by Robin Roseau
"All right," Omie said. "Enough. She needs to think about her vows."
"I've thought about them for years," I said. "I remember the ones you shared with me."
"Those won't work," Malora said. "You need something that includes Joelle and Annalise. They get to hear those. Then you need a second set for Lia alone."
They helped me work on them. We were just finishing when there was a knock at the door. "It's time," came Rora's voice.
We rose to our feet, and then Nori and Omie took my arms.
"Seriously?"
Omie grinned. "I'm having fun. Aren't you?"
* * * *
I stared at Lia. She was waiting for me in the baths. They had taken her clothes. Maya met me outside. "Her shift is waiting with your new clothes. Leave these behind and we'll retrieve them later."
"They told me to stand here for you," she said.
I stepped into her arms, but she shied away. "Uh huh. Get rid of those. They're cold." She pointed to my leathers then helped me slip out of them. She folded them for me and set them aside. Then she pulled me into her arms. "Much better."
But then I helped her into the first tub, climbing in behind her.
"I should bathe you," she said.
"Not tonight," I said. "I will bathe you then myself. Then we rinse in the next tub, and we have a few minutes to cuddle before I dry you and help you dress."
"They took my clothes."
"They left something else," I said. I gathered the soap and took my time bathing her. I pulled her hair from its braid and washed it as well.
"It will be wet."
"Did they tell you to obey me tonight?" I asked.
She sighed. "Yes. Don't get too used to it."
"Did they tell you to complain?"
She laughed. "No."
Once she was bathed, I quickly bathed myself then helped her to her feet and into the second tub. We rinsed, and I used the dipper to rinse her hair. Then I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against me, leaning back in the warm water. I nuzzled her ear.
"Thank you, Lia," I said. "I love you."
She clasped my arms and lay against me more completely. We held each other for a while, but then it was time to dry.
"I could stay here all night," she said.
"And miss the next part?" I said.
We dried each other. I spent time on her hair then gathered a brush and brushed it out.
"It's still wet. Braid it."
"No. Let it hang," I said. "But you braid mine."
"That hardly seems fair."
"Lia-"
"Fine," she said. "Turn around."
She took her time braiding my hair, and then when she was done, I found the simple sheath and settled it over her. I dressed in my best leathers.
"Where are my boots?" she asked.
I hadn't brought anything for her feet, but Maya had a pair of slippers waiting. I slipped them onto Lia's feet.
"No more questions now," I said.
"All right, Beria," she said.
We stepped out of the baths, and we were expected. The companions took Lia from me, and then I was surrounded by my three warriors. Lia disappeared in one direction, and they took me in another.
"So, did she argue with you?" Nori asked.
"Oh yeah."
She laughed. "Sure you want this one? We can find someone who will be a little more complacent."
"That sounds boring," I said.
They led me to the small opening in the forest where we held our companion rituals every spring. I hadn't been here in years, not since becoming chief at Lake Juna. There was a fire going, which we didn't always do, and most of the Amazons were waiting for us.
Lia entered from the other side, Aren and Tamma holding her arms and Maya leading. And in the middle, standing before the fire, were Joelle and Annalise. I was pleased to see Yalta, Lin and Rahna with them. The girls were dressed in their own white shifts. I hadn't thought to bring something for them, but Maya always thought of everything.
Malora turned to me and smiled. "You wait here." When Omie and Nori kept possession of my arms, I probably would have figured that out. But then she and Maya nodded to each other, and the two of them stepped forward, meeting together in the middle.
Malora looked around. "Hello, Amazons!" she said firmly.
"Hello, Queen Malora," was the response. "Hello, Maya."
"We have a somewhat unusual ceremony tonight," Malora said. She turned to look at me. "We have this woman, this Amazon warrior, who I love like a sister." She smiled. "Or sometimes like a daughter. It can be difficult for me to decide." She earned some laughter for that. I wiped away a tear. "She is known by all here and loved by many of us."
Then Maya spoke. "Here we have a relative newcomer to our forest, born-sister to one of our own. A year ago, she asked permission to join us. We opened our homes, our arms, and our hearts to Lia and her daughters, Joelle and Annalise. They have each captivated us with their smiles, their laughter and, yes, from time to time, their pranks. They may not be known be as many here, but you can see in the way our sisters treat them, if they haven't captivated you yet, they are going to. Give it time."
"Maya," Annalise asked, "What does captivated mean?"
Maya crossed the space and put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Oh, you see?" she said. "She asked the schoolteacher to teach her." She smiled into Annalise's eyes. "Do you know the word 'charmed'?" Annalise nodded. "It means charmed, but even more so."
"Oh," said Annalise. She grinned. "You like us."
"Yes, Annalise, I like you."
"I like you, too, Maya."
There was a collective "aww" as the girl reached forward and hugged Maya.
Malora stepped forward. "These girls represent a complication to our lifestyle, but who could possibly turn them away?"
"It's not our turn to talk," Joelle said, sotto voce to her sister. "We're supposed to be quiet until it's our turn."
Malora chuckled, and Maya disengaged from Annalise's hug. Yalta put her hands on the girl's shoulders, pulling her back a half step into position next to her sister again.
"Please, will you let Aren and me babysit?" Omie whispered.
"Any time," I said. "Or. Um. Ask their mother?"
She smiled and squeezed my arm.
"So," Malora said. "Where were we? Oh, right." She gestured towards me. "This warrior has invited this woman to become her companion, but rather than taking a companion into her home and her heart, she invites three."
"And as I understand it," Maya added, "My sister is actually invited into their home."
"Although, it's a home Beria gave them in the first place," Malora said. "It's all very confusing, isn't it?" She smiled and allowed the chuckles. "And so, we have a joining of four hearts and two homes into one collective family."
As she always did, Malora was walking back and forth, talking to everyone assembled. But when she finished, she stood in front of the girls. Then she turned to me. "Beria, village chief of Lake Juna, patrol coordinator, warrior of the Amazons, friend to all who are here tonight, sister of my companion, daughter-"
"And sister-" Maya inserted.
"-of my heart," Malora continued. "You have invited this mother and her daughters into your heart and into your home. Is it still your wish to do so?"
"It is, Queen Malora," I stated.
"Then step forward," she ordered, indicating a point for me to take. Omie and Nori released my arms, and I crossed the circle to stand where Malora had indicated.
Then Maya turned to Lia. "Lia, mother of these girls, sister to the one who stands beside you, friend to many here, Beria has invited you and your daughters into her heart and into her home. Is it your desire to accept?"
"It is, Maya," Lia said.
"Then step forward," Maya said, and she pointed to a space for Lia. Lia stepped forward, taking her place.
"Let us hold hands," Malora said. She reached for mine. I reached for Joelle's, and around the circle, we six of us held
hands. Malora turned to me. "Beria, have you prepared vows?"
"I have, Queen Malora."
"Then before all those assembled, will you offer your vows?"
I smiled. "I will." I turned to Lia, and I saw her and the girls turn to face me. "Lia, I have asked you to become my companion, and there will be much for us to share. But I have also asked to join your family of three, and you have accepted. And so I offer these promises. I will love you, all three of you, from now until my last breath. I will protect you and provide for you. With your permission, I will serve as a second mother to Joelle and Annalise. I will teach them and train them, gently for now, but as a warrior teaches and trains a companion. I will share my knowledge and wisdom, my firm hugs and my watchful eyes. With your permission, I will help to kiss away their tears and drive away their fears."
Maya waited to be sure I was done, then she looked at Lia. "Lia, Beria has offered vows. Do you accept her vows, and do you have your own?"
"Yes, Maya," she said. "I accept her vows, and yes, I have my own." Lia paused. "But I find I must think on my feet."
There were some chuckles.
"Beria, you have asked permission for much. I was not expecting everything you said." Her voice broke, and she dropped Maya's hand to brush away a tear, then took Maya's hand again. "Yes," she said. "Yes. Yes."
She paused, and there was a roar of approval.
Then Lia took a breath, held it, then began to speak again. "Beria. You helped to rescue me from a difficult situation, and from the first day we met, you have been our champion. You requested room be made for us amongst the Amazons, and you ensured us a home. For a year you have protected us and taught us. You have already been serving as chief and warrior to my daughters and me. And so, I vow to love you, to accept you into my family of three, now a family of four. I will share my daughters with you, both the good that we have seen tonight, and the bad that comes along from time to time as well."
There were more snickers.
"I will listen to your wisdom and share my own. Together, the three of us will provide a safe haven for your heart and for your soul."
Malora waited to be sure she was done, then she turned to the girls. "Annalise, you are the youngest of this family. Beria has asked to become a part of this family with your sister and your mother, and your mother has accepted. But we are Amazons, and we would hear what you have to say."
Annalise listened to her, then cocked her head. "My turn?" she asked.
"Yes," Malora said with a smile.
She dropped hands with Lia and Joelle and turned to me, walking forward to stand in front of me, looking up with a beatific smile.
"You're our mama now, too."
"Yes, Annalise," I said. "How do you feel about that?"
"I promise to try to be good," she said. "And when Mama is too busy to hug you, you may hug me." Then in emphasis, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around my middle, squeezing me tightly. I dropped the hands on either side and wrapped my arms around her.
There was another collective, "aww" from everyone assembled.
It was a heartfelt hug from both of us, and then she pulled away. "Was that long enough?" she asked.
"That was wonderful," I told her.
She stepped backwards, almost tripping over Malora, but the queen caught her and helped her move into her position in the circle. We collected hands again, and then Maya said, "Joelle, you are the eldest daughter, and so we have asked for your patience. Beria wishes to join this family. We would now hear what you have to say."
Joelle stared at the ground for a moment, then she looked up, first with a glance to her mother, who nodded to her, then she looked at me.
"Chief Beria," she began.
"Tonight, perhaps 'Beria' is best," Maya whispered.
Joelle nodded once and started over.
"Beria, my mama loves you. Everyone I know loves you. Well, Aunt Zora doesn't love you, but she doesn't love anyone."
There were a few grins at that.
The girl looked around. "Yalta tried to tell me what I was supposed to say." She looked over her shoulder. The companions had all stepped backwards, but they weren't that far away.
Then she looked back at me. "Everyone thinks because we're kids, we don't understand what's going on. Just because we're kids doesn't mean we're stupid. Well, sometimes Annalise is pretty stupid, but most of the time she's really smart."
She grinned at her sister, who stuck her tongue out, but then that was the end of it. Joelle turned back to me. "Sometimes, late at night, I could hear Mama crying. She cried a lot when Grandmama Warina died, but she cried a lot all the time. She hasn't cried at night for a long time." She looked at her mother, whose head was bowed, and I saw a tear escape. Then Joelle looked back at me. "She still cried sometimes after we got to Lake Juna, but then she stopped."
"Oh baby," Lia said.
Joelle looked at her. "You stopped when you realized you loved Beria, Mama."
"Yes," Lia said. "I did."
She looked back at me. "When we left White Pine, it was scary. It was even scarier here. And you scared Annalise and me. But I asked Aunt Tamma why you scared us, and she told us it was because you wanted us to grow up to be able to protect ourselves, and sometimes you have to be scared to try hard."
She paused, but it was clear she wasn't done, and neither Maya nor Malora rushed her.
"We saw the bear skin you gave to Ralla," Joelle said. "It was huge!" She dropped the hands on either side and gestured as widely as she could, then took my hand and her sister's again. "Tamma said it was from a bear. My grandpapa had a bearskin, but it was small. That one was really big. Tamma said sometimes there are really big bears in the woods, and sometimes even worse things, and that's why we are not allowed to leave the village and go exploring. But I thought about that bear, and then I woke up crying that night, afraid the bear was coming to eat me."
"Oh honey, I won't let that happen."
"I know," she said. "Mama held me and said I didn't need to be afraid, because Chief Beria would protect us. We didn't have to worry about hungry bears or bad men or even Aunt Zora, ever again. And I asked Aunt Tamma, and she said the same thing, that Chief Beria protects all of us. And she said I was really, really lucky that you were helping me learn to fight for myself."
Annalise leaned over to her. "You talk too much. Just hug her and tell her you'll be good." It was meant to be a whisper, but everyone heard her.
"I'm getting to it," Joelle replied to her sister.
"Say what you want," Maya said quietly. "Sometimes a hug is all it needs. Sometimes it's words. Both are good."
Joelle looked back at me.
"I know you'll keep us safe. And I know you'll love Mama and me and Annalise. And you'll teach us to fight and to ride a horse." She cocked her head. "But it was Nora who taught us to muck out the stable."
I smiled at her.
"I promise to do my best to learn," Joelle said. "And I promise to help Mama be your companion. You may hug me any time you want. May I hug you, too?"
"I would like that very much, Joelle."
And so she did, squeezing tightly, her head coming to a rest just below my chin. And then I held out an arm, and Annalise joined the hug, one on either side.
"I love you both," I whispered to them, just for them. "I will keep you safe, and I will teach you to keep yourselves safe. You may always come to me when you want to talk. Or just to hug."
The girls looked at each other, then Joelle said, "We love you too, Beria."
Malora grinned at me, having heard at least the last few words, then slowly I released the girls.
"Let us hold hands for one more moment," Malora said. "And then some of the companions are going to take Annalise and Joelle to help make a bigger fire for all of us to share."
We gathered hand, and when I looked at Lia, she was beaming, looking between her daughters and me.
"Girls," Malora said. "You are now Amazons. Do you understand?"
&
nbsp; They shook their heads.
"It means you must learn to protect Morehama. It means you must obey your mother and your warrior."
"And your queen," Maya added.
"And the senior companion," Malora added. "Maya is the senior companion."
"When you are older," Maya said, "You will be able to decide for yourselves if you wish to remain Amazons. If so, then you will each accept a warrior of your own."
"If not," said Malora, "then the queen will help you decide what you will do."
"Do you understand?" Maya asked them.
They both nodded. "Yes, Maya."
"If you have questions, you may ask either of your mothers," Malora added.
"Or me," Maya said.
Then Tamma spoke up. "Or you may ask me."
"Or me," said Yalta.
"Or any of us," said several of the companions together.
Then Malora nodded. Yalta, Rahna and Lin stepped forward, collecting the girls. I had wanted them here for the next part, but then they turned the girls over to several of the companions from Queen's Town.
"Let's go make a fire," Lorith told them. And a few moments later, they disappeared along the path back to the village.
Malora and Maya dropped hands with Lia and me, then Malora stepped forward. "Well," she said. "We've never done that before. Beria asked we include her new daughters for the ceremony, and I am very pleased we did." She looked around. "The relationship between warrior and companion is sacred amongst Amazons. It is closer than marriage. It is closer than being lovers, although that happens often." She turned to Lia.
"You represent a special case. Most companions arrive with little knowledge and no experience of living with us. She comes wearing the clothes from her original home and has probably not worn the clothes you have worn for the past year. And so this ritual begins with a girl of the world west of our forest, dressed as we have asked you to dress tonight, not yet an Amazon."
And then she began a speech many of us have heard before.
Then she said, "We have a tradition during this ceremony. We ask the warriors why they chose their companions. But tonight, we're also going to ask the companion why she picked her warrior." She smiled at both of us. "Beria, please step forward and introduce your new companion. Tell us why you selected her."
