Chapter 43

3rd Person POV

The meeting just stopped. All staring at Lady Artemis and the small child who couldn't have been more than five.

"Of course Artemis, we'd be happy to. Lenora it's nice to meet you."

"She is 6 full seasons Gabrielle. She does not know how to read, or write and when it comes to sums she knows only enough to use dinars. She has some warrior skills, but not nearly anywhere near as an Amazon her age should have. She has no qualms about fighting dishonorably which gives her an edge over her age mates. She's never been raised by Amazons before, she does not know these tricks as she calls them are dishonorable. She also does not understand that lying is unacceptable nor the concept of sisterhood."

Gabrielle's POV

"We understand we've had foundlings with similar problems." Ephiny said. After the meeting Ephiny and I spoke to Lenora She seemed a bit like a spoiled brat who needed a good bottom warming. After Artemis has left we had gotten out of the girl became clear her past was a blank. She remembered some things, a few people a kindly but mad old man, sleeping outside most of the time, but everything else of her past seemed to be gone she said that she had been a bad person a grown up, and Artemis turned her into her as a Punishment but when she looked at her as a child she said she could make this a second chance instead of a punishment. She would still have to get redemption for the bad things the other her did, but she could do it slowly over a lifetime and learn to be happy and honorable instead of hateful, cruel and dishonest. I brought her to my house and had Zoe and Ali entertain her. Which Ali had taken to mean she needed to teach Lenora how to play with her puzzles, one in particular. Zoe was too busy playing Chess with Lila, Xena was teaching a class. Her Student warriors were becoming lax in their training and she and Phoebe who had made incredible progress in skill and attitude was helping her and Eponin whip them back into shape. The twins were with Cora and Eponin was finally able to get back to the role she loved so much. I asked many adults and some had their hands filled. First thing I did was went back to the council chambers which were now empty, I made an altar, lit some candles, knelt down bowing my head and called out.

"Lady Artemis will you please join me on Amazon lands to answer my questions." She appears.

"Rise, Gabrielle. I want to know else to know, Lenora was formerly Leon an angry, bitter young man with a taste for little girls…..Nemesis wanted to turn him into small girl and leave her to a similar to fate as his victim, but she once she became an innocent child I couldn't allow that to happen. So I struck a deal with Nemesis, we erase what was Leon, and put her a place where she learn to be everything Leon was not. They have the same soul and thus she must seek his redemption, but Leon is gone and never coming back and Lenora is an innocent child is need of protection and guidance."

"Why would the Gods intervene?"

"Callie was his only victim, Apollo being her father had every right to ask Nemesis for her to seek justice for him, It's unfortunate but crimes against a woman outside Amazon society is not a crime against her, but a crime against her father or husband, It seemed like a well thought out form of retribution in the abstract but once she became Lenora, Leon was nothing but a series of dark memories she did not need and that punishment felt cruel and dishonorable, Nemesis felt the same. Gabrielle you cannot tell anyone who she used to be, she is not Leon anymore. She is an innocent child, one I have decreed is an Amazon."

"My word." I said.

"Ephiny…." She said to my regent.

"I would never endanger a child. You have my word as well." Ironically the home able to take her was Iris.

Iris' POV

I'm no fool even though it wasn't said I knew exactly who Lenora was, or rather who she used to be. I wanted to say no, but she was only 6. And of what little that was explained. This is her second chance a life and she has no memory of who she used be did make it easier. She also must eventually gain redemption for her past self's actions.

"Are you sure she's not dangerous?" I asked the Queen.

"You know?"

"I don't know but I suspect…."

"She's not him, she has no memories of being him her personality will develop from here on out separate from what he was. She's just a little girl…."

"With the sins of what he did staining her existence."

"Unfortunately yes. But if anyone can raise her to be a better person it's you. I asked Kaia as she's also a good candidate but confessed she has plans to ask Melinda, the hunter to marry her."

"And Melinda already has an 8 Season old, a 5 Season old and a two Season old. That's enough madness for one family."

"Kaia said if Melinda's girls were older or they had already been married for a while she's consider talking it over with Melinda but she just can't see it working right now. She did offer to house her for up to week, if I couldn't convince anyone right away. She noted that Laria wanted a child, and if it comes to that I will ask Laria, but you seemed like a natural choice. I thought it only right to ask you since part of Lenora's redemption will have to with your daughter."

"I am not committing to anything. The girls can meet that's all for now. I will not put my child in a position that could call her further damage, even if it's unintentional, even if Lenora is a kind, sweet person…..she may cause reaction in Callie that….."

"I understand….I doubt Gabrielle and I would want to raise a child who used to be Callisto…."

A/N: I couldn't resist.

Gabrielle's POV

After Iris and Callie came with me back to the hut. Lila was watching the girls, Ali and Lenora were playing with her puzzles, and Zoe and Lila were playing chess.

"Zoe, Callie's here to play with you….." I said. Iris and I agreed to keep it as casual as possible. "Iris would you like some Wine or Ale?"

"Wine please, thank you." I went to get some.

"Lila you want some, wine?"

"Really?" She only got wine at festivals.

"Watered down, or just half a tankard?"

"Half, I can understand why Greeks and romans water down their wine."

I poured it and handed it to Lila. "Drink it slowly Sister, if you don't. You won't be offered outside of festivals until you're officially of age."

"They feel not doing so is barbaric." Iris said. I poured Iris a full tankard. "I find it strange myself. But We as Amazons water down wine much more than they several times daily during the winter so our children can have fruit juice. But truly don't see the point in Watering down perfectly good wine."

Zoe's POV

Spending the time with Lenora, she seemed confused, she didn't have a lot of memories, and she seemed burdened by something but the other thoughts she was scared and she alone. Callie and Iris came in.

"Hi, Callie you want to play a game." I said. "We could play Warrior says." The Amazon version of Simon Says I invented when I first got here and everyone loves it. All most as much as Hide and Seek. Kaia especially loves to play it with the little kids who are too little for Hide and Seek. Or when it's too rainy and snowy and only the future warriors over 13 get to play Hide and Seek.

"Sure, Ali and Lenora can play too." Mama said.

"I don't like Lenora." Lenora said. "Queen Gabrielle, can I have a different name?"

"If you're officially adopted you can ask your new mother before the ceremony and she has to give you a new name. But you don't get to choose what it is. My first Month as a Princess, a young girl was adopted and her new name became Circe. She was very unhappy with her new name."

"I don't know anyone named Circe, Mama." I said.

"Well, she her new mother, came with an 18 moon old sister, so Circe became, CiCi…."

"Cici, she's in Aunt Lila's age group, she's training to be a hunter."

"Yes, She is. She enjoys that most and she's very good at it." Lila said. "She's a decent warrior, and she can do basic healing, but she truly enjoys hunting more than anything and so few Amazons in this tribe choose to be hunters they either choose warrior or something in town….Melinda is very pleased with her progress, she says she's likely to be part of the elite

"And You would know this how?" Mama asked.

"Cici is well…before Vander….." Lila said blushing a little. "We were very, very close. She was my, well a very dear friend, it was never truly romantic but…" Suddenly her blush turned as bright as possible with her olive skin.

Iris and Mama laughed. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about that type of friendship is a normal accepted part of Amazon childhood. Not every girl has a friend like that, but most of us do, some end up marry theirs, like I did.

"mama…." I whined. "this is boring….."

"Well, it's rather nice out…." Iris said.

"Alright you guys and play outside but you stay where we can see if you we look out the window." Mama said. "If any of you stray further then where we can be see from the front door or windows or called back without me raising my voice play time will be over.' We all ran outside.

"'Nora you ever Play Warrior says." Ali asked. "It fun."

"Ali why don't you go first." I said.

"Okay, Warrior say hands on head!" We all did it, and Lenora copied us. "Okay, Warrior say blink three times." We did and Lenora followed. "Hop on one foot."

None of did. "Good Job, Lenora we only have to do what she says if she ways warrior says, if you get tricked you're out….." Callie said. We played some more, I knew that we were being watched through the front room window, we played Warrior says, then a simple game of tag, then whisper which is like telephone, then it started to rain and Mama said we had to come inside. We went in.

"Lenora, Iris has agreed to take you for a few days until we can figure out a more permanent placement." I realized it was a test, but said nothing.

Iris's POV

First we went to pick up some items needed, clothes, a pallet until we could get a bed, (if we were getting a bed), a few toys, Specifically a rag doll, one of the ones, the Weapon's master made while she was bedridden she made nearly 40 of them, excluding the one she gave the Princess and saved for her two daughters. We went home and I set up the pallet in Callie's room. And then we went to dinner at the dining hut, I decided my girls needed a bath and took them to the bathing hut, I bathed them together as is the practice, unless you have your bathing room which only the Queen does, Children are bathed together, either with relatives or friends, and adults bathe together, either with friends, or their significant other. I put them in the same tub once it was filled out. Callie I told to bathe herself, while I bathe Lenora. I'm not happy about it, but it really is the fastest way to discover if Leon is anywhere in there. It turns out he wasn't, Lenora was more interested in splashing around and making it difficult to bathe her, then she was in Callie.

"Lenora, if you don't sit still and settle down I'm going to give you a good swat!" I said sternly.

"Listen to her, Nora, it hurts more when your backside is wet." Callie said without looking up, or stopping her washing. Lenora settled, and I was able to wash her. They were dried and we went back to our hut. Both girls were allowed to play for about half a candle mark.

"Alright, girls it's time for bed…."

"Do we have to Mom?" Callie asked

"Yes, darling now come on…..both of you." I tucked Callie into bed then Lenora. "Lenora, if you wake up and need comfort tonight you can come find me, crawl in bed with me, it's alright I don't mind." I'd rather her crawl into bed with me then Callie. The next morning came to early, because I run the stables, I get up as the same time as the hunters and cooks. I woke the girls, and got them dressed, Callie was happy she was always happy to help me in the stables, Lenora was less happy but polite about it. We each had a piece of bread to tide us over then got to work, well Callie and I did, Lenora fell asleep on a pile of hey. After we took care of the horses, we went to breakfast. And I sent Callie to school, and walked Lenora.

"You're going to be in the nursery until your 7th Birthday do you know when that is?"

"I can't remember…."

"Well, we'll say the day you came here is your birthday, and you just turned 6. I understand, now Kaia is the main nursery school teacher, there's also Elorah they will teach you the alphabet and how to read basic word and count, everything else you'll learn when you move up."

N/A: Just to clarify the age groups ate 3 and under, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-20, one year of being adult but not a full member of the tribe, and 21 you become a full member of the tribe and an adult, as an adult everyone is equal but 45 and older are elder. Until 7 which happens at any time of year you attend Nursery, but they do teach you how to read, and count, the alphabet, about animals, about some basics of Amazon life. I'm sorry if I never nailed it down for you. Also at 16 you start something similar to a work study program you still go to school but also learn about your future job. And when you age say from 12 to 13 or you join the new age group and leave your old age mates behind until they catch up.

I went and dropped Lenora at school, she seemed to get along with the other children, she held tightly to her doll who she named Echo. Its an odd choice, but I'm not one to judge. After school I went back to the stable for awhile talked to my apprentices then the Queen stopped by.

Gabrielle's POV

Iris bowed and saluted after I returned the action and had her stand, we spoke.

"Have you consider your next step Iris…."

"I can't be sure Queen Gabrielle, it feels right but….like it did with Callie. But I don't want to put Callie in danger…"

"Zoe assures me that only his soul is still in there, nothing else of him is in there, there won't be any danger from her…..Leon is her past….."

"I suppose, I want to help her, be there for her but if there's even a chance….."

"I don't think Artemis would have brought her here if there was a danger Iris, and Both Zoe and the twins think she's no more a danger than anyone else.

"Then I'll take her…"

"Adoption right away, or after some time."

"Give us some time….."

"Of course. Have you got everything you need?"'

"At the moment yes…"

"For her to get redemption she may have to be a healer, or teacher…

"I know, I just don't want to force her into anything, it has to be all her or it doesn't count as redemption." I talked with Iris for another half a candle mark before leaving. I went to meet Xena. Both girls our girls were at school, and it had been a hectic few days for both of us. We sat under a tree and had lunch together, just the two of us. Zoe and Ali was having lunch with Ephiny and Eponin and the rest of the family. We needed some quite time together. As Xena and I sat together, me against her, her against the tree. I realize I'd been so much happier than I had been on the road. Here with Xena and our girls. I missed the road sometimes but being here, with Xena, with Ali and Zoe watching them grow was so much better.

N/A: Lenora gets adopted, Zoe has some growing pains, and someone is seriously injured.