Day 6

Viola woke up suddenly. She had been having a bad dream. Were crazy man hating women wanted to kill children just because they were boys and she hadn’t been able to save them. The women had hung then from the bridge.

She quickly checked on the boys who were still sleeping soundly.

It was just starting to get light and she was so tired but she refused to allow herself to sleep. Instead, she did some morning exercises.

Tilihah the girl with lilac eyes that somehow gave her the ability to speak and understand their languages came into the room.

She kissed every boy.

Viola found herself having nasty thoughts like, that girl really gets around.

Don’t be mean, she told herself, It’s just a child, a weird child but still a child.

“How old are you?” she asked the girl.

“Fourteen in your years” she answered.

“Do you know everything about me?”

“Yes, I have all your knowledge as if in a book which I can access at any time.”

“So, you can speak as if you lived on earth because you know everything I know?”

“Yes”

“What do you think of me?” she asked Tilihah

The girl looked thoughtfully at the wall.

“You are a German spy. You like dancing and ice cream.”

Viola interrupted her

“I don’t want you to tell me what you know about me. I want you to tell me what you think of me.”

Once again, the girl looked at the wall but this time with a blank expression.

“I think you are a trouble maker. Arguing with Kaneeda. She knows what she is doing and what’s best for us… I think if you could… if you were willing to change you would be a good friend… boys are little men and men hurt women. This is simple… maybe your mind is small.” The girl finished

“Ouch” Viola said “What if I am right?”

“You are not.” Tilihah said straight away “But you are brave.”

She smiled.

“Is that what you wanted? Did I tell you what I think, right?”

She waited for approval. Like a child younger than fourteen, like a child of seven or eight.

“Yes, you did it right.” Viola smiled at her

“I don’t want you to die.” she said so randomly,

“You coursed trouble, and trouble makers die.”

“Is someone going to kill me?” Viola asked a little worried

“It will be an honorable death in battle.”

Her big lilac, blue and white eyes looked at her sadly.

“How will it be honorable?” Viola asked trying not to freak out at the child

“A battle to the death. If you win you keep your life, if you lose…”

“Do you not believe I will win?” Viola asked

“How could you win? You will fight against Dakota” she said matter of fact.

“Would I be allowed to speak with the queen before?” Viola asked

“No, you will wait here until you are called.”

“But I am injured.” Viola said

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“It was nice to meet you. I will learn from what you know.”

Then she left the room.

The boys in the room all looked at her afraid.

“Are we also going to die?” they asked

Viola didn’t know what to say. She hoped not but she suspected they would be killed.

Viola was called. Some didn’t look at her and others looked too long. As if trying to remember what she looked like for the future. She was brought before the queen.

“Pick a weapon” the queen said

So, she chose a knife and a short sword.

I can do this, she told herself.

But her heart pounded in her chest and it wasn’t good.

She was nauseous with anxiety.

“May I speak with you alone?” she asked Kaneeda

“Don’t waste time” Kaneeda answered

Dakota came in healed and ready for battle.

“This is our last battle” she said proudly

“A dishonorable murder you mean.” Viola corrected loudly so everyone watching could hear.

“I haven’t eaten yet you have. I am injured. But you have been healed. I saved you just last night. But my opinion. My desire to save children who did not choose to be boys has now led to you murdering me in front of everyone as if you are somehow better than the men you saved these girls from.”

This made Dakota and Kaneeda angry.

Viola threw the short sword down on the ground in front of Dakota. The knife was hidden.

“Pick up your weapon.”

Viola just stood there.

“Pick up your weapon” Dakota shouted at her.

“No, kill me like the brute you are.” she said dropping to her knees with her hands behind her back.

“I will not give you the delusion that there is honor in what you do.”

Dakota looked at Kaneeda for permission to kill her. Kaneeda nodded.

Dakota set her shoulders and held it tightly. The silence of the spectators was deafening.

As she went to strike Viola rolled out of the way raised the hidden knife from behind her back and stabbed Dakota in the middle of her chest and just as quickly in her back. As Dakota fell into the dirt Viola put her foot on the back of her neck.

“I guess I win” she said sourly.

She hadn’t enjoyed that at all.

She knew Shanti would be able to heal her.

“I hate this world.” She added.

Everyone was frozen unsure what to do now. Kaneeda stood up.

“You are deceitful. You won by tricking her.”

“But I still won. No rules if I remember. Just one winner.”

“Fight me.” Kaneeda said coming from her view point.

“Let me get this right. I must keep fighting until someone kills me? Is there no way for me to leave this alive?”

The murmurs from the girls watching picked up.

Viola had provoked her and she had undermined Kaneeda’s leadership and choices. She wasn’t going to stop either.

If she was going to die, she would also insight a hostile takeover.

She really didn’t want to die though.

Kaneeda looked at her loyal followers who were talking to each other shaking their heads and sounding unhappy. Kaneeda jumped down into the arena. She held Viola’s hand up.

“Viola has won.”

No one cheered. It seemed to be a moment or mixed feelings.

“Shanti might be able to save Dakota.” Viola said

“It was a battle to the death.” Kaneeda said

Loudly Viola said

“As winner of this game. I want Dakota to get healed by Shanti.”

The spectators’ faces brightened.

“You mean the victor’s reward.” Kaneeda corrected.

“Yes, whatever it’s called. Now get Shanti out here.”

Viola was taken to a room by a red-haired girl of about sixteen. Even with the dirty dreadlocks, her hair was red.

“Saving Dakota was a nice thing to do.” Ginger said.

They talked about Ginger’s red hair. She was the only one with red hair. Some of the other girls tease her. Well, they use to tease her. Then she rubbed their faces in the dirt so they became afraid of her and now no one says anything about it.

But sometimes they called her blue. She didn’t like that either.

Viola asked about Kaneeda and if she would let her go. Ginger didn’t know, no one had ever beaten Dakota or chosen to save their opponent. But she would vote for her freedom.

Viola asked about that too.

Voting worked like this; everyone gets one vote. Only once you have been a sister for three years did you get to vote. You would get two stones, one white and one black. Each color stone was assigned something for the vote, e.g. Viola goes would be white. Viola dies would be black. Then everyone puts one stone into the basket and then it’s counted. The highest number of a color stone, that’s the decision.

Ginger explained that she would vote for Viola to leave because with her victor’s reward she saved Dakota instead or choosing her freedom, or saving the boys.

Blinkx brought Viola something to eat.

The honey eyed girl who had once guarded her door now gave her food. She was about twelve years old. Viola felt the need to tell these girls that men aren’t bad.

She started with stories about her dad. They liked hearing the stories, fun, happy stories.

More and more girls joined to hear her talk about her world and all the boys and men in her life that had done good things. But then she worried that they imagined men where perfect without fault and not needing forgiveness.

So, she told stories about how her mom left and how she had to forgive her dad for not going after her mom and bringing her home.

How her mom chose her sister and that she hasn’t seen her mom since she left.

They were sad that a woman had done this. Then she changed the point to view to that of her sister who went with her mother and hadn’t seen their father.

Everyone needs forgiveness.

Men, some men are worth a chance. Forgiveness is for you, not them.

It sets you free from what hurts you.

Viola tried to make a point that would last in the girl’s minds.

Kaneeda come in. Everyone stood up as if they were in trouble.

“Leave us” she ordered everyone in the room and everyone left in a hurry.

“Dakota has recovered. She wants to see you. I want you to understand something. We are fighting for our lives. Our ways keep us alive even if you don’t agree with them. I have kept these girls alive, since I escaped seven cycles ago. I have freed others and I have lost many along the way. It is not easy, but this, what we have now works, and we are alive and free. When you leave after putting ideas in their heads, then what?” Kaneeda asked her.

“Save the boys too. They might surprise you; you might just find that there is space in your family for more. In your heart for more, they are mistreated children. Who do they have if not you?” Viola said

Kaneeda was silent and led her to Dakota.

“You fight unfairly.”

Dakota began “Trickery is deceitful and you won because of it.”

Viola braced for bad news. Like I want a fair rematch. Or even a suckers blow right there.

Dakota stood up holding a fist to the opposite shoulder.

“I like how you fight. It is cleaver and it works.”

Viola’s eyes got big, she liked it?

“I almost killed you.”

“Yes, and you are the first. Even our girls with gifts cannot beat me. Yet you played your weakness and proved it to be a strength.”

“What if I had let you die?”

“Then I would have hoped others would learn from it.”

“I think they planned to take revenge. Kaneeda here almost killed me herself after your fall.”

Dakota looked at her with disappointment.

“I want you to stay.” Dakota said

“No” Viola said afraid of the next disagreement they would inevitable have.

“Please think about it. Rest and eat and see our home as your home and yourself as a sister not a visitor.”

“I think that will ensure my death when I still choose to leave.” Viola replied.

Kaneeda added “She wants the boys to stay as one of us.”

“See” Viola said “It’s better for me to go. Find families for the boys.”

“Why do you care about the boys?” Dakota asked

“They are children. In my world it’s a woman’s responsibility to raise children right.”

Dakota and Kaneeda looked confused.

“Teach them right from wrong. Teach boys to look after girls. Open doors, pay at the restaurant, pick her up and drop her off afterwards. To use proper language etc.”

“Men drop you and this is good?” Kaneeda asked

Viola rubbed her head.

“Teach them to catch food. Cook food. Clean house. Care for the sick and protect those they love.”

“I see why you like boys” Dakota said “They do slaves work and this is good.”

Now Viola was getting frustrated

“No. Not slaves, they serve out of love. Because we taught them to. We teach them how to make us happy and how to protect us. Not because we can’t do it but because it’s right for them to do it.”

“I think I understand” Kaneeda said “But we don’t know how.”

“They do” Viola said pointing to the Tskhali children.

“They want their brother. They love their brother. Even if he is naughty.”

“We will discuss this matter” Kaneeda replied

“Please stay one more day” Dakota asked

Viola had the feeling it wasn’t an option even though she was being asked.

It was as she suspected, not a request but a polite instruction.