The Dollmage

Soon, many of the elders were comforting Renoa and casting accusing glances at Annakey. This was when Annakey began to grow in wisdom. All her life growing up, she thought the villagers knew her and loved her as she knew and loved them. At that moment she realized they did not know her at all, for if they did they could not believe such a thing of her. She clutched her promise doll and tried to remember that the things she loved about her people had not changed.

“Renoa, you are lying,” Manal said.

“Manal, you are defending her because you fear that it you do not, she will choose Areth over yourself,” Oda Weedbridge said.

“I have no such fear,” Manal said.

At this Areth stepped forward. “Why is that? Because you think you are better than me?” Now Manal truly was better, and that had been griping at Areth since they were boys. He threw a punch at Manal, surprising everyone. Why were you surprised? It had been coming for a long time. Of course Manal punched back. Now both boys were well liked in the village, and so you might imagine that not a few of the others joined the brawl. Soon the elders of the village had to be called away from their posts at watch to stop the fight.

I went to fetch the girls.

For a long time I treated them to my silence. I made them sit far from the fire, and then I told them they had spoiled the dance and who knew what trouble would come of that. Would the robber people see that we were weak because we were not united? I refused to listen to either one of them. I doubted Annakey had played the trick on Renoa, but I loved my Renoa, and the smell of wild herbs in her hair. I suspected Renoa had Hed, but I also understood her tempers. Finally I spoke.

“This comes because of the contest. Even thinking there may be two Dollmages has divided us. It is obvious that you two girls cannot live in the same village as equals,” I said to them. “For now, I have a plan. The elders of the village are worried about those who took the herds to the summer meadows up on the mountain. They fear the robber people will find them and steal our sheep all away. They have asked me to build a doll of the sheepcote and the summer meadow and hide it. It has been too many years since I have been to the summer meadow and I do not remember it well enough to make a doll of it. I am too old to make the climb now.You will go in my place, Annakey.”

“No, send me, Grandmother Hobblefoot,” Renoa said. “It is my place, in the mountain.”

“No, Renoa, you will stay and work on your contest doll.” I knew she wanted to go, but at long last I would discipline her.

“Thank you for trusting me with this task, Dollmage,” Annakey said. “I will prove to you that I can be Dollmage.” Then she stopped and said, “If I am in the summer meadow, when will I have time to make my contest doll?”

“When you get back there will be time enough. The true Dollmage will find a way to do what she must.”

Annakey frowned a little. That softened me. “It is a long climb to the summer meadow,” I said, “and there are bears. You may take a companion with you, a friend.”

I felt regret as I watched Annakey struggle to think who might be her friend. I realized that a few of the girls knew Annakey enough to like her, but they were afraid to defend her. Anyone who befriended Annakey was sure to bring the same torment from Renoa upon herself. I determined to speak to Renoa about her behavior and looked at her sternly as I thought it.

“I will ask Manal,” Annnakey said finally.

“No!” Renoa said. She looked up at my disapproving face and said, “Do not let her. It —it is not appropriate.”

“Why? If they start early in the morning, they can be at the summer meadow before nightfall.” It annoyed me that Renoa should be jealous over anyone but myself. “Now apologize to Annakey. You must learn to be her friend, to overcome personal feelings, if you are to be a good Dollmage.”

Renoa’s face calmed immediately. It went very white. Then she smiled.

“I am sorry, Annakey,” she said, only she looked at me when she said it.

“To prove your friendship,” I said to Renoa,“go tell Manal yourself that Annakey has chosen him to accompany her to the summer meadow.”

Renoa ran. She was gone a long time.

By the time she returned, Annakey had packed the things she would need for her journey.

“Manal said to start without him. He must first do the chores, but he will catch up to you before the morning is half over.”

Annakey smiled. She need not have, for Renoa had not told Manal. She told Areth, who now both loved and hated Annakey.

Chapter 9

Inscription on the Justice doll:

Wherever possible the people will try to blame the victim.

Ah. It is difficult for me to go on. My neck aches with the heaviness of my memories, with the horror of what happened next. That is what comes with a lifetime of sin and stupidity. What should I expect? Part of my neck-ache comes from the gristly stew and the bad egg, Greppa.