Amazonian Mate

4. Initiation

Days have been passing the same as they always have been. We train, we rotate in our community duties but lately my mother has been acting strangely. She's been giving me these taxing glances like she's assessing me. Normally we are very direct towards each other but I can't shake the feeling that there is something she's not telling me.

My mother is a very sweet woman. She is gentle and caring. She knows everything about everyone, but she is also a fierce fighter. She's actually the only one who stands a chance against me in one to one sparring. Even though she's in her mid forties she looks for thirty five tops. We have barely any similarities in our appearance. Where she is dark blonde my hair is black, her skin is fair and mine is well tanned, she's quite petite with her 5,3 feet when I stand at almost 5,8. Our only common feature are our eyes, we both have them in almond shape and chocolate brown colour.

She's been a great inspiration for me and I really hope to one day become such a great Leader as she is. It may seem like nothing but in reality taking care of over forty women isn't as easy as it seems. There are always things to do.

It's good that we are all like a sisterhood. We have a great respect for one another and neither is too good or too proud for any task. We all fight, all cook and all take care of each other.

"Hey Mel, have you heard?" - Elara interrupted my train of thoughts

"Heard of what?" - I asked

"Top Leaders want to talk with us."

"All of us? Like a tribe meeting?" - I asked

"No, only you, Dido and me, and giving your expression I assume that you don't know what about?"

"No, no idea. Should we get there now?"

"My mother told me we should stay a while longer after supper" - Ell explained

"Ok, then. Thanks for the heads-up" - So I guess I will find soon enough why my mother had been acting this way lately.

Supper went on forever. Did I mention earlier that I'm a very curious and impatient being? Needless to say that waiting for our little meeting I felt like a child waiting for its birthday. When the meal was finally over and all the other women had left my Mother, aunty Tippy and aunty Clara led us to my mother's private rooms. They motioned for us to sit down, so we did and my mother started.

"Girls, all three of you are now over twenty years old. Which means that you are old enough to take a part in extending our legacy. We of course won't do anything against your will, so the final decision lays on you three."

"What do you mean Mother?" - I asked more confused than before

"Helena I think you have to be more forward in this one." - said aunty Clara

"You girls know of course that we have no men in this tribe, as we are Moon Goddess Daughters, but to remain strong our tribe needs to grow… To reproduce. We are asking if you are willing to carry a new generation of us." - she explained more clearly but I still wasn't satisfied.

" So we would have to mate with some men? But how? We have no men in the village, so are you inviting some? " - I asked excitedly. I never saw a man in my life. Yes, aunt Clara showed us pictures and told us about differences between genders, but seeing one with your own eyes was a totally different story.

" No Mel, we won't invite them over. That would be dangerous. You three would go to the outside world to find one, and then return to us. Hopefully with wombs blessed by the Goddess. Think of it as hunting but instead of killing your prey you mate with it and make our tribe stronger in the end."

Hmm, that was not what I expected at all. I never thought that I would live the day to see the outside world. But the perspective of being with a child is scary. Am I even fit to be a mother? It's a much bigger responsibility than our normal duties.

" Mother, I have doubts. Not to the reason why it's important for our tribe, but I'm concerned about being pregnant and a mother. I don't know the first thing about it." My mother just smiled to me, maybe encouragingly

"That's understandable, but believe me that every woman faces the same questions when she's expecting. But you will have the support of us all. You will never be left alone."

I looked at the girls, and their expressions showed worry. I know that if I want to be a great leader like my Mother I need to be an example, someone who they will follow. My mother would never hide behind someone else's back. No, she was alway a woman of action.

"I'll do it Top Leaders." - I said firmly. Elara and Dido looked at me with shock written all over their faces. My Mother nodded to me approvingly.

"I'll go too." - this was Dido, she's our nurse daughter and she hopes to take over after her mother.

"Well, you leave me no choice. I won't let you overpower me in every task. I'm in as well." - said Elara with knowing look towards me.

"Great, you girls made us very proud. We will start preparations as soon as possible. Dido, your mother awaits you three in a clinic. She will test your menstrual cycles so we would know when your fertility would be at its peak. You will leave at the first possibility, and we expect this mission to last no longer than three days. Clara would give you some extra tutoring about modern men and their world so that you could easily blend in. And finally Girls we expect you to mate with the strongest men you'll meet. We need our tribe to grow in strength. Those details are for your ears only, please don't share them with your friends. Is everything clear?"

" Yes, Head Leader! "- all three of us answered.

" Wonderful. Go to the clinic immediately. After that return to your assigned duties we will inform you about departure shortly. "

We nodded agreeing and left the room.

I can't wait to see the world outside. It will be a once in a lifetime adventure, and with a little bit of luck I'll fulfill the mission, and won't let my mother down. World, here I come!