Becoming a Warrior

by Moose Tyler

  “Tell me your thoughts on this warrior’s place among your ranks,” said the queen.

  Amaria listened to the testimonies about Ophea’s quest. She had performed fairly well, from what Amaria could tell, but she did make some mistakes. It seemed most of her mission had taken place in the trees, which was not her strongest skill.

  The queen asked Euphora if she would like to offer reason for some of the concerns, but Euphora declined. “The testimony, both good and bad, is uncontested,” she said.

  “Very well.” The queen took something from a box on the stand. “Step forward,” she said to Ophea.

  Ophea approached.

  “Extend your arm.”

  Ophea extended her right arm, and the queen wrapped two pieces of white leather around it. “For your efforts, you have earned the rights and responsibilities of second-class. You will report to Nithia in the Beltline.”

  Second-class was a solid rank for a warrior fresh from the quest. Third-class would have been better but only truly exceptional talent received that high of a rank starting out, or so Amaria had heard.

  Ophea knelt, and the queen extended her hand. Ophea took it and kissed it.

  “May the Great Mother protect you,” said the queen.

  “Thank you, your grace.” Ophea rejoined the others in line.

  The ceremony progressed, and Amaria listened as each warrior was sworn in. She couldn’t imagine what was going to be said about her. She couldn’t remember all the mistakes she had made. It was also hard to pay attention to every ranking because she was hungry and exhausted.

  Jax was also given second-class, but she was stationed under Kaiella at the base of Mesha Cliff. When she returned to the line, she looked at Ophea and shrugged before facing the queen.

  Both Mortli and Taryn were ranked second-class and assigned to the Eastern Rim. Lyla received second-class but was stationed in the northeast.

  When the queen came to Zora, Amaria listened closely to the testimony. Zora had followed instructions properly, but there were concerns about the speed in which she had completed the task and why she had overlooked the firebug cream in the satchel with her sandals. She was given a second-class ranking and placed under Simea at the citizen camp in the far north. If enemies did come ashore, she would be responsible for transporting citizens to the Reserve. The assignment was about as exciting as watching a fire die out.

  Though she had hoped Zora would be assigned a dismal post, Amaria didn’t feel like celebrating. From what she could tell, Zora had not performed as well as expected, but she had completed the quest adequately. She was one of the slowest, second only to Amaria, but she had followed directions. If her placement was any indication of what was in store for Amaria, she’d be lucky to get assigned to cleanup detail.

  When Penelope was called, Amaria forgot her woes and paid attention to the warriors recounting her quest. She had exceptional execution, and one even referred to her as Red Fish. As Amaria listened to the testimony, it wasn’t just that Red Fish had won the horse. It was the way she had won that impressed them most. She had been carried off course by a flock of large birds and had to claw her way back from the Reserve through the Great Ravine, yet she was still the first warrior to finish. She battled Janus in the end and held her own for a respectable amount of heartbeats but eventually ceded due to exhaustion. For her efforts, she was given a third-class ranking and stationed under Phoenix in the north.

  A few applauded as she returned to line. Amaria smiled. Penelope deserved the rewards and accolades.

  She had tears in her eyes. “I wish Mother was here,” she whispered.

  “I know,” said Amaria.

  “Next warrior!”

  Amaria’s attention was jerked to the ceremony, and her heart skipped a beat. She was the next and last warrior to be ranked. She stepped forward. Her legs wobbled as she tromped up the steps. She watched her feet closely, careful not to trip. Wanje, fresh from her testimony for Penelope, was already at the queen’s side.

  “Do you recommend that this warrior join the ranks of my army?” asked the queen.

  Something about the way she said this warrior made Amaria’s stomach flutter, only this was the flitter that told her she was about to get in trouble.

  Wanje looked at Amaria and exhaled slowly. “Aye, your grace.”

  The queen turned to the others. “Those who gave aid, rise.”

  Brithia, Aiella, Kazi, Shana, and Micah stood. Phoenix stepped forward from her place behind the queen. Amaria agreed that Aiella, Brithia, and even Kazi had given aid, but Shana, Micah, and Phoenix had done nothing, so they could take a seat.

  “Tell me your thoughts on this warrior’s place among your ranks.”

  The chamber was quiet for more than a few heartbeats. The silence felt odd. There had not been that much in any other testimony.

  “I believe this is a first.” The queen turned to Amaria. “You’ve left them speechless. What do you have to say about your quest?”

  Amaria blinked twice. No one receiving rank had been asked to speak. They just listened as they were talked about. Their only requirement was to say Thank you, your grace.

  Aiella spoke up. “The warrior is beyond impressive in combat. I believe everyone who battled her struggled.”

  She was relieved that Aiella had, again, offered aid.

  “She ceded to no one,” she continued. “Just look at Shana. She’s still recovering.”

  Shana had her arms wrapped and tied to her chest. Blood from her wounds had seeped through the cloth.

  “Tell me something I don’t know, Aiella,” said the queen. “I’ve been winning arrowheads off this warrior since she was a child.”

  Kazi stepped forward. “I was not impressed with her skills in combat, your grace. I doubt she would have finished at all had she not been given special favors.”

  Amaria’s ears burned. Kazi was still sore about not getting her punches in, and now, she was publicly calling Amaria a cheater and questioning her right to be a warrior. She wanted to dispute, but she had missed her chance to talk.

  The queen moved closer to Kazi. “Interesting.”

  Aiella looked at Brithia.

  Brithia was reluctant but stepped forward. “I will attest to the warrior’s skills in combat.”

  “As will I,” said Micah.

  Shana eventually chimed in. “She goes unmatched.”

  The queen laughed. “Again, no one is disputing her skills in combat. Kazi?”

  “Yes, your grace.”

  “Speak more of these special favors.”

  “She was not properly tested at checkpoint three.”

  The queen looked interested. “Who was responsible for that duty?”

  “Aiella, ma’am. Also, I have since learned that she did not complete early prep phase one in proper sequence. Her abandonment of procedure put our sisters stationed at sea and on land in danger. Had I known she was off course, I would have informed Micah so that she could have adjusted her defenses.”

  “She did have an unfair advantage for the battle,” said Shana. “She wasn’t even dusted.”

  The queen looked at her. “I thought you said she was unmatched.”

  Amaria felt a smile pull at her lips, but she kept it down.

  “Well, she is,” said Shana. “Just, I didn’t have accurate information. None of us did. She’s going to be unmatched when we have to play by one set of rules, and she gets another.”

  Amaria wanted to lunge at Shana and dig her fingers into the wounds behind that bloody cloth.

  “She was also last to finish, your grace,” Kazi pointed out. “A result of her inability to follow orders.”

  Well, there it was, the darker moments of Amaria’s quest thrown out for everyone to see, all except the lost scroll.

  “Plus, she lost the scroll,” Kazi added.
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  Amaria cursed in her head.

  The queen turned to Phoenix. “You’re being quiet.”

  Phoenix joined the others on the side of the stage.

  “Is this warrior’s testimony accurate?”

  Phoenix looked at Amaria before answering. “The scroll was not lost, your grace. Simply misplaced.” She handed it to the queen.

  Amaria was surprised to see that the scroll she had left in Felicia and Cat’s boat had found its way into Phoenix’s hands.

  “Two messengers delivered it to me before I took post,” she explained.

  The queen gave the scroll back. Her tone sharpened. “Citizens?”

  “Yes, your grace.”

  Amaria heard murmurs swell up around her.

  “Did these citizens say where they got it?”

  Phoenix nodded. “They found it on the east dock and said they had to offer aid, as it instructed.”

  The queen’s tone was razor-sharp. “They read a warrior’s scroll?”

  Amaria was grateful that Felicia and Cat had helped, but she desperately didn’t want them to get into trouble.

  “They said they didn’t know what it was until after they had read it.”

  “Do you believe them?”

  Phoenix shrugged. “I have no reason not to.”

  “So, the scroll is not lost. What else?”

  “I cannot speak about what would or would not have happened had we known she was coming from the east. I also can’t explain why Aiella didn’t inform Kazi of her progress. Whether she was showing favoritism or just adding to her purse is unclear.”

  “I was simply showing a weakness in our defense,” said Aiella. “I have made suggestions to my commanding officer, your grace, but my concerns have not been heard.”

  “So, you chose a warrior’s quest to address the matter? Need I remind you of how dangerous taking the shield is? She was off route. Anything could have happened to her, and we had no idea where she was. You nearly cost me one of my soldiers.”

  Amaria was glad to know that the queen valued her life, though she felt a bit like game. She had heard the tenders say similar things in General Studies courses.

  Aiella bowed. “I did not mean to put her life at risk nor take away from the importance of her quest. I simply wanted to show my commanding officer that there are weaknesses in our communication methods.”

  “Forget this warrior’s moment. Steal her sun, Aiella. Tell me of these weaknesses.”

  The moment hadn’t been that sunny for Amaria. She was grateful that the attention was being directed at someone else. Her ranking ceremony had not been how she had imagined it would be. Worry and exhaustion hung on every face in the chamber. Sakina had been captured at sea. War was looming, and the older warriors weren’t even wearing feathers in their hair.

  “Birds,” said Aiella. “We were allowed one, and mine flew back to land.”

  The queen smiled. “You will have more birds.”

  “Aye, but what happens when those are gone or don’t make it where they should?”

  The queen looked at Aiella for a few heartbeats before softening her tone. “There are better ways and more appropriate occasions to bring something to my attention, Aiella, but thank you for your diligence.” She turned her attention to Amaria’s ranking. “Wanje, would you like to offer reason?”

  Wanje bowed. “Aye, your grace.”

  Amaria held her breath as she waited for her teacher’s remarks.

  Wanje addressed the chamber. “This warrior did not need to prove her strength or resolve in battle. Shana is right; she is unmatched in combat.”

  Amaria felt her cheeks burn. With Wanje, compliments were always followed by blunt suggestions for improvement.

  “Throughout her training, she has continually struggled to follow instructions and keep track of the sun. She has some bad habits.”

  Amaria’s cheeks burned hotter.

  “But, I am grateful that the Great Mother led her off course.”

  “Enlighten me,” said the queen.

  “If she hadn’t, this warrior would be of little use to you.”

  Amaria looked at Wanje in disbelief. How could she think that Amaria was useless?

  “In her defense, she was not able to complete her full training before taking the shield, but even if she had been given adequate moons to mature, she would not have been ready to join your army.” Wanje looked at Amaria for a few heartbeats. She wanted to cry, but she saw Wanje smile. “She was not ready until after she had finished the quest.”

  The queen objected. “All warriors are more prepared after their quest.”

  “Yes, but no one is less afraid than Amaria.”

  The queen looked confused and irritated. “Why do you talk like this, Wanje? It makes my head hurt.”

  “Every warrior testing ceded at least once during the quest, all but Amaria.”

  “Because she had an unfair advantage,” said the queen.

  “Do not blame Amaria for a flaw in the testing system and a rogue soldier. She simply took advantage of the information she was given. Some might say that’s smart.”

  It felt good to have Wanje on her side, though her compliments always stung.

  The queen rolled her eyes. “I’m still waiting for the point.”

  “The point is that every warrior experienced fear, not just battling older warriors but also their surroundings. The two together are what strengthens her and makes her ready to join your army.”

  The sage spoke to the queen more than to the chamber. It was hard for Amaria to follow, but she knew it was important, so she focused harder on the testimony.

  “This quest was unequally matched not because Amaria was given information,” said Wanje. “It was unequally matched because she doesn’t fear any warrior in your army. She fears few, if any, creatures on land or sea, and if I were the gambling sort, I would bet she would fear no man who stormed our shores. The test, as it was delivered to the others, was ineffective for Amaria. Pointless, for the most part.”

  Amari didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. She had already been accused of cheating and having special favors. Now Wanje was saying her quest was pointless.

  “She needed to create her own test, but she had guidance along the way,” said Wanje. “The Great Mother was with her.” She looked at Amaria, and Amaria knew the sermon was about to be directed at her. “She is shallow, arrogant, and immature,” said Wanje. “She’s been that way her whole life. She rarely focuses on anything but her own accomplishments, and her pride is one of her greatest weaknesses.”

  The words pierced Amaria’s heart.

  Wanje continued. “She is also kind and constantly looks for the Great Mother’s guidance. Even the young citizens who offered aid are testaments to the respect she gives others.”

  The praise made Amaria feel somewhat better. The good wasn’t great, but it did rub a little of the bad away.

  “She’s still immature and arrogant, but she is no longer shallow. She is a better soldier because she can now put the tribe first. She proved that this Genesis, in the Games, when she thought of another before herself, and again when she cast her quest aside and pulled Zora from the water and removed the barbs from her heart.”

  Amaria heard the murmurs stir up around her again as Wanje wrapped up her sermon.

  “She might not have gotten there like everyone else, your grace, but I assure you she is more than ready to join your army.”

  Amaria smiled. The debate had taken too many heartbeats, but it had finally ended.

  The queen walked to the stand and fiddled with the leather before returning to Amaria. “Extend your arm.”

  Amaria extended, and the queen wrapped one piece around her arm. “For your efforts, you have earned the rights and responsibilities of first-class,” she said. “Report
to Kazi at the first southern checkpoint.”

  The news felt like a kick in the ribs, and Amaria lost her breath. First-class was the lowest rank a warrior could get, and the thought of returning to the sea made her want to retch. Add in that she was being stationed at the first checkpoint, the one she had been swimming to for so many moons she had lost count, under Kazi, the one who hated her and had an axe to grind. Amaria felt like she was going to faint, but she heard murmurs circulate around her again, jolting her to attention.

  “Your grace.” Kazi said from the sidelines, but the queen ignored her.

  Amaria felt her knee bend, and in a heartbeat, she was kissing the queen’s hand.

  “May the Great Mother protect you,” Amaria heard her say.

  She fell in line with the others, feeling the stares as she walked. She glanced at Penelope. Her eyes were wide with disbelief. Amaria couldn’t look at her or else she’d cry, so she looked at the floor.

  The queen addressed the chamber. “There’s just one more honor to recognize.” The words sounded muffled in Amaria’s ears. “The Great Mother’s Spirit Award goes to Amaria for serving the tribe and the Great Mother honorably.”

  A bleak round of applause broke out, and Amaria felt Penelope nudge her forward. She stumbled, but regained her balance and approached. The queen smiled as she clasped a metal band around Amaria’s arm. The charm had nothing to do with placement, advancement, or achievement. It was solely for decoration.

  Amaria forced a smile and bowed. “Thank you, your grace.”

  She returned to line. Penelope smiled for encouragement but had concern in her eyes. Amaria shrugged to let her know that she was fine.

  “Warriors, raise your hand,” the queen instructed.

  Amaria raised her hand with the others.

  “Do you swear to protect the Great Mother, Themiscia, its citizen, each other, and your queen?”

  “Aye!” the warriors trumpeted in unison.

  Amaria’s shout wasn’t as loud as she had thought it would be, when she had imagined her ranking ceremony.

  “You have earned your place in my army. Congratulations.”