The Lord of the Lake (4)

A serialized dark romantic fantasy novella

Table of contents/index page

Previously...Chapter 3

Chapter 4: Erko’s debt

Their last evening in Autumna, the Damned land remained unchanged - wet and cold. Both travellers sat by the fire shivering. 

“Tomorrow we’ll finally stay in a decent inn, sleep in real beds and have a good meal.” Erko rubbed his hands excitedly. He smiled, lowering his sight. “Although, the High Queen’s daughter must be used to fine things. Forgive me, I’ve probably treated your Highness with lousy meals.”

“You fed me well, thank you!” Thymia smiled at his sudden shyness. Erko had been acting strangely around here these last few days. He seemed to have lost his usual confidence.

“A wonderful land Hebeny is! Those people know the true meaning of pleasure.  Excellent taverns, fine brothels…”

“I understand!” Thymia interrupted his speech. No need to get into details! She had already comprehended - Erko loves to pleasure himself - whether it was swimming, or good food or smoking Snakegrass, or women…

“Hasn’t there been a man you’ve ever wanted?!” He suddenly asked with a sly look.

“There might have been one,” she replied and glanced toward the tent.

“Yes?”

“Prince Ulrich, the heir of Hebeny. But he never even looked at me when we visited his castle.”

“Indeed, he’s a fool!” Erko exclaimed.

“Quite the opposite - he’s very wise. He reads all the time. But it doesn’t matter anymore - he’ll never marry me. Prince’s bride must be a virgin. Nobody will believe I’m still one after I’ve lived unguarded in the wilderness of Autumna.”

Erko had nothing to answer. 

Luckily it had stopped raining at night. Erko wasn’t cold sleeping by the fire. Next day Thymia noticed Erko making a lot of effort to look good; they were going to a large town. 

The weeks they spent together Thymia could learn from Erko - although he hated the one, who’s face he inherited, Erko was well aware he’s a handsome young man, and took good care of himself. He kept his long, black hair clean and brushed, his clothes and boots were well made, he shaved his face every morning.

Thymia took after him and began to pay more attention to her own appearance. Today Thymia finally wore the dress Erko bought her, and not his shirt and pants, though she did find them more comfortable than the dress. Erko had mended the dress masterfully after the soldiers’ attack. Thymia even braided her shoulder-length hair, pinned it up and wore Erko’s cloak on her shoulders - he didn’t need to hide his face in Hebeny. Thymia wanted to look decent - nobody will mistake her for a whore! 

Erko examined himself in the mirror shard.

“Nothing much,” He concluded, while Thymia rolled her eyes smirking; Erko knew he was handsome!

After an hour, they drove into the wood-covered hills of southeast Hebeny. The swamp disappeared in the woodlands behind their backs, hills gave way to valleys with quick flowing rivers running through them and deep, bright blue lakes slumbering amidst blooming meadows. 

“Beautiful land, Hebeny!” Erko admired the view, breathing in the scent of sun-warmed leaves and flowers.

“Why didn’t you move to live here sooner?” Thymia wondered.

“Selling Snakegrass was easy money, the swamp kept pulling me back… and I might have gotten into trouble here last year. Also, I owe some money to a very important man,” Erko replied evasively.

“So why do you return then?” She didn’t understand.

“Now I can return the debt. The man loves Snakegrass. I reckon, Raven has forgiven me after a whole year.”

The city of Tridum didn’t have a wall around it, travellers were free to come and go. Erko’s cart rattled right onto the cobble stone paved streets of the town. It was a common Hebenian town with tall houses made of stone and Blackwood; loud, colourful, filled of tradesmen’ carts, marketplaces, taverns, brothels and shops. 

“First, I have to treat you with lunch - I know a nice little place, they make the best meals and the wine… wonderful! The owner makes it himself right there in the valley. I bet it’ll be better than anything you had in New Autumna!”

Erko took her to a cosy tavern. The food indeed was excellent, so was the wine. But it appeared - most of all Erko enjoyed the company. Thymia couldn’t understand the change - why was Erko smiling shyly and acting like an excited puppy around her, ever since she survived the lizardons attack? Her hand healed well, Erko took care of it.

Thymia noticed Erko secretly paying for the meal with Snakegrass. As they were leaving, the old tavern owner walked up to them.

“I’m glad to see Erko has finally settled with a decent girl. Look after him, miss! Erko’s a good lad, just goes astray easily, and smokes too much.”

“Thank you, kind sir!” Erko laughed.

“He promised not to smoke anymore,” Thymia recalled. She saw no point in objecting the old man that they weren’t a couple - Thymia would probably never return here anyway.

“A fair promise. Keep it, Erko! It would be a shame to let down such a beauty. You only meet a girl of this kind once in a lifetime.” The old man smiled.

“I know,” Erko replied seriously.

After lunch, they drove through the narrow streets of Tridum, stopping by gloomy taverns. Erko requested Thymia not to follow him inside, she gladly agreed - those were not the sort of places a decent girl should enter. Instead, she waited for him, guarded by High King, until Erko came out happily shaking pieces of silver and gold in the pouch. Thymia knew very well - smuggling Snakegrass wasn’t an honourable pursuit, but both of them needed the money to make a living in Hebeny, and they’ll never do it again anyway.

The last building, they stopped by, was a large three-storey house with a tavern and a brothel in it. Thymia guessed, this would have been the place he’d sell her to. Few inappropriately attired women were standing outside the house. 

Erko got off the cart alone. One of the women approached him, as he came nearer to the entrance.

“Well, hello, handsome! You’ve been gone for too long. Come round, tonight!” She touched him indecently, Erko stepped back and gave the cart a quick glance.

“Is Raven here?” Erko asked.

“Since when have you become so shy? Come tonight, Erko! It’ll be fun! I’ll be happy to see you anytime, unlike Raven.”

A group of six men riding horses appeared from a narrow street nearby. All of them jumped off surrounding Erko.

“Hello, boss!” The woman greeted one of them.

“Get inside, sweetheart! It won’t be a pretty sight,” a bold, grim-looking man, dressed in black, commanded the whore.

“Well, well, well! Heard you’re back in town, Erko. How very dumb, even for an Autumnian!” The bold man drew his sword along with the rest of them.

“Come, Raven! You wouldn’t start a shameful fight in front of your excellent house, would you?! A lot of time has passed! And I’ve got good Snakegrass to give you!” Erko backed up, raising his hands. Thymia nervously watched the armed men closing in on him.

“Nobody takes what is mine and gets away with it!” Raven’s blade moved nearer Erko’s throat.

“Six against one isn’t a fair fight!” Exclaimed Thymia, standing by him with a raised sword. Erko stared at her sudden appearance with unnamed fear.

“What a charming guardian you have!” Raven shamelessly looked the girl up and down.

“Thymia, please get back in the cart!” Erko begged quietly.

“Come, Raven! I ‘ve brought you the best ‘Grass there is! As much as you want!” He said loudly.

“Alright!” Raven agreed, hiding his sword, “let’s go inside for a talk!” He led Erko into the house, with his henchmen following them. Thymia sat in the cart wondering if she’d made a huge mistake by stepping in.

“That whole thing last year was one big misunderstanding! I had no idea she was your woman!” Erko said apologetically as they walked across the Tavern hall.

“Sure, sure!” Raven answered calmly, but his actions were nothing but calm;  he punched Erko’s stomach, making him fall to the floor, then kicked him several times. 

“I’ve deserved it!” Erko said moaning and got up leaning heavily on the table. Raven sat down by the same table, stretching his legs.

“You’ve got ‘Grass?”

“Lots!”

“Let me try some!”

Erko took a little bundle of the dry Snakegrass from his pocket. Raven’s henchmen filled a pipe with the ‘Grass, lit it and gave the pipe to their boss. He took a lengthy smoke.

“Good!” Raven spoke, exhaling clouds of white smoke, “you can pay the debt in ‘Grass.”

“Great! I’ll go get it!” Erko happily turned to leave. 

“While you’re at it - fetch me that whore of yours! I’m buying her. You see - I’m buying my pleasure, not stealing, like you did,” Raven said, grinning through the smoke.

“She’s not for sale!” Erko replied sternly.

“Did you say something?!”

“No!”

“Remember, Erko! You won’t have a life in Tridum, or Hebeny if you don’t get along with me. I’m being very generous.”

Erko nodded, then paced away without looking back.

Silently he got under the cart to untie the remaining sacks of the dry Snakegrass. The minute they fell down on the cobblestone, Erko jumped in front of the cart to ride away as fast as the horse could gallop; making poor Thymia hit the cart floor.

“What are you doing?!” She yelled while lying in the cart, but he wouldn’t answer.

Thymia had to wait quite a while, the cart rolled out of the town, down a dusty road. When the black horse couldn’t keep up the pace, Erko stopped and changed it for the soldiers’ horse they kept tied behind the cart, and the dash continued until they turned on a small road into the wood - it was lousy, but the horses were used to Autumnian paths, this one didn’t cause them any trouble. Thymia didn’t understand - nobody followed them!

“I borrowed gold from Raven last year. Wanted to return the debt, but he asked more than I was willing to give,” Erko explained finally.

“Wasn’t the Snakegrass enough? What did you do to that man? He seemed very upset.”

“After I borrowed from him, I slept with Raven’s woman, right under his nose in the brothel. I didn’t know she was meant for him only! She never told me! I thought she was just a whore like the rest of them!”

“You’re disgusting!” Thymia yelled. She suddenly realized - Erko was the same as most Autumnian men - lustful, crude; he used women for pleasure, same as booze or Snakegrass. Why did she ever think he was any different?

“You want to know what he asked along with the ‘Grass?! He wanted you!” Erko yelled back at her.

“So why didn’t you sell?!”

“You don’t belong to me!”

Both went screaming at each other, then sat silently in the rattling cart.   

“And now what?!” After some minutes, Thymia asked. 

“Now we won’t be safe anywhere near Tridum. He owns the town. And he’s big in Hebeny. We’ll lay low tonight, tomorrow return to Autumna using a different road,” Erko replied. The path led to a small, clear lake, with a meadow on its shore. 

“But you can’t return! Maybe the ‘Grass will be enough?”

“I don’t think so. Raven is a stubborn man - knows what he wants and does whatever it takes to get it. It doesn’t matter where I die, so I might as well try to get you to New Autumna.”

They rode in silence until the horse stopped by the lake.

“Will we be safe here?”

“I don’t know! Stumbled upon this place running away from Raven last year. He is a Birdling, so we must keep out of site.”

Erko let the horses graze in the meadow, then they put the tent up beneath the trees. Both sat staring at the lake, it wouldn’t be wise to make a fire. 

“Why did you sleep with Raven’s woman?” Thymia asked, looking at the golden sunlight playing in the ripples of the lake waters. It was late in the afternoon.

“She was beautiful. I have a weakness for pretty things, you know! She seemed to like me as well,” Erko paused, “the woman confessed - never before had she slept with a man she liked. She turned down the money I offered for her services.”

Thymia shivered - what a terrible life for a woman! She didn’t want to end up like that whore, without a choice of her own. But with Raven hunting them, there was a big chance she would. No! At least this one night, she will make her own choice, while there’s still time!

“Erko, I’m thinking… I don’t want to become like her. So, I choose tonight… if you could…” The poor girl stuttered, turning red as a ripe lingonberry, “I mean…you still like me, don’t you? So, if you could do me the service…”

“The service?!”

“Don’t act like a fool! You understood me!” She snapped at him. 

“I did.”

“So?”

“If you wish, I’ll do it,” he replied more seriously than Thymia would’ve expected.

Erko turned away, walking towards the lake for a swim. 

After he got out of the water and put his clothes on, Erko noticed Thymia had changed into her old, white petticoat dress, made herself a wildflower wreath, and swirled among the flowers of the meadow, performing a dance.

“What are you doing?” He asked, frowning.

“Oh, it’s just… my parents didn’t raise me to become a whore. It’s the Royal wedding dance. I’m doing it for myself, never mind!”

“Go on!” He sat down, watching the girl dancing gracefully in the evening sunlight. After observing a while, Erko joined her, without saying a word. He was used to mirroring her moves after they had trained the Snakeling sword fighting together. Silently they danced side by side in the tall grass and flowers, with the sun blessing their every move. How strange, Thymia didn’t find the dance difficult at all! She remembered all the steps, moving lighter than a feather. 

After the dance ended with a bow, Erko asked,

“What happens after the dance?”

“The bride and groom exchange the rings.”

“One moment!” Erko ran to the cart, returning quickly with two rings he kept in the locked trunk.

“Like this?” He put his mother’s golden ring on Thymia’s finger. It was a perfect fit.

Thymia nodded, Erko gave her his self-made silver ring, to put on his own finger.

“And now what?”

“Now the Master of Ceremony gives a very boring speech, but we can skip that!” Thymia explained and they laughed.

“Now the groom kisses the bride,” she went on.

Erko touched her face gently. He raised her chin, so their lips could meet. Thymia had never imagined his lips would feel so soft. The kiss ended too soon… She bowed her head smiling shyly.

“Now the groom takes off the bride’s wreath, and both bow as the Master of Ceremony puts silver crowns on their heads.” 

Thymia and Erko bowed to the setting sun. He pretended to be adjusting his invisible crown.

“Does my crown look good?” He joked, Thymia laughed.

“Yes, you look truly royal!”

“What’s next?”

“Next the couple turn to the guests, and they bow to us.”

Their only guest was the snoring dog.

“How very awkward, your Highness! It seems our only guest has fallen asleep,” Erko whispered, making Thymia chuckle.

“What now?”

“Now according to old Autumnian traditions, the servants would carry a royal wedding bed into the hall, and all the guests would witness the consummation of the marriage,” Thymia explained.

“In front of the guests?!” Erko exclaimed, shocked.

“But my parents changed the rule. Now the guests would just lead the couple to their chamber and leave them.”

As the setting sun prepared to dive into the horizon, Thymia gave Erko a meaningful look and got into the tent. She took off her dress, laid down waiting, while Erko still lingered outside. He watched the perfect surface of the lake reflecting the dying sun and the new-born stars. 

“If it makes it any easier - you could pretend I’m someone else. Maybe that prince of yours - what was his name?! Prince Ulrich, right,” Erko suggested.

Thymia did not answer. She realized - she didn’t want anybody else but him! Erko was an Autumnian scoundrel, he was an outlaw, a booze drinker, a Snakegrass smuggler and a smoker, he was beautiful, he was good. Thymia wanted him even without being intoxicated by the Snakegrass fumes. She anticipated his coming with a warm smile rising on her face. 

Erko took off his clothes and got into the tent. He laid still beside her for a few minutes, holding her hand. Then he took a deep breath, exhaled, and leaned over her.

“I promise it won’t hurt. Don’t be afraid!” He whispered sympathetically.

But Thymia wasn’t afraid! Not at all! 

Like two waves they clashed, gently swaying into each other’s tides, Thymia remembered what Erko had told her about pleasure, and just before they’d fallen into a blissful oblivion, she heard him say he loved her.

Thymia woke up from Erko leaving the tent. With her eyes still shut, she wondered - why couldn’t he stay with her just a bit longer? Surely, his morning swim could wait. She didn’t hear the water splashing, the girl wrapped herself in a blanket and went outside. 

Erko sat naked by the lake, watching the mist gently touching the surface of the water. The rising sun poured golden light into the lake.

Thymia approached and put her hand on Erko’s shoulder. He quickly got up, walking into the water, not looking back at her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” He retorted.

“Why are you like this? I thought you said you love me!”

“You thought wrongly! I did you the service, I got my pleasure, that’s it!” He went deeper into the lake.

“But I love you!” She shouted after him.

“No, you don’t! Thymia, you know nothing! It didn’t happen willingly!” Finally Erko looked back at her, but he didn’t stop.

“I’m not a good man, Thymia! Please, don’t love me if you can help it! Don’t look at me! Don’t speak to me! Don’t touch me!” He said, immersing himself into the water.

Thymia dropped the blanket, ran into the lake and dived.

Both swam up together with the startled Erko yelling,

“I thought you were afraid of swimming!”

“I was afraid of you!”

“Aren’t you afraid now?!”

“Now I’m coming to you willingly, and saying again, so that your thick head would understand - I love you…”

Erko couldn’t stop himself from kissing her. Both swam closely to the shore, all the while kissing, and in the shallow, they consummated their marriage through the waters of the lake, with the sun shining golden on their wet skin. Erko declared his love again and again, and as they laid resting in the water holding each other close, he confessed it was the most beautiful thing he had ever done. 

After some time, both got out of the water, stood wrapped together in the blanked, caressing each other’s wet skin. The sun was warm, it was bound to be a lovely, hot day. 

“It’s dangerous for you to return to Old Autumn,” said Thymia.

“We can’t stay in Hebeny either.”

“I know - let’s go to Avem! The Queen of Birdlings will help me send a message to my parents with her Birdling messengers. I’m sure she will remember me,” Thymia suggested.

“Let’s go to Avem! We’ll be safe there. Raven is half Birdling, but he’s not welcomed in Avem. I’ll end my old life. I’ll begin a new one with you,” Erko said, pressing his cheek to hers.

“That’s a good thought!” Said Raven, “to end your life, that is!” He appeared near them, putting his foot on Erko’s dagger in the sand.

The High King was howling and whining on the shore for quite a while. His masters, standing in the afterglow of each other’s nearness, didn’t pay any attention to the dog’s warnings. Six black birds had been circling the area; as soon as they noticed the two lovers standing on the lake shore, the birds flew down, and turned into six men, as they touched the ground. They were Birdlings, and Birdling magic allowed them to become birds at will.

“I got impatient waiting for you to bring me my new whore, so here I am!” Raven grinned. Erko stood naked, shielding Thymia.

“Don’t call my wife a whore!” He answered with a furious flame in his eyes. None of Raven’s men dared to attack him. High King attempted to jump on the men, and they stabbed the poor dog.

“Come on, Erko! Give the sweetheart to me! I’ll pay you more than she’s worth. Start a good life in Hebeny, like you’ve always wanted. Find another whore! With your qualities, it shouldn’t be hard to do!” Raven smirked at Erko’s naked body.

For a second Thymia felt frightened - what if he’s really considering selling her?

“I will never give her up!” Erko said sternly. 

“Go on, boys! Take the gal!” Raven commanded. Unarmed and naked, Erko fought with the first man approaching, yet his anger seemed to make him invincible. He threw the man into the water, simultaneously two other men grabbed Thymia. As Erko turned to rescue her, Raven used the moment to run up and stab Erko in the back. Heart-breaking screams resounded over the calm waters - both Erko and Thymia cried in pain. Raven pushed him into the shallow, he managed to roll on his back not to drown. Struggling in pain, Erko couldn’t get up. 

“Should I finish off that son of a bitch?!” A henchman asked.

“No! Let the poor bastard pleasure himself in his last hour. We know how much Erko loves pleasure!” Raven laughed, watching the shallow waters around Erko turn red. Thymia struggled and screamed, staring at him dying. Erko looked at her, with tears rolling from his eyes, then he stared up at the blue skies, and his sight turned lifeless and still… Thymia fought like a wild animal, trying to get closer to him, but the henchmen wouldn’t let her. They tied her up wrapped in a blanket, stuffed her mouth with a cloth, and put a sack over her head. Then they threw the girl into Erko’s cart and drove off to their horses they’ve left behind, to use the Birdling magic.

***

Two brothers stood by the tavern looking at the place with deepest contempt. They had always stayed in respectable places, never had the High King’s sons set foot in a place like this. 

Thomian straightened his shoulders and went in, pacing bravely across the hall. Elian followed, cautiously looking back - the place stank of booze, sweat, vomit and urine, a couple of drunken eye pairs followed the two young Autumnian soldiers.

“Good day, lads! Haven’t seen ya’ here before. What can I do for ya?!” Asked the barkeeper as they approached the counter.

“We’re looking for the High Queen’s daughter!”

“Oh! You’re the third party this week to look for the lass. No High-born gals have I seen here, just drunks and whores.”

“Maybe this will help you remember?” Thomian put a piece of silver on the counter.

“Help or no help, decent maidens don’t come here. Drunks and whores - ‘ere, look at ‘em!” the barkeeper said. However, he still took the money, and pointed at the men looking at them with blank stares. “There’s old Vigo, been drinkin’ ‘ere for days! There’s Burms - you owe me Burms!” The barkeeper waved at a man vaguely staring at his empty glass.

“ ‘Ere - beside our Burms it’s Pigeye! Look at ‘im, pissed all over himself!” The barkeeper laughed and pointed at an obese man sleeping by the table.

“What did you say - Pigeye?” Elian exclaimed.

“Been drinkin’ almost a week!” The barkeeper explained.

Both brothers approached the man called Pigeye - he had vomited all over his face. The man wasn’t sane enough to speak. 

“Preeetty whore!” His friend Burms suddenly exclaimed.

“What?” Thomian didn’t understand.

“Pigeye said - found ‘er in the swamp. How lucky can one bastard get?! Would’ve bought the whore myself, but then that who-knows-what-his-name-was buys her with gold! Gold, I tell ya’!”

“What is he talking about?” Thomian asked the barkeeper.

“Oh, nothin’! Pigeye sold a new whore he had. Been drinkin’ ever since. I must say - pretty she was!”

“What did she look like?!” Elian grabbed Burms by the shirt.

“Easy, lad! Pretty gal - green eyes, black hair, nice bum…”

“Who bought her?” Thomian yelled at the drunk.

“That Erko, the Snakegrass trader! But we don’t buy the Snakegrass trash ‘ere. He comes in for a drink, hiding his face, like ‘em outlaws do.” The barkeeper obviously didn’t want any trouble with the law.

“The Autumnian who hides his face!” Elian remembered. 

“Where did he go?” Thomian shouted.

“West! Erko always goes west,” the barkeeper replied. Both brothers rushed outside.

They rode away on the path leading west. 

“Poor Thymia! Sold like an animal,” said Elian, “old Urshula was right so far! What’s next?”

“Next we have to camp for the night!” Thomian looked at the setting sun. They had been riding west all day.

Luckily, they had taken a tent with them, and if it wasn’t for their restless fear for Thymia, both would’ve enjoyed sitting by the campfire under the stars. Also, an unpleasant smell of burning marshes arose from the distance ahead of them.

The next day the brothers reached another Autumnian village and went directly to the local tavern. Thomian didn’t waste any time, he approached the counter, asking the barkeeper,

“Has Erko the Snakegrass trader been here lately?”

The barkeeper cautiously looked at their uniforms.

“No!” He replied shortly, turning his back on them.

“He’s lying!” Thomian whispered to his brother.

A man ran into the tavern, all covered in cinder and ash.

“The Great fire is coming! It’ll burn down the village!”

“Rubbish!” The barkeeper replied.

“Through lakes and flames…” Elian recited old Urshula, “please, kind sir! We don’t care about the Snakegrass smuggling! Our sister is lost. Please, tell us - was there a girl with this Erko?” Elian looked at the barkeeper with a childish honesty in his green eyes.

“Erko is a friend of mine. Don’t want him getting in trouble. Alright, there was a girl. Erko never sells women, but he needs the gold to settle in Hebeny, and he’ll get good gold selling her to a whorehouse.”

Elian moaned after the mentioning of the whorehouse.

“How did you lose your own sister? Everyone knows, there’s no life for a girl left alone in Old Autumn.”

“We were fools!” Thomian cried.

“Chin up! Erko’s a good lad. He would never hurt the girl,” the barkeeper reassured him.

“Where has he gone now? To Hebeny?” Elian asked.

“First to the Green lake. Then to Hebeny. He always goes to the Green lake at this time of the year.”

Brothers gave the man some silver and walked out of the Tavern.

“A good man would never sell a helpless girl to a whorehouse! And the Green lake is a dangerous place,” said Elian riding alongside his brother.

“That’s where we’re going!”

But the Great fire raged ahead of them, slowing their search down for quite some time.

***

Thymia stopped wiggling and shrieking, only when she hit her head against the hard stone floor. The henchmen threw her down, untied her, and left, with Raven saying,

“Dress her up and bring upstairs!”

With her head still buzzing from the impact, the girl looked around - she was surrounded by strangely dressed women. 

One of them gave Thymia a red dress with golden trimmings. 

“Put it on!” The woman demanded. She was the whore greeting Erko yesterday on the porch of the brothel.

Thymia clutched the dress in her hands and cried swinging back and forth.

“Oh, stop your whining! We’ve all been there! Just do what Raven wants and you’ll live to see another day!” The woman approached her.

“He’s dead! He’s dead! He lives no more! My love…” Thymia cried.

“Wait, you were that girl sitting in Erko’s cart yesterday? Did Raven finish him off?! I’m very sorry… Erko was a good man.” The woman’s eyes teared up. 

“We’ll all be sorry if we don’t get you dressed up! Raven doesn’t like to wait!” Another woman exclaimed.

They tried to pull the dress on Thymia, but she wouldn’t let them. 

“We wouldn’t care how you look! But Raven likes his women pretty. He wants to undress them himself. So, go on! Wear the dress!”

“Please! You can’t help Erko anymore. But he would want you to live. Put the dress on! For Erko!”

“For Erko…” Thymia repeated slowly, looking into the woman’s eyes. She let the women dress her up - the red dress was quite revealing, truly tasteless; ugly, gold thread and lace-trimmed thing, showing much more cleavage than would be appropriate for a decent girl. They pinned her hair up, put lipstick and red blush on her face. Then along came one of Raven’s henchmen and dragged the girl upstairs. After a short knock, Thymia was shoved into a room, with Raven sitting at the table. He had just finished his lunch.

“Just in time!” Raven poured wine into a crystal glass. 

“Very nice!” He gave Thymia a dirty look, while the girl stared blankly at the wall. The room was tasteless like the brothel itself, but, of course, Raven thought it to be classy and smart.

“Oh, don’t be upset about that fool Erko! You need a real man!” Raven said, taking a sip of wine.

“A real man wouldn’t have stabbed an unarmed man in the back!” Thymia replied hatefully. 

“It doesn’t matter! He was dead flesh the minute he ignored my generous offer! My time is much too valuable to waste on such details.” Raven drank more wine. “Now, come here!”

“If Erko would’ve had a sword, he’d cut you in half like a pig!” Thymia retorted and didn’t move.

“Careful, whore! Or I’ll cut your tongue off! Don’t you know I have the power to do what I please with you?!” Raven pulled out his sword and held it against the girl’s throat.

“You wouldn’t have any power over me, if I had a sword!” She grunted through her teeth.

“I must admit, the sight of you stepping in for that fool with a sword in your hand, was quite seductive!” Raven licked his lips. 

“I like all sorts of games. Alright, let’s play!” He said and opened the door, asking his bodyguard to lend a sword. Raven gave it to Thymia.

“A bit of blood just makes things more exciting! Go on! Attack me!” He smiled blatantly and moved closer to the giant bed amidst the room.

But he wasn’t at all happily excited when the man found out - Thymia was much more skilful than he was at sword fighting! Although he was taller and stronger, the girl was quick, she was also strengthened by hatred and disgust. Before Raven got to call his bodyguard for help, Thymia cunningly attacked, stabbed him in the stomach, Raven fell into the bed moaning. Thymia kept stabbing his body screaming furiously, until her hands and the front of her dress were soaked in blood. 

Suddenly, the door slammed open; two Autumnian soldiers ran in.

“We’ll save you Thymia! Oh…” Elian saw the massacre. 

“Looks like we’re too late!” Thomian said. 

“Brothers!” Thymia cried, all three embraced tightly. 

The two had come just in time - none of Raven’s men dared to stop two Autumnian soldiers escorting the blood-covered girl out of the whorehouse. 

Thymia found Erko’s cart and the black horse. 

“It’s my husband’s property. I’m taking it with me,” she explained. Both brothers exchanged confused looks but said nothing. All three of them rode south, leaving Tridum behind; they took the road to the castle of Nidum in the land of Avem, where the Queen of Birdlings reigned over her kingdom.