Princess Aravo Part 1

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Sir Armin stood quiet. The man before him ordered him to come up to him. Armin slowly did it. A couple of more people came.

"Is it made of silver?" the man before him pointed at a buckle of his jacket.

"Yes," agreed Sir Armin.

"I see you are not poor," the man smiled nastily. "If only we had more such lucky fellows with such pieces. Now don't mind, Sir, and give it to me."

"Here you are..."

Sir Armin quickly drew his short but sharp sword and hit with it the robber. The one with a dagger who stood behind him dashed to him but Sir Armin reacted in time. Having slain the second one and taken his weapon our character stood before the group of robbers ready for the fight.

Sollars decided to see why his companion was absent for so long. He went to the place where fowls should have fallen and saw the scene. Sir Armin was an experienced warrior but there was quite a big quantity of robbers. Sir Maltus watched from behind a tree how this brave man defended himself. Very quickly the old man made everything in his mind and ran to the camp as fast as he could. He took a bag with Irbis's things, also put there provisions, money and his own secret weapon and rushed to the brook.

There the girl washed up and was sitting for some time deep in her thoughts. She was very surprised to see her father running to her with her bag and panting.

"What has happened?" she asked.

"Irbis, there is no time for explanations?"

He took her by her wrist and with unbelievable for him rapidness took her to some trench in earth. It was situated in a little forest slope and was grown around with dense plants. He told her giving her bag to sit there and come out by no means. He also added that she mustn't bother neither about him or Sir Armin and should think only about herself. Then he left her and ran back to the camp.

There he took his sword and headed to help Sir Armin. The latter managed to get to the camp but then he was rather tired and wounded. The men bravely defended themselves. Irbis, who understood that something terrible had happened, from her hiding place could here sounds of the desperate fight. She took out of her bag and loaded her pistol. Also she put in her pockets a couple of pieces of Sollars's secret weapon. Thus she sat there ready for everything.

Then it seemed that she didn't hear Sir Armin's voice at all. Sir Maltus, who always was such open-hearted and chatty old man, showed incredible will and force of spirit. The robbers, who had seen three horses, understood that there should have been someone else but Sollars attempted to stop them as hard as he could. He tried to fool those bastards with different quotes in foreign language, used his sword with his entire sleeping till then skill. But he was one and he was old. Irbis saw how his body fell down that same slope.

Stricken Irbis rushed to him crying out: "Father!" But right when she was next to the body she came to her senses. Above her the group of outlaws stood gazing at her maliciously. She just stood on her spot looking at them steadily. There was something suspicious in her silence as before the moment of unexpected attack a predator is too silent. Perhaps robbers understood it or maybe they just wanted to feel the sweetness of the moment of getting this dainty morsel. They were approaching her but she still stood not tearing her eyes from them. When they were really close to her, their chief made a step forward and asked: "What is your name, beauty?" Right after that she threw something on the ground before her. An explosion was heard and a thick cloud enveloped the band. They stood for some time not able to do anything. Tears ran there cheeks.

The girl lost no moment. She ran calling for her horse. The animal appeared and Irbis jumped on its back. The chief ordered his other man to hold the bitch. The girl rapidly ran away from the chase. She headed back into mountains. There among inconvenient locality she tried to cut off her tail. But the robbers were still following her. Suddenly she came to some steep. Before her in a bit lower level there was a flap space to ride. For it she should have skipped but it was very risky. Also there was no way back because the robbers could reach her any moment. What to do? She needed to resolve. Supressing all her fears the maid rode some distance back. From there she started speeding up before a great jump. The closer she was to the end the less she heard how the hoofs of her horse beat the path under it. Then she felt herself in the air. The horse flew to the space but the fall was unlucky. Its front legs bent and thus it turned out on the ground. The girl with difficulty stood up and tried to make her horse do the same. It was useless... The leg was broken. The girl with tears in her eyes asked it forgiveness and shot it.

But there was no time for drama. Irbis pushed the horse's body off the steep and then ran and climbed as fast as she could but her long coat hindered her. She sat down in some corner and started cutting off the bottom of it with her dagger. Suddenly she heard robbers' voices. She threw away the waste material and she herself went further. After some time she found a suitable hiding place from where she could see her chasers. Their small figures went around on one side and didn't intend to let her in piece. They found the bottom of her coat and understood that she was there. This could not last for long. They could eventually find her. But what to do?

Suddenly a thought came into her head. They were in mountains where landslides often happen. What if to make such one? The girl took out of her bag a thing that was very like dynamite, burned the fuse with her lighter and threw it with all her might.  It worked! First was a loud bang! Then disturbed stones with large wave rushed below. The robbers seeing it ran as fast as they could. Irbis had been waiting till it was over and there was no sign of them. Then she sighed deeply with relief... She was alive... Alive and free... But she was alone. She was absolutely alone in this world to take care of herself. But what was with them?

When she returned to the camp there almost was nothing except dirty torn tent cloth, the sign of fire and robbed bodies. But why! Sir Armin seemed to move his lips. She bent over him and heard quiet words: "Princess Aravo of... Alive... Find Midelines... Rielnast... Elanda..." Then he breathed no more... Irbis thought that some things she didn't understand properly and some didn't hear at all. What could mean all those words? She closed the dead men's eyes and put their bodies in peaceful poses. And what to do next? Where could she get herself safely? They were riding to Rielnast but she herself didn't know the way to it. She needed to get to people. She understood it but where? Maybe she should go to Tinalden? In any case, perhaps she had no more choice.