Amazon Challenge (10 page)

"I want to see my daughters!" she demanded.

"Of course," I replied. "We have kept them entertained."

"Where did they sleep last night?" she asked.

"They couldn't have been safer. Would you care to see?"

"Yes."

I led the woman to our pavilion. We had made the girls roll up their bedrolls themselves, so I pointed to the two piles of bedding. "They slept in here. The queen and I kept guard over them in the outer room."

"Was a guard necessary?" she asked through narrowed eyes.

"Not from anyone here," I replied. "But they are young girls and may have needed a guard from their own mischief or perhaps someone who wishes your husband ill."

"Oh." She paused. "Thank you. Were they warm?"

"Warm and dry," I reported. "Dry has been a challenge on this trip."

She nodded understanding. "It's been wet here." She paused. "I suppose that's harder for you than for us."

"It's hardest for farmers," I pointed out. "Did you have other questions?"

"My daughters have had an easy life here," she said, "and would not be accustomed to how an Amazon is required to live."

"I was ill-suited to this life as well," I said. "I have learned. Your daughters seem very resilient, far more than I was. That is the wrong reason for them to remain behind."

"Then what is the right reason?"

"Because they do not wish to do their duty," I said calmly, "and would prefer to leave it to others."

She pursed her lips, but didn't argue with me. "I would see them now. I brought clothing with me for them."

I nodded. "Leave it here. They will need to bathe before the party, and they can change in here when done." I took it from her and set it aside, then I took her arm and led her to her children.

Someone had loaned them Amazon clothing; I hadn't seen
whom. And their hair was braided in the Amazon style. Their own mother didn't recognize her own daughters until we drew closer. She stared. Tamma was sitting in the grass with several of the warriors while Lia was squared off, facing Nori and holding a staff.

"What's going on?"

"Training," I said.

She looked at me. "You're taking them with you!"

"It will be their choice. I did not know they had changed clothes." I turned back. "They look good, don't they?"

"Please don't take my little girls with you."

"It will be their choice," I said again. "We need new companions. We need future warriors. This is not something we do because we want to. We do not want to take children from their homes. We have little choice, or eventually there will be no Amazons to fight the demons. Do you want the demons to knock on your front door instead?"

"That warrior is going to hurt Lia," the woman said.

I watched. Nori was being far kinder with Lia than she'd ever been with me.

"That's Nori," I said, "our best trainer. The only way your daughter is going to get hurt is if she twists an ankle. Even I could spar with your daughter without hurting her."

"Even you?"

"I am the least of our fighters," I said, "discounting the younger girls."

"The least? But-"

"Yes," I said. "Your husband
's toughs. The worst of the Amazons took them on, two to one, and beat them without severely hurting them. I did have to rap a set of knuckles when one pulled a knife, but that was the worst." I nodded. "Nori is teaching her how to hold the staff, how to swing with control, and how to block. They are going at half speed."

"That's half speed?" she asked after a series of blows and counter-blows.

"Your daughter is doing well," I said. "She's perhaps at full speed. Nori, however, is not."

"I don't believe you."

"I see." I stepped forward, the woman with me. "Hold!" I called out.

Nori blocked another swing and stepped back. "That means stop, Lia," she said.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Lia, your mother would like a real demonstration," I said. I stepped forward, taking the staff from her. "Sit with your sister."

She turned around and saw her mother and ran to her instead, offering a sweaty hug. Then both girls were there, babbling excitedly at their mother. After a moment, they pulled her to the grass between them, the warriors making room for them to sit together. The woman looked at the grass gingerly, but she allowed her daughters to draw her to the ground.

I turned to Nori. "Full speed, please pull your strikes."

She nodded. I hefted the staff and said, "Fight."

She waited for me. I paused only a moment, then I flew at her, striking quickly. Of course, she fended off all my swings, and I did all my tricks to try to poke my way through to her. I was able to block her initial counter-swings, but then she caught me in the chest with a thrust, knocking me backwards.

There was a gasp from behind me. I didn't let them see me rub my chest, giving Nori a dirty look.

"You leaned into it," she said.

"Point for Nori," I said loudly, lifting my staff. "Fight."

Nori was able to pull most of her strokes, although I took one more bruise. Finally I stood there, panting. "Zero to five," I said. "Nori wins."

I turned around. Everyone was watching. The warriors, I'm sure, were analyzing my technique and certainly finding it lacking. The girls looked amazed. Their mother sat there, stunned. "You're the worst here?" she asked.

"Nori just beat me five to nothing," I said. "But she's almost the best."

"Almost?"

"Queen Malora is better," Nori said. "And with the staff, a few others. With the staff, Maya is not the worst; she is better than some of our warriors. But she is nearly hopeless with a sword. We do not use staffs against demons, but they are very handy against bandits, and it is easier to teach."

"I want to point out that we were fighting at full speed, but Nori has such control that when she did hit me, they were only taps." I paused. "Well, I was at full speed. Nori was probably not."

There were a few chuckles.

Warina looked a little pale. "May I have a few minutes with my daughters?"

"Nori can you spare them for a few minutes?"

"Only a few," she replied, turning to face me and letting me catch the glint in her eye.

I looked back at Warin
a and held the staff out, trading the practice staff for my weapon. I shrugged it into place. "You can have some privacy in our pavilion." I helped her to her feet and hooked her arm in mine, pulling her along. The girls hopped up and followed, jabbering about what they had been doing so far this morning.

Lia was of the age where she thought she should play things cool and not let the adults know she was excited by something, but Tamma hadn't hit that age, and even Lia was clearly excited by the morning activities. I could feel Warina stiffening beside me, but she didn't accost me for tempting her daughters. Instead, she quietly pleaded, "Please don't take them both."

"It will be their decision," I repeated again. "That is a better choice than most of the rest of us received. In the villages further east, the young girls compete for the honor of becoming Amazons."

"Then take them!"

"My words exactly, three years ago. If we take all their young girls, there would soon be no older girls to become wives and mothers."

"They would all go?"

"Most, yes. Far too many for the villages to survive."

We reached the pavilion. I opened the tent flap and held it open. "Warina, we have been honest with them. Will you be?"

She looked me in the eye. "I am not here to convince them of one choice or another."

I nodded, closed the flap, and stepped away, standing guard.

* * * *

The party that evening was actually pleasant, in spite of distrustful looks from the villagers. Upon arriving, I told Lia and Tamma they must tell us if anyone was missing. They both looked around, and then they looked uncomfortable. Their expression told me everything I needed to know. I looked around myself for confirmation,
then said, "Your cousins?"

They both nodded.

"All right. Anyone else?"

They traded names back and forth, then after exchanging a name, they looked around, finally identifying the person in question. "We think that's everyone," Lia finally said, "all the girls we can think of."

"Thank you. Have you two decided what you want to do?"

"Would we live with you and Malora?" Tamma asked.

"You would live with your warrior. The warriors here today are from many villages. Nori is the only warrior from Queen's Town."

"Nori is scary," Lia said.

I sighed. She was, but I wished she didn't keep scaring the companions.

"Mother told us it would break her heart if we both went with you," Lia said. "I will let my sister decide. If she chooses to go with you, then I must stay."

Tamma looked surprised. She hugged Lia. She looked at me hopefully. "May I go?"

"It is your choice," I said. "We would love to call you an Amazon."

"I'd be an Amazon?"

"Fro
m the moment you leave with us. There is a ceremony when we get back, but you would be an Amazon right away and would be expected to behave like one."

"I could go tomorrow? I don't have to wait? No more school?"

I smiled. "Training instead, and Nori went easy on you today."

"It was fun!" she said.

"It won't always be fun. Sometimes it is very hard, and sometimes you get bruises. I got two bruises in my fight with Nori today."

Lia cocked her head. "Are you trying to convince her to change her mind?"

"No. I want her to know there will be a challenge. I think you're up to it, Tamma. I think you would both make very good companions."

Tamma looked uncertain. "I am supposed to pick a warrior?"

"You are supposed to talk to a warrior and you pick each other. She must decide she wants you, and you must decide if you want her."

"I liked Badra. And Gini was funny. I would like either of them."

I had already asked both of them about the girls, and they were both keen.

"Well then, let's go talk to them." I turned to Lia. "I would like you to stay for the party.
Tonight, perhaps you can talk to your friends that are here and share with them your thoughts."

Tamma looked at me with her brow furrowed. "Will I see my family again?"

"Yes," I said, "but I do not know when." I smiled. "Do you know the word 'negotiation'?"

"That means when you want something, and you trade for it."

"Something like that," I told her. "I think it is time you learn how to negotiate. Will you trust me?"

"All right," she said.

I put my arm around her and looked for Gini and Badra. I caught Gini's eye and gestured with my head. She nodded, and then I lead Tamma to Badra. Lia wandered off, and I saw her a few minutes later speaking with some of the other girls.

"Hello again, Tamma," Badra said. She smiled and looked at me. "Will there be dancing later?"

"Yes," I said. "If the villagers don't have music, I brought my fiddle."

"Tamma, would you dance with me later?"

"I don't know how to dance," she said.

"I can teach you," Badra replied.

"Teach her what?" Gini asked.

"How to dance," Badra said.

"I have something else we need to discuss. Tamma is considering becoming a companion. She wonders if either of you would like to be her warrior, but she also has a few concerns."

Badra and Gini both exchanged looks, and I could see the excitement in both of them. I wished I had a companion for each of them.

"What concerns?" Gini asked.

"She would like to know what assurances are available for how often her warrior would bring her to see her family."

Neither of them looked happy. They weren't expecting that question, and when Tamma was looking at Badra, Gini gave me a dirty look.

"That's a tough one," Badra said. "I'd like to say we would come a few times a year, but I don't think that's a promise I could keep."

"You understand, Tamma," Gini said, "if we leave, then our Amazon sisters must cover our duties for us. It is difficult to be gone too often."

The girl looked down. "I understand."

"I can try to make it every year," Gini said. "But I don't know if I can promise that. I want to see my family, too, and they live in the south. I only see them every three or four years."

"I am sure Tamma wants to see her family more often than every four years," I said.
"I believe she wants a promise to come back to White Pine no less often than every other year with a real effort to make it every year."

I was putting both women on the spot. I wanted to see what they did about it.