"We have a lot of different peoples here, two-legger and otherwise, but this close to the palace, we tend to know each race on sight, at the least. It isn't that you didn't look like Kel that probably alarmed her, but that you didn't look like any known race, and arrived the way the immortals have. Most immortals have powers or qualities that make it dangerous for someone to face alone, especially someone so early in her training, as Keladry."

She considered. "Among the two leggers, there are Tortallians, Bahzir, Yamani, Copper Islanders who have two main races, the Lurian and the Raka, Carthakis, Gallans, Sacrans, Tyraians.... countless others. Then you have the Immortals. Some who are by nature inimical, like Spindrins and Hurrocks, and Coldfangs. Some that are mostly inimical to humans with a rare few who can change that choice, like the Stormwings. Then there are those who would rather have nothing at all to do with humans, like Griffins and Nierads, and then there are those friendly with humans, though those tend to be more individuals, than whole races. Like the Flying horses of the Copper Isles, or Kitten, her real name is Skysong, who is the baby Dragon I've been raising, or Ikouji who speaks for her tribe of Ogres and have made peace with Maura and her fief. Or Tkaa, the Basalisk, who is one of my dearest friends and teaches the young pages about Immortals."

Cloud tossed her head. "Hush," Daine chided her.