2

- And now we are heading to Kermalan! - said the knight, touching the horse with his heels.

In the hands of the young knight, the stranger moved weakly, black eyelashes trembled. And she went limp again.

Upon arrival in the town, the wandering knight immediately visited the nearest tavern. The hall was empty, and the young man was glad of that. There was not enough extra talk that would lead to problems. The innkeeper turned out to be a gloomy person, but did not get excited at the sight of strange guests. A stocky, strong man with a tangled red beard counted Felix's due change from one silver, and sent him to the spare room, after ordering the maid to bring the guests everything they needed.

The knight gently arranged the girl on the bed. A young maid in a stained apron brought a pitcher of water and a small basin. The girl looked at the strangers with interest, but out of politeness did not linger longer than expected, leaving the guests alone in the room.

Felix unfastened his belt, which held a large, heavy sword in a leather scabbard. All thoughts of the young man circled around the stranger. Now the knight knew that she was not from this small town. Otherwise, the innkeeper would have recognized her, because such personalities are always aware of any news. The strange situation became more and more confusing with every moment. He sighed wearily and sat down on the edge of the bed. Under the dense fabric of the cloak, the girl's chest heaved slowly and rhythmically. She slept peacefully, and only by her excessively pale skin could one guess that something was wrong with her.

Whoever the girl was, her beauty was unusual. Her black hair gleamed orange where it was exposed to sunlight from the only murky window in the room. Long black eyelashes, well-defined lips and a thin, slightly upturned nose. The oval of the face reminded the knight of aristocrats from the northern lands. Slightly elongated, he ended in a rounded chin, and high cheekbones gave him a touch of austerity and determination.

The young man soaked a thin towel in warm water and wiped the droplets of cold sweat from the girl's forehead. Curly strands of hair stuck to wet skin, creating an intricate pattern on it. What happened to her? What horror did she experience? Felix felt sorry for her, so young, fragile and beautiful.

Long eyelashes trembled, the stranger's face frowned, as if remembering something extremely unpleasant. Felix reached out and touched his fingers to the cool skin of his cheek. Suddenly, a thin girl's hand intercepted his brush. His emerald eyes scorched him again, sending a thrill of excitement down his spine.

- What are you doing? - the question fell upon the young man, as if he had been doused with ice water. The threat in the stranger's voice was so pronounced that Felix felt uneasy for a moment.

My wrist throbbed in pain. And where does this fragile girl get so much strength from?

- I didn't do anything wrong! - he grunted a little offended in response and showed the towel that he held in his left hand. - You passed out, I was just trying to help you. That's all. Felix added a warm smile to his hesitant words, hoping to soften the mood.

- You... No, what are you... Me... Don't touch me! Otherwise, I ... - the girl clearly could not find words, expecting an onslaught from the interlocutor. But not a good-natured smile.

The knight wanted to continue making excuses, but such a formidable appearance of the girl, as well as her lips pouted with resentment, unexpectedly aroused a wave of laughter in him. The boy laughed heartily. His jellied laughter made even the belligerent interlocutor smile. The features of her face smoothed out, and she watched the strange young man with slight bewilderment.

- You just blew me away! – said the guy, wiping away the tears that came out of laughter. - You lost consciousness, and I brought you to Kermalan. In the tavern we can eat, wash and sleep well. And then you can already decide who is guilty of what and before whom. I don't like to think on an empty stomach. Would you still let go of my hand, young lady?

The stranger looked from the kind, gray eyes of the young man to his powerful hand, which she could hardly clasp with her thin fingers, but still held in a death grip. Hastily withdrawing her hand, she sat up. The bed she was sitting on was right under the window. She looked out through the cloudy glass and saw the burnt-out tiled roofs of small stone houses. The pavement was bustling with life. Women and men, merchants, goats, chickens, riders on horseback - all this buzzed and merged into one large, swarming spot. The sun shone brightly, making the girl feel unusually weak and helpless. Turning away from the window, the brunette noticed that her savior was rubbing his wrist, on which dark bruises began to appear. Traces of her capture.

- And you are a strong woman, - the young man remarked good-naturedly, catching the surprised look of his companion. - So it won't take long to break a hand ...

The girl looked down:

"Sorry," she choked out. - And ... come on "you", okay?

- No need to apologize! The knight smiled pleasantly again. His openness and kindness quickly defuse the situation, and the girl felt the feeling of fear recede, and grains of trust in this young man take his place. - My name is Felix. And how to magnify ... you, my beautiful stranger? - he tried to cheer up the interlocutor with playful notes.

The girl stared at the knight with eyes burning with emerald flame.

"I don't know…" she whispered frustratedly. - I don't know my name, where I come from. Who am I…

Felix wanted to say something reassuring, but the sad, confused face of the girl made it clear that this was not the time for jokes.

- Maybe it's for the better? - the young man said softly, looking into the green, dull eyes of the interlocutor. – You can come up with a new name, but life… After all, there are few who would refuse the opportunity to start all over again. You have this opportunity, even if you started it in a very unusual way. “What is not done, everything is for the better!”, as my father used to say. Cheer up... ugh, don't be discouraged! If no one says anything about the missing girl, then you are not one of the aristocrats. And in a new life ... who will stop you from becoming great and achieving what you never even dreamed of before?

The knight cheered up at his words even more than the girl. The young man jumped up and with a quick, springy gait went to the door.

- I'll arrange for hot water to be prepared! And soon the food will arrive. I'm just dying of hunger! - and, slamming the door, Felix rushed down the stairs, which was perfectly audible through the thin walls.