Leslie Moore - Griffin's Daughter

“ I apologize for my brother’s rudeness,” Ashinji said quietly. His face had gone very still and pale. “Let us go now.” He turned and stalked toward the door, the set of his shoulders betraying his anger. From behind, Jelena could hear Lord Sakehera’s voice and that of his eldest son’s raised in heated debate.

By the time they had descended back to the ground floor, it seemed that Ashinji’s anger had cooled, but Jelena suspected that it never truly dissipated, but always remained simmering just below the surface. In one short exchange, Jelena knew she had witnessed a telling glimpse into a relationship fraught with a lifetime’s worth of animosity. She decided, then and there, that Sadaiyo Sakehera was extremely dangerous, and the one person at Kerala she must avoid.

“ I take it that your brother doesn’t particularly like humans,” Magnes commented dryly.

Ashinji sighed. “No, he does not. He has made it quite clear that he thinks my father has made a mistake allowing you to stay here. My advice is to stay out of his way, which should not be a problem. He will be totally occupied with preparing for his wedding, which will be taking place very soon-within the next few weeks. In truth, we will all be occupied with it.”

“ You don’t sound very happy,” Jelena observed.

Ashinji shrugged. “He is my elder brother, and the Heir. This is a very important event. I will do my filial duty.”

Jelena decided that a change in subject was in order. “Ashinji, I wish to begin my language lessons right away. If I’m to be your father’s messenger, I must learn to speak Siri-dar as quickly as possible.”

“ 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.