They were on the road for the fifth day. Vas'Vith could see that his young mistress was unaccustomed to fatigue, making the journey difficult for her. And he would definitely give the girl a rest, if not for the order of the baron, to return her daughter to the family castle as quickly as possible. And today the axle in the carriage broke. They were lucky that at that time the detachment had just left the inn, where they could return for repairs. It was precisely because of this unforeseen delay that they did not have time to reach the next place of spending the night before dark.

   Vas'Vita's father was from an impoverished aristocratic family. In order to improve the family fortune, he immediately, as soon as he received a knighthood, went along with His Majesty's army to conquer new territories. But he was not destined to receive any glory, honor, or money in this campaign, since in the first battle he lost both legs. It's amazing how he survived. So the unfortunate knight had to return home with nothing. And after some time, he learned that the daughter of a local merchant, with whom he spent several nights before setting off to perform feats of arms, gave birth to a child from him. Realizing that he would not have other children, the impoverished aristocrat married this girl, thereby improving his financial situation a little. And, of course, he recognized his son. And when Torcians reaches ten years, with a letter of recommendation, sent him to serve as a page to the Baron O'Sulcarn. Due to the fact that the boy was smart and nimble, already at the age of fourteen he was identified as a squire, and by the age of twenty, after the battle of Nordas, he received a knighthood and was brought closer to himself by the baron, entering his personal guard. Now he was given an incredible trust, which he was going to justify even at the cost of his life, if necessary.

   Everyone loved the little mistress Istella in the barony. Despite her young age, she was a very serious and responsible child beyond her years. From the age of four, she had to start using her gift. By the age of ten, she had developed it to an incredibly high level. For the past two years, the harvests on their lands have been rich and plentiful. And then such a misfortune.

   When the abduction occurred, and after the death of the child, Torsians was not in the barony. He was then sent with a small detachment on an assignment to the capital. He learned of the misfortune from O'Sulcarn's letter. The latter ordered him to recover to the Isidic monastery and find out if the gift had awakened in his middle daughter. And if this happened, then immediately bring her to the family castle. At the same time, the baron himself paved the way, which will have to go, because he was afraid of a repetition of what happened. Still, there were not so many births in which the girls possessed the magic of nature and were able to help the crop ripen under any weather conditions.

   Many times the captain heard about the ruin of the estates only because there was a flood or a drought for several years in a row. Therefore, girls with a gift so necessary for the prosperity of the lands were known almost by name. Rarely has anyone been born with it by accident. And then such a misfortune. The kidnappers, of course, managed to be captured, but the magical seal did not allow anyone to find out exactly who hired them. And if so, then the danger of kidnapping the second bearer of the gift still remained. That is why Vas'Vith was ordered not to linger, and to travel by detours rather than straight ahead.

    Despite the unwillingness to leave the monastery, the girl nevertheless dutifully accepted the will of her father and steadfastly endured all the hardships of the road. She never once complained about being tired, or about being woken up before dawn and going to bed after sunset. And even if they had to stop at a run-down inn, or even in a tavern by the road, she silently went up to her room, looking down at the floor, and only fingered the rosary, praying to the goddess and thanking her for the meager supper.

  So today, when the axle broke, and the carriage leaned sharply, only by a miracle not falling to one side, because of which the young lady hit the wall and cut her eyebrow, she did not say a word, humbly endured the dressing, and did not even groan when she had to treat the wound. Except that a single tear rolled down her cheek, thereby causing a feeling of guilt among the warriors accompanying her. But, in a good way, it would be necessary to show it to a healer, or, at worst, at least to a healer. But at the inn by the road, next to which the breakdown happened, there was no one like that. And they never made it to the next village. And this despite the fact that the night claimed its rights to the world a few hours ago. Because of this, the speed of movement had to be reduced, since the mountain gorge into which they entered does not like fuss and haste.

     Sending one of the warriors ahead to check the road, Torsians slowed his horse as he drew level with the carriage and knocked softly on the door. The curtain on the window immediately pulled back. He saw the pale, haggard face of the young mistress, illuminated by the dim light of a magical lamp and in the darkness giving the girl's skin a bluish tint.  

  - How do you feel, lea Odarita?

 - All is well, - with a weak smile, the former novice cast a disappointed glance around the dark massifs of mountains surrounding them. - We will soon arrive for the night?

   - In about two hours. Sorry, but it won't work before. Try to take a nap in the carriage.

   - Certainly. As you say.

   Answering, the girl immediately pulled back the curtain, hiding in the back of the carriage. And again, no complaints. Aligned in the saddle, Sav'Bith decided to give the order to speed up a little when one of the warriors stopped, saying that there was a blockage ahead. And at that very moment, from nowhere, an arrow that had flown in from nowhere pierced the driver's eye.

   - Assault. Everyone protect the lady.

  Jumping off his horse in one continuous movement, Torsians prepared to repel the attack of the unknown. His comrades in arms followed their commander's example, surrounding the crew and preparing to defend it at all costs. But no one was going to fight them honestly, and a lot of arrows immediately flew into the girl’s defenders.

  With Sav'Bith, warriors, proven in many battles, went on this task. Therefore, they carried out the commands quickly and accurately. Despite the suddenness of the attack, of the twelve escorting the crew, only the driver was killed and two more were injured. Torsian understood that after several repulsed ranged attacks, the enemy would go hand-to-hand. This is where they can show themselves, because he doubted that the bandits would be well equipped. And there is nothing to say about the level of their possession of swords. Knights learn to fight from childhood. What can not be said about the vagabonds, who can only attack unarmed travelers from the back.  

   - Move the shields and prepare for a retaliatory attack.

  Realizing that the arrows would no longer rain down on them, the captain prepared to join the battle. But then a loud voice was heard from the side of the rocks.

   - We need only the bearer of the gift. Give it back and we'll let you go. I give you my word. Otherwise...

    What exactly the leader of the attackers was hinting at was clear and without clarification. But none of the warriors moved. Sav'Bit, frowning, began to think what to do next. Since the attackers know about the girl, it means that this is not an accident, but a trap set specifically for them. But only O'Salkarn and his inner circle knew about the road that the baron's daughter would take. It turns out that a traitor appeared among the close associates of the owner. Torsians was one hundred percent sure of his men. 

  - I count to three, after which everyone who does not move away from the crew will face death. Once...

 - Prepare for...

  The captain did not have time to finish his order, as he felt a sharp pain in his back. Not understanding what was happening, he turned around and was surprised to see Sheimur standing behind him. This warrior was ten years older than Sav'Bith, and more than once covered his back in battle. All the more surprising was his act. Feeling how his legs begin to buckle from weakness, and his mouth fills with blood, the captain nevertheless asked his old comrade-in-arms, and now a traitor, with his lips alone.

    - Why?