- Mister?

    Knocking on the door and without waiting for permission to enter, the old woman, leaning on her stick, crossed the threshold of the master's office.

  - Guida? - looking up from the report he was looking at, the man looked inquiringly at the elderly woman. He remembered this sorceress from childhood. She, at one time, took delivery from his mother, and when he was small, soldered him with bitter tinctures and was already old then. Nobody knew how old she really was. Sometimes it was said that the old hag is with evil spirits, and therefore lives so long. But this did not bother him much, since Guida more than once saved the life of both him and his people. - I told you to send a maid when the girl wakes up, and not to run around the floors herself.

   - We need to talk.

  Closing the door behind her, the elderly woman limped over to the table and sat down in a chair. No one else dared to behave in such a way in the presence of the owner except her. And Ock'Tarner wouldn't let anyone else do that either.

  - Did something happen to the girl? Her soul still went over the edge?

 Shaking her head, the old woman looked tiredly at the owner of the castle.

  - No. The girl is alive. Moreover, she has finally come to her senses and her health is no longer in danger. I fed her and put her to sleep. Now for her, the main thing is peace, rest, sound sleep, and good nutrition. But I didn't want to talk about her health. We've got another problem.

   Hearing the last phrase, the man pursed his lips in displeasure, running his fingers through his hair. He had enough problems as it was. Winter that year began early and was very severe, and even delayed. Because of this, part of the seed had to be distributed to people so that they would not die of hunger.

  This winter was difficult not only for people but also for animals. A fairly large pack of wolves appeared near the settlements. The fact that they killed more than a dozen sheep is not so bad. But the fact that the shepherd, three hunters, and a child disappeared is already bad. After all, he promised his people protection, and Ok'Tarner always keeps his word.

  But if they seemed to have dealt with the wolves, then with the purchase of seed and food in order to make it to the new harvest, everything was much worse. And all because when he was going to send carts through the pass to Shautars, bad weather suddenly broke out. As a result, several collapses and landslides occurred. Now all roads were blocked. Work in the fields had to begin in two weeks, a maximum of three. And if this does not happen, then the next winter will be even more difficult for his people. And then there's this girl. He certainly didn't have time to deal with it. At the same time, we must not forget about skirmishes with the Artians, which can escalate into a military conflict. That the king would call him to stand under his flags, banneret did not doubt for a moment. After all, they went through several military campaigns together. And in the last Ok' Tarner saved His Majesty with his shield. After which they fought standing back to back and defeating many enemies.

   And everything would be fine, but he did not want to leave his lands on the verge of ruin and starvation of his people. On the other hand, during the military campaign, he will be able to earn enough money to buy food, repair roads, and have something left to restore the family castle. A sudden sad smile touched the man's lips. But, in a good way, he should never have done this. All his life he was being prepared for a military career, and now he is sitting behind papers and bills, writing down where and on what to spend each copper and considering grain purchases. 

    Rising abruptly, Ader went to the window and, throwing it open with one movement, took a deep breath of cold air. If during the day, when the sun was warming, the air had time to warm up a little, then towards evening, cold winds from the mountains reminded us how deceptive this warmth was. And those who did not understand this paid dearly for their mistakes. That's what happened to his mother.

   Irita Tis'Shi was born the sixth and final child of a long-impoverished aristocratic family who lived in the border town of Rastarkast in southern Tavia. From the fate of becoming a novice, and later a nun, she was saved by the presence of a small gift. As the owner of water magic, she could well count on a good party with a wealthy merchant from a neighboring town who owns his own shipyard and three ships, and even with the youngest son of the burgomaster. The genus of the latter, even though it stood higher than theirs, but for two generations no children with a magical gift were born there. The girl, of course, gave preference to the young son of the burgomaster, and not to the rich widower. And to incredible joy, the young man had already invited her twice for a walk and four times for a dance. True, at different balls and at each one. But that didn't stop the girl on warm southern nights, sitting at the window, sighing about a young handsome youth. So by the end of her first season, Irita was waiting for a marriage proposal. She just got it from a completely different man and much earlier.

    That year, because of the increasing attacks on merchant caravans, a royal party was sent to their town under the command of Sadar Ok'Tarner's banneret. They saw each other several times at soirees, but the girl paid no attention to this knight with gray-haired temples. But he noticed a short, sweet shy girl with incredible eyes the color of the night. And since he soon completed the task of the king, he did not wait for the end of the season, making an offer that Irita's parents did not want to refuse, even despite the tearful pleas of their youngest daughter. And all because it was still unknown whether the burgomaster would want to intermarry with them. But this groom already exists, and no one was going to miss him. Moreover, he was a more high-born aristocrat, he also offered a good ransom for their daughter, and did not demand a rich dowry himself,

    Although not immediately, Irita fell in love with her husband, even though he was much older than her. Indeed, in his young wife, Sadar did not cherish her soul and spoiled her as best he could. Things were much worse with the Oc'Tarner family castle Durshars and the mountains where it was located. Growing up in a warm southern climate, the girl still could not get used to the cold, piercing winds of the Santaria Mountains and its snowy winters. And if she was able to give her heart to her husband, and also give birth to him three sons endowed with a gift, then her soul remained with the south. So it happened that when Sadar, having grown old, died, a forty-year-old woman, finding herself without the care and attention of her husband, one day went out to bask in the deceptive spring sun, caught a cold, and soon followed him. Guida nursed and saved people even with more serious illnesses, but only if the patients themselves wanted to live. Adair was fifteen years old at the time. He had been studying at the military academy for a year now.

Having married at an advanced age, Sadar Ok'Tarner took care of the future of his sons in advance. The eldest son was to inherit the title, the castle, and all the territories adjacent to it. The middle son was prepared for a diplomatic career and he was given a house in the capital. And the youngest had to follow in the footsteps of his father and become a military man. He was given a name, a small capital, and everything necessary for a successful start in life. All three received appropriate upbringing and education. But life has decreed otherwise.

   Ader's older brother was almost a complete copy of his father. The same big, tall man with blond hair and blue eyes. He was also thoughtful and quite calm. But at the same time, he had his own weakness - hunting. And yes, he considered it below his dignity to walk with a bow on a wild beast, shooting him from a safe distance. Moreover, he, like his father, always went out even to meet with a large predator one on one, only with a spear and a knife. And all because he believed that everyone should have had a chance to win or the opportunity to escape. But animals have no concept of human honor. They operate on natural survival instincts. And yes, there were two bears, and they were not going to wait for their turn, attacking their opponent at the same time.

    At that time, Ader was twenty-three years old. He already participated in the fourth military campaign, so he received a message about the death of his brother late and did not have time to arrive at the family castle for the funeral. However, he did not appear at home for the next six years, because he did not see the point in this. After all, his second brother, Midan, was supposed to inherit everything. And he had nothing against this alignment. Why, a young man quickly advancing in military service was not even interested in what was happening at home and how his middle brother was doing, who, unlike his older brother, outwardly looked more like their southern mother. The same graceful and black-haired, with expressive dark eyes conquered many women's hearts, which led to his death. 

    Ader remained in the dark about what was happening only until the moment he returned to the capital last fall with the king and the news of victory in the next battle. And yes, instead of glory and honors, creditors stood at the door of his room in the allocated apartments in the royal residence, and on the table was a notice of the death of the second brother in a duel.

    So it turned out that Ader had to give almost all of his trophies in order to pay off Midan's gambling debts and hush up the last scandal so that their name would not be ruffled on every corner. And he also had to shell out a decent amount in order to return all the mortgages both on the family castle and on the lands surrounding it. And when the man arrived in Durchars, he realized that the same amount of money was needed to restore everything that had fallen into complete desolation in the last years that he was not here.

     And what should he do now? After all, he was taught all his life to fight, and not to mess with papers and keep accounts of income and expenses. In managing such a large estate, to which several settlements were attached, he was also not strong. He remembered how his father received people and listened to their complaints, how he solved problems and ruled the court. His late father was an honest, fair, and diligent owner, as well as a loving husband and caring father. Ader hoped to be worthy of his memory. But he lacked knowledge and skills, and even a good manager. The one Midan hired had fled long ago, taking with him everything that, in his opinion, lay badly. He brought all the affairs into such a state that even someone who was well-versed in the documentation could not deal with the invoices and records left by him.

    Everything would be much easier if the mountains that Ader inherited had precious stones, gold, or at least silver. But none of the above was here. On the one hand, this is good, because thanks to the latter, no one particularly claimed their territory, but on the other hand, they themselves, from time to time, had to tighten their belts. Of course, they never lived from hand to mouth, but they did not shine with luxury either. 

    To top it off, the ground around was rocky, which made it difficult for anything to grow. Therefore, there was no question of selling surplus from the fields. This would be enough for us. So far, somehow, it was possible to save itself by selling wool from sheep grazed on mountain pastures. Although, earlier, when my father was engaged in cattle breeding, the wool sold by them was considered one of the best. But the herds have not been updated for a long time. To top it off, their ranks have been severely thinned out by wolves this winter. And if they still do not have time to sow those small areas of arable land that he has, then people will finally leave his lands, after which the family castle will go under the hammer only because he will have nothing to pay taxes with.

    So yes, the problems with the girl who fell on his head only exacerbated the situation. I would like, of course, to hope that she is from some highly aristocratic, titled, wealthy family and has a rare, powerful gift. If this were the case, then in gratitude for the salvation, her family would have thanked him well with full-fledged gold. But he did not believe in the latter. His guest was too poorly dressed. Yes, and the carriage in which she was transported was without monograms, and the guards were in ordinary clothes, and not in liveries. So yes, there is no need to wait for profit from this side.

    Have the gods turned their backs on their kind? Otherwise, how to understand everything that has happened over the past few years? But even despite all the difficulties, Ok'Tarner was not going to give up.

    Thinking about the last question, Ader mentally figured out whether to build a small temple for him near the castle in order to propitiate the supreme couple, but he immediately dismissed this thought. Perhaps later he will do this, but now he needs to clear at least one road through the mountains so that he can send a convoy to buy food and seed. Spending your reserve on the construction of the temple now would be irrational. As well as tearing people away for this business. 

 - So what did you want to talk about?

  Turning away from the window, the owner of the castle looked inquiringly at the silent healer. She immediately nodded in agreement. 

   - About the fact that after everything that happened to her, the girl you saved lost her memory, forgetting the name of the clan and even what gift she has.

   Hearing the answer, Ok'Tharner returned to the table, once again carefully examining the report that his people had sent him not so long ago.

   - Are you sure about that? Could it be that she's faking it?

   Hearing the next questions, the old woman wearily leaned her elbows on the back of the chair, stretching her sore leg forward.

    - Sure. She did not even recognize her own reflection in the mirror, looking at it as if seeing it for the first time. And why should she pretend?

  - There is a reason.
  
   Sighing heavily, the owner of the office looked thoughtfully out the window at the peaks of the mountains visible in the distance. From this occupation, he was distracted by the raspy voice of the old woman. 

  - Yes? And what?

     Now it was Guida's turn to look inquiringly at her master. And he once again ran through the lines written in clumsy letters, and honestly told her about his assumptions.