Amazon Chief (58 page)

"Yes," Maya said. "They do."

"We have been punished long enough," Senai said. "Especially as most of us here were not involved."

"You already know my opinion on that last part," Maya said. "As for being punished long enough, I will make you a promise. When the marks finish fading from my sister's back, then I will include the remaining goods you would like to receive. If they never fade, then when the last woman who helped Parlomith is dead and buried, I will forgive this village."

Senai glared then turned to Queen Malora. "Are you going to let her continue to do this?"

"Maya coordinates the distribution of the tithe," Malora said. "Fifteen years ago, I did not allow her the vengeance she demanded, but I also told her I would not interfere if she kept luxury goods from you. She is quite steadfast in assuring you receive the goods you need. I will add you receive as many goods now as you did in the years immediately preceding the event in question. Any increase in our tithes is due to her efforts, and I am not going to second guess what she does with them."

"Then I challenge you!" Senai screamed.

Everyone stood up, all at once. I didn't think it was an expected reaction. Malora was about to answer, but I reached over and set a hand on her arm.

"No," I said. "I was the injured party. Does anyone deny that?" No one said a word. "My sister does this for me. If you want to challenge anyone, it is I. If you win, Maya will forgive the village of the events from fifteen years ago, and she will share the tithe fairly, more or less. Agreed, Maya?"

"Agreed," she said.

"If I win, you will agree to carefully consider Maya's earlier suggestions. Furthermore, if you enact her suggestions wholeheartedly, and the situation for companions living in Green Arrow improves dramatically, then in three years, Maya will forgive you. And all your problems will, over time, resolve themselves."

Senai didn't answer right away.

"The other choice," I said, "is to challenge the queen of the Amazons to a death match. She will accept and demand you appear in Queen's Town one month from today. We know what happened the last time someone from Green Arrow did that, and at that time, the woman involved had at least a little support from the other village chiefs. How much support do you believe you have? Do you really think you will be our queen? I guarantee you will not leave the Queen's Town training circle with air in your lungs."

Senai still didn't answer.

"You have your choices," Malora said calmly. "Challenge me, and it will be as Chief Beria indicates. Challenge Beria, but it will not be to the death, and if you maim or kill her, I will have you whipped to death. She has suffered enough at the hands of this village. Or drop this entirely. It is your choice, Senai."

Senai still didn't answer.

Maya spoke. "Senai, you did not make this situation. You are doing your best. I do not wish violence between Amazons. The real foe comes from the east. And so I will meet you part way. Back down. Enact my suggestions or come to me with others to consider. If I am satisfied, and with Chief Beria's approval, I will slowly, over time, begin to forgive this village."

Senai looked at Malora. "I would be a poor queen." She looked to me. "I have not seen you fight."

"Nor I, you," I said. I shrugged. "Unless you want this a death match, there is little harm necessary. I would not choose to kill an Amazon, but if that is what you want." I shrugged again. "It sounds pretty stupid to me."

"Is it your intention to punish this village as well?" Senai asked.

"No. My duties are to facilitate our war with the demons. I would do nothing to cripple our ability to do so. And my sister has not crippled you, either. You have done so yourself. She simply refuses to reward you for doing so." I shrugged a third time. "Perhaps you see it differently. We can settle this on the training grounds, although all that will prove is that I am a better warrior than you are."

I caught Nori's smile.

"I grew frustrated and heated," Senai said. "I withdraw the challenge and apologize for my behavior."

"Very good," I said. I took my seat, and slowly, so did everyone else.

"I will consider your advice," Senai added, looking at Maya. "I do not believe I am thinking clearly enough to do so at this time."

Maya nodded.
"It is not easy for me to come here. If you wish to discuss this issue in greater depth, we may do so back in Queen's Town. There may be value in seeing how other villages conduct themselves." She paused. "I do not wish to belabor the points I've made, although I feel while you may understand my words, you perhaps do not understand the feelings behind them."

"You are a companion," Senai observed. "Your perspective will be different from that of a warrior."

"I am not only a companion," Maya replied. "I am the senior companion, and the well being of all companions is my responsibility. I also do not care for the phrase, 'only a companion'. If companions have such little value, why are you so upset that I do not help you obtain them?"

Senai studied her for a moment before responding.
"You make good points, Queen's Companion." She turned to Malora. "Did we have more to discuss? If so, I would like a short break."

"This trip was to provide an introduction to Beria," Malora said. "It became something else, but I think this conversation needed to happen. You have met Beria and seen perhaps a glimpse of her composition."

"And you have a long ride to Broken Knife."

They both stood up, and a few minutes later found us back at the stable. The companions collected our horses, and soon we were on our way. We rode about a mile before Malora halted and climbed from her horse.

"Chief Beria, please dismount."

I slipped from my horse, and a moment later Rora was there, holding the reins. I turned to Malora, and seconds later she pulled me into a tight hug. Maya joined the hug and whispered to me, "Thank you."

Nori stepped over, and all she said was, "Malora, you were right."

"Of course I was," Malora said.

"About what?" I asked.

"You."

"Going to add to that?" I asked.

"No," Malora said. "We aren't."

It was nice to be home at Lake Juna.
The weather had turned wet and muddy during the last day or so of our trip, early spring having arrived. The opportunity to be clean and dry was welcome. I was greeted warmly, and cries of "Chief Beria! Chief Beria!" never grew old.

Glorana and Frida had done a good job taking care of things while I was gone.
There were a few minor issues requiring my attention, but my village did well running itself. Badra hadn't yet moved me back onto the patrol schedule. She and Tamma were out on patrol, and I didn't want to meddle with her duty to manage the schedule, so I could look forward to at least a few days of peace and quiet.

Which was good. I wanted to see for myself how our three newest members were settling. I first asked Glorana and Frida about it.

"It appears, well," Frida said. "They used your hut while you were gone." I could tell. There were subtle signs: my chest in a slightly different location from where I kept it, the bed made up differently than I had left it. I didn't mind. If I had, I wouldn't have offered the hut in the first place. "They've been attending training, but we have been gentle on them so far. Lia applies herself, although her stamina on our runs has been low. The girls see it as a game. We haven't knocked any sense into them yet, but I believe you will need to."

I nodded. I would talk to Lia about it. I couldn't let them disrupt our training, after all, and so they must fit in. I'd wait until I'd witnessed it myself before saying anything to her.

"Lia has taken over as head cook," Glorana, "tentatively, subject to your approval."

"How is she doing?"

"It took her a couple of days to grow accustomed to our requirements," Frida replied. "But the past week, she's done very well."

"We've made sure she's had help. The companions all seem to like her. Yalta has been complimentary."

"And the girls?"

Glorana smiled. "They're very endearing." Glorana was typically rather gruff, so to see her heart warmed said something. "They have perhaps a little more influence on training than is wise, and they are learning they can wrap their newfound older sisters around their fingers with a dimpled smile and pleading look."

"What my sister means to say," said Frida, "is that they have wrapped her around their fingers. When the weather has been good, she has been teaching them to ride."

Glorana shrugged and offered a sheepish expression.

"Do they help with chores?"

"They assist their mother," Frida said. I nodded. That was probably what
I should expect at least for another year or two.

"Lia insisted on being taught all the chores of a companion," Glorana reported. "Yalta added her to the schedule."

"In addition to kitchen duty?"

"Yes," said Frida, "but she has a reduced schedule for the other duties. We did not interfere."

Nor would I.

"All right," I said after a moment. "Anything else?"

"Well," Frida said, "You haven't told us about your trip. Nor have you explained why your hair is this color."

I laughed. "The rest of the wager I lost when Nori put me in my place. I am obligated to return to Queen's Town for refreshing as needed. You will all see me coming
, even in the dark, for at least the next month."

"We have heard stories of this hair color," Frida said, "but we did not realize it could be made so shocking."

"Oh, you haven't seen a thing," I said with a grin. I reached behind my head and began pulling out the braid, finally letting my hair settle over my shoulders. They both stared.

"Oh, my," Glorana said.

"Queen Malora was quite amused," I said, "as was my sister. She was probably remembering the last time her hair was this color."

"I hope you weren't planning on going hunting," Frida said. "The game will see you for miles."

We grinned at each other.

I wore my hair down for the rest of the day, earning a variety of comments, most of them fairly reserved. But
at dinner, when Lia saw my hair, she began laughing, and her girls thought it was the funniest thing they've ever seen.

"I wouldn't laugh too loudly," I said to them. "I dare say each of you will wear this color at some point or another."

"I do not believe I shall be so foolish as to make such a wager," Lia said.

"Perhaps not, but this also tends to be an effective punishment for more amusing violations of the rules, and everyone needs to be reminded of the rules from time to time."

"You wouldn't!" Lia said.

"Break a rule and you'll see," I said.

"And what happens when you break a rule?" Lia asked. "Do we all punish you?"

"I make the rules," I replied. "And so the only way I get punished is when Queen Malora catches me."

"Or if Beria's sister catches her," Aura chimed in. "Maya complains to the queen, and the queen comes up with something amusing."

"Pshaw," I said. "T
hat hasn't happened in- Hmm. When was it?"

"Last summer," Aura supplied. "You went out and checked rabbit snares."

"Why would checking rabbit snares get her into trouble?" Lia asked.

"They were her sister's snares," Aura supplied.

"Technically, they were snares shared by all the companions of Queen's Town."

"What happened?" Lia asked.

"Yes, Chief Beria," Aura asked. "You came back with the most amusing decoration upon your face, but you never told us the entire story."

I sighed. "I'd been stealing their rabbits for a week. I was trying to get Maya to come up and complain. She hadn't been by to visit for a while. Instead, every companion in Queen's Town laid in wait for me near one of their snares.
Their warriors actually let them skip training that afternoon, so they were earlier than they would usually be checking snares. They caught me and returned me to Queen's Town for justice."

Aura smiled. "Skipping a portion of the story?"

I glared at her. "And just how do you know that?"

"You don't really believe I haven't heard the story from the other side, do you?"

I sighed again. "They set a snare for me," I said. "I couldn't tell you why she has it, but Maya has a fishing net. They had it laid out along the path to several of their snares, the ones that had been most productive for me. It's a steep path in a couple of places, so I had to leave my horse and walk. I had no warning at all; they had disguised the net in the dirt. Suddenly the net sprang up around me and I found myself hoisted from the ground. Moments later, the forest was alive with laughter. I pulled out my knife and was going to cut myself free, but from below me, my sister said, 'Cut one strand and they'll drop you.' I was a good six or eight feet off the ground at the time, and I didn't care to drop that distance while tangled in a net."