"Like what?" Ranma asked, his expression speaking of his slight distrust of her words.
"I can not tell you directly. It's her desire that you would have to fulfill. Let's just say that you'd owe her something."
"That I can understand. But I'm not sure 'bout this..."
"Why not?" the Elder asked, though she was pleased that he was not simply rushing in.
"'Cause I don't know what she wants. 'Sides, I've heard of provin' yourself before, but why have the whole 'serve' thing?"
"Ah. You might say that it's part of our laws, young one. Over our history, some of us have gone out and been paid as soldiers or guards for those who would pay and respect us, not those who'd steal an Amazon for a slave. But sometimes, a warrior will prove to be worthy of having an Amazon working, or serving him or her. They tend to be rare, but they come around every so often. And I think that you could do with one of us around you for this time."
He blinked slightly and tapped his chest. "Me?"
"Yes, you. Of course, you can get into a fight with one of our women, and wind up being a husband to her, if that is what you like."
"Ah... No. I ain't gonna get married unless I wanna."
"Then let us see what you can do. Unless you're afraid you'll lose..."
"I don't lose to nobody! I just didn't understand why ya wanted ta do this."
"Well, I do have to know that you are worthy. And I have to be seeing if there's a possbility that you'll survive the training boy," she murmured, and then gave off a dark chuckle.
"Whoa, you do a great impression of Pop."
That set her to falling off her staff, much to the amazement of her fellow Amazons. "You'd... That's taking it well..."
"Pop's always been pretty hard on me in trainin'. He ain't gone and tried magic since that one scroll didn't work like he thought it would."
"Oh?"
"But he does try ta make everythin' inta trainin'."
"That sounds like a good idea..."
"He says that a lot. I mean, I remember this one time that he made me carry all the supplies through this one mountain trek..."
"I do suppose that he could have helped," she allowed.
"Said the cold was a 'bit much for his old bones'. Like it was easy for me durin' the blizzard."
"'Blizzard'?"
"Yeah. 'Course, we had ta travel a lot ta keep away from the wolf pack. They don't usually attack people, but it'd been a real bad year."
"'Wolves'?"
"And I really learned that a good coat could go a long way. An outfit like a gi doesn't cut it in that sorta weather. Wood wasn't around that much, so we had ta make do with what we had."
Quite a few Amazons wondered what type of person Genma could be, and what sort of life the boy might have led to dismiss the event that easily. But none of them brought it up as they were rather surprised by hearing his words at all.
The Matriarch merely got back on her staff and raised a brow at him. "So, I take it that you did not have a soft life in a dojo."
"Nah. I trained some in them, but we went all over the place ta get better," he replied.
"I see..."
"Okay. What now?"
"Like I told you. You will have to fight her," Cologne said, and the previously indicated Amazon came up to join them, who was this universe's version of:
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(Posted Thu, 26 May 2005 00:21)
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