With a sigh, I squared my shoulders, forced an easygoing and confident smile, and pulled back the door to the communal tent. The stink of unwashed bodies and travel-stained clothes filled the air, an almost comforting scent. The murmur of exhausted conversation settled over me as I nodded reassuringly at the members of my tribe as I passed. Viilor raised his water bladder to me in a mock salute as I continued my path towards our chief while envying his chance at relaxation. Finally, I arrived at Chief Aliteli's seat and knelt before her table, where she had busied herself with conferring with the rest of the Five Speakers while excitedly tucking into a spread of dried jerky and fruits.
"Viili vaata, Council of the Five Speakers. Chief, I've come to relay the scouts' report on the den's whereabouts preparatory to my initial attack tomorrow. Would you provide me the honor of an audience?"
"Son, you never need ask my permission!" My mother's voice boomed out in its characteristic fashion, disregarding any social or societal expectations of her. "Good news, I'm sure!"
Suppressing my sigh, I stood to attention. "Thank you, chief. The scouts have verified that the keelish den is about one league northwest of here, and, fortunately, are not exhibiting any worrisome signs of advanced intelligence, great numbers, or magical individuals."
"Good news indeed! Any other reports to report?" Chief Aliteli leaned forward, her posture that of a predator.
"No, ma'am."
"Good!" She gestured, palms open, to the table.
I didn't move.
With a dramatic sigh, Aliteli conceded. "You're dismissed." My spirits beginning to rise and looking forward to a meal with Viilor and a couple others, I turned to leave–"Oh, what a surprise to see you, my boy! Won't you please join me for dinner?"
I turned back to the table and locked eyes with my mother. Her grin and cocked head were all I needed to see to know exactly how I was going to be able to get out of this. Not at all or ever. With a quiet groan of resignation, I walked to the chair, tried my best not to flop into it, and began to eat some of the travel rations laid out on the table. All the while, I maintained eye contact with my mother, unable to think of her as the chief as she continued to hold eye contact. Her grey eyes shone in stark contrast under her craggy brows, piercing through me and my admittedly childish response to an initially polite invitation to dine. After just a couple of moments, I broke eye contact, knowing what was to follow… A deep laugh that nearly rumbled the table we sat at.
"Do we need to do this every time?"
"And what is 'this' in context, Mother?"
"Y'know, this 'Chief' song and dance." The entire governing body of the Five Speakers looked at me, Alniyh and Lihle stern and judgmental, Nahr smirking, Sharahl gently stoic, and my mother, the First of the Speakers, expectant.
"I'm currently training as your successor, and while you are my mother, so too are you my mentor, superior, and leader. I need to show you respect, show your position respect, and show the tribe that I'm willing to respect our ways and traditions. So yes, I think I need to continue doing this 'song and dance'." Several of the Five seemed mollified by my answer, but Mother shifted forward, resting her elbows on the table and glowering towards me.
"You're qualified. I say it and I'm in charge. Let's see any fool try to fight that."
The same reasoning she always gave. I couldn't help but take in the silver streaks waving through her hair, the ever deepening creases and wrinkles in her brow… "Mother. I can't become chief based off of the strength of your fist. I," I raised my voice and hand as I talked over the beginnings of her retort, "am not willing to assume leadership based on someone else's word or strength. It must be by my own merit that I gain any leadership position, and this is a hill I'm willing to die on."
She shook her head, then settled back into her seat while a fistfull of preserved venison found its way into her mouth. A couple quick chews, a swig of her water, and a wry smile before Mother spoke again. "Y'see, this is why you're suited for leadership. You know what you want, and how you're going to get it, even if you aren't willing to show it too often. You've got that eye for plans that I don't, and it'll serve you as chief."
I smiled and gave a shallow nod as the conversation segued back to her advisors and the logistics of the tribe's current forced march to the now verified keelish den's location. A part of me wanted to excuse myself and go sit with some of my friends of my own age, but I also recognized that this was an opportunity for me to listen to the leadership of the tribe… so I listened to worries about the scaled deer's migratory patterns, how they had changed of late and even the wisest of the Speakers didn't know why. Then how the Nievetsali tribe had refused any diplomatic outreach, and why that boded poorly. Then about a terrorbird herd being sighted…
It was only with a struggle that I kept myself seated at the table long after the vast majority of our 60 person tribe had dismissed themselves from the communal tent to set up their own family tents. Finally, Chief Aliteli raised her hands, cutting off another complaint about the youngest group's lack of proficiency with Speaking.
"That is enough. I have heard your worries, and I will consider the best options available to us to ensure that the Viertaali tribe continues to thrive and grow. Please, return to your families and enjoy your evening. We will begin the hunt tomorrow, and I need you, our strongest Speakers, at full strength, that you may support Ashlani in his inaugural hunt." She stood, and, though some were obviously reluctant to leave off their complaining, the four stepped out of the tent and retreated to their homes.
I went to follow, only to be pulled forcefully back by a hand on my wrist. "Which of the things they talked about was the most important?"
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Of all the things that the other Five brought to me, what was the most important?"
"I… what do you think was the most important?"
My mother, fully leaning into her Speaking specialty, was stone still. Immovable, immutable, her eyes demanding and fixed on my own. Hopeless, I tried to pull my arm free, but knew I had no prayer of escape.
"Why do you want me to answer? I'm not chief, just a trainee."
"What have you learned in your training?"
I couldn't keep my eyes from darting everywhere but that stony face. Finally, confronting my reality, I sighed, "I would consider all to be of note, given that they are presented by the concerned members of the Five Speakers."
"That wasn't my question. Which. Was. The. Most. Important?"
"I suppose… the situation with the Nievetsali tribe. All the others, if they progress to actual problems, can be remedied by relying upon other resources, but if we end up with a grudge against one of our neighbors, then there will be no easy fix."
Aliteli nodded in agreement. "You are generally correct. But–" her interjection cut through the quiet of the tent, just as strong and demanding as her laughter. I braced myself as the familiar lecture began. "You need to overcome your immediate weakness and unwillingness to commit. You are a true Wavespeaker, your emotional attunement to water is unparalleled. You're at least as competent as Sharahl as the Wavespeaker representative within the Five, but only at Wavespeaking. Your Windspeaking, while not at a true Speaker's level, isn't far off. But you lack the passion of Flamespeaking, the sturdiness of Earthspeaking, and the comprehension of Soulspeaking. You must become proficient at each, even if not to the level of a true Speaker. I see the flames, the stone, the soul in you. You need to allow them to flourish."
"You fully embody the 'sturdiness' of the earth, I wish to embody the flexion and malleability of the waters."
Mother cocked her head. "Do you think any of your Callings can match my own?"
I raised an eyebrow. "I would guess any water-based Calling would outclass your own…?"
A laugh. "Confidence in the little one. Heh. Then… maybe you can." Her smile, deep and genuine. "Our people… we rule with strength. But strength doesn't give more opportunity to beat down your fellows. Instead, it gives greater capacity to serve." Mother released my arm and shooed me away. After a moment's hesitation, I gathered myself up, gave a shallow bow, and turned to leave while whispering under my breath, "Thank you for your instruction."
…
It didn't take long for Viilor to find me as I exited the tent and finished preparing my own. Luckily for me, I'd been expecting him, so his sudden arm around my shoulders, seemingly from nowhere, didn't get a scream out of me as it sometimes did.
"So what did the Chief have to talk to you about? Did she tell you you needed to focus on your attunement to the other disciplines?"
I rolled my eyes, "If you know what she always tells me, why do you always ask?"
Viilor grinned. "Because maybe someday it'll change, and I'm looking forward to how your world crumbles to hear the great Chief Aliteli change her tune."
"I know my mother can change, High Earthspeaker status notwithstanding. She's just about as capable in every other Calling too, her only real 'weakness' is in Wavespeaking, where she's 'only' just barely a Speaker."
"Just because you know something doesn't mean that you've experienced anything like that."
Again, I shrugged, then, turning out of his grip, faced Viilor. "You ready for tomorrow?"
"I should ask you the same. You're leading the initial hunt, you ready, Ash?"
"Course I am!" I grinned, "You're my second, so how couldn't I be?"
Viilor laughed, then, realizing the implication of what I was saying, stepped in front of me. "You're serious? The Chief, the Stone herself, has agreed to let me be your second? That'll just be us against the initial swarm…"
Putting my arm out and on his shoulders, pulling our foreheads together, "We're brothers, I know you're here for me, and I'll do anything for you. You've been wanting an opportunity like this to practice your Soulspeaking, and I can help you with that. Besides, 'the Stone' herself said that I need to be more passionate, more unyielding, so she can't blame me for taking a stand, now can she?"
Viilor's face was complicated, half smiling, half… something else. "I know you're independent, and I don't want to take that away from you, this is just an opportunity for me to help you. Whatever you need, just let me know, ok?"
Viilor chuckled. "You're doing more for me than you know, Ash. Thanks."
I shoved him, hard enough for him to stumble into the bushes. "Don't worry about it. So," a conspiratorial grin began to spread over my face as I leaned close to his face, "tell me what exactly Djallma was talking about so close to you at dinner."
Our conversation, filled with laughter, ribbing, and teasing went late into the night.