Pentad of Un

Chapter 30 - Jelro

     "I think they like you."

     "You think?" Kestek nervously glanced up from where she was kneeling on the floor, surrounded by nearly all of the resident animals. She shifted positions as Oireug started trying to climb onto her lap.

     Jelro nodded, returning his focus to Liaj, since he was giving the owl a brief check-up to ensure her wounds were healing properly.

     "She smells better than you do," Oireug commented, glancing at Jelro.

     "Hey," Jelro protested. "I rinsed off just earlier!"

     "She still smells better."

     "Well, s'e prob'ly wears perfume or something," Jelro pointed out.

     The rabbit made an amused noise and flopped on his side on Kestek's lap.

     "It's so weird when you do that," Kestek said. "I-I mean, not weird, but just-- When you talk to animals, it sounds like you're talking—but at the same time, it doesn't even sound like words."

     "Sometimes I forget that I speak differently when I'm talking to animals," Jelro admitted. "Especially since they can understand Segaugnal to an extent."

     "They can?" Kestek looked at the animals. "Have you ever had them spy on anyone?"

     Jelro laughed.

     "No, I haven't—although they've prob'ly done some spying without my knowledge."

     "Can they talk to each other?" Kestek wondered.

     "Not very well," Jelro said. "It usually depends on the situation, though. Sometimes they can understand eat'st other without 'talking,' if that makes sense."

     "I think that makes sense..." Kestek slowly nodded.

     Jelro bobbed his head and went back to checking Liaj's wounds. Thanks to the salves that Adif and Shayrow had provided, the owl's injuries were already almost healed—although it would be a while longer before she would be able to fly.

     It was just Jelro and Kestek outside with the resident animals. Shayrow had taken Luss back inside the manor after a fair amount of pleading—which had almost made it funny when Luss didn't even put up a fight. Adif had left moments after that to spar with Korab—at his request.

     Kestek had asked Sajtak—the servant—if he could give them a tour of the gardens, so she and Jelro would have something better to do than idle in front of the manor.

     Eventually they had come across the grass patch where they were now sitting and talking.

     "Can I ask you something?" Kestek suddenly said.

     "Of course you can."

     "Just, um..." Kestek hesitated, then she blurted out, "Are your parents married?"

     Jelro blinked.

     "No, they're not."

     "Oh." Kestek's face crumpled into an expression that Jelro couldn't read. "Were they ever?"

     "What?"

     "I-I mean, did they divorce? Or were they never married to begin with?"

     "Does it matter?" Jelro said—and it came out sharper than he meant for it to.

     Kestek was quiet for a long moment.

     "It does to me," she finally said, meekly.

     "Why?"