Chapter 15

Catty woke to the sound of someone knocking at the door.

The room was dark. She was sleepy. Deciding Royalty had its privileges, she closed her eyes.

The knock came again.

"Stupid Poles..." She knew it wasn't Far, or one of her other guards. They would have just entered, as anything worth disturbing her for would be important enough to ignore her privacy. Only humans would wake a Queen, expecting her to get up and answer the door in the middle of the night for something petty, stupid. Pulling the covers up under her chin, she stayed where she was.

A third knock was faint. Not on her door, but rather the one across the hall. They were waking her men. Probably to ask them to wake her. With an annoyed groan, Catty pushed the covers off of her nude body, un-shielding the lamp between the two small beds. Stupid, ignorant Poles. She threw the dress from the day before on, one of three outfits she now owned. The promise of new clothing had not yet been fulfilled. Something about a sudden rush of orders to every tailor on the island. No excuse. She had needs.

There was another knock, this time familiar. The door opened a moment later, a nude Far stepping into the room. Catty dropped her gaze momentarily to the two slender sex organs dropping down between his legs. She immediately sent her eyes back to his face, hoping he had not noticed. Far was bowing.

"Forgive me, Your Highness. The Poles have need of you."

Shanna stepped into the room behind him, along with the young redhead who always seemed to be with her. Catty crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's late. This can not wait?"

"No," Shanna said, voice seemingly apologetic. "And I do apologize. I do not like being up at this hour either."

Catty let out a sigh which to her ears sounded more like a snort.

"What is it, then?"

"You can move yourself with magic, yes?" It was the girl, stepping forward. Catty's eyes widened. She didn't think that one had spoken with her yet. Her tired mind processed the question.

"Um ... why?" She didn't feel right saying too much. For all she had told the King she would help him, the extent of that help had not been defined. She did not know what they already knew. The redhead motioned to the hall behind her.

"We have need to transport newborns to a hot spring, as we can not provide for them here. They will never survive a trip through the cold night. So, I thought, if it was possible for you to travel magically, carrying them..."

"We know your magic only works on yourself," Shanna added. Her voice was friendly, with only a slight annoyed edge. Catty respected that edge. "You can teleport things you carry, right?"

"Um ... yes." She answered in spite of her herself, tired mind still trying to understand the girl's statement. "Newborns? Whose?"

"Adanya's, the Kikker Chief's daughter. It's rather unexpected, and we're unprepared. Will you help us?"

"I..." Her eyes went to Far. The Elf nodded his head slightly, not a hint of humor on his face. "Yes. Yes, I will try."

"Thank you, Your Highness." The girl bowed her head low. Anelie. That was her name. Anelie. Strange that it came to her just then. Anelie's green eyes came up to meet hers. "Can you travel someplace you've never been?"

"It's not about knowing the place. It's..." Her eyes flicked to Far again, swiftly leaving his beautiful face. "I can go to any place, thing, or ... person, my heart truly desires."

She saw the eyes of both females flick to Far. Heat rose to her face. Shanna nodded to her.

"What, or who, should we send ahead with Adanya, Your Highness?"

If Catty had known, she would not have agreed.

She stood against the wall in the small Polock bedroom, as far from small tub and its two tenders as possible. It was an abomination. A horrible, disgusting abomination. Her few days among the Polocks almost had her believing that the tales of their mating with other creatures were false, that these were a somewhat civilized people. But, no. No, the male before her had ... and the Kikker woman! How could SHE have done such a thing? The Kikker were an advanced people! To have STOOPED to being with an animal like the Polock! And that woman was now with her Far, riding to a distant hot spring. Would she seduce him? Would he...

Catty shook her head, clearing that image from her brain. Far would never do that. Never stray like that. No. No, he was a good, noble Elf. Not like...

The sound of water pouring brought her attention back to the two Poles. The girl was pouring water, fresh from over the fire, into the tub. A bucket on the floor held cool water scooped from the tub to make room. The hulking male sat on a stool, eyes focused on what lay under the surface of the tub. He reached down, fingers vanishing below the rim.

"There," Anelie said, the last of the liquid dripping from her bucket. "All warmed up for them." She straightened, wiping a few stray hairs from her forehead. "I hope they'll be OK."

"They will," her brother said. He sounded ... happy. The crossbreeding fool sounded happy. Catty should say something. Maybe ... maybe they'd listen to...

"Bogdi." The redhead lowered herself to her knees beside him, a bare hand resting on his thigh. She looked up with concern. "You know this kind of thing never ends well. The children are never..." She swallowed. "They never come out right. Even if they survive birth, they're..."

"I know, Little Sis. I know." Catty watched as he placed his large hand on hers. "And I didn't plan for this. But I love her."

"I know you do."

"I just want to do what's best, you know? If they live..."

"IF they live."

" ... I never thought I'd have children. You know? Not for awhile. I'm not one to spend time with the kind of women who throw themselves at soldiers, or frequent the whores. I thought, maybe, after I left the army, I'd find someone..."

Catty felt her feelings shift. This ... this was not the kind of talk she expected. They sounded almost ... civilized. Unaware she was doing it, she took a step forward, her own words startling her.

"Why did you do it?"

The two Poles seemed to have forgotten she was there. The man shrugged, eyes regarding her speculatively.

"Why does anyone do anything? I was with her because I enjoy her company. She was with me because she felt the same. We laid with each other because both needed the comfort which comes with the touch of another. If I had thought, if she had warned me..." Bogdi's eyes widened, turning to the girl. "She didn't warn me. Didn't stop me."

"It..." the girl's face turned red. "It can be hard to stop, when you're with someone you love."

His hand went up to Anelie's face.

"Did she..."

"Nothing I did not want. I'm happier than ever."

Catty had no idea what they were talking about. Nor did she want to. She tried to focus.

"There are stories of you Poles breeding with others. Of monsters out there, the result of unnatural unions."

"And we hear the same about Elves," the girl said, eyes hardening as they looked back at Catty. "And about Watu, Kikker, everyone, really. We all think the worse about our neighbors."

"But you said it happens."

"Now and then. Often from rape, sometimes not. The babies are never born, or are killed when their true nature is revealed. All the creatures you may think came from humans were already here when we arrived." She sighed. "Mother told us of a half Elf born to a girl when she was young..."

Anelie's eyes widened, her head whirling towards her brother.

"Mother!"

"I'll deal with her, little sis. Do not worry." He chuckled, eyes going back to the tub before them. "She does want grandkids..."

Catty watched as ropes were tied around the small bucket now holding the eggs, the wooden cover held on tight. The last rope created a handle. Bogdi held the loop of rope towards her.

"I hope it's not too heavy."

She almost hoped it was. Then, she could not do this. They could find some other way to save the eggs, or maybe they'd die. Either way ... Her hand curled around the rough rope as his hand released it. She lifted. The bucket raised itself off the floor. It WAS heavy, but for the few moments she'd be holding it there would be no problem.

The two humans stood, Bogdi and his sister taking a step back. The man nodded to her.