Griffin's Daughter

from the corpse, circled briefly, then settled back down to their feast. Jelena pursed her lips in disgust. She thought about the bird that had been sitting in Ashinji’s window earlier. Surely, this couldn’t be the same one. Ashinji had said himself that many ravens resided at Kerala; still, the sight of the pitiful, withered corpse filled her with unease.

Stop now, she thought. Don’t ruin this perfect, beautiful day with crazy ideas. A dead raven means nothing except that a raven is dead! A live raven on a windowsill means nothing as well!

She circled carefully around the dead bird, feeling a little foolish. The cool green shadows of the woods beckoned. She decided to walk straight through and onward to the stone circle beyond. She didn’t know why, but for some reason, the ground within the ancient relic felt comfortable and peaceful. Something inside her resonated in harmony with a barely perceived force that existed inside the boundary of the circle.

She left the lifeless raven behind and entered the shade beneath the hoary old oaks. Last year’s leaves and acorns crackled underfoot. A large, extremely irritated squirrel scolded her from the safety of a branch overhead. She looked up at the irate creature and burst into laughter. It reminded her of how Claudia used to scold her when she was a child and she would return to their room after a day of adventure with Magnes, clothes dirtied and hair matted with leaves and stickers.

A brief melancholy temporarily darkened her mood. She rubbed at her eyes to ease the sting of tears brought on by the memory of Claudia. She wondered how her foster mother fared without her. Claudia had no one to rub her back at night, no one to soothe the pain she suffered from standing on her feet all day. Jelena had done those things for her once, but could do so no longer. A great gulf of both time and distance separated them now-perhaps forever.

And what of her cousin? Had his father welcomed Magnes home upon his return to Amsara, or had he punished his son because Magnes had refused to bend to the duke’s will?

Jelena sighed. She might never learn the answers to her questions. She could only hope that the gods would spare a little mercy for those she had loved and had left behind. She ambled to a stop and eased down onto a fallen log to rest. She still felt some mild discomfort, but she was young and resilient, and nothing would keep her from Ashinji’s bed tonight.

As she knew they would, Aneko and Kami had started in on teasing her as soon as she had arrived back at the barracks earlier that morning. Her first flush of embarrassment soon gave way to the realization that her friends’ ribbing sprang from genuine affection and caring.

Though still inexperienced in sexual matters, Jelena knew full well what the consequences would be if she and Ashinji continued to be together. Eventually, she would become pregnant. She might, in fact, be pregnant already. She rubbed thoughtfully at her flat, hard belly and tried to imagine it swollen with a child that she and Ashinji had created out of their love. The idea filled her with happiness. She wanted more than anything to be able to hold their child in her arms, but pregnancy any time soon would be too much of a complication. Perhaps the elves had a way-an herb or potion-that a woman could use to block conception, at least for a time, until she was ready to have a baby. She would ask Aneko.

A sharp pop, like the sound of a twig breaking beneath a boot heel, caught her ear, and she looked up and around. Sunlight and shadow dappled the thick trunks of the trees, creating illusions of movement. Jelena stood slowly and peered in all directions but saw nothing. Feeling a little spooked, she decided to press on to the stone circle.

“ Beautiful day for a walk in the woods. Mind if I join you?”

Jelena jumped in surprise and spun around to see Sadaiyo standing almost directly behind her. She backed up a few steps, then stood with one hand pressed over her heart, which fluttered like a moth.

How did he sneak up on me like that, she thought.

Sadaiyo cocked his head to one side and arranged his handsome face into a mask of contrition. “I’m so sorry, Jelena. Did I startle you? I can move very quietly when I wish to. Perhaps I should have made more noise.” His voice was smooth and sweet, like the butter put into traps to lure mice to their deaths.

“ Lord Sadaiyo, I…I am returning now to the castle. Please excuse…” she stammered. He regarded her the way a wolf regards a rabbit it is about to kill. She flashed back to the morning after his wedding, when Sadaiyo had accosted her near the bath house. With chilling clarity, she remembered his words.

If I’ve decided that I want you, then I will have you.

“ Oh, no, no. You’re not getting away from me this time. You must know that this is inevitable,” Sadaiyo drawled. He began to advance upon her, slowly. “I can make this very pleasant for you…for both of us. I would prefer it that way. But I will be firm if necessary, and that won’t be nice for you. Either way, though, it will be very nice for me.”

Jelena fought down a wave of panic. She had to stay calm and think fast to have any chance of getting out of this. Her choices were extremely limited. She could attempt to fight Sadaiyo off, which would only get her a beating before he raped her, or she could run and hope that she ran faster than he.

She ran.

Sadaiyo ran faster.

He grabbed her from behind by the collar of her tunic and hurled her to the ground, face down. She drew in a huge breath to scream but only choked on a mouthful of debris as Sadaiyo threw his entire weight down on top of her, grinding her face into the forest litter. His breath boomed harshly in her ear. She heaved her body upwards as hard as she could, but he was too heavy. He had her pinned and helpless.

Brutally, he ripped the back of her tunic and pulled it from her upper body, then jerked her trousers down until they were around her ankles. Jelena struggled in vain, her brain reeling in horror and desperation.

Please don’t do this, her mind cried, but leaves and dirt filled her mouth, and she could not speak. She felt Sadaiyo force her legs apart with his knee. She needed to stop this now !

A small part of her brain realized that her left hand remained free just as her consciousness tore loose from her body. Abruptly, she stood outside herself, watching as Sadaiyo prepared to take her. She saw that her belt remained around her waist, her knife still within its sheath.

She felt the blue fire blaze to life, saw it flare up and out of the fingertips of her left hand and strike the handle of her knife, causing it to glow. Her hand opened, and the knife flew into her palm.

With a jolt, she slammed back into her body. Simultaneously, her hand thrust upwards and back. She felt the blade bite deep. Sadaiyo let out a startled yell of pain and suddenly, his crushing weight lifted off her.

Instinct immediately took control of both mind and body. She rolled over onto her back and kicked out with both feet. Her boots connected to Sadaiyo’s chest with a dull thud, sending him sprawling backward onto the ground where he curled up and lay clutching his thigh, groaning.

Jelena knew she had but a few moments left to make her escape. Pulling her trousers back up, she took off running, one hand holding on to the torn remnant of her tunic, the other clutching the waist of her trousers to keep them from falling back down. Terror propelled her headlong through the trees, heedless of direction. Nothing else mattered but getting away.

She risked a quick glance over her shoulder but could see nothing in the gloom. She ran on until exhaustion forced her to slow down to a trot and finally, to a walk. She looked around for a place to hide and spotted a dense thicket surrounding a fallen branch. She forced her way in and crawled to the center where she collapsed, completely drained.

She lay on her side, unable to move. Her limbs seemed to have remade themselves into things of stone. Eventually, her heart ceased its wild gallop and settled down to a steady, slow beat.

Jelena knew she still was in danger, but she simply could do nothing about it. Body paralyzed with shock, she stared blankly ahead. Only the slight rise and fall of her breasts betrayed her living state.

Her mind drifted, resolutely refusing to focus on anything remotely resembling a thought. She wished only blankness, stillness, peace. She gradually became aware, however, that something pulled at her, insisting that she respond. She resisted at first, still too afraid to move, but the force grew in strength until she at last recognized it. It was…Ashinji’s voice, calling her name!

She started up with a jolt, straining to listen. She had heard her name clearly, and it had been Ashinji who had called to her. She waited, not daring to breathe, but the only sounds she heard were