| Not long after Adria had returned to her home with Sator, Caleb approached the king, wishing to speak his mind. "Good day, your majesty," Caleb said, bowing. "I must ask you a question I have pondered for some time now." "Well," Mekes said, "what may that be?" "Only months ago," he continued, "I witnessed Adria's arrest. She moved so swiftly and gracefully and she was very athletic; her ability seemed to match those of your guards." "Yes?" Mekes said. "What is your point, son?" "I'm saying, master, that I think that women should not be confined to our homes and tending to the needs of a man at all times. I'm saying that...women have the ability to be fighters!" Mekes was outraged. "Are you mad?!" he boomed. "Cat women have never fought a day in their lives. They will never fight with us men. They are here to protect our children and tend to our homes, but never to fight!" "Wait, wait," Caleb pleaded. "Couldn't you at least give her a chance? Maybe when she settles down with her child?" "That is ridiculous. I cannot see a woman fighting with a man. She was probably only running well because she was going to be caught." "I think not, master," Caleb said, sternly. "I wish for you to consider my ideas; women could be great warriors one day. I bid you farewell." For a few days, Mekes debated with his councilmen on the issue of such ideas of cat women being allowed to fight in battles with men. All the men were skeptical; they loved women and thought them to be intellegent people, but they were very unsure of what they should do. The day after the last meeting, Mekes confronted Caleb with his decision. "Did you consider me at all, master?" Caleb asked. "Of course," Mekes said, smiling. "In fact, you're very insightful. We've decided to give the women a chance to fight. But you have to understand, of course, that no one is born a warrior. We've nominated Adria to be the first female cat warrior general of the first female cat warriors. Once she feels better, she will obtain or sew a set of light armor and a weapon, or borrow a weapon from someone. Then she will train as many women that are willing to join her." "That sounds very fair, your majesty," Caleb said. "I will tell Adria immediately; she will be happy to know this." Caleb thought wrongly, however; Adria was horrified. She did not know how to use a weapon, nor did she know much about cat warrior warfare. Caleb convinced her that this could be her big chance to redeem herself and that she could be forgiven for her prostitution. Adria, after hours of arguing, reluctantly agreed. In the weeks that followed, Caleb trained Adria in fighting; he made her a set of armor with metal plates sown into the layers of leather in a special black, sleeveless leotard that left her legs and arms free and bare, and her breasts, reproductive organs, and lower abdomen protected by curved metal shields. He even purchased a skullcap to wear that was strapped under her chin, and gave her two of his curved shortswords. "You look like a cat warrior already," Caleb said, smiling. Adria looked at herself in the armor. It was a clingy sort of fighting suit, and felt tight and a little uncomfortable on her body. "I don't," she said. "I feel crushed in this armor; my whole body is being squeezed." "Ignore it," Caleb said, intently. "In a battle you can't worry about such things with swords and whatnot swinging back and forth. You must be focused. Why don't you just take off that skullcap and go for a stroll? You might stretch the leather a little to your liking." Adria agreed. She set down her helmet and exited her house, leaving Sator in Caleb's care. As she walked, she found that even the concept of a cat woman wearing armor was terrible and, more to the point, humiliating. Walking through the kingdom, Adria was subjected to horrible embarrassment from the insults and taunts from the men. Even some of the women told her she was crazy. This is horrible, Adria thought. I know not how much more of this humiliation I can stand. Chapter 2, part 1 |