Saddle and Silk

X

Wiglaf threw the limp Khergit over his shoulder and quickly disappeared from the scene. He felt himself move in a daze.,, Wait boy. "Baheshtur muttered to himself. He took the gag he had made from cloth and quickly put it in his mouth. Then he looked around cautiously and threw the khergita over his shoulder." ugh.. "he snapped out of himself. You'll get through he said to himself, and quickly scrambled along the rock. Meanwhile, he heard a call from the fire pit.,, Shit... Alright I'll take it along the stream." you muttered. He looked around quickly. Thanks to the rain, nothing could be seen or heard much, so he had a chance of being lost to his pursuers.
He ran quickly along the trees. He guessed that it was about a mile to his camps* (a quick explanation from me as the author. I mean the old Czech mile, not the American mile.).
But his captive began to speak to him.

The barking of a dog was heard in the distance.,, Hervét! "he swore to himself. He began to think quickly about where to get out of here. Fine, he said to himself, I'll leave you here, you're tied up, so you won't escape on your own. And here in that alcove, no one will be looking for you either. As he hid it there, he heard how the dog's barking is approaching.,, ​​Come on you little bitch, let's see how you like the little surprise." And with that he ran along the trees, a dagger in one hand, touching the trees with the other and grabbing a branch here and there, or deliberately making a giant one racket. Navadel is outside the camp, but at the same time he needed to warn the others, and although the auctioneers are quieter and cannot be heard through the rain, the dog is different. He barks, and that will hopefully reach Baheshtur. He turned and saw the monster behind him. The giant dog was not alone. There were two others with him, completely silent, so the prey had no idea that the dog was not the only one. Well then, Wigláf said to himself, a challenge as a challenge. The first dog jumped at his throat, but Wigláf was no longer there. He dodged in half a turn, aimed his dagger at the dog, and stabbed.
*

Baheštur could not sleep. He could rely on Wígláf, but the problem was more that something was bothering him. He came out of the tent. He took a few steps and tapped lightly on a peg on the ground. No one else would know it, but Wiglaf and Agnes did, because Baheštur liked to do it, even if it was not heard. But now you could hear it despite the rain, so the only thing that came out of the tent was, "Who's there". Emma, ​​Baheshtur's head flashed.,, It's Baheshtur," answered Anežka.

"Thank you for the invitation, I would just like to ask you a few things." Anežka was wearing only a green dress, and Emma was wearing a blue one, but apart from the earrings on the small field table, they had nothing else. "So what would you like, Baheshtur?" "I can't sleep, so I came to visit you and also to ask if you play Zatar. "He sat down.,, Only I can do Zatar, Emma can't, we already asked her." Baheshtur's eyes lit up. I'll explain the rules to you. "And so he did. While he was talking, the rain got worse outside. Agnes spread the cards on the table.,, Remember, the highest card is the queen, after that is the king, and then there is the top." He showed her the cards as he spoke. He then handed them out and the game began. He won her. He smiled at the two women and was about to deal again, but something interrupted him, it was a strange sound in the rain, something that didn't belong there. "I'll be right back, I'll just look at something." What could it be, flashed through his mind. Maybe a wolf had found the horse. THAT would be a big misfortune. He ran out quickly in the rain, but the horses were all right. But they were restless, and he heard barking in the distance.He grimaced and braced himself for the worst.

He ran back into the tent. "On your feet." He said. "We have company."

*

Wígláf threw the limp body of the dog, and dodged the other's lunge. He tossed the dagger from hand to hand and jabbed in a pirouette. The other dog was on the ground. "Bastard." He muttered to himself. The third dog tried to get on his back, but Baheshtur kicked him in the eye and when the dog jumped at him, he tore his throat open.

But then the arrows started falling.

Arrows started whistling everywhere, but not necessarily at him. It looked like a shootout. From one side the Khergites were burning, from the other side another group, more numerous.
"Yalla", "Screw your eye, you moron!" It was escalating quickly, Wigláf thought. He wanted to run out, but a khergit targeted him, pinning him in place. "Undaaa!" came a voice from the other side, and a burst of fire broke out from behind the trees. Khergita, who was screaming, suddenly jumped up and fell to the ground. The rest of the party very quickly recognized that the chase was over and began to retreat, but they did not escape far, for on their heels two knights rode.

Wígláf was finally able to get up because he had to stay hidden in the thicket during the shootout. The commander of the newly arrived group rode towards him on horseback. "I'm guessing you're part of the group that camped about a mile away, huh?" "Yeah, right." "So I can tell you that they are fine. They heard dogs barking here, so they had time to get ready, and we drove by. May I ask who you are?" Wiglaf nodded his head. "His Highness's standard-bearer, Duke of Frisia, in his youth, Tiberius Beje's protege." The rider bowed to him. "So I'm glad you're okay."

*

Clouds raced over the great temple in Jalen. A cloud that could not even give birth to a storm. Inside the building, sitting on the ground in the Eastern fashion, were five powerful men who essentially ruled Southern Calradia. King Kastor II., Tiberius, then the ruler of the Nords, the great sultan from the south, and the envoy of the Khergit Khan, who also acted as a bey. Next to them stood the sixth, the great patriarch Jalensky, who controlled the entire Eastern Church.

"The situation has become more than critical, you have to admit that Kastor." Patriarch Donastias started, who frowned the most at the Patriarch of Wercheg, who was the highest representative of the Western Church, but only recognized by the Nords. Kastor looked at the Patriarch of Wercheg. , "I know, I know..but I can't do anything about this - not even Sanjar can tame the barbarians. Tiberius is already dealing with it. But what scares me is that they broke out simultaneously, and that the Khergit branch." he goes after Anežka. I wish Jaroglek was here!" He sighed. King Jaroglek was missed by everyone. He died recently after a long illness. And there was a great royal election in the Kingdom of Vaegir, the nobility of the whole land came together to choose their king, then make a treaty with him, and only then recognize him as their king. "We don't know why they're after her, or maybe they are, O Mr. Ambassador?" The Khan's envoy looked a little confused. "Actually, we know." said the envoy reluctantly. "It's revenge.",,Revenge? God, what could my stepmother have done to them?" Kastor tossed grumpily. "It's not so much what her highness did as it is what her father did." The envoy said dryly. "And that...?" Bej sighed. "During the last wars with the Vaegirs, there were several massacres, from both sides. During them, the family of the leader of the rebellion also fell." Kastor looked at Khergita.,, And no one could have reported this to us earlier?!",, We were not sure about that. "Patriarch Jalenský prayed.,, Gods with us, Thrór protect the princess."