He held his hand out to help her down and she accepted with another pretty smile. On the ground she was at least a foot and a half shorter than he was, but he found that this minor detail did not take away from her air of majesty.
"Thank you for your kindness sir. It is a rarity to meet a kindhearted soul in these fierce lands."
"No need to thank me lady. It is my duty as a servant of Helvahr. These walls are protected by him and are a safe haven for all."
"Well sir, I am very grateful. You have a beautiful home. I’ve never seen the like. To see trees bearing fruit in this frigid place…spectacular!" she laughed.
"Yes I am blessed. And it’s Jan...please. I am no noble gentleman; just your humble servant, my lady."
"You are indeed a gentleman. More so than many who claim the title. My name is Nyah Velen. I don’t mean to cause you any trouble but Yazra hasn't been fed since yesterday and I would see him taken care of first. Is there anything I can feed him? Meat perhaps?” she asked, as she stroked the panther’s silvery fur.
"I only have salted fish stored inside. I hope that will suffice."
"That will be fine. Many thanks. It seems that we've found our saviour Yazra!" she exclaimed.
The beast looked to his mistress and growled approvingly at her, baring its wide jaw and razor sharp teeth. Jan backed up a little out of fright and probably looked more startled than he’d meant to show, because she giggled at his reaction. She had a lovely lighthearted laugh and it unexpectedly calmed his anxiety.
"Yazra wouldn't hurt you. He can sense a friend in you. I'll take him to the stables if you would point the way."
"O-of course. Right this way." he stuttered, still lost in her beauty.
He led her to the stables which were a few meters away from the courtyard. It was and had always been empty since the others had gone. Still he took care of its upkeep and was glad that he did. It would have reflected badly on him if she was forced to keep her panther in an untidy stall.
Yazra seemed to appreciate the dry space and settled down on all fours against a few bales of hay. Even then he was three feet taller than Jan, but he seemed to be a gentle creature under Nyah’s care. She retrieved one of her satchels from Yazra‘s side and removed her leather gloves to search its contents. While one hand matched the colour of her tawny skin, the other was extremely pale; almost as white as the stone walls of the monastery.
She fished out three gold coins and presented them to Jan with the pale hand. He was too perplexed to say anything, but soon realized that he was being rude.
"I'm a mage.” she explained. “My hand has power over the natural elements. As I grow stronger my hand takes on this ashen colour. Don’t be frightened. It is just the price I pay for pursuing sorcery.”
"O-oh I-I didn't mean to stare." he stuttered, while smoothing back his ruffled brown hair. "I couldn't accept money from you my lady. I have no need for it."
"You are very kind but I insist. I'm sure you can find some use for it…and you can call me Nyah. I am no noblewoman either.” she smiled, as she pressed the cool coins into his palm.
He wasn't surprised at the contrast in temperature of each hand; the pale one was as frigid as the winter air. Still, it was soft and smooth once it came in contact with his hand and caused the hairs on his arm to rise.
He would have gladly stood there with her all night but he needed to calm his mind. The guilt of his attraction was setting in. As a monk, carnal desires were discouraged and frowned upon. Unfortunately what he now felt was beyond his control. He wanted to take her into his arms and hold her until the end of days…but that could never be. What would she want with a poor, lonesome monk? In all her exotic beauty, she could have anyone she wanted and deserved better than him.
He quickly shrugged off his fantasies and