It was nine o'clock. A dozen or so men had gathered at the dock. Some covered their faces with the hoods of their coats. Apparently, the only girl, and indeed a woman, was Adela. She stood with Samuel by a pile of empty crates.
"I don't see any other girl here," she stammered, tying her hair with a brown rubber band and tucking her ponytail into the collar of her coat.
"You'd better not say anything," the young man whispered, throwing the hood of his coat over Adela's head with a sudden movement.
The girl bit her lip nervously. She thought about grumbling back at the boy, but instead pinched his shoulder.
"I'm hot," she squealed.
"Hold on. I think I can already see Maksym Grot, who's organizing this expedition."
A tall, powerful man walked past them. His face was adorned with numerous scars. He was dressed in worn, shiny trousers and a poorly ironed shirt.
"All who wish to participate in the race for the 'Golden Arrow' are to follow me!" he shouted to the crowd of men.
They all followed Maksym. Samuel and Adela did the same. The air was filled with a shiver of air caused by the passage of several dozen feet.
"This is the ship on which I am to take you to the island where the competition will take place. But before we get there, I remind the old regulars," he replied, looking at the chosen men, "and the new volunteers that it is forbidden to attack your rivals before you reach the Heart. I hope I have made myself clear enough. Now get on board, because I am already late. "
All the members of the expedition boarded.
"Which I agreed to," Adela replied, terrified.
"You wanted this journey yourself.
" "But why by ship?
" ***
***
The next day at noon, the ship reached the island's shore. All the volunteers ran out of the boat like a herd of angry bulls. Samuel noticed that the same men who had so recently been impatiently awaiting this moment had become beasts, ready to wipe everything off the face of the earth just to win.
Maksym left them alone on the beach, disappearing into the forest. After a long moment, he returned, holding belts with sword cases attached.
"As every year, I must give you weapons," he said, placing a saber next to each volunteer.
He reached the hooded man.
"I see many don't want to show their faces," he replied, and more swords fell to the sand. "Perhaps they don't want to be embarrassed later if they don't reach the Heart? Or perhaps some ladies dared to compete with a group of experienced men?" he asked, his lips curling, stretching the scars on his cheeks. "But as I remember, for five years now, no one has risked an arrow."
Maksym handed over the last sword. Everyone strapped their weapons to their pants. Some had already headed toward the forest.
"On August thirty-first, fourteen hundred and five, the competition begins!" he shouted, heading back to the ship.
Samuel grabbed Adele's cloak and tugged gently.
"Let's go," he said firmly. "We can't stand here all day."
The girl looked at the young man and nodded. Then she pulled her sword from its sheath.
"I don't know how to use this," she replied, swinging the weapon in all directions.
"Be careful, you'll hurt someone else," he growled, jumping away from the girl.
They entered the forest like the other members of the expedition. It was dark and damp. Samuel tried to spot the other volunteers, but they disappeared without a trace.
"It would be best if we went straight ahead," he said, raising his hand and pointing in the direction.
Adela wordlessly overtook the young man and pulled down her hood. She pulled her ponytail from her cloak and let her hair down.
"I've waited so long for this moment," she squealed with joy.
Samuel looked at her. He had never seen her so happy before. She wasn't worried that anyone might see that she was a girl. But he was afraid for her, because he didn't know what awaited them before they reached the Heart
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