“Do you know where they decided to house the females?” she asked Mat as they walked down the street.
“I believe our female unit decided to take them to their area and tucked them into houses, pretty far away from the others. Bryn and I took the males who weren’t gladiators to the other side of the city, and I know Nevyn, Varon, and Kian decided to keep the gladiators near the docks, just in case. It’s an easy area for females to avoid if needed.”
“Just in case,” she mumbled to herself. “They were cautious because of us, weren’t they?”
“Because of our stories, yes. Speaking of being cautious, are we sure it’s okay to have our new neighbors where they are?”
“I said it last night at dinner. If somehow any of them break into our home, get into our bedroom, and kill one of us, I think we deserve it.” She snorted. “Emerian is terrified of us, me particularly. He can barely lift his head, and I’m not sure if he’s that naturally submissive, or if he’s that scared of being around Andinna. You remember the intel on him, right?”
“He’s the one who worries me,” Mat admitted. “Dave, I can trust. He’s a wily human with intelligence and resources and obviously came here with a purpose and respect for the Andinna. He’s been a part of this movement long before Alchan decided it finally had to be one. Trevan? I don’t feel the need to worry about him because of how he helped us once. Could he be a problem now? Sure, but I don’t see it.”
“But we don’t know Emerian, the mutt who lost his family to the Andinna, not the Elvasi.” They had learned a lot about the male before he even arrived from the intel provided by their Elvasi ally in Elliar.
Did I forget something?
“Exactly. He could blame our people as a whole. He could try to strike out.”
“He’s too scared for that right now. Maybe when he gets his feet under him, but not yet.” Mave was feeling confident in her judgment of the male. She’d met males like him before—the scared ones who couldn’t look at her or anyone else. They normally died quickly on the sands or in a fight in the pits, too weak to defend themselves.
Intel. Emerian. The fucking book.
“Shit,” she mumbled.
“What’s wrong?”
“Dave gave me a spy book. The Elvasi noblewoman in Elliar? She had given it to him during the escape. I left it on our table, and I was planning on taking it to Alchan or Luykas.”
“I’ll run and do that for you, and you can go check on the females,” he said, leaning down to kiss her. She smiled and went up on her toes to help him out.
“That sounds good,” she agreed, pushing him away gently, a teasing push she knew would fire him up for later. Mat didn’t like when she forced him out of her space. By the fire that lit up his emerald green eyes, it worked.
“I see,” he purred. “Later, then.”
“Later,” she promised. “I’ll see you at dinner, probably.”
“If you miss dinner, at least there’s dessert,” he smirked. With a wink, he turned away and launched into the air.
Mave didn’t follow him into the air, although it would have been faster to her destination. She wanted to walk. Flying around Kerit wasn’t as pleasing as flying around her mountains.
She found the neighborhood the females had claimed and the clear indication they were in attendance by a few of the warriors posted as guard at the end of the two streets they had claimed.
“Champion. It’s a pleasure to see you this afternoon,” one of the warriors greeted.
“You as well. I was hoping to take a walk through and meet the new females and children. With the absence of Allaina and Senri, I want them to know they’re protected, and there is someone they can go to if anything is needed. I’m assuming Yenni jumped in and took charge yesterday. If you can point me to her, I’ll touch base with her first.” Mave knew the captain of the females well enough to know she should know Mave was coming first. Mave confidently knew she was the most dominant female in Anden, but Yenni could have a mouth, and she was one of Leria’s females, only on loan for the mission to Kerit. Whether any of Leria’s females would stay with the main rebellion would be decided once they returned to the mountains.
“You’ll find her in the third house on the right,” the guard said, pointing down the street.
Mave started walking but stopped next to the guards, deciding to start questioning now.
“Have you seen or heard any trouble with the new males? Anyone trying to come in here and give the females a hard time?”
“Not yet, Champion, but that’s why Yenni started the guard duty. We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen.”
“Good.” She continued on her way, counting the houses as she walked and stopped at the third. She didn’t knock, walking straight into the house. One female near the door nearly dropped a pitcher she was carrying, her head ducking down, and another scurried out of the entry hall.
Mave ignored it for now. There was only one person she was required to knock for, and even then, if there was an emergency, she wouldn’t give even Alchan that privilege.
“Yenni? I was told you were home!” Mave called out.
“Ah, the Champion decides to come visit!” Yenni stuck her head out of a door. Flour covered the hand she used to wave Mave in. “Come. I’m baking bread.”
Mave raised an eyebrow at that. She walked into the kitchen, somewhat puzzled by the scene.
Yenni was a massive female, her height lining up more with a male’s than a female’s. She was also wide, muscled, and bulky. Intimidating was a good word to describe Yenni. She was the most dominant female, aside from Mave, who came on the mission. While none of the warrior females were simpering fools, Yenni dominated them all, which made it somewhat odd to see the female baking bread.
“So, what does the Champion need today?” Yenni asked, her back turned to Mave. “It’s been busy since the newcomers arrived. Are your cocks busy too, or are they lazy as most are?”
Mave sighed. This was why she didn’t visit Yenni very often. Mave could be vulgar, but Yenni took it to the next level.
I have a feeling I know where this conversation is going.
“Do you mean my males or their actual cocks?” Mave asked, taking a seat at the small table. A smaller female walked over and put down a drink in front of her. Mave sniffed it, finding it to be ale and took a sip. It was damn good ale.
“Both.” Yenni turned to eye her.
“Yes, they’re busy,” Mave answered, going back to the initial question.
Yenni was still for a moment, then a smile formed, a wide, teeth-baring thing. She was laughing as she turned back to kneading the dough she had on the counter.
“Good, good. Glad to see cocks doing their damn job. Don’t hurt me for it, but I keep hoping they’ll fail you one day, and you’ll remember you are part of the better sex and come visit me. I would be your mayara and the only one you need in it.” Yenni dropped the dough in a bowl and covered it with a rag. She was grinning as she brought it over to the table and put it to the side. A second drink was brought over as the giant female sat down across from Mave. “Are we there yet? Have they annoyed you enough to come to me?”
“No,” Mave answered, trying not to smile. The moment they got onto the road, Yenni had started hitting on her. It was both flattering and uncomfortable.
“Have you ever been with someone of the better sex?”
She’s going to make it impossible to have a normal conversation.
“I have,” Mave answered. Yenni’s smile turned devious, but Mave intended to ruin it. “I was whored out to some Elvasi noblewomen. I was taught my way around down there. It wasn’t my thing.”
Face paling, Yenni leaned back, eyeing her.
“You know how to kill a good mood, Champion.”
“I know, but I can’t imagine Leria would be okay with you hooking up with me while you’re away from her,” Mave pointed out, sipping on the ale. She had a feeling, and since Yenni started it, she decided to strike back a little th
is time.
“Leria,” Yenni sighed. “We haven’t fucked since she blood bonded your brother. I told her I didn’t care that she finally got the male she wanted. I would have joined the family, been part of the mayara, and never touched him, but it never worked for her. She was over me once she got the cock of her dreams at your expense. Before we left, she gave me a formal request to leave her community and join Allaina’s…or yours.”
“I’m not a mativa,” Mave reminded her. “But I’m sure Allaina will be glad to have you.”
“I hope so. I have no intention to ask Leria to take me back after the news spread of what she did to Seanev and you in the end.”
“Don’t judge her for that,” Mave whispered. “I’m not here to talk about any of this. I wanted to meet the new females, get an eye on the children, and make sure everyone is properly accommodated and eating.”
“Judge her? I protected her for years, pined over getting her back, hoping she remembered we had loved each other for a long time. Then I learned that and…” Yenni studied Mave, who didn’t react. “And decided she wasn’t the type of female I wanted to serve. If she hadn’t formally requested me to leave, I was going to ask to leave.”
“I take it the only reason she never did earlier was you had nowhere to go?” Mave asked.
“Probably. Also, I am beginning to think she ended things with me because she never wanted me to learn what she did to keep Seanev safe, and I eventually would have if I had been in her mayara. I would have left her because of it, so she cut me loose.” Yenni shrugged. “I have my eyes on other prizes now.” Yenni, in her overexaggerated way, dragged her eyes over Mave, dipping down to Mave’s ample chest. Mave grew out of the insecurities of her chest size until that moment.
“Yenni…” Mave shook her head, a smile finally forming. “It’s flattering, but I’m not interested. I’m not going to replace Leria to you. Find another target.”
“I like females more dominant than me.”
“That gives you very slim pickings, then,” Mave said, trying not to get roped in further but finding it hard. “Okay, let’s get to business.”
“You know I mean no harm. It’s good seeing you up close, a little mortal like the rest of us. It’s why I’ve grown to like teasing you.”
She’s avoiding what I’m here for. She doesn’t want me to see the new females or the children. Why?
“Wonderful, but really business.” Mave had no problem with the teasing. She could easily avoid it if it was too much of a problem.
“You don’t visit enough—”
“Yenni.” The bigger female stopped at Mave’s tone. “I would visit more if you were more serious. I’m here to check on the new females and their children.”
“Are you sure—”
“What are you hiding?” Mave asked finally.
12
Mave
Yenni’s face turned serious, the overdone laughter and smile disappearing. Normally, Mave could get her on topic after one or two cute jabs, but this had gone on long enough.
“They’re scared of you,” Yenni explained, sighing. “Last night, a female woke up, screaming she didn’t want the Champion to kill her in a fight or something. They all knew you in the Empire, and that reputation is now catching up with you, Mave Lorren. I was hoping you wouldn’t come by at all since you seem very hands-off when it comes to leading anyone.”
“I don’t lead anyone. I know I have a role to fill, but it’s not that one,” Mave reminded her. “I would rather be a good role model for the females of our war group than their commander.”
“And now you slide over what I just told you,” Yenni pointed out.
“I heard it. I’m not…surprised by it,” Mave admitted. Why was I stupid enough to think any Andinna from the southern half of the Empire would want to see me?
“I didn’t think you would be, but you can understand why I would rather keep you here. Everyone working in this house are my warriors.”
“Yet they still drop their heads and run,” Mave muttered, glancing around to see if any were around.
“You’re intimidating. You know that. Imagine how terrifying it will be for the newcomers to see the monster that killed in the Colosseum.”
Mave considered that. She didn’t disagree with Yenni, but she had left Elliar nearly two years ago. So much had changed, Mave being the main thing. She wasn’t the female in the pits anymore. She wasn’t out to get her own people. She trusted, and she wanted to be trusted.
I’m not a leader, but I can be a role model. I can help. I want to do that.
“I need to see them,” Mave said evenly. “If I’m to start changing that reputation, I need to interact with them. They can’t hide from me. I’m the King’s Champion now and the most dominant female Andinna. They have to learn I’m not out to get them, and I think I can do that or try.”
“I don’t like it.”
“That’s too bad. Are there any braver than the others?”
“Yes, but they’ll be surrounded by the scared ones,” Yenni answered. Mave stood up and waited for the warrior to follow suit. Yenni sighed heavily and stood. “This is a bad idea.”
“It wasn’t just my idea. Another member of the Ivory Shadows mentioned it, and Alchan agreed. If that means I have to smooth out some bumps, I will.”
“This isn’t some bumps, Champion. This is deep-seated trauma.”
“I know. The Empire has a way of doing that to Andinna.”
She started to walk away, leaving Yenni where she was, probably thinking about Mave’s last words. The warrior caught up at the door and put her hand on it.
“We’ve put them in batches in the houses that share the courtyard with us. It gives us easy access to see them out back and common ground where they don’t feel cornered. They can just go back inside or knock on our back doors if they need help with anything.”
Yenni led Mave the opposite way and stopped at the backdoor.
“Are you ready for this? There shouldn’t be any children out right now. Not if their mothers want them to stay clean for dinner.”
“Children would be easier,” Mave pointed out. “They don’t have centuries of fear.”
“But their mothers would hide them from you, anyway. Skies, this morning, they tried to hide the children from me.”
Mave winced. That was bad. If they were going to rebuild Anden and Andinna culture, children needed to be socialized and brought into the fold to keep from being like Mave.
“I’ll talk to some friends when we get back to the village,” Mave promised. “They might be able to help the children adjust and get out from the protection of their mothers a little.”
“Good. Andinna children need to learn independence. If they’re smothered, they don’t reach as far as they are meant to and can’t learn important social skills.”
“I know,” Mave agreed. “I was raised away from any Andinna. I know exactly how crippling it can be.”
“Ah. That’s right…” Yenni trailed off. They stood there for a moment longer before Mave steeled herself and opened the back door, stepping back out into the afternoon sun. It was winter and cold, but it at least it wasn’t storming. Their first week in Kerit had been a week of storms battering the coastline and the city, frustrating everyone.
Mave took a quick look around and saw females she didn’t recognize working on laundry and other household chores. Whether they did it because it was needed or it was a habit, she didn’t know. Andinna females in the Empire were used for that sort of work, normally. The males were put to harder tasks.
Mave remembered the old female who used to dress her, always waiting in the palace to give her the new outfit Shadra, or whoever else, demanded she wear.
Yenni led Mave to a small circular table with four chairs around it. She took one seat and gestured for Mave to sit down. Mave had no complaints, planting her ass in a chair, so she didn’t have to stand around uncomfortably.
A gasp came from behind her, but Mave didn’t t
urn to see who did it. She knew why. It was her presence. A female she could see looked up from what she was doing and blanched, throwing wet clothing into a basket and ran inside while Mave watched.
“I told you,” Yenni whispered.
Mave nodded slowly, watching others realize she was there and duck inside, abandoning what they were doing. She had to think fast, or they would never come back.
Her hand drifted to her pocket, a side pouch that was built into the belt for her armor. It had enough space to carry snacks for missions. It was incredibly practical, but Mave hadn’t loaded it up with things that were practical. She still carried the flute with her everywhere, and now, she thought about it.
Ignoring Yenni’s annoyance with her, she pulled it out and blew gently on it, making sure no dust or dirt was on it. Without saying a word, she began to play, closing her eyes as the light music washed over the courtyard.
“Keli, can you bring our drinks out here?” Yenni asked, sounding confused now. “Apparently, the Champion wants to enjoy a spot of music.”
Mave stopped to growl, opening one eye to glare at the other female.
“I never took you to be a flute female,” Yenni commented, seeing Mave’s gaze on her.
“A dear friend taught me last year, so I could perform in my first spring festival. These females have probably been without or never heard the music of the Andinna. I can share it with them.”
“The drums are a better choice. They represent us better and have more uses than a couple of festivals a year.” Yenni leaned back, acting like she knew everything.
“You’re right,” Mave agreed. “The drums are probably the better choice for females like you, but not for ones like me.”
“There are no females like you,” Yenni countered. “If there are, please introduce me to them.”
“You’ve already met them,” Mave whispered before going back to playing.
She had picked the flute because it was pretty, useless, and there was no violence in it. Over the year since she had started using it, she had picked up a few simple tunes, mostly songs played while working around a village by those who enjoyed it as well.
The Enemy's Triumph Page 13
