Amazon Challenge Page 6

  "Don't be afraid," I told them both. "I'm sorry about this, but your father wasn't taking us seriously. Now he'll take us seriously. Do your wrists hurt?"

  I had the younger daughter. She looked over her shoulder, and there were tears. She shook her head.

  It ate me inside, her look. I was responsible for that look, and I hated myself.

  "For the record," Nori said to me quietly, "what your feeling now -- that's how I felt three years ago in Gallen's Cove."

  "You hid it well," I told her.

  "You're not doing so badly yourself," she replied. "It helps having the big picture."

  We turned the girls to face us. "What are your names?" I asked them.

  "Lia," said the eldest. "She's Tamma."

  "Well, Lia and Tamma, would you like to meet a queen?"

  Tamma looked at me nervously. "A real queen?"

  "A real queen," I agreed, "although she won't look like any queen you've read about in school. She's the queen of the Amazons, and she's here today."

  I looked around. Malora was a short distance away, watching. I gestured, and she stepped over.

  "Queen Malora," I said, "this is Lia and Tamma. Lia and Tamma, this is Queen Malora."

  They both looked at the dirt. Malora stepped forward and used her hands to lift their chins to her. Lia was full grown, but Tamma still had a year of growing left to do. "Hello, Lia," Malora said. "I am pleased to meet you, Tamma." Malora turned to me. "Did they misbehave?"

  "Their parents did," I said.

  She turned back to the girls. "You aren't going to misbehave if we untie your hands, are you?"

  "N-no, Your Majesty," Lia said.

  Malora smiled at them. "You should call me Queen Malora," she instructed. "Maya, untie them. They'll behave."

  "You girls understand you need to stay with us for now," I said, and they both nodded. Nori and I untied their hands. The girls rubbed at their wrists, but they made no move to bolt.

  Not that they would have gotten far; we were surrounded by Amazons.

  After that, I let Malora work her magic on them. She was exceedingly charming, after all. The girls stood, enrapt, as Malora spoke softly to them. Nori and I stepped to the side, watching the square slowly fill with people.

  "I made her cry," I said softly. "Damn it, Nori."

  "I know," she said.

  "I'm going to talk to Malora. I don't want you to keep being part of the bad team. But I need someone I know will stay cool. Badra was good."

  "Don't worry about that," she replied. "You need either Malora or I there. You keep doing what you're doing. And yes, Badra was good. She's steady."

  "That could have been a disaster with Tarine."

  "Yep."

  We watched as the square slowly filled. It took longer than twenty minutes, but as long as people continued to arrive, I was going to give them the opportunity. Finally the mayor approached, and Nori and I stepped forward to intercept him.

  "Everyone is here. Give me my daughters!"

  "Your daughters are busy talking to the queen," I said. "Is this everyone?"

  "You said-"

  "I said if you began to cooperate, we would talk. And we will. Your daughters are safe. You can see them." I shifted and pointed. "They are unharmed and they will remain unharmed. We will talk, and then we will tell you what is to happen next. And you are going to agree, aren't you, Mr. Mayor?"

  "Please," he said. "Let me have my daughters back."

  "We'll be discussing that." I frowned. "I have no intention of taking anyone from this village who doesn't want to go."

  Then I turned my back. "What do you think?"

  "We're short a few, but they may not be here," Nori said. "This village holds more than this."

  "Do you think we have most of the daughters?"

  "I can't tell."

  "Mr. Mayor," I said, "right now the queen is asking your daughters for the names of all their friends. And in a moment, I am going to go over there and ask them to point to their friends. What do you think we are going to do if any are missing?"

  "Everyone is here!" he said.

  "We both know that's not entirely true. Who is missing?"

  "No one important!" he yelled. "No one!"

  "Ah, Mr. Mayor, did I say 'bring only the important people' ? Who is missing?"

  He stood up straight, and I was sure he was about to lie, then he slumped. "There are a few old people who don't leave their beds any more. There are a few others who are sick."

  "They may remain home," I said. "But we both know I will not be happy if I send my Amazon sisters on a door-to-door search. What will they find that will displease me?"

  "There are a few mothers of very young children-"

  I sighed dramatically.

  "Who else?" Nori growled.

  "And my sister."

  No one said anything for a moment. "Small children need to be cared for, and I do not want young children here for this. If I go door to door, will I find any girls ages twelve to twenty-two, other than your sister's children."

  He looked around, calculating. "Yes," he said. "There are a few helping their mothers with the younger children."

  "I give you five more minutes, Mr. Mayor. If I start without you, and your sister, and these missing girls, then when we leave, regardless of what else happens here today, Lia and Tamma will be going with us. We'll take gentle care of them, of course."

  "Please. Ten minutes. Please!"

  "You better hurry, Mr. Mayor," I said. "We've kept everyone waiting for too long. It's rude."

  He fled, yelling for people to fetch this person or that one.

  I shook my head. "Why do they never take us seriously?"

  "Why didn't the people of Gallen's Cove?"

  I sighed. "Ignorance."

  "We're here to fix that."

  "One village at a time. Why did I volunteer to do this?"

  She chuckled.

  It took the mayor the ten minutes he asked for. I saw a few girls appear in the square, ushered in by this villager or that. Then the mayor appeared with a woman I imagined was his sister and two teenage daughters.

  "Nori."

  "I see them."

  "This shit pisses me off. Give me six solid women and some rope."

  "It's not the girls' fault, Maya."

  "They look like spoiled brats." They did, too. I could see it in their bearing. I had been a schoolteacher. I recognized spoiled when I saw it.

  "We're not here to take anyone down a peg," Nori said. "Let it go. Frankly, girls like that make lousy Amazons."

  "Worse than me?"

  "Varda was like that."

  "Other girls will sacrifice so those two can continued to be spoiled bitches," I said. "It's not fair."

  "No, it's not, but better to let White Pine continue to suffer their presence than to wish them upon us."

  I laughed. She was right.

  "We make a good team," I said.

  She clapped an arm over my shoulder and gave me a quick hug. "We sure do."

  "Well, cover my back. I can't let this slide entirely." I strode forth, intercepting the mayor and his sister. We stopped five feet apart.

  "Everyone is here," the mayor said. "This is my sister and her daughters."

  "By what right do you-"

  "Oh can it, you spoiled bitch," I told the woman. "Everyone here waited because you thought you were too good to join us." I made sure I said it loudly enough for everyone else to hear. "But that's all right." I looked around. Some of the warriors were talking to some of the townsfolk. "We were just getting to know everyone. But now we can begin."

  I stepped away.

  We'd done this before, and the wagon I needed was waiting for me. Some towns have better meeting places, small stages of one form or another, but most did not, and we had learned a wagon made a sturdy platform to speak from. I climbed aboard and then said firmly, "All right, gather around!"

  It took a little time and a little nudging from some of the Amazons,
but we got everyone gathered around me. They clustered in a half circle, and I looked out at them.

  I'd given this speech many times now. I thanked them for giving us the opportunity to talk to them.

  "Like we had a choice," one man said.

  "No, we were rather insistent," I agreed. "By the time I am done, you will understand why."

  I explained about the history of the Amazons, about tithing, and about companions. I could tell from their expressions they were like everyone else. They didn't believe me. Then I asked loudly, "Why does White Pine not tithe? Why does White Pine not give us the new companions and future warriors we require to keep you safe?"

  "The demons aren't real!" one woman yelled. "Go home and leave us alone!"

  The rest of the village took up that cry.

  We'd done this before. Normally this would be when Nori would pull forth Lathana's head. But instead, it was Tarine who jumped up on the wagon with me. She opened the crate that held the demon's dried head and, grunting, lifted it aloft.

  As always, there was a gasp and a few screams.

  Tarine displayed the head, and she did a good job of it. I stepped over and closed the chest, and once everyone had gotten a good, grisly look, I told her, "Set it there. Thank you."

  She set it down and whispered, "We should take what we want and go."

  "My way requires more patience but it will pay for us over the longer period," I said. "Just watch. And Tarine: be nice to the villagers. Make friends."

  She shook her head, but she stepped down from the wagon. I looked around at the assembled villagers.

  "Now, you were saying?"

  They stared at me silently, or more accurately, they stared at the demon's head.

  I told them the story, briefly. Then I told them what the life of an Amazon was like. I spared some of the details, but I gave a good image.

  Then I laid down the law. "This village will tithe."

  "And will you take your choice of recruits?" an anonymous voice from in back asked.

  "We prefer volunteers," I said. "What we do is important. Does anyone doubt me?"

  No one said anything.

  "This village will host a party tomorrow evening. Every girl from the age of twelve to twenty-two will be there. Anyone else who wishes to get to know us is welcome. We will leave the following morning. Any girls who wish to become Amazons will leave with us. The choice will be that of the girls."

  I looked around.

  "Any arguments?"

  The mayor stepped forward. "My daughters?"

  "Your daughters will remain our guests until the conclusion of tomorrow evening's events," I said. "We will also take as guests any girls who wish to spend more time with us than they may have tomorrow."

  I looked around. "Being an Amazon is not an easy life. Being treated the way we were treated today makes it even harder. This village should have been tithing all along. This village should have been delivering new companions to us all along. It has not done so. If we were vindictive, we would take from you what you owe us. Instead, we ask you to do the right thing."

  I didn't hard sell it. "If you have questions, we will remain here for a while. If you wish to see the demon more closely, you may step up. You may touch it if you remain gentle, but you will not attempt to pick it up or damage it." I looked around. "I would like two of my sisters to ensure my last orders."

  Badra stepped forward, and a moment later a woman from the south named Hanai. I nodded to both of them.

  The villagers were, indeed, interested in the demon, and many of them clustered around the wagon, hoping for a good look. Most of them were men. I didn't care. Let them look. I trusted Badra and Hanai to handle the crowd.

  I moved through the milling villagers, answering the occasional question, most of which were of the type, "was what you said true?"

  It was. Every single word.

  Eventually I found Malora. She had retained possession of Lia and Tamma. The girls were doing better.

  "We're staying with you?" Lia asked.

  "Just until tomorrow. Unless you decide to become Amazons. Then you will leave with us the day after."

  Tamma looked at me critically. "I do not believe your story."

  "What part do you doubt?"

  "That you killed that!" she pointed towards the wagon. "Not with your bare hands."

  I bent down and withdrew my hunting knife from the sheath instead my boot. "I had this knife," I said. "And I tricked her."

  "That's a her?" she asked.

  "Yes. Her name was Lathana Jara Marquine. She told me she was a queen, although I do not know if she lied."

  "What do the demons want?" Lia asked.

  "To fight us," I said. "To kill us. We do not understand why. The Amazons keep all of Morehama safe from them."

  The villagers had begun dispersing, but then the mayor and his wife approached. "Please," said the wife. "Do not take my daughters!"

  I turned to her. "What is your name?"

  "Warina," she said.

  "Warina, we're just on the edge of town. To be quite blunt, I do not trust your husband."

  "You're a horrid woman!" she spat. "You come here, scaring us, taking our daughters, demanding we give you our food and goods-" Her husband began pulling her away.

  "No, Plaank," I said. "Let her say it. I don't blame her. Three years ago, I said the same thing, nearly word-for-word."

  That shut her up.

  I pointed. "Warina, the demons are real. I am going to ask you what the queen of the Amazons asked me, three years ago. If everything I've said is true, then what does this village owe us for keeping you safe?"

  "Nothing!"

  I cocked my head. "Think about it. You may have your daughters back tomorrow, if they choose to remain here."

  "What do you mean, if they choose to remain here?" her voice rose to a screech by the last word.

  "It will be their choice," I said. "One or the other may choose to become an Amazon. One or the other may have a better answer to my question than the one you offered. Think about it. What are we owed, if our tales are true? And if you doubt me, go take a good, long look in the wagon."

  Plaank pulled her away, but she broke loose and ran to the wagon. She stared at the face of the demon.

  I watched. Badra moved to her side, and I saw Badra speaking quietly. Finally the woman turned to me, and her face was full of fear.

  I didn't blame her. She was afraid her daughters would go with us to fight demons. I'd be afraid, too.

  * * * *

  Tarine was bubbling with impatient anger over the bonfire that night, muttering now and then. Lia and Tamma were having a good time, a grand adventure, and I didn't want to ruin it for them.

  There were good sides of being an Amazon, after all.

  But Tarine's comments were growing increasingly pointed. So far, the girls hadn't picked up on the dispute, but they would eventually. I grabbed Nori, pulling her away.

  "Don't say it," she said. "Tarine."

  "Do you want to handle it or do you want me to handle it?"

  "Why aren't you asking Malora?"

  "Malora is busy." She was. She was entertaining our guests. "I know Tarine isn't happy with our methods. She isn't going to be happy. I need her to shut up in front of our guests."

  Nori sighed. "I'm not exactly diplomatic."

  "Then please stay with me. She won't get physical with you standing next to me."

  I left Nori there and worked my way closer to Tarine, sitting near the fire. I crouched down, my ear near her ear. "May I speak with you, Tarine?" I asked politely.

  She looked over her shoulder. "What's the point?"

  "Please."

  She stared at me for a moment before nodding. Together, we worked our way to Nori before I turned to her. "If you can keep your voice down, we can talk here. If this is going to get loud, I'd rather be further away from our guests."

  She glanced over. "Let them hear."

  "Right now, we have a good chan
ce of one or the other becoming an Amazon. They do not need to be privy to our disputes while making their decisions."

  "I wasn't given a choice," she said. "Why should they?"

  "Do you want to compare how each of us became an Amazon?" I asked with an arched eyebrow.

  "That's not my point," she said.

  "Then what is your point?"

  "If the villages don't give us what we need to keep them safe, then we should take what we need."

  "The villages will give us what we need," I said. "My way takes longer in the short term but will be far better in the long term."

  "You insist on making us beggars."

  I was done. She wasn't listening and didn't intend to. "Tarine," I said, "this trip is being run my way whether you like it or not. I am happy to debate this with you, although I wish you would at least give me a chance to prove my methods will work. If you continue to undermine me in front of our potential companions, I will ask Queen Malora to send you home. You may snipe at me all you want otherwise, but don't do it in front of any of our guests."

  She put her hand on the hilt of her sword. "Perhaps we should settle this here and now."

  My heart immediately began to pound, and I took a half step backwards at the same time Nori stepped forward.

  "Don't be an idiot," Nori hissed. "Are you challenging Queen Malora while we're in the field? Get your hand off that sword, or I guarantee you won't live long enough to draw it."

  Malora must have heard Nori's tone; we hadn't moved far enough away. She glanced over and started to rise. I shook my head slightly, but she watched carefully.

  Tarine glared at Nori, but slowly her hand withdrew from her sword. She turned away and stomped off.

  "I'm not the one who needs a companion!" I hissed. "I'm out here trying to find them for her, and she threatens me like that?"

  "It wasn't a threat so much as an attempt to intimidate coupled with frustration."

  I glanced over. Malora had involved Badra in her discussion with Lia and Tamma, and a moment later she rose and moved to us. As soon as she arrived, I pressed myself against her, and she wrapped her arms around me.

  "You're trembling."

  "I'm a little cold," I replied. "Hold me, please."

  "You are not cold. What happened?" But she pulled me more tightly against her.