Breakfast was much less glorious now that the pies were gone. Instead, there was a thick slice of bread and jerky for the bipeds and carrots for me. After the short breakfast, we continued. At mid-morning, we came to a muddy valley with a small pond. We walked a little uphill when we came to a small cascade that fed the pond. Here we made a short stop, for the horses and me to drink.

Today we would arrive in Litra, my domain, a startling thought. I had advanced further in Kren than I had in my old world, first a lady and now a real countess with a domain. Ruler of real people. I shuddered.

"When coming in Litra?" I asked the count after I had caught my breath.

"Very soon," he smiled at me.

I looked around: Lots of trees, but nothing that looked like real mountains. "Where is?"

He pointed uphill when the lake ended. "At the top of the hill is the border. Beyond is the Tret valley, where the Litra valley branches off."

"There?" I pointed excitedly.

He nodded.

I ignored the protesting muscles in my legs, ignored the slowly ascending winding path, and instead raced straight up through the undergrowth, only three hundred paces or so. I was there in no time.

Of course, the ridge was full of old trees. I could not see my domain. But these were my trees, squirrel-me exclaimed. Of course! I jumped onto the biggest oak trunk. It didn't sway at all. Wow, up I went, as high as I dared. And up there I could see the valley we had come from. More importantly, on the other side was a wider valley, with green meadows at the bottom and forest only higher up. Through the valley flew a real river, even with foaming white water at the rapids. Almost straight ahead, another valley branched off. This must be the valley of Litra. The mountains in front of me were much higher, extending above the tree line, bare rocky peaks with patches of snow. I just admired the view and relaxed for a moment. Even the air here on the ridge was different as if I could already smell the mountain snow.

But I was no mountain goat. Squirrel me had waited patiently long enough. But these wonderful oaks had to be enjoyed after all that mundane walking. The jumps were risky at first because the trees were a bit far apart. But the bark was very grippy and the trees very sturdy. Soon I was jumping many metres, yelling with joy. I jumped and climbed and ran around them and only a few branches broke. The jacket was great too, with absolutely no restrictions, and the fresh morning mountain air blew over my skin as I flew between the trees.

After a while, I realised the others had arrived. I hesitated for a moment but then continued. My claws dug into the wrinkled, thick oak bark, a rocky landing. Two branches up, a jump to a parallel branch four metres away and a soft landing, not even using my claws. Just for fun, I went to the underside of the branch and jumped, using my tail to turn in flight. Yeah, I so it had to be done.

I only came down when I was completely out of breath and had cramps in my claws, especially in my hand claws.

Meanwhile, they had a second breakfast with the last of bread and water. Count Larel's face was somewhere between bewildered and amused when I joined them. "That's our countess who outran a horse," was his compliment. Well, I took it as one. But mostly I grinned. Honestly, with the level of endorphins circulating in my system, I was incapable of any other expression. Perhaps I was also a little dizzy from the lack of oxygen, which made talking impossible.

After a pause to catch my breath and cool down after drinking all the water that was left, I put on the saddlebag and Freya mounted my back again.

"You big stupid squirrel," she sent, "I was so scared just looking at you." Then she stroked my fur. "At least oaks don't have needles."

I nodded, still grinning. And then I looked ahead again. The way down was steep. And trailing three horses means extra care to avoid fresh surprises left on the path. The steep path meant a slow walk which was exactly what I needed.

* * *

After descending into the valley, the path was more or less level. The last obstacle was the River Tret. It was not too deep for normal riders, but it was cold and wild. And my back was lower than a horse's. So Freya had to carry the saddlebag on her shoulders, while we both got wet up to our chests. Thanks to my skimpy jacket, only Freya had wet clothes.

So we made a short stop for Freya to change into her healer's tunic.

On this side of the river was a wider road in which the occasional wagon would go to Litra. We followed it too. It went along the River Litra into the Litra valley. Green meadows lay to the left and right. The river was swift, fed by countless wild and narrow becks that could be jumped over, and roaring streams where you either had to jump from rock to rock or let the horses wade through while the strong current almost tipped them (and me) over. They were all icy, having originated from the melting snowfields of the alpine mountains surrounding the valley. And all of them were currently impassable for a wagon.

Not long, and we reached the first hamlet of four houses. Naturally, we had been spotted from afar, and everyone was outside before we even got close to the houses. Count Larel was recognised even from a distance. And a healer was recognised by the black tunics and welcomed everywhere. Even riding a strange beast. Still, everyone stood at the count's side.

The count dismounted and went to me. Freya dismounted quickly too.

"Dear citizens of Litra," he began, "I am pleased to introduce your new patron, Countess Kiara of Earth and Litra!" The people looked at Freya before the count raised my arm.

Instead of squirrelling out, I should have rehearsed some useful lines. OR the count should have warned me. I was totally unprepared for this. Perhaps this was another test. "Uh, nice to meet you," I uttered, "please come closer."

Freya made a completely unhelpful face and rolled her eyes. I was on my own.

So I smiled and pointed to the nearest child. "You want riding?" She was frozen in place. "What is your name? I am Kiara."

"I'm Clara." The adult whispered something. "Countess Kiara," she repeated.

"Is good. Let's riding!" And then I picked her up, put her on my back and rode around in a big circle. Not too fast, my smoothest gait. "How riding countess is fun?"

The girl smiled. "It's fun." Then she got serious. "But if you are a countess..."

"Pssht, countess having fun too." And then I jumped over the nearest beck. If I seemed strange to them, then let's be strange. I want to be Kiara now, countess could come later.

The count looked a little forlorn. He was probably having serious second thoughts about appointing me. Or by now rather sixth or seventh thoughts. But I played with the children while the count talked to his subjects and tried to explain his choice and convince them. Which was a formidable task as I was not convinced of myself if it came to being a countess.

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Actually, Litra was an ideal domain for a freak like me. Very remote, so my spleens could be considered normal before the news travelled too far and the summer was over.

I did a living carousel for half an hour for the ten children here. The adults had gone back to work and the children ran after them as they dismounted.

We still had two miles to the main village. On the way, I rehearsed a proper speech with Freya's help to introduce myself to my new subjects. I repeated the ten sentences over and over. Before we were too close, Freya got up behind Rap.

Finally, we were in the main village of Litra, all fourteen houses. And this time they knew who was coming, a flag with a green and white diamond pattern was flying from a flagpole. All the villagers lined the street.

They dismounted at the entrance to the village. The count received a wreath of flowers from a young girl and we walked among the villagers to a large table set up in the village square. It had plenty of bread, cheese, sliced vegetables and two sausages.

The count stood on the table. "Dear citizens of Litra. Many of you knew the nature of my mission to Krenburg. I am growing old, and when I die, Litra will become a Republic domain, like many similar small domains. I have visited some of them, as you may know. And I was worried because many of them did not get the same care and support. Even less than the little I can now provide. Then I received news of a new young lady without a domain but with interesting ideas and skills. Given all the other choices, I have decided that she is the one who will be the best for Litra. Please welcome Countess Kiara of Earth and Litra."

Doubtful looks followed his fingers pointing at this scantily clad half-animal countess who certainly did not look like a countess, well not even human.

I think even my smile was crooked. "Dear citizens of Litra." I had held my breath too long and gasped for air. "I am Kiara. I lived on a far world called Earth. A soul mage making my body and putting my soul into it. Hence, I awoke 16 days ago like this." I raised up on my hind legs for more effect, turned around once and got down again. "I was to fight for Kwal, but I finding friends in the Kren Republic. I was made lady in Krenburg because I coming from another world. And I faster than horse." The smile came easily now. "And I climbing like squirrel." Okay, that was not in the script. "Count Larel making me as his suc-ces-sor." I still struggled with that difficult word. "I will do best for Litra. But now visiting." Huh, my longest speech in Kren ever, even if most of it was just memorised. I bowed. "This is Healer Apprentice Freya." I lifted her arm. "I cominged 16 days ago, I speaking no good, learning. Freya translating with mindspeak. Thank you."

"Please let go of my arm," Freya sent. Oh, I had lifted her almost to the tips of her toes. I let go, mumbling 'sorry'. And only then did I begin to breathe normally again.

The people were still staring at me, and then at the count. I was quite sure they were worried that he had already gone senile. Many of them were convinced that they would be a better heir than me. I might even agree. But then I noticed that most of them were looking to my left, at Freya.

"My fellow citizens, I am truly grateful for the welcome and the food," the count broke the silence. "Let's eat together. Countess Kiara?"

He took me by surprise. But of course, as the new Countess of Litra, it was my duty to open the buffet. "Thank you. Let's eating." I took a carrot and bit into it. A collective gasp: Oh, my fangs. Part of Countess Kiara's package, sorry guys.

But I was appointed by the count for the time being, and there was food. They probably came to the same conclusion. When they approached us, they went straight for Freya. The new countess was not important, she was like rain or taxes: They had no control over it. But they wanted to talk to a healer. What I understood, since it was almost everyone's opening, was that the last time a proper healer had visited Litra had been last autumn. And that the local cleric was not trained in healing. In fact, he was among the first to come to Freya for advice.

As soon as Freya had eaten enough, she left with most of the village. Only a few villagers remained, most of them male adolescents. My revealing jacket may have been a part of the reason. And the new countess was obviously single. I remembered the words of the senior healer, my wrong number of legs was secondary in pursuit of power. The count sat down on the bench next to me. "You are lucky that Freya is a healer."

"Yes, very." Another time Freya would tell of the highwayman. "Many people die without a healer?"

"Dear countess, we are not that many. About two hundred people live here. Every year less than five die of old age, and I am not sure a healer could do much about that. Then there are accidents in the mountains. Freezing to death before being found or falling down from a cliff. In these cases, only a cleric is needed. A healer is needed for births and infants and for children and to tend to injuries like broken limbs or cut fingers. But if you were to settle in Litra and bring Freya with you, the people of Litra would be very grateful. Have I used too many words again?"

"Most good understanding."

The count smiled wryly. I had messed up the grammar again. I went to the table for an extra helping out of embarrassment.

The oldest of the adolescents approached me and bowed. "Dear Countess Kiara of Earth and Litra." He stood up again and looked straight at me.

"I am Teff. Can you really run faster than a horse?"

"Yes, I fast. I showing you." Well, that was familiar territory. Before the guy knew what had happened, I hoisted him onto my back and accelerated out of the village. He was heavier than Freya, but no great challenge. I placed his hands just above my lower shoulder, as he was too scared to hold on. Once he was safely on my back, I was able to jump a few becks and then raced around half of the village to enter it from the other side.

I was out of breath. But the lad was shaken. He almost fell off my back and sat on the ground for a moment. Then he scrambled to his feet and bowed deeply. "Dear Countess, that was very fast." And retreated to his mates as quickly as possible. Well, this had not gone according to plan. But literally running diplomacy had been a stupid idea from the start with this age group.

The look on the count's face was similar to my squirrelling out. Probably for the ninth time, he doubted his appointment of me.

I smiled and shrugged. "They riding is fun."

"You are quite overwhelming, especially in this a less trodden land." And seeing my look, "They do not know strangers. And you are even more strange. Go slowly."

He was certainly right. I should go slower. Not literally this time. Still, I could not pass the chance of a snippy remark, "But I not racinged fast."

I went over to the group. They were all bowing deeply, trying discretely to be out of reach of my arms. " Do not worry. I not kidnapping you. Looking me, please."

Slowly they stood up again.

"You knowing mountain? I wanting seeing snow."

The count saved them. "Dear Countess, let's ask old Henry."

The young men nodded vehemently and fled into their houses. My attempt at socialising with the plebs had failed miserably.

There was hardly anyone left, Rap and Jot were already cleaning up the leftovers with the help of a few older women. We went to the count's court. As the count had said, it was not much different from the other houses. It was a little off the village square, on a small mound. From the second floor, one could look over the roofs of the other houses. And instead of an integrated cowshed, there was a stable for three horses. The living quarters were above the stables and small, the count's room not bigger than my chamber in the castle. It saved a lot of wood to keep it warm in winter, he explained. I was given the second largest room where I could lie down with the tail curled to the side. Then we toured the rest of the house, which was a large hall with balconies, big enough for the whole village. The largest hall in Litra. At the top was the coat of arms of Litra, with the same diamond pattern as my signet ring and the flag. And the diamonds were green and white again. Silly me, I had never asked for the colours of Litra! And in the middle of the coat of arms was a yellow semicircle for the cheese. I giggled childishly. It really looked as if I had applied to be adopted by him with my coat of arms.

"Sorry, not knowing coat of arms was a green, a white and a yellow colour."

The count smiled gently. "Yes, that was another strong argument for you."

I nodded politely. And changed the subject. "Going mountain now?"

* * *

It was afternoon, so of course not. But we went to the far side of the village. Old Henry was already back in his small house. He did not bow, just a very little nod to the count. Despite his nickname, he was much younger than the count.

On a bench in front of the house lay today's game, three marmots or something. Definitely not rabbits. "Mountain dog-rabbits, from above the trees," was what it sounded. And his longest sentence.

As I would neither eat rabbits, nor dogs, nor marmots, I did not care for the game. Then the count asked him to take me up into the mountain. He looked at me critically.

"I carrying good."

The count held up his hand before I could utter more stupid things. "The countess would like to repay your time by helping you carry some heavy things up or down."

Old Henry looked at me critically. "Strong lass," he muttered.

"Strong countess," I corrected him.

Strangely, that seemed to amuse him.

"Good countess, yes, lass. We leave early." The nod was all the greeting we got. Well, I would not worry about Old Henry exceeding my small vocabulary.