did not slow down. "You've become attached yourself, so bear with it!" she thought. In the evening, Shelt began to lag behind and was very out of breath. The transitions through the snow-covered valleys were given to him with great difficulty. Then Sofia decided to make a stop. She quickly brought firewood, lit a fire and sat down to warm herself and rest. To tell the truth, she was tired herself, but she didn't show it. Shelt sat down next to him.
"-I could help,- he said, looking at the fire, -Do you always do this?
- How? Sophia asked.
- You run away, you don't listen to anyone, you don't accept help. In all the time I've been with you, I've never seen you take anyone's advice. On the one hand, it's good, but you're crossing all sorts of boundaries! Just look at how your last prank ended,- said Shelt, pointing to the scar on Sofia's face. The latter turned away at this mention, -Yes, Sofia, you need to think about it.
- I just want to be the first, - Sofia replied, - In our world, unfortunately, if you are not the first, you are nobody. I just want to take a place in the sun. I'm taking a risk, but the risk is not complete without some sacrifices. Now I have learned my lesson, and I will continue to know how to fight forest trolls.
-You still haven't given up on this idea?- Shelt was surprised, - Usually people of your temperament don't try more than once...
- You don't know my character too well. People like Edward – yes, they stop after the first failure, but not me. The problem is that this failure is only the second of all the biggest. I still don't know how to deal with it.
Sofia fell silent, thinking about something. Shelt looked at her from the side, shaking his head.
- Interesting... You must have had a difficult childhood,- he said suddenly.
- What?- Sofia asked.
- People's characters are formed from childhood. Your eternal desire to be the first is the result of the tireless efforts of someone from your environment.
The girl thought about it. She remembered her whole life, the people who were present in her– her parents, who did not support her for a second, her sister. These memories upset her even more than before.
- It is better to go through a painful path now than to suffer for the rest of your life. Work it out before you cause more trouble.
-I'm fine,- Sofia said proudly. How she didn't want to disturb an old wound that she hadn't thought about for so long.
- A man who is doing well would not show his courage when circumstances don’t require it at all. Although it wasn't bravery, it was your dope. Real courage comes to a person only when it is really needed.
Sofia turned away.
-You’re offended, so I'm telling the truth,- Shelt concluded, and then lay down with his back to the fire and fell asleep.
Sofia didn't sleep that night. "But he told the truth: I did it only for myself. I went to fight the forest troll to achieve fame and recognition, but not for the sake of my friends, no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. And now I've abandoned them. It was done, again, for my own sake! Now it will be very difficult to find them again. What have I done!" thought Sofia.
…
At dawn, Sofia woke Shelt up. They had breakfast on the move, despite the fact that Shelt was against it. After several hours of continuous travel, the poet was exhausted and refused to continue walking. Sofia had to sit down.
- There is a village nearby. We can rest there,- said Shelt, -and have a good meal at the same time."
-Okay,- Sofia said. She didn't want to stay anywhere for long. Firstly, she needed to find friends as soon as possible, and secondly, they could be attacked at any time.
Sofia and Shelt continued on their way. This time, Shelt was leading Sofia.
-Well, here we are,- he said, pointing to the tiny village ahead, -The people here are good, I know them.
The two entered the modest wooden gate. Strangely enough, they didn't see anyone on the street. It was deserted and quiet.
-Very friendly,- Sofia murmured.
- They aren’t used to making noise here. The people here live in constant fear,- explained Shelt. His face took on a kind of sad expression, - Of course, they can be burned, killed or captured at any moment. The last one is the worst,- Shelt shivered.
-I see,- Sofia said softly. That explanation didn't make her feel any better. Empty villages always make a far from positive impression.
Shelt led her deeper into the village. Finally, they stopped at the entrance to a small tavern. The poet immediately went inside, but Sofia stayed outside until Shelt looked out and told her to come in. The tavern was also empty.
- Well? And where are the people?- Sofia asked with displeasure.
-They don't know who's here,- Shelt replied. Bright lights flashed in his eyes.
- Are you a poet?- A hoarse voice asked from a dark corner.
Sofia flinched, and her hand instinctively reached for her sword, but Shelt stopped her.
-Me, Chicken Leg,- said Shelt.
After his words, dark figures began to emerge from all corners and even from under the floor. Sofia twitched– Black Figures!
-Let's run, quickly,- she shouted to Shelt, but he remained standing in place. Then she decided to run alone, but the poet grabbed her arm.
-Wait, Sofia,- he said calmly.
Sofia stared at him intently, and then suddenly hissed:
- The traitor! So that's why you were wondering where we were taking the amulet! You wanted to steal it and give it to the Black Queen!
- It's true, I won't deny it. Yes, I really wanted to take it to Her Majesty, but you don't even know everything and...
- Bastard! It's a pity we didn't kill you then!- Sofia screamed, trying to get out of Shelt's clutching hands.
At that moment, the lights went on in the pub. Sofia looked around: the hall was full of black chess pieces. There were warriors among them. The girl swallowed nervously. She suddenly realized that her game was over. These people probably knew who she was and who she served. If not, then the traitor Shelt will tell them everything. They would probably be asking for details about the amulet case right now, but even if they threatened her with death, Sofia wouldn't say anything. The girl squeezed her eyes shut and prepared for a long and painful torture. She stood there for at least five minutes, but no one did anything to her. She wasn't even tied up. She opened one eye. The figures were still standing in the same position, examining the newcomer. Then Sofia opened eyes and said:
- I'm not going to say anything!
People began to look at each other and whisper. Then Sofia got confused in the end – they didn't take the weapon from her, they didn't tie her up or kill her. But then what do they want? Just as she thought about it, a stout woman pushed forward and said:
- So what are we standing for? If everyone is their own, then it's time to start the feast! For sure, Shelt and... honey, what's your name?
Sofia stood in a stupor, so she couldn't answer.
-Sofia, her name is Sofia," Shelt answered for her,- Sofia, this is Margot, the owner of the tavern.
-Hello,- Sofia greeted awkwardly.
After that, the people began to disperse and occupy the tables. Margot and her assistants began to deliver orders. A cheerful, friendly atmosphere prevailed in the tavern. Sophia and Shelt sat down by the window, where dusk was already beginning to fall. Sofia took a steak and a mug of beer, and Shelt took only a salad and a beer. They both sat in silence for a few minutes, but Shelt broke the awkward silence.:
- It's good here.
- Who is this? What do you want from me?- Sofia whispered angrily, still cautiously looking around.
- Haven't you realized yet that this is the safest place on earth? These people won't do you any harm. I'll even say more, if you had an amulet, they wouldn't have done anything to you anyway. It is in the habit of White figures to destroy, kill, burn for nothing, for nothing!
- How can you say that?! It's the Black Queen who wants to get to the amulet and destroy the White Pieces!
- Oh, really! Who told you that? Isn't Her Majesty the White Queen? Isn't that Edward?
- Exactly them! Why shouldn't I believe them? Weren't your witches flying around the courtyards looking for us, hoping to kill us and deliver us to Her Majesty!? Would you say no?
-Only Trixel was there," Shelt replied shortly,- Maybe you remember the young witch.
Sofia recalled the events of that night. She remembered the girl from whom Mikhail had taken the broom.
- I remember, and the others?
- And find out about the rest from the White Queen. From your beloved ruler!- Shelt quipped, - Who did they want to kill there, this is not a question for us!
-Wait a minute, if, as you say, the White Queen wants to take the amulet, then why did she give it to us? It turns out you're lying.
- There you go again! I haven't even explained it to you yet, and you're already saying that I'm lying!
With that, Shelt got up and went outside. Sofia lowered her eyes. She felt ashamed of her behavior, so she followed him out. The poet was sitting on a bench near the wall. Sofia sat down next to him.
-I'm sorry,- she said softly.
Shelt looked at her and smiled.
-Will you listen now?- he asked.
- Yes, let's just go inside. We'll freeze here,- Sofia said.
They went back to the tavern, where their order was already waiting for them.
-Now I'll tell you everything from the beginning, if you don't mind," said Shelt, "A long time ago, the White and Black kingdoms were ruled by completely different rulers. They were friendly with each other, so they exchanged amulets of life as a sign of friendship. The amulets of life contained the life of one or another kingdom. If the amulet is destroyed, then the whole nation will disappear. After them, their daughters, the current rulers, came to the throne. The White Queen hated the Black One because her country was flourishing. Then she started a war. Her Majesty the White Queen remembered the amulet. For a long time and persistently she tried to destroy the amulet, but all to no avail. Then she opened an ancient book found in the royal library. She read from there about a certain sorcerer who lives on the top of a Large Mountain, they say that only he can destroy these amulets. But that's not all: information was found in the book that alarmed the queen. It was a prediction, the year and date coincided, one day, when the ruler of one of the countries wants to destroy the other, four warriors will come. They will bring ruin to the ruler. The White Queen got scared, calculated the date when these warriors were supposed to arrive, and sent her messengers everywhere. At first, she intended to kill them, but later she thought, who will carry the amulet to the Big Mountain? That's when she came up with this plan–to trick four people into carrying the amulet. Then you know everything yourself.
Sofia listened to the story without looking up. With every word Shelt said, she understood more and more.
- Why Caroline?- Sofia suddenly asked.
-Have you met the queen?- Shelt asked. Sofia nodded, -She must have given you the impression of a silly girl. So, this is a deceptive image. In fact, she has a lot of cunning, guile and malice, I know for myself. But her most important and most dangerous weapon is her mind. After looking at you, gathering some information about you, she figured out Caroline – probably the most empty-headed of you all. I'll explain now: She thought you were too smart. It wouldn't be difficult for you to guess, after all, that the case here is not clean. Firstly, Agatha is very, very wise, and secondly, she has a kind, sensitive heart that would tell her the true intentions of both sides. Mikhail is too timid and insecure in everything, he has done nothing in his life without outside help. He would have given the amulet to either you or Agatha right away. But Caroline is another matter! She doesn't represent anything, no one listens to her, but she likes to feel superior, so she definitely wouldn't give the amulet to Agatha, and even more so to you. The perfect guardian for Her Majesty.
- And Edward?- Sofia asked.
- Edward is an ambiguous figure. He is looking for benefits, and only benefits. He would have easily given the amulet to the Black Queen if she had offered favorable conditions for this.
-He doesn't make that impression,- Sofia said.
-None of us make the right impression when we first meet,- Shelt said.
-Well, then we need to intercept the amulet,- Sofia said, looking up at Shelt.
- It will be difficult, because we don't know where they are now. I can only guess at their location, but it won't be accurate. I'll go and find a map somewhere.
Shelt left, leaving Sophia alone with her thoughts. Why did she just leave? If it wasn't for her stupid mistake, she could have solved this problem very quickly now! Soon Shelt returned with the map. He unwrapped it and placed mugs and plates in the corners.
-I can assume that the squad is marching around here now,- he said, pointing to the map.
-Iron Gorge,- Sofia read, -How do you know?
- Because they have nowhere else to go. There are two ways to the Big Mountain: one through the Iron Gorge, and the other through the Fifth Fortress. The fortress is guarded by ours, Edward knows this very well.
Sophia nodded.
-We're going out at dawn tomorrow,- she said sternly. They didn't have long to walk to the Big Mountain.
-We'll go to the river,- said Shelt.
- She's in a completely different direction! Sophia exclaimed.
- It's just that a pirate ship sails from here tomorrow, which sails just to help the defender of the fortress. And there we will definitely catch up with the squad.
-All right,- Sofia said.
Without noticing it, Shelt and Sofia dozed off right at the table. Both jumped at the sound of the rattling of iron, the neighing of horses and screams in the street. Sofia looked out the window: horsemen were crowding in the courtyard. They were White figures. There were torches in the hands of each warrior. There was a panic in the tavern. Some people wanted to hide, but it was too late – the knights broke in. A bloody battle ensued. The black figures grabbed everything they could with and rushed at the enemy, but what could the unarmed inhabitants do against the heavily armed soldiers of the queen? Sophia and Shelt were also fighting their way to the exit. Shelt dragged Sophia with force, but she struggled so periodically, not wanting to leave these unfortunate people. In the end, he managed to get her out of the inn. As they ran out, Sofia caught a glimpse of the knight she had seen in the White City. He recognized her too. He also recognized her companion. The knight rushed at them, but Shelt held out his sword. The knight fell at Sofia's feet, and the friends jumped on a horse and rode away towards the river. When they had driven some distance away, Sofia turned around. The inn was on fire. The flames engulfed the building in which they had only recently been sitting, eating, relaxing and where they were received so warmly. There were screams, crying and the neighing of horses.
- Why did we leave?! You shouldn't have done that!- Sofia blurted out.
- We wouldn't have helped them in any way. We would have died in this fight,- Shelt replied, turning around.
- Never mind! We wouldn't have left them,- Sofia said sadly.
-Then who would have intercepted the amulet? If we had died there, the amulet would have been destroyed, and with it all the Black Figures.
Sofia didn't say anything. She knew that Shelt was right, but she felt so sorry for the people who warmly welcomed them that her heart ached. Shelt didn’t continue the conversation either, but turned his horse and rode on to the river, where they were to board the ship.
Chapter 10
The scarlet dawn. The same scarlet as the night fight in the tavern. Sofia tried not to think about what had happened, but the memories still surfaced. She remembered people's faces, their voices, their conversations. She hated the White Queen, whom she had served not so long ago. Those people were innocent of anything, but her soldiers took their lives anyway! It's not fair!
- We're almost there. We shouldn't be late,- said Shelt.
-Yes,- Sofia said softly.
- Stop thinking about it. Yes, it's hard, but it needs to be done. Now, thinking about it, you're only making it worse for yourself.
-I'll try,- Sofia replied shortly, -but I can't promise. All the recent events have turned my life around so much. They changed all my thoughts, and I began to look at everything that had happened to me before in a different way. People, places, everything has changed in my eyes.
- It happens that way. You shouldn't worry so much about it. In the end, after even the darkest night, the bright sun rises, illuminating the world with its rays, and dispersing the darkness.
Shelt's speech didn't cheer Sofia up much.
-Do you believe that yourself?
- Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn't have staged riots, written pamphlets, and planted them in cities. I do this so that people believe in the sun after darkness, because only they can lift it up and illuminate the world with it. Faith will help them do this.
This time, Sofia cheered up more. She was amazed how Shelt, after so many failures, managed to keep such a bright and great faith.
- Well, here we are! Shelt said loudly, jumping off his horse.
Sofia looked ahead. A picture stunning in its beauty and grandeur: now in front of Sofia was not a scarlet horizon, but a huge disk of the rising sun. Its golden rays illuminated the water, sand, trees and the ship. For a second, the girl imagined that it was the ship that was pulling the sun from some unknown
