her head immobilized in the queen’s own strong arms and choking the powerful squat women turned to her last weapons which were her hands and arms and balling fists began to slam desperate blows to the queen’s stomach getting several lurches as the rapidly pistoning fists took their toll on the stomach. A particularly hard blow deep in to the stomach caught the solar plexus and made the queen straighten up and lose her choke hold and Chotur straightened up and her hands even as her legs began to buckle went for the queen’s throat and a choke of her own, but the queen saw the hands come up and instinctively stepped back a bit out of the reach.
Thwarted, Chotur began to crumble and managed somehow to lurch forward in to the queen, her arms now encircling the queen’s middle and drew herself in close and went for a bearhug drawing a gasp from the queen. Chotur knew she had the queen caught, despite her own injuries, and she snarled, “I have killed men with this embrace and now you die!” If she had thought the queen would be scared however she was wrong, for the queen’s own arms rose and closed around her foe even if the outside grip and with a grunt jerked the smaller woman off her feet denying her some of her remaining leverage and then tightened. Within seconds Chotur’s own head flung back in pain and surprise and a hard cry of pain echoed across the waters to the watchers. And Contrez allowed herself a steadily widening smile, she seriously doubted that Chotur was aware that the bearhug was the queen’s own specialty, or the fact that formal challenges for the crown were settled by what was called “Queen’s Embrace” a deadly bearhug duel, but even now faintly across the waters she heard Amerlin’s words as she intoned “Now we enter the Queen’s embrace from which only one of us will survive.” And then fear was upon Chotur’s face as she realized she had made a deadly error trying to beat the queen at her own game, and tried frantically to wriggle free.
The queen however had made sure there was no real wiggle room; her arms had Chotur’s trapped tight against her, and she had no real clue until now just how powerful the queen’s own arms were until it was too late, then panic set and she wasted the better part of a minute trying to get loose while the queen slowly and steadily was tightening her grip in to a deadly embrace. By then however Chotur had weakened badly, her air supply virtually shut down and she tried to return to her own bearhug and found she had waited too long, dangerous as it was at first, she had wasted the time and the queen was all business now.
From the shoreline they watched as the queen suddenly hunched hard, and a strangled cry came from Chotur and then blood from her mouth as ribs caved in and punctured the lungs. It was all over except for the final seconds, and Amerlin simply dropped the woman and she fell weakly to the ground, the blood gushing from the mouth now, and the queen raised a foot and drove the heel hard in to the chest and the plainswoman bucked hard and then subsided writhing slowly. No pity was on Amerlin’s face and she looked around and then turned and raced for the waterline and drove in, beginning to swim with fast strokes for where Contrez and her guards waited. Again Contrez stepped forward ready to dive in, for the queen had not just her own blood on her but also Chotur’s and likely a sure draw for the waters meat eaters.
Amerlin was barely a dozen feet from the shore when a scream of pure terror came from the sacred isle and jerked her head back there and off the queen, one of the river’s gators had emerged from the waters on the other side of the isle and even now was about to attack the still barely alive Chotur, the woman had seen its approach and her scream of denial that it would end this way was what they had heard, even as the queen started to clamber ashore a second scream of raw pain came from Chotur as the gator’s jaws opened and closed on her mid-section and after that there was no more screams as the powerful jaws finished her off. Amerlin had apparently realized the big beast had been drawn by the scent of blood and chose wisely to leave Chotur behind to her fate. Now ashore, she turned back to watch as the grisly scene began to unfold and seconds later a second gator emerged to join in the feast. A simple nod and the queen picked up her own clothes and said “Let us leave them to their meal before they also see us and decide on trying for us as well.” The others quickly grunted agreement and they started up the road for the better part of a mile before they paused to let the queen dress. Contrez took a final look back at the isle and gave a small shudder and perhaps a bit of remorse that Chotur would die that way, but she was dead, whether at their jaws or choking her life out in the final seconds alone or under the queen’s heel, she was finished. Contrez put the matter of Chotur from her mind until the queen’s own village was in in sight and the queen pause and then turned in to the woods and to Chotur’s camp where the last couple members who stayed remained.
Queen Amerlin’s face was set stern, and her voice was cold as they rose to face her, and she told them, “Your champion met me in combat, I live, and she does not. Return to your people, and tell them because of these actions, Rayelvak shall also be punished, his sentence as war prize is now twice as long, and it would be wise for the villages under him and your former champion to rather than seek combat, seek peace instead. If they wish to give up their ways of the plains due to the wars between the villages, they will find I am willing to let them join our villages and our people if they will embrace our ways in turn. You will find our warriors are more than adequate to defend our villages and any who live there.” Without any further word, Queen Amerlin turned and left the survivors of the entourage and led her people in to the village, almost as if by magic, as they approached the bridge the two great cats appeared and strode alongside of Contrez sparking total consternation among the guard and then in the village itself as word of the great cats spread like wildfire.
Dismissing the guard escort, and leaving Contrez the ‘privilege’ of explaining her having two of the great cats along with her, Amerlin turned her steps towards the local temple and the priestess. They had stopped the flow of blood along the way, but it still needed some tending to and was stinging badly like an infection perhaps setting in and the Queen wanted that dealt with quickly. The local high priestess put on a mock face of horror at the wound, but went quickly to work even as she listened to Amerlin’s own telling of the events that led to it. As soon as the queen was done and left, the priestess herself went to find Contrez herself and to see with her own eyes the fact she had been so graced. She would return later half dazed by the sight she had seen and spent a couple hours afterwards praying to Suhr for some kind of sign of what to expect from this apparently very holy event that had just occurred.
For Contrez the rest of the day was fast becoming a continuous party as the village found itself with a reason to celebrate what many considered as a huge blessing by the goddess to one of their own, though after a couple hours, Contrez had herself decided enough was enough. Her two tigers had stayed close at first, but after the crowds grew a bit, they had silently pulled a disappearing act, though Contrez almost instinctively knew they were in the woods just beyond the village and would come when the time was right.
Checking in first at the queen’s compound and finding she was at the local temple, Contrez decided to visit Flame instead, the powerful woman was looking better this time, apparently fully healed, and had already heard by word of mouth why there was a celebration going on. The two stood there face to face and talked quietly, they exchanged the details of the recent event and Flame looked surprised to hear of how the queen won and said quietly, “She will make a good challenge after I defeat you, and I will reign as the new queen, and hopefully do as well as she had in the past.” Contrez frowned at that and reminded her that she still had to deal with her in mortal combat first, and again offered her the chance to recant her demand for the deadly fight. As before, Flame cited the death of Spice for the challenge and refused to withdraw it. Contrez had hoped the few days would cool her anger enough to not go this way, but it was clear her mind was not going to be swayed. Bidding the prisoner a good night’s rest, Contrez left and returned to the queen’s compound and found Amerlin had returned as well.
With no formal queen’s matters to be dealt with that late afternoon, the quiet talk soon turned to the matter of the deadly fight, and Amerlin told her, “The shame is that she must remain hard headed and must insist on this, she was too long under the influence of that false queen and she has had her head mixed up with the lies so long, she feels death is the only way, and that is a shame, She is a strong woman and a proud woman, she would easily be one of the prized fighters we have and could reach the ranks of a leader of one of the fighting groups, once she has worked off the collars of her debt over time, even as her younger sister had. “ Amerlin looked at Contrez and quietly said, “Go to her in the morning that I have said this, if she wishes, I am willing to go there as well and say it to her if she will foreswear her anger and swear fealty to our people, I will even reduce her time or servitude in exchange for this.” Contrez indicated she would do that, but Amerlin was not quite done, “Should she refuse however, I shall start plans for her fight with you that I have been toying with already, this fight will still be deadly, but with an added element of danger and set in a manner all can easily see it.”
Now it was Amerlin’s turn to look curious and also a tad uneasy, she knew full well how fertile the queen’s imagination could be when it came to devising different ways to grapple and fight, and apparently it was at it again, though time the fight would have very deadly consequences and Amerlin hoped the queen would not get too imaginative and add too many things to the fight, staying alive in a fight was hard enough!
For now however, the queen was not saying anything further, dismissing the matter until Contrez had spoken to Flame in the morning, and a couple hours later, the two women separated and returned to their respective rooms, which seemed a bit off for the queen, after the day’s events, she had been fully expecting the queen to demand her personal time for some struggling between them as well. The night would pass soon enough however with both awakening at the usual times, and Amerlin went about her duties while Contrez did the same, including the visit to Flame.
That visit would pass well enough, though as Contrez emerged from the prisoner’s hut her own face remained troubled. Once again, despite giving her the queen’s word, Flame had declined the offer. No anger, no shouting, and a lot more calm and reserve than Contrez had expected as she repeated her reasons to avenge Spice’s death for that was the only way to remove the disgrace from her family name, or else join Spice in the next life. Returning to the queen’s public chamber, she found Amerlin as usual dealing with matters royal, but almost at once, she could perceive something was not right. There was tenseness in the room by all the ones who served her, many throwing nervous glances at the queen. Amerlin herself was speaking herself in a manner that was both crisp and tense, almost as if snapping at those she spoke with, and Contrez could also see she did not look quite right, then realized she looked a few shades lighter than usual through her own tawny and deeply tanned skin, and despite the coolness of the day, and the cooler temperature of the public area, it seemed that the queen was occasionally trembling or shivering and she normally reveled in such coolness enjoying it over the oft hot and humid afternoons.
As the queen left the chamber briefly to dine and take care of personal matters, Contrez swept the room of those seeking to speak with the queen, and then made a decision. “The queen has taken ill, and while I know she would want to continue her duties, she needs a rest. I am calling the queen’s court closed for the day and ask you to return tomorrow.” Bowing in respect to Contrez’s word, they all left and Contrez went and joined the queen even as she finished up her meal, a meal, Contrez was quick to note was largely untouched. “I sent the rest of your subjects to their homes and places of rest until tomorrow, it is clear you are ill my Queen.” Amerlin scowled and tried to protest, but Contrez put her hand on the queen’s shoulder and told her “The only person you see this afternoon shall be the priestess and have her determine why you are ill.” Contrez withdrew her hand and could not but help and notice the queen’s skin was noticeably warm; she was definitely not right health wise.
Amerlin gave Contrez a deep scowl, “You looking to give your own queen orders?” Contrez tried to smile, she knew how touchy Amerlin was about those who defied her, even on small matters, but persevered. “As your champion it is my duty to look after your welfare and protect you from harm, the physical I can do, but not the health that is for the priestess, and we both know you are feeling ill.” For a few second Amerlin glared, but then it faded and she said “Is it that obvious?” and to the nod of Contrez she swore. “I am getting old, used to be I could hide a simple illness with ease and none would know.” Contrez half smiled and told her, “Perhaps this time, it is not so small or simple.” With a sigh Amerlin stood up and the two left the eating area and started outside, Amerlin with Contrez by her side going to the local temple, and the queen entering while Contrez waited a while and then began to wander around the village as the time the queen was in there stretched out longer and longer.
Finally, Amerlin emerged, she glanced at Contrez and nodded her head, but said nothing and the two walked together back to the queen’s chamber. But Amerlin did not call for more royal work, instead she dismissed her advisors for the day and beckoned for Contrez to follow her and they went back to the queen’s personal chambers. Sensing immediately that something was amiss, Contrez followed and grew worried as the queen told the two who guarded her door “No interruptions short of the village being on fire!” then closed, and locked the door, then rather that sit on the royal bad as she oft did, had her follow her in to her special room and secured that door as well.
Contrez knew this room well, the memories in here were always ones of violence and often death for someone, and her worries grew deeper as the queen and looked at her steadily for several long silent seconds before she spoke. “I am afraid we shall have to postpone your death fight with Flame, for a situation has come up and you shall have to meet someone else in a deadly fight first.” The announcement and under these conditions and here told Contrez right off that something was very wrong here, and she said to the queen straight out, “You know my allegiance to you is without question, whoever am I to face, they shall die at my hands for the good of the kingdom.” Queen Amerlin gave Contrez a wan smile and said softly, “Can you? The one you will have to face and kill is someone you feel very strongly for, and if you falter, she will kill you.” That made even Contrez pause for several seconds, her mind racing as she considered her many friends looking within her mind if any of them had said or did anything that would make her have to kill them. Her mind could come up with no one, and she look steadily at the queen and asked, “Name this person that I may know who has to die.” Very curious now, she wanted to know who had incurred the anger of the queen to make her declare death for her.
Amerlin watched her during these several long seconds and kept her in suspense for a few more after she asked for the name, then her words soft, yet firm, she told her. “The woman you must kill shall be myself.” Stark silence came to the room as Contrez’s mind tried to assess those words and kept thinking she had heard the queen wrong. “I beg your pardon my queen,” she began, “I think I misunderstood your words, or do you jest with me?!?” Amerlin shook her head no slowly and confirmed her words. “You did not err, nor have I made an error, tomorrow, before the assembled village we shall fight, and one of us must die, and I am hoping you shall be the one to emerge the winner, and also the new queen of this kingdom.”
Again, Contrez shook her head, still not believing what she was hearing, and looked to Amerlin hoping she would say more to explain what to her had to be the request of death to herself. The queen saw the unspoken request, and with a sigh started to explain what was going on, and why they had to fight. “You remember the attack of Chotur the other morning, and the fact her blade nicked me before your great cats got in the way” Contrez nodded her head remembering the incident well. “Turns out,” the queen said, “The blade was poisoned, had she sunk that blade in, if the blade had not done fatal damage on the spot, the poison would have within a minute or so. As it is, a small amount did manage to enter my body, not enough to kill at once, but enough to slowly kill me over the next several days. I am already feeling the effects as my strength and stamina has slowly been leached away, and the high priestess says I have three days at most to live. There is an antidote among the horse people, but before someone could even reach them, my time to die would have already come and gone, so there is no hope there.”
Contrez understood now why the queen had declared she must die now, better to die in a fight with honor, but why did the queen insist it had to be tomorrow and in a public fight? Looking at Amerlin, she tried to ask her that same question, though the shock of the request was making her fumble the words, but Amerlin held up a hand as she tried to say the right words. “It would be very easy to do it right here, and right now, I would even willingly allow you to apply the hold of the short sleep only this time it would be a final one instead. Yet with the recent series of events that have occurred, a death in private with no proper witnesses would leave the matter of who would rule next wide open. Every chieftess of every village would cry “I am worthy to be the next queen’ and the valley would dissolve in to small wars as it had been until a time just short of the arrival of your own people, when I unified all the villages under my hand.”
Shaking her head slowly Amerlin continued. “The recent choice of two of the great cats shows that the great goddess has seen fit to mark you as very special, the fact this deadly cut occurred before the great temple I also see means that Suhr has decided the time for my rule to end has come and a newer younger queen to arise and rule over all, and I want that new queen to be you.” Several long seconds passed between the two women and then Contrez slowly lowered her head quiet sobbing heard as she realized she had been selected whether she liked it or not to kill her queen, her friend, and also her lover. Amerlin waited for her to get over the worst of it and then spoke her words firmer and stronger, “We must ensure that you rise as the queen and in a manner that there can be no question. Tomorrow morning, we shall walk together in to the market place as we always do, and there before the people, we shall stop and argue, you shall challenge something about some point of my policy or something I did openly and loudly, and I shall challenge you to prove it upon my body by entering the queen’s embrace, the formal and lawful challenge any may demand of a queen to settle such and to become the new queen. With myself steadily weakening, you shall eventually emerge the victor, of this I am all but certain, but I must also strive with the honor of a queen try and destroy you, I shall likely leave your grievously hurt when it is over, but I shall likely die at your hands, and you shall rise as the new queen, lawful by the hands that took my final breath away, and lawful in the eyes of Suhr who long ago decreed this challenge as a way of succession.”
The two women stepped forward and entered in to a loving embrace knowing several hours from now, the same embrace would be with deadly results, but Amerlin was adamant and whispered. “We have to do this for the welfare of all the people, the priestess has assured me this slow weakening can’t be stopped, by time we close for the embrace, I will be trying to hide the weakness with all my abilities for I will have lost over half of what I have, by this time tomorrow night, I would be so weak that I would be on my death bed and stay there slowly wasting away for another day or so, and I do not wish to face that. Far better we do it this way.” Contrez’s own voice came back, “I shall do this as you ask, for all the people as you have asked, but I shall be among those who mourn your death the strongest and the most for you have done much for these people, and your ways shall be strongly missed.”
The two re-embraced in a fierce hug, and Contrez realized Amerlin was not kidding, she could already feel a distinct weakness in the queen, then they separated and Amerlin with her usual smile slapped Contrez on the arm and then said “Tomorrow is still some time away, and as your queen, I demand your personal services for this night, let us step from here and back in to my royal chamber and enjoy this night as never before. Contrez had to smile, she knew full well what those words meant, and wondered if when dawn came, would either of them have the strength to walk steadily down to the marketplace.
Surprisingly the two did walk down in to the marketplace and the pace they both used was stable and steady as they seemed to move casually as they normally did, greeting various villagers and looking over some of the seller’s goods. Both knew however as they drew near the river, that time was running out for them, and Contrez had during the night realized just how much strength the queen had already lost as they had grappled there on the bed.
Stopping near the riverbank, they looked over a somewhat intricate device that had just been finished with some haste yesterday, a large wooden platform held suspended over the river about 20 feet on a side, thick ropes from each corner and on a wooden pole for each held the platform barely a dozen feet over the moving waters. It had been planned by the queen as where Contrez and Flame would have fought so all could watch from both sides of the river, and she had come up with it when she heard Flame could not swim. Now however, the queen had decided this will be their own final battleground and as they looked over it in a soft whisper meant for just Contrez’s ears Amerlin said, “It is time.” Contrez nodded her own head slightly and then twisted her face in to anger and turned to the queen, it was time for the show and the challenge.
Raising her voice to a loud quarrel level, Contrez snapped out, “I still don’t see why you had to insist on setting up this thing” gesturing at the fight platform, “over the river for this challenge with the prisoner! I have met and faced many a challenge of those who would be a threat to you, and never before was it necessary to turn it in to some kind of wild show with extra dangers!” Amerlin turned to face Contrez and then took a step back to look up and match her eye to eye, her own voice also rising and angry, “Because I am the queen, and what I say must be, and shall be! She represents the last of the threat of the cave people, and she has demanded challenge of us both to the death, and she shall have it, she calls herself Flame, so her final fight shall be over the rivers of our goddess Suhr that she may make the final judgment. That is my plan, and my idea, and I say it must happen that way!” Amerlin’s own face suddenly screwed up half anger and half as if thinking, then her next words shocked everyone within hearing range, and there were many as her voice suddenly dripping sarcasm and something more declared, “Or are you suddenly getting cold feet for this fight Oh Champion of the people!”
That got the people muttering and both Contrez and Amerlin knew they had taken the step of no return, and they had to now play it out. Contrez her voice growing thick and ugly, and with a distinct warning tone in her voice snapped back. You know damm well I don’t fear any man or woman in a fight, None! I’ve faced you more than enough times in private training matches and taken you in more than a few and you know it, even when you held nothing back, so don’t even try and suggest I am a coward!” Amerlin’s own eyes lit up as she was reminded of the several losses she had taken in private at the hands of the much taller and heavier woman before her, but she knew what had to be done, and her voice dripped acid as she responded, Is that a challenge I am hearing bitch! Are you saying you can rule better than me?! Do you challenge me to the queen’s embrace?!?”
That got gasps of shock from everyone around and a few took off running bearing the words of implied challenge further in to the village. Contrez had to play the final card, and she threw it down as best as she could, “If you are more interested in amusing the people with a fight made more dangerous than it has to be, then I have to now question your judgment as queen,” Pointing at the platform in question, she snarled, I challenge you, and demand we do it here and now, on the very platform you would have me face flame, where all can see who is fit and who breathes their last in the sight of Suhr over her river!”
Barely glancing away from Contrez, Amerlin reached up and began to strip down, the traditional nude fight for the queen’s embrace battle, and as she did so, Contrez also began to do the same. Within a minute or so, both women stood naked before each other, even as the high priestess skidded around a corner and closed in demanding they both stop. But Amerlin not even looking at her spoke loudly, “Lawful challenge has been given and accepted, not even you can lawfully stop this.” And then turned her back and stepping on the lower rope, and gripping the upper one she made her way foot by foot towards the fighting platform, and as she moved forward after a few steps, she felt the ropes shudder slightly and knew Contrez was following. Hand over hand, and foot by foot the two powerful women made their way to the 12x12 platform that would soon claim one of their lives and stepped on it, squaring off with just a few feet separating them as more and more villagers came running to see this, knowing that the Queen may have finally met one who could take her.
At 5’10” and 190 pounds of raw power and muscle Amerlin was larger than pretty much every man and woman in the village and this and her fighting skills had allowed her to rule for the better part of a decade, but her champion had been a queen once as well, one who understood sacrifice and to save her people she had chosen to surrender to Amerlin several years ago. She was noticeably taller and heavier at 6’7” and 260 pounds, and like the queen, she was power and muscle, and knew how to use it. That had developed in to a deep friendship and also as lovers of each other, but they had to set this aside, Only three knew the queen was already walking dead, the two who faced each other and the high priestess of the village, and for the sake of her friend, Contrez would now set aside her friendship and love and try and kill her if she could to save Amerlin from the slow death that was eating her alive from the inside out.
The crowds grew and then slowly went silent as the two women glared at each other out there on the platform, mouths moving but words so quiet none could hear, and none realizing Amerlin was thanking Contrez for doing this, and then they closed one arm going inside, one going outside in the classic lockup and then both hunched and pain exploded as well as two cries of pain one from each as they tightened to deadly force. Despite knowing she wanted to die, Amerlin made it clear in those first few seconds she was deadly serious about her warning last night, she would try and kill Contrez and bearhug her to death, and she made good as she slammed a knee up it to the bigger woman’s crotch getting a hard gasp and the bearhug loosened and Contrez sagged a brief couple seconds, it was enough and Amerlin released the bearhug and went for the inside grip and that got another gasp from Contrez, but then her own arms encircled the queen and jerked her off her feet setting them breast to breast before tightening without mercy adding a breast fight to the deadly struggle, and Amerlin quickly hooked her legs around Contrez’s thighs to support herself and make the bigger women carry them both.
Contrez knew this trick of the queen very well, she had done this before in private and rather than throw her down in turn and drop her heavy weight over her, she suddenly threw a hard surge in to her encircling arms, a lot more than perhaps necessary, she can easily crack ribs when she went all out on most people like this, and she could hear the faint crackle of Amerlin’s own ribs starting to go, and the queen’s head snapped back her mouth open in high pain as her ribs screamed their denial and her lungs suddenly found themselves without air, but Contrez was not done yet, she had to show the people she could take the queen in a hard fight, and as the queen’s head flung back, she snapped her own head forward, her forehead smashing hard in to the face of the queen and felt the bones break in the queen’s nose and saw the blood start flowing. A cry went up from the crowd as they saw Contrez draw first blood, and Amerlin lifted her own head up and forward, anger now in her face at being first bloodied.
Her own legs tightened around Contrez’s thighs clearly trying to overpower the bigger woman’s legs and collapse her with her on top, but the champion had expected this and braced for it and the folks could see the queen’s and champions legs both straining as she tried to bring her down. Then Contrez snapped her head forward again, this time scoring a hard smash to the forehead, timed and angled right to the queen raising her own, and for a couple critical seconds, the queen went limp stunned by the action. It was all Contrez needed and she quickly shoved one arm under the queen’s limp ones then the other and reversed the bearhug to the inside one and tightened down hard snapping the queen to awareness with a painful gasp that she immediately regretted for Contrez had cut her arms down and around her without mercy and she could no longer breathe.
Again, the fighting instincts for survival cut in for the queen, and knowing all women are vulnerable there, she uncoiled her legs from around Contrez and started a rapid fire series of knee lifts to her womanhood, each eliciting a gasp and then cries of pain from Contrez as she took it and tried to tighten harder, but the blows were too much and by time the seventh slammed home, even the iron will and fortitude of the giant woman could take no more and she released her deadly bearhug and thrust Amerlin away from her as she stepped back, and collapsed to her own knees, even as Amerlin stumbled back and fell herself to the floor of the platform.
For several long seconds the crowd roared for the two women to get up as they remained where they were, gasping in pain and trying to reclaim some breath and strength, both glaring at each other now, any friendship they had was gone now, and both wanted the others death in their hands as battle rage took them both. Slowly Contrez rose to her feet still breathing hard and stumbled a bit, the blows below had done more damage than the queen’s own bearhugs so far and she knew once the struggle was over, assuming she survived it, she would need immediate help from the priestess with her healing skills. Amerlin watched her rise, and began to struggle up as well, trying to keep the intense pain she felt from her face, the constant burn in her chest was telling her at least one rib was broken, another likely cracked, she wanted to die, but knew in her heart the only way to ensure the transfer of power was true was by this way and she had to fight to the bitter end, and could not risk throwing the fight even by a bit, if not the people might suspect, and certainly the goddess Suhr would know and frown upon them both. Several feet now separated the women as they came upright, then Contrez dropped to a crouch and began to circle and close in on the queen, ready to fight though she was showing the signs of her own injuries.
For a brief moment the scene seemed to pause for effect as the two considered each other then exploded as they both lunged for each other arms opening for the embrace again, but Queen Amerlin still had her wits about her and ducked low and to the side and then spun behind Contrez and caught her in a reverse bearhug and threw the pressure on, and Contrez gasped, the pressure was high, but the queen she realized was weakening rapidly, normally she could stop her breath this way, this time it slowed just a bit, but then the hands dug in to her breasts and she gasped as she saw the queen’s ploy, she was after the bearhug and lymph node combo, if her nails got in deep enough and connected. . . .
Contrez shuddered, she had fallen a few times to that tactic of the queen, and this was one time she could afford to. With a curse, she swung both arms back in an attempt to nail the queen up along the side of her head, and make her lose her grip, The queen expected this and ducked and dodged her head while trying to keep the bearhug on and get the nerve hold locked seeking an unstoppable sexual climax of the bigger woman, and grinned as she felt her questing fingers find it, then moments later she was a fraction of a second too slow as she ducked the arm and ran right in to the other also coming back, and had her own bells rung and the grip loosened.
It was enough for the big woman and she jerked forward as hard as she could and spun about to face the queen as she stood there shaking her head and then leapt in again and scooped her up again in the inside bearhug and tightened down hard. ‘No more games!’ Contrez whispered as she tried to break the queens ribs for sure this time, but Amerlin deftly hooked the thighs again and this time pulled hard and dropped the bigger woman even as her own arms wrapped her in her own bearhug and the two went down in a writhing and rolling tangle, and both women trying to stay on top as they slowly rolled back and forth looking to use their weight to the advantage.
Neither was holding back now, perhaps sensing this was the final lockup, and one of them would die, the struggle went back and forth furiously, legs wrapping around each other as well and struggling to use the legs to control the roll, but to no avail, both kept shaking the others off, then a gasp and groan went up from the crowd as Contrez suddenly screamed, one of her own ribs had finally surrendered the fight and broke with a very audible snap, but it was not enough to end the fight. Then cries of alarm went up as the rolling fight went too far, fully locked and totally focused on each other they failed to realize where they were and with a hard roll the wrong way, the entwined pair went under the rope, off the platform and plunged head first in to the rapidly flowing waters of the river.
Many leapt to jump in the river to pull the two women out, but a sudden and stern shout from the high priestess stopped them. “Leave them be, they are in a formal death duel, and it has now entered the embrace of Suhr herself when they fell in, it is up to the goddess to decide their fate now!”
Despite protests from some, the high priestess had the final say, and the whole crowd turned to watching the fast flowing waters looking for any sign of either woman. A minute passed then a second and worry was mounting in the crowd, then a cry from one watcher as the head of Contrez broke the surface and with one arm started a labored swim towards shore. Getting close enough to gain her footing she staggered out and dragged the limp form of the queen behind her with the other hand. Getting ashore, she slowly and painfully picked the queen up and brought her before the priestess and dropped her there on the ground. “Check her for life” Contrez demanded and the priestess did so, examining the queen and then delivering a sound thump to the chest, and the queen suddenly coughed, rolled to her side and began to gag out water she had taken in.
“It is not ended yet” the priestess intoned as she rose to her feet and stepped back, and Contrez scowled, she was certain the queen had drowned, she had realized what happened and managed to draw a final breath before the went under, and she knew Contrez had not, a hard convulsive crushing motion had sent a burst of bubbles from nose and mouth as they hit the bottom, and there the two settled in to a final death struggle knowing only one could return to the surface. The plunge had given the queen a final panic and in that panic she had tapped all she had left in a final crush out attempt, despite getting the breath, Contrez screamed as she felt two ribs go and she threw all she had in as well and could feel ribs cave in on the queen as well. In the end, it was the queen with the least amount of air that faltered and went limp, and Contrez breaking free of a death lock bearhug grip grabbed an wrist and struck out for the surface and once in the air slowly made her way to the shore, convinced the queen was finished.
Somehow however, the queen’s fighting spirit refused to leave and had brought her back from the brink, but even as the priestess stepped back, Contrez knew what she had to do, and that was end this and hopefully quickly. No more platforms, but there and now in the village market square, and as she stepped forward and grabbed Amerlin by her blonde hair and started to draw her upright, the crowds quickly drew back realizing the fight was still on, though no one was sure why Amerlin was even alive at this time. Contrez however seemed to instinctively know and with a jerk as she slowly came to her feet, lifted and caught her once more in an inside bearhug there in close range, and slowly, methodically began to pump out not just the last of the water in her lungs, but also her air supply in a series of sharp and painful jerks.
Amerlin soon roused enough that she showed signs of beginning to struggle back, but it was clear she had taken too much damage, flecks of blood were also spraying from her lips with each jerk and squeeze and she tried to wrap her arms and crush back, but her arms were trembling and it was clear that Contrez no longer suffered from it. Amerlin’s head laid down on Contrez’s shoulder, her lips moving and she said softly, “it’s over you took me properly, end this.” For several seconds, the grip tightened and Amerlin gasped and tried to tighten again, then she heard Contrez’s voice, feather light and so low she barely could hear it and make it out, and then realized her longtime friend was giving her a final chance to die as a warrior woman and queen as she said, “Wait for the lift, then a final duel, one of our favorites, and a final time, my bearhug versus your breasts” Her mind half muddled, Amerlin was still uncertain of those words, but then Contrez made her move and it became clear to her.
A brief loosening of the bearhug, a shift downwards closer to her waist, and suddenly Amerlin was jerked up even higher in to the bearhug, her own bearhug now useless as she was too high, but then realized Contrez had set her up for the perfect application of body scissor and breast smother. For a moment, her eyes closed in a silent thank you to both her friend and Suhr, but then Contrez’s arms closed for the final time as she started to crush and bend the queen backwards, and drawing the last of her strength, she wrapped her foe’s waist in a scissors and her arms around Contrez’s head and tightened drawing her in to a deadly smother, even as her own breath rattled to a stop, and her back creaked as Contrez pushed forward trying to end her life by bending her back to the breaking point.
Loud murmuring filled both their ears as the final struggle began, all knew this time it was final, and it was very clear that Amerlin was taking the worst of it as she found herself bend back more and more, her ribs several broken most of the rest cracked screamed in pain, and she shook her head in denial at it, her blonde hair despite soaking wet waving about violently and she tried to tighten even more, but a sudden series of crackling pops told the tale over the next half minute as she took more rib damage and a sudden shift backwards came with her spine finally giving up the fight and snapped. A sudden sharp gasp, and her limbs unlocked and she went deathly still. For several long seconds, Contrez kept the deadly pressure up, and slowly bent her back even further, the steady crackle of breaking ribs and spins as the angle became impossible to survive, and then finally, Contrez released and let Amerlin drop to the ground in a limp heap and she sank down next to her.
Looking around slowly she saw the high priestess nearby and nodded her head quietly at Amerlin and she stepped forward rolling the queen on her back and began to check her. After a couple minutes she rose, made a sign of Suhr over her and raised her voice. “These two have met in lawful combat to decide who shall rule, within the eyes of us all, and in the sight of Suhr herself who manifests herself as the river we have witnessed this day the crowning of a new queen. All rise and greet your new Queen, all hail Queen Contrez!”
The crowd immediately broke in to cheering that grew more and more and a ragged chant of Contrez began and strengthened, and Contrez rose and turned and waved to the people, her mind still half denying she had taken and beaten the queen, and with it the queen had taken her deadly secret to the grave, and the people would hopefully never know it. After a few long minutes, she motioned for silence, and raised her own voice declaring. “Amerlin was a great queen, and a great warrior, let he body be taken to the queen’s compound and given the proper rituals and preparations, and then bore by an honor guard from the village to the main temple of Suhr, there to receive a proper burial as befits such a great queen!”
That proclamation seemed to cement any possible bad feelings that most may have had for her becoming the queen, and as the crowds gathered around Amerlin and took her up and bore her away, she followed behind them the high priestess alongside her. As Amerlin was set down in the queen’s main hall and the preparations made to clean her up and dress her for her final trip to the temple, Contrez was led to a private room by the high priestess herself and treatment begun upon her own injuries, but the priestess was not totally silent. “You two planned that fight because of the poison didn’t you?” It was not so much a real question, but asking for confirmation, and Contrez nodded it was. “Was the fight real or did you play it as a show?” the priestess kept pushing the matter. “It was real” Contrez sighed, “We agreed we would hold nothing back from each other, and both realized if I lost, she would likely find another way to find one worthy in fast order, but she wanted her poisoning kept secret!” Giving the priestess a very stern look of her own she made her own question plain and clear, “And you will keep that secret and carry it to your own death, right?!?” The high priestess slowed her own healing work and then met Contrez’s eyes and nodded yes. “I shall speak only to the highest of high priestesses at the main temple and explain, she at least must know this or Suhr will know and perhaps ruin it for Amerlin in her next life where her spirit even now goes.”
The priestess was not quite done however and after a couple more minutes’ work, her own ministrations to Contrez were as far done as possible, but as she rose, she had to ask. “You could have easily ended it right after you brought her from the river, why did you prolong it?” Contrez gave her a long look and considered her own words before speaking, “I could have and it would still be a good death for her, but I wanted her to die in a final struggle go out fighting, not helpless as I crushed her in her state of total helplessness, to me that was the right way, and I did it.” The local high priestess listened and nodded, “A good and honorable way to end it then, you shall rule well in Suhr’s name for the people assuming you live through the next several days of challenge.” That got a sharp look from Contrez and her own voice rose, “What challenges?!?”
Again the high priestess shrugged, and said, “You rein now, but the laws of challenge still exist, some supporters of Amerlin will know you are injured, and may seek vengeance and the throne over the next few days before you fully heal, and they will do it lawfully trying to take advantage in a way you can’t refuse. Then there is also the demand and agreement to fight the warrior woman Flame, she can also press her case for a speedy fight as well, and as queen now, you can honor that case or risk your reputation and deny her a speedy fight for life and death. She could in the end, end up our new queen if she has the skills to kill you, and you know she will if she thinks she can force the fight soon.”
Contrez nodded gravely, she suspected this might happen, and would have to face the matter as they came along. “How soon before the challenges begin?” she asked. The high priestess answer was not encouraging, “Amerlin shall depart the village at sunset by tradition, she will be buried at the height of the moon the next night, and you formally made queen right after that at the high temple. They may challenge starting immediately after sunrise, and they shall no doubt try to.” Contrez took little comfort in that, the healing of the priestess was fast, but she had less than two days and nights to fully recover as best as she could, and she wondered who would be the first.
Those next couple days seemed to pass in a slow blur as the villagers came to honor the dead Amerlin while she watched from the throne that was now all hers, considering those who gave her the wrong looks and considering if they will challenge, or just need to be convinced. Then there was the long overnight procession to the temple. Contrez had the option to walk with all the rest or as the soon to be queen ride a special chariot walked, but she chose to walk travelling among the villagers, as almost the entire village turned out for this, at least she walked there, and after the initial ceremonies were done, she at long last found some time to rest, though shortly after dawn, she had to awaken, and start performing some of her new queen duties even there at the high temple as news of Amerlin’s death reached all the village and more and more poured towards the temple as fast as they could, and she had to accept the initial ambassadorial requests and welcomes. Afterwards however, she managed a short nap in the afternoon, but then fully awake and alert as she could be during the final ceremonies for Amerlin as she was laid to rest, and finally the long trip back to the village. This time however, she chose the chariot and had a driver wield the reins and whip and sped her back as fast as she could win clear of the crowds that had come, getting back hours before the rest, and tumbling exhausted after another healing visit to the priestess in to bed.
Even with the fast ride however, the time for rest and sleep was minimal at best and she found herself yawning even as she entered the main chamber and wanting fresh air, asked the waiting council to give her a couple hours to first tour the village and then she would hear them. The hoped for peaceful start however was not to be, as the priestess had predicted, as she walked in the market place a surly male voice behind her growled, “I call upon the right of open challenge for your crown Contrez, I have always considered you unworthy of anything except perhaps as a slave to me!” Contrez froze at those words, and then recognized the voice, her eyes narrowing as she turned to face him. As she has thought, it was Rayelvak, the one-time chieftain from the plains who was now slave to her. Around her and him, an open space quickly opened up as all heard his open challenge, and Contrez’s own eyes narrowed with anger and hatred for this persistent trouble maker. “Do you call for the queen’s embrace?” she formally asked the arrogant smaller man, and hoped to Suhr and every other spirit he said yes, as she knew he lacked arm strength. “I damm sure do!” he exclaimed, and tore his rough leather shirt free stripping to his waist, apparently he knew enough to do this.
Without hesitation, Contrez’s own hands rose and within seconds, her own top was off and tossed aside, “Lawful challenge to the Queen’s embrace for the throne has been given, and I accept, we shall fight NOW!” and she dropped to a partial crouch and closed quickly on the man. Rayelvak barely realized that the death struggle was on and tried to leap back and circle, but the crowd was too thick and he found himself with no room to duck and dodge. With a wild cry, Contrez closed and caught him with an outside bearhug and jerked him off the feet before backpedaling in to the more open center, and with a battle cry, dropped in a forced move to one knee and slammed him down crotch first in to the extended knee. The face of Rayelvak went beet red in a split second as his manhood took the hard impact, and then Contrez released the outside bearhug as he started to sag in pain and went for the inside getting them chest to chest and lifted him off his feet by almost a foot, seconds later she gave a banshee war cry and her arms bulged, and Rayelvak threw his head back in a sudden panic and tried to break her grip, it was clear Contrez was giving him no choice, and no chance, within seconds his motions became totally frantic and rapidly shifted to pure panic, and then the arms dropped and he began to twitch as all his air was pumped out within seconds leaving him suffocating, but even that was denied as she tightened again and again jerking him slightly higher, then his mouth spewed a fountain of blood as ribs broke almost all at once driving in to heart and lungs and she dropped him and stepped back as he drowned on his own blood and soon died, the whole struggle lasted maybe 2 minutes if that much.
A minute later the high priestess finally arrived, took in the scene, and made a perfunctory check of him, while giving Contrez an ‘I told you’ look and then formally announced Contrez was still the queen. Gesturing at the body he told a couple guards, “Drag that deep in the forest and let the beasts feed on it if they can stand his stench!” and walked away. The high priestess followed her as she returned to the main court of the queen and said quietly, “Rather fast fight, did you give him even a chance?” Contrez shook her head no, and answered, “He has been the source of far too much trouble, and far too much treachery, he did not deserve the chance, and by going for the fast kill, I also made a few watching there think twice about challenging me that way. His foolish brashness may just make these next few days a bit easier.” The two entered the court chamber and stepped aside while the priestess checked her and treated her to speed the healing a bit faster and they departed, the priestess to her duties, and Contrez began the duties as queen formally, listening to the many requests from the villages being presented to her, some she responded to at once, a couple she declined sending them back to their village to settle it there. A few others she turned over to her council members to gather more information deferring an answer until she had enough knowledge to decide properly.
As sunset approached, and the end of a long and busy day, Contrez rose, stretched herself out for several minutes testing her body, especially her ribs, and finally satisfied, sat again, and called for the prisoner Flame to be brought forth. After several minutes wait, the prisoner was brought in, once again shackled but still as proud as ever and Contrez considered her gravely for several long seconds before she stood and spoke.
“I am sure you are fully aware of the many changes that have occurred, I rule now, and you no longer have any dispute to the former queen for she is beyond your reach and within the grasp of Suhr as she serves the goddess no doubt. That leaves the matter of your feud with me, and your own desire to rule here, even though you no longer have a people you can return to, or whom you could bring my people to in chains. Stepping closer Contrez made her prisoner an unusual offer. “When I fought Amerlin it was to settle it between her people and mine, you have no people to defend now, yet when I lost, she spared me when she could have killed me, and in swearing fealty to her, I soon became her champion, and eventually as you can see, queen.” Locking eyes with Flame, she continued, “I offer you a similar offer as she made me, renounce your grudge and demands, and swear fealty to me as my war prize, and I will test and train you, if you prove yourself, I have need for a champion since I cannot by law be queen and champion both, what say you?”
Flame stood there, her eyes locked with the queen and blazing, her guards saw it and shifted nervously, despite the shackles, Flame was still a very tall and heavy woman, even more than Amerlin was, but not as much as Contrez. If Flame chose to attack, the fight would be hard, they had no doubt. Seconds turned in to a minute, then two and a third, and Contrez said softly, “You still have the right of the challenge you demanded, I will honor it, but I would rather have you with me at my side rather than have you under me, feeling the darkness of death closing in.” Flames eyes barely blinked and they remained in an eye lock for several more seconds, then she spoke, but it was neither acceptance nor challenge. “I would be free of these shackles and speak with you alone” she growled, “What I would say should be between two proud warriors, not as queen and prisoner!”
Contrez considered the request for several seconds, then shook her head slightly ‘no’ then said, “I trust you, more than you may realize, but I cannot trust you that far, I offer compromise, your shackles go, and all shall leave here save two guards, one inside the main door, one outside to ensure privacy and to aid should you prove treacherous. I will offer nothing else. Flame’s eyes brightened a bit, she slowly looked around, and then back to Contrez. “Agreed” was all she said, and then waited. Contrez also moved quickly, looking at two guards, she said “You two stay, all else in here, leave for now and grant us privacy, someone release these shackles and hand them and the key to the inside guard.” Those in the chamber moved quickly, one of her guards had the keys and did as she was told, releasing the prisoner and then all left leaving queen, prisoner and the sole guard (the most powerful of the bunch) on the inside. As the doors closed sealing them in, Contrez put her hands on her hips, it was a casual stance, but also one she knew she could easily attack from if she had to. “OK” she said, “Start talking!”
Flame for once actually seemed a bit nervous and she looked around the chamber as if to confirm it was just the three of them there, yet she eyed the guard distrustfully for several long seconds before she turned back to Contrez and lowered her voice to a level Contrez could listen to with ease, but would not carry loud enough for the guard to listen as well. Contrez listened closely to the words of Flame, examining them closely seeking out what they sounded like and also what they may also need until after a couple minutes Flame went silent, her words apparently done. Contrez shook her head no then, but then pitched her own voice low, honoring the prisoner’s desire for privacy, and spoke at length occasionally gesturing with her hands. Flame responded to her words, and whatever they had been discussing went back and forth for the better part of an hour then a second before the two of them seemed to come to an agreement at long last, and Contrez raised her head and called the guards attention.
“The hour is late, yet summon the high priestess even if she is asleep, tell her she is needed for an oath to be witnessed and bound by her.” The guard still watching the two stepped back to the door and relayed the queen’s orders to the outside guard then closed it again and kept an eye on the two. Both women though still standing seemed remarkably relaxed and he wished he could be the same way, he knew the queen was capable, but Flame was easily one of the biggest people in the camp almost as big as Contrez herself, and if she went violent, the two of them would have trouble containing the woman.
Yet Flame made no move that seemed hostile, and in fact after another minute Contrez called the guard forward instructing him to remove the remaining shackles from the chamber saying “She no longer needs those, and after the oath she will swear, she shall be bound by things far stronger than those chains.” A few minutes later the priestess did arrive, partially angry at being woke up, but a summons was a summons and being told an oath taking was to be done, she had hastily dressed in the proper robes and brought what she thought she would need she stopped and looked warily at the scene of the two women.
Beckoning the priestess closer, Contrez spoke and explained what was to occur. “Flame has agreed to an offer she has negotiated with me, rather than fight me as prisoner she has agreed to be bound to me as my war prize, much as I was bound at one time to our former queen Amerlin. In exchange for this she swears to serve me but in turn, she also will have the right of three challenges to private battle she calls the fight, but I decide if I want to accept. If we agree and she wins, she loses one of the three bands of the slave. She will take the oath swearing to Suhr to accept this, and then I shall swear to accepting her and giving her those three fights we can agree to. The priestess looked surprised at this, but quickly regained her composure, and after accepting the oath from first Flame and then Contrez, the box with the bands were brought forth, and Contrez and the priestess applied both the slave bands and the war prize bands. When done, and the priestess had departed, Contrez considered her soberly and said, “Your path will be no easier than mine, yet I suspect you will do well, earning honors and rights even as your sister once did. And in time, not only win free of the slave bands, but also win free of the war prize bands.”
Gesturing for Flame to follow her she led her back in to the private area, and showed her what had been her former room declaring, “In time you shall have the right to sleep here, but not yet, for now you live elsewhere.” And she showed Flame the empty interrogation room where she had herself first had to live. “Here is where you start out and shall remain when not serving me and the village until you have earned the right of the first band’s removal.” Flame looked around and seemed to accept, but then turning back to Contrez she formally asked, “If you are willing, I would like to try for losing the first band right now.” It was a bold move, not quite what Contrez was expecting, and not really wanting to do so soon, remembering her own ribs were damaged yet, yet she was honorable enough to hear her request and asked her, “What struggle would you seek at this time?”
Flame had never shown any sign of fear before, nor did she now as she faced the queen and looked her square on. “When I was in the prisoners hut, I had a long time to think and also to watch and listen, the guards oft spoke of the wrestling and hand to hand fights, both in practice as well as for real. More than once the tale of the great fight between you and Amerlin for the future of your mountain people came up and when I pressed for details, they were willing to tell of the fight in detail as they could see it. The final struggle of the legs and backs I have found very exciting, I have pictured myself catching Amerlin in the challenge and making her loose to me. Now that you are queen, the challenge of that dueling hold would be even greater for you are larger than she and even me as well, to conquer you in it would excite me, so I am going to ask for it here and now if you are willing.”
Contrez considered the request seriously for several long seconds, but then shook her head no and replied. “You desired match is fine with me, and I shall be happy to meet you in it, but I must be honest, I am after a very long series of days and nights with little or no sleep all but exhausted. It would not be a fair and honorable contest to even attempt it now. So I shall say yes to the fight but no to the here and now. If you truly wish it I shall set the time after sunset 2 days from now. Enough time to rest and recover all I have missed this last week and still offer you a good fight, agreed?” Flame considered it for a couple seconds and nodded acceptance, then her smile broadened and she said, “You are right, I likely could win a stripe free if we fought now, and I don’t want any excuses of being tired to ruin the win. If you are rested, you cannot claim being tired as an excuse and make my defeating you all the better!” That said, Flame looked around and chose a spot by the outer wall and laid down to sleep, ignoring Contrez and closed her eyes.
For most of the next two days, Flame found herself working hard, in her new status; she had to report to the task master shortly after dawn for menial tasks and work to improve the village area. Flame accepted this and bent to each task doing it regardless and without complaint and as the heat of the day descended on the second day, she found herself relieved of her duties and told to report to the queen. Appearing before Contrez she formally bowed and then prostrated herself, but Contrez smiled and told her, “Rise, I do not demand prostration by anyone except perhaps prisoners awaiting judgments for heinous crimes, in the future, a formal bow shall suffice. Now go and rest yourself, you have a grueling night ahead of you, and I do not wish you to begin it any more tired than I was a couple nights ago.”
The reminder of the night ahead, brought a smile to the lips of Flame, and she bowed formally again and returned to her room. She had suspected before that Contrez was going to evade the fight again, but her words just now seemed to affirm that she not only remembered, but was taking steps to ensure she was not going to enter tired in the struggle. Her opinion of the queen went up a notch, but she reserved judgment until after the struggle was ended and who emerged the winner, and how.
Settling down on the floor of her room, Flame tried to rest and sleep, but sleep was not co-operating this time, her mind flashing back to the fight at the caves, the anger and hatred she had for both Amerlin and Contrez, the actions of them both to show compassion for her and to give her a fair fight. Even now, Contrez had deferred it as she claimed to ensure Flame was rested enough as well as herself that both can fight an honorable battle. She realized that Contrez placed a lot of emphasis upon a warrior’s honor, a strength of hers or an exploitable weakness perhaps, she could not be sure. Her mind kept shifting back and forth over the event until she suddenly heard Contrez’s voice call sternly “Arise Flame, the time of the first struggle has arrived!”
Opening her eyes, Flame could see the queen standing just a few feet away lighting a lantern that hung from one of the ceiling cross beams and then blew out the candle she used to light it with, it lit the room, albeit dimly, but for what would happen tonight, it would likely suffice. Seeing Flame awake, she nodded and her words were brief and to the point, “As Amerlin and I fought to decide the fate of our people in the nude, so shall we also fight. Strip down, and lie down in the center of the room face down.” Even as she was saying this she too was removing what she wore and just dropped it near one wall as Flame rose and hastily stripped what little she had to wear off and did as she was told. Her own heart was fast speeding up in anticipation of what laid ahead, though not truly familiar with the hold they had used, the descriptions she had got from witnesses had convinced her that her much closer size to Contrez and her desire to win this would overcome any other disadvantages.
She would soon find out just what the hold is capable of as the queen stepped to her legs and quickly grabbing the ankles folded her legs back and crossed them in to an X pattern before steeping between her thighs, and then crossing her own legs forced her feet between the queen’s legs and hooking them leaned back slowly and she felt the pressure quickly rising on her knees, ankles and lower legs. Still Contrez kept leaning back and then arched herself until her own shoulders touched Flames and she reached behind and under her armpits to grip her shoulders. “You sure you want to risk your legs like this?” Contrez asked, but Flame’s own response was first with actions as she reached back and up mirroring the under the armpit to shoulder grip before her voice came up low but with conviction. “I asked for this didn’t I? Let’s go!” and without waiting for Contrez to react thrust hard with hands and legs trying to flatten out Contrez and break her arch for a rollover.
The fast move had the desired effect and caught Contrez off her guard and she dropped hard back to back and struggled to arch up again, but a second hard jerk from Flame kept her low and Flame went for the rollover attempt. Contrez was ready for it this time however and experienced now in this from several bouts with the former queen had learned the way to twist her body the other way, without twisting her own legs as much, it countered the rollover before she was a quarter of the way around and got a startled cry of pain as she felt the pressure on her own twisting legs rise rapidly to a dangerous level and she abandoned the rollover going face down again panting hard from the shock of the pain and her face a sudden mask of both surprise and rage, and then something else that if Contrez could have seen it might have been warned. She could not however but she did feel one of Flame’s hands unlock from the shoulder grip, and seconds later the arm coiled around her own head catching her jaw in the crook of Flame’s elbow and the powerful woman began to squeeze there.
It was a new tactic, but as far as Contrez was concerned, no rule against it, and she smiled at Flame’s ingenuity , then then released her one arm as well and matched her foe and started to squeeze as well. “Let’s see how you like your idea coming back at you!” she growled, and tightened hard and then Flame upped the pressure as well, but women suddenly focusing on the arm wrapped around the other’s head. It hurt, it hurt a lot as the jaw caught in the crook was crushed without mercy and the teeth ached in turn getting deep guttural moans and groans from them both. Digging in to her own control to suppress the pain a bit, Contrez took a deeper breath and a higher risk and threw her body upwards. It added more pressure to the jaw, but had the desired effect as she got her arch back up straining Flames legs once more and then thrust forward planting the top of her head on the hard floor as she raised her arch high and rolled Flame in to the deep back breaking arch that drew a hiss from her and suddenly the arm was gone from her jaw as she reached instinctively for her bent back trying desperately to shove the arch down with both hands.
It was a poor move by Flame, for with both hands off of Contrez for the moment to try and force herself down, she inadvertently gave the queen more freedom of movement, and she was not about to give her opponent a second chance and correct her verbally, rather she used it to tug harder on Flames chin and rolled a bit deeper and started to tug the other way with the locked legs forcing Flame in to a tighter and much crueler deep arch that got a sudden gasp and sharp cry of pain as she felt her back being bent to the point the spine was screaming warnings in her brain of imminent major damage. Without realizing it until it was past her teeth, Flame blurted out “Enough! Enough! No More!” It was surrender and self-preservation pure and simple, and Contrez immediately unrolled and dropped flat down on top of her foe breathing hard from the strain she was enduring trying to force Flame in to quitting and had succeeded, though she was not about to admit to Flame her own risky move had also aggravated her own still healing ribs badly and another half minute she would have had to back off herself on the struggle to give them a rest and maybe tip her hand how she was hurting.
A few deep breaths, and she sat up on top of Flame, and unlocked the entwined legs and lifting her feet free rolled to one side and then slowly stood up, a half stifled gasp escaping then as her own ribs and back caught her off guard with a pain spasm but then reached down and offered a hand to Flame who had rolled over and sat up by then, a half scowl on her face. As she took the hand and rolled, Contrez smiled and took some of the sting off the loss away by saying, “You did good considering you were never in such a dueling struggle, a couple others who tried me was screaming their surrender very quickly not realizing what it can do to you, you held out longer, much longer and with some practice if you are willing, I can see struggles similar to the ones the queen and I had that lasted well over an hour before one finally yielded.” Contrez allowed herself a satisfied smile as she remembered some of them and admitted I lost the first one as you know to save my people, and to save my own life, she had me to a point she could have snuffed my life out easily yet spared me when I accepted an honorable loss. She came close to the same in several later matches, but with each I gained skills and knowledge, and the final three times, I defeated her the final, I had her close to death, could have demanded anything and got it, but did not, and I think you can do the same with me perhaps one day if you are willing to put both mind and body to the task.”
Flame gave her a curious look, “I can see you by saying the body, but why the mind?” Again Contrez smiled, “Discipline of the body I also had to work on, but Amerlin when I served under her also helped me to realize that I had to discipline the mind as well, teach it to suppress the pain, and to not instinctively as I think happened here cry a surrender when you could have taken more. You must also be able to think while in pain, to look at the situation, not just as ‘how to stop the pain’ but to also escape from the cause or better yet turn it back on the person doing it and find as many ways as possible quickly for a few moves in advance so you can react quickly and efficiently.”
Turning Contrez walked to the door and paused there, looking back at Flame she added, “You need to learn many things, and also to release some of what is within you. Hopefully that will come soon; I have plans for you, even as Amerlin had plans for me. Perhaps in time, we will combine and raise this valley to new heights of power and excellence, think about that.” The she turned, and was out the door and it closed behind her leaving Flame to settle down on the mat and consider all her words.

To Be Continued in ‘Forest Amazons ~ The New Empire’