Griffin's Daughter

by Leslie Ann Moore

  “ I’m all right, Son,” Sen soothed. “Just a little fall, that’s all.”

  “ He is being brave…for you,” Jelena stated quietly. “He fell…very hard.”

  Ashinji looked at Jelena, then his eyes skipped over to the dead boar. “Jelena, you shot this boar, didn’t you?” He reached out to touch a fingertip to the bow in her hand. “You saved my father’s life.” Love and gratitude sparked in his eyes. Jelena wanted to break down and cry; only sheer willpower held back her tears.

  Ashinji turned his attention back to Sen. “Father, you must not try to minimize this. Please tell me where you hurt.” His tone indicated that he would tolerate no nonsense.

  Sen held up his hand as if in surrender. “I think I may have broken a rib here on my right side. That’s the worst of it,” he said, almost meek in the face of his son’s stern concern.

  “ Great Goddess! Father, you’re down!”

  Sadaiyo had arrived, along with Misune and Lord Dai. He jumped from his horse and strode over to where Sen lay. “Out of my way, girl,” he growled, shoving Jelena roughly aside, sending her sprawling. He squatted beside his father and said, “Are you hurt?”

  Jelena scrambled to her feet, still clutching her bow, spitting leaves from her mouth. Her face burned with humiliation. She saw Lord Sen’s eyes narrow in anger. “My messenger here shot this beast while I lay helpless. If she had not killed it, you would now be Lord,” he said tightly. “I owe her my life.”

  Sadaiyo raised one eyebrow in surprise and turned to look at Jelena, his expression speculative. She felt a chill race up her spine.

  By this time, most of the other nobles had arrived, dismounted and had gathered around the fallen Lord of Kerala. Everyone talked at once, completely ignoring Jelena, although many exclaimed in astonishment over the slain boar. Jelena stood quietly, just outside the noisy circle of people, wishing she could stand beside Ashinji.

  As if he had somehow heard her wish, the crowd parted, and Ashinji stepped through and walked up to her. He took her hand and led her into the center of the group where Sen, now up and leaning heavily on Sadaiyo, awaited.

  The Lord of Kerala cleared his throat as the crowd fell silent. “This girl here, Jelena is her name, came to Kerala last spring. My son Ashinji found her, wounded and lost, and needing my help. She is in search of her elven kin, and I promised that I would aid in her search. She has been in service to me as my messenger these last few weeks.”

  Jelena felt like an exotic species of insect pinned under a glass for examination. She kept her eyes firmly affixed to the toes of her boots. Ashinji had released her hand but remained standing beside her, and the steady warmth of his presence gave her comfort.

  Lord Sen continued. “When I flushed the boar, my horse reared and threw me. I lay unconscious…helpless. I thank The One that Jelena came when she did. T’was her shot that skewered the great, ugly beast, straight through his eye! I couldn’t have done better myself. I owe this girl my life, and she shall have her reward…Whatever she desires.” A ripple of shock flowed through the crowd.

  “ Jelena…Look at me, girl,” Sen commanded. Hesitantly, Jelena obeyed. “You shall be the honored guest at my table tonight,” he announced, “and I’ll make sure that you get the choicest morsels from yonder porker! Now, that’s all I have to say. Get me back home, sons.” He looked to Ashinji and Sadaiyo, grimacing in pain.

  Jelena’s head reeled. The reversal of her fortunes had been both swift and shocking. As Sadaiyo and Ashinji assisted their father, Lord Dai assumed command of the hunt. Two riders were dispatched to fetch servants and bring them back to assist with the boar. A frenzy of barking heralded the arrival of the hunt mistress and the pack. Jelena overheard her telling Lord Dai that the carcass of the doe awaited dressing and removal.

  Since nothing more seemed required of her, Jelena went in search of Willow. She found the chestnut mare quietly munching shoots a spear’s throw away. “There you are, girl,” she said, stroking the mare’s velvet nose. She hung her bow across the saddle horn, gathered up the reins, and scrambled ungracefully into the saddle.

  Then it hit her.

  A storm of trembles seized her body. Her thoughts tumbled over each other in a swirl of confusion.

  What just happened? Did I really leave my body behind? Is this what it feels like to float on the aether in spirit form?

  How did I cause the arrow to burst into flame, and why was it not consumed?

  She hugged herself to stop the shaking.

  The flame was blue! Blue fire…Magic!

  The nobles had all remounted and were moving off. Ashinji and Sadaiyo had assisted Lord Sen back onto his horse and rode along on either side of their father in order to steady him, if needed. Jelena fell in behind, trailing the group at a respectful distance.

  When they at last broke the cover of the trees, word had already reached the common folk of the events that had just transpired. A knot of riders immediately surrounded Jelena.

  Aneko spoke first. “Is it true, Jelena? You really killed a tusker about to gore Lord Sen?” Jelena nodded weakly, still too shaken to speak. “D’you know what this means?” the older woman exulted. She didn’t bother to wait for an answer. “It means that you’ll get what you want, Jelena.” She reached over and gripped Jelena’s hand and squeezed hard. “It means that there’s hope! ”

  Jelena understood Aneko’s meaning, but she dared not let herself begin to believe. She knew Lord Sen meant what he had said-she could ask anything of him, and he would grant it-but she didn’t think that “anything” included Ashinji…Or did it?

  As the hunt made its way back to the castle, despite all her efforts, Jelena felt herself surrendering to hope.

  Chapter 27

  In Perfect Union

  For only the second time in her life, Jelena sat at a high table, surrounded by noble folk, partaking of a rich feast. This time, however, she was among elves, and an honored guest, not an object for sale. None of this made her feel any less nervous.

  She wore a gown of russet silk, secured at the sides with tasseled cords, and matching slippers-all borrowed. Only her mother’s ivory combs holding her hair at bay and the strand of blue Kara glass beads that had been Claudia’s last gift to her could she call her own. She sat directly to the left of Lord Sen, a position normally held by Lady Amara. To honor Jelena, the Lady of Kerala had willingly yielded her place this night to the girl who had saved her husband’s life. She sat to Jelena’s left, and insisted on serving her guest with her own hands.

  At the center of the table, stuffed and roasted to perfection, rested the very reason for Jelena’s honored presence tonight-the boar she had so valiantly slain. Even in death, his fierceness had been preserved, for the cooks had left in place his vicious, curving tusks.

  Ashinji sat across the table from his mother, where he made little attempt to hide his true feelings. He had exchanged his plain brown hunting leathers for a simple tunic and trousers of dark green cotton, and to Jelena, he looked far more elegant than anyone else in the room, despite the plainness of his clothes. His gaze kept wandering to her face, and she struggled to resist the pull of his desire and not meet his eyes. His behavior was not going unnoticed.

  From the corner of her eye, Jelena could see Lady Amara scrutinizing her youngest son closely, and in that instant, she knew the love she and Ashinji shared remained a secret no longer, at least not to his mother. She felt a cold knot of apprehension tighten in her belly.

  “ Little Brother, I can’t help but notice how fascinated you are with our Jelena. Take care, or we’ll all think you have designs on her.”

  Sadaiyo’s tone contained equal parts amusement and mockery. He sat in his usual place at Lord Sen’s right hand, his wife Misune by his side. Jelena risked a glance in his direction and found him leaning forward, staring at her with frankness bordering on insult. She refused to meet his eyes, looking instead to Ashinji, who nodded his head almost imperceptibly, as if to reassure her.

>   “ Whatever feelings I may have for Jelena are entirely proper and none of your concern, Brother,” Ashinji responded. Outwardly, he seemed calm. A tiny muscle along his left jaw began to twitch.

  Lord Sen cleared his throat and raised his wine goblet. He looked pointedly at each of his sons, then addressed the gathering. “Raise your cups to this girl in salute, for she saved my life today with her bravery and skill.” He turned to Jelena. “Jelena, you shall ever hold a place of honor at my table and in my house.” He waited until all the others had raised their goblets, then put his own to his lips and drank.

  Jelena felt slightly dizzy, as if caught up in a dream. How was it possible that she, a girl of dubious breeding and no family, now found herself toasted by an entire assemblage of elven nobility?

  She remembered the flaming arrow, and the surreal sensation of floating outside of her body. Had that been a dream as well? How could it have been, when the evidence of its reality now lay roasted and sliced on a platter before her?

  Sadaiyo’s derisive laughter snapped her back to the present. “Look at him! He’s hopelessly smitten. Father, I think it’s high time you found my little brother a bride. He is obviously suffering from a lack of suitable female companionship. A proper wife is just what he needs to take his mind off, er, other things.”

  “ My wife’s cousin has a daughter who is of suitable age, Sakehera. I’d be happy to make inquiries on your behalf,” Lord Dai offered.

  “ She’s a charming girl, and quite pretty. I believe you’d find her most pleasing,” Lady Dai added cheerfully. She leaned around her husband to eye Ashinji speculatively, who looked as though he’d just been slapped.

  Sen nodded. “It’s true,” he said, seemingly oblivious to his son’s reaction. “My youngest son is in need of a wife. His mother and I have several possibilities in mind, but none of them has really impressed us. We’d be very interested in learning more about your cousin’s daughter, my lady.”

  Jelena’s heart skipped a beat. A wave of vertigo threatened to topple her from her chair. She felt a hand grip her shoulder and turned to see Lady Amara peering intently into her face.

  Abruptly, the room began to fade, and all sound receded to a muted buzz. Jelena’s field of vision tunneled down to focus on Lady Amara’s face, ageless and beautiful, floating before her like a pale mask. Words skirled softly through her mind.

  Do you have any idea what it is that is within you, child?

  No, but I am afraid of it.

  It is very ancient and powerful. It is of you, and yet it is not.

  It made the arrow burn!

  Ai, so it did.

  I love Ashinji.

  I know.

  Lady Amara’s face receded, and Jelena’s senses returned in a rush. She gasped and looked around in confusion. Amara still gripped her shoulder but only to give it a gentle squeeze.

  What in the name of all the gods just happened? Jelena wondered. Did Ashinji’s mother just speak to me…in my mind? Without warning, her stomach lurched. “My lady,” she murmured, “Apologies. Just now, I…am not feeling so well.” She forced a smile. “Too much…uh, noble food. Not used to…so much.”

  “ Husband, our honored guest is not well,” Amara said.

  “ Oh! Um…I hope it’s nothing serious!” Lord Sen seemed genuinely concerned. He rose from his chair, grimacing in pain. A servant leapt forward to lend assistance, but he waved the man off. “I’ll have a servant see you back to your quarters,” he said.

  Jelena shook her head. “No, please. I can walk myself back. Thank you, my lord.”

  “ Let my son walk you back, Jelena,” Lady Amara said quietly, then in a clear, strong voice, she announced, “Ashinji will see Jelena safely to the barracks.”

  Sadaiyo, who had been taking a gulp from his wine glass, sputtered and began to cough violently. Misune exclaimed in dismay and began slapping him between his shoulders. Lord Sen, who also appeared to be taken entirely by surprise, shot his wife a questioning look, but did not object.

  “ Come, Jelena,” Ashinji said. He rose from his chair and beckoned to her.

  As she moved to follow, Jelena smiled gratefully at Lady Amara, who nodded in acknowledgment. It seemed that she could now count the Lady of Kerala as her ally. Together, she and Ashinji walked out of the hall into the night.

  ~~~

  At first, Ashinji walked beside her in silence. When they were well away from the open door of the hall, he grabbed Jelena’s shoulder and spun her around to face him. He pulled her close and rested his forehead against hers.

  “ I love you,” he whispered fiercely.

  She began to shake. So much had changed since she had ridden out to the hunt that morning, but she still dared not let herself hope for a future with this man.

  “ I love you, too,” she replied. “But how can we…?” her voice trailed off, forlorn.

  “ Come to my chamber. Stay with me tonight. I need you.” His voice trembled with desire. “Please!” he begged.

  Gods, he felt so good! Not all of the obstacles standing between them and a life together seemed so insurmountable when he whispered to her with such love in his voice. Jelena felt an answering desire flare within her…and she melted. She could resist him no longer. Her lips sought his, and they kissed, slowly and softly at first, then with rising passion.

  Ashinji groaned.

  “ Hurry, my love,” he urged, pulling her along toward the outer staircase that led up his rooms.

  Ashinji’s apartment occupied the entire top floor of a small, newer addition off the east wing of the castle. A servant had already prepared the single, large chamber for the evening. The warm glow of lamplight greeted them as Ashinji ushered Jelena in, carefully closing and securing the door behind them.

  Jelena glanced around the large rectangular room and took note of its furnishings. Finely woven mats covered the wooden floors. A low table surrounded by cushions stood near the room’s single large window, which hung open to the cool night breeze. A writing desk, chest of drawers, clothes press, and a bed made up the rest of the room’s contents.

  Ashinji came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, then began a series of slow kisses along the slope of her neck. Jelena sighed, feeling herself becoming soft and wobbly. She leaned back against him and allowed his hands to begin the task of undressing her.

  She felt the ties of the borrowed gown give way. The silk slithered down her body to land in a liquid heap around her feet. She kicked it aside and turned to face him. Slowly, as if unwrapping the most precious of gifts, Ashinji undid the ties that secured her sheer white undergown and gently pulled it away from her body. With a shrug of her shoulders, Jelena sent it to the mats. Lastly, he removed the combs from her hair.

  Jelena now stood clad only in the blue Kara necklace, bathed in the golden glow of the lamps. Ashinji sighed, as if in awe, his face enraptured. “You are…so extraordinarily beautiful,” he whispered. He took her hand and led her to the bed.

  The bed rested on a low wooden platform. As Jelena sank down atop the silk and fur coverlets, she marveled at the softness of the mattress. She watched with growing excitement as Ashinji quickly shed his clothing until he stood totally revealed to her. As his final preparation before he lay down beside her, he freed his hair from the leather tie that had held it back and shook it out in a glorious fall of gold.

  Softly, slowly, he began to caress her body, starting with her face. His hands were warm and gentle, and the natural anxiety Jelena felt began to ease. He reached her breasts and began tracing her nipples with his fingers. She gasped at the exquisite sensation. His hands wandered lower until they rested just above the tuft of wiry hair that guarded the entrance to her most sacred of places.

  She turned her face against his neck. The smell of his body-always intoxicating-now drove her mad with desire. Unsure of what to do, she forced herself to relax and let her knees fall open.

  “ I have never been…” she started to say, but Ashinji laid a fi
nger on her lips.

  “ Hush, my love. I know,” he replied.

  His hand slid down and parted the delicate folds of her flesh, probing ever so gently until he touched a place that sent a bolt of pleasure shooting up through her entire body. She cried out and arched up against him, and he responded by pressing more firmly. Her breath came in short pants now, and she could feel Ashinji breathing harder as well.

  He put his lips to one breast and began to suck, causing a whole new wave of marvelous sensations to flood her mind. She could feel his growing urgency, and Jelena knew that they had both reached the point of no return. Every hard curve of muscle spoke eloquently of Ashinji’s passion, awakening an answering fire within her.

  His breath flowed hot and sweet upon her face as he crushed her body closer to his. She wanted only to melt into him, slip beneath his skin and meld her flesh to his to become one continuous being. As he moved to lie between her legs, she felt the last vestiges of her fear dissolve. She trusted Ashinji completely.

  Though she knew it was coming, the pain of the first penetration still shocked her. Convulsively, she dug her fingers into the muscles of Ashinji’s back, as if by inflicting this small pain on him, she could lessen her own. She moaned and burst into tears.

  Ashinji moved slowly in and out of her, as if he could sense that this part gave her more hurt than pleasure. He covered her wet, salty cheeks with kisses and whispered his love into her burning ears. She felt her mind break loose from its moorings and begin to drift out to where it could more easily process the waves of sensation that crashed over and through her.

  Gradually, she became aware that something else lay underneath the pain, a sensation unlike all the others she had newly experienced this night. She felt it pushing her inexorably over a threshold into an unknown world, a world that she desperately wanted to understand. She reached for it-her entire body shuddering with the strain-and then detonated with a soft explosion. Her consciousness slammed back down into her skull, tearing a cry of amazement from her raw throat.