Chapter 54

Year 163 – Fall – Quintus Mensis – 25th day

Avem, town of House Kalator, land of the Vale

The next morning, when Nelis came to knock at her door, Vatra was still asleep.

Nelis – “I’ll come in.”

Nelis waited a moment and opened the door. Vatra was barely waking up. Her hair and face were full of sweat, and her bed was stained red.

Nelis – “JOWRIK! BRING ME MY BAG! NOW!”

Fearing the worst, Nelis dragged the cover to the side and looked at Vatra’s wound. Jowrik arrived in a hurry, carrying Nelis’s bag. Nelis took a piece of soft textile and began to clean the blood around the wound when Vatra muttered something. Nelis then put his ear near her mouth.

Vatra – “It’s fine . . . I’m fine . . .”

Nelis – “You’re clearly not fine. You were already weak, and it seems you caught a fever again.”

As he was cleaning her, Nelis realised the blood didn’t come from the wound. She was simply having her catamenia. Once she was cleaned, Nelis covered her with a new linen sheet and wrapped it around her. The sheet was sticking to her clammy skin. Her hairs were drenched in sweat, so Nelis rolled a smaller sheet around Vatra’s forehead to keep her dry.

Nelis – “Hold tight onto me; I’ll carry you downstairs. You’ll sleep near the fire.”

Nelis passed a hand under her knee and the other behind her back. Vatra feverishly passed her arm around his back and laid her head on his shoulder. His skin felt warm to the touch, and as he carried her, she whispered in his ear.

Vatra – “Thank you.”

An hour later, Vatra had been placed inside a made-up bed near the fire in the kitchen. Leo and Elgan were preparing the first meal of the day next to the fire, and everyone else was waiting at the table.

Petra – “I’m having a hard time believing she was the one to kill those wolves.”

Nelis – “She caught a fever, and her wound hasn’t healed. I wanted to reopen her wound today, but I’ll have to wait…”

Leo – “You want to reopen her wound?”

Jurren – “To clean any potential infection.”

Nelis – “While the body’s healing, it’s weakened, and infection spreads easily. It can spread through the bandage, but also within the wound itself. I placed an ointment in her wound to reduce the infection, but I need to change the ointment frequently and remove any infected tissues before it spreads.”

Petra – “Still, I don’t get all that weak when I have my catamenia.”

Jowrik – “If you want, I can prepare you a bed near the fire as well.”

Petra – “I didn’t ask for it.”

Jowrik – “But would you be glad if I did?”

Petra – “Maybe . . .”

At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

A man voice – “I BRING A MESSAGE FOR THE WITCH OF THE SILVER LINING!”

Jurren grabbed his sword and waited for Nelis to open the door.

Nelis – “Oh, so you finally brought my wood!”

Soldier – “Yes, but I also came to deliver a message.”

Nelis – “From who?”

Soldier – “From Lord Egmond.”

Nelis – “I’m listening.”

Soldier – “A traitor has been captured and will receive his trial today on the main road when the sun will reach its zenith. That is all.”

The soldier walked away from their house and grabbed a stack of wood from a heavily guarded cart, which he then dropped near the entrance before leaving with both the cart and the other guards.

Nelis – “I ALSO ASKED FOR MORE BEDSHEETS!”

Being ignored by the soldiers, Nelis grabbed the wood and joined his own companion.

Jurren – “Who’s the traitor?”

Nelis – “He didn’t mention it. I’ll go see by myself, and I’ll come back with more bedsheets.”

Jurren – “I’ll go with you.”

Nelis – “No, you stay here and keep a watch over them. I’ll go alone.”

Leo – “I’ve never seen an execution before.”

Elgan – “It’s the same as finishing the wounded in a battlefield. Well, I suppose we didn’t kill the wounded this time . . .”

Nelis – “You won’t be missing much.”

Leo – “You’re probably right.”

Hours passed. The sun was high in the sky. Nelis geared himself up and went to the main road. The Kalator had gathered near the castle gate. Mundric’s men were waiting for their leader to come out of the castle. Atilos was already there, sitting next to Trygve. His bird was sleeping by his side.

Trygve – “To accept a trial by combat from a traitor, I must admit your pride is worthy of a leader, but you must not let him get away with his treachery.”

Atilos – “I’m honoured to hear such praise, but I only accepted it by vengeance.”

Trygve – “By vengeance?”

Atilos – “I didn’t like Roberht, but I considered him a rival. To learn his death was due to a traitor is infuriating.”

Trygve – “May the gods be with you.”

Atilos – “I don’t need the gods. I have our people behind me!”

At that moment, Egmond arrived, followed by Amund and Ludger.

Lord Egmond – “I reunited all of you today in order to judge a traitor. Mundric sold our brothers to the Valmai. We found three missives confirming his evil-doing as well as the payment, hidden between the cloths of his bag.”

The crowd – “DEATH TO THE TRAITORS!”

Lord Egmond – “SILENCE! Mundric will be judged, but none of his men will be punished. They will join Amund’s army. What you came to witness today is a trial by combat between Mundric and Atilos. This would normally not occur, but Mundric insulted Atilos’s pride and accused him while asking for the trial. Atilos agreed for the trial to take place. If Mundric wins, I shall exile him instead of executing him. Let’s witness the trial!”

Mundric then arrived, his hands and feet both shackled and followed by two guards. The guard unchained him before giving him his armour, his shield, and his sword.

Atilos took his helmet, his sword, and his shield and awaited his opponent in the middle of the street.

Atilos – “To believe a man like you was hiding among us . . .”

Mundric – “Keep acting. It won’t change your fate.”

Mundric put his helmet on and entered the road with his shield and sword raised. Atilos kept his shield near his body and his sword low while walking toward his opponent.

Atilos – “After all these years . . . How could you betray your home?”

At that moment, Mundric slashed his sword toward Atilos, but quickly stepping to the side, Atilos dodged the hit. Blocking the next hit with his shield, then deflecting the next with his blade, Atilos was using Mundric’s anger to predict his aggressive manoeuvres, one after the other.

When Mundric slowed his pace to take back his breath, Atilos quickly stepped in and slashed Mundric’s leg before stepping away, dodging yet again the following riposte. Mundric was looking at Atilos with eyes filled with flames.

Atilos – “IS THIS ALL YOU’VE GOT? AREN’T YOU A MAN OF THE NORTH!”

Mundric engaged Atilos once more, aiming at his head at each strike. As his mind was taken by rage, Mundric’s motions became bland and monotonous. Atilos could see right through his footsteps, deflecting and blocking each strike as he slowly stepped away from Mundric. With each strike, Mundric was exhausting his treasured stamina. Barely had he slowed his offensive once more when Atilos struck his sword harder, pushing it to the side and kicked Mundric’s wounded leg. He then slammed his shield on his head. Stunned by the impact, Mundric walked backward and stumbled to the ground, disoriented.

Atilos – “I can’t believe Roberht died because of a weakling like you!”

Mundric was awaiting his death, looking Atilos in his eyes.

Mundric – “I curse you, Atilos. May the gods never forget the monster within you.”

Atilos – “Why don’t you rise up and send me to the afterlife? Like you did to Roberht! IS IT THAT HARD TO KILL A MAN WITH YOUR OWN HANDS?!”

Mundric plunged his sword into the ground, forcefully got up, and raised his shield high.

Mundric – “NONE OF YOU WILL EVER BELIEVE ME! NONE OF YOU WILL EVER THANK ME! BUT I’LL GIVE YOU ALL A GREAT SERVICE BY GETTING RID OF THE SNAKE WHO EATS HIS OWN KIN!”

Atilos – “WE’RE ALL WAITING FOR IT!”

Mundric charged Atilos again and cleaved his sword with all his might, pushing Atilos’s blade aside. He then shoved his blade toward Atilos’s head. His blade brushed his opponent’s helmet, releasing a loud shriek. Atilos dropped both his sword and shield and grabbed Mundric’s arm with both hands. He stepped on Mundric’s foot and pushed all his weight on the wounded leg.

Atilos – “RAAHH!”

A loud cracking noise reverberated through his whole body. A cold grasp crawled upon Mundric’s back. Atilos kept on pushing and slammed Mundric to the ground. His broken bone was poking out of his leg. Mundric began to moan from pain. Atilos crouched and slowly opened Mundric’s hand to take his sword before whispering to his ears.

Atilos – “A snake never barks.”

Atilos grabbed Mundric’s blade and held it above the agonizing man.

The crowd – “KILL HIM!”

The crowd – “DEATH TO THE TRAITOR!”

Atilos – “FOR THE KALATOR!”

He then struck Mundric’s neck and cut his head off. The many soldiers screamed for the victory and lowered their voices as their lord walked toward Atilos. Noticing him, Atilos then kneeled to Egmond.

King Egmond – “He was a traitor, but before anything, he was a Kalator. And no matter how low we may fall, we all deserve to be judged by the gods and them alone. He will have a burial by cremation like each of our dear fallen. Anyone who soils his body will be sentenced to 10 days of jail.”

Egmond breathed in slowly while reaching Atilos’s shoulder with his right hand.

King Egmond – “Raise yourself. An honourable man shouldn’t bow or kneel to me. I am but a man like all of you. I may be your king, but I always will remain a servant of the red hawk!”

Atilos raised himself and grabbed Egmond’s hand.

Atilos – “You are wrong. You are the king of the North!”

He raised Egmond’s hand as high as he could and screamed.

Atilos – “FOR THE KING OF THE NORTH!”