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Renewal, Rebirth, Rejoice A Solstice Tale
Written just after Deoris regained her sight. |
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| Deoris shoved her furs away and dropped her feet to the rug-covered dirt floor of her hut. Yawning, she ran a hand through her dark hair, her fingers catching on the tangles. Without thinking, she reached across and grabbed her brush from a nearby shelf. Her hand stopped in midair. |
| She was home. |
| She hadn’t realized it before, really. Smiling, she completed the reach for her brush and tugged it through her knotted hair until it was smooth and crackling with static electricity. |
| Sifting through her wardrobe, she hesitated over what to wear for Solstice. She’d never cared about how she looked, but she’d never been able to see it before. Now her fingers caressed the edges of the long, shapeless dress and understood. |
| Only a few beads and stripes of paint decorated the leather surface, a symbol to Artemis burned into a place above the heart. It was non-descript, plain, and boring. In short, easy to overlook. Just as she had wanted to be. |
| Well, not any more. She shrugged into her dirty tunic and breeches and stuffed her feet into a tall pair of moccasins. Grabbing the dress, she stormed out of her hut. |
| Into a world of snow. |
| She stopped, as frozen as the icicle hanging from the thatched roof of her hut. Themiscrya was carpeted in a thick layer of white. Fascinated, she watched a flake as it fluttered down and melted on her bare arm. |
| One part of her knew this brilliant white substance. Her nostrils caught the clean, crisp smell that was sharper and colder than rain. She heard the muted sound of an owl high in the trees, angry that the mouse had vanished from his sharp sight. Her face felt the moisture as the soft tufts landed on her cheeks and nose. Her body knew snow. |
| The other part of her, the seeing part, disagreed. Her eyes drank in the beauty of the pristine white rooftops and coated the usually muddy paths. She watched the dance of the tiny flakes as they happily joined their brothers and sisters in the drifts. Her eyes gathered the glistening substance to her and filled her soul with its shimmer. |
| “Deoris! What are you doing?” Jadea’s voice carried easily across the muffled compound. |
| Deoris held out a hand, turned it palm up, and caught snowflake after snowflake. She heard the Queen crunching toward her, but was unable to see anything but white. |
| The fur-coated Amazon took hold of her shoulders and shook her. “Deoris! You can’t stand here like that! Your hair and moccasins are soaked and you’re shivering. Go back inside! |
| Deoris responded to the command automatically. Warmth enveloped her as she stepped back inside her hut. She shivered and white crystals scattered. |
| Jadea pulled her toward the fire with a firm grip. “What were you doing out there?” |
| “It snowed.” Deoris replied. |
| “And?” |
| “It was . . .” she groped for the right word, failed. “Pretty." |
| “Pret . . .” The Queen chuckled, then laughed. “Pretty,” she finished, settling down on the pallet. “Yes, I suppose it is.” |
| Deoris giggled. “I guess I was a little . . . snow-blind, my Queen.” |
| “I guess! What were you doing out there, anyhow? Going to wash your dress for Solstice?” Jadea pointed to the cloth draped over Deoris’ arm. |
| “Oh! I forgot. I was going to see the quartermaster about something less . . . a little more . . .“ she trailed off, afraid to sound vain. |
| “Pretty?” Jadea supplied with a wry smile. |
| Deoris grinned and nodded. “I didn’t realize it was so . . . dull. It’s perfect for scouting through the woods, perhaps, or listening in on conversations young Priestesses shouldn’t hear, maybe. But it’s no good for a party.” |
| The Queen stood and took the garment from her. Shaking it out, she inspected the simple design and shapeless form. “No, it’s not. And it’s unsuitable for this weather, as well. I’ll send Xela back with something.” Turning on her heel, dress in hand, she vanished into the snow. |
| Uncertain what to do, Deoris settled on the pallet and waited. She was used to long periods of solitude, times when she could calm herself with thoughts of Artemis and the hunting ground. But now her restless eyes moved around the small hut, jumping from door to object and back again in circles. |
| Luckily, Queen Jadea knew how to get immediate results. Xela rapped on the frame of the hut’s door and entered when beckoned. She carried a basket brimming over with leather and fur. “Let’s get started, or you won’t make it to the opening ceremonies, and neither will I.” She dropped the basket on Deoris’ pallet and began pulling clothes out of it. |
| Deoris moved forward and examined the outfit. A tunic of leather edged in reddish fox fur draped across a matching knee-length triangle skirt. A pair of calf-high winter boots waited next to the set. She ran a hand through the softness. “I’ve never owned anything so lovely,” she murmured. |
| “I figured as much,” Xela said. “Queen picked that out herself. Now, you’d better hurry, Priestess, if you want to watch the opening ceremony.” And she bustled out as quickly as she had arrived. |
| Deoris dressed, luxuriating in the feel of the fur against her skin. Why hadn’t she asked for a new outfit before? It made her feel confident, strong, proud. It made her feel like a true Amazon. |
| Eager to join the others, she reached for her staff, mysteriously in it’s usual place by the door. Her hand hovered over the shaft. |
| She didn‘t need it; not to join a celebration with her sisters. She dropped her hand and winked at the wooden stick. “Not today, old friend.” Like the snow outside and the Winter Solstice itself, it was a time for renewal, rebirth, and rejoicing. |
| With her eyesight renewed, she had been reborn. |
| And tonight, she would rejoice. |
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Come visit, join the tribe, and write your own Amazon tale. |
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