Amazon Chief (46 page)

"Then we are agreed," Malora said. "Chief Beria, I will ask you to send a runner to Queen's Town for me. The official story is we are detouring to White Pine to, as Maya suggested, offer condolences for the loss of a friend to the Amazons. I require paper and a few moments. Tamma, you should go pack to be gone for two weeks. We depart as rapidly as you can prepare."

"I can help her," Jasmine offered. The two companions rose to their feet, and then Badra stepped away as well, offering to collect paper.

"Do we need extra horses?" I asked. "Or a cart?"

Maya smiled. "Every companion here is going to ride with her warrior, anyway. We have spare horses. And if we need a cart, we can obtain one. I do not want our ride to White Pine slowed by dragging a cart."

"The return trip will be slow," Malora pointed out. "The girls will not stand long hours in the saddle."

"They'll last longer if we don't let Nori manage them," Maya said, grinning at Nori.

"Hey!" she said. "You promised you'd never throw that in my face again."

"It was just an observation," Maya said. "You know I love you."

"I still have a hard time believing that story," Rora said.

"She threatened to knife me in my sleep, and I knew she
was serious," Nori said in self-defense.

"I was serious, and I would have, too. I'm glad she didn't let me."

Watching the banter, I realized this was what I missed from Queen's Town. The Amazons of Lake Juna may tease each other, but they didn't banter with me. I wondered if the Amazons had teased Malora before Maya came along. I was going to have to ask her.

Malora waited until Tamma and Badra were out of listening range before asking me quietly, "Have you thought this through?"

"Have I made a mistake?"

"I don't know. A lot of growing up happens between eight and twelve. I cannot recall ever having children that young in our forest."

"I remember Lia," Maya said. "You remember her, Malora. You entertained her for an evening."

"Yes, I remember."

"She was the mayors daughter, wasn't she?" Nori said. "I remember two scared girls." She paused. "I remember you, too, Maya. You'd only been with us two or three years by then."

"Well, I remember the two older daughters protecting the two younger children," Maya said. "I wanted both of them so badly, from the first moment I saw them. I believe the girl I saw then would have become a good mother."

"A lot can change as life moves forward," Malora said. "A husband who abandons her, a dominating father and brother -- we don't know what we're getting. Beria, I am backing you, but this would be easier if we'd met with the woman a little more recently."

I smiled. "I bet I have a lot of influence over whether any of them decide the Amazon lifestyle is for her."

Nori chuckled. "As hard as I tried, I couldn't drive Maya away."

"I'd have left in a heartbeat those first several months. I was simply waiting for all of you to turn your backs on me long enough."

"She's a woman in need," Rora said. "Would we turn our backs on her?"

"No," we all said together.

"Beria," Malora said, "I just want you to understand something. To date, you have not had to deal with a discipline issue. Your one companion was far better disciplined than my most recent companion or her sister ever were, and I have not allowed any difficult personalities to come to Lake Juna."

"You need to be firm from the beginning," Nori added.

"Like you were with Maya?" I asked. "How did that work for you?"

"You don't need to be cruel, and never capricious," Rora said. "But Nori is right. Establish clear rules and enforce them. For all three of them."

"And pink hair isn't going to be enough if there's a real discipline problem," Malora said. "That punishment is effective when you are dealing with someone who is consistently doing her best but perhaps needs a reminder who is in charge." She grinned at Maya.

"They may be exactly what I expect," Maya said. "But you need to be prepared."

"All children push boundaries," Rora pointed out. "All three of mine did."

"You did," Maya said. "I, of course, was angelic."

"Yeah, you waited until you became an adult to act out," Nori said.

Malora shook her head. "These two have been sparring for
nearly eighteen years. Neither of them ever wins."

"Oh?" said Maya. "These are training bouts, and Nori knows it."

Malora guffawed. "I believe you may be right, Maya. I hadn't considered that."

"That's why you have me," Maya said with a sweet expression.

At that moment, Badra returned with paper. "I told Glorana and Frida we needed to speak briefly with them before we left." She handed the paper to Malora.

I nodded while Malora began to compose a note. Five minutes later, she was done. She folded it and asked for a candle. Moments later, it was sealed with wax, an impression made from a device she had stored in a pocket.

I'd never seen it before. "May I see that?" I asked.

"This?" she said. She passed it to me. "It leaves an impression in the hot wax. I have the only one, although I suppose if someone wanted, she could make a duplicate.
This isn't a critical letter, or I may have requested a proper envelope. But still, when I sent written orders, I always seal them."

"How often does that happen?"

"Not very often," she said. "Or you'd have seen it by now."

I handed the device back, and she put it away, then handed me the note. "If you will take care of that, we can go see how Tamma is doing."

"They were saddling the horses. We'll be ready to go by the time Beria talks to Glorana and Frida. Queen Malora, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

"You are welcome, Badra," she replied. "But it is your chief who is doing the most. We are just taking a little detour. My companion surely does enjoy browbeating the villages."

Maya sighed. "I wish they would just tithe the way they should. If a quarter of the villages west of the plains tithed like the plains villages did, we would be living in the lap of luxury."

"A continuing problem," Malora said, "one I am sure my successor will continue to fight."

"Successor?" I said. "I hope that is a long time coming, Malora."

"I am old for an Amazon, Beria," she said. "We shall see."

"Well, I am not interested in seeing you retire any time soon," I said. "Grey hair or no grey hair."

"Impudent whelp," she said. "Maya has given me each and every one of those, discounting several that came at your hands."

"What she means to say," Maya said, "is that she has lived happily for the last eighteen years, that I bring her such joy. Isn't that what you meant, Malora?"

"Something like that," she said.

"I think I'll go talk to Frida and Glorana and meet you at the stable."

* * * *

We visited each of the villages, one after the other, staying for an hour or so at some, overnight at others. After leaving each village, Malora and Ralla would grill me mercilessly, making sure I remembered everything I had seen. And then as we approached the next village, they gave me no end of information, and I didn't know how it would all fit in my head at once. Ralla spoke of the past problems she'd had to solve. Malora spoke more to the personalities of the most important people in each village. Jasmine had more to offer from time to time, and Maya certainly had an opinion on some of the villages.

When we stayed overnight, the villages hosted a bonfire, even in the winter chill. Maya brought her fiddle, so she would warm her hands at the fire then carefully remove the instrument and play a while.
Over the years, Maya had become better, and I loved hearing her play. At some villages, the women danced; at others, they sang. And she would always play one or two songs that I knew, asking me to sing with her. I was not proud of my singing voice, but there would always be one or two other Amazons who knew the song, and they would come stand with me, all of us singing together.

I realized that many of the village chiefs had grown old. Perhaps not old, but a few were older than Malora and only a very few were remotely near my age. I asked Malora about that.

"I moved people into place who I trusted," she said. "And then I haven't wanted to let any of them retire. I've had to argue twice with Valan, and the next time she asks, I'm going to have to let her go. That's probably been a mistake, as it's all going to become a problem at the same time, with at least fifteen chiefs already wishing to retire and another ten on their heels. I probably should allow some of them to retire and move their replacements in, but I'm waiting."

"Why?"

"Beria," she said, "Actually, I don't want to answer that."

That was the first time she had ever said that to me. I was surprised. I was more surprised when she said, "And I do not want you to pester anyone else about it." I had known her for seventeen years, and that was the first time she refused to answer a question.

"All right. Of course, Malora," I said.

Our stay in Two Bends was cordial, but Nori told me privately that Maya once had a far friendlier relationship with Chief Loren and her companion, Meena.

"I remember that day we first arrived."

"Maya forgave them for that prank, but they've never been close since. It still tears at Loren and Meena, but no one blames Maya."

"I'll do my job here," I said, "but while Maya may have forgiven them, I don't forget people who hurt my sister. And they hurt her."

"They didn't intend to," Nori said. "It was meant as a prank, trying to out-do Malora."

"It doesn't matter. They hurt my sister. I will not hold it against the village, and neither Chief Loren nor Meena will ever know how I feel, unless they are foolish enough to ask."

Nori nodded. "Times are better," she said. "This village was under stress, and now it has its full complement of Amazons and nearly full companions. During difficult times, judgment
can be affected."

I thought about it. "Tell me. Does Green Arrow receive luxury goods from the tithe?"

Nori laughed. "No."

"Maya has not forgiven the women who hurt me, Nori."

"That was a lot different."

"Different degrees," I said. "I will not punish this village. I will not punish this chief and her companion. But I will not pretend to have forgotten what they have done, either."

She shook her head.

"Am I wrong?" I asked. "Should I great them more warmly than my sister does? It has been fifteen years, and my sister does not go fishing here with Meena. She does not offer to carry water for the garden, and she certainly does not step into the garden. Are you suggesting I make friends with this chief and pick her over my sister? For politics?"

"And when this chief retires, and a new chief rises, perhaps someone who was here that day, and who laughed along with the rest of us. What would you do then? Will you continue to carry a grudge?"

"Does Maya send this village more than its share of salted fish?"

Nori smiled. "Every year, she prepares a single package of salted fish and sends it directly to Loren and Meena with a gentle note of hopes they will enjoy it. You cut to the heart of matters, Beria."

"When you can tell me my reaction is inappropriate, or my sister comes to me and asks me to fully forgive people she has not, then I will amend my behavior."

"If you were queen, what would you do?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said. "It was a prank. I wouldn't punish them. Maya chose not to, and she was the wronged party."

"And if Loren came to you requesting a favor, would you find an excuse to deny it?"

"I would do my best to consider it fairly. I do not know if I would succeed. I would ask your guidance, and my sister's."

She nodded. "One could not ask for more than that," Nori said. She smiled again. "If I tell you a secret, will you keep it to yourself?"

"Not if it is an opportunity to torment my sister."

"It's not. When Malora was first queen, she was frequently the target of pranks. I was not the least of the pranksters. When the pranks were harmless, I did nothing. But there were two pranks that were not harmless. Malora never knew who the perpetrators were, but I did. And ever since, I have done everything to block anything and everything they ever asked of her. They have both since retired, frustrated they did not achieve their ambitions."

"So you do not believe my response is wrong?"

"You are very loyal, Beria, and that pleases me greatly."

"However," I said, "
We should not be driven by these ambitions. We should serve our Amazons sisters the best we can. I have not asked for the duties Malora has given me. I only asked to be allowed to serve her, and all of us, the best way she could use me."

Nori hugged me. "You and me both, Beria." She paused. "If you were queen, and your companion were treated to the prank Maya receive, what would you have done?"