Grey daylight filled the window to the sound of rain. I did not want to leave the soft, warm bed, even though it only covered my upper half. A bed, yes, and myself clean and warm. I ran my middle paws through the fur, so soft. Even my claws moved so smoothly, with no sand or dirt in my claw sheaths for the first time. And the tail was fluffier than ever. I turned on my back and hugged it. "You were of no use in the rain," I scolded. Then I giggled and relaxed again.

My reservations about medieval towns had been greatly alleviated here at Krenburg Castle. And the rain had helped. While miserable during travel, it had washed away most of the stench. Only the ever-present smell of smoke remained.

But the dripping on my windowsill made the call of nature all the more pressing. I held it off, not wanting to soil my paws again in the rainy courtyard. But after a while, the need became overwhelming. Reluctantly I got up and hurried across the yard to the stables. The door was open. But Kendrick was not there, only two grooms. I decided to act as if I owned the place and went to the box I had used yesterday. I relieved myself, ignored the grooms and hurried back outside.

Now for breakfast. Last evening made it clear that no guests were allowed in the kitchen. But I just would follow the food. So I tailed two servants carrying a very large tray across the courtyard. They were indeed heading for a refectory.

My entrance had the same effect as the bad guy entering the saloon: Within a moment there was absolute silence and every eye was on me. Only the harmonica was missing. These were mostly plain-looking people, probably the servants' refectory. But it was on the ground floor, good enough for me.

"Good morning, I am Kiara."

Then I sat on my haunches at the head of a table, since the benches were out of the question. "Is ok?"

From the back of the room, one of the guards from the gate scrambled over to me. "Lady Kiara. Please follow me."

Lady Kiara? The equerry had called me a lady, but why the guard? Apologetically, I bowed to them all, stood up and followed the nervous guard. Silently, I cursed my vocabulary for not being able to ask for normal treatment. Although normal treatment would have meant sleeping in the stables. But I could not pose as a lady. That title would not survive the next hour.

We hurried back across the courtyard and then up the wide staircase next to the one leading out of the kitchen. I was sure it was the same one we had come down from the seneschal yesterday evening. I just hoped that we would skip the spiral staircase that we had gone down when we left the seneschal's office. And I was lucky, we soon turned right and entered a dining room that was as different as possible from the previous one. It had large windows, a high painted ceiling and paintings on the walls. A fire was burning in an open fireplace at the other end. Twelve tables, each with eight high-backed chairs. The tables were hidden under the tablecloth, bowing under the weight of the food. And there was even cutlery.

"Lady Kiara," the guard boomed and left. The door closed, and I quickly pulled my tail inside. A neatly dressed servant stood by the door and looked at me critically. "Welcome 'Lady Kiara'," he said finally, "enjoy your meal."

It didn't sound very convincing. I did not move, not sure what to do. Compared to before, these were all high-ranking nobles, all dressed much more fashionably than I was. They ignored me at first, looking expectantly at the door. Even I turned my head for a second. But there was only my tail in front of the closed door. It was getting embarrassing. The best time to end the lady here and now. In the absence of a more formal greeting, I simply said "Good morning, I am Kiara".

Where before there had been almost complete silence, now there was murmuring. But no one said anything. "Where sitting?" I asked the servant.

He made a general gesture towards the tables.

At the nearest table was a young man who did not fit in with the others. He wore a plain white buttonless shirt and smiled at me. Huh, an easy choice then. I smiled back and sat down opposite him.

He got up to pull my chair back. But of course, I didn't need a chair. So he pulled it further back against the wall and blushed. I blushed too and sat on my haunches, tail curled around my back and forelegs.

"Enjoy your meal," I nodded to him, and then the three noblemen sitting at the other end of the table. I took some bread and spread it with some fat. It was a mistake, it reeked of pig fat. Well, I had to eat what I took. Before I could take a bite, a servant appeared from somewhere. "What would Milady like to eat?"

"Carrot salad, big, no meat, no fish, please. Eggs."

"Efre add." The servant nodded and disappeared into a servant's door in one of the white panels at the edge of the room.

A second servant appeared with a very large pillow for me to put under my bottom. It took me an embarrassingly long time to understand. I rose quickly so he could put the pillow under me. I smiled as he fled through the servant's door.

"Lady Kiara? I am Count Radel the Younger of Karenburg." The young nobleman opposite me finally spoke. Actually, he did not look at all like the image I had of a count. First, he was young and he had reddish hair and freckles on his slightly tanned face. He wore a plain white shirt, though it was probably made of the same fine fabric as mine. Otherwise, he might be a wealthy farmer.

"Count Radel," I repeated. "I Kiara only. No lady. Arrivinged nine days. Not speaking good. Sorry."

His smile did not change. "You do well, Kiara. Where do you hail from?"

"Other world. Not here."

"Are they all like you?"

"No, all human. More. Travelling with healer. Mindspeak. Sorry." I cursed my limited vocabulary. But it seemed to satisfy the count. "Count Radel, where is Karenburg?"

That got him talking. I did not understand much, but he had a nice voice. I could work out that Karenburg was about three to five days' travel north of here, between woods and mountains. Which was not much, given that he was talking until a servant brought a really big bowl of carrot salad, made with vinegar and onions, sweetened with honey and some spices. The other plate on the tray was a large vegetable omelette, with various greens and some white sauce on top. There was also tea on the table, cloudy and spicy, with milk.

"Thank you," I said to a very confused servant and dug in. The fork had only two prongs and the knife was only good for buttering bread. But I had enough experience of lunches from food trucks with much worse disposable cutlery, just thinking with horror of wooden sporks. And neither the salad nor the omelette required a sharp knife.

After a few bites, there was again total silence. Even the Count stopped talking. Everyone looked at me as I ate my salad. I wondered what faux pas I had committed now until I saw that almost everyone had food in their fingers. None of them were using cutlery to put the food into their mouths.

One still had a piece of meat hanging from his fork, having just taken it from the central bowl. Elsewhere, the forks lay unused on the table. Apparently, the fork was only used to take things from the centre and put them on your plate, from where you would do with your fingers. A scented water bowl was then used to clean one's finger between different dishes. Oh dear, and I thought the floating flower was a table decor.

I smiled toothlessly: let's show them how to eat properly. And there was another reason, I was happy to use the fork. When using my hands, the sauce would get into the claw sheats, no thank you.

"Dear Kiara," the Count said at last, "this is an amazing way to eat."

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I just smiled. Not that the cutlery made it easy. A fork with more prongs would have been better. Nevertheless, the carrot salad and the omelette mountain kept shrinking. Bravely, I continued to eat while the whole room watched. Slowly and one by one they turned back to their own dishes. Even the servants stared at me, though more discreetly. It was strange, to be called a lady while being half-human was somehow fine; at least I could speak. But eating with cutlery finally put me in the category of an alien from outer space.

Only the Count smiled and even tried (and mostly failed) to eat with a knife and fork.

At least I provided them with entertainment on that dull, rainy morning. And after the initial shock, many people suddenly found they had business to discuss with Count Radel; all the seats at our table were soon taken.

I avoided speaking, pointing to my chewing mouth whenever anyone tried to start a conversation with me. Well, they spoke anyway, so I nodded and tried to at least remember their names. Not with much success, too many Sirs, Counts, Barons and Lords (where were the ladies?) with too many long and strange places in their names.

* * *

"Lady Kiara?"

A new voice had appeared. I was about to point at my full mouth but then laid the cutlery aside. It was a cleric. But not just any cleric, a noble cleric. His brown robe was even embroidered in brown. He radiated an aura of importance, and all the others showed respect. I swallowed the salad as quickly as I could and bowed my head. "Yes?"

"I am Senior Cleric Hofengart."

"I am Kiara," I said, beginning to feel like Kiara the parrot after so many repetitions this morning.

"I would sdfsd sdfsd sdfsd dfsf."

"No understanding. Mindspeak?"

He looked at me, a little surprised. I offered my shoulder and he put his hand down.

"I did not use mindspeak for long," he sent, "I want you to follow me for a talk. Finish your breakfast first, please."

I smiled. "Yes, thank you," I said, leaving the other to guess what he had said. It didn't take long to finish the salad and the omelette, despite the inadequate cutlery. I wiped my mouth with the napkin, stood up and bowed to everyone.

"Let's going," I smiled to cover the fact that my statement was probably inappropriate on many, many levels.

"Sir Hofengart," Count Radel whispered.

"Oh, sorry, Sir Hofengart."

But he smiled. "Thank you for making haste. Please follow."

Unfortunately, it involved another spiral staircase, the one I went down yesterday. And somehow, I had still missed cobwebs and loose pieces of plaster because there were plenty of them again in my hair, fur and especially in my tail. I ignored them like a true lady and ran unladylike after Sir Hofengart, who was holding open one of the large doors in this corridor.

Inside was Freya, along with two other people and another cleric, the grumpy one from the evening. They were sitting in a semi-circle on either side of a large desk. I stopped abruptly halfway through the door and smiled at Freya. Sir Hofengart bumped into me. "Sorry," I stammered, jumping out of the way and sitting on my haunches by the door.

Sir Hofengart walked to his desk as if nothing had happened and sat down. "Please sit in the middle," he invited me.

I slowly walked over and sat down on a prepared cushion between Freya and an unknown person with a lot of brass on his uniform.

"Introduction dsfsdg hgjseagw easr. From right to left: Brother Ford, Apprentice Healer Freya, Lady Kiara, Marshal Sir Toben and Vice-Administrator. With dfdgg sdfgsdfg sdfgsdfgs"

"Sir Hofengart, Freya mindspeaking me?" I interrupted him.

"Sorry, yes, please," said a slightly irritated Sir Hofengart.

But Freya did not have much new to translate. Sir Hofengart began by giving some details about the numbers of the enemy and their victory, and what else he had learned from the letters. There was a short account about me, how I was found, and what the Senior Cleric Clavs had written about my soul in his letter. Now Sir Hofengart looked at Brother Ford. "Brother, you examined her last night. What did you find?"

Brother Ford was not happy to be the centre of attention: "Sir, a human soul. But I could not probe very deeply, it was not"

"He did not ask!" I interrupted him as soon as Freya began to translate his stammering.

Sir Hofengart looked at me like a teacher at his slightly annoying but otherwise brightest pupil. "Now, Brother Ford, would you please do it again? Lady Kiara?"

"Yes," I walked over to the brother and stood on all fours. "Please all!"

Brother Ford said a quick silent prayer and put his hand on my head. "Sorry," he mumbled, and then I felt his blob enter me and probe around. It even went as far as my tail until, after some time, it retreated back to his hand.

He took a big breath, which I used to return to my cushion so that Freya could translate for me. "Your soul is very healthy, in fact, she is bleeding more soul than most humans. But it is a single soul, heavier even than a human. There are no traces of animal souls."

"Brother Ford is the most knowledgeable soul reader," Sir Hofengart added, "Brother, could Lady Kiara be the person described in the letter?"

The brother was uncomfortable. "The soul is different from the description. But I have no knowledge of merging souls. That is forbidden magic."

"Of course. Brother, have you read the soul of a centaur?"

"Yes, as you ordered me to do. The one that is here. After two months, the centaur also had a single soul. But a soul that was too light for its size and needed mana to stay and sustain. She bleeds soul instead, more than any living creature I have met. Very different."

"You would say her soul is like yours and mine, and not like a centaur's?"

Brother Ford squirmed, more than uncomfortable. "Yes, no, she is different. Perhaps still changing. But like you and me, she can live and will die normally. Please, Sir, this is most disturbing, and I would like to consult all the scriptures we have. Even the pre-war ones." (The War with the Soul Mages, Freya explained, which meant most likely forbidden literature). But Sir Hofengart just raised an eyebrow. "Of course, Brother, you are excused."

Brother Ford rushed out as if a dragon were at his heels, with the slightest hint of a bow.

Sir Hofengart handed the marshal the general's letter.

It took the marshal less than ten seconds to ask his next question. "You have claws?"

Not wanting to drag this out any longer, I stood up, bared my fangs and lifted the left forepaw, turned it over and extended the claws one by one. Then I smiled fangless and sat down again. "I climbing trees good with claws." Freya added more explanations, even the fact that she had ridden me almost all the way.

At this point the marshal interrupted. "You travelled the distance in only eight days?"

I shrugged, "I now here, sir."

Obviously, a stupid answer to a stupid question. The marshal still looked sceptical. "That's faster than a courier. Even the mage birds only arrived seven days ago. And she rode on your back?"

I just nodded and Freya explained. How she rode me first and how comfortable I was. I got redder and redder. How we travelled the back roads. That I could swim. And that I could jump, that I had jumped over a barricade of highwaymen with her on my back. I had to show them my scar from the arrow. Freya went on, explaining about the forest trail from Ratern, with the steep climb at the entrance that makes it impossible for mounted couriers to use, even though it was much shorter. And that I had even scared the wolves away.

Great, wilder than a tiger and faster than a horse, both checked. Somehow, her first mention of me being mythical still stuck with me.

Matching my thoughts, she spoke again of the camp at Kerwnough and of the centaurs. And of the mage's tools that had been in my saddlebag when I was found. That they were from Kwal, but like me, without any trace of mana. And that I had been made at Kwal like the centaurs, but much better. And that I had not been summoned but had awoken on my own. That I remembered my old world. That I was unique.

At that moment I let my head down again. I had forgotten that I was the only one of my race, easy when everyone around me was human. Especially since I still felt human.

Vice-Administrator (the second most important person in the Republic according to Freya, and always addressed without his name) cleared his throat. "Do not be afraid. Honestly, are you a lady?"

"No," I said, "I no lady, no." And then Kiara had to translate. That there was no nobility in my world (at least not in my place) and that I had been an ordinary worker there, nothing special. That my country in my world was not only a republic, but a democracy.

Sir Hofengart nodded. "But you are human, well, more than human from your soul. And I think we should be grateful that you found a way from your world to the Kren Republic."

Well, I had nothing to do with that. But before I could protest further, the marshal spoke. "Then we should make you a general."

"Please no. Not knowing war."

The marshal smiled. "The art of war is not to make war. A general like you is the best deterrent you can get."

"She's a woman!" Vice-Administrator protested.

"So was Aniha von Kren."

Sir Hofengart intervened. "Marshal, the war is over. Hopefully for a long time. And she is very uncomfortable with the war, it seems."

Vice-Administrator smiled a typical smile of most politicians, a smile that said nothing of what he really thought. "I agree with Sir Hofengart. We need to raise your status to remove you from any military involvement with either side. For the Kren Republic, you are now Lady Kiara of, er, what is the name of your country?"

The marshal looked defeated.

I tried to pronounce my country but could not remember it. So I said "Earth".

"Lady Kiara of Earth. Short and sweet," Vice-Administrator nodded. "Thank you, Lady Kiara of Earth and Apprentice Healer Freya. Please, we will not inconvenience you any further."

We were dismissed. I stood up and bowed to Sir Hofengart and Vice-Administrator as I left the room backwards, guided by my tail so as not to hit the doorframe, still backwards through the door that Freya held open.

As soon as the door was closed, Freya jumped on my front shoulder, hugged me and kissed me.

"Freya, please, let's go to my room. And cobwebs." A new word I did not really need.

"I leave you a few hours and you are already a lady. And we have spoken to Vice-Administrator and Sir Hofengart. And you have a room. I no longer feel adequate."

"And Marshal," I pointed out. "Going down way not spiral staircase is good?"

She sighed. "Your talking is still terrible."

"I knowing," I grinned.