Two courtyards later we were back in front of my room. I did not enter, I just left the chamber pot outside by the door to be cleaned by the rain. Then I knocked on the stable door. Cobwebs and plaster to clean - again.

A groom came: "Oh, Lady Kiara! And a young healer too. Come in!" Then he ran off to find Kendrick.

He was in the other room but hurried over.

"Lady Kiara of Earth, my congratulations."

"This is Apprentice Healer Freya. She good translating." And she did, as well as a brief summary of this morning’s events.

Kendrick nodded the whole time. "You see, Milady, I was right." And then to Freya, "Freya, was that your name? I believe we have a guest who would also like to meet you. Do you remember a centaur named Larina? She is in the far left box in the next room."

"I'll be back." And with that, Freya was gone.

"I no clean. But no water good."

Well, even if my sentences were badly mangled, Kendrick understood my intention. He held up a brush. "Brush only?"

"Yes, please."

He was quick but still went through all my fur, tail included. All now free of cobwebs and plaster. As Freya was still not back, he suggested, "Lady Kiara, would you like to meet the other guest?"

I followed him into the next room to the box in the far corner, as far away from the other horses as possible. Freya was standing there, talking to a centaur. The centaur was tall and her upper body was fully human. Her nose was perfectly proportioned to her delicate face, and she had neither elongated ears nor a mane: her long blonde hair was only on her head. She was slender, close to Freya's build. Her small breasts were almost hidden by a red shirt, contrasting with her blonde hair.

The upper half of her body was that of a slender woman, poorly suited to the very broad shoulders of the heavy warhorse body below. Did they really consider such a petite and, yes, elegant woman to fight in a battle just because she was fused to a warhorse? Mismatch aside, she was very beautiful, more so than the old me ever was. And honestly, even her horse part looked like a very fine horse on its own. The combination just wasn't right.

As soon as she saw me, she stopped paying attention to Freya and gazed at me. I slowly walked over until we were eye to eye.

A few stubbles on her chin showed that she had shaved a beard. She was breathing heavily even though she was standing still, her nostrils flared. We mustered ourselves for long. Somehow the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense. Fortunately, neither of us had a weapon at the ready.

She broke the silence first. "So, you are Lady Kiara," she breathed heavily as she spoke. "I am Larina." Her voice was quite deep, with some echo and a strange accent.

"Kiara naming good."

Freya stepped to our sides and placed a hand on each of our lower shoulders. "What did I miss? Let me help with mindspeak. Because you look like you want to strangle each other. I thought being the only four-legged ones around would make you instant friends."

"She is so much more beautiful and so human," I began.

While Freya translated, Larina spoke. "You move so easily. How?"

"Good that this is out of your system. Larina here was one of the first centaurs. She appeared almost half a year ago. And she is not only beautiful but also tough: She walked all the way." Then she looked at me: "Well, Kiara here moves more easily because she is not human inside, but a full taur. I could even ride her. Look at the size of her nostrils and her teeth."

That was too embarrassing. "Freya!"

"Sorry, this is the healer speaking. Anyway, the mage did a good job of hiding it; but everything was made to support her lower body. And she only appeared ten days ago. That is why she cannot speak well."

"So was I then." Larina relaxed a little.

"You going Kerwnough to Krenburg?"

Larina blushed a little. "Then." She stood up straighter, proud of it, but collapsed again. "But Freya rode you, and it only took you eight days, I heard. I travelled almost a month." She coughed heavily. "And you are healthy, while I am dying."

"Nobody is dying!" Freya made that clear.

Larina waved her hand. "Yes, I know. I am not dying today. Kiara, I am really glad that you do not feel like dying in this strange body of yours."

"You hate your body then?" Freya nodded, she would have asked the same thing.

Larina thought for a moment. "I hate not being able to run. And hate to throw up half my food, even though I still only eat disgusting horse feed. I hate the mages for the bad job they did putting me together. You know, I am a stallion down there!"

"What!" I was shocked to hear this. So far I had only seen her forelegs, the rest was hidden by the side of the box. "But ..."

"Seeing what they did for you makes me hate the mages even more. Being a centaur might not be so bad, if I could be a real centaur. Like you." She wiped a few tears from her face.

"I much sorry."

"I wish I could ask the mages to make me human." Larina thought for a moment, "or at least a proper centaur."

Kendrik interjected, "I heard that the soul mages were summoned to Krenburg to be tried for war crimes. Maybe you’ll talk to them in person soon."

"If I am still alive." She coughed again.

"Having pain?"

"No pain. Just getting weaker every day. Like a slow poisoning." Freya added to the translation, "I told you centaurs were not built well. Larina is one of the healthier ones."

"Huh?" I covered my mouth. "But"

"The human body fights the horse. So the senior healer gives her a daily soul potion."

"I don't know what Freya mindspeak to you. But my soul is sick too. I need soul every other day. Which comes as a cup of fresh animal blood."

I was shocked. That sounded more like a vampire. "You, I much sorry." I really was. Stupid language.

"Lady Kiara, do not worry about me. Actually, I am happy to meet you. Envious, but happy. You look like something out of a legend. Maybe this means the dawn of a new era."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Oh, no, no." Please, no more myths and legends. Heroes are only happy in legends. These things never work in real life. I still saw myself as an ordinary woman. Even the title of Lady was too much. "Please not mythical."

"Kiara, calm down." Freya stroked my trembling flanks. "I know, you're just Kiara." She hugged my lower body halfway. Then Larina opened her arms as well and we hugged each other, comforting each other.

We hugged for a while. Kendrick had tactfully retreated to the other room.

I had a thought which Freya translated. "Since Kiara is now a lady, is there anything she can do for you? Are you happy here?"

"Happy? I have been here for four months. It is warm here and Kendrick really pampers me. And this body can't climb stairs."

"I can, but hating stairs. Climbing trees fun, but stairs no."

Freya added. "She even jumped to a tree with me on the back. She is crazy about trees."

When I saw Larina's disbelieving face, I looked down guiltily and felt even more sorry for her.

But then she laughed. "I have to see it to believe it."

"Then going at forest when no raining."

"Lady Kiara, Marshal Sir Toben is here to see you," Kendrick called from the doorway into the other room.

"Why?" we both asked at the same time and laughed.

"Just go. I'll be here later, too," Larina smiled.

"Sorry, Larina. Goodbye." And with that I hurried over, Freya following a little slower to escape the marshal's immediate attention.

* * *

Marshal Sir Toben had another officer with him who was built like a brick. Everyone had put down their tools and was standing at attention to some degree. I was the only one who moved and stopped in front of the marshal. For a moment I felt the urge to salute, but then I suppressed it. I was a lady and still disliked authority. Especially military ones.

"Good afternoon, Sir Toben."

"Good afternoon to you, Lady Kiara. This is Major Nurant, Major of the castle," Sir Toben said.

The major bowed. "Lady Kiara."

"Good afternoon, Major Nurant."

"Sfdgdf dgfgdf dfgdfg ertrh dfgdfg ert sdf force dfghdfh eer?"

"Sorry, Sir Toben," I turned around. Freya was standing by the wall, as far away as possible. "Freya, mindspeaking, please!"

She approached slowly, bowing several times until she finally stood at my side, only looking at the floor. "The marshal would like to test your strength, power and so on. If you allow. But I think you shouldn't."

"Yes, doing." I ignored her suggestion.

"Bad idea," Freya sighed in mindspeak. But I wanted to know my abilities too. And to Freya's credit, she did not show her disagreement and translated the request anyway. "Lady Kiara, let's test your strength first. I assume you can lift the apprentice?"

"Sorry, Freya," and then I lifted Freya under her shoulders. She felt even lighter than before. I set her down gently.

Next came the Major. He was heavy and I could hardly lift him under his shoulders. But I did not want to give up so easily. Instead, I stood on my hind legs and lifted him easily with my forelegs. I stretched them up until we were almost at eye level. The biggest challenge was balancing on my hind legs, something I had not practised much. I set him down perhaps a little too quickly.

Everyone in the room looked at me in surprise. The marshal was the first to speak. "Lady Kiara, I am very impressed by your display of strength."

And Freya added silently, "and so am I. You do not look so strong under your fluffy fur. Now the marshal wants to know if you can stand on one leg."

I had no idea either. I stood up on my hind legs again and yes, I could stand on one leg. It must be a very strange display, with five limbs stretched out. I could almost touch the ceiling with one hand. After a few seconds, I lost my balance and came down with an audible thud, kicking loose straw off the ground. "I think I've put on some weight," I whispered to Freya.

"Only in all the right places," she smiled.

"Now the Major wants to check your muscle size."

I showed my biceps, flexing the arms as hard as I could. It felt very strange. The major had more muscles, but hey, I was a woman and it was enough to climb trees. Ok, so the arms hurt the most when I squirrelled out, if I was being honest. Then I got back on my hind legs and flexed the biceps on my right foreleg. The muscles under the fur were as hard as stone. This time I won by far, almost twice the size of the major's biceps. Even against his thighs, I had a clear advantage. Well, carrying Freya for eight days must have had an effect.

I felt uncomfortable as if I were stranded in a Mister Universe competition, as a lady! I got back on all fours and shook my limbs.

"Lady Kiara, can you do a bridge?"

I could, but it was a very uneven performance. My hind legs did not bend very much. It felt like they could with more exercise. But I doubt they had a cat-squirrel-taur yoga instructor here. So I was doing a very lopsided bridge, with my forelegs sticking out like the central pillars of a suspension bridge.

And the only way to get back was to roll on the floor in an unladylike manner. I quickly brushed some straw out of my fur.

The major nodded.

"Now the major wants to wrestle you."

I hesitated, I had no idea what to do. Somehow I wondered how this was going to work. I had four legs, which should make me very difficult to topple, even though I had never wrestled before, no surprise. I nodded slowly.

The major bowed again and Freya hurried to the side. We quickly locked arms, but my advantage was not as great as I thought. Since the major was stronger in the arms, I had to follow his pushes. Although he could not push me back with the extra support of his legs, they did not help against his sideways pushes, or I was not using them in the right way. My hind legs were jumping left and right, my tail was flying in all directions to keep me balanced. But it was soon over and I was on my side.

The major helped me up and bowed again.

I bowed too. And it confirmed my opinion that I was not a fighter and that I would rather avoid fights. Debunked 'wilder than a tiger', not army material, yes, checked.

Next came jumping. I jumped from a standing position to chest height. For a real test of my limits, we would have to go outside. I would even look forward to that, but not today in the rain. The same went for speed. I would like to know my top speed compared to a horse, but not in the rain. The faster travel from Ratern was due to the use of a route that no rider could take. So 'faster than a horse' was still to be tested.

"Sir Toben, now I good?"

"Lady Kiara, you are surprisingly agile and fighting is certainly not your thing, despite your appearance."

Well, I could have told him that before.

"And because of the weather, we have to postpone the other tests. Therefore, I should not impose my time on the lady any longer. Perhaps we can talk further at dinner?"

"Sir Toben, yes, ok? See you later."

Freya frowned. "Too casual," she mindspoke, "use 'I look forward to seeing you there' or something like that." I bowed without correction, not looking forward to such an experience at all. Then Sir Toben and the major left, and with their departure, everyone began to breathe normally.

The others came over to congratulate me as if I won a match. Even though there had been no real competition. And I had lost the wrestling.

Even Larina came. "You really can't fight."

"No fighting." I nodded heavily.

"Shall I teach you? I know how to fight."

I needed translating and waved to Freya. "How can you teach me?"

"It is the only thing I know. I was sent into battle with the imprinted knowledge of combat. This knowledge is older me."

I still looked at her critically. "Have you fought?"

She looked down.

"Not very well. Indeed, this body is weak, I could not use my knowledge properly. And I was captured immediately. But I know what to do. I can teach you. You are strong and you can fight for me."

"But I do not want to fight."

"Nobody does. But not being able to fight and not wanting to fight are two very different things. What would you do if the highwaymen were right in front of you with knives?"

"Climb a tree," I answered without thinking.

Larina sighed together with Freya. It looked funny.

"Well, imagine it happened in a meadow," Larina tried next.

"I run away."

"Or in a town."

"Err." No idea. "Ok, you have me."

"See? Let's have some stick fights. Kendrick, can we get two crops?"

She used them to teach me the basics of stick fencing as a four-legged creature. However, Freya could not always touch me to translate while I was jumping left and right, trying to follow Larina's commands and instructions. Freya tried to ride me but soon gave that up as well, with the wild rodeo I was doing to avoid Larina's attacks. Eventually, I gave her the tip of my tail. She still had to run left and right and back and forth, but overall it was a much better arrangement for both of us, I could follow Larina's command.

Larina was happy to teach me, trying to correct my movements to improve my clumsy attempts. Soon all three of us were drenched in sweat. We continued a little longer and only finished when Larina wheezed as if she was having an asthma attack. "Do. Not. Worry. For. Me. It. Was. Great. Fun."

I stood next to her for moral support, putting my hands on her back until her breathing had returned to its normal wheeze. Then I got a rag from Kendrick and wiped Larina's lower body dry. She wanted to do the same for me, but I was sweating a lot less on my lower body. And more importantly, my sweat did not smell like a horse, and I wanted to dine at the Noblemen's Hall tonight. And with Kendrick's rags, I would smell like a horse which would not do. Luckily Freya found a way to put it politely so as not to disappoint Larina. She could give me a brush though, there were plenty of clean ones.