4.2

There was apparently a talking cow in Valasect;. And no one thought this was worth mentioning to Her! The cow's name was Bethica and she was in the care of a family on the opposite end of the demesne from Jewel’s manor house.

According to Adorján no one had thought it was unusual enough to mention, and yet their mentions managed to escape all of Jewel's explorations of her family library. Apparently there had been talking cows in a small herd there since he was a boy. He in fact only found it a bit strange and wistful that there was only one talking cow now.

The children Jewel kept watch on had not mentioned it because they personally found ‘betsy’ rather dull and boring. Apparently her preferred stories went overlong and everyone had heard them all already. But she'd been there the whole time, keeping to herself and occasionally singing songs to the villagers who chose to listen when the weather was good.

"Would the folk of Rochford fail to make note of myself to those strangers who passed by as well?" She had wondered aloud, amused by the thought.

Actually, now that Jewel thought of it? She was pretty sure they were delighted by not warning strangers about her.

So, too, was it with Bethica, apparently! Thus, she found herself on the way to the fields to see for herself.As the wyrm and lady of Valasect approached the pastures, the supposedly talking cow entered her view.

To be honest, there was not much to distinguish Bethica from any other Cow. And Jewel had seen a few. Soulful black eyes watched the wyrm come nearer with the wariness of most animals. But not so wary that she stopped chewing in slow grinding strokes of her jaw.

Jewel took a deep breath of the air. But all she smelled was cow and grass. No hint of a working or fauxfire that she could determine, either.

Jewel considered the cow, then looked side to side, but there were no others apparent in the pasture. She couldn't smell any sign of another one either.

Just the one cow.

And this should be the correct house.

Well, when in doubt it was best to be polite.

“Excuse me, but are you Bethica of Valasect?”

The cow (Bethica?) turned her head to fix Jewel with her left eye before the beast nodded her head in answer. Then settled down to simply chew, looking not much at anything.

Mashing something wet and sticky in between her teeth.

It smelled like grass as to be expected, but aged in the way that all cows smelled. As the silence continued eventually ‘Bethica’ turned so that once again it was looking at her one eye’d.

It was somewhat like Tsugotholan honestly.

Having given what seemed like plenty of time for a response, Jewel nodded but did not bow, she was the lady of this land and this Bethica was a beast upon it.

“I am, if you did not know, Lady Jewel of the houses of Rochford and Bathory, Lady of Valasect, Heir to Viznove. And I must apologize for not speaking to you sooner.”

The cow shifted her weight from one foreleg to the next and lowered her head in what might have been a bow. Although it almost looked like she was just looking for better grass. Then after raising her head she turned to fix Jewel again with her left eye and to get a good look up and down Jewel.

The deep black eye lingering on her claws, her teeth and then finally on Jewel’s own eyes before turning and checking with the other eye and then giving a sudden head twist.

Presumably because a fly had been buzzing around her ear.

“I must admit I am very curious, you seem to have left my Squire quite unmanned with your wit. Was that entirely necessary?”

There was a low mewling groan of a rumble from (presumably) Bethica. It didn't sound very much different from any other cow Jewel had heard. Although it may have rumbled and rolled in a way that was a bit more like laughter then she thought she’d ever heard from such animals before.

Jewel considered the cow and again looked around before settling herself down in the dirt of the road. Crossing her forearms over each other and tucking her hind claws close in under her body.

She very much hoped this was not a jape by her peasants or some poor trick performed on Smithson.

Jewel had a great deal of work yet to do, but she was leaving that to sit by being here.

“You can speak right?”

The cow raised her head to fix Jewel with that same judgemental left eye. Then groaned heavily and swallowed very hard whatever she had been working over in her jaws.

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Once her mouth was free she gave a soft cough to clear her throat.

“Pardon your ladyship, but my mother taught me not to speak with my mouth full. Did yours not tell you it was rude to interrupt someone in their meal?”

Even braced for it Jewel felt shocked as Bethica spoke in a tone and accent that sounded far more noble and elegant then the wyrm had expected. It had an oddly flowing manner that struck harshly on some of the sounds, but not unpleasantly so.

Voice deep and strong but despite it no less feminine. It was a fascinating sound

So different from how Jewel attempted to shape her own voice.

Jewel thought she was prepared for it; she thought she had believed Adorján and trusted his judgment as the headman of her demesne.

She had been so sure she was ready to accept that a cow could talk.

But Bethica still left a stunning surprise in Jewel that, while not quite enough to make her neck want to rear back in a tight curve, still gave a pause. Which was apparently enough for Bethica to decide it was time to continue speaking.

“Ah, yes, you would be the new lady of the land. I suppose you never had the opportunity to make the mistake before? Every meal is a festival for you. All proper announced personages before and the like?”

Jewel boggled a moment more at the thought that others wouldn't have their meals planned and their arrivals announced. But then again was that not what she had just done?

And her Mother and Father had taught her better than that!

“Oh! Oh no, I’m terribly sorry Bethica of Valasect, my mother has in fact taught me better than that. But-”

Bethica made a rumbling chuckle.

“Oh stars and elysium’s meadows girl, Don’t fret so. I understand the surprise. I am a cow, after all.”

Jewel thought of all the times that some one had been shocked that she could speak and treated her like a beast. The very thought she had done the same despite being warned beforehand sat wrong in her belly. Pushing the words past her lips with a rush.

“No, I should have known better twice over. I deeply apologize to you, good heifer Bethica of the fine fields of Valasect.”

Bethica, for her part, was now speaking with definite laughter in her voice and making an odd concerted effort to watch Jewel with her right eye instead of the left. There was even a bit of a smile to her lips.

“Well, you certainly are a sweeter and gentler child than I expected. But don’t paint me up as what I'm not. I’ve not been a heifer since I was four winters old! But it is very kind of you to suggest I look so young.”

Jewel found herself still speaking in a rush at her shame for having done precisely what she often lamented others put her through.

“No, I truly should have known better, to expect a beast of you in the first place? Every time I meet a stranger they always see little else in me.”

It would seem that it was Bethica’s turn to be speechless, and then she shifted around to more comfortably fix Jewel with her right eye. Looking over her face, meeting her eyes with the one soulful near-black one.

There were hints and shapes just barely visible in that dark orb. Just barely visible behind the glare of blue sky and sparse clouds.

Then she swung her head back around to look Jewel over again with her left one.

“Well how fancy that is, I’ll be a heifer in my soul this afternoon that the stars and fields saw fit to give me a new sight at the end of my life’s summer. You do know better! Don’t you?”

Jewel stared at the beast, no, the person before her, the unexpected and delighted kindred spirit found of all places simply standing in a field.

The moment suddenly seemed heavy with portents that she should find such in her own demesne.

Bethica for her part shook up and down, skin trembling and a deep and heavy breath bellowing from her snout.

“Well, far be it for me to give less than my best for a sister in kind to the foolishness of ver, I am Bethica, Daughter of Belora who was daughter of Orthica, who was daughter of-”

And it went on from that for quite a time. That while Jewel was somewhat astounded at the depth of her pedigree (Bethica's line went back more than a dozen generations), it was deeply welcome.