Chapter 33

The cart was rattling on the road and Moros was sitting silently. There was a lot going on in his head and he wasn't sure of anything.

"Aren't you afraid that something might go wrong? That someone will recognize us and find out about the fraud?" Fear appeared in Moros's eyes.

"Listen, Moros - Setia pulled the reins and stopped the horse in place - people believe what they are told. They will spread rumors and badmouth us behind our backs and this is normal. However, no one will oppose strong and determined individuals. You have to gain power and hold it firmly in your hand." She raised her hand and clenched it into a fist. 

"If we have no doubts in ourselves, others won't doubt us as well. Here - saying this, she handed him the reins - it's your turn. And one more thing, my father always told me this and I repeated it in my head before every battle; You must not be afraid. Fear makes you stupid, fear paralyzes you, fear kills you before the enemy does. Do you want to live in fear?"

"No - Moros choked out through a clenched throat - No - he added after a while, louder. - I never want to be afraid again." 

He said in a sudden burst of euphoria. After a while, however, he added. "Sometimes fear can save your life."

"Yes, maybe, but what kind of life is it if you don't even try to change anything in it for fear of failure?"

"You're right, it's time for a new balance of power." Moros replied firmly.

Setia smiled to herself, it always worked. The truth is that she herself had many concerns about the success of her plan. She had no knowledge of court intrigues, and apart from Moros, she had no one she trusted. She will have to create the entire court from scratch.

They drove in silence, each of them devoted to their own thoughts. On the right side, along the entire length of the road, they were accompanied by the Judgor massif. These were not very high hills, just limestone rocks covered with grass and low-growing bushes. To the left was a flat, plain area with a dense forest looming on the horizon. There was supposed to be an inn somewhere along the way, or so Hiron said. In front of them was a tall tree covered with carrion birds. Their loud calls could be heard from a distance. Moros immediately felt sick, feeling the taste of the birds' raw meat on his tongue. Not so long ago, they were his main meal. Every now and then they flew to the ground, obviously excited by something that was underneath them.

"They have some carcasses there." Setia commented on their behavior, and then instinctively pulled out a dagger from behind her boot. 

"Be careful."

Moros was paying attention, he held the reins tightly and the gray horse, was neighing quietly, nervously stamping his hooves.

Moros urged the horse, hitting the reins on the animal's thick back. The horse reluctantly pulled the cart. After a while, they saw the corpse of a man covered by madars birds, who were screaming and fighting among themselves for better morsels. The corpse's chest was open and the birds were pecking out its entrails. It was difficult to say anything about the face because the birds had pecked out the eyes and part of the cheeks. A little further away, another man was sitting, leaning against a tree. He held a branch in his hand and with the last of his strength he chased the birds away. He was injured around the stomach and leg. Setia looked around, there was no one in sight as far as the eye could see. She jumped down from the cart and approached the still living man. The injured man was in his prime, he had short blond hair and blue eyes that were now blurred. He was dressed modestly in a worn leather jacket. He moved his mouth to say something, but no sound came out from his clenched throat.

"Moros, give me water." Setia shouted. Moros quickly jumped down from the cart, gave Setia a skin of water and then chased away the carrion birds.

Setia gave water to the injured man, who greedily swallowed a few sips, choking at first, which caused a grimace of pain on his face. He was weak and Setia wondered for a moment if she would be able to get him to the inn.

"Come on, help me put him on the cart." She said to Moros, who was stubbornly fighting the birds away. Moros grabbed the man by the arms and Setia by the legs. He was heavy and they dragged him towards the cart with difficulty, but the biggest challenge was getting him onto the cart. They heard him groaning and then he must have lost consciousness because everything went silent. Setia checked if he was breathing, there was no point in carrying the corpse. His breathing was weak but even. Well, Setia thought, it's time to return the favor. She was also helped once, and now she will repay the debt she owed to Idir. As long as she doesn't end up like Nagor it's going to be fine.

"Let's go while he's still alive." Setia hurried Moros who was standing next to the dead man.

"And this one - he pointed to the dead one - should we leave him like this as food for these birds?"

"What, do you want to build him a funeral pyre?"

Setia already held the reins in her hand.

"If we don't want to have two dead people here in a moment, we have to hurry.

Moros walked away from the dead man with some reluctance. When he sat down next to Setia, all the birds returned to their places. They set off, and the madar's cries followed them for some distance.

Towards evening they reached the inn. It was a small inn with a stable. In front of the entrance there was a large puddle in which ducks were swimming. One could imagine it wasn't the cleanest or the most comfortable place to stay in but once inside you had a roof over your head.

"Hey there! – Moros shouted – Is anyone here?"

An older, round man came out of the inn, he had a bald head and unusually bushy eyebrows. He grimaced when he saw the injured man.

"What's with that corpse? Are you trying to bring him here? I won't let him into the inn. It will scare away my guests!" He grumbled dissatisfied, putting his hands on his prominent belly.

"What guests? Setia pointed towards the empty stable.

"Move, old man, we'll pay well for your help." But the innkeeper stood unmoved, only his small eyes scanning them from under those bushy eyebrows. Setia took a golden aren out of her pouch and threw it towards him. The coin was nimbly caught in mid-flight and a moment later they heard a booming voice.

"Gaidar, Gaidar! Move, you idiot!" The inn door opened and a young boy came out. He was very tall and well-built. 

"Help me with this injured man." He pointed to the cart and went inside. Without a word, Gaidar walked up to the cart, in one agile movement, threw the wounded man over his back like a sack of grain, and entered the inn. Setia looked meaningfully at Moros, they took a few things from the cart and went inside. The room was dark, illuminated by the glow of only two oil lamps. Moros put everything on the bench near the entrance and went to take care of the horse. Gaidar and their wounded man disappeared through a door next to the bar. Setia followed him. They placed him on a bed in a small room, and after a while they were joined by an older woman carrying water in a bowl and a clean cloth. She professionally started cleaning the wounds.

​"We found him on the way, - Setia decided to break the silence - we are going to Kanelin and we can't take him with us." 

The woman pursed her lips into a thin line. She didn't like caring for an injured or perhaps dying man. Setia reached into her purse again and took out two gold coins, it's probably more than they earn here in a month, she thought.

"I'll pay for taking care of him," she said, giving the woman the money, which was quickly taken from her hand by the fat owner of the inn. 

"If he survives, I will pay more on the way back. If not, what I have given you will completely cover all expenses. And now - she looked towards the innkeeper - give us something to eat and a place to sleep."

In the morning at dawn they set off for Kanelin, the condition of the man they had found did not improve, but it did not deteriorate either. The innkeeper's wife knew a little about healing and herbs, so if Haleon favored this wounded man, he had a chance to survive. 

The road was not very long because at noon they saw the wall surrounding Kanelin in front of them. 

Kanelin was located on the road between Basaldia and Fenigrid and was a small trading center. It was subject to the Duchy of Fenigrid, but it was managed by a City Council consisting of the 10 richest and most influential inhabitants. Kanelin was surrounded by a wall that reached about two and a half meters, the rest was a wooden palisade guarded by several knights paid by the Council. The gate stood open and Setia and Moros entered without any problems. The city must have been rich because the roads were paved with stone. The streets were clean, at least on the main one.

"And what now? "Moros asked, looking around at the narrow tall houses squeezed next to each other.

"Now we are looking for a tailor for you and me, we are finding an inn for the night and I am looking for servants."

​"Servants?" Moros was surprised.

"I'm going to Emfer soon, I can't go there alone in an old cart. – Setia explained calmly – For our story to be credible, we need to arrive there with a small entourage."

"You've already been there once, - Moros aptly observed - alone, in an old cart."

"That's right - she sighed and shrugged - but then I was there to explore the area and find out more about the prince, I was incognito." Setia smiled, satisfied with her own explanation.

" Now my appearance is to be associated with wealth. Because money is power. Let's go, nothing will get done by standing still.

Moros nodded and hurried the gray horse. He was excited to be in the city for the first time as a free man.