The stout, bearded man halted and set a bucket full of water down to ground. He squinted as he watched how a pair of strangers made their way toward him. It seemed that the house of the monster hunters got new visitors today.

Embar Treebark had seen several travelers to stop by the house. Located about half way between Windia and Capitan, it was one of the best places to get supplies necessary for traveling. Hunters and merchants were regular visitors here. This couple, however, seemed a bit unusual. The man with light brown hair was at least partly a Woran, judging by his appearance. He could have been a hunter, though Embar didn't see him carrying any weapons.

The young girl who was walking just a few steps behind the Woran looked even more interesting. With long, golden hair and fine features, she was destined to grow into a beautiful woman. What caught Embar's attention, however, were two black wings in her back. He had never seen such things before.

"Hello, travelers!" Embar exclaimed as the couple got closer. He lifted his hand into a greeting. "Where are you coming from? Are you bringing any news from the world?"

The Woran responded his greeting with a wave of his hand. "Recently we've been to Windia", he said, stopping next to the well that was built into the yard.

"Do you have warm food and perhaps a couple of free beds for tired travelers?"

Embar nodded. "That I have. The house doesn't usually serve as an inn, but we've got enough room for a couple of customers right now. I'm Embar Treebark. It is my turn to take care of this house for this season. Be welcome".

The Woran nodded. "My name is Aryn". He patted the girl's head with his hand. "This is Anina".

Embar studied the girl for a moment. He could tell that she was a shiny little angel by nature, but she had a certain touch of sadness in those large eyes. This Anina was probably struggling through some kind of trouble in her life.

"May we use this well?" Aryn asked, drawing Embar's attention back to the business. "The day's been long and dry".

Ember nodded and picked up his bucket again. "Oh, sure. You'll find another bucket behind it. I'll see if I can get something to the table for you". He opened the house's door and carried the water inside.

"Looks like we'll be staying in here for tonight", Aryn said as he tied an empty bucket into a rope and cast it into the well. A satisfying "splash" echoed up from the dark depths.

"A real bed", Nina said with a smile lighting up her features. "I can hardly wait".

* * * *

"…And so, with the hunting season up and running, there are only few regulars with enough time to pay the house a visit", Embar told them around mouthfuls of bread. "I heard somebody sighted a large demon near this town called Gate. Several hunters went to check if they could catch it".

Aryn dipped his bread into steaming soup and bit a large piece. "Aren't you bothered at all because the business is so slow?" he asked.

Nina, who had hardly touched her soup, yawned. The caretaker of the house of the monster hunters and Nina's protector had been exchanging stories all night. Both seemed to fully enjoy their conversation. Especially Embar was very eager to hear everything about recent happenings in the world. The man seemed to love talking and often he embellished his stories with lively gestures with his hands. Aryn seemed to enjoy his friendly manner and hearty laughter, which often filled the cozy room. So deep they were in their conversation that they seemed to have completely ignored Nina's presence. Was it a good thing or bad, she couldn't decide.

"Nah!" Embar said. He rolled up his sleeve and showed them a long and ugly scar that ran from his elbow all the way up to his wrist. "Got this while trying to catch this monster called a sniphead last year. That taught me a lesson, hear me. I appreciate to have some peace and quiet now and then. Oh yeah, I love a good chat, but I like a few strange travelers now and then more than constant fuss with the regulars". For the first time in a long while, he seemed to remember Nina's presence. "Speaking of strangers, you haven't told much about yourselves, have you? Aryn, how come you are traveling with a cute and quiet girl like this one?"

Aryn leaned back in his chair. "Oh, I'm just escorting her to her cousin in Capitan. I've been a friend of her family a long time now. Honest merchants, they are".

"I see", Embar said, scratching his beard. "She's from the Wing Clan, isn't she? Isn't black a bit odd color for feathers?" With his words, Nina's heart performed a single bump that was twice as strong as usual.

Aryn nodded. "It's unusual. But then again, there are right-handed and left-handed people as well. It's really nothing to be so amazed about".

Embar took an innocent look onto his face. "Are trying to hint something to me?"

Aryn grinned. "No. I'm just saying that she isn't worth of hunting".

They both laughed. Embar raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Ok, ok, I get the message", he said. "You'll smack the first hunter who tries to sell her into a carnival, right?"

"About right", Aryn said with a smirk. "With monster hunters, you may never know".

"Hey, don't get a wrong picture!" Embar shouted. His shoulders shook as he tried to restrain his laughter. "Though they say that the only thing that is worse than a bounty hunter is a monster hunter. Has anybody ever tried to capture you just because of those cute ears?"

Laughter echoed in the house again.

"Oh, this is too much", Embar said, wiping tears from his eyes. "Now we are laughing to the poorest jokes we can ever tell. Must be all this ale".

"It's always easier to laugh in good company", Aryn said. He finished the bread he had ignored into his hand and took a swing from a large mug.

"Right you are", Embar said with a grin. "Right you are there. Say, Anina! You haven't even touched that soup. I'm not that bad cook, you know!"

Nina yawned again. "I'm…I'm not very hungry", she said quietly, standing up. "I think I'll go to bed now".

"Go ahead", Embar said. "The guest rooms are upstairs".

"I'll join you soon", Aryn said, tearing another piece from a large bread placed in the middle of table. "Good night".

"Good night…"

After Nina had climbed the stairs and the click of a closing door could be heard, Ember said quietly: "She's a nice girl, but she's really sad about something. It'll do no good for a child like her".

Aryn shrugged. "I guess she must be already missing her parents". He put the piece of bread into his mouth and accompanied it with a spoonful of soup. "Mmm", he said. "You make great food, you know. You're almost as good as I am!"

Embar stroked his beard. "Really? How good cook are you then?" he asked with a cunning smile.

Aryn put another spoonful of soup into his mouth before he answered proudly: "They say that I rival the chefs of Simafort!"

Embar made a face. "Oh? You are that bad, huh?"

Laughter echoed in the house once again.

* * * *

Dreams kept eluding her.

Nina wriggled under her warm blanket, shifting from one uncomfortable position to another. If somebody had told her an hour ago that she wouldn't fall immediately asleep in a real bed, she would have laughed. More accustomed to soft mattresses than to hard ground, Nina often had had troubles in sleeping during those few days she and Aryn had traveled together. Every chance to use an actual bed seemed a luxury to her now.

Then why didn't she fall asleep? And why did she feel like her head would burst from the pressure inside her?

Aryn's words echoed in her head. He had told lies to Embar every time it had been necessary, and Nina knew that the comments on her black wings weren't all true, either. Her wings were unusual, even unique. They were a sign of a prophecy, the darkest legend of them all.

But Aryn had said it so easily. Perhaps he had really meant it.

Why is it still bothering me? Nina thought. He was right back there, in Windia. All that I've been doing since then is complaining and arguing and squabbling. I really can't keep crying all the time as if I'd be the only one in the world who has problems.

But she had no real path before her anymore. She had ceased to be the princess of Windia. Who was she now? Who would she become? The pressure against her brains made her head to ache.

Suddenly, Nina felt how something lightweight appeared onto her stomach. As if something had jumped into her bed… She opened her eyes, only to see how a pair of yellow eyes stared back at her from a black heap of fur lying on her belly.

It was Cat.

They looked at each other a long moment. During that time, Cat didn't blink even once, steadily maintaining its golden stare and that internal flame. It's long tail slowly swung from one side to another, its snow-white tip shining in darkness with almost unnatural light.

"I am…Nina", Nina finally said with a whisper. "No matter what I will become, I'll always be just…Nina".

Cat replied with a pleasurable meow. It stood up and walked lightly across the blanket. Its yellow eyes were only narrow slits as it soundlessly rubbed its velvet-soft head against Nina's cheek.

* * * *

There were no clouds to cover the stars. Countless like the leaves in a great oak, little lights spotted the nocturnal sky, shining like tiny candles in the darkness. The forest near the house could be seen only as a dark silhouette.

Aryn stood on the terrace of the house of the monster hunters and listened how the creatures of night went by their own businesses, ignoring the crazy world around their forest. An owl screeched triumphantly somewhere. Once again one mouse or mole had met its fate.

It was usually nights like this one that caused inspiration to awaken in Aryn's mind. But tonight, he wasn't in the mood of making poems. Not this time. He had other things to think about.

Reaching into his sleeve, Aryn pulled out a little thing that felt soft in his hand. It was a ribbon, made of the finest blue silk. Absent-mindedly, Aryn tied it up around his fingers.

There was a problem to be solved. It would be a complicated knot, much harder to unravel than the ribbon that curled and twisted in Aryn's hands like a silken snake. Heck, he didn't even know where to start with it!

"I can only hope that he's in Capitan", Aryn mumbled into the night. "I thought that I would never deal with him again. But it looks like that the fate will run me to old Snaky again". Quelling a yawn, he tucked the ribbon away and went inside.

* * * *

"So?" Aryn asked, reaching for the pouch tied onto his belt. "How much do we owe you?"

"Nah!" Embar said, rejecting the offered coins with a wave of his hand. "Had really fun last night. Your stay was on the house. Oh, yes, there is a little price". He winked at Aryn. "You've got to promise me that you'll visit me again sometime!"

"Well, if you insist", Aryn said and put his money pouch away. "Thank you for your hospitality. But next time, I'll cook the food!"

Embar summoned a horrified expression onto his face. "Oh no!" he shouted. "I don't want cockroaches or worms onto MY table!"

Nina cocked her eyebrows. "What?" she asked.

"Oh, never mind", Aryn said with overcool expression, causing Embar to burst into booming laughter. "We just discussed about food recipes last night".

"You're a lot weirder than I thought", Nina remarked.

"You know", Embar said, fighting back his chuckling. "She got the point there".

Aryn made a face. "I don't have to endure this", he stated. "Come on, girl. We'll be off now". With that, he started walking towards west again.

"Bye!" Embar called after them, waving his hand "Just see to it that you remember your promise!"

"We'll see again!" Aryn called back.

"I think you like him", Nina remarked as they entered the forest again. "You don't talk that much to me, you know".

There was a pause before Aryn answered: "He reminds me of one old man in my home village. And I really don't have much to say to little girls".

To his amazement, Nina didn't launch any verbal attack.

Hours passed. The landscape changed from forest to plains with tall grass. There were huge boulders here and there, as if littered there by mighty titans. The great rocks stood proudly as a solemn reminder of times long past. Perhaps they had been part of a high mountain back then. But what had caused the boulders to break away and come to here, into the middle of nowhere, Nina didn't even dare to guess.

During these few days together, Nina had gotten used to Aryn's quietness. Her protector rarely talked anything when they journeyed. When he opened his mouth, it was usually because Nina had said something first. Even then his replies were short and often absent-minded. It was clear that Aryn liked to think about his own things when he traveled. Only during their pauses or when they were setting up a camp he talked more than just a few words.

This time, his quietness was a bit different. His expression was same as always, relaxed and a bit dreaming, but the difference was in his behavior. Perhaps it was in the way he walked, or maybe in the way he kept throwing glances at Nina. Whatever the source, this air of tension around him increased slowly with every minute they journeyed. Nina couldn't exactly put her finger to it, but something was bothering Aryn.

After another hour of silent walking, Nina finally had enough of this odd tension. "Aryn", she finally spoke out, "What's your problem?"

To her surprise, Aryn answered immediately. His voice was moody. "You are", he said. "Hours without a single complaint. Just as I've gotten used to your angry little outbursts, you'll have to turn into that shiny little angel your father described you to be! That's my problem".

"Me?" Nina asked in amazement. "Why am I bothering you because I don't complain anymore?"

Aryn halted. He raised his eyes and looked at the gray clouds gathering above their heads. "That's just the point". He shifted his weight to one foot and folded his hands. "Let me guess: you've just made a decision that you won't cry anymore, that you'll leave your former life behind and start from the beginning again. You'll bite back every nasty word, every complaint that comes into your mind. Am I right?"

Nina nodded. Once again, she was getting a little angry with this annoying bodyguard of hers. Now what was his problem with this? "So what?"

Aryn slammed his hand onto his forehead. "Don't do that!" He spread his arms. "You can't do it so suddenly. Only a couple days ago you were chased out of your former life. You are supposed to be moody and sad and all that. In time, the pain will lessen and finally go away. But until that, you must not hold it back".

Nina's chin raised into that familiar, defiant stance. "Why? First you complain that I complain so much, and now that I've stopped complaining, that doesn't suit you either! What am I supposed to do then?"

"To complain!" Aryn shouted. "What you are telling yourself, that you won't cry anymore, is a lie! You're just lying to yourself when you say that it is ok. All this day I've seen how that sadness that seems to be living in your eyes is growing. You don't see it yourself, you don't want to see it. You are holding your feelings back, you keep them tied up until either they die completely or your head bursts. Do you have any idea what that can do to people?"

Nina put her hands onto her hips. "Now what are you rambling about? Before we left Windia, you told me yourself that I shouldn't act as if I'd be the only one in the world who has problems!"

Aryn was taken aback by these words. He glanced at the darkening sky, running his fingers through his hair. Then he sighed. "Okay, girl", he said. "You got me there. What I said then and what I say now are only two extremes. The real thing what I mean is between them. You've got to get into a balance with those feelings. Great promises that will change your way of life are not easily made. Often they cause more harm than good". He sighed again. When he continued, his voice was quiet. "I mean what I said, but that was just a smokescreen for my real reason why I'm angry with you. I don't want you to act too much like an angel. When you do that, you remind me of an old thing I don't want to remember".

Nina wrinkled her brow. "What do you mean?"

Aryn shook his head. "That's none of your business".

As if to conclude the subject, a lightning suddenly split the sky in half with a mighty roar. So intensively they had been arguing that the brewing storm had came completely unnoticed. Soon, the first drops fell to the ground. They were quickly accompanied by others. More and more raindrops, in ever increasing numbers, fell from the heavens.

"Oh, boy!" Aryn exclaimed. "Now our mood has gone and influenced the clouds, too!"

Once again Nina's feelings burst. But instead of the usual eruption, she felt how the wave of withheld anger and sadness swelled and, as if by magic, turned into a terrible urge to giggle. "So what? We are not made of sugar, are we?"

Aryn covered his eyes with his hand. "Arrrrrhh! When did the spoiled princesses start to realize the facts of life so quickly?!"

Nina's laughter threatened to overwhelm her. Wild giggles ran through her belly up into her throat like butterflies. With that, she felt how the strange pressure that had been tugging her mind for days started to ease up its grip. It felt good to laugh. "On the day you met me, of course!" she shouted, holding her stomach with both hands.

The rain started to really pour.

"Come on!" Aryn said, running towards two huge boulders close by. "We'll get a cold night if we stay in the rain all day!"

They raced for shelter. The two boulders leaned against each other so that they formed a little cave between them. It wasn't the best imaginable shelter, but it was a relatively dry place. It was also a bit too tight for both of them, but in the open plains it was their only hope to get out of the rain.

"So, here we are", Aryn said quietly as they were safely out of the rain's reach. He had pulled his long legs tightly against himself. In the small cave, it was the only way to keep his feet from getting wet. "Two worst enemies sitting together, waiting for a rain to end".

Nina giggled again. She had already laughed so much that it began to hurt in her stomach. "We've been enemies since the day you opened that door that led to my room".

A short "Hmm" was Aryn's only reply. For a long time they just sat there, side by side, listening how rain bombarded the ground and boulders. Now and then a white-blue lightning cracked through the sky with a thunderous boom.

Before her banishment from Windia, Nina had used to sit by an open window every time it rained. She had loved to listen how the drops drummed the roof of the castle. She had loved to watch how the water flowed down the walls, leaving a dark and shiny wet trail behind wherever it passed. She even loved the way the thunder bellowed in her ears.

Nina liked storms. There was something beautiful in them. Had not her stomach reminded her of one certain matter, she could have enjoyed rain for hours. "I'm…hungry", she said, her words almost quelled by another boom.

Aryn favored her with a little smile. "Good. You are finally complaining. Embar gave me some of that great bread of his. Now wait a moment…" He started rummaging through his bags. "Damn, it's too dark in here…"

Nina wasn't sure what happened next. Aryn muttered some words she didn't understand. Out of nowhere, a little ball of green light appeared over his fingers. It shone like a little star, pushing the darkness away and illuminating the small cave with its green glow.

"Wow!" Nina said, her eyes bright with amazement. "You never told me that you are a wizard!"

Aryn shook his head. With a few strange gestures with his fingers, he made the light to move from his right hand to left hand. He continued to examine the contents of his bag. "I know just a few simple spells. Compared to one friend of mine, I'm hopeless with magic. Anybody can learn a few tricks. All it takes is some practicing. Ah, there we are". He pulled out a loaf of bread, which he handed over to Nina.

"That looks fun", Nina said, accepting the food with a little nod. "Is that the only trick you can do with lights?"

Aryn grinned. "No, I can also do this". With a little gesture, the ball suddenly darted toward Nina and hit her straight into between her eyes with a bright flash. Giving out a startled yelp, she threw her hands onto her face. For a moment, all that Nina could see were bright spots swirling before her eyes. When her sight finally returned, she saw that Aryn had summoned another ball of light and was still grinning at her.

"That wasn't funny!" Nina snapped.

Aryn shrugged. "Couldn't help it. You are so tempting target".

* * * *

"I don't get it", Nina said, frustration clearly present in her voice. "I repeat and repeat this thing, but nothing happens!"

"Look carefully, I'll show it again", Aryn said. He lifted his hand and started to gesture with his fingers. He made every move slowly and clearly to make sure that Nina saw it all. As it had happened several times before, a ball of light appeared over his fingers. "Every move has to be perfect. Sometimes, even one wrong gesture, like this…" He waggled his fingers a little. The green light instantly winked out of existence. "…spoils it all. Such is the way of magic. Do it well, or don't do it at all".

Soon after Aryn had demonstrated his skills with magic, Nina had asked if he could teach her a spell. After almost half an hour of arguing and persuading Aryn had finally agreed that it would be a good way to pass some time in their little shelter. Surprisingly patiently he showed Nina the necessary gestures and words to give the spell its shape. To Nina, it had looked like an easy trick.

After raging for its time, the storm had weakened and finally stopped. Aryn had announced that they should get going again. They had walked across the wet plains for hours, enjoying the refreshed smell of the long grass. The sun was already setting down, making the way for the moon and stars. The chirping of the daytime birds ceased, only to be replaced by their nocturnal counterparts. And the spell was still out of Nina's reach.

"You're making a mistake in some part", Aryn told her. "Show me".

Nina sighed. "Okay, once more", she said and closed her eyes. The spell was relatively simple. Nina spoke the words carefully. The odd phonemes flowed from her lips surprisingly easily. Her fingers made the simple gestures with smoothness gained from hours of practice. Nina felt a faint tingling against her palm as she finished the final word.

Nothing happened.

"Hey, hey, don't get so frustrated, girl!" Aryn said quickly. "Calm down! Geez, I told you that the magic can tie even the swiftest of brains into a knot!"

"But I'm sure I did it right!" Nina shouted. "Why doesn't it work?!"

Aryn scratched his ear with his fingers. "Yeah, that looked pretty perfect, girl. Hmm. Have you tried to imagine the spell as you are doing it?"

"With this pace, I'm never going to learn it", Nina muttered. Aloud she said: "Yes. Just like you told me, I'm imagining the spell as I cast it. I think about every word before I say it, yes. And yes, I also imagine every gesture before I do it. Now why in the heck it doesn't work?!"

"Patience, girl, patience", Aryn said as he led them around another large boulder. "Magic is difficult stuff. You say that you imagine the gestures and words before doing. That's fine, but have you also imagined why you are doing it? Have you imagined the result you are hoping for?"

Nina halted in the middle of a step. "You mean…that all the time I've been imagining the wrong thing?"

Aryn nodded. "After you've done gestures and words long enough, you can do them without thinking. Magic is more than funny chanting and odd movements with fingers. Mastering the shaping, that's the first step in learning a spell. The next step is to channel the flow of magic into the spell to give it power". He ran his hand through his hair again. "I think there are several methods to get magic flowing, but I know only one. And with me, that's enough. Imagine yourself to unlock the door that keeps the magic from flowing".

Nina wrinkled her brow. "Is it that simple?"

"Kind of", Aryn answered. "That's the basic trick to make spell work. Of course, there are little differences with every spell you try to cast. Some spells require completely different methods to channel power into them. But ignore that, concentrate in that light first".

Nina nodded. Her confidence in her abilities with magic had lessened with each failure. However, she had decided not to surrender against such a simple trick. Nina closed her eyes again and began concentrating. Her first word for the spell was interrupted by a huge yawn. It was accompanied by a new thought: she hadn't realized that sun had almost set.

"Say", Nina said, "shouldn't we set a camp somewhere?"

Aryn nodded again. "Actually, I've been heading for it for some time now". He lifted his hand to point at something before them.

A couple of little hills away, located in a shelter of three gigantic rocks, there was a campfire. It shone like a squat beacon, casting its golden glow into the night around it. So absorbed Nina had been with her spell that she hadn't even noticed it before now.

* * * *

He hadn't heard anything special. His eyes were adjusted to the brightness of the campfire, so he hadn't seen anything, either. But somehow, he knew that there was more than simple darkness in the night. Swiftly grabbing his spear and shield from the ground, Silen leaped onto his feet and peered into the night. "Halt!" He shouted. "Who goes there?"

"Just two travelers", came the answer. "Put your spear away, we mean you no harm. We are wondering if there's enough warmth in your campfire for three people?"

Silen relaxed slightly, but he still kept his weapons ready. "Maybe there is", he said carefully. "Step into the light and name yourselves".

First, Silen only saw how the shadows moved. Slowly, he started to distinguish silhouettes, just slightly darker than their surroundings. True to the stranger's words, there were only two of them.

The first of the newcomers stepped into the light. He seemed harmless enough, Silen judged, though his sharp features gave him a cunning look. "Good evening", the stranger said. "My name is Nyra. We, I and my companion here, are on our way to Capitan". Even as he spoke, his green eyes quickly studied Silen up and down.

Standing slightly below the average height, he was a young man, perhaps a bit over his twentieth birthday. Silen had blond, curly hair and round, boyish features. This youthful and slightly innocent appearance was in a conflict with his serious, considering expression and the well-tended chain mail he wore with an apparent ease. His grip from his weapons was natural and told about months of hard training. The pair of large, white wings folded neatly behind his back revealed him to be a member of the Wing Clan.

"I am Silen, a soldier of the Windian Army", Silen announced. "I just recently visited Capitan and I am now returning to home". He turned his eyes from Nyra to the second stranger, who was still standing in the shelter of shadows. From her silhouette, Silen decided that she had to be a young girl. There was something awfully familiar about her. "But you haven't introduced your companion to me yet".

There was a moment that could have been hesitation before Nyra answered. He motioned his companion to step forward. "This is Anina, a daughter of one certain friend of mine. She-"

Silen's eyes widened with recognition. He instantly fell onto one knee. "Princess Nina!" he gasped. "What are you doing here?!"

Nina swallowed. On the moment she had seen the soldier's wings, she had known that they would be in trouble. Now, she had got caught. Silen was a Windian soldier, he would surely try to bring Nina back to her former home, or at least he would report to his superiors her location. If anything she knew about Aryn was true, he would stop the soldier, no matter what the cost. It would be a life taken just because of her, and her alone…

Silen's expression hardened. He stood up and pointed Aryn with his spear. "Bandit!" he shouted with a voice that held both anger and icy authority. "I demand you to return Her Highness back to Windian family and regret your crimes! Trying to kidnap the Princess herself! Surrender now, or your deeds will cost you very dearly!"

Aryn's features had again assumed their dark, dangerous edge. He didn't move from the way of the menacing weapon. The leaping flames of the campfire made his eyes to glint as he said: "I will explain this to you, but I won't do it with that stick pointing at me. Put your spear away, soldier, or I'll make you to put it away!"

"Don't try to scare me", Silen replied, not making a move to lower his spear. "I have no fear nor mercy for the enemies of my kingdom. Now spit out your cheap excuse, bandit, why the princess is alone with you in this place?"

"You didn't hear me, did you?" Aryn said, his hands slowly moving toward his sleeves. "Put…that…spear…away!"

Suddenly, the stone blocking Nina's throat melted away. "Stop it!" she cried out. "I don't want you to kill each other just because of me! Silen! Just listen to what we have to say!"

Silen was taken aback by her words. His expression became confused, and the point of his spear swayed slightly. "But Princess", he said, "What are you saying? This bandit has-"

"I'm not a bandit", Aryn interrupted. "I'm her protector".

"You are bandit as long as I say so!" Silen's spear was steady again and so was his voice, too.

"You'll be sorry if you don't soon put that spear away!" Aryn said darkly. "I gave you a chance to listen, and you threw it away! My patience will-"

"Shut up!" Nina shouted. "Just shut up, idiots, both of you!"

Silen's eyes widened again. "Princess!" he said, almost pleading.

Aryn lifted his eyebrows. "Aren't you supposed to be a well behaving little princess, girl?"

"I won't tolerate such words about the Princess!"

Nina stepped between Silen and Aryn, grabbing the soldier's spear with both hands. "Why can't you stop your boastings, both of you?" she shouted. "Would you kindly listen to me, please?!"

* * * *

"It seems that I owe you an apology", Silen said slowly.

Aryn nodded. "I guess I should be sorry, too. Sometimes I just get annoyed when somebody comes swinging their weapons at me and calling me a rogue or a bandit or such".

Silen managed to show a weak smile. "Yes, I have the same problem, too". He put his hand into his sack and pulled out a wineskin. His movements were slow, as if he was in some kind of dream. His hand shook a little as he offered Aryn a drink. The young soldier had been genuinely shocked by Nina's tale. He had taken the black wings, if possible, even harder than the princess herself.

"King Kenny has hired me to take care of her", Aryn said and took a gulp of wine. "I'm not that kind of man who likes to leave work unfinished. Silen, if you feel better with it, I can assure you that I will keep her as safe as it is possible in this world".

"I thank you for that", Silen said and fed the campfire with damp pieces of wood. The flames hissed and crackled as the water started to boil and fizz away. Though Nina had confirmed him that Aryn could be trusted, the soldier was still eyeing the bodyguard carefully. "But I can't trust Princess Nina's safety into hands of only one guard". Silen stood up. He announced with a proud voice: "I will follow her as a royal guard and make sure that no harm will fall on her!"

Aryn took another sip from the wineskin. "That won't be necessary", he said. "Smaller group attracts less attention. Besides, people may start to wonder why a Windian soldier is traveling with a merchant's assistant and an ordinary girl".

Silen shook his head. "I am sorry, Nyra – or should I say Aryn? Which one is your real name?"

"Aryn".

"Well, then, Aryn, I won't leave her, no matter what it may cost me. Even if you say no to me, I will follow you two".

Aryn gave him a small smile. "I could always make sure that you couldn't follow us".

Silen returned his smile with self-confidence. "Try it", he said.

"Please", Nina said quietly. Her words cut into the tension like a well-honed knife. "Don't start it again!"

"Well", Aryn said with a shrug. "It seems that we don't get much choice. I don't like killing much. Besides, you said that you are coming from Capitan? We could always use some fresh information about the town". He stood up and offered the wineskin back to Silen. "And I have to make sure that you won't travel back to Windia and yap about Nina to everybody there".

A smile lit Silen's boyish features. "I won't betray the Princess!" he said proudly.

"By the way", Aryn said, settling down close to the campfire again, "What does your superior in Windia think when you don't report back?"

"Oh, that won't be a matter", Silen responded. "My mission in Capitan was of little importance. They appointed me to it just because they wanted to give me something to do". He laughed. "I think they got fed up with my habit of pacing nervously around the barracks, waiting for a chance to prove my skill in a battle. I don't think that they mind if I stay away a little longer".

Aryn rubbed the back of his head. "Hoo-boy", he muttered, "A glory-seeking young ruffian is all we need…"

"Did you say something?" Silen asked.

Aryn waved his hand. "Oh, nothing", he responded. "I was just muttering that with you accompanying us, I don't think we'll run into any kind of trouble in Capitan".

He had no idea how wrong he was.

Previous: Chapter II
Next: Chapter IV
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