Li-Ban, Dilshodu, Dara

Meanwhile, Dilshodu, was waiting for Li-Ban and Dar at the entrance to the mountain gorge. A day passed, two and they were all gone. The artful scammer, a pickpocket, was already bored, thinking that this seemed like a wrong decision to follow these two suspicious types. It was cold in the steppe. You can stiffen, fall asleep and not wake up.

If you weren't very careful, the nomads could sneak up and catch, and then make them a home slave.

If you do not sell at the nearest fair in Small An or the Great Steppe.

They could just make a home slave, help with the rise of water from the well. Collect branches and dungs ​​for heating the homes of nomads. Receive cuffs, an unenviable fate. If Dilshodu couldn't hide so skillfully on the mountain slopes, find the abandoned burrows of foxes and badgers, scaring away other predatory animals with special herbs. He knew how to collect and make special fees so that they could scare away wild animals.

Then he could be eaten at night by wild wolves or bears, who often hunted at this time on the slopes of the mountains closer to the steppe.

His stocks of writing slowly came to an end, Dilshodu took with him an insignificant supply of food. Only for three days. A little dry apricot, walnut, dried meat, a pinch of salt and pepper, a few oily fruits. He needed to be light in order to maintain speed. After all, he ran almost on a par with a horse. This could be achieved only by having a small weight, good muscles, receiving timely nutrition for them.

Accustomed to difficulties, Dilshodu seems to overestimate his capabilities? What will happen if these two men do not leave the mountain gorge in a day? He will have nothing to return with ... He lost three days and the same amount to return. And there the guards hunt for him ...

Doubts tormented him, thoughts rummaged in his head but he could not find the right solution. Sitting on a stone on a mountainside, chewing the last piece of dried meat, Dilshoda looked longingly into the steppe.

"Well, what a young man is sitting here!" Suddenly, came right in front of his ear.

Li-Ban and the blacksmith walked through the cave, a young general had not seen anything like this. There were torches on the rocks of the cave, in their reflection were strange figures of animals that he had never seen before. Huge animals with a long neck, right there apparently people, but some skinny with big bows. A little distance away stood a monster in the middle of which there were three horns sticking out of its face.

The path along which they walked in the cave looped, they passed through underground streams and sometimes rivers, through which wooden bridges were laid, sometimes in the river, someone jumped out of the water. Once this creature flopped on the canvas of the bridge. Li-Ban saw a big, thick fish. It was with four of his palms. Black fish without eyes.

The blacksmith explained to him that eyes are not needed in the cave, it is easier for fish to navigate by ear. For example, in the lakes in the cave, there were salamanders and fish without eyes.

Sometimes you could find pearls. But of all kinds, it cost almost nothing. The most expensive pearl was the sea - blue, pink, black, dull-white, then it went river, in the last place was the lake. A cave was used only for decorative taming. Therefore, if for one pearl from the sea they gave three horses and 10 rams, then for five handfuls of cave pearls they gave one ram. And for one horse they gave 100 sheep.

Dilshchodu did not notice the presence of a person! He was able to get close to him in dense, who was he? What does he need? Did the enemies track him down? The first action Dilshodu was to strike, he had a knife hidden in his sleeve or still run away. Not! His brain was feverish, inventing ways to solve the problem. But the soul already knew that it wouldn't run away! If a person could sneak up on him imperceptibly, he has the power not to compete with him! He really wanted to live! The instinct of self-preservation told him - fight! The mind offered various ideas, one more delusional than the other. The soul said - I'll die off and listen to what is offered to you and then make decisions!

He slowly raised his eyes ... and saw a smiling face.

It was Dara, he stood and looked at him. Dilshodu did not know what to do! He was caught!

Dara grinned. "Well, what did Dilshodu like you not freeze at night? The wolves apparently did not eat you, although there are many traces of them near your temporary lair. They didn't sell you into slavery "?!

Dilshodu was amazed that his name knew that he was chasing them!

He answered with sweat, his hands shook a little, an unseen trembling, he was scared, "Sir, how do you know my name? What will happen to me now? "

Dara, smiled "So that I do not know the most cunning and crafty thief of my hometown ?! Who serves as a scammer to my master? Well, you Dilshoda, do not underestimate our information networks! "

"Ahahahhahahaa! What, after all, you are a simpleton, Dilshoda! So, you and a good man, though a thief "! Dara concluded.