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THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 49
It was only a couple of days' journey to the mountains, darkening with sharp peaks in the north. There, on the eastern slopes, hidden from prying eyes, native Shanfar shone white under the sun - the city where Darita herself was born a quarter of a century ago and where her mother and father remained. So many years have passed since she last saw them that the faces dear to her heart were almost erased from her memory. Long painful years of slavery, from morning to night filled with blood, sweat and horror, drove even thoughts of disobedience out of Darita's soul. In the Black Fortress, fear was everywhere: it seemed to ooze from the walls, flow down the floor, envelop and suffocate. Darita had known his taste and smell since childhood, from the day a tall blond man with eyes as black as night came and took her sister, her beloved Dera, by the hand. He killed her on the same new moon, how he killed before that all the firstborn of their people - over and over again ... for so long that
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 50
"You're making a mistake, Lee," the duke replied dully. - Karl knows our capabilities, and he can easily calculate all the maneuvers. It's not for me to tell you about this ... Think about it! The entire outcome of the war may now depend on the life of a single person. “I know it,” Lyramel said, trying not to show her excitement. “As you knew, too, when you chose the life of your sister as the ransom of your own conscience. Seeing how angry his eyes blazed, she paused and added calmly: And let it be done without noise: no one should know about it.- Lyramel! - Yakir said with pressure, trying to attract her attention.- Shut up! She pursed her lips, throwing him an angry look. “You won’t have long to endure my insane orders. Your time will come too. Have the decency to wait. Turning her horse around, Lyramel slowly steered it towards the footman who was waiting for them. Her heart became dark and quiet, as if someone had turned off the light. She knew that she was worthy of contemp
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 51
Pat and surroundingsWaking up, Karl looked up for a long time. The light from the torches snatched out of the darkness only part of the wall. Above was impenetrable darkness - thick, heavy and stifling. For the first time in many months, the prince did not follow his thoughts and feelings: in the Black Fortress, Miel controlled everything and everyone without mental tentacles. It seemed that even the stones served him, obediently absorbing excess anger and hatred. I didn't want to get up. A few stab wounds from a brief skirmish with Simmer were still bothersome, although the stitches healed quickly and the temperature after taking the antibiotic subsided and did not rise again. Passing his hand over his shirt, Karl smiled mirthlessly: in the days of his youth, it was not in vain that an officer was considered the best footman in Bartiot. He tried to stop him as soon as he realized that he had been deceived. Fortunately, the sleeping pill worked in time. Now the son of the Hermas
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 52
Chaos reigned in the square: children and women screamed, blades sparkled in red reflections. The crowd churned like a monstrous sea. Without knowing why, Lyramel fell on her stomach on the window sill, pulled the window handle with force and flung open the shutters. A warm, damp wind blew into my face... “God, what was that?” she whispered in fright, peering into the darkness. From the sky, as before, the stars shone indifferently and coldly, the dog whined plaintively under the house ... Taking a few deep breaths to ease her heartbeat, Lyramel closed the shutters and pressed her fingers to her temples, the pain throbbing, making it difficult to concentrate."Is everything all right, Your Majesty?" came a quiet voice from behind.Turning around abruptly, Liramel froze in horror. Tall and thin, with pale red hair, Firsar looked at her with slightly squinted shining eyes. His long face was twisted into a wry smile, and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead."Lord Firsar?" What you
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 53
A wide white road wound through the green-yellow hills. Slightly touched by the gilding of the dawn, the high walls of the ancient fortress cast long blue shadows on the misty ground.Liramel had never seen Bartayota, but she knew her story well, and her first impression was right. Unlike Gorgoth, famous for its architecture, it was a real military stronghold - ascetic and severe. The jagged thick walls that surrounded the city in an even ring reached almost twenty meters in height and more than eight in width. Bartayota was not just called the "stronghold of the North": for the second time she was to be in the center of the war between the two peoples of the Small World. Impregnable and majestic, it has traditionally been home to the most numerous garrison of the Kingdom. About nine thousand soldiers guarded the inner city, where the Academy and the general's residence were located. As Yakir once said, in Bartayota any woman or child could defend the walls and fight on an equal footi
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 54
The cousin, who had apparently already been informed of her visit, was waiting at the only narrow window. Turning at the sound of the door opening, he ordered that no one be allowed in and with a glance asked Liramel to lock the inner bolt.Have you spoken to the Council? Paraman asked gloomily, lowering the thick curtain, although it was rather dark in the small room anyway.Glancing back at him briefly, Lyramel sat down in the only chair and took a deep breath before exhaling:- She spoke.- AND? There was a threat in the cousin's voice.- I announced my decision to you back in Pata, Paraman ... The Council allowed me to lead the first strike along with Hyde. It will be better this way.Approaching, he put his hand on the leather back and, clenching his fingers so that a creaking sound was heard, hissed through his teeth:- Did you think...Lifting her eyes, Liramel gave a forced smile.- About the people?“Yes,” he nodded. And about Christian too. Or do you think that if I take pow
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 55
The dawn was truly magical. The air, saturated with the smell of rotten grasses and damp earth, swirled over the withered grass in a thick fog. The high towers of clouds drifted slowly from north to south, and the golden rays of dawn scattered around them in a wide fan. The horses snorted softly, impatiently moving their hooves, and the warriors tried to warm themselves by stretching their legs that had become stiff during the night. In the morning, Liramel still managed to fall asleep, although his nerves were so tense that he almost did not feel tired.Having had a quick bite, Hyde ordered to build up and, having waited for a messenger from the fortress, asked Liramel for permission to order the handbrakes to advance their detachments. Soon the border was left behind, and under the hooves of the horses, between the grasses crushed by the winds, a foreign land turned black. The reconnaissance, which returned an hour after they left the place, reported that some kind of movement had
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 56
Wide crimson rays chaotically drew bloody reflections on the clouds and fell on the feather grass frozen in the calm. Mountains in a dark blue uneven ridge with white-red snow caps rose above the steppe, as if outlining the border of the world. Pulling her hood down, Darita stole a glance at the captive. She also watched Karl, although the latter behaved as usual and practically did not pay attention to his sister. The decision of the prince came as a surprise to everyone, and the princess still did not understand what exactly Miel was up to. However, she had never seen him so pleased. The Vallor Queen was remarkably calm. Not once did she say a word all day, only sometimes she looked back at her brother, as if checking whether he was near or not. When dark was not more than half an hour away, the low roar of the bugle announced a halt. Tired riders stopped in the same place where they found their long-awaited signal, and settled down for the night. Bonfires were not lit, t