Ursula takes her first ride outside the city walls and it is not without incident. Female biology intervenes and she is forced to return to the mansion. There, Fanis tells her what she might expect in the future - and surprises Ursula.

The Voyage of the Visund

A tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

21 - Reluctant Rider

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of this story are the property of the author. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. This story is copyright (c) 2019 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.

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"Giri! Walk on."

Ursula flicked the reins in what she hoped would be the correct manner. Giri turned her head to the side, one eye looking at her with interest. The head turned back and the frayen lurched into motion.

However do people manage this? It all seems so easy when someone else is doing it.

One day! One day's instruction is all I've had and now Eriana wants to take me out - through the city - into the country! I am not ready for this!

"That's good," Dirgan remarked from beside her. "Already your beast knows you, you will make a good partnership, I deem."

"If you say so. There's just so much to remember!"

And I didn't want to do this in the first place. There are more important things I should be giving my attention to!

The previous day had been very busy. Mamoot appeared to be recovering well, which was a considerable relief to Ursula. There had been riding lessons both morning and afternoon, and in between she had found time to go with Senia to the market and speak with the silversmith. That worthy had said that, indeed, he could make forceps and scalpels to her design, but perhaps silver was not the best metal for her purposes. Would not the cutler be able to offer a more durable alternative? So the two had spent most of a bell trying to convince the cutler what they wanted, with limited success. It seemed that he did not have sufficient imagination to understand how the new tools would be used, and would not make them until he did.

Dirgan brought her back to riding. "Ah, Mistress, it is like everything else in life. It is all mysterious and complicated until you know what to do, and then you will wonder what all the fuss was about."

On the other side, Eriana added, "It is a skill as your medical skill is, Ursula. Just as Dirgan says, it will take a little time and effort to become familiar with what you need to do. Once you have learned, though, you will be able to do so much more. It is, like... learning to read, perhaps."

"If you say so, Highness."

The small party rode under the entrance arch and out into the street, turning left to head for the nearest gateway out into the countryside. Most days there was now a cluster of onlookers who had come to see if "the women who ride" would appear. Many of these were women who gazed with longing at the riders and their attire. Others were men, who stared disapprovingly from under lowered brows.

"The street looks busier today. Is that because of us?"

Eriana replied, "Probably." She grinned. "Do not think they mark your presence, Ursula, except as an addition to the party. Most will have come to see what the strange foreign Princess is up to today."

Today's ride was a larger party than usual, which did cause comment among the onlookers. The reason was, in fact, Ursula's presence, but simply because she was a complete novice. In addition to Bennet, Semma and Maralin, there were four of Wallesan's armsmen and a supervising Tenant. All these were arranged so that Giri and her rider were boxed in and protected from any kind of accidental disturbance.

They reached the gate and the guards there cleared a way so that the party could ride straight through. Eriana's rides were familiar to the city troops now, so she was always given priority. The party walked slowly along the highway for about half a mark and then turned off onto a lane which led to some small farms that were situated close to the city walls.

"Do you know where we are?" Eriana asked.

Ursula replied, "I have no idea, Highness."

She looked around, but nothing seemed familiar. After all, she had not been beyond the walls since regaining her memory.

"If you would look up there," the Princess pointed, "that is the part of the wall we went up to that evening. This is the farm we could see from there. The steadholder has graciously permitted us to use several of his fields in order to train our riders better. There is only so much that can be done in the mansion's courtyard."

Maralin added from behind, "And of course, the surface is soil and grass, which is much better for the frayens' feet."

Around here the sun was on the far side of the city so the walls were shadowed. Squinting, she shaded her eyes with a free hand and looked up. Ancient fortifications had been of little interest to her in Russia, so much of what she saw meant nothing. Like so much else in this strange place she would just have to take somebody else's word for it.

"If you say so, Highness," she said once again.

Now in double file, they followed the other Tenant along a cart-track to the farm buildings. When somebody noticed their arrival, a door opened and the farmer came out to greet them. He made an elaborate bow to Eriana.

"Your Highness, welcome again."

"Good morning, Goodman Heddel. I trust all is well?"

"As always, Highness. If I may ask, will you be using the same field as before?"

"We shall, Goodman. As you may have noticed, we have a new rider with us today, Mistress Ursula, who is new to riding. It is not so easy to explain basic steps in the noise and distractions of the Mansion, so I thought to bring her here."

Heddel bowed to Ursula. "Be welcome here, Mistress." He turned back to Eriana. "Highness, since you last rode here I have had the field lined, as Tenant Maralin suggested, to provide a safe place for the Mistress to learn." He hesitated. "Ah, Highness, if I may ask a boon. Your presence here has been noticed by several in the city, and there have been... requests, perhaps, for others to make use of the field as you and your party have done."

"Have there now?" Eriana grinned. "I doubt not that there are many, many women who now desire to ride, having seen me and the girls in days past. What is it you desire of me?"

Heddel looked troubled. "Highness, I am but a farmer, as you know. I am not sure if I can manage the complications should anyone other than you or any of your party desire to make use of my fields. It is in my nature to help others but I know not how."

"Goodman, I know little of your abilities or circumstances, I am essentially a woman of the open sea. Maralin, mayhap you may offer suggestions?"

Maralin rode forward, nodding to the man before addressing Eriana. "Highness, there may be something, something that will benefit both the city and the farmer, if he is willing."

"Oh?" She smiled at Maralin. "Have I overlooked something?"

"I don't think so, Highness. You probably didn't have the need for such a thing in Einnland." Maralin turned to the farmer. "Goodman, I do have an idea, but if you decide to take it up then your days as a farmer of gavakhan will probably come to an end. In fact, I do not think that I am exaggerating if I tell you that the city will, very likely, expand outside the walls in a year or two. If that happens, you would have to move anyway, so what I propose may be just accepting the inevitable."

The farmer stared at Maralin before nodding. "I have heard a little of the changes happening inside the city, Tenant. There are strange constructions... my wife has noticed the new attire to be seen at the market and she wonders if some of it may be appropriate to herself. By your own attire, and that of your companions, I can tell that change is already coming to Joth. What is it you propose?"

"That you consider, perhaps, setting up a riding school here on your lands, for the use of the people of the city who wish to learn to ride. You would have to have stables for the mounts, and tack, and everything which goes with the riding and care of frayen, but I am certain that His Grace may be of help there. Your fields might not remain suitable for gavakhan in the future, but a riding school would certainly survive in the newer, larger city, since there are always people who need to learn to ride."

"A riding school!" Eriana exclaimed. "What an interesting idea, Maralin. You are right, such a thing would not be necessary in Einnland, but for a city such as Joth... an important addition, I deem."

Heddel spread his hands. "But, Highness, I know little about the care of frayen! I can ride, aye, but I am too poor to own any beast. Why, with the city just there we have no need of them."

Eriana waved a hand. "I am certain that a way shall be found, Goodman. I shall speak to the Duke myself once we return to his mansion. For now, I see that Ursula becomes restless, so we had better make our way to the field. By your leave?"

The man made a deep bow. "Of course, Highness."

The mounted party walked past the small collection of farm buildings to another track, the farmer following on foot. Over a culvert across one of the inevitable broad ditches, they entered a fair-sized pasture. This had been marked out with waist-high stakes and a rope nailed to the top, forming a simple visible barrier to rider and beast, but one which would not cause severe injuries if somebody barged into it by accident.

"Let us just walk around the edge to begin with," Eriana instructed. "Follow me."

The party set off in single file around the perimeter of the small - by Earth standards - field. Ursula found the motion of riding to be awkward, causing her to continually shift her balance as her mount moved along.

I am sure that it didn't feel like this yesterday. That was in a small courtyard, though, and this field is of course different in many respects. Perhaps I am just not made for riding?

"A moment, Highness, if you would."

That was Maralin from somewhere behind her. She wanted to turn around but was afraid what her mount might decide to do if she did. Everybody stopped, Giri more because the frayen in front had stopped than as a result of anything Ursula might have done.

"Maralin?"

"If I may have a word with Ursula, Highness." He rode forward to stop beside her. "Mistress, to me it looks as if you are fighting your beast. You keep shifting, and every time you do so she has to compensate for your movement, which just makes you shift even more."

She blinked. "Is that what I was doing? I thought that was how one was supposed to ride. It was not very comfortable, I will admit."

Maralin grimaced. "It certainly did not look right to me. Look, you have to find a balance between just sitting like a sack of grain and moving all over the place. Aye, you do have to move, but what you are supposed to be doing is helping your mount, not fighting her. Frayen are not really intelligent but they get to understand their riders' movements and once they do that, they will know that you can look after yourself. Once they are confident that you know what you are doing, they will help you as much as they can."

"But I do not know how to do that! It is too soon."

"Not really. The sooner you can adjust the sooner your mount will feel confident with you on board. Another thing - you have to carry some of your weight in the stirrups. They are not just there to keep your legs out of the way. Have you ever ridden a bicycle?"

"No."

"Oh. If you had done so, you would know that it is better to put some of your weight on the pedals, rather than keeping it all on the saddle. This is just the same thing."

Ursula thought about this. "I think I understand. When I have watched people on horses - on the TV, you understand - I did not realize that their movement in the saddle was so important." She looked around at the others. "Let me try a few different things, see if any of them make a difference."

Maralin smiled. "That is why we are out here, Mistress."

Eriana had turned her frayen halfway round to listen to Maralin's words. "It was hard for some of us, Ursula, when the men learned to ride. You have to make your body behave a different way." She had a thought. "It is like keeping your balance on a pitching deck. You will tense your legs, and bend your knees, and move your back, to compensate. But after a while you will not even notice that you are doing anything."

Ursula began to get irritated by the additional advice. I know that I am doing something wrong! The advice is good but I have to concentrate on riding.

Despite this, she kept her face calm and merely nodded. "I did not think of that, Highness. I must find out what will work and what will not."

The next bell was, Ursula felt, exhausting. She tried a number of different approaches but many of them resulted in Giri turning and giving her a look which implied that her rider was being deliberately awkward. Finally, she stumbled on a method which seemed comfortable to herself and also to her mount, who suddenly began to walk in a completely different manner.

"That looks good," Eriana said approvingly. "I can see that Giri moves differently already. What of yourself? Have you learned the secret?"

Ursula concentrated hard on her body movements. "Highness, I have no idea what I am doing, only that it works this way. I have to continually shift my weight from leg to leg and I can feel the strain in my lower back."

"That will soon go, I deem. You have reached the first stage of being a frayen rider, Ursula, a stage which took me a full week to achieve. If you would walk a complete turn about the field, we should then stop for a drink. Then, perhaps, the rest of us can exercise our own beasts alongside yours."

It was a relief to get off after all that. The farmer's wife had previously started a kettle for the inevitable pel so they stood in a loose circle, nursing their mugs.

"Ow! Now I have to teach myself how to stand properly again."

"That happens whatever you ride," Maralin observed. "Bicycles, motorbikes, horses, elephants. Because your legs are stretched apart, they get using to being in that position. All this will soon pass, believe me."

"If you say so, Tenant."

"I know what horses are," Eriana said conversationally, "even though I have never seen one. But what might those other creatures be?"

Maralin chuckled. "Bicycles are a lightweight machine used by many on Earth to get around on, Highness. They have two wheels and the rider has to turn pedals to move them along. On a decent road surface you can probably do the same speed as a frayen at a trot. A motorbike is simply a much heavier version of a bicycle, usually with a big engine to move it along faster on the roads. It does not depend on the fitness of the rider, as a bicycle does."

"And the last word? Is that another machine?"

"Oh, no! That is a huge animal, maybe two to three times the height of a dranakh." Maralin paused. "If I described it to you here you would think I was making a joke, Highness. When we get back to the mansion, I will try and draw a picture of one. I don't think they have anything remotely like an elephant on Anmar, though of course I could be wrong. There is so much of this world that we know nothing about."

"So I have learned, Maralin. Perhaps the new Navy will contribute to our knowledge, by naming and numbering all that we find as we explore our world."

He nodded. "That is exactly what happened on Earth, Highness. Many significant discoveries were made, of plants and animals, but also of the way the world works. I will make some notes of what I remember once we return to the mansion."

* * *

Nobody was quite sure of the sequence of events, but the end result could not have been more plain. They had progressed to riding in a group at the trot, to show Ursula how her body movements worked when her frayen changed pace. One of the guardsmens' mounts picked up a prickly weed leaf between two of its rear toes and that had obviously hurt when weight was put on it. It had kicked, causing the other frayen to scatter.

One of the others barged into Giri and she switched directions abruptly. Since Ursula was unprepared, her right boot came out of the stirrup and the change unbalanced her. Over she went, her left boot snagging in the stirrup. She was dragged along, almost upside down, for two or three paces before it came free. She landed with a thump and one of the other frayen promptly stepped on her thigh.

"Stop, everybody! Rider down!"

Bennet and Semma reached her quickly, both dismounting swiftly with ease of practice.

"Mistress, are you hurt?"

"One of the beasts trampled me, but I think it realized what it was doing, since it kind of hopped over me," Ursula replied. "I'll have a bruise there, I expect, but..." She frowned. "Something isn't right. My stomach feels strange. Maybe I'm just winded." She checked herself over, cautiously. "I do not think that anything is broken."

Maralin reached her. "Soft tissue damage?"

"Mmm. My left ankle, perhaps, where it was caught in the stirrup. I do not think it will cause me a problem. My thigh, certainly, but I do not know if it will be enough to prevent me riding. I'll probably have a bruise by tonight. As for the rest... I will need to look myself over in the bathing chamber when we return to the mansion." She suddenly grimaced. "There it is again. It is not a feeling that I am familiar with."

"Are you sure it just stepped on your thigh? Not your stomach? That might be what you are feeling."

"That is what I thought happened." Ursula rolled over to a sitting position. "Oh." She looked up, embarrassed. "I feel wet down there. Maybe he caught my bladder. How do I..?"

Bennet crouched down. "Mistress, if you would let me look."

She gave Maralin a look and he backed away a step or two to give them privacy. By now all the others had gathered, dismounted, and watched what was happening. Bennet reached down and lifted Ursula's riding skirt before looking at her.

"Mistress, it is not what you think. See for yourself."

Ursula cautiously took the skirt hem and pulled it up so that she could see for herself.

"Blood? I didn't think I had injured myself when I fell! Maybe a claw -"

"Mistress, it is not that sort of blood." Bennet looked at the location of the stain on Ursula's breeches. "I would venture that it is your Call, maybe started a day early. If you had known when we rose this morning, we could have prepared you for it."

"Call?" Ursula's expression was blank. "What do you mean?"

Bennet was puzzled by Ursula's reaction. "Your Call of Kalikan, Mistress. Did you not realize? Have there been no signs?"

"Kalikan? I do not understand. Isn't Kalikan the name of one of the moons?" Realization suddenly dawned. "Oh."

How could I have forgotten? If I have a woman's body now, then logically this has to happen.

But what has Kalikan to do with it?

Realization dawned on Maralin as well. He began to step closer to Ursula to explain, but Eriana stopped him.

"Maralin! Stay there. You of all people should know what this means."

He turned. "Aye, Highness, but perhaps you do not." He looked at the interested group of male spectators. "If I may have a word with you, Highness. In private."

Eriana gave him a cold look but then nodded. "Over here." She turned to the others. "Semma, attend Ursula, if you would. Gentlemen, this is woman's business. If you would retire to a different part of the field."

As the men backed off, muttering, Eriana joined Maralin away from both groups. "Well?"

"Highness, as you know, Ursula had a male body on Earth. She has only been female since just before we found her on that island. I am guessing that she has never had a Call of Kalikan before. This will be her first. It is not surprising that she did not notice any signs."

"Her first?" Eriana's eyes widened before she nodded. "Aye, of course. She would know nothing of such matters, would she? And your own body is no longer ruled by Kalikan, I deem."

"That is true, Highness, but, then," he smiled at Eriana, "you do not have to shave every morning, do you? There are benefits and limitations to both sides as you well know."

"As you say. So, what shall we do with Ursula? Surely she can ride no more this day."

"I'll send one of the men back to the mansion for a carriage, Highness. While we wait for that to come, you and the girls could take Ursula into..." He looked at the farm buildings. "...One of those barns, perhaps, or maybe there might be enough room in the farmhouse itself... But you want privacy to clean her up. I'm guessing that Bennet or Semma will have emergency pads and panties?"

Her eyes narrowed. "How do you..? Of course you would. I assume that on the mother world all women carry such things?"

"Most of the time, Highness. That is a conversation for another time, I guess."

"Indeed. For now, let us attend Ursula's needs. I will explain to the girls what you have just told me."

"As you command, Highness."

Eriana went to the girls and explained what would happen. Maralin, with a word to the other Tenant, walked off towards the farmhouse. The farmer's wife shook her head when he explained what he wanted but the farmer pointed to one of the barns, presently containing the remains of the winter fodder. He looked inside before returning to the others. Eriana joined him.

"The farm is too small, Highness, but there is a reasonably clean barn with some fodder which Ursula could lie on. The farmer's wife will boil some more water to clean her up with. As I suspected, there is no carriage here, not even a cart, so I'll have to send for one."

"Good work, Maralin, and sensitively done."

"Thank you, Highness." He gave her a quirky smile. "I have been in that situation myself, on Earth. There, our periods are not locked to our Moon the way they are to Kalikan here, so it is possible to misjudge the date occasionally. Women there are used to it so plan accordingly."

"Indeed? We should learn more... Though perhaps I ought to be worried about a man who knows so much of such matters."

"Ah, but Highness, remember, there I was not a man. Consider me just as a source of information about human bodies both male and female."

"As Ursula is about healing matters? Just so. Very well. Shall you now send someone for a carriage? By the time we return to the mansion, it will be nearly lunchtime, I deem."

"I'll do that, Highness."

* * *

Ursula stepped carefully from the carriage into the front courtyard of the mansion, feeling very embarrassed.

Everybody knows I went out with Eriana for a ride and now, here I am, coming back in a carriage! They will think that I cannot even do something as simple as stay on the back of a frayen.

That will give ammunition to those men outside, most of whom would rather we didn't ride at all.

The "we" in her thought passed her by. That bridge had long been crossed.

Having to be cleaned up in that barn by Bennet and Semma was embarrassing too, despite the fact that neither thought anything of it. Does this happen all the time?

At least I do not have to get on Giri again for a few days. Although... I will have to try and learn how to ride all over again!

Which leads to another question. How long does this last, and what will I be able to do while it goes on? I never paid any attention to the women staff at the hospital. I do not remember any of them being absent for a few days each month. Perhaps they managed?

...But that was with modern pads and tampons. I will bet those are not available here yet.

"Mistress? Shall we go into the mansion?" That was Bennet. "I deem we will just have enough time to clean you up before lunch is served."

"Yes. Of course."

She followed Bennet into the building, while Maralin saw to the disposal of the carriage and frayen, including hers which had been brought back on a leading rein. Eriana had elected to remain at the farm for a while, along with Semma, as Tenant Grabenar had offered to show them some special tricks that a mounted armsman could do during combat. She would probably appear just as lunch was called.

Inevitably, they met Fanis as they were climbing the stairs to their room.

"Ursula! Did you enjoy your ride?"

"Your Grace, I fell off through no fault of my own. While I was down the girls discovered..." She lowered her voice. It was bad enough speaking about this in public. "Something called Kalikan."

Fanis's eyebrows rose. "Oh? Did you not know when... Oh, how could you? And Bennet attends you? Good. Go and get yourself cleaned up, there is just enough time before lunch." The Duchess considered. "Would you consent to a private talk after our nap? There are matters of a female nature we must needs speak about, I deem." She gave Bennet a significant glance.

Ursula replied, "Your Grace, it was all completely unexpected. Although, of course, I should have known better. Yes, I think that I had better find out what happens here," on Anmar, "before much longer."

"Then I will let you two go. Um, if you do not take too long, which I believe you probably will not, I will try and delay the start of lunch until you appear."

Bennet said, "Your Grace, you are most gracious."

In their suite both stripped off. Bennet would have no further need for her riding gear so quickly swapped it for a 'ship dress'. Ursula removed everything except the borrowed tie-side panty.

In the bath chamber Bennet pulled the rope for water, pulling again when the water was about shin deep to stop it. Ursula looked at the water in the large tiled depression and considered.

If that is just to clean me up, it is a waste of a lot of hot water. Surely they have better ways of doing this?

"Mistress, you should enter first by yourself. It will be necessary for you to clean yourself up below, and then I will empty it all out and ask for more so that you may enjoy a quick bath."

"How do I..?" Ursula asked as she removed the panty.

"We use this," was the reply, as Bennet handed her a stick with a slot at one end, through which had been pushed a wad of natural sponge. "Ah, there are things we add to the water to help the smell, and to prevent infection." She reached for a shelf on which there were pots and bottles, lifting down two small bottles. "Here are two of the oils which we use. Will you choose one?"

Bennet uncorked the two and Ursula sniffed each. "I don't know either of these, Bennet, but I like the smell of that one. You are saying it will help?"

"Oh, yes, Mistress! You will see in a moment."

The guardswoman added a few drops to the water and the small chamber was filled with a soothing fragrance. Returning the bottles to the shelf, she brought down a large tub which seemed to be filled with a kind of coarse pale pink sand.

"We usually add some of these letsul crystals to the water, it helps to make sure that everything stays clean."

She suited action to words by sprinkling a handful of the salts into the water before returning the tub to the shelf.

"Oh, mayhap you will know more of what happens to a woman's body than we do?"

Ursula grimaced. "In theory I do, yes, but since it never affected me I did not take too much notice. In the hospital -" Bennet now had some idea what that word meant, "- if anyone came in with that happening we let the female staff handle the matter."

"As well you should. Men might know what happens but it is different when it is your own body. Only another woman may appreciate what Kalikan does to us."

"As I am now beginning to learn."

Clean, wearing one of her own ship dresses and still slightly damp, Ursula and Bennet entered the dining room to be greeted by Fanis.

"Ah, good. I trust everything went as it should?"

Bennet answered, "Aye, Your Grace. There is nothing unexpected to report."

"That is well. Ursula, how do you feel?"

"Fresh and clean, Your Grace, with a few bruises where a frayen stepped on me, that is all. The other matter, well, you said we would talk later."

Eriana had been at the far end of the room, speaking with Wallesan, and now she came to join them.

"Ursula! Has there been any problem?"

"Nothing so far, Highness." She lowered her voice. "Of course, as yet I have no idea what is considered to be normal. Her Grace asks to speak with me privately after our nap."

Fanis quickly said, "Join us, Eriana, if you have no other pressing business! What has happened is important to every woman, and poor Ursula has had a surprise today."

"Thank you, Fanis, I think that I will."

"Good. Then since I see we are all here, let us sit and eat. Ursula, shall you eat? I know that for some, it can affect their appetite."

"Your Grace, so far as I can tell, there is nothing wrong with my appetite - at least, today."

* * *

When Ursula joined Fanis in the small sitting room she found Eriana, Renita and Maralin there as well as the Duchess. Fanis indicated a seat, and as Ursula made herself as comfortable as she could she raised a querying eyebrow at her hostess.

"Ursula, dear, it occurred to me that without Maralin to guide us we will not know what you do not know about the Call of Kalikan. I have therefore asked him to join us, so that he may describe to you how matters may differ between here and your home world."

Ursula shook her head. "Your Grace, it seems that I must now consider Anmar to be my homeworld. I have been told, though I do not know if it is true, that I can never return to Earth."

Fanis bowed her head. "Please accept my apology if I misspoke, then. As for other matters, perhaps Maralin may be willing to explain. I trust that you do not object to his presence here? Less than a year ago he was a woman on Earth, so he has as much understanding of what we discuss, as well as some important differences, so I have been told."

"It seems strange to me, Your Grace, but considering my own experiences, I do not think that I can object to him being here. What about -" She gestured in Renita's direction.

"Renita is here for two reasons, firstly because she knows the truth about you, and secondly, seeing as you spend time together in the kitchen, you may be more comfortable asking her for advice if I am not available."

Ursula looked at Renita and their eyes met. "That is true. I am... unaccustomed to saying anything about such matters to anyone and I did not know how women here treat the subject. I know a little better now and I suspect that I will know far too much by the end of it all. Right now I know hardly anything, though, so some basic information would be useful.

"First, if I may ask, what exactly is the Call of Kalikan? I have heard the phrase used, and I am guessing that Kalikan must serve the same function for women as the Moon does on Earth, but I am led to believe that there is something more."

Maralin replied, "You are right, Mistress. Kalikan is about the same size as the Moon, so Princess Garia believes, and it appears to exert a similar influence here on Anmar. A minor difference is the fact that it goes around in thirty-one days or so, rather than the twenty-nine of the Moon, which means a slightly longer period, if I can use that word, between Calls. Now a major difference is that the periods of a woman on Anmar are more tightly locked to the orbit of Kalikan. Here, your period will usually begin on the same day of the month, every month."

"Every month? How can that be? I thought - from idle talk, of course, since I was not that interested on Earth - that periods varied from month to month. Why is it not the same here?"

Maralin shrugged. "I cannot answer that, Mistress. All I know is that today is the twenty-fourth day of Pertelin, so your periods - or your Calls, as they know them here - will usually begin on the twenty-fourth day of each month."

Ursula thought. "But, surely, the Moon - I mean Kalikan, cannot go around in exactly thirty-one days, can it? What happens when the days shift, as they must do?"

It was Fanis who replied. "Ursula, dear, the star-gazers of all Alaesia are in constant touch with one another and will all agree that, when the days eventually roll over, as they must, an extra day is added to the calendar to ensure that the day numbers will remain the same. Oh, for a very few people that might mean that their Call may move to the day before or after for a time, but for most it will stay the same."

Maralin added, "In Alaesia, Mistress, it seems that we all use the same calendar, regardless of who rules or where they are. I have been told, by the Royal Astronomer of Palarand, that there are one or two places which use different names for the months, but the month numbers and day numbers will be the same."

"Oh. I see." Ursula digested this for a moment. "What a strange thing! But I can see that it would be useful to know exactly when it is to happen."

"Ursula," Eriana said, "to us it seemed very strange when Maralin described what happened on Earth. Not to know what day my Call would happen, that seems strange to me! And he tells us that it can vary from one month to the next, as well."

She shrugged. "Highness, what can I say? On Earth, that is what happens to every woman, so we are all used to it." She frowned. "Of course, there are supposed to be signs that your period is due and women on Earth take notice of that, but I never had any warning before today. Is this normal?"

"Oh, no, it is not!" Eriana leaned forward. "Every woman has different experiences, Ursula, as you might expect. Sometimes it is as your own, sometimes it can be... unpleasant. I was told that Garia's first experience was so bad she became the talk of the palace - among the women, of course. No man would dare speak of such matters."

"Oh. It seems that I got off lightly, then. So, what happens next? As I mentioned before, my knowledge of... Calls, as you call them, is knowledge only, not experience."

"Calls usually last for four days, or occasionally five," Fanis explained. "The first two days are usually the worst but after that you should be able to move around normally and do almost everything that you could do before. You will need to speak with Senia, I deem. There are well-known potions and herbs which we take when the Call becomes bad, to settle your stomach and ease away headaches. She will advise you, and of course we always keep stocks of such potions and herbs in the palace."

Eriana added, "Ursula, we also keep stocks on the Visund, seeing as there are three women traveling together on it. Most of us will know how to manage should we be traveling when a Call comes."

"And another meaning of your Call, that you may not have considered," Fanis said with a smile, "is that you now have proof that your body is as that of a normal woman, which means that some day you may bear your own children."

Ursula sat stunned. All her life on Earth she had wished desperately to be female, but had always thought that she would have to have surgery to achieve her aim. Surgery, of course, would give her the appearance of a woman but not the internal organs. She had simply discounted the possibility of bearing her own children.

I can have my own children!

I can become pregnant, give birth, feed my own baby with my own milk. I never imagined...

A wave of emotion ran over her body.

That means so much to me, but I never thought that I could have any of it.

"Ursula?" Eriana looked concerned at her expression.

"It is a big shock, Highness. I never considered such a thing. You are right, having a... Call proves that my body is doing things that all normal women's bodies do. I suppose that psychologically I still think of myself as a man who has a woman's body, no matter how much I wanted that body."

"But you are a woman." That was Fanis. "Ever since you arrived at the mansion there has never been any doubt, at least in my mind, that you were as I am. Perhaps your words have sometimes been blunter than I would expect a woman to speak, but I thought that was because, as you told us, your native tongue was so different than our own. Now you may be certain that your body can do all that any other woman's body can."

"If I did not know it before, Highness, I know it now."

Eriana smirked. "Before you may bear your own child, Ursula, you must needs find a man to give it to you."

"Highness! I have not had time to even consider such a thing!"

The Princess was contrite. "I am sorry, Ursula, that was unkind of me. I know that you are still finding your way in our world. I would not ask you to have the complication of a man in your life until you are comfortable among us."

"Aye, Highness," Maralin added. "I would guess that men and women are the same on Anmar as they are on Earth, for the most part. That also means," he turned to Ursula, "that you must look after yourself, because as a single woman you will be the target of every passing male. But of course you already know this."

Fanis said, "Maralin, in some respect Ursula is protected as she is presently a member of our court. It is something for us to consider in the future. Tell me, what happened to Princess Garia when she arrived in Palarand, for I know that she was not a Princess then? Do you know?"

"Aye, Your Grace. The King thought long and carefully before deciding on a way to protect Garia, and in the end it was his brother who provided the key. You see, Garia had not really been at court for very long, so if the King simply gave her a title, in order to protect her, he knew that it would anger many of his nobles. Even though she had already told them of several significant new ideas, such as paper and printing, the idea of giving a title to a newcomer would look like favoritism."

He grinned. "Then Duke Gilbanar remembered a poor, out of the way town at the edge of the Kingdom which could be used as a nominal title for Garia. She had mentioned coal by that time, so the fact that this town sat on a thick seam of coal jogged the Duke's memory. By giving her that town as her title, he could say that she had been given protection for her own safety but the other nobles would think that she had been passed off with a worthless holding. Only later would it become apparent that the coal was not worthless after all."

Fanis smiled. "Oh, how clever! And is this town still small and poor?"

"Indeed not, Your Grace. I have yet to travel there but I have been told that it is a bustling place, full of miners and energy. It is so rich that the locals pay no tax at all, the coal providing enough income for everything that has been done so far."

"Indeed!" Her face fell. "Yet Joth is not so fortunate as Palarand, I deem. We have no mountainous provinces full of ores to provide income for our treasury. Still, you have given me some thoughts for the future. Mayhap I will write Terys and ask for advice." She turned to Ursula. "It is too soon for such decisions concerning yourself, dear. After all, you have been with us for less than two weeks. Know simply that the Duchy of Joth has given oath that you will be looked after, protected, as your status requires, and that we will help you adapt to your new place in our world."

"Thank you, Your Grace."

Eriana added, "Thank you, Fanis. We know that those of Joth understand these matters, having already taken Maralin in. For myself, you can be certain that I and my crew will assist you in your efforts to protect and help Ursula."

"Well said, Eriana. I have already seen how your men regard Ursula."

There was a knock at the door. Maralin went to answer it and returned, followed by a servant with a tray containing pel and pastries. The group busied themselves with drinks and snacks for a while.

Ursula ventured, "Earlier you mentioned a month name, Maralin. I assume that I will have to learn all those? What about day names?"

Maralin grinned. "Oh, aye, there are thirteen months and I have yet to learn all the names myself. I expect that it will take a year or two before either of us is comfortable with them all. One thing that you will find different here is that, because the months are fixed to Kalikan, they don't start again at the new year. This means that a month can start before the end of one year and finish in the next... which might also mean that you can get another month with the same name at the end of that next year!"

Ursula puzzled over this. "I do not understand." She shrugged. "It is different, that is all. I will have to learn it as I will have to learn much else. What about day names, then?"

Fanis in turn looked puzzled. "We do not name the days, dear, except by their numbers in each month."

Eriana said, "Fanis, it was a surprise to me that the days are not named in the Great Valley, but know that we have names for them in Einnland. They are named after our gods, mostly."

"What? You have thirty-one gods?"

"Thirty-one? No, indeed! We name the days of the week, that is what I meant, and I suspect that is what Ursula means. There are seven names, being Baldur's day, Mani's day, Tyr's day, Woden's day, Thor's day, Freya's day and, oddly, Washing day."

"Washing day!"

Eriana looked embarrassed. "Aye. The reasons why are all lost in history, I deem - or maybe it was one of our ancient Kings who became annoyed with the smell of those at court. I doubt we should ever know. Ursula, do these sound familiar?"

"Not in Russian," she replied, "but Russian day names are related to numbers of the day in the week. In English and German some of them sound like names I know, yes. That is because they come from the same source, I believe."

Maralin added, "Some of those sound similar to English, Highness, but a thousand years is a long time and I am not surprised there are differences."

"So many languages!" Fanis remarked. "And three you name are not of this world, I deem. Still, apart from your particular interest, we of Joth must needs make do with the Valley tongue, in which I note that Ursula is becoming more understandable to us each day." She had a thought. "Dear, since you must remain in the mansion at least a day or two, have you yet any thought what you might do?"

Ursula replied, "Your Grace, I have not. What has happened today has been a surprise, as you mentioned before, and I do not know what to do. Obviously I cannot ride." She added, "Not that I had any other plans arranged, either."

"As you say. Today is nearly ended, but tomorrow is another day. If you find that your head is clear enough, might I suggest you begin your lessons in reading and writing. I know that Senia has made a start with you, since it will be essential that you are able to read the labels on potions and ointments and so on, but it will help you in so many other ways too. Shall I ask for a scribe to attend you tomorrow?"

Ursula thought and her reply was cautious. "I would like to see how I feel tomorrow, Your Grace, before you ask others to change their own plans."

"As you wish, my dear. And now," the Duchess said with a smile, "you can tell me what happened out at the farm before we go and make ourselves ready for the evening meal."

* * *

"Maralin?"

"Hmm? Oh, aye, Ursula? What may I do for you?"

"Oh, I was wondering... When I returned to the mansion, Bennet and I -" She stopped, flustered. "Intellectually, I know that you were once a woman, but this does seem awkward. Do you mind?"

"Of course not, Mistress. What did you have in mind?"

"Firstly, have you seen the size of the baths in the guest suites?"

"Aye, I have, though I have not yet had the pleasure of using one of those in the mansion. The ones provided for officers are more my size, I think."

"That is the problem! First, Bennet had to put in a small amount of water so that I could clean myself up, and it came up to about thirty centimeters. Um, a third of a stride, I suppose. Now, given that the bath is about two meters by three -" She stopped, annoyed with herself. "I will learn to call them strides, I will! The point is, that is a lot of hot water just to wash a small part of one body."

"And you are wondering if anything can be done to save heating that much water. I agree. All heating and cooking in Joth is done by burning wood and much of that has to be imported, as you must realize. Joth is only a small island and it would have to be entirely covered by forest in order to meet all our needs."

"I was wondering, perhaps a simple basin would be enough, but it would have to be lower than a washbasin because -"

"Yes. I understand. Now Garia has recently introduced flush toilets to Palarand, but I guess it will be several years until the clay industry develops enough for them to be available in quantity, especially over here in Joth. The logical next step after porcelain toilets is washbasins and bidets, I guess. Is that what you were thinking of?"

"Bidets! I had not thought of exactly that but, you are right, it will be the right way to do it."

"And women all over the Great Valley will praise your name, I doubt not." He nodded. "A very good idea, Mistress, and exactly the sort of new idea that I imagined you might produce." He grinned. "I, a mere man, might not have thought of that one! I will make sure that the Duke knows of this but I know what he will say, and most of it will probably not be polite. It is a question of coin, materials and craftsmen and all are in short supply these days. Still, the idea will be there, and maybe, if a letter goes to Palarand, you might see a prototype here in the mansion in a year or so."

"Is that possible? Do they work that quickly?"

He grinned again. "It will be an idea from Earth, Mistress, and that will be enough. You see, because it is something that is known to already exist, all the guildsmen have to do is figure out how it works and what it looks like. It isn't like inventing anything completely new. If they can find somebody to make it, it will be made, because they know that it has been made somewhere else."

"Oh. I see." Ursula began to see the potential in her position. "So, if I should think of anything else, what should I do?"

"Ah, now that could be a problem. A means of washing one's body is one thing, but certain other inventions have to be carefully controlled. Like guns, for example. That's why there is a kind of council, to make sure we don't accidentally bring devices to Anmar which could cause a lot of trouble. Short answer, bring it to me or the Duke and we will make sure that it is considered."

"You are on this council?"

"I am, but you should not mention the council to anyone else other than myself, His Grace and Renita."

"I can see the sense in what you say."

They are dribbling out technology to the people here. I can see there are dangers but is this the best way? This must be some kind of ethical question.

I must be careful, but then I am always careful.

Except this morning!

"I had better go," she added. "Bennet is giving me looks. Good night to you, Maralin."

"Good night, Mistress."