Light Warriors

– So I was going where you were going,» she said quietly.

– Apparently so. You’re lucky we have the day off, that’s why we wandered so far from the castle and decided to go hunting,» Geoffrey said again with his usual unemotional look.

– Yes, thank you very much! But you could have killed me! – she answered, raising her voice a little.

– You could have… But I was aiming for the tree,» he said in the same tone, to which she only stared intensely into his eyes, trying her best to show her great dislike.

– All right, come on, take it easy,» Richard said during the heated pause. – Give me your hand and get on your horse and ride to the place where you were attacked and see if any of your companions are still alive.

– Okay, but the attackers were, as I said, about fifty people,» said Adelaide warily.

– Thank you for your concern, but we’ll take a look from the outside first! – he replied. – We are not suicidal! – he added with a chuckle, and they set off on horseback. Geoffrey rode behind, and Adelaide rode with Richard, hugging him from behind.

– Show us which way to go! – Jeffrey’s voice sounded a few seconds later.

– Let’s go! – Adelaide answered. – Follow us, there’s a big burnt oak tree about ten minutes away, and that’s where it happened,» she said, then turned to Richard.

– As far as I remember, yes!» he answered smiling. – But do not worry, in general, he is very kind at heart, as well as a fair and honest man, just outside dry and angry, and the time is such that he is not up to fun yet.

– Yes, I understand. These are indeed harsh times,» Adelaide said with sympathy and regret in her voice. – We came here for help, because recently our kingdom was attacked by evil warriors, the castle was besieged for three days. Fortunately, our troops were able to fight back, but unfortunately, many of the defenders are now worm food, the same fate befell those who were with me today.

We were warned of the danger approaching from the northern countries and that war, darkness and plague had already engulfed the Scandinavian countries, the Iberian states. Only a small portion of the central lands are holding on,» she continued the story. – There were practically no means of survival there, that’s why this kind of games began – migrations in search of easy profits in other states, everyone became by himself and for himself, and animal instincts prevail over any laws of morality and morality.

Our whole army was at a religious feast, a church service, when the raid took place, so we were taken by surprise and suffered a large number of casualties – soldiers and innocent civilian victims. I would like to believe that things will get better soon, that the Vikings will not return, that we will unite with friendly neighbors and coexist peacefully as before… Although who knows what’s going on at home now, maybe it’s just at this very moment that new attacks on my father’s castle follow and things are still much more tragic… – She ended with tears rolling from her eyes, and there was anxiety and genuine concern in her trembling voice.

– I am sure that everything will work out and be fine, just like before, in peacetime, and maybe even better! The main thing is to believe and strive for it! – Richard said encouragingly, when suddenly Jeffrey’s whistle was heard.

They turned around, Geoffrey signaling for them to stop and wait for him while he climbed a low mountain next to a stunted ancient oak tree, which he also indicated with a silent gesture, and surveyed the present surroundings. To which they nodded in unison and obeyed their instructions without question.

Geoffrey tied the reins to a tree and headed up the hill on foot. Slowly retracing his steps, picking up his crossbow and keeping his finger on the trigger, he prepared himself for the shot and for all sorts of unfavorable scenarios when encountering his enemies.

When he got to the top, he found a safe place behind a massive rock where he had a clear view of the battlefield, and there he made himself comfortable. But after a while he put the crossbow away, making sure he didn’t need it, since there were no living people down there and the dead couldn’t do anything to him anymore.

Before his eyes opened a terrible picture: carriages and dead horses, pierced by lit arrows, were ablaze, German soldiers and women who were on their way to Philip II were beheaded and hung from branches by one leg, and all their upper body parts, that is, their heads with open mouths and eyes, in which fear was still reflected, were placed on spears stuck in the ground.

One of the heads Jeff saw belonged to a young girl. Apparently it was a maid, and at that very moment her eye was pecking out a raven sitting on top of her. The sight made the knight insanely ill, so he hurried back, for he could see no more of this decomposing creature. Richard and Adelaide dismounted and went to a secluded spot so as not to be seen by outsiders.

– It’s too quiet in this forest,“ Richard said, looking around, „I don’t like it…

– And you’re right not to like it,» Jeffrey’s voice was heard. – I haven’t seen so much cruelty and inhumanity in a long time, though, to be precise, I’ve never seen such a mess before… – He made a wry smile on his face as he continued. – We have no business there. We have to get out of here, as soon as possible.

– What’s out there? Is there anyone left alive? – Adelaide asked, staring hopefully into Geoffrey’s eyes, pleading.

– I’m sorry, but there are no survivors, and you don’t want to see what’s left out there… – he answered, climbing on his horse, trying not to meet her gaze. – And I think we need to get out of here soon, because I’m afraid we can’t handle those beasts alone.

– My sincerest condolences, Adelaide… – Richard said, empathetically. – But we’d really better get on to the castle. If he says things are bad, I have no doubt that we really must hurry, for we have seen many things… – He continued, putting his hand on her shoulder, and she hugged him tightly as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

– Get on your horse and let’s ride! – Geoffrey said in a slightly irritated and commanding tone. – We haven’t time for that now; they’re somewhere near!

– Wait a minute!» answered Richard. – We’ll be on our way soon! – He added, and at the same moment a crow flew up, cawing and flapping its wings, followed by the clatter of over a hundred hooves.

– Not even a minute now… – Jeffrey spoke too calmly. – Climb up now – and get out of here if you still want to live! – He shouted now, and only then did Richard release Adelaide from his embrace, mount her, take her firmly by the arm and help her up. They hurried away deep into the forest, to get away from the place and get lost among the creatures of nature.

The Chase

There was a sense of tension in the air. The presence of the enemy was becoming more and more palpable. The brothers drove their horses to the limit, rushing through the most overgrown places, trying to evade the intruders, bursting through dense bushes, scratching their legs, making them squeal like pigs, but they continued on their way. But still, despite their best efforts, they failed to break away and escape the sight of the unknowns – they were spotted by a lean, unkempt man, with rough features on his face, galloping away from the others. A skilled tracker with a face decorated with dozens of scars from various fights, from a Viking troop. With a loud, deafening, creeping, horrifying whistle, he informed his companions that they were not alone. The brothers’ faces grew tense, and they began to push their horses even harder.

Some of the pursuers, about twenty souls, followed them, shouting in fearful voices and waving their cold and throwing weapons at the command of their leader, a huge, stout Viking of about forty-five with a long red beard covering the front of his body. He was dressed in armor, with a hide, most likely that of a bear, and a helmet on his head, protecting and half-covering his face, with two horns, like those of a massive, grown-up bull.

– Catch up and kill! – he gave the order in a harsh, cold and heartless voice. There was nothing but a mighty emptiness in his eyes, consuming absolutely everything.

His comrades-in-arms were more than happy to obey the order and, maddeningly happy, set off in pursuit. No doubt the killings were the most exhilarating, dizzying experience of their lives.

– Let’s split up! I’ll find you later! – Geoffrey shouted after Richard and Adelaide, who were riding ahead, and yanked the reins of the horse to the right. The Vikings followed their example and rode off in different directions as well, keeping an eye on their targets and getting closer and closer to them.

– Where is he going? Has he left us?! – Adelaide asked, looking around and squeezing Richard tighter and tighter with excitement, almost shouting. Richard said nothing, only occasionally glancing over at their pursuers to see what they were up to. He knew that his horse was already too tired and that it would be impossible for the two of them to evade the pursuers.

– Can you control a horse?! – he asked.

– What? Me?! Yes, I think so, why? Why? – she pelted him with questions in confusion; meanwhile they galloped up to a small hill and disappeared behind it.

Just a few moments later, the Vikings approached the same hill. As the first of them disappeared over the hill, there was a shrill, piercing cry of unbearable pain. Richard, who had dismounted from his horse and sent Adelaide onward, hid himself in the ambush. With a powerful, scathing swing, he slashed his sword across the defenseless part of his opponent’s leg at the knee and severed it, slashing through the horse’s belly as well, which immediately collapsed to the ground. The Viking was writhing in savage agony and in a bloody mess.

The next rider, seeing this picture, lunged straight at Richard, holding a huge axe in his hand and intending to demonstrate it in action, on which Rich grabbed the spear belonging to the «one-legged man» from the ground and hurled it into the chest of the «woodsman» with such force that it knocked him from the saddle and fell on his shoulder blades. The defeated man lay on his back, holding the spear with his hands and wriggling in excruciating pain, while his horse galloped deep into the woods.

Other warriors were arriving at the site of the battle, clearly very aggressive toward Richard. Two of them swooped down at him at once, screaming with beastly force, their mouths wide open, though it would have been more accurate to say mouths open, and grimaces of horror. They each held bulky swords with jagged bottoms, spikes on the hilt to disfigure their opponents as much as possible in their fights, and a small axe, smeared with the blood of what must have been their previous victims.

The lunge of the first fighter, who was delivering a vertical downward blow against Richard, was easily sidestepped by a sideways dive from the line of attack, and Rich deftly slipped his sword into his opponent’s stomach area. Blood splattered in all directions, and the contents spurted out at once, with his host still alive and trying to shove his insides back in.

The second man had only had time to shout «I’ll kill you,» and had charged at Richard before an arrow from Jeff’s crossbow went through his neck and through the arrowhead. When his brother arrived at the scene of the massacre, Jeff headed straight for his opponents, still on horseback and outnumbered.

He severed the first one’s head with a precise blow to the neck with his perfectly sharpened morning blade. His head flew off his shoulders, but his body continued to run for a few more meters in the opposite direction until it struck a tree and then collapsed to the ground. Then Jeff jumped off his horse and dueled with other warriors armed with powerful axes. He himself drew a second, smaller sword from its sheath and skillfully twisted it with his left hand, then stabbed one fighter right in the heart, repulsed the blow with another sword, and quickly switched to the next, whom he struck two strongest blows, knocked the weapon from his hands and from above from shoulder to stomach deeply cut and mutilated his body.

Richard approached his brother, and now the two of them continued to deal with the remaining opponents. Each blow the brothers made was so precise and well coordinated that no one could resist them, some did not have time to make a single lunge. The knights took out their opponents with ease, but did not linger on the battlefield. Jeff grabbed the reins of his horse and slammed his blade against Rich’s in gratitude for the beautiful fight and successful victory, as they always did to thank each other.

– Where is the girl? – Jeff asked, climbing onto his horse.

– Wasn’t far away. We parted behind a rock and she drove on, but I stopped the pursuers, so I hope she’s all right,» Richard replied. – We must quickly find our beautiful companion and get away from here as quickly as possible before others get here,» Rich added.

– You are absolutely and unquestionably right, my dear brother! – Jeff hastened to agree. – God only knows how many of them are left. And frankly, I don’t want to know, because they are not going to talk about the weather. – he said the last phrase with a change of face, apparently remembering at that moment the picture of ruthless murders.

Richard had no time to say anything about it when at the same moment Adelaide emerged from behind the mountain, holding her horse by the reins. The badly frightened girl held herself with dignity and was very impressed by the fighting skills of both brothers.

– Are you okay? – Rich spoke and held out his hand to her. She did the same, and he helped her onto her horse, after which she only said a quiet yes.

For a while, everyone just went silent and headed for home. After about half an hour, the silence was interrupted by Jeff’s voice:

– It’s getting dark, and we’re not likely to make it back to the castle today, and the horses are already so exhausted that they can barely move. We should look for lodging to recover from a hard day’s work.

– Yes, you’re right,» Rich confirmed. – On a night this dark and in the state we’re in now, it’s pure suicide.

– Let’s climb that hill first,» Jeff pointed to his brother at a small hill that contained a small cave, and above it was a rock that could be used as a canopy for shelter from the rain. – There’s a decent view and a way out,» he added, to which his brother acquiesced.

Overnight stay

It was dark, a fresh but cold wind was blowing through the woods, the sky was overcast, and not a soul was around. In the midst of the darkness there was the crackling of the firewood and the quiet conversation between Richard and Adelaide. Geoffrey, on the other hand, went off to look around and set a couple of traps, both for protection and for prey for a late supper or at least breakfast.

– It is very sad,“ Adelaide began, „that our nations have developed and flourished so quickly, and now have faded and fallen into the darkness of ignorance and spirituality. These constant wars for territory, wealth and power never do anyone any good, and if they do, it is for a very short time. And the plague takes everyone, wiping out cities that have not recovered from the irreversible effects of the infection, and the rulers, instead of finding cures and helping their subjects, think only of raising taxes and invading other territories. On the whole, we are only contaminating and destroying all that remains intact and uninfected, although it is necessary to conserve, create, multiply what remains to sustain the lives of future generations, otherwise we will all soon die. Although, maybe it’s for the best if that’s what happens, since we can’t change? – she shared her thoughts, Richard silently, but empathetically, took her hand.

– Perhaps you are right… Apparently, if we can’t cleanse ourselves of the temptations and pernicious tendencies that destroy everything and keep us from becoming better, the Earth will do it on its own without any right to choose by means of cataclysms and natural disasters… – he said.

– No doubt about it! – She replied enthusiastically, finding Richard to be a like-minded man. – You are very wise. By the way, I wanted to thank you for today and for your help, and to apologize for knocking you down at the beginning of our meeting.

– You’re welcome, it’s all right,» he said, squeezing her hand tighter, and smiled without taking his eyes off her. – And I’m very glad we were in these woods today to meet you. You’re a very nice person to talk to, and you’re a peerless beauty. – he said and reached for her lips, to which she made a counter move to kiss him. But then Geoffrey returned. Seeing this idyllic picture, he purposely stepped on a branch to prevent them from continuing this deed in his presence. As a consequence, the kiss was stopped.

– I wonder how Gertrude is doing? She must be terribly bored, worried? – He asked the question casually, which made Richard’s face change.

– Who is Gertrude? Your fiancée, Geoffrey? – Adelaide asked a clarifying question.

– No, not a bride, a wife… But not mine,“ he paused, continuing, „but Richard’s.

– What?! Your wife, Richard? – She asked nervously, already in a sharply spoiled mood.

– Thank you very much, Jeff, for reminding me! I’d forgotten,» Richard said irritably, smiling crookedly when he found himself in an awkward situation. – I’m sorry, Adelaide!» he hurried to justify himself to the girl, but she did not listen, waved her hand and went away to be alone with herself.

– Thank you again, brother, for coming at such short notice! – He was even more angry and irritated, and he was reproaching Geoffrey. – You don’t have to say that right now!

– You’re welcome, brother! Yes, indeed, I arrived at a very opportune moment, so that you would not have time to harm two beautiful ladies who, I believe, do not deserve such treatment,» he answered quietly.

– If you liked her so much, you could have told me that! – Rich went on, to which Geoffrey looked away from his brother and said nothing. – I’d better go for a walk and get some fresh air, see if anything works out! – Richard shouted and disappeared into the woods on the opposite side from Adelaide.

And Jeff sat down and remained alone by the fire, carefully watching the fire that reflected on his sword and his eyes, and then he was completely immersed in his own thoughts. Only he and God knew what he was thinking.

MORNING

The smell of meat cooking on the fire woke Adelaide. As she opened her eyes with difficulty, she saw Jeff sitting across from her, smoking a hare caught in one of the traps over the coals. Richard wasn’t there. It was dawn, the fog was thick, the air was frosty, and the sky, overcast with dark gray clouds, boded for rainy weather.

– Good morning,» she greeted him softly, hugging her shoulders as she tried to warm herself after the chill of sleeping on the cold ground that had long since passed, and moved closer to the fire, which was almost completely extinguished, but still gave off heat.

– Good… – He said in reply. – Make yourself comfortable, we’ll have breakfast and be on our way.

– Thank you, but where is Richard? – she asked in between.

– He decided to take another look at the area to see which way we should go. – he answered. – Are you rested, have you had a good night’s sleep?

– Thank you, yes, very much, just frozen. Have you even slept yourself? – she asked in a slightly shaky voice, rubbing her hands together to warm them.

– I’ll sleep in the other world! – He grinned, and then stood up, threw off his cloak, and covered his companion with it.

– Thank you,» Adelaide said.

– Then I hope you won’t be asleep for a while,» Rich’s voice suddenly sounded as he approached. – All is quiet in the forest. I found the right direction to Philip’s fortress. However, we got a long way from it yesterday, so let’s hurry up and eat and hit the road to get out of harm’s way. – He said, not looking anyone in the eye, as he was a little embarrassed by the situation of the day before.

Jeff, unceremoniously, cut the hare into several pieces and served it to his guests on a dagger.

The brothers quickly set about the meal, which led to her soon disappearing.

Adelaide managed to tear off just a small piece of meat with her tiny fingers and looked at it for a long time before putting it into her mouth.

– Aren’t you going to eat? – Rich asked sharply as he finished chewing the hare.

– I’m not really hungry,» she answered with a slight reflection of food rejection on her face. – But maybe you’d like some?

– I’d love to! – they said in one voice.

– It’s not a waste of good things! – Richard added and took the piece from Adelaide’s hands, then divided it «fraternally» with Jeff, and they finished it off as quickly as they had done before.

– That’s it, we can ride,» Jeffrey said, filling the rest of the coals with earth. Then they got on horseback.

This time Adelaide got on the horse with Geoffrey – apparently because she was still resentful of Richard. And they set off.

The village

A couple of hours later, our heroes came upon a village. Tiny in size and quiet in assessment in general. Not a soul was visible in the street. In the windows of the houses, too, there was no movement or signs of life, only a dark gray thick smoke came out of the chimney of one of the buildings. That was where the three walked leisurely. Adelaide pressed herself closer to Geoffrey with excitement, which made him feel good, and he couldn’t hide his smile.

Jeff held the reins in one hand and the crossbow in the other, ready to fire at any second, while Rich drew his sword from its sheath and mentally prepared for battle. As they rode through the gate, which had long since been unfit for defense, they looked around and made sure that they were facing a ghost town, with not a single living person, animal, or even bird in the area. They followed the smoke to a house, and when they approached it, they saw a cross on the roof of a small chapel, and the smoke was coming from a house attached nearby.

When they descended from their horses, they went to the door and knocked on it, but there was no answer, so they decided to enter without an invitation. Once inside, the knights and the princess were greatly alarmed and frightened by the number of corpses there, and their faces changed, turning pale, if not even green, at the pungent smell of dead bodies that almost made them all vomit.

The skin of the bodies, whose souls might have gone to better worlds, seemed so white as to compare it to the first virgin snow, but the sight was absolutely unappealing. All these snow-white corpses were studded with purple stains, like bruises resembling jellyfish, and their eyes were as black as the darkest night, with nothing in them to be seen at all.

– Oh, my God, what a horror! – Adelaide suddenly burst out sharply.

– Perhaps they are much better off now, young girl,» came a sudden voice from an unlit corner of the room.

– Who’s there?! – Richard asked loudly. – Come out into the light! – he added in a commanding tone. Immediately a man appeared out of the darkness, clad in an old brown cloak with a hood covering his face.

– My name is Father Victor, my children. I am the priest of God’s Temple here,» he said, taking off his hood and exposing his face. He was a swarthy man in his fifties, with black hair and a black beard, with kind but tired brown eyes.

– What happened here? Where did so many dead people come from and why did they look so horrible? What killed them, and was there anyone left alive? – Jeff asked the priest a lot of questions.

– My dear friend, a terrible calamity has befallen our village, just as it has befallen other cities and peoples. It destroyed all life, sparing no one, not even newborn children. Death does not choose, it does not care about age, gender, nationality or race. Apparently, this disease is God’s punishment for all our sins. It comes suddenly, and no one knows how to avoid it or heal from it. It affects health so quickly that it leaves no chance of curing those who are infected,» the father said with pain in his voice. – I spend every day praying for the salvation of their souls and every day burning their physical shells.