Amazon Chief (95 page)

I immediately danced backwards. "Hold!" Malora said.

I watched Jalad carefully. She eyed me then stood up straight, standing her staff on the ground by her side, held in just one arm.

"Point, match, and tournament to Chief Beria of Lake Juna!" Malora declared.

Jalad eyed me, and I didn't take my eyes from her.

"Good fight," she said. "Good tournament. Congratulations, Chief Beria." She offered a tiny bow of her head and stepped backwards five steps.

I was actually rather surprised. She was being gracious.

"Thank you for the tournament, Queen Malora," Jalad said. "It was well organized, and I faced highly worthy opponents."

"Thank you for attending, Jalad," Queen Malora replied. "You are an impressive warrior."

"I'm good with a staff," she said. "The demons do not fear me so much with a sword." She offered another small bow then turned and exited the training ring.

I turned to Malora, lowing my swords. She was beaming broadly at me. Then we each stepped together and hugged. Moments later, everyone else was there, too, voices raised in congratulations. I felt Lia and Maya, and I heard Haldara pushing people aside so Annalise could lean down and hug my head.

I got hugs and kisses and congratulations from every direction.

I felt a little numb, actually. I had performed well, but so had others, and I wouldn't have been here without Tenda's grace. Nor was I sure I would have beaten Lilith.

"All right," Malora bellowed. "We can offer more congratulations in a little while. There will be an awards ceremony this evening. I understand the companions have a variety of events for this afternoon. But we have one more event here this morning, so I need all of you to clear out of my training circle."

I turned away, but she said, "Chief Beria! Not you."

I froze, grinned, and turned to face her. "Me?"

"You," she said. "Come here."

She led me to the center of the ring then pulled me close to her.

"I'm so proud of you," she said.

"Thank you, Malora," I said. "I had a lot of luck, and a lot of help along the way. You know that."

"Yes. One generation helps the next. Nori and I have been training you very, very carefully since the day you arrived. You and a few others, but it quickly became apparent it was to be you."

"Me?"

"Beria, I'm tired. I'm old. A queen shouldn't need to be protected from another Amazon. I'm ready to retire. I need you to challenge me."

I screamed the word. "No!"

"Listen to me," she said.

"No! Malora, no. You are queen-"

"You always said, I was queen until I decided to retire."

"But not yet. Not yet! This is foolish. You are an amazing queen. I don't know the first thing about it. I can be your warrior. Anyone who wants to challenge you has to get past me first. And I'm not alone. Lilith said the same thing. Everyone loves you."

"I'm tired, Beria, and that's not the Amazon way. I know for a fact that at least three warriors standing here right now, watching us,
who will challenge me today if you don't do it first."

"Who? I'll kill them."

"I won't say," Malora replied.

"I can't, Malora. I'm not ready. I'll never be ready."

"You're ready. Beria, listen to me." She pulled me closer. "I have been training you for this. Not just for the fight, but for everything. Why do you think you are a village chief? Why do you think at the same time you are also the patrol coordinator? I raised you here, and I made sure you were fit to rule. You're like me. You are just like me. You are a protector, and I want the next queen to be a protector. It has to be you."

"Maya will kill me."

"Maya knows. She's known for years. Do you remember? She and I fought about sending you to another village. I wasn't going to tell her why, but I had to. She's known. Look at her."

I turned my head, and my sister was standing there, watching us. She looked worried, but she nodded, twice.

"Who else knows?"

"Nori, of course. She and I talked about it while you were still a companion."

"Who else did you consider?"

"Your warrior. Bea. Aura. A few that didn't pan out after even a few years."

"Of the warriors here today?"

"Tenda, but she can't hold the position. I should have retired five years ago, but you weren't ready. I don't think you would have won this tournament, and your first years would have been plagued with challenges. And frankly, you weren't ready for the position. You are now. You're ready. I have spent twenty years making sure you would be ready on this day, Beria."

I stared at her.

"I don't want it."

"I didn't, either."

"Malora, I'd have to kill you. How can you ask me to do that?"

"Oh honey, no. We fight until one of us yields. I can't hand it to you. I will give you the best fight I can, but it's been years since I could have beaten you, as good as you are now, and you probably could have beaten me five years ago."

"You killed Parlomith."

"Yes. I decide the terms. With Parlomith, I decided it was to the death. With you, it is until one of us yields. Try not to hurt me too badly. I don't heal as quickly as I used to."

"I don't want to do this, Malora. You can't make me, can you?"

"No. But I'm begging, Beria. I'm tired. You're so young. You don't understand. I hurt. I'm tired of training every day. I'm tired of the bruises and the aching joints afterwards. I haven't gone on a demon patrol in two years, and a queen shouldn't lead from Queen's Town. The Amazons need their next queen, and that has to be you. There is no one else."

"Nori."

"She's almost as old as I am, and honestly, she can't beat me. I'd have to throw the fight, and that would be dishonest."

"Omie then."

"You, Beria. You."

"I don't want to do this, Malora."

"I know. Now, we're going to go step out there, and you are going to say in a firm voice to carry to everyone that you are challenging me for leadership of the Amazons. Do you need a rest before we fight?"

"No. Everyone is going to hate me!"

"Everyone out there knows I'm talking to you about this. All right, there may be a few who think we're planning something special, maybe an exhibition match between you and me, but when you go out there and challenge me, especially after so loudly denying my first request, they'll know I begged to retire."

"Does Lia know?"

"Your sister is telling her right now."

I looked over, and Lia looked stricken. Maya was whispering to her.

"The chiefs?"

"Some of them will have figured it out. I haven't tried to be subtle."

"Will they support me?"

"Yes. There are a few who won't, but the vast majority, yes. You are my hand-chosen successor."

"Why this way?"

"So everyone absolutely knew who the best was."

"Tenda was better."

"Only because you didn't want to beat her with a staff. And I think Tenda figured it out. And I know Haldara did, as she came to me last night and pledged to support you. And if I'm not mistaken, Lilith will also be a staunch supporter. You know everyone at Lake Juna and Queen's town will be fully behind you."

"All right," I said. "Do I have to?"

"Yes. Please, Beria. I need to know the next queen is someone like you, and there isn't anyone else. Maya would be a fabulous queen, but-"

"Yeah. We'd have to change the rules of succession."

"Right, and they won't accept it. I tried, years ago. And I wasn't the first queen who tried."

"I don't want to hurt you, Malora."

"My last fight, Beria, and I can't imagine anyone else I would rather face. Go on now. We'll walk out, separate a little, and then in a loud, clear voice, challenge me for leadership of the Amazons."

I nodded.

She hugged me again, and then we stepped away. We moved forward, stopping perhaps five paces from the front edge of the training circle. Facing the waiting Amazons, I was on the left, Malora to my right. I turned to her. She was watching me, beaming at me.

I was stricken, sick to my stomach.

"I'm going to be sick," I told her.

"No, you're not. But if you need a break, we can do this in a little while, but you have to challenge me now, while they're waiting."

I'm sure some people heard her, but no one expressed surprise.

I raised my voice. "Queen Malora, we can never decide if you are a mother to me or an older sister, a much, much older sister. Moments ago, I learned you have known all along. You are my second mother, and I love you from the bottom of my heart."

"Chief Beria, Champion of the Amazons, I am both older sister and second mother, and I am very proud to be both."

"Queen Malora, I challenge you in combat for leadership of the Amazons."

They were waiting for it, but still there was a hush, and then loud conversation broke out. I glanced at Maya. She looked scared, but she nodded to me again. I searched for Omie and found her, and Nori, and there was Ralla and so many others, and I could tell Ralla had known, too. Jasmine looked shocked, but Ralla was talking to her.

Malora held up a hand. "Chief Beria, I accept your challenge, our fight to commence immediately if you are prepared."

I took a breath and nodded. "I am. What weapons will you choose?"

Nori stepped into the ring, and she handed Malora her swords. Her real swords. I stared at them. She withdrew them from their sheaths.

"Beria," she said softly, "it's a real fight."

Then Omie and Vorine were beside me. Vorine took my practice swords from me, still clasped in my hands. I had forgotten they were even there. And Omie handed me my real swords, pulling first one from the sheath and pressing it into my hand, then the other.

"You both knew?"

"Yes, for a very, very long time," Omie said.

"Not me," Vorine said. "This one figured it out years ago. I found out this week. I feel so stupid."

Then they stepped away, moving out of the circle.

I looked over. Maya and Lia were standing side-by-side, just slightly left of the center. I didn't see our daughters.

"Where are they?" I asked.

"With Yalta and Rahna," Lia said.

I nodded then turned to face Malora. Nori was out of the circle, and Malora had moved a little further away.

"If you are ready, Chief Beria, we may begin. Once we begin, we do not stop until one of us yields."

I stared at her swords. I had fought a few bandits over the years, but I had never fought naked steel that would be wielded as well as Malora did.

And I looked at my swords. I had never raised steel against someone I was unwilling to kill or even hurt.

"Sister!" I yelled.

"Beria?"

"I find myself loath to raise naked steel against my queen. Would you allow me to trade my steel for the staff across your back?"

Malora smiled, a ghost of a smile.

"Yes, Sister," Maya said. "I will happily loan my staff to you."

I stepped over to her. Omie appeared and took my swords from me, and by the time she had, Maya held her staff to me.

"Treat it well," she said. "It has saved my life a time or three."

I took the staff then stepped fully back into the circle. I took several breaths to calm myself, but my heart was pounding in my chest. I wondered how Malora had done
this: facing people who she absolutely knew wished to kill her.

I was good enough, more than good enough. Malora was the best two swords fighter I have ever fought, but she was slow now, and I was stronger than her with a longer reach.

I needed to be more than good enough. I needed to beat her without hurting her.

I stepped forward.

"Beria," the queen said quietly, "I do not believe you have ever been cut by a sword."

"Just once, sharpening Omie's."

She smiled.

"It stings. You must ignore it and keep fighting no matter how deep it is. Beria, you must win. You must."

I nodded.

"And we do not pause after a strike. This is like a bandit fight, but hopefully a bandit you do not intend to kill." She smiled again.

"I understand, Queen Malora. I wish I didn't have to do this."

"Oh honey, so do I. Fight your best. Beat me. I am not going to make it easy for you."

I nodded once more, and then said in a firm voice, "Queen Malora, I am ready."

"As am I. Ready. Fight."

She paused just a tiny moment, then she came after me, and she was fast! Her left sword lashed out, and the temptation was to move towards my left, into the path of her right sword, but I knew that trick, and so I beat her sword aside with my staff, then swung the other end of my staff towards her.