by Jada Fisher
Crispin took it gratefully, the pear already gone, and he practically inhaled it. She found herself wondering whether his thin lankiness was natural or more the result of cruel masters who were stingy with feeding the humans they were supposed to provide for.
“You’re a little road rough.”
Ukrah didn’t really know quite what that meant, but she put together the context clues. She had bathed in that stream a day or so before. How much dirt could they have accumulated in just that time?
Oh well, it wasn’t like she was going to argue with the giant of a man. If he wanted them to get all cleaned up, she would do just that.
She was so in her own thoughts about the cleaning thing that she didn’t even notice as a shadow loomed over them. Looking up, she saw a truly massive house standing in front of them.
“It’s not th-the biggest estate,” Athar said, walking right up to the giant front doors. Were those made of wood!? Why did these people use so much wood for everything? Surely that took far too many trees. “But it does well by us.”
Ukrah looked over the large building. It was many people tall and sprawled in both directions with what looked like a stable to the side of it. Her whole tribe could have lived in there and had folks who ended up getting lonely.
“Small?”
“Yeah, Eist and I don’t actually spend much time here, and her family never had a manor to inherit, so this is plenty for us. Not like we have little ones underfoot, and we only hire two workers to keep up the estate when we’re busy.”
She nodded as if that made perfect sense even though she had no idea how the looming building in front of her could be considered anything but intimidatingly large. Sure, the grand palace she had just been in was bigger, but that was a palace that also held hundreds of people. In front of her was a ‘home’ meant to hold four people.
Four!
They stepped inside, and it was like being in a smaller version of the palace. There were plenty of windows, leaving the place well lit, even as they walked down a long hall to what appeared to be a kitchen.
Ukrah had heard of civilized kitchens, how they were completely indoors and rarely used the earth as an oven. But it was one thing to hear of them and another thing entirely to see one in person. It was a large, very warm room with even more windows and what she guessed was an oven against one wall, judging by the red-hot coals visible in front of it.
There was a woman standing close by the thing, stirring a pot as she looked over a bottle in her other hand. She was older, judging by her grayish hair and gently-wrinkled face, but stood strong and firm.
“Mrs. Kaldonner,” Athar announced, giving her a polite nod. “We have guests who will be joining us for dinner tonight.”
The woman turned to face them, never pausing in her stirring, and looked them over. For a moment, Ukrah felt a bit self-conscious, like she was being judged against some standards that she didn’t know.
“They’ll need to wash up. I’ll not have them at the table covered in road grit.”
“Aye, of course. And you’ll have clothes for them once they’re clean?”
“Well, I very well ain’t gonna have them running about the manor naked now, will I? Would be a terrible sight for Lady W’allenhaus, wouldn’t it?”
“Somehow, I th-think she’s seen worse.” Despite his teasing, Athar led the two young ones out, chuckling to himself as they walked down to the end of the long hall and turned left.
Ukrah had no words for the other rooms behind the open doors they passed, but she was nearly overwhelmed with the urge to break away from the giant man in front of her and investigate each one. It was like she had been whisked away to an entirely different world, and she didn’t know what to think of any of it.
Finally, they reached the end of the hall and a door that was different from all the others. It was thicker looking, and a darker wood, with a different handle as well. There was a small sign hung on it, with what she guessed were worlds scrawled across it.
Not that she could read it, of course. She knew a grand total of two of their symbols, neither of which were used on the door.
“So, th-this is where you can bathe. We don’t have hot springs like the academy, but we do have a large cavern system we had built down there during the rebuilding after the war. That’s usually where all the rider-less brindles hang out with Fior and Estelle. Occasionally th-their other friends will doze down there too, but since the laying season is about to start, don’t expect hot water all the time.”
“I…do not understand,” Ukrah said slowly. Why were there dragons underground and why did that effect bathing?
“Ah, right, you might not understand. Alright, so, the best I can explain is we built this room over a pond that was already here, sectioning about a quarter of it off for ours-s-selves. We stoned it up, then below we made a sort of fire pit and regularly go fill it with wood and trees. The dragons light it up mostly for themselves and to have fun, but it warms the water and makes it a nice treat for us up here. Sometimes I th-think that Fior does it just to make Eist happy, but it works out.”
He opened the door and stood to the side. “You’ll have to go one at a time, but please wash yourself in one of the wooden tubs to the side, and then you can get into the spring part.”
“I…” Ukrah looked to Crispin to see if any of the explanation was some sort of joke, but the boy just looked excited to go inside. “Do you want to go first, Crispin?”
The boy’s eyes went wide at that. “What? Are you sure? You don’t wanna, uh, just hop right in?” Ukrah shook her head, and he smiled brightly. “Alright, well, I’m not gonna argue with a gift horse, or whatever the saying is.” He moved past the giant man and into the bath, his eyes somehow even wider when he eventually turned to shut the door.
“I’ll make sure to have them bring clothes for the two of you, since Mrs. Kaldonner can be a little particular about the dinner table. Once you’re done here, I’ll show you to your rooms.”
“Rooms?” Ukrah asked uncertainly. She was new to his language, but she was pretty sure that he used a plural word. “Not one?”
“Well, I know Eist and all of us skirted the rules a lot when we were younger, but it’s not exactly proper for boys and girls of your age to be sleeping in th-the same room, so we’ll probably house you separate.”
None of that made sense. Whole families slept in the main tent of her tribe, and there were people of all ages there. “…why?”
The man chuckled a moment before he seemed to realize that she was serious, then his expression grew decidedly uncomfortable. “I… uh, I… You can ask Eist when you s-s-s-see her later,” he said, giving her a quick nod before walking off at an impressive rate given his bulk.
And then Ukrah was standing in the hall, alone, even Tayir was off somewhere she couldn’t see. Everything around her seemed utterly impossible and strange, but she lacked the words to even describe most of them.
For the first time in days, it was really sinking in that she was in an entirely different place. The civilized world. A land of dragons and mansions and so much water that probably no one ever went thirsty. With so much water that they had bathing rooms for their own pleasure.
Suddenly, she wished very much that she could go home.
…except home wasn’t really there anymore, was it?
Ukrah stared hard at the clothes in front of her. She was dripping wet, all relaxed and contented from her time soaking in the amazingly warm water, and her rags had been taken from her.
What had replaced it was clean, that much was for certain, but they were utterly foreign to her. She was pretty sure she saw a shift, but it was so long and had complicated sleeves she didn’t understand. And there was so much other stuff that she just felt entirely intimidated.
A soft knock sounded at the door, and Ukrah jerked sharply.
“Who!” she cried, suddenly afraid that Crispin or someone else would just launch himself in even though he had always been quite respectfu
l of her privacy back at the creek
“Hello?” It was a soft, feminine voice that answered, barely getting through the door. “I thought… Need help?”
Ah. Help. Yes, Ukrah understood that. “I do,” she answered, picking up the shift-looking thing and holding it in front of herself just in case.
But instead of an enemy, or anything like that, it was a small, thin girl who stepped in, closing the door firmly behind her.
She was the epitome of everything Ukrah had ever heard about the otherworldliness of some in the settled lands. Her skin was whiter than stone and dappled with faint little dots ranging from dark brown to a light brown. As her eyes settled on Ukrah, she realized that they were a blazing green, like a mystical gem. Greener than any human had a right to have.
And then her hair.
It was red. Blazing like the sun, or fire itself. It fell in long tresses, some of it reaching past her slim hips, but mostly braided intricately in complicated patterns about her head. She wore a fine dress, and Ukrah was able to suddenly understand what some of the neatly folded clothing was.
She didn’t look real. She didn’t look like she belonged. And yet in the land that Ukrah was in, this strange girl fit in more than any desert folk ever would.
“Hello, I’m Cassinda. I can help?”
Ukrah nodded and held out the shift-thing to the girl. Just like she had supposed, it did indeed go on first, followed by more and more clothing that seemed entirely superfluous. If the climate was anything like the desert, Ukrah would have been keeling over in a sweaty pile. But as it were, she was quite comfortable as she exited the room, Cassinda right behind her.
“Wow!” Crispin said once she was out, scrambling up from where he had been sitting on the floor. “You look…”
He said something long that contained far too many fumbling words, but the boy was smiling so she figured it was a positive.
“Thank you,” she said, giving him a short nod.
Shouting suddenly sounded from down the hall, followed by crashing and other hurried commotion. The next thing Ukrah knew, Tayir was fluttering around the corner.
You just left me outside! I brought you all the way from the desert, the least you could do was not leave me behind in the orchard!
“It’s not my fault you got distracted filling your beak with fruit,” Ukrah answered in her own language. “Are you ready to translate again?”
Ugh, is that all I am to you now? Not a friend who saved your life, but just a tool to understand all these fine, pale folks?
“Don’t act so dramatic. It’s not like—”
“Ah, this is your bird, I take it?”
That voice was familiar, and Ukrah’s head snapped up to see none other than the God-Woman herself standing at the end of the hall, a large pot in her hand.
“Y-yes,” Ukrah answered uncertainly, feeling her whole body grow rigid.
Sure, she had just met the woman an hour or so before in a much more mussed state of dress, but it was like being introduced to royalty all over again. No, greater than royalty. A hero. A legend.
A god.
Ukrah squeezed her eyes shut and told herself to calm down. Even with her white hair and intense gaze, Eist was still human.
…or at least Ukrah thought so.
“Cute. My husband has a stutter too, but you already know that. Where did he go, by the way?”
Tayir dutifully translated, but Crispin spoke up before Ukrah could answer. “He dropped off clothes for us then said he was going to make sure the dragons were fed before Mrs. Kaldonner was ready with what she was making.”
Eist snorted. “Please, the dragons can get food whenever they want. Either he was feeling stressed from all the attention or he wanted to spoil them, as usual.”
Ukrah had never heard a legend snort before, but that was something that had definitely just happened. So strange to think that the woman in front of her, the woman who had saved the word and banished the usurpers and returned magic to how it was supposed to be, was a short little thing that made very human noises.
“Well, shall I show you to your rooms?”
“Rooms?” This time it was Crispin who questioned it, looking quite surprised.
“Of course. I realize you came here together, and I’m one to talk considering how much time Ya—uh, me and my friends spent the night in each other’s dorms, but it’s more proper to have you in separate rooms, as it were.”
“I, just… I…” Crispin shook his head, as if trying to gather his words. It was strange to see the boy so speechless. “I thought you were just being kind and giving me a wash, then dinner before sending me on the road. I’m not magic. Not like Ukrah.”
Eist looked at Ukrah. “Do you want him here with you?” she asked flatly.
Ukrah nodded as emphatically as she could. Maybe it was strange, considering that she had just met the boy by chance, but he had risked his life for her. He had brought her food and made sure that she had everything she needed when he had no reason to. He made her feel safe and like she had someone to trust since the insane turn her life had taken.
“And do you want to be here?”
Crispin nodded too. “I mean, I… You should know that I’m a runaway servant. Of the indentured kind, ya know. I… I stole stuff from my last lord. A lot of stuff.”
Eist’s eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly, and Ukrah didn’t like the thought of her getting the wrong idea. “He stole for me! To help me get here. To you.”
“You wanted to find me?”
Of course, that was what the God-Woman focused on. It wasn’t something Ukrah necessarily needed to be a secret, but it wasn’t something she wanted just blurted out either.
“Yes.”
“Well, that works out then. We can talk it all out at dinner. For now, your rooms, as I said.”
“Just like that? You’re letting me stay with you just like that?”
Eist rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I realize this is probably a momentous thing for you, but I don’t want to take the time to make it a whole big thing. So, in short, yes, you can stay here however long you want, as long as you don’t steal from us or try to hurt anyone. I don’t care what you may or may not have done as a servant. Now, I’m quite hungry. Can I show you your rooms so we can eat and discuss what all of us really want to?”
There was a murmur of agreement all around and then they were walking.
They went down another hall, this one lined with less doors and instead with open rooms. What their purpose was Ukrah couldn’t guess, but they moved past them quickly until they reached the strangest thing she had ever seen.
It was like a hill, but it was inside, and it wasn’t a smooth slope, but a series of planks of wood one after the other in a very geometric pattern.
As if it was the most normal thing in the world, the God-Woman, Crispin, and Cassinda just walked right up them. Ukrah stared openly, watching their feet go one right after the other, the wood below their feet creaking rhythmically.
“Oh hey, are you coming?” Crispin said, looking back to her.
“What this?” she whispered back hotly.
Really? This is what gets you? Not the idea that there’s dragons in a man-made cavern system below your feet? These are just steps, Ukrah. They’re not important.
“It’s called a staircase. Have you never seen it before?”
She shook her head, ignoring Tayir. She knew that what was in front of her wasn’t mystical or even that terrifying, but it was so out of place that she couldn’t just roll with it.
“Huh, well, that’s interesting. But think you can walk up ‘em?”
“Hey, what’s the holdup down there?” the God-Woman asked. “Are you alright?”
Ukrah didn’t want to look weak in front of her, so she just nodded and hurried up after her, Crispin following.
The whole experience didn’t last long, and their group soon came to the top of the thing. Then it was down a much shorter hallway that ended in a large, open chun
k of floor that was outside any of the walls. They turned as she stared at that, and then the God-Woman led them to several smaller doors all next to each other.
“These are our rooms for wards.”
“So, what, you collect us?” Crispin asked, smiling in that charming way of his.
“Not usually, but like Cassinda, we provide lodging for those who might need magical protection or help but aren’t a good fit for the Witch Academy.”
Crispin looked doubtfully to the young, slight girl beside him. “Why aren’t you a good fit for the academy?”
Cassinda didn’t answer, keeping her eyes firmly ahead, and the God-Woman just cleared her throat.
“Anyway, your rooms. Here ya go.”
She opened the door closest to her and stepped back. Ukrah peeked in and her mouth immediately dropped.
There was a fancy cot there, with a thick mattress different from the straw bedding she saw at the slaver encampment. There were other pieces of furniture, as well as fireplaces for cold nights. Thick, expensive-looking blankets and pillows crowded the cot, making the whole thing look expensive and exceedingly comfortable.
“This is mine?” Ukrah said quietly.
“Either yours or the boy’s. I don’t particularly care.”
“My name is Crispin, uh, by the way.”
“Right. I’ll try to remember that, but I’ll probably need you to remind me about a dozen times. You understand how it is.”
“Uh…sure.”
“Anyway, here they are, do you want to look around or—”
It was all so much for Ukrah. Somehow, she had gone from being tied to a stake, to a slave, to having her own room in a mansion. “Dinner?”
“Right. We have a lot to talk about. This way.”
The woman gave them a nod and led them right back down the stairs. It was all so bizarrely commonplace while still being entirely extraordinary that Ukrah hoped the few minutes of retracing their steps would give her a few minutes to collect herself.
They didn’t.
3
