belts. Special lightweight, ergonomic swords, resembling daggers. One of the five knights had a long bow instead of a shield on his back.
The village’s chief officer spoke to the people, distinguished only by a special mask on his face and specific patches on the lower part of the shoulders, indicating the warrior’s rank.
“It seems we don’t belong here, my friend,” Rein whispered.
Rein began to turn around with his horse amidst the crowd. One of the officers noticed this and swiftly rode towards Rein. He pushed through the people, unsheathed his sword, and aimed it at Rein’s neck from behind.
“You!” he said. “Show your face!”
Without turning, but only slightly tilting his head, Rein replied, “And why should I turn?”
“Don’t get insolent!” the knight retorted. “Do you know who you’re talking to?”
The knight’s entourage began to surround Rein. Standing in place, Rein glanced around. To his left, an archer and an officer; to his right, the chief officer and another knight, all gripping the hilts of their sheathed swords except for the archer who was readying his bow and arrow. Rein envisioned the likely outcome of the situation, and it appeared unfavorable.
“Well, alright,” Rein said as the archer drew his bowstring. “I don’t want any trouble. I just came here in search of work.”
“What do you have behind your back?” asked the officer holding the sword to Rein’s throat.
Approaching from the front, the chief officer said, “Answer when a knight asks you something, or you’ll lose your head.”
Rein smoothly raised his hand and lifted the hood behind his head.
“You’ve caught me! It’s a sword. A Raidarian one. From Reinia.”
“So, you’re an exile?!” suddenly exclaimed the chief officer. “Well… An enemy of the empire is our friend. Bern, lower your sword!”
“But, sir,” objected Officer Bern, “he’s a Raidarian. He could be sent as a spy.”
“Enough of your objections! If the Raidarians brand their criminals like this, it’s worse than death for the criminal. Such a mark on his neck is eternal shame for a Raidarian. Lower your bow, Rich. He has clearly done something very bad to our enemies,” explained the chief officer. “You were looking for work, Raidarian – you’ll get it!”
“And what kind of work is this?” asked Rein.
“We need people for reconnaissance, but the locals seem to fear the raidarians more than anyone else. We need to scout the area near our borders. Ride as fast as you can in the direction of Aeris. If you reach our land borders and don’t notice anything unusual – meaning no raidarians on our lands – then return. But if you find something, return and report. Upon completion, you’ll receive twenty gold. Clear?”
“Clear,” replied Rain, “but why twenty? You promised them thirty.”
“Prove your loyalty, and next time it will be thirty gold,” said the chief officer.
“What if I refuse or change my mind about going to the border along the way?”
“Good question! If you refuse, my guys will have the pleasure of doing whatever they want with you.”
Rain felt uneasy at those words.
“Since I’m assigning you to the reconnaissance of a crucial path for us,” continued the chief officer, “you’ll go with Bern. You’ve already met him. If you turn back early, he’ll finish you. Trust me, he’s our champion in killing the likes of you.”
“What a tempting offer,” Rain said with a smirk. “In that case, it seems I have no choice. I agree.”
“Excellent! You’ll set out soon,” declared the chief officer.
“And one more thing… Can I ask?” Rain said.
“I’m listening,” the chief officer replied.
“Why all this? It wasn’t like this before. What’s happening here, anyway?”
“Don’t you really know?” the officer laughed. “We’ve received information that the empire is preparing a full-scale invasion for complete occupation. These beasts want to march through our land, putting village after village through the meat grinder. They want to take our lands and milk us like cattle.”
“Do you want to be put through a meat grinder?” the chief officer asked the people of the village loudly. “Do you want to be milked like cattle? If you don’t, then join the regular army or hurry away from the village towards Rinfoll. May the spirits of our ancestors and God help us.”
“Let’s go!” Officer Bern said somewhat discontentedly. “We’ll move along the Aisos River towards Aeris, parallel to the main trade route. I’ll give the signal. When everyone goes, you go too. I’ll be behind you.”
While most of the village residents and passing travelers hurriedly moved towards the village of Rosi, Rain, the knight watching him, and some others moved to the edge of the village towards the forest in the direction of the Aisos River.
“Leave the horse here,” said Bern.
“With him, I’ll definitely have a better chance of delivering the report to your commander,” Rain replied, objecting.
“No one will be upset if you don’t deliver it,” Bern replied with a smile. “But if you go there on horseback, you’ll attract more attention and might get ahead of the main wave, or even disappear from my sight and escape. So tie the horse there or leave it right here – makes no difference to me.”
Rain tied the horse to the nearest post. Then he followed Bern again. When they arrived, Rain saw a wide formation of villagers on both sides of him.
“If what your commander said is true, then we shouldn’t be here,” Rain said. “They won’t be able to return if the legions are already on the way. Maybe we won’t either.”
Rain was deeply saddened by what he saw and realized.
“Is the great raidarian afraid?” Bern asked. “Either way, you have no choice, you’ve already understood.”
Rain silently looked at Bern, then turned his gaze to the forest.
“Someone has to do it,” Bern said.
“Lucky if even one returns,” Rain said.
“That’s why there are so many of us.”
Bern looked up.
“Burning arrow! Let’s go.”
“Well, let’s go,” Rain replied to Officer Bern.
“You go – I’m behind you, haven’t forgotten?”
“Yes, yes…”
Rain
