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.”

  Esti 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 Esti, 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,

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  your friend Tim already understands 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.

  Esti swung her small sword and nodded.

  “That's right, the next time the killers come, we'll cut them all down!” Esti 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 longsword-sized

  stick and picked up her rucksack. Esti 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 Esti to check on her progress.

  "Exactly as you acted now, apprentice," Mattias responded. “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 Esti during a morning practice. “Hold the sword as if your life

  relied on it! Your life will ultimately rely on it.”

  Esti raised her short sword higher. The old man stepped closer.

  “See?” He pointed to Lia's staff, which size was equal to a longsword. “Yours is this much shorter, right?” He indicated the

  difference with his hand.

  “I know, I know, a hundred times already...” sighed Esti, 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 longsword!

  And if the sword comes,” he gestured to Lia, who was about to strike, “you step back like this, then step closer and thrust!”

  Esti 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,” Esti 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 Esti 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. Esti 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.