Yoana Valkanova

She wondered along the streets of the big and noisy town, realising she must seem strange. How could she not realise? She barely managed to move with her new limbs. What were they called? Oh, yes – legs. How could humans move around on them? She found it very difficult. She was unsteady and staggering, she constantly bumped into people who replied with angry stares. She at least had found some clothes. When she remembered about them, she felt a surge of guilt. Some youngsters were swimming in the sea and she stole one of their dresses. But they had more lying on the shore and she had nothing else to wear. She had to put something on. All people wore clothes and since she wanted to blend in, she had to have some, too. She was confused, very confused, more confused than ever before. When they told her that she should disappear for a while, until things settle down, she believed it was the most sensible thing to do. But now, the idea to come on dryland seemed stupid. Why did she believe she would be able to come by in a completely unknown world all alone? Where was she to go now?

She ran into yet another person. She raised her eyes to apologise but she froze. A pair of cold gray eyes were looking at her from underneath knitted brows. The man took a step back and looked her from head to toe.

‘Are you ok, lass?’

He’s armed, was the first thought that passed through her mind. But then she noticed he was a soldier.

‘Is there a problem?’ he continued inquiring.

Of course, he expected her to respond. And what was she supposed to say? If all the chaotic thoughts in her head would stop running around and stand still for just a moment, she might come up with a reply. However, that didn’t seem very likely.

‘Are you one of those villagers that come here to look for work?’ he questioned her further. ‘Why do you believe that someone would hire you right away as long as you make it to town? Recently, a constant flow of your people has been coming and you’re only creating work for me. You too have no money, right?’ He didn’t wait for an answer but carried on talking. ‘You don’t know a thing about life in the big city. Only few succeed in finding a job and securing a sort of income. However, that is only part of the problem. Have you a place to leave? The master, who provides you with work, will not care that you have no roof over your head and he will not offer you to stay at his house. You come here barefooted and with nothing but the clothes on you and you count only on your good fortune. But it doesn’t work that way!’ He looked at her again and this time he seemed worried. ‘Are you ok, lass?’

‘I am not from a small village. I just wanted…’ for a moment she got lost in her thoughts but then she decided to be as honest as possible. ‘I used to leave in a town before. It was not as big as this one. But a fire burned my home and everything I had. I used to work as a caretaker for the children of a wealthy merchant, but I could not continue doing that. I lost everything and my master didn’t want to help me in any way. That is way I decided to leave that place and go somewhere else.’ So far, so good. She had not lied, only overlooked some details. ‘I can cook, clean and do a lot of other things, I can take care of children. I was certain that someone would hire me. I do not want a wage, only a small room and three meals a day. Am I wrong?’ She looked at him but only saw surprise and confusion in his eyes. ‘Is there no place for me in this town?’

For a moment he believed he would drown in her eyes. Gods, was this lass so innocent and gullible that she did not know where she had come? And what was more, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her eyes were as blue and as deep as the sea itself, her hair was a waterfall of dark blond curls that shone in the light of day. She was slender, delicate and feminine. And she, as kind as she was, believed that someone would take her to clean his home and look after his children. In what town had she lived until now? He knew what would happen to her if he left her out on the streets. Innocence and beauty were quickly violated and soiled in places like this one.

‘Come with me.’ he said.

For a moment she looked uncertain, but then she followed him without voicing any objections. During the entire way he didn’t ask her anything else and she didn’t dare to start a conversation. She looked around confused and hesitant as they walked further into the town’s centre and farther from the harbour and the sea. They crossed a big street and then plunged in a small and dark alley, followed another alley and a third one and continued doing so until she no longer knew where they were. Everything looked the same to her. Finally, they reached an old five-story building.

The girl thought it was too ill-kept to be the house of a wealthy man and too big to be the home of a poor soldier.

The man did not slow down even for a moment. He went through the front door, across the dark corridor, up a narrow staircase all the way to the attic. They reached a massive oak door and only then did he stop. He turned and asked, ‘Excuse me, I forgot to ask you about your name.’

‘Denisa.’[1]

‘I am Igor[2]. I suppose this is enough for now.’ Without saying anything else he unlocked the door and showed her in a room, that gave the impression that all sea beasts had gone on a rampage in it. He looked slightly embarrassed, ‘It is a bit messy, but this is my home. I am not good at cleaning and other such things so I would need some help. There is a small room that I don’t use. I will put a bed there and then it is all yours.’

‘You mean to say that you will hire me?’ She looked at him with her big eyes, filled with surprise and happiness.

He knew that the moment he had seen those eyes, he was forsaken. He could never leave her alone out on the streets. The scum of this town would have robbed her of her innocence and kindness in a day. The Gods knew, he wouldn’t allow this cold place, filled with cynical and egoistic people, to violate this pure soul. He would save at least this girl.

‘Yes.’

She was so happy that she offered to start working immediately. The warrior at first felt uncomfortable, since an unknown lass was running around arranging his things. He invited her to sit down and offered her some tea. However, she refused to sit before she had at least tidied the place. While she was busy cleaning, he quickly inspected what provisions he had in the tiny kitchen. There was nothing. He shouldn’t have expected anything else. The kitchen was the tidiest of all his rooms, because he seldom set foot there. He snuck out to buy some food and to bring water from the well nearby.

Denisa found her way around surprisingly easy. Igor took her to a street full of merchants, from whom she could buy just about anything. Afterwards, he showed her the place where he worked – the building of the town’s guards – if she ever needed to find him, while he was out. He told her that the guys there would know where to find him. Then he led her to the well. It was the first time that the girl saw such a thing. She decided to come back later, when no one was around, and figure out how it works. The most difficult task proved to be cleaning the man’s chambers. “It is a bit messy” was a big underestimation of the state of the place. It took her a couple of days to put into order all his things and scrub the place properly. However, she was proud and happy with the her work.

The first day she and Igor cleared the room that was to be hers. He had used it as a storage space and so the work was quite heavy. He had to throw out most of his things there in the end. The man borrowed from somewhere a mattress and put it on the floor in the middle of the empty chamber. The next day he brought some boards and fit together a bed for Denisa. She was enchanted by the way he worked with the wood. She had never seen anything like it! It was incredible how one could make something useful out of all those pieces. On the other hand, this was the first bed she had ever seen. The following day he came home with a couple of dresses. Denisa was so confused and grateful that she couldn’t begin to understand all of it. She couldn’t understand why the man was doing all this for her. Obviously, until now he had managed perfectly well on his own or almost perfectly. What was more, he was not one of those wealthy men that were used to having someone to look after them. She decided to do all in her might to make his home cosier as a way to say “Thank you”.

His new housekeeper surprised Igor countless times. He had forgotten what it was like to eat warm home-made food. He had also forgotten how his home looked when it was tidy and clean. Her cheerful composition and liveliness infected him and the warrior could feel he was beginning to change. The world no longer seemed so dark and cold. The young man admired her diligence and her ability to quickly grasp all new things. He was convinced that her arrival was the best thing that had happened to him in a while.

In the beginning they rarely talked, because they were not sure what to talk about. But as time passed they felt more comfortable with the company of one another. They talked about what had happened during the day and countless other things. One night Denisa gathered the courage to ask a question that had bothered her since the first day, ‘Why do you dislike villagers so much?’

‘It is exactly the opposite. I like them quite a lot.’ Igor replied surprised.

‘But when we met, you said that villagers and people from the province are very stupid. You said that they only cause problems by coming to the town.’

The man fell silent for a moment.

‘It seems I have left you with a wrong impression. I love the province and the peace and comfort it offers. This is something that one cannot find in big cities. Here you are one of the many. No one remembers your name or face. In the villages it is different – one knows his neighbours, gets along with them, always has time for a little chat. In my view, someone who is willing to give up all of that to come here is an idiot.’

‘If you hate living in this town so much why don’t you go somewhere else?’ Denisa asked. ‘You surely can find a job as a guard in another town or village and build yourself a new home there.’

‘Don’t think that I haven’t played with the idea. However, once you come to the big town, it entangles you and traps you and you are no longer able to live a different life somewhere else. One can only dream of a better life. And I can already feel that life here has changed me and there is no going back for me.’

‘I see.’ The girl got lost in her own thoughts. She wondered whether the same fate awaited her. She feared that life ashore would change her so much she would never be able to return home. Denisa decided to leave as soon as she felt it was safe.

Igor looked at her for a while, wondering what she was thinking about. But he didn’t have the courage to ask.

 

Denisa was coming back from the market place a few days later as she stopped in front of the house and looked around nervously. For a while now she was having a bad feeling and the messages from home had stopped arriving. As she opened the front door to Igor’s place, she froze. Inside sitting on an armchair a fairytale-like woman waited for her. Her hair was dark as a starless night and her eyes were as blue as Denisa’s. However, they were deprived of all warmth and kindness. One look was enough to recognise the predator in her and to feel the fear seize every part of your body.  The girl dropped her purchases and tried to run back outside, but it was already too late. As she turned, she realised she had already entered the room and the door had been closed and locked behind her. Her escape route was cut. The woman stood up and without uttering a word descended down on her like a black shadow. Denisa rushed to the side and avoided the woman. Fear had her paralyzed and she could barely think. She looked around searching for a way to escape or at least something to protect herself with.

‘You cannot escape!’ the woman hissed. ‘I have you now.’

The girl grabbed the first object in sight and threw it at her attacker. The flower vase, that always stood on the small table next to the wall, flew in the air and did not find its target. However, Denisa used the opportunity to put some distance between her and the woman. She rushed to the opposite end of the room and thus the scarce furniture remained between them. The girl hoped this would give her some time before the woman reached her. Nevertheless, that proved to be only an illusion. Her attacker moved fast and gracefully as a cat and got to her in a moment. Denisa once again jumped to the side knocking down two chairs. She did not even dare to look back. She ran to the front door and grabbed the handle. She pushed and pulled with all her might but it did not budge. She turned and saw that the woman was at arm’s-distance. She reached out and Denisa tried to press herself as hard as possible against the door. She could not take her eyes off the woman. There was nowhere left for her to escape. And then the door opened and the girl fell backwards.

No one could imagine how big was Igor’s surprise when he opened his front door and Denisa literally fell over him. He managed to catch her and thus preventing the both of them from tumbling down. He was about to ask her what was going on, when something attracted his attention. He turned his head and saw a beautiful woman reaching for the girl in his arms. His instincts and experience were the ones that urged him to move. He swiftly pushed Denisa behind him and took out the sword, hanging on his belt. The woman in front of him looked surprised.

‘Do not interfere, human.’ she said icily.

Igor could feel the hair on his neck stand up. This sign was enough for him to understand that the woman was dangerous. He took a defensive stance and looked at his opponent. The woman arched one eyebrow and smiled threateningly.

‘You are a fool.’

In a moment the two were surrounded by flames. Denisa sobbed in fear and shivered behind the warrior.

‘Stay behind me.’ he told her.

Igor moved swiftly and jumped at his enemy. He had only raised his sword, when the women retreated to the centre of the room. She gave a cold and cruel laugh. The warrior entered the room and the girl followed him frightened by the flames in the corridor. The door closed behind them.

‘If you wish so, I’ll kill you both.’ The woman lifted her hand and the nails grew in a moment into deadly black blades. She rushed towards the warrior and swung for his eyes. He lifted his sword and deflected the attack. Denisa stepped backwards so as not to be in Igor’s way. The girl was afraid that he would end up losing his life because of her.

The two opponents were entangled in a deadly dance. The blades met and parted but nobody moved an inch. The woman raised her second hand. Igor saw with the back of his eye the attack and managed to avoid it just in time. The step he made gave him the needed distance to freely swing his sword. This time the woman had to retreat. She pursed her lips in a typically feminine way. And that gesture tricked him. He rushed his attack, the woman jumped to the said, which left him wide open. She descended down on him and he barely managed to lift his sword and deflect the attack. And now she was too close, not allowing him to use the advantage of his longer blade. Igor lifted his leg and kicked her in the stomach. The woman fell back and her hair spread across her face. She glared at him.

‘How dare you!’ she hissed.

She flung at him enraged. Igor, much to Denisa’s surprise, turned around, jumped over the table and the armchair and ran. The woman followed him like pray. As he reached the other end of the room, Igor turned around with his back to the window. The dance with the blades began once again from the beginning. The man succeeded in standing his ground, although his opponent was attacking him with both her hands. Suddenly he made a circle and somehow managed to corner the woman against the window. He moved so quickly that Denisa could not even tell how it happened. Igor used his sword to deflect a series of attacks and then kicked the woman once again in the stomach. She flew back, through the window and all the way down. The girl stood with wide open eyes and could not believe it.

Igor was breathing heavy as Denisa moved to stand behind him and looked over his shoulder. She couldn’t see a thing.

‘Is she dead?’ the girl asked.

‘She should be. It’s quite high.’

‘Is she down there?’

‘No.’

‘Maybe a witch’s body disappears after she dies.’ Denisa wondered.

He looked at her over his shoulder and arched his eyebrows. She read the unspoken question in his eyes.

‘I know I owe you an explanation. I have not told you everything.’ Denisa felt guilty for not telling him the entire story from the very beginning. She knew she should have given him the truth, but at that time she was so afraid he would kick her out, that she didn’t dare.

‘Let us sit down first.’ he suggested. Igor led her to the armchair and brought a wooden chair for himself.

‘My story might seem incredible or shocking to you, but it is the truth.’ Denisa lifted her deep-blue eyes and the warrior thought that he could believe anything she told him. The girl tried to remain calm and keep her emotions in hand. ‘I’ve never lied to you. I just avoided mentioning one or two things. I used to look after children, indeed, but under the water. You see, I am a mermaid. They gave me the body of a human with magic. It all began a few months ago when I applied for a job at the house of a wealthy merchant, who had a little girl. An elderly and kind woman also wanted the job. However, they chose me. At that time no one knew that the old woman was the sea witch. She wanted to eat the child, but she could not force it to go with her. She needed to earn its trust. As her plan to become the little girl’s caretaker failed, she tried to entice the child, but I got in her way again. I only wanted to protect that girl. I was a torn in her sight and she decided to remove me. She attacked me one day wanting to kill me. Nevertheless, she did not succeed and I uncovered her true self.’ Denisa made a small pause. She had said everything in a single breath and was not sure whether Igor had understood it all. She did not want to remember the fear, helplessness and loneliness from that time and thus tried as little as possible to go into detail. ‘I went straight to the king’s guards and told them about her. I think that was what really got her upset. There is a sorcerer with the guards and he suggested I should hide until they catch her. It was his idea to turn me into human. At that time I believed there was no better hiding place than on land. I did not lie to you. The witch was the fire that destroyed my life, so to say.’

‘And what did the merchant do? Didn’t he help you in any way?’ Igor asked.

‘He was so scared from what had happened and for the safety of his child that he refused to be further implicated in any way.’ Denisa felt she was about to start shaking.

‘He was a coward. You were just as frightened as him and you are a woman.’ the warrior was indignant.

‘I apologise I hid this from you. You had the right to know since the very beginning.’ she said with a trembling voice.

‘You shouldn’t worry about that.’ Igor tried to comfort her. ‘I too wouldn’t tell a complete stranger about my problems. What is more, there was no way for you to know that the witch had followed you on dryland. Something else worries me at the moment…’ he felt uncomfortable, but he had to ask her. ‘Will you go back under the sea now?’

‘I don’t know.’ Denisa replied. Igor’s presence and reaction calmed her down and she was no longer shaking. ‘I am in your debt and I don’t want to leave before I find a way to repay your kindness. But I fear that if I remain here, I might only cause you further troubles.’

‘That can never be the case. It is the guards’ job to help those in need and you have already done so much for me. I had forgotten what it feels like to have warm food on the table and someone to welcome you home.’

Both of them felt embarrassed for a moment and diverted their eyes. When they lifted their heads and looked at one another again, Denisa asked, ‘I will not be a burden for you if I stay here, won’t I?’

‘Of course, not!’ he said firmly. ‘Just the opposite – I will be very happy. I came back home early today, because I wanted to talk to you. There will be a meeting of all the rulers in the region, here, in town and there will be a lot of work for everyone. I wanted to ask whether you would be willing to offer a helping hand?’

‘I will be very happy to!’ she said, her eyes overflowing with joy.

‘Good,’ he smiled and his eyes shone with new warmth.

Denisa gave her best during the preparations for the upcoming event. The next day truly proved to be very busy, but the girl felt useful. She joined the women, who were in charge of cleaning the place, where the meeting was to be held, arranging and decorating the table and other furniture. They washed the windows and the floor. Then they hang heavy draperies from red velvet. There were vases with fragrant flowers everywhere. Afterwards, some men brought a massive round table and heavy chairs. Denisa counted that the chairs were exactly the same number as the entrances to the hall – one for each ruler. She was dazzled by the grandeur and solemnity of the preparations. However, there was still a lot of fork for them – after the meeting the rulers were invited to a spectacular banquet, which the women had to prepare and serve.

Igor felt drained by all the preparations the guard had to complete before the event. They were required not only to protect the participating rulers, but to make it just as grand and impressive as the meeting itself. The men had to wear full armour through the entire day, as if their job was not hard as it was. They constantly argued how to distribute the limited number of men. The building was in the middle of town and hundreds of people passed through there daily. It was no easy task to distinguish possible attackers and normal passers-by. In addition, they had to practice each and every small detail of the ceremony. In the evening Igor returned home feeling beaten, but enjoyed those precious few hours of rest immensely.

Denisa felt wonderful among all the other women. It was new for her to talk with that many people and they all were very kind and friendly. Since she had come on dryland, she had experienced a lot of new and exciting things, which made her very happy. In the evening she was eager to tell Igor all about her day and he listened to her with a smile. Then he would tell her what had happened to him. Although, he complained quite a lot, she loved the time they spent together. Denisa only slightly realised how much she had changed, since she left the sea. It seemed like an eternity had passed since she came on dryland. She had never expected that this unfortunate journey would make her feel such happiness.

When finally the big day arrived, Denisa was very nervous. She was one of the many girls that would serve the food to the rulers. She knew how important every small detail was and feared she might do something wrong. The smallest thing could make an enormous impression and the girl knew they were not allowed to make a single mistake.

The girls were waiting in the kitchen dressed in their best dresses. All were chattering excited and all were nervous. The place smelled of all sorts of delicious dishes. Finally, Denisa could not take the waiting anymore and went outside for a small walk. She hoped to meet Igor, although she knew he was even more on edge than her. He most likely was patrolling around the building and making sure everything went smooth. She wanted only to catch a glimpse of him, as that was enough to calm her nerves. As she walked around aimlessly, she reached a shabby wooden structure. A few stakes were hammered into the ground and tied together with red cloth. There were many such enclosures around and all were filled with the most wondrous animals. All sorts of people had come to see the exotic creatures. Denisa moved closer as she, too, was curious.

‘What are those creatures and where did they come from?’ she asked a man close by.

The man looked as if the biggest idiot in the world was standing in front of him, but he still answered. ‘These are the animals of the rulers. I am in charge of looking after them until the meeting ends.’ He turned in the direction of some men, who couldn’t tame a creature and shouted, ‘Be careful with that horse!’

As he left, Denisa moved closer to the animal causing trouble.

‘So, you are Horse,’ she whispered.

It was a lean and beautiful thing with exactly four long and gracious legs. It had unbelievably black fur and his head and back were covered by something that looked like hair. It had a strange tail and the girl wondered what the animal used it for. As she moved closer the animal calmed down. The men were trying to feed it but the horse refused the millet. The girl came to stand next to the men and asked, ‘Excuse me, can I touch Horse?’

They looked bewildered, but allowed Denisa to pet the animal.

‘But be careful, lass.’ one of them said as she slowly went to the creature. The girl timidly raised her hand and touched the muscular back of the black beauty. It turned and sniffed her. The animal calmed down enough to turn and start eating.

Denisa took this as a sign that Horse liked her petting and thus she started to gently stroke his fur. The men looked surprised at her and she wondered what she had done wrong. Suddenly, all of them started talking one over the other, pleading her to help them. Denisa smiled and accepted eagerly. They went around feeding and watering the animals, combing their long hair. The men taught Denisa all sorts of things about the animals. She found out that horse was the species and not the name of that one animal. They showed her the different sorts and explained the difference in their traits. They took her to some enormous creatures with long noses and small heads called elephants. They too had four legs. The girl wondered whether having twice as many legs as humans helped them move twice as fast. She was having so much fun, she lost track of time. A woman came to look for her, complaining that Denisa had gone off to somewhere without saying a thing and that now she smelled like horses.

The moment she entered the kitchen she was handed a tray well laden with food. She followed the line of girls, going to the hall. There they separated and entered through the different doors. Denisa chose an entrance at random and went in. She felt out of place with all the grandeur around her. She left the tray on the table and turned around to leave as quickly as possible.

However, Denisa did not remain as unnoticed as she believed.

She entered the hall a second time with a tray laden with food, moved as swiftly as possible and left it on the table. As she was only a step away from the entrance, three men surrounded her. Their armour was different from Igor’s, leaving the girl with the impression that they were not from the town’s guards. She looked at them surprised and concerned.

‘Would you be so kind as to come with us?’ one of the men asked.

‘Can I know what do you need me for?’ Denisa retorted quietly.

‘Our ruler would like to talk to you.’

‘I am sorry, but I have work to do.’ She was not certain what was happening, but she didn’t want to go anywhere with those scary-looking men. ‘I cannot just leave. I am truly sorry, but you will have to ask someone else to help you.’

‘Someone else will not do. Our ruler wants you and you alone. You have enchanted him.’ another guard joined in.

Denisa was stunned. Those men claimed she had put a spell on a person, but that was impossible. She didn’t know how to use magic and there was no reason for her to enchant one of the rulers. The girl skilfully slipped between the guards and ran away. She ran all the way to the kitchen, glancing from time to time over her shoulder to make sure no one was following her.

Denisa didn’t abandon her job but she started avoiding that particular entrance. Instead, she chose a door in the opposite end of the hall. The girl couldn’t stop thinking about the words of those guards. She was certain there was some sort of misunderstanding, but she was too afraid to try and resolve it. She hoped that the lunch would end soon and the delegations would leave.

She was so engulfed in her own thoughts, that Denisa almost collided with another person. She looked at the person, wanting to apologise, but froze. Her gaze met with those cold blue eyes and cruel smile. She took a step back and then another one. The girl tried to convince herself that the witch wouldn’t kill her in front of so many people, but she was not certain. However, she couldn’t just stand there and stare at her. Denisa turned and ran without paying attention where she was going. In her haste to escape, however, she passed by that unfortunate entrance. The three guards jumped in front of her and scared her to death. She slowed for a moment but her hesitation didn’t last long. She grabbed a vase with flowered and threw it at them. The men dodged the incoming object and Denisa used the opportunity to run pass them. The second woman went by them so fast the guards didn’t even see her. Only after that did they join in the chase.

Igor was standing next to one of the entrances and followed the progress of the event. So far everything was going according to plan with the exception of one or two small incidents. He hadn’t even hoped for things to develop so smoothly. He even spotted one or two times Denisa serving lunch with the other girls. And only a short while later his worst fears were surpassed. Igor saw Denisa running down a corridor, followed by a black shadow. He didn’t want to cause a commotion at the meeting so he left his post slowly and calmly. He hoped no one would notice his absence. As soon as he was out in the opened he allowed himself to start running. His heart was beating like crazy in his chest and he felt a suffocating need to find Denisa and make sure she was ok. The warrior couldn’t think or care about anything else.

The girl ran with all her might without thinking about anything other than escaping. She didn’t want to involve the women in the kitchen and thus she rushed outside and ended exactly where the animals were kept. She stopped. Denisa didn’t want to involve the creatures and the humans looking after them, either. The only thing she could do was to run pass them as quickly as possible. However, the animals felt her fear and went wild. The elephants managed to free themselves from the ropes and the fence and blocked the way of her pursuers. Denisa had to go back. She worried that the witch might do them harm and so begged the elephants to return to their enclosure. However, they paid no attention to her pleading and did their best to trample over anyone who tried to go by them.

Igor called a few trusted men and ordered them to follow him. He told them to be ready for anything. Soon they heard the clamour, coming from where the animals where kept, and headed in that direction. The sight caught the guards completely unprepared. Some men and the witch were trying to escape, while a group of elephants was attempting to crush them. They froze not knowing what to do. Igor was the first to come to.

‘Get the animals under control, damn you!’ he shouted at the caretakers and then turned towards his own men. ‘Arrest that woman on suspicion of witchery. I saw her put a spell on the wine. And detain and question those men!’

He circled around the elephants from afar, looking for Denisa. She was standing behind the animals, trying to talk to them.

‘What is going on?’ he moved closer.

‘They are trying to protect me.’ she looked at him distressed.

‘The elephants?’

‘Yes and I fear they might get hurt. The witch could harm them if they anger her.’

‘Do not worry. I think the guards have already captured her.’ Igor said as he tried catch a glimpse of what was happening on the other side of the blockade.

‘Why?’ Denisa was surprised.

‘Because she is a witch. Or did you think we like those?’

‘Well, no. But what are you going to do with her afterwards?’

‘We will burn her on the stake. What do usually you do?’

‘I’m not sure. Certainly, we don’t burn them.’

‘Yes, of course. You cannot light a fire underwater.’

‘Are you really going to burn her?’ Denisa was doubtful.

‘If it depends on me – yes. And I think it does.’ Igor frowned, ‘And what did those men want?’

Denisa looked even more distressed, ‘They said I have enchanted their ruler and asked me to go with them somewhere. But I do not know any magic, I swear!’

The warrior looked surprised for a moment and then laughed. ‘I think their ruler has taken a liking to you. That is all.’

‘But that doesn’t make any sense. He has never before seen me and he doesn’t know a thing about me. Not even my name!’ Denisa was confused.

‘I think he was impressed by your beauty.’

Denisa became bright red and looked down in an attempt to hide it. Thus she didn’t notice that Igor blushed, as well.

‘You are so enchantingly beautiful that you can have any man you wish.’ he whispered.

‘But I don’t need that. I am a simple girl and small things make me perfectly happy.’

‘Are you happy with me?’

She nodded.

‘Would you like to be with me?’

She nodded again.

‘I’m neither rich, nor nobility.’

‘That doesn’t mean we won’t have a happy ending.’ she smiled.

 

 

 

[1] Denisa means sea

 

[2] Igor means warrior