3.31.
The council of the Mokoari tribe sat around the fire. The subject of discussion was the newest addition to their village.
Well, the second newest. There had been a birth while the villagers were hiding in their sacred caverns, waiting for the goddess who had revealed herself to them to tell them that the battle for the heavens and the Earth was over and that it was safe to return to their lives. The little girl had been named the Mokoari word for “Hope.”
But the topic of discussion was Enidi. And Towari, by extension, since he was her husband. Enidi had promised that she would obey the council’s decision on whether or not she was allowed to remain, and Towari had vowed to follow his wife in either decision.
“We are very fortunate that she came to us,” one of the women said. “The enemy was mighty. Without the weapons she provided, they would have destroyed our warriors. Our children and our women would have been at their mercy.”
“We do not know for certain that the enemy came to destroy, as she claims that they did,” one of the critics of allowing Enidi to remain among the Mokoari said. “We are simply taking her at her word that all she says is the truth.”
“They killed the men of the other villages. Our messengers confirmed the massacres that took place outside the valley,” one of the warriors said. “Of all of the villages where the gods revealed themselves, only the Mokoari emerged without casualties. And only the Mokoari were able to fight back. All of the other villages were forced to wait until Enidi arrived to liberate them.”
“So you claim,” the critic said, but the troublemaker spoke no further for a while, aware that the others thought her to be foolishly clinging to her doubt.
“Do you believe that the enemy was truly evil spirits?” one of the elders asked the others. They silently considered the question.
“I do not,” one said eventually. “I believe they are outsiders with weapons like magic. Inside of their fiercesome armor lies the flesh and blood of men and women, just as it does for Enidi. But their abilities are so like magic that they had might as well be magic. If we are to hope to ever fight back against them if they come again we must have a warrior their equal, or their better. I believe that we need Enidi.”
“We could use her to conquer the other valleys,” one of the warriors pointed out.
The woman who’d spoken first scoffed. “If you believe that you’re a fool. I have spent time with Enidi and although I did not know her powers, I know her spirit. She took away the weapons that she gave us once the threat was past to prevent us from misusing them. She will not consent to be used in wars against the other tribes.”
The warrior fell silent, accepting the chastisement.
“It is not proper for a warrior to be one of the village women,” one of the men pointed out. “But there is no question that she is a mighty warrior. I do not mean to say that we should make her leave. I am saying that she must be honored as one of the villages defenders, for that is what she is.”
The others considered this for a moment.
“Are we agreed that she is welcome to stay, but divided upon what role she is to play among our people?” the village chieftain inquired.
The others nodded their head at the assessment, except for the critic who remained unconvinced.
“Then I believe it is time to bring her and Towari into the council. They deserve a say in their future if they are to be allowed to remain among us, which is the decision which has been reached tonight. We will present them with the idea that Enidi be raised to the rank of one of our warriors and that Towari be given the rank of her wife.”
There was some amusement at this joke, and one of the village elders went to fetch the couple.
Enidi and Towari arrived before the fire, taking their place as supplicants. The village chieftain nodded toward them and told them the decision of the council.
“Enidi, you and your husband are invited to remain among this village of the Mokoari for as long as you choose to stay among us,” the chieftain said. “However, it has been decided that it is not suitable for you to be given the tasks and duties of one of the village women. You shall be given the role of a warrior. Towari, as you have married a warrior greater than you, you will be sent to learn your new duties with the other wives of the women.”
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Towari’s eyes opened wide at the pronouncement. He sputtered, and Enidi, once she had understood what had been said, burst into laughter. Towari looked at her, eyes hurt at the betrayal, and she smiled at him. Then she turned back to the council and shook her head.
“Thank you for words,” she said. “But no. Not live as warrior of Mokoari. Live as woman. Am mighty warrior, yes, but am hiding. Hiding from those who take me away from Mokoari. Want stay with Mokoari, so must hide. Hide as woman, yes? Nobody think woman changing stinky baby mighty warrior.”
The others considered the woman-god’s pronouncement for a moment.
“If the others who are looking for you to take you away find you, will they come and hurt the Mokoari?” the village chieftain asked.
“Do not think so,” Enidi said. “More likely try to convince me leave. Do not wish leave. Mokoari good people, and valley good place. Wish stay here, wish not draw attention of outsiders. Better be hidden among Mokoari to protect this part of world, which is task Enidi given from good spirits who protect all peoples of this world.”
“But you do not know for certain that your presence will not place the Mokoari in danger?” the critic pressed, sensing a weakness.
Enidi shrugged. “Do not know certain sun rise tomorrow,” she said. “Believe it so because always has. Believe if hide among Mokoari, Mokoari safer than if Enidi forced leave.”
The villagers considered the words for a while, sometimes speaking their thoughts on the matter. Many of them were concerned that allowing Enidi to remain in the role of one of the village women rather than honoring her as the great warrior that she was would offend the other ‘good spirits’, despite Enidi’s assurances that they would understand.
The council eventually moved on to other topics. Neither Enidi nor Towari were asked to leave. While normally they would not be eligible to be part of the council, having not earned that right through seniority, their sudden importance to the village warranted an exception to the tradition.
~~~~~
“Congratulations, Admiral,” Captain Moon said, stepping up to Anders in the after-banquet of the awards ceremony. He’d been far from the only one to receive a promotion in the wake of the battle, although he was the only one to have gone from captain to admiral.
“Thank you, Captain,” Anders said. “Although a part of me still misses the days when I was your XO. Neither of my recent promotions has come about in the way that I would have preferred them to happen. I was never the sort of man to chase rank just for rank’s sake.”
“Better you than me,” Captain Moon said, sipping her drink. It was a violet beverage provided by the Triumverant representatives. Unlike the frumonas, which had already gotten something of a reputation among those in the know, the violet beverage was simply flavorful. Or so they claimed, at least.
“Yes, well, you’ve got yourself another commendation for your pivotal arrival,” he pointed out.
She nodded, looking down at the award which had been pinned to her chest. “Keep it up and I’ll run out of space on the uniform. Either that or the weight will give me saggy tits.”
He chuckled. “Yes, well, I’m just glad that we both survived the combat. I’m not certain that I truly deserve this rank, but the ESF seems to believe that its warranted, so who am I to question?”
“One of their admirals,” she pointed out. “Seems to me that they should be trusting your judgment and bust you back down to private.”
They laughed.
“So what’s next for you?” Anders asked her.
“Going to keep working on integrating the Yukopans,” she admitted. “Although I have some shore leave coming up, so I’ll be spending a bit of time with the boyfriend and the cat. Think it would be funny if I landed The Other Shoe in the park next to his house? I could probably get it cleared as a training exercise slash public engagement activity. There’s a lot of interest in the Yukopan fleets among the people and we could give limited public tours.”
Anders frowned, considering the matter more seriously than she’d intended him to. She thought about explaining that she was just joking, but eventually he said “I’d sign off on it. Especially if it actually got the Yukopans in front of the cameras. The public needs to see our new allies. We wouldn’t remain free and independent without them. Without them, we would have been crushed, and the Yonohoans would be fighting to free us from our oppressors.”
Captain Moon’s eyebrows went up. “Really? You think command would actually sign off on that sort of shenanigans?”
“They have one of the Einherjar blowing up mountains on Youtube. I’m pretty sure they want to show everyone that the enemies of Earth aren’t the only ones who have new and dangerous toys,” Anders explained. “Write up a formal suggestion for the program. If I have anything to say about it, it will get approved.”
Captain Moon saluted. “Yes sir!”
Anders groaned, uncertain whether or not she was mocking him.