Part 2 (2/2)
I sat and he filled a huge golden wine cup from a silver pitcher He drank deeply and handed the cup to reat as his and set the cup down empty
”Good! You drink as well as your father If you're half the s frorace”
”You try right well I know it's a hard thing to live up to, being the son of a great father I remember him at the Battle of Fulnek The Moravians had us outnue that broke their line in half It seeht with his lance, splitting shi+eld, armor, and breast bone He rode on with the Moravian's shi+eld still threaded on his lance and broke that lance on a second knighthiers Then he dreord and cleared a swath through them as wide as he could reach, and his ave the rest of us tiht them on the flank, rolled them up like an old map, and the day was ours!”
”I heard he was sore wounded in that fight”
”Yes It was before you were born, wasn't it? I saw a filthy peasant put a spear under his byrnie and into his gut For a long time I feared for Sir Jan's life, but stah You know, Ithe prisoners, I let all the others go, but hi for his impudence!”
”Ali, you look so much like your father that you could ale You have much of his skill-I le thrust, straight to the heart, on an anirace, I heard that Sir Conrad had never before been on a hunt”
”As did I-and that's odd, isn't it? A knight who could slay that allehandedly wipe out his entire band; yet who never hunted an animal! Tell me, what do you think of hirace He's such a s Half hero and half child; half craftsman and half poet; half warlock and half saint! All I can say is that I like the man and that I trust him”
”Tell me, would you stay with hirace, were it consistent with ht's feast” I started to explain but he held up his hands ”I know you did right It was your duty to be alert and on guard tonight;to do But know that during them, Count Lambert settled lands upon Sir Conrad He leaves for therace My duty here” Dammit, I couldn't tell him about Annastashi+a!
”Do not concern yourself I will square matters with Lambert and your father”
”But what is it that you would have me do?”
”In truth, boy, I don't know I, too, aood that has ever happened to Poland, or he could be the greatest evil I only know that I would feel better if he had a trustworthy knight beside hi that you think I should know”
”Then your desire is race I shall do my duty unto the death, if need be”
”I know you will,in you Mind you, this is a privy conversation Not one word of it to anyone save your father Now to sleep with you There's a long ride waiting at dawn”
So my stay at Okoitz was to be cut short and when next I saw Annastashi+a, she'd likely be a peasant's ith dirty children crawling around a sht to reat hall The remains of the feast had not yet been cleaned up I found a nearly full pitcher of wine, a cup, and a joint of cold s are such sad things
The lauds bell struck as I stuot into bed and found Annastashi+a already there In an instant ere crying in each other's arms
”Sir Vladimir,” she bawled, ”I don't want to leave you”
So irls always knew everything that was happening
”And I don't want to leave you, my love”
”Your love? You never called me your love”
”Perhaps because until this hour, I never realized how much I truly do love you”
”Oooo! Don't you see that that only makes it worse! I mean, why do we have to do what everybody else says? It isn't fair! Why do I have to leave because Lao anyplace else I”
”Wait a moment, love It is I who must leave and you who o with Sir Conrad”
I ah woke half the castle
”And I shall accoot no sleep that night At daere packed and ready in the bailey before Sir Conrad got there When he arrived, he was in the company of Krystyana and three other ladies besides Indeed, it seeracious of manner
”Well, Sir Conrad It seems that our lord sends you out well provisioned”
”Indeed He is enerous But why are you saddled up?”
”I hoped to accouard these treasures”
”More treasures than you know, Sir Vladis over his horse and lashed them stoutly to the cantle ”Your presence is needed, and I hope you'll couest It looks like I'm not the only one who needs you” He winked at Annastashi+a, for of course he knew of our relationshi+p
The girls felt obligated to cry at leaving their families and hoh her parents had been dead for a year But in an hour their tears were dry and the joy of adventure was on them
Our co Conrad and I were in full arers, our ladies well dressed on fine palfreys and we had three goodConrad took the lead with Krystyana at his side, so perforce Annastashi+a and I rode rear guard with the others between
After a few hours, I said, ”Annastashi+a, do you knohere we are going?”
”Why, to Sir Conrad's lands”
”But where are those?”
”Well, I suppose in that direction” She pointed forward
I found this location to be inadequate, and questioned my love more closely I was ahtest concept of geography, but that this was the first tiht of Okoitz Her blind faith in , but I feel best when I knohat I'h a dense forest and the dangers of being taken unawares was such that I dared not leaveplowed fields, I spurred Witchfire to the head of the column
”Sir Conrad, I would speak with you”
”You've picked a fine day for it How can I help you?”
”You know that I missed the feast and did not hear La?”
”That's a very good question When we started, I didn't knowYou see, I've been given a huge tract in the mountains south of here There's an old coalthere, not so irls in the ave you lands but no people? How odd Perhaps my father could supply a few dozen peasants”