He grabbed her hand again, dragging the poor girl behind him. Nina was in shock, barely able to speak after the carnage she just witnessed. Everything happened so fast, yet she registered everything in disturbing detail. She looked at her mentor, and then at her tunic, and then at her arms. She could feel it in her face and taste it on her lips. They were covered in still warm Northmen's blood. Verkan kicked open the back door of a barn that was still undamaged by the fire dragging her inside, hiding behind the lots of chaff that were stored inside.

-“Where did you learn to fight like that?” she asked.

-“Listen carefully, Nina! We have little time! There is something important I need to tell you. Before becoming a priest, another name knew me. I used to be a clan warrior when I was young. They knew me back then as Rudo,” Verkan told her in the most serious tone she ever heard from him.

-“Rudo?” Nina asked right before turning dead white at the sudden recognition. Feeling her body shaking unexpectedly, breathing becoming increasingly difficult. Impossible! This cannot be! If what Verkan was telling her was true, that means he was…

-“The Vanquisher!?” Nina asked fearfully.

-“I'm sorry for lying about it before,” the old priest apologized.

-“I wouldn't have believed it, the legendary Vanquisher… It was you?”

-“A lifetime ago, I was a young and proud Clan Harmak warrior. I fell in love with a beautiful princess. Her father promised me her hand if I proved myself worthy, so I fought countless Trials to earn her hand. But one fateful night, warriors from an enemy Clan attacked her village when I was away; they kidnapped her, taking her to their domains. Our Clan had been weakened by a previous war, and our Lord was hesitant to start another, so instead of sending warriors to rescue her, he only demanded a prize in exchange”

-“Her father was enraged! I promised him that I would protect his daughter, so I went after her alone. I rode through the frontier and into Clan Malcroft territory. I searched village after village, trying to find where she was held, and when I finally found her, her captor said he would pay the price our Lord had demanded. But I was there of my own volition. I challenged him to a Trial of Grievance, but he refused, and ordered his warriors to attack me”

-“So I killed them all” Verkan paused for a moment.

  She was listening to every word carefully; Verkan spoke barely above a whisper to avoid being heard. They could hear the Northmen speaking to each other in their language just outside the barn. Verkan kept quiet until they walked away.

-“He didn't have another choice than to face me in combat, or they would brand him a coward. Our fight was brief; I defeated him but showed him mercy. Finally, I was free to take my beloved back to her family and Clan, but to my surprise, she sided with him. That was when I realized the whole kidnapping was just a farce and that she had come with him willingly. She broke my heart into a million pieces, and when I was distracted, the warrior that took her tried to attack me from behind”

-“I killed him in a rage, even though he had left me with no choice but to defend myself. She cried over his body, so I waited briefly to let her mourn him before we returned. I knew she would never be mine, but I wanted to bring her back to her father, at least. But before I could even react, she killed herself with her lover’s sword. She cursed me with her last breath. Part of me died with her that night”

-“I took her dead body back to our Clan. I told her father that she killed herself to preserve her honor to spare his feelings. I tried to live a normal life, but the memory of that night haunted me. I couldn't live with the lie either, so one day I left my Clan, leaving everything behind, and traveled across the ocean to the Empire. I changed my name to Verkan and started anew with the help of the Church. Since then, I have been a priest to atone for my sins”

-“I had no idea. But why are you telling me this?” Nina asked.

-“Because the Gods now give me the chance to make amends. Every warrior tells his story before his last stand,”

  Last stand?! She thought, visibly shocked after hearing what he just said, but he continued before she could reply anything.

-“You have to make it to the forest, Nina! Follow the edge of the mountains and you will find a stream. Follow it! It will take you to the nearest village!” he commanded.

-“But what about you?!” Nina managed to ask.

-“I will hold them off as long as I can” Verkan replied in a somber tone.

-“But Verkan! If you do that, you will die!” Nina frantically tried to explain.

-“I know” was his response. She gasped loudly, finally breaking down crying, covering her mouth with both hands trying to remain quiet but losing the battle against the tears horribly.

-“But if I don't, we'll both die! And you will suffer an even worse fate! I can't allow that”

-“Please Verkan, no! Come with me!”

-“DO AS I SAY, CHILD!” he yelled, visibly upset and on the verge of tears. Verkan immediately regretted raising his voice, however, feeling remorse beyond description, and pulling her into a tight embrace which the girl reciprocated. Nina kept weeping silently onto his chest. He would never forgive himself if their last moments together were on a sour note.

-“You have to run, you hear me?! Don't look behind! Don't stop no matter what!”

-“I'm sorry!” she replied, crying her heart out.

-“I shall tell your mother what I've seen you become. I'm sure she’ll be as proud as I am”

-“Now go!” was his last command.