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.felt treasured. You were.You are.I love you, and I can t bear.Please don t go.Stay with me.Tears dripped unhindered down Arman s face.He brushed them carefully off Loke s hairwhere they had fallen. I ll.try.Don t.weep.I.love.Arman.Arman bent low and kissed Loke s forehead, and laid his hand on Loke s cold cheek.Loke reached his own hand up and weakly held Arman s fingers as Arman grieved assilently as he could, his sorrow a wild, uncontrollable agony in his chest, the depth of hisloss immeasurable and indescribable.He didn t know when Loke finally passed.All he knew was Loke s hand had droppedaway, and the shallow breaths had ceased, the body that had suffered so long, now lax andfree of pain.He still checked, his palm against Loke s mouth, a finger against the missingpulse.Then he slid out from under Loke s shoulders and laid his head down gently, beforebending and kissing the cool forehead again. Farewell, dear friend.The gods grant you ahome in the heavens.He covered Loke s face with the blanket and then stood.He pulled his armour back on,strapped on his sword, and walked out of the tent.Two soldiers stood on guard. No onegoes in, he said curtly, then he strode off towards the village, calling for someone to fetchJozo, and for the men to fall in behind him.He found the villagers assembled in the main square, kneeling in the dirt, under closeguard. Which one of you threw the explosive? His anger was cold as snow in his chest.No one responded to his call, so he stalked over to the clan head and dragged her up byher hair, drawing his sword and holding it to her throat. Let the man who threw the bombstep forward, or she dies now.At first there was no reaction, but as he pressed the edge of his sword against thewoman s neck, a voice cried out in distress. No! It was me, don t!Still holding his captive, he scanned the prisoners. Come forward, you coward.A teenaged boy stood, and was immediately dragged out and over to Arman, cast onthe ground in front of him.Arman pushed the clan head away from him. Who is kin to thisboy? Who are his mother and father?A man and a woman stood, and were also dragged over to him.Arman had them heldfacing him, as he pulled the boy up, his arm around his throat. You are his parents?Answer me! Yes, lord, the woman said, her voice trembling. He is our son, our only child.Please, I beg you, be merciful. Merciful, Arman repeated with heavy irony. I know another woman with an onlyson, an only child.At least, she had a son.I have his last note to bring to her.Will thatcomfort her, do you think? Will she rejoice to know your child killed hers, who neverharmed anyone or anything in his life? I think not, he spat at her in anger. You ask formercy? He took his sword and thrust it suddenly up under the boy s ribs.He heard himchoking, and let him fall to the ground. There is your mercy.You can bury him.That smore than she will have.The woman screamed and fell to her knees, clutching the boy s body to her chest.Theman raised his hand at Arman in anger, but the soldier knocked him to the ground before hecould strike.Arman ignored him and stepped away from the pitiful scene, in which he hadno further interest. This is how it will be, you honourless bastards.You kill one of mypeople, we will kill yours.If you kill my soldiers, your hostages will die, and we will takemore.If you strike again, your village will be razed to the ground and every one of you sentto work in the torkezi mines until you die of exhaustion.The Prij will not tolerate rebellion.I will not tolerate cowardice.I will pray to Lord Niko for the rest of my life that yours willbe short, miserable and filled with grief. He spat on the ground to show his disgust. Thisvillage is damned.I curse it and all of you.He turned.Jozo watched him with an unreadable expression, and as Armanapproached, he gripped his arm. Don t tell me I shouldn t have done that, or we will be atodds, Arman said through gritted teeth. No, you did what I would have done.Do you want any more executed? We lost fiveother men.Arman glanced back at the villagers.The mother with the dead boy still keened overhis corpse. No, he said coldly. For once I started, I would want every one of themdestroyed and that is not Her Serenity s will.But I want the camp moved.I don t want tobreathe the same air as these curs a moment longer. Yes, of course, I ve already given orders. Jozo hesitated. And Loke?The sound of the name made his eyes fill again, but when he spoke, his voice was coldand calm. I will see to him.He is still in my care.And ever in my heart, my dear and beloved friend [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]