Amazon Chief (43 page)

Nori grinned. "Good. It will be nice to have you on the training grounds." She threw an arm around my shoulder, and together we exited her hut at the same time Maya and Malora stepped out of theirs. Maya nodded to us.

"Good morning, Nori, Beria," she said. She grabbed her warrior's hand and turned towards the dining hall, then stopped dead in her tracks. A second later she was running to me. I'd seen her just a week previously, but we were always overjoyed to see each other.

"When did you get here?"

"A half hour ago. I needed to talk to Nori."

"Come on," she said, "I'll still the voices." She turned us towards the dining hall.

"Chief Beria," Malora said from behind me.

Maya and I turned together.

"Were you going to say hello?"

I grinned. "Good morning, Queen Malora. It's good to see you."

She stepped forward for a hug of her own then released me. "I'm glad you're here. I want to talk to you later. How long are you staying?"

"For a day or two," I said. "I'll leave tomorrow afternoon or early in the morning on the following day."

"Excellent," Malora replied. "We can talk after morning training, if you are available."

"Of course, Queen Malora."

Then as a group, we turned to the dining hall.

* * * *

We met in Malora's hut. I sat next to Maya and wondered when the grey had begun to appear in her hair. It was just a few strands, but I didn't like seeing it. Mama had been completely grey the last time we'd visited, and I hadn't liked that, either.

"Well," said Malora. "I have a job for you."

"You only need ask, Queen Malora," I replied.

She smiled. "I am so pleased to hear you say that. Ralla has asked to retire. I need a replacement."

"And you want me to help you find one?"

"Don't be coy," she said. "I am looking at her replacement. You know you're going to do what I ask, so let's skip over that part and discuss the transition."

"I have recommendations for my replacement at Lake Juna," I said immediately.

"I am not interested in replacing you at Lake Juna, although you will need to begin grooming a second in command, if you haven't already."

"Ree then," I said.

"Why Ree?"

"She is oldest with the most experience."

"She is oldest, I grant you that, but her experience is insular and she is not a forward thinker."

"Badra."

"Solid and a good fit, but she is just like Balorie: always on patrol. And that is where she should be. She is an excellent patrol leader and a perfect woman to have your back."

I ran through the list.

"Does the second in command need to be one person?"

Malora smiled. "There cannot be conflict."

"I've never seen Glorana and Frida disagree, or if they do, they settle it privately. They're in agreement with my goals. I don't know if they would set overall policy, but they would certainly apply policy consistent with my goals."

"You should begin to culture your contacts and your village members," Malora said. "Think beyond this year. Decide who could fill in for you if I need to pull
you away for an extended period."

I nodded. "I understand."

"Ralla is gone today. She is expected back tomorrow, but it may not be until late. I wish you to remain here and visit with her when she gets back. And in three weeks, Maya and I will take our winter tour. You and Ralla will join us. We will introduce you as Ralla's replacement and complete the transition during the trip. We aim for two weeks for these trips, but winter travel is slower, so you should plan for three. Will you be able to be gone from Lake Juna for that amount of time?"

"Yes," I said. "The village runs itself."

"Good," Malora said. "You and I will need to talk further, after you have spent some time with Ralla."

I nodded.

"There is something else we must discuss," Maya said.

"Summer trip to
Gallen's Cove?" I asked.

"Two more things," Maya said with a grin. She turned to Malora with a pleading look. Malora laughed. "Yes, yes," she said. "We can go."

Then Maya turned to me. "I would like to know why you have turned down a new companion."

My smile evaporated.

"Come on, honey," she said. "Talk to me."

"I want what you and Malora have," I said. "I want someone to love.
All these years, and I still miss Omie, Maya."

Maya smiled and caressed my cheek. "I understand completely."

"She's going to want to see you," Malora said. "She's on patrol, but they'll be back tomorrow."

"That's what Vorine said," I replied.

"Beria," Malora said, "You have touched a lot of lives here. You have a lot of friends amongst the Amazons."

"I know. And they are very, very close friends."

"I have one more thing for you," Maya said. "I have some mail for you to bring back to Lake Juna."

"Mail?"

"A letter to Tamma from her sister." She paused. "It's not good news. She wrote me as well. Their mother died a few weeks ago. It was sudden, or Lia would have sent for her sister."

"Didn't their father die two years ago?" I asked.

"Yes," Maya said.

"Tamma is going to be devastated," I said.

"She'll need friends around," Maya replied.

"She'll have them," I said. "We Amazons take care of our sisters."

* * * *

Ralla and Jasmine arrived back in Queen's Town late the following evening. Still, we fou
nd time to talk for an hour and a half.

Her job on the surface seemed straightforward. She coordinated patrols between the villages. As each village operated independently, the most important part of the job was making sure that patrol coverage was overlapping and the villages talked to the other villages on either side. When we had first formed, I had directly worked with Balorie in Queen's Town and Jala in Black Oak, but had transitioned that duty to Badra instead.

I would not be responsible for working out the details of the arrangements villages made, but simply make sure they were making them.

But I also had a second job. I was Queen Malora's eyes and ears, paying attention to the attitudes and events at the other villages, and occasionally helping to spread the word about new policies. I could frequently also be asked to directly carry messages. Nori, as training leader for all the companions, also did this, but Nori traveled far less than Ralla did.

"I'm gone about a third of the time," Ralla said, "and I also run a patrol now and again, although far less often now than I once did."

"Do you know why Malora wants me to do this instead of someone closer to home, perhaps someone who isn't running a village?"

"She wants someone young enough to travel with a good head on her shoulders," Ralla said.

"Bea-"

"Is too trusting. Beria, you weren't her first choice. You were her only choice. We didn't even discuss anyone else. Narsana is the next possible candidate, and I do not want to wait another ten years."

"Where will you go? What will you do?"

She smiled. "I've asked Jasmine if she wants to go home."

"To
Gallen's Cove? I thought she couldn't wait to get out of there."

"She was fleeing a bad situation. That situation no longer exists.
She misses the sea. But we may pick another location on the coast, close enough for Malora and Maya to stop by when they come to visit your parents, but perhaps not right in Gallen's Cove."

"How will you live?"

"Retired Amazons receive an annual stipend, and it is Morehama law that we may receive a parcel of land when we retire. We receive a home in town or a moderate farm in the country. What we do with it is then up to us. Serra and Ping accepted their orange grove, and then Karena retired there as well, so they grew the plantation." She smiled. "Jasmine and I visited last year. They are now living far more comfortably than anyone here. I was quite tempted, but Jasmine misses the sea. Perhaps we will open an inn."

"Who pays the stipend?"

"It comes from the tithe," she explained. "It is not a lot, but it is enough to keep us fed and clothed. Amazon needs are not extensive."

"I'm going to miss you," I told her, tearing up a little. "It seems like you were always here, and soon you'll be gone."

"I know," she said. "I'm going to miss all of you, too. But you'll come visit, and if we get too bored, we might stop by from time to time."

I didn't think that would happen, but it was nice to consider.

"But I'm not leaving yet," she added. "I'll pop up to Lake Juna next week for a day or two, and then we'll have the tour. We can stick around for another few weeks if you think you'll need me, but you'll be fine."

I got my wrestling match with Bea, and two with Omie. Even Maya asked for a match.

I left early the next morning. Maya woke with me, and she pulled me to the deserted dining hall before she would let me leave.

"I love you, Sister," she said. "I miss you around here."

"I come to visit all the time," I said. "I bet we see each other more than if we were married back in Gallen's Cove."

"And we definitely see each other more than we would have if you hadn't become an Amazon," she said. "I am so proud of you, honey, I could just burst."

"The Softpeace sisters did all right, one practically the queen of the Amazons, and the other a village chief."

She laughed. "Malora's the queen."

"When's the last time she did a thing without your approval?"

"She simply respects my wisdom," Maya said.

"She respects the sharp edge of your tongue," I suggested. "Has this been better than being a teacher?"

"You know, for a long time, it wasn't. But yes. I'm glad I wouldn't let Nori take you."

We laughed together. "Yeah," I added, "if anyone was taking me from home, it was you."

"That's right. And now look at you." She paused. "Do you wish you'd stayed home and had a houseful of babies?"

"Sometimes I think about it," I admitted. "But then I think about what a pain in the ass I was." I shrugged. "This is the life I picked, and this is the life that picked you. Every choice means you not only have picked something you will do, but you have also picked many things you won't do."

"Any regrets?"

"Not finding a way to stay with Omie. I envy what you have with Malora. But we knew when we started that it wouldn't last forever."

"You won't have that with Omie, but you'll be friends forever. Years from now, when you need someone to count on, you absolutely know she and Vorine will have your back."

"Or I'll have theirs."

"Yes," said Maya. "Malora and Nori spent a few years apart, but then they came back together again. They act as one."

I nodded.

"There's something else I need from you," Maya said.

"Just ask."

"I need you to keep coming here to spar with Nori and Malora. It helps to keep them sharp and young. You wouldn't believe the amount of time the two of them spend trying to find ways to stay ahead of you. They need that. Promise me."

"Of course, Maya," I said. I grinned. "Do they really talk about me?"

"More than you would believe," she said.

"Did Nori tell you why I came yesterday?"

Maya nodded. "I told them you'd figure it out. I told Malora to just tell you, but she likes leaving puzzles. She was delighted when Nori relayed the conversation." She paused. "Thank you for having Malora's back."

We hugged again, then once more, then I couldn't make up any more excuses to stay, but I didn't want to go.

"Maya," I said.

"Go on," she said. "We'll have all the time in the world in a couple of weeks." She gave me a little push.

Lake Juna's Amazons were at training when I arrived. They didn't notice me, so I took care of my mount and dropped my things off in my hut before I found everyone on the training ground.

Badra and Tamma were actually home rather than on patrol. I waited for a lull and then called a halt. There was a flurry of activity, welcoming me home. I smiled at all of them. I thought about whether I should wait until training was over but decided that if it were I, I'd be upset if the news were kept from me.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I need Badra and Tamma for a while. After training, I need to see
Glorana and Frida."

"We'll find you, Chief Beria,"
Glorana replied.

"Carry on. Badra, Tamma, with me please."
I turned heel and led the way to their hut, letting myself in before them. As soon as we were inside, Tamma stepped to the stove and stirred the fire, adding a little wood. We slipped off our cloaks.