Hybrid

"I tell her I won't do it. We only take the jobs we want, Serisi. We aren't slaves. We have the right to say no. That's what being free means: the right to say no."

"Do we have a Baron who rules us and gives us jobs?"

"No, baby, we rule ourselves. Like I said, we aren't slaves. That's why we live where we do. No one wants that patch of stone. We won't be ruled; we'd rather die."

"Me too, but you sort of rule me, Guerin."

"Yes, but when you're old enough to take care of yourself, I won't. That's part of my code, not the Order's. I think if you're old enough to support and take care of yourself, you're not a child anymore. I won't tell you what to do, and no one else should either. I don't rule you for my benefit, Serisi. I do it to take care of you because you don't know enough yet to take care of yourself."

"I like for you to take care of me," she put her little hand in mine. "I liked that boy. Why am I the only child at Cliff Keep?"

"None of the rest of us has children," I told her. "Most mutants are sterile, Serisi. Do you know what that means?"

"No, what is it?"

"They can't have children."

"Are you sterile, Guerin?"

I laughed. "No, I have you."

"But could you have a baby, like with Zee?"

"I don't know. I've never tried or been tested."

"Am I sterile?"

"I don't know that either."

"Let's go back and talk to that seer," she said. "I want to know. Maybe she can tell us."

"She's probably a fraud," I told her.

"It would be fun, anyway," she said.

I agreed to go, and it wasn't more than a half-mile, anyway. Martha the Seer was the typical wrinkled old crone. She had an evil cackle and long stringy hair. She made my skin crawl, but she was obviously a mutant. We talked for a while and she said some gibberish and held our hands. When she touched Serisi she went rigid and fell to the ground. She looked like she was having a convulsion, and just when I began to be concerned, she sat up.

"Do you know who this child is?" she asked.

"Yes, she's my daughter."

She cackled. "Come inside. You need to be sitting down."

She drew me an ale and got grape juice for Serisi. We sat on three legged stools and she held Serisi's hand again.

"This child is the granddaughter of the king of Renatta and the daughter of eldest son of the High Lord of the Elves," she said. "Adelard of Rentalar was a great seer. He had a vision more than 5000 years ago that the kingdom of Renatta would form an alliance with the elves. Their king would marry an Old Stock human and their child would save the elves from a terrible fate. Twelve years ago, that happened. The queen disappeared when she found out she was pregnant. There were rumors that she hated her husband and that she had been tortured into becoming with child. She vanished from sight, and it was rumored that she died in child birth. Three years ago, we heard that the elves were searching for the child and that she was known to be in a monastery of some sort. Where did you find her?"

"The Shai attacked Rose Hall. They killed the Sisters of the Rose there. Serisi escaped and I found her fleeing from them. We killed the party and escaped. She's been with me ever since."

"Does anyone know where she came from?" she asked.

"No, only you. I intend to keep it that way."

She looked at me in fear. "Don't kill me," she begged. "I'll never tell. Let me explain why. I can tell she will never fulfill that prophecy. She will either die in rejection of her role, or she will live and bear two children. Her life or death depends on you. If you die in the attempt of the elves to take her, she will die as well. If you live, she will live and the two of you will be together. If she lives, I live. I don't know the connection, but I know if she dies, I will die. I'll never tell that she's with you."

"Don't kill her," Serisi said. "She won't hurt us and she doesn't look edible."

I laughed. "You're safe from us, old woman. If you betray us, I know how you'll die." I smiled and she shivered.

"Is Guerin able to have children?" Serisi asked her.

"No, but he will, somehow. You're going to change him. You'll be with him." she said. "How will you do that?"

"Don't know," Serisi said. "I can do things."

"Some wicked elf spell, no doubt," the Seer cackled.

"Let's go, Serisi," I said. I made a belf sign and instructed the seer that she wasn't to reveal Serisi. She came to, I flipped her a coin and we left. We walked a couple of miles and neither of us said anything. I felt her little hand slip into mine. When I looked down she was smiling.

"Are you happy, Serisi?" I asked her.

"Yes, I'm glad we went back. I don't think she was a fraud, Guerin."

"No, me either. I hope you're not upset about what she said."

"How could I be? I'm going to be with you and you're not going to die," she said. "That makes me very happy, Guerin. You aren't going to leave me or get hurt and die. I think that since I know that, I can stand for you to be away from me for longer than before. Maybe when I want to I can stay home when you go away for a while. Not too long, though."

"How long do you think?"

"I don't know. But since I know you're coming back, maybe a few weeks?"

"That's good. I love for you to be with me and I'll take you when it's possible, but sometimes it would be best if I didn't have to worry about what I'm going to do with you."

*****

The blacksmith wasn't pleased with me. I dropped Serisi off with Zee and they went shopping. I gave her some coin and she was as happy as a month-old colt. She did a little dance. "I've never been shopping before," she squeaked.

The blacksmith was her polar opposite. "Why the fuck didn't you bring her back?" he shouted.

"Not my job," I told him. "You hired me to find her, not to bring her back."

"Well if you want to get paid, you'll take your ass back there and get her. You'll get paid when she's standing in my house."

"I don't believe you've thought about this course," I told him. "You signed a contract with the Ruby Order, so I'll give you a choice. The contract says I was to find her and tell you what happened to her. It says nothing about bringing her back. You can honor your contract or I can kill you now."

He called his employees and they gathered around. I wrapped myself in shadow and spoke. "Last chance. You can't even see me. I'm not just going to kill you, I'm going to kill all these others and burn the place to the ground."

He looked around in confusion and my sword was at his throat. "Wait, wait!" he squealed. "I've decided to pay!"

I let the shadows melt away, but I kept my sword to his throat. "Too late," I told him.

"No, no, I beg you!" he fell to his knees. "Please, my Lord. I don't know what came over me. I'll double your price!"

"I'm not a thief," I told him. "Pay what you owe; give each of these people a toran for being loyal, and you live. If you ever try to welch on a contract again, the entire Ruby Order will come here and kill you and everyone you know, burn your houses down and kill all your animals. Do you understand?"

He nodded. I used the tip of the sword to raise him to his feet and a trickle of blood dripped down his neck. His trouser leg soaked as he pissed himself. I sheathed the sword and he hurried away and came back with the coin in a leather pouch. He handed it to me and I stood and watched as he handed out a silver toran to each of his employees.

"Thank you master Gloom Walker," each one said as they got the coin. I nodded and backed out the door. Zee and Serisi weren't back, so I went to the inn and had a meal delivered to Zee's house. I went to the aromatics shop and purchased some herbs and supplies, and a bottle of good-smelling soap. By the time I got back the girls were home, and Serisi had three new little dresses and two pairs of new leather pants and shirts. She also had a pair of sandals to wear with her dresses and good traveling shoes. She had gotten me a new red tie for my ponytail and a small mirror for signaling.

I kissed her and thanked her for my gifts, and she insisted on modeling the dresses. I showed them the bottle of soap and suggested we pour it in the spring and bathe. They loved the idea, and soon there were two naked girls running around collecting towels. We dumped in the soap and the water bubbled up almost immediately; it smelled much less of rotten eggs than the last time we used it. Serisi loved the bubbles and played happily while Zee and I did other things under the cover of the bubbles. We got out in a few minutes and went inside to continue our activities while Serisi played in the bubbles. I wasn't distracted by any mysterious sensations this time and Zee's cry of completion gave me the thrill I had been looking for. She lay across me and we stroked and nibbled until the delivery maid knocked on the door. Zee put on a robe and the pots and pans were set on the table. She got a tablecloth and a blanket and I carried the pots out to the spring. We spread the blanket, the table cloth and the food out, and Zee dropped her robe. We ate naked in the failing sun with the cool breeze blowing, and then sat in the spring again for an hour. Serisi got all pruney looking and we dressed. We hugged and kissed Zee and promised to stop each time we came by.

"If we don't come by soon, we'll make a special trip," I promised her.

We returned to the inn and went to bed. Serisi put on her nightshirt and climbed in. "This was perfect, Guerin," she told me. "This is what I want to do the rest of my life. I didn't peek!"

"I know, kitten. This was very wonderful being with you on this job. I missed you dreadfully on the last one, and I'd never have gone if I had known you would be sick. Gods, I love you, child."

I squeezed her tightly and she wiggled, trying to get even closer. "Yes, me, too, Guerin. I like Zee a lot. I wasn't afraid when you left me. She knows a lot of things. Guerin, will you teach me to read? Zee read me a book and I liked it. We have a great many books at the Keep, and I want to read them all."

"Of course, Serisi. Everyone should know how to read. Unfortunately, many don't. It seems like only the nobles read, these days. Everyone else employs scribes, but you should learn. You're a princess, after all."

A cloud passed over her face. "I don't want to talk about that," she said. "That scares me, Guerin. I'm going to forget about that and not think about it if I don't have to. I don't want you to talk about it either."

"No, I won't, but we need to keep it in the back of our minds," I told her. "Someday it's going to be very important to us. That's a long time in the future and I suppose the evil of the day will wait for its time. I want you to be happy and not worry, baby."

"No, I won't worry," she kissed me. "I know you'll take care of me Guerin."

"I'll do my best with the reading," I told her. "We should ask Jynn to help us. She reads a dozen different languages. I read only Southern Human and Shai. Some of our books are in the North language, and I don't read that. I can speak it, but not read it. They have a different alphabet."

"I know the alphabet in Southern and Shai," she said.

"Good girl; that will make it easier."

"Sleepy now," she yawned. "I'm going to stop talking."

I held her close and stroked her curls. She was so tiny and so innocent and she was caught up in such big things. I watched her sleep, her little chest rising and falling and her lips slightly open as she breathed. She licked them with a little pink tongue and her mouth closed. There was so much for her to learn and so much for me to teach her. The task seemed overwhelming for both of us, but tomorrow would bring what it would. One foot in front of the other and the trail comes to an end.

Chapter Three

I took Serisi to the livery the next morning. We had no horses at the keep, but she had seen a horse with the Sisters. She had always talked about them and I paid a groom to give her a riding lesson and tell her how to take care of a horse. She was very attentive and I could see her lips moving as she repeated what he was saying to herself. It was a mnemonic trick she had, and she almost never forgot anything she was trying to learn. He let her ride a horse around the stables and she soon mastered the knack. I bargained with him and bought a bay gelding for myself. It was sort of lazy and gentle, just the way I liked my horses, but well put together. There was a little gruella mare that Serisi loved. It was a pretty thing, high spirited and with four black stockings and a black muzzle. She loved it and I bought it for her.

When she saw me paying she flew over and jumped on me. I caught her and she kissed me over and over. "Thank you, Guerin. I've wanted a horse and you got me one. I'll take very good care of her."

"I know you will, baby. Now we can move faster and carry more. I'm going to get a pack pony, too. We'll take a tent the next job we do. It's going to start getting cooler and we'll be glad to get out of the weather."

We went to the outfitter and got camping gear. A small tent, just big enough for the two of us, and several canvass tarps. I got her her own horsehair pad and blankets, and we made rolls and tied them to the pony.

We bought tack for the horses and rode out of town. As soon as we were away from the buildings Serisi got down and took the bridle off her mare.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"She knows where I want to go," she explained.

"How does she know?" I asked.

"I told her, silly."

"I didn't know you could do that."

"I didn't either," she said. "I can, though, and she wants to help me. I told her I was going to take care of her and she likes me."

"Can you do that with my horse?"

"Yes, but not for you. You can't feel him and he can't feel you."

"I'm handicapped," I laughed.

"Oh no, Guerin; you can do lots of other things I can't. I can't do your signs."

It was very comfortable to ride along with her and we talked about all kinds of things.

"Tell me about the Shai," she said.

"They were here on Eiru when humans arrived," I told her. "We believe they came here from some other place, as well. When the Mother Planet began to die, great ships were launched across the skies in search of a new home. There was a great rift in the sky and the ships went through. The First Humans came here and something happened to their ship. It wrecked here and many of the First were killed. They found that the laws of nature were different here. The sun was different and many devices they used failed and wouldn't work here. They lost much knowledge and began to live as we do now. For hundreds of years we increased and kingdoms were formed. Powerful men sought influence and riches, and then we found the Shai. They are a different people, having powers such as yours. They live long, perhaps forever if they are not killed. They have few children, and there have never been very many of them. Humans often call them elves. I don't know why. They have two kingdoms in the North. They sometimes employ the orders, but they have little to do with humans. There was a great war many years ago, and many humans and Shai were killed. There has been an uneasy peace for many decades. I know other things, but that is the history."

She thought in silence for a long time. I could see the wheels turning in that little head, and I knew she would tell me what she was thinking when she got it worked out in her head. We didn't travel much faster with the horses than we had on foot. I can run a horse to death on foot over a few days, but they can carry more and their rider will be in better shape to do whatever needs to be done after they arrive. After the first day, Serisi climbed down and promptly collapsed to the ground.

I sprang to help her but she waved me away. "My legs are made of strings," she complained. "What's happened to me?"

I laughed for a long time while she glared at me reproachfully. "I see nothing funny," she said indignantly. That made me laugh harder and I scooped her up and hugged her.

"You aren't used to riding," I told her. "You'll be sore tomorrow."

"So, my soreness causes you amusement?" she asked.

I collapsed laughing with her on top of me. She beat me with her little fists and rolled off, giggling hysterically and I tickled her until she shrieked. We hobbled the horses and made camp. Putting up the tent for the first time was challenging until we got the ropes and stakes figured out. We got a fire built and supper was on when we got a hail.

"Mind if I join you?" a voice called from the gathering darkness.

I bustled Serisi back into the brush and she drew her knife. "Stay here until I give you a signal," I told her and she nodded.

"If you're friendly, come in and sit down," I called.

I drew in the shadows and the flame flickered where I had been. A tall dark man in leathers materialized, and he put his sword down on a rock beside the fire. "I mean you no harm," he said, stretching his hands out toward the fire.

I let the shadows slip away and he started when he saw me. He looked me over and nodded.

"You from one of the Orders?" he asked.

"Guerin, of the Ruby Order," I introduced myself.

"Name's Rupert. Constable out of Gent," he said. "You coming from there?"

"Yes, we completed a contract and we're on our way back to the Order,"

"Who's we? You got a buddy out in the brush?"

"Yes. I didn't know if you were a danger to us."

"You didn't do nothing back in Gent to make me take an interest in you, did you?"

"No, a missing person case."

"Not that I'd stand a chance against a Gloom Walker, anyway. I'd have to try though. My duty, you know. Call your buddy in and we'll eat. Got some good bread and a bottle of wine."

"Serisi, you can come out," I called.

She came out of the brush, putting her knife away.

"She's an..."

I cut him off. "Don't say it. You'll upset her, and then I'll have to do something about it. Duty, you know."

He gave a nervous laugh. "Now don't you go assaulting a constable. It's against the law!"

"You're outside your jurisdiction," I told him. "I'd like for you to explain to us about this 'duty' thing."

Serisi was listening, but she didn't say anything.

"The king has laws, they need to be enforced."

"Why?" Serisi spoke up for the first time.

"Why, without laws, we'd have anarchy in the streets," he said.

"So, if being a mutant was against the law, you'd have to enforce the law?" she asked.

"Right. It'd be nothing personal, you understand. It's my duty."

"What if being human was against the law?" she asked. "Would it be our duty to arrest you?"

"You're not an officer of the law," he said.

"What if I was?"

"It's not against the law to be human. That would be silly."

"The Shai don't think it's silly," she said. "It may be their duty to kill you."

"I told you, it's nothing personal. Just doing my job."

"So in order to do your job you would arrest people whose only crime is being what they are?"

"The king makes the law, I just enforce it. What's all these questions?"

"She needs to know about people," I told him. "There are all kinds and she needs to know how people work."

"Ah, something like a tutor, are you?"

"Something like that. You're welcome to share our fire and our food and drink."

"And you mine," he said. "Let's fry up some of this bread to go with the meat and I'll open the bottle."

We swapped stories over the fire and he did have a decent bottle. I gave Serisi a little swig and she shivered. "That's disgusting," she said. "How can you drink that? Are you trying to poison me?"

We laughed. "It's an acquired taste, child," I told her.

"It's rotten! I don't plan to ever acquire that taste. It tastes spoiled, Guerin."