One day, in the town of Avensis of Uallakh princedom, the public execution of a certain swindler was scheduled. He was charged with many crimes, making fake gold coins amongst them, and that was exactly one of the offences committed by him which was punishable by death. He was found guilty and sentenced to beheading. In the early morning hours the whole town square was already bursting with people. The Lankmarians loved those cruel spectacles and cheered at the sight of blood not unlike the bloodthirsty Arriany savages.
It turned out though, that the town executioner fell sick and could not perform the beheading. The guards called upon the crowd asking if there was a person able to act as an executioner and behead the convicted prisoner with one strike. They promised to reward such a person with thirty copper coins.
Three times they called, and no one came forward. They nearly decided to call off the execution, but then Ashurran stepped out from the crowd and said, "I can do it."
Upon hearing her voice the prisoner trembled and paled.
The guards looked at one another in hesitation. They could guess Ashurran's true origin and didn't like it at all. However, seeing as she clearly could behave in a peaceful manner and spoke Lankmarin well enough, they reluctantly agreed to let her show her skill. Ashurran drew her narrow curved sword and with one strike cut a wooden post in two. The crowd cheered loudly. The guards had no other choice than to pay her the money promised and let her near the prisoner.
He was on his knees, his hand tied behind his back, with only a thin shirt and ragged underpants on. His head was hung low, his golden locks cut short to bare his neck. Despite all that Ashurran had no difficulty in recognizing him, for he was Eiltiu, the deceitful bard.
Ashurran raised her sword and brought it down not on the prisoner's neck but on the rope tying his hands. She threw the guards out of her way, dragged a horseman down, mounted his horse herself, taking the bard with her, and whirled away in full speed. Once the fugitives reached a dense forest, they made the horse run away to trick their pursuers, and hid in its green depths.
Eiltiu kneeled before Ashurran and begged her to forgive his betrayal, saying he was ashamed of it and came to regret it deeply. And he trembled with fear, for he was certain Ashurran saved him only for torturing him to death, in accordance with the cruel Arriany custom.
Ashurran smiled and made him rise.
"Don't be afraid, I need not your life and your humiliation either. Thanks to you I was able to see new lands and wonders. And I care nothing for gold and jewels. However, couldn't you put it all to better use than ending up on the scaffold?"
Eiltiu confessed that his betrayal brought him only misfortune. He had spent away everything stolen from Ashurran and had to take up swindling again.
He pledged his loyalty to Ashurran and pleaded with her to give him another chance and take him with her.
"I don't want to love you again," she answered him, "and I will certainly never trust you. Tomorrow morning we shall go our separate ways. But there is something you could repay me with, for saving your life."
Upon saying it she pulled him down with her on a bed of twigs and leaves. They indulged in sweet delights of the flesh all night long, and the whole night seemed only a brief moment, so great their mutual pleasure was. In the morning Eiltiu opened his eyes and saw that Ashurran had left him while he slept. He came his own way, astonished by her nobility, and his fate after that was unknown.
It is said that noble people may forgive their offender thrice without dishonor. So Ashurran forgave the deceitful bard, and that was a lesson to him, for he learned how little he gained by betraying her and how much lost.
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Gates to Glory: Epic Fantasy Adventure Tale (Ashurran #1)
Adventure[FINISHED]She was born in a tribe of fierce female warriors. Swords and spears have been her toys from the cradle. She has the only path before her, to become the tribe chief after her mother. Yet Ashurran dreams of strange lands, of bigger battles...
