"I haven't seen our two pranksters yet Pony..." stated Terreis as she glanced around the practice field. "They're late for drills...you know what that means..." A wry grin tweaked the corner of her mouth.

Eponin turned to smile at her lover, then resumed searching for the perfect practice staff. "Oooooh yeah....hehehe..." She found a suitable piece of wood and stepped back to check the balance. She suddenly became a whirl of motion, whipping the staff around her like it was the easiest thing in the world to do.

As Terreis watched her lover warm up, she was again in awe of how at home with weapons Eponin truly was. The staff became a blur, and the princess couldn't take her eyes from the sight. So mesmerized was she that she didn't see the tye-dyed, blonde mass of curls making a beeline for the swordmaster.

Ephiny grabbed the closest staff and headed straight for Eponin. Just as Ephiny was bringing her staff to strike at Pony's unprotected back, the brunette ducked and rolled to the right, causing Ephiny to overbalance and stumble forward. As she planned, Eponin quickly got to her feet and brought her staff around to shove the blonde forward, face first into the dirt. She quickly placed her boot lightly on the back of Eph's neck to hold her down. She staked her staff into the ground next to her friend's face, casually leaned on it and looked down. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to make so much noise when you attack there Ephie?" She snickered.

"LET ME UP EPONIN!" Ephiny struggled to rise, but Pony put a little more pressure on her neck and shoved her back down again.

"Hold on there, where do you think you're goin?" She cocked her head a bit so she could look into her friend's eyes.

The blonde struggled a bit more, but finally just gave in to Eponin's greater strength and obviously superior position. "Damn you to Hades Pony!" She frowned. "You are gonna pay for that little stunt of yours at the bath hut!"

Eponin let a chuckle escape. "Is that so?" Now she laughed a bit. "And I suppose you thought I would just let you get away with painting my girlfriend's back while she was sleeping?" She laughed even harder. "That's a good one Eph!"

The blonde sighed. "Alright, alright.....I guess I can't blame you for being a little angry...." Eponin removed her booted foot and held out her arm. Eph grasped the proffered forearm, and, standing up, brushed herself off, sending dust flying everywhere. (This quickly dispersed the small crowd that had gathered to watch the short-lived fight)

By this time, Terreis had recovered her senses enought o come rushing over to the swordmaster. "You ok Pony?"

"Ayup." She replied as she let her arm wrap itself around the redhead's waist. "Eph here is lookin a little blue though..."

"VERY funny Pony....very funny." Suddenly her eyes fell upon her friend's left shoulder and her eyes bugged out. She looked from Eponin to Terreis, back to Eponin and then back to the sash that now adorned Pony's leathers. "Is that....." was all she could say.

Eponin cleared her throat. "Ahem....ummmm yeah, it is."

"Wow! Hey that's great!!" She suddenly ran up to the pair and drew them both into an amazingly strong bear hug.

Eponin cursed as she was suddenly being squashed like a bug. "Eph! You blasted woman! Let me go, yer makin a spectacle!" She finally managed to extricate herself but couldn't do much to save her lover, as Ephiny now wrapped her free arm around Terreis. Finally, Ephiny loosed the princess and stepped back.

"I can't believe it! When did this happen!" The blonde's words came out so fast even Terreis had a hard time getting all the words. Just then Solari came bursting onto the scene in a blue-tinged huff, using her lover to stop her forward progress.

"Eph! What happened?" Huffed Solari as tried to get some air into her strained lungs. "You shouldn't have taken off on me like that!" (A small crowd was now gathering again....after all, two tie-dyed amazons tend to draw some attention...) Ephiny just pointed at Pony's left shoulder, and now it was Solari's turn to go buggy.

"What...when...where...how..." she blurted.

Amusement danced in Terreis's green eyes as she replied. "Ummm, well I sorta asked her this morning." Now her eyes cast down and she blushed before looking back up to her friends. "She said yes....so...."

Eponin saw that same look in Solari's eyes that Ephiny had had just before she was made to feel like the grapes at the bottom of a wine squashing barrel. Shutting her eyes she willed herself to grin and bear it, since after all this was one of her best friends, and especially since Terreis seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. She sighed as now two sets of strong amazon arms were wrapped around her and her betrothed. 'Not so bad...' she thought to herself and hugged back. 'Not so bad at all!' She sorta rather liked this warm feeling that was running through her at the moment...yeah, it was definitely an ok thing.

Their moment of congratulations abruptly ended as Solari turned and saw the Queen standing not two feet away, with her arms crossed and looking extremely perturbed.

"Do I have to be present at all training sessions in order for any training to actually get done?" inquired Melosa as she stared directly at her sister.

Terreis was about to open her mouth to reply when Ephiny stepped forward and bowed her head. "Permission to explain my Queen..."

"Granted. Proceed. And don't forget to include the explanation as to why you are blue this morning..."

Ephiny caught the giggle that escaped Solari and shot her a glare before she proceeded. "Well, you see...." She hurried through the explanation, and by the time she finished, the Queen was trying very hard not to chuckle herself.

"My my....Eponin I am very proud of you." She turned and stood directly in front of the brunette. "That last show of your skill only reinforces the fact that I have made the right decision then."

"Decision?" asked Eponin curiously.

"I was going to wait for the ceremony this evening to announce it, but I guess now is as good a time as any." Melosa looked directly in Eponin's eyes. "Eponin, it is with great pride for me to inform you, that you have been selected as the tribe's Weaponmaster." She smiled warmly as she watched Pony's jaw hit the ground.

"Really? Me?" she swallowed audibly.

"Yes. Tonight you will be officially recognized." replied the Queen as she turned to go. She stopped in mid-turn and added..."And by the way...congratulations to you both." She smiled as she walked away.

Terreis rested her arm over Pony's shoulder. "I guess we have her blessing huh?" She giggled. "And you! Congrats! Oh Pony I am so proud of you!" She then threw her arms around her lover's neck and kissed her soundly. Their kiss was interrupted by the slapping of hands on Eponin's back, and the sound of many voices congratulating both them and Eponin for her promotion.

Pony found Terreis's eyes and she mouthed "I love you..." which was returned with a huge smile and twinkling green eyes. 'Can't get any better than this..' thought the weaponmaster as she continued to be hugged and pounded on the back by a now increasing number of her peers. 'But I swear my arm is gonna fall off if this goes on much longer...'
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