Black Wind rushed at a gallop on a dug field. He easily overcame obstacles without needing the rider’s instructions. It was his element - the endless wasteland, stretched in the rays of the rising sun, the distant peaks of the mountains, the ringing morning air, in which only the slight hoot of the hooves echoed through the dry ground. The horse flew, enjoying freedom, allowing the owner to soar with him. Radovan scrolled through the events of the last hour in his head again and again, as if trying to understand whether this was a continuation of the dream that had awakened him.

Now he remembered. Realized that he was so excited. He had already seen those eyes. The eyes of this captive girl. I saw them, and more than once - on someone else's face ... These eyes pursued him, watched him all his life. Such eyes were in the white tigress from his dreams. She was always in them, as he remembered himself. As a child from being scared of her. The father was very angry at his fears, saying, explaining that the tiger is a symbol of their kind, a sacred animal that protects him, he should be grateful to the gods for this sign, and not dismiss the nurses like a girl. Little Rado found it difficult to be grateful, but he tried not to disappoint his father, and he didn’t call anyone anymore, waking up from fear. The tigress did not attack him in a dream, did not touch her, but was always there. He got used to her, got used to a tacit agreement between them - he tries to be a good boy, a worthy heir of his father, and she remains in the shadows, supporting him. With age, when his dreams were filled with battles and youthful dreams of glory, the tigress fought alongside him, protecting him. When he argued with his father - she was on his side when he made difficult decisions - too, understanding and supporting. Gradually, when the worries of the real world replaced the anxious doubts of a maturing man, the dreams began to fade. More often now he woke up, not remembering anything - as if falling into the darkness of a well. The tigress went into oblivion for many years ... But now she has returned ... Has returned to reproach him with his gaze of green, silent eyes.

When riding the Black Wind, he let him go, he did not think about where he was going. Again he was young and vulnerable, bending under the yoke of his father's will. How many years have passed, the father has long been in the grave, but he never learned to resist him. All that he could - then and now, it is - to escape to the stable and let the stallion into a frantic gallop, fleeing his gnawing thoughts, from the fear of disappointing him.

Hearing the ringing feminine cry, Radovan dismounted, and quietly, clinging to the ground, crawled forward. In the predawn darkness it was difficult to understand where the sound came from, but he didn’t care, as if he was still in a dream when everything was going as it should, regardless of his will. What seemed to his look could not be anything other than a dream. Only the fairy could be here at dawn to splash in the dark water, she could not be a woman of flesh and blood. He watched, enchanted, watching the rising sun paint a subtle silhouette, expecting it to melt with the haze of the morning mist, as it should be for a fairy-tale creature. But the sun was rising higher, and the vision did not think to disappear. Suddenly, startled, she dived deep into and disappeared. Radovan involuntarily felt relief with a bit of disappointment - so she was a nymph, a water fairy, he thought.

He was about to leave when a sudden splash broke the surrounding silence, and the female head that appeared on the surface cleared its throat convulsively, swallowing the air. Then, the girl who certainly could not be that air nymph began to cry - sob loudly and protractedly, like a widow in a cemetery. He wanted to close his ears, just to not hear this cacophony, but he could not.She was sobbing hoarsely, rubbing herself with hard sand, from which pale skin poured with blood, wrapped her arms around her knees, rolling on the ground like a snake tightening old skin. When she finally fell silent and entered the water again, he jumped up, ready to run, exhausted from horror and disgust. But then she slipped out of the depths and the rising sun illuminated her all - a beautiful, young body, long hair flowing down to her knees, and the already familiar green eyes on a tender face.

Radovan looked at her, not looking up. She was not ugly, as he secretly hoped. And she was not afraid of him, as she should, calmly looking at him. Her chin was resolutely raised, her lips quivering, as if calling for him. Then, no longer able to fight the obsession, he abruptly turned away and, immediately jumping on the patiently waiting Black Wind, rode away.

The morning air pleasantly cooled his hot face. Superstitious fear, soaked with mother's milk, bound all his thoughts. With an effort of will, he remembered the stern face of his father and his instructions: “Do not let a woman take over you. Don't let your desire rule you! ”His father never allowed. His credo was “take it and forget it.” His mother was one of many, her only advantage was blue blood and the privilege of having a son for him. After that, she was rejected as an ordinary slave, living out her life in wealth and solitude.

He is a great warrior, he is the son of his father, he will not allow stupid childish superstition, coupled with a beautiful woman's face, to bring himself down. He wants her and she will belong to him. Let not immediately. He will first tame her, and then having achieved, she will become uninteresting to him. She is no different from others. In the meantime, it will be a great way to dispel boredom ...

***

The day was already setting, and Alessia was still waiting for her Lord Rado. Joyful impatience and the expectation of something wonderful that did not leave her after their morning meeting, gradually passed, replaced by doubts and anxiety. She no longer hid from people, but from this her loneliness was even more tangible - no one approached her, did not speak, did not laugh. She was not driven to work either, and that worried her. Only the foal gratefully pranced his legs when she fed and caressed him, stroking the delicate fur. When despair was already almost completely seized by her, and all hopes seemed invented, a man approached her and, saying that he was ordered by Lord Radovan, ordered to follow him.

Radovan met her near the pen with horses. Today he had no armor and he looked more simple, humane. He spoke to her, affectionately praised her for caring for the foal, and inquired about him. His tone was soft, his voice calm and caressing, but this only worried Alessia more. Her lord Rado with hard eyes was not like that. He spoke in abrupt, quick phrases, voice in no way objectionable. Now he behaved as if nothing had happened between them, as if this morning she only imagined. She was frightened at the thought. Maybe she actually came up with everything - from fatigue and despair?

- How do you call him? He suddenly asked.

“I don't know, my lord,” she whispered, frightened. He frowned - he was patient with her, magnanimous, as he usually carried on with women, she didn’t answer, only she was frightened, again becoming a cringing little animal.

- But you, probably, somehow call him in thoughts? - impatiently, like a child, he encouraged.

“Yes ... I call him my baby, my foal ...” the girl muttered slurredly.

“Well, clearly,” he waved him off, “okay, let's go, look at the mare.” Sepp lured her closer to that pen.

She followed him, feeling that her eyes were filled with tears. It seemed to her that she had angered him, but she could not understand what. In the small paddock fenced off from other horses, the truth was a small stocky filly of clearly river blood. Next to her, a large foal frolicked merrily. Radovan silently watched them, Alessia stood nearby.Then he, like Sapp before, began to explain to her how they plan to trick the mare so that she would take the baby to be fed. Alessia listened in a half-ear, collecting her thoughts. She was not accustomed to indulge in long reflections, her feelings, imprisoned for months in captivity, once escaped ...