Lady Ellena

I lowered my eyes to stare at my shoes. They had been my best shoes, but now they were scuffed and covered in dirt and mud. It would take me a long time to clean them, I thought absently. They felt tighter since my mad dash through the rain, and for a moment I pondered the likelihood that they had shrank when I got them wet. I heart Mattis clear his throat and I glanced up, suddenly remembered what I was doing. The look on his face indicated that he was not the type of man to be lied to. I took a deep breath and decided to tell the truth.

“My name is Leila. I told Roric I was from a village nearby,” I began, looking to Mattis’ eyes. “I told him I was following my brother who had gone to war. That’s not true.” I didn’t bother to see if Roric was surprised. I ploughed ahead. “The truth is I don’t know where I am, or how I got here. I was chasing something through the forest and it started to rain. I got lost, and when I woke up I was in this strange world.”

Mattis raised his eyebrow questioningly, but I held his gaze. An eternity passed before he nodded to me. I exhaled the breath I had not realized I was holding.

“You did well not to lie,” Mattis said. “I can always tell when a person is lying.”

He snapped at a waiting servant, who leapt forward to do his bidding. “Find Lady Ellena and tell her to prepare a bath and some clothes. We have a visitor from another world.”

He smiled at me, and I felt a chill pass through my body. The servant dashed away and Mattis turned to follow, offering me his arm. I took it warily, casting a glance at Roric who made no movement to stop me. Mattis escorted me at a leisurely pace through the Huryl camp. He seemed to ignore the injured and dying men all around him, and I did my best to imitate him. The screams of the men were echoing in my ears and I wished I were far away from it all.

“We will, of course, help you find your way home,” Mattis was saying. “You arrived at an unfortunate time. We are at war, as you can see. The Dyrel invaded our borders and naturally we are trying to push them back.”

He paused for a moment where the view of the battlefield was exceptionally good. He turned us both to face it, forcing me to look at the carnage. I hid my head in his arm but the sounds and smells were inescapable. Mattis shook his head and made a chiding sound with his tongue.

“Horrible, isn’t it?” he said, continuing both the conversation and the walk. “We’re searching for a quick resolution, of course, but the Dyrel refuse to see reason.”

We stopped outside a large red tent that seemed ridiculously out of place on a battlefield. It was quite large, with a canopied entrance and yellow tassels hanging from it. Two richly carved wooden chairs sat just outside the opening and a purple carpet led inside. Mattis waited, holding my arm firmly in his, until a woman stepped out.

She was dressed in an elegant gown of pale green satin, her hair golden blonde and her eyes a shining blue. Her features were delicate, like a porcelain doll and she smiled gently to the commander as he bowed his head to her.

“Lady Ellena, I present to you Leila, who comes to us from another world,” Mattis said, stressing the last two words.

A flicker of surprise passed over Ellena’s face as she turned to me. I realized how awful I must look to her, covered in dirty and wearing torn clothing. She smiled.

“Welcome,” she greeted me in a melodious voice. “Please, enter.”

Mattis released my arm and I walked towards Ellena’s tent. She glanced at Mattis over her shoulder as she led me inside. The inside of the tent was as sumptuous as the exterior, decorated with thick carpets and overstuffed pillows. There was a table to one side with two wooden chairs beside it, and an array of food and drink spread across it. Towards the back was a tub of steaming water that smelled faintly of lilacs. I felt my stomach growl and heard Ellena laugh.

“Before you eat and bathe, I must ask you. Are you truly from another world?” Ellena said.

I nodded. “Why?”

The dazzling smile returned. “I am a sorceress, and I can send you home. But first eat and drink, rest yourself, and we will prepare for your journey.”

I headed straight for the tub and peered into its glassy surface. Strangely enough, the face that peered back was not my own! I blinked, thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw the face shake its head. It had blue skin that was almost transparent, and blue eyes. Its hair spread around its face like a halo, and was a beautiful turquoise. I glanced back at Ellena, who was watching me closely. The face in the tub shook its head vigorously and vanished.

“Is something wrong with the water?” Ellena asked. “If it’s cooled, I can ask a servant to refill it for you.”

“No,” I replied. “The bath is fine, thank you.”

Slowly undressing, I stepped into the warm lilac scented water and felt myself relax for the first time in a long time.