Free Amazon Chief by Robin Roseau

Omie said. "So I'm going to begin teaching her the staff."
    "And running?" Ralla said.
    "Of course," Omie said.
    Ralla turned to Jasmine. "Did you want to stay for that?" Jasmine nodded. "Well then, we'll train with you for an hour or so, then leave you, but we'll be back this afternoon."
    Omie looked around then smiled. "We can stretch where the queen's pavilion was," she said. "The grass is packed down there." She tugged me with her, then pulled me down into the flattened grass.
    For the next twenty minutes, Omie taught Jasmine and me how to stretch. I never knew there were so many different ways to stretch. Ralla helped Jasmine, and Omie helped me.
    "We're being gentle on you today," Omie said. "Over time, you will stretch further and further, working to become increasingly limber. Nothing should hurt, but you want to stretch further and further over time." Then she demonstrated how much further she could bend her legs than I could.
    "I'm going to learn to do that?" I asked, pointing at her.
    "Not all at once, but yes," Omie said. "Your sister can do this."
    "Really?"
    She nodded.
    Then Ralla spoke. "Some of the villages have other stretches," she explained. "Jasmine, you would end up learning them, as I visit all the villages frequently. Beria, you may learn some of them, too, but for now, the ones that matter are the ones Omie is teaching you."
    I nodded understanding.
    We finished stretching, and Omie said, "We stretch every day, and then we run. We're going to go a little easy on you today, but we're going to push you harder than you think you can take. I want to see both of you push yourselves." She climbed to her feet then reached down and pulled me to mine. I saw Ralla did the same with Jasmine.
    No one had ever helped me stand up before, but Omie did it casually as if she hadn't even had to think about it. She tu rned away, saying, "Keep up now," and began jogging to the edge of the field, the four of us running alongside her.
    At first it was easy. We went once around the field, and then she said, "We'll go faster, now that you're warmed up." And then she moved into a run.
    We ran, and ran, and ran. Soon I was panting for air, and so was Jasmine. But neither Omie nor Ralla seemed winded.
    And Ralla was actually kind of old.
    "Faster," Omie said, when we began to lag. "Imagine there's a demon chasing you, Beria."
    I imagined that thing my sister had shown us, and I ran faster, at least for a while.
    Jasmine slowed down before I did, and I heard Ralla urging her to keep running. I tried to slow with her, but Omie said firmly, "Keep up, Beria!" And so I ran with her, panting, my heart pounding.
    But finally I came to a stop, bent over with my hands on my knees, panting. Omie circled around.
    "You have more in you," she said.
    I shook my head.
    "If there was a real demon chasing you, would you have stopped?"
    I looked up at her.
    "Do you understand?" she asked, and I nodded. "One more lap?" I straightened, and we began running again, but at the end of that lap, I collapsed in the grass, lying on my back and panting.
    Omie knelt down next to me. "Queen Malora told me you were worried I wouldn't be honest with you."
    "I didn't mean-"
    "I know you didn't," she said. "At home, we'd make you keep running. You have more in you, and we make you run until you don't. We're not going to do that today. This is a part of training you won't like at least until you have learned where your limits really are. You aren't there, even if you think you are."
    "This wasn't," I said, still gasping, "so bad."
    She smiled. "No. It's not."
    She let me catch my breath, then pulled me upright until I was sitting. "Ready to learn about the staff?" And I nodded.
    Omie stepped away for a minute. Maya had left us with a tent with supplies. Omie collected four staffs from it then gestured. I got up, and I saw Ralla pull Jasmine to her feet, and the three of us collected around Omie.
    She turned to Ralla. "I know I'm the new companion trainer," she