~~~
Jelena awoke, clear-headed, to the sound of birdsong. She lay quietly for a few moments and took a mental inventory of her body, relieved to find that all parts were still present and more or less intact.
She opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings. She found herself lying in a very large, comfortable bed in a dimly lit chamber. Sunlight filtered in through the partly opened shutters of a window next to the bed. She sat up and pushed the covers away. A fine, sheer gown of white cotton clothed her body. A tight bandage encircled her torso, just beneath her breasts, and a sling held her splinted left arm tight against her side. She was clean and dry, and a quick check of her hair told her that it had been combed recently. She blushed in embarrassment, contemplating her absolute dependency on her as yet unknown benefactors.
The urgent need to relieve herself drove her to seek a chamber pot. She swung her legs over the side of the bed to the mat-covered floor and attempted to stand, but she was too weak. Her legs buckled, and she fell. Jolts of pain shot through her arm and chest, wringing a scream from her tightly clenched jaws. A warm flood of urine gushed down from between her legs, soaking the gown and the mats upon which she lay sprawled and helpless.
She heard a door fly open and then the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching. A voice-female-gasped, then exclaimed in words Jelena could not understand. She felt hands, strong but gentle, lift her up into a sitting position.
Jelena gaped.
The woman who crouched before her was in late middle age, with a handsome, kind face and soft brown eyes. Her high cheekbones, the upward sweep of her eyebrows, the ears that tapered to delicate points-all were more pronounced versions of the features that Jelena had seen in her own mirror her entire life. “You…you’re an elf,” she whispered. The fact that an elf woman knelt here meant only one thing.
She and Magnes had reached the Western Lands.
The woman spoke gently, indicating with gestures that Jelena should remain where she sat. Jelena was only too happy to comply. She felt woozy and slightly sick to her stomach. The woman left and returned shortly with a pitcher, basin, a stack of cloths, and a fresh gown, and proceeded to get Jelena cleaned up and back into bed. When she had finished and Jelena was settled, she rolled up the urine-soaked mats and carried them with her out of the room, closing the door softly behind her. Jelena sighed and sank back into the cloud of pillows.
Even if I’m not dead, surely this is what the home of the gods must be like.
She closed her eyes.
She must have dozed off for a while, for suddenly, Magnes was there, sitting by the bed, and she had no memory of him entering the chamber. “Magnes!” she cried, reaching for him with her good arm. They embraced and held each other in silence for a time.
At last, Magnes spoke. “Jelena my dear, dear cousin! I’ve been frantic with worry. You’ve been in and out for days. Your fever broke only last night. The doctor wasn’t sure you would live.”
“ Magnes, are we in the Western Lands? I saw an elf woman… here! She helped me…I think she’s been taking care of me. Magnes, did we…”
“ Whoa! Slow down, Cousin… You’ve only just awakened. Yes, we made it. We are in Alasiri. How much of what happened do you remember?”
Jelena shook her head. “Not much. Things are pretty confused and jumbled up.” She reclined back against the pillows and tried to think. “I remember bandits, and running, and being chased by someone on a horse, then it all becomes a big blur.”
“ You don’t remember telling me about the angel you saw?” Magnes asked with a sly grin.
“ I…I do remember something like that… a beautiful face bending over me. I thought it was an angel and I was dying. I saw it twice.” Magnes smiled again, enigmatically, and Jelena regarded him with a quizzical expression. “I know now that it wasn’t an angel, Magnes. But I saw something, or someone… didn’t I?”
Magnes laughed. “Yes, Cousin, you did. Your angel is the son of the lord of this place. His name’s Ashinji Sakehera, and his father is Sen Sakehera, Lord of Kerala. We are guests in Kerala Castle. Ashinji brought you here to save your life. It was he who accidentally trampled you with his horse. He was chasing you because he thought you were one of the bandits. You tripped and fell, and he couldn’t stop in time.” He gently tapped the splint bracing Jelena’s broken arm. “The doctor here is amazing. Elven medicine is far more advanced than anything the quacks and leeches can do back home. You had a punctured lung, but he fixed it without killing you. No human doctor would be capable of that.”
Suddenly, Jelena remembered her father’s ring. She groped for it at her neck but it, and the chain that it hung on, was gone. “Magnes… my ring! Where is it?” she asked urgently.
Magnes patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry. It’s safe. I have it here.” He pulled aside the neck of his tunic to show the ring hanging securely over his heart. “I showed it to Ashinji, and he’s promised to take it to his father when you’re ready.”
“ Magnes, there’s something else I remember. The blue fire…It came, right when the bandits were about to attack us on the riverbank. Did I…”
A soft knock at the door interrupted Jelena’s sentence. Magnes rose from his chair and went to see who had come. “Ashinji, come in. She’s awake.” Magnes opened the door wide to admit the visitor, who crossed the room in four strides and knelt beside the bed.
Jelena could only stare, speechless.
My angel, she thought.
“ Jelena, I am Ashinji,” he said. As he held her gaze, Jelena felt a strange pressure in her head, almost as if something struggled to get in past some barrier, something vitally important.
“ Ashinji,” Magnes scolded playfully, “You’ve struck my poor cousin dumb.”
The emerald eyes turned aside, and the pressure on her mind lifted, leaving her with an inexplicable sense of loss. “She is tired, I think. Perhaps I should go away and come back later, yes?”
Abruptly, Jelena found her voice. “No! Please…stay, Lord Ashinji. There are so many things I wish to know.”
“ Please, just Ashinji. You, especially, Jelena, need never bow to me.” He spoke Soldaran with a lilting accent that sounded almost musical. “I know you have many questions, but there will be time enough for them later. Now, you should eat.”
As if on cue, the door opened, and the older woman who had helped Jelena earlier returned, carrying a tray laden with dishes. Ashinji and the woman spoke briefly; then, she handed over the tray to him and withdrew. “Here is some soup, a little cheese, bread, and tea. Please try to eat,” he urged. “You have been without nourishment for many days, and you cannot heal properly if you do not restore your energy.” He gently settled the tray down on Jelena’s blanket-covered lap.
“ I’ll see to it that she eats every bite,” Magnes promised.
“ I shall leave you, then, but I promise to return soon,” Ashinji said, flashing a quick smile.
Jelena watched him go, and when the door closed on him, it felt like clouds had dowsed the sun. “He…he’s…” she stammered.
“ Yes,” Magnes sighed, “he is.”
~~~
Jelena had been in bed for nearly a week. Now, restless and bored, she longed to escape the confines of the comfortable chamber for some fresh air and spring sunshine. Her body was healing with satisfactory speed, and with each passing day, she felt a little stronger.
Magnes was a steady presence at her bedside and served as her informant on the exotic world in which they now found themselves. Each day, he reported on something new he had learned, and it soon became clear to both of them that, despite the many differences that existed between humans and elves, there were similarities as well.
In addition to Magnes’s company, Jelena had Ashinji’s visits to bolster her spirits. The young elf lord came to see her daily, and Jelena looked forward to his arrival with great anticipation. At first, she had been too tongue-tied to do more than stammer the briefest of answers to h
is questions, but his patient good humor soon put her at ease.
Ashinji told her much about himself in those first few days. Before long, she knew that he was the second-born in a family of five, that he served as a captain in the army, and that his eldest sibling-a brother-was to be wed in a few short weeks. He did not press her for any personal details, but she found herself telling him the entire bitter story of her life, nonetheless.
At last, the day came when the doctor, a kindly man with twinkling blue eyes, pronounced Jelena fit to leave her sickbed. Her nurse, who she had learned was named Mizu, helped her to dress in the tunic and loose trousers favored by elven women, and brought a semblance of order to her hair with a few cleverly placed pins. She finished by gently rewrapping the sling on Jelena’s mending left arm, then slipped a pair of sandals onto her charge’s feet.
Jelena studied herself in the full-length mirror that stood in one corner of the chamber. She barely recognized the well-dressed young woman who stared back at her from the slightly irregular surface of the glass. A soft knock at the door heralded Ashinji’s arrival. He had promised her a tour of Kerala Castle and an introduction to his parents.
Mizu threw open the door and greeted her young master with warm words. At the sound of his voice, Jelena’s heart did its usual flip-flop. She turned away from the mirror to face him.
“ You look lovely today,” Ashinji said, a smile lighting up his face. “Elven dress suits you.” Jelena felt a blush warm her cheeks. No man, besides Magnes, had ever complemented her on her appearance before.
Ashinji wore a sleeveless unbleached cotton tunic, breeches, and sandals. The absence of sleeves on his shirt allowed Jelena to observe, for the first time, the intricate, flowing designs of the tattoos that encircled each of his upper arms. Soldaran men never willingly submitted to tattooing; that was reserved for slaves only. It seemed that elves tattooed themselves of their own free will. The designs were as fascinating as their owner.
“ Will Magnes be joining us?” Jelena cursed inwardly at the slight quaver in her voice.
“ I assure you, I will behave myself,” Ashinji replied.
“ Oh, no, that’s not what I meant!” Jelena exclaimed. “I would never…” Her voice trailed off as Ashinji laughed heartily. She sighed, realizing that, of course, he understood perfectly well what she had meant.
“ Magnes is down in the practice yard with Captain Miri, trying out some of our weapons. Apparently, our swords are not like the Soldaran blades he is used to. He will join us later.” He held out his hand. “Come. I will show you around first; then you will meet my parents, and perhaps my sisters as well.”
Jelena shyly reached out with her good arm and allowed Ashinji to close his hand around hers. His fingers were graceful and strong, and he held her smaller hand firmly, yet not so tight that she could not easily escape if she so desired. She had no desire to escape…ever.
As Ashinji started towards the door, Jelena held back. He turned to look at her and asked, “Is there something wrong?”
“ No,” she replied. “There’s nothing wrong. It’s just…Well, I still can’t believe I’m here, is all.” She felt giddy with exhilaration and terror all at once. Simply to be alive and standing in this room seemed like no less than a miracle to her.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. From somewhere outside, the sound of a bell, deep-voiced and brazen, slowly rang out the hour. Ashinji smiled.
“ You are here, and you are safe,” he said. “Are you ready to go?”
“ Yes. Please…Lead on,” Jelena replied.
Chapter 15
Kerala Castle
Ashinji led Jelena along a short corridor to a descending staircase. He slipped his arm around her shoulders, lending her support. She felt grateful for the help-her legs were still a little weak from disuse, and it gave her a chance to be close to him. She wanted so much to rest her head on his collarbone and breathe in his scent-so different from that of a human man-but she dared not. Ashinji had been unfailingly polite and decorous; his behavior was totally in keeping with his high station. It would be shamefully presumptuous to think that he would welcome such attentions, especially from her, a foreigner and a half-breed.
I must keep my feelings under control, keep things in perspective, she thought. I could get swept away so easily! There could never be anything between Ashinji and me other than friendship.
Three flights down and through another door, they emerged onto an outside landing above a sunny courtyard. Jelena looked up and saw that she had been lodged on the uppermost floor of a semi-detached wing off the main building. They descended the wooden staircase to the gravel-covered yard below.
“ Come. I will lead you around to the front of the main hall,” Ashinji said. He released his hold on her shoulders and beckoned with a wave of his hand. Jelena sighed regretfully and started after him, her eyes in constant motion as she took in her surroundings.
Jelena had spent her entire life within the walls and precincts of Amsara Castle, and she knew the details of its architecture intimately, thanks partly to Magnes, but mostly from her own explorations. Kerala Castle seemed nothing like Amsara at first glance. They crossed the small courtyard and exited through a wooden gate carved with the figures of fantastical beasts. A gravel path led off through a garden of flowering shrubbery. The perfume of the blossoms hung lightly in the warm air, like the sweet promise of spring.
To the right loomed the main bulk of the castle. Built in a series of graduated tiers-Jelena counted four in all-the castle resembled a multi-layered cake crowned by a sloping tiled roof with upturned corners. Rain gutters, shaped like the heads of dragons, adorned each corner. The walls were of white plastered wood, set with many narrow rectangular windows in the bottom three tiers. The fourth and highest tier, Jelena could see, had fewer but much larger windows, a feature she had never seen in any building before. She imagined that they afforded an amazing view of the surrounding countryside. At the moment, most of the castle’s upper windows were open to the spring breezes. The entire structure sat atop an imposing base of tightly fitted stone blocks, pierced at regular intervals with what looked like arrow slits.
Off to the left, Jelena could see the castle’s inner wall rising like a stone curtain above the garden. The figures of sentries, silhouetted darkly against the bright spring sky, made slow progress along the battlements. The path and the garden ended at a large yard that fronted the castle’s main wing. At the top of a short flight of wide, shallow steps, a pair of spear-toting guards flanked the castle’s entrance. At present, the heavy rectangular wooden doors stood open. Directly opposite, a gate pierced the curtain wall, topped by a gatehouse built with the same style of sloping tiled roof as the main castle. The massive, iron-bound leaves of the gate proper also stood open, but Jelena could not tell what lay beyond.
Ashinji stopped and opened his arms expansively, as if he wished to embrace the entire castle complex. “This is my home,” he said with a touch of pride in his voice. “Through there,” he pointed at the gate, “the ground slopes rather steeply down to the base of the hill where the outer wall is built. The main gate leads out onto a bridge that spans the south channel of the river. You cannot really tell from up here, but Kerala Castle is built on a rocky island in the middle of the Saihama River. You Soldarans call the river Janica.”
Jelena nodded in understanding. “How far are we from…where you found my cousin and me?” Jelena asked.
“ About two days’ ride west from the fords. Maybe twelve of your leagues. Come. I will take you down to the lower yard.” As they walked toward the open gate, Ashinji continued his commentary. “My ancestor Kaiji Sakehera built Kerala Castle about nine hundred years ago. My family has been here ever since. The original castle was much smaller than it is now. Each lord since Kaiji has added to it so it now takes up the entire island. My father has not done any new construction, but he has done a lot of remodeling, mostly to modernize the place.”
As they
passed beneath the gatehouse, the two guards snapped to attention. One of them called out what sounded to Jelena like a greeting, which Ashinji answered with a smile and a wave.
“ Your language sounds so… I don’t know… so musical ,” Jelena observed. “It’s beautiful to listen to.”
“ I would be happy to teach you to speak Siri-dar. It is as much a part of your heritage as is Soldaran. That is, if you choose to stay among us.” He stopped walking and turned to face her. Something in his face and eyes, there and gone in an instant, left Jelena feeling a little bewildered. She got the distinct impression of someone filled with intense longing for a thing that they feared they could not have.
Careful, don’t get carried away, she cautioned herself.
“ I would very much like that,” she replied, and was rewarded by his smile, a flash of strong, white teeth. They started walking again down the sloping path that led towards the lower yards. Jelena could see the gate more clearly now, with its double-sided gatehouse and guard towers at each corner. In the yard below lay the stables, the smithy, and what looked like guard barracks. Off to the right lay a large, flat, grassy area, a smaller yard enclosed on three sides by a brick wall topped with a partial roof, and several buildings Jelena couldn’t readily identify. The myriad sounds of a working castle, so familiar to a young woman raised in a place much like this one, drifted upward on warm draughts of air.
There were many people about-plainly dressed servants hurrying on various errands, off-duty soldiers lounging in the shade, a small pack of laughing children. Everyone they passed offered a warm smile and a greeting to Ashinji, and he responded in kind. Clearly, Jelena thought, the people of Kerala harbored a great affection for their young lord.
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