– Would you like to know? grimacing in disgust, he turned to the Gypsy.
– No, – he answered, hesitating slightly. – I believe you. Well, tell the Earl we’ll move out in the morning and move towards the border of Thornfolk.
– Oh, no, that won’t do, – the captain objected maliciously. – You are here and have already violated the ban. We’ve already put up with you too long. Gypsy is a spot on a blank county map. You don’t know the laws, you don’t follow traditions, you don’t pay taxes. You worship the Prince of Darkness.
– Wow, it somehow got past me! – I exclaimed enthusiastically. – Is it really true?
– We offer prayers to both brothers, – the fortuneteller answered quietly, so that none of the soldiers could hear. “Our belief is that the world needs balance.”
The enthusiasm faded away, and I answered with a sour wry smile: moralizing about balance, as well as any others, irritated me. My attention was again captured by the military leader, who quite naturally concluded:
– The cup of patience is full, and punishment will befall you in full.
– I protest! Everyone stared at Eitan with a fair amount of amazement. – Mr. Captain, I understand the nature of the accusations, but I believe that a case of this kind should be considered thoroughly. – My companion spoke confidently, harshly, but did not deviate an inch from the framework of etiquette. The Prince of Light will figure out how he did it. – It so happened that we accidentally met these people when the sun was going down. This allowed us to get a certain impression of their habits. They are friendly and hospitable. They were ready to share food and lodging with us. They did not show a single sign of hostility, did not try to steal or harm us in any way. And I did not see them praying to the prince of Darkness, although, of course, I know little about this side of their life.
The Gypsies listened in silence, holding their breath. Hope arose in someone’s hearts that the soldiers would heed the stranger’s words. Someone did not count on concessions, but was grateful to a random fellow traveler for words of support. The thoughts of others were occupied exclusively by the count’s detachment. The interest of the soldiers was of a slightly different kind – they were more curious about where this guy came from (given that he clearly did not belong to the Gypsy people) and what he needed here.
– Who is that? the captain asked his assistant quietly.
The question was not supposed to reach outsiders, but my hearing is more subtle than that of humans.
– Looks like a nobleman, – he answered even more quietly. – The identity is unknown to me. I had never seen this man or his portraits before. But he, of course, is not a gypsy, rather a local one. And not from the common people. Maybe some kind of impoverished aristocrat…
– I see, – the captain interrupted rather rudely. – Listen, sir! he turned to Eitan. We have listened to your recommendations. But we have an unequivocal order given personally by the Earl of Thornfolk. We cannot go against him. Therefore, I beg you – and you, lady – to step aside. You can still find a nicer place to sleep. And we have our own business here.
It would be interesting to know what. – My companion still behaved calmly, but he did not even think about leaving, I saw this clearly. – You are not going to, the right word, to take all these people with women and children to prison.
– Oh no! I stretched and stood beside him, gazing intently at the captain’s face. “They’re not going to throw anyone in a dungeon. Isn’t that right, Commander?
He didn’t say anything, but there was no need to. His facial expressions, silence, the hand that eloquently touched the hilt of the sword – all this left no doubt about the purpose of the detachment sent by the count.
– You are going to cut all these people, – I stated in a calm, measured, almost casual tone.
I did not realize anything new, so the information could not shock me. Eitan didn’t seem too surprised either. I think he, like me, expected something like this. His hand already involuntarily reached for the scabbard, in which, however, only a dagger was hidden. The family sword, alas, remained in the Villa.
– If you don’t want to leave, it’s up to you! the captain barked, not intending to mess with us anymore.
In his view, everything was simple: he gave people a chance to leave without loss, and if they did not use this chance, who is to blame? Fools always suffer. – By order of the Earl of Thornfolk, the heretics are to be exterminated, – he announced, chopping his words, but at the same time trying to speak quickly so as not to leave time for the people to do anything. The verdict is final and not subject to appeal. To battle!
And in chorus, the swords being taken out of their scabbards gnashed.
I am not a seer or a fortuneteller, but where I come from, time is perceived differently. And if I wish, I can see with my own eyes – no, not the future (and timing does not play any role here), but the most probable development of events. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to do so. The screams of the wounded and the moans of death mingled with the real screams of frightened people in a convulsive cacophony sounded in my ears. Powerful horses, literally trampling men and women. Blades wielded by riders to drive down foot soldiers. Short daggers used to finish off the wounded. A man living his last seconds, stretching his hands to his shattered chest. A woman lying face down in the grass is completely still, and only her long brown hair is becoming more and more densely stained with scarlet. With a squeal, children rushing about the clearing, who are sooner or later found and silenced with two or three blows of a dagger. Blood coagulates quickly. The carpet of pine needles is unnaturally reddening. Scraps of bright tents rush about in the wind in meaningless and shapeless patches. The instigators will go to the tavern and quickly forget about everything that happened in the clearing. This is not their first raid, each of them knows his business too well. But the memory will remain: the forest will take care of it. Hundreds of years will pass, but roots and crowns, moss and grass will forever remember every groan and every swing of the broadsword. And the forest will never be the same.
I shook my head, returning to the reality in which everyone was still alive. first fractions of a second. The cavalry began to advance into the clearing. The jeepsies, not expecting such a turn, hesitated a little, but now they scattered in all directions. I took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of pine needles through my nose, feeling the warmth of the resin that did not have time to harden. Several suitable trees were quickly found. A slight movement of the hand – and a tall dry pine tree fell into the clearing, breaking branches with a crash, touching the bushes and trees below, raising a pile of dust, from which everyone coughed, who had the imprudence to be too close to the place of the fall. The horsemen had to retreat, and the barrel reliably blocked the clearing, separating the warriors from the jeepsies.
The second pine was also almost dry, only a few needles were still green on a couple of branches. This time someone was hurt: warning exclamations and frightened cries mixed with groans. A third tree fell on top of the second, making the barrier more imposing. Fourth, fifth… Enough.
The jeepsies realized that they needed to seize the moment, and fled in all directions. Hiding in the forest will not be difficult for them. But we shouldn’t have hesitated either. It seems that the horsemen have nothing to complain about, but they will want to recoup someone for their failure. I pulled Eitan by the sleeve, and he reacted quickly, and there the rashtang arrived in time.