5

didn't understand his sudden transformation. I squealed in fear, not knowing what to do. I tried to pull away from his embrace, but he wouldn't let me, his large hands gripping my wrists. Through my tears, I saw him raise his lips to reveal his long fangs. I jerked helplessly. His eyes darkened even more, and his face contorted in a strange spasm that gave him an expression of wild animalism.

"Let go..." I moaned as he leaned towards my neck. "Leave me alone!"

He wasn't listening. It seemed he didn't even understand what I was saying. With the last of my strength, I tried to push him away. When he tore my skin with his sharp teeth, I screamed desperately. Purple blood ran in a warm stream down my breasts and neck. He lapped it up like a thirsty animal, purring with satisfaction.

"Stop!" I moaned, sobbing. "Stop!"

I felt my strength draining away. My vision went black, and my hands fell limply to the bed. First I sank into darkness, then the candlelight brought me back to consciousness enough to see his terrifying face, right next to his neck, greedily sucking my blood.

"Qajin..." I whispered with the last of my strength. "Qajin, it's me... it's me, Lewuda..."

He jerked back, as if frightened by what he'd heard. He began to wipe the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked at me as if terrified by my presence. I closed my tearful eyes. Lewuda... Lewuda... that was my real name...

Something warm and sticky was slowly bringing me back to consciousness. I wanted to get up, to push away the long tongue licking the blood from my torn neck, but I couldn't even open my eyes. I felt the heavy thud of footsteps behind me... after a moment, I heard a soft voice, piercing my hazy consciousness as if through a thick fog.

"Slowly," she said gently, lifting me so I could sit with my back against the tree trunk. "You'll feel better soon."

Her warm hands on my temple made my heart beat faster in my chest, and the frantic blood rushed to my head, making my eyes snap open, gasping for air. I stared at her for a moment. It was the same girl who had helped me put on my armor earlier. Beside her sat a large wolf with rough, silver fur. Around his neck was a leather collar, attached to which were metal rings that clinked with his every movement. He watched me as if he understood what had happened to me... I shifted my gaze back to the girl.

"Let's go," she extended her hand, as if knowing I was feeling much better. "We must dismantle our tents and leave the valley. We have a long journey ahead of us."

I didn't respond. I was unable to either protest or accept what was happening to me. Standing, I leaned against the wolf's strong back. He licked my hand gently. I smiled gratefully at him and followed the warrior. The men were dismantling their tents. They were dousing their fires with earth and saddling their horses. Heavy smoke rose from the fires in the first rays of sunlight. The wound on my neck sent throbbing pain through my body with every step. As soon as we entered the tent, I sat down heavily on the bearskin bed and with one sharp tug, tore through the thin canvas to dress my wound. I must find herbs in the meadow that will help the wound heal faster, I thought, when suddenly I heard the wild neighing of a horse. I sat up abruptly, listening silently. The warrior woman with me looked at me, smiling to herself. I unconsciously stepped out of the tent, and when I saw a snow-white mare with a long mane at the bottom of the hill, which the Knights gathered around her were trying to calm, my heart stopped beating for a moment. I ran in that direction. My footsteps mingled with the neighing of the frightened horse, and at the last moment the Knights understood what I was about to do. I ran to the furious mare, tearing the ropes from their hands.

"Don't do this!" one of them shouted. "Be careful!"

The horse reared before me, throwing back its beautiful head. Everyone froze in terror. And I stood before it, feeling no fear. There was a peace within me that told me nothing would happen to me, that this horse was mine and that it could do nothing to me. When the earth rumbled again under its heavy hooves, the mare lowered her head to inhale my scent. The scent of blood mixed with the incense of the temple. Her warm breath tickled my neck. I slowly reached out my hand. She didn't resist. She allowed me to pet her. Emboldened, I stepped even closer, but then suddenly she jerked away from my embrace again, standing on her hind legs. I didn't move a step. Someone shouted again at me to leave.

"Easy," the words in an ancient language tore from my throat without my conscious will. "Don't be afraid of me. I won't leave you again. I'll stay with you." I promised you. Don't be afraid of me, Etain, my dear friend... you who are swifter than the wind, more beautiful than the most beautiful flowers... you to whom the Forest Spirits bow and the Nymphs of the mountain springs envy...

She stood before me again, shaking her long, white mane. She was so beautiful I couldn't take my eyes off her. Even the most beautiful horses in the holy herd couldn't match her beauty and grace. The silence that fell among the Knights became almost unbearable. They watched my actions in amazement, and when the mare suddenly bent her knees before me, lowering her head, I heard a soft murmur of astonishment among them. I gripped her mane tightly and mounted her broad back. Almost instantly, she rose and galloped between the Knights, who suddenly parted before us. A radiant smile lit up my face. The mare's white mane merged with my hair. I felt as if the moment I mounted her, we had become one body and one soul... We passed disoriented Knights, dying fires, and tall, black tents scattered across the vast valley... And suddenly, Qajin emerged from among the astonished faces. His eyes, black as the blackest night, bored into me like those of a wolf staring at a doe he was about to pounce on and tear out its throat... The white mare sped past him at a furious pace, and in the same instant, we both found ourselves in a vast meadow stretching to the very horizon. I felt free. For the first time, free as a bird. I felt that if I just spread my hands, I would rise on them like wings, soaring into the air toward the clouds and the sun... I urged my horse on, leaning even further forward. Suddenly, the clatter of hooves reached my ears, much heavier than my mare's. I turned around and saw Qajin, mounted on a heavy black horse with a short mane and braided tail. The sight filled me with fear, for in the man's eyes I saw wild desire, a hunting desire awakened from a deep sleep.

"Etain," I whispered to her, "Run faster than the wind, quieter than cat paws could ever run, we must escape them, Etain. Help me in this..."

At a breakneck gallop, we turned toward the rising sun. However, the shadow of the man pursuing us never left us. Suddenly, down the plain, a dense, dark forest appeared before our eyes. I realized this was our only chance to somehow escape them. Etain and I disappeared among the tall ferns. However, one moment of inattention sealed my fate. Qajin caught up with us and with unimaginable agility cut us off. The exhausted mare was unable to run any further.

"What do you want?" I moaned heartbreakingly. "You want my blood...? You want it?!"

Desperately, I ripped off the bandage, showing him the long wound on my neck. The man watched me, panting softly. A wild fire burned in his eyes. The same fire that the fight in the Great Mother's temple had ignited within him. I tightened my grip on Etain's mane. I knew we couldn't escape him, and this fight had been leading nowhere from the start. But something prevented me from giving in to him and submitting to his will. I urged my horse violently, and it surged forward, leaping over a wind-fallen tree. It all started all over again. We passed gigantic trees and moss-covered boulders. And somewhere among the leaves were the remains of stone circles and burial mounds. "He's toying with us," I suddenly thought in a flash of despair, "He's toying with us!" Almost at the same moment, I felt a strong hand grab my arm and with a powerful yank, throw me off my galloping horse. A soft squeal escaped my throat.

When I awoke, I lay dazed on the ground, covered in a thick layer of dried leaves. I coughed, trying to catch my breath. I slowly raised my eyes to the man sitting on his mount. He stopped so close to me that one careless step by his horse could have decided my life.

"My Spirits," I thought, "Spirits who watched over me from the moment of my birth. Come, I beg you in the name of the oath you swore..."

I didn't finish, for at that very moment I heard a piercing shriek that deafened Qajin's horse. Suddenly, it reared, throwing the man from its back. I recoiled with a groan, not understanding what was happening. These forces... they weren't the Powers of Nature that I controlled. A black mist enveloped Qajin's body, seeping into his nostrils, ears, and mouth. He screamed desperately, trying to rise from his knees, but the Spirits who had attacked him held him firmly to the ground.

"Kill him..." I heard strange whispers reaching me from all directions. "Kill him now... kill him... kill him... for what he did to you... for making you suffer... kill him... kill him..."

I rose from the ground. With empty eyes, I looked at the man kneeling at my feet. Slowly, I pulled the sword from his hand and raised it above my head in both hands.

"Kill him," the Spirits whispered louder and louder, their whispers turning into screams. "Kill him! Kill him!"

I had no control over what I was doing. My hands seemed to be holding a sword far too heavy for me. And my body tensed for the final blow. The silver blade whistled through the air, but instead of splitting his skull, it bored at the last second into the thick, dark fog, which, upon impact, instantly vanished into thin air. I fell helplessly to my knees, resting my hands on the ground. Tears streamed down my cheeks. But why was I crying? Why?

"You won't tell me what to do... you won't do this..." I whispered through pale lips.

A sudden blow to the back of my neck knocked me unconscious...

The steady rhythm of the horse's gait woke me. For a moment, stunned by the impact, I lay motionless, slung over the horse's back. Slowly, I realized the throbbing pain of the hard saddle digging into my side. A moment later, I realized my hands were tied behind my back and my ankles were tied. I tugged at the ropes, but to no avail.

"Let me go," I moaned, trying to slide off the horse.

Silence answered me, followed by the sound of hooves pounding on the stone path.

"Let me go! It hurts..."

The horse stopped. The rider jumped to the ground and slowly pulled me off.

"Will you be calm?" Qajin was untying the ropes at my feet.

"Yes..." I muttered, discouraged, and climbed back onto the horse.

Meanwhile, the man walked alongside, leading his black horse by the bridle. A little behind us, Etain slowly followed. I was tired. I looked around. We were crossing a large meadow covered in tall grasses swaying in the light breeze like waves in a storm. The air was filled with the sweet scent of wildflowers, mingled with the scent of the forest. We were returning to the Black Knights' camp. We still had a long way to go. Qajin remained silent, staring at the horizon, his hand tightening on the leather bridle. Meanwhile, I couldn't shake the strange feeling that Spirits I hadn't even suspected had appeared around me. They were strange beings, completely alien to me. I knew neither their nature nor their preferences. And yet, in my settlement, I prided myself on knowing all the Nature Spirits. Perhaps, then, they were born neither from earth, nor fire, nor water, nor even from air. However, my knowledge didn't extend beyond what we called Nature; our entire lives were subordinated to the cycles of Nature—Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. And during rituals, we only invoked the Spirits of Nature... So what were the Beings whose presence I now sensed? Did Qajin know this? Or perhaps he didn't sense their Power...?

"They are the Demons of Darkness," he said suddenly, as if to himself, but clearly enough for the meaning of his words to be etched deep in my memory.

I was so surprised that my voice caught in my throat. Qajin looked up at me and smiled, but it was a sad smile that failed to reassure me.

"They accompany me as well," he held out a clenched fist. At the same moment, a black flame, sparkling with silver, surrounded it.

"That's why I saw..."

"In your visions, I'm surrounded by a silver Aura. That's how they reveal themselves," he interrupted, then lowered his hand, as if shaking off drops of water. The fire vanished. "You, on the other hand, are surrounded by a white Aura. So bright that sometimes it's hard to look your way. Of course, not everyone has this ability to see into someone's soul, but you know what I mean. You've seen me in your dreams for a long time...

" "So you're the one who threw me out of the visions?

" "It wasn't me, but my Guardian, whom you've also seen before." We slowly descended the hill. "How did you like him, Callum?"

The mention of a gigantic wolf with a human-like, hairy body and frothing saliva dripping from its long muzzle sent shivers down my spine.

"He protects you? Just like the Forest Spirits protect me?

" "Yes. Callum is my Guardian." It's true that you too have Guardians, but they aren't the Spirits of the Forest. Not now, at least," he smiled, seeing my surprised expression. "Now you're protected by the Demons of Darkness...

" "Demons of Darkness...?" I didn't understand.

No one had ever told me about them before. In my Craft, we only knew the Good Spirits of the Forest, Nymphs, Salamanders, and Gnomes, who were malicious, but not... evil..." And he spoke of Demons as if we should be wary of them, as if, even though they protected us, they could harm us. Qajin slowly led his horse down a gentle hill, at the foot of which meandered a wide, shallow river, its bed lined with flat boulders. The murmur of the water mingled with the rustle of tall willows, whose green twigs caressed the gentle waves. In the quiet of this place, we sat on the bank, among the grass.

"They are within us." Within us, darkness, night, and power... I know you were taught differently, that we are good, that it is not right for us to do evil, that we must unconditionally serve the Deities—he threw the stone with all his might into the depths of the water.—“We, on the other hand, are evil. There is no good within us. The only thing that guides us in life is ourselves, our lives, our affairs, our future... we ourselves are the most powerful Deities in this world...

” “You blaspheme!” I shouted, jumping to my feet. “You mustn’t say that! You mustn’t insult the Deities, take away their honor! We owe them everything, they guard and guide us! Thanks to them…”

Suddenly, he grabbed my shoulders and shook me violently.

“That’s a lie!” he shouted, looking at me with fiery eyes. “You feel differently, deep within yourself! You know it, and yet you’re deceiving yourself! What you’ve been living these past years... It was all a lie!”

"It's not true..." I moaned, feeling warm tears streaming down my cheeks. "It's not true...

" "Yes?" He didn't take his eyes off me for a moment. "Then why are you shaking like a leaf in the wind?"

I stepped back abruptly, turning my back on him. I stared at the water rushing beneath me. We were both wading ankle-deep in cold water. I couldn't gather my thoughts. Images of the past flashed through my mind. When I was learning the laws of the Craft, something inside me whispered to me not to believe the teachings I'd been taught. To defend myself and fight against my grandmother's power. Yet I pushed those voices into the darkness of my soul, refusing to listen to them, seeing in my teacher a chance for a peaceful life. I wanted so badly to forget my doubts that I finally succeeded. I fought and conquered myself... The warmth of his hand on my shoulder made me sob violently.

"I'm here," he whispered, lifting me roughly into his arms.

His eyes were no longer wild and fierce; suddenly, they were filled with concern and calm. He changed in an instant from enraged warrior to caring defender. What was he trying to achieve with this? Or maybe he was like that? I started to struggle out of his arms. My fists struck blindly at his face, shoulders, chest...

"Why?!" I screamed through my tears. "Why are you doing this to me?! Why did you kill my friends? Why did you take my life?!

He looked at me with calm eyes the color of spring violets. There was no anger in them, no desire for revenge. He stood like a marble statue, letting the blows rain down on him.

"You took everything from me! Everything... all my peace... all my order... all..." my voice suddenly caught in my throat.