Ursula finds herself in a Watch station with Brodgar accused of murder. Wallesan is forced to intervene, but afterwards Ursula informs him that she has a story to tell. Cue murder, arson, flight, disguise, terror, desperation and relentless pursuit!

The Voyage of the Visund

A tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

15 - The Fugitive

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) 2018 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.

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It was the noise of the argument that woke Ursula.

She cautiously opened her eyes to discover that she was lying on a couch at the side of a medium-sized room that was apparently not in the mansion. The walls and ceiling were dirty, for one thing, and there was a wood fire burning in an open fireplace across the room, despite the time of year. The dirt looked like the wear of many years of use, rather than anything else. Beside the fire was a wrought iron rack which held two blackened kettles. Against another wall, surrounded by several mismatched chairs, was a table which had a random collection of mugs on it, and the thought came to her: mess room.

The door was half open and in it, looking out, was a woman. The argument was taking place in the next room, and some of the voices sounded familiar.

"But he killed a man! It definitely wasn't self defense, which means he has broken the laws of Joth, whoever he is!"

"The situation is complicated, Tenant." That voice she recognized as Kalmenar. "He was acting to prevent Mistress Ursula being injured or killed. After all, she did have a knife at her throat."

"I can't help that! The law is the law. I cannot make exceptions for anyone, especially on the word of a foreigner."

There was a sigh of exasperation. "I told you, both Mistress Ursula and myself reside with His Grace at the Mansion. There are special circumstances surrounding the Mistress, and I am certain that His Grace will answer you in time."

"More foreigners!"

"His Grace is not a foreigner, I deem. But you are right, the rest of us are all visitors to Joth and this makes your job awkward. If you would just wait until our messenger returns from the mansion, I am certain that we may have answer for you."

There was a noise, as if of breath let out in exasperation. "If I must, but I warn you, if no-one has come by the time the next bell sounds, he'll have to go off to the cells. Once there, it will be out of my hands."

Ursula decided that it was time she made herself known.

"Excuse me."

The woman turned. "Ah, you have awakened! Good." She walked over to the couch. "How do you feel?"

"Odd really." She looked up at the woman. "Relaxed?"

The other nodded. "Aye, it was necessary to give you a calming potion. You were... anxious, let me say, and not helpful as the others were brought to the Watch post."

"Anxious?"

"Aye. To see a man killed right next to you, I am not surprised that you became... upset."

"That's not the reason... I have seen bodies before, and even had p-, uh, people die in front of me. No, it was something else that upset me, but no matter." She thought. "A calming potion, you said. You mean you gave me a sedative?"

"That's correct, Mistress." Her eyes narrowed. "You are a healer yourself, then?"

Ursula gave a wry smile. "You could say that, but not in the way you are." She looked at her arm. "I have been injured?"

"You did not know? It is a scratch only, Mistress. I have applied salve and wrapped it against dirt getting in."

"Boss!" That was another voice from beyond that she didn't recognize. "There's a carriage arriving, it looks like one of the Duke's. Maker! Look at the size of the sword that woman has! Shit. Boss, don't do anything stupid, will you?"

The next voice could have belonged to nobody else. "Good day to you. I am Princess Eriana of Palarand, presently a guest of His Grace. I understand that there has been some problem concerning my men."

"Captain, we do have a problem," Tor's voice came from beyond the door. He switched to Norse. «Mistress Ursula came to the market with Semma and this other woman and became separated from them. We sent out search parties and Brodgar found her in the grip of three men with a knife at her throat. He used his ax.»

«Ah, I see. And Ursula? What of her?»

«A scratch, nothing more. She, uh, suffered some kind of fit during the rescue. She's resting in that room, that woman's a healer, says she's all right but exhausted.»

"Hey! What are you saying? I want to know what's going on! Why did he call you Captain?"

"I ask your pardon, sir. What is your name?"

"Me? I am Tenant Bedarn of Joth City Watch, in charge of Green Shift today. A man has been killed and not in self defense. That man there admits the charge but says the woman was in danger so he had no choice but to act. This is not how we do things in Joth!"

"Thank you, Tenant. To answer you, as well as being the daughter of a King, I am captain and owner of the ship Visund which brought us, and your Duke, to Joth. My men are learning to speak the Valley tongue but many are not yet comfortable with it, although most will understand you. I sought information, that is why I spoke our own tongue. Tor is my ship's second in command, Brodgar one of our sailors."

"You are staying with His Grace, you said?" Bedarn's tone was suddenly more cautious. "Is it true what this man of yours says? That the woman in question is, ah, somehow special?" He made the last word sound dirty.

"Oh, yes, Tenant, you have no idea." Eriana's voice took on a familiar ring of command. "Now, if you would accept my suggestion, I think we should all go at once to the Mansion and lay your problem before His Grace. No, I do not think he will assign blame to you, I understand that you have rules and laws to follow, as everyone does."

"Well - this is very irregular, and I do not see that this is a matter that needs concern His Grace, but since you insist -"

"You have Mistress Ursula here? May I see her while you attend to your business?"

"Why, aye, of course!"

Eriana opened the door to the mess room and came in with a smile. "How are you feeling, Ursula?"

She returned a small smile. "Reasonable, thank you. Everybody seems to be asking me that today."

"Do you feel you will be able to return with me to the mansion? I have borrowed one of His Grace's carriages to get here quickly, so there is no need for you to walk."

"I think so." Ursula gestured. "This healer has been looking after me, I have a small scratch, nothing more."

"As I see. Mistress, you have the thanks of Palarand this day." To Ursula she asked, "Shall you join us outside?"

Ursula followed Eriana out of the room into a crowded space with an awning over it, full of men and women, mostly in uniform. This place appeared to be on the wide street that went through the market place, but a little distance from it. The noise of the activities there could be readily heard.

Semma pushed her way through. "Mistress, are you well? I feared for you when Brodgar carried you here, I thought that man's blade had caught you."

She held up her bandaged arm. "It had, but it is only a scratch, nothing more. What happened?"

"Ah, I was with one of the other men and we remained in the market place. A signal came and he said to come to the south Watch station, when we reached here there were two crewmen carrying you, two more carrying a body and six men of the Watch with two criminals, or so they said. Then they started accusing Brodgar of killing a man for no reason at all."

"No reason? He had a knife at my throat!"

Bedarn heard this and came over. "Is this true, Mistress? You will testify this?"

Ursula remembered what she had overheard. "I am willing to, yes, but the matter is complicated. Perhaps the Duke would be the best person to judge."

"You confirm that you are a guest of the Duke?"

"I am, and I am also a foreigner, as you can tell by my accent."

"Then by all means let us go to the Mansion at once and settle this matter. It is taking too many of my men away from their duties as it is."

Ursula sat next to Eriana in the carriage with Semma and Tavia opposite. Everybody else walked behind as the procession moved slowly through the crowded market place and then along the streets to reach the Duke's Mansion. In the group were the two survivors of those who had seized her in the lane, surrounded at a distance by members of the Watch with drawn swords.

In the yard there was a delay while Wallesan finished his current business and cleared the dining room for the returning party. Finally they were beckoned in to stand before him.

"I should know to expect trouble wherever those of Palarand are concerned," he said, his face showing no emotion. "Who will explain this circumstance to me? Tenant? Begin, if you will."

"Your Grace, a woman of Her Highness's party was reported missing in the market place. By chance two of her men were with me there on a trivial matter and they suggested search parties, each with one of mine and one of her crewmen, to search the streets of the city, as it appeared she may have wandered far.

"My man Terran was with crewman Brodgar a short distance from the market when they spotted the woman in a lane, being accosted by three of the city's rough men. The man Brodgar then threw an ax at the rough man who had a knife in his hand, killing him instantly. Your Grace, it was not self defense."

Ursula thought, All that I did this morning condensed into a few short sentences! A short distance from the market?

Did I just walk round in a circle, then? How embarrassing!

"Self defense?" Wallesan echoed. "But it seems the woman, Ursula, was being threatened, that is what you have carefully not said."

Bedarn bowed his head. "It was so, Your Grace. But, still -"

"I have spent days traveling with these men, Bedarn, and I will tell you now that I would trust them all with my life, indeed I have done. If Brodgar threw that ax, then I can assure you there was need."

Bedarn admitted defeat. "As you say, Your Grace."

"What of these others? Why are they here?"

"The situation is unclear to me, Your Grace. Mistress Ursula had some kind of fit and a healer gave her a potion to calm her. We awaited her word as to what exactly had happened when she was found, but Her Highness arrived before she was able to tell us anything. These two men deny being involved, saying they had come to help the mistress."

"Very well. Mistress Ursula, are you well enough to tell us what befell you?"

"Some, Your Grace." Ursula considered her words. "I became separated from Mistress Tavia and Semma at the market and managed to wander off." She looked embarrassed. "I became lost, Your Grace. I do not know where I went or where I was found. As I walked along that lane I was surrounded by three men who seemed intent on... making use of me, either by using me themselves or by selling me to other men.

"Then the one who was killed said that I was noble and had to be returned, but that they could get a reward, but he said it in such a way that what he really meant was ransom. They were just deciding where to hide me when Brodgar appeared at the end of the lane with that man there." She pointed. "Brodgar recognized me and they began to walk towards us, so the man who was killed pulled out a knife and held it to my throat."

Ursula shook her head. "I don't really recall much after that, Your Grace. I remember seeing the ax sticking out of his chest and that is all."

The Duke's gaze was sharp. "So these other two were involved after all?"

"Oh, yes, Your Grace! They both wanted to, in their words, 'try me out'."

"I must ask you formally, since the freedom and perhaps the lives of these two men are involved, will you swear to what you have just told us?"

Big question! What do I say? I know nothing about the law in this place. They could possibly be executed, just on my say-so.

She hesitated. "Your Grace, I know nothing of the law in your city, I know nothing about either of these men, what they have done before or what they might be capable of."

He nodded. "So you fear that your word could condemn them?"

She nodded. "That's right, Your Grace. Do I have the right?"

"An interesting question, Mistress. I have given an oath to protect you, and so has Her Highness." There was an in-drawing of breath in the room. "That means that your safety is my particular concern, for reasons you know. However, you are not a subject of mine and, in recent days, have been unforthcoming about your own past. On balance, though, whenever you have spoken you have been truthful and I would be inclined to accept your word.

"Given the circumstances, only you were there in that lane, only you can tell us what happened to you. You must decide whether these men should be freed or be subject to Jothan law. I will tell you that, on the evidence so far, that these men will likely spend half a year to a year engaged in hard labor. It is unlikely that their lives will be forfeit."

"Then I will swear as you require, Your Grace."

"Good." The Duke wrinkled his nose. "Now, before we do anything else, get those two outside and give them a good wash down. The air in here smells rank."

Bedarn came to attention. "As you command, Your Grace. And their trial?"

"Order it as usual, Tenant. Mistress Ursula will attend as victim and witness when required."

"Thank you, Your Grace. I'm sorry to have disturbed your morning, but the circumstances were -"

Wallesan held up a hand. "I half expected something of the sort, Tenant. As for the other matter, you were right to bring it to my attention but Brodgar was only defending Mistress Ursula's honor, as is required of every man. If anything like this should happen again in the future, we'll have a look at the law, see if it needs to be adjusted."

"Aye, Your Grace. Thank you, Your Grace."

The two men were ushered out of the room at sword point and all the Watch members present went with them. Wallesan looked at those left with a sigh.

"Mistress Tavia? I regret that your simple errand for Fanis has turned into an adventure. You have our apologies."

"Thank you, Your Grace, but I should have been more careful, taking two who did not know the city around a crowded market place. Next time I am asked to do something similar, I will take more care with my preparations."

Wallesan nodded. "As you say. You have probably done nothing that another would not have done, there is no blame to you."

Tavia curtseyed. "Your Grace. By your leave? I must return to attend my son, who has a recent injury."

"Of course."

Tavia departed, and the Duke turned to Ursula. "My dear, I believe that you were... selective... in your earlier statements."

Ursula blushed. "I wondered if you would notice. I did not want to burden the Tenant with matters of no interest to him."

"Ah?"

"I wish to speak in private with you, Your Grace. I have reached a decision."

"Ah! I see. Shall you require Tenant Maralin and Renita, as before?"

"Yes, Your Grace. Only he will understand much of what I have to say, but there should also be information of interest to you."

Wallesan thought. "I regret I will be busy until lunch, and afterwards we will of course take our naps. If we may arrange a meeting for when we rise?"

"As you wish, Your Grace."

Eriana noted, "Wallesan, remember that we have seamstresses coming later today. Fanis and I can probably occupy them some of the time, but Ursula is expecting attire from them as well."

The Duke nodded. "As you say. I'm sure we can manage, Eriana. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have to speak to some craftsmen about the city drains." He pulled a face. "I have put it off so far but I fear that the matter has become important, and we must solve it before the rains come."

Most people correctly took that as a signal of dismissal, so Eriana led the way out into the corridor. Most dispersed, but Eriana, Bennet and Semma were left surrounding Ursula.

"Your arm," Eriana said to Ursula. "If I may look at your injury? I am not familiar with the work of healers in this land, I would like to see for myself what they have done to you."

"Of course, Highness." Ursula looked around. "Here? Or one of these rooms?"

Eriana smiled. "Better if we went up to my suite, I deem. Then at least we will not all be blocking the corridor."

Eriana's suite was obviously sized for a visiting couple, so was much larger than Ursula's. The four trooped into the separate dressing room and Eriana gestured for Ursula to take the seat in front of the dressing table.

"You said that you had not told the Watch Tenant all," she remarked. "Is this something you can share with me?"

By now the effects of the potion had worn off completely and Ursula was completely aware of her surroundings. Suddenly all the colors looked brighter, everything looked sharper, sounds were clearer. She shivered at the thought that she was about to tell someone her innermost secrets.

"Highness, I have decided that you, Semma, Bennet and all the rest of Anmar are real and not part of my imagination."

"I am relieved to hear that," Eriana's response was dry.

"I don't think that you are in some kind of plot against me either. Seeing that man killed in front of me made me realize that what I have experienced up until now is real, and I have been forced to adjust my thinking to accept that. When I saw the blood on my arm, it made me realize that I could actually be hurt here and that I must look after myself more carefully. I did a stupid thing today, Highness, and I have caused a lot of people a lot of trouble."

"It is difficult for me to understand how you see the world, Ursula, so I cannot blame you for what you thought or did. Do you now accept Tenant Maralin's explanation of how you came here, and where you are?"

"I suppose so, Highness. It is just that, as I explained to Bennet, I have always been female inside, even when I was very young, and to find myself as a real woman here raised suspicions in me that this was some kind of elaborate trap. I no longer believe that, and so I must accept Maralin's explanation, even though it sounds extremely unlikely."

Eriana's smile was wry. "When I first came to Palarand everyone spoke of Garia, and when I eventually met her I quickly came to understand that she was not of this world. She could describe to me, in detail, things about the mother world which only existed to us in our oldest sagas. Since they spoke of matters we considered fantastic, we did not believe them, but she could and did confirm the tales. Tell me, where you came from, is there a riding animal? What would you call it?"

"A riding animal? Why, a horse, of course."

"Just so. In Einnland we have never known what a horse looked like, its size or color, the shape of its head or of its legs, until Garia described them to us. She said that she had ridden such animals since the age of eight... of Earth's years, not those of Anmar. Thus, we can say with confidence that she came from the mother world, and that you have done so too."

"Your oldest sagas? How long have... your people... been here, then?"

"Oh, some say a thousand years, but it could be more or less. My ancestors thought that they were sailing to a new land of plenty, Vinland."

"Vinland!" That brought Ursula up short. Vinland was a long time ago, and the people she had met on the ship certainly looked like typical Vikings. Could it really be possible for them all to have come from Earth, and so long ago? What did that mean for the overall picture?

By now Eriana had unwrapped the bandage and was sniffing at the residue of the salve. She nodded.

"Aye, I know this herb, it is a good one for the purpose. Look - you really do have just a scratch."

On her left arm was a thin slash, a mere flap of detached skin, barely five centimeters long.

"Little more than a paper cut," Ursula mused.

"A paper cut? Is that possible?"

"Oh, yes! The thin edge of a stiff piece of paper can slice skin, not very deeply, but it will cut nerves and can be painful. Fortunately it doesn't take long to heal."

Bennet asked, "What are nerves, Mistress?"

Brought up short again, Ursula had to remind herself that the local people might not know very much about anatomy.

"Uh, nerves are the means by which a body finds out about the world around it by touch," she explained. "Look, I should not speak too much more about such matters until after I have met with the Duke."

Eriana asked, "I would like to attend that meeting, if I may. Do you think that Wallesan would agree?"

Ursula smiled. "Since it was me who asked for the meeting, then I think I could decide who was going to be there. Of course you may come, Highness."

Eriana's expression was determined. "Good. Then perhaps we will all find out what is really going on!"

* * *

Wallesan raised both eyebrows at Eriana's presence when he joined the group after his nap.

"I feel a responsibility for Ursula," she explained. "I asked her if I could be permitted to join you, and she said that as she was the one who requested the audience, she saw no reason why I should not."

The Princess stared at the Duke, daring him to object, but he did not, merely shaking his head briefly before agreeing.

"As you wish, Eriana. I warn you, if Mistress Ursula's request is what I believe it to be, then you may not understand much of what you hear."

"Of course, Wallesan. I also know that the seamstresses of Joth will shortly descend on the Mansion and that they will have garments for both myself and Ursula, so I have reason for not delaying the meeting. If we may begin?"

The Duke gestured the others into his parlor. Besides himself there were of course Eriana and Ursula, but Maralin and Renita had also joined them. The Duchess had wanted to be present but, knowing the sensitivity of the subject, had decided to remain outside to deal with any interruptions.

Taking seats, Wallesan waved a hand at Ursula. "My dear, if you would explain."

Ursula forced herself to relax. She stopped wrapping her arms tightly under her breasts and made them rest on her lap.

"Your Grace, this morning I had a... an uncomfortable awakening, I guess that you could describe it. It was made abruptly and bloodily plain to me that Joth and everything in it could not be a fabrication set up to induce me to give away my secrets. Seeing that man killed an arm's length away from me, and then seeing my own blood -" she briefly held up her bandaged arm, "- forced me to understand that what you have been telling me has been the truth, unlikely though that truth may seem."

Wallesan nodded. "We do not blame you for what you considered might be the truth, Mistress. Maralin has told me of the struggle he had to determine what was real and what was not."

"Thank you, Your Grace. I will point out, though, that there is no proof, there can be no proof, that all of this," she swung her good arm to take in the whole of her surroundings, "is not somehow inside my head. There is simply no way of proving one way or the other."

"We understand this. Maralin and I have spent many an evening attempting to answer the same question, a question which probably can never be answered. All we may advise you is that you should deal with what you see before you, leave all else until you are in a position to deal with that, if that should ever happen."

She bowed her head. "Your Grace, I am forced to agree." A deep breath. "So, Your Grace, since I do actually appear to be on an alien planet thousands of light years away from where I began, it would appear that the reasons for my... reticence... before should no longer apply. I am prepared to tell you all that you want to know." She hesitated, then added, "Within reason, of course."

"Mistress," Wallesan told her, "we will proceed as King Robanar did with Princess Garia when she first appeared in Palarand. Tell us what you feel able to, we will not force you against your will, it is not our way. You were brought here by Beings who do not answer to any on Anmar, in theory you answer to them."

She pulled a face. "Your Grace, I would like to know more about these Beings."

He grimaced. "We all would, Mistress! They are mysterious to us all, yet..." He paused, then waved a hand. "If you would, I would prefer to hear your own story today. There will be plenty of time for you to learn of... local matters."

"Well, then." She thought. "Your Grace, if I must speak of my life on Earth, you will likely not understand most of it. I can tell you part, but some I will have to tell in English to Tenant Maralin and let him translate for you, since he will be familiar with both worlds."

Wallesan nodded. "We expected as much, my dear. Do what you can."

"So. I was born in Russia, in Yekaterinburg, in... July 1991. The name my father gave me was Valeriy Evgeni'ich Kuznetsov. I am sorry, I do not know how the days and years count here, so I cannot tell you how old I would be in Anmar terms."

Maralin replied, "It is tricky, since none of those who have transferred know what date that happened. That means that it is impossible for us to match calendars. I would say that your birth date is about a year and a half before mine, so that would make you about twenty-six or twenty-seven. Here, that translates to around twenty-three or so."

"Twenty-three! I can't be that young, surely?"

"The year here is three hundred ninety-one days, Mistress, but we can fill you in later on the details. If you would continue with your story."

"Oh. So long? Well, I grew up as a normal boy, but very early on I knew that I wasn't a normal boy. However, in the Soviet Union -" this phrase didn't translate, "- and afterwards, being not-normal was frowned on and so I managed to hide it, all the way through school and even during my military service. My father was a dentist and I wanted in turn to do something medical, to help people, so I trained as a doctor -"

Wallesan interrupted. "Your pardon, Mistress, what is a dentist?"

"Oh, that's a healer who deals specifically with the teeth and mouth, Your Grace. They will fill in holes, pull out bad teeth and put in replacements, as well as advising on mouth hygiene."

The Duke grunted. "It would be an unusual occupation here, I deem. Robanar did warn us that the coming Industrial Revolution would require us to have more specialists, that no man - or, excuse me, ladies, woman - could know all of a subject. Please continue."

"I became a doctor, then, in one of our largest hospitals in the city."

"Your pardon again, Mistress. I know now what a hospital is, but a doctor? I remember that Princess Garia used the word, but I do not recall -"

"Doctor is what on Earth we would call a healer, I think. "

"Ah, I see. So, you are a healer, then?"

"Yes, Your Grace, but not just an ordinary healer. You see, I had additional training which gave me the skills to be a surgeon, and -"

"A surgeon?"

Ursula stopped and looked at the Duke. Surely these people had surgeons?

"Uh, my job would be to set bones, remove foreign objects, even cut people open to repair internal wounds which would otherwise cause them to die," she explained. "Do you not have such people here?"

"Cut people open? Maker, no!" Wallesan reconsidered. "At least, I have never heard of such. Of course, I know only of the healers' art what it is necessary for me to know. Such as you describe may exist, but I have not encountered them if they do."

Unexpectedly, Eriana spoke up then. "Wallesan, we have such people in Einnland, probably because of the amount of warfare and petty fighting we do. I do not know the word Ursula used but they do what she described, aye." She added, "It seemed strange to us, as we journeyed here, that the local healers often appeared to know less than we did. Of course, they do have access to different herbs, potions and techniques, but we are certainly more familiar with the repair of battle damage."

"Well." Wallesan gave both women a weak smile. "This is unexpected." He raised an eyebrow at Maralin. "Perhaps this is why she was sent to us?"

He replied, "Your Grace, it is too soon to tell. If she may continue."

Ursula collected her thoughts and then resumed. "Unfortunately, as time went on, the state of our country changed and money for healthcare became... strained. I was promoted to Junior Doctor in our..." Ursula switched to English and addressed Maralin. «How would you say, Emergency Room?»

«I'm not sure, Mistress. I don't think they have that concept here yet. I'll try and explain to the Duke.» Maralin turned to Wallesan. "Mistress Ursula describes a hospital, a large building where people go for most serious health matters. It is filled with health specialists of all kinds in separate departments. One such department is where people are brought, or arrive themselves, when there has been some accident, such as a vehicle collision, a fall, perhaps, a sudden and serious illness, or the result of a fight. The people there are trained to deal with the immediate effects of such accidents and in America it would be called the Emergency Room, though it would be much more than just one room in practice."

Ursula resumed. "So I became a junior... healer... in the Emergency Room. The hours were long and the pay was poor. This went on for a year or two and then, one night a young man was brought in." She looked at them. "You must understand, I was on the day shift but my replacement had not come in, so I was forced to work the night shift as well. The hospital was understaffed, this happened too often. I was tired, and the young man had several gunshot wounds."

"Gunshot wounds?" Wallesan echoed. "Was this a normal occurrence, then?"

"Regrettably it was, Your Grace. In Russia these days there are many firearms of all kinds available to those who want them, including criminal gangs. Some of those criminal gangs have become large and powerful, corrupting even the government of the city, the district, and even possibly the whole country. We would receive people with gunshot wounds, resulting from criminal activities, at the Emergency Room several times every week.

"To continue my story, I tried to save this young man but his wounds were too great, he had already lost too much blood by the time he got to us, so he was always destined to die. I hated it whenever that happened, since I considered every death to be a failure, even if I could not have prevented it." She shrugged. "So his body went off to the morgue to be collected by his relatives, I turned to the next unfortunate who needed my expertise and at the end of my double shift I went home to bed.

"Unfortunately for me, what I did not know then was that the young man was the son of a local oligarch, a man who had amassed a large fortune by criminal means. And he blamed me for his son's death."

"Ah!" Maralin exclaimed. "All is now clear. That is why you were running."

She nodded. "It was. Nothing happened for two days and then, when I got to work that morning, I was told that the apartment block I lived in had been firebombed shortly after I left." She had to explain that word. "Twelve people died. At first I did not connect the incident with anything I had done, especially as several of the survivors had been brought to our Emergency Room, but later in the day I received a phone call from an acquaintance who explained what he knew. It seemed that this boy's father blamed me for his son's death, rather than blaming the person who shot him, and that he demanded my death in return, at any cost."

"Ouch! So, what did you do?"

"I ran, of course. Since my apartment no longer existed, I owned nothing but the clothes that I was wearing when I arrived at work that morning. I hurriedly changed and left the hospital before the end of my shift. I didn't want them to cause damage to the hospital if they came to find me, so I quickly left through a back exit. My first thoughts were to get out of the city, try to find somewhere else I could live in relative safety."

Wallesan stirred. "Did you not inform the authorities? The local Watch?"

Ursula laughed bitterly. "No, Your Grace! In such a case as this, the authorities would almost certainly be in the pay of the man who was after me, and the police certainly would. While they might not deliberately turn me in, they would not have helped me at all. No, my best chance was to get on a train and leave."

"A train?"

Maralin said, "Your Grace, she is talking about the railroad. You remember, Princess Garia told the heads of state about what it could do and what it would mean."

Wallesan nodded. "Aye, I remember now. Please, continue."

"So I took local lines and ended up in Samara. Ah, before I left Yekaterinburg I had pulled out as much money from my account as I could, so I was not completely destitute. In Samara I worked for a short while as a waiter in a bar and then moved on, being careful each time to try and cover my tracks. However, it always seemed that someone was asking questions about me I could not answer."

Maralin explained what 'local lines' were and why they would not attract as much attention as a direct route serving major cities.

"In that way I traveled carefully on," Ursula continued, "until I made the decision that I could never be safe in Russia and I had to get out. So, I made my way, using false papers, to St. Petersburg. That was the best thing I could have done, under the circumstances."

Maralin asked, «Can I ask why, Mistress? You said you were avoiding major cities, but if you could go to St Petersburg, then why not Moscow?»

«Moscow would be bad because, although there is large population, it is capital, there are too many people asking difficult questions. Putin has spies everywhere. Petersburg, on other hand, is big city, true, but it has good connections to other countries and more important, I was told of local transgender community.»

Maralin nodded. «Ah, right. I see why that would be useful.» He turned to Wallesan. "I asked why she did not go to the capital city, Your Grace. The authorities there are corrupt, nervous and... intrusive. That city is far from any borders, much like Palarand City is. The city she chose instead is a large port on the border, with access through... an inland sea, let us call it, to other, safer countries."

"Maralin describes it right, Your Grace. In Petersburg there is a society of people similar to myself, people who are one gender but believe that they should have been the other. I was given an introduction and was soon living with yet more false papers as a woman." Her face changed. "Somehow, though, one of our sisters was indiscreet and myself and another girl were forced to flee again. We actually saw the men sent to kill us, but they were not looking for women, not then. We managed to get on a ferry going to Tallinn, the capital of a neighboring country." She shrugged. "Estonia, the country we found ourselves in, is part of the European Union -"

She raised an eyebrow at Wallesan and he nodded. "Aye, I have heard of it, though not with much detail. Garia spoke of it when we were deliberating on forming a Federation in the Great Valley. If I may venture, then, once safely in this union of countries, you could travel freely?"

"That is so, Your Grace. I should not bore you with all that we did and everywhere we went, but we traveled widely, with help from generous friends. Sometimes we were two women, sometimes men, sometimes we acted as husband and wife. Mariella, the girl I was with, came originally from Paris, and that is where we ended up. Again we found the local transgender community and I was offered work in a club to help build up some funds and to pay off debts. Oh, and I found that I could learn French fairly easily. At school, the foreign languages were English and German and I discovered that languages came easily to me. It was the same with French."

"Ah," Maralin said, nodding. "I'm beginning to join the dots here. Somebody found you out and you were forced to run again, so where better to go than somewhere else that spoke French? Somewhere that your pursuers would be unlikely to follow you."

He turned to Wallesan and gave a rough explanation of what Ursula had done and the differences between the several countries involved.

"So, yet another country," the Duke remarked. "Did you not become tired of the pursuit, could you find no place of safety?"

Ursula grimaced. "Unfortunately, Your Grace, it wasn't that simple. The Russian underworld -" Maralin attempted to explain what that was, "- has links with criminals in many other countries. I paid a lot of money for a passport that would get me into Canada, but it had to be a male passport. So, as a man but somewhat disguised, I flew to Montreal and contacted some people there, names given to me in Paris. As a French speaker, I could get work in Montreal fairly easily, and so I settled in."

Maralin had to explain passports, which the Duke thought a strange and unnecessary concept, and give a brief description of modern air travel.

"Then, one day, two familiar faces - Russian faces, from Yekaterinburg - came into the restaurant where I was working and began asking questions. I was working in the kitchen then, as a man, and they did not see me, or if they did they did not recognize me. I privately warned the Chef, then walked out at the end of my shift and never returned."

Ursula sighed and leaned back. "From then on it was a constant chase, me heading west one step ahead of the men. They followed me to Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton. At that point I realized that just going from city to city was no good, so that now I was in a wilder part of Canada I could try going into the bush and seeing if I could throw off my pursuers that way. I went north to Fort McMurray - do you know it, Tenant?"

Maralin shook his head.

"Never mind. It is about three hundred or so kilometers north of Edmonton. I struggle with miles, I do not know how far that would be. Once there I took a minor road and started walking. By that time I had outfitted myself for the terrain." She gave a faint smile. "It must have been some time after that that I met the bear."

Maralin asked. "So what did you think we wanted you to tell us?"

Ursula shrugged. "Names of helpers, locations of safe houses, that kind of thing. We were helped by a number of people, Mariella and myself, and we obtained a number of sets of forged papers, the last of which were in that wallet. I did not want to give anyone the names of those who provided them." She grinned weakly. "I was in a hurry for that driver's license. It was a real one stolen some time before. It probably would have failed, the first time I was stopped in a car."

"That might have been a good tactic," Maralin pointed out. "The Mounties, the national police of Canada, have a reputation as being honest. You would have gotten a good hearing from them."

"I did not know that. I was just someone running for their life, I did not stop to think. Your Grace, I am sorry, if you thought that I was going to be some kind of super warrior, then I regret I have to disappoint you."

Wallesan leaned back and scratched his chin. "Mistress, I am not sure what we were expecting. I understand fully, now, why you were so suspicious of us, why you would not trust us. Are you now willing to trust us, to meet with us as equals? We - all of us here - only have your best interests at heart, my dear. There is no reason for you to fear us, and, as you have discovered today, every reason why we might be able to give you assistance and good advice."

Ursula stared at each of them before answering. "I would like to, Your Grace. It may be a little while before I will feel completely safe, even so."

"We understand this, my dear. As I have said to you before, we do not seek to prison you, or restrict what you desire to do, only that you should be kept safe until you have become familiar with the ways of the world you now find yourself in."

She gave a jerky nod. "I understand, Your Grace. And thank you for the trouble you have taken so far." She smiled weakly. "I have not been one of your better guests, have I?"

"I have welcomed worse, my dear, much worse. Now, it seems to me that the main reason you might have been brought here is your medical knowledge, do you not agree?"

She was cautious. "That may be true, Your Grace. Only, I am not sure how much I can do. It seems to me, without being insulting, that the state of medicine in... the Great Valley? ...is not that advanced."

"Your Grace, if I may?" Maralin broke in. "Mistress, when Garia arrived in Palarand last year, they did not have electricity, yet even now they are building their first power stations. Actually, they didn't even have forks. Now, despite her being only a high school student, in a very short space of time she has told them about many things and they have taken and run with every one of them. I appreciate that medicine is different, but have no fear that you will encounter problems passing on your knowledge."

"If you say so, Tenant."

"And don't overlook whatever else you might know," he added. "Any tiny bit of knowledge you have will be something new to these people ...like forks, for example. Or paper! You could know of something you consider to be trivial, or commonplace, yet here it could make a big difference."

"I understand, Tenant."

Wallesan asked, "Mistress, now that your viewpoint has changed, so to speak, do you have any questions for us?"

Ursula thought. "There is one thing. All I hear is Garia, Garia, Garia. I think it might be a good idea if I could meet this person. Would that mean I would have to travel to Palarand? How would I do that? Take a boat down the river?"

Wallesan and Maralin exchanged a glance. The Duke replied, "You are correct that you would have to travel to Palarand, Mistress, but I regret to inform you that Princess Garia is no longer there. She has... departed Anmar, we think, perhaps for another world, and we believe that she will not return for many months."

"Departed? How? Why?"

The Duke shook his head. "Almost all that we know of those that brought you here has been told us by Princess Garia. She has stated to certain of us that she has had some kind of contact with the Beings. Since she was brought to Anmar the same way you were, the present thoughts of those most concerned are that she left the same way." He shrugged. "As to why, we do not know."

"She spoke to these Beings?" Ursula was both incredulous and hopeful. "Is it possible that I could do so?"

Maralin answered her. "Mistress, Princess Garia said that the Beings contacted her in a kind of dream. We do not know if that is true, or what they may have conversed about. Perhaps spoken is too strong a word for what happens in dreams. I would note that I came to Anmar the same way she did, yet I have had no dreams of Beings."

"Oh."

"I will say," he added, "that she told us that this did not happen immediately but after a period of some months. Who is to know if the same opportunity may yet be offered to you in the future?"

"Oh." She was silent with her thoughts.

"You raise an interesting point, Mistress," Wallesan said. "Joth is a small country, we may feed ourselves and do certain works but that is all. Palarand is a larger, much richer country and it is apparent why Princess Garia should have been delivered there, if I may use such a term. My point is that they may have resources, expertise and knowledge, both of Earth and of Anmar, which may answer many of your questions. King Robanar is a good man, you will be safe should you decide to make the journey.

"Yet I would not pressure you to go there. Should you wish to remain here, as Maralin has, or to travel elsewhere, then we have no authority to prevent you. As we told you before, you are here at the behest of Beings about whom we know little, and of their purposes we know even less. There is presumably some plan in place for you, but I regret we did not receive their letter."

She stared at each of them before shuffling in her chair. "Your Grace, I don't think I can make decisions like that at the moment. As you have repeatedly told me, I need to learn how this world works and how I might be treated in it." She frowned. "That reminds me. Those men - the one that was killed, I mean, he said that I was noble. Why did he say that? I'm not noble, am I?"

Wallesan and Maralin exchanged another glance, this one of confusion. It was Renita who provided the answer.

"If I may make answer, Your Grace." Wallesan gestured assent. "Mistress Ursula wears no pouch at her waist, unlike most other women in your mansion. It is possible that the absence of a pouch made the men think she was of noble birth."

"Ah, you are right, Renita! Thank you, I had not noticed that." Wallesan turned to Ursula. "Normally, Mistress, every woman carries a pouch at her waist with essentials, as both Eriana and Renita do today. However, most women of noble birth would wear no pouch, since they are always attended by a maid who would carry their mistress's needs in their own pouch."

Ursula frowned. "Oh, I see. What a curious custom! I would never have realized. But Eriana, I mean Her Highness, carries a pouch."

Eriana smiled. "Aye, but then I come from a distant land where the customs are different, Mistress. Besides, I am of a more practical bent than many of the noble women you are likely to meet in the Great Valley. I am also captain of a ship, and must needs carry certain items relating to that calling."

"Thank you, Highness, Your Grace. I will have to remember such seemingly minor details." She thought, then gave a faint smile. "It has occurred to me that, now that you know who I am, I will have to find a feminine version of my proper name to use, is that right?"

Maralin grinned. "Actually, Mistress, here, Valeriy would be an acceptable woman's name. If you want to use it, feel free, but everybody knows you as Ursula so you could carry on using that if you wanted to."

She was surprised. "Valeriy is a woman's name?"

"Aye! Actually, Valerie - with a slightly different spelling - is a woman's name only in most of the West. Ah, the west of Earth, I mean. To my ears it sounds strange to have it on a man. Having said that, when I first arrived here I found the naming scheme hard to follow. That is, it isn't really hard, but names I would have thought of as male turn out to be female and vice versa. My own, for example, turns out to be male, which is why I could keep it. Both Valeriy and Evgeny, your father's name, would be considered female, as would... Denis, for example. Oh," he grinned, "and Katherine would be male! Don't be surprised by some of the names you hear out there."

"Oh. If you say so. Now that you mention it, everybody here knows me as Ursula, and it doesn't really matter any more who my father was or what my family name is, so I think I will keep that name. Your Grace, is this acceptable?"

"Of course, Mistress Ursula. As you say, that is how you are presently known to all. If -"

There was a knock at the door. Wallesan said, "Come."

Fanis opened the door slightly and poked her head around the frame. "Wal, I am besieged by seamstresses and gowns. How much longer do you think you will be?"

The Duke rolled his eyes. "Eriana, Maralin, Ursula? If we may finish now? I know how difficult it can be to come between a woman and a new gown. We may always speak again should it be necessary."

"As you wish, Wallesan."

"Of course, Your Grace."

"Thank you, Your Grace."

He stood and gestured. "Then let us go and find out what the good ladies of Joth have wrought for you."

* * *

Ursula sat on the chair in front of her dressing table and sighed with relief. The morning had been a shock and the afternoon cathartic, to not have to hide any more, and then a pleasing kind of chaos as the gowns were distributed and fitted. Not everything that had been ordered, of course, the seamstresses had to do everything by hand and that took time. Still she was delighted with the evening gown she had been given and with her copy of Maralin's 'deck dress'.

It is so nice to have clothes that fit this body! After all the ill-fitting things I was forced to wear as a man, I really like some of what they have here.

...Although some of the color combinations are a little weird.

Oh, and having my own breasts slide into a bra that fits them! I thought I was going to pass out with pleasure on the spot!

Now I really am a woman! I'm really, actually here, and it looks like there is no way for me to return to Earth. Good!

I am what I should have been in the first place, nobody here wants to shoot me, and they seem to think that I have knowledge that will be useful to this world. Maralin said that I have been given a second chance, and that is true. I must try to use it responsibly.

...I noticed certain glances between Wallesan and Maralin when we were talking, especially about Garia. Even here they do not tell the whole truth! It seems that is the way of this world, as much as it is the way on Earth. Always secrets to hide.

That is of no immediate concern. For now, I must learn as much as I can, and find out what I can do here.

I don't think there will be many openings for a Junior Trauma Surgeon.