A/N: It's been a long time since I first wrote this, so I thought I might as well fix it up a bit. I included some new ideas for Taniya's backstory that I got later on, which make the whole story a bit darker.
Taniya knew what they said about her. They did not trust her leadership abilities one bit. They said she was too young, too impulsive. Oh, how they wished that the previous leader, Taniya's grandmother, had not died just yet, so they would be spared the curse of this thick-skulled novice. The elders of the tribe, who had lived too long to hold their tongues any longer, delighted in telling Taniya just how much they despised her.
Taniya's grandmother, on the other hand, had been a popular person. She was loved by all, and mourned by all at her passing. But Grandmother had not been perfect. She had been a kind leader, and a generous one as well. But she did not have the most important quality of all, which was the quality of power.
Taniya had loved her grandmother, but had to admit that the tribe she belonged to was now in a mess that would be almost impossible to get out of. Her grandmother had championed fitting in with the technology and culture of the present day. It was a good plan in theory. Supposedly, they wouldn't stand out as much. But it had proven deadly.
The members of the tribe had gone soft. Children wore secondhand clothes from the Salvation Army. Everyone was poverty-stricken, depending on the government for aid. Taniya herself had all-too vivid memories of going to bed hungry as a child.
What had happened to the fierce warrior-women who could, and often did, kill men in battle? Now they couldn't do so much as hunt their own food.
This softness was the reason this tribe was all but extinct. Taniya remembered the tales the older women used to tell her when she was a little girl. Thousands of years ago, dozens of Amazon tribes were spread out over what was now Russia, Mongolia and China. They were ruthless, self-dependent, and feared by all. Now there was just this one cluster of huts, with less than one hundred people in it. If the warriors of old could see this, they would be spinning around in their graves.
When Taniya's grandmother first took power, the purges of the Communist Soviet Union were at their height. The Amazon tribes had been decimated like so many other ethnic groups, and what little dignity had survived up to this point had been destroyed.
The remaining people had been forced to flee to the remote reaches of Mongolia. This country was technically also Communist, but remote enough that no one would bother them. There, they quietly herded goats on the desolate steppes, and traded with the other nomadic communities. This quiet life may have been good enough for Grandmother. But Taniya did not LIKE quiet. Ever since she could think for herself, she had vowed to restore the tribe to its former glory.
Taniya had been preparing for this as long as she could remember. If everyone else was going to be weak, she resolved to beome strong enough for all of them. She had spent years learning the skills that had been all but forgotten. Now, she possessed skills even her grandmother had lacked.
No Amazoness had learned the art of shapeshifting for almost a century. In fact, the current members of the tribe dismissed the talent as mere legend. But Taniya knew better.
However, it was not easy, nor did it come naturally. Her abilities were still somewhat sketchy. Oh well. She would have plenty of time to practice when she was putting her plans for renewing the tribe into action.
However, not even Taniya could save the tribe just by turning into animals. There were more mundane matters to attend to first. The tribe would have to increase in size before it could take any action. The birth rate was virtually zero. All that there was to breed with was simple herders. They would have to do better than that.
Her own mother had lived for years with one of those people. Taniya supposed that he was her biological father, but it didn't really matter. Her mother had defied all of the proud isolation of the Amazon tribe by giving herself to some stupid man.
She had died when Taniya was three, having achieved nothing important in her life. No battles or hunts or ceremonies. Just living with that stupid man. Taniya had refused to do that. She wanted to bear daughters worthy of the Amazon name. But she couldn't do that just idling away in this squalid, horrid place.
Thankfully, she had come up with a plan. It was very daring, and the older women would be shocked. It would take a miracle for it to work completely.
The thought of what she had to do made her stomach turn. Even if she did find a male worthy of fathering her child, his maleness would still be an insurmountable flaw. She would have to pollute herself by lying with one of them...it was absolutely disgusting. What was more, she'd have to pretend that she was excited about it. It wouldn't do to just walk up to a guy and kidnap him. No, she would have to work for her opportunity.
Taniya had already experienced this once, and it was a memory she wished she could forget. She had been much too young when it happened, and had vowed to never let anyone take advantage of her ever again. She would have been perfectly happy to remain celibate for the rest of her life, but she knew that there would be no babies made that way.
But there was no time to waste worrying about things like that. She now led this village, and if she didn't act fast, even this pitiful way of life would be wiped out.
As soon as her grandmother's funeral was finished, Taniya called an emergency meeting.
She surveyed the women and girls huddling around the large boulder where she stood. Did they realize how pathetic they were? They had dirty faces, straggly hair, and utterly defeated expressions. Over half of them were past childbearing age. There were maybe thirty people Taniya could use in her plan.
Taniya realized that everyone was waiting for her to speak. The young women looked confused, and the older women were downright scornful.
Taniya cleared her throat and began her announcement. She was nervous at first, but her voice was soon loud and determined.
"I have brought you all here to discuss something of utmost importance. As most of you know, I strongly feel a need to restore our tribe to its former glory. Therefore, I have devised a plan. It is far from perfect, but it is our last chance."
Most women were now rolling their eyes. Taniya continued on regardless.
"Look, I don't especially want to do this either, but we can go nowhere while we are so depleted. Therefore, all women of childbearing age must leave this area. They must find the best men possible, and try as hard as they can to conceive a child. Hopefully, that will give us the jumpstart we need."
At this point, almost everyone was walking away. Apparently, they needed more convincing. Taniya vowed to try again in a few days.
While Taniya was walking back to her little hut, an old crone grabbed her by the arm.
"What do you think you are doing, young lady? Your grandmother would be horrified at this! Just think about it. We have a good enough life. Don't you dare ruin it! I never wanted you to lead. I knew you weren't ready. Just how old are you again? Sixteen? Eighteen?"
"I am twenty-three, and I will not be looked down upon. Plus, my grandmother was younger than I am now when she became leader," Taniya replied coldly.
"Yes, but she was ready for the responsibility. You are not!" the old woman shot back.
Taniya continued as if the woman hadn't said anything, "If you don't believe me, then fine. I will be the first one to volunteer, just to show it can be done. I will be back in a year, and I myself will provide the first infant of the new generation. You'll see. Once everyone knows how wonderful my children are, they'll all want some."
The old woman sniffed. Before walking off, she said, "You have no idea of just what you are getting into. This will never work."
Taniya said no more. She just stomped off to pack her things.
Now it was official. She HAD to succeed. That meant taking possibly drastic measures to get what she wanted. Failure would mean ridicule, and possibly exile.
Failure would also mean the end of almost 150 generations of Amazons. Taniya could not-WOULD NOT-allow that to happen.
As Taniya was leaving, she called out, "I'll be back in a year!"
No response.
Huffily, Taniya turned her back on the village and set off on her mission.