PART 3
He asked angrily, “Were you present when the Burn occurred?” Lia nodded.
“Indeed. We witnessed the removal of the inhabitants, and later, we witnessed the burning of our school and the entire village.” She went on, her eyes full
of sorrow. “Tim was taking us out of school when the Blueshirts attacked. Then, while he enticed the soldiers away from us, he returned for Ana and brought
her back to us. Tim had lost his way in the woods and was unable to locate our hiding place.”
Eszti stated, “Tim went back for Ana, my little sister.”
The old man''s fist beat the air in rage as his eyes brightened.
“The Governor''s Blueshirts! I''m not going to divulge that traitor''s name! What right do his soldiers have to oppose the King?” He sounded a cry. As the two
girls watched with sorrow, Lia pondered how beneficial it would have been for their community at the time to have had at least one or two soldiers like this old
veteran.
“They''re scoundrels, I tell you! If I were a soldier today, I would show them the power of the King!” The elderly man went on.
Lia ran her hand over the soldier''s gray clothing.
She said, “So, this coat is more than just an accessory. You were a royal soldier.”
The old man smiled bitterly.
“I was, apprentice, I was. Commander Mattias, I am here to serve you! I served as long as I was strong. I just roam aimlessly now.” His eyes darkened and his
speech became distant.
“Governors like this existed long ago, during my lifetime!” He shook his head and declared, “The Black Tunics were our enemies. We faced them when we
fought for Rock City. Like you, I was strong and youthful at the time. The Black Tunics believed they could reach the city, but we were familiar with the
mountainous routes and managed to defeat them. Consequently, a ravine ensnared five thousand of their soldiers.”
Lia moved closer, her eyes sparkling. The old man noticed her interest.
“There were only five hundred of us, and we successfully blocked their path in the narrow passage. Had these five thousand Black Tunics managed to reach
Rock City, the outcome of the battle for the city would have undoubtedly changed.”
His words were more intense than before.
“Five hundred of us were present!” he exclaimed. “Apprentice, do you understand what that means? For every one of my soldiers, there were ten Black
murderers!” He spoke, straightened, and reached for his sword, which Lia handed to him.
“They came at us like a dark tidal wave from the moment the sun rose, and the war began! I was at the front, surrounded by the men of my century.”
At this point, the old soldier assumed a combat stance, raised his sword, and pretended to grasp a shield with his left hand.
“The first wave of murderers arrived! We sustained only a few scrapes when we cut them down! Then more appeared, and we also chopped them down!
Step back, slash, stab, raise your shield, and then do it again. The Black Tunics'' blood caused the sword''s hilt to slip, yet we were unable to go because if
we did, a city would fall! That day, we saved one hundred thousand innocent lives!”
The old man performed the moves with such vigor that his forehead started to sweat heavily. His story completely enthralled the two girls, who watched him
in silence.
"Once again, stab, slash, and shield up. By late afternoon or nighttime, they faced defeat."
Mattias lowered both his left hand and his sword. He was panting heavily when he finally sighed deeply.
“The enemy corpses piled up around us like mountains, reducing our number to just a hundred. Blood poured in torrents all around me, and the dying sun
had never been so red.”
The aged soldier leaned on his sword as a deathly silence descended. Lia produced a handkerchief, which the man accepted and used to dab at his
forehead.
“They said that perhaps if a hundred Black Tunic-wearers survived out of the five thousand, whom the King then imprisoned for life,” he added at the end,
looking off into the horizon once more.
“The historians did not document our fight in the gorge. The historical slate-books only recorded the King dismissively waving his warriors to defend Rock
City against the numerically superior Black Tunics,” he sighed.
“I discovered at that point that sometimes power isn''t the most important factor. You must be shrewd, knowledgeable, and, most importantly, devoted until
the end! Your dedication is more valuable than any weapon.”
At that moment, Mattias glanced at Eszti, who took the small sword and held it firmly.
“Because I see in you the same fire that burned in us back then, I pass on all I know to you. Since he performed bravely, your friend Tim already understands
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.something, apprentice; I don''t think he needs any instruction because he will know what is right. However, you''re girls.”
“Girls who don''t let themselves be pushed around!” Lia yelled.
Eszti swung her small sword and nodded.
“That''s right, the next time the killers come, we''ll cut them all down!” Eszti spoke so passionately in her tiny voice that the elderly guy grinned.
“Apprentice, you''re right! We must exterminate the rebel killers!”
Everyone then spent a few minutes lost in their own thoughts. After Mattias had finally finished packing his baggage, the girls silently stowed their own items
into their bags. Old Mattias kept a close watch on the girls, who were cooperating well.
“I already know how you will fight against the enemy, apprentice!” At last, Mattias raised his voice. Lia grabbed her long sword-sized stick and picked up her
rucksack. Eszti tucked the stick into the belt that held her skirt and placed the short blade the old man had given her in her purse.
“How?” Lia inquired, glancing over at Eszti to check on her progress.
"Exactly as you acted now, apprentice," Mattias responded. Mattias answered. “Always watch over your partner, know that they stand beside you safely, and
then you can defeat anyone!”
Lia gave a strong nod.
“Commander Mattias, we can get started!”
***
Summer has arrived. The small team persistently searched for Tim; the two girls and the old Mattias never gave up hope. The girls practiced every day
following the soldier''s instructions, and the clashing of wooden swords in their roadside campsites or the backyards of inns had become a familiar sound by
now.
“Stop! Your posture is bad, apprentice!” snapped the old man at Eszti during a morning practice. “Hold the sword as if your life relied on it! Your life will ultimately
rely on it.”
Eszti raised her short sword higher. The old man stepped closer.
“See?” He pointed to Lia''s staff, which size was equal to a long sword. “Yours is this much shorter, right?” He indicated the difference with his hand.
“I know, I know, a hundred times already...” sighed Eszti, but her friend''s glance cut her off. The old man continued:
“Since your sword is shorter, you need to pay attention, apprentice, to always keep a proper distance from the tip of the long sword! And if the sword comes,”
he gestured to Lia, who was about to strike, “you step back like this, then step closer and thrust!”
Eszti followed the old man''s steps, walking closely behind him as if they were performing a strange dance. Mattias smiled contentedly in his beard.
“Did you hear what they were saying at the inn yesterday?” asked Mattias one day. They were in the courtyard of a small inn, where the girls were practicing
again as usual. "They captured three members of the Red gang."
Lia lowered her stick. “And?”
"They claim that the Red has begun collaborating with new individuals. The old bandits, who were all older, seasoned warriors, have now started raiding with
three new youngsters.”
“Have they seen Tim too?” Lia interrupted.
“They saw the redhead and the new members during a basement break-in: a chubby kid, a black-haired, bony guy, and a tall, olive-skinned guy!”
“It must be Tim; he''s tall and has olive skin!” Lia exclaimed, and for the first time in months, a warmth of hope filled her heart.
“That''s right, apprentice, that''s right. But what would happen if he joined the Red Bandit?”
“That''s impossible!” Lia interjected again. “Tim would never join a gang!”
“Unless it''s out of necessity,” Eszti spoke up quietly, having been listening to them in silence until now.
Mattias nodded.
“That''s right, apprentice, that''s right. Who knows what happened? He lost his way, had no place to go, and the gang desperately needed a recruit.” The old
man listed the possibilities, then looked at the two girls who were hesitantly shifting from one foot to the other.
“Alright, enough talk! Continue the practice! If you want to find that boy, you need to be strong.”
The wooden swords began clashing again, but now there was a new fire burning in both girls'' eyes.
***
In the evening, Mattias went to his room early, saying he was tired. In the tavern''s common room, Lia and Eszti were just having dinner when the innkeeper
unexpectedly approached their table.
“Your old master is asking you to go up to him,” he said to Lia.
Lia furrowed her brow. This call was unusual, as Mattias never separated them.
“I''m going,” Lia said firmly as she stood up, but her stomach twisted into knots. Eszti looked after her with concern.
At the top of the stairs, Lia paused for a moment. The old soldier''s previous behavior and integrity were on her mind. She pulled herself together and knocked
on Mattias''s door.
This will undoubtedly be a test; she thought to herself.