STARTING TO RISE and allowing Jill Jervis to slip from the support of her knee into the water, Beryl Snowhill reached for the ivory hilted sword sheathed on her metal disc belt.
Also staring at the newcomers, Charlotte Topper started to arm herself in a similar fashion.
While doing so, the beautiful platinum blonde and the statuesque brunette began to take notice of what the approaching women were wearing rather than how they were armed.
With one exception, whose skirt was fashioned from the glossy purplish-red hide of a sassaby,21 the attire of the new arrivals showed them to be active in the Black Panther Regiment of the Amazon nation. Their hair was a variety of colours and what on Earth would have been called “styles”. All had attractive faces and shapely, nonetheless obviously sturdy, builds. In addition to their swords, some carried short stabbing spears or battle axes similar to the one issued to Beryl, also the same kind of crescent shaped shields. Others were equipped with throwing javelins like those which were suspended on slings from the saddle of the little Apex. Only two had bows and arrows. In keeping with her duties as scout and messenger, the tall and slender member of the Antelope Regiment had no other arms except for a long bladed spear point knife with a “basket” hilt. The taller and younger of the two women wearing the silver disc choker necklace and bracelet on the left wrist insignia of a “Nail” also had no supplementary armament and was carrying her sword drawn.
No matter how they were armed, the newcomers were advancing in a distinctly hostile and threatening fashion!
‘Chandra!22’ Kit Fox yelled, forcing herself erect as swiftly as she could manage and wincing at the pain being caused by her hurried movements. ‘Don’t harm them. They’re my friends!’
While speaking, the little Apex found herself puzzled and surprised by discovering how the group was comprised. Including the slender Antelope, eleven of them belonged to the Finger she was leading on the hunting expedition. However, the taller of the Nails had not present when she had parted company with them earlier that morning. In fact, she had not known Fragga was anywhere in the vicinity.
It was likely, Kit Fox concluded, some duty had brought the taller Nail to find her party. Certainly it would not have been for the pleasure of her company. Although they were both members of the Black Panther Regiment, they neither served in the same Triangle nor were on friendly terms. Therefore, the little Apex realized she was probably the last person who Fragga would seek out for purely personal reasons. On the other hand, any message should have been delivered by an Antelope. They were jealous of their specialized duties and resented any infringement upon these by members of the other Regiments.
Hearing, the words of her well-liked and respected superior, the Nail in command of the hunting party came to an immediate halt. Although puzzled by Kit Fox having described obvious foreigners as “friends” and seeing she had been engaged in what appeared was a traditional challenge fight between a senior and junior member of their race, Chandra’s sense of discipline was sufficient for her to order the others to stop. At five foot four, with reddish-blonde hair done in a short bubble-cut, she was good looking, close to buxom and in her late twenties. Armed with a stabbing spear and shield, she lowered them as she awaited enlightenment upon the strange situation.
When the older Antelope attached to the hunting party had returned to say Kit Fox must have been taken prisoner by three strangely dressed women, who nevertheless had the appearance of being Amazons, Chandra had immediately set off to effect a rescue. Leaving their horses with the second Antelope and youngest member of the Finger, the remainder had advanced on foot. By the time they were within visual distance, the fight was over and the reddish-haired Nail had been puzzled by what she had seen. From all appearances, the captresses had clearly allowed the little Apex to defend herself and did not show signs of the slightest animosity over her victory over their companion.
Rather the foreigners had been treating Kit Fox as if she was a friend.
Before Chandra had been able to decide what action to take, or even looked around to discover whether there were any more of the strangely dressed women nearby, Fragga—who had arrived claiming to have brought a message from Amazonia shortly before the Antelope came with the news—had darted forward. Knowing all hope of surprise was gone and annoyed by the deliberately flouting of her authority, Chandra had had no option other than follow with her Finger. She had noticed, however, that Fragga slowed down until everybody else was ahead after having acted in such an unwise fashion.
‘Friends, Kit Fox?’ the reddish-blonde inquired.
‘But they aren’t Amazons!’ Fragga objected, striding arrogantly past the smaller Nail and still brandishing the sword in a threatening fashion. ‘So that means they can’t be friends!’
‘They saved me from a Gruziak raiding party when they didn’t need to,’ Kit Fox explained, walking forward with the best speed she could manage until confronting and compelling the younger woman to halt half way between the two parties. ‘And, as far as I’m concerned, that makes them my friends!’
‘But they still aren’t Amazons!’ Fragga reiterated, running a calculating gaze over the bruised and obviously exhausted little Apex. The weakened condition to which the other was reduced offered sufficient of an inducement for her to continue with thinly veiled insolence, ‘So we either take them prisoner, or kill them!’
‘By whose orders?’ Kit Fox demanded, standing with feet apart and hands on hips in a posture similar to that shown when she had been meeting the challenge from Jill.
For all her defiant mien, the Apex was cognizant with the risk she was running!
As well as having close to eight inches advantage in height and being much heavier, the sullenly beautiful and most curvaceously built Nail was fit and Kit Fox was still suffering from the effects of the gruelling fight in which she had just participated. She felt sure Fragga would not be deterred by considerations of her physical condition, but was likely to be delighted by being presented with such an opportunity to make the most of it. What was more, if—or, most probably—the Nail challenged her authority, she could hardly hope to emerge from the ensuing conflict other than beaten in her current enfeebled state.
Then Fragga would assume command of the party by right of conquest.
To enhance her rise in status and make the defeat all the more bitter for Kit Fox, the Nail would almost certainly order the three foreign women killed on the spot!
Watching and listening to what was taking place, Beryl made no attempt to return to her ministrations for Jill. Instead, allowing the redhead to crawl on to dry land, she stepped forward and exchanged glances with Cha. Neither needed the other to tell her what Kit Fox was trying to do, nor what the taller Nail had in mind. They were equally aware of the danger this presented to themselves. From what the little Apex had told them earlier, she was leaving herself open to be challenged over her right to command. By having this done so soon after having participated in the long conflict with the redhead, she would have no chance whatsoever against the taller, heavier and uninjured younger woman.
A grim frown came to the face of the statuesque brunette beauty and, tapping her right fist into the palm of her cupped left hand, she was about to walk forward with the intention of intervening.
‘No,’ Beryl said quietly, but the one word brought the attention of her cousin back to her immediately. ‘I’ll do it. You stay here and attend to Jill’s and Kit Fox’s injuries!’
‘As you will,’ Cha assented, standing still instead of advancing. Having complete faith in the judgement of the blonde, she went on, ‘Good luck, ma’am!’
‘Thank you,’ Beryl answered and, striding away from the water’s edge, snapped in a louder voice, ‘Apex, is it the habit of our branch of nation for a subordinate to argue with a superior in rank?’
At the sound of the authoritative voice, with the exception of Kit Fox, every Amazon in the clearing turned her gaze to the speaker. Even without needing to look, recognizing the manner in which the words were uttered, the little Apex went far towards losing the few lingering doubts she had had over the claim made by Beryl to being a Captain in the trio’s “branch” of their mutual nation. The tone and “ma’am’s” bearing as she strode up and halted confronting Kit Fox, exuding an attitude which deliberately implied she regarded Fragga as being of no importance whatsoever in the matter at hand, offered what seemed to be convincing evidence that she had spoken the truth with regards to her status. Everything about her was indicative of a person used to commanding instant obedience and respectful, yet not servile, deference from subordinates.
To Cha and Jill, the latter being just sufficiently recovered to be able to sit up and take notice of what was taking place, the change in Beryl was something they recognized!
The blonde had invariably adopted such a tone and attitude in the past, particularly as the senior female member of Group Thirteen, when she considered somebody was not behaving in a proper manner.
It was not a pose, however, but an extension of Beryl’s inborn powers of leadership.
Nevertheless, despite having yielded to the order without question, the brunette felt a trifle perturbed over the way in which the situation was developing. She had seen the skill displayed by Kit Fox while fighting with Jill and guessed the sullen looking Nail would prove even more ruthless if, as seemed very likely, there should be a confrontation. Although it was not so marked as in the case of the redhead and the Apex, Fragga had a decided advantage in size and weight which would be in her favour should she deliver and have accepted a challenge.
Having drawn similar conclusions to those clearly worrying her cousin, Beryl still believed she was the more suitable of them to stand up against the Nail.
Seeing Fragga receiving a beating at the hands of Cha, who was somewhat larger and heavier, would lessen the effect of the intervention where the rest of the Amazons were concerned.
Furthermore, the blonde considered there was another factor which made her better suited as the candidate for dealing with the situation. She was confident she could produce a stronger aura of command than the brunette and evoke a more salutary response all round by virtue of it. Lastly and—to her way of thinking—most important of all, she was the leader of the trio on Zillikian as she had always been on Earth. Therefore, it must be she and not her cousin who took the risks entailed by the intervention.
On the point of declaring she would not countenance any challenge while Kit Fox was in such poor shape to meet it, Chandra remained silent. She had been aware that to intercede would incur the wrath of the malicious Fragga, but was willing to do so rather than see the little Apex beaten and deposed in such an unfair fashion. Now she was wondering whether she would need to take action on behalf of her well liked superior.
Impressed by the commanding demeanour of the blonde foreigner, the reddish haired Nail had noticed the reference to ‘your branch of nation’. It implied the strangers considered themselves to be Amazons. While she had never heard any references to the possibility of there being a second “branch” of her people, she could see the advantages under the circumstances of accepting that one could exist. As Amazons, even if of another hitherto unheard of segment of the race, the three strangely dressed women could not be classed as “foreigners”—the word on Zillikian being synonymous with enemy—and there could be no reason for the wishes of Kit Fox regarding their treatment to be questioned.
Of course, Chandra thought, everything depended upon the blonde being able to establish the validity of the suggestion.
Equally aware of the implications, Fragga looked over her shoulder at the other Amazons.
Much to her annoyance, the taller Nail could tell they were impressed by what the blonde had said. Nor was she at a loss to know why. It went beyond their liking for Kit Fox and appreciating how the intervention of the foreigner might be turned to her advantage.
Everything in the mien of the blonde was calculated to inspire respect from such a well-disciplined body as Chandra’s Finger. She comported herself with an aura of confident assurance far different from the truculence and self-assertive arrogance of Captain Alana. In fact, much as the brown haired Nail hated to admit it, the foreigner give evidence of possessing a flair for leadership which did not rely solely upon the employment of physical force—although that was there—nor family influence to support it.
Studying the reactions from the Amazons to the intervention of her cousin, Cha concluded the most suitable member of their trio was carrying it out!
Never one to feel jealousy or envy, the brunette conceded her own personality was not sufficiently commanding to have produced such an effect upon women born into a warrior race. Not only were they all impressed by Beryl’s deportment, but also by the way in which she had turned her back upon Fragga as if contemptuous of the drawn sword still held by the Nail. Doing so clearly left her open to an attack should the furious young woman care to launch one.
‘It isn’t usual, Captain Beryl,’ Kit Fox replied, looking past the blonde and, seeing the ugly expression on Fragga’s face, was ready to give a warning of any hostile action. She was grateful for what was intended, but considered “ma’am” was acting in an ill-advised fashion by not having halted where the Nail could be kept under constant observation. Then she realized this was being: done intentionally and her admiration for the blonde increased as a result of what she considered a further exhibition of acumen.
I
‘I apolo—’
‘Captain!’ Fragga snorted, trying not too successful sound disdainful of such a possibility. ‘Captain of wha—?’
Hoping to provoke such a comment, to which she could appear to take justifiable exception, Beryl responded with speed as soon as it was made.
Swinging around, the blonde employed the momentum she gathered to add impetus to the backhand slap she delivered to the side of the Nail’s face.
Taken completely unawares, the attack having made so unexpectedly and swiftly, Fragga was knocked from her feet. Falling to sprawl supine on the sand, the sword left her grasp. With the excited and far from disapproving exclamations of the other Amazons coming through the ringing in her ears, she forced herself into a sitting position.
Glaring upwards at her assailant, her beautiful features were suffused deeper than their natural tan by a flush of mortification and anger.
‘Go and have your injuries attended to, Apex!’ Beryl said over her shoulder and, in spite of the polite way they were uttered, the words came as a command rather than a friendly suggestion. Nor was she acting. She had instinctively reverted to the attitude which had characterised her career as the highest ranking female member of Group Thirteen. Keeping her eyes all the time now on Fragga, she reached upwards to find and open the clasp of her choker necklace. Removing it and starting to take off the left bicep’s bracelet, her voice lost all trace of amiability as she continued, ‘I don’t allow insolence from any subordinate, Nail. However, as you clearly do not accept I am your superior in rank, I’ll give you an opportunity to try to prove I’m a liar!’
‘Wha?’ Fragga gasped, hardly able to credit her senses despite realizing what must be implied by the words and actions of the blonde “foreigner”.
‘Get up!’ Beryl commanded. ‘And shed your cups, if you dare!’
Taking her right hand from where it was gingerly fingering at the reddened and stinging point of impact on her cheek, Fragga let her gaze flicker to where Kit Fox was walking, towards the other two foreigners. She knew it was apparent to the rest of the Amazons, as well as to herself, their Apex was obeying the command from the blonde and she regarded the way in which the situation was developing with mixed feelings.
Not only had the foreigner issued the challenge in the conventional fashion, she was continuing to discard the jewellery which was obviously just as indicative of high rank among her people. Placing them on the ground, she next removed the strange glossy white garment to prove she was wearing nothing beneath it. With that done, she started to unbuckle the silver disc weapon belt, This carried a sword and knife having the ivory hilts which were the sole prerogative of the royal family and Captains of Regiments amongst the Amazons of Zillikian. All of which meant, despite being smaller and lighter, she intended they should fight with bare hands.
I
No matter that she had expressed doubts over the possibility of the three strangers being Amazons, Fragga accepted there was only one course left open to her. She could not envisage any means by which she might turn the quarrel back to Kit Fox. Furthermore, unless she took up the formal challenge by the blonde, she would suffer such a loss of face not even her Aunt Alana could prevent her from having to forfeit her rank.
For all that, the Nail appreciated all too well the foreigner might prove a formidable antagonist. Nobody attained such a high rank in her own race without being exceptionally competent at all kinds of combat and it was probably the same amongst the people to which the blonde belonged. Therefore, smaller size notwithstanding, the Nail concluded the foreigner was almost certain to prove a most challenging adversary.
Like all bullies, Fragga had a strong streak of caution in her make up. Despite knowing she was larger and heavier than her challenger, although not so much as would have proved the case if she had been able to provoke the little Apex into fighting, she did not relish the prospect of meeting, the blonde on equal terms and was alert to anything in the present situation which might grant her an added advantage. Obtaining an edge over her previous opponents was one way in which she had attained her promotion. She considered doing so in the present conditions might prove even more necessary. For all her earlier scoffing, she sensed she would be in contention against an exceptionally competent fighter. The way she had been knocked down indicated such was the case. It also implied the blonde had attained a status far superior to her own, at least partially, by skill at bare handed combat.
Thinking fast and in the knowledge that she had no alternative to fighting, other than facing a humiliation not even her relationship to the Captain of the Black Panther Regiment could overcome, the Nail rose and started to unhooked the retaining chains of her cups. She continued to move with a similar alacrity and was allowing her weapon belt and skirt to fall away together while the blonde was still removing the black leather shorts. Sucking in a deep breath, she tensed and watched for an opportunity to put the scheme which she was envisaging, into operation. It was something against all the accepted conventions of her nation, but she did not allow such a detail to restrain her.
Although Beryl and the others noticed the way in which Fragga was divesting herself of the garments, none of them suspected her true motive.
As Kit Fox had explained while making ready for the fight with Jill, the settlement of a dispute between two women of differing ranks demanded they disrobe until both were clad only in their brief undergarments. To emphasise they considered themselves for the time being on terms of complete equality, each must also remove the necklace and bracelets denoting her status.
Therefore, the blonde and the other onlookers assumed the Nail was merely hurrying to set about taking up the challenge and repaying the blow she had received!
Unaware of what was being planned by her opponent, Beryl bent to unfasten the cross-straps of her left sandal.
In doing so, the blonde was compelled to take her attention from Fragga. That was what the Nail had been hoping and waiting for!
Not only did Fragga refrain from the mandatory removal of her jewellery, she made no attempt to start takin off her sandals.
Instead, the Nail stepped swiftly forward and launched a kick at the conventionally lowered face of the unsuspecting blonde.