The KP chronicles-Year II

Kim is adapting well to life with the Amazons. Now lieutenant to Eris she is beginning to find her place with the warrior women. But when trouble rises again she and Eris will be called in to help.

Chapter 1: Misunderstood secrets

(AN: Just so it's clear, when the dialog is in italics the characters are speaking in English. It's easier to do it that way than leave you all guessing.)

"This language is ridiculous!" Eris growled as she threw her arms up in the air.

"In English." Kim replied.

"This language is redunculous." Eris replied.

Kim smiled. "Better but its pronounced ridiculous. And I told you English wasn't an easy language to learn." Kim said as she began drawing something in the dirt on the forest floor. Eris gave her a sidelong stare. Over the past year the two had taken time out of each week for Kim to teach Eris the new language. They both felt it would be better to keep it secret, Eris liked have a language only they knew. She thought it would be easier for them to communicate plans during times of war. And Kim didn't want to go through the task of teaching more than one person.

The woman had taken to it faster than Kim expected. After a while she had insisted that they speak in the language during lessons. Though she did enjoy the woman's occasional mistakes in speech.

"I don't see why it can't just be written the way it sounds." Eris complained.

Kim rolled her eyes. "I told you, speaking it is the easy part. Reading and writing it is the hard part. But you didn't want to hear it." She finished a drawing in the dirt and turned to Eris. "Now if you can do this one, we can be done for the day."

Eris stared down at the drawing and frowned. "That horse looks ill."

Kim huffed. "Well you're right about what it is but it's not sick."

Eris tilted her head. "So it's deformed? I'm sure that one leg shouldn't be that much longer than the other three."

Kim glared at the woman. "I never said I was a great artist." She rubbed out the drawing and stood. "You did well today." She brushed the dirt off her hands. Eris stood and nodded in agreement. Then looked up at the graying sky.

"We must have been out here longer then I thought. It's going to be dark soon." Eris said before letting out a sharp whistle. In moments they could hear the heavy steps of their horses moving through the trees and into the clearing they occupied for weekly lessons.

"I'll race you back to the palace." Kim announced. Eris gave a wide grin.

"Last one to the stables has to rub down the horses." She replied.

The two stared at one another for moment. Both counting down the start of the race. Simultaneously they broke into a sprint to their horses and leapt on their backs. The race began; both horses neck and neck weaved through the thick forest with ease as both women urged them faster. Eris veered off to the side when Kim broke out onto the path leading to the palace. She rode alone for sometime every so often spotting a flash of Eris between the trees. She pushed her horse to run faster trying to outrun the woman. Suddenly, Eris let out an excited cry. Kim could only stare in awe as Eris jumped her horse over Kim's head and landed onto the path several feet ahead of her.

Kim pushed her horse to the limit as she and Eris continued the race. When the wall was in sight they called for the gates to open. The two funneled through the gap and continued at full gallop toward the stables. Both horses skidded to a halt and the race was over, both women had tied in the race. Though neither of them would admit it.

"I clearly won that race. But I think I'll be a good superior and supervise while you care for my horse." Eris stated proudly. Kim scoffed.

"I'm sure you'll be too busy caring for mine to supervise anything." The two laughed as they loosened the saddles on their horses. They never noticed the short haired blonde walk in as they laughed and joked with one another.

"Nice to see you both have come back." Bana said as she strolled in. "And in such good spirits." Kim and Eris glanced at one another. They both had a feeling their good mood would soon be shot down by the captain. She still had a grudge against Kim for her arrival and she just never liked Eris. The two women together now only increased her announce.

"Well they were good." Kim stated as her joyful smile melted away. Bana seemed to enjoy this for a moment before she continued. "One could almost wonder why you two are always running off every week." Eris raised a brow at this. "In fact one might think you two were having some kind of affair. And general you know the rules concerning fraternization."

Kim and Eris looked at each other trying to figure out if this was some kind of a joke. Eris sighed and handed Kim her saddle before crossing the stable and stopping a few inches from the woman's face. Kim had never noticed Eris was so much taller than the blonde woman. Bana had to crane her head upward to make eye contact. "If this is going to be a debate on ethics Bana, I could certainly bring up some things I've noticed about you. As for my association with this particular woman, is none of your concern. What is your concern however, is the tone you're taking with me. Perhaps you should apologize and back down, before I have to pull rank."

Bana stood her ground for a long moment. Kim was starting to feel her good mood slip farther into annoyance. Bana pursed her lips before backing down from the standoff. "I apologize general." She said through gritted teeth. "I over stepped my boundaries." She turned on a heel and left. Eris turned back to Kim with a smirk.

"I was hoping she wouldn't back down. I could have ordered her to do this for us."