They were noticed from afar, and therefore at the gate they were already waiting for the elder, the priest of the local church and a dozen men. Have communicated. It turned out that the village has been here for a week now as in an open confrontation between the smith and all the others. It all started with the fact that Valentino was shod by the headman's horse, and the latter, a few days later, broke his leg due to the fact that some of the nails in the horseshoe jumped off. Of course, they began to run into the horseshoe, demanding compensation for the damage. And that in refusal goes. They collected a world gathering, decided to keep the fugitive. So he openly declared at the meeting that the headman, they say, was to blame, because he hurried him and stood over his soul, and that's it, he auknulos. The debate began, as it should be. But, alas, Valentino did not like the people and was afraid, since he was an alien man, he lived on the outskirts, he did not talk to people much. I did not even want to take my wife for myself. So, little by little, the scales bowed in favor of the elders. Only his brother, Vincento, spoke for him. Realizing that they will not wait for justice - they sent the whole world to unprinted distances and went to the smithy, where they have been holding the defense for a week already. At first, the peasants decided to take them by storm, and beat them, for admonishment. But the blacksmith's brother was a hunter, and not a bad one, and therefore, seeing that the peasants go to the smithy in a crowd, without waiting for a conversation, he shot many from the bow. Who wounded, and whom he killed. They became fond of them. Vincento's wife and children were dragged out, on the hillock, in front of the smithy, their heads were chopped. For his family no one intervened, since his wife came to the village with him. So, not being afraid of revenge, their bodies were thrown in the same place, on a hillock. They decided to wait, to lure them to bury relatives, but nothing happened. Already, and became stinky in the neighborhood, and these two are sitting - holding on. Then they decided to come up at night and burn the smithy with their brothers. But here they were also set for failure, twenty men were killed, those from the arrows of the younger brother, who were from the elder's spear. Now they do not surrender to the village, they only overlaid on all sides, they wait when they die from hunger.

Eric looked at the elder's running eyes, thought for a minute and, without a word speaking, went on without calling in the village. But after driving a couple of miles to hide from the eyes of the villagers, he stopped and turned to the companions, looked at their faces. Ostroneg and Morrigan were angry to the extreme. Their faces were completely gray, and the pupils were so small that it seemed as if they were absent altogether! But they did not dare to contradict him - both were silent.

" What's quiet? "Or say there is nothing?

"Sir, our fate is in your hands, decide for yourself," Ostrogneg said.

" Do not frown. "We will pull out the guys. I want to help them myself, and take them to the team, because they do not live here. And I need such strong will people. And that they left - do not worry. At night we will return and quietly discuss everything with the brothers.

- It is necessary to take revenge on this dog, but not to talk.

" It's true, you need revenge. "But it is necessary to decide how. Or have you gathered all the people in the village under the knife?

"I would have killed all of them, but it's up to you. "

- Let's ask those to whom this chilled dish is eaten.

" ? "

" Do not make such a clever face. "Everything Is Simple. Let's ask Valentino from Vincento. We're with you to chop up these reptiles - just warm up. But there's too much blood to spill there. Especially peasants. It's the same massacre. How to cut a chicken with a knife.

- Let the slaughter! Let A child and his wife to cut is not slaughter?

"Morrigan, what do you think? "

" I do not think, but I long for their blood. "With all my soul I wish. To no one alive.

Ok. I understood you. So, at night we go to the brothers with Ostrognem, and if they are not against the slaughter, then the four of us are going to take revenge. And you, my darling, will remain in the camp with horses and carts. So dismount, guys, we're breaking up the camp and waiting for the evening. Is everyone clear?

All was clear, so, as soon as it got dark, our armored couple stepped out in the direction of the smithy. Go about two miles, so do not hurry and go secretly, hiding in the forest thickets. Absolutely in the darkness we went out into a small clearing, from which the smiths of the smithy could be seen. In the district they found a dozen campfires, in which the cordon camped. Carefully bypassing the sleeping guards, they quietly walked to the smithy. There they were already waiting, somehow miraculously noticing from afar.

" Do not come any closer! "Shoot! - There was a rolling bass.

- Hush! You start yelling louder to wake everyone up.

- Who are you? Why did you come in secret?

"I'm Baron Eric von Lenzburg, and secretly I came because I wanted to talk to you. "

"Why do you need to get involved in all this, noble man? "

" I need you and your service. "In return, I will help you with revenge.

"Really, sir, are two half-living peasants worth your efforts? " - The same bass smiled bitterly.

- You are strong in spirit, went against all and were able to withstand, withstand. I need your oath of allegiance, even in life, even in death, and in return I pay for it by helping you in your righteous vengeance. Even if you want everyone here to start a knife.

" And what, Vincento, is a sensible proposal. "Anyway, nothing else but death awaits us. Said another bass from behind the wall.

"Very well, sir, come in. "

The door to the smithy was opened neatly, and the boys slipped in there. There the brothers took turns, swearing by their immortal souls, swore allegiance to Eric. After briefly discussed what they want from revenge, and the plan of action. Valentino, in the smithy, had no armor except two quilted aketones, so I had to put them on. What - no, but protection.

It's already morning At the gate of the village Morrigan drove in with Ostrognem, leading a convoy. Eric was sitting on a bench at the well, and the brothers buried the dead Vincento family. Not a single inhabitant of this village saw the dawn, they were all dead. The brothers broke up so much that there was practically no need to interfere. The coming morning brought heavy thoughts. Our hero was thinking about how many more lives he would have to take away on his hard life path. At night, he watched the brothers who had fallen into a fighting fury. They ran from house to house and carried death to those with whom they had lived hand in hand for many years. Together with them Ostroveg was very enthusiastically engaged in this business. Poor, remembering the fate of his wife, terribly broke. Eric only had to insure them, sitting on a horse with a crossbow. A couple of times I had to shoot, pummeling the most agile inhabitants, that could escape from those who were almost mad with rage and fury. Their consciousness was completely engulfed by the thirst for blood, which literally obscured their eyes. Blood So much blood and death began to swirl around him. She was literally attracted to them, like a magnet. Of course, he was aware of where he was, and was ready for the fact that he would have to kill, perhaps even many, since this era with its cruel customs would not bypass him. But now this filth was becoming too much. He wanted to go away from this slaughterhouse, throw everything, huddled in some shell. To not see and hear everything that happens around. But it was an impossible dream, and the reality was that throughout the village in pools of blood and own feces lay bodies, and around them - chopped pieces, bowls and other things that had fallen out. One and a half hundred people did not meet the dawn - all of them that night were overtaken by death. Let not his hands, but at his will. And he is aware of this. Is this really the payment for true fidelity? A kind of blood seal that binds people's souls. Yes, all these people are guilty, but how heavy is the burden of responsibility for the death of another, especially when there are a lot of them, these deaths. How she burns youth, chills sparkles in the eyes, filling it with heaviness and sadness. Heavy. But it will still be! Behind these sad thoughts he was caught by the brothers who returned, having completed the burial. Along with them came Ostreneg and Morrigan, who had already removed the luggage from the horses and refueled the forage. The time of sighs has passed, and the rough reality has again surrounded Eric, looking at it with enthusiastic and devoted eyes. So he got up from the bench, stroked the horse around his neck, smiled and began to give orders to his small team. They sincerely believe in him and follow him to the end, to the last breath. So, to the point, gentlemen, to the point! No matter how heavy it may be.