There were many plants growing on the shore. I picked the ground with a splinter of branch, looking for roots of motherwort and soapflower. Ill get some, not come back empty-handed. And suddenly
They came out of nowhere. I was surrounded by three riders. Where did they come from? Who are they? What should I do? Questions raced through my head, but no answers.
One of them stopped right in front of me.
Well, hello, beautiful! Where are you going? Would you like to go for a ride on a horse? He was sarcastic.
Thats right. He was the one Ty was talking to when we came back from town. Glen, son of the Calshire chief. From the next village.
I tried to stall for time to think of something. But what was there to think of? I couldnt handle them, that much was clear; I couldnt escape.
Who are you?
Come on, dont be afraid! We wont hurt you. Weve met before. Were going on a visit, said Glen.
You go visiting willingly, I told him.
Well, you show your good will! he laughed.
Let me go, I said, trying not to show that I was afraid.
Let me go. Youll stay with us for a while, and then well let you go. Danny, come on, he nodded to one of his partners.
The one in the back bent over and picked me up. The third had already dismounted from the horse, and had given me a lift from underneath. I was sitting on the horse in front of the rider.
We rode for a long time. The companion from behind skillfully ruled the horse. It was not very comfortable to sit. I was not accustomed to ride, and with a stranger in company.
My stomach rumbled and my mouth was dry.
Glen, why dont we stop? my companion asked.
Glen was speaking to him as an equal:
Okay. Not for long.
They built a fire, spread a clean tablecloth, and got food. Pies, bread, smoked meat, water, and something else in a bottle.
My mouth was watering.
And what is this? I asked, pointing to the bottle.
I asked, pointing to the bottle. Its millet sake, we make it ourselves, said Glen, who acted like the leader among them, and grinned, do you like it?
I havent tried it, I answered, glancing at him.
None of them followed me around, but I kept catching someones eye. There was no escaping.
When the man who had offered me the tincture, Glen, stepped back, I glanced at the companion sitting next to me, who reminded me a little of Ty.
He smiled a little embarrassed, and spoke.
Im Danny. Dont be afraid, Lisa. No ones going to hurt you. Its just that Glen wants you to take his side, to be on his side, said the boy softly.
What? Which side? I dont even know what youre talking about.
Youre Tys girlfriend, he said.
Me? Tys my friend. Do you want to hurt Ty? But why? I stared at Danny with my eyes wide open in surprise.
Itll be okay. No ones going to hurt you, he said calmly.
And what about Ty? I asked.
He didnt answer. He just sat there staring at himself.
How do you know my name? I asked the question again.
Ty called you that in the woods when you were leaving town, he said simply.
He remembered. I didnt remember it until he told me wed met.
Glen and their third companion stood in the distance, talking. Danny got up impetuously and disappeared behind the trees. He was gone for a long time. Glen and Andrew were exhausted from driving to get there in time for daylight. Glen couldnt stand it, so he went to where Danny had hidden.
They appeared like ghosts in the silence. A dark cloud covered the sky behind Danny and Glenn. It was gray, as if evening had descended. Glen was supporting Danny, who was pale, struggling to move his legs, his shirt stained with blood.
What happened? Andrew looked at them in surprise. Blood was dripping down Dannys arm from under the torn rags of his sleeve.
It looked like someone had shot an arrow at Danny. They dont know how to hunt. We got to get out of here fast.
We should bandage him up. You got anything? I was looking at Glenn.
No.
Take your shirt off.
Why? Glen stared at me in amazement.
I dont know what youre talking about. And give me the belt, I hurried him.
Ah Glen wanted to say something, but I had to look at him so he wouldnt argue. I may be shy with people, but when the situation calls for it, I have to activate my special command mode.
I stopped the blood.
Who took the arrow out? I looked at Danny questioningly.
Denny must have pulled it out of surprise, Glen answered.
You could have bled out. Dont do that again, I said to Danny. Give me your sake, I held out my hand without looking at Glen or Andrew.
Wow, look at that! they laughed.
Not for me. Him, I nodded at Danny, Are you crazy? and looked at them in indignation.
They got quiet, and Andrew handed me the bottle. I poured some water on the wound, ripped enough fabric from my shirt, and bandaged it up.
Youll live, I said, looking Danny in the eye.
Thank you, Danny looked at me appreciatively.
I nodded.
Take a sip, Glen handed him the bottle of tincture.
He needed to rest, to drink something warm and sweet.
Well be here till tonight, and in the meantime theres a murderer snooping around, and we dont know who he is, Glen answered.
What if it were you? I squealed. I didnt look at him; I didnt like the man. He wants to annoy Ty, so hes not exactly my friend, even though he acts like weve known each other for a long time and theres no reason to keep me imprisoned between us.
Lets get everything together. Quickly, Glen said to Andrew.
Andrew ditched the fading fire, and we set off.
We rode in silence for a long time.
We got a little behind our companions, and Danny spoke:
Glens not a bad man. Hes a good friend. We went hunting with him once. I hurt my leg that time, Dannys lips stretched into a smile, Im lucky, arent I? Well, he saved me, he went on, When I couldnt walk, Glen carried me for twenty kilometers.
I squinted incredulously. Danny didnt sound suspicious; there was something sincere about what he was saying.
I heard that Glen was burning down the houses of the poor? I asked Danny.
One of Tys friends had told me about it, Alex, I think; he always liked to talk.
No. Hed come to the village with the tax collector. There was a thunderstorm, and a lightning strike set the house on fire. It was an accident and a coincidence that Glen was in that house just before the storm.
Danny stared thoughtfully at the white cotton clouds floating in the distance.
What do you want with me? What do you want with Ty? I took advantage of Dannys talkativeness to ask.
Its just that Glen likes power. He wants to run your village, too, Danny said quietly.
Doesnt Glens lip crack? I asked.
I dont think so. Why do you ask? Danny obviously didnt understand me, or pretended not to.
Because it would be greasy for him, I continued to sneer.
Well, well give him some ointment, Danny said, as if nothing had happened.
Yeah. Now were talking.
I pondered the rest of the way. So they kidnapped me so that Ty would resign his powers in exchange for my release, handing them over to Glen. Voluntarily, without bloodshed. But Tys only the executor; his father Tarius runs everything in the village.
You look like a butterfly right now, you know, Danny squints and looks at me and smiles.
It pulls me out of my thoughts in an unexpected way.
Why? I turn around and look at him in surprise.
Our people have a belief that everything is in our hands. The saints guide us. We obey them. Youre in Glenns hands now. If he squeezes his palms, the butterfly dies; if he opens them, it flies away.
So everything is in Glens hands? Not yours and not mine? Then are you in his hands, too? I asked.
Danny smiled thoughtfully:
Its not that simple, he said, And I dont think I look like a butterfly, Danny squinted again and smiled, winking at me.
What? Did he just wink at me? Whats that? Why? Why did I even turn around and look at him?
We drove for a long time, off-road, or rather, on some scarcely recognizable trail. Finally we arrived at Glens estate, beyond which there was a Calshire village.