When the water finally warmed up, the old man invited Claude to wash himself and left the hut, promising to return in an hour. It was very kind of him. Wasting no time, he began to undress. Dirty, dirt-stained trousers and a jacket fell to the floor, metal buckles plaintively clinking on the floor, then came the turn of weapons, shirts and trousers. Last of all, Claude removed the bandage, which had dried to the wound, which made it necessary to wet it, but the blood no longer flowed, and the wound itself had already healed, and all the wounds of the last days took on the appearance of freshly healed scars on slightly reddened skin. However, they no longer posed a threat to him. Climbing into a wide wooden tub, Claude experienced real pleasure, bordering on ecstasy. It was so nice to take a dip in hot water after hard work, his previous employers did not often bother with such a trifle as giving him the opportunity to wash up, because what he was to them, a simple mercenary. The water

At least Claude didn't know about it. nicely illuminated by the light of the morning sun. And expensive artsy furniture, placed along the walls, and now empty. Although the dining table attracted the greatest attention here. Long, wide, on lion's legs and covered with a patterned tablecloth, transparent lace of the web of a stoklog, a spider-spinner, descending to the floor. Products from the web of these stoklog spiders were very much appreciated and purchased for terribly fabulous money, not every rich man could afford them, especially such a volume as this tablecloth. The high cost of such a web was also facilitated by the fact that such spiders were rare, and they did not want to give away their creations just like that, and no one had yet succeeded in breeding them at home. At least Claude didn't know about it. nicely illuminated by the light of the morning sun. And expensive artsy furniture, placed along the walls, and now empty. Although the dining table attracted the greatest

Meanwhile, the forest grew thicker and more impassable, giving way to an overgrown thicket that was barely traversable, where a man's foot did not often set foot. And what a reasonable person would voluntarily put himself in such a place, who else but him. With a sigh, he looked at his fighting friend, who would have to play the not-so-heroic role of a woodcutter, cutting off especially stubborn branches, the sharpness of the blade allowed him to be used for this purpose. But, as Claude noted with anguish, after such a specific use, the sword will have to be shown to the blacksmith, since even its manual sharpening will no longer correct the situation. After half an hour of fermentation among the thickets of fir trees, a few scratches and a hole in the leg, a much-desired gap appeared in front, in the reflections of which the features of some structure were clearly visible. "Here it is - the lair!" - the mercenary breathed a sigh of relief, rejoicing that this exhausting wandering

After sitting like that for a couple more minutes, he was able to finally regain control of his own body. The fact that his hands were shackled with chains did not upset him much, not for the first time. In such a case, he always had a spare master key stashed away. Bending the brush, he tried to feel for the metal rod sewn into the edge of the shirt sleeve, but as soon as he twisted to pull out the skeleton key, the snakes, before that, indifferent, and as if not alive, began to move, emitting a menacing hiss and sticking out a forked tongue. Not wanting to take risks, the guy froze, judging by the appearance of these creatures, they were relatives in appearance to the one that bit him and fell from his hands. It means that he will not die from their bite, but he did not want to experience again all the delights of paralysis, you never know what could happen while he was passed out. Claude threw a hateful glance at the reptiles and relaxed, hanging in the shackles. His hands ache

- We are just very tired, and these snakes swarming around ... - continued the story of brother Daisy. - And the woman was so kind, so sympathetic, that we followed her. “Such a woman…” Caer muttered dreamily, apparently also succumbing to Alira’s charm, and judging by Deiza’s words, it had an effect on her too, forcing her to see Alita as a trustworthy person. - I understood it. Kaer, wipe your drool, she's too tough for you. - Confidently ordered the mercenary, trying to return their heads to their place. - I didn't let you! - the brother was indignant, moving closer to Claude as far as the length of the shackles allowed. - Okay, what's next? “Ah, nothing,” the teenager finished their confession. - As soon as we went inside, snakes rushed at us, twisted, and the one that bit from the woman's hand. - And me. - The girl confirmed the words of her brother, waving her hand. - In general, I understood everything. Now we have to decide how to proceed. C