Griffin's Daughter (24 page)

“
Cousin, I think you need to fully regain your strength, first,” Magnes interjected gently. “Don’t forget, you were just released from your sickbed yesterday. I think Lord Sakehera can get along without you for awhile longer.”

“
I must agree with Magnes. You will not be needed to carry messages just yet, but I can begin your lessons now.” Ashinji started pointing to objects as they walked, first calling the thing by its Soldaran name and then following up with the corresponding word in Siri-dar. By the time they reached the barracks, both Magnes and Jelena were sorting out a dozen or so nouns and tripping over the unfamiliar pronunciations. Ashinji patiently corrected their mistakes while trying not to laugh.

The guards’ barracks were located above the stables and consisted of a common room, a dormitory for the men, a smaller room for the female soldiers, and several storerooms. At this hour, most of the inhabitants were at their posts, but as the three of them entered the common room, a lone, dark-haired woman stood up from her seat at the long rectangular table in the center of the room. Jelena felt certain that she had seen the woman before, but she could not remember where. The woman came forward and bowed deferentially to Ashinji. He spoke to her at some length, and as her clever brown eyes darted back and forth between Jelena and Magnes, she nodded in understanding.

“
I’ve told Aneko what she needs to know about you, Jelena,” Ashinji explained. “She knows that you are to be my father’s new messenger when you are healed enough to ride. She also knows that you still require a great deal of rest, so she will look after your needs.”

“
Jelena, you remember? I care for you by river, me and Kami?” Aneko smiled a little self-consciously, as if embarrassed by her broken Soldaran. She gently took hold of Jelena’s elbow. “Come. I show you room where we sleep.” Aneko led Jelena into a smaller room, just off the common room, that contained three beds, each with a storage chest underneath. Shelves lined the walls above. The bed closest to the open window appeared unclaimed.

“
That one must be mine,” Jelena said. She scanned the room then turned back to Aneko. “Surely not all the guards live here. What about the ones with families?”

Aneko’s forehead creased in puzzlement for a moment, then she exclaimed and nodded in understanding. “Families have own house. Not live here. Here is for unmarried people only.”

“
You speak Soldaran very well, Aneko,” Jelena commented. “Who taught you?”

“
Grandmother,” Aneko replied, and when she did not elaborate, Jelena inquired no further. Instead, she stepped over to the window beside her newly claimed bed. A fine metal mesh, the likes of which she had never seen before, covered the opening. Amazed at the cleverness of the idea, Jelena immediately discerned how the screen allowed air to circulate into the room, yet kept flying insects out. She looked out and scanned the view.

The women’s room faced the rear of the building and looked down on the paddocks behind the stables. A few horses stood drowsing in the warm spring sunshine, tails lazily swishing. The earthy smell of horse dung and hay drifted up to permeate the room.

It’s not so bad. I can get used to the smell. Besides, I won’t be in here that much once I’m better.

She and Aneko returned to the common room. Magnes and Ashinji had seated themselves at the table and were deep in conversation. Jelena went over to join them, slipping in alongside Magnes on the bench opposite Ashinji. Aneko bowed to Ashinji and discreetly exited the room
.

“
If war comes, I’ll be in a very difficult position if I stay here,” Magnes was saying. Both he and Ashinji looked glum.

“
What are you talking about?” Jelena asked. She felt a twinge of alarm as she looked at the two young men, their faces as serious as if they had just heard some particularly bad news.

“
The painful truth,” Ashinji answered. “Magnes is the son and Heir of a very important human lord. To stay here in Kerala, in the service of an elven lord, would be seen as treason, I think. And there is the other side of the issue. The son of a powerful human lord is a very valuable hostage. Despite my father’s best intentions, he may have no choice in the end. He will have to confine your cousin to Kerala Castle; at worst, he might be compelled to send Magnes to Sendai as a prisoner.”

“
Jelena, I might need to leave Kerala and go back home,” Magnes said quietly.

Jelena leaned her head against Magnes’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to go. I want us to be together like we always have been, but I realize I must put aside my selfishness if staying here will endanger your life. I love you, Magnes, but I still feel a little guilty that you had to give up everything in order to help me escape.”

“
Jelena, I’ve told you that that doesn’t matter.”

Jelena shook her head. “But, don’t you see, Magnes? It does matter, very much. This is your life we’re talking about, for the gods’ sake!” She looked at Ashinji, who was pulling at the gold rings set in his earlobe. “Ashinji, how certain are the elves that the Empire is planning on going to war with Alasiri?”

“
Our intelligence says that it is all but certain, and planned for next summer, just after the worst of the rainy season.”

“
Yes, that’s what I know as well. A little over a year, then.” Magnes drummed his fingers restlessly against the scarred wood of the table.

Jelena laid her hand over his, stilling the nervous motion. “Go home, Cousin. Mend things with your father. Tell him about Livie. If he sees how much you love her, perhaps he’ll give in and allow the two of you to marry. I’ll miss you terribly, but I’ll be all right. If I can’t find my father, or if…well, at least I have a place here. I can make a good life for myself, I think.” 

Magnes gathered her up in his arms. “I don’t want to abandon you, Jelena,” he said, voice hoarse with emotion. “I’ve always taken care of you. Who’s going to protect you if I leave?” Jelena could see that Ashinji had gone very still. His expression was unreadable, but he seemed to be trying very hard to hold back from something, as if there were words within him that he wanted very much to say, but could not.

“
I can take care of myself, Cousin. You’ve helped me get this far; now I can manage on my own.”

“
I can’t deny the logic of your arguments,” Magnes sighed. He looked at Ashinji. “I’ll need some provisions and a horse, if your father can spare one. I have nothing with which to repay him, as you know, but if there ever is a way, I’ll find it.”

“
Of course, Magnes. There is no need to speak of repayment. My father is a generous man, and there is no hardship in helping you. We will provide you with all that you need, including an escort to the border.”

“
It’s settled, then,” Jelena said.

Two days later, Jelena stood at the main gate of Kerala Castle and watched Magnes ride away. The words he had spoken to her the night before kept repeating themselves over and over in her head.

“
Jelena, I’ve seen how Ashinji looks at you. He’s drawn to you, and it only seems like it’s getting stronger. I know you don’t believe any man could love you because of what you are, but that’s simply not true. I think Ashinji might. Don’t let your fears and doubts prevent you from finding happiness.”

Fears and doubts are all I seem to have, Cousin,
she thought.

Happiness and the kind of love shared between a man and woman were two things that Jelena had given up on a long time ago. She would count herself lucky if she could somehow manage to find a bit of contentment.

Magnes turned back in the saddle and waved. Jelena raised her hand in response and gave free rein to her tears. From behind, she sensed the presence of another. She turned to see Ashinji standing close by her left shoulder, watching the mounted figures of Magnes and his escort dwindling into the distance. She could feel the heat of his body pushing against her, and the desperate longing to touch him became almost too much to bear.

Could it be true what Magnes said? Could Ashinji really be falling in love with me? How is that possible?

No. Stop fooling yourself. Magnes is wrong. Ashinji is the son of a lord. His parents would never permit him to get involved with someone like me anyway, even if he wanted to, which I’m sure he doesn’t.

“
I know you are sad, Jelena. Perhaps, one day, if the One permits it, you will see your cousin again.” Ashinji rested his hand lightly on Jelena’s shoulder, and suddenly, she could take no more.

She sobbed aloud and fled.

A Glimpse Of The Future

During the week that followed Magnes’s departure, Ashinji tried to ease Jelena’s sorrow and loneliness by spending as much time with her as his other duties allowed.

Jelena’s company posed no hardship. In truth, he found himself drawn to her more strongly with each passing day. His first thoughts when he awoke in the morning were of her, as were his last thoughts before he drifted off to sleep at night. She haunted his dreams and preoccupied his waking mind. He found it both exciting and troubling. Ashinji was no callow youth; he’d had his share of affairs, but never before had a woman stirred his soul like Jelena. He felt off balance, like his world had just been upended and shaken out like an old sack.

Early evenings, during the quiet time between the end of the workday and the evening meal, Ashinji liked to ramble about the castle grounds. He invariably ended up on the battlements, where he could soak up the peace of the bucolic landscape in blessed solitude. This particular evening was no different. Slowly, he mounted the stairs toward the top of the wall, his mind already deep in thought.

Ashinji had never given much thought to the idea of romantic love. As the son of a noble house, his duty was to obey his parents, and when the time came for him to marry, he would go before the priests with a bride of his parents’ choosing. Love never really entered the picture, at least during the selection process. With luck, the girl would be pretty and of an agreeable nature. With still more luck, they would find that they were compatible, and friendship, then love, would grow between them. Ashinji had known for some time that his parents had been making discreet inquiries amongst several noble families. He had no thought or desire to complain.

Everything had changed the moment he had first seen Jelena’s face and had recognized her as the girl from his dream visions. He had known then, with absolute certainty, that they were meant to be together. He must make his feelings known to her, and soon.

His parents did need consideration, though. Lord and Lady Sakehera were far more liberal than most people on the subject of human-elf intermingling, but he wondered if their tolerance would extend to marriage with a hikui. Ashinji loved and respected his parents with all his heart and held his duty to them as one of the central aspects of his life. But in this one thing, he knew he could not obey. If he could not make Jelena his wife, then he would have no wife at all. He must somehow make his parents understand. 

The sun had started its slow slide below the horizon. The evening breeze picked up a few stray locks of Ashinji’s hair and whipped them across his face, tickling his nose and mouth. He turned his head slightly and spotted movement out of the corner of his eye.

His heart sank.

Approaching him on the wall walk, like an onrushing storm, came Sadaiyo.

“
So, Ashi, up hiding on the walls again, eh?” Sadaiyo flashed a grin, all teeth and no warmth.

Ashinji sighed inwardly and steeled himself against the inevitable barbs that Sadaiyo took a perverse delight in throwing at him. “I’m not hiding. I came up here to be alone and think, as you well know.”

“
Think? About what, Little Brother? Oh, I know. My wedding! That’s all anyone can think about these days, isn’t it?” Sadaiyo rested his elbows on the parapet, looking smug. “Did you know that my soon-to-be wife single-handedly took out an entire Iinaa raiding party? Single-handedly! And I’ve also heard that she can love a man to complete and utter exhaustion, then spring from bed to ride to hounds!” He cocked a sardonic eye at Ashinji. “It’s a good thing Father and Mother picked her for me rather than you. Such a woman needs a man strong enough to handle her properly. I think she’d end up sucking you dry.” He laughed and Ashinji ground his teeth, wincing as hot needles of pain shot up his arms. He looked down to see that he had bloodied his fingers gripping the parapet.

“
You’ve been spending a lot of time with that stray you brought in. I don’t blame you. She is very attractive, despite her humanish features… no, because of them, I think. It makes her so…different, so intriguing. Have you had her yet?”  Ashinji went cold with fury, but Sadaiyo did not seem to notice. “Wait! This is my prissy little brother I’m talking to. Of course you haven’t,” he continued, his voice dripping sarcasm. “You know, if you don’t want her, maybe I’ll take her as my concubine.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Maybe I’ll take her anyway, even if you do want her.” His cruel smile cut like a razor.

“
Stay away from Jelena, Sadaiyo,” Ashinji replied, his voice low and dangerous.

Sadaiyo raised an eyebrow. “Struck the mark, have I? Is it possible…could it be possible that you actually have
feelings
for this girl, Little Brother? She’s a half-breed, you know.”

“
I am well aware of Jelena’s heritage.” Blood pounding in his ears, Ashinji fought to keep a grip on his temper, but with each heartbeat, his control slipped a tiny bit more.