from here. Kerala is at the easternmost border of Alasiri and so faces two human realms-that of the Soldaran Empire to the south and the land of the Urghus to the east. We elves have never had any reason to fear the Urghus. They prefer to remain on their windy steppes, beyond the Kesen Numai Mountains. Occasionally, a trading party will cross the high passes in summer to sell us horses in exchange for luxury goods like silk cloth, jewelry, or steel weapons. The Soldarans, on the other hand…”
“ Magnes has shown me books written by Soldaran historians about the wars between the Empire and Alasiri,” Jelena interjected, “but it has been many years since there has been any fighting. Surely, you don’t think that the peace will be broken?”
Ashinji’s brow furrowed and he turned to gaze at her with troubled eyes. “Magnes has said that the Soldarans talk of war, that there are rumors of the empress wishing to reclaim territory that she believes rightly belongs to the Empire, and in truth, we believe that these are more than just rumors. The king has called a meeting of the High Council of Lords to take place at the end of summer to discuss the possibility that by next spring, Alasiri will have to defend against an attack by the Imperial Army.”
“ Will that mean you would have to fight?” Jelena asked quietly.
“ I am an officer. I would lead a company, yes.”
Jelena sensed that, behind Ashinji’s simple words, lay some very complicated emotions, but she did not feel that she could claim the privilege of being able to share his innermost thoughts and feelings. Instead, she changed the subject. “I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Magnes told me that the doctor here saved my life, and I am truly grateful. I don’t know how I’ll repay you, but perhaps I could work here at Kerala for a while, in the kitchen maybe, when I’m stronger. That’s where I earned my keep back home.”
To her surprise, Ashinji took both of her hands in his. “You do not owe me anything, Jelena. It was I who caused your hurts in the first place. I never would have forgiven myself if…” He stopped speaking and, for an instant, Jelena again felt the strange sensation of pressure inside her skull, as if words that were not her own were struggling to form in her brain. Ashinji’s eyes expanded until they filled up her entire field of vision and suddenly, she felt as if she were falling into their green depths.
“ Jelena! Jelena, what happened? Are you feeling ill?”
She found herself leaning heavily into Ashinji’s chest, with only his arms about her waist to prevent her from collapsing to the stones. “I…I don’t know. I felt very dizzy all of a sudden,” she murmured. Her face lay against his neck and so, slowly, she breathed in his strange, fascinating scent. An ache flared up below her belly, one that she still believed she had no hope of ever satisfying. With embarrassment heating her cheeks, she quickly pushed away to stand on her own. She lowered her face to hide her discomfiture.
“ Perhaps you should return to bed. You can meet my parents tomorrow.” Ashinji’s demeanor was one of solicitous concern and entirely proper for a good host. Jelena was furious at her body’s insistence on flinging up thoughts and feelings that would only get her hurt and cause embarrassment and pity on Ashinji’s part.
“ No, no, I’m all right. I want to meet your parents today. I’m very anxious to show your father my ring. The sooner I can discover any information about my father, the sooner I’ll be on my way to finding him.”
“ I do not wish to lessen your hopes, Jelena, but have you given any thought to what you might do if you cannot find your father or any of his kin? Or if…” Ashinji did not need to finish his sentence.
“ Or if he, or they, reject me? I haven’t given it a lot of thought, no. I guess I should. Ashinji, please tell me the truth. Is there any chance at all that my father might actually accept me?”
Ashinji sighed and turned to stare out over the parapet. When he again looked at her, his face was troubled. “I can only say that we elves hold some of the same prejudices concerning humans as do humans concerning us. I wish it were not so.”
Jelena started to speak, but Ashinji held up his hand to stop her.
“ That does not mean that all elves feel the same way, nor do we all hold that those of mixed blood are inferior,” he continued. “Out here in the borderlands, humans and elves have been quietly intermingling for centuries, so folk are a lot more tolerant. My parents are especially so, and they tried to raise all of their children to be free of prejudice.”
Here, Ashinji paused for a moment, and a small frown creased his brow. “I am sorry to say that they were not entirely successful.” He did not elaborate, asking instead, “No one here has treated you badly in any way, have they?”
“ Oh, no!” Jelena answered quickly. “Though I can tell that not everyone thinks like you do about… what is the elven word for a mixed-blood person?”
“ Hikui,” Ashinji replied.
“ Most everyone I’ve met has been nice to me, or at the very least, they’ve not been rude. I’ve gotten far better treatment here than I ever got back home.”
“ I am happy to hear that,” Ashinji replied, then said, “Your father most likely comes from a border family. He probably would have been raised with more liberal attitudes, which is why he could fall in love with a human woman. So, there is a good chance he will accept you.”
Acceptance was all Jelena had ever wanted. Still, she determined that, no matter what, she would make a life for herself somewhere, even if that meant spending it alone.
“ I think my parents will be ready to see you now,” Ashinji said. “Shall we go?”
Jelena allowed Ashinji to take her good arm again as they descended the stone steps down to base of the wall. She felt surprised and pleased when he did not release his hold, and she permitted herself to lean on him a little as they walked. She imagined she could feel the pressure of many curious eyes bouncing off the back of her neck as she and Ashinji retraced their steps toward the upper gate.
They passed through and crossed the upper yard to the main entrance of the keep. Magnes stood waiting for them, just out of thrusting reach of the door guards’ spears. He appeared freshly scrubbed, wet hair plastered to his head. He had changed clothes and now wore a deep green tunic that appeared one size too small for him. Jelena tried to suppress it, but an unintentional giggle escaped her tightly closed mouth.
“ I know, I know,” Magnes grumbled. He tugged futilely at the hem of the shirt, which hit him just above the crotch.
Ashinji also tried to look sympathetic, but he, too, could barely suppress his laughter. “I am sorry, my friend, but you are so much taller and wider than most of us. It has been difficult finding clothes that will fit you.” Magnes nodded his head, hand raised in a gesture that signaled his understanding of the situation. “Follow me, then,” Ashinji directed. “I will take you in to my parents’ private sitting room.”
The guards snapped to attention as Ashinji passed between them and stepped over the slightly raised threshold. Jelena followed closely, with Magnes right behind. They were now in a large entryway with corridors running off before and to either side of the door. Jelena, raised in a world of stone and brick, found the smells and sounds of a large wooden building to be new and intriguing. She delighted in the springy give to the floor beneath her feet.
Ashinji led the way down the left-hand corridor. Naturalistic murals decorated the walls, each depicting landscapes populated with animals, birds, and insects. Jelena slowed to admire a scene of a falcon stooping to strike a rabbit partially hidden in a thicket. The detail of the work was both painstaking and breathtaking. She could almost see the delicate twitch of the terrified rabbit’s nostrils as it awaited the deadly embrace of its killer.
Duke Teodorus had never had much use for purely decorative objects; artwork at Amsara had been limited to practical things like carpets and tapestries. To hang paintings purely for their aesthetic value would have been a wasted exercise as far as he was concerned. For the first time that she could remember, Jelena pitied her uncle.
They came to a staircase and ascended four flights. Jelena had to pause at the top to rest and catch her breath. Another corridor stretched before them, this one hung with silk banners of brightly woven floral patterns, waving sensuously in the breeze from the large open windows in the opposite wall. At the far end of the corridor, a door stood open. The sound of laughter, high-pitched and full of merriment, drifted through. Jelena’s excitement and apprehension surged as each step brought her closer to the one man in Kerala who could possibly help in the search for her father.
Ashinji paused just outside the door. “Wait here a moment,” he said, then slipped inside. Jelena groped for
