The air was heavy at the shy maid. The smell of rum, cheap tobacco permeated through the air, often punctuated by the pungent smell of urine. Sasha looked behind to see the source of the aroma. And as usual the culprit was Bala.

He was now lying on the ground retching, his pants were soiled.

‘I’m the king of the world! ‘, the little bald man said as waddled in his own urine and vomit.

Shyla the big, plump owner would have none of it. She came in and kicked the slouch in the buttocks.

‘You’ve done it again you midget! Who’s gonna clean this damn mess! ‘ her scream narrowly rising above the mayhem.

‘Hehehe…’ the idiot laughed while trying to get up, ‘you don’t have to try that hard to impress me darlin, I…’ he slipped on his vomit and fell face first.

Sasha burst out laughing.

‘Hey Bala, maybe you should try cleaning up before confessing all that love’

‘Hehehe…how about you come and join us young lady’

‘Nah I’ll pass on that one ‘

Shyla now grabbed him up with her big hands and made the motion of a slap with the other. Bala arched back.

‘Forty years old and ya still can’t hold your bladder. What a wastrel! ‘

‘Well it seems he’s back it again ‘, said Sera before gulping down freshly baked bread with goat cheese.

‘ He laid back a bit when the order came during their inspection but now it seems he’s back in form’

Sera washed down the bread with some mead, ‘speaking of that I heard that the order came on a virtue inspection. Did anything happen? ‘

‘Nothing really ‘, Sasha replied, ‘this year’s harvest was a rich one, so we were able to pay them off. They just made a show of it ‘

‘Phew…’ Sera sighed of relief, ‘thank the spirits! I heard lady La Vallete speaking to the steward about this. She said something about arranging a payment to the legate or something, I didn’t quite get it though ‘

‘Well we got off this time but…’, now Sasha’s face grew dark, ‘but we can’t keep this up forever. If one year we get a bad harvest and aren’t able to pay them then…it’ll be like Paku’

Sasha’s clenched her glass, she felt sick thinking about it.

Five years ago when the order of the flaming sword was first founded and started these yearly inspections around the kingdom; people were still ignorant to their act. They had thought these were knights of the faith and would be righteous and kind to the common man.

They could not have been more wrong. When they came to inspect their village, their commandant had secretly asked the village elders for gold in exchange for inaction. When the elders protested and pointed out that there were no heretics hiding in their village things took a sharp turn to the south.

Incensed, the officer had his men drag out the village tailor Paku. A genial young man with a wife and two daughters, he was a well-loved person. He was nice to all with a perpetual smile on his face. That naïve, young face was retched with pain and tears when the knights condemned him to the wheel.

The whole village including his wife and children were made to watch as the man was broken on the wheel on account of heresy and blood rituals. Hammers shattered his limbs before binding his mangled body onto a large wooden wheel.

For three days the man cried while the villagers were forced to go about their daily lives. No one dared bring him down. His wife almost Mya cried to blindness before finally being taken away by the knights.

Sasha felt ill upon reminiscence, she clutched her mouth in reflex. Sera grew pale, seeing Sasha sweat up, she clenched her fist.

‘Those damn monsters have no right to call themselves knights! I’ve seen real Knights, they’re just and kind ‘

Sasha glanced sideways, ‘don’t say such things out loud ‘

‘Why shouldn’t we? ‘, Sera was almost in tears, her cheeks puffed, ‘if those knights want to catch real sin they should first start from the nobles, you won’t believe the stories I hear ‘

Sasha put a finger on her mouth, ‘that’s enough, let’s talk about something else ‘

‘But…’

‘Enough! Now tell me about the castle ‘

Sera sighed, she drank some more juice to drown out the memories.

‘Well life in the castle is actually pretty good at least for now. Lady La Vallete is a demanding mistress but a fair one as well ‘

‘Well that’s good to hear ‘, Sasha felt relieved. Serving girls often suffered in castles. Sasha was greatly worried when news of Sera’s employment first came about. Sera had always been a soft girl who loved to gossip and was prone to impulse.

Sera took another bite before continuing,

‘She’s not like other ladies. She never yells, she never beats us or cheats anyone out of their salary. She never asks anything vile of us unlike some other mistresses’

Sasha let out a sigh of relief.

The villagers heard countless stories of how mistresses would scald or whip their servants. Rape at the hands of the guards and stewards was commonplace and almost every noble had scores of bastards.

Sasha held her hands, ‘ I’m so glad that you are safe and healthy. I couldn’t sleep the night you left, I kept thinking about that Lady in the north who bathed in the blood of virgins ‘

Sera was incredulous ‘ you mean the she-devil of Buchavia? Please don’t think such silly things, my mistress is nothing like that ‘

‘What is she like then? Is she pretty? ‘

‘Well I’d say she’s handsome…’, Sera stroked her chin, ‘ perhaps she was pretty when she was young but she’s almost 35 now!’

‘And she’s been a widow all these years? Poor woman, how does she go by? ‘

‘Don’t know, she frequently goes out to ride but when she’s home, she’s always at work. In the evening she’d sit by the balcony and read. She has hundreds if not thousands of books in her library. ‘

‘Wow!’ Sasha’s eyes widened, ‘I wish I could see that! ‘

Books had always fascinated Sasha, she could not read, but she would often go to Vlach, the old clerk and have him read his books. She had long thought about learning how to read from Vlach but one way or the other she never quite got around to do it ’.

Sasha’s face grew mischievous now, ‘ now tell me the real story, how are the boys there? ‘

‘Did you ever talk to them? ‘

Sasha made a naughty face, ‘ I did more than just talk ‘

‘Sera...’

‘ Oh it’s just a kiss, don’t get any ideas! ‘

‘What! Who did you kiss?’ Sasha blurted out.

‘Not so loud dummy!’, Sera slapped her hand.

‘Oh sorry…’ Sasha giggled, ‘but who is he? ‘

Sera smiled coyly.

‘Oh come on, who is it? Is he handsome? Is he a guard or a cook? Did he give you roses or lilies? Come on!’ Sasha pleaded.

‘Alright…alright…’ Sera leaned forward,’ he’s a knight’

‘Wow!’ Sasha exclaimed. Sera laughed seeing her breathless face.

‘You are so lucky! But what does he look like? Is he handsome? ‘

Sera made a face, ‘oh so you think only an ugly knight would deem me worthy?’

‘Ah not that…I…’

Sera laughed, ‘oh come on I was just joking, well he is very handsome. He’s our age, he has long brown hair brushed backwards and almost six feet tall’

‘Ok now I’m jealous’, Sasha pursed her lips.

Sera laughed, ‘oh come on now, it’s not like I’m Shayera of the south and can wrap him around my finger. He probably just noticed me by accident ‘

Sasha leaned forward and pulled her cheek, ‘well you’re the prettiest girl I’ve seen ‘

Sera showed her tongue, ‘Flattery’s not going to save you money! ‘

Right then, the tavern suddenly fell silent.

Sasha and Sera first looked at each other and then around the tavern until their eyes fells on them. It was Silat and his men.

There were five of them, all in brigandine and mail. A large fat one had an axe with him, while a skinny tall one carried a halberd, the other two wielded maces. But Silat had a longsword with a white bull on its hilt.

The crowd fell into a hush. Shyla nervously motioned in front of him,

‘Good evening my lord ah…ah… can I get you something?’

‘You can start by taking your ugly face away from my eyes. ‘, he replied in a shrill voice, the fat one laughed, showing a set of black-yellow teeth.

‘Yes my lord’ Shyla melted away fast.

My lord! Hah...

Silat was no lord, he was merely a soldier in employ of Baron Gorka as the white bull crest on his chest attested.

More like a thug, thought Sasha.

Tall, gaunt and with the milk colored skin typical of the Ariya, Silat was the Baron’s captain of guards or his captain of bandits as people would say. He was well known across these lands. All knew the hook nosed captain and his minions, though not for their prowess with the sword.

He motioned towards a table where three men were seated. Without a word, Silat grabbed one of their bowls full of soup and flung it on the ground.

‘You mudskins eat like pigs. Here, try the floor ‘

This time all four behind him laughed, they were all Ariya like him or so they claimed.

The man whose meal got spilled over the floor jumped up in fury but when he saw who it was in front of him, he reared back.

‘Sorry, pardon me Sir...I’ll get going’ the other two beside him also got up.

‘Hmmm?’

The man gulped, ‘I mean, I’m sorry, my lord ‘

‘hm’

The men left.

Sera went pale, she tried to put her glass down but it slipped. It shattered with a sharp noise that cut through the tense hall.

The five looked at them.

Oh no!

‘Well what do we have here?’ Silat moved in front of their table, ‘two little piglings dining on fine ware. Your people are better off eating from banana leaves ‘

The tall skinny one giggled, ‘is it true that you people don’t wipe the shit off your arse?’

Sasha grew red with anger, she clenched her fist but a voice inside her said, no just let this pass over.

Sasha looked at Sera, the poor girl was shaking, ‘come let’s go home, it’s getting dark ‘

She dropped some coins on the table and got up and so did Sera but Silat edged towards her.

‘Now now, young girls like you shouldn’t go off on your own at this hour. Especially so close to the forest they say the spirits carry away young ones….’, then he looked at Sera, ‘…especially pretty ones like you’

Sera raised her hood and faced away, she was mute with fear.

Sasha however put her hand on her hilt, ‘don’t worry I can keep both of us safe from those of the otherworld…’ her eyes fell on Silat’s, ‘…and this one’

The fat one opened his mouth now, revealing a set of yellow crooked teeth that almost made Sasha vomit, ‘ Holdo’s a block head giving his daughter a sword, I guess tryin’ to make up for the son ya killed…’

Now Sasha gritted her teeth but Sera held her by thearm.

Silat now spoke, ‘you know how to use that? ‘

‘Better than you know how to use yours’

Sera’s eyes widened while Silat smirked.

I won’t take insults about my father!

‘You got quite the nerve pigling. You know who you’re talking to? I’m the fastest man in this kingdom’

‘Maybe that’s why you don’t have a wife’

The whole tavern burst into laughter. Even Silat’s thugs were laughing. Silat was stunned, he reared back in shock.

‘Sasha why did yo….’ Sasha took Sera by the arm, ‘let’s go!’

‘Where do you think you’re going’, Silat reached for Sera but she shook away and Silat only managed to pull out her coat.

‘Hey!’ Sasha grunted but Silat grinned.

‘Oh my!’ he said as he stared at Sera’s chest, ‘look how much she’s grown!’

Sera grew red with shame, tears came to her eyes as she hurriedly covered her chest with her arms.

The halberdier grinned,’ I guess now we know why they took her to the castle. By the looks of it, the guards have been doin’ a lot of night duty of late’

All them started to chuckle.

Sasha had had enough, she stepped forward and slapped Silat hard across the face.

The smack was heard all throughout the tavern. Everyone fell silent. Sera grasped her mouth.

‘How dare you!’ Silat’s left cheek went, a drop of blood could be seen. He lunged forward to grab Sasha but she moved aside as swift as a cat and just as he crossed her she held her left foot out and caused him to slip. He fell nose first on to the hard stone floor.

A crack was heard and small circle of blood appeared around his nose.

‘Ahh!’ Sera shrieked.

The fat one brought his axe out and started to move forward but Sasha grabbed the bowl of the man to the next table and threw gruel on the ground. The big man slipped and he fell on the skinny one, knocking both of them to the ground.

‘Hurry!’

Sasha grabbed Sera by the arm and made a run for it.. The door was opening but they smacked across it so hard that the man entering fell on the mud.

‘Sorry!’

‘Sasha what are we going to do? ‘, Sera was frantic, ‘If they catch us, they’ll kill us or worse’

Sasha began frantically looking around, Damn it, I never think with my head!

But she couldn’t keep it together while watching Sera shamed, her eyes started moving even faster as she heard a grumble behind and then they fell on the five black horses tied outside.

‘Come, this way!’

The beasts were tied neatly in a row to a wooden fence while a torch on a post illuminated them. Sasha took the torch in her left hand and brought out her rapier in her right.

Sera’s eyes grew wide,’ you’re not going to steal th…’

She couldn’t finish, Sasha slashed the ropes on all the horses. And then except the first one, held the fire to the rear of the other four.

As expected they reared screaming and soon started scrambling in all directions.

‘What the…’ Sasha heard a scream not too far behind; she turned back and saw man holding his nose in one hand and a sword in another.

‘Quickly get on the horse’ she screamed as she pulled Sera on to the horse.

The men behind now started running faster. Sasha pulled the reigns and the horse turned around.

Silat was within touching distance now and he thrust his sword towards Sera but Sasha smacked the whip hard and the horse kicked back, smashing into Silat’s mail and sending him flying into his cronies who were in tow. They all fell together, now waddling in the mud.

Sasha and Sera rode off into the Silver forest.

They knew not what road they were taking but the trail passed right by mount Calibra