by Robin Roseau
"There is perhaps precedent for the latter. And no, she does not say. She only asks to come visit, and it is only a hint that she wishes the visit to be longer than a week or a month. She did say, 'Aside from my daughters, I have no life here'."
"You have another sister, and a brother?"
"Yes. My brother was a good boy, but he has become a man much like our father. I believe this is the basis for her desire to leave. Chief Beria, my brother would let her come to visit, but he would perhaps attempt to block an attempt to move."
"Does he have power?"
"My father was the mayor for a long time. Arden does not have that power, but he has the power of a brother over a sister."
"That has power?"
"In White Pine, it does."
"And so, we need more than a minor escort?"
"I do not think so, but perhaps."
"All right. Anything else?"
"My sister is an excellent cook."
I laughed. "Was that a bribe?"
"Yes."
"If they come to visit, they visit us as honorary Amazons," I stated. "They will train, but train lightly. If they choose to stay, they may still train lightly, but they will train properly."
"I have other favors."
"Of course."
"Do not separate us, Lia and me."
"Of course not."
"If they choose to remain, they may need their own hut. Badra will allow them to visit, even an extended visit, but I do not believe I can ask her to accept two young girls and my sister in a one room hut."
"I imagine that would dampen your relationship. Tamma, you bring puzzles to solve, but I do not believe they are difficult puzzles. However, I believe this is important enough I must ask Queen Malora to become involved."
She pulled away and I saw her smile. "Why do you think I came to you now rather than waiting three weeks?"
* * * *
In the morning two days later, Malora, Maya, Ralla, Jasmine, and, to my pleasure, Nori and Rora rode into Lake Juna. I was very pleased to see all of them. I was ready to go, but I asked Malora if we could speak first. "And actually, I think I need all of you, and we need Badra and Tamma as well."
"I wanted to see her," Maya said. "I remember her mother and wanted to offer my condolences."
"How long will this take?"
"Possibly only a few minutes," I said. "It may be that I will present a puzzle to you, and you will want to solve it immediately or use the time on the trail to discuss solutions."
"Ooh, Maya, your sister brings us a puzzle," Malora said. "Perhaps solving it will occupy your thoughts during the trip."
"Nori, are you attending our trip?"
"I am," she said.
We released their horses and pack animals into the paddock, not bothering to relieve them of their burdens, although Maya settled her staff into place on her back. I hugged everyone, and Malora asked for a tour of the village before we talked.
"And I believe we have cider warming for you," I said. And so I offered a tour, ending at the dining hall. Morning training was about to start, so after Malora greeted everyone, speaking with them for a few moments, we sent them on their way, retaining Badra and Tamma. The companions served cider to all of us, and we took seats.
"So, this puzzle," Malora said.
I explained as succinctly as I could.
Malora frowned, and I feared she was unhappy. "I am quite disappointed, Beria," she said.
"I am sorry, Queen Malora. I thought it would be okay."
"Well, of course it's okay," she said. "Here I thought you were presenting a real challenge, and instead you offer something so easy to solve. I had thought we would give something for Maya to chew over for days and days."
"My apologies, Queen Malora," I said. "I did not recognize this goal. I shall strive harder next time."
"See that you do."
"Well, perhaps I will summarize," Malora said. "Lia wishes to visit. She comes with two daughters, somewhat young to be Amazons. It is undetermined at this time the duration of the visit, and Lia herself may not know how long she wishes to remain. There may be some interference in an attempt to leave White Pine, especially if it looks like she is attempting to leave permanently. And, of course, she would need a proper escort."
"And there is the matter of housing, if her stay becomes extended."
"And her status, and that of her children," Malora added. She turned to my sister. "Maya, did you wish to solve this puzzle now or discuss it at length?"
Maya elbowed her warrior. "We could change our spring recruitment plan to cover the northern areas," Maya said, "collecting Lia on our way through White Pine. But there are difficulties."
She looked around at us.
"Oh, come on," she said after a moment. "One of you must see the difficulties?"
"I do, of course," Malora said. "I am the queen. I see everything. But I did not want to steal the puzzle from anyone else."
Maya chuckled. "Uh huh. Right."
"If we wait until the spring drive, that is still some months off, and while Tamma hasn't clearly said so, I believe a more timely solution is requested."
Tamma didn't say anything, but her posture suggested I was correct.
"Also," I added, "if we acquire Lia during a recruitment drive, it may look like we are recruiting her, which could lead to other difficulties."
"Yes," said Maya. "And we were just there two years ago. We haven't been to the southeast coast in five, and they have been slacking off. I wanted to go glare at them in person."
Nori chuckled. "No one glares quite like our little Maya."
"Well then, Maya," Malora said, "did you care to try another solution?"
"I know what I want to do," Maya said. "I don't know if you'll like it."
Malora smiled. "You know I am helpless to resist anything you desire, Maya."
"Let's go get her. Now. Queen Malora can visit White Pine to offer condolences to the town for the loss of a friend of the Amazons."
Tamma's smile was all the answer I needed to know what she preferred.
"Keep going, Maya," Malora said.
"We're already heading north. Let's go to North Glen as planned. Then we detour to White Pine. Grab Lia and her daughters and bring them back with us. Then finish our tour to the south. We'll need to warn those villages we'll be a week or ten days later than planned. And while we're there, let's browbeat more building materials from them. As long as we're there and all that." She turned to Rora. "Do we ask too much from them?"
"Good goddess, no," Rora replied. "I suggested we start our own mill here, but-" Then she broke off. "Um. Malora said 'no'."
I thought there was a longer answer than that. Everyone else seemed to know what they were talking about, but if they didn't want to share with me, that was fine.
"My point is this: White Pine is only sending us a few trees worth of lumber each year. Yes, they mill and dry the lumber for us, and that has additional value. Even the years we've asked the most from them, they do not tithe to the same level the villages closer to home do. Howard's Den devotes a significant amount of attention to helping the Amazons, and in White Pine, we don't even rate an afterthought. Go tell them what you want and tell them to be happy we don't leave someone there to check their books."
"If we ask for material for one hut, the brother will know why," I said.
"So we'll ask for enough for ten," Maya said.
"Demand, Maya," Rora said.
"So fierce," Maya said with a grin. "Perhaps we should let you negotiate for us."
"Twenty huts, coming right up," Rora replied, matching Maya's grin.
Malora looked around, checking consensus, before turning to Badra. "Can you tear yourself away for, hmm. Perhaps two weeks? Lia may need some time before she could leave."
I raised my hand, causing Malora to laugh. "Yes, Chief Beria?"
"Whose responsibility is it to coordinate with Queen's Town and Black Oak if we just caused a patrol scheduling difficul
ty?"
"Yours," she said.
"Queen Malora, as the chief of Queen's Town, if we just caused a scheduling difficulty, may we turn to Queen's Town for assistance?"
She laughed. "Of course. And we can coordinate with Valan in another few hours." She looked at Badra. "Coming with us?"
Tamma looked at her warrior, and I knew immediately the answer.
"Yes," Badra said, laughing. "But now we have just given Glorana and Frida a puzzle to solve, as neither Beria or I will be here to handle it."
"As for the rest of the puzzle," Malora said, "this would be difficult if there were male children, but as there are only girls, there is little complication. Chief Beria, I give you permission to offer honorary Amazon status to whomever you wish, but if the stay looks to become permanent, they must offer pledge as true Amazons. They will be trained as appropriate. I will not force Lia to become a warrior's companion, but if the daughters are still here at fourteen, it will be complicated if they do not pledge to a warrior. I would not necessarily evict them, but it would be simpler if there were no uncomfortable questions to answer. We do not acquire camp followers."
"Tamma? Do you care for this solution?"
"Yes," she said. "I do not profess to know my sister's heart, and this may turn into a wasted trip. She may have changed her mind by the time we arrive."
"Twenty huts," Rora said. "I would love material for twenty huts. Is that sufficient reason to detour?"
Malora and Maya communed with a glance. "Yes," they said together.
"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 gi
ven 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.
