- Why?  

    Torsians did not believe that Sheymour was bought and all this for the sake of money. And so it happened. 

   - Last winter, when we defended the northern cliff from attack, my house burned down. The baron did not lift a finger to help my wife and children. He did not give them a roof over their heads and did not allow me to wait in his castle, because of which they all died. So he now let him know what it is to lose what is important to him. 

   At the end of his speech, the traitor twisted the dagger, which he drove up to the hilt into his captain's back, then pushed the sagging body forward, freeing the passage to the carriage door and swinging the door open with one jerk.  

   - What...

   Without having time to say anything and somehow react to what was happening, Odarita was pulled out in an instant and pressed against the strong body of one of her former defenders. And then a bloody dagger was put to her throat.

   One move and she'll be dead. Weapon to the ground. Fast.

  Giving orders to his former friends, Sheimur retreated, backing away from them towards the attackers.  

  - Please. No need.

  Dropping the rosary, the girl clutched at the sleeve covered with cold chain mail with both hands. From fear, everything inside her twisted into a painful knot, and her body itself became stiff, because of which her legs refused to move and got tangled in the long hem of the novice's dress. After all, Odarita had no other clothes. But the one who dragged her did not notice all this, however, as well as the weight of the girl.

  - Weapons, I said, on the ground.

 - Sheimur...

  An elderly warrior stepped forward half a step and slowly laid down his sword.

   - Let the girl go. She has nothing to do with it. If you have questions for the Baron, ask him or challenge him.

   In response to the words of the old warrior, laughter was heard, which abruptly stopped, just as it began.  

  - What about my girls? I served him faithfully, and he left my family to die of hunger. Are you saying drop the challenge? Magician? And die without having avenged their relatives? No. He took away from me what was dear to me, so I will do the same. Does he need a gift-bearing daughter? Well, he won't get it. 

     Once among the attackers, the warrior pushed the unresisting Odarita into the hands of the nearest mercenary. And when he saw the purse with money extended to him, he shook his head negatively and, turning around, went along the road, slowly moving away from the place of attack. He didn't need money. Now he didn't need anything. The main thing is that revenge took place. It just didn't make it any easier on my soul. And then the traitor took off his helmet, raising his eyes to the two sickles illuminating the sky, in anticipation of punishment for his misdeed. He didn't have to wait long. A second and a sharp pain pierced his throat. He didn't even look at the arrow protruding from his body, but only smiled as he fell face forward.

    - We're leaving.

   Having given the order, the leader of the mercenaries fired a signal fire upwards, and immediately a roar of rockfall was heard in the mountains, falling on the accompanying bearer of the gift and her crew.  

  - No!

  Seeing how the mercenaries dealt with her people, the girl screamed in despair, fell to her knees, and burst into tears. But after a moment, she, turning to the leader giving orders, spat angrily in his face.

  - They fulfilled your request. You gave your word. The gods won't forgive you. Damn you! All of you be damned!

 And at the same moment, a greenish glow enveloped the bearer of the gift. Startled by what was happening, the mercenaries recoiled from her, which Odarita took advantage of. Jumping to her feet, the girl ran forward, not understanding the road. But she would hardly have been able to escape if not for the warrior who was sent ahead to check the road. All this time, he, hiding among the rocks, watched what was happening in anticipation of the moment when he could do at least something to either help his comrades in arms or save his mistress. And this moment has come.

  The first one to run after the girl, sort of accidentally stumbled, threw up his hands and fell, never getting up again. In the light of the moons, the rest could not see the wound from the arrow that had passed right through. But now the second mercenary grabs his chest. The third tried to dodge to the side. But the road was not very wide, and he did not have time to hide, falling on a boulder, to which he was in a hurry. Those who ran after he rushed scattered across the shelters, trying to determine exactly where the dangerous archer sat down. This time Odarite was enough to hide from his pursuers.

 The girl ran forward, not making out the road and not paying attention either to her knees knocked down in blood, or to her scratched hands. Moreover, she did not pay attention to the sharply rising wind. In the mountains, and even in early spring, you will not surprise anyone with bad weather. She was just trying to get as far away from the dangerous place as possible. At some point, she realized that she had not only run away from the mercenaries, but also ended up on a rocky ledge and somewhere below the water was making a dangerous noise, hitting with force on the reefs. But that was not what caught her attention, but the glow of a fire on a nearby slope. It seemed both near and far at the same time. After all, there was no strength to go down, and then go upstairs. And then she decided to call for help.

   - Help! Please! I'm here! Help!

  Judging by the way dark silhouettes jumped up and darted around the fire, she was heard. And this could rejoice if a menacing growl had not been heard behind him. Turning sharply, Odarita began to peer into the darkness surrounding her. That's just the light that gave two recently born crescents in the sky, clearly not enough to see and fully appreciate the danger threatening her. Holding her breath, she turned her head, looking for ways to retreat and not seeing them. And then from the side, already very close, there was another menacing growl. Shriveling with fear, the girl took a step back and immediately realized that she was standing on the very edge of the cliff. But it was not he who frightened her, but three pairs of glowing eyes in the dark. Even without seeing the faces, she realized that they were wolves. Wolves find easy prey. And she can't run away from them.

  The bearer of the gift did not see or even hear the quiet steps of dangerous animals. And she only guessed them, turning her head first in one direction, then in the other. The wolves, surrounding their prey, were in no hurry to attack. She still can't get away from them. Just as soon as the leader rushed forward to be the first to attack, the girl, in an attempt to escape, leaned back and, unable to keep her balance, began to fall down, screaming loudly and frightened. The echo of her cry at the same moment spread around the area, hitting the indifferent stones and rocks, pushing away from them and going somewhere up. And when a loud splash of water was heard below, howling in disappointment, the predators hurried to get out of the slope, as the cries of people running in their direction were already heard not far away.