Authors: Robin Roseau
"How long are you staying in White Pine?" Benton asked.
"Tonight and tomorrow," Malora said. "We leave early the following day."
"Then tomorrow, I hope you will
be guests of the inn for dinner," said Grace. "I will prepare something special. We'll spread the word and be overflowing with guests hoping for something dramatic to occur. We'll need a few extra servers, Benton."
"We companions will help serve," Maya said immediately. "It is our duty."
"No," said Benton. "You will be honored guests and treated as such." He turned to Lia. "But if your brother comes, he can pay for his meal."
"Will you introduce us to the women who help with the canning?" Malora asked. "We would like to thank them personally."
"Who do you think we'll ask to help serve?" Grace said with a grin. "Oh, I wish we had more time. But we'll make do."
"We have ample cider and beer," Benton said. "But there are no local vineyards. Wine is dear to us."
"Then we shall be pleased with what is ample," Malora said, "and you shall have our thanks for what you do for us. You are very gracious."
"That's my wife," Benton said. "Her mother well named her. Without her influence, I could have been a greedy miser." He offered his wife a kiss on the cheek. "She wore down my defenses with her cooking."
"Perhaps I can play my fiddle," Maya said. "And perhaps there is someone here who can teach me a new song or two."
"We will be sure to invite another player or two," Benton assured her. He grinned to his wife. "We will feed the Amazons and make money doing so. Generosity is rewarded, just like you taught me so many years ago!"
"Well," Grace said after a moment, "Lia has children to retrieve from school, so we shall not keep you. If you are in need of a lunchtime meal tomorrow, we would be delighted to have you. I will make sure there is ample stew."
"Will anyone mind if we use the village green for training tomorrow?" Nori asked.
Benton smiled. "I do not believe you should let that stop you, and far more will be interested in watching than might wish to complain."
With that, we rose, thanking Benton and Grace for their hospitality. Lia collected her winter outerwear, and a few moments later found us on the street outside the inn.
"They are very outgoing," Ralla observed.
"You do not open a public house if you are not, I think," said Lia. "Can you imagine how miserable you would be if you did not care for people?"
"Of course," Ralla said.
"The school is this way," Lia said. "My daughters will be waiting."
It was a short walk. Lia and Tamma talked, Tamma asking about this person and that one. The companions held hands with their warriors, Nori and Rora talking quietly. And all the warriors were alert, constantly watching for trouble.
Which, thankfully, never came. How insane would someone be to attack a group of nine Amazons, after all?
* * * *
We
collected the girls from school. The two girls were delighted to see their aunt and somewhat overwhelmed at the sight of eight more Amazons.
Lia
provided greetings then said, "We will need more provisions for dinner and breakfast."
"You don't n
eed to feed us," Malora said. "We can set up outside town as we have in the past."
"I won't hear of it. You have already overwhelmed Zora's defenses, and I am looking forward with great delight to her consternation when you invade the house. I believe you should also invite yourselves to spend
the nights. It will do her good to face women who she cannot bully."
"I cannot understand why
Arden married her," Tamma said. "She was a spoiled brat as a child, and she has only grown worse. He was actually a sweet boy until she got her hooks in them, father's influence or otherwise."
"He didn't stand a chance," Lia said. "She was ruthless, hungry f
or the power she expected to wield through the mayor's son. He was twelve when she began batting her eyelashes at him, and I didn't even notice or I would have done something about it. By the time I realized what was going on, she had him wrapped around her little finger."
I was surprised she would speak so openly in front of her daughters, but they didn't seem surprised by the conversation.
"We were discussing provisions," Maya said. "What do we need and where do we get it? If I may have a small escort, I can retrieve what we need."
"It is too late in the day for the market," Lia said. "We'll need to send someone out to one of the farms." She turned to her eldest daughter, Joelle.
"You know where the Vardon farm is."
"Yes, Mama," the girl said. "But it is a long walk."
"You shall ride upon my horse with me," I said.
The girl looked at me, her eyes wide, then nodded.
Lia looked at Maya. "Four chickens, freshly butchered. Breakfast meats. And they will have potatoes and onions in storage. This is Grace's brother. He may offer to gift you what you request, I do not know."
"We will pay him," Maya said. "It sounds like he already tithes to us more than his share."
"If he offers a gift, you should accept," Lia said. "His wife's great-grandmother's sister was an Amazon, and they remember their duty, even if much of White Pine does not."
We returned to the house, the younger girl hiding underneath her mother's cloak for much of the walk, the elder daughter looking at us cautiously but saying little. Upon arriving, we empti
ed one of the packhorses of its load, and Malora said, "Badra, will you help serve as Maya's escort as well? The three of you should be fine."
I helped Joelle into place on my horse, climbing up behind her afterwards. She pointed the direction we were to go, and the four of us set off down the street.
"My name is Beria," I said. She'd been introduced once, but there had been a lot of names to remember. "You should call me Chief Beria."
"Yes, Chief Beria."
"You know Badra," I said, gesturing to her. "She is your aunt's warrior."
"We met once, I think," the girl said. "She taught me how to old a stick."
"We call them staffs," I explained. "And this is Maya. She is Queen Malora's companion and is very important to the Amazons."
We took turns talking to the girl, and she directed us now and then. We headed south from the village, passing several farms before the girl pointed to the right. "This one," she said. "This saddle is different from ours."
"We frequently ride double like this," I said. "And so our saddles are designed for it. I can remove the extra stirrups if I wish, but I have become so accustomed to riding like this. If we were the size of men, it would be a strain for the horses, but we are women. And girls, like you. We breed our horses to be somewhat small, but sturdy and well suited for our needs. They are perhaps not as fast as other horses, but they can walk or trot for a very long time while carrying two Amazons, and they do well during both summer and winter."
She bent over the front of the horse
and gave her neck a pat. "What is his name?"
"Her name is Blossom."
The girl laughed. "That is a funny name for a warhorse."
"She is not so much a warhorse. She came to me with this name, and I believe it had something to do with her enjoyment of eating flower blossoms." I turned to Maya. "I am sorely tempted to let her spend time in Loren's garden."
Maya looked at me with shock for a moment then began laughing. "And then Loren would be forced to dye your horse, and you with it."
"I will make sure Malora is not available to tell me to do what I am told," I replied. "Do you believe Loren can beat me on the training grounds?"
"No," Maya said with a smirk. "Beria, please tell me you're kidding."
"I might be kidding," I said. "We shall see."
"Who is Loren and why would you let your horse in her garden?"
"That, Joelle, is a long story," I said, "but perhaps we shall make Maya tell you sometime."
"I believe, Little Sister," Maya said, "that you are not in a position to make me do anything."
"Would you rather tell the story yourself or have me do it?" I asked.
"Badra, did I ever tell you what Beria was like as a baby? She had this habit-"
"Maya!"
She grinned at me. "For every Maya story, I have five Beria stories. Just remember that."
Oh, I missed my sister.
By the time we returned to Lia's house, our sleeping arrangements had been settled. Zora's back was up, and her lips were tight, but she didn't say a word and was tersely polite with all of us. Lia collected the supplies from us, directing her daughters, then she and Tamma disappeared into the kitchen after settling us in the sitting room, volunteering Zora to entertain us.
"We missed some fun," Badra said to me. "Who do you suppose intimidated her this time?"
"Nori is looking pleased with herself. I bet Zora did something stupid."
"No, look. It wasn't Nori; it was Rora. Zora is shooting daggers at her."
"Rora is from Howard's Den," I pointed out. "She has little patience for anyone who doesn't show us respect." I studied the situation and wondered whether someone should talk some sense into Zora. I found an excuse to climb back to my feet, then sat down next to Malora, bumping her over slightly to make room on the sofa.
There wasn't really room, and I was sure all the Amazons knew I'd done it to catch a word with our queen. I whispered into her ear, "Are we going to let Zora simmer and possibly do something stupid?"
"I am trying to not be forced to notice," Malora whispered back. "Rora and Nori are angry."
"And if Maya gets involved, that's almost the same as you doing it. That leaves me," I said.
"So it does," she said.
She offered a smile, which I returned before climbing from the sofa, leaving more room for the remaining occupants. I turned to Zora.
"You have a beautiful home," I stated. It wasn't much of a complement, as I didn't believe she'd had anything to do with it being a home of any sort at all.
"Thank you," the woman said. "It was my husband's parents' home, but we have been the stewards for years now, and then when Warina died so tragically, we inherited it."
I stepped closer to her. She tried to move away, but I put an arm around her good-naturedly. "I would like to speak with you," I said. "Everyone here wishes an opportunity to gossip about me. Queen Malora wishes to ask Ralla and Nori how I have been doing with my latest duties, and of course, Maya will have an opinion. So let us give them some privacy to talk about me, and you can tell me more about White Pine." I led her from the room. "Would you like to take a walk about the village, or perhaps there is somewhere else we can talk."
"I have nothing to say to you."
"Well," I said more quietly, "I have things to say to you. You can be gracious and make it look like you are answering my ignorant questions, or I can haul you outside the way you're dressed and shout at you in front of your neighbors. I would prefer the first choice."
"This way," she said instantly. "My husband has an office."
I let her lead me to a room on the other side of the house, and she closed the door then crossed her arms to look at me.
"What do you want?"
"Zora," I said, "your husband and your sister-in-law have had a great loss.
The companion of one of my most steadfast warriors suffered the same loss. The Queen of the Amazons traveled four days through the winter to offer her respects, and we will travel another four days to return. Our blood is no thicker than yours. Our cloaks are no warmer. The winter air chills us the same way it chills you. We do not relish winter travel, but we do it because it is necessary."
"We didn't invite you."
"Lia did," I said.
"This is not her home. It belongs to me and my husband."
"A fact I am sure you have made abundantly clear to her. Your sister-in-law lives in a one-room hut only slightly larger than the room across the entry from here. But of course, she spends a third or more of her nights sleeping on the hard ground in a tent too small to stand up. She trains to fight every day, and I know for a fact her body is currently carrying bruises from that training. She is dressed in the best clothes she has, clothes she made herself from skins she and her warrior hunted together. While we appear rather dashing in our leather clothing, it is not as fine as what you wear, and I dare say not as soft. She arrived on the doorstep of her childhood home, distraught over the loss of her mother, cold, and sore from days of travel, and instead of receiving a warm, welcoming hug from you, she received a cold shoulder and the knowledge you would gladly have left her in the street. What is wrong with you?"
"What is wrong with me?" She repeated my question, but it was said with sadness, not venom. "Lia and Tamma hate me. They think I am not good enough for their brother. It's bad enough having one of them here, but both of them?"
"Well, from your behavior so far, I'd say they're right. If I had been in your position, I would have taken every step necessary to prove they were wrong instead of doing what I could to prove them right."