«Step aside!» I shouted Claude.
He obediently jumped to the nearest tree. No one has yet escaped from the battlefield with such ease. And in me, on the contrary, a predator, a gloomy, fierce creature with two black wings, woke up. I swamped with a sword and hit the beast along the neck. The first time the sword only slid over a thick skin, splashed a thin trickle of blood, but from the second strike I managed to cut off the head of a wild beast. I was tired of falling on the ground next to the decapitated carcass. It was hard for me to breathe after the struggle, after two blows that took all the forces with me. And at the same time I was sure that my strength is not enough to kill such a beast. I almost felt that in the last moment someone invisible grabbed my hand and helped put a decisive blow.
Claude approached my horse, took out a flask with wine from the saddle bag and handed me. Above the gloomy silhouette of the mountains cut the first rays of dawn. The night passed, as in hell. And the morning revived the former beauty of the faded forest.
«You fulfilled your promise!» Claude said this phrase solemnly and with respect. Does one heroic act really transformed me in his eyes.
On the other hand, we were in a distress. On one frightened horse, you will not go far together. I suggested Claude to take my horse and go for help at the next village.
«Yes, the baron should know that you saved him from this beast,» Claude kicked with his boot a heavy carcass. «I hope that in honor of the hero, at least a feast will arrange.»
«I would be glad just with a good dinner in the tavern and buying two rapid horses. I hope you won’t get lost, looking for a village and do not make me wait a long time.»
In fact, I was pleased with any pretext to get rid of Claude and alone go to the gorge, thereby proving that there was no evil in the vicinity. According to the old knightly custom, I cut out a tongue from the mouth, so that in case of the appearance of impostors to prove that the winner am I and no one else.
I rose from the ground and shuddered from the surprise. Directly in front of me stood a tall, static gentleman, from his head to the legs he was in black. Even the lower part of the face was tied with a black, silk scarf. Only eyes glittered, shimmering a multitude of mixes under the fields of hats with a gold buckle.
«Good morning, my prince,» a stranger greeted me.
«You worked nicely!» He pointed to the defeated beast.
«I just performed my duty,» I answered briefly, by tone of my voice you could to understand that I do not want to join the conversation.
«Yes, of course, your duty is take care of the good of loyal subjects. After all, you will soon become a king. The throne of this country belongs only to you.
– What about my older brothers? «I stared in surprise at a stranger, really he accepted me for the senior prince.
«I said that this country will either belong to you or lie in the ruins,» is patiently, as to a stupid student, began to explain the stranger. «The king will be either chosen one or no one will take this place.»
«What do you have in mind?»
«And why do you need this poor kingdom,» the stranger continued.
To think only, he called one of the richest countries in the world the poor kingdom.
«Why do you need these people with their eternal discontent and fear? Why do you need to have a power close to your sunset? After all, the magic empire is waiting for you!»
He laughed calling, turned away from me and headed for the forest.
«Stand!» I shouted, but he already was disappeared.
I heard the ringing of the bells. A rich, silver sleigh was rolled through the glade. It stopped next to me. A little man, more like a gnome, jumped out of the sleigh, removed from the head a hat decorated with colored feathers and bowed to me. Horses impatiently beat the ground with their hooves. Two charming ladies were sitting in a sleigh.
«Hello, Monseigneur,» greeted me one of them. Her face was covered with a veil, but under the folds of lace it was possible to consider the outline of the pink lips and a gentle chin. She was dressed in fur coat. Her girlfriend was dressed in a luxurious purple cloak with a hood, she covered her face with a veil before she greeted me.
I reservedly answered a greeting.
«I wanted to ask you, my lord, how do we get to the gorge?» asked the lady, which turned to me first.
«In the gorge?» I was amazed.
«Yes, today we are going there, Monseigneur. Didn’t you know?»
Her question surprised me even more than the fact that two ladies were going to go to the place with bad fame.
«You confused me with someone else, ladies.» I answered hastily.
«No that you, Monseigneur, I would not confuse you with anyone,» she quite sincerely objected.
«Do you really not honor with your presence our meeting. After all, we are so long… waited for you, – almost dare the second lady, making a pause before the last words. It seemed to me that her lips under a veil had a delighted smile.
«So you will show us the way,» the first lady insisted, and her voice reminded me of a ringing of small bells.
I waved my hand aside, where, as it seemed to me, there was a gorge. I was more than confident that I see her for the first time in my life. None of the court lady had such a proud posture and the grace of the waiting predator.
«Thank you, Monseigneur,» sounded a silver voice. The sleigh drove off. The ringing of the bells ripped frosty silence with unpleasant music. A few minutes later, the same note «Dzin – Dzin – Dzin» was repeated, and silence came again. The sleigh disappeared behind the rotation of a narrow, dangerous road, which fastened the abyss.
I was confused and stunned and, nevertheless, I decided to get to the gorge. What meeting did this lady talk about? Are the black crows going to circle over the gorge? And maybe there really live fairy, elves and other dangerous unearthly creatures, but as far as I know, they love summer, streams, flower beds and thickets of wild roses. So what do they do here in the kingdom of winter? I laughed at my own thoughts. It was stupid to think that at the depth of the gorge, the fairies will arrange a ball. But the reception in the father’s castle will begin tonight. But I no longer have time for him. But I had a sword with me, arrows and crossbow, and I could safely go to the gorge. I went the same way as the ladies went, and, to his surprise, did not notice the traces of the hoofs, nor the usual slim traces in the snow, as if the sleigh flew, without touching the snow.
Just in case, I charged the crossbow and kept it in my right hand all the time, in any moment preparing to shoot. But on my path no longer met any dangers. There was no soul around, only sparkling snow, pebbles, rolling down the cliff, and the sullen wall of the trees.
As I move forward, the road narrowed. Soon it was a narrow, winding trail, descended down. Fat crust ice covered the ground. I had to go ahead carefully, so as not to slip and not fall into the black splitting of the abyss. Despite the fatigue, I got to the foot on the mountains, climbed the trail looked over the cliffs and felt an inexplicable fear. Yes, indeed, this place was too gloomy. Probably, I climbed into such a height, which would not be solved by none of the locals, but to go deep into the gorge would be a suicide. I looked into a black emptiness. The rays of the sun did not penetrate there. Over the gorge hung a sinister silence. I had a long time in one place, not deciding to go down and unable to turn back. Suddenly, the sounds of mandolin came to me. Pleasant, quiet music. In this wilderness, it resembled the paradise tunes. But who can play mandolin among mountains and frozen paths? I was so fascinated that only after a few moments I realized that the sounds come from the depths of the gorge.