[blockstart:500]
<font:$local$\fonts\fonthead16bld.fnt>
After 2 days and one night...
<font:$local$\fonts\font12.fnt>
Another day passed, and now, for two days and one night, we, with the same stranger who had sailed after me, were racing on his dragon, as he himself called it: a drakkar, across the endless waters. Impenetrable darkness reigned around. At night, when frosts struck and snow fell, the outlines of an island finally appeared in the distance. There, the lights of fires flickered and clouds of smoke rose into the sky. It felt like we were about to moor at the long-awaited shore.

[blockend:500]

[blockstart:501]
Having swum to the shore of the island, the foreigner who brought me here told me to stay here and not to leave
[blockend:501]

[blockstart:502]
A guard approached the stranger standing at the pier.

“Why have you arrived so late at night? And why aren’t you home?” he asked menacingly.

“I… I brought a guest… from distant lands…” he stammered in response.

“What? What guest? Have you really been somewhere a simple Viking shouldn’t be? And you brought… their leader?!”

“Yes… yes, that’s right…” the stranger uttered barely audibly.

Without listening to the end, the guard mercilessly pierced him with an iron spear. Apparently, Thorvald didn’t want me to come…

“Search the ship! Quickly! He might be there!” the guard yelled, turning to his comrades.

[blockend:502]

[blockstart:503]
When the guard wanted to jump onto the ship, I quickly jumped from the bow of the ship to the ground and began to fight...

[blockend:503]

[blockstart:504]
In the very depths of the island there was a cage surrounded by a palisade, perhaps Elani was there?


[blockend:504]

[blockstart:505]
I ran to the cage where my flower was kept in the cold and hunger, but three soldiers stood at the entrance.
-Talakun! Your mistake was that you came here! I will take your life!
I need to kill these guards to search and find the keys to the cage.
[blockend:505]

[blockstart:506]
Having removed the cage guards and searched their bodies, there was no key, but what to do? The palisade is made of materials too unknown for me... I'm despairing
[blockend:506]

[blockstart:507]
Attack! The cries of the enemy were heard all over the island and soldiers appeared from nowhere and surrounded me, pressing me against the palisade, but what will happen to me?


[blockend:507]

[blockstart:508]
Suddenly the doors from the huge dragon itself opened and a cry came from there:
"Make way! Jarl!"
Is this heartless one really coming to me?


[blockend:508]

[blockstart:509]
Thorvald stepped out from behind the fire, his shadow casting an ominous shadow across the ground.

“Boy!” he thundered. “I bade you forget this childish love, but you dared to come here to meet your death! If I were a dishonorable Viking, I would have you killed right now. But at the request of my beloved Elani, I grant you life. Well, I will prove to her that I am more worthy of her than you. Fight me in single combat!”


[blockend:509]

[blockstart:510]
And so, from all sides, Thorvald's warriors cried out:
Blood! Blood! Give him!
But I must not pay attention to them, for the spirits will help me keep my oath


[blockend:510]

[blockstart:511]
I stood next to Thorvald's body, covered in blood, the grins and shouts of all his soldiers stopped, I hope they will keep their word and let us go?


[blockend:511]

[blockstart:512]
After one soldier opened the cage, Elani rushed to me, hugged me, I picked her up, it seemed nothing could interfere with our love now! I'll come home and everything will be fine!


[blockend:512]

[blockstart:513]
The frost was fierce. Like all the soldiers, we were covered not in blood, but in frozen snow. Embracing Elani, I stopped feeling everything except the all-consuming love in my soul. Only it, like a hot coal, warmed our frozen bodies. Only our love…

[blockend:513]

[blockstart:514]
Yes, our bodies are frozen, but only one thing is not frozen... Our hearts...


[blockend:514]

[blockstart:515]
There was impenetrable darkness all around, but what did it matter? The spirits took pity and allowed us to seal our vow of eternal love and meet death on the same day. For true happiness, we did not need to see or hear anything – only to feel our hearts beating in unison, filled with love…


[blockend:515]

[blockstart:516]
The spirits did not allow Talakun to keep his oath, but they were certainly spirits, because they were encouraged to him.


[blockend:516]



