บท 16: ...Deception...
Anastasia didn't want to leave the city:
- Can't we stay for a little longer?
- No, we can't. We won't be able to go back to the camp at the right time!
- Alright....alright. I won't be so greedy. Let's go back.
Suddenly she heard a scream. A thief stole a woman's bag and run away. Anastasia followed him immediately.
- MY LADY, WAIT! DON'T GO! THAT'S DANGEROUS!
The thief entered a dark street and disappeared.
- Where is he?
She tried to search for him, but in a blink of an eye, she found herself surrounded by a gang. They were all holding knives.
- Look at this beautiful girl!
- Come on, pretty girl, give us what you have.
Anastasia pulled out her sword:
- I WILL CUT YOUR HEAD IF YOU APPROACHED ME.
- HAHAHAHA This kitty is willing to scratch us. We must cut off her claws.
The bandits started attacking her while she tried to defend herself. At first, There were only five men and she could handle them, but then their number increased and became about twenty.
- I ADVISE YOU TO SURRENDER LITTLE KITTY, I PROMISE I WON'T HARM YOU.
She wanted to back off.
" I can't defeat all of those bandits on my own. I must find a way to get out of here.
She walked slowly backward, then she suddenly attacked those whose blocking the outlet, finally, she could clear the way out. When she was about to run suddenly she bumped into someone big. When she lifted her head to ask him to move she stiffened in her place.
- C...COMMANDER?
Valdimir pulled out his sword right away and attacked the bandits while Anastasia was still in shock.
" How did he find me?...what am I supposed to tell him? He will surely become very angry....what should I do? "
Lucia and the other soldiers came as well. She seemed very worried.
- MY LADY...ARE YOU OKAY?
- I'm fine! But how did the commander know about my place?
- I told him!
- You did?
Suddenly Lucia started crying:
- What else could I do? I saw you running after a thief, then you disappeared. I was afraid that something bad could happen to you. When I was wondering about what I should do, I saw our soldiers walking in the market place and then I went immediately to the commander and asked him for help.
Anastasia sighed:
- Stop crying, you indeed saved me.
The commander finished all the bandits on his own. He knocked them down, then he stood up while glaring at Anastasia. At that moment, the rain started pouring.
- Come on, let's go find a shelter until the rain stops.
- NO ONE MOVES!
Screamed Valdimir, then he walked towards Anastasia. His eyes were burning with anger and he was clenching his teeth.
She backed off until she hit a wall.
" What is he going to do with me? I feel like he will kill me. "
When He stood up right in front of her, she was shivering and she couldn't even look into his eyes. Her eyes were fixed on the ground and her heart was about to burst.
- WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? I REMEMBER CLEARLY TELLING YOU TO STAY IN THE CAMP.
- I...I wanted to see....the...the city..so...so.
- SO YOU DISOBEYED MY ORDERS
- You...You told us to do whatever we want.
At that moment, Valdimir punched the wall and made a hole in it.
- I...I'm sorry...I...I didn't mean...to...to...
He ignored Anastasia's apology and talked to the others:
- Sergio, stay here...The rest, go. We will meet after I finish this...
The soldiers ran away without hesitation. No one wants the confront the commander when he looks very angry.
Only Sergio and Lucia were left. The Rain was pouring hardly that everyone became soaked.
- The travelers that followed us all along the way, were these two, right?
- Yes...
Replied Sergio right away.
- YOU LIED TO ME.
- I didn't lie, I only didn't tell you the whole truth.
- TO ME, THAT ALSO LYING. YOU ARE MY ASSISTANT, AND YET YOU LIED TO ME.
- I'm aware of that and I'm ready to take any punishment.
- YOU ARE DISMISSED. I CAN'T USE SOMEONE THAT I DON'T TRUST AS MY ASSISTANT.
Anastasia couldn't believe what was going on, the commander fired Sergio because of her reckless behavior.
- WHY ARE YOU PUNISHING HIM? IT IS ME! I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. WHEN SERGIO KNEW ABOUT US, HE TOLD US TO GO BACK, BUT I INSISTED TO KEEP GOING AND I BEGGED HIM NOT TELL TO YOU.
- He lied to me. That's something unforgivable...
Anastasia got on her knees while looking desperate:
- Please, forgive him. It is me...You should punish only me...I will accept anything, just forgive him.
He looked at her for a moment without a flinch, then he walked away from her:
- I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN...
Those harsh words pierced her heart. She tried to not cry, but she couldn't hold herself. It was so hard on her to handle such a situation.
Lucia run toward her and hugged her:
- MY LADY, PLEASE DON'T DO THIS...
- WHAT SHOULD I DO?.... EVERYTHING IS OVER...EVERYTHING.....
- Come on, let's go, you will get sick if we stay in the rain any longer.
Anastasia was completely desperate. Her tears didn't stop and all she could think about was how she will go back to her house and end up marrying that old man.
Valdimir rode his horse and ordered his soldiers to depart. He caught those bandits and decided to take them with him.
When he was about to move, Sergio blocked his way.
- STOP, WE NEED TO TALK.
- I forgave you, what else do you want?
- Forgave me for what? You know about them since the beginning.
- I don't know what are you talking about.
- You do! At first, I wasn't sure. You cut off the expedition quickly, then you accepted to enter the city when usually you refuse to do that because it is a crowded place. Besides, you were walking like you were looking for someone. You knew that Anastasia was following us and she went to the city.
- What if I did?
- You used it as an excuse to kick her out of the army, don't you?
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