Excerpt: Little Kitten

She returned to her wagon and climbed up to the bench where she could reach under the blankets and touch the face of Artemis. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind, reaching into the depths of the darkness for the light she knew she needed to find. Once she saw the spark of light, she followed it out into the Amazon Land of the Dead.

The fighting with the Romans had claimed nearly a hundred lives and they stood around quietly talking among the red-tinged hills. Soloh-Aul approached her and gave a small bow. “We have been waiting for you,” the Regent said.

Deoris smiled at her and clasped her hand. She looked out at the familiar faces that looked toward her. She recognized the Weapons Mistress, Nezryn, as well as the Keturah Archila, the Watch Mistress, her childhood friend Ciept and the girl who had attacked her in the Mess hut, Martyka. Every face filled her with sorrow, but she knew their sacrifice was not in vain.

“I want to thank you,” she said, raising her voice so they could all hear her. “So much. Our tribe is reunited and safe from the Romans, for now. Without you, we would have all perished within our walls. Your bravery will live on in song and most importantly, Themiscyra will go on,” she said.

“Of course it will,” Lysippe said, coming up behind her and laying a hand on her shoulder. “We never had any doubts.”

The appearance of the Queen beside her filled Deoris with a terrible sadness and she whispered, “I am so sorry you couldn’t remain with us.”

“I am, too. I would have liked to have seen the new homeland, but I trust Celosia to lead you. She’s a fine warrior and proved her worth these past few days. She will make a good Queen,” Lysippe said. The Queen turned to the dead Amazons. “My sisters, my friends, we stand on the verge of a new adventure! I look forward to sharing it with you. Be content that we have done what we needed to do.”

Deoris stepped away from the Queen for a moment, wiping a tear from her face. She raised her hand, spoke the incantation Artemis had given her, and opened the mirror that led to the Hunting Ground. “My gift to you all,” she said. “Lands where you can hunt, fish, play and love in peace for all eternity. Just step through the mirror.” As had happened before, one of the Amazons near the mirror caught sight of a friend and ran into it to be embraced.

The acolyte was tapped from behind and she turned to see Nezryn. “I wasn’t going to leave without saying goodbye,” the Weapons Mistress said.

“I wouldn’t have let you,” Deoris said. “I want to thank you for everything. I’m not sure there are enough words that say how grateful I am for your lessons and your friendship.”

“Those are the words, Deoris,” Nezryn said. “Don’t stop practicing your hearing or your staff work. There are other teachers who can help you, don’t be afraid of them.”

“I am not afraid of them, and I will try to find someone to teach me further. I just…I wish it was going to be you.”

Nezryn smiled. “I wish that, too, but it’s not meant to be. Farewell, Deoris.” She put her arm out and Deoris clasped it earnestly.

“Farewell, Nezryn,” she said. The Weapons Mistress went around her and entered the mirror, waving to Deoris from the other side.

She stood on the plain with the Queen and the Regent, watching the colors swirl within the mirror. “I will go first and clear the path, my Queen,” Soloh-Aul said. “Farewell, Deoris. Take care of our Amazons.”

“I will, Regent, thank you,” she replied. Soloh-Aul stepped through the mirror into a land of light and brightness. From the other side, she beckoned to her Queen that the way was ready.

“Thank you, Deoris,” Lysippe said.

“I will miss you, my Queen,” the young woman said. “You were the last of my mother’s close friends. If you see her on the other side, will you tell her…I think of her often?”

“I am sure I will see her and I am sure that she knows. The dead can hear your thoughts, Deoris, remember that. We will be listening,” Lysippe said. She ruffled the girl’s dark curls, then turned and stepped through into the Hunting Grounds.

Alone on the plain, Deoris raised her hand in farewell and then made a wiping gesture which sent the mirror spinning back into nothingness. She lifted her face to the heavens and said, “Thank you, Artemis,” and opened her eyes to the familiar blackness of her blindness.

“Deoris!” Aurora said loudly in her ear.

“What?” she answered.

“Are you all right? You haven’t moved in the last five minutes!”

“I’m fine, Aurora. I had…things to do.”

“Are you sure? You’re as cold as ice! Here, wrap up in the blanket. Were you asleep or something, sitting there like that?”

Deoris snuggled down into the blanket, grateful for the warmth. Aurora was right, she was cold. “No, I wasn’t asleep. I had to send them home.”

“Send who home? What home? Themiscyra burned, remember? Are you dreaming?”

“No, Aurora, I had to send the dead home to Artemis. It’s my calling, remember? They were waiting for me. Some have been waiting for days. It was my duty.”

“Oh,” Aurora said. “Then you already know . . .”

“About the Queen, yes. I saw her there. Nezryn was there, too. I will miss them,” the acolyte said, sounding very young and heartbroken.

Aurora pulled the girl into her arms and gave her some comfort. “I will too,” Aurora said. “I didn’t know about Nezryn yet. Who else did you see?”

Deoris rattled off the names of the Amazons she had seen. “There were so many,” she said when she could remember no other faces she’d seen. “I’m sorry. I think those of us here are all that remain.”

“We’ll be all right. We will start over and we’ll be fine. You’ll see,” Aurora assured her.

“I won’t see, but I understand. I know we will be. I just wish that … we hadn’t lost so many.”

The next morning, Celosia stood at the campfire and addressed the seventy or so Amazons who remained in the tribe. “It is my duty to inform you that the Queen, my mother, has passed into the afterlife.” She spoke coldly, as if she was distant from the pain that Deoris knew she must feel. There was a collective gasp at her announcement, and many of the Amazons wept openly. Lysippe had been Queen for so long that the Amazons could not imagine the tribe without her.

“I know this is hard, but we must accept it and carry on as she would want. Soloh-Aul perished on the battlefield as well, so the Regent will not become Queen. My mother has…given me that honor,” Celosia said after a moment’s hesitation. There was scattered applause, but most were too buried in their grief to celebrate. “I name my sister Medea as my Regent. Today we will remain here as we perform the death rites for my mother. Reflect on all she has done for our tribe and be proud of the tears you shed. You honor her and you honor her daughters with them. Thank you,” Celosia finished.

Aurora, who had known of the Queen’s death, went out among the Amazons to offer what comfort she could. Deoris remained at the back of the crowd, trying to infuse the air around her with quiet reassurance. She kept her thoughts on the Queen as she had last seen her, a royal figure entering the mirror to the Amazon Hunting Ground. She wasn’t sure it was working, but she tried anyhow.