“No,” Kestrel replied. “How did you marry a human?”
“My father was a trader when I was growing up, and I went with him to Estone on several trips. I met a human, we fell in love, and we parted, because both our families disapproved,” she said. “But Ranor was determined. He came to Firheng, found me, and took me back to Estone with him.
“We were married as soon as we got there, and then he brought me back here, and settled in to live among the elves here, working as my father’s trading partner.
“After a while, the guards decided they could trust him not to be a human spy, and a while later they decided they could trust him to become a spy for the elves,” she continued her story. “And he agreed, because he wanted to do anything to help the elves, because he loved our race.
“He went out for several months on a long mission, and he learned a great deal of useful information. Then he went out on another mission the following year, and brought back more information, and the spymasters were delighted.
“So he went out on his third mission; he missed our fifth wedding anniversary, and when he came back, he was delivered on the back of a horse. The humans had figured out what he was doing. They cut off his ears, and they blinded him. They cut off his hands, poisoned him, and bashed in the back of his head, then sent him back as a warning,” she spoke in a husky voice, and Kestrel knew she was crying.
“And he’s been a vegetable ever since. I take care of him at our home, and we have aides who help watch him. One of them is with him tonight,” she finished her tragic tale, and let silence envelope the room for a long time.
“You look so much like the way he used to look,” she said at last. “I get chills when I see you now, now that you’re humanized.
“I want to help you. I want you to speak the human language perfectly, so that nothing happens to you like happened to Ranor. So tonight, I am your new instructor to help you work on your language skills,” she told him.
“I’m so sorry,” Kestrel said at last, horrified by the story he had heard.
“Don’t be sorry, be smart,” she answered. “I want you to learn to do this right. Work hard at it.”
“I will,” Kestrel pledged solemnly.
He heard her rise from her chair and climb into her cot. “Now, in human, tell me about the girl who came to see you last month, the one who brought the message for you to return to Center Trunk.”
And so they lay in the darkness in their separate beds, conversing in the human language. Belinda gently corrected his pronunciation from time to time, until at last she said “good night, Kestrel,” and their conversation was over.
That night, Kestrel dreamed in human languages for the first time. He dreamed he was caught and was being tortured by the humans. He called upon Dewberry to help him, but she told him she was on her honeymoon and couldn’t be interrupted. He screamed from the pain, until Belinda woke him up. She was on his bed, shaking his shoulders. “Wake up, Kestrel, please. It’s only a dream, dear,” she told him. When he awoke at last he sat upright, and she hugged him tightly.
They slept together the rest of the night, Belinda in his bed, her body pressed against his, and he had no further dreams.
When he awoke in the morning, Kestrel knew he was late for the start of his training. He sat up and looked at Belinda, her head still on his pillow, her eyes blinking sleepily.
“I have to go to training,” he told her, standing up and hastily pulling on clothes. “Belinda,” he said seriously, picking up one of the skins of water from the healing spring.
“This water has healing powers. It comes from a special spring. Give a little of it to your husband today; give him some every day, and see if it helps. I don’t know if it will, but it might. It can’t hurt anything,” he said awkwardly.
Belinda looked at him skeptically. “Just try it,” he urged. “I know the water helped me, but I soaked in it. I don’t know for sure that just drinking it will be as powerful, but I think it will help.”
“I’ll try it, as you suggest,” she replied, reaching for the skin with one hand as the other hand modestly pulled the blanket up to cover her.
Then he was gone to practice for the day, thinking about her story about her husband. His language instructor was able to teach him in the afternoon and was back in his quarters that evening. Kestrel didn’t see Belinda again until the following week.
Chapter 16 — The Yeti Battle
After more days of further training, Kestrel was called to Cosima’s office, and when he arrived, Belinda was working at her desk. “Good morning,” she said demurely. “You’re to go on into the commander’s office.”
He gave a perfunctory knock, then opened the door and entered.
“Kestrel, today is the start of your first assignment away from Firheng,” Cosima said as soon as Kestrel was settled into a chair. “You and Arlen and Artur are going to ride horses to the edge of the Water Mountains. We’ve had reports of a yeti that is coming down out of the mountains and terrorizing the elves that are settled in the area.
“Check into the matter, then come back here and make a report,” he finished the explanation.
“Just check a Yeti? No human activity?” Kestrel asked in surprise.
“There may be some human interaction. You’ll be near the Estone border, but it’s not a heavily populated area, so you might or might not see humans; for that matter, you might or might not see elves. Just see how you handle traveling and using your weapons and language on the road, away from the comforts of Firheng,” Casimo told him. “Go pack anything you need, then report to the stables.”
An hour later the three soldiers were atop horses and riding away from the city; Kestrel had grabbed a change of clothes, his weapons, and one of the bags of healing water. “You’ll speak to me only in human languages, and translate our conversations to Arlen so he knows what we say,” Artur explained to Kestrel as they rode along the empty trail.
Although he knew that according to elven traditions he wasn’t supposed to, Kestrel enjoyed riding atop a horse. The trio made good time thanks to the horses, and the animals were intelligent companions. Within three days they were in rugged foothills, the outcroppings of the Water Mountains, and trying to decide how to find a yeti.
They found a cabin in a clearing, and stopped to watch for signs of life. There was no smoke rising from the chimney, and the doors were shut, but there were chickens running in the yard, and after several minutes of observation, they were rewarded when they saw a figure leave the cabin and walk across the yard to the shed.
“He’s a human,” Kestrel stated the obvious. “Are we too far north?”
“Maybe, or he may have settled a little south of usual. There’s no real border out here,” Artur commented.
“Alright Kestrel. You go approach the shed, talk to the man. Let him know you’ve heard there’s a yeti, and find out if he’s heard anything about it in this area. Then come back and tell us what you’ve heard,” Artur instructed.
Kestrel dismounted, and approached the shed, leading his horse. “Settler! Hello! I’m a visitor,” he called loudly.
A man’s head popped out of the shed, and he heard a noise as a bolt was thrown on the door to the cabin. The man had a bow and arrow already sighted on Kestrel. “Come no closer!” he called out.
“I’m not here to harm anyone!” Kestrel protested hastily. “I’m here with a couple of companions. We were sent out here to check on reports of a yeti in the area, bothering settlers. We’ll be on our way after we talk to you. Do you know of any yeti problems in this area?” he asked.
The man remained behind the shed door, and kept his bow pointed at Kestrel. “About ten miles north of here, across the river. They’ve talked about the yeti up there. Now if that’s all, I’ll ask you to peacefully leave us alone.”
