Dragon’s Empire – 1. Curse of the younger Prince

Such a tone was hurt me. Does the royal sons in this country are considered only another decoration of ballroom halls, not knights?

«Better stay at home,» Claude advised me.

«And wait until the evil spirit also goes to our forests,» I grinned in response. – Do you think I am not enough to own such a weapon as a sword? In your opinion, I do not get courage and accuracy in shooting, gentlemen?:

Such questions were a sick prick. After all, everyone was aware of my victories on numerous competitions and tournaments.

«Your courage borders with the recklessness?» whispered to me Claude, so quietly so that no others heard. «Leave the astrologers be on their duty and to deal with the dark evil.»

«Do you want to throw these people in trouble?» said I as quietly he. «If someone needs my help, then I can’t just turn away, like all these proud diplomats, which filled the hall of the Council.

Claude wondered over my words. In the azure eyes flashed something like understanding and hopes.

«You can die,» he warned.

«Like every knight, going to fight,» I replied fearlessly and asked louder, turning to the king. «Will you let me go to the way immediately?»

The king alone nodded with such a sorrowful expression of the face, as if he had given permission to my funeral.

«With you will go six of my best knights and your brother,» the king threw such a piercing look at Claude that the protest words immediately froze on the mouth of the latter. I involuntarily thought that these two binds some kind of mystery that their decision did not depend on the fear of my life, but that one of the relatives should follow me all the time. But why?

It was necessary to go to the path not to slow down until the king changed his decision. I returned to my chambers only to capture a fur cape. Winter was cold. In the fireplaces of the castle, the day and night flared fire, and snowflakes were spinning outside the windows. On the stairs, I ran into a court astrologer. His long fingers clung to my sleeve. Evil black eyes with red streaks studied my face as if trying to find footprints on it. The astrologer released me and slowly went up the stairs.

«Edwin, are you going or staying?» I heard the displeased voice of Claude. He was already going on the road. Several knights from those who are afraid of only the royal wrath, and not demons, were on the horses in the courtyard of the castle. The groom brought from the stables the horses for me and Claude. We had a long way to go. Soon the gate of the castle with noise slammed behind us. The messenger rushed ahead, pointing to us the road through a snowy forest.

Each of us prepared to meet with danger. We have already crossed the line of royal possessions. The forest around became gloomy, landscapes with incentive, and heaven was dragged with gray clouds. So soon snowfall will begin. There was no twittering of birds, there was no coarse red squirrels who flooded the surrounding forests. It seemed to me that the nature was extinct, and dry spiny trees were only a temporary housing for spirits, united in the coronal trunks. Magic can both disagree in nature and transform it, tales guided us. This forest was turned into a sullen earthly evil. As soon as we drove into the thicket, as I felt an insurmountable fear, as if someone squeezed my heart with an ice hand. Surely, each of my accomplices felt the same thing, but no one dared to confess to another that the atmosphere of the forest was oppressed.

«Soon we will reach the meadow, there the wild boar will hunt every night,» the messenger said. «We need to get there before sunset and surround the meadow.»

«So, this wild boar hunts only at night?» I asked.

«He came from his lair as soon as the sun comes,» the messenger nodded.

«Where is the lair?» I asked.

«Nobody knows. Most likely, not far from the gorge. But it is unlikely that you will find nearby at least one bold-sprit, which will dare to go there.»

«Must be, Goblins settled there,» I joked and wanted to laugh, but suddenly very close, over our heads there was all the same annoying knock, as if the woodpecker would beat the drum fraction on the tree trunk.

I raised my head, but did not see the birds, only some tiny creature, only distantly similar to the child in the scarlet velvet cape settled on the top of the oak.

«Rather, look upstairs,» I asked Claude.

He also looked at the tree, but no one was sitting on a bitch. Didn’t it seem to me? I must have spent too much time in the saddle and I am very tired.

«What is the tree so much different from others?» Claude was surprised.

«It seemed to me that I saw a thrush there.»

«You have never seen a thrush before or wanted to put one of them into a cage. Forgive, but I am afraid that we will not be allowed to bring anyone more canary.»

Hung away from the tree, Claude decided to refer to the messenger.

The messenger on horseback ahead of us disappeared in an unknown direction, the road ahead was empty. Dust did not flow over the earth, it means that no one was joined by a gallop on it. I looked around to look at our knights, but there was no more of them next to us. If they decided to turn back, the forest would now be shocking from the knock of horses’ hoofs, but there was silence around. Could our knights fail through the Earth, but as otherwise they can explain their disappearance.

«Where are our companions?» I looked around, but I did not see a trace of the presence of people anywhere.

Claude was amazed and frightened no less than me, but his pride did not allow him to show his fear. He was, as always, restrained and cold-blooded – a sample of mentor and elder brother.

«You could not ride a little behind,» Claude said it with such a cold tone, as if I was not fit to go side by side with him or represented a danger to anyone who remained alone.»

Such a request seemed to me offensive and nevertheless I hold the horse, passing my brother forward. Do I really do not deserve trust? Claude marked noticeably and looked at me as if he was afraid of attacks on my part. What a change happened to him after the night visiting. Since then, he never talked with me alone.

«Edwin, you stick to me like a shadow, the distance between the horsemen should be observed,» fear heard in my brother’s voice. I noticed that he somehow nervously squeezes the samples at his chest, as if he was afraid of attacks on the sideways.

I made my horse go slower to retard from Claude at least a few steps, but my horse was not used to such slowness. He loved to rush in the steppes at the speed of the wind, and not drag a slow step. Even tired, he rushed forward.

Noticing that I catch him, Claude snatched the sword, but instead of turning a sparkling blade to me, he only raised it up and showed me a cruciform top of a sword. Is Claude thought that the devil himself goes next to him in my appearance.

«You are not afraid?» he asked in surprise.

«Do you want me to crossed my sword with yours instead of killing a wild boar?» I answered the question at the question.

«Of course not,» Claude hastily removed the sword.

He did not even apologize for his strange behavior. Then we drove in complete silence.

«Edwin,» My brother turned uncertainly. «I have long wanted to ask you a question. You never felt next the presence of some evil. Maybe sometimes you felt that in you there is something dark and dangerous?»

«What?» I did not believe my ears. «You could not explain in the moment! You consider me dangerous.»

«No – no,» he hastily objected. «I said it just like that. Did it happen to think about you? From you the endless light comes, and not darkness. It was necessary just better to look at you before listening to slanders.»

«Who could say something bad about me?» I was surprised.

«There will always be evil tongues,» he answered calmly and added with a tagged grin. «You see, the devil is accepted to attribute aristocratic origins.»

«Oh, well, then we are both approaching this category,» I sincerely laughed, but Claude didn’t even smile, just nodded.

It will be dark soon,» I spurred a horse. «It is necessary, as soon as possible, get to the glade, about which the messenger said.»

But it was not possible to find the ill-fated glade. Darkness found us on the forest road. After a long hour of the ride, I understood with horror that we got lost in this dead, dried forest. The air heavily got very cold, and I flopped up to my cape. Past we ran some little creature. The horse of Claude frightened and stood on the sill, getting ready to reset the saddle. My horse was also frightened, but I kept the reins firmly. I shouted that Claude was tightly held in the saddle, but it was already too late, the horse dropped the rider and in gallop rushed away, in the darkness of the forest.

Fortunately, my brother was not injured and could go. He was lucky that he was separated by several bruises. Then we went on foot, leading my horse. It was still scared, but did not dare to disobey me.

«Look, this is the place,» Claude pointed with his hand forward. I took out the arrow from quiver and charged the crossbow. In the snow, a chain of traces of some large animal was really stretched. So we were late, and the wild boar was already gone to the hunt. If this huge creature went to the village, then the peasants will not last. After all, they will not even try to defend themselves, thinking that they are doomed to defeat in the fight against evil spirits.

Claude took the sword from the sheath – the only weapon that he left after his horse’s escape. I was first going to experience my accuracy. If there is some truth in the winning words, then the wild boar will return to its lair through this glade. From here on the horizon protrude the outline of the mountains. There must be somewhere there is an ominous gorge.