Chapter 3

The horse was drinking, in the meantime Mahel lay down below

an old oak tree overlooking the pond where the horse was drinking, was cooling off under the generous shade, was waiting for a person, his client, a mysterious man who had contacted him with the utmost urgency, he had been waiting for two hours now but by now he no longer paid attention to latecomers, because otherwise most of his customers would have died, From the forest a flock of birds took off, then he opened his eyes, opened his eyes and got up slowly calmly covering his face pulling his cloak on the nose, and waited.

Two cloaked people came out of the wood, one as tall as a child, probably a dwarf, the other as tall as Mahel, their faces both covered by the hoods of their cloaks, they looked around for a moment, dazed by the change of light, as soon as they got used to the light they walked with a firm step towards him, arrived at practically a meter from him, the dwarf began to speak

-Good morning sir, beautiful day to talk about business, right? -

-You are very beautiful, but let's get to the point, who and when? -

-I see that he does not waste time, I don't mind people like that, however what are four hundred silver coins, who is the baker Borg Nhortis in the capital: "Mitorhoil the shining city" -

-A baker ... for four hundred silver coins, I accept but I don't want time limits, leave it to me-.

-Okay I hope he does not betray us, I hope to see us again as friends, goodbye sir-

And they went back to the woods.

After a few hours, as soon as the sky turned purple Mahel took his things, jumped on the horse and set off on the main road, direction: Mitorhoil.

roughly two days after his departure from Miunher, Mahel was more or less halfway there, a small stone bridge stood in front of him as he approached he noticed a small group of people, in the middle of that group a blond-haired girl he was arguing animatedly with a guard who, strangely, was very intimidated by the girl.

As he passed the group, he caught a piece of the conversation

_ I repeat, to pass them people have to pay -

-but it's not fair, the price is exorbitant a gold coin to pass, I don't have that much money! -

-then the law does not pass-

Mahel then annoyed by this conversation and by the fact that the girl obstructed the bridge got off his horse and approaching the guard said:

- one gold coin per person, right? - handing him two gold coins

exactly he said, taking only one moment

- this other one is for the girl, take it and let it pass-

-yes, sir- and turning to the girl -yes now he can pass and you will never come back here-

With great pleasure the girl said with her tongue out.

As they crossed the bridge the girl said turning to Mahel who was getting back on the horse: thank you sir but there was a need to do me the charity, I don't ...-

Mahel interrupted her immediately: -I paid only because you were blocking the road and I have to go to the capital by tomorrow evening-

The girl looked at him at first stupid, blanched by his coldness but soon after she resumed her smile a little sad, she was a beautiful girl: a sweet face, a little sharp, her eyes were big dark blue, like the beautiful sea depths that they usually attracted many men, had long eyelashes and a delicate nose, looked like a statue or a painting; beautiful but almost unreal

The girl exclaimed:

-I am also headed to the capital, I have some chores to attend to there, but have you never been there instead?

-Yes this is the third time I go to the capital-

-how nice you could be my guide, since you know the capital so much-

-No- -But ...- -No-

-I am willing to pay you-

- How much?-

-mmh ... five silver coins-

- okay but as soon as you pay me get out of my way-

-all right-

Anyway what is your name? The girl asked Mahel, she didn't answer, my name is .... -it doesn't matter- Mahel replied, and my name is Alexander, now jump on my back you would slow me down walking.

Meanwhile, as they were advancing towards the city Mehel thought it was a real hassle to take a girl with him, but at least he could be useful by entering the city with the girl, saying that he was her guide would have spared the thought of a cover and an alibi.

About two hours had passed, and had traveled several kilometers, the horse was now tired, by now he had to rest, they stopped near a stream the horse was drinking, the girl had gone to look for wood, while Mahel was getting supplies , and divides them between them: two biscuits each, an apple each always brought extra provisions but now if there were stops they could not eat except by hunting and, from what she could see, the girl did not like to hunt .

A cry, a cry went out throughout the forest, a female cry the birds flew away frightened by the noise, Mahel looked up and thought: finally they showed up, they were very slow.

He got up as if he had all the clama in the world, took the throwing knives and walked towards the source of the cry, as soon as I entered the shadow of the trees, a whistle went off from his right and an arrow perhaps shot from a bow, with the plumage stripped and with the tip ruined by many uses, The arrow was dodged without too much difficulty by Mahel.

- Show yourself or dead man, face me if you dare-

A rustle of leaves, a thud, and there he is a half-elf with a battered rapier in his right hand.

-I see you're agile to be a human, but now give me the purse if you don't want to die-

Then Mahel, without disregarding himself, without haste, pulled out his right dagger from his sleeve and took his position. The half-elf spat on the ground, and attacked without foreplay aiming at the leg,

Mahel then kicked the ground making some earth land in the eyes of Half-elf , who began to swear

soon after, a long red smile was painted on the throat of the bandit, who fell to the ground, dead,

Mahel as if he had not taken the life of that man, cleaned the dagger and started walking towards the girl again.

Mahel arrived in another clearing, larger than their camp, looked up at the sky, the clouds were gathering and the night had practically fallen, in the middle of the clearing there was the unconscious girl with a small pile of sticks nearby. Mahel snorted, he was pissed he didn't like saving people because most of the time, they were used as hostages.

A voice rang in the air, surrender you are surrounded, leave your weapons next to the girl along with your money.

-Okay, but come out in the open- he dropped his weapons next to the girl along with his money, as calm as the breeze in spring.

Five men came out of the bush, they were all and five armed with swords and bows, but one man was different he had a different sword, he was more refined, new was a half-hand sword with only one edge with runes engraved on the blade, the man then spoke: - my name is Ducan, I'm willing to leave you alive, if you don't resist-

-I don't need to oppose you, I won't make you suffer rest assured-

He moved with hallucinating speed Mahel took the hidden throwing knives throwing them, four out of five men fell to the ground injured, then sprinted towards Ducan, reaching him in less than an instant, then grabbed him by the neck from behind without him not even able to lift the sword finally broke his neck with a sharp and decisive movement with a resounding "... crock ...".

Then as if it were not enough, with the same sword of their leader, he finished them all by piercing their hearts and then extracting the knives from their lifeless bodies, then he recovered his weapons, took, with much anger, the girl in his arms returning to the field , placed it, with more and more anger, on his bed.

He took his cloak covering the girl, very much annoyed, then lay down on the ground and strangely fell asleep immediately.

The darkness enveloped him, he walked, he walked in the void, the light did not exist, the peace of that world was broken, the flames enveloped him the pain was excruciating the blood dripped both from his arm and from his eye the pain was excruciating and he cried, waking up, the bandages were now stained with blood, the eye burned but for that he could not do anything, but for the bandages it was enough to change it -Excuse me, what happened? Why is your arm bleeding? -

mhel looked up, the girl must have woken up, after her scream, her eyes were bruised from sleep and her hair was all ruffled. Then she remembered being attacked and standing up she looked around for her attackers,

-Sit down and stay still, they're all dead-

-what ...? - -I repeat they are all dead-

-But there were six of them, how ... was it you? -

- And who else? My arm is bleeding because for moral duty, I had to save you and they hurt me-

-... ... ... ... -

-Now pass me my cloak-

-where is?-

- since I didn't have two blankets I gave it to you to cover you, now pass it to me-

On the girl's face a slight blush appeared on her cheeks, while a single word came out of her mouth: -Perverted- but she was in a low voice and Mahel didn't hear it. The girl took off her cloak, and noticed how soft it was although very damaged, and gave it back to its rightful owner, but she wasted no time, took some bandages from inside the mentel and went to the river, arrived there, very careful to did not show the beraccio to the girl, he took off the bandages and washed the blood from his arm, he could not apply any natural or magical remedy on those scars they did not work.

after washing it he wrapped it entirely with other gauze, the girl in the meantime, was still blushing, whispering: -Pervert ... a pervert that's what you are- but inside he was happy that someone had "worried" even if for money, for her, but it was also sad as she believed those injuries were all her fault. By now the bandage was finished and the eye didn't burn that much, he slowly returned to the clearing, he was very tired as he had once had these fits, so he sat down on the oak to recover, he felt something pressing on his shoulder, he snorted very loudly and he turns around, it was the girl who handed her a biscuit, took it unceremoniously and started to munch on it although she had no appetite,

listen ... thanks for yesterday, you saved me but I would like to ask you something would you take me to the place where I was passed out, of course when we leave; So we're leaving, let's go, they started to sort out their things, it took them half an hour, and in that time they didn't speak at all, Mahel had the impression that the girl was refraining from talking, better so he didn't want to talk to people .

when they set off, as promised, they headed towards the clearing, when the girl saw Ducan's corpse, slaughtered like a pig, his stomach could not stand and he vomited, Mahel looked bored at the scene, it was not the first time he saw a person throwing up after facing a corpse, and it was always the same story.

As soon as the girl had finished she said to her: - get up, and don't cry for such people-

- but they are people too! - - no, not anymore, as soon as a person starts looting and killing he becomes a beast for slaughter-

Silence fell between the two of them as they both looked into each other's eyes, a deep blue, pure, naive look against a black look, cold as ice, with no trace of life or pity, finally the girl looked away, that look her it frightened, he could not understand it or understand it, it was like the gaze of a statue: without any emotion.

-Get up I said we have to get to town by evening otherwise the gates will close-

-... ... ... All right...-

Mahel jumped on the horse, but the girl stopped for a moment still a little frightened but in the end she climbed without making a fuss.

Whatever your name is, I need to know your name so in case you get lost I can tell who you are.

- Yes ... okay ... my name is ... Elisabhet.-